A dark crown

Regina slightly bit her bottom lip on the inside, as she held out her hand, grasping at his arm, hoping that would halt his movement. It did as so, and in that untimed compass, her whole body dived into the closeness of his, even more than she wanted.

He wasn’t sure how to react at that moment. She was a completely changed woman from that whom had parted from him only moments ago. He wondered how she did it, His own composure was broken with ease if the right buttons were pressed and he would remain that way for much longer. 

Regina seemed to give it some thought, to the Huntsman question as she held herself, arms in front of her chest, clutching at each other.

He wasn’t sure if he had said something to upset her or if the pain from her headache had grown too much for her. Whatever it was she retreated from his sight without further word leaving him confused into what he had said or done to upset her so much. 

The brisk air of the evening certainly did help the Queen regain a bit of her momentarily lost composure. She wished for days when feeling was not an option any more. She wished that'd happen her. Returning into the dinning room. she approached Graham in silence. Leaning forward, she placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth as her hand lightly stroked his scruffy beard, lips lingering there for a moment before pulling back.

His eyes drew towards the wooden table as she spoke. Knowing her she would assume his words were nothing more than empty compliments, an aid to get him out of future troubles. But he meant it, he thought it wrong to wish suffering upon others. He considered himself apart from the rest of the serving force, not because he was heartless but because he didn’t need one to show even an ounce of concern when someone was hurt. 

If she pronounced his name few times, it was even more rare for her to hear her name escape the Huntsman's lips. That moment brought her to a place long gone, perhaps even buried in her memory. Only one person could've whisper her name and make her heart tremble as it was trembling now.

He had not expected her to use his name on any occasion, it was the one thing usually reserved for lustful moments shared between them and even then it was scare-sly used. “Y-you are welcome your majesty. Your well-being is important.” He said trying to hide his sudden flustered nature. He shared a moment with her, eyes locked. He was unsure if he should pull away or continue his gaze, he was probably being rude of all things.

She let out a grin. Perhaps there was some truth in saying that there was no rest for the wicked. What would he know of that? Granted, he had witnessed some episodes where one could say her wickedness ruled supreme, perspiring through each and every pore of her body. But it hadn't always been like that. For a split fraction, Regina reminisced on the distant memory of causing pain to another living creature was painful enough for her.

He nodded taking her orders. He knew not to press on the matter if she didn’t wish to disclose the information. He picked up a spoon and dipped it into the soup. It was thankfully still quite hot so he knew he would get the full flavor of the dish. He drew it to his mouth and ate it smiling almost instantly. He didn’t make a comment about the taste this time, it was written all over his face. He scooped up another mouthful and repeated the action, trying hard not to eat like he would out in the wild but with more ‘manners.’

Upon hearing his voice, she forced herself to look at him. "Just some mild uneasiness, Huntsman. Nothing some food probably won't cure." She noted he had eaten his with gusto up until addressing her. His concern did not pass unnoticed as well. Regina drank more of her wine. Taking a large sip of her goblet, she let the acrid beverage travel down to her stomach in hopes its so famed effect would soon be upon her. The one she craved more was sleep. She hadn't slept for days.

He kept his hands to himself, resisting the urge to grab her as she pulled away. For a moment he forgot that he was her pet and wished to be something a little more. But it was only a brief thought and he shook if off nodding curtly as she spoke. He didn’t care how hot or cold his food was for he was eating better than most of the kingdom at this very moment though he himself deserved much less. 

She gave him a light smile, an attempt to conceal her inner musings. "Everything is fine, Huntsman. Let us finish our meal, shall we?" She sat again, on her previous seat and started eating again, her eyes always averting Graham's, for despite everything that had happened just now, she still could not forget his prior actions, regarding the she-wolf. She knew there was something he wasn't telling her.

She cleared her throat. "No, it was me who was out of line." Rising from her seated position, she walked a few steps away from him, not facing him for some moments. Regina wished she could erase from her short term memory the way he had just looked at her, but no matter now many times or how hard she closed her eyes, it was still there. And that familiarness of an uncharged exchange of semi-affectionate gestures also did not favour it.