Sorry, I've been sick and this has taken much longer than planned to finish.
Here you go, hope this answers a few of your questions! We are coming up to an intense part of the story now, lots to happen including Snow making an appearance and lots more swan queen. Updates will resume on a regular schedule now I am caught up.
Enjoy x
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"Go through, give her whatever she needs," the queen ordered and Greta continued on towards the queen's bedchamber, seeing the slave's bed empty.
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Emma was woken by the sound of dishes rattling and a soft curse that announced the pup's presence.
"Sorry!" Greta muttered as she saw that she had disturbed her friend. "I'm glad you're not dead," the words followed by a wide smile. Emma tried her best to glare but it didn't come across very intimidating. "Red was really worried about you," the girl continued.
"I heard," Emma murmured, having heard snippets of conversation here and there throughout the day.
"Are you hungry? The Queen put me in charge of looking after you," Greta beamed but all she got from her friend was a groan.
"Not again," Emma whined, she liked the pup but Greta took her role of nursemaid very seriously. "I'm not hungry," the blonde confirmed. "Don't want to be puking on the Queen again," she sighed, grimacing at the memory.
"How do you feel?" Greta gave her friend the once over, or what she could see as Emma was covered to her chin in a light blanket.
"Sore," Emma winced as she tried to move, the dried blood making her skin itch. "Can you find out if I can bathe?"
"Are you serious?" Greta squeaked. "You almost died, you shouldn't even be talking to me. If you get worse Red will -."
"Red can bite me," Emma grumped as she rolled onto her side and sat up in the bed, covers falling away.
"Why would you want her to bite you? I don't think the Queen would like that, at all!" The pup was frowning and a little indignant, confused, but the shaking of Emma's head led her to believe it was another of the slave's strange phrases. Like 'Ok' and 'asshat' that seemed to fit a variety of situations. Sometimes when Emma was teasing her the slave said 'd'oh', when questioned on this it had been explained that the phrase originated from a fat yellow man who liked pastries with holes in called doughnuts, that did not really help the wolf's understanding, not at all!
"You're probably right," Emma cracked a half smile at the pup's indignant confusion as she sat in the bed cataloguing her body's injuries. Greta was busying herself with pouring the blonde a cup of water, when she turned back to offer it to Emma she paused in shock.
"What the -," the young wolf gaped as she saw Emma stand and stretch, wounds visible as the queen's dressings fell away but already looking well healed, well not gaping, fresh but not as serious as Greta had believed from the way they had looked -.
"A glamour and enchanted blades," the blonde explained, shrugging.
"Ooooooooh!" The pup nodding sagely, as thought that was the most banal explanation ever.
"Well," Greta handed Emma the cup of water, the blonde downing it in one, "the Queen told me to give you whatever you need so if that includes a bath then I don't see why you shouldn't."
"Ah, you decided to join us," Regina greeted Gabrielle as she entered through the open doorway, expression closed as the amazon surveyed the dark queen and her favoured wolf. Red looked relatively relaxed but there was a set to her posture that indicated all was not calm under the beautiful veneer the young woman was blessed with. "Alone?" Regina raised a brow, surprised to see her friend without the shadow of her lover.
"Yes," Gabrielle frowned but settled herself into the chair Regina gestured towards. "We ride out at dawn and she trusts nothing to chance."
"Where your safety is concerned?" Regina smiled, immediately guessing the warrior's motivation but the suggestion simply raised a shrug from the amazon.
"Where is your slave?" Gabrielle was not in the mood for small talk. "I will dine with you but please tell me if she will survive that torture!" The blonde queen scowling as she recalled Emma's grey pallor when she had been rushed away by Red. A glance at the wolf showed that she was listening but did not seem overly concerned and it reassured Gabrielle that Emma probably wasn't dead, yet.
"She is resting," was all Regina replied with an incline of her head towards the bedchamber. Gabrielle's eyes widening when she realised that Emma must be in the queen's own room, the door to the slave's chamber ajar and revealing an empty bed.
