Blue eyes quickly scanned the room, and eventually rested on the young princess, positively gleeful. Always put on a good face. âOf course not, your Highness,â she said with a bow, a small frown on her face. While she did have to answer to the king and queen, naturally, her main and only concern were the well-being of the princess. Zelena took a few cautious steps forward, a reassuring smile on her lips. âWould you like me to talk to them?â she asked after a pause, eyes searching Emmaâs.Â
    Zelena, at last, closed the gap between them, conjuring red poppies out of thin air, to place them in Emmaâs hair. âSometimes parents are so blinded by their worry, they do not see that what they think is best actually does the opposite. They mean well,â she said gently, running her fingers through Emmaâs golden curls. Toppling a kingdom was like playing chess. Every move must be calculated, steps must be taken carefully, and one mustnât be shy of losing a few pieces in order to succeed. It was hard to spend so much time by someoneâs side and not to get soft. With the only heiress gone, her part would be done, and others could take over. Zelena was but a small piece in a bigger scheme, albeit having one of the most crucial tasks. Emma had to trust her, no matter what the cost. If she had to fawn upon the princess, so be it.Â
  while her current state of anger was nowhere near zelenaâs fault, head stayed low for a few seconds after acknowledging the redheadâs presence. a tiny part of her wanted to be alone; bothering zelena with more royal issues wasnât her intention, regardless of the fact that the woman was so keen on taking care of the young princess. yet, she couldnât bring herself to voice her thoughts, to ask the other to leave. deep down, she knew she didnât want her to. â NO â â the single word escaped parted lips too quickly. the princess stopped, regaining her composure before clearing her throat, eyes finally looking up to meet zelenaâs once again. â â that wonât be necessary. i can handle them. â
    body visibly relaxed more the closer zelena got, the familiarity finally settling. despite emmaâs attempts at keeping up a reserved facade, she could never succeed when it came to the redhead. it was a bit frustrating, to say the least, while at the same time, refreshing. perhaps this was exactly what she needed at the moment: zelenaâs gentle touch and treatment of her. head leaned slightly towards tender fingers, cheeks burning up as she tried to suppress a smile. â do you truly mean that, or are you simply saying it as a way of making me feel better? â sheâd wonder sometimes if zelena really understood her so well, or if she was coddling the princess as the others around her did.