"Regina, Will you marry me?"
Mal smiled up at her as she waited for Regina's answer.
She chuckled when she saw the witch open and close her mouth.
"I'm glad I've made you speechless by this"
Regina stood there, her eyes wide, she felt like she couldn't breathe. The knot in her throat refused her to do so. She shook her head out of her stupor and finally managed to swallow it down, an audible gulp sounding throughout the cave.
"No." Regina whimpered
Mal's smile faltered, "Regina come on. This isn't a time to joke."
Regina shook her head, "I'm not joking, Mal I can't."
The dragon stood up, "Regina of course you can, look if it's about what our parents think, they don't care! They always said they wouldn't."
"It's not that Mal, I-"
"Oh, well if you're worried about what other kingdoms will think, we don't have to worry about it. See it this way, we're about to inherit the thrones, what better force to show than the two Queens and their Alpha champion. No one would even try to threaten us. Think about it, there's no way to corrupt true love of a witch dragon bond and no one is more loyal than the wolves. We'd be untouchable" her beaming smile took over her face
"Mal I can't,-"
"Regina-"
"Will you let me talk! I don't love you like that." Regina snapped
"Sure you do! While Emma was away I had asked you if you had ever felt the pull. You remember that?" Mal asked
Regina nodded, it was the night before Emma came home.
"Regina?"
"Hmm?" She hummed half asleep
"You remember when your mother gave us that biology class?"
Regina chuckled, "yes, the look on our faces was priceless."
"But you remember when she brought up the bonds. How even though we're different, our kinds can pair together?" She bit her lip as she asked this
"Yes, it's why no one cares who you love. You can't help the pull you feel towards them. Why?" She whispered tiredly
Mal swallowed harshly, "have you ever felt that pull?"
"Yes." Regina smiled, her eyes closed
"You meant me! You snuggled into me right after I asked!"
"Mal I had fallen asleep right after you asked that! You're a human heater and it was cold that night, of course, I snuggled into you!" Regina argued
"But I know how I feel for you is like no other! I've never felt this for anybody, I've loved you since we were seventeen!"
"Mal I love you like a sister! Not as a lover!"
"Regina I love-"
"Mal I'm with Emma!" Regina finally cut her off. With how persistent she was being and was barely letting her talk. To explain. It was better to admit it to her fully.
Mal paused as her face fell completely. Wiping the slight smile that was still on her face. "What?"
As soon as Emma ran out of the castle, she tapped back into her speed. Turning herself into a blur to the people roaming around the grounds.
She made it to the falls in less than a minute. Ruby falling up behind her a second later.
When she arrived she saw Roni getting out of the water and starting for her clothes, her eyebrows furrowed in concern
"Roni where's Regina and Mal" she panted
She looked up in surprise but answered as she threw her shirt over her head
"They're behind the falls. I was about to go check on them. Why?"
Emma darted through the fall, not caring for using the rock pathway at all.
Roni looked at Ruby, who just said "Regina" before they both followed behind the blonde.
Emma entered, drenched, at the moment of Regina's admission of being with her and hearing the confusion in Mal's voice.
She ran to where she heard the voices, into the crystal lit area.
When she entered, Mal and Regina were still looking at each other.
She surveyed the both of them and had to tempt down her anger at the sight of the engagement ring still in the box.
"Regina, you alright?" She checked on her love first.
Regina turned her head to her and just nodded before looking back to Mal
Mal stayed silent for a while longer and then turned her sights on Emma
The look she gave her, the betrayal, and hate in her eyes made the wolf internally cringe. But with the number of emotions coming from the dragon, she didn't let it show. Mal was always unpredictable when she was mad, she couldn't let any weakness show right now and she had to stay on guard. She swallowed down her own emotion, ignoring the buzzing in their mark and kept her eyes on Mal.
"When I asked you to take care of her, I didn't mean you steal her from me." She hissed
The alpha in Emma growled. Again she bit it back
"Mal I didn't steal her-"
"Yes, you did! I told you I loved her! I told you and you took her!"
"Just because you tell me doesn't mean you have a claim to her!" She argued
"I wanted her first! And because everything is a challenge with us, you took your chance while I was gone-" Mal started arguing
"Mal! Do you really think that lowly of me! This is not something I could help! I already held off long enough!" Emma yelled back
"Did you fuck her?" Mal growled
The blunt question threw Emma off, making her stutter.
