Day 1 - AU

Prompt from .com: With Regina as her Queen, Ruby rules the Werewolf Kingdom

She was just a girl.

That's Regina's only thought as she rises from her curtsey to take her first look at her…what should she call her? Her betrothed? Her conqueror? Her queen? No title seems appropriately grandiose enough to encompass the rumors of power, of brutality, that brought her here, for the chill that had settled along nearly every spine in her grandfather's court when the missive from the werewolf nation of Selyna had arrived. Likewise, none seemed able to sum up the exotic beauty of the creature languishing on her throne.

And she was beautiful, she couldn't help but think, with her porcelain skin and waterfall of glossy dark hair. So comely was she that, had she not commanded power by blood, surely she could have gleaned it through other means. Regina supposed they had that in common.

With her face half-shrouded in the shadow of the hall, the she-wolf paid no attention to her or her retinue, her attention instead fixed on the older woman with whom she exchanged a volley of whispers. An advisor, perhaps? thought Regina, though she'd never seen any of her grandfather's advisors gesture so animatedly, so familiarly, when standing before their king; they hadn't dared.

Regardless of the elder woman's station, their meeting continued for long minutes, during which she couldn't help but feel her patience waning. The temper her mild-mannered father had never ceased chastising her for was on the verge of rearing its' proverbial head when the young were shook her head a final time and, without another word, the elder departed.

With a sigh Regina could almost feel, despite the distance between them, a slim hand rose to beckon her forward. She approached the dais on which the throne, and it's queen, sat with a carefully measured stride, equal parts training and caution slowing her steps, as the few facts and figures she knew in relation to the formidable shifter clan raced through her mind in time with her frenzied heartbeat.

Hands clasped dutifully in front of her, she reached the edge of the platform and dared to raise her eyes, only to find her gaze arrested by twin orbs, each the color of the forest in springtime. Biting back a gasp unbecoming someone of her stature, she fought the urge to gape at the young monarch before her.

Now, Regina was no stranger to opulence or beauty; as a princess, she was used to being surrounded by the finer things in life, be they homegrown or imported. And, unlike most women of noble birth, she was equally as familiar with things of a more rugged nature; she'd gone fox hunting with her father and had walked between the corrals that housed Andalusia's stallions more times than she could count. But she had never, not once, seen a creature who exuded such…wildness. Such power. It was like looking into the eyes of a feral beast, powerless to do anything but wait and see whether or not it chose devour her.

Surely if she'd had doubts about her other nature before, she had them no longer.

For a long minute, neither of them spoke, the young leader the picture of ease whilst Regina became increasingly less so as time passed. "I trust you found no trouble on the road," the she-wolf said and her voice was such a rich, husky thing, that it nearly made Regina shiver.

Though her words had been more comment than question, she still felt compelled to answer, "No, your…majesty?" she trailed off, frowning slightly.

She'd meant to sidestep the use of a title until she'd had the chance to see the were alongside those of lesser rank and identify the appropriate moniker for someone of her own station. Instead, she found herself floundering at the foot of her throne like some uneducated peasant girl. She cleared her throat, "The journey was without incident, thank you," she added, bracing herself for whatever backlash her unintentional faux pas may have caused.

Of all the things she expected, though, perhaps last amongst them was having the pleasure of watching full lips part in a small, and very charming, smile. "I insist you call me by name, Regina. After all, circumstances being what they are…" she trailed off, her smile widening ever so slightly, "It seems the most appropriate, wouldn't you agree?"

Regina truly floundered then, barely able to keep her mouth from dropping open. It was one thing to not know her title but to not know her name? The scandal of it was enough to force a blush to settle on her cheeks. It wasn't her fault, really; no one knew her name. The previous werewolf leader, Anita, had been fiercely adept at keeping any and every thing about her heir secret from the outside world. Perhaps it was a test of some sort? "I agree," she said slowly, choosing her words with care. The last thing she wanted, after all, was to offend her, "But I…I don't know your name,"

Red blinked, eyes widening minutely, before she inclined her head. "Of course; I apologize," she said simply, "I…sometimes forget how little she spoke of me." She watched, entranced, as green eyes flickered a sinister shade of gold but, before she could begin to worry, they resumed their natural emerald hue. "You may call me Red, my lady. Most do,"

It was an unusually common name for a noble but, then again, no one knew the true story of the weres or their lineage. It was more than probable that the bulk of them had been peasants once - perhaps some had even been members of her own kingdom - before the curse had been inflicted upon them. Nevertheless, she inclined her head, "Of course…Red,"

And, like the sun after a storm, the she-wolf's smile returned full force, "Excellent," she said, "Now, would you care to-"

The doors at the far end of the hall opened with a shudder, a young man striding through with purpose coating his every step. "Alpha, there's an urgent matter we must dis-" As he finally raised his eyes from the parchment clutched in his hands to the throne he stopped short, bowing slightly. "I'm sorry, Red; I didn't know you had company,"

"It's alright," she said, waving him forward, "Regina, this is my beta, Fenris Worthy," Regina inclined her head and offered him a modest curtsey, "Fenris, may I present Princess Regina Zavala of Andalusia?"

"Of course," he bowed with a flourish, lips ghosting over the back of her hand before releasing it. "A pleasure to meet you, your highness; your journey was smooth, I trust?"

"From start to finish, sir; thank you,"

He straightened and offered both women a pained expression as he extended the re-rolled parchment to his alpha, "I do hate to interrupt your introduction but I just received word from King Leopold and-"

The mighty wolf maiden loosed a groan that would put a sullen child to shame, pressing one hand to her head as she reached out blindly for the letter with the other, "For the gods own sake what now? Have I not suffered that man enough?" she muttered even as she began to read.

Taking a half-step closer, Fenris leaned in just enough to mock whisper in Regina's ear: "He can't get enough of her bountiful charms, you see," he explained and, between his words and Red's downright petulant expression, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Understandable," she agreed, hiding a smile behind her hand as Red continued to mutter increasingly creative curses under her breath, "There are many to be found,"

Fenris seemed on the cusp of a reply when his alpha grunted loudly, all semblance of keeping her irritation quiet apparently discarded, and thrust the now-crumpled paper back into his hands. She made to rise then, the single fluid motion so effortlessly graceful that Regina was sure her tutors would have been hard-pressed not to salivate at the sight.

"I am a poor host," Red began, turning to face Regina with an openly apologetic expression, "But the longer I ignore this bothersome man, the more parchment he'll waste."

She shook her head, clearly an attempt to banish her irritation, at least for the moment, "Would you join me for dinner tonight? I promise there will be no more than…three unscheduled interruptions, if you do,"

Regina nodded, smile still firmly in place, "It would be my pleasure,"