Ok, author milestone achieved, 1000 reviews and I appreciate each and every one! So, as a result here is the next chapter for your reading pleasure. As you may have noticed I have kept the chapters shorter but more regular and for now it's working for me so will keep it this way as long as it suits the story breaks.
Thanks for sticking with me this long but still a long way to go. So much to cover and still a long way for Swan Queen but wow, you guys are really, really invested in it and it makes my stunted, cold heart very happy :D
Enjoy x
Xxx
"Thank you, Majesty. I look forward to discussing further business with you at the appropriate time," the lord bowed and when the queen dismissed him with an idle wave of her hand, he left.
"Red?" The wolf gave the proposal some thought.
"Useful leverage, Mistress. But Emma?" she asked the obvious question. How can a slave be rewarded?
"Oh, do not worry, wolf. I have some ideas of how to proceed," Regina confirmed, relaxing back into her chair.
"Of course you do, Mistress," Red smirked and they exchanged a look.
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Emma was bored, she felt better and was sick of being confined to her bed. Sick of being weak and useless. After her collapse she had awoken to find herself re-situated in her own bed, one that she had only slept in a handful of times despite the duration of her stay at the palace. Greta had been her constant companion, on the queen's orders of course, Emma was fond of the young wolf but frustrated as she had been taking her role extremely seriously.
Complete bed rest apparently meant just that but the slave didn't wish to cross the queen so she obeyed and -. Ugh! There was only so many times she could count the tiny cracks on the ceiling so she turned to the selection of books Greta had procured for her.
That is how Regina found her pet several hours later, eyes squinting as they rapidly scanned the pages of the book she had selected, the queen watching unobserved through the room's open doorway. Interesting choice, the queen mused as she recognised the title on the intricately gilded spine.
"Does it please you?" The voice of her mistress startled Emma.
"Yes and no, Mistress," carefully placing the book down she turned towards the queen.
"Explain?" Regina took a seat in the chair opposite the bed.
"Well, your books are beautiful," the slave complimented as she ran a fingertip over the embossed leather, the queen finding herself strangely transfixed by the movement. "And I enjoy the writing style but the story is a little trite," Emma explained, reaching up to rub her eyes, an action not lost on the queen.
"Your sight is poor?" A brow raised in surprise at the conclusion, an unknown weakness of her pet.
"Yes, Mistress. In my world I wore contacts, or glasses, eye glasses," Emma explained. "But only for reading." A smile was directed at the queen before Emma noted her confusion.
"Contacts?" Regina was familiar with the word, obviously, but it made no sense in the context in which the slave had used it.
"They are small flexible lenses that are tailored to an individual's eyes, you wear then directly over the eyeball, a transparent film, Mistress," Emma gave basic breakdown of the items in question, seeing the confusion clear to be replaced with understanding and possibly a little intrigue.
"They sound painful," Regina blinked, the idea of having anything touch her eye made her feel uncomfortable.
"They're not too bad, you get used to them," Emma shrugged, "and you can wear them whenever you want and they do not cover your face like glasses."
"Then I can see the appeal," Emma wasn't sure who was more surprised when the queen reached out and cupped the slave's cheek, thumb tracing the high arc of the blonde's cheekbone. "But it is good that you have little time for reading," Regina pulled her hand back and in one sentence reminded Emma of her place in this world.
"Yes, Mistress," Emma murmured, dropping her eyes. "But thank you, for letting me read."
"Well, I do not wish any more of my pets to fall ill and I was told that you are not an easy patient, slave," the queen sniffed.
"Sorry, Mistress. I just feel so bad about being here, in bed, where I am unable to fulfil my duties." Regina sensed only genuine fact in the words, no pandering.
"As am I, pet. But tonight I have need of your services. Wear the green dress and your hair up, the way I like," the queen ordered and Emma blinked, it was the first time her mistress had ever expressed a preference regarding her hair. "I want it clear who holds your allegiance" Ah, she wanted the collar visible, Emma concluded, of course that was it. "Wear your arm bands but keep you feet bare."
"Yes, Mistress. May I bathe?" Emma questioned, trying very hard to hide her excitement at the thought of finally getting out of bed.
"Of course, have the girl help you. I do not want you collapsing again," Regina sniffed as she stood to leave.
"Yes, Mistress," Emma replied, head bowed.
"I am expecting you to look your best, you are after all my property," Regina spent another moment observing the slave through narrowed eyes before leaving the room. Emma lay back on her pillows and used the time until Greta appeared to go over the conversation, trying to make sense of her mistress. Not that it helped, the queen was as mysterious and closed off as usual.
