Regina awoke first and became aware of the natural drape of her body. She was spooning Emma Swan and it felt exceptionally good. She rolled from the bed and set about her morning ritual as her mind flashed over the events of the night before. A smile tugged at her lips but she fought it down. It would not do well for the cocky blonde to know just how much the woman had enjoyed their play session.
She had never felt passion like that; had never given so freely of herself to anyone. Neither as a lover nor as a person had she ever tried to bring anyone the satisfaction that she brought the blonde the night before. It confused her and worried her but she couldn't help looking forward to the next encounter. She knew the blonde would figure out what she wanted; how to earn the sexual wrath that Regina longed to release on her and this thought thrilled her.
They rode all morning, breaking only for lunch in a small tavern. A few heads turned their way but for the most part, they were left alone. This eased both women's minds as they took to their mount again that afternoon. They had not seen any more of the new Queen's soldiers either which doubly boosted their confidence.
"How far are we now?" Emma asked.
"Another couple of day's and we'll be there." Regina returned.
Emma nodded behind her. "Good." She said. The blonde had spent most of the day trying to figure out what exactly would cause Regina to be forceful with her.
So far, she had tried to piss her off. That had been easy but had not elicited the response she wanted. Emma had tried being seductive and enticing but that had only been met with aloofness from the brunette. The blonde frowned at the back of Regina's dark head in thought as something niggled at the back of her mind. What was that saying? Fight fire with fire? But Regina wasn't showing her fire, she was showing her coldness.
Suddenly, Emma's face split into a devious grin. She knew what to do. It would abso-fucking-lutely drive the brunette nuts if Emma showed her ice as well. That would manipulate her into wanting to prove herself and the blonde would be only too happy to indulge the show of power. Allowing herself one more grin, the blonde rearranged her face and asked coolly: "Are we stopping tonight, Mayor, or are you gonna pull a red-eye?"
"We'll stop when we find a suitable residence, Miss Swan."
"Alright, I only request that there are two beds this time."
Regina stiffened and resisted the urge to cast a look over her shoulder. "What?"
"Two, as in, more than one." Emma explained. "I mean, sex was great and all but it's hard for me to sleep with you burrowing up under me."
"I do not burrow." The brunette replied with a hiss.
"Yes, you do. I get hot. It would be nice to stretch out a bit."
The brunette fumed. "Very well, two beds it is."
The first few cabins they stopped at only had one bed. Though the blonde was glad they had come to an area that seemed to be a bit more populated, it made her nervous that so many of the houses were abandoned. She voiced this to Regina who sat thoughtfully for a moment.
"It is strange, actually. This part of the country, as I remember it, was rather rugged and frontier-like. There are more houses than before."
"And yet no one lives here." Emma said quietly as they came upon a small cottage and dismounted. "So either everyone has picked up and moved or the population has drastically decreased."
Regina considered this a point worth considering. "A new monarch can have a dramatic effect on the economy and population. Even this far out from Oz's capitol, the consequences of the crown's reign would be felt. This land has seen much in the way of destruction, reconstruction, and civil war. Even in the West, closer to the Vinkus-"
"-Bless you."
Regina rolled her eyes. "The Vinkus is a part of Oz, Miss Swan."
"And this is where KiaSorento-"
"Kiamo Ko! And yes, this is our destination."
"And we don't know what to expect when we get there or that the bean or the mirror will actually be there?"
At this point, Regina did turn around in the saddle and fit her with a withering stare. "No, we don't. But I knew Elphaba and she would have hidden items such as these."
Satisfied with this answer, for now, Emma nodded to her companion. It still didn't solve the question of Oz's abysmal economy or of the identity of the new queen…but the blonde knew better than anyone that it was important to move one step at a time.
They dismounted and led the mare between the trees and up to the small lean-to against the house. After tying her off, feeding her, and brushing her down, Emma entered the house with the saddle bags to find the brunette already pilfering through the cabinets unceremoniously. She cast a glance into the other room, complete with a second, frumpy and uncomfortable looking bed. "Perfect." Emma smiled. "I don't have to hear you have wet dreams again tonight."
Regina frowned at the crass implication and narrowed her eyes. "Watch yourself, Miss Swan." Fire swirled in the dark eyes of the brunette. It was a different reaction than before; up until this point, any of Emma's advances had only served to push Regina away. It was the first time the woman had showed anything other than disdain.
A shiver crept up Emma's spine. So her tactics were working? She fought a grin and shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever, I'll get firewood if you do dinner." She trudged out without a look behind her and left the brunette fuming in the room.
Regina found that she didn't like this devil-may-care attitude at all. It had her itching to scratch the blonde's green, unfazed eyes out. She began dinner and her heart sank a tiny bit at the prospect of sleeping alone that night. Shaking the feeling away, she searched for her ingredients.
Emma congratulated herself on a job well done. Throughout dinner she had made little quips and then shrugged if Regina said anything back. This strategy was quickly frazzling the ex-mayor. Emma felt a skip of glee in her heart as she watched Regina at the water pump, filling the tub in the room. The blonde snatched off her clothing and dove in as the brunette came back in the door.
"Miss Swan, you bathed first last night." She stood frowning, with hands on her hips.
"My shoulder is sore."
"Liar." The woman seethed and stepped closer. "Get out."
"No."
"I'll crawl in with you." She warned but Emma laughed.
"Sure, you can wash my back."
Regina looked at the soap offered her and growled. She turned on her heel and tidied up the small room as Emma washed away happily; humming to herself. After several minutes, Regina turned back to find the blonde lounging in the tub. "I think you're finished." Regina cleared her throat.
"Oh, yeah." Emma smirked and stood to wrap the towel around her. Regina's eyes trailed lustfully down her form. "I'll move out of the way for Your Majesty."
Regina glared angrily and began to strip. Emma watched for a moment and then turned her head and shuffled away without a hint of embarrassment or awkwardness. This galled the brunette. How dare the woman act disinterested? She felt her body tingle as magic crept to the surface. The water was somewhat cool when she sank in, but she heated it with her energy until it steamed once more.