4 years ago
"Oh Regina! Isn't this exciting?" Snow beamed.
"Yes dear, oh so very" Regina was not even trying.
"And to think that by this time tomorrow I will have already met the man who's to be my husband!" The 15 year old girl swirled around her room and Regina rolled her eyes when her back was turned to her.
They were in Snow's bedroom, she had requested that her stepmother help her choose a gown for the evening's ball and Regina had very little choice but to comply. So there she sat, on the girl's bed entertaining seven different fantasies of how she could kill said girl with the various objects scattered around the room, the usual false smile pasted on her face.
"Would you think red was too daring Regina?" she asked, turning on her heel holding up a satin vivid red gown in front of her frame.
You could not handle wearing red even if you were born again, brat.
"I'm sure it would look lovely on you Snow, but I do think your lord father would not appreciate such a bold color. Don't you agree?" This act had become second nature to Regina, as if she were acting in a play for 24 hours.
"You're right." she said, dropping the gown unceremoniously on the bed next to Regina, who ran her fingers through the soft fabric "What about the green? Father says it brings out the color of my eyes."
Green, how fitting, just the color I turn whenever you speak.
"I don't know Snow. Haven't you worn that one to your last ball?"
How did Regina even remember such a thing?
"I think-" she rose from the bed wanting to cut this little friendly moment short, she went for the wardrobe "-you should wear the pearly white one." She picked up the dress from Snow's wardrobe, it was champagne colored, embroidered with all types and shapes of pearls that created an unique design. It was a masterpiece, one of the most beautiful dresses Regina had ever seen. "If you want to impress your future husband, you have to wear your best dress."
The girl took the dress from Regina's hold and inspected it, "That is true."
She smiled at the dress and then back at Regina, she threw the garb on the bed and hugged Regina tightly around the waist "Thank you Regina." she said against her shoulders, she drew back putting her hands on her biceps and Regina had to fight to not flinch away "What would I do without you?"
"Indeed." Regina managed, she felt sick, she needed to be alone, "Now, dear, if you will excuse me." She pushed the girl away gently. "I must also get ready for the ball, and you know it takes time."
"Of course," Snow said, finally stepping away from Regina's personal space.
Regina headed quickly for the door before the brat asked her to do her hair as well "I will see you later, dear." Regina said as she walked through the door and out of that Snow White filled atmosphere.
Calm down, calm down. Just breathe.
Regina concentrated on each step she took, trying to rail in all the bubbling hate she was feeling. Her magic - which she kept as a secret from all - was simmering from the tips of her fingers; she could feel the crackling energy of her emotions making purple smoke appear and disappear on her palms.
Normally the further she got from the girl the better she would feel, the more in control of her magic she would be but this was no ordinary day. Today was the day Snow was to be introduced to her husband to be, a union arranged from the moment the girl had been born. Her fiancé was a highborn lord, second son to a Duke from the Kingdoms farthest to the North, where the winters were fierce and so were the people.
Regina sent a silent prayer every night that Snow's groom to be was an old awful man, who stunk of alcohol and treated her as a toy, an adornment he could play with. Just like her Leopold treated Regina, a trinket, pretty little thing he could abuse.
Regina then learned he was only a few years the senior to Snow. Regina's prayers changed, imagining a weak, thin, pale and ill faced adolescent with spots of red covering most of the flesh on his cheeks. In Regina's mind, he had a runny nose and could hardly climb a flight of stairs without having to catch his breath.
She would amuse herself with such fantasies of awful suitors, of men with smelly breaths who had infrequent bathing habits. If Regina had to marry into a nightmare, so should Snow. After all she had been responsible for the demise of Regina's fiancé, her true love, the only man who could have made her happy.
Although it did not come as a surprise to her when the entourage from the Highland kingdom arrived that the suitor had none of the many flaws she had wished upon him. As Regina stood in her high seat at the throne room beside the King whilst the young man knelled before them - Snow just a step below her, next to her father, she was smiling so hard Regina wished the girl's teeth would crack - she studied the suitor.
He was handsome, too handsome; he had an intense green coloring to his eyes, lined cheekbones, auburn hair tied back and a strong jaw. He had a young face, had to be in his early twenties, only a few years older than Snow indeed, which made him a couple of years younger than Regina herself. But although his face was young his body definitely was not, he was very tall, taller than Leopold - but then again, who wasn't taller than Leopold? - He had broad shoulders, a strong torso and Regina could spot rather big arms beneath the thick layer of his cloth.
