The Queen and her Slave - English Version

Chapter 15

A week had passed since Regina lost her memory. Sometimes, in her eyes, Emma could catch a glimpse of a sparkle of who she had been, the one she missed so much. Not that it was unpleasing to be with her, not at all. Despite her "new version", or old one, was extraordinarily humble and shy, to a fault, so different to the Regina she knew, the feelings she felt for her never disappeared. Quite the opposite. With every smile, every bow, that felling grew stronger for how impossible she thought it was. Perhaps it was because now she could love different side of her, buried under years of hate.

She was thinking about this while she walked the long corridor, until she stopped before Regina's chamber. She tidied up her red dress, making sure that the blonde lock was where it had to be then, and so the small crown. She then knocked twice at the door, hoping that she was ready.

It hadn't been easy for Regina to live in the castle. At first she had felt out of place and frightened by the whole situation, but the she had calmed down. The queen was more than kind with her. She liked to be there with her, and she secretly hoped she could stay longer, despite she missed her family so much.
That day the queen asked her to dress nice because she had a surpise for her, and when Regina heard those words her heart started beating faster in her chest. She'd been the whole day in her room to find a proper dress for the night. She had changed four of five of them, and eventually she chose to wear a white dress, with pearls and diamonds. She did her hair in a complex and high coiffure.
She checked herself in the mirror, to be sure she was ready. She heard two knocks at the door, her heart skipped a beat. Quivering she walked to the door and opened it.
«Your Majesty...» she said drawn to the woman standing in front of her. She was wearing a red, large dress, that fit her perfectly. The hairdo made her face stand out in its beauty.
When the door opened, Emma's breath stopped. Regina was gorgeous. White was perfect on her. She smiled at her, gently bowing her head.
«Regina.» she greeted her, calm, unable to take her eyes off of her. «You look lovely.» she said looking in her eyes.
Regina blushed and bowed.
«Thank you, Your Highness. You're beautiful, too.» she whispered awkardly.
Emma slightly blushed, then turned and offered her her arm, like if she was aknight and Regina a princess. She smiked for her own gesture.
Regina mved a strand of hair and delicately wrapped her hands around her arm.
«Come.» the queen smiled at her. The brunette smirked back at her while they walked towards the ball room. During the trip, though, an image flashe in her mind: she and the queen, in bed, naked.... She blushed and shook her head like if that motion coul erase those images and the sentiments they brought.
«Is everything alright?» Emma asked looking at her with worry.
«Y-yes...» she quickly answered, embarassed «So, where are you leading me, my Queen?»
Emma kept staring at her, doubt in her eyes. She wouldn't make her feel uncomfortable insisting on it though, so she looked away.
«Soon you'll know...» she replied sneering.
«You shouldn't have done anything, you already did so much...»
«I didn't actually do anything. And, please, don't feel like you owe me something. It's the last thing I want.» she replied as they were reaching the large room. It was decorated by the best tapestry, golden candelabras to illuminate them. The tables arranged along the walls were full of food, but above each of them a tray full of apple stood out. All the servants together with most of the guards were dressed in sumptuous clothes, and it looked like they were enjoying the feast. They hailed her with deep bows, then they went on chatting, relaxed.
Emma eyed Regina, smiling.
«I thought I would throw a little party. Without a reason, I know, but...» Emma nodded at them. «I don't know, I wanted them to enjoy the castle, for once. And you too. You must've been bored this days. There isn't much to do here...»
Regina's face lit while she was watching the room.
«It's beautiful, Your Highness...» she murmured turning to look at her with her eyes shining. «I don't know how to thank you, none ever did anything like this for me.»
Then she approached the queen and gave her a shy, light kiss on her cheek, distancing a moment after.
«I'm sorry if this was inappropriate...» she said in a hurry, gazing down.
Emma blushed as she kissed her, but closed her eyes, a moment that was infinite and brief, but beautiful. She opened her eyes as Regina stepped back, smiling reassuringly at her. But she had glanced down. Emma put a hand under her chin, delicate, barely a touch, hoping it was enough to make her look at her again.
«Not at all.»
At the delicate touch of the blonde under her chin, Regina could do nothing but lift her face, showing wet eyes. Why did that touch feel so familiar, warm, sweet and sensual?
They stayed still staring at each other for a while, then the queen smirked and gazed down. She pointed at the room with a wide gesture.
«Enjoy the feast!» she encouraged her.
Regina swallowed while nodding. She walked away from her to go to a table, under the blonde's curious stare.
The brunette smiled at the servant that handed her a glass full of liquor. She did never drink. She moved the glass closer and as the cider touched her tongue she closed her eyes, enjoying it with pleasure. The taste felt so familiar while it slid down her throat. Another image flashed in her mind, like a fogged memory: herself in a cell, dressed in black, while Emma was locked inside it.
She snapped her eyes open and stayed still, motionless. Those memories coudn't possibly be real.
Emma smiled seeing her drink the cider, comforted by the idea that her taste didn't change. When she saw her freeze, though, she immediately ran to her.
«Regina...» she softly said, touching her shoulder, the white fabric of the shoulder strap on it. The brunette shivered and distanced from her.
«I'm sorry...» she immediately said. «I didn't mean...» her voice broke. «...I didn't mean to offend you...»
The queen gave her a confused stare.
«You didn't offend e at all, what are you talking about?»
«I don't understand what's happening to me.» Regina finally confessed. «I...» she began, nervously torturing her hands. «...I've got these images in my head... I tried to chase them away but...» she sighed. «I can't.»
«Which images?» the other woman asked instinctively approaching her.
«They're confused.» Regina gathered her courage and looked in her eyes. «Of us. But we aren't us, I mean, we are, but those things never actually happened.»
Emma stayed in silence for a moment. Then she grinned, her eyes full of tears. She caressed her face, unable to speak for how intense was the joy filling her heart, taking her breath away.
