We're Almost Free

Chapter 17

"Somehow I knew you'd be right there when I woke up."

"Robin..."

He suddenly let go of her and slowly pulled the drawer in the cabinet beside his bed open, pulling out a small silver locket.

"I do believe this is yours," he said, smiling. Regina gasped.

"My grandmother's locket! I thought I'd lost it." She couldn't believe she hadn't thought to check in there. Opening it she saw the picture still intact; Daniel looked different to how she remembered.

"I forgot to give it back to you that night before you left. I've kept it safe ever since."

"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

***

He continued to mend, his lesser cuts healed, the major injury much reduced and temperature back down to normal. As yet, no one in the castle knew about the ties between them so they had to keep it a closely-guarded secret, though the servants knew she was looking after him they all thought his recovery was the 'magic touch' the doctor had spoken of to Belle. However, more than once she'd opened the connecting door to find Celia either in their room, "just dropping off lunch/clean clothes/come to tell you something" or outside in the hall, cleaning the door or floorboards. By now Regina was very suspicious but couldn't say anything as she had no idea if anyone else had seen a poster and knew they were harbouring two wanted persons, not even to Robin as she didn't want to worry him and consequently worsen his condition.

He managed to get up for New Year's Eve. Neither of them were considered important enough to be invited to the ball - the King's word had overridden his daughter's wishes - so supper had been brought to them before the feast started. Regina brought hers and Roland's through to Robin's room, where the two were already sitting by the fire with a book.

"I have to say, Regina, you're a very good tutor. He's reading incredibly well, he didn't even know his letters when you joined us."

She shrugged off the praise, feeling slightly undeserving though the compliment warmed her through. "He's a quick learner. Has he shown you his drawings?"

"No, Roland, you didn't tell me you could draw!"

"He can." She nipped out and came back with her now very tatty bag, curling up in the chair beside theirs while the supper stayed warm on a ledge over the fireplace.

Roland blushed and buried his face in his hands as Robin carefully studied the pictures.

"I think this one's my favourite." He pointed to one of the three snowmen she and Roland had built, on the day he'd found them. "You were building these the day I heard your laughter from the window."

She nodded. So her theory had been correct.

"What's this say?" he asked, pointing to the words underneath the snowmen. The firelight wasn't very good for reading, even when combined with candelabras on the mantelpiece.

"Our names. This one's you, look, 'Papa'. This one's Mama and this is me, Mama helped me with the spelling." Their eyes met as Roland continued to explain his uncertainty as to whether to put 'Mama' or 'Gina' and his eventual decision, drinking each other in.

"Well, that's very interesting. Shall we eat?"

Regina uncurled herself and tried to lift Roland off his father's lap so they could eat properly but he clung on. Eventually she gave in to the pleading look in his eyes, putting the tray on their laps instead with the two plates on.

They talked more as they ate, the conversation kept from getting too deep by the presence of Roland. None of them noticed the time until they heard something floating up from the ballroom French windows, undoubtedly open against the heat of hundreds of bodies.