Okay so this chapter was kind of a bitch to write. I'm not gonna lie, but here it is anyway! Enjoy and as always announcements at the end! (It's about the wedding and proposal)
Disclaimer: I don't have the pleasure of owning any of OUAT
"Please, Charming! You know it's the only way! We have to avenge our Emma. Our daughter." He sighed, seeing the logic in her words.
"Okay, fine. Do it." Snow nodded taking a deep breath before shouting.
"Rumplestiltskin!"
"Ah finally! I've been awaiting your call, dearies!" Rumple said with a small cackle that sent shivers up their spines. James took a step in front of Snow (as if that would help) and spoke to the imp.
"Enough! You know what we want, so name your price, beast!" Rumple just laughed again.
"I may be able to see the future but I'm no mind reader. You must tell what you so truly desire." James cast a glance at his wife. She took a deep breath before stepping forward, standing right next to Charming.
"We want to know a way to stop the Queen's Savior. A way to immobilize her and trap her here." Snow's voice never wavered as she made her request. She needed to do this. No matter what the cost was she needed to know what happened to her baby. Her Emma. The imp smiled and did a small jig.
"Ah haha. Now that wasn't so hard was it? As for a way to immobilize her that is very simple. But getting her here without the Evil Queen's knowledge is almost impossible." He raised an eyebrow wondering what the couple had in mind.
"You could conjure a cage of some sort! One that will contain her and keep magic from being used on it or in it. And we have a confidant that has infiltrated the Evil Queen's ranks. He will be given whatever it is that will stop her magic." Snow's words impressed him. They had obviously thought out everything except one itsy bitsy detail.
"How will she get here? I cannot simply waltz in there and take her. Regina and the girl are barely separate from each other." Rumple knew who the White Knight really was of course but what would be the fun in telling them?
"When she trains! We are told she trains alone, and away from the other guards. We get our man to catch her there." He thought for a moment. The plan itself had many flaws but it had a chance at actually working if they followed it to the letter.
"Well then! I will provide you with your magic proof cage and immobilizing charm but of course there is a price and because of the fact that I will also have to provide you with a portal, I require two." The beast clasped his hands in front of him smiling evilly.
"What are these two that you are talking about? What is it you want?" James bellowed at the sorcerer.
"All I require for our transaction is a price and a question, which must be answered truthfully and fully. Do we have a deal?" The Dark One stuck out his hand waiting for them to accept his offer, because they are just stupid enough to do it. He watched as the two royals turned to each other, discussing the agreement they were about to make. Rumple was getting bored and quite annoyed with the two.
"Any day now, dearies!"
"Fine! We accept. What is it you want from us?" He grinned as the man shook his hand, cackling as he asked the question. He snapped his fingers, unbeknownst to the Charmings, making him smirk at his own scheme. Oh what fun this is going to be!
"If you were to pick between that wee little child you will have growing inside your stomach or your beloved long lost daughter, who would you choose?" The looks of shook were quite obvious on the faces of the couple standing in front of him.
"What are you talking about?!" and "What child?" Were shouted at him by two very ignorant parents.
"Ah yes! You should know within 9 months you shall have another little Emma in your presence! So answer the question, and if you don't believe me use that gender test that you receive from your Charming's mother." He watch as Snow ran to a drawer in the room holding it above her palm, James standing right next to her, smiling with joy as it began to swing. They looked at each other with such elation they completely forgot about the other presence in the room who was now smirking at them.
"The question! Which would you choose? The fetus or your lost daughter? Answer truthfully." He smiled watching the two struggle with the decision. With one final glance at each other Snow spoke up, while Charming placed his hand atop hers on her stomach.
"We love our Emma very much but now we have another chance to do it again. Without the pain of losing her to that retched queen! We would pick… our little second chance that is growing as we speak. We don't even know if Emma is in fact alive anyway." Rumple laughed gleefully, casting a quick glance to the mirror before refocusing on the royals, not bothering to correct Snow's slip up. She'll find out soon enough.
"Oh I can assure you that your daughter, Emma, is very much so alive." With that sentence he snapped his fingers again, blocking all mirrors from being accessed while they discussed the rest of the deal.
"Where is Emma?" Snow shouted. Knowing her daughter was alive and another was on the way gave her immense joy.
