𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 ||𝐄𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫

"Your Majesty?" he asked the next day as they sat down at the large dining table in the great hall. "Is something wrong?"

"I miss him, David," she confessed with a sigh, glancing around the enormous room.

Suits of armor, displays of the swords of many valiant warriors, and many other elegant things surrounded her, but she was still alone. The only thing that filled her emptiness was the young man beside her, and he was only there to fill his own needs. But she supposed things had been that way with James as well. They'd met to assuage each other's need for physical stimulation and company. But something else was missing. Something that had been gone for a while, but that she was only just noticing the loss of.

"What do you miss about him most?" David asked softly, placing his hand on top of hers.

It was a bold move, but the queen was sure he didn't realize it. He'd forgotten his place. That wouldn't do, but for now, she would let it slide, understanding that his grief was what was blinding him to his normal standard of behavior. She also could not help but find the touch of the man's hands comforting. They were large and rough, like his brother's, and though it was calming, it sent shivers down her spine to feel the sensation again.

"I miss... I..."

"It's okay," the young man told her carefully. "You don't have to tell me. I will respect your privacy. I just hope I haven't offended you, and I apologize if I have."

"So polite," Regina sighed. "Nothing like your brother."

"He certainly had a mouth on him, didn't he?" the blonde chuckled.

"He did. And he knew how to use it."

The man's eyes widened as he stared at the queen, completely confused by her remark. It could have been taken a number of ways, so the woman quickly explained herself and tried to fight back the blush that was rising to her cheeks.

"I meant that he knew how to use it to taunt me. He knew how to get a rise out of me."

"Oh."

David had lowered his head slightly and was averting his gaze.

"What do you miss most about him?"

"His laugh. He had a beautiful, infectious laugh. He was always having fun. From what you've said, that was true until his very last days."

Regina nodded and asked, "When was the last time you saw him?"

"It was years ago."

"What was the last thing you said to each other?"

"He said he hated me, and that I was a disgusting excuse for a brother."

"And what did you say to him?"

"That I hoped he'd become a better person in time, but that I doubted he ever would. I regret that now."

The queen bit her lip and nodded her head, causing the young man's gaze to drop from her dark, stunning eyes down to her full, red lips.

"What is it?" she asked after a while, finally looking over and noticing him staring.

"N-Nothing. I..."

But he didn't finish the thought, and Regina didn't press him. Instead, she offered him a small smile and squeezed his hand.

"No time for regrets, David. Life is too short for you to waste it blaming yourself."

"He and I share the blame for what happened," he protested.