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Third person POV

Regina got closer and closer to figuring out a way to stop Zelena whilst reuniting both women with their children, but in getting closer to the answer, she's been drifting near insanity.

She's been getting less sleep, she's refused to eat unless she's had a breakthrough, and it's hard to get her to focus on anything.

David and Snow were hosting a bit of a party to ease the tension and make everyone feel welcome, but it took everything she had to convince Regina to come. Regina emerged from her research room with dark circles under her eyes, she was slouching and constantly yawning, and her eyes were red.

"What do you want?" She grumbled,"I'm working, like you've failed to do for the past…month and a half?"

"Two months. You clearly need a rest. Then a break. You really should attend the party. Everyone will wonder where you've gone."

"Let them. I'd rather spend my time in here than out there watching the dwarves glare at me."

"They won't glare at you."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I might've told them where to shove it when they talked about you."

"You did that?"

"You expect so low of me. Now can you please? I need a date."

"Why not have Charming play the part?"

"Because I already told everyone we were splitting up." Regina's jaw slacked slightly in shock, and a little bit of glee. "If you weren't holed up in your room for nearly weeks at a time, you would've known. This really isn't healthy, and now that we're trying whatever this is, I want to make sure you're okay."

"Well, I'm fine. Maybe I can let loose a little bit with your party, anyway." Snow's eyes shimmered, before she hugged Regina tightly.

"I can't let loose if your removing my capacity to breath." Snow laughed sheepishly and dusted off Regina's black and purple gown.

"Thank you."

"At least I can kiss you publicly now. Maybe make your darling Charming a little jealous…"

"No snogging in public. Okay, maybe a few kisses, but you know what I mean." Regina laughed before shutting her door again.

"No, Regina you need to get ready, the party starts in two hours."

"Come on, I'm so close."

"This will all be here when you get back. You're gonna need some makeup over those sleepless eyes," Snow joked.

"Ha ha," Regina replied sarcastically. "Do what you must, as long as there is no pink makeup of any kind involved in this."

"Deal," Snow laughed. She dragged Regina off by the arm and into the east wing, to Snow's bed chambers.

"Sit," Snow instructed. Regina took a seat in front of the vanity, littered with perfumes, makeups, and jewelry.

"What am I gonna wear?"

"Oh right. We can go find something." Snow grabbed Regina's hand once more and bounded out the door, winding past maids eyeing them skeptically. Once Snow was in Regina's room, she immediately dug around her closet, to find only blacks, navy blues, and plums.

"These aren't the best for our occasion, how about we find something in my closet." Regina started to get flustered, spitting out empty words.

"You'll be fine. If it helps, you look good in anything."

"Especially when I'm naked," Regina remarked in a whisper. Snow smacked her on the arm playfully and giggled pleasantly.

"No. Not tonight, you need sleep."

"I may need sleep, but I always fall asleep faster when I'm tired, dear." Snow blushed and slapped her on the arm again.

"Stop it, I'm not caving."

"Come on, princess, how long's it been?"

"Too long, but we need to address the issue at hand, and that is what you're wearing." Snow dragged a giggling Regina behind her and yanked her back into Snow's chambers. She watched Regina sit and watch her through the mirror. Snow dug around in her wardrobe, and pulled out a few dresses she couldn't remember wearing, but it looked like they could fit Regina's shapely form.

"What do you think," Snow wondered. Regina stood up and looked at the dresses. "I think the white one will look good on you."

"I kind of like that blue one." Regina pointed to a dress in the centre. It had gold trim, an illusion neckline, and it reached her knees, with a slit on the side.

"Sure, go try this on." Regina turned around and Snow unfastened her corset. Regina went back behind the wood partition settled in the corner.

"So how does it fit," Snow asked hopefully. She heard Regina sigh, and reluctantly walked out into the open. Snow nearly choked on air. The blue gown fit her perfectly and flaunted her legs. Snow couldn't take her eyes off her. Regina sashayed over to her and turned around, giving Snow a full view of her back.

"Like what you see? Given a bit more thought to my offer after the party?" Snow physically shook herself.

"No, you need sleep. I'm making no exceptions."

"Not even one?"

"Not once." Regina rolled her eyes and grumbled. "Now it's time for makeup and hair."

"I don't need you to do my hair," Regina protested.

"Fine, then I'll help you decide what to do with it. Now sit." Regina watched her pull out brushes and small containers of powders, and she couldn't help but complain.

"You're so bossy," Regina muttered grumpily.

"Oh lighten up, no matter what, all eyes will be on you tonight."

"I'm not too sure that'll be a good thing, now that I've stolen Prince Charming's True Love."

"They won't even look at you like that, they'll be too jealous of me."

"They sure will. No doubt you'll look fetching, as always."

"Not because of me. Because I'm dating the most dazzling woman they'd ever laid eyes on." Regina felt the pressing urge to vomit in disgust. "Hey, you signed up for the cheesy lines, not me." Snow pulled Regina forwards by the neck and put on a bit of makeup over her closed eyes.

"I know, but still." Regina almost gagged. "I need to teach you how to use lines better lines."

"Please, yours aren't any better. Yours consist of sexual innuendos and horrible pickup lines." Snow forced Regina's lips open and swiped them with a tube of lipstick.

"Like you said, you signed up for this, not me." Snow laughed and brushed a powder over Regina's annoyed face with a grin.

"I think I'm done. How does it look." Regina glanced over to the mirror. Varying shades of blue eye makeup highlighted her brown eyes, made perfect by the black eyeliner finishing in a wing. Her lips were painted with a less prominent shade of red.

