The evil queen meets Red and they are both instantly smitten.

Red stands awkwardly in the grand room; far more opulent than anything she'd ever seen in her tiny village. A stab of guilt goes through her chest as she thinks of Granny's repeated warnings about wandering too far from home and talking to strangers. But something in Red has always wanted to roam, to see the world beyond the borders of her boring life. So when a carriage drew up beside her and a kindly old man addressed her by name, telling her that the Queen had requested to meet her, Red could hardly turn that kind of adventure down.

Red had never been in a carriage before. A haycart, yes, but that was nothing compared to the finery of the Queen's carriage. The seats were cushioned with silky, purple fabric and Red couldn't help but run her hands over them. The smell inside was of exotic perfumes and something else that Red couldn't quite place. The man turned out to be the Queen's father. He smiled at her curiosity and answered her questions about the carriage to the best of his ability. But when she asked why the Queen wanted to meet her, his smile dimmed. "I know not the workings of the Queen's mind, these days," he said, looking at his hands. "I only know she wanted to meet you. She was most vehement about it." And that was all he would say.

Now Red finds herself unable to stand still as she waits. She moves her weight from foot to foot, her hands grasping the edges of her cloak. She hopes she's dressed appropriately to meet royalty. Her cloak is the most elegant piece of clothing she owns. For some reason she's never been able to fathom, it never fades or frays and it doesn't even seem to get dirty. She asked Granny about it once, but she just mumbled something about expensive fabric and sent Red to fetch water.

She has no time to dwell on her clothing because the doors to the room burst open and Red looks up and catches sight of the most beautiful woman she's ever seen. Dressed in a form-fitting dress that's the colour of midnight in summer, the woman exudes an air of sophistication that makes Red want to bow her head and cower in a corner. It's then that she realises she probably should bow, since it's the Queen she's gawping at. She lifts her skirts and dips into a what she hopes is a curtsey, bowing her head. A soft laugh brings blood rushing to her cheeks, and she keeps her eyes fixed on the intricate carpet under her feet.

A gentle hand on her chin brings her face up and all at once she's lost in the deep brown of the Queen's eyes. She's never spent much time contemplating royalty, but whenever she has tried to picture the rulers of their land, they've always seemed unreal, like statues or paintings. Now she's confronted with a living, breathing embodiment of royalty and all she can see is the intelligence shining in her eyes, the way wisps of her hair have escaped the complicated arrangement on top of her head, the prominent scar on the right side of her top lip. All signs that this is very much a human woman.

"My, my," The Queen murmurs, turning Red's face slightly from side to side, examining her. "I'd been told you were impressive, but they failed to do your beauty justice."

Red's face flushes again, but she can't help the wide smile that appears at the Queen's words. It's quickly tempered by a confused frown, and she forces herself to meet the Queen's eyes. "Th-...they, my lad-...your majesty?"

The Queen's eyebrow creeps up her forehead. "And clever enough not to let compliments blind you," she says. "Good. There are few things more frustrating than a pretty face with nothing behind it." She lets go of Red's chin and walks around her, continuing her examination. Red feels like one of the pigs the farmers bring to the village on market day. She bites her lip; lately the pigs have taken to squealing whenever she comes near, to the point where she avoids the market if at all possible.

"I have people everywhere," the Queen says, by way of explanation. "You were brought to my attention a few months ago." She stops in front of Red one more. "You really are quite extraordinary."

Thoroughly confused now, Red shakes her head. "I...I think you're mistaken, your majesty," she says, not wanting to offend the Queen by telling her she's wrong. "I'm just...me. I live in a little village with my Granny. I'm as ordinary as they come."

A smile blooms on the Queen's face, one that draws Red closer with its intimacy. "Oh, I don't think so," she purrs, tugging gently on the edge of Red's hood. "You have the potential for greatness, Little Red Riding Hood."

"I...I don't understand, your majesty," Red says, captivated by the Queen's closeness, the scent of her bath oils and something else, something darker.

"You will," the Queen tells her, a hand moving to frame her jaw. "In time. For now, why don't you start by calling me Regina and see how we go from there?"

Red's eyes go wide at the caress and at the informality being displayed. "I couldn't possib-" She's stopped by a finger over her lips.

"You're not going to disobey your Queen, are you?" Regina asks, her voice low and inviting. Red finds herself shaking her head, the need to please the Queen almost overwhelming in its intensity. She's rewarded with a dazzling smile. "Good girl."

"Am I to work for you?" Red asks, when the finger is removed. "Here? At the palace?"

"No," the Queen, Regina, tells her. "You'll go back to your village and continue as before. As if we never had this conversation. But there will come a time I will call upon you to do something for me."

"Soon?" Red asks, bereft at the thought of going back home and not being near this woman.

Regina smiles again and brushes some hair behind Red's ear. "Soon enough, dear," she promises. Then she leans in to whisper. "And if you please me, we shall meet again."

The Queen turns her head and places a soft kiss right at the edge of Red's lips. It's all Red can do to stop herself from making the tiny movement which will bring their lips together. She's kissed Peter, many times, but she's never felt like this with him. Like her mind and body aren't her own. Like she's alive with feelings and emotions that she can't put a name to. Like she finally understands what she's been looking for.

The assault on her senses lessens slightly when the Queen steps back to appraise her once more. She shakes her head with a smile Red can't read. "Magnificent," she whispers. This time Red keeps her head up, her eyes locked on Regina's.

"I'm nothing compared to you...Regina," she says. The name feels comfortable in her mouth, like she's said it before, often.

"Oh, come now," Regina scolds. "Let's not have false modesty. You're a beautiful woman and you know it."

No-one's ever called Red a woman before. She's always been just a girl. Her heart sings at the Queen's words, but she tries not to show it.

"Thank you," she manages, with a small smile.

"You should be getting back home, before you're missed," Regina says.

Red's eyes go wide. She's been gone for hours. Granny will likely have a search party out scouring the woods for her. Her panic must show in her face, because Regina raises an eyebrow.

"There are quicker ways to travel than by carriage," the Queen tells her, running a hand down her bare arm and holding her wrist, loosely. Before Red knows what's happening, they're both engulfed in purple smoke and, when it clears, they're back in the woods at the exact spot Red was picked up earlier. She's thrown by the suddenness of the journey and she sways, grasping Regina's hand for balance. She realises her mistake and lets go.

"I...I'm sorry," she stammers, backing away a little. The Queen seems mildly amused.

"Not at all," she says. "It can be quite disorientating when you're not used to it."

Red can hear the sounds of people talking a little way in the distance; looking for her, no doubt. "I should go," she says, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb. "My Granny will be worried."

The Queen nods. "Of course. And it wouldn't do for us to be seen together. Not yet."

Their implied shared future fills Red with a kind of warmth she's not used to; one that settles low in her belly and burns pleasantly.

"I'll be seeing you, Red Riding Hood," Regina says, with a smile. And then she's gone in the same cloud of purple smoke they arrived in. She watches it dissipate as the voices grow nearer. Her lips curl into a smile and she touches the place where Regina had placed a kiss.