Hello everyone.

So this is my contribution for Day 1 of EC week: arranged marriage.

This is the 1st one of a two-shots and the 2nd part will be published tomorrow (later today for me) to answer Day 2's prompt so stay tuned

There's not a chance that I will be able to answer to every prompts but I hope to write a few OS to celebrate David and Regina.

Anyways, I'll leave you to the reading and as per usual, don't forget to review. :)

Tw: abuse (a little)

She was standing on the balcony of what would be her new bedchambers. The cool air was caressing her face, sending of few orphan strands of her hair flying. She was to be wed today. In fact, in a few minutes, the wooden doors of the room would open themselves, and her father would appear from behind them, coming to pick her up to walk her down the aisle to her future husband, King David.

The thought immediately sent shivers down her spine and she had to close her eyes to prevent the tears from shedding. If she ruined her makeup, Cora's punition would be nothing compared to the ones she suffered growing up.

Do not embarrass me!

Her mother's words echoed in her head, swiveling around like the harsh winter wind in the northern lands.

Two knocks on the door were heard and the brunette startled but didn't move. She opened her eyes and looked at the horizon. The sun was starting to come down on the sea firing beautiful shades of orange into the clear water. It truly was stunning yet it seemed so dull to her.

"Regina?"

She turned around this time and her eyes fell on her darling father. If she wasn't so close to wanting to vomit, she would comment on how debonair he looked in this embroidered ocean blue accoutrements but instead she just shed a tear, lowering her head as her body started to tremble despite herself.

"My child." Henry whispered soothingly, reaching for her hands.

"This isn't fair daddy." The eighteen-year-old girl muttered, under her breath, looking at him pleadingly.

"The King is a kind man. Perhaps, if you allow him to, he can make you happy."

Regina closed her eyes, shaking her head. There was no point in trying to discuss -no one understood anyway.

"Dry your tears now before your absence start raising suspicions. You can't be late for your own wedding."

The walk towards the throne room seemed to be endless and with each steps she took, Regina felt the weigh on her shoulders becoming heavier. The brunette sucked on a breath tightening her grasp around her father's hand as they got closer.

"We're here." She heard her father whisper but she didn't look up.

Instead she focused her gaze on the floor as the music started, announcing the beginning of the ceremony. Regina walked side by side with her father, her steps more automatic than measured. She was grateful for the veil over her face, her blurry vision making it feel like this was maybe just a nightmare she would soon wake up from. Only it was not. It was real -all of this was real.

Next to her, Prince Henry stopped and she took it as her cue to stand still as well. The horn players quietened their instruments and the priest's sermon began. Words floated in the air, but she couldn't comprehend them. Her eyes were focused on an invisible spot on the floor, through the tulle mesh of her veil.

Minutes went by or perhaps hours -she couldn't really tell- and suddenly a thunder of applause was heard in the Great Room forcing her to snap back into the reality. She didn't really understand what was happening until she caught glimpse of two hands approaching the bottom of her veil to lift it. The movement was slow. A contrast to the rate of her heart. The King revealed her face and her eyes met his briefly only to fall on her left hand -more specifically, on the sumptuous jewel around her ring finger. She was married. She was married!

She felt the King's hand grab her own and she watched him chastely brought it to his lips, unable to say a word. He then slid his hand up her arm towards her back and he pivoted so they could now face the large -very large, larger than she'd thought- (Breathe in Regina!) crowd clapping happily.

"Silence for the King!" A voice she couldn't place rose up, shutting the cheering down.

"May I introduce you to your Queen." The King spoke up, stepping to the side and pointing a hand at her. "My wife, Queen Regina."

Breathe in! Regina's eyes darted around in alarm until they fell upon Cora, standing proud and satisfied. Regina swallowed hard, the air in her lungs starting to run scarce and the shivers she had felt earlier being slowly replaced by sticky piles of sweat running down her neck and back. She looked around, feeling herself plummeting further into the ground. She had to leave. She had to –

"I'm sorry." The girl murmured before sliding her hand off the King's grip and running as fast as she could, not caring about the sounds of utter disbelief coming from the room she was leaving behind.

She closed the door of her bedchambers behind her and leaned on it for a second, her chest moving up and down.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe.

The brunette parted from the door and grabbed the top of her gown trying to rip it off, unsuccessfully. She fell on the floor, tears running down on her face as her fingers hastily untied the laces of her corset, letting the piece of fabric fall to her side, before holding onto one of the bed's poster, her body trembling with the tears and her head reeling.

"You, foolish girl."