"Oh your majesty, I cannot tell you where she is, for that was not a part of our deal. Now! As for the second part, I requite a hair from you, your dear husband and, when your child is born, one from her head as well."
"What could you possibly need one of our hairs for? Why our child?" Charming remained behind his wife with one hand on her stomach.
"That is for me to know and you to never find out, dearies. Now." Rumple waved his hands, producing a small glass jar and held it out to them. "If you could place a single strand of hair in here." When neither made a move to do so he disappeared in a cloud of smoke appearing behind them. He gave a tug at Snow's head making her yelp in surprise. The couple spun around, James standing protectively in front of Snow with his sword raised. "Ah ah ah. We made a deal. Now you must pay up." Charming lowered his sword as the imp walked toward him, quickly pulling a hair from his head. He bottled the hairs together, watching as they wove around each other, emitting a purple light.
"There you have what you want. Now give us what we want." Snow said from behind her husband. The Dark One snapped his fingers and a single cuff appeared in his hand.
"Here you are, dearies. This will stop the White Knights magic and she will not be able to take it off. Once it is securely in place it will transfer her here, to the cage." He snapped his fingers again before speaking. "And now there is a magic proof cage sitting in your throne room. Magic will not be able to open the cage and once inside magic cannot be used. Here is the only key. Good luck!" He said before disappearing from the room with a giggle.
Charming stared at the key before looking to Snow.
"Are you ready for this? Ready to finally know what the Evil Queen has done to our daughter?" He asked nervously.
"I've been ready. And now we will finally have out revenge. We just have to get this cuff to Neal somehow." She held up the cuff, looking at it, before smiling. "And I think I know just how to do it."
…
After dinner, Emma was staring at the ceiling while she waited for Regina to finish her queenly duties. When she heard the chamber door open she perked up a bit upon seeing her wife enter the room.
"How'd it go?" Emma watched as the brunette walked into their bathroom without answering.
"I swear they never learn. How difficult is it to serve food without dropping it?" She heard Regina washing her hands and frowned.
"Babe, did you take her heart?" Not that Emma really cared. The girl dropped all the food and started crying immediately after, without even picking up the food first. She saw Regina appear in the doorway of the bathroom with her hands on her hips.
"No, I did not. I just taught her to walk without stumbling like an idiot and made sure the food got to the table in a timely manner. Honestly, how is it that the idiocy rate is going down with each new servant? It's absolutely preposterous!" Regina walked toward the bed, never breaking stride, as a cloud of purple smoke surrounded her, ridding her of her dress. Emma eyed the queen warily, knowing she was frustrated from the day's events and that usually lead to rough, hungry, long sex that left Emma trembling, satisfied and exhausted. Frustrated Regina equals dominating Regina, not that Emma was complaining. She stayed perfectly still as the brunette crawled onto the bed, straddling her with a grin on her face.
"Do I even want to know how you taught her that lesson?" Her hands instantly finding themselves on luscious hips. She watched as Regina leaned down, coming an inch away from her face.
"Mmm, most likely not. But know that she will never drop another tray for as long as she lives."
"And how long will she live?" Emma asked with a smile in her face.
"For as long as I allow it. And as for you, don't think I've forgotten of your punishment. You will not sway me so easily, dear." She flicked her wrist and Emma found she was completely nude. She smirked at her wife, provoking her.
"Well if this is my punishment then, by all means, bring it on." She watched as Regina brought a finger up to her lips, silently telling her to open her mouth. The blonde took the finger in her mouth sucking it and releasing it with a pop. She shivered when the brunette trailed the finger down her throat, past the valley between her breasts to rest at her navel.
"You think yourself so clever, don't you? Think that I will just give you pleasure with a bit of pain and that will be your punishment? Well then. Maybe I should… rectify those thoughts. Know this, dear, you are at my mercy. I will do what I want with you, whenever I want. Everything you fell, whether it be pleasure or pain, is a gift I have bestowed upon you, a gift I have allowed you to feel. So do not take my generosity toward you as mercy because I assure you, you are wrong." By the end of Regina's speech Emma was breathing hard, very hard. Regina knew what it did to Emma when she spoke to her like that. Yes, both of them to control in the bedroom at a pretty even spilt but Emma would be lying if she said Regina controlling her in bed didn't turn her on immensely. She stared into brown eyes and gulped as a smirk appeared on her wife's face. God she's so sexy. And that voice… it's so fuckin' hot but she scares the shit outta me at moments like this. But damn is it a turn on.
