Beating Heart - Part 1

First sequence of Heart Queen; If this isn't your sort of thing, I'd advise you to move on and if you're going to read and comment, show some respect. Those who are drawn to the subject please enjoy

Dawn’s warm glaze was settling as nicely as the dew on Tuesday’s chin. Green lips of hill opened to the sun’s wake, as if yawning in unison. The roses had decided that they would wake when wanting to, their pulp bodies quivering with the slide of dew.
Sure enough, as solid as the day it became an adult years ago, the Honeycrisp stood hardened into the earth and waved lazily to the sun; apples dipping impatiently towards the ground like children needing to run. It was a sparrow’s favourite place to return from slumber, above grass so green even Emerald City would cower in envy and worship.
       A yard fit for a Queen and her manor; the Mayor of Storybrooke.
     Regina’s eyes were still painted with the flutter of skin. The six a.m. chorus of birds were not enough to stir Her Majesty, yet she was half-awake already; and the gnawing thoughts were too.
   The empowering thought that someone was watching her, and from a very close distance. Anxiously she rolled onto her side that faced the entire vicinity of her bedroom, and with the help of the sun’s eye she could see that no one �"visible- was present. Her shoulder met the pillow with a murmur of fabric as she felt herself begin to relax. Yes… she was being silly. There was no one there, right?
      Her left hand gripped handful of sheets as she arched her back with a stretch; reaching for the headboard for support. Her full lips parted to accommodate a yawn, and she exhaled; through her nostrils and very slowly. She inhaled.
       The air smelt �"felt- different. Her gaze travelled from the wooden bookshelf, poised like a soldier at the window’s side, to the still rocking chair on the other side. The white canvas curtains were drawn, but the blue rawness of day peeked at her through a small gap between them.
      She dared herself to face the door, where she stupidly hoped Henry would be waiting; his red lips stretched to a proud grin.
Proud of his mother, the powerful queen… but he never would be, would he?
       He wasn’t there, either. The white door �"which had once been black at night- stood bare and facing her, almost in a mocking gesture. She nearly slapped herself; since when did she cook up so many delusions in one morning?
With a disgusted sigh, she began to hoist herself upwards into a sitting position.
   Then white.
A flash, and there she was. Regina’s body sagged with the sudden weight of Cora.
       “Mother!” she cried in fright, losing her grip on the headboard. Cora’s hand caught her wrist before it could land, and she pinned it back firmly where it had been  only precious seconds ago in an innocent grip of its own.
       “Regina,” Cora said warmly, crimson lips curling as she tilted her head. “Where have you been all these years, hmm? Thank goodness for magic, I would rather not crease this dress beneath your heavy blankets. It’s my best one.”
        Cora was indeed fully dressed in her red queen’s gown, the silver collar at both ends pointing at her as if to threaten her like knives if she tried to escape. The fabric of the dress felt foreign to her at such an early hour, almost like sandpaper to her silk; like the numbing process of waking up completely and the sudden appearance of her mother.
    Of course she hadn’t changed in appearance; or maybe Regina had just known her face for too long. It remained the same, with her chocolate hair in a twirl of icing, pinned neatly atop her head. Her crown glared down from its throne proudly, armoured with the growing glare of the sun.
Regina’s sight blurred before her; no, this was a dream. She had prevented Cora’s entrance to the portal, hadn’t she?
As if to read her mind, Cora chuckled delightfully and lowered her body more firmly onto Regina’s.
         “You didn’t think that I would suddenly forget about you, did you? Come on now, dear… I am always three steps ahead of you. You blocked one portal out of a hundred.”  
Regina grunted with fright, with the effort to try and pry her wrist from Cora’s grip. Instead it tightened around her, and she gasped.
         “What do you want,” she tried to ask her mother, but her throat too had tightened; and her words emerged foggy with the smear of a choke. Now her cheeks stung with an obvious blush.
         “I followed the sun to your home to witness your wake. I missed you,” Cora whispered, her smile softening. It was almost believable, the remorseful glint in her mother’s eyes. She hesitated; her gaze searching for evidence of fraudulence.
         “I know you don’t trust me,” Cora continued, releasing her grip on Regina’s wrist. Her hand traced the skin of her arm, until she cupped her daughter’s jaw. Her new smile was sad. “I thought I would never find a way back… but I did, and now I’m here. We can be together again.”
The dance of her mother’s hand on her skin did no justice to her desired argument. In the silence she could hear her own breath slowing to her thoughts. Could she trust her? She made such an effort to arrive here; and for what, other than to see her daughter?
         The throb of guilt slid over her heart and burned, until she let go of the headboard and wrapped Cora’s waist with her arms. Cora sighed very slowly, her own arms sliding around Regina’s shoulders. She toyed with the straps of Regina’s silk lavender nightgown as she spoke. “You are my weakness, Regina. You must promise never to leave me again.”
        “Why did you come here?” Regina asked gently, her voice breaking into a whisper. Cora’s perfume was rich; like wet apples being dipped into sugar.
        “To see you,” Cora said simply. They stayed still for a while; Cora’s fingers outlining the ends of Regina’s hair on the bare plains of her back, while Regina monitored the pattern of her mother’s breathing. At times it was almost rapid; then it would slow to a relieved “ahhhhh”.  
        Cora began to peel the hair away from the left side of Regina’s shoulder.
Regina allowed it; for it had been a very long time since she was held, let alone by her own mother whom she hadn’t seen in twenty eight years. She was surprised at the dancing arrival of goose bumps along her bare arms, her breath shooting out with a sharp gasp.
       “Just lie down, Regina,” Cora murmured warmly, sliding half her body off Regina to allow her to slide to a comfortable rest. “I will show you that you can trust me.”
       “What do you mean?” Regina said foggily, her head spinning as she scrambled to a lying position. Much to her irritation, like splash of cold water on hot oil, the nightgown had bunched up beneath her thighs with the movement. She closed her eyes as she began to reach down to adjust it.
       “Let me,” Cora said. “Shh. Close your eyes, Regina. Go back to sleep.”
       “I can’t,” Regina said with a yawn. Something was wrong; how did she suddenly grow so dazed?
Cora’s hands returned to Regina’s wrist to keep it atop the duvet. She reached gently beneath it to pull the hem of Regina’s nightgown down; to smooth it over her warm and toned thighs.
     Cora drew her breath in sharply as her sight spun slightly before her. How did she suddenly grow so dazed?

Author's Note

This is my first attempt writing a Heart Queen scenario.