Hey there! So for this story you have to ignore everything related to Hood and everything that went through after Mary Margaret and Emma returned from the Enchanted Forest.
So here's the Secret Santa for shipsintheknight in the Swan Queen community Slack, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that you liked this little fic I wrote.
On with the show
Emma saw Regina siting in one of the booths at Granny's talking with Henry and she wondered how could a woman full of love could ever become the Evil Queen that had cursed all these people for 28 years.
She took a sip of her chocolate, left some bills on the table and mad her way our of Granny's. She had just came to drop Henry with Regina since it was her week with him so she had already said her goodbyes and walked to the loft.
It was quite a chilly day and she only had her red leather jacket on her but that didn't make her stop thinking about Regina.
Such a complicated, stubborn, difficult and beautiful woman. Emma stopped dead on her tracks as she enlisted that last characteristic, where had that came from? Yeah, she couldn't ignore that Regina was certainly an attractive woman but the fact that she had seemed appropriate to see her as beautiful meant that there were other feelings involved and that was a can of worms Emma was not ready and not willing to open.
She had never doubted that Regina loved her son but after breaking the curse, learning that her parents were freaking Snow White and Prince Charming and that everyone in that town was a character from some fairytale she had seen or read as a kid, the blonde no longer knew what was real and what was not, despite priding herself of knowing when someone was lying.
Emma finally reached the loft and thanked the gods above that David was at the Sheriff's station and that Mary Margaret had some things to do at the school and she had the place for herself. The thoughts of Regina was somehow make her really tired and was ready to lay down on her bed.
Just as she opened the door to her bedroom she noticed that Henry's book was on top of her bed. Hadn't he taken the book everywhere he went? Even after the curse was broken and was witness to how Regina had saved her and Mary Margaret after absorbing a death curse at the well and yet, he was still wary of her and still believed that she was the Evil Queen.
Emma just wanted to learn how she had become the Evil Queen because the book didn't offer her anything she didn't already know and when she met Cora in the Enchanted Forest, she was more preoccupied on getting to Storybrooke alive than have a nice over-tea chatter with Regina's mother.
Just as she was going to pick up the book, at the slightest touch she felt as if she was being swallowed by the book and before she could even begin to process what was happening everything went black.
Emma groaned when she was starting to wake up after whatever had happened. Her head was pounding and she was almost sure that what was beneath her wasn't the floor of her room. It felt like dirt or grass or maybe a combination of the both of them.
She opened her eyes after much effort and all she saw was a blue sky. Since when her bedroom had no ceiling?
After some moments adjusting to the light she was able to recognize her surrounding. Sort of. Because all she saw was a deep forest, blue sky and more forest.
"Where am I?" Emma muttered to herself. The only things she remembered was being in her bedroom, grabbing Henry's book and then nothing. She was pretty sure she hadn't walked straight to the woods in under a minute.
She got up and tried to wipe the dirt that now covered her jeans as much as she could. Releasing a breath, she started to ponder which way to take because there were only two options: straight through the woods and hoping she'd get to Main Street or through the path she could see just a few feet in front of her.
Deciding that getting lost in the woods was certainly not a good idea, the path looked more promising and at least she knew it would lead them to somewhere, hopefully Main Street or any other street in Storybrooke would be fine, really.
Emma walked to the path and started following it; she really didn't have any idea where she was but she was starting to realize that these were not the same woods as the ones in Storybrooke, she had seen some of these once in her life and she didn't like what her mind was giving her for an answer.
Just then, a carriage passed through her and the only things she could do was stare at it as she disappeared into the distance, eyes and mouth wide open. No no no no no. Emma thought for herself as the answer to her previous question was being answered in front of her eyes.
She was, once again, in the Enchanted Forest and the carriage that just flew by was no other than the one belonging to the Royal Family.