"So what are you gonna do now, my queen? You gonna whip me? You gonna tie me up? You've done it all before, babe." Emma had obviously lost all sense of self-preservation as she decided to egg on the domineering queen. She grew more frightened and more aroused, if it were possible, as she watched the brown eyes go completely black. She gave Emma a wicked smile and flicked her wrist, binding Emma wrists to the headboard.
"You, my dear, have no idea what I am capable of when I have the right motivation." Regina stretched her body on top of Emma's, placing her mouth right next to the knight's ear. "And right now I'm feeling especially inspired." Emma opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything a voice sounded from behind them.
"If you were to pick between that wee little child you will have growing inside your stomach or your beloved long lost daughter, who would you choose?"
Both women immediately recognized the voice and Emma wrists fell limp above her head as Regina turned toward the vanity. Both women crawled out of bed and towards the mirror.
"No…" Emma whispered when she saw her parents standing with Rumplestiltskin. She watched as surprise crossed the faces of her parents.
"Ah yes! You should know within 9 months you shall have another little Emma in your presence! So answer the question, and if you don't believe me use that gender test that you receive from your Charming's mother."
Emma watched in horror as Charming and Snow cried at the proof of their new child. Their new daughter. Regina glanced over at her wife, her heart breaking upon seeing the look of disbelief cross the blonde's face. She silently took her hand and continued to watch the scene play out.
"The question! Which would you choose? The fetus or your lost daughter? Answer truthfully."
Emma watched with rapt attention as both White rulers looked at each other, hope swelling in her chest. She had a small piece of hope that her parents would choose her, even if she hated them, she wanted them to choose her.
"We love our Emma very much but now we have another chance to do it again. Without the pain of losing her to that retched queen! We would pick… our little second chance that is growing as we speak. We don't even know if Emma is in fact alive anyway."
Regina looked over just as the hope in her wife's eyes was crushed, washed away by the look of complete and utter heartbreak. How dare they?! They chose a child that has not even been born over their own daughter? Regina was fuming and both women ignored the last sentence Rumple said before the mirror went back to a reflective surface. Regina turned to Emma, noticing how she hadn't moved an inch. She watched as tears pooled in beautiful green eyes and began to fall. She felt her heart break for her wife and her hatred for Snow White flare tenfold.
Emma just continued to stare at her own reflection in the mirror. She didn't know what to think, what to say. She didn't expect the ache in her heart. She didn't expect to feel the rejection. She especially didn't expect the pit in her stomach to feel so completely empty. The love she felt for her parents, the small but still there love, had completely vanished. She didn't even think she cared. An unborn child. They chose an unborn child over me. She didn't feel angry or hatred toward them. No. In fact she felt completely apathetic toward them. There was nothing left for them. Over the years she had experienced everything from complete love and devotion to blinding hatred for them, but this feeling was completely foreign to her. She just felt… nothing. Empty.
"Emma…" The blonde moved for the first time since the mirror went back to normal. She looked up but her eyes were unfocused as she stared into the space behind Regina. "Sweetheart? Please say something." Regina had moved to take her hands, and Emma felt their magic ignite, snapping her out of her daze. She finally focused on Regina's eyes, seeing the concern there. She squeezed her fingers and walked toward the bed.
"Let's go to bed." Emma said, sitting on the edge, waiting for Regina to follow. The brunette looked at her like she had grown three heads.
"What?! Emma, are you alright, dear? That was…" She trailed off. She brought Regina in to stand between her legs, placing her arms around the slim waist. She sighed leaning forward to kiss Regina's left breast right above her heart.
"I'm fine." She said with such conviction Regina couldn't help but be taken aback at the words.
"How can you be fine?" Regina was furious at the Charmings. Emma could feel it, the anger and hatred. She smiled a little. My wife. So fierce and protecting.
"Regina. Baby, look at me. Focus on what I'm feeling." Emma closed her eyes sending Regina exactly what she now felt for the Charming couple. Never again would she refer to them as her parents. Regina frowned as she felt nothing. She focused harder, trying to seek some sort of emotion, but found none. She looked into Emma's eyes with understanding. She felt absolutely nothing for them. There was no feelings there.
