Here you go, the next instalment of the saga.

For those who have been asking about Snow/Emma's parentage, magic and her relationship with Regina these will all be dealt with but this is going to be a long story so I won't be rushing. Things will not change overnight but at a natural pace.

Enjoy, Lil'D xx

xxxxxx

Regina spared a glance for the blonde curled up on the rug as she climbed out of bed the next morning, lip curling in a smirk as she recalled the debauchery of the previous night. As she passed she sent a sharp shock of magic into the young woman.

Emma was woken by pain and she was scrambling to her feet in seconds, frantically searching for her attacker, unsure of her surroundings until she registered that she was in the queen's bedroom. When she laid eyes on the queen in all her naked glory she quickly regained her composure, dropping to her knees but wincing as she did so. She was sore and the thought sent her mind back to the previous night, or what she could remember of it. The queen and Red using her and making her cum so hard she must have passed out.

Regina's smirk increased as she noticed the flush spread across the blonde's cheeks and chest but her head remained down, in deference to her mistress but her arousal painted scarlet for all to see. Or was it shame? No, the deep, slightly ragged breaths were those of remembered pleasure.

"Pet," the queen's voice demanded her attention and Emma raised her eyes.

"Yes, Mistress?" She answered calmly, if a little hoarsely.

"Help me bathe," she instructed and continued her progress into the bathing chamber and then into the warm soothing water of the pool, her muscles stiff from the fucking she'd given her slave the night before. Emma followed, her mind reeling with the actions and implications of what had happened the previous night. She had obviously pleased her mistress by the way she was being treated this morning, being allowed to bathe the queen, to run her hands over the smooth, warm skin as she stood behind her, breasts brushing against the back of her mistress as she soaped her body.

Regina leaned back into the attentions, smiling at the gasp her slave issued when firm breasts came into full contact with the her body.

"Hair." At the command Emma reached for the shampoo and began lathering it into thick, dark locks. The queen's hair wasn't overly long, not as long as hers, it brushed the brunette's shoulders and was much shorter than most of the women's Emma had seen here. They tended to wear it medievally long and the queen's style stood out but it suited her, set her apart and highlighted those wicked dark eyes and high cheekbones.

Regina tilted her head back as the warm water rinsed it clean then shook out the excess water before stepping out of the pool. It was silent except for the sounds of the water and their movements within, it was not a heavy silence though, simply one born from contentment with the situation. Emma happy that the queen was pleased with her. Regina, pleased that her slave had surrendered so completely to her after first using her talents to bring her pleasure. Great pleasure if she was honest, the blonde had a talented mouth, in more ways than one. Plus, she was an accomplished attendant and had rapidly become very in tune with the queen and her needs, that is where her slaves usually failed, they may have talents in the bedroom but lacked the finesse to please her in other ways.

The queen stood still while she was dried, gently but thoroughly, Emma careful to remove every last drop of water from her skin before changing the towel wrapped around her mistresses hair for a fresh one, stepping back and bowing her head when she had finished her ministrations.

"Bathe then dress. Join me so we may eat," Regina instructed before returning to her room to dress, the splashing sounds of a person washing hastily an indication that her instructions were being followed. She magicked the adjoining door closed to give herself privacy and quickly selected her attire for the day. Regina frowned as she recalled the bureaucracy that was to bore her for the day ahead. Maybe she could make it more interesting? The corners of her mouth turning up as she ran through the options as she surveyed herself in the mirror. Perfect.

Emma finished her bath by ducking under the water to rinse her hair then boosting herself out, still dripping wet but a quick towelling off dried her enough to jog to her own room and dress. A few moments spent on tying back her wet hair and she was ready to join her mistress. In fact she beat her to the room and was already kneeling in her place when the queen walked in.

