Author's note: Real life really gets in the way. But there's only a month left of school. Then, summer break should warm up the muse's pen faster. My beta thanks to ParadoxalPoised. Kiss. Kiss. Love you!
Chapter notes: Emma finally sees Regina.
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Taking the Reins 6
The orchestra was already playing through simple march tunes and the sound was audible out on the bailey walk and throughout the White castle courtyard. Those not entering the ballroom itself milled around outside. Some tapped their toes to the beat of the music, but generally they were jovially smiling and socializing in their manner. These common folk were gathering for the balcony presentation of their now-grown crown princess eighteen years to the day of her presentation to them as a swaddled newborn.
Emma wished she could cut and run anonymously among them. All more her type of crowd than the lords and ladies her parents had assembled to officially announce her adulthood.. marriageable age. Ugh. Emma shook her head refocusing on the milling people looking for one particular dark head among the masses. As the time passed without seeing Regina, Emma's heart sank as low as the sun.
Daniel entered the outermost walls of the castle dressed in his White livery, a crisp blue shirt with gold colored braid edging running parallel down the sides of his chest, and matching snug-fit trousers.
Taking in the thronging people with worry and fright clouding her brown eyes, Regina held Daniel's big hand and tucked herself along his side. She fretted her teeth at her bottom lip and whispered quickly, "Please, let's go home. We don't belong here. I'll make you a sweet tripe and we'll watch the stars and listen to the wind in the trees before retiring for the night."
"The princess asked for us. It is a good thing," he insisted. Regina frowned. "You never want to go out. Even to the local square's moonrise gatherings."
"I love our home," Regina replied in earnest. She tucked several dark hairs from her shortened pinned back style. Her fingers brushed briefly at her flat stomach. Look it, to live it, she recounted the maternal mantra. "I love our quiet, simple life, Daniel."
"Well, it's only going to get better with the princess's notice," Daniel cupped his hand behind her head and pulled her up, pressing his lips to her forehead. Regina closed her eyes and let herself soak in the warmth and comfort of his touch.
Pulling away and squeezing her hand, Daniel turned and led her through the crowd, only stopping when he reached the inner bailey's high arching entrance. Two men, similarly attired to himself, stood at parade rest.
"At the princess's request," Daniel stated. "I present myself and my wife, Regina."
Regina lowered her gaze and folded her hands together in front of her dress' gathered waist, presenting the expected meek demeanor but with pride at her appearance. She had pulled the gray and green muslin from the back of her closet. It had been her wedding dress, and remained her finest clothing, since she preferred the simple styles of everyday wear expected of her husband's working class station in life.
The footman on the right tilted his head to take in the couple. "The princess didn't tell us she had any specific guests," he stated.
"She came to the stables this very afternoon and stated we were to attend."
"I'll check," said the other footman. "You keep them here, Ernest."
"No problem, Bert." With a brusque nod to his partner, Bert hurried into the castle interior, quickly vanishing from sight in the shadows and grandly dressed nobles who dominated the crowd within the main celebration space.
Regina watched Daniel's brow furrow, and felt the anxiety in his fingers interlaced with hers. She squeezed his hand, drawing his gaze. When his eyes met hers, she smiled reassuringly. He cupped her cheek tenderly and kissed her slowly before drawing back. "The princess said she was looking forward to seeing you after so long."
That made Regina worry at her bottom lip with her teeth and frown. Unless the girl liked to go about in disguise - she had heard of royals who did so to gauge the real opinions of the people - she was fairly certain she had never met the White crown princess.
"Don't worry so," Daniel said, brushing his thumb across the back of Regina's hand in his. She quickly quirked her lips, but continued to hold herself silent as they awaited the return of Bert. "She'll love you."
Emma picked up her dress skirts and rushed from the balcony of her chambers overlooking the inner bailey. Even at this distance she had seen the woman's gleaming white teeth pull at her bottom lip in plain worry as the footman left. She had heard none of the conversation, but clearly there was a problem with admitting the couple to the party. Just behind Regina and Daniel, another couple presented a notecard to the remaining footman and was quickly bowed inside.
