A/N: So I have no doubts that this did not go the exact way I had it planned when I started it but oh well I guess. Its based off of the imagineyourotp prompt above and its extremely AU in manyrespects. That being said there's a surprise ending that even I didn't see coming. Okay, I'm done with my rambling, on with the story I suppose.
Emma sat at her mother's side around the counsel table. She had grown tired of this meeting, tired of her family's, for all the people of the counsel were more her family than not, discourse over whether her parents should go through with a betrothal for her, as the other kingdoms' were for their heirs or let her find true love, as everyone believed her parents had. Finally she stood, a sigh falling from her lips as all eyes turned to her. "I have heard the pros," she said, "and the cons of a betrothal. I've watched true love bloom for my parents all my life. But our kingdom is weak at this time, we need an alliance, a strong one," she said with conviction she didn't feel in her voice. "My mother and father know me, they know my heart and they know who I am," she turned to meet her father's eyes fore he would truly understand what she was saying, "I will trust in them to find a suitable match for me, for our kingdom."
"Emma," the girl's godmother spoke up, her red cloak clasped at her throat and her own daughter resting peacefully on her shoulder as she slumbered, "you can't," she said. "You've always dreamed of finding true love."
Emma nodded, "Aye," she said, "I have. But, Aunt Red, I'm nearly nine and twenty now, I've a son who needs another parent. I've looked for true love all my life and never come close to finding it," she shook her head, "it is time I did my duty to my people if I cannot do my duty to my heart." Without another word or looking back to the group, Emma left the counsel room, knowing that the people within would bicker and argue some more in her absence but in the end would accept what she said to be true and allow her parents to make her match with some neighboring prince or princess.
The black stallion raced across the green hills before him, his rider holding tightly to his reins as she bent low over the horse's neck, blonde hair blowing in the wind and eyes trained on the target she'd placed in the upper branches of the large oak at the top of the next hill. Before she could take aim and fire an arrow into its center a second rider appeared over the backside of the hill, the majestic palomino mare carrying the rider at great speed to the top of the hill and stopping beneath the great oak there.
The black stallion was drawn to a slower pace by his rider as they approached the other horse and rider, "I didn't think anyone else knew of this place," the blonde said with a smile while taking in the beauty astride the palomino horse before her.
The dark haired young woman smiled as she slid down from her horse, allowing the mare to graze freely, "Neither did I," she said with a smile of her own as she removed food and a book from one of her saddle bags.
The blonde slid down to her feet as well, she extended a hand to her companion, "And what may I ask is the name of such a beautiful lady?"
Giggling the young woman placed her hand in the blonde's, "Regina," she said with a shy smile, "and yours?"
The blonde smiled as she leaned down to press a kiss to Lady Regina's hand, "Emma," she whispered out.
"Well, Emma," the darker of the two said, "would you care to join me for lunch?"
Nodding the blonde allowed her horse to graze beside Regina's as they moved forward to settle beneath the oak tree, "I would like that very much, my lady," she said quietly, knowing suddenly exactly how it felt to find true love.
Snow moved into her daughter's room, watching the younger woman sitting behind her vanity. "Are you nearly ready, darling?" she questioned, "They'll be here soon."
Standing from her seat Emma nodded and moved toward her mother, "I'm ready, Mother," she said quietly.
Stroking her daughter's cheek Snow smiled sadly, "What's wrong, my love?" she asked, "These last few weeks you've grown only sadder and sadder."
Emma shook her head and plastered on a smile that her mother knew to be fake, "It's nothing, Mother," she said finally. "Where are my boys?" she asked as a way of distracting her mother from their current conversation.
"Right here," her father said as he entered with a little boy balanced on his shoulders.
Snow placed her hands on her hips, "David, get him down from there. You're going to ruin his suit."
Chuckling Emma shook her head, "Leave them be, Mother, we may as well introduce my betrothed to the real side of our family right from the beginning."
The Queen shook her head, "I'll never be able to do anything with the lot of you," she said as she moved to the door. "Well come on you three, we mustn't keep them waiting."
