DISCLAIMER:: do not own ouat or any of its characters. just borrowing for purpose of creative expression. no profit obtained.
A/N:: wow, the reviews for the first chapter were amazing. thank you so much for the feedback, you have no idea how happy it makes me! here's the next installment of this bedtime story. enjoy and review.
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-Chapter 2: Oh God, I Think I'm Falling-
The man's children lay patiently waiting in their bed the next night as he shuffled in. He had never seen them so well behaved at bedtime in their lives.
"Daddy, tell us more of the story about the Enchanted Forest."
He chuckled as he took a seat on the little stool by their bed. "Where were we?" He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Ah yes, the Princess of Winter and the Princess of Autumn were just becoming friends."
"The Princess of Autumn is in love with her, isn't she Daddy?" His softer child looked dreamy at the thought.
He nodded. "The Princess of Autumn did fall in love with the Princess of Winter, but that comes later." He cleared his throat. "The rest of her week long visit the Princess of Autumn spent almost all her time with the Prince and Princess of Winter. The Prince was immediately taken with the Autumn Princess' beauty and grace. They were both sad to part with the visiting Princess at the conclusion of the week, but true to her word the Queen of Winter had discussed with Queen Cora the possibility of setting up a visit. Queen Cora, excited at the prospect of having her daughter spend as much time as possible with the Prince quickly accepted. So from then on, twice a year, the three young royals spent a week in each other's company, once in the Kingdom of Winter and the other in the Kingdom of Autumn. Prince Addword's affection for the Princess of Autumn only grew as the years passed, but the Autumn Princess continued to have eyes for only one person."
"The Princess of Winter." His rambunctious child grinned.
He gave a nod. "Yes, the Princess of Winter grew more fair as the years passed. Her hair was spun gold, her skin like fresh poured cream, her eyes as green as the meadows in the Kingdom of Autumn. She was a beautiful sight to behold by anyone's standards, but no one loved the sight of her more than the older Princess." He glanced to the enraptured faces of his children. "But the Princess of Autumn knew what Queen Cora expected of her and she knew she must never let anyone know of her secret love for the Princess of Winter, for fear that they would remove the younger Princess from her life forever. She knew she'd rather love her in secret and still get to be in her presence than declare her love and never again see her face. But what the Princess of Autumn never realized was that the Princess of Winter felt much the same. The fair young Princess had grown up watching the object of her brother's affections blossom into the most beautiful and kind creature she had ever looked upon. She would never reveal her feelings, for fear the other Princess think her odd or unnatural. And so both Princesses suffered their secret love in silence, until one visit, just after the Princess of Winter had turned fourteen, when Prince Addword came down ill and the Princess of Winter went to visit the Kingdom of Autumn alone."
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Emma stared out the window of her carriage. She should be used to it by now, this ride. It was her tenth time traveling to the Kingdom of Autumn for her semi-annual week long visit with Regina. But this year, she felt Addword's absence keenly. She had always relied on him to be the buffer. He made sure she stayed in check around the older Princess. Now how was she supposed to stay composed?
She saw the palace in the distance. They'd be there within the hour. She leaned back against the seat and let the curtain fall across the window, blocking her view. It was better if she didn't look. Maybe it would help ease the knot of tension residing in her stomach. She smoothed out an invisible crease in the skirts of her light blue gown. It was new. Her mother always insisted on a new wardrobe every time she visited the Autumn royals, something about not wanting Queen Cora to disapprove of her wearing the same gown twice. She could care less what Queen Cora thought of her. She had learned long ago that the foreign Queen was exceedingly hard to impress, so she'd quickly given up trying to meet her impossible standards.
It seemed all too soon that the carriage was pulling to a stop. The door opened and her footman proffered his hand. She took a deep breath and accepted it, letting him help her to the ground. She dipped into a deep curtsey before the older Princess. "Your Grace, it is an honour as always."
Princess Regina stepped down the front steps, coming to a stop before her. She put a hand under Emma's chin and directed her face up to meet hers. "How many times must I tell you, Your Highness, never bow to me? It is I who must be humble in your presence."
