So, long wait this time. Sorry!
Been sick and dealing with a series of household disasters which have sucked up all my spare time lately.
On with the story now and thank you all for the amazing reviews for the last chapter.
Yes, Emma may have lost the bet but it does not mean that she has lost the war so to speak. I've written going on 270k words and covered a few months. With my writing style had I gone the full year we would still be reading it in 10 years time so I elected to begin the start of a balanced SQ relationship sooner rather than later.
Upcoming chapters will see a rapid evolution of their relationship in many ways and I have some interesting things planned for the pair which I hope you will enjoy!
Xxxxxx
Previously on The Collar
The first thing Emma felt when she woke was her face crashing against cold stone. She struggled, panicking as she had no idea what was happening, the last thing she remembered was passing out in the queen's chambers, then Red's voice -?
Red fared no better as she found herself restrained and hanging upside down in mid-air. She knew it was the queen's magic but it was when she saw her mistresses face that she feared for her life.
Regina had calmed down after a couple of glasses of apple brandy. Calmed enough to recall the magical coupling that had taken place and deduced that the magical shockwave Red had described must have been the end result. She herself could not remember any of the details and that was very concerning to the queen. To have no memory of the several hours afterwards could have, did put her life in danger.
When she had regained control of her emotions she went to check on Red and her pet, correctly ascertaining that Red would have taken Emma to her rooms. What she had not expected to see was the two young women snuggled up in Red's large bed, her slave still naked and being spooned by her wolf. It was too much and Regina's already fragile control exploded for the fourth time that day.
She was beyond furious, she literally saw red, anger clouding her vision, ripping the sleeping couple apart with her magic. She couldn't work out whom she was most enraged with. Her wolf who she had rescued, cared for and trusted? Or her pet? The one whose magic had bonded with her own? So, she decided to take it out on them both and transported them to her dungeon. Her real, torture them until they confessed or died dungeon.
Red panicked when she found herself suspended upside down in a cage so small her flesh pressed against the rusty metal straps forming her prison, she could barely move, the smell of stale blood burning in her nostrils. Even at wolf's time she was never chained and the beast in her fought for it's freedom, thrashing so hard the cage spun wildly and the iron cut into her flesh. In all her years with the queen she'd never been a prisoner here. But, she knew what happened to people who were and she hadn't been restrained this way since -.
A howl rent the blackness and the wolf renewed her struggle tenfold.
"Red! Red! Easy wolf," Emma's soothing calls eventually cut through her panicked haze, Red forcing herself to calm down. Heaving breaths gradually slowing until she was still, enhanced eyes searching the inky blackness for her friend.
Emma was faring little better, Red saw her shackled to the damp wall, massive chains weighing down her slim frame.
"Relax, I'm sure we won't be here long once she calms down," the slave trying to justify the queen's extreme actions. "I said take it easy!" Emma's harsher words finally breaking through Red's panic. Emma sighed with relief as she heard the wolf's movements calm.
"I've never been in here before," Red's words were rushed and panicked and Emma's heart went out to the wolf. "All I can smell is blood and death!" Another round of thrashing following but this time Emma let her friend get it out of her system before attempting to speak again, the slave had already ascertained that her own chains were bolted onto her wrists and were not going to come off even if Emma dislocated her thumbs. Not a prospect she had been relishing but a means to an end.
"She's scared and pissed, wolf," Red's eyes searching for the slave once her cage stopped its spinning. "Next time she tries to prove a point make sure to dress me first," Red barked, a hysterical sound that could have been mistaken for laughter under differing circumstance.
"When the queen gets scared people die, Emma," Red sighed, the rusty metal biting into her skin. "It's how she protects herself, by removing the threat." Emma frowned, yes, she has reasoned as much but to hear the queen's second in command voice the fact was not reassuring.
Emma was under no illusion as to how much she was valued by the queen. Yes, she possessed many skills that others did not and had a penchant for the queen's games but now that it was apparent Emma also possessed magic, unwittingly marking herself as an unknown threat.
"Red?" Emma murmured, knowing the wolf would hear her. "How do you use magic?" Red blinked despite the darkness, surprised by the question.
