AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews and favorites! The response is awesome! I'm going to tell you this… There are going to be more cliffhangers. I like this whole leaving you guys needing more. One of my friends who I've sent each chapter to has been getting on to me about the cliffhangers. I grin evilly. *evil laugh here* But really. You guys are awesome! I love that you guys are liking this story!
"Well, my, my, my…"
Emma, who had turned away from the person, whipped back around when she realized the voice she heard was unfamiliar. She saw the horned crown poking through blonde, curly, frizzy hair. When the woman began advancing, Emma stepped in front of Regina and drew her sword.
The woman chuckled, "Now, now, Precious." She flashed forward, pushed the sword down and took Emma's chin in her hand. "I'm an old friend."
Emma's nostrils flared and Regina knew then that she needed to step in, "Maleficent?" Regina placed her hand on Emma's arm, mainly keeping her oh-so-secret lover from starting anything with that damn sword her father got her for her 15th birthday. She stepped around the princess and looked to the other witch, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see for myself if you, who always spoke so fondly of true love and finding it, were selling yourself out to the highest bidder…" Maleficent looked to Emma, "Though I can see the bidding must be quite…" she sucked in a breath and Regina did not like the purple that began swirling in the witch's eye, "Deliciously low…"
"Excuse me!?" Emma tried to push passed Regina, but the Shadow Queen wouldn't let her.
"Darling, please!" The pleading look in Regina's eyes made Emma sink down and sheath her sword.
"My, my… I can see you've already had your pets trained. Where are the others?" Maleficent looked around knowing she wouldn't find anyone else in the hallway. Though that didn't stop her, "Oh my…" nor did it stop the knowing grin that formed on her face, "Has the Queen of the Shadow Lands taken fancy to one of her little contestants? Or do these tawdry little flings happen with all of them?" She took a step towards Regina, "Tell me dear, does Arely live up to his rumors?"
Regina pursed her lips, "Maleficent, why are you here?"
"Dear, why are you so curt? Can't a dear friend come for a friendly visit?"
Regina's chin rose high and her eyes looked down on the slightly shorter witch, "You are neither a dear friend nor friendly, and you never come here or send for me unless you need something. So tell me." She closed the space between them until they were mere intimidating inches from each other. Her tone was low and threatening, "What. Do. You. Want?"
Maleficent's tone was fleeting, "I don't want to tell you yet. It can wait. I'd much rather watch the competition first." The frizzy blonde's tone was delightfully dangerous. "Though, I think it'd be best to offer me something for me to keep my mouth shut about this.." She motioned between the two of them.
Emma started to move from behind Regina, but the queen stopped her, "What do you want for your silence?"
"I think that I will have a marvelous time with your princess there…" Maleficent's eyes lit up once more, showing her teasing to the Shadow Queen. "She's absolutely delectable for a simple, stubborn-minded royal. I'd love to teach her a few things."
"The hell you would!" Emma, not realizing Maleficent was pushing her buttons, took her dagger from her back and glared at the blonde.
"Darling, you have no idea what you're missing." Maleficent's teasing air was completely gone, in place, a confident seriousness that rivaled the Shadow Queen's.
"Oh really?" This time Emma was successful in her attempt to sneak passed her queen. She inhaled the other blonde's scent and looked at her with a smirk, "You smell of pine, roses, vanilla, smoke… and pork. You live in the Forbidden Mountain. You're that witch. The one that tried to take Aurora's life when she was but a babe." Emma laughed, "I've been to Aurora's castle and I've seen a few of your goons. Believe me when I say that I would enjoy none of what you have to offer me." She looked the witch up and down, "I'd be completely unsatisfied."
Maleficent, now provoked, reached up and touched Emma's cheek. Emma saw the glow from the woman's hand as it came in contact with her and she felt the warmth spread throughout her body. She smirked, "What, did you kill or imprison a succubus to take or learn their trade?" She swiped the hand away and crossed her arms, "Or are you part succubus yourself?"
Maleficent looked at her hand then back to Emma. She looked between them like she was watching a tennis match, "How can you defy me after that?"
"I don't know. I'm just a simple, stubborn-minded royal." Emma looked up when she heard the side doors to the hall open, "You'll understand that Regina and I need to go back now and we'll get all this settled later, right?"