Regina was surprised to see the woman there, waiting. The queen sat down on her usual chair and noted that Red had provided a heavily laden tray for their breakfast. She began to pick at the food, ignoring her pet as she looked over a sheaf of papers pertaining to her meetings that day. As she read she began to absent-mindedly hold out morsels of food to the slave who took them so delicately that the queen didn't really notice until lips lingered and suckled, teeth nibbling the ends of her fingers in a most arousing way.

It was only then that Regina realised the entire plate of food had been consumed and looked down to see her fingertips enveloped by plump lips and hooded green eyes were looking back at her. Emma observed the queen as her tongue toyed suggestively with the flesh in her mouth. The way her mistress regarded her was a good indication that she was enjoying the attention. The fingers were withdrawn and came to rest under the blonde's chin, tilting it up so the blonde had no choice but to look at her mistress.

"Last night, how did you feel?" Emma's first reaction was to jerk away but strong fingers held her firm and dark eyes bored into hers as the blonde struggled with her emotions, struggled to organise her thoughts. "Answer me," Regina softened her tone as she sensed the slave's turmoil. Yes, she was her mistress and had the right to demand answers but she also knew that this was an important question for her pet to answer.

"I -," Emma just wasn't able to put anything into words. She'd had no time to process events and make sense of them. Everything she was feeling was so alien to her, so overwhelming that she was unable to vocalise her emotions.

"Think about it. I will ask you again at the end of the day." Emma nodded, thankful for the reprieve and dropped her head, slightly ashamed and embarrassed that she was unable to answer a seemingly simple question. She was also mortified that she was so bothered about pleasing the older woman, this wasn't her, she always stayed detached from roles but this was really getting to her, the queen was getting to her. Regina noticed her reaction but chose to ignore it, instead holding out a document for her slave to take. "You can read?"

"Yes, Mistress," Emma nodded, grateful for the change of topic and took the paper thrust at her. She frowned as she read through it, taking her time to digest the slightly flowery language to reveal it's content.

"What is your opinion?" Emma frowned as she considered her mistresses words.

"It seems that you, Mistress, would be tied into paying a set price for goods regardless of market conditions," Regina raised her brow, impressed by the slave's deduction, it had been well hidden in the context of the document, so much so that her advisor's had missed the fact.

"Indeed, I would. You're not just a pretty face are you?" Emma felt herself blush like a schoolgirl at the compliment as lips purse and dark eyes look down at her but the blonde treated is as a rhetorical question and did not answer.

"I want you to spend some time with Red today, she has some errands to run," the queen explained and Emma was pleased, Red was very adept of understanding how the queen affected her, having seemingly gone through a lot of this herself. Maybe she could help?

"Red will meet us in the atrium," the queen explained before leaning forward and capturing the blonde's lips, Emma leaning into the kiss, the contact sending tingles of magic through her, arousing her. Regina smiled to herself as her pet moaned, she was so receptive. They kissed for several minutes, the queen dominating the slave's mouth.

"We must go," the kiss was broken and Emma left gasping, the memory staying with her until they left the queen's chambers and met Red.

"Why do the wolves work for the queen?" Emma questioned as they crossed the grounds to the stables, Red was taking her on a tour of the city now that the queen was busy with her court.

"Well, my kind have a bad reputation," Red began, as they entered the stable yard. "Here," Emma was handed the reins to a large white horse and the blonde eyed it warily. "Come on," Red was already astride her chestnut mount and looking down on the blonde, she lifted her foot up to the stirrup and swung herself up until she was on a similar height to Red who smiled and nodded at the relatively graceful mount.

"Just follow my lead, the horse is placid and won't cause you trouble. A more suitable mount will be found when the Queen has assessed your skills, in more than the bedroom," Red finished with a wicked smirk at which Emma scowled.

"So, yes. Bad reputation," Red continued, returning to the previous topic as they rode side by side past the training yards. "A few of my kind made no effort to control themselves and their killing was great and bloody. Usually a wolf doesn't turn until they hit puberty, I was late and my grandmother thought it had skipped a generation. She was wrong, I killed her when I turned the first time, I had no control, so I ran." The blonde looked up to see sadness etched on the wolf's face, she had no comprehension of how that would have affected the young girl, the child, Red had been.