To make things worse he did not sport the noble manner of looking or speaking, he was not arrogant nor did he talk down his nose, but had a friendly smile on his face and eager eyes for the brat Snow White. Of course, she was young and mildly pretty, Regina gathered any young man would be eager to get under those skirts-
Oh
Something malicious and incredibly mean slithered its way inside Regina's mind and she could not help but smile back at the young man in front of her.
She would have her revenge on Snow White, one way or another, she would make that girl suffer.
...
The Northern party left two days after the ball, but the young man, Jamie, was to stay for a while longer. The extended invitation was given by Leopold himself who insisted the boy stay so he could get to know Snow better since they were to be married in the future.
When those news reached Regina's ears she felt like exploding, how could life be more unfair on her? Apart from the fact that the young man was perfectly agreeable and excessively handsome, the brat would get a chance to get to know him before the marriage. The very same girl who had been the cause of Daniel's death was now given a chance to actually fall for her arranged spouse? Regina had not even had the chance to learn the King's middle name before they had arranged a date of their wedding.
But Regina was confident in her plan, although she chose to take things slowly, she vowed that regardless of the fact that Snow would marry the lad, he would never be hers. This wedding would be as loveless as her own.
Regina was going to make sure of that.
She would start small, her first little intervention being in the third dinner they shared together.
The young man's servants had prepared a special meal for the royal family, only the very best of his homeland's cuisine. The feast looked marvelous and succulent, even Regina was eager to try some of the new treats. She could spot the young man took great pride in everything about his culture and their traditions as he explained to the princess how every dish was made and why.
As they sat, Regina smirked inwardly and let her magic do the rest. With her hands beneath the table, she was able to send a spell Snow's way, it was a simple enchantment that altered one's palate. Regina had to hold back a laugh when Snow took a bite of the boy's favorite dish and immediately spat it back into her plate wincing with hot tears pooling on the side of her eyes.
Jamie looked disappointed and apologetic and Regina decided to continue in the food sabotage trail, which seemed to catch a hurtful spot for him. For the following number of nights the girl had assisted Regina's plans as she insisted on trying every dish and promptly trying to school her face into something more agreeable. It was delightful for Regina to watch how clearly the young man could see through Snow's attempts and how disappointed he grew with each meal.
"Princess Snow, do not worry, you do not need to-" Jamie tried.
"Oh no, I insist, I want to," Snow replied with conviction, as if today's plate could not take her down.
The young man looked uneasy - knowing the outcome of this - and Regina gave him a sympathetic smile as she chewed her food. The lamb his servants had made was absolutely divine, but of course Snow would never know that.
As soon as the girl swallowed the meat - already with much difficulty - she looked slightly green.
"Snow? Dear? Are you feeling well?" Regina faked concern.
"I'm fi-" she started but stopped taking a deep inhale of air, she rose from her seat "Excuse me," and with that she shot to the doors as fast as those twigs of legs could carry her.
Leopold - ever the concerned father - rose immediately after his daughter's departure, - Regina and Jamie also rose, since it was the custom - and only nodded to the young man before following his daughter's path. There was a beat of silence as the two remaining guests at the feast stood side by side, Regina eventually broke the silence.
"The lamb was delicious," she said with a truthful expression, "Snow is just a very sensitive girl, please forgive her."
Jamie looked grateful for her words and gave her a half smile, he looked slightly defeated.
"It's my fault, I thought-" he started.
Regina saw the window and practically jumped at it, placing her hand on his shoulder and squeezing it a little bit.
"It's not your fault dear," she said, he turned his whole body to face her, they were close, closer than it was appropriate but Regina couldn't care less, "You two just don't-" she ran her hand down his deliciously muscular arm until she reached his hand and took it, "You just need to get to know each other better."
She gave him a tight smile which he reciprocated with a wide relieved one.
...
But of course, things did not go so smoothly for the couple on the next day or any other day after that. Snow's continued negative responses to the food her fiancé had to offer made them halt any attempts of having her try any different kind of cuisine. The girl was thoroughly upset and Regina - as a dutiful stepmother - was always there to listen to her.
"Oh Regina, I feel so awful" Snow whined.
"I know dear," Regina was braiding her hair, wishing she could pull off thread by thread.
"I don't understand, why does it-" she started, but Regina cut her short.
"Dearest, why don't you take him out for a horseback ride?"
But of course the trip was an absolute disaster. Regina, however, was not as cruel as her mother had been and did not enchant the horse to bolt. If she had, the young man would have probably done the heroic thing and rescued Snow's sorry ass and Regina did not want Snow playing the damsel in distress. Rather than doing that, she had used her magic to make the horse stubborn and disobedient which made Snow's attempts to impress her husband to be fruitless. All she earned from him were pitiful smiles and empty kind words.
