Wonderstruck
Chapter 16
Author's Notes: I'm sorry this one took me a while to get up. I actually got really discouraged for a while there and then my beautiful girlfriend came to visit and we ran around a lot. I'm trying to ease myself back into writing again so hopefully I won't get discouraged again. I hope you guys enjoy and as always your comments are appreciated. ~ Scarlette
Emma grinned as she darted forward, her Mother's scolding and her godfather's scowling face not deterring her in the least. The large carriage came to a halt in the snowy courtyard. The large black stallions were breathing heavy as the wheels, cut deep into the snow and the white stones resting underneath. Her silver cloak flew behind her as she practically pushed the coachman out of the way in order to help her fiancée down herself. She pulled the carriage door open and grinned when her beautiful brunette blinked at her from her seat next to her Mother.
"Emma?" She said her name softly, with a question in her eyes.
"Regina, good afternoon."
"Is something the matter with the coachman?" The Queen of Spring Fall asked, not at all pleased with the way Emma had pushed aside decorum.
"Not at all your majesty. I merely wished to help your daughter and you myself seeing as we will soon be family." She didn't miss the sucked lemon look on the Queen's face but her eyes went right back to Regina. The smaller girl had tucked her red-gloved hands into her gold colored muff for a moment.
"Are you cold? The fires have been lit in the main hall, we'll go straight there so you can warm up." Emma offered her hand, which was slowly taken by the Princess after a look to her Mother.
"I'm…unused to the temperatures here after so long away."
"Don't worry, you'll adjust and soon I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do." Emma grinned as she helped Regina down before forcing herself to let go of her fiancée's hand and reaching for her future mother-in-law's. She resisted the urge to run back to Regina's side as soon as the Queen's feet touched the snow covered ground and instead moved to her godfather's side.
"Wrong move kid."
"Worth it." Emma muttered back to him. She resisted the urge to wince when he stomped on her foot and grinned big when Wintersend's Queen cut her green eyes at them.
"Queen Cora, Princess Regina welcome back to Wintersend. It's wonderful to see you both looking so well." Queen Snow offered, stepping down the large stairs that led up to the large wooden doors of the White castle. Her white dress and ermine trimmed coat, slid along the snow-covered stones as she came to a stop a step above her guests.
White diamonds were scattered throughout the Queen's hair and hung thickly around her neck and around her silver gloved wrists.
Regina dipped into a low curtsey, showing her impeccable manners as she bowed her head. Her Mother left much to be desired though as she remained straight backed at her daughter's side.
"Queen Snow, you honor us," Queen Cora offered but still refused to curtsy as her daughter was.
"Beautiful." Emma murmured, star-struck by her future bride's grace.
She drunk in the sight of her Mother lifting her fiancée's golden cheek and offered her a warm smile. "You needn't curtsy child. We're soon to be family."
"You honor me your Majesty." Regina's low voice was soft but clear. She rose to her feet and folded her hands into her muff as her velvet skirts swayed in the frozen breeze that picked up.
"I'm afraid the snow is going to be getting worse before it gets better." The White Queen offered with a small apologetic smile at their guests. "Come, we shall go and warm ourselves in the Great Hall."
The Great Hall had been the King's jurisdiction as soon as he'd come to live in Wintersend. Various stuffed game heads were hung on the walls, the fireplace was large enough for five grown men to stand comfortably in and the large round table was thick and heavy made of wrought iron and hardened limestone. Emma could remember her Father's strong backed figure sitting in the chairs talking with his knights and laughing as they drank ale and regaled each other with their hunting prowess. She'd grown up crawling at her Mother's skirts and shifted from lap to lap of her Father's favored knights and friends.
"May I escort my Fiancée?" Emma asked, stepping away from her godfather and moving to offer her arm to the darker smaller girl.
Regina blinked and then glanced at her Mother who gave a subtle nod. She lifted her hand from her muff and set it into the crook of Emma's elbow. The blonde offered her a goofy smile, which she returned with a hesitant one of her own.
They stayed a few steps back from the Queens though Grumpy remained close to them to make sure Emma didn't do something stupid.
"I missed you."
Like that kinda stupid, Grumpy thought sourly. He cleared his throat but found himself completely ignored.
"I haven't been gone that long. Only a short time your highness." Regina offered back but the small smile on her face said what her words didn't and Emma found herself drinking in the soft beautiful expression.
"It seemed like a long time." She offered, with a slight flush to her pale cheeks.
The other girl shifted her gaze away, looking ahead at her Mother before back at her fiancée. "I have something for you."
