I've uploaded two chapters, so be sure to read the previous chapter (Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Queen) before proceeding!
Deceptions and Flattery
A week turned into two with no sign of attack from Snow and no response from George to the queens' request for an audience. Henry's body was ready for burial by the end of the first week and the funeral held on the tenth day after his passing. With safety on the roads being so questionable, Regina had refused to hold a wake and deferred it for when travel was fluid again. It humbled her that so many people wanted to pay their respects to her father and she made that clear in her responses, but she was a practical person at heart and knew that there would be ample time to indulge in rituals after she and Emma had dealt with the mysterious shadow behind Snow White's metamorphosis.
These sorts of decisions, along with the endless waiting, took a toll on her though, which was why she found herself waking up for the fifteenth consecutive day, with strong arms wrapped securely around her waist.
Regina sighed with contentment as her eyes fluttered open and a new day greeted her. In the midst of so much emotional turmoil, Emma's steady presence supported her in ways that she had rarely experienced. Realisation was gradually dawning on her that her feelings for her wife were vastly more complicated than she'd let herself believe. Regina knew that she was attracted to Emma; that much had been apparent since their wedding. She also appreciated the blonde's company, enjoying those nights when their work was done and they could share a drink after dinner and sit in conversation for hours. The young queen was intelligent, lively and strong willed. She was many things that Daniel had not been, but instead of repelling the sorceress' affections, if anything, the pull was stronger.
It had taken many weeks, even months to admit what she now knew for certain – she was falling in love. Despite how much she had wanted to avoid this situation again – to protect her heart from the pitfalls that came with attaching herself to another person this way – she held onto her wife each night and enjoyed the excited beating in her chest and the tingling of her skin.
Emma stirred and clawed her way from sleep about an hour later. The queens exchanged soft good mornings and polite enquiries before they slipped from the bed and began their day. Since Red's arrival at their castle, Emma's morning routine typically began with an hour's training with her guard. Lieutenant Fowler and Captain Briggs had both voiced concerns over the queen fighting. Women made up twenty percent of their number, but since it was their job to protect Emma and Regina, they argued that the monarchs' first instinct should not be to pick up a sword.
Emma disagreed and after a somewhat heated discussion, managed to convince both men that it was in everyone's best interest if they learned how to defend their kingdom side by side, not with her waiting like a sitting duck. After all, Regina had her magic and was fairly handy with a foil. No one even tried to challenge the ex-Evil Queen on the matter of her involvement in the fighting. Emma failed to see the difference.
It was late in the afternoon when a rider finally brought King George's answer. Regina tore open the seal and began to read before she'd even reached her office and she plopped it in front of her wife the moment she'd finished.
"He agrees to see us," Emma commented after she too had scanned the missive. "Why the delay?" she wondered aloud.
"A tactic to aggravate us, or to remind us that he has the upper hand since we will be the ones asking for help?" Regina replied. "… As far as he knows. Or he might need time to plot with his partner in crime. Though we have yet to confirm his involvement in all of this."
"Everything we have coming in from our messengers points to his involvement," Emma reminded the brunette.
"I know, Emma, but it won't do us any good if we make assumptions and they turn out to be red herrings," the sorceress argued softly. "Either way, it seems like we have a trip to plan for."
Red chose to stay at the castle, pointing out that their stronghold would be an easier target without its mistresses there, but Emma suspected that her friend was rather more concerned with drawing the hoard of pursuers down on them before they could make it beyond the woods. The wolf had tried once or twice to widen her patrol, but encountered an attack every time. She came back after the last attempt muttering about having a target painted on her, which Regina took seriously and spent over five hours making potions to test the theory. Emma and Red looked at the sorceress as if she'd lost her mind, but when the results came back, neither laughed.
Taking a friend of Snow's to negotiate an alliance against Snow was probably not a great idea anyway. Or so Regina grumbled as they left a pouting werewolf behind and entered the forest.
They had to travel with the carriage since they were visiting another royal, and not one that they were close with. They could get away with trotting up to Abigail's front gates on horseback, but it wasn't proper etiquette for most others and Regina was adamant that they not lose face before they even set foot inside George's walls. However, there were hours to kill before it came to that, so the royal couple rode in front of the ornate box and talked in hushed tones about everything but the war – lest the trees had ears.