What Regina had not accounted for was the fact that Snow had grown quite frustrated with the situation and more precisely with her horse. She complained about the animal's stubbornness to her father and the awful man – who did everything in his power to please the infuriatingly spoiled girl – became resolute in sacrificing the beast, stating that they could not have such unbendable animals at their disposal.
Regina's heart went frigid, true, she had by this point in her life killed a handful of actual human beings, but the thought of an innocent animal, let alone a horse – thoughts of her stable boy burned in her heart - , to die because of something that had not even been its fault, was unbearable. She was not able to school her features to hide her horror when the King announced that the beast was to be put to eternal sleep.
"No," she rose from her throne as quickly as a bolt of lightning and the whole court's eyes fell on her. Regina regained a little of her composure, smoothing her hands about her skirt and continued, "My lord husband, I am sure killing the beast is not necessary."
Leopold regarded her and replied in his smooth yet completely unfeeling tone, "If the beast does not behave as my daughter wishes, it is of no use to her, therefore of no use to anybody."
His words cut deep and for a moment Regina had to wonder if she was seen just like the poor horse the king was about to slaughter. That if she did not behave as expected, she would be discarded, just like a broken toy.
It was at that moment that Regina realized that in order to get what she wanted she would have to stain her hands in Leopold's blue blood. In order to get back her freedom and to have Snow White to be utterly miserable she would have to get rid of the King permanently, just like he was planning on doing with the innocent horse.
Regina felt her dark magic awaken inside her and it took most of her will power to hold it inside and not finish the King's pitiful existence right then. But she could not, if she murdered the King in plain sight the people would turn on her, would never follow her, she needed a plan and a large dosage of patience.
But at this moment, she also needed a way to save the poor animal from death's clutches.
"My lord," Regina tried again, "I am sure that was only a bad day for the horse," she moistened her lips before continuing, "If you will allow me, I myself offer to test out the animal's willingness to obey."
The King studied her for a beat and Regina could feel the whole court's eyes burning on her, she could sense particularly the gaze of young Jamie, whose eyes were wide with what looked like surprise and awe.
"I am not sure wife, I-" the King started.
Regina knew he was going to say 'no', so she threw in a disgusting card that made her want to vomit for days but that was bound to have a positive effect on her cause.
"Remember, my lord, that it was because of a stubborn horse that I was fortunate to make your acquaintance."
Regina tried her best to sound sincere but she was dying inside. Was all this suffering worth it for the sake of a horse? Regina knew the answer to that in a heartbeat, horses had become her personal symbol, they reminded her of Daniel, she even felt she could sense his soothing presence whenever she would sneak out to the stables. Plus it was her fault that the animal was put in this position in the first place.
Leopold's eyebrows shot up and for a moment Regina thought she had put her foot in it, "You are quite right wife," he turned to some guard who stood nearest to the entrance doors of throne room and said, "Call the horse master, the Queen would like to see to Snow's horse."
And see to Snow's horse she did. Regina went to the stables accompanied by an unnecessary entourage of nobles and servants as well as the Princess – who looked petty and badly humored –, the King and the young man who had been the reason behind this whole mess.
Regina was fortunate to get a moment with the horse alone; already all dressed up to ride it.
She approached the animal who was blissfully unaware of the mortal danger it found itself in. She caressed its muzzle with an ungloved tender hand whilst she spoke, her tone soft, only meant for the animal she tried to soothe.
"I'm sorry," the animal acknowledged her with accepting and innocent eyes and allowed her to pet him, "I have put you in this mess but I won't let them harm you," she starched it's forehead and continued, "I need you to be a good boy and do everything I ask, ok?"
Regina brought her free hand to her coat's pocket where she had hidden a couple of sugar lumps, just in case the little talk did not work she could always bribe the animal with sugar. She took one treat and brought it up to the animal's mouth, who quickly devoured all the sugar on her hand.
She closed her eyes and touched her forehead with the horse's, one of her hands still caressing the side of its face and repeated, "Be good," she inhaled deeply and felt the presence of Daniel so very strong just behind her, a small smile crept about her lips, and she knew she was doing the right thing for him. His presence soothed her soul and calmed her heart – which Regina had not realized was beating erratically inside her chest.
With that, she led the beast from the stables into the plain sight of all those worthless people to whom she had to prove this innocent animal was still worth the air it breathed.
Thankfully, the horse, Toby, the stable hand informed her its name was Toby, performed perfectly, obeying to Regina's every order, jumping every single fence, stopping when it was told, and remaining docile throughout the whole trial.
When Regina dismounted the horse, she could see Snow scolding. For now it was painfully obvious that the problem was not the horse but the rider. All eyes, however, were on the King, who had very little choice but to spare the animal, much to his daughter's annoyance.
