As promised there is a kiss ;) and there will be Storybrooke scenes in the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it :) I hope you all had a good Christmas! I know I did ;) please leave some of your wonderful reviews!
"Who will initiate the first kiss?"
"David," both Henrys answered in unison and then shared a smile with one another while Ruth shook her head with a smile.
"It needs to happen soon though. And it has to happen at just the right time so that there isn't any doubt or anything. Or interruptions," Henry explained and both the adults nodded in agreement, "any suggestions?"
"Well the last time they danced they made a lot of progress," Ruth offered half an idea and then the boy added on to it.
"Yeah and when we are out of this castle they are really happy."
"Well what about the festival? Lots of music, dancing, costumes, games, and food. They'll be thrown in to an atmosphere of excitement and enjoyment."
"But she's the queen and David has a bounty on him from king George. They can't just go party in the villages," Henry pointed out and the old man shrugged.
"They can go out with a different face. Regina does it when she goes out in search of information from the people she wouldn't get otherwise. And old hag, a peasant girl, a goat. It won't take much effort on her part to give her and David a new face."
"What are you all plotting?" Regina questioned with a raised brow as she walked in the room and David followed behind her. All three of them jumped at the sound of her voice and it raised her suspicion but she didn't say too much about it.
"Your dad was telling me about the festival coming up. Can we go? Please!"
"Henry I cannot simply go in to town and celebrate whatever they find worth celebrating."
"But you can give yourself a new face! Come on it'll be fun!"
"No Henry."
"Have you ever been?" David questioned with a curious smile as he pulled her chair out for her and she took a seat.
"No why would I?"
"Because they are an incredibly good way to spend your time," David chuckled and Regina hummed.
"Evil queens don't enjoy anything but death and manipulation," she sighed out sweetly with a smile and everyone laughed quietly.
"Well it's a good thing you're not evil then," Henry grinned and Regina looked over to him entirely unimpressed, "come on! I have to go before I go back to Storybrooke!"
-Two Days Later-
It was actually David who finally convinced her. With his charming smile and promise that she would enjoy herself and that if she didn't he would make it up to her in whatever way she pleased. However, begrudgingly, she was having the greatest time. The music was loud and the lights gave a beautiful warm glow to the village centre, the people were happy and dancing as they sang or swapped stories, the food and drink seemed to be in endless supply, children and adults alike were laughing, and Regina couldn't quite remember why she had been digging her heels in in the first place.
She felt so free. She could be herself and no one held any prejudice against her for they did not know she was the queen. And she forgot as well from time to time. They had been there for hours but she didn't feel like it. There was so much more she wished to see and when the sight of fire caught her eye she absentmindedly grabbed David's hand in hers and excitedly pulled him behind her as she laughed and ran to the man playing with fire.
David laughed with her as she pulled him through the crowd. It wasn't the first time she had done it that evening and he doubted it would be the last. He loved it. Loved that she was happy, loved that she was excited, loved that she was laughing, loved that she was having fun, loved that she felt able to take his hand and drag him to wherever she pleased, he just loved it. He loved her.
She left her hair down tonight in beautiful waves that hung and bounced just below the middle of her back. She wore no make up and in exchange for her lavish gowns she wore a simple linen frock of dark forest green and creamy ivory. The bodice was laced deliciously tight with a rusty brown strip of leather up her front and the ivory peeked out from beneath the dark green over her breasts to soften the square neckline of the dress to make it more of a swooped cut. The same ivory was seen out of her three quarter length sleeves and the hem of the skirt that hit her just below the middle of her shins. She was just as beautiful a peasant as she was a queen.
"You could do better," he whispered with a grin against her ear as he stood behind her while they watched the man juggle fire.
Regina scoffed playfully with her own grin, "my fire won't burn me," she reasoned and he hummed before stretching his chin up a little to rest it upon her head. The gesture warmed her heart and she was immediately giddy when his arms wrap loosely around her middle. He was warm and strong and she was smiling like a god damn fool but she could not bring herself to stop and she was grateful that he could not see her face.
She laughed with the crowd around her when the man pulled off a particularly risky stunt and then she was distracted by the smell of something unknown but delicious wafting through the air. It was warm and sweet and she decided must find out what it was. "Come on," she grinned and entwined her fingers through his before taking off again and pulling him with her. She hurried toward the smell, laughing as she did but then David stopped and she was tugged to an abrupt halt and pulled back into him causing her to gasp a little in surprise and step away just a little but he didn't allow for the distance between them to get too large, "what-"
"Hush," he whispered and lightly tilted his head toward a small group of people talking amongst themselves. Her eyes flicked to them and then back to him in a question and he smiled as he reached forward and tucked her hair behind her ear, "listen."
