Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Special mention to the guest reviewer who pointed out a mistake in the name, after commenting it with my beta, we realised you were right and the title has changed - thanks!
Also, originally I had plan this story to have ten chapter, however it will extend for a bit longer.
Emma knew she wouldn't be able to avoid Regina during the wedding, which is why she had asked Ruby and Mulan to stay next to her throughout the whole ceremony and party afterwards.
Regina, on her part, didn't try to come closer. In fact, Emma started to think that Regina decided to respect her wishes and left her alone. A little part of her died when the thought crossed her mind. She scolded herself for thinking like that. After all, she did ask Regina to stay away.
Like many other royal weddings, Snow and David's wedding lasted a week. A painfully long week where Emma was torn between avoiding Regina at all costs or fighting her on why she gave up on them. It was irrational, she was aware of that. Alas, she couldn't help her feelings. Like the way betrayal pierced her heart when she saw Regina dancing with a young man on the third night of the wedding festivities. Or, the jealousy as it stabbed at her heart when she realized that the young man escorted Regina everywhere. And he stayed with her, even after all the wedding guests had left. He stood by Regina.
Emma closed her fists; she was having a hard time controlling her anger. If she could think rationally, she would have realized that it was unfair for her to be jealous or angry. She shot down Regina all the times that the brunette wanted to talk to her. Besides, for all she knew, the young man could be Leo, Regina's husband.
"I'm sorry for interrupting, Ser Emma," a timid voice caught her attention, "but, His Majesty requests your presence in the war council immediately."
She averted her eyes away from Regina and looked at the teenager standing next to her. Emma hated being called by her army rank. The other thing she hated even more was being called by her nobility title. Everyone among the troops knew that, which meant this messenger was new in the castle.
She smiled at him, "What's your name, boy?"
"Thomas, your highness," he bowed his head.
"It's nice meeting you, Thomas," Emma said, "Do me a favor and call me Emma. Leave the titles for the people wearing the smelly wigs."
"As your highness wishes."
"Thomas!" she scolded him and when his face paled, she laughed, "I know what they teach you when you first come here, kid. But for me, respect is not based on titles. Please, call me Emma. Everyone in the castle does."
"Very well... Emma," the young messenger said, testing the name on the tongue of his mouth. "The King requests your presence," he repeated his message.
"Then, let's not keep the King waiting!" she replied.
Apparently, the Kings of both the Swan and the Mills kingdom could barely wait until the wedding was over to start planning strategies for the war.
She looked around, wondering if she could see any familiar faces. Two of her uncles including the King, David, Victor, and Jefferson were there. From the Mills family, there was Regina's grandfather, Killian, Will Mills, and, much to her dismay, Robin.
Seeing the man who attacked her in a cowardly way made her blood boil. It was evident that Robin was not too pleased to see her either.
She walked to the table and sat next to her cousins without taking her intense gaze away from Robin.
"If looks could kill..." Victor commented and he, David and Jefferson laughed.
"That would definitely make my day," Emma replied.
Before her cousins could bother her further, someone cleared his throat. The four young Swans quieted down and looked at the Mills King as he stood up from his chair and started speaking.
"Well, now that Ser Emma is here, it seems we can start the -," before he could continue, the doors opened and Regina entered, accompanied with the same young man.
"I apologize for our delay," was the only thing Regina said as the young man helped her with her chair. She didn't even acknowledge Emma as she sat down and nodded at her grandfather.
The blonde tried to ignore the burning sensation in her stomach and paid attention to the older Mills as he talked about the information they had gathered from their scouting parties. Apparently, the Dark One had returned, even more powerful than ever. He's been creating an army by raising the dead.
"We're to fight against zombies?" Will asked.
"Is the little Mills scared?" Victor mocked him.
"You better keep your mouth shut, freak!" Robin stood up abruptly and pointed a finger at him. Because of course, the Mills heard about Victor's hobby of dressing as a woman.