Regina jumped at the sound of her mother's harsh voice. She looked up, her lower lip quivering in fear at the sight of Cora's standing before her, livid.

"Mother -" The young girl stammered raising a pleading hand towards her mother, the other covering her chest.

"After everything I've done for you. After all I've sacrificed...you humiliate me the way?!"

"Mother, please." Regina tried again, rising to her feet and reaching for the woman who birthed and raised her only to feel a heavy hand crashing so hard on her cheek that her ear started ringing as she fell back on the floor.

"How dare you!" A voice she hadn't expected to hear rose but Regina was still too stunned to react. "Leave this room now!"

"Your Majesty -"

"I will not repeat myself."

"Very well."

The door closed and for a second, the brunette thought she was alone but then she felt a hand on her naked back. She shuddered at the contact causing the King to remove it immediately.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Regina." He comforted softly and the next thing she knew, she felt a heavy piece of clothes, she later recognized as his jacket, fall on her shoulders.

She heard him sigh a little and despite her bleary eyes, she caught sight of him sitting beside her, on the floor.

Regina grabbed the two sides of the jacket and wrapped them around her so she could cover her chest. She turned around hesitantly, flickering a gaze towards him and he gave her a soft smile before raising his hand slowly.

"Can I?" He demanded, motioning her swollen cheek and she nodded.

He put his palm underneath her jaw and drew gentle circle around the redness, careful not to hurt her.

"I'm going to have a healer come to your bedchambers tonight."

She nodded before lowering her eyes to the ground.

"I'm sorry I ran away." She murmured after a small pause.

"It's alright. I understand."

"You do?" Regina asked, louder than intended, a bit of bitterness in her throat that the King caught since he closed his eyes as if to think carefully about what he would say next.

"I know it must not be easy for you." He finally let out, looking at her. "There are so many young women out there who would have been thrilled to be asked to be my wife…I know you aren't part of them."

"Then why did you ask?" The brunette demanded, eyes glistening as new tears threatened to fall.

"I -" The blonde man thought for a second before continuing. "If it hadn't been me -it'd have been someone else, Regina."

"So what? You did this for me?!" Regina snapped, a wry chuckle leaving her lips. "They say you're a kind man -but you're just like everyone else. You don't care if you hurt someone, just as long as it helps you achieve your objectives. You needed a Queen for your people -you took one. Here is the truth."

Time had passed and Regina was slowly getting accustomed to living in the castle. She hadn't left its borders though, hadn't answered to any invitations to attend balls or other fanciness. She had just stayed there, locked in her bedchambers, tending to her apple tree or petting Rocinante in the stables.

The brunette knew that it was causing of few eyebrows to raise and that people were talking in the villages. About her, about her leaving the wedding or about the fact that she hadn't made any official appearances yet…

She had even heard a few maids comment on how it was affecting the King's image. Some even mentioned that peddlers weren't shy about spreading rumors, asserting that the King had killed his wife or that the Queen had gone mad and was locked away in the castle, forbade to ever see the light of the sun again. "I don't even understand why she even has a choice," one of the cook's helps had hissed one day, oblivious to the Queen's presence in the corridor, "she is his wife after all. She has duties. I don't understand why King David lets her act like the spoiled child that she is."

She hadn't really cared about their comments though. They could always talk; it wasn't affecting her. What was affecting her, however, was that her attitude was costing the King and it made her feel bad.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

Regina jumped at the sound of the voice, snapping out of her reflection.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." The King told her gently, a careful smile tucking the corner of his lips as he stopped beside her, by the apple tree.

They hadn't talked much since the wedding apart from the polite greetings and Regina knew it had everything to do with what she had told him that day. However, she hadn't missed the small things he would do to her, like making sure she didn't have to share meals with him if she didn't want to or making sure to install some rods and barriers in case she felt like practicing with Rocinante. He had even kicked Cora out of his castle, defending her to ever come close to his wife unless invited to, the day after he had witnessed the "slapping-incident". He had made sure she was treated well and he had given her space. He had been kind to her.

"It is." She replied quietly, looking at the cerulean sky. "I thought you were at King Midas' castle to discuss whether or not to establish new trading taxes." She observed turning back to face him. "What?" The brunette asked frowning at the King's amused expression.

"Nothing." He said chuckling. "I just didn't know you cared so much about politics."

"Glad you're realizing I am not stupid." Regina bit, unable not to feel a pang in her chest.

"Hey, hey." The blonde man let out, putting a hand on her arm and she looked at him. "I'm sorry. I never thought you were stupid, on the contrary. I just didn't think you were interested by politics, it's rather boring."