"Um -," the wolf paused, not sure sharing such information was wise right now.
"Please?" Emma persisted, sensing her friend's reservations. "I just want out. I -. I can't -." It was then Red extended her senses and realised Emma was a lot more stressed than she was letting on. She was terrified.
"You can feel it inside and then you reach for it, sometimes it's harder than others and takes practice -." Red was cut off by an explosion of light, so bright in the darkness that it blinded her. A cry as she fell to the rough stone floor, suddenly free of iron. "Emma?" The wolf found her feet and used her nose to search for the slave.
"I'm fine," Emma managed to gasp, the blast had knocked her off her feet.
"You're not fine, you're bleeding," Red scuttling over to where the slave was kneeling, blood seeping from the broken skin on her wrists and knees. But, like the wolf, she was unchained.
"I'm fine," gentle hands were pushed away and, bracing herself against the probably mould slick wall, Emma found her feet.
"Here," Red murmured, seeing the slave shivering the wolf removed her shirt and held it out to her friend leaving her in just a thin undershirt. "Here," Red repeated, thrusting the soft, still warm cotton into her hand, remembering that Emma would be totally blind in the windowless, underground chamber. A fumble and Emma grasped the material. "Let me," now Red was free she seemed to be the calmer of the two and took a moment to help the blonde into the shirt, easily locating the head and arm holes and easing it over Emma's thick hair.
"Thanks, you're not bad ya know. For a wolf," Emma nudged her elbow out in what she assumed was the right direction, Red hissing at the contact. "Sorry," she apologised, realising that however Red had been bound it may have been more severe than her own chains.
"Way too small bird cage," Red replying with unwarranted humour, guessing her friend's thoughts.
"Ouch!" Emma snorted. "Now, where's the fucking door"
"We should really wait here," Red bit her lip, not wishing to anger the queen further.
"And is 'here' somewhere that she is likely to visit us within the next hour or in a week or two?" Emma growled. "You did nothing wrong!"
"Neither did you," Red shrugging at the injustice of the situation but offering no further criticism.
"From what I remember, no I didn't," Emma sighing, the words bitter but resigned.
"Wait -," Red paused by the door she had easily led them to, "what is the last thing you remember?"
"I -, I'm not sure," Emma murmured, looking towards the wolf's voice. "I can't tell what was real and what was an after-effect of whatever shit that fucking fairy did to me."
"Well, I think you got well fucked and whatever magic happened caused the queen to black out too. I think that's why she is so upset. She lost control and it scared her," Red summarised, rather accurately.
"Yeah, well -." Emma sighed, not having the energy to analyse things further right then."Can you open it?" The slave switching topics as she heard Red rattle a heavy door.
"Hang on!" Red strained but found her natural strength curbed by enchantments. "No!" A fist met wood and blood was spread on splinters. "Dammit!"
"Magic?" Emma assuming from Red's reactions.
"Yes, I'm not sure how your magic actually worked in here," the wolf standing straight, fingers flexing as she eyed the door in disgust.
"Maybe -," Emma frowned. "Stand back," Red taking one look at the slave's look of concentration and quickly slipping behind the blonde. Emma focused and held up her hand, palm out, arm outstretched and 'pushed'.
Nothing happened.
"What did you do last time?" Red urging her friend to reconnect with that moment.
"I -," a blast so forceful it threw them backwards escaped from Emma, splintering the door and leaving it in shards, barely hanging from the frame as it was silhouetted in the torchlight seeping from the hallway.
"Never mind, now what the hell are we going to do? She's definitely noticed that!" Red querying as she helped Emma to her feet.
xxx
In fact Regina had not noticed the use of magic by her slave.
When she was alone Regina spun around, surveying the damage in her chamber before letting her magic escape, the pressure too much to bear any longer. The whole palace shaking with the force and Regina heard her guards mobilise, believing that they were under attack.
"My Queen!" Braxas and a bevy of guards announced their presence by the clatter of boots in the hallway.
"You are not needed, Braxas," the dismissal carrying through the heavy oak. Braxas now doubly concerned, two blasts of magic and where was Red?
