Well how bout them apples. It's only been a week, I bet y'all are feeling real lucky right now. This may be a little confusing but I'm sure you'll get it.
*Warning* There is a small amount of gore and blood in this one so... watch out of that makes ya queasy
Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT
"A group of men was just caught setting fire to some of the houses in the kingdom."
"So just send them to the dungeons." She growled, annoyed at being disturbed.
"There's more, your majesty. They say they have a message from Snow White."
Regina thrust her arms out in front of her, the doors to the throne room flew open and she stormed in with the two blonde women and three men right behind her. She went immediately to her throne, ignoring the kneeling guards and prisoners. When she sat, Emma promptly sat in the throne next to her wife while Graham, Killian and Neal went to their knees. Maleficent stood next to Regina's throne with an amused look on her face.
"Rise." Regina's voice cut through the room sending a shiver down everyone's back. Her eyes narrowed at the four men that were adorned in Snow's armor. Emma sneered at the sight of it, catching Regina's attention. She reached out and grabbed her wife's hand giving her a light smile before turning back to the offenders.
"I've been told you have been burning houses in my kingdom. Is that true?" She addressed the men coolly, keeping her feature stoic. When none of the men answered a knight that was standing behind them slammed the butt of his dagger against one of the men's heads making him stumble.
"Her Majesty asked you a question!" The knight looked up at his queen and almost smiled at the nods of approval from the White Knight and Queen herself. The man in question stepped forward a few steps puffing out his chest.
"Aye, it's true. Don't act as though you care! We all know you get off on torturing your peasants!" Regina scowled at the man but waved off the knight that began to advance the man again.
"And what makes you think I find such pleasure in torturing my people?" Regina rested her chin in her hand as she leaned against the armrest of her throne.
"Because you're the Evil Queen! You take people's hearts and torture for fun! Everyone in the White Kingdom has heard of the horrors of living here!" Another prisoner stepped forward to stand next to his companion. Emma couldn't help but narrow her eyes and clench her fist against her armrests. She was getting severely pissed off now.
"And I suppose Snow White is the one who's been spreading such rumors about me? Ah yes well she seems to have forgotten about telling you I eat the remains of my prisoners and the hearts of new born children." Everyone in the room couldn't help but chuckle at the queen's sarcasm save for the four men who had looks of horror on their faces.
"Oh lighten up will you, I jest! I do no such thing. I have a very unique palate and cannibalism is not at all appealing to me. I'll have you know I care a great deal about the people that live in my kingdom as long as they don't break my rules. I only punish criminals and when I do it is severe because they should know better." She looked over at Emma who was trying very hard not to laugh. "Plus my knights would grow increasingly bored if they weren't allowed a bit of torture now and again." Regina smiled when she noticed her wife's shoulders moving up and down lightly while hiding her mouth behind her hand.
"Your White Knight has no heart! She is just as much as a monster as you, if not more! We've heard of the joy she gets from torture! It's sick!" The first man yelled out. Regina's smile immediately dropped as she regarded the man a moment. The knights that stood around the room near the walls shifted uncomfortably and the knight standing behind the men took a few large steps back. The Queen stood and took measured steps toward the man who yelled out as she spoke.
"You know ever since I found my White Knight I have become more… merciful. You can ask any of my guards and they will tell you I have become somewhat softer and my lovely knight has picked up whatever I've slacked off and then some." When she was a few steps from Snow's knight her glare didn't waver from his fearful gaze.
"But know this, there a few things I will absolutely not tolerate and bad-mouthing my wife is on the very top of that list." The knight's eyes widened and he gulped. He'd forgot about that specific detail.
"Ah you've realized your mistake now have you? Yes, well I won't be killing you just yet. I've been informed you have a message for me." She rolled her eyes when he hesitated. "Speak, you imbecile!" He slowly handed her a scroll keeping his head down. She snatched it form him and returned to her throne. She unrolled it and scowled upon seeing the familiar hand writing.
'Regina,
You stole Charming and I's happiness away, now you will pay.'
-S.W'
"Idiot." She murmured when she saw how Snow had rhymed her threatening letter. Emma looked over her wife's shoulder reading the note then chuckling.