Oh no. That posed another problem; because when she and Mary Margaret had been sucked in by the portal opened in Jefferson's hat and had them landed in the Enchanted Forest everything was in ruins, the castle, the villages. You couldn't expect nothing more after a Dark Curse had swiped through it. And she was pretty certain she hadn't seen a Royal carriage on her first, and what she had hoped, last trip to the Enchanted Forest.
Against her better judgment and because in that moment it seemed like the best idea, she followed the carriage. Emma knew that wherever the carriage was heading, she would find someone to help her out. Or at least she hoped someone would.
After what felt like hours, they finally arrived somewhere. It's just that that somewhere wasn't what Emma was expecting.
"Oh no. No no no no no." Emma groaned for the third time since she had woken up.
Because that somewhere was the Castle. It's not as if she could just go inside the castle and ask for directions to Storybrooke; besides she still had to figure out exactly where she was because she may be in the Enchanted Forest but she may not be in the same Enchanted Forest as she was with Mary Margaret.
She saw what she assumed was a peasant getting out of the castle with a cart that she supposes was carrying whatever he had sold to the Castle. This might be her shot at knowing where the hell she was.
"Excuse me? Can you tell me where am I?" Emma asked.
"At the Castle." The peasant said, looking at her as if she had grown two heads.
"Oh yes, I know. But you see, I'm a merchant and my ships just docked here but I was wondering if you could tell me in which realm am I." Emma responded, trying to use her bail bondsperson skills at getting answers.
"In the realm of the King Leopold and Queen Regina of course." The peasant answered and moved along.
No no no no no. Emma thought for herself, that was the fourth time in a single day, a total new record for her.
Now, she was in bigger problems. Not only had she crossed realms landing in the Enchanted Forest but she had actually traveled back in time. When Regina was Queen no less. But wait, the peasant had also mentioned the name of the King and if she remembered correctly what Henry's book said, Regina had murdered the King so if the King was still alive it meant that Regina wasn't yet the Evil Queen.
Right now, her problem was how to make Regina help her get back to Storybrooke without revealing anything from the future and not messing up. Emma felt like Marty McFly with all the Butterfly effect that this could cause.
She rubbed a hand over her face while she pondered what to do next. She could actually go to Rumplestiltskin but knowing that she would have to make a deal with him she decided it wasn't worth the risk. Or she could infiltrate the castle, somehow, and make Regina help her. Yep, that was a better idea than going to Rumplestiltskin.
Emma supposed that there should be an entrance for the not so royal that worked in the castle and usually that part of the castle was on the back, so she started walking towards the back part of the castle and see if there was a way to get in.
When she arrived at the back yard she saw all these people moving around, probably getting the castle stocked, so it would suffice for both the royalty and the servitude.
She approached the lady but the lady won her to ask the first question.
"And who are you?" The lady asked.
"I… umm… I…" Emma stuttered. Admittedly, she hadn't thought the whole plan through.
"Are you here to replace the Queen's maid?" The lady asked and saved her from getting her ass kicked out.
"Yes, yes I am." Emma reassured, as confidently as she could because the last things she wanted was to get straight on with Regina, even if the other woman didn't know her at the time.
"Good." The lady said an she turned around to walk back into the castle. Sawing that Emma hadn't moved from her place she topped and turned her head. "Well, what are you waiting?" The lady called her and turned once again and started walking while Emma tried to keep up her pace.
"The kitchens are on the main floor while the Queen's chambers are on the second floor, on the same level as the Princess'. Your-"
"Wait, the Queen does not sleep with the King?" Emma interrupted the lady. Wasn't a Queen supposed to be her husband?
"Oh dear Lord, you don't know anything about living in a castle or royalty do you?"
Emma just shrugged. The upside of having traveled back in time was that at least she would be able to know Regina before becoming the Evil Queen, not that she hoped that the Mayor's personality would change drastically.
"As I was saying, your job is to do anything the Queen wants you to do, you are also to serve her breakfast, help her getting dressed and anything that comes to the Queen's mind. Being the Queen's maid also offer some privileged as you're to sleep in a separate room from the servants' barracks but close enough to the chambers in case the Queen needs you." The lady explained to Emma. "What was your name girl?"