"I do not want that horse anymore," she said in a tone of dismissal, "Regina, you can keep it if you are so fond of him." She looked at Regina with arrogance and she felt like snapping her neck at the spot just for that look, "Father," she turned to her father with those set of mild doey eyes, "I want a new horse."
…
The rest of the day had been rather uneventful, she made sure that since Toby was to be hers that the horse was well taken care of by the stable hands and was now kept in the stall next to Rocinante. Maybe the company would do her horse some good. Heavens knew how much she herself craved company but ever since that disastrous episode with Jefferson, Regina found it was best not to risk her heart getting involved with-
"Your majesty?" a strongly accented voice called out to her whilst she made her way to her chambers after casting the illusion spell and sending her clone to Leopold's chambers. She felt sorry for her magical self, for Leopold was bound to be mad, for at the end of the day, his little girl had been contradicted and became sour after the whole horse affair.
Regina stopped and turned on her heel to find the source of the voice to be Jamie. He was still wearing the garbs he wore at dinner, and still as attractive as ever, for someone his age that was, which was something near Regina's age, which explained why she felt like tying him up and having her wicked way with him until he-
"Sir Jamie?" She greeted him, bowing her head slightly and he took a couple more decisive steps, getting as near to her as he could without the loss of respect.
His boost of confidence in actually getting to her seemed to falter when her eyes met his. He looked slightly out of shorts, maybe a little bit nervous, "Milady, I mean, your majesty, I -"
"Yes?" Regina raised a questioning eyebrow.
"I just wanted to say that-" he swallowed before he continued, "-with all due respect to-"
"Just say it Sir Jamie," Regina urged him giving him a small sympathetic smile to which he huffed a nervous one.
"I thought it was very decent of you to do that for Princess Snow's horse." he told her looking down at his feet and then meeting her eyes.
Regina was momentarily out of words. Not in a million years would she expect a noble person to make such a comment, to side with her nonetheless, especially when the person in question was engaged to the opposing party.
She, however did not have to respond for he continued, "I feel somehow responsible."
"Responsible?" Regina was confused, "How so?"
"I do not think the Princess would have made such a fuss if I hadn't been witness to her-"
"Incapability?" Regina tried.
He gave her a small laugh, "Well, I wouldn't have put it that way but yes-" he moistened his lips before continuing, his tone slightly hushed, "You see, the Princess was quite upset about me seeing her-"
"Out of control?" This game was rather fun for Regina.
"Well yes,-" he started fumbling with his hands which were grasped behind his back, "She kept on trying to convince me that the matter lay with the horse, it was stubborn, that it was not even hers."
"How very mature of her." Regina commented dryly before she could hold back the biting remark.
It did not go by unnoticed by the young man in front of her who cleared his throat, "My point is, I'm glad you did something about it your majesty. Believe me when I say I wanted to have done the same thing but my position and station do not allow such liberties."
"Well, I did what I thought was right, for I know how capable-" there was an extra kick of sarcasm in the word 'capable', "-the princess is in her equestrian abilities." She winked at him and grinned.
He gave her a close mouthed tight but sincere smile, which Regina could sense was to hide a laugh he was holding back.
"Would you like me to escort you to-" he prolonged the last word before asking, "Pardon mila, I mean your majesty, would you like some company on your way to wherever it is that you are going?" He gave her a nervous laugh.
This young man was quite intriguing, very raw in more than one sense of the word, young and bold, seemingly untouched by malice or greediness - poisons which ran through the veins of noble people like a trademark. He seemed to be kind hearted and just. He was clearly not accustomed to the ways of her husband's court. Regina had to wonder if that had been the reason behind his agreement to stay behind whilst his whole family left. So he could learn etiquette and be the perfect little husband Snow craved so much for.
He had no choice; his fate had been sealed as soon as baby Snow came into this world.
That thought spun Regina's head round and round, it had been so absurdly in her face and yet only now did she connect the dots. Jamie's situation was alarmingly similar to what hers had once been before she got married to the King.
Did he even want this marriage?
Was there someone else back home weeping for their separation?
Regina was suddenly very interested in the young man, true, he had been quite central in her plan in ruining Snow's happiness but now... Now she saw him in another light, one that shone so clearly in his vibrant green eyes, she wanted to-
No, she couldn't,
Remember what happened with Jefferson, Regina.
That had been nearly a year ago and yet still stung on her chest. That day she had felt truly evil, crying infant inside the crib, Jefferson's eyes widening as Regina held his wife's heart and he begged for her not to do it. But he was a filthy liar, had lied to her all along, he had no right to tell her what to do.