"I'm not." She admitted and he lifted a brow. "My mother taught me, made sure I knew everything there was to know. She-" The brunette averted her eyes from the King, unsure if she should be honest or not.

"What is it?" He asked, concerned written all over his face.

"I don't know if I should tell you this but my mother, she might…" Regina took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly. "The reason my mother wanted me to marry you was -she wanted me to take over the throne afterwards."

The King backed away, his face darkening.

"I never wanted." The young girl added quickly. "I never had any interest in that but that was the plan…"

"If I hadn't kicked her out -would you have carried it out?"

"I -you've seen my mother. You know…" A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. "You know I wouldn't have had a choice."

"But how? There are hundreds of guards and dozens of villages under my command. How did you plan on murdering the King and get away with it, Regina?" He hissed accusatively.

"I…"

The brunette lowered her gaze. She raised a hand, turning its palm towards the sky. She closed her eyes and swirled her free hand over the other, making a pink rose appear on its top. She reopened her eyes and was faced with the King's horrified ones.

"You're a sorceress." He let out, calmer than she would have thought and she nodded simply.

Silence. A long, terribly oppressive silence during which the King watch her with an expression Regina couldn't read and that terrified her.

"Guard!" His voice rose suddenly making her jump.

"Your Majesty." Two guards answered, arriving within the second.

"Bring the Queen to her bedchambers. I don't want her out under any circumstances."

Regina lowered her head, her heart plummeting in her chest.

What sort of absolution had you expected after admitting to the King that you were plotting against his life and that you were a sorceress, one of the most feared creatures in all realms?! A voice in her subconscious told her, sounded not-so-strangely a lot like Cora's.

He let her out within the next two days.

He just showed up, one day, knocking on her doors and uttered an "I'm sorry" as she sat, silenced by the surprise, behind her dressing table.

The King sighed, sitting down on the bed behind her, pink roses in his hands and she watched him curiously in the mirror.

"Why?" She found herself saying.

"Why what?" He asked frowning.

"Why are you sorry?"

"For locking you up in your room. You're not a child, nor a prisoner here."

"You think I am a threat to you -I think that equals as standard prisoner."

"I don't think you are a threat to me."

"How?" It was Regina's turn to furrow her brows in confusion.

"Because you said it yourself: you never had any interest in any of this."

The brunette turned around and studied him quietly trying to look for any hint of farce on his face.

"And you believe me?" She breathed out after a while.

"You're my wife -I will always believe you. Plus, you didn't have to tell me anything and…I saw how she treats you."

She froze a little at the mention of her mother. She watched the man before her in silence, unable to understand him. She was supposed to hate him yet the more the days passed by, the more affection she felt towards him.

"What are these for?" She asked, eyeing the roses.

"Oh." His voice rose, as if he was just realizing their presence. "It's -It's for you." He told her shyly.

The young woman stood up carefully and walked towards him. She took the roses and whispered a "thank you" before sitting on the bed, by his side.

"Ow." She growled suddenly, looking down at her thumb where she had pricked herself on one of the flowers' thorns.

"Here." The King spoke up alerted by her small grumble.

He took her hand quickly and put her wounded finger into his mouth to suck the blood causing Regina's eyes to open so wide that she was sure they would fall out.

The man put her hand down on his thigh and untucked his white shirt before tearing out a piece and wrapping it tight around her thumb.

"There." He let out, finally looking at her. "What?" He frowned.

"You do know it's just a small prick, right?" The brunette told him, taking her hand back.

"Yeah, but it could have been infected."

"Right." Regina drawled out, unable not to chuckle inwardly, completely ignoring the electricity she had felt in her lower belly when he had...sucked her finger.

The brunette cleared her throat, shaking her head quickly to put that souvenir aside.

"Thank you, anyway." She told him, motioning the roses. "They're beautiful."

"I'm glad you like them. I figured -since you know, you, made one…you know," He stammered and it was quite adorable.

"Appear. I made one appear." Regina helped him, mocking him a little as her lips curled into a small smile.

"Right. Anyways. I figured you liked them."

"I do. Thank you. And for the magic…I promise I won't use it."

"You don't have -"

"I want to. I mean -I don't…I hate magic. What it has done to my mother -" She sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "I don't want to be like her."

"Alright." He nodded, understanding. "I'll leave you, now. I have some sword-fighting training to do."

"Sounds like fun." Regina let out, playfully.

"Oh yeah. It can be." The King smiled, standing up. "See you around?"

"See you around, your Majesty."

"David. Call me David."

Regina smiled.