"We've made love, yes" Regina answered in a whisper.
Mals' eyes welled up with tears as she looked between them. Again settling on Emma.
"You son of a bitch!" She screamed and then launched herself at the wolf.
Emma prepared herself for the impact so when Mal rammed into her stomach in an attempt to tackle her to the ground, she had already planted her feet and barely moved.
She pulled the dragon up by the shoulders, turned her around and wrapped her arms around her torso to restrain her.
"You fucking coward! Let me go and fight me!" Mal struggled.
Ruby ran in with Roni, taking Mal from her to help contain her
"I won't fight you Mal!"
"Fight me! We can see who will really get Regina!" She struggled
"Enough!" Regina yelled, causing everyone in the cave to pause
All that was heard was heavy breathing.
"Let her go" Regina ordered
Emma looked at the dragon and still saw the fire still burning in her eyes
"Regina I don't think-" she started
Regina looked at her with one eyebrow raised and she stopped talking. She bowed her head slightly and nodded to their friends.
They released her instantly and as they did Mal took a step towards Emma,
"You are no sister of mine " she growled out and spit on the ground in front of Emma's shoes before walking towards the entrance
"We'll always be sisters Mal " Emma stated just as the dragon walked through the entryway. They heard a scoff that told them she heard her and then the sounds of wings flapping.
Days went by and there was still no sign of Mal. Even her mother couldn't sense her. The dragon clan assembled search parties and yet they couldn't find her.
Emma had tried signaling their mark and talking into her bracelet just as Mal had told her to do before she went on her mission. But there was still nothing but silence
A month went by and all Emma could feel from her mark was a tingling sensation, but that had always just told them that the other's emotions were running high. This didn't surprise her at all, but it gave her a sense of relief to know the dragon wasn't dead.
Though after three months while Emma was sitting in on one of Regina's lessons with Rumple, she felt a burning sensation come from the mark. She yelped and practically threw the book she was reading.
"Emma, what's wrong?" She rushed to her side seeing that the blonde was hunched over, holding onto her right arm and gritting her teeth.
"I don't know, I've never felt this come from the mark before. It feels like it's burning. "
Rumple gently took her arm and inspected it. "The sister bond?"
They both nodded
"They wanted it when we were fifteen, just right before we started our missions. So we wouldn't feel alone while we were away from each other" Regina said
Rumple hummed and materialized ice wrapped in a towel, placing it on the mark
"The thing with those Mark's is the fact they are permanent. There is no reversing it, erasing it, or making it null void. If you try cutting it, as in slashing that area, the magic within it, will make it look as if nothing happened. Healing it to leave no scarring. Try to cut it out, it shows up again. You lose that limb, it ends up in a new area but on you nonetheless. But whoever shares it can feel the harm intended. With emotions you just feel the tingling, it's purpose is to help the ones who wear it take care of each other, not cause harm. If you say it feels like it's burning, causing you pain, then that means she is trying to get rid of it with hate in her heart." He explained
"Not even magic can get rid of it?" Emma asked
"No, not even Regina, the one who created it, can reverse or erase it. Not even I can do that. Once it's there, that will carry through lifetimes, helping you find that sister bond in the next life just like your soul will find Regina in the next" He shook his head
Emma and Regina looked at each other worriedly. How long would this anger and hate last? What would become of the one they still even now considered their sister?
It wasn't only Emma and Regina who felt the rifts of Mals disappearance. Roni and all the families were antsy. She had contacted no one, no one had seen her, within the kingdom or any other contacts they had in other kingdoms. They were all worried.
They lay in bed six months later. Regina and Emma lay on their sides, facing each other.
Emma had her head propped up with one hand while her other stroked up and down Regina's arm. Their legs tangled together and Regina propped her own head up with one hand and her other rested against Emma's stomach, rubbing the skin there.
"If it wasn't for the imprint if we were like actual humans. Normal. Would you have said yes to Mal?" Emma whispered.
Regina looked up puzzled by the question, "why would you ask that?"
She shrugged, "just wonder if it wasn't for magic Mal wouldn't be gone because of me."
