This chapter went out on a bit of a tangent but I don't think you will complain.
Anyone waiting for Crimson Bonds, I'm afraid it's not done yet but I may get chance to finish it while I'm away. Either way it's going to be finished asap and once I'm back we will be onto a more regular schedule again.
Thanks as always for the reviews :)
Lil'd x
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"Arrest them!" Regina barked at her guard and what Emma assumed to be the honour guard swooped in and restrained the ones who had attacked the queen's slave. "Lock them up, I will deal with them after court. "A wave of her hand dismissed the solider and left Emma alone with the queen and Red.
"Come here," Emma padded over to the queen who grabbed her chin, turning her head this way and that to check there was no damage. "Are you sure they did not injure you?" She queried but Emma did not know if the concern was for her well being or the fact as the queen's property she might have been damaged.
She would be naive to think it was anything but the latter.
Regina was pissed off and cranky. Her muscles ached and instead of feeling good this morning, knowing how they had become that way, now it was just tiresome. When she was in this kind of mood the entire palace walked on tiptoes, afraid to push her over the edge, afraid of bringing her wrath down on them.
Red knew how her mistress got when she was in this kind of mood.
"Perhaps we should retire to your chambers, Mistress? You seem tense. We could help?" The wolf had noticed how the queen had been holding her shoulders since she had joined her mistress after tending to Emma. She was tense and probably aching.
"No, I have court now. Then I have to deal with those imbeciles," Regina snarled, although the thought of returning to her rooms and losing herself in the pleasures of the flesh was extremely tempting right now. If only her back would stop aching! It was a problem she'd had many years now, the result of an over enthusiastic disciplining from her mother had left her injured but without time to heal properly. It irked her that she had such a weakness, so whenever it began to plague her she reacted harshly. Her magic helped but it was less effective on her own ailments than others for some reason. Magic could be strange like that.
"Yes, Mistress," Red murmured, deferring to her queen's wishes. She did not want to over step her boundaries by pushing the issue or who knows what the queen would do to her? Emma watched as Red tried to convince her mistress it rest but was rejected. The wolf's concern had Emma watching the queen more closely and she was moving with less grace than usual. Well, Emma thought, if she was feeling sore there was every likelihood that the queen was too, she had been very physical with the blonde, it had been a brutal but satisfying fucking. The blonde knew that it took its toll on both mistress and slave.
"Red, take her to get cleaned up so she doesn't run into any more trouble," Regina glowered at the wolf who blinked her beautiful green eyes before nodding her agreement.
"Yes, Mistress." Red dipped her head before gesturing for the slave to follow her. Once they were out of the queen's earshot Red spoke. "We'll go see Lucy, the seamstress, I think she will have some of your clothes ready by now. No offence but you do tend to ruin my shirts rather quickly!" She teased her friend. Emma smiled, glad there seemed to be no lasting animosity from the wolf and that she was being her usual cheery, playful self with the slave.
"Last night -," the blonde began, hesitantly. She was never one to talk about feelings but she thought it was important they both knew where they stood on this. Red turned to her friend as she spoke, the tone of her voice concerning the wolf.
"With the queen?" Red tried to help her out.
"No. No but that was-," Emma dropped her head and studied the floor as they walked, the stone flags smooth from thousands of footsteps passing over them.
"It changes you," Red spoke softly. "Don't worry, you'll accept it. In time. I did," Emma didn't reply, that wasn't what she had been meaning but the wolf's words really hit home. "And the rest, well -," Red turned to look at the slave. "I'd rather it was you than anyone else. I understand why Mistress let you do that. You needed it. I enjoyed it. You're very good at what you do." Emma wrinkled her brow at the open compliment, it surprised her, Red's whole outlook on the situation surprised her. "And I'm over it but next time Swan, you're going down." Emma blinked at the show of teeth and suspected she was in for a beat down next time they sparred, Red would not make the same mistake twice.
"It doesn't bother you?" Emma had to ask, Red paused for a moment.
