Regina sat silently, processing their conversation. Emma wasn't entirely certain how long it had been since she proposed they wed, though she was aware that enough time had passed for her to not only finish her meal, but also she was feeling somewhat inebriated by that point; not quite drunk, yet too far gone to be considered tipsy.
For a brief, almost insignificant moment, she wondered if perhaps the reason for the silence was due to overestimating her worth to the Queen and that had made her start pacing the room. She had made maybe two trips between the door and bed before Regina grabbed her by the hand and yanked her back down beside her with a scowl.
The fact she remained quiet was the reason Emma began drinking in earnest. If she couldn't pace and they weren't going to talk, then she needed to do something to fight off the boredom and inevitable insecurities.
When Regina finally did speak, Emma was so unprepared for it that she ended up choking on her mead while Regina patted her back with a concerned frown.
"Are you alright?" Regina questioned once most of the coughing died down and wide, emerald eyes stared at her as Emma slowly nodded.
Regina examined her, not quite convinced she was telling the truth but she let it go as Emma took another swig and seemed to relax. "So does this mean you don't want to get married?" she asked. Before the bout of choking started, she had asked a similar question and she continued to study Emma's expression for some sort of sign that she was on the right track.
"Well, it is a simple solution," Emma replied as she leaned forward and placed her goblet on the table before turning her whole body to the brunette. "I admit it was a spur of the moment suggestion but I mean… we were getting there right?"
Regina nodded. "Of course; I just didn't think it would be something that would interest you," she explained. "I'm not certain how I feel about the idea of another marriage but you did run away from your last proposal."
"True..." Emma tried to keep the mild offense from her tone; though she could tell she failed by the raised eyebrow that followed. "That wasn't exactly a choice…"
"If you want to be technical, neither is this." Regina sighed and reached for the goblet as she continued, "You're suggesting we wed to rid ourselves of an inconsequential problem, which is somewhat worse than an arranged marriage if we're being honest."
After a pause where neither had anything to add, Regina's shoulders slumped. "I don't understand why you won't just let me kill Baelfire; it would be so much simpler," she remarked.
Emma didn't think she understood the comment but still, she looked at Regina as though the woman had lost her mind. No matter how she considered and twisted the words, reasoning that murder was a preferable option to marriage seemed, simply put, insane and the offense she felt then was too great to mask.
"How the hell is that simpler? You do remember the person you want to kill is the son of the Dark One, yeah?"
Regina gestured dismissively and rolled her eyes as she sipped the mead, sighing softly as the beverage warmed her from the inside. "I do not fear him and neither should you, he has grown considerably weak over the years, which is likely why he didn't decide to just come here and take you from me."
When she glanced to Emma, she softened at the obvious frustration wearing on her and took Emma's hand in her own. "Perhaps one day we will wed but this doesn't feel right and I'm sure there is another way we can settle this without forcing ourselves into doing something neither one of us is even ready for," she said, entwining their fingers as she finished.
Despite the sharp pang of disappointment Emma felt, she knew Regina was right. As much as they loved one another, they needed more time together before making such a huge decision. Commitment had nothing to do with it, she passed that stage long ago and she was certain Regina was too but if they wed, that would mean she would once again be thrown into the life of royalty.
Emma had hated it the first time; there was too much responsibility and far too little freedom, which was something she had confessed to Regina in the early hours of morning when the two of them would lay in bed for a time. Regina had understood then and she had no doubt the woman understood now.
"Okay," Emma admitted quietly with a squeeze of their hands. "You're right. I'm not ready for that and I'm not surprised that you aren't either."
She smiled as Regina leaned into her and kept talking, "I'm not going to say it was a stupid suggestion because… marrying you, marrying the woman I love with all my heart - that isn't stupid but now is not the time; you're right."
The frantic banging on the doors to her chamber had Regina bolting upright and the blonde next to her stirring with a muffled groan. Quickly, Regina threw the covers back, stopping to press a kiss to Emma's forehead as she whispered for her to go back to sleep. She snatched the robe from the end of the bed, tying it closed around her waist as she stormed over to the doors and pulled them open with a snarl.
