Chapter 28 –
~~ The White Kingdom – the day of the ball ~~
"Everybody is talking about your dress." Jack's voice from behind her made her turn around with a grin. The brunette man was dressed in his most formal guards' uniform, the white trim standing out crisply against the emerald colored jacket, the inverted color scheme of the pants with their silken green ribbon at the outer thigh matched the jacket perfectly. The man was handsome, she had to give him that.
"Thank you!" Logan commented as he met someone's eyes over the blonde's shoulder, smiled, and waved. Emma rolled her eyes at his behavior.
"Good things, at least?"
Jack shrugged at her question. "The men and some of the ladies like it. But most are wondering how is it that your legs look so smooth."
She leaned in close to his ear, and whispered. "It's called a razor. But you know nothing." He winked at her when she pulled back, giving a mock salute. "Nice gardenia by the way, who gave it to you?"
"I took it out of one of the vases when I came in."
He raised his eyebrows at that. "Who are you planning on giving it to, if I may ask?" Emma quirked an eyebrow, but before she could say anything more a guard caught Jack's attention and he raised a finger to stop her. "We will have to get back to that – I need to get to my post."
She nodded, and the Guard Captain took off in a brisk walk.
Emma turned to Logan, "what does this one mean?" She was practically brandishing the flower at him.
"It means 'you're lovely'."
"Oh, crap," Emma sighed, "That does explain why Beth keeps giving me a look."
Logan rolled his eyes. "Yes... I am terribly sorry about her."
Emma shrugged, "you don't need to -"
The trumpets breaking into an elaborate fanfare cut her off mid-sentence, causing them to turn, nearly as one with the rest of the crowd, to the double doors at the entrance to the ballroom. The king stood there, his forearm raised to elbow height, with Regina's hand on top of it. Emma could feel her jaw slacken.
Small white flowers were woven into the queen's long hair, which was elaborately braided, the flowers brought out the bronze of the woman's skin, and highlighted the dark color of both her hair and eyes. Her lips were painted slightly, drawing attention, but only if the person looking could not see her dress. She couldn't see it fully, from where she, Logan, and Beth stood, but as the royal couple moved down the carpeted walkway – people began bowing giving her a glimpse before the two monarchs made their way down the three stairs at the front of the room.
It was a severely cut dress, with mostly sharp edges that reminded Emma of the military jackets illustrated in her old history books. The high collar that rose to just under the queen's chin, and closed at the hollow of the throat differed greatly from the fashion Logan told her was acceptable and like her own dress showed no cleavage. The milky-white fabric; Emma's mind resisted using the other adjective usually associated with that color even as princess Snow came into view walking just a few steps behind her father and step-mother; almost hid under forest and emerald green vines that twisted around to the queen's shoulders before tapering at her hips to an eight inch wide band that continued downwards. The embroidery seemed to continue all the way down the front of the gown, and in doing so broke the stark whiteness that started at the tip of the woman's shoulders and broadened in two directions – to the sleeves, which widened considerably at the cuffs, and down the sides of the woman's body.
The dress itself was very tight from the waist up, the skirt flowing only marginally. Emma could see that it was in no way restricting Regina's movement, but it wasn't even close to the flowing, pleated, skirts that the rest of the women wore.
The couple's movement was almost fluid, and the crowd bowing and curtsying to the royal family reminded Emma of a rippling pool, causing her to smirk. It was at the moment when Regina's eyes met hers, and Emma's smirk broadened into a soft smile, causing Regina to smile back at her. An actual smile, not the fake that the woman held since stepping into the hall. When the ripple reached their little group Emma bowed, pausing only long enough to give the brunette a quick wink. When she rose again, the royal family had moved on, and the blonde found herself once again following the crowd's lead and looking after them.
Once the trio reached the dais, the king and queen turned, their hands breaking apart and rejoining when they once again faced the assembled crowd. Emma glanced around at the expectant sea of people, not at all surprised when the king broke into a speech.
She just hoped it would be short.
Regina's expression was blank, she noted, as the woman's focus seemed to be on a point halfway up the back wall. Emma soon found herself losing interest in the speech too, and turned her attention to Regina. She studied the interweaving vines, the contrast of dark and vibrant colors against the stark white background, the way the woman held her head, and remembered town meetings. Both at the conference room, where only members of the council met, and full town meetings in the main hall. Regina always waited like that there too – poised, regal, and bored.
She smiled, missing how the object of her thought found her among the gathered crowd, and had to contain her smile. Unlike the blonde, the young queen was listening to her husband speak, and this was not the moment to smile.
By the time the king finished and instructed the band to start the first dance, Emma was thanking god that this kingdom had not been introduced to high heels yet. But when she saw the man remove his hand from Regina's, and turn to lead his daughter to the dance floor she couldn't help but fume.
"Why is he dancing with Snow?" She barely moved her lips as she muttered the question to Logan.
"He has been dancing with the princess ever since her mother – Queen Eva, died."
Emma sighed silently, "yes, but why isn't he dancing with Regina?"
Logan shrugged. "She never dances, I assumed she doesn't like to dance."
