Regina was losing the will to live. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths using her hands to deflect the negative energy around her. It was the hottest day of the year so far and she was attempting to organise her family and usher them into the waiting carriages that would transport them across the realm to the Sun Kingdom. The journey would already take several weeks and unless they left soon they wouldn't cover much ground before nightfall. Even after so many years back in this realm Regina still missed her car; although not as much as Emma missed hers.
The Sun Prince, Stephen, was the last of the royal teenagers who were turning sixteen this year and Aurora had decided that she wanted to throw a celebration Ball in all of their honours. It was a lovely idea and the teenagers were all overexcited in anticipation, but the organisation was making Regina want to rip her hair out. Transporting such a large family and all of their luggage was almost a military operation.
"Calm down, babe." Emma ordered softly, wrapping her arms around her wife's waist and burying her face into her neck. She left a couple of kisses on the skin there, before turning the brunette around so that she could look at her properly. "Don't stress yourself out."
"If we don't leave now it'll be nightfall before we make it to the Dark Forest."
Emma rolled her eyes. "You're exaggerating, babe. We'll easily make it past the Dark Forest before nightfall."
"Ever the optimist." Regina chuckled, bringing up a hand to rest on Emma's cheek.
"One of us has to be." The blonde replied with a shrug, before leaning in to kiss her wife.
"Seriously?" A loud groan accompanied heavy footsteps and the rhythmic thudding of something heavy being dragged down the grand staircase. "I just had to walk past my moms making out against a fucking wall upstairs and now there's you two… what is with this family? Are you all completely sex mad or something? Don't even get me fucking started on Gramps and Grandma Snow…"
"Francesca… you sound exactly like your mother." Regina said, deciding against reprimanding her granddaughter for her comments and language.
Emma wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist once more and rested her chin on her shoulder. "It's true, kid, you do. She asked an incredibly similar question when she was around your age."
"You'd have thought she'd have learnt from how incredibly embarrassing you two are."
"She did… she picked up some tips." The blonde said seriously. Then she winked at the teenager and turned to kiss Regina's cheek. "Besides, look how incredibly hot your Grandma is. How am I supposed to resist?"
"Oh dear god…" Frankie groaned and resumed dragging her trunk of luggage across the floor towards the main doors.
No sooner had the girl vanished from sight than more footsteps on the stairs caught their attention and they turned to watch Izzy directing Billy down the staircase with her trunks. Unlike her sister, she had two and her Uncle was attempting to push one while pulling the other behind him. Izzy stood at the top of the staircase with her hands on her hips criticising his efforts.
Waving a hand, Regina caused the trunks to rise gracefully into the air and she directed them towards the front doors. As Izzy began to thank her, shooting her a bright smile, the Queen raised an eyebrow. Her meaning was crystal clear and the girl turned to thank Billy for his assistance, before rushing outside to oversee her luggage being loaded into the carriages.
Finally everyone was ready and assembled and the procession of carriages trundled away from the Dark Palace. The people waved as their royal family passed, receiving smiles and waves in return. Regina's Evil Queen status had long been forgotten and now she was just the Queen.
There were five carriages in all. Emma and Regina rode in the first carriage, with Liv, Ruby and Aiden in the one following. Cora and Nicole were in the third, with the triplets and Billy in the fourth and Henry, his wife and their three-year-old son, David, in the last.
It had come as no surprise to anyone when, six years previously, Henry had announced that he wanted to marry Jefferson's daughter. Liv had long suspected that her brother had a crush on the girl, even when they had still been in Storybrooke. Jefferson wasn't exactly pleased with the match and Emma and Regina weren't overjoyed at being connected so closely to him, but they all put aside their own feelings for the sake of the young couple.
Their marriage was less of a surprise to most than the wedding that had taken place, just a year previously, between Charlie and Alexandra. Charming's mention of the rumours, a full seven years before anything came of them, seemed to have been some kind of premonition. Ella had been overjoyed when Charlie approached her and Thomas to ask for their daughter's hand; immediately leaping on Liv and Ruby to organise an incredibly lavish celebration.
That was, probably, the main reason that Liv had completely backed Aurora's suggestion that she organise the joint birthday party for the group of now-sixteen-year-olds. She was, as she informed her wife theatrically, throwing one arm over her forehead as she dropped heavily onto their bed one night, all party-planned out.
In the end it took them three weeks and four days to reach the Sun Kingdom, travelling from inn to inn and only stopping to sleep. By the time they arrived at their destination everyone was slightly short tempered. The travel arrangements had been swapped numerous times as the occupants of the carriages were unable to get on for very long without arguments breaking out.
