"Do you remember the last time we were in one of these? We spent majority of the ride exchanging glares, sarcastic retorts, and insults. Oh, how far we've come…" Emma says to Regina in an awe-filled tone, a sweet, reminiscent smile on her lips. Regina blushes at the girl's sweet expression and glances out the window of the moving carriage. It's been two hours since the Mills carriage driver picked the girls up from their cottage; only 4 hours remaining until they reach their destination: The Mills Kingdom. "What do you think your mom picked out for you to wear? And do you think she's going to force you to converse with her?" Emma asks after a silent moment. Regina looks at the blonde and shrugs.
"I don't know. Hopefully whatever she picked for me isn't hideous. If I'm going to be subjected to spending a few hours with stuck-up royals and kiss-ass non-royals, then I'd like to be dressed in decent attire. Also, my mother can't force me to do anything. Not anymore. By marrying me off to you, she basically stated that I am now an adult who can make my own decisions. So if I choose to ignore her, then she must accept that."
"You know that's not how it works, right? My parents are most likely going to shoot me puppy-dog eyes and pouts until I acknowledge them. And I think that I just might give them what they want. At least for today." Emma says to Regina, a small smile playing on her lips. Regina eyes the girl curiously, an eyebrow quirked in confusion.
"Why would you acknowledge the two people who forced you into marriage and shipped you off to live in the middle of nowhere?"
"Because, as upset as I am about this whole situation…I'm also kind of grateful for it. If they hadn't married me off to you, then I wouldn't have realized how great of a person you are and how amazing it is to be in your company…..even when you're being difficult. Also, I would never have been able to witness you shooting people with arrows because my abs are distracting to you." Regina flushes at that last statement, her cheeks blazing red at the cocky smirk the blonde is sending her way.
"Shut up." She mumbles in embarrassment, clearing her throat uncomfortably and turning her attention back to the window. Emma chuckles at the girl and leans back in her seat, resting her head on the back wall of the carriage.
"I'm just saying. Maybe I should ask my parents to find a dress that displays my abdomen. Just for you." Regina looks back at the girl with wide eyes, her face flushing at the flirty wink being sent her way.
"I hate you."
"You don't."
"I do. I really really do."
"If you say so, Regina."
"I do. Wait, what the hell do you think you're doing?! Put it back on!" Regina shrieks at Emma, her eyes widened in panic. Regina watches as Emma lifts her blouse over her head, throwing the discarded item onto the carriage floor, leaving the blonde in nothing but her bra and trousers. Regina's breath becomes labored at the sight of the other woman's abs, shutting her eyes tightly to avoid looking at the blonde's toned stomach.
"You're looking a little pale there, Regina. Are you alright?" Emma asks in mock concern, a wicked smirk spreading across her lips.
"I hate you even more than I did two minutes ago." Regina says shakily, her eyes still shut and her head now resting against the carriage window. Emma giggles at the other girl's discomfort and smiles to herself.
"Sure you do. You can look, you know. I don't mind."
"I'm not here to feed your ego, Miss White."
"It's a little too late for that, don't you think? I mean, you did shoot Alexander in the thigh because you were focusing on my abs and flexing muscles, and not on your target board. How can you not expect my ego to have grown from that information?" Regina releases an exasperated sigh and opens her eyes, focusing all of her attention on Emma's face, careful not to let her eyes wander lower.
"I am done talking to you."
"But we still have a few hours to go…you can't give me the silent treatment now! I'll die!" Emma says dramatically, a pout put firmly in place. Regina smirks at the girl and shrugs nonchalantly.
"You should've thought about that before you started teasing me." Regina says with her smirk still in place. Emma's jaw drops in disbelief as she watches Regina lean her head against the carriage window, her eyes tightly closed.
"Regina! It's too silent now…" Emma whines, her bottom lip jutted out even further, though Regina pays it no mind, seeing as how her eyes are still closed. "You're so mean." Emma mutters quietly. Regina lets out a breathy laugh and cracks an eye open to see Emma's arms crossed over her chest and a childish pout on her lips.
"Talk to you in a few hours, Miss White." Regina says to the girl, laughing as she hears a dissatisfied groan escape the blonde's mouth.
4 and a half hours later
"We're here, your majesties. Your mother will be sending down four guards to accompany you both to your bed chambers." The Mills Carriage driver says to Regina, bowing his head to her and Emma, before jumping back onto the carriage and making his departure. Regina and Emma turn around, facing the castle doors, both feeling a bit apprehensive.