"Bath time! Greta popped her head into the slave's room and Emma couldn't help but smile at her friend.
"So I have been told," the slave replied as she swung her legs out of the bed, testing them gingerly before giving them her full weight. Weight, dammit if she hadn't lost more despite the potions the queen had been feeding her. She felt surprisingly good though, all things considered as she travelled on relatively steady legs into the bathing room, Greta hovering behind her.
"Oh, that feels good," Emma moaned as she waded into the warm water, settling herself against the edge and sinking below the water, blonde hair lying on the surface, a golden slick.
"I'm sure it does," the young wolf smiled and readied some oils and shampoo for the slave. "Here, you are to use these and those before you dress," a slender finger pointed at the toiletries and Emma raised her brows, not used to this level of pampering. Hell, not used to any consideration at all, trying to stay conscious was usually her main concern.
"Let me help," Greta had undressed and slipped into the pool behind the blonde, Emma frowned, only the queen was usually treated this way.
"What -?"
"Our mistress has instructed that you do not tire yourself before the banquet," Greta shrugged as she made a lather with the shampoo and started to apply it to Emma's hair, the blonde flinching slightly but allowing the attention. It was something she normally hated, hated having her hair touched by anyone but herself, or the queen she recalled with a frown. "Rinse." Emma closed her eyes and ducked under the water again, shaking her head to disperse the soap. "It needs a trim," Greta murmured as she examined the very tips of the slave's hair.
"Yeah," Emma snorted, "I haven't really had time to check into the salon lately," she joked.
"Sah-lon?" Greta frowned. "What is that?"
"Oh, a place where you pay to have your hair cut and nails done, skin treatments, stuff like that," Emma explained, once again reminded of her alien status.
"You must have been very wealthy to have been able to afford such luxuries, Emma," Greta replied as she massaged conditioning oil into the blonde's scalp.
"Yes, I was. I still am, I guess," Emma shrugged, mind lulled into relaxation by the girl's touches and the conversation stalled.
"I was afraid -," Greta hesitated and bit her lip.
"What?" What are you afraid of?" Emma spun around in the water so they were face to face, concern etching her refined features as she reached out to hold the girl's chin and flicking her eyes over the nubile body for signs of injury, or what she could see of it out of the water. "What did she do?" What had the queen done? Emma knew she herself could take pretty much anything but Greta was still inexperienced.
"Nothing," Greta looked off to the side and smiled softly but her eyes told her that something was bothering the young wolf. "It's nothing, turn around." Emma ignored the request until hands met her shoulders and she was physically pushed back to her original position, the water disturbed as she moved.
"I forget how strong you are," the blonde grumbled, momentarily distracted from the girl's previous words as she was wolf-handled.
"Well, you would do well not to, I doubt you could challenge me as you are," Greta teased playfully.
"I know," Emma sighed as she reached for some soap to clean the rest of her body.
"We thought you were going to die," the words were a whisper but the slave caught them, this time turning more slowly to face her friend. The girl was looking down at the gently rippling water, lip caught between sharp teeth as she worried it.
"What?" Emma was a little shocked by the information. Sure, she'd felt pretty shitty and banged up but -.
"You were so cold when you were brought back, the queen brought you into the water to try and warm you but -. Emma your heart stopped." The slave felt her legs lose strength and she would have fallen under the water if not for the instant reflexes of the wolf. "I think you would have died if the Queen hadn't given you some of her magic," Greta murmured as she took the blonde's weight.
Emma's thoughts were heavy, finding it hard to process what she was hearing.
"I -,"
"You did die," Red's voice rang clear as she entered the room. " Help her out, pup," she instructed the younger wolf. "Your heart stopped and the Queen channelled her magic until it started again," Red kept the explanation brief. It was not her place to inform that slave that it had almost cost the queen her own life, if just a little more magic had been required -. But, the wolf thought, she was probably the only one to realise how close that they had come to losing mistress and slave.
"That is all there is to say," Red's voice was firm. "Pup, that was out of line and if the Queen hears you will face punishment," she admonished and Greta whimpered, her wolf chastised and submissive to one her superior.
"She was just upset," Emma defended the girl.
"She doesn't have that luxury now," Red growled. She saw Emma as a friend but it was not her place to defend the girl. "Pup, help her dry," the older wolf was not at all happy about what had just transpired and if Emma had been feeling better she would have agreed. "Dry and use this, it removes hair. Mistress has requested you are hairless and oiled. Greta will help you with that when you are done. Hurry, pup as we are required to dress too."