Emma gestured for Regina to go first before she followed. Red and Belle stood at the end of the hall they were in.
"Is everything all right?" Red asked.
Emma stared at her mother's old friend with a curious expression. Her mother had spoken fondly of Queen Red, but Emma never knew if the rumors regarding Red being a werewolf were true or not because she never had the guts to ask. But as she eyed the queen, she realized that she knew this woman was far beyond human.
"We're fine."
"Are you sure?" Red looked down the hallway.
Emma turned around and found that the other witch had flashed out of sight. She turned back to the three Queens before her, "It's taken care of." Emma nodded. "Shall we?"
Belle and Regina walked back into the dining hall, but Red kept back and waited for a moment alone, "How long?"
Emma knit her brows, "Pardon?"
"How long have you been in love with her? And she with you?"
The blonde looked down, "I haven't the faintest—"
"Horse shit." Red cut her off. And, when Emma gave her a surprised look that held both anger and amusement, Red decided to continue, "The rumors you've heard are true. I am a werewolf and I know that you two are in love with each other. I can smell it. I can hear things that most people don't. Like private conversations in a woman's bedchamber. And our guest chambers are next to both yours and the Shadow Queen's. So how long?"
Emma swallowed hard. She didn't say anything, though it was visible she was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Red gave her a sympathetic look, "I assure you, I am not going to say anything to anyone. And you needn't worry about Belle or Chip either. Chip knew something before I did. He has a better nose than me and the brains and secret love of romance novels like his mother…"
Emma inhaled deeply, "I've loved her since I saw her…"
"So the competition is rigged?" Red's tone was not surprised or angry, but calm.
"No, your Majesty. There now is a 1 in 6 chance that I will win. Everything is authentic as it seems."
Red gave the princess a look, "Why?"
"Because it is the only way it could be done and our marriage to stay a marriage forever without any trial or question of its… sincerity." Emma knit her brows knowing that wasn't the right word. Then if came to her, "Of its integrity."
Red nodded along, "Because if the competition was rigged in a nation like this, the court would give it to the runner up, call your marriage off and make it overly official with that runner up."
"Exactly."
Red pursed her lips and gestured with her head to come back inside, "You have your mother's chin." She changed the subject as the reentered the dining hall.
Emma smiled, "So I've been told. She told me you and she were close."
Red nodded, "We were. Once. But that was a long time ago. Before she met her Charming and I met my Beauty."
Emma stared at her, "Why do I get the feeling that it was more than 'close'?"
Red gave the young royal a small smile of sincerity, "Because it was."
~0~0~0~0~0~
Emma was fuming on the inside as she lined up with Sir Gustave, Prince Alexander, Prince Chip, Prince Dunstan, and Prince Artie. She stared her mother down as Regina stood before them. The royals (both the disqualified and the Kings and Queens of the many lands) and the advisors all lined up along a long table on a platform facing the remaining six.
Emma wasn't sure if she was angry with her mother not telling her of past romances or worried about Maleficent, who had yet to make another appearance. It had only been 15 minutes since the hallway incident, but that scared her more than anything else.
"Princess?" Regina called for her attention.
"Huh?" She grunted as she shook from her stupor.
"Do you understand the rules?"
Emma swallowed hard, this was the same feeling she got when her mother walked in on her tutoring to find that she'd learned nothing but got really good at drawing her horses. She blushed, but tried to hide it by talking confidently, "I'm sorry, I need to hear them one more time."
Regina knit her brows, playing dumb for their audience, "Are you ill?"
"No, my Queen, just mindless as Fiyero…" she trailed off, hoping that that would be enough to satisfy the royals and the Shadow Queen (not Regina, but the Queen).
Regina pursed her lips as collective chuckles spread throughout the room. She crossed her arms, "I will dance a Viennese Waltz, Argentine Tango, Mambo, Paso Doble, Quickstep, and Foxtrot. One dance with each of you, then one will be eliminated."
Emma decided to become bold, "What? No Lindy Hop or Jitterbug?"
Snow White, along with most everyone else in the room gasped loudly.