"Wow, is she serious?" She turned to the captive men, feeling she had remained passive long enough.
"Do you know what the hell this letter is about?" She questioned them, smirking when they jumped at her booming voice. When none of the answered she spoke again with a hint of annoyance.
"If you don't answer me I'll be forced to make you, meaning I'll have to get up and I am in no mood to do so. Now answer the question."
"W-we don't know what the letter says. Queen Snow just said deliver the message and do something that would undoubtedly catch your attention to do so." Emma nodded then looked over at Neal, her eyes narrowing.
"Do you know anything about this?" The man looked at her with wide eyes.
"N-no! I don't know if it has anything to do with the information I have or not." Neal glanced over at the four men, he recognized them from Snow's castle but he wasn't about to say anything.
"Do you know any of these men, Sir Cassidy?" Regina asked suspiciously. The brunette shook his head with wide eyes. The queen looked him over for a moment before turning to the other four men.
"Have any of you seen this man before?" The knights looked at Neal but knew they shouldn't say anything so they shook their heads. Regina sighed. "Very well, Savior I have all the information I require from them. Deal out whatever punishment you feel is fit. I don't have the patience for such petty people. Emma smiled at her queen.
"With pleasure." She stood and walked down the steps toward them but stopped and turned toward Neal. "Come here." Her voice held no room to disobey the command. He walked to where she stood slowly. She looked at the guard who had said Regina was the Evil Queen and said it was a horror living here. That comment had really pissed her off.
"You, come stand in front of him." The White guard stood in front of Neal, both men looked confused and fearful while Regina looked at her wife intrigued. Emma magicked a dagger into her hand, smirking inwardly when Neal flinched. She handed it to Neal with a smirk.
"Since you don't know this man you'll have no problem killing him. Do it and I suppose I'll heal you of the injuries Graham and I gave you not long ago." Emma almost couldn't hold in her laugh at the look of disbelief on the men's faces. Regina sat up in her throne with an entertained look on her face and Maleficent looked at the White Knight approvingly. Neal hesitantly took the dagger, weighing it in his hands before looking back at the blonde.
"Kill him?" She nodded and stepped back, crossing her arms across her armored chest.
"I don't see the problem. You don't know him and you will no longer be in as much pain, I'm being kind to you for some unknown reason, don't fuck it up. You're a knight, in Queen Regina's Guard no less, obviously you've killed before this should be child's play." When he didn't move Emma sighed and snapped her fingers. A sword appeared in the other man's hands and he looked up at her surprised.
"How about I make this easier for you. Kill him or he kills you. I'll even let him live if he gets a strike on you." Neal stared at her in disbelief.
"I only have a dagger! He has a full sword!"
"If you got into this Guard then you should be able to beat a simple guard from the White Kingdom of all places." She looked at the other man. "Now go." She watched as the White guard charged and Neal parried. He was able to block the blows from the sword before, finally, disarming him. He looked up at Emma and she rose an eyebrow.
"That was pathetic. It shouldn't have taken you that long to disarm him. No matter, kill him. Now." Regina was watching the man with an annoyed look. How the hell had he gotten into her Guard in the first place? At the moment she didn't care, she could feel the annoyance and amusement rolling off of Emma and couldn't help but chuckle. Emma looked up at her with a smirk and inclined her head toward him as if saying 'can you believe this guy?'
"Dear, maybe you should help him. I think he may be having a difficult time completing this simple task." Emma nodded at her wife and called to her magic letting it wrap around her and Neal before disappearing. When she moved her own hand, Neal's moved at the same time. She couldn't help but laugh at the shocked look on his face.
"I told you to kill him and yet here he stands so I'm going to assist you. I would do it myself but I do so hate getting my hands bloody before lunch." Emma moved the hand that held the dagger and walked her body forward, watching as Neal's body followed her movements seamlessly. When his body was in front of the cowering guard she raised her hand and plunged the dagger Neal was holding into the man's collarbone. The man screamed and blood immediately started flowing form the wound. Neal tried pulling his arm back but found he had no control over his own body. He watched in horror as his hands, along with the dagger, sliced down the man's collarbone to below his left breast. He almost threw up when his left hand came up and sank itself into the man's chest. His screams rang throughout the room but stopped as Neal jerked his hand back, holding the man's quickly fading heart. The guards' companions watched with wide eyes as their friend fell to the ground while his, definitely not enchanted, heart stayed in the other man's hand. Emma moved her hand close to her face consequently having Neal hold the heart centimeters from his own face.
