A/N: ok I realised I forgot to put a disclaimer (although there is one on my author page thing) so yeah, OUAT is not mine, characters are not mine neither is FTL or anything else recognisable, please accept my apology for not putting this at the beginning but now it is done ;) Good reading X
Regina magically transported herself to the near deserted training field and stood watching as Emma send arrow after furious arrow with deadly accuracy into a variety of targets.
"Well done dear." The queen drawled as Emma went to reload her bow. Emma snaps around fast, anger coursing through her. "When you told me you had been trained with a bow I never imagined you were quite so good."
"Why did you tell me that?" Emma almost shouted.
"And what is the 'that' which you are referring to Sentinel Swan?"
"The thing about the king." Regina watched as Emma's eyes darted around to make sure they were alone before delivering this coded answer. Loyal to a fault and Regina was at a loss to explain why.
"You said you'd find out about my nightmares eventually and someone, I forget who but they're most likely no longer in my company, told me that to get people to divulge their secrets you have to give something in return." Emma grunted.
"Why are you even speaking to me your majesty?" Emma was genuinely curious, she expected the queen to be disgusted by her, but she laced her words with as much venom as she could muster. Regina smiled.
"Why dear, you're a mystery and I'm intrigued by you. I stick at puzzles until I solve them."
"There's not much of a mystery about me anymore." Emma turned and drew another arrow. The queen wasn't used to being dismissed by others in this manner, but she found it delighted her, giving her another challenge, one that she was determined to crack.
Emma loosed the arrow as the queen moved up to her and breathed on her neck. "I can still appreciate some of your other, attributes." Emma shuddered at the sultry tone and the connotations it teasingly held. She turned around to find an empty field behind her. She let out a long breath. She new that the queen was flirtatious and had often made slight comments that made the blondes heart thunder, she new the queen wouldn't be opposed to a physical relationship with her, but Emma wanted more than that and she wasn't ready to be used and thrown away. Somehow she had to gain the affections of her queen, the evil queen who many claimed to be heartless but Emma had seen Regina at her most vulnerable and so she knew that wasn't true. There were just a lot of walls to get through, but then didn't everyone have walls, Emma herself was often told she through up walls at people, particularly the potential suitors her parents had presented to her.
Emma retrieved her arrows from the various targets that she had been shooting at, not caring to tally up her points. After carefully storing the weapon away she returned to her own chambers to wash and change before heading back to the queen's own chambers. She didn't particularly feel like returning but Emma had a strong sense of duty so she went despite her personal reservations. Regina was pouring over the paperwork on her desk again when Emma entered.
"Feeling better dear." It was a statement, not a question, either way Emma hummed a response. With a flourish Regina signed the last piece of paper on her desk before sighing contentedly and carefully placing the quill back in its exact position. She moved to leave the room, it was time for her bath, she cleansed herself at the same time everyday and so Emma knew where she was going.
"If you wouldn't mind your majesty, I might take you up on that offer of a nap while you attend to yourself." Emma couldn't bring herself to look at the queen but she could hear the teasing smirk in her voice as Regina replied.
"Once again dear, you've already been in this situation. However I will grant you this request and I expect you to be a lot happier when I return from my bath." Emma nodded curtly and curled up on her bed. Both she and Regina knew that the blonde would not be sleeping, her thoughts were too muddled and her brain was racing around trying to order them.
Regina sank into the warm water of the bath as she contemplated what to do with the blonde. She would only be useful if her company was adequate. She had gotten used to the sarcastic remarks, the eye rolls, the playful teasing and banter that occurred between the two in private but recently the blonde had become more subdued and tired, she hoped that this little revelation would solve that but she suspected that it would take a bit more than that.
She had to say she was surprised that the blonde had the courage and loyalty to tell her queen how she felt about her, and not just any queen, the evil queen who many claimed to be heartless. Yes she had been surprised by the confession and admired the princess for it however she had not been surprised about the contents of the confession.
The evil queen often acted the seductress, flirtatious, especially when she wanted something or someone pleased her, most people accepted her advances, who would dare refuse the evil queen. Some returned her advances obviously pushing for more than flirtatious talk but many just smiled awkwardly and tried to get away without angering the queen. Emma had been different, not only had she accepted the advances willingly but she returned the innocent flirting without pushing for more. That could just show that Emma was comfortable with Regina, which is what the queen had assumed at first, after all they were in similar life situations, both royals, however she began to suspect there was more to it. The blonde would blush sometimes or suddenly stop the flirting, looking away nervously. To be sure Regina hadn't suspect that that was the reason the blonde was having difficulty sleeping, she assumed it was down to home sickness, but it was oddly gratifying to know the blondes' emotions ran that deep. Yet still she didn't want to take advantage of the blondes' emotions.
Regina sighed and sank further into the warm water allowing her muscles to relax from the afternoon spent bowed over her desk. She was none the wiser as to what to do with Emma but she decided that she had liked the set-up that they had going and really didn't want to change it, hopefully the blonde would become her normal, slightly irritating, self again soon and then Regina wouldn't have to find a solution to their current predicament.