Emma took the proffered jar, not wanting to irritate her friend further as Greta carefully dried her off. She seemed very stressed.
"It is an important occasion," Red sighed and leant against the stone lintel. "All the Queen's favoured nobles are attending and well, you know what happened last time." A sudden, purely animalistic growl reverberated around the stone walls. "Shhh!" She scolded Greta, the culprit. "You have been avenged but must remain on alert, we are to guard our mistress and her pet. You are lucky the Queen it letting you attend," she informed the younger wolf. "Clothes have been provided. Help Emma then you must hurry!"
"Yes, Red," Greta's rely was subdued and she nudged the blonde towards her own room. "Come, you must be ready when the Queen returns." Emma sighed but let herself be pushed around, she would save her energy for later. They were already in the slave's room when she heard the queen in the outer room speaking softly to Red but the conversation could not be overheard.
"Here, give me that," Greta had been silent and given Emma a little privacy when she had applied the oil Red had given her. Much to the blonde's delight it had dissolved any unwanted hair without a trace, had she been at full strength it would have been much more impressive but today it was just another thing to accept about the world she was living in.
A low moan was the only sound as Greta massaged the oil into Emma's still very naked skin, strong fingers releasing aches and tension she hadn't noticed she had.
"Relax, let me help you," Emma just grunted as she let the girl work, rubbing the slightly musky scented oil into every patch of skin. "You look better." Green eyes looked up to see the young wolf studying her as she sniffed the oil. "Magic," she smiled. "Lucky you." Emma gave another grunt as she stretched and slowly bounced on the balls of her feet, much to Greta's delight as she enjoyed the show and seeing her friend moving about relatively easily.
"Mmm, I do feel better," a reflection caught in the mirror showed the slave that a healthy glow had returned to her skin, the sickly paleness gone.
"But I must leave you so I can dress."
"Yes, go. And thanks, for everything," Emma caught shy blue eyes and smiled. She was young but her heart was in the right place.
"No problem, just doing what I was told," a wink and the girl was gone leaving Emma to her own devices.
Regina was dressed and ready, lounging in her favourite chair as Greta passes, bobbing curtsey before she was dismissed to change.
"Come," she called, signalling for her pet to emerge from her room. And emerge she did. Regina's sex clenched at the sight of her pet, blonde hair immaculately styled to expose the smooth, graceful curve of her neck, collar reflecting the light as it encircled her throat. Then the dress -. Well, the queen let her eyes rove over the emerald silk, barely modest but well cut to the slave's mid thigh, cloth draped perfectly to accentuate both breasts and buttocks.
"Turn," Emma did as requested, turning slowly on the spot, arms held by her side. Regina smiled as the open back showed the slave's tattooed, muscled back and also obvious lack of under garments.
"You approve, Mistress?" The slave enquired as she dropped to her knees opposite the queen, the blonde knowing exactly how good she looked in the roman style dress, especially now she didn't look like she was ready for the grave.
"I do," Regina smirked, eyes drinking in the delicacies that were for her enjoyment alone, a crooked finger and the blonde dropped to all fours and crawled closer, dress falling open at the front and revealing the slave to her queen. "Oh, your obedience pleases me." A pause as a finger idly traced the patterns on the slaves arm cuffs, the blonde having settled back on her heels. "But, forget your place again and nothing will save you. Do you understand?" Dark eyes bored into green and the queen's lip curled into a snarl as she waited for a reply.
"Yes, Mistress," Emma bowed her head and hoped her tone had conveyed the sincerity of her words. She didn't want to die here, again. The thought sobering.
"Here," a startled look as a cold weight was pressed into her palm. "This may be strapped to your thigh, concealed." Emma looked down in disbelief at the small but finely crafted dagger she had been handed. "I will have the wolves but experience has taught me never to be unprepared. Oh -," Regina placed a finger under the slave's chin and pushed it to an unnatural angle. "It will not harm its mistress," she cautioned the slave. "It may even curse the person who is so foolish."
"I understand, Mistress," Emma replied, knowing exactly what the queen referred to, just not the form the curse would take but she would never chance to find out. "May I?"
"You may," Regina watched as the weapon was deftly strapped to her pet's thigh, the leather strap expertly adjusted so that the weapon was invisible under her dress.
"Then we shall go,"
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Next on The Collar
"Your Majesty, I have someone I wish you to meet," Regina raised a brow, curious as the lord searched the crowd with his eyes before a summoning wave was executed. "May I present my daughter, Eva," he bowed and the young girl that had appeared from the crowd performed a delicate curtsey before standing demurely in front of the royal party, hands clasped in front of her, eyes down.