The ball was boring, insanely boring. Or at least that was Emma's opinion on the matter. There were lots of eligible princes and lords and young noble men, all there for Emma. All there because someone *cough* Snow *cough* decided Emma should be looking to settle down.

Emma sighed as yet another young man, technically too young for her, with a massive spot on the end of his nose, came up and asked for a dance. Another dance. Emma had not had the chance to sit down since this whole thing started, well over five hours ago. And didn't look likely to get a chance to, unless of course she took a shine to one of the potential suitors.

Not that that was likely to happen. It wasn't like Snow hadn't been, supposedly, subtly introducing her to half these men over the past few years any how. None had taken her fancy before now and she doubted any were likely to over the course of this evening. She let out a heavy sigh.

"Is every thing ok Princess?" Prince Fredrick queried as he span her around.

"Yes, sir. I'm just a little tired. I think after this dance I shall attempt to have a break." Attempt being the operative word, Emma thought to herself wryly.

"If you are so inclined perhaps I shall escort you to a chair now?" Fredrick offered.

"But the dance has only just begun." Emma pointed out, more out of politeness than a willingness to stay on.

"I truly do not mind." Fredrick replied leaving no room for debate as he lead her to the side of the dance floor were tables and chairs were neatly placed. He awkwardly stood unsure what to do. "Go, Fredrick, enjoy the rest of the dance." Emma smiled, nodding at him to go. He smiled in return and weaved his way across the great hall towards a group of girls desperately searching for a dance partner.

Fredrick was a nice guy, Emma mused. He just wasn't for her. Fortunately they both knew that. Emma was just beginning to reveal in the solitude when another person made their presence known.

"Mother." Emma barely restrained a sigh.

"Hello sweetie. Your father and I were just wondering how it was all going." Her Father did not look the least bit interested in Emma's predicament.

"Oh, erm…"

"Because Prince Phillip is a lovely boy, I'll introduce…"

"Actually mother." Emma cut in. "There is someone. I think they just went out to the garden."

"I believe I saw him. He appeared to be handsome, though I only caught a glimpse. Go after him." And that left Emma with little choice in the matter. Still, the garden would be quitter than the ball room, and she could easily avoid this fellow that her mother had seen.

She exited the room and immediately turned to take the most isolated path, only to find that someone had already beaten her to it. The lights that adorned the trees were dim and Emma was unable to clearly make the figure out. They were wearing what appeared to be tailored riding leathers but something appeared to be off.

Emma shrugged it off, wanting to avoid encountering the man her mother seemed to think she had taken an interest in. However Emma was never the most elegant Princess and tripped over her feet, sprawling to the ground. A light laugh was emitted from the stranger which only intensified as Emma cursed loudly. A surprisingly soft and small hand helped Emma to her feet, where she brushed down her dress and curse as she noticed the dirt and stains. The laugh continued.

"Glad you think this is funny." Emma grumbled. "You have no idea how much trouble I will get in for this."

"Oh don't I?" The stranger spoke and Emma's eyes snapped up.

"You're a girl?!" Emma exclaimed.

"Yes." The stranger replied simply. Emma's eyes scanned her outfit and suddenly it made sense why something had seemed off about the form fitting outfit. This woman did not have the figure of a man. Her raven locks were tied back in a simple pony tail and her make-up was light. She was beautiful.

"But…"

"But what?"

"My mother thinks I am out here with a potential suitor."

"And do I not count as a potential suitor?" The woman teased.

"I don't think it's exactly what she had in mind somehow."

"Well it's not like you are the Princess." Emma raised and eyebrow, her silence speaking volumes. "Oh my… I'm sorry for laughing at you your…"

"Don't. I'm Emma." Emma interrupted.

"Regina." The woman replied, offering her hand. Emma had often seen her father give handshakes but she had never participated in one herself, she was always expected to sit passively as someone kissed her hand, which to be quite honest most of the time was disgusting. So it was with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm that Emma grabbed Regina's hand and shook.

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine Emma."

"Why are you out here, and not in there?" Emma asked out of curisosity, leading Regina to a bench and slumping down.

