ShadowQueen Ch. 21: Take it All

ENCHANTED FOREST

Quinquennial Week Three Day Two

She turns in her sleep, in search of the same comfort she had a little while ago. Somehow her slumber feels a bit different, not as filling, not as safe, not as peaceful and it stirs her awake. When Regina opens her eyes, she jumps up scared out of her mind, knowing that she's overslept. She has go and quickly, that last thing she needs is for someone to come looking for her and she isn't in her bedchambers. "Where are my clothes? Where are my undergarments?", she asks frantically as she, still fully naked, scans the room, for them. She reaches to shake Baron awake to help her in her search but hits an empty pillow, "Baron? My love?", she asks panicked, now in search of him but in her looking around sees that she is in her own chambers. She is unclear of how she's gotten there but is grateful that she is.

Before rising to dress for the day, Regina takes her Diary from its hiding place and opens it to write a morning entry. "Dearest Diary, this is the second morning I have woken up from falling asleep in my loves arms and all I can say is my rest was magnificent. I haven't slept as peacefully as I have with him since my nights with Daniel… even more so. I'm so sated I still don't desire to arise from my rest but must to take on the events of the day. The things that that man does to my body are nothing but indescribable. He makes me feel like I've never felt before, mature, experienced… like a woman. He makes me feel like and treats me like a desirable adult woman, not as a child the way Leopold many times does. When I'm with him, I feel as if I can take on the entire world and every realm within it. I love him so much and he me. I only hope that the day will come when we can love each other fully without repercussion".

Upon the completion of her diary entry, she hears a knock at her bed chamber door. Before she can fully cover herself, the door opens to reveal one of Leopold's personal guards. His abrupt presence in the privacy of her chambers upsets her to no end, "what is the point of knocking if you're just going to barge in anyway?!", she asks angrily in a tone the guard had never come from her before. "I apologize your majesty, I was just coming to inform you that the king seeks your presence", the guard says with much more respect than he entered with. "My presence? Whatever for?", she asks curiously, "he desires that you pleasure him… he's sent for chambermaids to come following my departure to prepare you for him". She is shaken to her center that Leopold seeks pleasure from her and in the morning no less. She just got to a point where she was able to forget the misery of being with Leopold. Her night was amazing, her morning going ever so well and now this… can she ever just be happy?

She is pained that she has no choice but to go to him and dreads each second the chamber maiden helps her to prepare. It helps she is already bare from her night before, so when the chamber maids enter all they must do is draw her bath, mix in the scented oils and style her hair to keep it out of the bath's water. When she is fully washed, the maids assure that she is fully dry, her skin is moisturized, and adorned in a bedding gown. She is misted with a scent Leopold likes very much, a scent that belonged to Ava, but she doesn't know that so it doesn't pain her in the way that it could. Her heart is so weighted with pain, fear and dread her feet feel like million ton bricks as she makes her way to his chambers escorted by the guard that was sent for her.

The pain and emotion she feels is so great that Baron, now standing in the presence of his parents, feels it in his chest so much it's as if he's experiencing the emotions himself. "Ahh! Oww!", he exclaims holding his chest where his heart resides. "Baron?!", "What is it son?!", both his parents exclaim worriedly at their son's intense expression of pain. "I don't know… my chest… it… it hurts awfully bad", he explains painfully as he bends at the waist clutching his chest. Margaux immediately goes to him to try to offer some comfort to her baby boy, "how does it feel exactly?", she asks. "I don't know… like my heart is being weighed down by something", he tries to explain. His mother knows exactly what's happening to him but doesn't want to upset him anymore by revealing that he's feeling his loves pain… that his love is in pain. Just as she can with the ones she loves her baby boy can feel Regina's heart and every emotion in it.

