A Thief and a Queen

Problem

A/N: Written for Day #2 of Inspired by OQ 2020 based on Ksenia's gifset of Regina holding the Dark One's dagger and The Dark King as Dark Robin.

Set in The Prince of Darkness verse. This is another take on the aftermath of Robin fully becoming the Dark One where Regina didn't stay with him immediately. I'll admit, I kinda wish I had thought of this back then.

Enjoy!

*****

The Dark One's dagger.

Regina's hand shook as she examined it. She saw its silver blade with its jagged edges and dark handle. But what froze her blood the most was still reading the name engraved on the blade.

Robin Hood.

She lowered the blade again, pacing the clearing in the middle of the woods. Regina had left a message on Robin's phone the night before, asking him to meet her there. It was nearing the time for their meeting and she still saw no sign of him. She hoped he would show up on his own and that she wouldn't be forced to use the dagger to make him appear.

"Come on, Robin," she muttered. "Don't make me have to use this."

"I had hoped you would never feel like you had to use that," his familiar voice said from behind her. Regina swallowed before turning around to face Robin, who had a disappointed look on his face. "They're getting to you."

She frowned. "Who?"

He stepped closer to her, his now black eyes flashing a warning. "Don't play dumb, Regina. We both know you're far smarter than that. You know who I mean – the meddlesome so-called heroes you've locked yourself up with."

"They're just trying to help you," she insisted.

"Help me?" he scoffed. "I don't need help."

She shook her head. "That's just the darkness talking."

"Is it?" he asked, stepping closer. "Or maybe it's the truth. I don't need help. And in fact, I am stronger like this."

"That's what the darkness does. It makes you think you're stronger while isolating you. And Robin, you know best how much stronger you are when there are people by your side," she pleaded with him.

He paused and for a moment, she thought she got through to him. She reached out to him, her hand shaking. "Come with me. Let me help you."

Robin studied her hand before taking it. Hope filled her before he pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her. Looking down, he smiled at her. "Come with me. We are so much stronger together, yeah?"

"Well, yes," she replied. "But this isn't the path you want to walk, Robin."

"And why is that?" he asked, now gently caressing her face.

Despite her internal vow to stay strong against him, Regina found herself leaning into his touch. "I know how this road ends, Robin, and it's not good for anyone. For you, for me, for Henry, or for Roland."

"Things will be different," he replied.

She shook her head. "That's the darkness fooling you yet again."

"No," he told her. "I know things will be different because I'm different. Because my motives are different."

Though Regina doubted that and knew that it was just the darkness fooling Robin, she realized that pushing back on that was not working. Her Robin was buried too deep at the moment and she needed to appeal to the Dark One, not to him.