"Home sweet home." Regina mumbles to herself, staring up at the large castle that served as her home for the first 18 years of her life. Beside her, Emma watches her expression with a sympathetic smile, wordlessly reaching out her hand to hold the brunette's. The moment their hands make contact, Regina's breath hitches. She discreetly looks down at her hand clasped in Emma's palm, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Without saying a word, Regina entwines her fingers with the blonde's, catching Emma by surprise. Before Emma gets the chance to comment on their held hands, four burly men approach the pair. Once the men are directly in front of the girls, they bow in acknowledgment, the two girls curtsying in response.
"You look well, your majesty. Welcome home." One of the men say to Regina with a kind smile. Regina smiles back at the man. His name is Timothy, and he has been Regina's guard and confidant throughout her entire childhood…until recently, that is.
"It's good to see you, Timothy. I hope all has been well." Regina replies formally. He smiles sweetly at her, his blue eyes sparkling with fondness.
"It has been for the most part, but between you and I, you not being here has made the castle feel rather empty. Your mother and father aren't exactly the liveliest company." He says with a deep laugh, causing a smile to bloom on her face. Timothy then turns to Emma, his expression and body language emanating nothing but kindness. "I am Timothy Hartwell, your majesty. I am the leading guard for the Mills Kingdom and you must be Emma White. It is a pleasure to officially meet you. You're even more beautiful than Regina described." He says to Emma with a bow, a smirk is tugging at his lips as he side eyes Regina.
Regina glares daggers at the man and ignores Emma's look of surprise.
"You told him you thought I was beautiful?" Emma asks in a sing-song voice, causing all of the guards to quietly chuckle. Regina fixes the chuckling guards with a glare, causing all of the men to snap their mouths shut.
"I said no such thing. Timothy is clearly mistaken."
"I am not mistaken in the least, your majesty. I recall several instances where you have unknowingly called, Miss White, the most infuriating, yet beautiful, person you have ever met. You used to refer to her eyes as green gems and her cheekbones, as sculpted perfection. But then again, you may be right. Maybe I am mistaken. You did carry a major dislike for her, after all." Regina's face flushes in embarrassment. She vaguely recalls saying something along those lines…but she was about 14 when she said them. She obviously had no clue what she was saying….clearly.
"Don't we have a ball to get ready for? Come on, gentlemen, lead the way." Regina says in an authoritative tone, avoiding both Emma and Timothy's amused gaze, as the other men snap into action, leading the girls through the castle doors and up the long, winding staircase. Once they reach the top of the staircase, Emma and Regina are rushed into separate bedchambers for the ball preparation. As she enters her former bedchamber, Regina notices her mother, along with a few maids, seated atop the quilts of her old bed.
"Hello, darling. So nice of you to join us." Cora says as Regina walks into the room. Regina rolls her eyes in response and offers her mom a sarcastic smile.
"So good to see you, mother."
"It's always nice to see me." Her mother retorts with a smirk. Regina rolls her eyes at the woman again.
"I came in here to get ready for the ball, not to socialize with you."
"Then by all means, go hop in the bath and when you're done, Mildred, Katherine, and Alena, will be waiting out here to help beautify your appearance. The bags under your eyes, your wrinkled clothing and your ruffled hair, calls for much attention. You're actually looking quite rough these days, dear. I wonder why." Cora says with a mocking smile. Regina snarls at her mother and crosses her arms over her chest.
"It is always such a pleasure to talk to you, mother." Regina says through clenched teeth. Cora flashes her a sarcastic smile and then turns her attention towards the maids, giving them specific duties for Regina's ball preparation. Once she's done speaking, she walks past Regina and exits through the door, wordlessly. Regina shakes her head in bemusement and offers the maids a small smile before heading towards the bathroom.
Let the ball preparation begin.
3 Hours Later—the ball
"Your majesty, may I escort you into the ballroom?" Regina hears a familiar voice say from behind her. An involuntary smile makes its way onto her face as she turns around and comes face-to-face with Daniel.
"Daniel." She breathes out, happily. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, your mother and father invited me and I couldn't exactly pass up an opportunity to see you again. We didn't exactly end on a good note and I came here to apologize and ask for your forgiveness." He says with a sheepish smile. Regina smiles at the man and walks towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist. A moment later, his arms wrap around her shoulders in a tight hug. "So, does this mean that I am forgiven?" He asks hopefully. Regina chuckles and nods her head against his chest, before pulling out of their embrace.
