Regina's Queen - OUAT Fanfic

EPILOGUE PART ONE

  "Let's go out!" Caerys exclaimed. She bounded up from her seat on the carpet with unreserved energy.

  "Where?" Regina snorted. "It's the middle of the night!"

The hall clock was ticking steadily towards midnight, and they were reclined on the floor of Regina's sitting room, leaning back against the base of the couch. They were sipping at wine, watching the merry crackle of flames in the hearth.

  "Just... out." Caerys leaned over her and caught her hand to pull her upright.

  "It's freezing outside!" Regina protested darkly. She pushed her weight down towards the floor in an attempt to stay comfortably where she was, but Caerys laughed and lifted her bodily into her arms. She kissed Regina's helpless mouth to smother her objections, and her moonlight eyes glinted with mischief.

  "Say please, at least," Regina insisted breathlessly, as Caerys whirled away from her again.

  "In your dreams!" the Red Queen laughed. She swept across the room with her uncanny effortless movement and disappeared through the doorway.

Regina huffed, throwing one last longing glance at the alluring fireplace, and then followed her into the hall. She headed towards the front door to unhook her coat, but paused as Caerys cleared her throat from halfway up the staircase. Regina swung round to face her, planting her hands on her hips and scowling.

  "What?" she inquired. It wasn't so much a question, as a warning.

  "First, get dressed," the Red Queen commanded, ignoring her thunderous expression.

  "I am dressed!" Regina shot back. She glared pointedly down at her sleek black ensemble.

  "Surely you're not going out like that?" Caerys cocked her head at her.

  "I was about to get my coat off the rack..." Regina growled. She was rapidly tiring of Caerys' little game.

  "I meant get properly dressed," Caerys scoffed wickedly. "What kind of Evil Queen roams the night in a pantsuit?"

Realising what she implied, Regina glared up at her as though she'd lost her mind.

  "You want me to wear a dress? It's snowing outside!"

Caerys grinned impudently. "Your magic will keep you warm... Or I will." She scampered up the stairs.

Regina stalked up after her, muttering under her breath. Her blood was starting to simmer, despite her best efforts to stay calm. She knew Caerys was baiting her, yet she couldn't help but rise to it.

The Red Queen was already fastening the last tie on her stunning crimson-and-silver dress when Regina darkly entered the room, and she looked up from the work of her slender fingers with a devilish smile.

  "You're already wearing the expression, darling," she taunted, "you might as well put on the dress."

Regina's eyes flashed, and she stopped pointedly in the doorway. She leaned against the frame and crossed her arms tightly.

  "You are heading towards a line," she said. Her voice was deceptively calm, but her eyes sparked dangerously.

  "And I'm going to cross it," Caerys returned without missing a beat. She straightened her star-spangled tiara and turned the full intensity of her moonlight gaze upon her Regina. She snared Regina's black-sequined dress deftly off the end of the bed where she had laid it out and held it up with a flourish.

  "Your arrogance infuriates me," Regina stated, staring her down from the doorway.

  "It also intoxicates you," Caerys purred. She ran the silken train of the dress through her slender fingers, tutting. "Don't tell me you'd prefer timidity from the consort of the Evil Queen?"