"You see? I'm fine. There is nothing to feel for them that I haven't already felt so I feel nothing. But I feel you, my queen. Whatever it is you want me to feel toward them, whatever it is you want me to do to them, I am yours to command. Tell me what you want and it shall be yours."
Regina eyes began to sting at Emma's words. The devotion Emma showed to her was beyond what she could ever comprehend.
"You would allow me to manipulate your feelings for your parents to anything I please? Any demand I made toward them, you would obey?" Emma smiled up at her.
"I am not only your wife but I am you White Knight too, am I not? You have free reign over me and because I feel nothing for them you will decide what it is I am to feel toward them at any given moment. If it would please you to have their heads plunged onto stakes I would do it, for they are no longer my parents and I would ask you not to refer to them as such. So, my queen, what is it you want?" Emma held both of her hands now as she waited for Regina to mull over everything she had said. Finally a beautiful smile graced Regina's lips and she looked down at Emma, taking her face in both of her hands.
"Emma, when the time is right, I want their hearts. For what Snow White has done to me but more importantly for what she has done to you. She has taken yet another piece of you and she and her Charming will no longer be able to live because of that. I want them to suffer forever, my love" Emma felt every emotion Regina felt for the couple enter her and took a deep breath.
"And so you shall have it, my queen. But what about the… fetus." Even Emma and Regina had their limits when it came to killing. No children. They would never harm a child, born or not. Regina smirked down at her.
"She is not pregnant, dear." Emma's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wha- how? I saw the thing move and Rumple told them…" But Regina shook her head.
"When you've know him as long as I have you know to listen everything he says down to the precise tense and exact meaning. He said the child you will be having. He never said it was there just that there would be a fetus at some point." Emma's brows furrowed.
"No he also said within 9 months there will be another me around."
"Yes he said there will be a little you within their presence in 9 months which leads me to believe they will conceive a female child within 9 months, but Snow White is not currently pregnant. The Charmings are just idiots, dear." Regina smirked at Emma's look of disbelief. The blonde shook her head, with her mouth hanging open.
"What about the baby gender test thingy?"
"I noticed Rumple's hand twitch slightly. The Dark One doesn't twitch so I would venture to guess he moved it or sent a small gust of wind toward the amulet."
"Unbelievable. They chose something that doesn't even exist yet over me." Regina leaned her head down against Emma's.
"I know, love. We will have our revenge. They will pay for hurting you. I promise you that." Emma inhaled, drinking in Regina's intoxicating scent. She placed her hands over the ones that were holding her face.
"Then we should get to bed. I feel tomorrow is going to be an interesting day."
…
Regina woke up to a knock on her chamber door. She glance at Emma who was laying on top of her, with her blonde hair tucked comfortably underneath her chin. She waved her hand, opening the door, allowing the two men to enter. When they stopped in the middle of the room she motioned for them to come stand on her side of the large bed. Killian kept his head down while Neal looked around the room, but never looking at either of them.
"Is everything to your approval, Mr. Cassidy?" Regina snapped quietly. The man looked startled and quickly shook his head.
"I apologize, your majesty, I did not mean to be rude." He spoke quietly. She eyed him for another second before looking at Killian.
"Breakfast is almost finished, my queen. Maleficent has already asked to leave her room and is now waiting in the dining hall for you. She has not been without at least three escorts since you left yesterday." He spoke quickly and quietly, never looking up at the queen and trying to keep from waking the Savior.
"That is fine. We will be down soon. I expect you both and Graham in attendance. I want my White Knight placed at my right, Maleficent across from her at my left, then you next to my knight and Graham next to Maleficent. Mr. Cassidy you will sit next to Killian. You are dismissed." Both men bowed and bounded out of the room. Regina turned her attention back to the sleeping blonde. She brought her hand up to brush away a few strands of hair that were covering her face. She smiled as Emma brought her hand up and blindly pawed at whatever was touching her face, mumbling incoherently.
"Emma, it's time to wake up, my love." Her thumb caressed the pale cheek and she noticed green eyes beginning to flutter. She dazzling smile appeared on her face that made Regina's breath catch in her throat. So beautiful. She thought.
