Author Note: I lied. Don't bother pretending to be shocked, 1 chapter turned into 21 chapters; clearly I'm incapable of sticking to my decisions but as a woman, that's my right. So... bite me. Anyway, turns out the final wedding chapter I said I would never write is going to be two chapters, because I suck. I have three more scenes in mind and this was getting long (regarding the normal length of this story's chapters anyway) but you're expecting actual wedding bullshit and while there is mention, this isn't quite it.

I'd apologise but I think one lie will tide me over for a while.

Having made sure Andrew was in bed as he was meant to be, Emma made her way to the War Room where Regina had summoned her via Graham a few minutes prior. It was the eve of their wedding day and her nerves were raw, exposed for the world to see despite her best attempts to hide her shaking hands and the constant, visible jump of her throat as she walked along the numerous corridors of the Palace.

Part of her feared she was in some perpetual dream-like state that she would eventually wake from—maybe in the Tavern where it all started. That everything that had happened would be nothing more than the result of too much drink, a pleasant dream too good to be true for the Princess turned runaway.

Stood outside the heavy wooden doors that led to the room she was told to meet her soon-to-be wife in, Emma paused, wondering for the first time why Regina wanted to see her after insisting she make one last visit to the tailor. Graham had refused to tell her anything, claiming he knew nothing as he was simply his Queen's humble messenger, which she knew was a lie but let it go because she also knew getting information from him was harder than keeping Regina's hands off her when she was trying to dress—both bordering on the impossible.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she pushed open the doors and stepped through. She came up short the moment her eyes landed on the brunette who stood a mere two feet from her, hand beneath her chin while she looked to be examining something Emma couldn't quite see from her vantage point.

Quietly closing the doors, she moved further into the room and her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the armour that had Regina's full attention. "What's that?" she asked, knowing it was a stupid question but uncertain of what she was meant to say that she didn't much care if she sounded like an idiot.

"Yours," was all Regina said however and Emma frowned. She had no need for armour. Even as a Bounty Hunter, the only armour she wore was her trusty leather jerkin because most of her bounties were more focused on escaping rather than trying to kill her.

"Okay," she replied, frowning down at the suit. It was beautiful to be sure, almost purely silver in colour except for the odd splash of red that adorned the middle of the chest piece. "Why?"

"I would like you to wear it during the ceremony," Regina answered, still refusing to look at her as she traced the armour with a nail. Emma watched the red contort as if sentient, weaving and stretching as it transformed until it was no longer merely a colour and instead took the familiar shape of an apple.

Emma chuckled, still not quite understanding but realising, at least, that it wasn't simply another of her Queen's whims—that it meant something. "I don't want to sound ungrateful—"

"But I have spent the past week sending you back and forth to the tailor and you don't understand," Regina interrupted, seeming to read her mind.

Emma hummed her affirmation and Regina explained, "Because you do not wish to rule alongside me; rather than Queen, you will be known as my Consort and as such, you are expected to uphold certain… customs, of which one of the noble Lords so kindly reminded me. It has always been the Consort's responsibility to protect the Queen at all costs and, in the eyes of the people, that makes you my Champion of sorts."

"I thought Graham…" Emma started, but trailed off as Regina dismissed the words with a wave of the hand.

"You thought correctly," she admitted, a small knowing smile on her lips as Emma gave an irritated huff. She didn't like to be kept waiting in suspense, and Regina knew it. "Graham is the Captain of the Guard, and my Champion; he will continue to serve as both after our marriage. He will fight tournaments in my name, lead my armies during wartime and fight those who dare challenge my rule while you will remain at my side. You will protect me, from the influence of those in my court, from assassinations both subtle and obvious, and you will be my voice should a time come when mine can no longer be heard."