"What is it?" The older girl's smile was bright as her blonde curls danced as the doors swung shut and they began their ascent to the Great Hall.
"I can't give it to you now. Later if we can be alone?"
"I can meet you in the gardens if you'd like. It's pretty private."
"I'd like that. I have something for you as well."
"Regina, come here." Her Mother was holding out her bejeweled hand. The blood red ruby winked in the light, a reminder of the small scar on her lip that was never fully healed.
"Yes, your Majesty." Regina released her fiancée's arm and moved to her Mother's side. The Queen's grip was too tight for Emma's taste. She started to step forward to stop the Queen but Grumpy stepped up and laid his hand over hers, pushing it down to her side where it brushed against her leather pants. She frowned and looked back at her fiancée whose face was completely impassive despite the bruises that were likely forming on her tiny wrist.
She fisted her right hand, feeling short nails digging into her leather-clad palm as she did so.
"She'll be away from her soon kid. Let it go for now." Grumpy muttered to her and she cut her green eyes at him, expression grim and hard to anyone's eyes. She looked more like her Mother than ever before and the dwarf felt a small shiver work it's way down his spine. He didn't like that look on his goddaughter's face. It was too cold, too calculating and not at all like the adventurous fun loving girl he was acquainted with. It was the look Snow used to have back when David was still alive and Emma was young though the White Queen had a fierceness about her that Emma only occasionally mimicked.
The armor suits that lined the walls glinted in the torchlight as their booted feet clicked and clacked across the cold stone floors. It was warmer in the inner sanctum of the palace since the large fireplaces were always lit but it still required heavy clothes be worn given the fact that stone didn't hold the heat. Grumpy, being a dwarf, did fine in these conditions but the hume body wasn't meant to handle cold as well as his hearty dwarven body could and he could see the way the younger princess shivered and huddled into her heavy furred cloak and velvet gown. She wasn't made to handle the cold of winter. She'd do better in the sun perhaps SummersLanding or hell remaining in SpringFall. That was an option he'd favored heavily and still did if truth were told. There was something off about the girl that didn't just involve her Queen mother or the fact that she was so tiny and obviously sickly. Where Emma's parents had always stood toe to toe; often going into battle together and then betting on who would kill more enemies (Snow usually won, something that chagrined David to no end), Emma seemed to have different ideas about what she wanted. She'd always longed to be a hero, to save young maidens from dragons, (The only dragon he knew of was the sorceress that could turn into a dragon), he shuddered at that thought and shook his head to clear it. Emma would be fine and hopefully the princess would temper her desire to be reckless.
It didn't take long for the two Queens to engage in conversation leaving Emma and her fiancée to each other and the company of a very grumpy dwarf.
"How have you been?" Emma tried to awkwardly start a conversation with her future bride who blinked and looked down at the silver goblet closest to her. She seemed to contemplate her answer before she spoke.
"I've done as well as can be expected your highness." Her low voice barely made it across the table but Emma heard her all the same and offered her a small smile.
"I'm glad." She searched for a conversation topic only to have Regina look up at meet her eyes.
"The terms were quite clear." Snow's voice rang out and both princesses' looked up as their mothers engaged in a verbal battle.
Grumpy resisted the urge to curse as the verbal battle turned heated.
"You cannot expect me to hand over my only child to rule a weakened kingdom and not expect her to uphold her duties to her homelands."
"And what duties do you think being Princess Consort will take her from exactly?"
No one missed the way the older Queen narrowed her eyes, her anger practically sizzling in the cool air of the Great Hall.
Regina shared a significant look with her fiancée, noting Emma was close to opening her mouth. She closed her jaw with a visible snap, leaving her Mother to engage in the verbal battle without her as reinforcement.
"Your Majesties," help came from an unexpected place as Grumpy spoke up.
Both the Winter Queen and the Queen of SpringFall shot him dark looks at being interrupted. He swallowed audibly and then continued.
"Perhaps this isn't the best place for such discussions to take place. With both your permissions, I'd like to chaperone the Princesses' to the Southern Gardens. I believe Princess Regina wanted to see if perhaps there might be a place for her beloved apple tree to be planted."
Emma grinned as her godfather once again came to her defense. She shot him a grateful look while her fiancée kept an impassive face refusing to allow her Mother or future mother-in-law to see how uncomfortable they were making her as the terms of her marriage agreement were once again rehashed.
"Grumpy, while I'm sure Queen Cora and I appreciate your offer…." Snow began only to pause when she saw her daughter's kicked puppy look. She took a breath and sighed. "Fine, you have my permission to take Emma to the gardens."