And, that was the point of no return for Emma. Because, she could handle people attacking her, but no one touched her family.
"If you ever call Victor that again," she said in an eerily calm voice, "I'll rip your tongue out and shove it up your ass." She didn't stand up, but her gaze was intimidating enough for Robin to sit down and shut up.
The two kings exchanged looks, wondering if their troops would get along as well as their family did. As the Mills King continued talking about their strategy, Emma zoned out, daydreaming about torturing Robin, until she heard her name being called.
"Ser Emma, you'll be in charge of the second brigade," the King informed, "You'll have 100 of our soldiers and 20 of our horses at your disposal."
Emma nodded. Together with her troop of 150 soldiers and 30 horses, it made for a decent battalion for war.
"What?" Robin protested, "You're giving a woman a hundred of our men?"
"I don't recall giving you permission to talk, Robin," the King answered with a tone that frightened almost everyone in the room, "You are here in honor of your father, who was a great warrior. But, your actions in the past months have proven that you're not the man he was."
Emma pursed her lips into a smirk. Watching the King scolding Robin had made it to the top ten moments of her life.
"Marshal Graham," the young man next to Regina stood up, "You're appointed as Ser Emma's second in command."
A wave of peace washed over her. Graham. That was his name, not Leo. Not Regina's husband. Emma relaxed a bit; at least, she wouldn't be paired with the man who now bedded the woman she loved. He smiled at her, in a way that made Emma believe that they would actually become friends. Then, he leaned to her side and whispered something into Regina's ear and just like that, he killed the small hope Emma had of befriending him.
She spent a great deal of the council meeting passing papers back and forth with Victor, who was not happy being sent to the battlefront as well. 'So many lonely, beautiful women I could be fucking. Instead, I'm here talking about war,' he had written in a note.
The next one was a crass drawing of Emma shoving Robin's tongue up his ass. It made Emma laugh uncontrollably.
All the people in the room looked at her in dismay, wondering if she found the war amusing. Not being able to control herself, she stood up and, after excusing herself, she left the room so she could calm herself.
She didn't notice someone had followed her until she heard her name being called out behind her.
"Please, don't go to war," Regina implored when their eyes met, "Charming is not going,"
"Well, Charming is the next in line to the throne. We can't risk losing the heir before he had time to produce a heir of his own," Emma replied, "Now, I don't have a throne, nor it is expected from me to produce a child. There's nothing stopping me from leaving."
Regina looked out the window. "So, it's really over?" she said her thought out loud.
Emma took a necklace from below her shirt. "Here," she said, taking it off and handing it to Regina.
"What did you do to our Star Tear?" she said, looking at the once beautiful black stone. It was not smooth anymore.
"I tried to smash it," the blonde confessed. "I gave up after the tenth blow with my sword. I realized it still represented our love: it's beyond broken and it will never shine again," she added, words cutting into hers and Regina's soul.
"You say that it still represents our relationship," Regina said studying the rock on the palm of her hand. "Well, I believe you are right, but I don't agree with your interpretation. It still is us. It is resilient, it is strong, and it is perfectly imperfect," she added before pressing the rock against Emma's chest, "If you want to get rid of it, give it back to me when you come back from the war."
Emma took the Star Tear, but didn't say anything else, worrying that her voice would betray her act. She turned around and started walking away, until she heard Regina yelling.
"I didn't get married! And, I'm not getting married, at least, not to Leo." The blonde turned around and looked at the brunette. "I thought, that maybe you would want to know that," she added with an uncharacteristic insecurity in her body language.
"Why?"
Regina looked at her, as if she was the biggest idiot of all time. "Because he was not you, Emma," she explained, "Because I didn't love him, and I'll never love him as much as I love you."
"If you loved me so much, you would have asked about my wellbeing after Robin almost killed me," Emma took a step towards Regina.
"I did!" the brunette nodded and walked towards Emma, they were now at an arm's length. "When I found out you made it to Ruby's house, I knew you were in good hands."