Regina gave the blonde a wicked look, "That's round two." She held her hand up to calm the room down as she continued, "Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Jive, Charleston and Lambada." As her hand fell, the rest of the royals and the advisors, and the band that was there to play music, all started turning to each other giving their input and feelings on the matter.
Belle grabbed Red's hand, "Those are the five forbidden dances…" She whispered.
Red had a growing smile on her face, "This competition just got a whole lot more interesting for me…" She turned to her wife and saw the devilish smirk, "You're jealous that we don't get to dance one of them."
Belle matched her wife's grin, "A little. Yeah."
Emma in the meantime gave her all-too-secret lover a look that tried to scold her, but couldn't because this competition just got fun. She held her hand up trying to calm at least the other competitors so she could ask her question, "So, this appreciation of art thing? No one is getting eliminated based on their taste or knowledge in fine art?"
"No. I couldn't very well say that we were going to dance two sets of dance, one fit for ballroom and one fit for all of our kingdoms' underground nightlife, could I…?"
Emma nodded and shrugged, not knowing what else to do. "I think I understand the rules now, My Queen."
"Lovely." Just as Regina was going to pick her first contestant, the doors to the ballroom clicked and a tiny figure toddled through the door in a baby blue, frilly dress.
"Grace?!" Jefferson stood to go get his daughter, but Regina turned to him and shook her head.
Regina smiled at the toddler and knelt down in her spot, "Come here, little one."
Grace smiled and ran as fast as her two-and-a-half-year-old legs could carry her to the queen.
"Oh, hello, beautiful!" Regina said as the young girl hugged her tight.
"Hi." Grace said, causing every parent and kid-friendly person in the room to coo and awe.
"Just why did Delaney let you come in here?"
Grace looked anywhere but at the queen or her father.
"Oh, I see. Was someone all-too-curious about what all the people were here for?"
"And I miss my daddy." She pointed to the man in question.
"Well, those are very good reasons to try and succeed in coming in here." Regina nodded as she started walking with the girl in her arms, "Would you like to help me, little one?"
"Uh huh." Grace nodded.
"Would you like to pick a person from these six here and tell them what dance they will dance with me?" She said as she pointed to the contestants.
"Otay!" She clapped her hands and wiggled out of Regina's grasp back to the floor.
The toddler marched up and down the row and stopped in front of Emma. She knit her brows and crooked her finger a couple times in askance for the blonde to come to her level. Once Emma relented and squatted, the toddler took a few steps in, invading her space completely. She grabbed Emma's cheeks and stared at her, "You're a lady."
Emma tried to contain her laughter, "Yes, I am."
Grace nodded, "Yeah… I like your hair. I want mine to look like yours."
"Well, thank you." Emma smiled, "I'll show you how sometime, alright?"
"Otay!" Grace stepped back, releasing the blonde and marched the lot of them once more. She stopped in front of Alexander and pointed up at him, "I choose him buhcause he matches my blue!" The toddler gestured to her blue dress and his blue suit.
Alexander smirked as he looked to Emma by his side, "I really do though." He whispered.
Emma smirked back, "Oh, Alexander." She patted his shoulder before moving off the dance floor with the rest of them, sitting in the chairs provided in front of the advisors.
"Now, miss Grace, what dance will we be dancing?" Regina asked the young girl.
"I dunno!" She turned to her father, "Daddy!" She ran over and climbed up Dunstan to get to the top of the table to her father. She turned back to Dunstan after getting settled, "Sorry."
Dunstan was brightening a little, so everyone knew he was fine, if not delighted by the little girl, "You are quite all right." He said with a smile.
Grace stared at him with wide eyes, "You're glowy!"
Dunstan smirked, "Well, I'm part star. It happens."
Grace looked to her father, "I wanna be part star!"
Jefferson smiled, "Well, my love, in my eyes you are." He hugged his daughter tight as she burrowed into him, "Are you going to pick a dance for the queen like she asked you?"
"I don't know what to pick…"
Pinocchio was quick to write the six dances down, "Pick one of these, Gracie."
Grace looked at the paper, then closed her eyes and let her finger land where it may, "Dat one."
Jefferson looked at where her finger was, "The Viennese Waltz." He provided.
