AN: Sorry for the late update, work and personal life got a little in the way. But I do work on my story throughout the week so I try. . Thank you to those of you who continue to follow and read this story. Another special thank you to 'Gamilton' who faithfully reviews this story. I appreciate it so much! Please favorite/review/and follow thank you! R.M
Confidence radiated across her body as Emma walked through the double doors that had led to the queens throne room. Her green eyes set in front of her before slowly casting down as she walked further into the room. Her hair had been up done in a braided bun with two strands of curled hair on either side of her face, framing it beautifully.
Curtsying in a way that the tutor had taught her, Emma kept her head bowed before the husky voice of her captor filled her ears.
"It looks like those lessons had done their job, even if it be a day." The queen stated while clicking her tongue. A shuffle could be heard and Emma had fought the urge to gaze upon her. "Look up." Regina's voice barked out and caused a pair of emerald eyes to meet brown.
"My queen." Emma could barely choke out as she took in the view of the woman before her. Regina radiated regality, her chin tilted upwards in sheer confidence while her makeup had been done in such a way that could only make the blonde think of a powerful lioness. Regina held her hand out, beckoning the latter to take it.
Obliging, Emma's larger firm hand carefully held Regina's in her own. A feeling of electricity flickered across the blondes spine, causing her to wonder if Regina felt the same.
"My Queen, may I escort you to our meal." She stated whilst clearing her throat and smiling softly afterwards.
"You may, Emma." Regina smiled and nodded her head a bit, finding comfort in the fact that someone for the first time had submitted to her willingly without fight. It had been out of will and want, something that she was not used to having. As Emma escorted her down the vast hall that had been shown to her countless times two days before to make sure that she firmly remembered the location that would either be her saving grace or her utter failure.
"So, I take it that your lessons had went well?" Regina started out, hating the silence that fell. She never did well in it and found it quite uncomfortable.
"Indeed, I had a bit of an adjustment as the ways that are done here are a bit different from how things are done in where I live." Emma stated earnestly, it was a trip to the past of course, but she knew the Enchanted Forest was much different from the world she grew up in.
"How so?" The queen asked quite curiously; being to a couple different realms herself, she hadn't fully visited the infinite realms that were past her own.
"Well for instance….these corsets." Emma stated while taking in a slow breath before releasing. "We haven't used these in a while….mmm the manners are for royals only and the royals are far and few. The customs are almost private as they never are seen much among every day people and their rulings are very different. There is a democracy where I am from…so learning some of the things and manners here are a little foreign." Emma stated before a servant opened the door to the beautiful dining hall.
The size was grand and looked to be serving more than just the two. Chandeliers decorated the ceiling with beautiful diamonds and candles, tapestries that told tales of legends decorated the walls, and knights stood at both the entrance of hall. It was all so wondrous that the young blond had to let it sink in for a moment.
"I see." The queen nodded slowly before she was guided to her large seat that had a backrest that outstretched as high as potentially six feet. Emma had bowed a bit before allowing the queen to sit before being requested to take the seat to the left of the queen, one in which the blonde could only think that perhaps the queens mentor had sat many a times. "Tell me more." The queen had asked curiously, a slight childlike curiosity burning within her.
Emma's back sat painfully straight as she let her hands fold in her lap before looking up to the woman with an adoring smile. How had she never before noticed that Regina could be cute. Granted now was not the time, but how did she never notice this? How did she never notice the smile that graced the woman's face so casually, the way her eyes crinkled slightly in the corners, things that made Regina…well her?
"Hm well...I take it from just observance…but marriages here are probably arranged, correct?" Emma started out, waiting for a slight nod from Regina and noticed her demeanor falter slightly. "Well… we don't really have that where I'm from. I'm sure it happens a little here and there, but ultimately the two parties get a say. " Emma nodded a bit and noticed the queen was in thought as she was quiet while the dinner was being served."Interesting."
"We have these…contraptions called cars, they are made of metal and powered by fuel found in the earth, they travel much faster than horses and can fit anywhere from two to around p people on them depending on the type of car. Kind of like a carriage, just without the horses." Emma nodded and tilted her head. "We also have doctors that are able to use science that is kind of equivalent to apothecaries, but are able to make many vast medicines that cure diseases that are fatal here, but are almost non existent where I'm from." Emma nodded before waiting as wine was poured before her.
"Very interesting." Regina stated before lifting the golden and crystal goblet, the cup of it see-through from the crystal but being held by the gleaming gold that formed into a majestic goblet. Tilting it to her red stained lips, she supped slowly and closed her eyes briefly before setting it back down. "I've never heard of such a realm, but that doesn't surprise me as there are an infinite amount of realms." She said before she took her fork and took a piece of the vegetables and began eating it.
Typical. Emma thought, Regina always had a thing for salads that the blonde would never understand. Emma began to eat the steak brought to her and had to withhold a moan from the deliciously seasoned meat. She had not had food like this in a long time now and it was quite wonderful."What of armies, wars…what of that?" Regina asked , her head tilting slightly as her curled hair fell to the side slightly."Well.…we fight with things called guns…you may have saw them in other realms but…these guns can shoot hundreds of bullets at once and can kill many people in a matter of seconds…we have bombs that can decimate entire towns or even an entire country with a push of a button….war is….terrible where I'm from." Her nose crinkled and Regina's eyes popped out slightly, such things were not even heard of in her town."You mean no swords or magic, just….people killing from far away and without gazing at the person?" Regina found it bizarre, it took a lot out of a person in her opinion to kill and gaze at the person that was being killed and watching their soul leave their body.