Regina softly smiled and cupped her cheek, causing stormy green eyes to lock with her loving brown orbs
"Even if we were boring humans, my love, I've always had an attraction for you. Even when we were children, you probably never realized that there wasn't a day where you wouldn't make me blush or feel giddy. Just as now you don't let a day go by where you make me smile and laugh and do whatever you can to show your love for me. Mal…." She shook her head, "I've always seen her as a best friend. A sister. She always had an over-cockiness to her. We all know I've never had a thing for big egos and show-offs. You always did just enough to prove yourself or protect who you care about. Playful when Mal would challenge you while she took it seriously. You do everything effortlessly, there's no reason to show off when you never realize how much you can really do. I would've never said yes to Mal when in any lifetime, magic or not, I'll always be wanting and waiting for you. Even normal humans have soulmates, my love. You're mine no matter what. " Regina soothed her, caressing her jaw the whole time. She knew the wolf had held off for so long with confessing her feelings before because of her gentleness, not wanting to force her into anything. Wanting her to have a choice with everything they did together. Defending her and the choices she has made throughout their lives. Just as she has always done, she wanted to make sure this was her choice as well.
Emma nodded with a sniffle, taking her hand off her cheek and bringing up to her lips. "I love you."
"And I, you. Remember that. If I'm accepting a marriage proposal, it will be because it's coming from you." She smiled and placed her hand back on its spot on Emma's abs to continue her ministrations from before. Loving the feeling of the muscles twitching on each contact with her fingers.
They sighed and stayed like that for a while. A comfortable silence and a few peppered kisses here and there.
Another month later they were in the same position again, talking before they went to sleep just like they did every night.
"You think Roni has done a witch imprint?" Regina asked
"Maybe. Why do you ask?" Emma shrugged
"Just her actions and behavior. She's controlling it very well but you can kind of see it, like its a buzz under her skin. But shes antsy, when we do the talks with mother in the library, she gets up very often to refill our teas or stoke the fire when she can very well do that with magic."
"Well, maybe she's just not as lazy as you." Emma teased and laughed when Regina tickled the bit of stomach her fingers were skimming over.
"Cheeky." Regina smiled
"Anything to get you to smile or laugh my love." she kissed her forehead
"And I love you for it." she connected their lips in a chaste kiss and leaned back, sighing contentedly and just a second later guilt filled her eyes.
"What's wrong." Emma furrowed her eyebrows
"I feel guilty for feeling so happy with you and in general when Mal is out there, isolating herself from everyone in the world because of me" she sighed
Emma stopped skimming her arm and instead brought her hand to cup the witch's chin gently and made sure to lock eyes with her.
"Regina, it's not your fault, if anything it is mine. She told me and I had chances to tell her and yet I didn't. But either way, it's in the past, what's done is done. We just move on. She won't stay out there forever. Besides we're all adults. When she comes back, calm, and lets us explain the imprinting, she'll understand. Everyone knows you can't stop that. When she gets back, everything will be better. For now, though we can't dwell on it. We can't do anything right now. We should relax and live our lives as we would if she were here. Worry about it when the time comes." Emma soothed
Regina sighed again and scooted closer to nuzzle into Emma's neck. Wrapping her arm around the wolf's waist and kissing the skin on her neck.
"You're right. I shouldn't dwell. Especially if you're not and you're the one magically bound to her."
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Emma smirked
Regina leaned back and narrowed her eyes, knowing what she was doing. "I said 'You're right'"
"Yeah I just, needed to make sure I heard you right" she breathed out, "wow. You actually said it for once." she inhaled and sighed, "Is this how you always feel? When you hear those words? This is liberating." she shook her head and smiled at the glare Regina was giving her
"I swear I'm in love with a child." she shook her head
"I think you should go talk to the cricket for that one love." Emma laughed
Regina lifted the pillow and pelted her in the face with it.
"You're an idiot." she huffed
"I'm You're idiot. You're stuck with me." she smiled
"Oh yay. A lifetime of punishment" she said sarcastically
Emma gasped, feigning hurt, pushed Regina onto her back, and sat on top of her thighs. Fingers at her sides.
"Emma," she warned
"You said lifetime of punishment. Gotta fill my quota." she shrugged with an evil smile and started wiggling her fingers around tan skin
Down the hall, the rest of the rooms, staff, and everyone still up at the time, smiled at the sounds of roaring laughter coming from their room.