When Regina arrives at his door, she takes a deep breath to settle herself before the guard opens it. "Your majesty, the queen as you requested", the guard announces upon their entry, "thank you, you may take your leave now", Leopold dismisses the guard before he beckons Regina over to come lay down. "Wife, why are still standing at the door, come lay down", he all but demands. She on shaking legs makes her way over to her husband's bed. When there she sits on the side's edge before swinging her legs on to the mattress to lay back on the pillow beside her husband. He looks at her hungrily, like she is the pleasure piece she is for him. He doesn't even have her undress, or try to warm her up with foreplay, for once she's laid down he moves atop her, raises her gown and unceremoniously enters her. When he does, all she can feel is pain. There is no pleasure to be had there, she is dry from a lack of arousal. Nevertheless, he continues to rut away inside of her working toward his own release.

She turns her head to the side, closes her eyes and tries to hold back tears as she replaces what could be pleasure filled moans with pain filled whimpers. She then begins to try to imagine it's Baron moving within her and not Leopold, maybe it will help to ease her just as it has since her and Baron's first time together. It works a bit as it usually does and she begins to feel a bit of pleasure and responds in kind so to the point that she thinks she may call out Baron's name in the midst of her imaginings. Then she thinks, what if she let's go of the fear and inhibitions and just gives herself over to her husband's ministrations? What if she tries to feel the pleasure in the sensations he's providing, just as he's receiving pleasure from her? What if she gives over to him what she give to Baron, maybe, just maybe he will begin to care for her and not hurt her the way he does. From then on she is all moans and borderline screams as she plays into the pleasure her husband is seeking from her. And whether it is to be believed or not, what's happening to her stops being torturesome and starts to feel good… really good, even without her imagining the young man she loves so deeply. "hahh, hahhh, hahhhh, hahhhhh… Ahhhhhh!", she moans head lolling back into the pillows, eyes rolling shut.

In a mixed, confused, backwards kind of way she feels as if she is someway, somehow betraying her love by enjoying, or trying to at least, the sex she's having with her husband. "Uhn! Uhn! My goodness, Leopold… Oh!", she moans vocalizing her pleasure. Leopold is taken aback by what he's hearing coming from his wife, the vast amount of moisture she has for him, the openness she has for him… the pleasure is extreme… the feeling is amazing. "Mmmm, oh, it feels… oh, it feels good, it feels so good… you feel so good…mmmmm, yeah!", Regina moans as she feels herself edging toward the first climax she's ever had from her husband in the three years he's sought pleasure from her.

The feeling of absolute hedonistic indulgence he's receiving right now takes him back to a time when he felt the whole world was at his fingertips. At time when he was deeply, unabashedly in love, "mmm, my darling… uhn… my dear wife… my beautiful queen…", he groans as he continues to push harder and deeper into a now screaming Regina. Regina is over the moon right now, her shot in the dark was right, he called her 'my darling', his 'dear wife', his 'beautiful queen' the kindest things he's said to or about her since their 'honeymoon phase' ended. All she had to do was give in to him, open herself to him… maybe she can survive here after all. "Oooh, I love you so much, my queen…", he moans making Regina perk up, "you do?... You do?... Ohhh… you do?...", she asks on panting moans, "of course, my darling, lovely queen", he responds in kind.

She is ever so far up on a cloud as she topples over the edge with her climax, her husband does love her… all it took was for her to put aside her fears, "oh my god… oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD! Leopold… aaaahhhh Leeeoooopppooolllddd! Ahhhhhh! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yeeeeeeeessssssss! Oh god!". All is broken though, when Leopold finally reaches his peak, spilling himself into her saying, "oh, Ava… I love you so much my darling queen. You make me feel so, so good my love. Oh, Ava my love… mmm, I've always loved that scent on you my dear… I love you so much… I'll love you forever…". This cuts her deep, deeper than she ever thought it could. Immediately she wants him out of her… Unfortunately, he is still stroking his seed out into her and at this point she can't stop her body from reacting… it still feels good and she hates herself for it.