"Well look at that. You do have it in you after all." She taunted. She released him from the spell and moved back to her throne. Neal felt his limbs unlock and dropped the dagger and heart, stumbling backward into his butt. He looked toward the White Knight and found she was holding her wife's hand and smirking at him.
"H-how could you make me do that?! You evil bitch!" He shouted at her without thinking. He hadn't killed anybody before and having this much blood on his hands was making him ill. Emma soothed her wife's anger before speaking to him.
"I gave you an order and you failed to comply with it, because of it both of you suffered the consequence. You could have saved that man a lot of pain if you had just followed directions."
"You're sick and demented!"
"I've always prefer the term 'sadistic' quite honestly." She looked past him at the puddle of blood before sighing loudly. "You've also made a mess. Clean it up, because we still have court today and I don't want to do it with a fresh puddle of blood on the ground. I won't look very reassuring to the subjects now will it?" He glared at her.
"I am not cleaning up a mess you made!" Regina was getting very tired of this man defying her wife's demands.
"Either you will clean it up or I will make you bathe in it! When you are given a task you do it, no questions asked. I should not have to tell you that! Now clean and do so with haste, you're starting to wear on my patience." She snapped at the man before having the body removed from the room and the rest of the men taking to the prisons until she could deal with them later. She was growing increasingly frustrated. Snow White was, yet again, interfering with her life and she was getting really tired of the insipid woman. She flicked her wrist, producing a rag and two buckets full of water next to the blood-covered man.
"Now hurry up before my patience is run out completely." She turned her head to her wife's and found the blonde already looking at her. She smiled, leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Your mother is starting to push her luck, dear." She whispered, Emma frowned at the comment.
"I still don't understand why you don't just kill her or go to war with her or something."
"Because the council highly recommends against it and I have to say I agree with those idiots for once. Going to war with Snow would cause unnecessary deaths and use resources we could be using elsewhere. We have a very fragile understanding but it seems she is starting to become quite bold in her advances." Emma sighed and nodded, running her fingers through her hair in aggravation. She knew what Regina was saying made sense but it didn't mean she had to like it.
"We're going to have to do something about the houses those men burned down. We can't just leave them completely homeless." Emma murmured to the queen who nodded back at her.
"Yes, I'm aware. I'll have a few men from the Guard head down and help with repairs, and give them supplies in the meantime." Emma could tell her wife was deep in thought about how to handle the situation and couldn't help herself as she leaned over and nuzzled the back of Regina's neck, right next to her ear.
"God, I love you so much. Not any people know how much you care about your subjects but I do and I just love you more for it." Regina smiled and turned her head into the blonde's hair, whispering to her.
"Well let's just keep that our little secret. Wouldn't want people to suddenly think I've gone soft now would we?" Regina kissed the side of her head before leaning back and looking at Emma.
"Perish the thought!" The Savior gasped in mock horror, making the queen laugh heartily. Everyone in the room turned their head at the sound. The knights in the room couldn't help the small smiles that slipped onto their faces, Neal looked at the woman in disbelief that such a lovely sound could come from the, seemingly, Evil Queen and Maleficent looked at her old friend with a look akin to wonder. She couldn't remember a time when she'd heard Regina laugh so genuinely and effortlessly. She turned her attention to the blonde who was staring at the queen with a great deal of love and affection in her eyes it made her own heart do a little pitter-patter, wishing for someone to look at her like that. So you did find your True Love after all? Kudos then, Regina. As much as she hated the woman for what she did to her Maleficent couldn't help but feel a sliver of affection for her oldest and longest friend.
Regina smiled widely at her Savior.
"Ah yes, I would loathe it if suddenly those who feared me would want to have a sit down and brunch. Just the thought makes me shudder. Idle chit chat with peasants is not something I find appealing." Her face scrunched up at the thought and Emma chuckled.