"No, things are like that here. You learn to take it in your stride. She has let others have my body but I do it because it pleases her. And, she selects carefully. We are highly prized and only the most worthy may touch us." The information gave Emma pause. Would she be expected to serve others than the queen? The thought didn't appal the blonde, she was after all a slave and it wasn't uncommon. But, she felt she was developing a connection to her mistress and any other would fall short. Even one as strong as Red was not strong enough to dominate her.
It was a lot to take in and Red left her friend to think. As time went on she would see how things worked around here. Before Emma could get a good brood going on they reached their destination, Red knocked and they were called inside.
Emma stood still as her arms were piled high with a wide variety of clothes. At least there was some underwear, some in a nice green that really caught her eye before it was covered up. Was that a dress? The slave blinked, a little overwhelmed by the volume of clothing, so much that Red was now also resembling a shopoholics closet, she was barely visible under the pile.
"And you'll have to wait for your shoes and boots, the cobbler hasn't finished them yet," Lucy explained as she frowned. "Now go put them all away, carefully!" She warned with a raised finger. "Or I will be telling the Queen exactly who messed up the clothes she requested." Both young women were pinned with a stern gaze. Red blinking like a puppy which Emma thought was a bit overkill but then she didn't know how seriously this woman took her threats.
"Last time you ruined a dress she gave you, you couldn't sit down for a week," Lucy reminded the wolf who gave a little yip, as though remembering the pain then looked suitably chastised.
"Yes, Lucy," she sighed with an eye roll which gave Emma a glimpse of the teenager she would have been not so long ago. The thought intrigued her.
"Come on," Red urged with a backward glance at the stern face of the seamstress. Emma followed her back to the queen's room and into her small space.
"Where the hell am I going to put all this?" She grumbled as she took in the limited amount of storage space. Red frowned.
"There used to be a -," the wolf stared at the wall for a moment before darting forward and pressing a seemingly random brick. Emma gasped as a doorway appeared and opened out into a walk in closet. "Good, huh?" Red beamed at the stunned expression on the blonde's face.
"Uh, huh," Emma managed. This magic shit was the bomb. She grinned, she liked nice things, clothes included, her wardrobe back in her world wasn't huge but it was exclusive.
"I'll help," Red grabbed the armful of clothing she had dumped on the bed and they entered the room together. Emma was very impressed by the quality and workmanship that had gone into, well everything. the lingerie was exquisite. The pants and shirts were well cut and she could tell they would fit well. It turned out there were four dresses in total and it was then that Emma paused and took a moment to study her companion.
"Red?" The wolf turned to her friend with a smile.
"Yes? There was that blink again, it seemed unnecessary but a habit, one that seemed to suit her for some reason Emma couldn't put her finger on.
"How did you get here, to the palace?" The slave asked.
"The Queen found me," Red answered easily but Emma sensed an undertone to her words.
"How did you, when did she -?" Emma didn't really want to voice the question, afraid of what the answer may be. There was a difference between her position as a consenting adult and a child's.
"When did I become her slave?" Emma nodded. "From the beginning," Red confirmed with a shrug.
"At fifteen?" Emma could hear the cringing disapproval in her own tone.
"Yes," a curt nod. "But she was kind, gentle." It was Emma's turn to frown. "She took me in and looked after me. She's harsh and strong, cruel sometimes but not a monster," Red confirmed as she took in her friend's expression. "Change, wash." The blonde did as she was bid, changing completely as the blood had splattered her trousers too. She washed then selected some clothes to wear, a similar outfit but of her own clothes. The new pants felt good, stretched tight over her strong thighs.
"Come," Emma pushed the last drawer closed and followed the wolf back out into the hallway. Red padded down the corridor, her footsteps silent as always, the wolf in her making itself known. Emma followed but she had no idea where they were going. Red led them to yet another wing of the palace, then outside and across a courtyard to a neat, two storey building that was built against the outer wall. Red put her fingers to her lips, gesturing for the blonde to be quite. Emma nodded and followed the wolf inside. As soon as the inner door was pushed open she was met by a cacophony of sound. It was Emma's turn to blink as she looked around at the chaos within.