She had not given the stablemaster anything to bear truth to his statement that he had been invited to the more regal presentation festivities. If she didn't intercede they would be embarrassingly escorted away. Or simply left to languish; she had seen the departing footman roll his eyes, after all. She had to get down there. Now.
Breathing heavily - damn these heavy crinolines - by the time she reached the bottom of the steps, she called out to the footman ostensibly searching for her. "Hold it!"
He turned to stare at her, his jaw slack and open. She slowed and adjusted her features more neutrally. "I… I was hoping you might tell me if… the… if Daniel and Regina have arrived?"
"Your highness?"
"The Lady Regina and her husband Daniel?" She tried not to sound too anxious.
"I… I didn't…" He shook himself before sketching a bow at her. "They are just now inside the bailey."
"Good."
"This way, Princess." He turned and gestured, then fell into step just off her left shoulder as she took the lead.
Emma soaked up everything about Regina in the hurried walk to greet her and Daniel. The brunette held herself with every bit of manners she'd learned under the strict tutelage of Cora Mills, but there was none of Mayor Mills haughtiness, or the famed Evil Queen's disdain as she practically hugged Daniel's left side. Her emotional turmoil involved all of her face, from the nibble of her lower lip to the pinch of her brow, to the loss of color from her cheeks when she caught sight of the princess Emma. The brown flickered briefly; telegraphing Regina's turbulence. There was little of the woman Emma had fallen in love with, that she had been sure should and could exist, if the weight of being the world's go-to villain, blamed for anything and everything, could be shed from slight shoulders that had pushed with lonely stubbornness against unbearable pain.
Daniel turned at the certain charge in the atmosphere of the crowd, as many noticed the princess' arrival. "Princess Emma," he said with a wide smile before he gave a deep, slow bow, all the way from the waist, reaching out to cup Regina's hand in his own. The brunette beside him dropped her eyes, breaking the bond that had begun to form between brown and green. She wanted to reach out and enfold Regina in her arms.
Without preamble and not wishing to explain herself, nor lengthen the public display which she knew was bothering Regina, Emma pushed bright cheer into her voice. "Hey, Daniel! Good to see you again. So glad you could come. Join me inside?"
She watched Regina's gaze sneak toward her and then turn back to her husband. Emma's hand started toward a bare shoulder, but she stopped herself in midair, realizing it wouldn't be appropriate here.
"C'mon." Ignoring everyone's looks and acting the "expects to be obeyed" royal, Emma turned on her heel and entered the main celebration space. She heard Regina's footfalls and Daniel's boots moving quickly to follow and smiled.
When they were all around the corner, nearing an alcove, Emma turned. "I'm so glad you decided to come."
"We wouldn't have disappointed the White princess," Daniel assured her. "Your parents provide well for my family."
"Well, it isn't my favorite affair, so it's great to have some… fami… friendly faces, ya know?" Emma knew her voice was too bright for speaking to the stablemaster. But she was having a hard time seeing Regina and not speaking directly to her.
"Princess, I'm not certain why we are here," Regina asked. Emma jerked her head toward the woman then, smiling so broadly she was sure the two of them thought her absolutely mad. Regina had a bit of the familiar bite as she tried to determine why her undoubtedly quiet, unnoticed little life was suddenly and unexpectedly deigned worthy of notice.
"Um, Daniel, would you… Regina, could we talk?"
"Princess, I fail to…"
"I know. Just… It'd mean a lot to me."
Regina looked at Daniel, who, Emma could see, was a little disturbed, but clearly determined to please his royal employer in any way he could. When he nodded, Regina dipped her head and turned back to nod similarly to Emma. "Whatever you wish, Princess."
"Call me, Emma. I know. I know it's not proper, but… well… it'll make me feel better. Yeah?"
Regina's brow furrowed at the request. Her lips pursed briefly then both smoothed and she dipped her head once again. "As you wish… Emma."
Emma beamed again, sliding her hand through Regina's arm and pulling her, feigning girlish foolishness to cover her shiver of joy hearing her name from the brunette's lips once again, even if it held only confusion, not the love which she craved.
