Chapter 7 Lovers Quarrel
Last night Regina did not show up to meet Ruby. Ruby waited and waited. She even left Emma early to come to see Regina but there was no sign of her when she reached the apple tree. It disappointed her a little, but she told herself there must have been something important that might have kept Regina from coming to see her last night.
It was the first time Ruby felt the need to just stay cooped up in her room. She couldn't help but feel sad. She didn't want to deal with anyone and that anyone being, Granny. But she forced herself to get out of bed anyway. She had promised Emma that she will make it up to her by going hunting with her today. A part of her just wanted to drop everything and go see Regina at her castle. But she persuaded herself not to do that since she didn't want to cause any trouble for Regina.
"Aahhh man, what the hell should I do?" she groaned as fell back into her bed, tossing and turning. She stuffed her face into the bed and screamed. After a couple of minutes of staying like that she picked her head up.
"Maybe hanging out with Emma will cheer me up." She quickly got off her bed and started to get ready to meet Emma.
She dashed out of the cave before Granny had a chance to say anything to her. She still wasn't in the mood to deal with granny and her opinions.
As she reached their meeting spot, Emma was already there waiting, again.
"Second time in a row, Ruby. Do you also keep your lady waiting like this?" Emma joked around as she saw Ruby approach her.
"Ha Ha Ha! Very funny!" Ruby expressed with annoyance. As she swung a punch at Emma's arm. Emma winched a little as she rubbed her bicep.
"Relax! I was only making fun. No need to get that defensive." Emma said with her arms up in the air. Ruby didn't say anything but still managed to keep that upsetting look on her face.
"Alright! What's the matter?" Emma decided to ask, there was no point in going around about this attitude of Ruby.
Ruby finally managed to look at Emma in the eyes and expressed her troubles.
"Regina didn't show up last night. I waited and waited but no sight of her." She spoke with her head hung low.
Emma looked surprised and confused at the statement. She put her hand on Ruby's shoulder to get her attention. When Ruby looked up at her with so much sadness in her eyes, Emma decided to ask the one question she didn't want to. "Already trouble in paradise I see. Well, did you do something to offend her in any way?"
"NO!" Ruby spoke so fast that it took Emma by surprise. "I mean, no, not that I recall such an incident." Ruby confided in Emma. Emma placed her hand on her chin and started rubbing it as she started thinking about what they talked about last night.
Finally, Emma recalled one of the topics they discussed. "What if it's the wolf in you that offended her?" Emma questioned out loud. Still thinking.
Regina raised her brows at the questions, "No….no, I don't think so" she said while shaking her head as well.
They both sat on the ground thinking and thinking until Ruby got frustrated.
"I don't think I did anything wrong." She finally declared to Emma who was now looking at her.
"Well then…." she thought as she looked at her Ruby with hope in her eyes. "How about we pay a visit to your lady?" she proposed. Ruby couldn't help but smile at the idea.
At the Evil Queen's kingdom….
Emma instantly regretted proposing her idea. Her parents will kill her if they found about her roaming the enemy's kingdom with Ruby.
"Maybe we should turn back," Emma suggested as they both tried their best to sneak past the guards on the streets.
"No!" Ruby protested quickly. "Now that we are here, we might as well do what we came here to do." She finished as they kept moving on.
Emma couldn't help but sigh in defeat. 'I should have thought about it before opening my mouth' she thought to herself.
After a while, they were finally at their destination.
"Are you sure she will be there?" Emma questioned not liking her own idea by now. Ruby shook her head and gave her the biggest smile she could muster.
"I can smell her scent. She had to be there" Ruby stated with confidence. She quickly stepped up to the wall and started climbing.
"Damn you, Ruby! You are lucky you are my best friend." Emma huffed she too was now climbing the wall with Ruby.
The tower wasn't too tall soon they were inside the garden waiting patiently behind the big apple tree trunk.
"Sssshhh…someone's coming!" Ruby pointed out to the figure coming towards the tree.
"Is it her?" Emma asked as she squinted her eyes to see. Ruby smacked her arm and Emma hissed in pain.
"Whose there?" the person spoke up in a velvety yet stern voice.
"I didn't know you would forget me so soon, my love," Ruby said as she stepped out from the trunk of the tree.
Regina upon seeing Ruby was shocked and horrified. "What are you doing here?! I told you not to come here!" Regina said as she stepped up to where Ruby was, so they stayed under the shadow of the tree.
Ruby couldn't help but feel attacked now. Regina's eyes were full of fear and anger. Anger? Was Regina angry with her? The thought crossed her mind right then and there.
"Whoa..whoa.. hold on! Why are you so on the edge? Are you angry with me?" Ruby finally asked to confirm her doubts. Regina just shook her head and turned away from her.
"You shouldn't be here. You should leave…..right now" Regina said with so much pain in her voice. Ruby couldn't believe what she was hearing, was this the same Regina she fell in love with. If it was then why is she being so cold and different from her right now?
Ruby yanked Regina around to face her. "Why are you behaving like this towards me?" Ruby asked as she looked into Regina's eyes to find an answer. Regina couldn't help but let the tears flow down her face. She didn't want to cause Ruby this much pain, but she had no choice.
"I can't right now." She said as she got out of Ruby's hold and faced away from her again.
Ruby growled a deep growl, "Fine! I'll leave for now." She said as she too faced away from Regina. "But if you still love me, you will come to see me tonight. I will be waiting" Ruby declared as she grabbed Emma from behind the tree trunk and they both made their way down.
Regina wanted to turn around and stop Ruby so badly, but she knew she couldn't. She ran out of the garden with fresh tears in her eyes and made her way to her room.
"What the hell was that about?" Emma finally asked as she tried to catch up to Ruby's speed. They both made their way out of the kingdom and were heading back to their spot.
"I have no clue. But if she really loves me, she will show up tonight…and if not…. well…" Ruby didn't even want to finish that sentence.
Emma grabbed Ruby's arm and put a stop to her steps. "She loves you, Ruby. She will show up. Don't worry." Emma reassured her friend. She didn't like seeing Ruby so upset. She was sure things will work out between the two. She had no doubt about it.
"Lovers quarrel all the time. It's normal. It just means you love each other a lot." Emma added to comfort her further. She smiled at Ruby and motioned for her to continue walking.
The rest of the day was spent hunting. Of course, they had to challenge each other that's what friends do best. But this time around it was Emma who had won by the majority which was surprising since Ruby beat her every single time before. Emma didn't dwell on her victory too much knowing very well that Ruby wasn't herself.
"Alright, I guess it's time for me to go," Emma said as she got up to leave. "I'll see you later, alright," she said as she looked down at Ruby who gave her a small smile.
"You bet," Ruby replied.
Emma grabbed her horse and rode off. Once Emma was out of sight, Ruby put the fire out and gathered herself to head over to where she had been waiting all day to go.