Wonderstruck

Chapter 8

Author's Notes: Edited Chapter

Emma slowly made her way along the footpath that led down towards the large memorial for her father. She hated the way it looked, finding it too pretentious and not at all like the Father she remembered. James was a simple man of simple tastes. A warrior, who was more content to eat in the taverns with his men than to share the finest meal with the nobles of the land, He never did take too kindly to the men and women that tried to get close to him for access to the power he wielded. In fact, he was rather well known for not attending court at all. Preferring instead to go riding and hunting with his young daughter and his closest friends, the soldiers whom he trained with.

She took a breath of the icy air, enjoying the feel of the burn in her lungs. Bodies weren't meant to endure the extreme drops in temperature that Wintersend held within its borders but she loved the cold nonetheless. So too did the lilies she held in her hand.

These were the strangest flowers to be found in the kingdom and yet they seemed to grow wild. They were called Ice Lilies by the common folk. And they did resemble the name quite well. They were beautiful white lilies whose petals were donned with the tiniest ice crystals. The stalk of the flower was clear and cold to the touch just like ice and the leaves were beautiful sparkling silver. The flowers weren't that rare in the Kingdom of Wintersend but they would not survive in warmer temperatures making them a rather precious commodity. They had been Emma's favorite flowers as a child. Every few weeks her father would present her with a bouquet of the flowers. She would keep them beside her bed in a large vase until they died from being indoors and her father would replace them.

With James gone, she picked the flowers herself and placed them in the same vase as though her Father was still giving them to her. She continued down the footpath, past the icy twists and turns and on towards her father's grave. The snow was piled up around the large statue, which she was thankful for. She truly did hate the damned thing. It wasn't even a good replica of her father let alone of the man he had been but her mother insisted that it be placed there as she'd stated so that everyone could pay homage to the fallen king.

She stepped past the damned statue and head towards the mausoleum. It was a much simpler fair and she was content with that. The white marble barely stood out amongst the snow, its small slanted roof was covered in thick icicles that hung down almost in perfect rows. The blonde girl smiled at the look of it as she moved towards the stairs. She didn't bother to mount them, instead stopping in front of them.

"Hello Father," She greeted as she lowered herself to one knee and set the flowers at the base of the mausoleum.

"I miss you so much Daddy." She said softly. "Every day feels longer than the last without you here."

"Things are…strained in the Kingdom." She continued, "Mother is doing her best to keep it from me but I know more than she likes to give me credit for."

Emma fell quiet for a few moments, trying to formulate her thoughts. "I'm engaged Dad. I think you'd like her. She's a sweet girl, a beautiful princess with quite a sharp tongue. Her name is Regina. She's the heir of Springfall. I know I once told you that I preferred women and Regina is everything I prefer in a woman. And I'm going to spend my life with her." She paused again before she continued.

"I'm terrified to be honest. I don't know how to be a wife…let alone a wife to someone like her. And being a leader…a Queen. The thought terrifies me almost as much as being married. I think that's why I've avoided it for so long and pulling out now will cause a war."

She looked down at the lilies. "I will come and visit you soon Father. I'm supposed to meet with Regina and her mother as well as my mother for tea. We're to discuss the announcement of our engagement."

"Of course I think it goes without saying that the girls should wear burgundy with traces of silver for their clothing choice. It will be a nice way to bind our kingdoms better." Cora offered, as she tapped her silver spoon against the fine bone china she held delicately in her hand.

Regina kept her eyes down as she listened to the conversation around her but didn't really seem intent to join in.

Emma frowned at her soon to be fiancée's pretty but resigned look. She swallowed feeling guilty yet again for putting the younger girl in this position. She really was just a child, Grumpy had told her as much repeatedly but she'd refused to see it until just now. She'd done this, she thought; she'd put that look on the other girl's face and for what? For the sake of her own happiness; her father had told her that if you truly cared for something, you'd let it go and if it returned to you then it was meant to be. Is that what she should do? Should she let Regina free?

"I think it would be best for Emma to wear white and silver and Princess Regina to wear gold and burgundy. The colors will compliment each other and for the wedding we can figure out a way to incorporate the colors more closely." Snow offered her own quiet council.

Emma took a breath as she reached out pulling a small cookie from the tray sitting on the low table in front of herself and the other woman in the room.

She nibbled it as her mother cut her eyes at her. This really wasn't about either Regina or Emma. This was about Cora and Snow making a point. Their children were marrying and they both wanted the political move to show for what it was.

Emma finished her cookie before she spoke slowly. "What if Regina wears silver and I wear red?"

Both Queens cut their eyes at the blonde girl, who held her ground though she felt her heart begin to beat against her ribcage like a sparrow trying to escape it's cage.

"It wouldn't be proper Princess." Queen Cora offered first.

"It would send the wrong message Emma." Snow said a moment later.

"Of course, I'm sorry Mother, Queen Cora. I just thought perhaps it would help settle things a bit easier." She paused for a moment before she spoke. "Mother, Queen Cora may I please take Princess Regina down to the stables; with a chaperone of course? I'd like to show her the horses."