Regina nodded, "That's quite fitting to be the first dance of the day, hmm?" She smiled to Alexander as she snapped her fingers changing her outfit.
"Indeed." Alexander nodded as he noted that the queen now matched his outfit as well. "I see you've decided to let in color to your wardrobe." She smirked at him and gave him a wink. He then took a quick look around the room and found Patrick looking back at him. He smiled as he turned back to see Regina cuing up the band and took his starting position.
They moved around the room gracefully. All of the anticipated sweeping turns were elegant and lovely. They rotated and spun as if they were two professionals as they listened to the ballad-like music and kept perfect time.
When they finished they got applause. Regina looked to Alexander before curtsying while he bowed, "Thank you, Prince Alexander."
Alexander took her hand and kissed the top, "My Queen."
"Daddy, I want to dance!" Grace said excitedly bouncing in her father's lap.
"We will later, my love." Jefferson assured her, "Pick another contestant."
Grace crawled from her father's lap and stood on the table, looking down at all of them.
"Grace! You know you're not supposed to walk on the table."
"She's fine, Jefferson." Regina said, calming the man, trying to rid him of embarrassment as the rest of the royals from all the lands saw the infinite freedom that his daughter had.
Ariel leaned over and looked down to the man, "Arely still walks on our table when attention isn't given to him."
"I do not!" Arely gave his father a glare.
"Oh, you do too." Eric clapped his son's shoulder, telling him not to argue.
"So does Shrek, when he's hungry and there's no food out." Fiona smirked to her husband.
"I do!" he turned to the rest of them as they all stared at him with hidden smirks, "When an ogre is hungry, he needs food. Or, he or she" He glanced pointedly to his wife, "turns into the mythical, scary, angry, ogre and rampages and pillages villages." He shrugged as he leaned back.
Ella decided to comment, "Yes, she is just fine. I'm sure all of us with children know that this age is the age that anything and everything is acceptable."
Grace had been staring at Shrek and Fiona ever since they spoke. She toddled all the way down to them and stared. She reached out and flicked at Fiona's ear, then once Fiona flinched she jumped back.
"You're a real ogre?" She asked.
Fiona chuckled, "Yes, I am."
"Do you have ogre babies?"
"We do, but they stayed home with their grandparents so they wouldn't interrupt the competition."
Grace's face was pure delight as she looked down to the five contestants, "Which one is yours?" She asked them, "None of them is a ogre…"
"Well, you see, Fiona used to be human, but an evil witch cast a curse on her so she would be part ogre and then whoever her true love was would reveal her true self." Shrek started.
"And she loves you and you're a ogre, so she is too!" Grace clapped her hands.
"That's right." Fiona nodded.
Grace looked back to the contestants, "So, which one is yours?"
Shrek chuckled, "Artie." He provided.
Grace skipped back to her father and looked to the queen, "I pick," she scrunched her face and tried to match Shrek's accent as she said, "Artie."
Regina nodded and Artie stood, "And what will Prince Artie and I be dancing?"
Grace looked to the page Pinocchio made for her and pointed, "That one." She looked at Pinocchio to tell the queen which dance.
"The Foxtrot."
Regina snapped her fingers and immediately put Artie into a suit fitting of the dance and her dress was a classic style for the dance as well. She cued the music. Honestly, she was not expecting much from this competitor. He was so young. He was quirky, and he was a little bit clumsy. And this dance was neither quirky nor clumsy. It was smooth and followed a distinct pattern.
She was surprised when Artie not only knew that the dance pattern was slow-quick-quick-slow, but knew the weave and the feather step. He was the complete opposite of his character on the dance floor.
"My, my, Prince Artie…"
Artie smirked, "There aren't a lot of things I'm good at, but there a few things I'm great at. And dancing is one of them." The music then came to a close and Artie pulled from the queen after kissing her hand, following Alexander's display of gentlemanliness and made his way back to his seat between Dunstan and Emma.
Emma stared at him blankly.
He only held in a chuckle, "I know." He said through a smirk, "I'm awesome."
"Intimidatingly so." Dunstan nodded. He was not glowing anymore.
Grace interrupted anything Emma thought she might say. The toddler was laying on the table and reached her hand down, tapping the top of Emma's head.