"You are definitely forgiven." She tells him truthfully.
"Can we be friends?" He asks quietly. She smiles widely at that and nods her head enthusiastically.
"Yes, Daniel. We can definitely be friends."
"Awesome! So, your highness, would you like me to escort you into the ballroom? I know you don't entirely forgive your father as of yet, so I asked him if it was okay for me to escort you instead. I hope that's okay with you. " He says, offering his arm. Regina slips her arm through his and smiles at him gratefully.
"It is more than okay with me. Thank you. Just out of curiosity, have you seen Emma by any chance?" Daniel nods his head with a small smile.
"I did. She was standing with her mother and father at the other ballroom entrance. She looks beautiful, just like you." Daniel says sincerely. Regina's mom picked out a long, purple and white gown. The sleeves were flat and reached her elbows, the neckline was low enough to show the top of her cleavage, the bottom half of the dress was slightly puffed out and the hem of the dress was just an inch above dragging on the floor. Her dress was paired with a pair of purple heels and her bejeweled crown. Her hair fell down her back in luscious waves, while the crown sat atop her head, the light of the hallway reflecting on the jewels, making them twinkle brightly.
"Let's go in. I'm sure your precious wife is already there, waiting for you." Daniel says teasingly causing Regina to roll her eyes playfully at the man. They begin walking towards the entrance and after taking a moment to compose themselves, they push open the ballroom doors, causing everyone already waiting patiently in there, to look towards them. Just on the other side of the ballroom, the second entrance opens, revealing Emma and Charming, arm-in-arm, also entering the ballroom. Everyone in the large room splits their attention between watching both princesses enter. Once both girls and the men on their arms, descend the stairs, their escorts bow at them and the girls curtsy in response before making their way across the room, to each other.
"Wow." Emma says upon approaching Regina, taking in the sight of the girl's appearance.
"Wow, yourself." Regina says back with a small smile, taking in the sight of Emma's gown and hair. Emma's hair is done in a neat French braid, her crown sitting atop her head nicely. Regina's eyes then drift downwards, looking over the other girl's gown. Emma's gown is a deep red, the sleeves reaching just below her biceps, while the neckline of the dress is about the same as Regina's, only showing the top of the girl's cleavage. The bottom half of the gown isn't as inflated as Regina's, but it still has a little puff to it. Just below the dress, Regina can make out cream-colored heels. "You clean up nicely, Miss White." Regina says teasingly. Emma smirks at her and shrugs nonchalantly.
"As do you, your royal bitchiness. Shall we get this show on the road?" Emma asks with a quirked brow, nudging her head towards the large throng of people staring hungrily at them. Regina releases an exasperated sigh and shrugs.
"After you." Regina says with a sweeping gesture of her arms. Emma smirks at her and offers her arm to the girl. Regina smiles at her and links her arm through the blonde's.
Let this dreadful night begin, both girls think to themselves.
"You are an excellent dancer, your majesty." A non-royal, by the name of, William Smee, says to Regina, while they, clumsily, glide across the ballroom floor. The man can't dance to save his life. He has stepped on Regina's feet 15 times in the last 2 minutes of their dance. And yes, Regina has been taking count.
"I wish I could say the same for you." Regina mutters under her breath.
"I'm sorry?"
"Oh, nothing, I'm just a bit parched. Do you think you can fetch me something to drink?" Regina asks in mock kindness, a forced smile on her lips. The short man nods at her eagerly, a large smile on his face.
"Of course, your majesty. I'll be just a minute." He says to her with a retreating bow, making his way towards the refreshment table. Once he's out of sight, Regina makes her way to the far wall of the room, releasing a long sigh once she sags against it. This has been such a long night, and it only started half an hour ago. Regina watches as her father and mother stand together on the balcony, overlooking the ballroom, and in deep conversation. Since arriving at the castle, her mother had only spoken to her when she first arrived, other than that, she didn't even attempt to make another conversation. Regina's father on the other hand, didn't so much as acknowledge her. A part of her feels relieved, but another part of her is slightly hurt. Regardless of the fact that she'd mad at him, she would have expected him to make an effort to speak with her. She is still his daughter, after all. It just goes to show that her parent never really cared for her.