I used to love dancing, when I was younger. It was the only 'proper lady-like behavior' lesson that my mother didn't need to force on me. Emma scowled, she could hear Regina' voice clearly in her head. However, when someone escorts a woman to a formal dance, it is expected that he should be her first, and main, dance partner. People will not ask a woman who came with a partner for a dance until after that first dance. So I did not dance when I was married to Leopold. They had been dancing when Regina had told her this. All those weeks ago – back at the living room at 108 Mifflin street.
The blonde couldn't help but wonder if all the people in the ballroom were blind as well as stupid.
One song, and dance, bled into another and people were now starting to join the king and princess on the dance floor. Emma made a beeline to Jack as soon as she could to question him about the performances. He smiled at her as she arrived. "Trying to escape Beth?"
"Please do something with her," she pleaded. "I swear she's only been trying harder in the past couple of weeks, and short of being blunt and hurtful, I'm not sure what to do."
"I'll talk to her."
She nodded. "Thanks. I actually came to you because I wanted to know how the performance thing works."
He nodded, motioned to one of his men, and came to her, offering his arm. "I'll show you." They walked together to the side of stage, where quite a few people were coming to look at a sheet of parchment before moving away again. Jack explained that this is the list where the order of performances was listed, and that she should pay attention mostly to the number of times the band was to play before it was her turn to take the stage. As the later her act was listed the bigger the chance that one of the people listed may be drunk, or otherwise unable or unwilling to perform. She made a mental note that she should be the fifth performer during the band's second break, and they moved to allow others to find their names.
"Do people just decide that they don't want to go up?" He raised an eyebrow at her in question. "Up on stage." As they made their way back towards Logan, Jack nodded slowly and agreed that it did occasionally happen. But the opposite also tended to happen as it got late and people got at least a bit drunk, so there would soon be guards next to the stage.
"May I have this dance?" She accepted Logan's hand, and they headed to the dance floor. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Regina still standing alone on the raised platform by the thrones. When the song ended, the king left to return to the dais, and a line of people formed in front of him.
"What's up with that?" she asked Logan, in what she hoped was a casual enough tone.
"People want to talk to the king," he shrugged, and they started another dance, "it's mostly pleasantries."
It was never 'their majesties'. Regina was never mentioned, either by name or title, as Emma was swept into several dances by several people. She had no idea how she managed to keep holding the flower. Not to mention how it didn't look like something that should be thrown away by the time she'd finished the first dance.
The band finally took their first break, and Emma excused herself from the baker's oldest son, and moved to one of the tables across from the stage to get herself something to drink. Once she had a glass she glanced at the dais, noting that Regina had yet to move. She frowned, and before she was fully conscious of her actions, she was headed to the back of the line that lead to the royal couple.
Three songs came and went before she found herself face to face with her grandfather, and she was happy to note that letting the people on stage didn't lead to a bad-karaoke-night-like fiasco.
"Good evening," the king's voice brought her out of her contemplation of the cooper's wife who sat at the harp, only to snap a string almost immediately.
She turned to the man. "Good evening, your majesties." Regina's eyes turned from whichever point she was examining on the far wall to meet hers with a combination of warmth, delight, and alarm. Emma smiled at the brunette. "You look beautiful tonight, Regina." She bowed slightly, offering the flower. "I realize that usually the lady's date is supposed to dance with her first, but I was wondering if – since there are still a quite a few people waiting to have a moment with the king, and he has already had his first dance," she took a breath, ignoring the man before her completely as she spoke, "may I have this dance?" It was fitting, to ignore him, she thought. After all - he and everyone else who came to talk to him, were ignoring Regina. He should have a taste of that medicine.
Regina's mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out.
"I know that you were taught that you are not supposed to dance with another man before you dance with your husband. But I am not a man, so perhaps?..." She left the rest of that sentence unsaid, unsure how much she should push.
Regina swallowed hard before her eyes locked with Emma's and she smiled softly, the first genuine smile Emma saw on her face for the past hour. "Thank you, Emma. For the request, as well as the flower -"
"Go with her, Regina," the king cut her off as he smiled at Emma. "Courage like that deserves some reward."
"Only if you want to, my queen." She had seen several people address the king like that, but saying this to Regina didn't feel like an empty honorific. This was somehow true. When Regina nodded her acceptance – she beamed, and the feeling of Regina's hand in hers as they made their way to dance was wonderful.
Regina felt like she was walking on a cloud. Emma had given her a gardenia - the symbol of a secret love. It was more common to convey that the giver thought the recipient was lovely, but the lesser known meaning wasn't lost to her. Did the blonde know of it too? She had to, otherwise why choose this flower, there were others that did not have an underlying meaning if all the older woman wanted was to say that she thought Regina was lovely.
She turned, noting that they were nearly at the dance floor. "Emma wait, we are both women – who will lead?"
Emma laughed softly. "I will, naturally - I did ask you to dance."
