SwanQueen Week – Day 3 – Arranged Marriage AU
It was a chilly, Mid-November afternoon in the Enchanted Forest. The sun dimly light the room that held only one inhabitant. Eighteen year old Emma Swan stood in front of a full-length mirror and stared intently at her reflection. She hardly recognized herself. Her long, blonde hair was pinned up in a intricate braid that she was sure even she couldn't master. Her make-up was lightly applied, as per her requests. She was being stripped of pretty much all of her normality, and she wanted to keep some part of herself. The main thing Emma couldn't stop from staring at was the long white halter dress that she wore. It wasn't that the dress wasn't absolutely beautiful, it just didn't look right on her.
Emma let out a breath and shook her head at her reflection. "This is freaking crazy." Emma muttered under her breath, although no one else could hear her. She knew that her mother, the Queen of the White Kingdom, was down the hall somewhere making sure that everything was just perfect. Where her father was at that moment, she wasn't sure, and she honestly didn't care. She just knew that she did not wish to be in this predicament. But no matter how many times Emma told her parents she didn't want to get married, they blatantly disregarded her and put it off as pre-wedding jitters. They just didn't seem to understand the fact that she didn't want to get married, especially to someone she didn't even know.
Emma groaned and picked at the strands of hair that had fallen out of her braid. "Why do they have to do this?"
On the other side of the White castle, another waited in a dark room. Regina Mills glared at her own reflection in the mirror. "This is utterly ridiculous." She sneered as she looked herself over once more. The dress was just too much; it was much too tight around her chest, and it hung loosely on her shoulders.
"I told you that you should have come to the fitting last evening."
Regina turned to see her mother enter the dimly lit room. "I wouldn't be in this idiotic situation if you and father hadn't wanted to give me up so quickly to a complete stranger."
Cora Mills shook her head at her daughter before stepping towards her to readjust the straps on her dress. "Regina, I know that you think we're doing this as some sort of punishment, but we're not. An alliance between the kingdoms could not come at a better time. And the White family really are nice people."
"Then why have I never met them, mother? You've never even spoke of them until just recently." Regina retorted as she pulled at the front of the dress.
Cora slapped her daughters hands away from it. "Stop messing with the dress, dear. It's fine. You're just nervous."
Regina huffed and rolled her eyes. "I am not nervous, mother. I simply do not wish to do this. And you did not answer my question." Regina said as she stared at her mothers reflection in the mirror.
Cora met Regina's eyes in the mirror for a moment before going back to the dress. "Regina dear, you may be upset about this now, but I'm sure that you'll thank me for this later."
"Ha. I'm sure that I won't." Regina shook her head as she ran her fingers through her long hair. Half of it was pulled back into a ponytail and the other half hung on curls on her shoulders. She could admit that she felt rather beautiful at the moment, but she didn't like the fact as to why she was so dressed up. To get married, and to another woman at that. Her lips curled up in a snarl as she remembered that tiny detail. "And since when was okay with you and father to have your only daughter married off to another woman?"
Cora sighed heavily as she turned Regina around to face her. "Your father and I never said anything bad about you being with a woman. If that's who you fall in love with, that's perfectly fine."
"But I am not in love with her, mother! I don't even know her!" Regina exclaimed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Darling, I know. But maybe... Maybe you can grow to love her. I didn't necessarily love you father at first when I agreed to marry him." Cora admitted.
Regina furrowed her brow. "Then why did you?"
Cora took in a deep breath before answering. "Because it was what needed to be done. But I did grow to love him. And I still do love him." Cora smiled at the ground as she thought of her dear husband. "It finds you when you least expect it, Regina."
Regina breathed in and out a few times before turning back around to the mirror. "I can't believe I'm really doing this."
Cora lightly patted her back. "It's for the greater good of the Kingdoms, dear."
As with all newly wed couples, Regina & Emma were sent off to a cabin in the woods for their "Honeymoon." Neither said a word to the other, just looked out their corresponding sides of the carriage that was taking them to the cabin. Just thirty minutes ago, they had said their prewritten vows to the each other and sealed it with a chaste kiss. Gone were the dresses and hairdos, both dressed in their own casual attire; Emma wore tight pants and a plain white tee shirt with a black leather jacket while Regina wore black pants, a red v neck top and a black jacket.
The carriage came to a stop and both women looked up curiously. "We are here your majesties." The driver, Horace, informed them.
Without waiting for him to open her door, Emma quickly jumped out before heading to the other side of the carriage. She held a hand up to Horace and told him that she would do it. Emma took in a deep breath as she opened up the carriage door. "Milady." Emma murmured as she held her hand out for Regina.
Regina couldn't help but to roll her eyes at the girl. "I appreciate the gesture, dear, but I can get out on my own."
Emma dropped her hand and made her way towards the cabin. "As you wish." She nodded to Horace as to say goodbye then pulled a tiny key out of her pocket. For the umpteenth time that day, Emma wondered why her parents had done this to her. She still couldn't come up with a logical reason. They said it was to "Unite the Kingdoms", but she didn't buy into it. There were plenty of other ways to unify the kingdoms, this one just appeared the easiest to them.
Hearing an huff from behind her, Emma turned and saw Regina patting herself off and ushering Horace away. Emma shook her head as she smirked. She did offer to help Regina out of the carriage. Emma didn't even realize that Regina was right behind her until she spoke up.