She wants to take all of it back. The one time she lets herself give in to him, open herself to him, sound off for him, find pleasure with him as he does with her… truly behave as a wife should in the bedroom… the one time she's there with him not locked away in her own mind and imaginings to make the ordeal more bearable… he doesn't even see her, feel her… he sees and feels his dead wife… Ava. Regina feels so empty… so used... so stupid for even believing he could actually love her. Even more so when he's fully emptied himself into her and rolls off of her without so much as a 'thank you', an 'I love you', a hug, a simple embrace, a kiss or anything. He just taps her thigh saying, "you should go get yourself ready for the day's events".

Regina rises from the bed, exits his chamber and returns to her chambers devoid of any feeling, completely numbed by her morning's experience. Her chamber maidens help her wash and dress for the day, when they go to mist her with the same fragrance they did before her visit with Leopold she asks emotionlessly, "please… don't. I'd much rather smell like nothing than to smell like her". When she is nearly through getting dressed another knock comes at the door, when it is answered it is revealed to be Prince Fusilier. "Hello, Your Majesty, the queen is still being prepared for the day, it will be quite a minute before she is ready", the answering chamber maid informs. Not caring about the wait, he replies, "it's fine, I'm a patient man". He stands inside her chambers by the closed door to endure his wait.

When she's fully dressed, she rounds the corner from her dressing area, dismissing her maidens in the process, and expressionlessly addresses Baron. "Good morning", she says with all the energy of the dead, at this he knows instantly that something is very wrong. He looks around to make sure no one is in earshot and says gently holding her upper arms, "Regina my love, what's the matter? What happened?". Regina just stares blankly into the space in the center of his chest, still numb, and he can feel the same pain he felt earlier but even more intense now being close to her than he did then castle wings away. "Regina, talk to me please. I know something is wrong, I can feel it. Regina my love…", he pleads knowing now that the pain he felt earlier was indeed hers. At that she breathes deeply and on her exhale, releases a single tear, on her second breath she inhales and on her exhale begins to release the sobs she held in from earlier.

He takes her into his arms and just allows her the time and freedom to cry, "come here my lovely… let it out… I'm here… I'm right here... you're safe now my love

". After sometime, her sobs slow to sniffled hiccups and she begins to speak, "Leopold called me to his chambers this morning", "whatever for my dear?", he asks not knowing if he'd reprimanded her, hit her again or what. Upon her response, he's fully clear on what the morning's visit entailed, "What do you think for?… to perform my wifely duties of course", she says as dryly as she did her morning greeting. "Did he hurt you? Are you ok?", he asks concerned, Regina just slowly shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders and begins to cry again. "I feel so used… like… like I'm just a body to him… a piece of meat… a stand in", she sobs. "There was no emotion, no feeling, no anything for me. He called me over to lie down, got on top of me, raised my gown and began to work his way to his own release".

Hearing of Leopold's interaction with his love makes him uncomfortable but he knows she needs to talk it out, so he lets her. "It hurt so much… I had no moisture for him but he didn't care… he just… kept going anyway", she takes a breath to try to calm herself. "At some point, I… tried to imagine it was you on top of me and not him… and for a little while it worked, it stopped hurting as much", she sniffles. "Then I thought, maybe if I played along, if I truly gave myself to him, if I fully opened myself to him…like I do for you…", she says bashfully still feeling as if she betrayed him this morning. "…that he'd actually show me care… maybe even love me. So, I got into it… I actually got pleasure from it just as he was getting from me and I let him hear it… hear me… feel me… all of me… I climaxed for him", she feels embarrassed by her actions with him and her eyes trail the floor, hands wringing because of it. "And… he began to whisper sweet nothings, called me 'my darling', his 'dear wife', his 'beautiful queen'… told me he loves me… but then… when he reached his peak… he called out his dead wife's name. He got his pleasure with me but then called out her name. He called me Ava and professed his undying love for her, while releasing himself in me. When he was through he just rolled off and dismissed me like… like a concubine… like I'm some whore… I feel so, so used… stupid... empty", she says concluding her tell before she is racked again by pain filled sobs.

