Title: Happy Ending
Rating: T for language, might be bumped later for language and/or sexiness
Disclaimer: I have no rights to any persons real or imagined, no television shows, no books, basically nothing. You want to sue me the best thing I have is a bed, but try to take that and I'll cut a bitch, it's super comfy.
Summary: AU Remma, Regina/Emma, Swan Queen, whatever you want to call it. The Evil Queen will have her happy ending. And she will have her revenge.
Word Count: This chapter: 669; Total: 2675
Notes: I can't get the idea of Remma out of my head; you will all be subjected to more of it. And frequently.
This chapter (or what was supposed to be one chapter) has taken a life of it's own. EQ/Regina will show up next chapter.
If Emma seemed more excited for this trip than previous ones, neither the coachman nor armed escorts said a word. Reading the book kept the princess occupied for most of the journey. But as she read, Emma did not always like what she was reading.
The frown on her face deepened upon reading that the Evil Queen had threatened Snow White and Prince Charming, her parents. It made no sense to the very young, very confused princess.
The villain in the book and the woman that she knew could hardly be the same person. The Evil Queen threatened people and Regina called Emma names like 'my pet' or 'dear.' Regina showed her magic tricks and the Evil Queen tried to kill people. Emma could not make those two people into one image.
But the picture in her book, roughly drawn though it was, could be no one but her friend. So though there was proof, there was also a fallacy and it wrapped the blonde in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, the likes of which she'd never had to think about before.
And in her tumult of emotions Emma failed to notice, at least until arriving at her peer's castle, that her friend had never shown up. Had not stopped the carriage, driver, and guards in a stasis to spend time with Emma. Another straw on the back of a camel, or princess, who had nearly had enough.
However, her bad mood was pushed away when the carriage rolled to a stop in the courtyard of the neighboring kingdom's castle. Hardly waiting until they had stopped, Emma half-tumbled out of the carriage; her haste to show the other princess what she had found clear in every move she made.
After cursory bowing and scraping, the two princesses ran off to flip through the pages of the magical book. They read the story of Alexandra's parent's together, the older princess providing all of the reactions a trained storyteller could elicit.
"That is even sadder than Mother tells it," Alexandra sighed wistfully once the story was finished.
In an effort to cheer her friend, Emma told the other girl of her idea. "And we can use it to find your daddy. I bet it is full of clues."
Where Emma had expected enthusiasm to match her own, Alexandra's dainty lips pulled into a frown. "That is not very funny, Emma. It is not kind to tease like that."
"I am telling the truth," Emma shot back, voice rising in hurt at the fact that her friend did not believe her.
"And now you are lying? You are not a very nice friend." Alexandra's voice quavered as tears gathered at the corners of her blue eyes.
Being called a liar broke the dam which had held back Emma's earlier emotional storm. "I am not a liar!" she shrieked, voice echoing off the stone walls. Before the fight could escalate to physical violence, one of Emma's knightly escorts caught her firmly about the waist and carried her off.
From the way both princesses seemed disinclined to apologize, it was thought best that the visit end before something worse happened. Though her caretakers tried to admonish Emma, the princess would have none of it. She spent the greater part of the return trip huffing angrily in the plush carriage.
At first it was just the tiniest quiver of a lip. Then a sniffle. The journey was nearly over when Emma's anger was no longer greater than how much she hurt. And the young princess started sobbing, each attempt at consoling her only made the cries worse.
With her face buried in the carriage's seat, Emma felt their motion stop but her tears did not. When someone picked her up, Emma fought against the hold until she recognized her father's voice. Then the tearful princess curled against her father's chest to cry herself out. James let her, murmuring words of comfort and rubbing circles across her back, until the tired blonde cried herself to sleep.