8 – EMMA
With my back pressed against the column wall that separates the cages, I feel my cheeks burn as I am about to end another chapter of Regina's indecent book.
The stone wall and floor are a block of solid black cold ice and yet, this book makes me feel as if I am down in the kitchens beside Eugenia's oven when she is baking bread.
The indecency of this book never fails to leave me breathless, sweaty, and tingling between my legs. The more I read the more I long for the nights when is just Regina and I bared in her bed, bodies intertwined.
There is so much to explore, so much I had no idea two people could do together in intimacy.
So many ways to give and take pleasure from the person you love.
Shaking my head and smiling to myself, I start to read the next line but the sound of the dragon grunting beside me pulls my attention away for a moment.
I close the book, putting it on my lap.
"Regina will be here any moment with your food," I clear my throat "She has her etiquette lessons today" I sigh "Unfortunately"
The dragon lets out a puff of indignant air that makes me chuckle.
"Yeah, I hate it too," I say "I don't like the moments when we are not together. It's lonely when I'm not with her"
The dragon lays his head on the floor near the gate of its cage and I immediately slide my body an inch away from it.
I wish I was as brave as Regina is but my mind is too conscious of the flesh-eating creature inside the cage and how its mouth can devour me with only one bite.
Eying the dragon quickly, I open the book above my knees again, heat already creeping down my stomach before my eyes can read the first word.
But the dragon makes a sound again and when I turn to look, I see the dragon pointing its sharp nail claw in the direction of the book.
"You want me to read it to you?" I ask.
The dragon nods.
"Oh, I…I…" I feel my cheeks burn "I can't read this book to you"
The dragon scoffs, black smoke leaving its nostrils.
"It's too…" I clear my throat before lowering my voice to a whisper "It's too indecent"
The dragon eyes me and I swear it has an amused expression on its features.
My cheeks burn again.
Shifting my gaze to the book, I start to read the part where the heroin smiles seductively at the man before putting his…oh by the Gods!
My mouth is dry and I feel utterly breathless before the words I'm reading.
A noise echoes inside the chamber and I close the book quickly, rising to my feet as I hide the book behind my back, cheeks flushing with a mix of desire and embarrassment.
My eyes roam around the chamber, looking for the source of the noise.
The sigh of relief that leaves my lips when I see Regina passing through the stone wall door and into the midnight chamber is almost touchable.
"Wow," Regina says as she walks in my direction "Either you are too happy to see me or you feared you were about to be caught doing something you weren't supposed to"
I smile at her.
"I'm always happy to see you," I say.
Regina arches a brow.
"What's behind your back?" Regina asks.
"Nothing," I say casually, shrugging.
"Nothing makes you flush like that?" Regina teases "I thought I was the only one who could make your cheeks turn a shade red"
"Well," I smile "Who says you are not responsible for it?"
Regina wraps her arms around my waist, smiling as she slowly inches closer to my lips.
Her hot breath tickles my lips and I close my eyes instinctively, my whole body ready and craving for her kiss.
But my lips only rasps against hers before Regina's hands close around the book I was hiding behind my back, pulling it from me.
"Liar," Regina says looking at the book.
"I'm not a liar," I say "You are the one I think of every time I read… one of their indecencies"
"I quite like their adventures," Regina winks at me.
"They are immoral," I say, heat flushing my cheeks again.
"Really," Regina arches a brow "Should I be so very modest when you are naked in my bed tonight?"
I smile at her.
"Don't you dare,"
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pull her into my arms, finally crushing our lips together.
Gods, I missed her.
Regina drops the book on the floor, wrapping her arms behind my neck, deepening our kiss.
I moan shamelessly inside her mouth sinking my fingers into the bodice of her dress as our lips move as one, her tongue invading me and drawing pleasure.
I can feel my undergarments wet.
Regina pulls on my lower lip with her teeth before kissing me again.
And I am more than ready to feel her lips on other parts lower my body.
She makes me feel as immoral as the characters in the book.
She makes me want to do things that should be completely inappropriate and yet, I crave with every breath I take.
Regina breaks our kiss and I grunt in protest when her lips no longer touch mine. But opening my eyes to see her smile at me makes up for the loss.
"I've missed you," Regina says.
"I've missed you too," I say back to her.
Regina presses her lips against mine again but before I can claim her kisses, the dragon makes an indignant scoff and Regina pulls away laughing.
"I've missed you too," Regina says lightly before reaching for the satchel hanging from her shoulder "I brought you something"
Regina walks to the cage and I eye her carefully, uncomfortable with how close she is to the gate. But Regina doesn't seem to have a single fear bone in her body as she reaches inside the satchel and takes two turkey legs from inside before throwing one of them inside the dragon's mouth as if she is feeding a kitty.
"Careful," I say.
"It won't hurt me," Regina says back before throwing the other turkey leg into the dragon's mouth.