"See you around, David."

Months had gone by and the King and Queen's relationship had grown to be better. Regina was started to feel at ease around David and she had even accompanied him to Snow White's birthday -King Leopold's daughter, making it her first official appearance in public.

Things were going well and she had been visited by her father a few days ago which had warmed her heart a lot and had raised her spirits up. As for her mother, Cora was still respecting the King's order and even if deep down, Regina knew that she hadn't heard the last of the woman, she was determined to not let her ruin her life again.

That day, she was feeling good. She had woken up with the sun and had taken a bath before changing into her riding clothes. She hadn't ridden since her wedding but today she decided that it was time to go back on the saddle. And God, it felt good.

She hadn't realized how much she had missed it until she felt the wind in her face, Rocinante galloping underneath her, without even needing to be guided.

Yes, she was feeling good. Well up until the castle's doors opened abruptly, two guards carrying the King's bloody body inside.

"What happened?" Regina gulped at the sight as she arrived back from the stables, her eyes darting in horror.

"Your Majesty." One of the guards stopped in front of her trying to keep her from getting closer to her husband -unsuccessfully. "There was an accident. An unfortunate one during the hunt and…"

The brunette kneeled in front of David, a hand ghosting on his belly were the ugly wound was. A tear fell down her cheek as she looked up at him.

The King gave her a soft smile. "I'll be fine." He told her softly but he passed out almost instantly.

"Let's bring him to his chambers and call a healer."

Regina watched them, a hand brought to her mouth as her body shook with her sobbing.

"You Majesty?" She heard one of the maids next to her. "Let me help you." She offered, helping her stand up. "Don't worry too much about the King. He is a strong man."

Only he wasn't. Or he was but it didn't mean that he was made of steel and a bear's attack -well it was a bear attack. But despite knowing all of this, it didn't keep her from collapsing on the ground when the healer came to tell her that there was nothing more to be done and that her husband wouldn't make it pass the night.

Regina kicked everyone out from her room, shouting at them, begging them to just leave her alone. The thought of losing David was making her sick, making her heart feel heavy in her chest...almost as if it didn't belong here... She couldn't lose him -she just couldn't. Not after everything that had happened between them…not now that she was finally accepting the idea of being his wife. It wasn't fair. It was simply not fair.

It took hours for her to find the courage to do it. To go to his room, by his side. In front stood two guards but otherwise, she was alone with him and she was grateful for that.

"You're here." The King let out, smiling weakly, sweat pearling all around his face as she sat down beside him

"Shh." She told him softly, stroking his cheek. "Close your eyes, you have to rest."

"I…I have to…"

"What?" Regina asked quietly, taking his hand in hers.

"I…I love you Regina."

The brunette's lips parted, taken aback.

"I kn…know you don't love me…not like this but…" David sucked on a breath. "I've loved you since I laid eyes on you…You were right…I asked you to marry me -I wanted you to be mine…It wasn't fair and…"

Regina closed her eyes, a tear falling on her cheek.

"I'm so -ry."

The brunette looked at him, catching one of her tears with her tongue.

"Close your eyes, David." She demanded quietly, straightening up suddenly.

He didn't argue, too tired and weak to really process anything.

The brunette watched him and she raised a hand, running it over his wounded belly. She shut her eyes and concentrated, trying to remember the spell she had read so many years ago in one of her mother's books. It took her a few seconds but a pale halo appeared from her palm and immediately, the wound started to reduce itself.

"What is -"

"Shh." Regina told him softly. "Close your eyes. You can sleep -you'll be fine." She murmured kissing his temple before continuing.

It took her all the strength she had in her body but she did it. She just did it. He was safe and even if that meant that when he woke up later, he would ban her because she had used magic on him then so be it...At least he was safe.

"Your Majesty?" A guard caught her as she stepped outside of David's bedchambers, almost stumbling on her own feet. "Are you ok?"

"I just -need my bed." She let out before passing out, the last thing she felt being two arms lifting her up.

She hadn't expected to see him when she woke up. Well -she had but not with a small smile on his face, sitting at her bedside as if she was the one who had just been attacked by a bear.

"You're up." She observed, her voice still hoarse, as she tried to sit up.

He stopped her gently.

"Careful. You've been out for two days."

"Are you really the one telling me to rest?"

"Well you will never believe me but -" He tugged the bottom of his shirt, bringing it up to reveal a woundless body.

"Wow." Regina voiced faking -lamentably- being surprised and the King chuckled. "You know." She breathed out closing her eyes.

"Well, I don't really know a lot of people who can do magic." He answered with a smile as he sat next to her on the bed.