It was a school. Children of varying ages were laughing and playing, colourful toys flying around in the air, propelled by magic.
"It's playtime," Red explained as she took in the stunned expression on her friend's face. "The queen pays for all children to get and education. The rich are educated alongside the poor, the queen believes it fosters a strong sense of community." Emma could only nod as she looked around the room and saw an more formal classroom set up at the back along with a library full of books.
"Red!" A small girl raced towards the wolf, taking a flying leap only for the wolf to catch her. Once Red was made Emma was pushed back against the wall by a tide of small bodies running towards her friend all shrieking in such high pitches that poor Red was wincing at the noise her ears were being subject to.
"Red!" A scolding voice made itself heard over the din. "What do you think you're doing? Coming in here and disrupting my school room!" Red looked up sheepishly to face her accuser. Emma saw an older woman, a very typical school m'am all grey hair and hair piled on her head and glasses perched on her nose. The slave saw an uncanny resemblance to Professor Mcgonnagal and did a double take, this place kept putting her off balance. Now if only Bellatrix and Hermione were around here somewhere Emma would be a very happy bunny.
"Emma!" Red's voice snapped her out her thoughts. Red smiled to herself when she saw her friend had been totally in her own little world.
"Hmm?" The blonde questioned as she regained her composure. Although she couldn't really see the queen and Bellatrix co-existing happily, that would be a fight she would pay to see, with a little lube to hand -.
"Emma, this is Madame Piry, the school mistress," Red introduced her. "This is Emma." The wolf left the introduction there. Emma stood tall as she was studied with intelligent blue eyes, they appeared non-judgemental for which the slave was relieved. It seemed that those who served the queen were generally respectful of her choices but then it would be a death wish not to be, Emma reasoned.
"She's in charge of the children's education until they go to learn a trade or are apprenticed around the castle. Everyone works to help out around here. Emma nodded, but suspected that Madame Piry ran a tight ship.
"Playtime's over children!" A clap of the elder woman's hands rescued red from the pile of children she was disappearing under and they ran still giggling and chattering back to the more formal area of the school, the eldest children appearing to be around thirteen.
"Now out!" They were ushered out of the door with little ceremony and it was slammed forcefully behind them.
"She might be grumpy but she cares for the children," Red informed the blonde as she led the way back to the palace. "Although, there are more than she can really handle but the Queen has yet to find a suitable assistant," Emma nodded but didn't comment."The Queen should still be in court, we should join her," Red explained and Emma tensed, the wolf sensing her change of mood and frowned.
"What happened wasn't your fault," the wolf reached out to rest a hand on her friend's arm before hesitating and withdrawing it before touching her. "The Queen knows that, she's not stupid. She knows you wouldn't run but no-one else knows where you're from. That's the Queen's business, not theirs and for them to find out there are other worlds, well -," Red shrugged and Emma knew exactly what she meant, knowing you weren't living in the sole existence was a head fuck to say the least.
"A secret like that gives her power, over you and anyone who tries to predict how you will behave will not have that information. It means that she was fully aware that what happened today wasn't your fault. Apart from the collar of course," Red smiled cheerfully, the fact that Emma had been strangled by it not seeming to phase her.
"Did you ever run?" The wolf's look of surprise gave the blonde her answer.
"No. Well, not as such," Red answered with a shrug. "My life here is better than I left behind, despite it's complexities." Emma took this is information in and added it to the enigma that was her new friend. She was not one to push for information as she was a private person and not prone to gossiping but some information that was directly related to her own position was useful.
"Come on, we need to be there when she sentences the soldiers." Emma frowned but walked swiftly after the wolf, wondering what the queen had planned. She didn't really want to be the cause of any more deaths.
Xxxxx
Next on the Collar
Emma was both horrified and fascinated. Then shocked as the guards around the room began pounding their spears in a rhythmic beat and began howling. Emma watched as Red threw her head back and joined in, her guards were all wolves?