"But My Queen -," the soldiers were blown back by a fierce blizzard, appearing out of this air and driving icy flurries into their faces, Braxas having enough experience of the queen's temper to be relatively certain she was not in danger so motioned a retreat. He did not wish to be responsible for his soldiers being punished on the queen's anger driven whim.
Taking another look around her chaos strewn chambers Regina was hit by a wave of exhaustion and staggered, catching herself, steadying hand on the wall before her strength gave out, back sliding down the cool stone and body curling into itself, forehead resting tiredly on her knees.
What was going on? Regina took a shaky breath, a tear escaping as she tried to quell the panic rising within. She was nothing without her magic. She wasn't sure how much time passed as she meditated, calming her body and analysing her magic. It was still there, still as strong as ever but more wilful and uncontrolled than it had been since she was a girl and still developing her skills.
A knock on the outer door startled her but she recognised its origin.
"Braxas, you may enter," her commander heard the order and tentatively slipped through the door, warily eyeing the disarray he found inside.
"My Queen!" His concern was genuine as he rushed across the room. "Who injured you? Where is Red, she should be here! Protecting you!"
"Silence!" The word carrying force despite Regina's exhaustion. "Red and my slave are locked in the lowest dungeon for their own safety where they will stay until I see fit to release them. I am unharmed but my magic -." A breath. "My magic has been adversely affected by the attack from Snow White and her morons. I have faith it will settle once their threat is far removed." A tight smile and nod dismissed her captain. "Until then the palace is on total lock-down. No one enters or leaves without my express permission."
"Of course, My Queen!" Braxas saluted before exiting the room, leaving Regina alone.
A resigned sigh as the door thudded closed, Regina staring vacantly around, eyes eventually settling then focusing on an item on the table beside her chair. A simple wave and it was nestling in the palm of her hand.
"I need to speak with you. Here." A nod as eyes glittered in its depths before the mirror went dark.
Several moments passed as the queen composed herself, testing the boundaries of her magic and finding it as reactive and controllable as normal. "Enough of this foolishness!" Regina berated herself magicking herself to her tower where she began to pace restlessly in anticipation of her guest's arrival.
xxx
"I need some answers," the slave replying, staring into Red's troubled green eyes. "You can either help me find my way out of these tunnels or I'd understand if you feel the need to arrest me," Emma held her arms out, wrists still seeping blood, eyes locking on Red's challenging the wolf to do her duty. Red eyed the offering before reaching out and clasping Emma's arms, strong fingers circling above the injuries. Emma frowning, the wolf dipping her head, dark hair obscuring her actions.
A sharp intake of breath as Emma felt a hot, rough tongue lave her skin, trying to pull away she was met with a tightened grip and a warning growl as the abused skin continued to be licked. Emma decided to allow her friend to continue, she didn't have the physical strength to resist the wolf's attentions. When Red finally pulled back her teeth were elongated and eyes flickering yellow in the torchlight.
"All clean!" A wolfish grin as Red enjoyed the shocked look on her friends face. "You'd rather not catch a blood disease from those rusty chains now would you?" Emma could only shake her head, having found the encounter, confusing.
"All for practical reasons I can assure you," Red winking at her friend's obvious arousal. "But put it back in your pants for the Queen. I really don't want to go through that again!" A gesture referred to their recent incarceration.
"No, I, uh -" Emma stammered, blinking as she swallowed.
"Follow me," Red smirking as she set off through the dank passageways, intimately familiar with every inch of the palace, slowly leading them along routes she knew would be unpopulated at this time of the evening. Emma tailing her friend, slinking between shadows almost as effectively as the wolf until they reached the main corridors that were much more heavily guarded.
"Red!" The pair turned to see Greta jogging towards them, Belle in tow as usual. "Where have you been? What's happening? The Queen -,"
"Shhh, we don't have time now, pup," Red's eyes flicking anxiously to see if they had been detected by anyone else. "Go to the stables and stay there until either I or the Queen summons you directly. It's not safe here at the moment." The wolf hurriedly explained, trusting the pup to pick up on the unsaid and obey without question.