Eyeing her Captain with barely contained anger, she snapped, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
He stepped back with haste, his eyes apologetic and Regina took the few seconds he needed to recover from the shock of being on the receiving end of an emotion she had noticeably lacked ever since she found Emma, to calm herself before she gestured for him to speak.
"I apologise, your Majesty but I thought you should know that a contingent of soldiers are lining up along the border to the Kingdom." Her nostrils flared and her anger returned in full force, white-hot rage surging through her veins at his next words. "They look to be led by Snow White."
If looks could kill then Graham's entire bloodline, from past to future, would have curled over and died in that moment.
Reason was hard to come by when her blood boiled the way that it was and it took every ounce of her control to refrain from lashing out. When would she be rid of that insufferable wretch? When would Snow White be content with the damage she had caused? Would she ever have the peace and happiness she desired, without the constant challenge that came with it?
True Love had to be fought for, this Regina knew all too well but at some point, does the fighting ever end and if so, when would she be allowed to stop?
"Wake the men," she gritted between clenched teeth, fists flexing at her sides. "Have them ready and in the courtyard by sunrise. Tell them to prepare for summoning; I will call if I have need of them."
"Yes, Your Majesty." As he bowed and turned to carry out her order, Regina growled and slammed the doors shut, leaning her head against them with a defeated sigh as she attempted to regain her composure.
She drifted back to the bed, coming to a sudden stop on the side where Emma slept as she stared down at her. Rationality had never mixed well with her anger but the longer she looked upon her slumbering princess, the ire fading from her mind somehow seemed pointless and she sighed once more as what remained rapidly unravelled.
There was no reason for her to upset Emma due to the actions of her idiotic mother and though she had hoped Charming would talk some sense into the woman, she had known there was little chance of that. As such, she knew exactly what she would do when she appeared at the border with Emma in tow.
Discarding her robe, Regina pulled back the furs covering the blonde and slid in beside her, pressing her lips to a warm shoulder with a murmured, "Wake up, my love," as she rested a hand on Emma's stomach and tangled their legs together.
Emma moaned causing Regina to smile as she dropped kisses along a collarbone, sucking lightly at the crook of her neck before she moved to chapped lips and as Emma shifted into consciousness, Regina gently scratched nails across her stomach, her smile turning to a grin as Emma applied pressure with her mouth and draped an arm around her waist.
"Good morning, my Queen," Emma husked when their lips parted, stretching deliciously beneath the weight of the brunette.
Regina closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as the sound and movement caused a flood of arousal to throb within her lower abdomen. It was typical that Snow would choose the most inconvenient time for potentially starting a war; she could have at least had the decency to wait until the afternoon.
Shaking her head and opening them again, Regina pressed another kiss to pale lips, and then disentangled them as she rose from the bed. "As much as it pains me to skip our usual morning ritual, there is a matter that requires our attention and I don't believe it will wait for us to finish fooling around," she said.
She had expected the responding pout and yet, she still chuckled and rolled her eyes fondly. Since moving into her chambers, not once had they missed a morning together and Emma wasn't the only one disappointed in having to skip that particular part of the day.
"Believe me, my dear, the feeling is mutual. However, your mother awaits us at the border."
Emma's jaw snapped shut mid-yawn, a huff following less than a minute later before she said, "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
Hiding her smirk, Regina turned her back and walked over to the wardrobe to find an outfit. "Your mother is waiting for us," she repeated and covered her mouth as Emma growled behind her, failing to muffle her snort of laughter as Emma then began cursing.
Her amusement, however, was short-lived. Just as quick as it had come, it disappeared; replaced by confusion as Regina found herself engulfed in green smoke. Looking down as it cleared, her eyes widened.
While at any other time someone else dressing her might have annoyed her, the surprise Regina felt with the choice of attire overrode instinct and she turned to face Emma with her eyebrow raised. Almost every person in the realm was familiar with the black ensemble she had donned for the wedding of Snow White and Charming, to be wearing it again after so long would send an unmistakable warning to the woman and those she commanded.
"I'm tired of trying to convince her to leave me alone," Emma explained, "For once, we'll do this your way; whatever that entails."