When Regina deigned to turn and face her, a dark brow rose at the grin Emma wore, though she allowed no explanation as she spoke. "You are my Guard, my Advisor—"

"Your one true love and most trusted confidante…" Emma drawled, smirking as she interrupted what she knew was likely an extremely long list of duties. She wasn't one for tradition, but whatever was expected of her could wait until another time. Tomorrow was their day, and she'd be damned if she would let anyone, even Regina, ruin her high by piling on responsibilities before they were even married.

Regina grinned, amused but nodded as she said, "You may not be my Queen, but you are my Consort—my equal and this..." She gestured to the suit of armour. "…is my gift to you. I want to protect you as much as everyone expects you to protect me. You may not be a Knight in name, but you are every bit as such in my heart."

With a smile, Emma reached out and tugged the Queen to her by the skirt of the dress she wore. She dipped her head, claiming dark lips in a kiss she hoped expressed the love she was feeling in that moment. When she pulled back, the bright smile and deep flush of olive cheeks told her she had succeeded and she raised her hand, cupping a warm cheek as she stroked the pinkish hue with the pad of her thumb.

"I don't deserve you but Gods, do I love you," she murmured, trailing her thumb to lips that parted in an attempt to speak. She shook her head and Regina remained silent, waiting with a shallow frown. "I will never feel as though I deserve you, but for once in my life, I find myself wanting for nothing. You have given me everything, even when you didn't trust me; you went out of your way to give me freedom when no one else would have. I feel safe with you and that is something I never thought I would feel. You are my choice, my love, and my home, and there is nothing in this life or any other that I wouldn't do for you as long as you remain at my side."

Clasping her wrist, Regina kissed the pad of her thumb before she pulled the hand from her face and placed it at her hip. Draping her arms over shoulders, Regina pulled them tight against each other as she captured pink lips and Emma closed her eyes, sinking in to the kiss, allowing the emotions radiating from the brunette to seep into her chest as she wrapped her arms around the Queen's waist.

"You want me," Regina murmured when they broke apart, their lips still touching. "You love me and never, not once, have you asked that I try to be someone I'm not. You accept me for who I am and you make me happy. Perhaps I don't deserve you, and while I highly doubt it, perhaps you don't deserve me either but as long as we are what the other wants; that's all that matters."

"I can't argue with that," Emma said, smiling as she pressed another, albeit shorter, kiss to plump lips.

"Of course you can't," Regina scoffed. She pulled Emma closer, head resting on the blonde's shoulder as she spoke into her ear. "I'm your Queen; arguing with me is treason."

Emma laughed, wrapping the brunette in her arms with a content sigh. "Of course, what was I thinking?"

Raising her head with a mischievous smirk, Regina teased, "I would hazard a guess as to say you weren't," and Emma rolled her eyes, drawing a gasp from the brunette as she swatted her backside.

"Shut up," she countered, halting the indignant response on the tip of a tongue as she connected their lips and gave her Queen something more interesting to focus on.

Regina shivered, pulling her cloak tight about her body as she waited for certain guests to arrive, stood in the courtyard with her two favourite people—neither of which seemed all that bothered by the cold. "Whoever had the idea to have our wedding during wintertime needs to be drawn and quartered," she complained, and then pouted when Emma chuckled.

The blonde moved closer, slipping an arm around her and holding the Queen against her side as she replied, "As it was your idea and I am forbidden to disagree, I request that you hold off on all forms of potentially mutilating punishments until after our wedding night, at least."

Regina harrumphed, nose tilted upward as she looked away, only to sigh softly as fingers danced along her jaw. She turned her head back and almost melted upon seeing the adoring smile directed at her before she sighed and leaned in, capturing chilled lips in a kiss.

She drew back and wrinkled her nose. "You're freezing," she noted, frowning as the blonde released another chuckle.

Emma grinned at her confusion, lightly caressing the sharp jaw still cradled in her hand before it dropped to her side and she glanced over to Andrew. The frown Regina wore deepened, missing the contradictory warmth of the hand on her skin.

