Garnets and Onyx

Author's Notes: This is a one-shot follow up to Ruby, Emerald, and Diamonds. About four years has passed in between the first story and this one. This is just kind of a peak into their world and how things have changed. I don't intend to continue this or make this any bigger. I have enough on my plate right now but I wasn't really feeling writing on Diary yesterday and this one kinda spilled out. I hope you enjoy and as always if you feel so inclined please let me know your thoughts! ~ Scarlette

Regina closed her eyes as the knife in her right hand was drawn across the throat of her opponent. She heard the gurgle as he tried to breath; the sound of his life force leaving a thing of true beauty to her now. Things had changed so much in the time that she'd been the Savage Queen Emma's wife. The body hit the dirt and she lifted her head, her eyes connecting with that of her mate. Her wife leaned forward offering her a small smile. She didn't hesitate to step over the body, her booted feet squelching slightly in the wet sand underneath.

She stopped barely an arm's length from her wife who watched her with cool eyes that slowly began to wander her body. The blonde shifted forward and brought her hand up, resting it on the small swell of her wife's belly.

"Our baby grows strong." She murmured so that only Regina heard.

The blood covered woman smiled. "His fierceness will rival yours."

"He shall be a King of Kings."

"Yes," Regina agreed as her wife stood up and pulled her into her arms. She pressed a fierce kiss to her lips which the smaller woman responded.

When they pulled away, she turned her eyes back to the cooling body. "He was a traitor."

"Yes," Emma agreed.

"He deserved to die."

"Yes."

"He fought well though despite all that."

"He did." The blonde cocked her head wondering at her wife's sudden change of conversation.

"I think his body should be sent back to his family."

The Queen frowned at her consort but dipped her head. "If you wish, I will see it done."

"Family means everything." Regina's hand went to her belly that was covered by a metal plate specially made to accommodate her pregnancy.

Emma studied her for a moment before looking up and giving a small nod. Their soldiers had gathered around to watch the traitor try and save his life against the Queen's consort. Despite the smaller woman's strange upbringing, she had truly come into herself and proved herself time and time again. It was something to be valued amongst their kind. Resourcefulness, strength, and cunning were essentials that had to be mastered from a young age. The fact that the Queen's consort was raised elsewhere and had come to learn their culture so well was something to be admired.

Regina twisted and motioned with her hand for the body to be removed from the ring. "See to it that his body is brought to his family's." She looked back at her wife. "I'm tired after all that. I'm going inside to rest."

Emma dipped her head slightly in agreement as her wife moved away, not even bothering to wipe the blood from her face or hands.

Regina lifted her wet hair out of her eyes. She settled back with a soft sigh as the tender hands of her handmaids moved over her. She pushed them away when they touched her stomach, finding it sensitive since she'd found out she was pregnant. It wasn't common knowledge yet and she intended to keep it that way. Her pregnancy put her at a disadvantage here. She would be seen as weak if she were to use it as an excuse not to fight. She stood up, the water streaming over her hardened muscles and soft curves. She was still soft where it mattered and Emma adored the way the swordplay made her look.

"Your majesty," Her handmaid murmured, her head tilted down respectively.

Regina looked over her shoulder at her and sighed. "Yes," She knew what the girl was asking without needing to hear it. She stepped from the tub, letting the two women that had washed her wrap a towel around her. She walked over the now familiar table and laid down with a soft whisper of air and cloth. The same hands rubbed oil into her skin, massaging the bunched muscles and making her quite drowsy. She closed her eyes as she felt the razor moving between her legs. She'd long since become desensitized to it. They had never cut her so she knew she had nothing to worry for.

She opened her eyes when she felt the hands leave her body. Her handmaid was holding up a beautiful silk dress of the deepest red. She stood up and allowed the women to help her into it. Her dark hair was pulled from the back, her wet curls falling in loose waves down her back.

"I'll brush it." She eyed the brush her handmaid held and shook her head.

"Yes, your majesty." Both women dipped into a low bow as she moved from the room.

"Majesty?" She blinked at the guard that moved towards her.

"Yes?"

"A Robin Hood has requested an audience. I informed him that he could seek audience with you on the morrow but he's rather insistent." Regina couldn't hide her small smile when she noticed the way his nose wrinkled. Not many people here were fond of anyone that was from her Kingdom. Robin firmly fell into that category combined with the fact that he was a well-known thief that was just a double strike not in his favor.

"It's fine, send him in." She shook her head as she moved to settle on the overstuffed chair closest to the open balcony doors. She closed her eyes briefly as the wind breezed through the room, moving the billowing curtains and lifting her still damp curls. She opened her eyes as the door opened, watching with impassive eyes as Robin stepped inside.

"Your majesty," He dipped into a low bow before her, his head staying respectfully low.

"You're late."

