"They say you can tell a lot about a person by the way they play chess." Regina calmly moved a pawn.

"Who's they?" Emmett slid his own pawn forward, mirroring Regina's movement. "They should have told you you were going to lose."

"They. Them. The people who say such things. And I'm not going to lose." Regina brought a second pawn out.

"Well, what can you tell about me, then?" Emmett took Regina's second pawn, tossing it lightly in his hand before placing it on his side of the table. He grinned widely, verdant eyes sparkling in the flickering candlelight. "Other than that you're already down a piece."

"You're impulsive. You never have a plan beyond the next move." Regina touched a knight, hesitated, moved it. "But I already knew that. You hate to lose."

"You already knew that, too."

Several moves passed without comment as both players studied the board between them. Chess had become an almost nightly ritual after their first few abortive tries at friendly conversation. Emmett hated talking about the hours he spent with his father, and Regina honestly found herself with nothing the Prince would find interesting to talk about. Her days seemed filled with very little, now. Her mother's stringent lessons had focused more on getting a husband than what to do afterward. Well, other than the stark advice on how to keep one. Regina grimaced. Despite her new position even the servants seemed to look to her husband or the King before following her directions. The Prince's wife. Not quite Princess, not part of the Royal family, not yet, and it really didn't matter what new titles had been appended to her name. She was still an other, still an unknown.

Quite honestly she spent an embarrassing amount of time with little Snow, who still hadn't gotten over the novelty of a new sister. If Snow wasn't available, she spent much of her day at the stables, checking in on the little foal or training her chosen mare.

Well, either that or preparing a new way to beat the Prince at chess.

"I can tell things about you too."

Regina was startled. The quiet room had lulled her into a trance, her fingers moving over the pieces almost without her volition, but she covered it quickly, allowing an indulgent smile to play over her lips. She knew it would annoy Emmett, another game she was beginning to thoroughly enjoy. "What about me?"

Emmett settled back in his chair, almost lounging. "You like order. You always castle as soon as you can, so you probably try to protect yourself."

Something cold stirred deep within Regina. She examined her husband's face closely, but it was more closed off than she'd ever seen it, his eyes hooded, his fingers idly playing with a black pawn.

"It's your move." She said.

Emmett sighed, shifting forward to rest both elbows on the table, his face open and earnest once again. "You don't have to, you know. Not with me."

"I do if I want to win. Checkmate, by the way."

Emmett stared down at the board in pure, childlike wonder, and the knot in Regina's stomach relaxed itself. Her husband probably couldn't hide anything from her if he tried. Emmett let out a short, gleeful bark of laughter and began to reset the board.

"See? You always win with me anyway." When white and black were back in their proper places he gently reached across to take her hand, rubbing softly with the pad of his thumb. It was the most intimate moment they'd shared since the night her parents had left and Regina drank in the feeling greedily.

"Want to play again?"

"No, I-" Regina turned her hand, interlacing her fingers with his. "Maybe we could just talk? What did you do today?"

Emmett sighed. "What else? Politics. One idiot pokes a sword at another idiot because he bumped into him at a ball, and suddenly the whole kingdom is on the brink of war."

"Really?"

"Well, it's not that bad. One of them will make a minor concession, maybe pay for a statue or something. It'll get sorted out, it's just so incredibly stupid. Not to mention boring."

Regina smiled at him. "Well, you are horrible at chess."

"And yet I play it with you every night."

"You like it." Regina blushed lightly. Friendship, she reminded herself. That was what Emmett had asked for, and she would honor his wishes. It was good for both of them, really, to have a friend. If only she could convince her racing heart of that fact.

"Must be the company." Emmett returned his gaze gentle. "Somehow losing to a beautiful woman is much more bearable."

Regina's eyes snapped to his, but he blinked and looked away. The warm hand slipped out of hers, and he wiped it roughly on his pants as he rose from his seat. "It's getting late. I should – I should go."

"Emmett…" He was halfway out of the door when her voice stopped him. "What are we doing?"