She crushed the heart into dust and remained in the house to watch the after match until she was satisfied. The man she had trusted with so much for nearly two years, who had been lying to her for the same amount of time, cradled his wife's lifeless body and wept.
Love is weakness Regina, look at him, he's pathetic! Her mother's voice rang inside her head.
That day her vengeance had been sated, that day darkness had feasted on her.
"Milady?" He snapped her out of her trance and kicked the floor swearing something in his mother tongue, "I'm sorry, I mean, your majesty"
She blinked her eyes a couple of times, her sight adjusting, "Regina, please, call me Regina-" his eyebrows shot up so high it was almost comical, "-in private in mean, sir Jamie. You may call me Regina." He huffed a small laugh and she gave him a tight smile, "I do not care for titles at all." She completed, although Regina did not know why it was that she had said that last bit aloud.
"Just Jamie then-" his smile grew, eager, as if he did not have a friend in the world, "-in private also, but please, just Jamie." He stuttered, but then with remarkable clarity delivered, "I abhor titles, they are of very little meaning where I come from."
She leaned into his personal space and said, "We have something in common then,"
"I guess we do." He replied in earnest.
"Well then-" she said as she took his arm and resumed her journey to her chambers, he followed suit, straightening up his back at the contact, "- tell me why are you not on a first name basis with my step daughter then."
He gave a nervous laugh looking away from her and replied, "I don't know-" he then looked back at Regina, seeming to have never actually considered the subject and continued, "-I guess we haven't gotten to that stage yet."
Regina hummed and took a few moments to reply, "I'm sure you will-" she paused and clicked her tongue, "-eventually."
Jamie huffed at her comment and Regina was literally laughing inwardly at the brat already; it would be a long shot for the little flake of Snow to win this man's heart. He clearly looked upon her behavior with something Regina could hope was utter disapproval, as if she were too childish – which she was – and maybe – if Regina was really lucky – unfitting to be his bride.
There was a moment in which neither spoke. The couple simply walked side by side, turning each corner, Regina guiding them towards her chambers, her arm still in his.
"But-" Jamie finally broke the silence, he was frowning now, squinting his eyes a little whilst questioning, "His majesty doesn't address you as Re-" he stops mid word and stumbles on his words, "I mean he-" he looked back at her, a sincere confused expression on his face, "Is he not supposed to?"
Regina gulped, feeling a small lump forming on her throat, this conversation was heading the wrong way, "Yes, he is, if he wishes to. He's the king." she replied simply.
By this point they had reached the doors to her sleeping chambers, a ward in the castle the King had forbidden the entrance of just about anybody without his knowledge. Leopold might have been uncaring of Regina as a person but he was most certainly possessive of his trophy wife. The only ones allowed in this corridor were himself, Snow, her maids and a handful of loyal guards who patrolled and protected it.
Regina's very own personal prison, embellished with beautiful furniture, the most costly dresses and astounding jewelry. But none of that could blind Regina to what her reality was. She was a prisoner, bound by the shackles of marriage, no amount of comfort or riches could ever give her what she really wanted-
"Then why does he call you 'wife'?" he asked, his tone was now softer, which made Regina's chest clench.
They stopped at her door and Regina turned to face him and bid him goodnight wanting to finish this whole business. This was getting in too deep, too personal, stinging too close to her heart. Regina opened her mouth to utter her farewell but her eyes went wide when she heard the sound of metallic armor.
Guards, the guards are coming!
How could she have been so careless? She knew Jamie was not supposed to be here but she had completely forgotten that the guards' rounds would take them to her door in this hour. Had been too distracted to remember they checked every single evening to ensure she was alone and miserable.
Regina's blood went ice cold, not knowing what would happen to either of them if they were discovered this close to her sleeping chambers alone. For a second she was frozen on her spot and Jamie frowned and looked back towards where the click clacking sound originated from.
The guards were so close and Regina was terrified, what would happen to this young man who clearly means no harm, who might even care-
She finally managed to unfreeze and grabbed his wrist with so much strength he turned startled to look at her. Her nails digging into his flesh, his mouth opened to protest, she could feel him try to draw back from her but it was too late.
When the pair of guards reached her door there was nothing there to be seen but the faint remains of purple smoke that went by unnoticed by their tired eyes. They opened the doors to the Queen's chambers without knocking – as they did every evening – to find it empty as it should be.
