Daybreak dawned, bright and crisp. The just-risen sun shone softly on the palace walls, bringing with it a flurry of early-morning activity.
Regina yawned once more. Having been awake since the first ray of light had seeped into the room wasn't helping. The thought of meeting the Dowager that morning made her nervous. That, and the incident from yesterday.
She had had a restless night. She had tossed and turned all around the bed, her little encounter with the Emperor wasn't how she had expected it to be. She had assumed him to be rough, uncaring, wicked, and all the wild thoughts that have run through her mind before she had finally met him one on one.
But having him around, with those grey eyes staring deep into her soul almost made her lose her game. She had almost, almost allowed he
