The cottage was straight from the pages of a storybook. Set in a little clearing in the neverending forest, with a thatched roof, garden filled with flowers and a low white fence around it. Emma knocked on the door and smiled when Regina appeared to welcome her inside.

"I told you, there's no need to knock. You're the Queen, you can just walk right in."

"Is that the only reason?" Emma asked, stroking a hand down the side of Regina's face.

"No." Contact with Emma always left her breathless. "You're welcome any time, you know that."

The inside of the cottage reminded Emma of Regina's home and office from Storybrooke. Simple, but expensive furnishings, everything neat and tidy. She passed Regina the flowers she had picked on her ride over. The guards hadn't been happy that she had stopped, but they hadn't dared to stop her. Regina turned away from Emma and took the flowers over to the sink where she filled a small vase with water and arranged them to her satisfaction. Emma pulled her away once she had placed them on the windowsill and drew her towards the bedroom. Regina let her, wanting her just as much and knowing they didn't have time for small talk.

"I've missed you." Emma told her, hands dropping to the front of Regina's dress, fingers slowly undoing to the lace fastenings.

"It's been two days." Regina rested her head against the side of Emma's and whispered into her ear. "Doesn't the kingdom keep you busy?"

"Two days is too long. You're in my thoughts every minute, every second." She pulled the top of the dress down, over Regina's shoulders, past her hips, letting it fall to the floor at their feet. "I need you there, with me. I just want to touch you, hold you…"

"I'm in exile."

Emma watched Regina walk towards the bed and turn down the covers as she began removing her own clothes. "We both know it's self-imposed. My parents never made an official decree."

"Come here." Regina beckoned, diplomatically changing the subject with a bend of her finger.

Emma swiftly crossed the room capturing her lips and straddling her on the bed. Regina cupped Emma's breasts and ran her thumb over her nipples, beginning to kiss down Emma's neck when they broke the kiss. She moved her hands around to Emma's back as her mouth took over teasing her nipples, listening as Emma's breathing changed.

"Lie down." Emma commanded her, sending familiar goosebumps down her arms.

They rearranged their bodies on the bed, with Emma still on top but now kneeling between Regina's legs. She dipped her head between them, hands at Regina's hips as if to hold her down, licking along Regina's folds. They're so warm, so wet and eager for her she can't stop herself from moaning as she tastes Regina. Two days she has been without her and it was such agony. She wants this, she wants to have this for always and it's so frustrating that Regina is so far away…

"Emma…"

The way Regina says her name, the way her body moves in response to Emma's touch, she knows nothing else could compare. No-one else can ever compare. Her tongue presses into Regina's clit before she pulls it away, sucking gently and then repeating it over and over. She doesn't care that the guards are just outside, Regina has spells around the cottage to give herself privacy and despite the soundproofing they probably have some idea what is going on inside.

Emma brings Regina to orgasm, hands roaming over her stomach loving the way her body feels as it moves uncontrolled. She gives Regina a second to catch her breath, looking up at her for permission before pressing fingers inside her and finding the rhythm she knows always works. In this position she has a chance to watch Regina's face, to talk to her.

"Come back with me."

"What?"

"Today. Come to the castle, live there with me."

"I can't. You know I can't."

She feels Regina tightening around her fingers and she loves this feeling of power. It's so different from ruling a kingdom and having servants and subjects. She knows Regina's feelings for her aren't because of a crown on her head, or because she is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. If anything, those things keep the woman she loves distant from her.

"Marry me."

They are brave words, something she never expected to hear herself say. She knows they might distract Regina, but she hopes Regina is too close to the edge to focus and remember her arguments against them. Dark eyes meet hers and she knows Regina is fully aware of her plans. She watches the impact in the narrowing of her eyes and the way Regina tries to open her mouth to speak. Emma's chest tightens, waiting for the rejection, and she looks away in fear, picking up her efforts and curling her fingers in just the right spot to make Regina close her own eyes.

When Regina finally rests, spent from her second orgasm, Emma kisses her way up along the soft skin and rests her head on Regina's collarbone. Regina's arms wrap around her, the rise and fall of her chest comforting Emma. There is no change in the beat of Regina's heart as she finally remembers Emma is waiting for an answer to her request.

"I love you. You know that, don't you?"

Emma sighs. "But?"

"I can only be your… mistress, in secret. To protect you."

"You're more than my mistress, or lover, or anything like that."

"I know."

"It's not enough. We shouldn't have to hide this."

Regina began to stroke Emma's hair with one hand, watching the colours ripple in the bright sunlight. "Getting to see you and be with you like this is better than nothing. If your people found out…"

"I'm their Queen!" Emma tried to sit up, but Regina's hand stroking her back soothed her back down.

"Exactly. And I'm the Evil ex-Queen."

"Ex-evil. We established that a long time ago." Emma pouted.

"Being with me puts you in danger."

"I can take care of myself. The castle has dozens of guards sworn to protect me…"

"What if I'm there and they're afraid? They might hesitate and I'd lose you…"

"Then I'll only keep the ones who aren't…"

"I won't let you endanger yourself."

"It's lonely, being the Queen."

"Invite some of your Storybrooke friends, or the other nobles, to the palace. Hold a ball and meet new people."

Emma tiled her head up, wanting to see Regina's reaction to her question. "You won't get angry? Or jealous?"

Regina's lips pressed into a thin line. "I want you to be happy. If I'm not there, I can't see them flirting with you and get angry with them. I might imagine it and be jealous, but if you found someone else…"

"Never!" Emma pulled away from her, sitting up and staring at her with a hurt expression in her eyes.

"But if you did, and they could make you happy…"

"Could you ever find someone else?"

"Of course not."

"Then why could you think I…"

"I didn't say you had to love them, just…"

"Sleep with them? Marry them? What?"

"I don't know." Regina ran a hand through her hair, looking distressed at the thought.

"And what about us? Would you still let me come here, knowing I had been with them, letting them touch me and…"

"No." Regina whispered, trying not to look at Emma.

"But you want me to…"

"No." Stronger this time, Regina's hands clenched into fists as she spoke, though she still looked away.

"Tell me why." Emma reached out for Regina's closest hand; desperate to hear the answer and knowing that Regina wanted to tell her.

Regina turned her head back in Emma's direction slowly. There was a spark of light in her eyes, which used to scare her subjects, but only had Emma trembling with impatience.

"Because you're mine." Regina told her, smiling as Emma moved closer at her words. "And I don't share what belongs to me."

"I belong to you?" Emma pretended to be coy, knowing Regina hadn't mistaken 'to' for 'with'.

Emma was finally close enough for Regina to quickly move over her, pushing her into a lying position and pinning her to the bed. She grabbed Emma's arms and forced them above her head, ensuring the Queen knew she was serious.

"Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you don't want me, that you don't want this and I'll let you leave. You don't have to come back."

"I want you. Only you."

"And?" Regina ran her tongue down Emma's stomach to her bellybutton.

"Take me." Emma begged, arching off the bed at Regina's touch. "I'm yours."

Regina smiled down at her, hoping she had distracted Emma from her nonsense about marriage, determined to do what she could to make her forget it.