Once they were near the wall, away from others who could listen, Regina pulled back from Emma. "Princess?" The 'explain yourself' so loudly unspoken in the woman's tone made Emma gush.
"Damn, it is so good to see you. You look great."
"Princess, I'm quite certain we have never met. Certainly not in a manner that you would recall."
"I …" Emma trailed off. What the hell could she say that didn't make her sound like a stalker? "I...know how you saved my mother's life, and wanted to thank you."
Regina looked puzzled at that. "It was a very long time ago. It is easily forgotten."
"I couldn't exist without you," Emma said softly. "I'm glad to see Daniel makes you happy."
"I…" Regina looked down at Emma's hand on her wrist. "He… I… We appreciate the opportunities your family has provided him, Princess."
Emma frowned a little. She had expected effusion when she mentioned Daniel's name. "Daniel said earlier you aren't feeling well. If that's true, I'm sorry to have insisted."
Regina quickly shook her head. "No. No. It… You are a young and beautiful woman at the start of your life. Mine has … is… Daniel and I have found our happiness in one another."
"So you are happy?" Emma asked. "I want you to be happy."
Regina pulled her hand from Emma's and her brow lowered as her expression darkened. "You know nothing about me or mine. Simply come out with your demands of me."
"Regina, no. Please. I screwed up. Something happened, and I need to fix it. But… you have to be happy. Please." Emma grasped Regina's hands, cupping them together in her own. "Please, I need…"
"You have everything you need, right here, Princess. What could you want to play with a horseman and his wife?"
"Tell me about your children." Emma asked suddenly. Regina froze, and the anger she had been known for in another world, another time, seemed to slam down over her countenance like a knight's helmet.
"I must return to my husband." Every word was bitten out with care that the tone never suggested she was slighting royalty, but the insistence was there nevertheless.
Emma winced. However, she silently followed Regina back to Daniel, smiling through her pain as she watched him pull Regina into his arms and nuzzle her before lifting his head and smiling back at Emma. "Thank you for the moment with your wife, Daniel. You two enjoy the party," Emma said. "Though perhaps… a dance or two later?"
"Of course, Princess," Daniel replied quickly, bowing again. Emma smiled at him, noting the way his eyes left her to adoringly settle once again on his wife. Emma noted, however, the affront still perched in Regina's brown eyes.
"From both of you," Emma added. Regina's lips pursed, but when Daniel's expression shifted to surprise, Regina dipped her head in acknowledgement of the royal request.
"There you are, Princess!" Johanna threw up her hands to emphasize her exasperation, as if it wasn't plain in even her hissed voice. "Where have you been?"
Emma's foot set down on the second floor landing as she left the staircase and dropped her hold on her dress skirt. "Sorry, I had to see someone."
"Someone you've been sneaking out to see, no doubt," the older woman said. She managed to sound both disappointed - Emma was sure she'd heard a quick click of the woman's tongue - and bemused, like Emma was the cutest damn little fluffball of an animal ever.
"Well, you can announce him soon enough. But right now, I've got to get you to the formal entrance for the Great Hall." She fussed with the bits of Emma's hair that had fallen free from her coiffure; Emma heard that damned tongue-clicking again. "You are such a hoyden. Time to grow up, m'dear," she added as she tucked a lock back around an ear. "You're beautiful, and some noble young man is going to find you irresistible."
"Johanna, what happens if I don't find him… irresistible?"
"Don't fret. It'll happen, same as it did with your mother. Prince James is her true love. You will find yours. Simply everyone who is anyone in this land is here."
"What if it isn't a…" Emma trailed off. Did she dare find out the prevailing attitudes? "A noble."
"You mean someone of more common birth?"
"Yeah, let's go with that. For now," Emma added under her breath.
"If he is your true love, I can't think that your parents would deny you."
"Yeah." Emma's shoulders squared and she picked up her dress skirt again. "Okay, let's get this show on the road."
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Next, Snow and James introduce marriageable Emma to their people.