To Regina's mortification, the guards were told of when she were to perform her wifely duties. They would do their rounds around her room nevertheless, always searching for an intruder; the King's obsession with keeping Regina only to himself once frightened her to death. As the years went by and Regina got more and more schooled in not only the art of dark magic but also in the art of deceit, she found the King's attempts to isolate her humorous. For even though he would do everything in his power to isolate her, Jefferson had slipped in and out of the castle with ease and so would Regina herself on occasion. The guards would look for the Queen's lovers but she knew they would never find him, for Regina had always been much smarter and cunning than her husband and his stupid men.
She had never, however, used her magic with a stranger, especially a stranger who apparently had no experience with magic whatsoever. His lack of involvement with magic was quite obvious through his shocked expression, his complexion having gotten several shades paler.
She had managed to transport them to her hidden study and quite miraculously, none of them landed on the table that rested in the very middle of the small room. It was packed with books and scrolls containing the most varied types of spells and potions.
The man, however, seemed not to care less about the books or the stuffy environment as he continued to stare at Regina wide eyed and unmoving. She swallowed, taking a deep breath before addressing him.
"Jamie-" she started, at some point, her hand had released his wrist but she could see the half-moon marks her nails had left behind.
"What just happened?" he interrupted her, his face barely moved whilst he spoke.
"I-" Regina tried, she moistened her lips and said, "I had to get us out of there,"
"And how exactly did you accomplish that Regina?" he asked in a hushed voice, she felt a small amount of relief for he had used her given name and maybe, just maybe, he would understand. Maybe she would not have to immobilize him and give him a forgetting potion.
Regina opened her mouth to reply but the words were not cooperating, got stuck on her throat. Jamie finally broke eye contact with her to look around the room. They had landed just beside the book-filled table and he ran his fingers about the yellowed pages of one of her opened spell books.
Still examining the page he continued, "You can do magic then?"
"Yes" Regina breathed out, closing her eyes, waiting for the worst.
He hummed in acknowledgement of her confirmation but said nothing else; she opened her eyes to see him turning a page on the book he had been studying.
"I did not know women of this part of the land could also do magic," he stated, his voice was quiet.
"You mean,-?" Regina tried, shaking her head, not believing she had heard him correctly, a little taken aback by his words.
"Yes,-" his head finally lifted so his eyes met hers again, his own carried much less shock and much more understanding now. "All our healers back home are witches," he took one step towards her and continued, "Back there they do not have to hide their powers and abilities, they are just as much a part of our community as anybody else." He gave her a small smile out of the corner of his lips before finishing, "It was a witch who gave birth to me, as well as to all my brothers and sisters"
Regina did not realize her heart was hammering on her chest before he stopped speaking. She was silent for a few moments, looking back at him, she could not help but narrow her eyes a little in suspicion, this was clearly too good to be true. But Jamie's soft expression never changed, the fright of being teleported without warning had clearly worn out to give away to a look Regina rarely saw in anybody-
"I'm guessing the king does not know," he broke the silence yet again, and Regina could not help but gasp at the prospect of her husband finding out about her magic, it would result in her imminent demise, of that she was sure.
Jamie could clearly read her concerns and assured her, "I'm not going to tell Regina, he'll never know by me." He promised her.
Regina blinked and a single tear fell from her eye, she did not even notice her eyes had been teary. How foolish she must have looked. Regina brought one hand to clean up the tear that was tracking down her cheeks. Her palm touched hot skin and she figured she must also be flushing.
Wonderful
"Thank you Jamie" she muttered, turning away from him, trying to hide her fragility.
She could hear his voice respond from behind her, "It is not my secret to tell,"
Regina looked out of the tall but thin window that illuminated the small room – the only place Regina seemed to be able to call home – trying to clean up the remains of her foolish tears whilst silence fell upon them. It was not an uncomfortable silence though; Regina crossed her arms about her chest feeling more relieved in that moment than she had in the longest time, she took the liberty to take a long and deep breath. She could register Jamie moving behind her, could hear the sound the paper made when he turned the pages, and could sense that she could trust this young man, that he meant no harm.
After a few minutes she heard Jamie question, "But why did we transport us here?" she turned around to face him, he was leaning against the table regarding her, much closer than she had expected.
"Because of the guards," she explained simply.
The man frowned, as she knew he would, at her unclear response, "What about them?"
He really did not know
"Jamie,-" Regina started giving him a sad smile at his naivetés, "-the corridor that leads to my sleeping chambers is off limits to anybody but the King, his daughter, my maids and a handful of guards. Surely you know that, right?" She tilted her head to the side slightly when she was finished.
He clearly had no idea, for he took in a surprised breath, his head coming backward a little bit at this new information, "I had no idea."
"Well, now you do," she said with finality, deciding on the spot to send him away to his chambers and end this odd exchange that had been going on.
The young man apparently was way more accustomed to magic than he had first let on and upon seeing her raised hand said quickly, "No! Wait!"