"You knew where I was all this time and you couldn't once go to talk to me?" Emma asked, anger tinting her voice and pain showing in her eyes, "The past few months were a living hell for me!"
"And do you think I was having fun?" Regina answered, equally angry and hurt. "I told you marriages are business transactions for my grandfather. He told me I was free to marry you as long as I found a way to create an heir with you!" she poked Emma hard in the chest, "So, as soon as I knew you were safe, I took off to find any sorceress who could give me a potion that could meet my grandfather's requirements."
Emma looked at the brunette as she continued recounting how her past months had been. How she had Graham had ride to all the known sorceresses in their kingdom, asking for information and trying to differentiate frauds from real magical beings. How she had even considered making a deal with the Dark One until Graham talked her out
of it.
And it made Emma feel all sorts of emotions: guilt for hating Regina, for not letting her talk the times the brunette had tried to explain. Also, there was some remorse for trying to destroy the Star Tear. Hope for the possibility of being with Regina if she did find the potion. There was some resentment for giving Regina the benefit of doubt so easily.
"Did you find it?" Emma asked. Because, could it be this easy?
"I found a couple of possible options," the brunette answered, "We're putting them to trial now."
Emma slid down against the stone wall and sat on the floor, her elbows resting over her bent knees, nodding. "So… what now? Am I supposed to forgive and forget everything that has happened? What am I supposed to think? All this time, I've thought you've gotten married to Leo. You never sent word on what you were doing. I was in agony, thinking my love was thrown away like a piece of useless garbage! But no! You were out there searching for a potion so that we could live our lives together? How am I supposed to deal with this revelation?" Emma said in an exhausted, angry tone.
"You couldn't have known," Regina replied, sitting next to Emma with a little bit more of grace. "I'm sorry for leaving without sending word for you. But I didn't want to get your hopes up. I didn't even want to tell you until I was certain, but I couldn't bear your hate anymore."
"And, I am sorry for doubting you," Emma confessed, shifting positions from sitting next to Regina to kneeling in front of her, "I'm too blind when my pride gets hurt."
"Your pride didn't get hurt, Emma," she raised her hand and cupped Emma's cheek "Your heart did and I am sorry for my part on that."
Emma leaned into Regina's touch, because it was so easy to get back into their normal routine. Then, she stepped back away from her touches. "I'm not sure I have forgiven you entirely," she cleared her throat, "But I'll work on it. As long as you promise me you'll do the same."
"I've already forgiven everything there was to forgive, Emma."
Emma nodded and sat on back on her toes. "How do the potions work?"
"I want you to stay. I don't want to talk about the potions right now. I want, no- need, you to stay. "
The blonde inhaled deeply, "I have orders to follow. Not only my uncle's but your grandfather's as well."
"Say the word and I'll have the kings change your orders."
"I'm not a coward, Regina. I was born to do this. To be a knight."
"You were born for so much more that that," Regina replied, "But, if you really want to go, I won't stop you. Just promise me that you'll come back."
"I can't make a promise I don't know if I can keep," Emma commented. She knew there was a chance she could die on the battlegrounds. After all, her father left this world in the same manner. "But, I'll do my best to come back."
"Do we have to go back now?"
Emma shook her head. "I -," the blonde started. And Regina looked at her, hopeful that the blonde would take them away far from all this politics and war business. But Emma couldn't. As much as it hurt them both, Emma couldn't neglect her duties. She cleared her throat. "I've got to go talk with my men. We leave the day after tomorrow at sunrise," she stated.
"I wanted to go to the cave one last time before you leave, but only if you're alright with that."
The blonde looked at her sadly, "Even though, I would like that. I just don't think I'm at that point after what happened." Regina started to protest, but Emma silenced her with a finger to her lips. Emma said, "I know but my heart and head need some time. I will see you soon, I hope."
The next day, when Regina woke up, Emma and her troops were already left to war. The brunette brought her fingers to her lips; she couldn't help but taste the bitterness of the goodbye kiss she never got.