We're Almost Free

Chapter 22

Regina tried her hardest to sleep, knowing her every move would be on full display when morning came, but she could still feel Leopold's horrible mouth invading hers and every time she closed her eyes his hands roamed her torso again. She had a vague idea of what the wedding night entailed, and just the thought of having the King's ageing body naked above her was enough to have her reaching for the chamber pot.

She'd been tossing and turning for hours, tears rolling freely down her cheeks as she cursed her vivid imagination, when she heard the door open and the bent figure of an elderly man walked in. Fear instilled itself in her heart, thinking Leopold was coming to anticipate his marital rights. She wouldn't put it past him: he had, after all, kissed her viciously in front of her own mother and a five-year-old, no less.

"Regina, it's me. It's your Father." Regina reached out into the darkness, her hands making contact with the bald patch she knew Henry to have and her heart relaxed again.

"Come. I won't let you marry the King." He helped her up and handed her a cloak and shoes before going to open the curtains and window. She instantly recognised Robin's silhouette as he hung off the wall by a grappling hook, and she had never been so happy to see him. The fact that he was meant to be locked away bypassed her as Henry helped her out the window, settling her on Robin's back. Tugging at the hateful ring she managed to manoeuvre it over her knuckle, the tight band leaving a mark, and threw it past Henry into the room.

"What about you? Mother will kill you."

"Don't worry about me. All I care about is that you are happy." He leaned out and pressed a final kiss to her forehead. "Go, my child. I love you."

"I love you too, Father."

As he retreated back into the room and slid the casement shut Regina knew she'd never see him again.

Robin lowered them gently to the ground, expertly unhooked the grapple from the wall and took her hand, running before she got the chance to speak.

They dodged through shadows, keeping to trees and as out of sight of the castle as they could until they reached a black stallion saddled pillion. Roland was sitting on the ground, well out of the way of its hooves, his hands clutching her bag that Cora had taken along with the clothes she'd been wearing. Regina didn't have time to wonder how he'd gotten it before Robin lifted her up onto the rear saddle, her skirt somehow sorting itself out so it wasn't bunched around her hips, then swung up and pulled Roland up in front of him. She locked her hands round his waist as he kicked the horse into a gallop, trying to replace the horrible memories, but even being this close to him wasn't enough as fresh tears fell down her cheeks.

She didn't get a chance to even touch his face until they arrived at a small roadside tavern, the proprietor very annoyed at being woken in the middle of the night. There was only one bed available, so they all had to squeeze in together. But before Robin could get in on the other side of Roland after blowing out the candle, Regina fisted her hand in his shirt, desperation lacing her voice as she knelt up on the bed.

"Kiss me."

"What?"

"I-I need you to kiss me. Please, Robin," she begged, and he seemed to know what she was getting at as he gently cupped her face in his hands, leaning down to capture her upper lip between his, slow and gentle. She kissed him back desperately, hands clutching at his shirt, his shoulders, holding the back of his neck to pull him closer. His tongue ran along her lip and she let him in, not even caring how far this went, she just needed to forget the King's touch.

"Regina," he warned before pulling away. "Careful."

"Sorry."

"Is that better?"

"A little." She felt embarrassed now, the heat creeping up into her cheeks as he kissed her once more, briefly, goodnight.

"I love you, never forget that," he told her before walking round to the other side of the bed. She lay down too, her arm around Roland's already sleeping form and Robin's arm reaching over to drape loosely across her waist.

And despite the fear she felt for her father's life she felt safer now than she'd ever been.