She couldn't help but wonder, just for a moment, if there was true merit to Henry's words. That David did have some sort of feelings for her beyond lust. It was hard to ignore them now with the way he had been acting with her this evening. But she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as his fingers finished tucking her hair back and listened in on the people whose topic of conversation had caught David's attention.
"The woman's dead."
"She's not dead, Richard," she chuckled and he shook his head.
"No one has been killed or terrorized in months! The woman's dead."
"Well what about Charlie?"
"What about him?"
"He was caught stealing from one of her guards and they brought him in to her so she could determine his punishment. The boy still goes on about it! Talks about how completely different she was."
"Different how? Wearing red instead of black?"
"Hilarious. No he said she was kind-"
"She doesn't know the meaning of the word."
"It's not the first time it has happened," a second man chimed in, "I know of several people who have crossed paths with the queen these past months and they all say the same thing. She's different. She's kind, she's understanding, she smiles," the first man scoffed and the second chuckled with a nod, "believe me I doubted them all until my wife returned alive after being taken to the palace."
"I don't know how to explain it," a new woman agreed. Presumably the wife the man had been speaking of, "her eyes were warm and her mouth held no whisper of a scowl or a snarl. She wore bright blue even her voice was different. It was warm and wrapped around you like velvet and then she merely sent me on my way home with a loaf of bread and brick of cheese for my family."
"What do you think has happened to her?" A third woman asked curiously and the first woman replied excitedly.
"Well there is only one thing that can change a heart so dark in to one so bright!"
"And what is that?" Richard grumbled irritably as he nursed his beer.
"Love," she answered with a laugh and Richard laughed but the rest of them remained quiet and thoughtful, "someone has snuck in to our queen's heart and is showing her the light."
"Don't be ridiculous, Gerta."
"Everyone can be loved, Richard. It is still a mystery to me why your wife loves you so dearly," the other man argued kindly.
"It would be such an amazing story don't you think! One of hardship and pain and love. Beautiful."
Regina's heart ached as she listened to them continue on and she didn't really realize she had tears in her eyes until David spoke to her.
"You are changing, Regina," he assured quietly with a smile and she kept her teary eyes down as she snapped back, "they are noticing."
"Their explanation is ridiculous," she argued quietly even though she knew they were probably entirely right. She hated how shaky and quiet her voice sounded though.
"Maybe. But then maybe not," he shrugged and she looked up at him with such a hurt and guarded expression that he couldn't help but wonder if Ruth was right when she said Regina did in fact love him, "Henry did burrow his way pretty deep in to your heart," he reasoned and didn't dare touch the subject of himself.
Regina accepted it with a nod and a small smile and laughed lightly, "I suppose he did didn't he."
"Mhm," he smiled and gently wiped a tear from her cheek before her quick hand could. She kept her eyes down at the touch and it made him smile. Then he nodded over her shoulder, "it seems the rest of our party has beat us to the bakery. Shall we join them?"
...
Ruth was passing by a trio of people when she heard the topic of the queen being spoken about yet again. It seemed the fiery queen was on everyone's mind tonight and this time Ruth simply could not pass up the opportunity to spread such honest gossip throughout this village and perhaps even have it spread further.
"Does no one know what happened to her? She goes from terrorizing her people to hiding away in her castle for no reason?"
"I know," Ruth spoke up and all three turned toward her with brows raised for her to continue, "I have been a hand maiden to the queen for quite some time now," she lied a little and then continued, "and I know that this will be incredibly hard to wrap your head around and I probably shouldn't be spreading such news when she has been so gracious as to let me take the evening off to come to this festival but I believe it is news that should be known so that people stop assuming the worst of her."
"Well? What is it?" The girl urged on.
"The queen has found herself hopelessly in love," she whispered with a nod and her audience looked at her in utter disbelief and surprise. "Believe me I had quite a similar reaction. The woman is not exactly easy to love at first. But what I say is true. She captured a shepherd to use as bait for a greater cause but that plan fell through so she let him go but she was surprised to hear his wish to stay. The pair fight for blood a lot of the time and there has been more than one occasion where they have nearly killed one another but what is quite astonishing is how the woman reacts to all the little things this man does.