"Oh, my dears!" Aurora practically flew down the steps at the front of the Sun Palace to greet her guests as they emerged, hot and bothered and slightly bad-tempered, from their carriages. "How wonderful it is to see you."
"The feeling is entirely mutual, Aurora." Regina told her politely, the politicians' smile that had been so readily on her face back in Storybrooke instantly springing into place.
"Ella and Thomas arrived yesterday, Abigail and Fred have been here for about a week and Snow and Charming are due to arrive any day now." The Queen gushed overexcitedly. "I'll get someone to take your luggage to the rooms we've set up for you and you can get settled in before dinner."
It sounded like such a good idea that nobody complained as they were lead through the beautiful Palace to the Guest Wing. Of course, it took longer than necessary to reach the chambers that had been set aside for the Dark Kingdom's royal family, as they seemed to run into their friends and fellow royals every couple of steps and reunions took precedence over rest.
No one could deny that Aurora had done a wonderful job of organising the Banquet and the Ball. The Sun Palace was tastefully decorated and the Ball Room was huge. Regina grudgingly admitted that allowing the Queen to organise the celebration had been a good idea.
"Introducing His Royal Highness Prince Stephen of the Sun Kingdom, His Royal Highness Prince Edward of the Southern Kingdom, His Royal Highness Prince William of the Dark Kingdom, Her Royal Highness Princess Francesca of the Dark Kingdom, Her Royal Highness Princess Isabella of the Dark Kingdom and Her Royal Highness Princess Phoebe of the Dark Kingdom." The herald announced, prompting Liv to wonder, louder than she'd intended, how he had managed to reel off the list of names without running out of breath.
But then the royal teenagers entered the Ball Room, the girls on the arm of one of the Princes, and her sarcastic words were instantly forgotten. If anyone had pointed out that there were tears in her eyes as she watched her daughters and brother enter the room and take to the dance floor, she would have fiercely denied it.
"Are you OK?" She whispered in Ruby's ear, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her exposed shoulder as they watched the teenagers' progress around the dance floor.
The older woman ran a finger under her eyes before turning and smiling at her wife. "Yes." She replied shakily. "Our babies are all grown up."
"Mmm..." Liv conceded reluctantly. "But I will still borrow your grandmother's crossbow and personally shoot any boy who goes within ten feet of any of them."
"I love it when you get all protective." Ruby chuckled pressing a soft kiss to the side of her mouth.
"You haven't heard what I'd do to anyone who went near you." Her wife said with a smirk, pulling Ruby closer and kissing her again.
Beside them, Emma had wrapped an arm around Regina's shoulders, allowing the brunette to bury her head in her neck and she tried valiantly not to sob out loud as she watched her younger son whirling Phoebe around the Ball Room with an air of confidence.
"I don't know why I'm so emotional." She mumbled, almost embarrassed, pressing herself more firmly into her wife's side. "And don't say it's hormones!"
Emma chuckled and dropped a kiss into brunette locks. "I wouldn't dream of it. It's sweet, babe. It's only natural that you'd be emotional watching our youngest child and granddaughters dancing at their sixteenth birthday ball. They're all growing up. Henry and Charlie are married, Nicole flirts with everyone and now Billy and the girls are sixteen. I can't imagine what you'll be like when Aiden's grown up."
"Don't!" Regina ordered, biting her lip. "I just can't believe how far we've all come since..."
"Since we first met?"
"Yes... To think that I tried to put you under a sleeping curse..."
Emma chuckled. "At least you've found more creative ways to tire me out since then." She laughed even more as Regina swatted at her arm, then her face turned serious. "I wouldn't change a single thing, though."
"Me either..." Her wife admitted. "I would have preferred that our children faced death or an eternity trapped under a sleeping curse slightly less often, though."
"Well, there is that." The blonde agreed. Seeing Aurora and Phillip and Ella and Thomas moving onto the dance floor to join their sons, Emma tugged on Regina's hand and inclined her head. "Would you do me the honour, my Queen?"
"It would be my pleasure, Your Majesty."
The evening passed smoothly. It was one of the most enjoyable Balls that the Dark Kingdom's royal family had attended and none of them, for once, were watching the clock to work out when they could make their excuses and leave.
In the early hours of the morning, as most of the guests were leaving, a commotion in the Grand Entrance Hall drew the attention of the hosts and everyone else still in the Palace. Regina pushed to the front of the crowds, standing alongside Aurora and Phillip as they gazed at the gate-crasher in the middle of the space. A circle formed around the woman, who ignored the presence of almost everyone watching her. Her eyes darted around the faces until they finally settled on a pair of grey eyes staring back at her, widened in abject horror.
