Red Queen Week has begun! This year I've elected to do another (short) multi-chapter revolving around the event themes. Each "chapter" will be fairly short, but will grow into a hopefully cohesive story. I won't add a chapter for every day, but I'm expecting to participate for at least four days.
Today's theme is Firsts! (If you frequent my tumblr, you might recognize this universe from a ficlet I did last month.)
The first time Red catches sight of Regina, she isn't certain who the new person at camp is. After two years of participating in a hard-fought war, she's suspicious of new faces.
"Who's that?" she asks Snow with a nudge of her head. The newcomer's face is attractive, Red silently admits, but there's something odd in the way the campfire reflects off of the dark eyes.
Snow is quiet, and Red pulls her attention away from the stranger.
"She was to be my stepmother once," Snow says.
Red frowns and considers the tense set to Snow's shoulders before glancing back toward the fire. It strikes Red then, and her skin itches with the urge to shift into her wolf form. "Her?"
It's easy for Red to remember the frightened secrets of a much younger Snow, and all of the seven kingdoms know the story of the Witch Uprising.
The lonely King Leopold had sought a new wife after years of raising his only daughter alone, and by some nefarious chance, one such candidate had saved Snow from a runaway horse on their journey to tour the kingdom. The engagement had been swift, but on the day the marital vows were to be exchanged Cora had viciously slaughtered the king before the assembled wedding guests.
Snow had escaped Cora's wrath only by the mercy of a huntsman tasked with collecting her from the crowd.
Red finds herself staring at the newcomer again. She'd never imagined the woman that had brought about Leopold's downfall would be so young. She shakes the thought away. Every rebel knows of Cora's murderous daughters. "Snow, she shouldn't be here. She'll have us all killed."
"No," Snow says as she brings a hand up to rest on Red's shoulder. "Regina has grown weary of her mother's bloodshed; she's here to help us."
A growl rumbles through Red's chest. "You're too trusting, Snow."
Snow smiles, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Maybe once, but not now. You might not trust her, Red, but you can trust me. I know what I'm doing."
A rebuttal is on the tip of Red's tongue, but she swallows it back. Snow isn't the same naive child that Red had found wandering in the woods on her first lone hunt as her wolf self.
"I hope so." Red spares one last look at Regina, and she's surprised to find Regina looking back at her. Her skin prickles again, and it's all Red can do not to bare her teeth.
Regina smiles and tilts her head, the orange reflection of the firelight seeming to gleam purple for a moment.
Red huffs and walks away. She'll be watching the witch, that much is certain.
Watching Regina becomes a test in patience, but luckily Red is not the carefree youth she'd once been. Any time Snow doesn't have her out scouting or hunting, Red is content to wander slowly around camp, half her attention focused on Regina's every move and sound.
Her silent vigil is finally disrupted on the edge of camp a fortnight later, marking the first time she and Regina speak.
"Are you really lacking for entertainment so much that you find it fascinating to watch me sit and do nothing?" The voice is low and sharp, and Red recognizes it from the short exchanges she's inadvertently eavesdropped on with her superior hearing.
"You mistake my intentions, Witch. I do not observe you for entertainment; I observe you because creatures of foul magic are not to be trusted." Red executes a slow half-turn, unsurprised to find the witch leaning against a sturdy oak tree.
Regina's dark brows arch, and she straightens from the tree. "Funny, coming from someone like you. I can smell the magic on you, wild and uncivilized. What are you, a half elf? You're tall enough, though your wit is certainly lacking."
Red grins, a showcase of her sharp teeth. "I smell the decay of your magic too, Witch. You might have Snow convinced you're here to do good, but I know the truth."
She waits for some response from Regina, but none are immediately forthcoming.
Regina smiles after a moment. "As I said, your wit is certainly lacking." She waves a hand, and then Red finds herself a quarter day's journey from camp.
She sneezes as remnant wafts of Regina's magic tickle her nose; in truth, the scent is a pleasant mix of apples and something spicy. Her olfactory senses are far too rebellious to find any product of that woman pleasant, she decides.
Her head rises as she confirms her position, and she debates taking on her wolf form. The full moon is close, and the urge to hunt will be strong. She sighs and adjusts her cloak. A jog will do her some good.
Red's response to Regina's aggression is to stop all attempts at subtlety. The irritated cast to Regina's features make Red smile in contentment.
"Have you really nothing better to do?" Regina snaps out after the third night in a row of Red's silent presence.
"Presently? No. Now, would you mind not speaking so loudly? I'm trying to nap." Red stretches and yawns, feeling more at peace the longer Regina glares at her. She spares a moment to adjust the padded cloak she's been using as a pillow.
Regina's face smooths out after a moment. "I could help you nap, if you wanted." She lifts a hand, and then puff of purple smoke parts to reveal a bright crimson apple.
Red's eyes narrow. An entire village had been put into an eternal sleep three seasons ago, and all just because a few of the peasants had been suspected of sending supplies to Snow White. Red can still remember the horror of finding the group children who'd fallen asleep at the large festival table.
The fresh apple cake had been revealed to be the culprit, an unused bushel of unnaturally crimson apples standing out in the fishing village. Red had taken great care in helping her compatriots take the people away to a safe place - in hopes that one day they might be saved.
Her hands dig into the dark soil at her sides. "So that was you, Witch?"
"What was me?" Regina appears bored, absently running a thumb over the shining skin of the apple.
Red's anger rises dangerously. "You cursed the people of Seaton into an eternal sleep!"
The apple in Regina's hand disappears in a puff of smoke, the features of her face seeming to harden in the flickering light of the fire. "It was better than the alternative."
The dismissive tone makes Red's vision begin to blur at the edges. It's been a long time since she's almost lost control of her wolf.
"My mother wanted to slaughter the entire populace, with no mercy even for the children or elderly. Tell me, what would you have done?" Regina's eyes flicker and glow purple for a few seconds, but then she blinks and looks away.
Red's anger wanes as she considers the question seriously. "Saved them, or died trying."
Regina snorts, an uncommon sound. "Ah, I see. Your lack of wit can be blamed on Snow and her unending quest to Do Good."
The sarcasm has Red opening her mouth to defend her longtime friend, but Regina waves a hand before she can respond.
"You're not a half elf. Your eyes glowed for a moment there when you were angry." Regina quirks an eyebrow. "Succubus?"
Red sighs and leans back so she's resting against the padded cloak again. "You're not as clever as you think, Regina."
There's a notable pause. "Oh, so you do know my name. I haven't bothered learning yours."
Red could be annoyed, but instead she finds herself fighting the urge to smile. "So tell me, Reggie, if you think the rebels are all idiots for fighting your mother, why are you here?"
"Call me that again, and I'll send you to the ocean."
Red releases a happy sigh and shuts her eyes.