He has no words, so he just takes her back into his arms and allows his coat to soak up her tears. He's infuriated by Leopold's treatment toward his precious Regina, he hurts for her because she hurts and wants more than anything to make her feel better. She pulls back and looks at the space she was just crying in and says, "I'm so sorry… I've soaked your coat", she rubs the space in attempts to wipe it clean. She uses the knuckles of her left hand to wipe at her tears, but Baron will have none of that, he takes his hankie and uses it to wipe her tears saying, "it's completely fine my love. My coat will soak your tears as long as you need it to lovely". His kindness and care make her more emotional but for other reasons, "oh how I wish I could turn back the hands of time. How I wish I could have saved Brigitte instead of Snow, how I wish I was your wife… I want so much just to leave this place… and never return". "I wish for the same my love… if only we could my lovely Regina… if only", he holds her close and kisses the top of her head. "what would you like from me my dear? How can I make it better?", he asks sincerely, "you're doing it… just continue to hold me… please", "of course my love", he agrees lovingly.

After some time, her tears come to a complete stop and she is merely sniffles. She pulls from his arms and takes a needed cleansing breath. "I feel sick… I guess I've cried too much", she expresses, "and on an empty stomach", he says trying to lighten the mood, "are you hungry my dear?", "a bit I guess", she says softly with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Then let us not tarry, let us be on our way to the dining hall my dear friend', he says opening her door and leading her out into the hallway. He escorts her to the hall picking up some other friends along the way. The group of young royals pass a very alone, jealous looking Snow on their way into the hall, a look that Leopold catches sight of. As they walk arm in arm Baron leans over and whispers in her ear, "don't worry, my dear Regina, I'll make up for your morning later on this afternoon and even more this evening… you won't even remember the morning by the time we're through. I'll make such good love to you it'll sate you for days to come".

The conclusion to his telling makes her breath hitch and the heat rise in her cheeks, oh how she hopes she isn't blushing right now. He straightens and continues his conversations with those around him like he didn't just set her ablaze moments prior. When she straightens, Clara notices the slight tint of rouge in her friend's cheeks and asks, "what did he say to you?", quickly coming up with a lie Regina answers, "he merely complimented my beauty, it's just been a while since I've received such flattery." They all sit down to eat and enjoy the company of the surrounding Royals. Mid meal, Margaux leaves her place beside Henri and makes her way to where Regina and Baron are seated. Once there, she kindly dismisses Clara from the seat to the left of Regina and takes the newly vacated place.

When she sits down, Baron gives his mother a look of pure horrified pleads, silently begging her not to say anything offsetting to his newly expressed love. He truly hopes choosing to tell his mother of his feelings for Regina was a good thing. She returns his look with one of comical assurance that she won't make things awkward. "Hello Queen Regina, how are you today dear?", Margaux greets cordially, Regina is taken aback that Margaux, one of the more prestigious queens here and Ava's friend, would even speak to her. She's even more taken being that Margaux is the mother of her secret lover, a secret she doubts she or Baron are going to reveal anytime soon. "Hello, Queen Margaux, I'm quite well and yourself?", she answers shyly, "I'm well, thank you for asking dear", she returns sincerely. "So, I have noticed that the other Queens and I have missed your presence at our biweekly teas and daily discussions. You've been so caught up with Leopold's schedule that you haven't much of one of your own", Margaux states. Regina is floored, 'my presence was missed?', Regina thinks and replies aloud "I didn't know I could or should be anywhere else, me at his side is always how it's sort have been", "Well, I move that that changes. And Queen Regina, if you second, then it'll be settled, you'll rotate with the queens as you should've been since the commencement of this summit".