The brunette blushed at that touch, so intimate.
«My Queen...» she stuttered «... I don't think this is appropriate...»
Emma imediately froze and pulled back her hand. Her face paled, and she glanced down.
«I'm sorry.» she quickly said, without watching her, coldly. «I went too far.»
Regina immediately regretted her words, buti t was too late. Pushed by her curiosity, she found the bravery.
«Your Majesty, I think you're hiding me something.» she said.
Emma stopped breathing and stared at her, unable to reply.
«So it's true.» the brunette murmured, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
Emma sighed and looked away.
«It's true.» she confessed. «Many things. All linked, though. But, if I had to tell you the truth, you wouldn't believe me.» she explained, serious, staring back at her eyes.
«You lied to me sisnce the beginning. I can't deny I don't like it, but you're the queen, and you owe me no explaination.»
Regina walked away from her without giving her time to reply.
Emma watched her go mouth-agape, surprised by her reaction. She closed her mouth and lowered her stare, that lingered on the detail of one of the floor's marble tiles for a moment. The time to take a decision. She looked back at her.
«I'm not the queen!» she said out loud. Silence fell around her.
Regina suddenly turned hearing her words. She looked at her in confusion.
«I don't understand what you mean.» she said without hiding her annoyance.
Emma, misteryously, smiled, and paced towards her.
«Better, I'm not actually. You are.»
«What is that supposed to mean?» the brunette asked her, more and more confused.
Emma quietly sighed.
«You've lost your memory. Many, many years of memories. You've been ruling these lands since a long time. This castle is yours. The apple tree, the room I gave you, this room... It's all yours.»
Regina looked around, lost and afrais, her heart beating fast.
«No, you're lying...» Words exited her mouth confusing. Her head was spinnig, images were running inside of it.
Emma eyed her. She hated to see her that way. She wanted to help her somehow, but she didn't know how. She felt her eyes fill with tears.
«It's the truth, Regina.» She went closer to her. She suddenly hugged her. «You lost your memory because of me. I'm so sorry...» she whispered in her ear.
Regina quivered feeling the blonde's body pressed against hers. A weird heat invaded her. Her silky skin, warm, hot under her, her moans, her eyes full of lust. She looked at her.
«The things I see are true?» she asked in an astonished whisper, without moving away from her, on the contrary leaning a hand on her back, without thinking about it.
Emma stared at her, surprised that she didn't push her away. She slightly arched her back so that she could look her in the eyes, blinking to hold back the tears.
«Yes...» she murmured.
«We...» Regina stared at her. She could not end the sentence, too embarassed to do it. She couldn't remember what happened, but those images were clear and vivid in her mind.
Emma blushed. She looked at those eyes, so dark, so warm. She leaned forward, staring now at her lips, so close...
Regina unwittingly moved her face closer to hers. Her gaze moved from Emma's eyes to Emma's lips. Since a week she wandered how would it be to kiss them and every time she shooed that thought, feeling impure. And feeling guilty towards Daniel. But, if what Emma said was true, they'd already been together... and, even if nothing was clear, she wanted to know if that was the truth.
The blonde closed her eyes and took the final step, touching Regina's lips with hers. She felt like if her heart started back beating only in that moment,, after a week of stillness.
Regina's heart stopped as their lips met. Emma's were soft, wet, sweet.
A light spawned from them. For a moment, fear grabbed Regina's heart, but she stayed clinged to Emma. When she couldn't breath anymore she distanced from her. She looked her in the eyes.
«Emma...» she whispered smiling, her voice an octave lower than before.
Emma stared at her, tears of happiness running down her cheeks freely now, a smile of hoping,
unbelieving happiness on her face.
«...Regina?» she asked, hesitant, terrorized by the idea that it was just an illusion, a simple misunderstanding.
«Is that a way to address your queen?» the brunette answered smiling. «Shouldn't you be kneeling befor me?» she plowed on, trying to keep serious.
Emma bursted into laughter weeping, and hugged her, kissing her.
Regina held her, breathing in her scent.
«Miss me, Princess?»
The blonde nodded sinking her face between the woman's shoulder and neck, crying.
Regina rubbed her back with a hand.
«Calm down, I'm back...» she whispered to her.
Emma squeezed her, trying to calm down. After a while her breath got even. She distanced from Regina, her gaze low as tears kept running all over her face.
«I'm so sorry...» she whispered with broken voice.
«It wasn't your fault.» the older woman reassured her. «You've had much patience, and you didn't take advantage of it.»
Emma lifted her confused stare on her.
«Why should I?»
«You should have done anything to me...» Regina explained caressing her face.
Emma goggled, shocked.
«I would never!» she shouted.
«I know.» the brunette smirked. «You're so different from me...»
The girl shook her head.
«I wouldn't say so...» she sneered. «...from what I saw...»
The queen arched her left eyebrow.
«And what did you see?» she asked, gaining back all of her cockiness.
Emma's smile grew wide, then she shrugged.
«What I've always seen in you.»
«What you've always wanted to see even if it wasn't true.» the brunette corrected her.
Emma laughed.
«Yeah, sure...»
There were some seconds of silence. Absolute silence. The looked around. The servants were disappeared. They shared an amused glance.
«The party was a sweet idea.» Regina said smiling at her. «But now I must command you a thing.»
«What?» Emma asked slightly narrowing her eyes, curious.
Regina smiled again.
«To dance with me.» she said. «It's a party, and I didn't dance yet.»
Emma's smile enlighted the room.
«It's the reason why I threw this party, so... of course, Your Majesty.» she answered, bowing then.
«Good, Princess...» Regina made a step back. «Now invite me as you should.»
Emma let out a brief laughter at her move, then she cleared her voice, trying to look seriuos.
«Your Majesty...» she solemnly said, making an elegant curtsy and lending out her hand to her. «...will you do me the honor of this dance?»
Regina pretended to think about it for a moment.
«I'm allowing you to dance with me.» she eventually answered.
Emma held back a smile and bowed her head to thank her. She held Regina's hand and delicately drawed her closer.