The ride would take the best part of the day again, so they made arrangements to stay with their friend for the night. Emma still loved to watch things disappear and reappear in her wife's hand whenever she needed a quick response from a request or inquiry. She swore that she could feel the magic in Regina's fingertips for hours afterwards whenever they inadvertently touched. Not only did staying with Abigail save them from travelling home in the dark, but it would give them the perfect opportunity to see what she had heard without fear of their messages being intercepted.
The dark queen's laughter echoed sporadically around the forest as the group made their way across the kingdom. She and Emma had fallen into exchanging stories of misdeeds in childhood and she had no problem picturing a tiny, blonde princess presenting herself at dinner covered from head to toe in mud. Or any of the other numerous situations that her wife had gotten herself into in her youth.
In contrast, her own childhood was relatively uneventful – if you didn't count the fact that she'd lived with a monster.
"Come on," Emma urged from beside the brunette. "There must be something you did that Cora didn't catch wind of."
Regina sighed. "Honestly, Emma. Other than Daddy and I sneaking the odd sweet, the only thing I really defied her with was Daniel." A solemn silence followed these words and stretched on for several seconds. "I learned early on that she was not a woman with whom one trifled. She was a hard woman to please and I spent many hours of my childhood trying to earn her approval. Every hint of praise came with a caveat." She winced at the memory of some of those occasions before adopting the woman's tone, recalling her mother's disappointed words verbatim, "Your posture is improving but if you get any fatter, Regina, no man is going to want you. I shall have to tell cook to halve your portions again."
Emma's compassionate expression became dark instantly and she clenched her hands around Bracken's reins, picturing them wrapping around Cora's neck. She thought about how much effort it took to encourage her wife to indulge on occasion, especially when they were with company. Suddenly, it all made sense. "Regina, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on, and that is never more true than when you have just woken up, with your hair in disarray and crust still in your eyes, or when you're sneaking sweets when you think no one is watching. I am so fortunate to be the one person in all the world who can say that they're married to you."
A blush reddened her cheeks and Regina looked around self-consciously, avoiding Emma's intense gaze. Though anticipating a rebuff of her mother's words, she hadn't quite expected such profuse defence of her physical appeal. While she had spent years manipulating others with her body, deliberately flaunting her assets, the attraction her wife spoke of was something she didn't quite know how to respond to.
She decided that simple and light-hearted was her best bet and shook off her embarrassment. "Thank you, dear. I do appreciate flattery from time to time."
Emma shook her head but smiled fondly. "If there was a way to capture the look of you in the morning, before you've completely woken, I would carry it with me always just so I could gaze at it to lift my spirits and remind me to treasure what I have."
"Careful," Regina responded as she unsuccessfully suppressed yet another blush. "Those Charming genes might get you into more trouble than you can handle."
"If that's supposed to discourage me, it's unlikely to work," Emma chuckled. "It sounds like the kind of trouble I readily attract."
Up ahead of the queens, two head guards exchanged knowing smirks. As much as their mistresses tried to downplay their burgeoning closeness, when they were engaged in conversation with each other like this, the lilt to their voices and the frequency with which their eyes met were clear indications that deeper feelings were present beyond those required for their betrothal. While it was commonly assumed that physical intimacy had bound them together on their wedding night, there had been little evidence of that continuing until recently. The entire castle was abuzz with gossip now that Queen Regina and Queen Emma were sharing a bed most nights, and many renewed their whispering about a new little prince or princess. While no one had expected there to be any sort of camaraderie between the Evil Queen and the daughter of Snow White when the wedding had first been announced, it was clear that their kingdom was stronger for the union.
As they approached the border some hours later, Emma and Regina transferred to their carriage and continued to converse in soft whispers to confirm their plan of attack with King George. They didn't imagine that he would be at all reasonable in his dealings with them; their kingdoms had not been on great terms since Queen Regina had fired all of the advisors who dealt with George's corrupt associates, but they were determined to keep him talking long enough for their spies to infiltrate the bowels of his castle.
Servants gossiped in every large house and secrets were currency everywhere. If King David was not in the dungeons, they hoped that someone would be able to tell them where he was being held. Considering how poorly George treated his servants, it was unlikely that any were particularly loyal to him.
As expected, the king was in his throne room when they arrived. Planting himself there was usual posturing. For dignitaries that were welcome and powerful, he would have met them at the front door with a grand procession, but for those he disliked, a show of authority and mild disrespect were his chosen weapons.