Seeing that her son was occupied with watching his breathe fog in the air, Emma lowered her voice. "I've spent a lot of time in the nude, and not always in something as extravagant as that room you had me holed up in," she explained, shoulders rising in a shrug at the curious rise of an eyebrow.

Regina wondered, though she rid herself of the thoughts that surfaced with a shake of her head. Emma had shared much of her past and knowing all that she knew, she knew the stories behind that comment would be nowhere close to the salacious thoughts wanting to run rampant in her mind.

There was also a time and place for such thoughts, and it certainly wasn't while waiting for Emma's family to show for their wedding—the wedding night, however. Regina grinned, turning her attention back to the gate as the sound of hooves filled the air.

A resplendent white carriage came into view, pulled by four pale cream horses and flanked by a contingent of guards. Regina felt the arm around her waist tighten and bit her lip, watching the blonde from the corner of her eye. She had hoped Misha and Gigi would arrive first, but she was confident she hadn't made a mistake and she waited, hoping she wasn't wrong as one of the guard dismounted and stepped up to the carriage.

When the door opened and James emerged, both women sighed their relief; Emma because Snow wasn't with him, and Regina because she was fairly certain if Emma had gotten any more tense, she would have broken something.

"You invited my father to witness our wedding?"

Regina shook her head. "I invited your father to give you away," she corrected, pressing a kiss to the blonde's jaw before she moved to welcome the King.

"Charming," she greeted. The fact she sounded pleased by his arrival sent a wave of excited murmurs through the crowd that had gathered to wait with the Queen and her Consort.

"Your Majesty," he grinned, turning the murmurs to gasps of surprise when he bowed. He remained low as he then questioned, "Have I sufficiently shocked everyone?"

Examining the faces of those within her view, Regina chuckled at their expressions and replied, "Indeed." She was not expecting him to kiss her cheek when he straightened, but she accepted the odd display of affection with a smile and beckoned Emma over to them.

"Neither of you are helping my theory that I'm dreaming," Emma announced, coming to stand beside her Queen as James greeted her in much the same way he had Regina, though far less dramatically. "You two are being weird," she added, eyeing them both warily.

Patting the blonde's cheek, Regina explained, "Your father and I have always shared a somewhat—"

"Immature love for theatrics," James supplied, ignoring the glare Regina sent him for interrupting her. "Though I'm certain Her Majesty would have used far lengthier and more eloquent words to hide the fact she is as much a child at heart as I am."

After an intense moment in which the two royals stared at one another, Regina sniffed, feigning disinterest rather than lobbing a fireball at his head like she wanted to, and returned her attention to her betrothed. "Charming and I agreed that your happiness is paramount to the history we share, and while most would be content with the two of us merely being civil—well, we find civility rather boring."

Emma smiled, shaking her head as she chuckled. "I wasn't complaining," she assured, seeing the immediate relief her words provided the two as their shoulders relaxed. She took a breath, and released it slowly. "I like it and I'm really glad one of us thought to invite you," she said to James.

"Me too," he replied, the easy lopsided grin he flashed reminding Regina exactly who his daughter was. "Now if you'll both excuse me, I have a grandson to embarrass."

"Hey."

At the sound of her beloved's voice, Regina looked up from the fire she'd spent a good portion of the last hour staring at and smiled. Emma moved from the doors, closing them softly behind her before sauntering further into the room and over to where she sat.

"Change your mind about the wedding?" Emma asked in the same tone Regina imagined she'd use had she been asking her opinion of the weather. It didn't fool her for a second, but she appreciated the idiotic sentiment all the same.

"If I had," she drawled, "now would be the time, wouldn't it?"

"For you," Emma agreed, genuine humour in her tone that caused Regina's smile to widen. "I imagine the gossip to spread about a potential falling out between us so close to time would amuse you for months."

