TRIGGER WARNING: Violence.
As they drove through the castle gates Emma's eyes widened and she gasped.
"Holy shit Regina this is your House?! "
"Mmm" Replied Regina.
"I mean this is like Disney mixed with Downton!" Continued Emma, still gaping. "Lord I don't have to wear a corset do I?" Regina wasn't listening. Her mind was racing. She knew how crucial it was not to screw with the timeline, but she also knew what that meant she would have to endure.
"Reginnnna?" Sang Emma, clapping her hands infront of Regina's face. Regina jumped.
"What!?" She replied angrily.
"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you I'm just tired of talking to myself." Responded Emma warily. "Are you all right?" Regina looked up into Emma's eyes and for a second considered telling her, before stopping herself. If she told her there's no way Emma would let her go anywhere near the castle, and that was probably her only way of finding out how to get back to Henry. Besides she could handle Leopold.
"I've been working out your backstory. Someone's got to be logical and not just enjoy the view." She lied.
"Right well who am I then?"
"We'll say you're a distant cousin of mine that I haven't seen in many years. Your mother has recently passed away and you wrote to me to tell me the news. We've been corresponding and decided to meet for lunch. People will find it a bit strange we went away from the castle to do so but they won't question the word of their Queen. The only person that might see through it is my mother, but we will just have to deal with her later."
"You're talking weird."
"What?"
"As in even posher than usual."
"Well you better learn and fast because that's how we talked in this time." As Regina said this the carriage stopped.
"Here we are my Queen." Called the coachman. Regina felt her stomach drop and her sense of dread grow.
"OH MY GOD!" Mouthed Emma with a strangled face as a maid tightened her corset. "How am I meant to breathe?" She hissed as Regina watched on slightly amused. So far everyone had accepted their story, and to avoid being split up Regina lied and said that Emma needed to borrow a dress as she did not have one of her own grand enough to celebrate a Queens birthday. Emma was dressed in a lovely green silk whilst Regina wore blue velvet. Once the maids had finished dressing them and doing their hair Regina dismissed them.
"This is so weird." Muttered Emma who was gawping at herself in a mirror.
"You get use to it."
"Your body learns to survive without oxygen?" Replied Emma sarcastically.
"Haha."
"So any ideas on how to get back to storybrooke? There's got to be something in this place that could help."
"Thats what I'm banking on."
"Regina!" Called a young girl as she ran into the room. "Happy birthday!" She yelled before embracing Regina in a hug. "Who's this?" Asked the girl staring at Emma. Emma froze, it was Snow.
"This is my cousin dear"
"Hello I'm Snow White." Said Snow, holding out her hand to Emma. Emma stared down at her mother still in shock. Regina coughed and sent Emma a glare.
"Hi um I'm Olivia" Stuttered Emma.
"Olivia what?"
"Err.. Pope. Olivia Pope." Regina rolled her eyes. Scandal, really? In hindsight they probably should have thought of a name earlier.
"Right young girl time for you to go downstairs." Said Regina, ushering Snow out the door. "Olivia and I will be down soon."
"Oh my god that was my mother!" Exclaimed Emma when the door closed, still shocked.
"Yep as an annoying twelve year old." Replied Regina, looking in her mirror making sure her hair was still intact.
"That is the weirdest of the weird." At that moment there was a knock on the door. A maid entered.
"Hello your majesty, I've been asked to bring you downstairs." Regina nodded. "Does your cousin need to be shown to a certain table?"
"No thank you, Its handled." Replied Regina with a smirk and a wink aimed at Emma, before swishing out the door.
Regina and Emma sat at the high table eating, neither had realised how long it had been since they had last eaten anything.
"Man this is the life!" Exclaimed Emma as she wolfed down a trifle.
"Eat more elegantly." Hissed Regina. Emma rolled her eyes,
"Fine." She whispered before very daintily picking up her spoon and beginning to eat tiny amounts of trifle very slowly. Regina couldn't help giggling slightly.
"Haha! I saw that." Gloated Emma triumphantly. As she looked around she realised there were a few people obviously missing from the festivities.
"Where are the King and your mother?" She whispered.