"I am fully aware at your inability to make, as you say, 'idle chit chat'. You suck at small talk, babe. You're a great queen but you're far from the most cordial person alive when it comes to other people." Regina shot her a playful glare and stuck her chin out. Emma whined.
"Aw, c'mon. Don't be like that. You know you're no good at small talk, you've even said it yourself once. Please don't be mad." Emma pleaded with her wife. Regina's bad side was a place she never wanted to be. Dammit. She inwardly cursing herself before sliding from her throne and onto one knee next to Regina's and taking one hand in her.
"I would like to express my deepest and most humble of apologies. If her Majesty would forgive me, I would be honored to repay her kindness in whatever way she so pleases." Emma bowed her head but she knew Regina was smirking. She could practically feel it. Emma has had to use this line so many time during their marriage to make sure Regina didn't stay pissed at her for too long. Emma remembers the first time she seriously pissed off Regina and she almost got out if it totally unscathed.
Emma knew better than to linger with some of the other knights after training but Regina had been so busy lately she didn't really think it would matter if she was the one who came to bed late this time. 'Let's go drinking, Savior.' They said. 'We'll have you back to the queen in no time.' They said. Liars. The lot of them. She knew it wasn't completely their fault but she blamed them for persuading her so easily. She stumbled into hers and Regina's bedchamber not noticing the brunette slump with relief when she heard the door open. They'd been married about a year and a half and dating two years before that and never once had Emma been this late for bed without at least telling her first. Regina's nostrils flared at the smell of rum coming from her wife. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the blonde stumbled toward their bed, stripping her armor off as she did. When Emma was about to crash into bed she was stopped by a booming voice that belonged to no other but her queen.
"Emma where the hell have you been? You reek of rum and sweat!" Emma sobered slightly and looked up at Regina.
"Look, I just got caught up, alright? I didn't realize the sun had set already so just lay off the queening will you? It's just your excuse for acting like a bitch." Emma didn't even register her words as she spoke them but Regina most definitely did. Her eyes widened at the words before narrowing.
"My being concerned for you is now considered bitchy? Very well then dear, if you want to know what a real bitch is like you can sleep out in the stables with the horses and the dogs." Before Emma could retort Regina sent her away in a puff of purple smoke. Emma landed in a stack of hay and promptly fell asleep. That had been the one and only night Regina cried herself to sleep because Emma Swan doesn't make the same mistakes twice.
When Emma awoke she was disoriented and groggy. She sat up and looked around her noticing she was naked in a pile of hay. She spit hay from her mouth as she stood on shaky legs. 'What the hell happened last night?' Then it all came rushing back to her: knights, drinking, late for bed, Regina, stupid drunken words, purple smoke. Emma groaned at her own stupidity. "Fuck!" She shouted into her hands. "Shit! Shit, shit, I fucked up so bad!" Emma mumbled to herself. She felt tears sting the back of her eyes as her body was wracked with guilt and regret and anger at herself. She dressed herself in her complete armor and did her walk of shame to go grovel at her wife's feet.
Regina woke up alone and got ready for court. It was uneventful for the most part and she could feel the moment Emma woke up. First there was confusion then realization, then waves upon waves of guilt and remorse. Regina knew her wife's words were only said in a drunken haze but it didn't stop them from hurting and Regina wouldn't be forgiving her so easily. She sat through a few more of her people's complaints and requests before she told them that was enough for the day. When she was about to leave the doors to the room were opened and Emma came waltzing in with her head hung in shame. She walked to the steps and kneeled at the bottom in front of Regina's throne.
"Permission to speak, my queen." Regina heard the scratchiness in Emma's voice and her anger diminished some, but not much.
"Granted." Emma almost flinched at the apathy in her wife's voice.
"I would like to express my deepest and most humble of apologies. If her Majesty would forgive me, I would be honored to repay her kindness in whatever way she so pleases." Emma kept her head down as she kneeled on one knee but her voice was strong. Regina regarded her for a moment before speaking again.
"And what exactly does someone as perfect as the White Knight have to apologize for?" The queen snapped at her knight.
"I, regrettably so, have hurt the most important person in my life and I can't bear the thought of her being hurt because of something I've said. I can't live with that. Not when I vowed to do nothing but make her happy for the rest of our lives." Emma felt a lump form in her throat and heard Regina stand from her throne.