The dragon looks at Regina, pointing its claw at the satchel
"Sorry, that was all I could get today," Regina says cleaning her hands with a piece of cloth.
"How did you even get that?" I ask.
Lunch today was lamb.
"I went to the kitchens after Mrs. Irene dismissed me," Regina says, "Told Eugenia I found a wounded animal and wanted to feed him. She gave me what was left over from the meat pie she is making for dinner"
"Oh, I love Eugenia's pie," I say almost dreamily.
Her pies are famous around the Castle and even Queen Cora smiled once when she ate the buttery crust and flavored meat.
"Me too," Regina says back.
Regina sits on the floor with her back pressed against the cage's iron gate and the dragon lays his head beside her, behind the bars.
"We are going into town tomorrow," Regina says, looking up at me.
I frown.
"In this weather?" I ask.
Regina nods and I sit on the floor in front of her.
"Mother wants to buy fabric for new dresses for the ball," Regina says "The South King sent a messenger and he is traveling with his entourage here to the North, regardless of the weather. He is expected to arrive next week"
A strange cold sinks into my stomach, and I bit my lower lip as I stare at the midnight floor.
"What is it?" Regina asks.
I lift my eyes to look at her, the conversation we heard between the King and Queen making its appearance in the back of my mind.
But I don't want to alarm Regina with my concerns.
Mostly because I don't want to believe them myself.
Denying what their words meant seemed to make my heart beat easier inside my chest.
Besides, truth be told, I don't know for sure if they were talking about Regina. Her name was never spoken from their lips.
So maybe…
"Emma," Regina says softly "It's you and me. Always"
I smile, letting her words sink into my heart as thoughts of what they were talking about vanish from my mind.
"Always," I say back before I crawl on the floor in her direction.
Regina welcomes me with her arms wide open and I settle between her legs as she wraps her arms around my body, kissing my temple when I lay my head on her shoulder.
My fear of the dragon is temporarily gone as the safety of Regina's arms envelops me like a blanket.
"How early are you leaving tomorrow?" I ask.
Regina rubs her hand over my arm, my skin welcoming both the touch and the heat.
"We," Regina says "Mother wants you to come too"
"Me?" I ask, lifting my head to look at her "But she never wants me to go into town with you"
"I know, I was surprised too," Regina says.
I settle over her shoulder again.
"This ball really is messing with her," I say joking.
"Both of them," Regina sighs "Daddy is acting weird too"
"How so?" I ask.
"He went to see me during Mrs. Irene's lessons," Regina says, "He asked her to leave and then he just sat staring at me. When I asked what he wanted he just said he missed me and then he left"
"That's… odd," I say.
"Yeah, I know," Regina says "Part of me just wants this ball to happen and be over with"
"And the other part?" I ask apprehensively.
Regina sighs.
"The other part wants this ball to never happen," Regina says "At least not until I turn eighteen and ascend to the throne"
"Yeah, I kind of wish that too," I say.
I close my eyes, reveling how much I wish for the second option.
"Well, who knows?" Regina asks "Maybe we'll have a snowstorm before that. You know how crazy the weather can be during winter here"
"Yeah," I say weakly.
I find it unlikely for that to happen.
"Maybe they'll get caught up in the snow," Regina says "Maybe the weather will leave them no choice but to run back to the south. By the time winter is over, I'll be eighteen and we will be Queens"
I chuckle, snuggling closer into her body.
Regina kisses my temple again and I purr softly, melting inside her arms.
The heat from her body is rippling through mine and I take a deep breath letting the cold wind and the scent of her perfume fill my lungs.
"How much did you read from the book?" Regina asks, her nails leaving goosebumps under the fabric of the dress as they run up and down my arm.
I smile, looking up at her.
"Almost halfway through," I say "I had a few extra duties to take care of this morning"
"Like what?" Regina asks.
"Your dresses," I say "The hem of most of them were dirty and I had to wash them and press the iron for them to dry"
"Emma, you don't have to do that," Regina says.
I chuckle.
"What are you talking about?" I ask "I'm your maid, remember?"
"You are not my maid," Regina says "You are my fiancé"
"Well," I say lightly "Your fiancé still has her maid duties and that includes washing your clothes"
"I'm sorry," Regina whispers.
"Why are you apologizing?" I ask completely confused.
"Because," Regina says but takes a moment before speaking again "We are equal. You shouldn't have to wash my dresses if I'm not washing yours"
A bust of laughter leaves my lips at the absurdity of her words.
It's almost uncontrollable.
It takes me several moments before I can make it die on my lips.
"Regina, when have you ever washed anything in your life?" I ask, reaching under my eyes to clean the water that accumulated there.
Regina falls silent, her arms around me still.
Worry seizes me as I push myself up to look at her, but Regina is looking down, biting her lower lip.
I reach for her cheek, cherishing her soft skin.