Eventually, Regina was able to grab Emma's hands from her sides to hinder the wolf's onslaught of torture and flipped their bodies so that she was sitting on top of Emma.
She giggled at the look on the blonde's face when they settled. Her widened green eyes had darkened almost immediately but her beaming grin had still remained.
"You're insatiable." She laughed
"Only for you my love, always."
Regina released her hands, she bit her lip as she settled them onto the witch's hips instead. They both gazed at each other, the joy and love shining in their eyes and surrounding their bodies.
"marry me." She whispered
Regina paused, "what?"
Emma sat up to cup her cheeks, "marry me. Be my mate." She whispered in a pleading tone
Tears began to well up in her eyes and a sob emitted from her throat, but she nodded her head nonetheless
"Yes?" Emma smiled
"Yes" Regina nodded frantically
Emma pulled her flush against her body and pushed their lips together in a passionate kiss.
They pulled away just to hold each other in their arms as they cried in joy.
Emma started peppered kisses where she could reach but when she got to the place where Regina's neck met her shoulder, she locked onto it. Kissing and nipping it.
Regina hummed at the attention. Running her hands through golden hair. Slightly rocking her hips
Emma groaned at the movement, thankful they had agreed long ago when they first got together, to no longer wear pajamas to bed. Both liking the feeling of their skin together as they slept. But it also made for less hassle when hands started roaming.
"Do it," Regina whispered
She stopped and looked in caramel eyes, "what?"
Regina placed a hand just beneath her collar bone, "this is where I'm going to put mine." She smiled
"Regina?"
"Mark me, Emma. We're soulmates, you're my true love. I want you for the rest of my life and every life after. I want you to do it. Right now I feel is the perfect moment don't you?" She Smiled
Emma nodded and looked at her spot again, "you want to wear my mark?"
"Yes, so make sure it sets and never goes away." She husked
Emma nodded and went to the spot again. Licking and nipping it.
Regina groaned and cupped the back of her head, "do it, I'm ready Emma."
With that said, Emma bit down. Piercing the skin and tasting the blood that rushed into her mouth. She groaned and bit down harder.
Regina moaned at the feeling. She was quite surprised by how good it actually felt. The euphoria rushing through her instead of pain she had expected to feel when she had first heard about how the Mark's were made. But instead, the more Emma bit down, the harder she bit, the more ecstasy shot through Regina. She could physically feel her soul tying in with the wolf more than it already was. She could feel them becoming one.
Emma pulled her head back and licked the area, making it heal instantly and turn into what looked like a grey tattoo.
"You okay?" She locked eyes with Regina and gasped at the look on her face. Her brown eyes were completely black.
Regina nodded and pushed her back onto the mattress, raising her hands above her head as she peppered her chest.
Emma's hips bucked when Regina took a nipple into her mouth and sucked.
"Oh fuck." She groaned
Regina smiled to herself and paid the same attention to the other. Messaging the former in her hand.
Finally, as the hips rocked together, Regina leaned down to the spot just under the blondes collar bone and bit down
"Ah!" Emma moaned
Spurred on by the noise, she bit harder and felt the blood cover her tongue.
Self-control was forgotten, they felt something grow between them once the bond was made and they were once again passionately kissing.
Regina sat up and they both looked between their bodies.
"Sorry, I didn't summon it. Must have been the marks." Emma panted and begun to concentrate to make it go away.
A hand on her chest, she opened her eyes to see Regina shaking her head. "It's the final part of connecting us." She whispered
Emma swallowed thickly. "You sure?"
Regina smirked and sat up enough to adjust herself over the length, enjoying the hiss that came from Emma as she gripped it. She sunk down slowly on it, whimpering at the feeling of being stretched for the first time that wasn't just Emma's fingers or tongue.
They rocked together, moaning and panting at the new feeling, Emma gritted her teeth to control herself but the feeling was the definition of heaven.
"You feel so good." She moaned, her hands guiding their hips to stay in sync.
Regina whimpered and picked up the pace. Moans turned into breathless pants, which turned to screams of each other's names and declarations of love as they pushed over the edge and climaxed together.
They lay there, still connected at the hips, and Emma's arms wrapped over Regina's splayed out body on top of her. Listening to beat of her heart
"You know this is very comfy, now I see why you always decided to lay on me," Regina said
Emma chuckled and kissed the top of her head.