His back stiffened but he didn't turn around.

"I don't know."

XxXx

Safely ensconced in her own chamber, Emma laid her head against the cool stone wall, considering the pros and cons of simply bashing her head repeatedly and having done with it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She knew she was sending so many mixed messages to Regina that it was a wonder she hadn't thrown her out long before tonight. Hell, the first few nights she couldn't even talk to the woman! Not that she had anything to talk about other than the stultifying boring world of court politics, but it would have probably helped if she could complete a sentence with more than four words at a time. She'd suggested chess as an alternative to having to keep up a conversation and make a fool of herself, but it seemed that her ability for idiocy outstripped even her failures at the game itself.

Maybe she could get away with becoming a mute. People would think it was a noble gesture or something.

Or maybe she could throw herself out of the nearest open window. It would probably be equally as effective.

Emma sighed. Despite the best efforts of her subconscious, they had become something approaching friends. Regina was quick-witted, with a dry humor that often belied her truly gentle nature. Actually talking to her, when Emma could manage it, made her feel at peace in a way she had never truly known. Then in the candlelight Regina's dark eyes would flash gold, beckoning Emma to depths that she would gladly drown in, or else her lips would purse slightly as she considered a move, and Emma's heart would run with something frighteningly more than friendship or lust.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and she instinctively ran her hands over her clothes to make sure there were no telling curves.

"Enter."

The frantic servant practically fell into the room. "Your Majesty! It's the King, he's collapsed. They've taken him to his rooms and called for the doctor but you need to come, now, please."

Emma could feel herself only at a distance as the words reached her. Collapsed. Doctor. Would he die? If he did - ?

No. One thing at a time.

"Take me to him."

XxXx

The sharp rap at her door echoed hollowly in the hushed darkness of Regina's bedroom, but she still wouldn't have heard it if she'd been able to sleep. As it was, she had been sitting up for half the night already examining the unsettling evening she'd spent with Emmett, breaking it down like a chess play from every angle, hoping to make sense of the man who seemed so guileless and reserved by turn.

Another knock, slightly louder now, moved her to put away those thoughts and throw on a dressing gown, opening the door slightly to see who was disrupting her so late, and for what purpose. She swung it open quickly when she saw Emmett standing there, looking almost disappointed that she had answered. He composed himself quickly, eyes flat as he slipped past her into the heart of the room.

"Em, what…?" She moved to light a candle but the Prince's hand stilled her own.

"No, wait. I shouldn't have come here. I thought…but I didn't want to wake you." He was pacing now, steps quick and precise, though his hands fluttered in the moonlight. She noticed that, despite his words, he made no move to leave, so she stepped into his path and forced him into her arms, hands sliding to shoulders that trembled under her touch.

"What happened?"

His voice was choked, though his face still betrayed no emotion. "My father. He-he's very ill. The doctors, they don't know if he'll survive or even how long he has, but I can't, I can't…"

"Shh, darling." His heavy coat scratched but she placed her cheek to his neck anyway, helpless to find the words to make this all right. She had no experience with comfort, this need to hold and protect, but she must have done something right as Emmett's breath calmed into her hair.

"I can't be king. I'm not ready."

"Because you're horrible at chess?" It was exactly the wrong thing to say at exactly the wrong time, but the utter ridiculousness of it seemed to stir Emmett, pulling an almost hysterical laugh from somewhere deep within.

"Yes."

"Then you're in luck." Regina hesitantly released him, murmuring gently the way she would to a skittish colt. She crossed the room, unerringly plucking the black queen from its place on the chessboard and concealing it in the small leather purse Emmett wore at his belt.

"I'll always be with you."

A/N: For those of you who care about such things, Regina's opening move is called the Queen's Gambit, while Emma's response is the Queen's Gambit Accepted. As I've mentioned elsewhere, my laptop keyboard is dead so I have rather limited typing options, but I hope to have a brand new one next week, and clearly I'll need to break it in with a little Swan Queen fanfic, right? Right.