"The way she relaxes when he looks at her the right way, the way she fights herself over getting closer to him because she believes herself unworthy of him, the way she leans ever so slightly in to him when he smiles at her or tucks her hair behind her ear. Oh and the laughter," Ruth shook her head as she smiled and the two women before her smiled with her, lost in the hope and romance of her tale while the man simply listened intently and curiously, "if you ever get to hear that woman's laugh it will be the most beautiful sound you will ever hear. He is changing her and she is changing him."
"Does he love her in return?" The pretty red head questioned hopefully.
"Absolutely. He has told me many times that he loves her dearly," she smiled and nodded and both women smiled and laughed quietly and even the man in their company was smiling a little, "you want to know the best part?"
"Please," both women encourage quietly and eagerly.
Ruth smiled and nodded and then leaned in closer, "neither of them believe that the other could ever love them in return. So they are painfully unaware of their returned love. Fooling themselves in to believing that every touch, every look, every smile, every kind gesture means nothing. That they are simply there and that it is merely his nature to be kind and generous and thoughtful and hers to be melting toward any compliment or tender gesture for she has been deprived of it for so long."
"That's beautiful."
"You have to do something about it."
"Easy there, Jen. She's a hand maiden going against the queen. She can only do so much," he chuckled and she scoffed.
"You don't know what us women are capable of when it comes to manipulation. Isn't that right, Miss."
Ruth chuckled and nodded, "right indeed. As a matter of fact many of the staff has been working together to push these two closer. Even the queen's father has joined us," she nodded and the women grinned from ear to ear as they leaned closer and the man shook his head in amusement but Ruth knew he was listening, "we all know she would never kiss him first. She has her pride and her foolish notions that what he feels is merely lust. We wager that tonight will be the night the shepherd kisses the queen."
"Why tonight?"
"Well with the atmosphere down here at the festival who couldn't succumb to kissing a beautiful woman?" Ruth winks and then stands up straight.
"Wait you mean they are here tonight?" The man blurts out and the women laugh and squee quietly with one another.
"I promise you won't recognize her. Even if she hadn't masked her face with another's. She is much too happy tonight for anyone to recognize her," Ruth smiled and then made her leave. She felt thrilled and joyous and now understood why Henry had been doing this all evening at every chance he got. Spreading the news of the queen. It would catch like wildfire. "There you are! Where have you been?"
"Everywhere," David chuckled and pulled a chair out for Regina to sit but apparently she was still far too riled up to do such a thing.
"Not nearly everywhere!" She replied and David laughed with a shake of his head, "later there is this competition to see whose horse can pull more weight and then there are the fireworks and the parade of jests and that amusing dog that moves around by balancing on a ball and-!"
"Have you seen the man with the tigers?" Ruth questioned and Regina's full excited attention was snapped to her. To her the queen's face appeared no different but to anyone outside their party her face resembled someone else's.
"No! Where is he?" She breathed and Ruth placed a hand upon the small of her back with a laugh and steered her away.
David shook his head with a laugh as he watched Regina talk Ruth's ear off and the older woman happily returned the conversation, "where Regina has found all this energy I do not know."
"Me neither," Henry chuckled and then yawned which had Henry Senior leaving to find him something to perk him up again for a little while. Which left David and Henry alone. "She loves you."
"Who does?" David chuckled lightly as he looked to Henry who looked back at him entirely unimpressed. An expression that was entirely Regina and proved to him that yes this boy had been raised by some version of the queen.
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Wow. Okay. Seriously?"
"Henry what are you talking about?"
"The queen!" Henry motioned in the direction which she had left with Ruth and David's expression immediately sobered.
"She doesn't love me."
"What is your explanation for her then? What excuse do you give yourself every time she looks at you as though you are the sun her world revolves around? Or the excuse you give yourself every time she leans in closer to you for no reason at all?"
"I haven't noticed she does that."
"Liar."
"Henry I'm not-"
"I know you love her. And I have tried so many times to get her to see that her love for you is not a lost cause. But she has her own excuses for why you touch her or why you smile at her or why you are still here with her when you could have gone back to Snow months ago."
"...what are they?"
Henry smiled a little in victory and licked his lips, "she is convinced she isn't good enough for you and that you are just being you. She doesn't believe she can be loved and is convinced that your heart still lies with Snow's. Because why would she be chosen over Snow?"
"Why wouldn't she be chosen over Snow?"
"If I had a nickel for every time I said that to her I'd be buying myself a Lamborghini when I get home."
"...what?"
"Never mind," Henry laughed quietly with a shake of his head, "but seriously just kiss her. Put us all out of our misery and kiss her."
