The two followed the guard, who'd introduced himself as Kai, into the palace. He led them to an enormous sitting room after endless corridors. The ceilings were high and there was a large glass chandelier in the centre. The room was decorated with turquoises and greens, reflecting the sea. Everything seemed to have fish or crystals designs embedded.
"The Queen and her husband are on their way," Kai announced.
Regina nodded and took a seat. She was getting ready to have a nap, but naturally she couldn't, so she tried to power through. Emma felt for her, remembering what she was like at this stage in her pregnancies. All she wanted to do was nap and eat.
Emma took a seat beside her wife and placed her hand on her mid-thigh. She squeezed it gently and her thumb gently caressed her thigh.
"Are you okay?" Emma asked her and Regina nodded.
"Yes, are you?" She asked in return and the blonde nodded slowly. In theory, she was fine, but she was a little nervous.
She stretched out her free hand and feigned interest in her nails, but Regina saw right through her. Emma didn't care about her nail care. She simply kept them short and round so they wouldn't get in the way and now so she wouldn't hurt Regina in bed. Noticing her wife, Regina slipped her hand underneath Emma's on the leg and laced their fingers together. Regina's thumb was absentmindedly tracing patterns of Emma's hand in an attempt to sooth her. The blonde looked and smiled gratefully at her wife. She leant in and pecked her cheek.
After a few minutes of silence, the doors opened and Kida walked hand in hand with Killian. They had their own guards following a few steps behind. Kida was wearing a navy-blue robe that looked more formal than it sounds. Killian was wearing a toga like the guards but his was also a deep blue instead of white. It looked very odd after being used to seeing him in leather. He still had his hook but there was a small cap on the end, Kida mustn't want things to get scratched.
Emma and Regina both stood up to welcome them into the room, though they were both tempted to remain sitting instead of greeting the pirate. Regina had felt her wife tense at his appearance and her heart ached at the fact she couldn't do anything yet.
"Your Majesties!" The Queen greeted as she walked over to them. She released Killian's hand and held hers out to shake the Queens'. "It's wonderful to see you again. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Have you been here long?"
"No," Regina replied as she stepped back from Kida. "Only around five minutes or so." It was actually closer to ten but she thought it best not to say that.
"Allow me to introduce my husband, Prince Killian," Kida said as she motioned to Killian. Emma and Regina quickly glance at each other after hearing his title. He at least had the decency to look a little guilty. It seemed he hadn't told her the full truth about the Queens. If the Atlantean Queen thought it odd that Emma and Regina didn't shake hands with the pirate in greeting she didn't show it.
"No need," Regina said, speaking quickly before Emma could say anything. She could feel the tension rolling off her wife. "We already know each other, don't we, Captain?"
"Aye, love, we do," Killian said, speaking for the first time. Emma physically shivered at the term of endearment used.
"Is everything alright, your Majesty?" Kida asked as she saw Emma's reaction.
"I'm fine," Emma said quickly. She felt Regina slip her hand back into hers and squeeze it reassuringly. She didn't even wince when Emma clung on slightly tighter than normal.
"Please, take a seat," Kida said and motioned to the sofa that the Queens had just arose from. They sat back down with Kida and Killian sitting opposite them.
A few moments later, a butler entered the room carrying a tray of tea and set about making the perfect cup for each of them. Once they were each settled with their tea, the butler left the room.
Regina took a sip and tried not to gag before placing it on the table. It seemed the baby was not a fan of the Atlantean speciality. Instead of bringing attention to that fact, she cleared her throat. "Shall we begin?" She suggested.
Kida nodded and she placed her own tea cup down. There was no point wasting time and she wanted to know why the Queens had graced her with their presence. She turned to her guards. "Leave us," she commanded and the guards quickly left the room. She then turned back to Emma and Regina. "How can we help you? Your letter was rather vague about the reason behind your visit."
"We're here to discuss the war you wish to declare on Arendelle," Regina said, not beating around the bush. She could feel how uncomfortable Emma was by being there and wanted nothing more than to take her home. "You have failed to mention this to us, as Queens of the United Realms, and that cannot go unnoticed. You know of the laws Emma and I created after becoming Queens." The two had spent a few evenings after the coronation writing them. Well, Regina had written them and Emma just agreed with what her wife said. "Wishes to declare war have to be brought to our attention before informing the opponents of it. Queen Elsa and her wife came to us yesterday informing us of it, stating that you had threatened her with war before we heard of it."
"Your Majesty, we apologise," Kida said quickly. "Killian said it would be better to leave to two of you out of it until things were settled. He said that with your young daughter, it would be easier to not inform you in case the war did not go ahead."