"You're it." the little girl smiled.
Emma smiled back up to her and stood up, "Okay, miss Grace." She stood up, "And what will the Shadow Queen and myself be dancing?"
"Da kickstep."
"Quickstep, Grace." Hook corrected.
"Yeah! Dat's what I said, Uncle Hook!" Grace crawled over to her uncle and pet his scruffy face before grasping the metal hook and swinging his arm back and forth.
Hook nodded along, "Yes you did."
No one could ever get over seeing Hook interact so delicately with a child. He was born to be a father. He was a father without a child.
Regina snapped her fingers changing herself and her partner's clothes, but Emma's didn't change. She knit her brows, "What…?"
"…What?" Emma asked as she took in the backless number that Regina magicked herself into for this dance.
"I tried to change you."
Emma, not facing the crowd in the room gave her secret lover a bored look, mainly to mask how attracted she was to her in this moment, before holding up her arm, "Could your magic-proofing sash possibly prevent you from using your magic on me while I'm wearing it as well?"
"Right." Regina nodded. The Genie and any other magical being could use magic on the blonde while she wore it, but since the sash—even though by the Genie's hand—was crafted from her magic it made both of their magics neutral.
Regina stared at the girl, telling her to take it off. Emma rolled her eyes with a sigh and took off the sash.
Snow leaned into her husband, "This is ludicrous. She's no idea how to dance a quickstep!" She whispered.
"She'll figure it out." Charming whispered back as he watched the Shadow Queen and his daughter interact.
Regina pointed to Emma this time, letting magic drip through her finger over the blonde princess and changed her into a very feminine suit. Emma was impressed and tied the sash back around her arm quickly as Regina cued for music.
Emma swiftly took Regina in a hold and began leading her around the dance floor. Their movements were executed perfectly and their steps were completely in sync.
Snow knit her brows as she watched her daughter dance with the Shadow Queen, "Charming…" She whispered, leaning into her husband.
"She's good." He whispered back with a small grin on his face.
"She's wonderful."
Patrick was sitting next to them. He knit his brows and stared at them a moment. For a kingdom that is known for love and family (and work ethic), the royals didn't seem to know their daughter at all. Though that could be because their daughter tells them nothing, but one could never be positive.
Snow felt his stare and looked back to him, "Yes?"
"Nothing, your majesty." He turned back to the performance as it ended.
Emma gave a bow as Regina curtsied her way then she took the brunette's hand and kissed it like the other men. They couldn't hide their mutual attraction for each other in this moment, but they did their damndest. The advisors, Red, Belle, Patrick, Alexander, Chip and Artie all stole subtle glances at this moment figuring out who else knew, or thought they might know, about this attraction in stealthy silence while everyone else sat in ignorance.
Chip and Dunstan both danced beautifully, Chip danced a Tango and Dunstan a Paso Doble. Chip's execution of each pose surprised Regina because the Prince was usually so shy and tame, but the man knew how to dance. And Dunstan's ability to appear steady and strong while he stomped and handled his cape impressed Regina to no end; she knew he was sweet and charming, but she did not know he would be able to take the bull by the horns, so to speak.
Regina started to think that this elimination was going to be really hard, but then came the normally charming Sir Gustave. Their dance was the Mambo, the most sensuous and raunchy of the ballroom dances. Sir Gustave got a little too raunchy as he and Regina's hips pressed together and moved as one. And then, he got a little too confident in his skill of seduction. He tried to sneak kisses on Regina's neck, and he would sigh in her ear.
It was in a particular hold, he was dipping Regina low and Regina had to turn her head to avoid his eyes that hers locked with Emma's. He nuzzled over her ear before he brought his mouth up and whispered, "I want to make love to you, and you can't deny that you want to make love to me." Before sticking his tongue in her ear.
Emma stood up, clearly angry and Regina was quick to have the audience keep their focus on her as she poofed out of Sir Gustave's arms. "Thank you, Sir Gustave." She pointed to his seat before wiping her ear.
Gustave knit his brows in confusion before clasping his hands over his front discreetly and walking over to the indicated seat, which thank gods was on the opposite side of Emma's.