"Regina, you are a Princess," I say "Of course, you never bothered yourself with the servants' duties"
"I know, I just…" Regina reaches for my hand, covering it with her own "I want things to be fair. Not just for us but for everybody. When I went down to the kitchens, Eugenia looked so tired"
"Yeah, she works a lot," I say sadly.
"Does she ever get a day off?" Regina asks.
"She schedules the kitchens servants in shifts so everyone can get a day off," I say "But I don't think she ever takes one herself, no"
"You don't really get days off either, do you?" Regina asks.
"No, but it's different," I say "My load of work isn't nearly the same as theirs. Besides, I get to spend a lot of time with you"
Leaning forward, I capture Regina's lips in a kiss.
She smiles against my lips and runs her hand gently down my face before breaking apart.
"We'll make a difference when we are Queens," Regina says "We'll make this land a better place"
"You will," I kiss her lips again "We will"
The dragon roars softly beside us in the cage.
I flinch at the sound but Regina just laughs.
"We'll set you free," Regina says looking at the dragon before her expression turns serious "But you have to promise you won't eat the children"
The dragon scoffs, black smoke leaving its mouth from between its teeth.
But the look in its big green eyes is amused.
I nest inside Regina's arms again, purring softly when she holds me tighter against her.
"What kind of dress do you want for the ball?" I ask.
Regina smiles against my hair before kissing it.
"Something that will make you drool," Regina says.
I smile.
"I'm not sure you are allowed to go naked," I say teasingly.
Regina laughs.
"Do you…" Regina pauses for a moment before taking a breath "Do you think I'm attractive like the girl in the book?"
I lift my head to look at her.
"You are the most beautiful person I know," I say truthfully.
"Yeah, but do you think I'm…." Regina bits her lower lip a shade of pink coloring her cheeks.
I lean closer to her, pressing my lips against her ear.
"Every time I see your naked body," I purr "I wet and tingle between my legs"
When I pull away slightly to look at her again, the pink shade on her cheeks has turned red but the gleam in her eyes is lustful.
"I feel the same as you," Regina says.
"Yeah?" I smile, trapping my lower lip between my teeth.
"I desire you every day, Emma," Regina says "Even when we don't do anything, even when we are just talking naked under the sheets, I still feel a pull in the pit of my stomach and my lower parts wet"
By the Gods.
Now I'm the one blushing.
Regina touches my cheek, cherishing my skin.
"I love you so much, Emma," Regina says "I can't wait to call you my wife"
"I love you too," I whisper "I love you so much, Regina"
Regina leans forward kissing my lips, taking my breath away as my stomach dips with pleasure.
Warmth pours into my chest, humming in my blood.
My skin has goosebumps all over and they have nothing to do with the cold that I hardly feel inside her arms.
When I pull away, Regina is smiling.
That beautiful devastating smile of hers.
"I wish I could dance with you at the ball," I say.
"You will," Regina says back to me "You will have my first and last dance. Always"
I press my lips against hers again.
"I wish you really could," I say.
"I can, we can," Regina says "Maybe not in front of everybody just yet but… we can find somewhere empty where the music still echoes. I will hold you in my arms and dance with you until the last melody plays"
My heart swirls inside my chest as I run my hand on her cheek.
"Truly?" I ask.
"Truly," Regina says "You are the only one I want in my arms, Emma"
I close my eyes and kiss her again.
My body is almost weightless when I'm this close to her.
"I want to dance all night with you at our wedding," I say.
"You'll have everything you want in our wedding," Regina says "The dress, the music, you name it and it's yours"
"I just want you, Regina," I say.
And it's true.
She is all I want.
"You already have me," Regina says.
"Then I just want to sway with you in my arms," I smile at her "Until my feet hurt"
"Then that is what you'll have," Regina says.
"I also want Eugenia to attend the wedding," I say "As a guest"
"She'll sit in the front, in the family area," Regina says.
My eyes prickle with tears.
I know Eugenia isn't my real mother but… she is all I will ever know of one.
And the fact that Regina recognizes this means more than I can put into words.
"Do you think you can convince her to leave the kitchens to attend as a guest of honor?" Regina asks playfully.
I laugh as a tear fall from the corner of my eye.
"Maybe," I say "After she inspects all of the food to her scrutiny"
"We should invite them all, you know," Regina says.
"Who?" I ask.
"Everyone who works in the Castle," Regina says "They should all be guests at our wedding. We should hire new staff and have them serving them for a change"
"Do you really mean that?" I ask, so, so hopeful.
"Of course I do," Regina says "They work here day and night. They deserve to be part of something new," Regina reaches for my cheek, cherishing my skin "Our reign will be something good"
I bring Regina's hand to my lips, kissing her palm before I settle inside her arms again.
When I look to the side, I notice the dragon looking at Regina.
I know it's an animal, but I swear I can see hope burning inside its eyes.
And that hope for better future brands in my heart, for the sake of our Kingdom, I roar long live the Queen.