Emma looked into the warm brown eyes, like liquid chocolate, and found the knot in her stomach tighten and relax at the same time. Regina's presence always seemed to do that to her… comfort her at the same time as cause her great anxiety. "My brother sends his deepest apologies for his absence Your Grace, but I'm afraid he has fallen ill."
Regina seemed to pale slightly at the news and Emma believed it to be her concern for Addword when it was really the anxiety over being alone for a week with the Princess of Winter.
Emma held up a Frost Rose, enchanted by spell casters in the Kingdom of Winter to never wilt, and handed it to the Princess. "The fairest rose for the fairest of them all." It had become tradition. Every time they met, whether it be in the Kingdom of Autumn or that of Winter, Emma brought Regina a single enchanted Frost Rose. The brunette Princess collected them all in a vase by her bed. As the bouquet got bigger with each new rose, the vase changed, but she never could bear to throw them out. They were the only thing she had to remind her of the blonde Princess in the times they were apart.
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The Queen and King of Autumn were only seen at meal times and there were times where the Queen missed even those. It was a much different affair during Regina's visits to the Kingdom of Winter, where Queen Snow White was always around, her presence a constant bright spot in Regina's visits. Cora had little use for the interests of children and she never failed to make that known. Regina's handmaids saw to any needs they may have, otherwise they were left to do as they wished. Normally that wasn't a problem, but now, it could prove to be.
"We don't get the opportunity to go on picnics much in the north, the weather is highly unsuitable." Emma glanced over from her horse to Regina's. The other Princess was obviously much more accomplished of an equestrian. She sat regally in the saddle, looking every bit the royal she was. Emma felt like a commoner beside her, but all it would take was one look from Regina and she knew she'd feel once more like a Princess. The way Regina looked at her, with such reverence, was one of the things Emma loved about spending time with her. When Regina looked at her, she knew that her friend cared for her and believed in her.
Regina smiled. "That's why I always try and take you and Addword on one whenever you come to visit."
They broke through a final grouping of trees and emerged in a secluded meadow, hidden from the world with dense forest on all sides. It was a beautiful place of billowing grass and wildflowers, more off the beaten path than any of the places Regina had ever taken her when Addword was in their company, but then again, there were always guards following their every move when the Prince was around. Sent to observe and update back to Queen Cora how the Princess and Prince's relationship was progressing. Since it was only Emma here, her mother hadn't even bothered with an escort and Regina was taking full advantage of the freedom.
"It's beautiful here." Emma looked around in awe as they dismounted.
Regina smiled warmly. "I'm glad it pleases you."
"Your presence always pleases me." It took Emma a moment to realize that she'd said the statement aloud. She flushed and downcast her eyes. She wouldn't apologise for speaking the truth, but it had not been proper to mutter such things. She would have to consider her words more carefully.
"My mother keeps asking after Addword. She's anxious for a proposal. I come of age in a couple days. She's starting to wonder if I'm tainted. I swear she puts charms under my pillows that alert her if a man's presence has graced the sheets. She's suspicious of the cook's son, our stable boy Daniel. He's Addword's age and not unflattering to look upon, but he does not own my heart." Regina stopped their small party among the wildflowers and grabbed the picnic blanket from her saddle bags. She unfurled it and laid it across the soft grass.
"Has a man's presence graced your sheets?"
Regina sat down and glared at her. "You are the only person who I have ever shared a bed with, and always with innocent intent."
Emma set down the picnic basket and opened the lid, pulling out two of the flavourful apples the Kingdom of Autumn was famous for. She fed one to her horse and one to Regina's. Both animals nickered happily as they easily munched down the delicious fruit. Once they were finished, she sat down on the blanket beside Regina. "So, tell me Princess, who does have your heart? Is it my brother then?"
Regina stared at her for a long moment, the molten chocolate depths of her eyes swirling with something unreadable. "No, it is not him either."
Emma grinned. She wasn't sure why this news pleased her so. Some boy had Regina's heart, and she should hope that it would be her brother. At least that way, she'd always have Regina in her life. She wasn't sure she could handle it if the Princess was married away to another Kingdom and their time together would come to a close. She wasn't stupid. She was old enough now to understand that their friendship had been built upon and still relied on the assumption that her brother would request Regina's hand. If Regina's heart belonged to another, Emma might lose her forever. A war began in her heart over wanting Regina to be happy and wanting to keep her close. The grin fell off her face. "Addword planned to ask after your hand on the eve of your name day. He wished to announce your engagement at the party. But then he fell ill. Maybe that is a sign Princess. Maybe the Fates are trying to push you towards your true love."