"I'm not so sure about that," Red murmured as she turned her attention towards the inner doorway.
"You must go back to bed, the Queen asked me to make sure you -" Greta's voice grew louder as she approached.
"I'm fine, pup," Emma could be heard teasing the young wolf as the couple entered the chamber, Greta trying to step in front of Emma and herd her back to bed. The slave had obviously bathed, damp hair pinned up in a casual plait.
The scene was broken by a deep chuckle, all eyes turning to the dark queen as she laughed at the efforts both her pets were going to observe their duties.
"If she is up then she knows that she is strong enough to be here. Come!" An elegant finger beckoned and Emma followed its course back to her mistress, coming to a stop by the side of her queen's chair. "I applaud your choice of clothing," Regina purred, reaching out to rub the black silk of the short robe between her fingers.
"It's loose and doesn't rub," Emma offered a brief explanation as to why she had chosen the robe, tied but hanging open between her breasts and cut off mid thigh.
"And you wear it so well, but you know that," Emma bowed her head but the smirk was made visible as she returned her gaze to the queen.
"Well, I assumed that you may wish to check on my wounds?" Emma queried, respectfully but with a fire in her eyes that gave Regina pause.
"Indeed, shall we?" A wave of her hand indicated that Emma should open the robe for the examination. Regina both relieved and disappointed to see her pet had covered her sex but her breasts were free, any clothing around her shoulders or ribs would cause pain for the foreseeable future.
Red and Gabrielle watched as the queen took her time meticulously examining the slave's thigh wounds before humming to herself, seemingly approving.
"Kneel," Emma bit her lip as she did as requested, the action causing a hiss of pain, muscles protesting and aggravating her injuries. "That will teach you not to be such an exhibitionist," Regina scolded but there was no malice in her words.
"Yes, Mistress," Emma replied, demurely, bottom lip still caught between her teeth, holding still as fingers pressed around the punctures. The remark earning her a calculating look from Regina, she was being teased, not that her pet was in any fit state to follow through but still -.
"How is this possible?" Gabrielle interrupted the near silence to question her friend. "She was severely wounded, close to death when Red pulled her down!"
"Oh, my friend," Regina purred. "You have so little faith in me,have you learned nothing?" Dark eyes turned to the amazon.
"Rest," Regina re-tied her pet's robe and indicated that Emma should take her customary place, kneeling by her mistresses side, the slave manoeuvring herself with much less grace than usual but obtaining the desired position with only some pain. A sigh leaving her as Emma relaxed against the queen's thigh, those fingers immediately freeing the slave's hair from its pins and combing it out before settling in for a more familiar caress.
Now that Gabrielle was seeing the queen with her pet in a more private setting, an intimate one she thought as she watched the two women interact, she understood what the day had achieved. It had made it clear that Emma was completely loyal to her queen. A queen who appeared not to value the slave more than any other. A slave who had impressed even the most seasoned amazon warriors and won the admiration and support of half the palace. A slave whose strength and endurance were now legendary, proving Emma to be a slave worthy of a queen. Her champion.
No words were exchanged between the two woman and Emma let her head fall back against the queen's thigh, Red watching the pair intently. It had not been so long ago that she taken that position.
"Regina!" Red jumped as the door to the queen's chamber burst open and a young blonde woman entered the room.
"Easy, my wolf," the queen's hand on her shoulder kept Red in place, the stranger pausing to survey the scene. Her friend, the queen, sat reading with a beautiful but young girl curled at her feet, book in hand. Red's intense green eyes met the green of the intruder. Who was this strange, rude woman who dared barge into her queen's chamber unannounced?
"Regina?" Gabrielle came to a stop, not expecting the queen to have company, the palace guards letting her pass, knowing the queen trusted her to have free access to the queen unless specifically told otherwise. The young blonde was a frequent and welcome visitor of their monarch whenever she returned from her travels.
"Yes?" The queen returned the question with one of her own.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were entertaining," the stranger flicked her eyes between the queen and the girl, lip curling in distaste.