Grumpy dipped his head before looking at the Queen of SpringFall. He felt a shiver creep down his spine usually unyielding thanks to what he was. He swallowed, resisting the urge to pull his hat from his head and fidget under the icy stare. She may have been the Queen of temperate lands but snow would do well to learn it's coldness from her. She was even more like to stone than dwarves were. He suddenly longed for his pickaxe for some form of protection against the obvious threat sitting across the stone table from him.
"As you will, Master Dwarf."
"Well now that that's over with." Emma began as soon as they stepped into the icy air of the gardens. She watched her fiancée draw the red hood of her velvet cloak up and admired the way the deep color stood out in contrast to her rich obsidian hair. Regina tucked her hands back into her muff before offering her fiancée another small smile.
"I imagine things will continue to be strained until we are married."
"Yes, I don't see it happening any other way."
"You gonna show her the area we were talking about kid or do I need to escort her there myself?" Grumpy broke in, forever blunt and slightly irritable in manner.
"I…" Emma started her feet sliding on the stones as she whipped around to face her godfather.
The dwarf rolled his eyes and huffed as he folded his arms across his chest.
"I'd love to see it." Regina offered, trying to break the tension between the dwarf and Princess before it could escalate into something more. She'd seen some of their verbal arguments and though seemingly playful in nature, still made her slightly uncomfortable.
"I'll take you there." The winter princess promised with a bright smile as she turned back to face her.
Regina inclined her head as they slowly began to walk, Emma talking almost non stop about the various flora and fauna that could only be found in Wintersend. The younger girl found herself content to just listen as they continued along the winding paths. She wouldn't deny the gardens were lovely, the blue flower with their frosted leaves and the almost crystalline quality to a flowering bush made for interesting scenery. Combined with the high walls and the soft sounds of strange blue and white birds, she found herself growing quite complacent. It wasn't until they'd rounded a large ice and stone fountain that Emma spoke breaking the serenity of the garden.
"You said you had something for me?"
Regina blinked, her head twisted quickly to look at the older girl at her side. She swallowed and dipped her head. "Yes, but I'm afraid I'll have to give it to you later. I didn't intend to come out here so soon."
"What is it?"
"A present, your highness."
"I know what a present is." Emma found the amused slightly haughty look her fiancée wore endearing and very attractive. She resisted the urge to dip her head and touch her thin pink lips to full red ones. Regina was all for propriety and she didn't think that was appropriate given the fact that they weren't even married yet.
"You said you wanted to give me something?"
"Well more that I wanted to show you but yes. Do you remember when you were here last and we went on a little adventure?"
Regina blinked and cocked her head before dipping into a small drop. She raised her eyes and looked at the other princess.
"I found something that I think you should see. It's in my rooms; I'll bring it when we meet later."
"I'll do my best to reach you."
"After dinner perhaps we can make it down here. It's not something I think anyone else needs to see."
Regina blinked, her brow furrowing before it smoothed out and she nodded. "If you think that's what needs to be done."
"I do."
"Then I will do as you ask."
"This is the spot kid." Grumpy interrupted them once again as they came to a stop before a small bench and an empty plot.
"We…Grumpy and I cleared an area…I don't know if it'll grow but I remember you said you loved your apple tree in one of your letters and I thought…well…" The Winter Princess reached up, scratching her scalp as she awaited the other girl's approval or disapproval.
"You did this yourself?"
"Well…yeah…I mean Grumpy helped but yeah mostly." Emma's brow furrowed as her fiancée took a quick step forward and threw her arms around her in a loose embrace. She pulled back quickly with a blush decorating her pretty sun-kissed features.
"Thank you, this means so much to me." She managed to choke out as she turned to look back at the empty plot and freshly tilled dirt. "My apple tree is very hardy…I think it'll do well here."
"We made sure it had a lot of light and that you'd be able to see it from your rooms." Emma offered, her own blush bright and easily visible given her pale features.
Regina clenched her hands beneath her chin as she looked back at the older girl with a bright smile. "Thank you." She repeated.
"You're welcome…I wanted it to be a surprise."
"This is a wonderful surprise," The Spring Princess interrupted. "This is the best gift you could've given me."
The older girl beamed at her fiancée. "I'm only glad you're happy."
"I am as happy as I think I can be."
Emma nodded, "I can ask for nothing more. I'll um…take you up to your rooms so you can change. I'm sure our Mothers are about to claw each other's eyes out so maybe it'd be best if we made ourselves scarce until they're done."
"Yes, I'd like to rest. I'm still not used to the cold."
"I'll show you the other thing tonight if we can get away."
"I look forward to it." Regina promised as they slowly made their way back up the garden path and back into the winter palace.