"Here you go, your majesty." William Smee says as he returns with a glass of water. Regina takes the glass from him and mutters a small "thanks." As she takes a sip of her water, she notices the man still standing next to her, staring at her expectantly. With an exasperated sigh, she forces out a smile.
"That will be all, William. It was a pleasure to meet you." She says to the man as politely dismissive as possible. The man nervously smiles at her and bows.
"It was a pleasure to meet you too, your majesty." With that, he walks away and disappears into the large crowd of people.
Once he's gone, Regina looks around the gliding bodies, searching for a certain blonde-haired princess. Finally, after 2 minutes of looking, she finds who she's looking for. Emma. As the blonde swims into her vision, Regina takes in the strained smile on the blonde's face as she dances with a tall, brunette gentlemen. He's handsome and well-built, but from the looks of it, he's extremely cocky and obviously one of the stuck-up royals. As Regina gets a glance of his face, she recognizes him as the eldest son of the Aarons Kingdom. He's next in line to become king, and all he needs to do in order to get the crown, is to find a suitable wife. Considering that Emma and Regina are already married, she knows there's no way he's trying to get Emma's hand in marriage…or is he?
"I think that I would be a more suitable companion for you than your wife. Let's be honest here, I'm obviously far more attractive than her, I have an amazing sense of humor, I will be able to protect you from any possible harm, and let's face it…I'm everything you need. I am the full package." Chris Aarons says to Emma as they continue to dance. Emma scoffs at the man and shakes her head in bemusement. She's never met anyone so full of themselves before, and that's saying a lot, considering that she and Regina are the cockiest people she's ever met. Until now, that is. "So what do you say, Emma? Dump your wife and become my betrothed?" He asks with an arrogant smile. Emma smiles in faux sweetness and pretends to think about it.
"I'm sorry, but why in the hell would I ditch my amazing wife to be with scum like you?" Emma says innocently. The man looks at her with wide eyes, his jaw dropped in surprise.
"Bu—"Emma cuts off, what she knows will be another marriage proposition, by stomping her heel into his foot. He yelps out in pain and she smirks at him, a sweet smile on her lips.
"I'm sorry, my bad." She says while innocently batting her eyelashes, though her tone of voice is anything but innocent.
"May I cut in?" Emma hears a deep voice say from behind her. As she turns around, she sees her father with an outstretched hand offered to her. Emma looks back at the Aarons prince for a moment, laughing to herself as the man bends down to nurse his aching foot. She then turns back around and takes her father's outstretched hand. Charming leads her away to the middle of the ballroom floor, placing one hand on her hip and the other in her palm. "What happened back there?" He asks curiously, wondering what caused his daughter to smash the man's foot with her heel.
"He was being a jerk."
"A jerk about what?" Charming presses on.
"He proposed that I dump Regina and become engaged to him."
"What an ass." Charming mutters. Emma laughs at her father's insult and shakes her head amusedly. "So, I'm assuming that you disagreed with his proposal?"
"Obviously."
"So, does this mean that you and Regina are actually getting along? And that you forgive your mother and me?" Charming asks hopefully. Since Emma's arrival at the Mill's kingdom earlier, Emma has been civil with both he and Snow, not showing any of the animosity that she showed them on their surprise visit to the cottage. She hasn't outright stated, that she forgave them, but one can only hope. She's his only daughter, he doesn't want her to continue to hate him…at least, not while she still doesn't know the full story of why he and Snow married her off to Regina in the first place.
"Regina and I are getting along, yes. As for your forgiveness…I don't know. I still don't understand why you would put the kingdom before your own daughter. Your only daughter." Emma says truthfully, hurt evident in her voice. Charming frowns at that. After about 2 minutes of silence, he comes to a decision.
"Emma, I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
"It has to do with your marriage to Regina."
"What about it, Dad?"
"Your mother and I weren't totally honest with you about the reason we married you off to Regina…" Charming states thickly. He can't believe he's about to do this.
"Wait…then what was the real reason?" Emma asks curiously, her heart beating wildly in her chest as she sees the conflicted expression on her dad's face.
"I think we should talk outside." Charming says without waiting for an answer. Before Emma gets the chance to stop him, he's already walking towards the doors leading to the outdoor balcony.
She has a feeling that whatever her father says to her tonight, might change her outlook on things forever.