"Umm… Emma. Emma Swan." The blonde winced and mentally kicked herself for giving her real name, not that any of these would actually know her. At least, not yet.
The lady showed her to her room, which was in a little corridor off to the side of the main corridor. Close enough to the Queen's chamber but not at first sight as the rest of the royal chambers. She changed into her uniform and the lady, that by now Emma knew her name was Prudence eyed her cautiously and gave a quick glance at the blonde's clothes, since Emma was still in her jeans and red leather jacket.
Finally, Emma stepped out of the room and looks down to her clothes, god she hated dresses. She hoped that she wouldn't be too long in the Enchanted Forest but with magic you never know and since she didn't exactly know what happened this was just a tad more complicated than usual.
"Know the Queen should be dressing, so you'll go there and help her if she needs to and then you'll ask if she wants breakfast; if she doesn't you can return to your bedroom and wait until she rings the bell. That way you'll know when to go to her chambers. You'll get used to this life, but see that it doesn't take you too long. Go on, a Queens doesn't want to be kept waiting." Prudence ushered her away and towards Regina's chambers.
Wish me luck. Emma thought for herself. She arrived in front of the Queen's chambers and saw a guard standing over there.
"Hi, I'm the new maid to the Queen. So I just knock and wait?" Emma asked.
The guard chuckled. "Yes, you knock and just wait. I'm Graham by the way, the Queen's personal guard. I guess I'll see you a lot around here."
Emma gave him a tight smile. "Yeah, I guess we'll do." She went to the door and knocked and waited.
"Come in." She heard a muffled voice coming from the inside.
"Your Majesty, I am your new maid. I cam here to see if you needed me with anything." Emma said as she entered the bedroom, but didn't see anyone. At least, she had remembered the proper way to address a Queen.
Emma heard a sniffle coming from the other side of the bedroom, probably the bathroom. She heard some ruffling and then the Queen stepped out with just a towel to cover her naked body.
Emma gulped, because she knew that Regina had always had a very attractive body but she didn't expect to see her this exposed. She looked at the Queen's eyes and expected to see the same fiery eyes as she had when Regina was a mayor but instead she only saw sadness and a touch of vulnerability. This wasn't the Regina she knew, and she had already made her mind about it, but she hadn't thought that maybe Regina had not always been the powerful mayor or the Evil Queen, maybe, just maybe, she was just a little innocent girl.
Besides, how old was she? Regina couldn't be too older than Mary Margaret, maybe five or six years. So this made Regina, right now, 20 years or something years old. That made her sick to her stomach, because the King would be at least twice her age. Emma was starting to understand a little better the complicated woman that was in Storybrooke.
"Would you help me with the dress?" The Queen asked.
"Of course your Majesty." Emma responded and walked towards what she supposed was the closet, opened it and stared and the quantity of the dresses hanging in there. There were also corsets, shoes and every other garment that a queen might need.
"They light blue one will do." The Queen said from the bedroom and Emma took the blue dress and moves to help the Queen. She stood behind the Queen and almost gasp when the Queen let the towel fall from where she was holding it up.
Emma didn't gasp from the beauty the body of Regina was but from the faded bruises she saw at her sides; she didn't want to imagine what the front looked like. She hoped Regina hadn't noticed the small breath she took.
Regina chuckled. "You'll have to get used to see them if you're going to be my maid." The Queen said and looked at her foot, as if she was ashamed of what Emma was seeing.
"May I ask you got them your Majesty?" Emma asked cautiously, she didn't know what could trigger Regina's anger but something told her that this version of Regina wasn't angered so easily.
"Isn't it obvious?" Was the only thing the Queen said in a low voice. Emma gulped and hoped that her worst fear wouldn't be true. She had had her fair share of abusive forest parents during her years in the system and she could easily see the marks that this abuse left behind.