"I'm early depending on what way you want to look at it your highness." He looked up at her with a roguish smile, which caused her to scoff and roll her eyes. Her wife was rubbing off on her it seemed.

"You're later than I would've liked."

Robin stood up before he spoke. "I apologize your majesty."

"What news do you bring from my homeland?"

"Your Mother is as always, a formidable opponent to most and an unreliable ally to some. Once she gets what she needs; she finds her own ways to assure they meet with an unfortunate set of circumstances that leaves them dead and buried."

Regina glanced away and sighed. "Now that she has the riches from my spouse, I'm sure she's seen fit to do as she will. How is my Father?"

"As well as can be expected considering the circumstances. He tries to stay strong but we can all see him breaking under the strain of your Mother."

"She is rather well known for doing that to people."

"Did…she…" He swallowed and Regina looked at him sharply.

"I let many things fall the wayside with you Robin of Loxley but that is not one of them."

"I'm sorry your majesty." He dipped his head in reverence to her position but she could still feel his eyes inching over her body as he did so. It was no secret to anyone that he found her particularly appealing. There had been a strange fondness on her part too but she was dedicated body, heart, and soul to her spouse and she would never compromise that. Emma was kind to her, her wife was strong, fierce in battle and in ruling as well but she was kind and gentle in private. She never took another to bed even though it was her right to do so. She always put Regina first in everything and Regina refused to allow that sort of dedication to mean nothing. She would do the same and that was the end of that.

"My wife is strong. She's the strongest ruler in the lands despite my Mother's…assets…Emma will keep this land and her people safe."

"I hope that extends to you as well my Queen."

"It does." Emma spoke from her place in the doorway.

It didn't escape Regina's notice that Robin tensed at the heavily accented voice of her wife. Emma had no trouble understanding what was spoken in her mother tongue but she was still a bit stunted when it came to speaking her own thoughts a loud in the strange language.

"Wife." She dipped her head and Regina offered her a warm smile as she rose to her feet. The silk hid her baby bump but she still felt Robin's eyes lingering there as well as her slightly fuller frame. The weight gain she'd been told multiple times by Emma suited her and despite her own insecurities at her beauty fading and her wife's eye turning elsewhere, she knew deep down she had nothing to fear. Emma had sworn a blood oath, the highest oath of her people to stay faithful and to always put her and their children first. She trusted her to keep that vow.

"Leave us." Regina had eyes for only her wife but she knew Robin would obey as she was the one that issued the command. He'd proven before that he wouldn't listen to Emma without Regina's word being final.

Emma watched him go, catching the appreciative glance over of her wife. Her upper lip pulled back in an animalistic snarl but her wife was there so quickly that she didn't have time to draw her sword and defend her mate and their unborn child. She took a breath to center herself before she did something stupid. Her wife's tender hands caressed her biceps and she relaxed, all but purring at the show of gentle affection.

"You needn't worry about him." Regina whispered. "I'm yours."

The blonde cut her eyes at her beautiful wife. "You belong to me." She stated.

"I do; I always will. No one can take me from you." The darker woman promised.

Emma tucked her arms around her wife, pulling her close and breathing in her soft scent. It always served to calm her when she was feeling particularly possessive. The feel of her wife did wonders as well.

"You belong to me as well." Regina whispered into her ear, which caused a huge grin to break out across the taller woman's face.

"Indeed. I always will." She echoed the sentiment her wife offered so freely.

Regina slowly eased herself back so that she was looking into her wife's eyes. She offered her a small smile. Though their marriage had been arranged and Regina felt herself nothing more than a prize to be won; she was still amazed by how happy something as simple as being held made her. She was truly happy. She hadn't even known that was possible.

"He knows you know?"

"Who?"

"Your spy, Robin. He knows that you are with child."

"How do you know that?"

"I see the way his eyes wander your frame. He's seen the difference and I can assure you he knows."

"Don't you think you worry for nothing?"

"And what would your Mother do if she knew?"

"Would it matter?"

"Our baby will be the strongest King the lands have ever known. Do you really wish to risk him like this?"

"How can you even ask me that? You know you and this baby mean everything to me."

The blonde nodded, "I don't doubt you. Though others have."

"How can they question me? I'm devoted to you; completely." Regina frowned at her wife's words.

"It isn't you they doubt. It's me. Your friend, Robin, he questions me constantly. He knows that I allow you to fight."

"He doesn't understand your culture or the way things work here." Regina pointed out softly. "If indeed he knows I carry your child within me then he will question that as well."

Emma frowned, "I wouldn't risk either of you."

"Yes, we know but he doesn't know about the inherent magic in this land nor how it's interwoven into the plate I wear to protect our child."

"No one need to know that. It keeps us both safe."

"And it makes my Mother underestimate us. You needn't worry my love. All will be well. Your child will be safe as will your wife."

"I'll keep you both safe; forever."

"Forever."