Note: Fic inspired by a scene from S3E12 of Reign. Possible spoilers ahead.
"Despite your heartbreak, I must warn you, I show no mercy". Lady Lola smiled at Queen Elizabeth, who, with tears in her eyes, returned the smile with appreciation.
"Lady Lola, I expect no less".
Lola preceded to demolish her in chess. She had not been exaggerating about her skill. She seemed to have the whole game planned out before they started, and simply led Elizabeth around the board.
As the Queen of England, Elizabeth wasn't accustomed to such frank and open company. Lola didn't try to please her or pretend to be someone she was not. She just was.
As the night wore on, they put the chess set aside and replaced it with two goblets and a decanter of wine. They spoke of their respective lives, their failed love affairs, their broken hearts, and occasionally lapsed into comfortable silences in which either woman found herself lost in thought.
During one of these pauses in conversation, Elizabeth caught Lola daydreaming, staring off to the side, wine goblet held loosely in her hand, close to her chest. The light from the candles was entirely flattering. It would be on anyone, Elizabeth told herself. Still, she couldn't help but admire her new friend's beauty. Lola, with her dark, curly hair and her bright eyes, was very beautiful, but it was more than that. She had a kind of inner beauty Elizabeth rarely saw, as though something dazzling radiated from within.
Lola caught her staring and smiled.
"It's getting late. I suppose I should be off to bed soon".
"Right…" Elizabeth looked down at her dress, slightly disappointed that the evening was about to end.
Lola rose and stumbled, clearly realizing how inebriated she was, and knocked into the short table they had been sitting at. Her wine goblet fell from it and clattered onto the stone floor.
"Oh, I'm so sorry -" She began to say.
"Oh, don't worry, it's fine". Elizabeth rushed over and picked it up.
The two looked at each other and began to giggle.
"Perhaps I can call someone to escort you back to your chambers, it looks like you need it" Elizabeth said.
"Oh, I'm sure that won't be necessary". Lady Lola's walk was clearly unsteady as they began to move towards the door, as was Elizabeth's.
They were both giddy. They started to laugh again.
Elizabeth gently took hold of Lola's shoulders from behind in order to steady her.
Lola slowly came to a stop before reaching the door, and before Elizabeth realized this, she found herself very close to the other lady. She could smell her perfume. It reminded her of daffodils.
She did not remove her hands from Lola's shoulders. Lola turned her head to the side as if she was going to say something, but then did not speak.
Elizabeth leaned in slowly and kissed Mary's lady on the cheek.
They both began to laugh again as if it were a joke, and then stopped. Lola turned around. Elizabeth brought one of her hands to the other woman's waist, unthinkingly. Lola responded by placing both of her hands on the mid-part of Elizabeth's back.
What is happening? Elizabeth's heart accelerated.
Lola kissed her back, on the mouth, her full lips soft against Elizabeth's. She tasted of wine and something else. Her lips moved slowly against the Queen's, and she felt something stir within her that she had never felt before, something Dudley had never awoken.
It frightened her, that feeling.
It took all of her self-control to pull herself away from Lola, from her gentle but firm grasp. She felt the longing within her grow.
They made eye contact for one instant and both saw a look of bewilderment and desire in the other. They both looked to the floor.
"I…"
Lady Lola slowly backed away from the Queen. She let herself out and quietly shut the door.
Elizabeth did not move for a few minutes, stunned. Then she let out a sigh and went over to her bed to sit down.
It's been an emotional day for me. That was… clearly some kind of lapse. I miss Dudley. She misses her estranged husband. I'm sure both of us are simply looking for the comfort of a man. Lola is my friend, a new friend, and she…
Elizabeth realized that the feeling she had upon kissing Lola came from her groin and spread through her stomach and her chest, where it tugged at her heart. She was very, very warm, up and down her body.
…is a very skilled chess player. I clearly have a lot to learn from her.