Regina cared little for pomp and circumstance these days and so entered the grand hall with a slight smirk curling her lip. She knew she couldn't start by being too obnoxious – talks would end before they had barely begun – but there was no harm in winding the old goat up a bit, and by the expression of irritation on the king's face, she knew she'd hit her mark.
Emma followed her wife's lead, though mastered her own expression into something meeker and troubled. She needed to present the picture of a worried daughter not an angry, vengeful one. She lagged behind the dark queen, making it seem that she was more a 'wife on a leash' rather than the equally powerful monarch that Regina was helping her to be. Outside of their own kingdom, gossip mongers still liked to assume that the Evil Queen had taken the White princess under duress and kept her as a trophy and proof of her triumph over Snow White. Much as Emma hated the rumours, this time they could be used in their favour.
"Queen Regina and Queen Emma," George began his grandstanding by leaning back on his throne and steepling his bony fingers together. His face had been weathered by the years and his bitterness at being unable to procure an heir to protect his legacy. As it stood, his throne would pass to the child of a distant cousin and he was hanging onto life now through sheer spite. "To what do I owe this visit?" he asked, his right eye ticking slightly at the disinterest with which the sorceress scanned the room.
Her sharp, glinting gaze fell over cheaply woven tapestries and moulting, mounted heads of beasts and felt her mischievous side rise up like a tide. George liked to pretend that he had wealth, but without Midas' support through their children's union, he still hadn't managed to pull his kingdom back from debt. Time was running out for him and it made him an easy target for any who wanted to manipulate him; despite numerous eye witness accounts, it was only now that she was certain of his involvement in instigating 'Snow's' war.
"Oh, you know very well why we're here," Regina began without a proper greeting. "War has a habit of uniting even the oldest of adversaries, under the right circumstances."
Emma bit her tongue and stared at her feet for a moment as a grin crept upon her unexpectedly. How had Regina put such an emphasis on 'oldest' without appearing obvious about it? She chanced a glance at her wife and tried to hide her admiration behind what she hoped looked like anxiety. She thought about how she would pout at her father when she wanted something from him and channelled that into her expression too as she looked up at the king through her eyelashes.
George hesitated and controlled a frown. He had expected Regina to be somewhat contemptuous, but he had hoped too that she might grovel a little. "Yes, it would seem that conflict with your step-daughter might once again tear apart your kingdoms. I don't see how that concerns me."
"Mother-in-law," Regina corrected coolly and gestured to the blonde queen next to her as if to prove a point. "And it should concern you, George," she added and smiled at the pursing of his lips while she continued to ignore any deference to his title. "We might be trading partners no longer, but I assure you, your economy will suffer if Snow manages to dig her claws in. Many of your market products come into your kingdom by way of mine. If I have to shut everything down, your profits will plummet."
The king tried not to let his concern show on his face as he thought about the validity of the dark queen's assessment, but he wasn't a skilled poker player and allowed more than one tell to slip past his expression. Thinking that he had the upper hand though, he brushed aside the potential fallout. He would be amply compensated, and the peasants would just have to deal with hungrier bellies for a while – it would serve them right for their laziness.
"And if I go against Snow White, I will lose any deals I have with her," he threw back. "Not only that, but allying myself with the Evil Queen? I might lose all credibility with my other partners. No, I think it's time you paid for your crimes."
Emma hissed in anger but bit her lip just in time to make her outburst seem like it was born out of fear, not rage at his audacity. Regina had many crimes to her name, she knew, but George had been equally villainous and had never once attempted to make amends. Her wife had. He was treading on thin ice. She felt his gaze pass over her and she shrank back as if to deliberately make herself invisible.
Regina caught the movement beside her and played to their game. "Don't fuss, Emma," she admonished with carefully crafted irritation before turning back to the throne. "Snow's deals are worthless. If you are not aware of that, you're a fool. If you are aware and are choosing to ignore the fact, I cannot help but suspect that you are already playing for the other side, George." She paused for effect; her meaning was obvious – if he had chosen to ally against her, he would regret it. "I am not a patient woman. Which is it?"
For a split second, the king appeared like a deer caught in the glare of moonlight. He scowled as he recovered and turned his attention to the shy creature beside his enemy. "Queen Emma, you are very quiet. Have you nothing to say on the subject of war with your mother?"