Regina is shocked and appalled, her presence is being requested by someone, and someone of prestige at that, "I'm honored, of course… I… Yes, second that motion", Regina says excitedly all smiles and sparkling eyes. Baron, noting the joy in his love's response, is now assured that, yes, telling his mother of his love was indeed a good thing. "Well that settles it, at the conclusion of this meal, I will introduce you to the other queens at the convening of our morning tea. Just stick with me and I'll make sure you get to where you should be. As for your absence from Leopold's side… leave that to me, I'll handle dear old Leopold.", Margaux says warmly making Regina feel more welcomed with each uttered word. "Okay, I'd… Yes. I'm looking forward to it", Regina says giddily. Baron hasn't seen that smile all morning and is very grateful his mother could bring it out of her. He looks at his mother with a face of gratitude and adoration, he loves his mother to his depths. He hears his mother continue her conversation with his lovely love, "when I introduce you to our fellow queens I'd like to be well informed on our new queen. So, tell me about yourself dear", she asks openly.

Regina is still taken that she's speaking to the adored Queen Margaux, "you want to know about me?", Regina asks bashfully, "of course dear queen. Let start simple, I'll go first if it makes you more comfortable. I'm Margaux Regina Fusilier of the Fusilier Kingdom hailing from the far south portion of the realm. As queen, I've reigned alongside my husband Henri for the past twenty almost twenty-one years, and you are?", "I'm Regina Mills of the White Kingdom. I haven't been in the position long… I just became queen three years ago when I was married to King Leopold", she expresses. "Nice to officially meet you, namesake, Regina. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you dear queen? It's just, you look quite young", she inquires, "no, I don't mind at all. I'm twenty. Just turned in February, the first to be exact", Regina answers.

Margaux is aghast to say the least, yet she holds her pleasant exterior. She knew this girl was young, but dear God she's a baby. She's merely two years older than her baby girl Brigitte and only two years younger than her boy Baron. And being queen for three years means she was a year younger than her darling baby girl when she was married to Leopold, the innocent, young age of seventeen. Now she really doesn't feel any way bad for playing a part in helping her son to have a relationship with this poor young girl. At least it'd be age appropriate. She should feel some way bad that she's condoning this young queen's adultery but, no, she doesn't. This baby is married to a man nearly three times her age, a man old enough to be her father, who from his display yesterday, cares nothing for her. So, no, she doesn't feel bad at all. She's felt what it's like to be trapped in a loveless marriage with an abusive man who cares more for other things than her. Thankfully, she had her, now husband, Henri to help her break free from those weighted binds. So, if Baron follows in his dad's footsteps and is that for this young girl, who is her namesake ironically, then so be it. She wishes someone would have cared enough to notice her pain and done something about it. So, she will do for dear Regina what she wishes someone would have done for her. "Well, happy belated, my dear", "thank you, so much", Regina answers sweetly. "At twenty, you are by far the youngest of us", Margaux says making Regina's smile falter a bit so she clarifies, "but it's no problem I assure you, it'll be a good change of pace to add such youth to our grouping. And at your age, it just gives you more years to rule upon your throne, dear young queen.", when her namesake's smile returns she's convinced she's not fully offended her, as that was the furthest from her intention. "Well, I'd love to hear more, finish your meal dear and I will come get you when we adjourn. We can speak more then.", Margaux concludes, "yes Queen Margaux", young Regina agrees all bubbles inside.