Emma shivered at Kida's mention of Hope. It seemed she had no clue that the child she spoke of would have been her stepdaughter if Killian hadn't signed away his rights. Just thinking about it made Emma even happier that she'd made him do so. Killian didn't even react to the mention of Hope. The thought made her almost shiver in disgust and she couldn't believe that she was once in love with him and that she broke down at the fact that he'd left her. Now she couldn't be happier that he had.
"Ah, did he now?" Regina said in a wry tone. She too felt disgusted with Killian's reaction to Hope, but she couldn't focus on that right now; there were more pressing things at hand. "Tell me, what does a pirate know about royal matters?"
"He's married to a Queen," Kida replied as if it was obvious. She placed her hand on Killian's knee. "He's been by my side for the last year and we've been married for six months. He's learnt a lot."
"You remarried in six months?!" Emma asked, not able to keep it in any longer. "You leave me, seven months pregnant, to hook up with someone else and marry them? After you promised to stay with me forever?"
Kida gasped, confirming that it was completely new information. She clearly had no idea that her husband used to be married to the Light Queen. She definitely had no idea that he had a child.
"You two were together?" She asked quietly, looking at her husband. "You were married to Queen Emma?"
Killian nodded slowly. "Before she was Queen, yes. You knew I was married before, love."
"Yes, but not to the Queen!" She paused before something else seemed to click. "Wait, you have a child together?"
"Biologically, yes," Emma said full of distaste, "legally, no. Killian signed away his rights, as I requested, and Regina adopted her shortly before we got married. While Hope is biologically Killian's, she is no longer his daughter by law."
Kida sat in silence for a few moments, not quite knowing what to say before decided to take the conversation back in the direction is was initially leading. She would discuss the matter with her husband later.
"Am I to presume that the two of you are friends with Queen Elsa?" She asked. Regina raised her eyebrow at the abrupt change of course, not quite knowing where the other Queen was going to go with this.
"Elsa and I have been friends for many years," Emma replied. "But why is this important? We're here to stop a war, not talk about friendships."
"It means that Elsa has a grudge on Killian for what happened between the two of you which is why she refuses to trade with us," Kida stated. "That's absolutely ridiculous. She should not prevent a deal that would be very lucrative for her just because she dislikes my husband."
Regina was starting to get angry now. She also had a wave of nausea and was really hoping it wouldn't worsen while she was there. Despite being in the second trimester, she was still being sick on the odd occasion, but it was starting to get better, up until now it seemed.
"Elsa has the right to trade with whom she wishes," she said as calmly as she could muster. "If that isn't with you, then you have to accept that. Just because you are neighbours, doesn't mean–"
Regina broke off as she felt another, more pressing, surge of nausea and she quickly glanced around the room, looking for somewhere to throw up but came up empty. Then suddenly there was a bowl thrust into her hands by Emma who'd recognised her wife's reaction and conjured a bowl up quickly.
Kida and Killian looked very confused until Regina quickly turned and threw up. Emma ignored the other two in the room as she held Regina's hair back and stroked her back soothingly, whispering calm things into her wife's ear.
"It's okay," she cooed quietly. "Get it all out your system. The sickness will stop soon."
After a few moments, Regina started to feel better. Emma took the bowl from her and waved her hand over it so everything disappeared. She conjured up a tissue so Regina could wipe her mouth and a mint to help her breath.
"Are you okay?" Emma asked her and Regina nodded. The two then turned around and saw the confused looks on the other's faces.
"I do apologise," Regina said. "I'm a little unwell at the moment."
Kida nodded. "Shall I send for the doctor?"
"No, I'm fine," Regina assured her before she settled herself back in the position she was in. "Now, let's get this sorted." She cleared her throat and became deadly serious. "There will be no war declarations. Atlantis and Arendelle will not be trade partners if Queen Elsa does not wish it. If she holds a grudge against the pirate, that is her choice. There are many other Realms to trade with. As with free roaming, I'm afraid she'll have to accept that one. That is why the Realms were united in the first place. We will speak to Elsa and inform her accordingly. Now, is there anything else you wish to speak about while we're here?"
Kida glanced at Killian who shook his head quickly, so quickly that Emma almost missed it, but she knew him too well.
"What are you hiding?" She asked, her eyes narrowed in on her ex-husband.
"It's nothing," Killian replied quickly, too quickly, and Kida's eyes widened in shock.
"You're classing your unborn child as nothing?!" She cried, looking incredulously at her husband.