"Are you mad?"

"Mad?!" David inquired, surprised. "You saved my life."

"By using magic."

"You saved my life -period. Thank you."

"I'm glad you're ok." The brunette told him after a while. "I…I was afraid I would…I was afraid I would lose you."

David smiled at her, bringing a hand to her face, wiping a tear away.

"Why did you tell everyone?" She asked after a small pause afraid to become a pariah if the words about her abilities were to be spread.

"That I was visited by a fairy."

The brunette looked at him with a "very funny" kind of face.

"I'm serious." He told her.

"And they believed you. Naturally."

"It has happened to me before. When I was a child. I caught a very bad virus and every healer predicted that I just had one week left. One day, I woke up as if nothing had happened. All I could remember was having been visited by a fairy in my dreams. My parents decided that it must have not been a dream and everyone went with it, claiming that my soul had been blessed by the fairies…or something like that."

Regina let out a chuckle.

"That's quite the story but I guess it's better than the Queen is a sorceress." She murmured quietly, averting her eyes.

"I'm not ashamed of who you are, Regina" David let out making her look at him, "and neither should you. You've just save my life. You should be proud. I can only imagine how much strength it must have asked you and…"

She didn't let him finish. To be honest, she had stopped listening at 'I'm not ashamed of who you are' and all she could do was ask herself if, maybe, just maybe, if her father had been right, if the King could really make her happy and the next thing she knew, her lips were on his.

Regina parted, looking at him in shock, mouth agape.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't…" She told him, shaking her head but he stopped her, cupping her face in between his palms so she could look at him.

"Don't." He told her softly before leaning to kiss her.

The brunette closed her eyes instantly, her hands falling on David's thighs as their mouths moved together. She didn't really know where that boldness was coming from but when she turned to sit on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as her lips parted, allowing his tongue in her mouth, she decided to just roll with it. She was feeling things she had never felt before as the King's hands stroke her back hastily, through her nightgown. A moan escaped her lips. A sound that surprised her and had her part from him a little.

"Do you want to stop?" David asked her gently, his breath still jerky but she shook her head.

The King smiled softly at her before slowly making her fall onto the bed, placing himself on top of her. He grabbed her lips once again and she put a hand behind his head, bringing him closer as she hooked her legs around his waist.

David's hands slowly ran down her sides until they reached the hem of her gown. He slid his fingers on her thighs sending shots of electricity all over her body. She took his head between her palms, breaking the kiss so he could look at her.

"Don't…Don't hurt me." She told him shyly, flushing both out of anticipation and because of the coyness of her request.

The blonde man grinned and nodded, tilting his head to kiss her hand.

Regina smiled, closing her eyes and letting her head fall on the bed. It wasn't long before she felt something teasing the entrance of her wetness, making her suck on her breath and biting her lower lip.

"You're ready?" She heard the King ask her, leaning on top of her and kissing the side of her neck.

She swallowed hard, nodding as she wrapped her legs tighter around him, her arms reaching for his back and Oh -Oh God.

Regina clamped her teeth harder around her lower lip.

"Am I hurting you?" She heard David ask who stopped instantly.

"No." She breathed quickly "Just go on and -Oh! Oh -"

She moaned and groaned, whimpering, her claws inside his skin through the thin materiel of his shirt and he pushed and pushed, again and Oh my God!

"Oh Regina." The King growled, his mouth falling on top of hers in a messy kiss and she would admit that she felt some sort of satisfaction into knowing that he was liking this as much as she was despite the fact that it was certainly not his first time.

"David." Regina groaned in turned as she felt him burying himself completely inside her making her tremble, her toes curling themselves as a wave of pleasure she had never felt before hit her.

Oohs and ahs left the King's mouth as well until she felt a hot liquid filling her wombs and he fell on top of her, breathing heavily.

"Wow." David let out before sliding slowly out of her and rolling to lie his back on the bed.

A small smile tucked the corner of the brunette's lips and she let her tongue wander on them as she slowly calmed her breathing down. She turned her head to look at the man lying next to her and she couldn't help but chuckle.

"What is it?" He asked her, looking at her with a raise of a brow.

"Nothing. It's just…It wasn't how I had expected it."

"Good or bad?"

Regina shrugged, looking at him coyly and for only response, the King grabbed her waist, bringing her to him and tickling her sides as she giggled loudly, kicking with her legs and arms.

He finally stopped and she stayed on top of him, lying on his chest and looking at him.

"I'm really glad you're alive, your Majesty."

"So am I, my Queen. So am I."