Surprised, Regina dropped her hand to regard him with curious eyes, "What is it?"
"Why?" he asked, squinting his eyes.
"Why what?" Regina was confused, where did he want to get with this?
"Why does he treat you like-" he gestured with his hands, unable to complete his question.
"A Prisoner?" she completed, and it seemed rather comical that she had been completing his sentences a lot lately.
"Well, yes!" he said in a stronger tone of voice, he took another step in her direction; his demeanor had turned determined and slightly angered.
"Because I'm merely a possession to him, and men do not like having their trinkets spoiled." She spat, there was much more venom in her words than Jamie's ears deserved to hear, but he had asked after all.
Jamie shook his head at her words, "Surely that cannot be-"
"It is what it is Jamie, I have belonged to the King for 7 years now, been his luxurious prisoner ever since the day we got married, I-" Regina tried to explain, but the man did not seem to want to understand.
"This cannot be right. Is this the kind of marriage I am getting myself into? Am I to be a caged husband?" he was suddenly irritated, closing the distance between them, coming to stand only a foot away from her.
"I do not know, maybe it will be different in your case-" Regina tried, then it dawned on her, "Surely you can call off the engagement, you are a man after all, you have much more power of-"
"I cannot," he told her sadly, "I might be a man but the Princess is still of higher birth, she, and her father are the only ones in power to call off the union."
Jamie bit down his lower lip as Regina released a disappointed sigh, which drew his eyes from her own down to her lips. A small frown adorned his forehead whilst his eyes inspected her mouth; as if he had only noticed then she was so close. As if in reflex Regina's brown set also diverged to the man's mouth and then quickly back to his eyes.
"Jamie-" she whispered so quietly it sounded like a prayer as she leaned forward, closing the distance between their lips.
With his eyes still on her lips, Jamie met her halfway and their mouths met in a tentative kiss. Regina did not know what on earth had possessed her to act in such a way, but there she was, kissing the young man promised to her loathed stepdaughter, something she had told herself again and again not to do. But still his lips moved against her own in a closed mouth but intense exchange, she could feel a groan vibrate from the back of his throat. His lips felt excessively different from the other sets Regina had pressed her own against, meaty and so soft she could not help but bite down his lower lip herself when she finally drew back.
She felt light headed when she finally was able to draw her lips from his. She did not, however, extinguish the proximity the kiss had created. She placed one hand above the spot in his chest where she knew the man's heart lay; it pounded furiously against her palm. She fixed her gaze there, fiddling with the fabric, suddenly a little embarrassed by what she had just done.
"Regina-" he brought one hand to her hair to stroke it tenderly, "Regina we can't do this-" he took a loose lock away from her face and placed it behind her ear.
Regina's head snapped at his actions and with a defying tone she asked, "Why can't we?"
"Because-" his hand moved to her chin, his eyes wandering to her lips for a beat before focusing in her eyes again, "-the King, he would-"
Regina did not let him finish, saying in between clenched teeth, "Fuck the King" her hand, which had rested until this point on his chest, now fisted his shirt, bringing him closer.
He groaned and the hand that had rested on her chin went quickly to the nape of her neck and he pulled her swiftly into another kiss. This one was edging on desperate, as if both were letting out all of their frustration with the act. Their tongues met in between moans and groans, it was messy and wet but neither of them seemed to mind, it felt divine and freeing. Both Regina's hands fisted on his shirt and while Jamie buried his fingers in her hair, messing up her meticulous updo.
After a few minutes of heated kisses they pulled apart and Regina regarded him with a smirk and did not resist letting out, "I bet you don't get to kiss that little flake of Snow like that" she bit her lower lip after her bitchy remark.
"Try not at all," he said in an amused tone, lifting both his eyebrows.
His words had an immediate effect on Regina, who released a laugh she felt was being held back for the longest time. She buried her face on his chest and laughed and laughed.
Stupid, foolish Snow, if only she could see what her fiancé was up to, where his hands were wondering, that her dear stepmother had tasted his lips before she even had the chance. She felt like crackling, a strange kind of pleasure filled Regina's chest with those thoughts. For even though Snow was clearly not head over heels in love with this man, she still saw him as hers – like her father saw Regina as his possession. But Jamie was no such thing. Would never be. Like Regina had never been truly Leopold's.
She would make sure of it, not only for her revenge's sake but also for him, he deserved better than being that spoiled brat's boy toy.
As Regina lifted her face from his chest, she could see him smile down at her, she placed both her hands on his cheeks and brought his soft lips back to hers. Jamie responded quickly to the kiss and managed to spin them around bringing his hands to her waist. He started moving forward, each step he took she would mirror with one blind step back, never breaking the kiss, until her behind touched the edge of the wooden table.