"Well, we have yet to retire for the night so you may join us, if you wish?" The queen extended the invitation, brow cocked but received no answer as the door slammed closed behind the blonde, leaving Red alone with the queen. "Relax," the wolf felt fingers in her hair. "She takes offence that I would bed one so young," was the explanation for the stranger's hasty exit.
Red looked up at the queen, confused.
"Do not worry, my wolf," Red leaned into the hand cupping her cheek, seeking comfort and clarification from her protector,"you are here as my guest, nothing more. Unless you wish otherwise when you come of age, but I will never take such a choice away from you," the queen reassured the still timid girl. "Relax," the request was repeated. "We shall finish our reading then sleep," Red allowed the fingers in her hair to pull her head down so it was once again resting against the queen's thigh, closing her eyes instead of re-opening her book and the steady caress lulled her to sleep.
Both Red and Gabrielle jolted out of their memories as the queen spoke.
"This time you are forgiven as I purposely misled you but never abuse our friendship in such a way again. I know your nature but really, do you think so little of me?" Gabrielle shook her head, now seeing the ruse presented to her and the magic sparking in her friend's eyes as she took offence.
"Now I see your plan for what it is, I understand why it was necessary," Gabrielle acquiesced. "And I am sorry for doubting you, my friend." A sniff was all the dark queen offered in acknowledgement of the apology but it was enough. "Well played, my friend. Well played," Gabrielle gave credit where it was due. "And to you too, Emma. I apologise for questioning you, I can now see the advantages of taking such a position in this world."
"My pet is intelligent enough to know her best options for survival in my realm," Regina accepted the compliment on behalf of her pet. Emma was a true survivor and although her options had been extremely limited she had opted for one with a roof, food and the chance of returning home. Hobson's choice indeed. Had it not been for her training Emma would probably have chanced it on the outside of the palace but the queen had intrigued her and the deal was struck.
Even now it was not a decision she regretted, when questioned by the amazon queen her response had been defensive, not based on true feeling. The truth was, Emma mused as her scalp was massaged, that the queen was proving to be more and more intriguing as time went on.
"But I am fully aware that she neuters herself to fulfil her role," Regina admitted, her words surprising the other occupants of the room. "Maybe if she wins this wager we will see her unfettered, hmmm?" Dark eyes met green as mistress and slave surveyed each other.
"I do not think you would approve, Mistress," Emma narrowed her eyes and allowed her dominant side out to play, looking to her mistress before turning to gaze coolly at the amazon queen who was shocked by the different persona now staring back at her.
"Oh, I am intrigued but I believe you are correct, pet. If you did not submit so readily we both know that I would seek to break you in the worst possible way," Regina purred, the images her words conjured exciting both mistress and slave, Red and Greta exchanging glances as they picked up the scents.
The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their evening meal, conversation turning to mild topics but leaving minds free to contemplate the truths behind the words already spoken. Emma receiving a full meal via the queen who kept in almost constant contact with her pet.
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Next on The Collar
Belle had left the main palace building and jogged down to the barracks where the amazons were being housed. After spending a few hours saying her farewells and reassuring her comrades that she had not been raped or beaten and answering all the questions she could relating to Emma and the slave's state of health it was time to retire back to the palace.
"Enter," Greta looked up as her door opened after a brief knock, unsurprised to see Red's slave loitering in the hallway.
"Um -," Belle didn't really know how to proceed.
"Red's still all wound up, you can sleep here," Greta sighed, knowing that her friend was wolfed out right now.
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Oh, and a few people have been asking me how I imagine Greta would look and until recently I hadn't had an obvious real life person to compare her to but I think that Marie Avgeropoulo as Octavia Blake is as good as a comparison as I can find. She suits the body type and eyes. She kicks ass and has a lot of spirit and sass, there could also be a very real familial/wolf resemblance to Red but that is just my opinion. I can totally see her giving Red and Emma an eye roll or two.