Her Glass Heart [SwanQueen]

Chapter Nine: Oct 5, 2017 - Emma

Emma's birthday had come and gone, but it was just another banner year. Birthdays weren't as exciting as they used to be when she was a child.

She had hoped her parents would change her mind and let her travel to the southern realm as a birthday gift, but alas she had no such luck in convincing them.

The majority of her mornings were spent following Regina around the castle, certain she was keeping herself concealed.

She still didn't know what it was that intrigued her so much about the other woman, but she felt this strange pull to her that came from within.

Part of her wanted to confront Regina and ask her about the southern realm, about her adventures and her journey, and Emma kept telling herself that was why she was drawn to Regina, but she knew that wasn't it. Not entirely.

But she also knew Regina was here to find a husband, she didn't need a naive princess prying for stories of the realm she came from, so she did her best to keep her distance and just admire the brunette from afar.

As Regina crossed the courtyard in the front of the castle, Emma followed quietly and from a safe following distance. When she saw Regina sit down beside a knight Emma knew, Emma climbed the thick tree to get a better view of them.

Emma recognized the knight as Neal, who was a favorite among her mother's and father's and had a reputation for his courage and nobility, but she didn't care much for him. Not because he wasn't friendly or kind, but because she found him to be a little dull, especially for someone like Regina.

She stayed on the branch and listened to their interaction, and as anticipated, Regina's body language suggested that she was not particularly impressed with Neal. On multiple occasions, Regina looked like all she wanted to do was turn around and go back inside and end the conversation but didn't want to be rude.

Emma struggled to hear their conversation aside from a string of murmurs, so she clambered down a little lower. And when the heavy snow-coated branch snapped, she yelled out.

Regina whirled her head over her shoulder, looking over at the direction she heard the sound of a crash come from. She dismissed Neal, telling him she would handle it and he bowed, thanked her for her time, and walked out.

Regina lifted the bottom of her long coat and sprinted over to the tree, eyes wide as she searched for the source of the crash.

When she spotted Emma, the blonde was a mess of tangled limbs. Her blonde hair was splayed across her fair skin and there was no sign of consciousness. Only a trickle of blood seeping out of a fresh, deep gash on her forehead.

She knew she should alert a guard, or find Snow or David, but Regina remained frozen in place. Her eyes were locked on the young blonde in her white winter coat on the ground surrounded in snow.

"Princess Emma," Regina whispered. When she didn't get a response, she instinctively did what she knew would help.

She pressed her finger to Emma's cut forehead and watched as shards of glass appeared then dissipated, acting as a stitch that pulled the deep cut back together, healing it quickly.

When the cut vanished, and no evidence of any fall remained, she untangled Emma's legs and scooped Emma's body up in her arms.

"Re - Regina?" Emma whispered, consciousness slowly coming back to her.

"Oh, thank goodness, are you okay?" Regina asked, her voice full of panic and she placed her down on a bench and helped the blonde sit up.

"Wha - What happened?" Emma asked slowly, bringing her fingers to her forehead, expecting to feel the warmth of blood and scrunching her face when she felt nothing but smooth skin.

"You are quite a nosy princess, aren't you? I believe you may have been spying on me," Regina raised an eyebrow, her concerned frown now turning upward into a smile.

Emma's pale complexion blushed crimson red, and Regina laughed.

"I'm sorry, I was curious. How did you like Neal?"

Regina's deep laugh soothed the pain Emma could feel pulsing inside her head. "That's hardly relevant right now. How do you feel, dear? You fell quite a distance, judging from the sound of the crash."

"Don't tell my parents," Emma cut in. "I mean... I don't want to upset them. I'm fine. Really. My head just feels like I cut it, do you see a cut?" Emma tilted her head to face Regina.

Regina pretended to assess her forehead where she was confident no evidence of injury would be visible.

"I don't, but you should still see the doctor to make sure you don't have a concussion. Or have someone stay with you tonight to be certain you're okay as you sleep."

Before Emma could stop herself, she opened her mouth, "You could stay with me?" After a pause, she remembered her manners and added, "Please?"

Regina opened her mouth, planning on objecting, but couldn't come up with a reason why she couldn't. "Sure, I can do that." The sides of her lips curled up into a soft smile. "I'm glad you feel okay and didn't break any bones."

"Thanks for finding me."