Chapter 11
Opening her eyes slowly, adjusting to the light through the balcony, Emma raises an eyebrow while rested on her front at seeing her Queen sat up in bed beside her, simply watching with a smile. "Morning.."
Leaning over, the brunette smiles more and runs her hand up the blonde's back before pressing a kiss to her curls. "Good morning.."
"What are you doing all the way up there?" The Princess mumbles sleepily before patting the mattress.
"Unfortunately my Princess, it's time for breakfast.."
Pouting, Emma just about manages to push herself up and also sits beside the woman. "Shouldn't we be on a honeymoon and not following our usual daily routine as if it were just a normal day?"
Chuckling lightly, Regina takes hold of her hand. "Dear it is a normal day..yesterday was a special day but now it's back to reality..and duties"
"But-"
Cutting the Princess off with a kiss, the Queen squeezes her hand in comfort then gives a final peck on Emma's lips. "At least we are in this together now?"
Rolling her eyes followed by a grin, the blonde watches as the brunette rises from the bed. "I suppose your right dear wife"
Sniggering, Regina takes hold of her robe then makes her way towards the door to let her maid in but pauses upon hearing her wife speak.
"Do you have to have a maid come in and dress you? I don't want her seeing you..only I should be the one to see you as you're mine"
Hearing the blonde's jealous tone but also appear childlike, the Queen keeps hold of the door handle and glances over her shoulder. "So I should put my maid out of a job because you're jealous? Trust me she will know who I belong to when she witnesses the bite marks you so kindly left behind last night on my chest.."
Biting her lip, going red, Emma stands and opens the door for her as in giving the brunette her answer by letting the young woman in.
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Walking through to the hall where the breakfast was set up, Emma pauses briefly realising the change in the seating arrangement so she was now sat beside the Queen. Smiling brightly at the pair, Snow nods in welcome. "Good morning, did you both sleep well after yesterday's eventful day?"
Staring directly to her plate a little wide eyed, the Princess bites her lip as Regina reaches for her hand under the table and clears her throat to answer. "Yes, we did thank you Snow"
Noticing the blonde's embarrassment, Cora quickly cuts into the conversation to move forward. "So what are your plans for the future? I take it that Emma you are no longer moving to another Kingdom...Neal is also very much staying put as I would say he had met a very nice young woman last night to whom he is visiting right now"
Smiling slightly, the Princess shakes her head. "I'm glad he is happy and no, I am staying here...where I belong.."
"If she wanted to move mother, then I would simply move with her..Queen or not, I am not letting anything get in the way of our life together"
Raising an eyebrow rather shocked by the statement, Snow questions. "You..you would give up your crown?"
Turning to gaze at her wife while answering, Regina smiles. "Yes I would. Happily"
Smiling back in awe, the short haired woman then takes a breath. "Actually, David and I were talking last night about the fact that although we moved back here because this was my home for many years, it is your home and now Emma's so we have decided that we will be moving back to west side of the forest.."
Surprised, the blonde looks conflicted by this information as she has never lived without her parents and despite now being married, it is a change she will need to get used to. "Oh.."
"You can hardly set up a life..a family if you have everyone here. You will be having a family won't you?" Snow continues with a desperation to her voice at the notion of having grandchildren.
"..yes..I mean we haven't spoken about it properly but we both know what we want.." The Princess replies while feeling her wife's thumb run over her knuckles to calm her.
David quickly looks to Rumple who nods in silent agreement before stating as the two men stand. "I think we should leave the table..
Watching the men leave, Cora rubs her head wishing she could also go as Snow has decided to take stand on her soapbox. "I think maybe a break would be in order first. Away from responsibilities and titles. A chance to think of what has happened the past week and where you go from here..time away without any parents"
Biting her lip to hold a chuckle knowing exactly who her mother means by, the Queen then sighs before turning to Emma. "Truth be told dear, I had a trip away already organised and I know you mentioned this morning but I didn't want to tell you until the last minute as a surprise..well I guess the cats out the bag so to speak.."
Grinning at the thought, the blonde grabs at both her wife's hands. "Where are we going? And when?"
Immediately smiling at the Princess' adorable stare, Regina replies ignoring the fact that their mothers are sitting there. "There is a palace within the forest down by the lake..it's rather hidden and isolated..but perfect for some peace and quiet and if you are agreeable, this afternoon we shall go" looking over towards Snow and Cora, the brunette states firmly. "I leave you both in charge until our return in a weeks time. Unless it is as serious as war, I do not want to have any contact from either of you"
Both women nod seriously, recognising the Queen's demanding tone.
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Leaving the castle after lunch, the married couple head on with their journey to the hidden palace within the forest before abandoning the carriage with orders to return to the castle once they had arrived. Stepping inside the front door, the Princess peers around the corridor and the rooms in which she could see before turning back to her Queen stood behind her with the door closed. "Is there really no one here? Like anyone?"
Smirking, the brunette pulls Emma close at the waist and shakes her head. "Not a single maid..I got to thinking about what you said a few weeks back..in the garden about being free and I thought why don't we just spend this time just us doing as we please..with no one telling us when it is time to rise and dress or that we have to stop what we are doing because some problem has come about. Like I said before, right now there is no Queen or Princess, just me and you. Emma and Regina"
Grinning, the blonde lifts her arms up to around the woman's neck and pecks her on the lips. "What if we get hungry?"
"Oh my dear you really have had a truly royal upbringing. Luckily for you I can actually cook a little..before the King and when I was back home with my parents, I used to sneak in to see the cook and I would help out..it started off as helping in the kitchen in return for an apple picked from the garden but then I learnt to love it. I wish I could now but could you imagine the outcry of a Queen cooking her own meals? Some people are so biased.." Shifting her hands and snaking her arms around her Princess' waist, Regina kisses the tip of her nose causing the woman to screw her nose up for a second. "Although..if you wanted all that, we could do that. Like I mentioned earlier I would happily give up my title to make you happy..we could live here in this palace and enjoy our lives in peace with our own family"
Laughing lightly, Emma kisses her quick before replying. "Pipe dreams..I love the idea but it could never happen, for one our parents would definitely have a say whether it's our life or not and two, you're a great Queen, I couldn't take that away from you.."
"hm...what if I gave it all back to Snow?" Raising an eyebrow, the Queen awaits an answer.
"What?" The blonde drops her mouth open in shock. "You...you would give it to my mother?"
"Yes. My mother and father have their own lives to contend with and so does Neal. Besides if I weren't here and never came about, it would all be your mothers anyway.."
"You have really thought all of this through haven't you?"
"I just couldn't get what you said to me that day out of my head and I want to give you everything you want..a happy, free life..no rules to abide by..just you, me and..maybe a child..." Regina mutters the last part quietly while avoiding her wife's gaze until she feels a pair of hands cup her face.
Staring into her wife's eyes, the blonde smiles. "I love you and I would love to have a child with you in the near future once everything is sorted and figured out"
"Good.." Smiling again, the brunette kisses her deeply causing the pair to stumble back slightly, prompting the Queen to guide her wife back into the side room which consists of a few chairs, a couch and a fire.
A/N: so that's that, although I have an epilogue that I've begun. One question for those reading to help with the ending, should they have a peaceful life in the forest title free? Without Regina being a Queen? Obviously there would still be certain royal aspects to their lives as they would still be in relation to royalty.