"I could ask you the same thing." Regina replied wryly. "As it is my excuse is probably the same as yours, I'm escaping my Mother's hunt for potential suitors."

"Hmm" Emma replied before the pair fell into a comfortable silence. The gears in Emma's brain were whirring but she was having difficulty grasping the idea they were whirring towards.

Suddenly she exclaimed. "Date me!"

"I beg your pardon?" Regina asked incredulously.

"That's the answer, for both of us. To get our parents of our backs we need to pretend to be together! But of course my Mother won't let us get married without us being true love cos she'll want me to marry a guy, but at the same time she is in no position to split us up, so for the time being it'll work and give us both time to find suitable husbands!" Emma rattled off excitedly in one breath before taking a huge gulp of air to compensate at the end of her outburst.

"Emma, I…"

"No, listen. My Mother already knows I'm out here with someone, and most of the country accepts it."

"My Mother doesn't." Regina said quietly, almost sadly.

"She won't be able to refuse the heir to the thrones wishes, will she?" Emma said, with a confident grin. Regina seemed to pause to think about it.

"I suppose, when you put it like that, my mother would be in favour of it." Regina said slowly, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Great! Er…"

"What is it Emma?" Regina asked.

"Well, I guess…" Emma started fidgeting with the folds of her dress. "How far do we take this, I mean do we, do we like, do couple stuff? Like hold hands? Or you know, erm kiss?"

Silence reigned for a minute as Regina considered what Emma had said. "We must do whatever necessary to convince people. And that will involve kissing, yes."

"Right." Emma continued to fidget with her dress. "I, I've never been kissed." Emma softly admitted.

"Neither have I." Regina replied in an equally soft manner.

"Should we, you know…" Emma pittered off.

"What?" Regina querried, lightly taking Emma's hand.

"Erm, practice." Emma suggested with a lopsided, bashful smile. Regina's eyes darted down to Emma's lips as the blonde princess quickly moistened her lips. Her eyes made contact with Emma's again and words failed her, so instead she merely nodded, taking a big breath before ducking her head in.

The kiss was chaste but both women felt a spark and felt that it went on for much longer than it actually did.

"Do all kisses feel like that?" Emma breathed. Regina barely managed to shrug in response before the blondes lips were on hers again, this time for a much longer time.

When the pulled away this time they sat staring at each other until Regina shook herself out of it. "I guess we better go and announce our epic romance to the masses." She said, standing and offering her hand to the Princess.

XXX

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS EMMA?" Snow demanded, after pulling her, Regina, James and Regina's mother into one of the private chambers.

"The whole meaning of this ball was for me to find a suitor, and I have. Mother, Father, please formally meet Regina." Emma replied, her hand glued to Regina's.

"Cora. What have you to say in this matter?" Snow asked turning to Regina's mother.

"If it is what the girls want, then a wedding should be arranged with all haste."

"No one has mentioned a wedding." Snow barely restrained a growl.

"I was under the impression that that was what suitors were for." Cora replied coolly.

James stepped forward and placed a calming hand on his wife's shoulder. "Perhaps we should give the girls a little bit longer to get to know one another. Marriage is a big step. Snow and I knew one another for years before marriage was even considered." He reasoned.

"I can deal with that." Emma relied, drawing Regina closer to place a kiss on her cheek.

"And I too, as long as I am able to see Emma as much as I please, Mother?"

"Of course, Regina darling. I would never deny you this." Cora replied in sickly sweet tones.

Emma looked meaningfully at her parents.

"You two can see as much of each other as you want. So long as you are responsible." James answered Emma's look, his hand still heavily resting on Emma's shoulder.

XXX

A few weeks passed by and the girls grew very close. Regina did not live far from the castle, though they would often stay over at each others. They saw each other nearly every day. Emma learnt that Cora always pushed for Regina to marry well, so in order to make this marriage all the more likely she had allowed Regina to cut back on her lessons, which normally occupied her every waking hour. Emma on the other hand did not have this luxury, so whilst Regina had free time to 'prepare for Emma's visits' Emma was still busy learning politics and all the other boring stuff she hated.