Emma leaned forward and glared at him; the rest of the men looked at him with shock clearly evident on their faces—especially Alexander.
"What?" Gustave looked at them.
"You're a pig." Emma didn't hesitate to put in her two cents.
"No." Gustave shook his head, "I am French. We are big romantics. I may get a little excited in a dance, but make no mistake. I am no pig."
Artie decided to butt in before the only friend he'd made in the competition lost it. He put his hand on Emma's shoulder, keeping her grounded as he chuckled arrogantly, "That may be, but that doesn't mean you should stick your tongue in a woman's—a Queen's ear during a Mambo. I mean, it's a sensual dance, but bro, methinks you just got yourself eliminated."
"You think I just got eliminated? Really? What about you?"
"What about me? I'm awesome." This display of confidence threw most of the royals for a loop.
"You flourish your moves too much."
"My dance was a Foxtrot, what else am I supposed to do? Besides, I finished my dance."
After a thorough wiping of the ear that got licked, Regina collected herself after a shiver of disgust and moved to the center of the room to stand before everyone. She took in the fact that not three of her contestants were bickering, but all six were quarrelling. She looked up to her advisors, "Maybe I should eliminate everyone and find new contestants…"
Her voice seemed to carry through at a deafening rate. Dunstan, Artie, Emma, Alexander, Chip and Gustave all stopped immediately and looked at the queen.
"Is this honestly how you behave yourselves?"
"Oh, right, pardon the five of us for getting onto the jackass that just licked your face." Emma mumbled under her breath causing everyone but Gustave to snicker and look down.
"What was that, Princess?"
Emma held her head up high as she looked to the Queen, "I said, 'I'm sorry that the five of us that didn't dance with our tongue in your ear and scolded the one that did.' We just thought it highly inappropriate seeing as this is a competition for your hand and we are to be acting scholarly and noble and gentlemanly at all times." She stood and continued before the queen could interrupt, "I know that you having to shut our bickering up makes it seem like none of us were acting the way I just described, but maybe we were all jealous. At least now you know that you will easily have any of us wrapped around your finger when the competition dwindles to the winner."
Regina pursed her lips in consideration, "Sit down, Princess."
"Yes, My Queen." Emma took her seat and stared at the floor as if she were just scolded, which, for all intents and purposes, she was.
Regina turned to her advisors, "Would you like to give any input, or is the decision my own?"
The six advisors looked at each other and turned back to her, all shrugging synchronized in their movement.
Grace raised her hand like she was in class and she knew the answer more than anyone else.
Regina smiled at the young girl, "Yes, Miss Grace?"
Grace moved to the edge of the table and tapped Chip on the head. The good prince looked up to see her silently asking him to put her on the floor. He stood and let her jump into his arms before turning and putting her down. Grace then toddled over to the queen and looked up at her and waited for Regina to either pick her up or kneel down to her. The queen decided to pick the toddler up.
"Is you gonna eliminate da last guy?" she whispered so no one else could hear her.
Regina touched her nose, answering the affirmative.
"Good." She whispered again, "He licked you. Dat's icky."
Regina could only grin and nod, "It is icky, isn't it?" Grace nodded her answer.
"All right. I have come to a conclusion." She announced, still holding the child. She looked to the knight she just danced with, "Sir Gustave. Thank you for coming."
"What?!" King Henry stood up, angry.
"King Henry…" Regina started.
"He did nothing wrong!" The King of France was about to throw a tantrum.
"My ear begs to differ!" Regina snapped back at the King, showing him how childish he was being. When he didn't try to cut her off again, she spoke at a normal volume, "And so does my neck." She gave the King a look before turning to the knight, "You are a good man, but not that good." She gave him a winning smile, "Like the others, you are more than welcome to stay."
Sir Gustave looked over to his King and Queen, "I'm not sure at the moment, your majesty." Regina nodded before snapping her fingers, magicking tables and chairs, "Let us eat lunch, and let me rest before we reconvene." She smiled that same winning smile to everyone as they moved about to the different tables.
AN: Quiz Question that means nothing! Why is Artie so good at dancing?
Please Read and Review!
I promise to the many I'm sure are wondering, Maleficent will be back next chapter.