"Indeed.…wars are still controlled by governments, but over things as fuels and money. Rarely over land…also of religious beliefs." Emma nodded and Regina could only shake her head.
"See, here wars are started over territory and expanding ones kingdom…I wouldn't go raid some other place because I felt they owed me what was theirs. I'd set up a trade so that I could offer my alliance and perhaps my lands wealth with them for what I wanted." Regina stated in a tone that shone her knowledge of trades and business, something that she definitely had brought over to Storybrooke.
"My thoughts exactly, but the people just go along with it because they have to. So though it does have a lot of commodities, it does come with a price." The woman then brought the goblet to her lips to wash down the food she ate.
"How about children, how are they treated?" Regina asked and caused Emma to stiffen, something that did not get past the queen.
"Well it depends to be honest. We do have good families and normal homes, but there are also places for kids without parents and those are not that great. There are many thousands of children without homes and in many countries there are homeless children who are subjected to very terrible things that should never have things done to them." Emma stated lowly and felt the food harder to swallow.
"Well…I guess that's one thing I've worked on here." Regina stated with a sigh and leaned back in her chair, her head leaned into the cushioned back rest while either arm lay rest on the arm rest. "We have fairies to take care of children in homes that board them…but they get good meals, they get read to, and are treated well. There is a moderate amount of education that is given to them and as they get older they can go to apprentice different people in the town to learn a trade that can help them in life. The children often grow strong bonds with those people and each other and to be honest, they never know what it's like to go without." Regina's brows furrowed in thought as she spoke each word slowly and then looked to Emma with a fire that the latter didn't know what to think of.
"That's wonderful.…" Emma stated in awe, she never expected the queen to have a soft spot for such things back in that time."I have done many things to many people….killed entire villages and put them up in flames, tortured many souls….but, I also know how to treat my people right." She chewed her bottom lip and then sighed before then downing the entire glass of wine before beckoning a servant to pour another glass."Emma, you said you were sheriff….how was this town you lived in?" Regina questioned.
"Well it was quiet and nice. We had a mayor who really knew what she was doing." She grinned wide before biting her bottom lip and continued to eat slowly."That's good, well…you are definitely an enlightening woman Emma." Regina stated slowly before crossing her legs, tight leather clinging to them. Goblet in hand, she slowly continued to nurse the drink and kept her gaze on her guest."Do you still wish to subject yourself to me?" She asked lowly.
"If I hadn't, you would know." Emma grinned a bit before finished her drink and asked for another.A toothy grin broke out across Regina's face before she hummed a bit while drinking.
"Well then, you've definitely impressed me with your grasp of my world and how quickly you've adapted thus far." Regina stated softly while her eyes studied over the girl, finding some sort of familiarity with her, one that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"Then, my queen… do you wish for me to stay?" Emma pondered out while then taking another then stood and held her hand out a bit towards her guest while sporting a grin."If you can dance with me I will answer you." The queen made out slightly playfully, the tip of her nose slightly red as Emma couldn't help but grin. She knew that the woman was slightly tipsy, not drunk but was loose.
"As you wish, your majesty." Emma bowed, unlady like but nonetheless had addressed the woman as one should. She took her hand and gently twirled her a bit and pulled Regina in flush against her. The woman's slim fitting blue dress jacket held tight to every curve as it's top four black buttons were undone to give an ample view of her cleavage.
Emma had not yet been formally trained, but David had taken it upon himself to occasionally give Emma a few lessons whenever they weren't battling another foe.
Two bodied danced across the soft candle light that burned within the vast dining hall. No music was necessary as Emma led her queen in a slow yet passionate dance. Their bodies meshed together, eyes connected, breathing in sync and yet neither could find a moment to part. They couldn't, they were too engrossed in each other that they felt that the cosmos were at their feet and the heavens were around couldn't begin to describe the way she felt at that very moment, so at peace and like every weight upon her burdened shoulders had been lifted by the woman in front of her. Those beautiful emerald seas that enraptured her own, that soft yet thin lipped smile that could make her swoon the very few times she had seen it, and that strong body that she now got to feel against her own seemingly small frame. What was this emotion that she was feeling, it was so familiar yet so foreign that it actually scared her.
"Well my queen, what do you say." Her hot breath tickled Regina's lips and she slowly closed her eyes.
"You can stay." Regina confirmed before sighing in slowly slipped her arm firmer around the woman's thin waist and pulled her closer before dipping her down, Regina's leg slowly lifting upwards to allow the dip to plunge further as their faces were mere centimeters apart.
"Then I will stay beside you until you decide otherwise." Emma whispered before a throat was heads snapped towards the intruder and was met by an icy blue gaze that only made Emma's body shudder in sheer fear."Sorry I'm back a little earlier than I had expected." A husky yet womanly voice came from across the hall.