Regina raised an eyebrow. "And yet you seem dismayed by this, fair Princess."
Emma managed a small smile. "I admit I've grown accustomed to our time together. It will displease me to see it come to an end, but you were never mine to keep." She reached for the basket to pull out their lunch.
Regina reached out, grasping Emma's hand before it could sink into the basket.
Emma looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Regina's eyes slid down to the rosy lips of the blonde Princess and then slowly back up to questioning green eyes. "I have always been yours."
The admission hung in the air between them and Emma knew Regina was waiting for her to either take it and run with it or to ignore it. She had taken the dreaded first step and now it was up to the blonde Princess to continue the dance or bow out. The Princess of Winter had always been one for dancing. She leaned in, pressing her lips to the brunette's, cautiously at first but quickly caution was thrown to the wind. Emma couldn't think, couldn't breathe. She just felt… everything. Her senses were hyper aware and she felt slightly dizzy. All this was coupled with the overwhelming knowledge that she wanted to wrap herself in this feeling and never leave.
For her part the Princess of Autumn knew one thing with startlingly clarity… and that was that she was supposed to kiss Emma for the rest of her days. She had never believed in true love. She'd heard the stories of course, every child in the Enchanted Forest knew the stories of the more famous royals, the couples that were just meant to be. But Regina had also been taught the politics of nobility from the moment she was able to understand speech. Her own parents had a marriage of convenience, one that had always been quite devoid of love. She had no examples from which to draw a different opinion than that one with which she was raised. The closest she'd ever come to it was Emma's parents, one of the aforementioned famous royal couples. But Regina knew, with no doubt whatsoever, that what she felt when Emma kissed her… that was true love.
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The next three days were spent in each other's company, stealing kisses behind the handmaids backs and when they were left alone at night. They gazed at each other as new lovers were wont to do and they agreed not to ruin Regina's name day with the harder discussions that they must face. What would they tell Cora and Snow? Would Regina still be forced to marry Addword? Emma herself had reached courting age. She wouldn't have to worry after proposals quite yet, but there would be a string of nobles begging her favour for quite some time. They chose to ignore that until after Regina's name day ball.
The day of Regina's sixteenth name day dawned perfect and breezy. Preparations and Cora's constant presence kept the two Princesses apart for the majority of the day. Emma was forced to get ready for the ball in the guest chambers. Cora allowed her to stay in Regina's chambers when she came for her visits, but with all the attendants fussing over the Princess of Autumn today, her chambers had just been too crowded to accommodate both teenagers.
Emma watched her personal handmaid Giada, who always accompanied her from the Kingdom of Winter, fuss with the skirts of her dress in the mirror. She wore white, the traditional colour for nobles from the Kingdom of Winter. Navy and silver ribbons were weaved into the bodice. It had taken five weavers two days to complete, but she'd wanted nothing less than perfection for Regina's name day celebration.
"You look beautiful Your Grace." Giada bowed her head and curtseyed.
Emma grinned at herself in the mirror. She'd left her hair down in its natural silky wavy form because she knew Regina preferred it that way. The effect was quite pleasing on the eye, everything about her appearance lengthening her, making her seem taller and more regal.
Emma was announced by the Page and entered the ballroom, mingling with the Autumn nobles as she waited for Regina's entrance. The ballroom was done up in rich gold, dark green, and deep burgundy. It looked as if the fall season had settled in the room. Emma knew she stuck out in her bright white, but it lent an air of mystery to her. The young Autumn noblemen murmured over their drinks, sending gazes her way as they chided themselves over who should ask her to dance first.
"Her Royal Highness, Princess Regina, the first of her name, heir to Autumn."
Emma looked up from her conversation with the stale Lord Braccard, a nobleman of fifty or so.