With that, Margaux excuses herself back to her seat next to her husband and returns to her meal, leaving Regina slightly stunned by what's just occurred. She looks over at Baron with sparkles in her eyes, "your mother just spoke to me, she personally invited me to join her and the other queens", she says in disbelief, "yes, I saw, I heard", Baron says matter-of-factly still eating his meal. "Ok, she may be your mother so it's no big deal to you, but I am truly reeling. From listening to everyone around here for these past couple of weeks, it's held that your mother is one of the most revered among the queens, the royals in general". Regina continues her excited star-struck ramblings, "I heard that she singlehandedly brought peace to the eastern kingdoms, she penned the treaty that keeps our kingdoms at peace to this day, she rode alongside King Henri to fight in the second Ogre's War. And is-", Regina explains and is cut short by Baron finishing her statement "-the only of two queens to co-rule with her King, I know. Regina, it's not that it's no big deal because she's my mother, for, all her accomplishments as queen are due every given accolade. It's more the fact that, just as every other royal here, you are worthy of her presence, just as she is of yours Queen Regina. You may be new at this 'queen' thing but I'm confident you will be as revered as she given time." He lays a hand on her knee under the table and assures, "I am very glad that you will finally be where you should have been all along, in the midst of queens. Being noted for who you are, not tucked away unnoticed in the back of a room.", he says supportively, "Thank you, dear friend", she returns graciously.

They finish their meal and just as Margaux said, she retrieves the young queen before taking her leave of the dining space. "Namesake, are you quite ready to go?", she asks Regina, "yes, I surely am", Regina replies and raises from her seat to walk alongside Margaux to their newly planned destination. As they exit they are encountered by Snow and Leopold, "where are you headed to stepmother?", Snow asks with a tone of spoiled entitlement, but before Regina can open her mouth to answer the questionings of essentially her child, Margaux answers reprimanding coolly, "Snow White, your stepmother's whereabouts are none of your business child. Would you question your mother Ava, rest her soul, especially in that tone?", "no Queen Margaux I wouldn't, I apologize stepmother", Snow says wounded, knocked off her pedal stool, "now that's a good petite jeune fille, now run along and allow the adults to speak, oui?", Margaux dismisses with a motherly, sass filled smile. With that Snow takes her leave and leaves the adults to speak.

When she's out of earshot Margaux asks, "is she no longer being taught respect in Ava's absence?", she addresses Leopold, "pardon me?", Leopold asks offended but Margaux, fierce and bold as she is couldn't care less, "your darling Snow… is respect no longer a prerequisite?", "well, she has a new mother to teach her, that's up to Regina to make sure that happens", Leopold defends and deflects but Margaux doesn't let him off the hook with that one. With arms folded she says, "no, dear friend that is up to her PARENTS to teach her, mother and father. I'll be damned if Henri left the rearing of our children solely to me", she says smoothly, tone dripping with elegant sass. "Anyway, dear friend, that's neither here nor there. I'm here now to inform that I am stealing back our dear queen Regina. Leopold, I'm quite offended that you've kept her away from us these passed two weeks. But that will be changing, she will rotate with the Queen's Council henceforth".

Leopold can't do anything but respect Margaux and her graceful boldness, "I do apologize dear friend, it didn't cross me that she should be there", that slight jab sucker punches Regina in the gut just as much as him calling her Ava did that morning. Leopold knew of the Queen's Council he just didn't feel her to be worthy of being part. Tears spring to her eyes at the thought but don't stay there long as Margaux nearly eats him alive in response on her behalf. "And, why shouldn't she? She is a QUEEN, is she not?", Margaux rebuts, "yes, but a new queen with no real experience", Leopold says as if she's not standing right there. But Margaux defending her namesake to the end finalizes, "the more reason she should be in the number. Experience comes with the experience dear friend. Well, now that that's settled we are sure to be late if we don't head along now. Come along dear queen", Margaux says hooking her arm in Regina's to exit. As they take their leave Leopold asks, "is it alright if Snow were to come along for the experience, she is to be queen someday", Margaux halts her pace, looks over her shoulder and replies with smooth denial, "but dear Snow is not queen TO-day, so no for now. When she does become a queen then of course she's welcome but until then… the answer is no. So long for now dear friend". With that she takes Regina on their journey to the veranda of the northern end of the palace for their tea. Regina is awestricken at this woman's boldness, she just stood toe to toe with a man, a King, in his own castle to boot. She only hopes she can be that when she's older, hell, she wants to be that now. Bold, fierce, sassy yet ever so graceful and dignified… a true queen.