"Do you know how worried I was about you, only to see you come into our chambers drunk off your ass?" Regina spoke quietly but kept her tone cutting. Emma nodded her head and took a shuddering breath.
"I know. I know you were only concerned and I… I just lashed out at you. I called you…" She shook her head, not being able to finish the sentence.
"A bitch, Emma! That is what you said to me. Are you now incapable of saying it? Because it seemed like you had no trouble with it last night." Her voice echoed off of the walls as she shouted at the blonde. "You hurt me, Emma." She whispered as an afterthought. The tears that welled in Emma's eyes couldn't be stopped but she blinked them back so they wouldn't fall.
"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry, Regina." She couldn't keep her voice from cracking at the pain she felt coming from their bond. She could hear heels clicking against the floor as the queen walked closer to her. A shadow fell across the floor in front of her and she saw the bottom of Regina's dress.
"I have one question for you, dear." She took Emma's chin in-between her thumb and pointer finger forcing green eye to look at her. She cringed at the genuine sadness she saw swimming in her wife's emerald pools.
"Did you mean it?" She saw Emma's eyes widen and she shook her head vigorously without looking away from Regina's face.
"No. No! Not at all. You are a queen. You are my queen and I should have treated you as such. You deserve respect," Emma leaned forward to kiss the edge top of the heel-clad foot. "And praise," she moved her lips to the queens ankle. "And absolute worship." She skimmed her lips up the queen's legs as she moved the dress out of the way. Regina sighed but let her hand fall to grip Emma's hair and pull her face from traveling any further. She bent down to Emma's level but kept her hand clutched in Emma's hair.
"We are going to go upstairs and you are going to show your queen just how sorry you really are, and never again am I to fall asleep with tears in my eyes. Do you understand?" Emma moved forward to put her forehead against Regina's.
"Never again, Regina. I promise you never again."
After that Emma had only pissed off Regina mildly and never again had the brunette fell asleep alone. Regina smirked down at her wife knowing she hated being on her bad side and boy did Regina love using it to her advantage. She smirked down at the blonde.
"Just stay where you are while this nitwit finishes cleaning. You may be my wife but you are also my knight so I may just work you at some point." Emma bit her lip to hold in a groan. She hated being working out when Regina was upset because it usually lead to her being worked to the point of exhaustion. Apparently it was a turn on watching her train, being covered in sweat or whatever and Regina would just sit and watch and command her. She didn't really see the appeal but it made the queen happy so she got over it.
"Sure babe. Just let me know when." She would have to get a lot of sleep and make sure she had plenty of energy for whenever she had to full on train.
"Let's say in three days perhaps? The far training ground will do." Emma stayed knelt at the queen's feet while they waited for Neal to finish cleaning.
…
"How long before that package is delivered, Charming? I can't wait any longer!" Snow was in their throne room pacing in front of her husband.
"Snow calm down. It should be there in two days then all Neal has to do is get the cuff on the White Knight's wrist and she'll be transported here right away. The two men we sent are going to cause a diversion to make sure everyone is frantic and he'll have the opportunity, the note will explain what he has to do." Charming stood from his seat and walked to his wife rubbing her shoulders in comforting way. She glanced over at the cage they had prepared for the Queen's Savior.
"What if it doesn't work? What if Regina finds out and comes for her?"
"We have the key to the cage, we have everything that could control her. She will have no choice but to tell us except to tell us what happened to Emma."
"You're right. And I do hope she tries to use magic on that cage. Rumplestiltskin said it only hurts the person inside the cage when magic is used on or in it. She may just end up killing her very own True Love."
Things are starting to come together then huh? Let's keep the ball rolling! And no Regina doesn't treat Emma like shit or like some slave driver, she just enjoys having power even if it's over her wife/knight. Don't get it twisted.
*Announcement*
I'm trying to do lots of flashbacks from their past nine years so if there are any specific events you want to see jut tell me.
Now pretty much all of you wanted Mal and Regina to become some sort of snarky friend duo so if you want a small side story with that just let me know or I can just keep to the main story line.
Also there was one or two comments concerning Mal having a love interest so if you're into that tell me who you'd like to see her with or how she should find said person.