When that happened Regina moaned against his lips and brought her hands down to his neck, his own clenched at the covered flesh of her hips. His tendons pressed roughly into her corset and Regina suddenly felt there was too much fabric in between their skins.
His hands gripped tighter and suddenly Regina's feet lost their contact with the floor and her arse found the surface of the table. She opened her legs instantly in order for Jamie to situate himself in between them; she then noticed she was half sitting on an opened book. She broke the kiss then, smirking at him as she lifted her hand and let her magic do the rest.
Jamie's eyes went wide when all the books that were on the table started moving on their own. Just like birds, they beat their pages, flying to their correct places in the numerous shelves that covered the small room.
Regina looked back to admire her small handy work with pride and then turned back to face him, his lips were reddened, sore because of her kisses and lipstick. Her chest swelled with pride, she could not help but place one teasing kiss on the very corner of his mouth. She traced her mouth sensually about his cheek until she reached his earlobe and gave it a small nibble, which drew a wince from him.
She slurred quietly then, "You know what I think?" she lifted one of her knees teasingly seeing shivers run across his body. She did not give him time to respond though, "I think-" she continued, "-we have far too much clothes on."
…
From that day forward a strange bond was created between Regina and Jamie. They became lovers, fervent ones. That night Regina found out a lot about Jamie. That he was very easy on the eye, but without his clothes on, he looked even better, with toned muscles, strong arms and an impressive manhood. But also that he lacked experience.
However Regina was more than happy to assist him in that department. Having been involved with a man outside her marriage once before – which turned out to be a disastrous experience – it was fairly easy for Regina to maneuver her affair about her husband's well-guarded castle. She taught Jamie every secret passageway – the ancient ones she had discovered on her lonely late night explorations and also the ones she had created herself – every hidden dead end corridor – from which she could simply puff them both from – and every escape route she knew of.
Not only that, but Regina made sure to teach the young lad how to please not only her but also himself. She took great pride in helping him discover his body, his needs, and his preferences. Other than that, Regina showed him how to tease the senses, how to arouse with only minimal contact, and how to bring one's partner to the edge.
It had been something she had learned from that bastard Jefferson; at least the idiotic sod had been useful in that department. Although sometimes Regina thought about her past with him and could not help but feel he stole the little that had been left of her innocence with his wandering hands and heated kisses. But he had also opened Regina up to herself, and for that, at least, she was thankful for – it was probably the only reason why he was still alive after what he had done.
And although their nights together and sexual escapes were heated and sometimes addictive, the nature of their relationship could not be described with the word 'romantic'. Regina had loved Daniel with all her pure heart, did not think it possible to love anybody else in that sense ever again. She had loathed Leopold from the moment they had tied the knot and he had pressed those disgusting lips to hers. Her relationship with Jefferson had been a turmoil; far too long with mixed feelings, from both parties and most of them unmatching, plus far too much deceit.
She liked Jamie, the more time they spent together the more Regina would like him. He was a bit rough, a far cry from sophisticated, completely different from her, but somehow they understood each other. It was odd that Regina never felt the wild flower of love blossom in her heart for him. She felt protective of him, almost like a little brother, if ever you fucked your sibling, a feeling that had always brought tormenting thoughts to her head, thinking what exactly she was doing with this young man. For some time, she believed herself incapable of loving, that her heart had built an invisible barrier around itself in order for it not to be broken anymore.
It took Regina a while to realize Jamie was just a friend she happened to fuck. They most certainly had similar interests when it came to each other's naked bodies, understood they were both in very similar situations so the best way to pull through it was to stick together. But they both knew that love was not meant for them and that prospect suited the pair just fine.
Before they knew it, a year had passed and Jamie was still to return to his homeland – he was to marry Snow on her 16th birthday, which was to happen in the next year. Regina had decided to stop her pranks and mischiefs in order to separate the couple, for now she was certain he disliked the princess, had heard the very words out of the horse's mouth three months after that fateful night inside her study.
It had been a good year for Regina, she had felt like a misbehaving teenager for most of it, something she could only recall feeling before when she had been with Daniel. She would sneak around with the young man every chance they got, brush his legs with her silk covered foot under the dining table, daring even to tease him with her hand when they were placed sitting side by side.
To the outside viewer his relationship with Snow improved, but it was all an act. Regina would supply him with enough information so he knew exactly what to say and do to please the sodding brat. But in reality he despised the girl, even more, he started to hate her father for now he saw the true face of the benevolent King and what he did to his 'beloved' Queen.
…