Emma helped the Queen getting dressed. "Anything else you want me to help you with? Your Majesty" Emma asked her.
The Queen turned around. "What's your name?"
"My name is Emma, Your Majesty." Emma answered her.
"Emma." The Queen muttered and gave her a small smile, one that Emma thought was the first genuine smile the Queen had given in a long time. "So where are you from?"
Shit, Emma hadn't thought of that. "I… umm… I'm from the village near by." Emma lied smoothly.
"I see, and what prompted you to be the maid of the Queen?" Regina asked.
"I, well I was hoping I could get a better job here. Besides, here I have food and a roof over by head." Emma told her.
The Queen only hummed in acknowledgement. By now it had darkened and the Queen most certainly would go down to the dining room and then come back to sleep. "If you want, you can go now and come back later after dinner. Make sure you also eat, there's no point of having you starved is there?" The Queen said and gave a small chuckle. It amazed Regina how Emma had the ability to put her at ease.
Emma gave her a small smile in return. "Of course Your Majesty."
"Regina, call me Regina" The Queen told her and walked to exit her chambers.
After she got out, Emma made her way towards her room but made a quick stop with Graham, that didn't move from his post. "Graham, why aren't you with her?" Emma questioned.
"The King only allowed her to have me while she was in her chambers. The Queen even had to beg him, after an… incident that occurred a few months ago." Graham explained.
"Incident? What kind of incident?" Emma looked at him, dreading the answer that might come from his mouth.
Graham sighed. "You saw those bruises didn't you?" Emma only bowed her head. "Have you guessed who?" Emma only nodded. "The King. But why would he?"
Graham scoffed. "Because the Queen doesn't want to be with him. I don't know the whole story, but the Queen became Queen because Snow White wanted a mother. Her mother died a year ago, the Queen saved Snow White from a frantic horse and the King proposed to her. You simply don't say no to a King, even if the people think he's the best man of Earth."
"Wait, so how old is the Queen?" Emma asked perplexed.
"Snow White is 11 years old, that would make the Queen 19." Graham answered her.
"What? The Queen is married to a man thrice her age?"
Graham shrugged. "Welcome to the world of Royalty, Emma."
Now Emma was starting to understand why Regina went all Evil Queen; hell, she would have too if she had to live with a man thrice her age as a husband. She made a vow right there that she would befriend the Queen, living in a Castle can be lonely especially if your role was to replace the former dead Queen.
Over the next few months, the Queen and Emma became very good friends, telling each their life experiences (Emma had to adjust them to fit the Enchanted Forest world) and Regina had told her how she had become Queen; Graham became her other friend in the Castle, and was glad that at least one person was having the Queen's back.
But she also started to realize that she was developing feelings for Regina. God, this had become just a bit more complicated than she thought. And it was the night that Regina shared her most painful memories with Emma that started everything.
"Regina, can I ask you something?" Emma said to the Queen, knowing that all the efforts she had done to make the Queen open up for her could be worthless with this topic.
"Yes Emma."
"What was your life like before you married the King?"
Regina stiffened at the question, because she knew exactly what Emma was asking her. She was asking her why had she married the King.
Emma almost started to backpedal but then Regina gave a long sigh and started counting the story of how an unloving mother had killed Regina's True Love because a 10-year-old girl didn't know how to keep a secret.
"Apparently, I'm not worth anything. Not even the control over my own life." The Queen whispered, and wiped a tear that had already fallen.
"You are worth it Regina. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise." The blonde said and moved her thumb up to Regina's cheek to wipe away the tears that were falling.
"To whom Emma?" Regina looked at her with teary eyes. She didn't think in a millions years she would get to know all Regina's insecurities.
"To me." Here's to nothings. Emma thought and leaned so she was now less than an inch from Regina's lips. Regina closed the way and they shared their first kiss, none of them noticed the light that sparked from that kiss, a True Love's Kiss
Slowly the moved to Regina's bed, where Regina just laid there with only her robe to cover her up. Emma in her maid uniform as to not be suspicious slowly went to straddle the Queen.