"Thank you. This isn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"Oh please, you love it."

"Okay fine, it's…pretty."

"You can't say it, can you? You're too prideful to admit you were wrong."

"Exactly, now can we get to the hair?" Snow laughed and pulled out some hair clips out from a drawer.

"So, what are we thinking? I can pull this bit back, I can put this part in a ponytail, I can do a braid down the side…"

"How about a hairpiece? Just a hairpiece."

"Sure. How would you feel about flowers?"

"…fine, I guess." Snow leapt up excitedly.

"I'll be right back then. Stay here." She ran out of the room and down to the gardens, grabbing a fistful of white and blue flowers, then ran back inside.

"Okay, I'm back," Snow panted. "How about these? Before you object, these are the only ones matched the dress and makeup."

"Alright, I guess." Snow grinned invitingly and weaved the stems together.

"I'm finished. I just hope Abigail doesn't complain. These were her favourite flowers, and they may or may not have come from the patch of soil she claimed in the palace gardens." Regina laughed.

"Snow White stealing flowers. That's a story both I did and didn't think I'd hear."

"Just like I thought I'd never hear the story Snow White steals the Evil Queen's heart."

"Touché." Regina watched in the mirror as Snow placed the flower crown on her head. Snow bent down behind her, her mouth breathing hotly over her ear. Regina shuddered.

"Exquisite," Snow whispered sweetly, scrunching her nose in her smile like a bunny. She always adored that smile. Regina turned hastily, but Snow quickly backed away.

"Now, I need to get ready. See you in there?"

"Of course." Regina stood up.

"Wait, you need shoes." Snow rushed to her closet. "How about these?" She held up a pair of baby blue heels that matched the dress.

"Sure." Regina put them on and slipped out of the room.

"Wait, hold on. Help me with my corset?" Regina chuckled and turned around, swiftly untying the laces and leaving.

"I need help tying it back up after," Snow said quietly. Regina laughed louder this time and waited as Snow changed behind the partition. She heard shuffling fabric and the clicking of beads mashing together. She emerged a minute later in a dusty rose off-shoulder dress with clear beads hanging off the top; over her chest. The dress touched her ankles and hugged her body. She turned and Regina had stop the drool threatening to drip out of her mouth. After her strings were done up tight, she swept Snow's long hair to one shoulder, while she leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

"You're absolutely gorgeous." Snow laughed.

"No comparison to you," she said earnestly. Regina grinned and blushed.

"I'll be in the ballroom, I'm sure they'll need my help somewhere." Snow nodded and bent over the vanity to choose her earrings.

Surprisingly, the princesses had the decorations hung up already, the food was nearly ready, and David hauled in the last of the flower arrangements for the few tables sprinkled around the room. The three thrones at the front were decorated by colourful garlands and paper lanterns. It was certainly an unusual situation they found themselves in, but they didn't see why they couldn't have three rulers, even if one was the now ex-husband to another, who was currently dating the third.

She missed the ballrooms before the big gatherings, when everything was decorated before people were there. It felt organized and peaceful.

She stood in the middle of it all, taking everything in when Snow waltzed in. Her hair was curled, with small tendrils pinned back, and a cornflower-blue pendent around her neck. Her makeup was light, a simple dusting of blush to her milky skin, and a bit of pink eye makeup. She met eyes with Regina from across the room, shrugged slightly, and grinned. She couldn't stop grinning back, before she retrieved her from the doorway.

"M'lady. It's a pleasure seeing you here." Regina held out a bent arm to her.

"Pleasure's all mine," Snow said silkily, accepting the arm offered to her, as people began piling into the ballroom. They sat at the front, in the thrones. David was in his throne, off to Regina's left, and Snow was at Regina's right. They watched the people catch up with one another, eat, dance, and drink. If this wasn't a curse to them all and the royals without their children, then it would seem like normal. Happier than normal, even.

Regina could see Snow was getting restless. Her foot bounced under her dress, and her fingers were tapping on the wood throne.

"Care to dance," Regina asked. Snow instantly beamed at her.

"I'd love to." Regina took Snow's hand and tried to ignore David's searing look at her back. Eric had requested he played the piano for music, and someone had even chimed in saying that they wanted to play the fiddle with the prince.

The music instantly slowed as they stepped foot in the centre of the room. It took a second for Regina to remember the steps, but she fell into pattern quickly, like she never left. She spun Snow around and watched her beaming smile.

"Everyone's looking at you," Snow whispered with pride.

"No, I believe it's you they're watching." Sure enough, hundreds of pairs of eyes were scanning the princesses face, her body language, and her happiness she showed towards the formerly evil Queen.

"No, they're looking at you," Snow sighed. Anyone who wasn't inspecting the Princess were scrutinizing the Queen with contempt.

"Let them glare at me. I'm the one with the exceptionally winsome girl in my arms." Snow laughed.

"I could say the same thing."

"Those people don't know that." Regina looked at the people turning in her blurring vision, and was met by a ruthless glare from Widow Lucas. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, they should know that they're absolutely blind." Snow swept her up in a kiss, gentle at first, then deep and desire-full."

"I thought you said 'no snogging.'"

"That was before. This is now. And I can admit I had a little bit more wine than I've been letting off." Regina gasped dramatically.

"How absolutely unexpected," she said in a horrible accent, bringing a hand to her forehead and tilting it back.

"Shut up and kiss me," Snow murmured. And Regina did just that.