We're Almost Free

Chapter 23

A/N: Ok. This is it. Final chapter!! It has been a lot of fun writing this, I'm not sure I'll know what to do with myself now! This chapter's kind of bitty because I'm just pulling all the loose ends together but I hope it's still ok. Thank you all for your amazing comments, they really did spur me on! I swear I'm going to try and finish The Enchanted Forest, but the muse is somewhat lacking in that department at the moment so bear with me on that. So yeah. I hope you enjoy this last one :)

Despite being in Robin's arms and feeling relatively safe she woke shaking a few hours later, the image of her father's head separated from his body burned into her mind's eye.

This happened every night for a good few weeks, and try as Robin might to soothe her fears away she still worried. As they travelled from obscure roadside inn to obscure roadside inn she found herself thinking about Henry a lot, wondering what had happened. As a result, she was always tired, always upset, over-reacting whenever something moved behind her. Robin told her one of the guards who'd taken him to the dungeon - and who'd carried that awful ring - was sick of working for the King but he wouldn't let him leave, so had agreed to pass as Robin at the trial and afterwards. It didn't make her feel better as Cora was sure to notice, not to mention point the finger at Henry for letting them escape.

She woke screaming one night whereas before she'd been woken by Robin before she could scare Roland. He immediately took her in his arms, murmuring comforting words into her ear as she sobbed.

"I saw my father again. He was being beheaded for helping me and so was the guard and then Cora realised it wasn't you and I..." She swallowed.

"I ruined all these people's lives, Robin. If I hadn't left Father wouldn't have risked his life to save mine and neither would that poor guard."

"Regina. Listen to me. It's not your fault. If it's anyone's it's Cora's. Don't blame yourself, I know it'll be easier said than done."

Regina scoffed half-heartedly.

"The landlord told me something earlier that I was going to tell you in the morning as you were so tired."

"I'm not weak, Robin."

"I know. I was tired too and I didn't want to mess up details that I might have heard wrong. 'Robin Hood' has been hanged for treason, the main charge being the murder of the good King's fiancée on the night before her wedding."

"The bastard."

Robin was silent - his shock at her choice of language was palpable in the air as she tried to justify herself.

"He dragged your name through the mud again."

"Think of it this way: no one will come searching for us. We can start completely afresh, in a new land, and no one will try to turn us in for a price because they think we're dead."

"Very true. What about Father?" she gulped.

"Alive. Apparently the King and Cora have some semblance of heart."

"They have no heart whatsoever. What little he has locked away is dedicated to his daughter. But they won't convict him for helping us?"

"No."

"I was so scared they'd kill him."

"I know. You're very lucky to have such a selfless father."

"I know. Sometimes I wish he'd stand up to Cora more though."

"Cora?"

"I don't consider her my mother any more. How could a mother do what she did?"

"I suppose she was just trying to do what she thought was best. She didn't go about it in the right way, and I by no means think she was right in anything, but we will never know her true motivation. Children come first when you're a parent."