Regina's stepped up to the top of the staircase and made her descent slowly, searching the crowd. Her hair had been curled and then swept up into an elaborate style, a gold tiara looking quite at home on her head. Her dress was spun gold. It lightened her eyes and enhanced her tan complexion. Finally her eyes landed on Emma, not that she was exactly hard to spot considering her attire, and her entire face lit up.
Emma politely excused herself from Lord Braccard's company and made her way to the bottom of the staircase just as Regina reached the bottom step. She held out her arm to the Princess, a responsibility that would belong to her brother were he present.
Regina smiled warmly and took the offered arm, letting Emma lead her through the parted crowd to the middle of the room.
The musicians struck up a song and Emma moved one hand to Regina's hip, her other directing one of Regina's to her shoulder and then grasping the other. She took the lead, something she'd never done before in public, but she found she liked it.
From her position on the dais, Queen Cora watched her daughter and the Princess of Winter share the first dance. She had hoped that Addword would be here for the party. Her informers had told her the young Prince had been planning on seeking her daughter's hand this very day. Curse the Fates for the boy's bad health. Regina would not be able to dodge the other offers for very long. Her daughter was certainly not getting younger. Her body became more pronounced, more enticing as the days progressed. Nobles who had barely noted her existence before were starting to ask after her.
The song ended but the dance didn't. As the night progressed, Cora watched the pair with a new interest. She had nurtured this friendship, encouraged it, even demanded it in the beginning, but as she watched the girls tonight, she noticed the depth of their attachment. As soon as Addword sought Regina's hand, she'd have to break the girl of this friendship. It wouldn't do to have her daughter's husband and his sister warring for her daughter's time. She only had two ears after all, and Cora was already whispering into one.
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Emma stumbled into the bed chamber, kicking off her bothersome heels. "I thought it was never going to end! My feet are one dance away from falling off!" She laughed as she fell backward onto the bed.
Regina dismissed her handmaid, rushing to assist them out of their gowns, and shut the door, locking it. She took off her own heels and smiled at the Princess laying, splayed across her bed. A fire burned in the pit of her stomach. She had felt it before, this want, a few times, always for Emma.
The blonde sat up and grinned. "Help me out of this heavy thing." She stood and grabbed her skirts, lifting them.
Regina helped her pull the dress up and over her head, leaving her in nothing but her small clothes. The brunette blushed and turned away, the fire in the pit of her stomach burning brighter.
Emma raised an eyebrow. "Come now, since when have you ever been so reserved with me?"
Regina slowly turned back to Emma, painstakingly making sure she kept her eyes on her face.
Emma stepped forward, turning Regina around so she could undo the lacings of the gold gown. Once she had them loose enough, she hooked her fingers through the fabric and slid it down the brunette's body.
Regina stepped out of the gown as Emma drew it down past her knees and watched as the blonde tossed it over the fainting couch with her own gown. She wrapped her arms around herself, her neck colouring and she could think of nothing but sliding on her night shift.
Emma bit her lip and grabbed Regina's arms, prying them from around her body and placing them at her sides. She reached up and took the pins from Regina's hair, smiling as the curls tumbled down like a waterfall. Finally she removed the gold tiara, setting it aside. She ran her fingers through the dark locks, pleased when Regina's eyes fluttered closed. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Regina's forehead, then to her fragile eyelids each in turn, then her nose, and finally her lips… a perfect cross, a blessing of her love.
Regina relaxed in the kiss, reminded of her love for the blonde Princess. Her hands came up and rested on either side of the blonde's face, drawing her closer.
Emma's hands grasped her hips, pulling their bodies together.
Regina pulled back, staring into Emma's eyes. "I love you."
"As I love you." Emma captured one more small kiss before she tugged at her own small clothes, removing them until she stood bare before Regina's eyes. She reached out and slowly removed Regina's undergarments.
"Emma… I don't… I mean, I've never…"
Emma chuckled. "And you think me some harlot?" She grinned. "We'll learn together." She grasped Regina's hand and led her to the bed.
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The father cut off his story there. His children were yet too young to hear such details. He stood, leaning down and placing a kiss on each of their heads. "I'll tell you more tomorrow night. Sleep now."
The children yawned, just now noticing how tired they truly were and snuggled down into their blankets, slipping off into dreams of the Princesses and their Kingdoms.