They joined the dancers when a new song started, and Regina knew she was lost. Emma's arms embraced her, the woman's warmth and scent were all around, she could feel the blonde's hands almost burning through the fabric of her dress, and those eyes, that smile. She felt like the sole point of Emma's attention, and it was intoxicating. Those green eyes, with the small ring of brown just around the pupils that she didn't quite notice until now were captivating; breathe taking.
Emma herself felt at two places at once – she was both here and now - dancing with Regina, queen of the White kingdom, and in Storybrooke, dancing with the former mayor. The woman in her arms didn't smell quite like apples, but she knew that smell that was purely Regina, from the many times they were in each other's faces in Storybrooke, from Neverland, and from her time here.
This was almost what she wanted.
The band retook the stage after their second dance, and Emma offered to escort the shorter woman back to the dais. Regina turned them towards a refreshment table instead. It wasn't even a full song later, when the king took the stage, asking for peoples' attention for he would like to bestow a gift.
Regina picked up a glass of wine and drank, as Snow made her way to her father, who gave her a jeweled necklace. Emma was speechless. For someone who supposedly wanted everyone in his kingdom to be happy – the man was either completely blind, or somewhat heartless.
Regina thanking her, and making her way back to stand by the throne as the king retook his spot made Emma nearly physically ill. But she was soon swept up again, trying to dodge invitations to dance and dealing with the ones she could not avoid. Jack was the only dance partner she enjoyed after Regina, but despite him asking she would not tell him how it felt to have the younger woman in her arms.
They might have been seen by everybody in the room, but somehow – those dances were private.
When the band announced their second break she wasn't sure if she was ready, or ready to bolt. The dysfunctional harp made her forth in line, and she was on stage before she knew it.
She took the cittern, a deep breath, and sat herself on a stool she had grabbed and pulled upstage, arranging her skirt so that the people nearby won't get an eyeful.
"All of you who know me, know that I'm not from around here," she started as she played a few chords to limber her fingers. She ignored the few words that were called at her from the audience in response, but could not ignore dark brown eyes that turned in her direction when she said her first word. "So after our dear Captain Jack bullied me - I decided that if I was going to sing, it might as well be a song from where I come from." She shrugged, not entirely sure how to continue, especially as she felt those eyes on her. A deep breath was always good. "This song is called Gorgeous."
She started playing, her eyes closing to help her focus.
"In a perfect world, in another time
In a far off place we wouldn't need to justify
Everything we are
And all that we believe
We could finally be
Whoever we both want to be
And when we can't be heard,
And when we can't be seen
I will call you close and
You will reach for me."
She could see Regina; her Regina. She could see herself reaching out to her – and she could see Robin stepping into the picture. She opened her eyes, it was too much.
"When all of the beauty turns to pain
When all of the madness falls like rain
As long as we crash and we collide
We will be gorgeous, you and I."
Regina couldn't help the small gasp that escaped her. Emma was looking at her; and those words...
"Through the window pane,
Through the bedroom door
This city wants to fight
But it can't touch us anymore
We have come so far,
We have shed our skin
The more that's taken from us now,
The more we have to give
And when we can't be heard,
And when we can't be seen
I will call you close and
You will reach for me.
When all of the beauty turns to pain
When all of the madness falls like rain
As long as we crash and we collide
We will be gorgeous, you and I."
Emma knew that if she had the chance – she would reach. And they would be gorgeous. But would Regina ever see it?
"And when we are drowning in the noise
I'm gonna stop to hear your voice
As long as we crash and we collide
We will be gorgeous, you and I.
(We'll be gorgeous)
(We'll be gorgeous)
In the perfect time
(We'll be gorgeous)"
Emma, her Emma, was singing of a future. Of calling to her, and if there was one thing she knew –it was that she would reach for the blonde. She didn't know what that 'city' was, or how one could drown in noise, but she was sure – the blonde was not singing about now. Or maybe anytime soon. Regina tilted her head slightly as she listened. Something here was a bit off.
"And when we lose our faith
In all that's beautiful
You lift me to this place, oh
When all of the beauty turns to pain
When all of the madness falls like rain
As long as we crash and we collide
We will be gorgeous, gorgeous, yeah"
There was a lot of emotion on the blonde's face. She wanted the words to be true, that much was very clear. But something was off.
"And when we are drowning in the noise
I'm gonna stop to find your voice
As long as we crash and we collide
We will be gorgeous, we will be gorgeous
(you and I)
And when I lose my faith
I don't know what to do
You lift me to this place
And make me feel so beautiful
As long as you're right here by my side
We will be gorgeous, you and I"
When Emma nodded, as she sang the last three words, Regina felt realization hitting her as hard as if she just landed on the ground after being thrown off a horse – Emma was singing to someone who wasn't in the room. There was someone, back in the land called Strotybrooke-Maine that Emma missed. Someone that she wanted enough to sing a love song to.
One white gardenia, a little battered, fell from her limp hands.
Credit where credit is due - Emma is singing Gorgeous by Idina Menzel. I don't own the song, or anything related to it (sadly).
Also - I appologize for the formatting, I did my best, but I still can't separate the verses of the song *sigh*
Now - LOOK OVER THERE! *points* *runs away in a different direction* *ducks for cover*