"I.." Regina started to say she wasn't sure when the doors opened and everyone stood up.
"I am so sorry I am late" Boomed Leopold's voice. Regina felt a shiver run up her spine as he walked over to her. "My Queen." He said as he passed her a bouquet of roses and kissed her hand. Regina felt her insides churn. "And who's this?" He asked looking at Emma as he sat down.
"I'm her cousin, Olivia." Smiled Emma.
"I haven't heard her talk of you before."
"Until recently we hadn't seen each other in many years." Interjected Regina.
"Ah I see." They spent the next twenty minutes talking, or rather Emma and Leopold talked and Regina just nodded. During this time Leopold rested his hand on Regina's knee under the table. She was so tempted to create a fireball and burn it off of her, but she knew that if they had any chance of getting back to Storybrooke she had to play along. Finally Leopold got up and left the table.
"He seems so nice!" Exclaimed Emma, delighted that she had just had dinner with her Grandfather. Regina opened her mouth to reply when she heard a bell ringing.
"The king would like to speak!" Silence ushered over the room.
"I think it's time for the first dance don't you?" Asked Leopold smiling. He pointed at the band who began playing a waltz. "My Queen?" He asked, holding out his hand to her. Regina gulped, there was no way out of this. She stood up hesitantly and walked over to meet him. He rested his hand on her waist and pulled her in closer to him.
"Keep smiling and do what I say." He whispered threateningly as they started dancing.
"Or what?" She hissed back as he twirled her around.
"You really want to ask that Regina?" He sneered before tightening his grip on her arm. She attempted to not let the pain show but he squeezed tighter and tighter till she knew it would bruise. She grimaced for a second.
"I thought I told you to smile."
"What do you want?"
"That girl is not your cousin."
"What do you mean of course she is."
"Don't lye to me Regina, you know how this ends."
"I'm not lying." Luckily at this point the music ended and the room erupted into applause.
"This isn't over." He hissed with a final squeeze of her arm before turning and bowing to the room.
Regina was back at the table with Emma. Leopold was dancing with Snow. She could feel her arm beginning to bruise. Emma was talking to her but she was barely responding.
"Regina?" Asked Emma when she once again hadn't replied to a question. She reached out to touch Regina's hand. Regina flinched before sighing.
"Sorry Emma, I'm just really tired and my nerves are shot."
"Are you sure?" Emma knew when Regina was lying.
"Yeah." Regina managed a kind of fake smile. Emma decided to let her get away with it for now, but she was determined to find out tomorrow.
The party was finally over and both Emma and Regina sighed in relief, they were so tired. They were each shown to their rooms. Emma's was down the corridor from Regina's so they said goodnight there.
"I can manage from here thank you Anna." Said Regina.
"Really my Lady?"
"Yes" She said nodding. She didn't want her maid to undress her to much and see the bruise that she was sure was there. Her maid curtseyed then exited the room. Regina took a last look at herself in the mirror, her hair was brushed out and silky. She hadn't missed the palaver it took to get it ready each morning, but she had missed how it looked when allowed to flow naturally. She sighed and figured she may as well get some sleep. However as she stood up to blow out the candle she heard the door opening. She spun around, her stomach dropping through the floor.
"Ah Regina, here you are." Said Leopold coldly.
"My king" She replied wearily, with a curt bow of her head. "What can I do for you?"
"I didn't like how you spoke to me earlier."
"I'm sorry I.."
"Oh sorry doesn't begin to make up for it Regina." Replied Leopold with a fake innocence. Walking closer to her. Regina stepped backwards, stumbling into a desk. "Don't you dare step away from your King. I think you've forgotten who's boss."
"Please, Leopol.." She was cut off by a hard smack to the face. Her body spun around and she was thrown to the floor, barely managing to catch herself. Her face stung so badly it felt like it was on fire. Leopold crouched down and leaned over her, before running a finger slowly up the back of her leg. Regina recoiled at his touch, bile rising in her throat as a tear ran down her cheek.
"Its your birthday so ill go easy. Have a good night Regina." Sneered Leopold before walking out of the room, leaving a terrified Regina quivering on the floor.