Chapter 4

The girls woke up shivering, except Red who just ran hot. Regina jumped up and scared the other two awake. "It's dawn! Mother will be in to wake us any moment!"

Red shifted and crouched so Regina could climb on and she bolted, racing thru the forest. Lorelei tripped over herself a few times before she sprinted after them. It was hard to catch Red, but she did, sliding thru the forest next to her. They shot to the wall under their window and Red stretch up with Regina standing on her head practically clawing up the wall. Lorelei jumped up and grabbed the window with one hand, pulling Regina in with the other. Regina slid to the floor just inside, but the other two didn't know that so they hopped in and landed on top of her. They quickly became a tangle of limbs and were tripping on each other.

Cora opened the door and watched them flailing on the floor for a few moments before clearing her throat loudly. The girls looked up and froze. Regina spoke first, "Mother, uhm, we were just ah…"

Red covered her mouth with a hand, feeling a bad lie coming on and spoke for her. "Good morning! My goodness you look lovely today my lady! We were just trying to get Lorelei into a bath this morning. She isn't cooperating though. You know how she is!"

The siren looked indignantly at her friend and opened her mouth to deny such allegations (After all she hadn't fought very hard at bath time for at least two years) but Regina covered her mouth quickly catching on to Reds tale. "Yes! Lorelei is to take a bath! She's such a fighter…"

Cora smirked at them. Rolling her eyes she decided not to even bother. She waved a hand at them and said, "fine, get her a bath and then meet me in the study after you get breakfast. We must discuss our trip to the castle town tomorrow."

As soon as Cora closed the door Lorelei licked Reginas hand causing her to release her mouth and push herself out of the pile up. "Ew! Did you have to do that?"

Lorelei laughed as she stood herself up, "yes. You shouldn't cover peoples mouths Regina. It's simply unladylike."

Red snorted in laughter as Regina wiped her hand furiously on her pants. "You really should know better Regina."

Rolling her eyes, Regina looked smugly at Lorelei, "it's fine. I will just wash it off in Lorelei's bath water."

The laughter and smile falling off her face very quickly, Lorelei stared at her friends in turn, "it's not bath day. That was a lie."

Red cocked a brow at her, "well yeah, but now if you don't smell like soap, Cora will know we lied."

Regina pointed to the washroom and dared her to walk away. But, of course, they were right, so she stomped her way to the tub room while tugging her clothes off. She flung them all over the room as she went, just for spite.

Red seemed suddenly uncomfortable and excused herself saying she needed to go check in with granny for breakfast. Regina smiled and shook her head at Red's blush but decided to ignore it. She would tell her when she was ready. Instead of bothering Red, she headed to the washroom, shrugging out of her own clothes on the way. Lorelei stood by the tub and watched as the water pipe poured the water into the basin. It would be cold, this early in the morning, but at least it wasn't freezing yet. In winter time they had fire baskets to put under the tubs but only Cora used those year round.

Eventually the tub was filled and Regina pushed at her to get in it. She did and sat there looking miserable at best. Regina laughed and gathered the soaps and washing rags from the shelves before putting them beside the tub and climbing in also.

Once Regina was in the water too, Lorelei gave in and started washing. They took turns washing each others backs and hair. Lorelei used to pitch an absolute wrestle match battle at bath time. It used to take five or more servant women to get her submerged in the tub as she yelled at them. She wouldn't hurt them so eventually they would win. Finally when they were about seven years old, Regina told them all to go away and she coaxed her into the tub herself. So long as she got in first, Lorelei would cooperate. Not happily mind you. But eventually they just bathed together.

The moment the soap was out of her hair, Lorelei bounced out of the water, quickly rubbing herself vigorously with a towel to dry. Regina giggled again, but rinsed her own hair thoroughly before climbing out, much more calmly. "I still don't understand why you hate the bath. You've no problem swimming in a river or lake for hours."

Lorelei grimaced, "that water is flowing and changing. This tub water is just sitting there. How can that make you clean? Just sitting there in your own filth? It's like someone is making Lorelei soup and I just sit there and baste myself in my own dirt. It's vile."

Regina laughed and finished drying herself off before going to the wardrobe to find clean clothes. She saw her friend picking up the grass stained clothes off the floor. "No, you put on clean clothes or you'll have another washing tomorrow."

Lorelei dropped the clothes to the floor again, growling under her breath, but she did go get fresh clothes from her chest of drawers.

….

The trips to castle town were usually interesting, but not very much so. Cora spent most of the time forcing Regina to pick out fine fabrics for dresses and she wasn't allowed to relax just in case a random visiting prince happened to look her way. She had to keep her chin up and back straight the entire time. Of course, Lorelei helped to keep her entertained. Always commenting and how strangely people looked at her and her silver marks.

"Yes, I'm the strange one sir. Of course you shouldn't speak about people so, considering your chin is shaped like my…"

"Lorelei!"

The siren jumped and the man she was insulting huffed and stormed off. Regina gave her a very disapproving look, but based on the grin the woman gave back, she knew she was holding in her laughter.

Cora released a long suffering sigh. "Oh how I wish I could leave you at the manor."

Lorelei waited until Cora turned her back to stick her tongue out at the woman. Regina did giggle this time, "stop that. One day she will leave you behind."

Flicking at some hanging trinket, Lorelei just shrugged, "she could try. I would simply run here. I won't leave you alone, especially with that hell hound."

Regina slapped her arm and was about to remind her that 'hell hound' was her mother and the reason they had ever met, but Cora called to her excitedly to come see something. The girls caught up and looked thru the castle fencing with Cora.

In the massive palace courtyard there was an older man playing with a small girl with raven hair and the palest skin they'd ever seen. "Who are they?" Regina asked.

Cora smiled and told her in a hushed voice, "That is king Leopold, from the White kingdom, and his daughter Snow." Cora licked her lips and whispered to Regina, "his wife, the poor thing, she died only a month ago. He has taken his daughter traveling to help them heal. It won't be long til he is looking to remarry."

Regina nodded until her mother finished and then looked at her in confusion, "are you thinking…? Mother! That man is old enough to be my father! His daughter can't be more than six years younger than I!"

Cora huffed in annoyance with her daughter, but was biting her cheek in thought. Of course, Regina was only thirteen. It would be at least five years before she should marry. Well, three years if a king proposed...