"Are you going to open the door, or are we just supposed to stand here and freeze to death?" Regina asked as she wrapped her arms around herself. Though she was wearing a jacket, the cool air was whipping right through it.
Emma rolled her eyes and unlocked the front door before stepping to the side to let Regina in first. "After you, milady." Emma plastered on a fake smile as she half bowed to Regina.
"Is that really how you're going to continue to address me, or are you doing it to annoy me?" Regina questioned as she stepped inside the cabin and looked around. It was lightly furnished; a couch sat in the middle of the main room, directly in front of the unlit fireplace. There were a few paintings hung up on the walls, but in the dark she couldn't quite make out what they were. Regina jumped when she felt Emma come behind her.
"Wouldn't you like to know." Emma teased as she slipped past Regina.
Regina sneered as she stared at the blonde. "You really are annoying, I hope you know this."
Emma laughed as she looked around the cabin, in search of the bedroom. "So I've been told by more than one person. But I believe that this is the third time you've told me this today."
"Oh really? When were the first two times?" Regina questioned as she followed Emma.
Emma smiled as she finally came across the room and immediately went to the large closet to deposit her shoes there. Her feet were killing her from wearing heels practically all day. "Well, the first time was when we were having out 'dance' and I stepped on your toes."
"I do believe I called you an idiot, not annoying." Regina corrected her.
"Right well, same thing." Emma replied as she stepped out of her shoes and let out a sigh of relief. "So much better." She whispered to herself before turning back towards Regina, who had just entered the bedroom and was inspecting it, much as Emma had expected her to. "And the second time was when I kept asking you if you wanted a drink."
Regina rolled her eyes at the memory. "Because you were being rather annoying. I'm sure you asked me at least twenty times before you eventually gave up and sulked away."
Emma glared at her. "I was trying to come up with some sort of excuse to leave my parents. I could tell that you were getting rather annoyed with my mothers cheerfulness."
"Yes well, it's over and done now." Regina noted as she eyed the bed. "So... who's sleeping where?" She glanced over at Emma who had just now seemed to notice that there was only one bed. Regina smirked at Emma's sudden despair as the blonde quickly rushed out of the bedroom in search of another one. Once she heard Emma groan loudly, Regina laughed lightly and sat at the edge of the queen sized bed.
Emma re-entered the bedroom and glared at the bed. "I can't believe this. It's bad enough they made us get married and now they expect us to share the same bed just because we're married!" Emma thought angrily to herself. She let out a deep breath and rubbed her temple. "Okay... I'll sleep on the far right side of the bed and you can have the middle, the left, whatever." Emma decided as she went towards the right side of the bed.
"Wait, what? You want us to sleep in this bed? Together?" Regina asked, her eyes wide.
"Yeah, that seems to be the best choice. I don't really fancy sleeping on the couch and I'm sure that you don't like that idea too much either." When Regina didn't reply, Emma nodded her head. "That's what I thought. So we have to make do, and sleep here together."
"What if I object? I do not wish to sleep with you. Hell, I didn't even wish to marry you!"
Emma hit the wall angrily. "And you think that I wanted to be in this any more than you did?! I'm only eighteen! I had no desire at all to get married! And I'm sorry that there's only one damned bed in this place! But we have to do what we have to do!" Regina shot up from the bed and hurried out to the living room. "What in the hell are you doing, Regina?"
"I am not sleeping in that bed with you!"
Emma groaned and fell on the bed. She was not going to argue with the woman. If she wanted to sleep out there on the uncomfortable looking couch, then she could go right on ahead. Emma laid back against the warm pillow and closed her eyes. Within minutes, the exhaustion took over and she fell into a deep sleep.
Emma awoke nearly three hours later when she felt a heat pressed against her. Emma breathed in deeply before she opened up her left eye to find the source of the heat. When she turned to look behind her, she was shocked to see that Regina was in bed directly behind her. Emma was sure that Regina probably crept back in when she decided that the couch would not do and decided to sleep in the bed instead. But she was fairly sure that the brunette did not mean to sleep so closely to her.
Swallowing thickly, Emma carefully turned over in the bed and ran her fingers through Regina's long hair. Truthfully, Emma had been enamoured with Regina since she had seen her earlier that day. She had never felt something so quickly for someone before. No even with the young boy she had played with back at home during the summer.
At first, Emma did not want to get married. But once she saw Regina and felt her heart quicken at just the sight of her, she felt that maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
Emma smiled sadly as she looked at Regina's sleeping form. "I know I can't make you love me. And that's okay. But maybe one day... maybe we can both grow to love one another the way that couples are supposed to. Just... don't push me away. I'll try if you're willing to try." Emma shook her head, feeling rather silly to be talking to the girl while she was asleep. "I feel like an idiot, laying here and talking to you like this. But... I just want you to hear me... even if it is unconsciously. I can't make you feel something you don't, but I do feel some sort of thing here. I know it sounds crazy because we literally just met but... I do. I promise you, Regina, that I'll never lie to you. I'll never lie to you. And I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."
Emma placed a soft kiss to Regina's head and wrapped her arms around Regina before closing her eyes. She knew that it was foolish to think that Regina could ever love her, but she hoped that one day she would.
A/N: Please let me know what you all think! Hopefully you all enjoyed this one! 3
