Thank you for the response I've had from the first chapter! 11 favourites and 20 follows is amazing! Hope you like this chapter as well!
Disclaimer: (because I forgot to put it in the first chapter) I won nothing! Not even the idea of this story :') that's all Reginamlls' idea!
And thanks as always to my beautiful beta Jess!
Regina rose early the next day. She hadn't slept very well, that night, tossing and turning and having nightmares of her mother finding out about Emma and exploiting her. Giving up on sleep she picked up one of the books Cora had ordered her to read and went to sit on the windowsill, using the break of dawn to light the pages.
Regina's morning was filled with lessons from her mother and her tutor. She sat through them obediently, not letting her mind wander to her afternoon ride lest her mother sense something wrong and interrogate her.
Finally, after lunch, she excused herself to her room to change into her riding outfit. Emerging at a brisk walk, the smile on her face quickly vanished when she almost collided with her mother.
"Oh, sorry Mother I didn't see you there. I thought my lessons were finished for the day. I was about to go riding." Panic arose in Regina's voice, she had been looking forward to her free time this afternoon and it would be a bonus to see Emma again, if she showed that is.
"Your lessons are done for the day my dear, I just thought you seemed quiet today. Is everything alright?" Cora asked, her eyes drilling into Regina's looking for an answer.
"Yes everything is fine mother. I'm just looking forward to riding this afternoon." Regina's voice steadied, her hands crossing in front of her. Cora considered her daughter for a moment before coming to a decision.
"I don't like you riding out alone. From now on I would like either your father or I to accompany you."
Regina gasped softly. Cora knew. She knew something was different. "Father can come, I know how you hate riding mother, I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable." Regina held her breath, watching her mother muse over her response. Eventually Cora nodded and moved aside so Regina could leave her room.
"Go down to the stables, I'll have your father meet you there." Regina heard from behind her as she descended the stairs and headed towards the stables, a nervous smile on her face.
Emma had spent much of her morning the same way as Regina. The difference had been that Emma usually enjoyed spending time with her mother and tutor, learning new things. Today however, she was eager to get back out on her horse and see her new friend.
"Mom come on." Emma shouted through her mother's closed door. She had raced through lunch and dashed upstairs to change, running back down to meet her mother who had eaten at a normal pace and was still putting on her riding outfit.
"Calm down honey." Snow said, finally emerging from her room clad in the riding outfit she hasn't worn in months.
"Wow Mom I haven't seen that in a while."
"Well there isn't much cause to wear it when you spend your days discussing state business." Snow replied, smoothing out her tunic. "Now are we going riding?" she added taking her daughters hand as they walked towards the stables.
Entering the stables Emma headed straight for her white steed Maximus while her mother walked over to Clover, a white beauty speckled with grey who brayed when she saw her. "Saddle up mum. Come on its almost 3." Emma called from atop Maximus, a giant grin on her face.
Snow rolled her eyes as she climbed up on her own horse and followed Emma out of the door and towards the trees. "Slow down dear, please." Snow added, trying to keep pace with her daughter.
Snow could hear her daughter's laughter coming from the other side of the trees Emma had just disappeared through. Only imagining what trouble Emma and Max were getting into, Clover sped up and soon Snow was through the trees watching Emma gallop around the clearing, hair flying out behind her. Snow heard laughter she didn't recognise and turned to see a brunette girl on her own horse chasing Emma. To one side she saw a man with a smile on his face, Snow dismounted and walked Clover over to introduce herself.
"Good afternoon, I'm Snow."
The man looked slightly taken aback that the queen was in the clearing, let alone speaking to him. He composed himself before he bowed and made introductions.
"Good afternoon your majesty. My name is Henry, I'm Regina's father. Her mother wasn't comfortable with Regina continuing to come out alone so from now on I shall be accompanying my daughter on her afternoon rides."
"But no horse?" Snow noted.
"No your majesty. I'm not a huge fan of them, I fell off one when I was a young boy and still have yet to get back on. Ironic when you consider how much Regina loves to ride." Henry replied, watching Regina's gallop slow to a trot as Emma caught up to her.
On the far edge of the clearing Emma had slowed Max down to a trot that matched Rocinante's so that she and Regina could catch their breath.
"So Regina, is that your father over there?" Regina nodded "Why wasn't he here yesterday?"
"My mother noticed that something about me was different today, so I think she has him keeping an eye on me, make sure I don't run away again."
"Again?" Emma's voice sounded so worried, Regina wasn't used to hearing a tone like that.
"A couple years ago, I had had enough. I packed a small bag and I ran here, to the only place I felt safe. I spent the night curled up under that tree." Regina pointed to a large Willow tree with a knot in it's trunk "In the morning I woke to find my mother looming over me, a disappointed look on her face. She picked up my bag, took my hand and practically dragged me home, all the while giving me a lecture on how a Queen wouldn't run away from her castle. Despite my pointing out that I am not a Queen, nor am I ever likely to be she still has high hopes for me. They are a little too high if you ask me but she never does." Regina dismounted once she finished her story, too dismayed to continue riding. Emma dismounted too and pulled her into a hug, quickly realising she hadn't asked permission, she pulled away to see a look of shock on Regina's face.
