A Thief and a Queen

An Education in Love (Part I)

Every day, Regina was subjected to another reason why Mr. Locksley was the best. It ranged from his accent ("He's like a professor from Hogwarts!") to his lessons ("He's going to let us build our own volcanoes for science. How cool is that?") to his other skills ("Mr. Locksley is a champion archer. Do you think he would teach me?"). Regina had to just sit there, smiling as her blood continued to boil.

September turned into October and she continued to be annoyed by Robin Locksley's very presence in her life. Everyone else on staff tried to get her to give him a chance. "So he has a different teaching style than you," Mary Margaret, the kindergarten teacher, said. "There is no one way to teach."

"But there is a wrong way," Regina replied.

"And you think Robin's methods are wrong?"

Regina shrugged. "We'll see in a few weeks when Henry's first report card comes."

Mary Margaret sighed, looking over at where Robin sat with Emma and Killian. "You two are more alike than you realize," she told Regina.

"I doubt it," Regina muttered, ending that conversation. "Now can we talk about more pleasant things or are you going to keep crawling up his ass?"

Mary Margaret sighed and changed the subject.

*****

Halloween was a weekday and so the school administration allowed the students to wear costumes to school (provided they were appropriate, the middle and high schoolers were told). The teachers were allowed to dress up in some ways as well, though they still had to look professional. Henry convinced his mother to go as a queen. "All you have to do is wear a nice dress and a crown," he said.

"I guess I can do that," she said with a smile. Henry cheered as best he could while holding still so she could draw a lightning bolt to complete his Harry Potter costume.

When they got to school, Henry was overjoyed to see that Mr. Locksley had dressed up as Dumbledore. "This is cool!" he exclaimed.

"Great minds think alike." Mr. Locksley high-fived him. He then gave Regina a polite smile and a bow. "Your Majesty."

She rolled her eyes. "You look ridiculous."

"I'm impressed you deigned to join in this common frivolity," he muttered when Henry was out of earshot.

"I can have fun. Reasonable fun." She glared at him, stepping away. "Excuse me, Mr. Locksley."

She heard him mutter as she walked away, but she ignored him. Let him be a child. No wonder his students got along so well with him.

*****

That afternoon, Regina went to retrieve Henry so he could go trick-or-treating. He was getting older and she knew the year he would consider himself too old to go door to door was fast approaching. She wanted to cherish these moments for as long as they would have them.

Henry was waiting in the classroom the aftercare program met in, talking with his friends Ava, Nicholas and Paige. There was also a younger boy with them, who had raven curls and deep brown eyes. He was dressed in a green outfit and carried a bow, which was held in his clasped hands. "Please can I go trick or treating with you?" he pleaded with the older kids.

"Come on, guys, Roland's cool," Henry told his friends.

Ava frowned. "He's five. He's only going to slow us down. And doesn't he have friends his own age to hang out with?"