"Soldiers were sent to bring me home but in the end it was the Queen who found me." Emma frowned, sensing a lot more to the story but letting it slide. "So," Red continued, "even before my change the wolves had been run out of most kingdoms but the queen opened her doors to them. She gave them a section of the forest to call their own, where their children can be safe."

Emma nodded, it sounded like something the queen would do.

"She gave any wolf who earned it a place in her guard and magic amulets to allow the children control when they turn. In exchange the wolves have given their loyalty."

"And you?" Emma had heard the queen refer to Red as her alpha but she didn't know what that meant. Did werewolves behave like real wolves to that extent?

"Me?" Red grinned and shrugged. "She won me over in several ways. She found me and she taught me control."

"She collared you?" Emma questioned, she had seen Red's collar displayed in the wolf's rooms.

"She did, a grave insult for a wolf," Red confirmed with a grim smile. "But, she wanted something from me and she gave me a lot in return. I'm not like most wolves, my blood is different. I am apparently from an alpha blood line, we are born to lead a pack. So, where the Queen took the place as alpha for the other wolves, the same would not have worked on me. She had to break me first, defeat me and become my alpha." Red explained and Emma nodded, fascinated by the story.

"Which she obviously achieved, and I'm glad. Being an alpha is a lot of responsibility," Red explained with a smile. "This way I am still alpha over the pack but I can also defer authority to the Queen without submitting to a dominant wolf," Red scowled. "It is rare to have a female alpha, they are usually male and therefore in order not to lose my position I would have had to defend my right from any male who challenged me. You can imagine how that would have ended, had I ever lost?"

Emma mirrored her scowl and noticed they were now outside the palace gates. The blonde gazed around, curious. The road was paved and was lined with purpose built stores selling various wares as it curled around the palace walls. It was like a medieval strip mall.

"And Braxas?" Emma referred to the queen's captain, "he's not a wolf, is he?"

"No," Red frowned at the question. "He's not wolf, but his wife was," Emma noted the past tense. "She was murdered and the Queen tracked down her killer, for that Braxas pledged his fealty. He is an experienced and gifted soldier who earned the respect of the Queen and the pack and therefore commands them, we see him as one of our own." Emma nodded at the explanation and it drastically revised her opinion of the man who she had repeatedly clashed with. She would be sure to bear that in mind when she next dealt with him.

"The armourer, saddler and other merchants that trade a lot with the queen have stalls and workshops closest to the palace," Red pointed out those as they rode, changing the topic of conversation. "The smiths too," Emma stared as a real life blacksmith pounded on what looked like a sword blade in his forge.

"People will stare, they always stare at me. They take an interest in my business as it is carried out on the Queen's behest" Red smirked as she guided her horse toward the armourer. "Put your hood up if it bothers you," Emma did, pulling up the large hood on her coat, placing her face in shadow.

"They work together," Red gestured between the smithy and armoury. "He makes the blades and the armourer puts them together and decorates them.," Emma nodded as she continued to look around. It was cleaner than she expected and in good repair, it didn't smell either which was a pleasant surprise. The few people who had business this close to the gates were well dressed, even the ones who seemed less well off were still dressed in decent wool and cotton garments, not rags.

"Red!" A cheerful voice greeted the wolf and Emma turned to see who was calling, an attractive blonde with her hair tied off her face stepped out of the armoury and waved as their horses drew closer.

"Alex," Red waved back and pulled up her horse by the woman's side. "Do you have it?"

"I do," the strange blonde rested her hand on Red's thigh and held out a package in a velvet bag that looked very familiar to Emma. It was the same as the one that had held her collar. Red saw her friend frown and smiled, her wolf eyes having no trouble seeing past the shadow cast by Emma's hood.