"Henry I'm not just g-"
"She's never going to kiss you first! Not when she thinks you are still Snow's! She loves you and she respects you which means she isn't going to put you in the position where you have to choose between her and Snow. You have to show her that your heart is hers just like hers is yours and she is never going to believe you until you kiss her and you mean it."
David stared at him for a long few moments and the boy simply stared right back at him, unmoving. So with a tired breath and a conflicted heart, David opened his mouth but was quickly silent when Regina bounced back up to his side with a laugh and a grin.
"I pet a tiger," she grinned.
David thought for sure that she couldn't grin any wider and it had him laughing with her contagious joy, "is that right?"
"Took quite a shining to her actually," Ruth chuckled and sat down as Regina's father returned with baked goods for all of them, "nearly toppled her over when he stood up."
"His paws are bigger than my face," Regina laughed as she sat down next to David closer than she needed to be but not too close to be more than friendly. And then she caught sight of Henry slumping tiredly in to her father's side, "you're tired, sweetheart."
Henry smiled at the endearment and hummed a small laugh, "just a little."
"Well then let's take you back home to bed," she said easily with a smile but Ruth was quick to intervene.
"Oh no you are having far too much fun to go back just yet and the night is still young! You and David stay and your father and I will take the boy back."
"No, Ruth I-"
"It's fine, child," the older man hushed gently with a smile and Regina relented silently, "you two stay and enjoy yourselves. Us old folk need our sleep too," he teased and Regina rolled her eyes while Ruth swatted his arm with some comment about her not being that old.
"I'll see you tomorrow, mom," Henry smiled as he walked around the table and gave her a hug, "tell me all about it tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Henry," she smiled as she let him go and then suddenly there was music and David took her hand in his and pulled her from her seat and she yelped a happy laugh.
"It seems we have managed to miss the previous dances this evening and I am not about to let you miss another," he smiled and she laughed and then this time he pulled her behind him toward the musicians playing the upbeat tune as more couples began to gather for the dance.
...
David's attention was pulled from the fireworks when the sound of Regina's low throaty laughter reached his ears. He followed her gaze and couldn't help but laugh quietly at her when he saw what held her attention, "you love that stupid dog don't you."
"Do you think he remembers how to walk on flat ground?" She laughed and David shook his head as the little scruffy mutt balanced happily as he steered himself upon his ball through the crowd, "or do you think as soon as he's on solid ground he just runs around backwards? It's hilarious."
David shook his head again as he laughed and then their attention was pulled back to the sky when the many colours of the fireworks lit up the sky. They sat in the back of a hay wagon with their backs against the wooden sides and their legs outstretched in front of them, hers over his and his arm around her shoulders. Neither of them knew what time it was but he was sure that dawn would be approaching them in just a few hours. He hummed softly when she let her head fall tiredly against his chest with a long exhale.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For dragging me out here against my will," she smirked and he laughed quietly.
"I am glad you had a good time," he smiled and looked down at her when she moved her head against his chest, tilting it back so she could look up at him.
"The best," she smiled, her voice just above a whisper. And then she felt incredibly warm and found it difficult to breathe with the way he was holding her eyes. Slowly he reached his hand across them so he could tuck her hair behind her horse but this time it was different. This time he wasn't smiling and this time his fingertips lingered on her jaw and this time her smile slipped away and her eyes fell to his lips and she could not bring herself to look away.
Slowly he was leaning in closer or maybe it was simply her imagination and she was really just staring at his mouth like a fool but it didn't matter either way for a sharp shriek and sudden gasp between the both of them left their throats as they tensed at the sudden downpour of rain that already had them soaked through. Shocked and still gasping, Regina pushed her wet hair from her eyes and then couldn't help but join him when David slowly started laughing until it was loud and hearty.
...
Their horses hooves pounded and splashed through over the sodden ground as they galloped as fast as they could up the road. Their laughter sounded off through the air above the downpour of rain and the loud rumble of thunder after every crack of bright lightning that lit their way to the castle. She felt free and exhilarated as the rain soaked her to the bone and impaired her vision further when paired with the dark of the night.
She didn't want it to end but with the next flash of lightning her eyes found her stables. A few more seconds of galloping had both her and David pulling their horses to a halt in front of the large stable doors and sliding from their backs on to the cobblestone with a small splash. But she only laughed.
David jogged in to the stables, sliding open the heavy door and leading his drenched bay mare in to the warmth of the structure with Regina and her stallion following close behind. Her laughter immediately filled the warm stable and the horses already inside nickered in greeting to them and their soaked and snorting companions. "Where did that storm come from?" David chuckled as he slid the heavy door shut to keep the warmth inside.