"Is this okay?" Emma whispered, because she knew what it felt like to not have a choice on the matter and Regina deserved a choice. She looked at her with admiration and love in her eyes. Regina almost teared up again. No one had ever looked at her as if she was everything in the world.
"Yes." Regina answered and it was all Emma needed to continue.
She moved upwards and kissed Regina who responded wholeheartedly. This was the first time she would make love to someone she wanted to and someone that wanted her in return. Not jut for her body or because she was the Queen of because the King was drunk and just wanted fuck someone, but because they loved her. She didn't need words to express what she felt for Emma or what Emma felt in return but for the first time in ages, she was happy.
They pulled away and Emma started to disentangle the knot that kept Regina's robe on her place. Finally, she did, and Regina moved so it wouldn't be on their way. Since Emma had become her maid, the King hadn't been able to put her hands on the Queen as much as he liked, but the few times he did he was still able to inflict some wounds. The current bruises were now fading but were still very visible.
Regina suddenly felt self-conscious at seeing Emma only staring at her. She tried to pull the covers on top of her so Emma wouldn't see her. But a pair of strong wrists stopped her."
"Hey, what are you doing? Did I do something wrong?" Emma said to Regina with a confused and worried frown on her face.
"I know that I'm not the most attractive woman right now and I would understand if you don't want to… have relations with me anymore." Regina said and turned her head away so she wouldn't have to see Emma's face of rejection.
"You know what I was going to say before you started to pull up the covers? That you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Emma told her and Regina couldn't believe her ears so she turned her face so she could face Emma to try and see if she was lying but all she saw was love in her eyes, it almost made her cry again. But this time of happiness.
"Do you want to keep going?" Emma asked her.
Regina could only nod, too many emotions would betray her mouth. Emma gave her a reassuring smile and kissed her again, tossing her own dress to the floor.
She then kissed her jawbone and moved to kiss her shoulders and her chest while Regina arched her back in expectation of what was coming. She then pulled away and traced with her fingers all the way from Regina's neck to her stomach and then proceeded to kiss her right breast while massaging the other one with her hand. An awaiting nipple was ready, she sucked and smiled against Regina's breast as her breath hitched.
She then trail with her mouth, leaving light kisses all the way down to her belly button and on her way towards Regina's sex. She stopped just before there and looked at Regina to see if she was comfortable with all of this.
Regina frowned when Emma stopped and looked down at her only to be surprised that the emerald eyes were looking back at her.
"What?" Regina asked.
Emma chuckled. "Nothing." And started to kiss the inner part of her thighs, which drove Regina crazy.
"Emma…" Regina whimpered and Emma put herself at work.
She gave a quick swipe with her tongue and Regina's back arched. She kissed Regina's clit.
"Please Emma…" she heard Regina begging for her attention. She continued to play with her tongue Regina's clit and pushed one finger inside of Regina, making Regina moan at this.
She pumped her finger in out until she could find Regina's G-spot, when she pushed another finger and continued until she felt Regina's walls clenching until Regina was over the edge with her orgasm and moaned Emma's name. Emma continued to lich Regina's clit till she came down from the rush and when she did, she started to climb up so she could kiss Regina again.
Regina started to deepen the kiss but Emma pulled away.
"Tonight, it was all about you." Emma pecked her lips while she opened her arms so Regina could lay next to her.
Regina nestled, laid her head on top of Emma's shoulder and draped one arm over the blonde.
"Thank you Emma." Regina whispered and started to fell asleep.
"I love you Regina." Emma whispered and didn't know if she wanted the Queen to hear it or not, but she didn't have much chance to go over it as she as well started to drift off to sleep.
Since that night, Emma slept over at Regina's bed and every time they made love it was exactly that, love not just sex and it was a first for both women.
Tonight, they were settling onto their nightly routine when someone banged in Regina's room startling them both. They didn't expect that the King's soldiers would be in Regina's chambers.