Had Emma not been confident in her decision, the cruel smile that her words garnered would have been a cause for concern. She was a grown woman and she was fed up with others thinking they had any say in what she chose to do with her life - or who she chose to do it with. If her visit had not convinced her mother, perhaps the re-emergence of the Evil Queen from back then, would.
Regina appeared behind Snow White who looked out upon the open field. She and Emma had done reconnaissance beforehand and she had no doubt the nuisance was expecting her in the front so her archers could riddle her with holes. Were she not angry at the idea of not having the chance to defend herself, Regina might have felt pride about the sudden conniving streak the woman had discovered.
"How stupid you must think I am," she mocked and raised her hand as she detected movement from the corner of her eye, deftly plucking the arrow from the air before it succeeded in embedding itself in her skull.
With a sneer to the man responsible, she snapped the arrow in half and turned back to Snow. "Your men seem a bit jumpy, dear."
"Where is my daughter, witch?"
"You mean the daughter that told you, in no uncertain terms, not to start a war with me?" Regina laughed as Snow scowled; it thrilled her to know that even after all these years apart, she could still get under the woman's skin with relative ease. "She takes a while to get dressed, I'm afraid."
As entertaining as it was to witness the wheels churning in Snow's mind after the comment, Regina didn't think freezing to death all that appealing and helped her along. "Not that I'm complaining, I usually quite enjoy watching as she takes her time," she said.
It was a small lie – not that she doesn't enjoy watching Emma dress but given an adequate reason to put on clothes rather than take them off, Emma could do it in under fifteen seconds. Lie or not, seeing the horror overcome Snow White's face was not only amusing, but thoroughly satisfying as well.
"You must have put a spell on her," Snow accused and Regina laughed once more.
"Must I have?" she questioned with a roll of her eyes. The woman was entirely too predictable and the familiar feeling of disappointment caused a sigh to slip from her lips at the same moment green smoke swirled about them and revealed Emma.
"You were right," Emma admitted with a glance to Regina before she tilted her head to look at her mother. "You may share True Love but you know jack shit about magic if you think there is a spell that creates pure emotion." Thanks to the disc Regina held in the palm of her hand, Emma had heard everything and already she was done with the stupidity of the situation.
"She told me that would be the first accusation, which I assume means there are more so let me see if I can save you some time." Placing a hand on her chest, she flashed them all a grin and pushed inward, swallowing against the sudden dryness in her throat as she curled fingers around her heart and pulled it free.
"Well I would have felt so awkward if this wasn't where it should be but would you look at that," Emma joked and smiled as the sound of her lover's laughter met her ears while adding, "Not that it doesn't belong to her already."
In an instant missed by anyone who might have blinked at the wrong time, Emma handed her heart to Regina and turned back to her mother whose mouth opened and shut in the perfect imitation of a trout.
"Emma," Regina called sweetly.
Turning her head to the side, Emma replied, "Yes, My Queen?"
"Lift your mother." As soon as the command left Regina's lips, Emma's hand shot out, green tendrils wrapping around Snow White's throat as she rose into the air and a collective gasp sounded around them.
"This is the kind of power I could have over your daughter." Regina stepped forward and pressed herself against Emma's back, arms slipping around her waist where she then cradled the heart in her hands. "Fortunately, or unfortunately in your case, this is neither a power I want nor need."
With a soft kiss beneath her ear, Emma exhaled a loud breath and closed her eyes as Regina returned her heart, the soft flutter of fingertips caressing the muscle, sending a warmth spreading through her body before Regina extracted her hand and settled both hands on Emma's hips.
When she opened her eyes again, Snow remained suspended above the ground and Emma raised her head to look up at her as she spoke. "I warned you."
She leaned in to Regina's embrace. "I hoped you would listen to father and leave me alone but as you are here now, let me be perfectly clear… I will never return to the White Kingdom, my place, my home is here and wherever else Regina happens to be."
Unclenching her fist, Snow fell to the ground and Emma raised her voice to address the soldiers. "My mother has no doubt convinced you all that I am here against my will when she knew that I was not. If you value your lives, then I suggest you gather your Queen and return to your families before I consider the more appealing option that was offered to me when I awoke this morning."
Author Note: I'm not saying it'll never happen, I'm just saying it won't happen yet but I'll understand if you want to tear into me for this not being a wedding specific chapter :P