"Mmm," Regina agreed. She did enjoy the occasional natter of her nobles when there was something worthy of the rumour mill, though—despite her frequent statements to the contrary—she didn't think any of them were lacking the necessary number of brain cells to comment on her relationship in front of her, whether their input was good or otherwise.

Patting the cushion beside her, she waited for Emma to sit before she uncurled her body from its position and cuddled up to the blonde instead, preferring the comfort of her Princess to that of the settee. "I wanted some time alone to... relax, I suppose. I know there aren't that many people, but it's been a while since I've hosted more than a few; I'd forgotten how much I loathed the social side of these ," she confessed, banishing the rather asinine thought from Emma's head.

Naturally, Emma fixated on those first few words. "I can leave if you want," she said, going so far as to make an attempt to stand before Regina growled her displeasure and tightened her hold.

"The last time I ever thought of us as individuals was the day you took shelter from that storm in my stables," she murmured, smirking as Emma gasped.

"You knew about that?" she questioned, remembering the day as though it hadn't been almost two years ago.

The storm came out of nowhere and Regina had disappeared back inside the Palace a few minutes before the rain started. Emma had hid—or at least, she thought she had hid—and watched as the Queen brushed down her horse. It hadn't taken much to convince herself she would be safe inside the stables until it passed, as she'd never seen Regina return after one of her rides and she was somewhat of a friend to the stable hand.

"I was standing on my balcony," Regina confessed, eyes closed as the memory filled her mind. "I sensed the change in the air and was about to turn, to enter my chamber but just as I moved from the railing, I caught sight of those familiar curls of yours."

She chuckled. "It can't have been more than half a minute since the rain began falling, and you looked like a drowned rat. I was going to come and get you, but then I noticed Caleb waiting for you and decided he would look after you."

"He was sweet," Emma mumbled, resting her cheek atop the Queen's head as Regina hummed agreement. "What happened to him?"

"Classic tale of boy meets girl, falls in love and the two run off into the sunset together," she replied, squeezing a hip and burying her face in Emma's chest as she explained. "Well, almost. I caught them in a… compromising position and while he stuttered apologies at me, she stood, introduced herself as Cordelia, and then demanded Caleb stop babbling long enough to ask my permission for the two of them to wed."

"Did he—did you?" Emma laughed, picturing the stable boy's face turning beet red. Regina had terrified her, and she was in love with the woman even then; she could only imagine the kind of fear Caleb had experienced when she caught them going at it.

"We did."

Regretfully emerging from the warm refuge of soft, milky flesh, Regina took in the sight of Emma's delightful amusement and smiled, pressing a kiss to the underside of her jaw before she added, "They are now living their happy ever after in Meridian—I also believe she is with child."

Emma smiled, lowering her head to place a gentle kiss upon plump lips. "You continuously amaze me, you know?" she murmured, smile widening as she rested their foreheads together and olive cheeks flushed adorably. "You said part of the reason you love me was because I never tried to change you and that, what you did for them, is a perfect example of why I would never even consider the thought of you being anyone but you."

Regina swallowed against the lump in her throat and closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of this woman who has somehow managed to give her everything she has ever wanted in life. "Who you were," Emma continued. "Who you are and who you will become; I love all of you, and I will continue to love you no matter what happens."

With a shuddered breath, Regina kissed her Princess once more and stood. "And I you," she replied, catching the lone tear that managed to break free from her walls on the tip of her finger.

"It's almost time," she said, erasing the sudden confusion that overcame the blonde's expression. "We need to get dressed, and you need to leave before I decide ravishing you is more important than being present for our own wedding."

Chin tilting toward her chest, Emma chuckled and nodded in understanding as images accompanied the brunette's words. Clearing her throat, she raised her head with a grin and declared, "I can wait."

Regina merely laughed, shaking her head as she sashayed from the room.

Yeah hi, it's me again. I forgot, the next chapter will have porn so it might take a bit. I'm hardly going to end my gratuitous smut fic with fluffy wedding nonsense. Yuck.