Emma lost it. She stood quickly, her palms ablaze. "What?!" She yelled before turning to Kida. "You're pregnant?" Kida nodded. "With his child?" Kida nodded again before Emma turned on Killian. "And you're going to stick around this time Mr I-can't-be-a-father? Was I not worthy enough for you to stay? A simple princess wasn't good enough you wanted a Queen?"
With the sudden increase of volume, guards rushed into the room and Kai automatically started charging at Emma so that she couldn't harm his Queen.
"Stop!" Killian ordered, "it's fine." Kai glared at the pirate but took no further step, stopping short of the group in the centre. "Swan, that's not what it was," he said softly as he stood too. He made to take a step towards Emma, but she took one back. "I wasn't ready then. I am now. It's different." He glanced at Kida and smiled softly. "She's my True Love." Despite being pissed off with her husband, Kida couldn't help but smile back at his words. Killian looked back at Emma. "You've found yours, can't you be happy for me?"
"It's been a year since you walked," Emma said, speaking dangerously quiet. "That's hardly any time. It's not about being happy for you. It's about being a decent human being." Her palms still held fireballs. Despite speaking quietly, her anger and hurt hadn't subsided.
Regina then stood and slowly grasped Emma's hands, putting out the flames and bring Emma back to what mattered. She smiled gratefully at her wife before looking a back at the other royals.
"You know what, Prince Killian," Emma scoffed at the title as she stepped closer to him, Regina pulled slight at her hands to prevent her from doing anything. "You can go fuck yourself." She stepped back and wrapped an arm around her wife and settling her hand over Regina's stomach, an action not missed by the other royals. "I should thank you for leaving me because I might not have my wife, my True Love, or my crown if you had stayed," or the baby, she added in her head. "But I don't want to give you the satisfaction." She then turned to Kida. "Like the Good Queen said, there will be no war declarations and if we hear one whisper of it, you'll be forced to abdicate. You are also no longer welcome in Storybrooke, any official you need will be handled by a representative. Goodbye."
Before anyone could say anything else, Emma tightened her grip on her wife and transported them back to their house. Once they were there, Emma threw her arms around Regina's neck and began to sob, more as a way to emit all the tension that had been building than in sadness. Regina simply held her and rubbed her back soothingly, allowing Emma this moment.
It took almost ten minutes before Emma finally started to calm down. She took a few deep breaths but refused to move from Regina's neck.
"Come on, we'll go upstairs," Regina said softly. She flicked her wrist and transported them so they were laying side by side on their bed.
Emma automatically curled into her wife's side. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled against her neck. She kissed the space in front of her before pulling back and looking up. "I didn't mean to lose control."
"Don't apologise," Regina replied. She reached out and wiped Emma's tear tracks away. "I'm proud of you for not flipping out completely. He deserved much worse. I'll never forgive him for leaving you how he did but then again, we wouldn't be here if he hadn't."
"I don't think that," Emma muttered. She lifted her hand and tucked a lose strand of Regina's hair behind her ear. "We're True Loves, we were destined to be together eventually. When I saw you for the first time after you came back, I felt whole again. I'm pretty sure I'd have felt that regardless if I was still with him. It sounds so cheesy, and I almost hate myself for saying it, but you completely me, Ginny, and I think you always have."
Regina chuckled at the statement and pecked Emma on her cheek. "That is most definitely cheesy," she agreed, "but I like a bit of cheese every now and then." She picked up a strand of Emma's hair and twirled it around her finger.
"Did I go too far from banning them from Storybrooke?" Emma asked quietly. "I'm still kinda unfamiliar with how things like this work. Am I able to even threaten her with forceful abdication?"
The brunette shook her head. "No, you're the Queen, you can choose whatever you wish. In fact, I completely agree with you. Hook is not welcome here, but I don't want Kida here either if she's under his influence. He's clearly got her wrapped around his hook. She should have informed us about wanting to declare war, not waited until it was settled. And we're the high Queens, we can choose who leads each of our dominions. If we feel Kida isn't doing her role, we can dismiss her even if it is her birth right to rule Atlantis. Although I am sure she will do what is needed to stay as Queen. From what I've seen, she is a good Queen where it counts."
Emma nodded. "I'll get used to the Queen thing eventually but for now, let's nap," Emma suggested. "I'm exhausted and I'm not even the pregnant one."
Regina smiled gratefully and with another flick of her wrist, they were laying underneath their duvet, completely naked, Emma buried into her wife's side and with a hand protectively resting over Regina's protruding belly and Regina's arm around Emma's shoulders.