Their bodies came into contact as if it was the most natual thing in the world. They started moving in sync, following a music none was playing. Their gazes tangled, they lost themselves in them.
«I love you...» Emma whispered a inch from her lips, without stopping to look he rin the eyes. Regina trembled at that sound. Her heartbeat got fasterm her eyes lit. But she said nothing.
Emma glanced down, holding her close then. They kept dancing, hugged in the silence, for some minutes.
«I love you since before we met.» Emma went on after a while, whispering the confession.
Regina was amazed by her words. She distanced a bit from her, just a few inches, enough to be able to look her in the eyes.
«What do you mean?» she asked.

Emma smiled with a hint of embarassment.
«Since when my mother told me about you for the first time. That's when Istarted thinking about you, and I never stopped. Until I came here, risking myown life just to meet you.» she laughed blushing.
«So your mother tells you the story of the Evil Queen, who wants to destroyeveryone's happiness, and you fall in love...» Regina watched her, hiding asmirk. «You're crazier than I thought.»
Emma laughed again.
«She didn't tell me it like that! She told me everything... so I... you know... I sawthings the way you did...» She glanced down awkardly. «You know... I didn't come here with the intent to killyou, despite I did tell my parents I wanted to...»
«You came here with the purpose of crawling into my bed?!» the brunetteinquired, astonished, lifing her face with the hand to make her look at her.
«No! With the purpose of finding out if I was right!»
«Right about what? That I'm not evil?»
Emma nodded.
«If we want to put it this way...»
«And when I forced you to sleep with me? Didn't you hate me?» the queen askedstaring at her.
Emma slightly blushed, but stared back at her.
«No... I knew I was "risking" that. Actually, I didn't think you'd spare my life,considering who I am...» she confessed lowering her voice.
Regina smirked.
«But I did.» She stayed silent for some seconds, watching her like if she wasstudying her. «You know, I never asked you a thing...»
The blonde slightly tilted her head.
«What?» she asked.
«If it was your first time with me.»
Emma blushed and suddenly gazed down.
«No...» she said in low voice, eventually, sheepishly eying her.
Regina stayed silent for a terrible moment.
«How many?» she asked then in a whisper loaded with jealousy.
«... Just one.» Emma answered, staying then in silence, waiting for a commentthat never came.
«Are you angry?» she asked her after a bit, tensed.
Regina's eyes seemed to throw a black lightining.
«Yes.» she answered sincerely.
Emma swallowed, suddenly panicked.
«Oh, I-I'm sorry, I... was young, I was only seventeen..»
«You mustn't be sorry.» the brunette interrupted her. «I think I'm just...jealous.» she admitted.
Emma froze. Then her face was enlighted by a smile.
«Don't be so happy about it, Princess...» the queen warned her distancing fromher. «You shall pay for that.» she plowed on, a lustful smile on her face.
Emma smiled in turn, looking in her eyes.
«Oh, I don't doubt it, Your Majesty...»