"Don't worry, for decoration only," she replied slightly cryptically Emma thought but it allayed her fears, slightly. "Alex, this is Emma," the slave dropping her hood as the blondes locked eyes, Emma allowing her darker side out to play as they stared each other out, the woman on the ground soon deferring to the one on the horse. She was about to turn her attention back to Red when Alex gasped, catching sight of Emma's collar for the first time.

"That's -," she stopped.

"This is Emma," Red repeated and the slave gave a nod of her head in acknowledgement.

"But -," it seemed as though the other blonde was at a loss for words. "So soon?" Red shrugged then smirked, slaves did not usually leave the palace without the queen for sometime, most never did.

"Emma's different. The queen is quite taken with her," the wolf confirmed.

"I can see why," Alex replied in a flirty tone causing Red to snarl at the woman.

"Are you crazy? Emma might be riding out but she belongs only to the Queen!" She growled, sounding truly bestial and even Emma baulked. Alex seemed to remember to whom she was talking.

"Sorry Red, it's just -," she flashed another look up to Emma. "She wears the collar well," were her final choice of words. "As well as you did." Emma assumed that was meant as a compliment. "Well, I am sure you will serve our Queen well," the tone was now slightly rueful as she addressed the slave.

"She does. But you are more valuable here, than in her bed," Red's words seemed conciliatory which was at odds with Emma's perception of her circumstances. Wasn't she, as the queen's slave, to be pitied? "You served her well."

"Well, if she ever releases you, you have a bed-mate here," the blonde flirted with the wolf who just rolled her eyes and smiled.

"No, we both know I need a firm hand," Red winked before nudging her mount forward, the velvet bag now tied to her saddle, Emma non the wiser to it's content.

"True," Alex replied but her eyes lingered on the slave, eyes slightly narrowed as she studied her. Emma returned the interest but with her professional mask in place. Aloof and inscrutable, again the other woman was first to drop her eyes, the action not lost on Red who smirked.

"Trust me Alex, she has her own skills. And can take anything the Queen throws at her, she's going to be around a while." The blonde gave a brief nod and stepped back from the horses.

"See you soon, Red," the armourer waved as they rode away, the wolf raising a hand in farewell.

"Sorry," Red apologised once they were out of ear shot. "She was with our mistress a while but she grew bored. Alex never did anything wrong, just has talents the Queen would rather use elsewhere." Red explained. "But the Queen is addictive," Emma murmured her agreement and watched as the wolf fished into the velvet bag and pulled out an intricately decorated cuff, it looked too big to be a wrist cuff. Upper arm maybe? "See, Alex is highly skilled." Emma nodded as she looked over the item, it was inlaid with both gold and silver metals.

"She is," was all Emma would say as they rode. Red eyed the slave who was glancing around but seemed too absorbed in her thoughts to continue the conversation.

"Can I help?" Red enquired softly, having a good idea where the slave's thoughts lay. Emma jerked her head at the question and surveyed the wolf, her friend it now seemed.

"She -, she asked me how I felt, about last night," the blonde mumbled as she avoided eye contact, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. Red raised her brows but was unsurprised by the queen's question.

"Take your time, be honest." Was Red's advice. "She will know if you're not." Emma nodded and they completed the rest of their errands in silence, the slave's eyes taking everything in.

"I will take you further into the city another day, I'm done for now and I think the Queen will be waiting for us," Red said glancing up at the sky to gauge the time. Emma sighed and wished for a simple wrist watch or her cell phone. The wolf glanced at her friend and noted the strain showing on the blonde's face, she often forgot what an adjustment this must be for her even though she had slipped so effortlessly into the role.

"Come," Red guided her horse to a stop outside a low building and jumped off, hitching her mount to the rail outside and gesturing for Emma to do the same. The blonde followed suite and trailed the wolf as she entered the building.

Xxxx

Next on The Collar

"Keep your collar hidden," she murmured. "it would not do for the Queen's slave to be seen in a place like this." Emma nodded, the interior was dark but she elected to keep her hood up as a precaution.