"Morning, gorgeous." Emma's sleep filled voice said to her. She stretched, causing the blankets that were covering her to move down, showing off her powerful yet smooth body. Regina's eyes darkened at the sight. Emma caught Regina staring and gave her a cheeky smile, placing her arms behind her head.
"We never got to finish our game last night, babe. I'm so fuckin' horny." Emma groaned. Regina chuckled before rolling over onto Emma.
"Oh that wasn't a game, dear. Everything I said was 100% true. And when we have the time I will show you just how serious I was about what I said." Regina brushed her lips against Emma's before drawing back. "But right now we have breakfast. So get up and yes, you will be wearing your armor." Regina rolled off of the blonde dressing herself in a red, silk dress with black jewels embroidered along the neck line and around the waist. Emma bit her lip from where she lay in bed, taking in every inch of the form fitting dress. The brunette's beauty never ceased to stun the blonde silent and drooling. Regina noticed her wife hadn't yet moved and shook her head at the expression on her face.
"Emma Swan get out of bed and get dressed in your armor before I get impatient!" At the queen's booming voice Emma hopped out of bed, flicking her wrist and dressing herself in the queen's armor before scowling at Regina.
"Don't queen at me in the morning!" Emma said with a pout on her face, instantly bringing a smile to her face. She moved her arms around the blonde's waist, kissing the pout off her face.
"I wouldn't have to if you had a better attitude in the morning. The only two things you seem to feel when you wake up is agitated and horny."
"Well I can't help it. Waking up makes me agitated and you make me horny, so really I'm not at fault here."
"I better be the only one making you feel the latter, Savior." She said with a dark tone.
"There could never be anybody that compares to your beauty, your majesty." She gave her a quick kiss before offering Regina her arm. "Now may I escort my queen to breakfast?" Regina smiled and nodded.
"You may, my White Knight."
…
They all sat around the long table, eating breakfast in a somewhat comfortable somewhat awkward silence. For the first few minutes Maleficent had tried to catch the White Knight's attention with questions that were bound to piss the queen off. They weren't necessarily invasive they were just annoying. Where do you hail from? How did you come to meet the Evil Queen? Regina was incredibly unamused and becoming quickly upset. She had talked to Killian and Graham about her schedule. Telling them she and the Savior would need to use the war room for a few hours and that court would be directly after. After no more than 10 minutes of silence, the queen turned her attention to Neal.
"Is there anything you would like to tell us, Mr. Cassidy?" She asked. Neal looked up, surprised he was being addressed at all.
"Oh. Um, no, your majesty there isn't but…" He trailed off not knowing if he could speak freely. She glanced at him then sighed, returning to her food.
"You may speak, Mr. Cassidy. Just don't make it stupid. Also keep in mind that your days here a numbered, so do not get comfortable."
"Okay, um, how long have you two ben, uh, married?" The room went silent. Both Killian and Graham tensed, shaking their heads slightly while they both thought the same thought. Dead man.
Emma stopped in the middle of chewing when the question fell from the man's mouth. Is he fucking kidding me right now?! I'm going to murder this idiot! Emma glanced at the blonde across from her who wore a small smirk on her face and was staring at Regina. Emma didn't even need to look at her wife to know she was furious but she did anyway. She gulped at the look that the queen wore. She was terrifyingly beautiful. Rage filled her eyes and was pouring out in waves so strong Emma thought she would fall out of her seat. She quickly regained control of her features and chewed the final bite that remained on her fork before setting down her utensils and looking directly into Neal's eyes.
"Now that, Mr. Cassidy, was unbelievably stupid." Then all hell broke loose.
Was I the only one getting constant whiplash this chapter? Jesus! Anyway. Isn't Neal just an absolute idiot? So are the Charmings but we all already knew that. I really wanted to show the dynamic between Emma and Regina in this chapter because their relationship is interesting to say the least. Their love for each other is unconditional as you can see. They have a carefully constructed way about them which I love in whatever SQ fic I read.
*Announcement*
Alright so I gave myself this last chapter to get all my thought together about the wedding/proposal. I'll take any last minute suggestions and/or ideas but I'm actually pretty excited for the next chapter. Aren't you?!
What do you think Regina will do to Neal? Mind the contract b/w them. What will Maleficent do now that she knows?