"Your Highness." She said, her tone overflowing with sarcasm. Never breaking eye contact, she sank into a curtsey that was undeniably mocking. "I suppose congratulations are in order."
"What–?"
"And where are the Dark Princesses? I should wish them a happy birthday in person, should I not?"
"Jaye…" Liv pushed through the crowds, dodging the hands grasping at her and trying to pull her back. "What do you want?"
"Like I said, I've come to wish your daughters a happy birthday."
"No…" The Princess shook her head, glaring. "You stay away from my daughters."
Jaye chuckled, reaching out a hand and barely grazing the skin of Liv's jaw. The brunette refused to react, simply staring at her angrily. A smile twisted the other woman's lips and her eyes narrowed slightly as they roved over her.
"You've aged well, Liv, but I suppose that's down to having good genes." Her eyes flickered towards where Regina and Emma were standing, looking as though they wanted nothing more than to rip the woman limb from limb for even looking at their older daughter. "How many years has it been?"
"Since your grandfather tried to kill me, you mean?" The Princess snapped, drawing herself up slightly and glaring at the other woman. "Almost twenty years."
With a smirk, Jaye grasped her chin, causing Liv to pull her head to the side quickly. "So that would make you almost forty. You don't look a day over twenty-five, dearie. Clearly this royal lifestyle suits you."
"Will you stop flirting with my wife?" Ruby snapped, finally losing her temper, stepping forward and pulling Liv to her side. "Now what the fuck do you want?"
"Manners, Wolfie." Jaye chuckled, causing a gasp to run around the watching crowd.
"You will not speak to a member of the Dark Kingdom's Royal family in such a way!" Phillip bellowed angrily, feeling the slight against Ruby as keenly as though it had been directed against a member of his own family. She was, after all, the mother of his niece's husband. "Guards!"
As the royal guards positioned around the hall surged forward, Jaye chuckled and, with a flick of her wrist, sent them all flying backwards until they connected with the stone walls and slid, unconscious, to the ground. She arched an eyebrow at the Sun King and shook her head, tutting in disappointment. No one moved for a moment, which gave Liv the chance to study at her carefully.
She looked wild. Not wild in the way they had been as teenagers, but wild as though she had been living in the wilderness for a long time. Her long dirty-blonde hair was matted and formed into dreadlocks, which were decorated with feathers and bits of ribbon and cotton. Jaye was barefoot and her outfit seemed to be a cannibalised version of the gown she had been wearing the last time Liv saw her; the skirt ripped almost indecently short and one sleeve completely missing. Liv tried to work out whether as much time had passed wherever they had been sent by the portal, but she found it was impossible to tell.
"See something you like, Your Highness?" Jaye asked, smirking at her as she caught the brunette staring at her legs. The expression in her eyes was just as feral as her appearance.
"Of course not." Liv sighed, rolling her eyes. "I was just wondering when you washed last."
"Before we saw her last if the smell is any indication." Ruby snapped bitchily, her grasp on Liv's waist tightening.
Jaye growled and flexed her hand. Liv instinctively moved in front of her wife, but the blonde just laughed and took a step forward, her head tilted to one side as she surveyed the faces in front of her. Her eyes travelled across the crowd, taking in everyone. Finally they settled on Regina and Emma and her smile widened.
"You're going to be sorry you ever crossed the Dark One." She told them lightly. Her amused tone was more worrying than if she had spoken in a threatening voice. There was a madness about it that made her unpredictable. "You ruined things once too many and he won't forget that."
"What's he going to do?" Regina asked, moving forward. She jutted her jaw and narrowed her eyes, fixing the woman with a fierce glare.
The blonde laughed, throwing her head back and causing the assembled royalty and nobles to take a step-back as one. "Like I'd tell you, Your Majesty. The reformed Evil Queen?" She sneered at the older woman. "Please. All it would take is one little push in the right direction and you'd slaughter this entire room without a second thought."
Emma pushed past Regina, her eyes blazing as she grabbed Jaye by the front of her bodice roughly. "Now listen to me, you little bitch–"
"Temper, temper, dearie!" Jaye giggled, vanishing and appearing a second later by the doors to the Ball Room. Everyone whirled round to look at her; Emma, Regina, Liv and Ruby pushing through the crowd to stand in front of her once more. "He will get his revenge." She warned with a smile. "And when he does… there'll be nothing you can do to stop him."