"Take Belle," yellow eyes flickering to the slave then back to Greta. "Stay out of trouble! Now go!"
"Yes Red," Greta took a moment to catalogue her friends' injuries before reaching for Belle's arm and tugging her away from the older women. "We need to go, come."
Belle followed willingly but not without a backward glance at the two young women she looked up to and admired. Both looked beaten and bloody, emma only half dressed, and even Belle had felt the magical explosions that had been wracking the palace. Something bad was happening she was sure but trusted Greta enough to follow unquestioningly.
"Emma?" Red's eyes widening as they caught a glimpse of the slave as they reached the upper level of the palace, not far from the queen now.
"What?" The blonde frowning.
"Um, you're kind of glowing," Red gesturing to draw the slave's attention the faint silver light emanating from the blonde's skin.
"Shit!" Emma growled as she waved her arm around, observing the phenomenon. "There goes stealth mode, huh? That would have been useful down there!" She chuckled, Red shaking her head at the humour, despite its ill-placed timing.
"I think we've been spotted anyway," the wolf nodding her head, Emma spinning to see four guards running towards them from the queen's private corridor, another phalanx forming a barrier in front of the massive doors, the queen's apple tree insignia an imposing backdrop rearing behind them.
"Stand down!" Red barked, stepping in front of Emma. "Now!" The wolf snarled, teeth snapping.
"Stand your ground!" Braxas adding his voice to the chaos as he charged up behind them. "I can't let you through." The commander adding his body to those blocking the way to the queen.
"Braxas!" Red growled, stepping forward, shoulders tense. "As your Alpha I order you to stand down!"
"No, wolf. You may be Alpha but until the Queen makes it official I still outrank you!" The soldier hefting his sword and settling into a fighting stance.
"Then you stand alone," Red snarled. "Leave!" The order sent a shiver down Emma's spine but its effect on the other soldiers was so much more. Eyes dropped along with weapons as the wolves had no choice but to obey their Alpha and slink off, shoulders slumped, trying to look as small as possible as they filed passed Red.
"I keep telling Her Majesty that it's not safe to have so many wolves on her guard," Braxas grumbled, still not backing down, the two warriors now preparing to fight, Red was weapon-less but Emma noticed her claws sliding from her fingertips and mien growing darker and more oppressive as she channelled her wolf.
"Wait!" Emma stepped forward, directly in front of Braxas.
"Stand back, Witch. Or I will end you!" The warning was serious and Emma did not doubt the man's ability to follow through to protect his monarch. "I know you were not to be trusted. How long have you been waiting for this?"
"Look at me," now Emma was the focus of the adversaries attention, her tone drawing them effortlessly to her. "I am going in there whether you let me or not. I've grown to respect you during my time here and would prefer not to hurt you. But you see -, I have magic and I have no real clue how to use it." As Emma spoke the energy field her magic had created around the slave began to buzz at a higher and higher frequency, reacting to the threat before her. "I don't want to hurt you but I really can't promise that I wont. I'm going to her regardless so either step out of the way with my assurance that I do not go with the intent to harm her."
A pregnant pause as Emma allowed her words to sink in, Red tense beside the slave. To be honest it had not even occurred to the wolf that Emma may wish the queen harm. It just didn't fit with what she knew but then -.
"If you cause her any harm I vow to spend the rest of my days bringing you to justice," Braxas snarled but straightened, sword dropping to his side.
"This was not planned, I have no idea what has happened to me. I just need answers," Emma's tone returned to the one she used as a slave, not a mistress and Braxas nodded.
"You've been through a lot, girl. But heed my warning," he reiterated before stepping back against the wall.
"The tower," Red gestured that Emma should follow her.
"No," Emma shook her head. "I need to do this, it's not your battle, wolf." Two pairs of green eyes locked before parting in silent understanding.
Xxxx
Next on The Collar
"You lose the bet," Regina stated as her slave came into sight.
"What?" Emma snorting in disbelief. "That's all you have to say?" Regina blinked at the outburst, taken aback by her slave's reply. "You totally lose control and all you can say to me is 'you lose the bet'?"