"Sorry I should've asked. We hug a lot in my family, it's a reflex now." Emma gabbled, trying to explain why she had had the sudden urge to hug someone she barely knew.
"No, I uh, it was nice. I've only ever hugged my dad before." Regina shook her head, trying to shake the look of shock off of her face.
Emma smiled softly, "Well, as long as I'm around you can hug me too. A hug makes everything better."
Regina smiled at how corny Emma sounded, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Come on over and meet my mom. She'll love you." Emma said, taking Regina's free hand and pulling over to where Snow and Henry stood.
"You want me to meet the Queen?" Regina froze. She was not dressed to meet a Queen
"Well I call her 'mom' but sure." Emma smiled playfully and Regina relaxed slightly. "Come on, it'll be fine I promise."
Regina followed slowly, trying to steady her breath and burying her hand into Rocinante's mane to soothe herself.
"Mom, this is Regina." Emma said, bounding up to her mother, Regina standing meekly behind her.
"Your majesty." Regina whispered, curtseying as she did.
"Oh please call me Snow, I won't stand on formalities with my daughter's friends." Snow beamed, beckoning Regina to come closer and pulling her into a hug when she did.
"Oh uh Mom…" Emma tried to protest but Regina shut her down.
"No it's okay Emma." Regina said from behind Snow's arms. "I guess I'll have to get used to hugs." She joked as Snow relinquished her.
"We'd love to have you over for dinner sometime." Snow grinned "Including your mother of course." She added, sensing Regina's unease. "But I'll understand if you wanted her to keep her distance, I've heard tales of Cora. She's quite ambitious." She added quietly, looking between Henry and Regina's shared looks.
"Even if you won't come over for dinner you just have to come to the Ball next month." Emma pleaded.
"Yes of course. There will be people from all over the kingdom, you simply must come." Snow matched Emma's enthusiasm, beaming once more at Regina and her father.
"It's for my birthday and it would be nice to have a friendly face there." Emma said turning to face Regina.
"Well if it's for you birthday I don't see how we could refuse." Regina replied, matching the smile on Emma's face. Emma squealed and moved forward to hug Regina, this time Regina's arms wrapped around the blonde as they both giggled, an unnatural response for Regina but one that felt right with Emma.
"Regina dear, it's almost 4. Your mother won't be happy with either of us if you miss tea-time." Henry said as the two girls separated. Regina nodded understandably and picked up Rocinante's reins. "We'll be back tomorrow though I am sure. Regina loves to ride, she's out everyday."
"I look forward to it." Emma beamed, looking at her mother to seek permission.
"I'm afraid I have unavoidable business tomorrow but I'm sure your father will accompany you, or Killian of course." Snow added, Emma's face falling slightly.
"Until tomorrow then." Regina smiled, taking her father's hand as she walked Rocinante back across the clearing.
Emma watched them walk away before turning to look at her mother. "She's very nice." Snow smiled at her daughter. "I'm glad you finally found a friend. I didn't like seeing you wander about the castle alone. And does this mean you've finally accepted that we're having a ball in your honour?"
Emma sighed; "I'm not exactly thrilled but if it means I can see Regina then I guess, yes I'll accept a ball."
"Emma you're coming of age, we have to celebrate it." Snow beamed, taking her daughters hands, spinning her around and making her giggle. "But all that talk of tea-time has made me hungry. Come on lets head home." Snow led Emma over to Max and helped her up before mounting Clover and leading them back through the trees.
When Regina retired to her room after dinner, a contented smile playing about her lips, she saw a bluebird sitting on the other side of her window. Confused she opened her window allowing the bird to hop to the inside ledge. The bird held out its leg making a small scroll visible, this only added to Regina's confusion but as she pulled the scroll from the bird and unfurled it things soon became clear.
"Regina,
I hope it's okay that I've sent this, I thought it would be better to send this via bird (a trick I learnt from my mom) than to send it with the footman. I just wanted to let you know that tomorrow I'm going to bring two swords, I'd like to teach you how to use one. You never know when it'll come in handy, that's why my father taught me, it was just his bad luck I liked it and asked him to teach me more. I thought it best to warn you so your father doesn't think I'm trying to kill you or anything ha ha. See you tomorrow
Emma"
Regina smiled as she finished reading Emma's letter, she folded it up and placed it between the pages of her book. She then walked over to her writing desk and scribbled a quick response, tied it to the bird's leg and let it fly back out the window.
Emma was sat at her window watching the sun set when the bird landed on her knee. She hadn't been expecting a reply but sure enough there was one tied to the bird's leg.
"Emma,
Even if you showed up with 20 swords tomorrow, I doubt very much my father would believe you if you said you were there to kill me. I look forward to my first sword fighting lesson.
Regina
Note: this is not an invitation for you to bring 20 swords tomorrow"
Emma snorted as the image of her stood in the clearing with 20 swords popped into her head. Chuckling under her breath she folded up the letter and placed it in her jewellery box before climbing into bed and drifting off with a smile on her face.