"I love you." Regina nuzzled her face into her neck and kissed the skin there
"I love you too my Queen," Emma whispered into her ear.
"I want to wait until Mal comes home and we sort everything out though to have our wedding. I want our sister there." Regina said
"I want her there too. Once everything is settled, she'll be there with us like we all spoke about when we were young. I will wait as long as you want. Even if there is no ceremony, we're officially mated. The ceremony is just for kingdom official" Emma smiled
Regina placed her hand over her mark, "there will be a ceremony. I want all those women that pine after you to know your mine." She smirked
Emma chuckled, "I've been yours since the day I was born."
The witch smiled and sat up with an evil glint in her eye. "We still have to make sure they know. Aside from the marks and wedding. Let them hear who their big bad alpha belongs to." She jolted her hips suddenly that caused a surprised moan to erupt from Emma.
She smiled nonetheless and took the challenge in Regina's eyes, "while we're at it, we better make sure the whole kingdom knows their beautiful future Queen is claimed."
Regina narrowed her eyes and jutted her hips with a smile, "you're on Swan."
Across the kingdom, in a hole in the wall bar at the docks, sat Mal with a hood over her head and her face in a beer.
She felt a presence staring at her, she ignored it. More than likely they had heard of the missing dragon princess
That presence came closer and decided to sit across from her in the back booth she had claimed
"Whatever you want, sexual or otherwise, I'm not interested." She said tightly
"Well considering you're my cousin I don't want anything sexual and I automatically get a pass with getting to mess you whether you want me to or not."
Mal looked up and saw Lily with her own beer in her hands
"What do you want?" She gruffed
"Well hello to you too. Glad to see you're not dead. Especially being the missing dragon princess that no one can find." Lily said flatly
Mal sarcastically smiled and raised her beer up, tipping it towards her before bringing it to her lips
Lily regarded her cousin. From the red-rimmed dull blue eyes, the little she could see of her hairs under the hood, she could tell it hadn't been washed or brushed in a long while. Her bright blonde hair now a sandy color. She was paler than she usually was.
"So why'd you run? I thought you had the perfect life with your gorgeous witch and good-looking wolf best friend's."
"I proposed to the gorgeous witch but the wolf stole her from me." She snarled
"So where have you been? When are you going home? Aunt Hestia is worried." Lily asked awkwardly to turn the conversation away from the sore spot
Mal smiled, her eyes darkening, "don't worry I'll be coming home soon. I found someone who helped me."
"Helped you with what?"
"With my magic. Godfather Rumple had only taught us of dark magic. Telling us what the spells do, how to deflect them, survive them. But never let us do it ourselves. Said he wanted us to know how to defend ourselves against it but never have to use, not even as a last resort. Well, this woman did. I'm ready to go home."
Even Lily shrunk back from the fire burning in her cousin's eyes.
One day, after seven months had gone by, no one saw the dark figure walk across the back lawn of the castle and to the training grounds where Emma was training new army recruits sword fighting.
The figure walked up to the fighting circle just as Emma flipped the recruit onto his back and raised her sword to his throat.
Seeing his disappointment in his eyes Emma released the hold and stood up.
"You gotta keep your feet and legs grounded. When someone comes to attack you, flipping or tackling, use the muscles in your legs to make it harder for them to move you," she informed and reached her hand out to help him up
He huffed and nodded
"Don't worry. Everyone starts somewhere, you improve as you practice. You don't perfect anything overnight. You'll get the hang of it Lance." she patted his shoulder and smiled at him. Gently nudging him out of the ring
"Alright, who's next?"
"I'd like a go." the figure said
Emma could've given herself whiplash with how fast she turned to face that voice.
She took in the sight in front of her with worry.
She saw the red-rimmed blue eyes and the bags underneath them. She saw the sickly pale skin tone. The sandy blonde hair that looked like it hadn't been taken care of since the day she left. But the thing that remained the same was the fire burning in her eyes of the same hate and betrayal
"You look like shit Mal." Emma smiled, hoping to defuse the tension in the air
It didn't work, Mal snarled instead
"Fight me." She growled, she had a dagger already in her hand and was in a stance ready for a fight
"Mal-" Emma tried reasoning with her
"Fight me!" She wouldn't back down this time
Emma sighed
"Regina, Mal's home."