Reaching up to slip her son from her father's shoulders Emma pressed a kiss to his forehead, "Come on, Henry, lets go meet the new guy in Mama's life."
"But what if its a girl, Mama?" Henry asked looking up at his mother with curious eyes.
Closing her eyes, Emma prayed for the first time that her parents had betrothed her to one of the neighboring princes instead of a princess, she didn't think her heart could take waking up next to a woman who wasn't her true love everyday and though waking up to a man who wasn't her true love would be hard, she could not compare the two. "Then we shall welcome her with equally open arms," Emma told her son as she opened her eyes once more as she took her place at her parents' side in the throne room. Lowering Henry to stand before her, Emma squeezed his shoulders, "Smile, Henry," she whispered as she painted her own smile across her lips once more.
Looking to the closed doors before her and making a silent plea that she knew wouldn't be answered Emma nodded to her father's inquiring gaze and David gave the signal to bring in the new arrivals. The announcer at the top of the hall pulled open one door as a second man pulled open the other, "Presenting, their majesties, King Henry and Queen Cora of Wonderland." There was an exaggerated pause following the announcement of the king and queen as the two took their first steps into the throne room and then the announcer spoke once more, "And their majesties' daughter, Princess Regina of Wonderland."
Emma's breath caught in her throat as her mind drifted to her Regina, even as she went through the motions of greeting the King and Queen of Wonderland. Why her mother and father had chosen a different realm Emma wasn't sure but she knew that once she laid eyes on Princess Regina of Wonderland she would never see the woman she was, but her own Regina, her bookworm, the woman who spent hours under a large oak reading and taking in the sun, who loved to ride her horse and wanted more than anything to meet the boy that Emma told her of constantly. Emma would forever find fault in Regina of Wonderland for she was not Regina Mills.
Just when Emma had resigned herself to this fate, to never being able to truly love her betrothed, even just a little, King Henry and Queen Cora stepped to the side in order to present their daughter and Emma's breath caught in her throat as it had that first day under the large oak on their hill. She moved away from her parents, though she knew her Henry remained at her side as she moved forward.
Stopping before the Princess of Wonderland she bowed deeply, "My lady," she spoke quietly and took the hand of Princess Regina, placing a kiss on its back. She lifted her son into her arms, "May I present to you, my son, Prince Henry."
Regina smiled and let the little boy take her hand as he copied his mother's actions, "I've heard quite a bit about you, Prince Henry," she said with a soft chuckle that no one but the three of them could hear. "Your Mama speaks very highly of you."
Henry turned shy and buried his head in his mother's neck causing Emma to stroke his back affectionately, "Have you known all along?" she asked somewhat hurt.
The dark haired woman shook her head, "If I had known I would not have hesitated to tell you. I knew nothing of who my betrothed was to be until the minute I stepped into this throne room."
"And I knew nothing of who you were to be until I saw you," Emma said, "but I knew who I wished you to be."
"Who was that, darling?"
Emma smiled and leaned in some, "Exactly who you are, my love," she whispered just before pressing her lips to Regina's.
Snow stood behind her daughter, her arm tucked through David's as she watched her daughter and soon to be daughter in law, "We should really thank Red later."
He nodded, "Yes," he said, "yes we should. I'm sure you'll think of something," he said with a smile.
"Do you think Emma will ever realize that we didn't marry for true love but that it was all we wanted for her?"
David shook his head, "Only if she ever realizes that she looks just like Red and you and so does Calliope."
"Or if she finds that Belle's son looks just like you?" Snow questioned with a grin.
David nodded, "Or that," he looked at Emma, "but I think she'd be fine if she did."
"What do you mean?"
He watched as his daughter attempted to coax his grandson from his hiding place against her neck, "Did you notice her words when she made her decision all those months ago?" Snow raised an eyebrow, "She said she'd watched true love bloom for her parents," he said simply, "not grow between but bloom for."
Snow shook her head, "How long do you think she's known?"
David shrugged, "A while I'd say, she seemed at peace with it."
"You think maybe one day we can have that for ourselves then?" Snow asked while indicating her daughter.
With a smile David nodded, "I think one day very soon we may have that for ourselves," he said quietly.