The funny thing was was that Regina seemed to love that stuff. Sometimes there would be days were they would have been unable to see each other because of Emma's Princess commitments and lessons, but Regina came along to her lessons, and often did a whole lot better than her. Emma's teacher was certainly pleased with their 'relationship', especially as it was helping Emma improve more than she had in years, if ever.

"So, you found anyone yet?" Regina querried, feet dangling in the river next to Emma's.

"Nope. You?"

"The stable boy's kinda cute, but my Mother wouldn't allow it."

"Stuff your mother." Emma replied.

"She's more powerful than you know. You don't want to defy her wishes."

"Well surely you marrying anyone else now is gonna be a disappointment to her. Maybe we should just get married." Emma joked.

"Cos the Queen would absolutely adore that." Regina replied in the tone that Emma absolutely loved.

"It's not about what the Queen adores." Emma replied quietly, but in the stillness of the countryside afternoon, Regina could hear Emma's words perfectly. Her hand slipped over Emma's and squeezed.

"You'll find someone." Regina promised.

"What if I don't want to find someone?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Nevermind. Just forget I said anything."

But Regina never forgot.

XXX

A year later and the stable boy had married and moved away, and Regina had been surprised to find she was happy for him, and that it didn't hurt at all.

Meanwhile Snow was getting desperate. It was late one night whilst Emma was attempting to sneak out of the castle to visit Regina. They did this quite frequently over the summer months. They would both sneak out (though Regina suspected her Mother knew, nothing got passed her Mother, apart from her fake relationship) and meet up and try to sneak alcohol out of a pub, or go on a walk, or race horses in the dark. Honestly they just liked feeling rebellious, and it's always better to be rebellious with company.

Whilst sneaking out this particular night Emma heard her Mother's voice, which was strange as Snow was always, always, without fail, asleep by now. She stopped and pressed her ear against the door to hear more.

"It shall be done dearie." A high pitched giggle followed this statement.

"And she won't be woken?"

"The only thing that can undo a sleeping curse is true loves kiss. But of course you know that." The man with the high voice replied.

"And Emma isn't her true love so she won't be able to wake her?" Emma tried to piece the puzzle together but it was spinning too quickly.

"That's an interesting question dearie." The man giggled again.

"I know they cannot be true loves. Emma doesn't know what she wants. She is just doing this to spite me. It's all a lie. Leave, Rumlestiltskin, go and set the sleeping curse upon Regina."

"As the Queen commands." Emma barely kept in a gasp as all the pieces fell into place. She knew Rumplestiltskin to be that Dark One. She had to get to Regina.

She raced out of the castle and ran, and ran, and ran. Finally she came upon a crumpled form upon the floor.

"RUMPLESTILTSKIN!" Emma yelled to the night sky.

"Not so loud dearie, I'm right here." The lizard like man said from behind her, making her jump.

"How do I undo this?" She demanded.

"Ah-ah-ah. Everything comes at a price." Emma looked at Regina's crumpled form, then back at the Dark One.

"What's the price?" Emma asked, desperate, tear tracks down her face. The imp seemed to consider her for a moment.

"An invitation to your wedding." He finally said. Emma was taken aback by this.

"Why would you want that?"

"Let's just say, I'm invested in your future."

"Fine. Deal. How do I undo this?"

"True loves kiss of course. You didn't need me to tell you that dearie."

"How do I find her true love?" Emma could swear the imp almost rolled his eyes.

"How 'bout you… give it a go?" Emma noted how animated this man was with his movements, but now wasn't the time for that. She turned to Regina and really hoped this guy wasn't messing with her.

She took a deep breath and sealed her lips to Regina's, chastely like their first kiss. She pulled back, heart destroying itself. She had failed, this was all fake, how did she expect to wake her fake girlfriend from a sleeping curse?

Regina's eyes snapped open and a long shuddering breath entered her lungs.

"Emma?" She breathed.

"I'll be expecting an invitation soon." The imp cackled before disappearing.

"Wha-Wh-How?" Regina continued, confused. "We were faking it."

"Apparently not as much as we thought. That might be the reason we never found anyone else."

"Why we never wanted to find anyone else."