"I don't know but it made for a great ride home," Regina answered as she laughed and pulled the saddle from her stallion's back.
David nodded and shrugged his shoulders, "yes I suppose," he chuckled but was quickly distracted by the wet fabric clinging to her, "I kind of wish it hadn't come though," he stated as she hung the saddle over a post on the wall. The entire ride back to the palace he had been thinking of nothing but kissing her. Absolutely nothing but that. Even still his mind was cloudy and his heart was thundering and whether that was still from the ride home or the fact that he was walking toward her he didn't know.
He had been so close and she was letting him. She was going to let him kiss her. And then the damn rain. He had been so close to kissing her and knowing what she felt like and what she tasted like and what it felt like to take a grip on those thick dark curls. And now she was sopping wet, her hair a wet and tangled mess and her dress clung to her body while droplets of water dripped down her face, settled on her thick eyelashes, rolled down her collar bone and over her breasts, and he could simply no longer wait.
"Oh?" Regina chuckled as she withdrew her arms from the saddle and moved to turn and go back to her horse, "and why is that?" She laughed lightly but her smile disappeared when she saw him so close and still moving closer. And then her eyes were on his mouth again and before she could even try to lift her eyes back to his, he was kissing her. A small sob was muffled by his mouth as her face twisted beneath his as he kissed her. His hands were around her neck and his body was pressed flush against hers and her heart and stomach flipped around inside her in response. Her knees felt like jelly and she didn't know what to do with her hands but she was rather certain they were shaking.
Her lips were cold but he imagined his were as well and he could not describe the relief he felt when her mouth softened against his and she eagerly kissed him back. He sighed against her open mouth and she let out a small whine in response that had his head spinning and his heart skipping. So he pushed her backwards and when her back hit the wall he pressed himself flush against her and crashed his lips to hers again. Her hands took fistfuls of his wet shirt while his took some of her hair and kissed her like he had wanted to for so long. He could tell though that she had indeed wanted this longer than he ever had.
His hands fell to her hips and hers were lifted so her nails could rake over his scalp and through his short hair before taking a grip of the collar of his shirt and yanking her to him. He felt so good against her, so right. She couldn't get enough, he couldn't get any closer but she wanted him to. She moaned against his mouth as their pent up passion for one another was finally let loose. She opened he mouth for him, pulling him closer, begging him for more and he didn't disappoint. No, his hands were back in her hair and tilting her head back just so and pressing himself harder against her with a groan as he filled her mouth.
It was wet and hot and deep and yet she could still feel it. She could feel it. This was more than just lust, he wanted more than that and she felt her heart leap in to her throat as she whimpered and placed a hand on the side of his face. His kiss was making her head spin, it was better than any dream or fantasy her imagination concocted because it was real. He was there and he was kissing her and she couldn't believe it. She wanted to cry it felt so good. But instead she focused on keeping him as close as possible and letting there be as few breaks for breath as possible.
And then that wild passion began to settle in to a slower and more thorough passion and Regina felt the desire to cry become stronger than ever. Her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders as she rose to her toes and took a deep breath through her nose. It was the smells that did her in. The warmth of the stables and his body against hers, the smell of the horses, of the fresh rain, of him. It was all just too much and a tear or two did roll down her cheek but she wouldn't dare cry as she kissed this perfect shepherd. He made her feel again. From the top of her head to the tips of her cold toes she was tingling with warmth and excitement.
She never wanted to stop kissing him but when he slowly and softly brought it to a stop he was smiling at her. Grinning like a fool and she couldn't help but return the grin as she tightened her arms around his neck. And then he was laughing softly under his breath and she was doing the same even when he dropped his head and kissed her again. And again. And then again. And then one more long one, long and slow and tender as Regina slipped her arms from around his neck and softly held his head between her hands.
He pulled back with a smile but he was still close enough to breathe her same sweet breath. He wanted nothing more than to just stay there for whatever was left of the night and kiss her senseless but he wanted to kiss her tomorrow. Tomorrow in the sunlight when they were both dry and warm and rested. So with one more kiss to those soft pink lips he parted from her with a happy, "goodnight, Regina."
Regina grinned as he walked backward from her with a grin of his own and she could barely find her voice to parrot, "goodnight," before he slipped out of the stables and in to the storm outside. She stared at the door for a long few seconds just smiling at it before she brought her fingers up to her lips and felt her stomach tingle with warmth and delight. Then she laughed to herself and returned to tending to her horse as well as David's, her smile never faltering.