As rehearsed, Emma looked to the dark sorceress with questioning eyes.
"Go ahead, dear," Regina allowed with a condescending glance. "We have nothing to hide from his majesty," she all but mocked. After a dismissive gesture, she turned back to the throne. "My wife is rather less concerned with the prospect of war as she is with her father's mysterious disappearance. Perhaps you can enlighten her on the situation."
George's jaw twitched and his eyes widened ever so slightly. "I want to know your thoughts, Emma," he repeated, his own thoughts whirring at the manner in which the Evil Queen controlled the young blonde.
Green eyes flicked rapidly back and forth between the other two monarchs. "I stand by my wife," Emma began docilely. "If my moth…" she looked abruptly at Regina and hesitated. "If Snow White insists on waging war, we will… destroy her," she finished half-heartedly. Before anyone else could speak again, she appeared to drum up the courage to continue, "Have you heard anything of my father?" she asked desperately.
The dark queen rolled her eyes and shot the king a look as if to say 'see?', but he ignored it. Again, his thoughts ticked over and he filed away the undercurrent of dominance and submissiveness between the two queens. A part of him couldn't help wondering how else the sorceress chose to assert her control over the White heir, but he shook off such distractions for now. He had much to report on his meeting today and they'd barely been in his castle twenty minutes. What more could he glean if he pretended to consider Regina's request for his assistance and kept them there another hour or two?
"I had heard that it was your wife who was responsible for your father's abduction," he told the blonde with his own haughty air.
"He is not with us… but you knew him," Emma persisted and forced her voice higher. "I believe you adopted my uncle as your son. They were twins. Are you sure you know nothing of my father's whereabouts?"
George felt an unexpected spike of pity for the Evil Queen as her wife's voice began to grate on his nerves. Did she whine this much at home? He fixed a firm gaze on the blonde and insisted, "I do not know where King David is."
Emma felt satisfaction and anger fill her up even as she feigned disappointment. He knew. He'd looked directly at her and the lie was clear in every word. She shrank back, lowered her head and choked on a sob – a private signal to the dark queen that he was involved somehow in the conflict which faced them. They would have to wait until later to find out if Charming was being held here, but at least they knew for sure that he was plotting against them.
"There," Regina snapped. "Now you can stop blithering on about it." Turning back to the king, she shrugged a bland apology. "Shall we discuss the possibility of terms or shall I continue to Queen Abigail's? I have confidence that she and I could win this war without your assistance, but I have no patience left for Snow's tantrums. I would rather squash her and be done with it."
Smirking to himself, George nodded. "Let us retreat to my study and speak further on the subject. You may yet pique my interest in your little quarrel." He stood and stepped down from the throne. His once imposing stature had diminished with age, but he barked at his servant to bring wine and they jumped.
Over an hour later, Emma and Regina climbed into their carriage and began the bumpy ride away from King George's kingdom. As per their usual arrangement when they were this far from their own castle, they headed to Abigail's for the night, but neither queen spoke or even looked to each other across the small expanse of their box as they kept up their fiction. It wasn't until they hit the cover of trees that they pulled the curtains on the world outside and each breathed a sigh.
"Well done, dear," Regina grinned as she turned to her young wife. "I had no idea you had such talents with deception. I particularly enjoyed the part about us destroying Snow."
Emma rolled her eyes at the playful teasing. "That one was just for you, my queen." She got lost for a moment in dark chocolate before catching herself and clearing her throat. "Playing the downtrodden wife was simple enough, but do you know how difficult it was not to laugh every time you took a shot at him? I nearly had to bite off my own tongue!" she whispered harshly.
The sorceress smirked. "I know. Between his reddening face and your struggles not to laugh, it was very entertaining. I don't think I've had so much fun."
Emma wanted to continue with the teasing, but a tear pricked at her eye and she felt her breath catch. "I'm glad," she spoke softly. "It's good to see you smile again."
Despite the reminder of her recent loss, Regina fell into her wife's tender gaze and felt warmth fill her chest. A hand slid into hers and instead of flinching at the unexpected touch, she wrapped her fingers around it.
A particularly violent dip of the carriage wheels into a pot-hole broke the queens from their staring match and they both turned away to shake off the tension of the moment. They began to chat again in low tones about their visit with the king and their assessments of the man. They returned to business, but unnoticed between them, their hands remained entwined.
Aww, more mushy moments.