"Emma," Snow shot her a warning look.

"I'd like that," Regina finally spoke up. She shrunk back into her seat when her Mother shot her a withering look.

"I'll ask my godfather to accompany us. He won't allow for any impropriety." Emma offered with a bright smile.

"Emma," Snow said softly. "This is your engagement, don't you wish to know what you'll be wearing?"

"I'm sure whatever you pick out will be wonderful Mother," Emma waved off her mother's concerns before turning hopeful eyes towards Regina. The other girl refused to meet her gaze now, which caused her to frown.

"Regina," Queen Cora spoke pointedly to her daughter.

"Yes, your majesty?" Regina asked, almost able to hide the way her voice shook with fear.

"Go ahead and take a ride with Princess Emma if that's what you wish. I will see you tonight before dinner."

Regina blinked and nodded, "Yes, your Majesty."

Emma grinned, not questioning their good fortune as she rose to her feet and offered Regina her arm. She was beyond ready to be out the door.

"I'll have a guard send your godfather down to the to meet you both Emma," Snow called.

"Thank you Mother."

Emma waited until they were two hallways away before she spoke. "Thank the Gods we're out of there." She muttered. "I almost thought I was going to go insane if I had to listen to any more of that."

"Your highness isn't very fond of sitting still is she?" Regina asked as they slowly made their way through the hallways.

"No, no I'm not. I never have been."

"I can see that, highness." Regina offered as they continued down the spiraling staircase and out into the snowy courtyard.

"There you kids are, I thought I was gonna freeze before you two got down here," Grumpy offered gruffly as he stood to his full height, which wasn't a whole lot.

Emma rolled her eyes, "Stop being overdramatic. It's not that cold out."

"You got a lot of room to talk kid. I ought to tell your bride to be some horror stories about you so she know what she's getting herself into."

"You wouldn't dare you little…"

"Language brat. You don't want your bride to think you're a heathen do you?"

Regina eyed the smaller man but didn't say a word. She figured he must be a dwarf. Her mother had told her they were all pigs with little manners. They were more interested in getting drunk than anything. She did smell alcohol clinging to the dwarf's clothes but he and her soon to be fiancée seemed rather close so she would keep her mouth closed. Her mother had told her that's what she should always do. She was made for nothing more than the pleasure of her spouse…whatever that meant and she'd learned long ago that it was best to stay quiet if it would cause ire from those around her.

Emma rolled her eyes before she turned to look at Regina. A small, true smile lit up her face. "I thought you'd like to see the horses. They're different from the ones you arrived with I do believe."

"I'm sure I'll enjoy seeing them your highness."

"Regina, we're to be married. You can call me by my name."

"It's not proper." Regina repeated the words softly. "Until we are engaged, I will not address you by your name your highness."

Emma sighed, before she brightened. "So you'll call me by my name eventually then?"

"Eventually your grace but not now."

"You may not get everything you wish my Queen," Henry's soothing voice carried across the space as he lifted his hands in a placating gesture towards the angered woman.

Cora slammed the large porcelain vase into the wall of their sitting room. She continued to seethe where she sat on the overstuffed chair much like she did her throne in Springfall.

"This is ridiculous. The Winter Queen has little to no power over these negotiations and yet you continue to appease her. I want access to those diamond mines. They have the necessary tools to grind the diamonds into fairy dust. It won't matter much if I can get the diamonds. If I cannot grind the diamonds then there is no point."

"Sometimes we have to make sacrifices."

"Sacrifices? What do you know of sacrifices you pathetic fool! You, who were born with the silver spoon in his mouth. You, the spineless half wit that King Xavier was too ashamed of to give a proper title to? I'm the reason we are King and Queen of Springfall. I'm the reason that ungrateful little whelp you forced into my belly even has a title."

"Cora, please." Henry pleaded.

"Enough. You will tell that little flake of snow that this engagement won't go through if she doesn't give me access to the diamond mines."

"My Queen, to pull out of the negotiations now would mean war."

"And we will win it. We're not fighting a war on both fronts."

"I think Princess Emma…"

"Don't speak to me about that little wretch. If she hadn't been panting after our daughter like a bitch in heat, we wouldn't be in this situation. As is, I'm making do with the screw ups you've put in place."

"I'm sorry my Queen. I thought it would please you more to have access to Dwarvian steel and the diamonds then the fish that Prince Charles would provide us."

"Gar have their own uses. Their scales are quite powerful." Cora pointed out, "Which you would understand if you bothered to do anything other than encourage our daughter to act masculine and muck out the stables with the stable hands."

"I'm sorry that I'm not a better influence on our daughter," He dipped his head towards his wife.

"You should be. I have to work twice as hard to make sure Regina understands that she is a princess, not a prince. It doesn't seem to be something that some people value in their children."

Henry nodded, "Yes, I've noticed."

"Get out of my sight. You're just as spineless as always."

"Yes, my Queen."