"Graham?" Regina yelled but there was no response.
"I'm sorry my Queen but Graham is a little bit indisposed." The King answered her as she entered the room.
The King looked towards her soldiers, gave a quick look at Emma who have him a deadly look. "Take her to the dungeons." The Kind ordered.
"No!" The Queen exclaimed and moved to stand before Emma in a protective way.
"Regina I'll be fine. I don't want the King to hurt you." Emma said to Regina and moved so the soldiers could apprehend her.
"You know, this little whore is right." He gave a nod to his soldiers and walked out of the room.
"No, Emma! Please, I can't live without you." Regina said between sobs and tears.
Emma remembered that she had to make Regina cast the curse and this was the perfect opportunity. "Yes you can Regina. Just remember, you will get your happy ending."
"But what if you're my happy ending?" Regina asked her.
Emma gave her a small smile. "I promise you'll see me again." The soldiers put the handcuffs on her and moved to walk out of the bedroom at the same time Graham entered, a trail of blood coming down his face.
"Take care of her." Emma whispered and Graham gave her quick nod before she disappeared into the corridor.
Graham move to console the Queen, who was now sobbing freely in the floor. She knew that the King wouldn't allow her to visit her in the dungeons and there was no way the King would set her free.
Just before they reached the dungeons, Emma started to feel the same way as she had when she touched Henry's book and as they locked her in the cell, everything went black.
Emma woke up very dizzy for the second time in her adult life. At least this time where she had landed was soft. Emma groaned because everything hurt when she heard someone gasp.
"Emma? Can you hear me?" She knew that voice, and it wasn't Mary Margaret's or David's or even Henry's, it was Regina. What was she doing with Regina?
"Emma, I need you to wake up." Regina told her in a soft voice, one she had never used while she was in Storybrooke but she had only heard in her time in the Enchanted Forest.
"R'gina?" Emma said in a raspy voice.
Regina let out a breath of relief as Emma fully opened her eyes. She finally managed to focus her eyes on Regina's face and she could see the dried tracks of tears.
Then, Emma focused on the rest of the room and saw that wasn't in her bedroom but in Regina's living room, more specifically on her couch.
"What's going on? Why are you crying? Why am I in your living room?" Emma started questioning as she tried to get up from the couch, but a firm hand stopped her.
"It appears that your little trip back in time changed my memories." And Emma stared at her with eyes wide open. Shit, now Regina was really going to hate her.
"And I wanted to thank you." Regina said and Emma's jaw dropped to the floor. Seeing this, Regina continue to explain. "No ever bothered to hear my part of the story and I'm glad it was you who knows all of my past. And I wanted to ask you something." Regina started fidgeting, she was very nervous that now that Emma had come back and was now stucked with this Regina, she would reject her because in fact, she should because all Emma really knew was the past Regina, not the present Regina.
Emma's eyes prompted her to continue. "Do you still love me?" Regina asked and a look of vulnerability passed through her. Why would Emma keep loving her? She had done nothing but make the blonde's life a living hell. She looked down at her hands and waited for an answer.
Emma looked at her and her eyes softened, she knew exactly what was going on through Regina's mind. The fear of being rejected, of not being enough. What surprised her was that the only time she had said those words, Regina was supposed to be asleep but apparently she wasn't.
"Yes Regina." Emma answered confidently.
Regina's head snapped to look at her and was surprised that there wasn't any trace of a lie on her voice or on her eyes or on her face. "Really?" Regina couldn't help herself but wonder if it was true.
"Yes, you're my happy ending and I promised you that I would see you again didn't I?" Emma said with a teasing smile.
"Indeed you did." Regina muttered and leaned so she could kiss Emma. For a moment, she was afraid that Emma wouldn't respond to her kiss, that this was all a dream but she did. And it was the best kiss she could remember, even if it was a bit salty from her tears but that reminded of their technically first kiss. It had been the same, Regina being vulnerable and Emma being there for her.
Regina had finally found her happy ending.
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