Chapter 18: No More Hiding
A/N: I am back! This chapter took me way longer than I first anticipated as I changed it from what I originally planned. But I am personally very happy with how this chapter has turned out.
I just quickly want to thank you all for the love and support you have continued to show this fic.
So, without another word, here it is! The moment of truth.
Enjoy!
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"Wilma?"
An uncomfortable silence settles between the pair causing dread and fear to swirl within the pit of Regina's stomach. She knew this was going to happen, knew he would pull away as soon as he saw a different face claiming to be the woman he fell in love with. And yet there had been a part of her that hoped she would be proven wrong. God, how could I be so naïve?
So, taking a shaky breath, the brunette breaks the heavy silence as she murmurs, "It's Regina actually." She pauses, wanting to gage some sort of reaction from him, but to her dismay, Robin's face has fallen into a mask of stone. Swallowing thickly as the dread tightens the knot within her stomach, Regina attempts to lighten the mood with a faint smile, "Or rather Your Majesty around these parts."
Her heart drops upon noticing how his blue eyes widen at her comment but refuses to provide any other form of response. Why the hell did I say that? the brunette silently berates herself, How the hell was that going to make him feel comfortable?
This is not going at all like she'd hoped. Sure, Regina hadn't expected the thief to welcome her with open arms, willing to accept the fact that she's the evillest woman there is. But nevertheless, there had been a part of her that thought he would at least show some form of understanding, considering everything they'd been through together.
For a while they merely stare at each other and fear tightens its grip on the brunette's throat. She doesn't want to lose him – she couldn't bear it – but as Robin remains frozen, Regina becomes scared at the fact that this could be the last time she'll ever see him. God, she doesn't know what to do! She so desperately wishes she could tell what the man was thinking or just manage to get him to do something – anything.
"I brought your horse with me." Regina says gently whilst gesturing over in the horses' direction and attempting a smile, "I made sure she was well looked after whilst she was here."
She waits for him to mutter some reply or to give a nod of recognition, but when he does neither, the brunette feels a familiar burn at the back of her eyelids.
In an attempt to close more of the distance between them, the brunette takes a step towards Robin before freezing as he immediately takes one back. Her heart stops. This is what she was scared would happen – that he would pull away from her.
Resisting the urge to cry, Regina steps back and fiddles with her fingers as she casts her eyes down towards her feet. Could this really be happening?
Suddenly, the silence has become unbearable for her, so lifting her tear-filled and pleading brown orbs to meet his blue ones, Regina whispers, "Robin, say something, please."
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Robin can only stare at the woman in front of him as he has been stunned into silence. Though her voice sounds like Wilma, her appearance claims otherwise: in place of the simple clothes she adorned, the brunette now wears a leather tunic and tan riding pants. Her hair seems thicker than the last time he saw it and her curls have been tamed in order to tie them back into the confines of a simple braid.
If the thief wasn't confused beforehand, he certainly is now. Although he hears everything that the brunette is telling him, the blue-eyed man cannot seem to understand at all what the words mean.
Robin watches as the woman takes a tentative step towards him, causing the outlaw to take one backwards. Hurt immediately flashes across her brown orbs, and he has the sudden urge to comfort her but finds himself unable to as the blue-eyed man continues to try and make sense of all this new information.
Regina.
So that's her real name. Robin can't help but think how it suits her, because it does. She's every bit the queen–
Wait a minute.
The Queen!
She's the Queen!
Realisation dawns on the thief as the information finally sinks in. The woman he's completely and hopelessly in love with is the Queen of Misthaven. No wonder she had been so reluctant to tell him – he would be too if the roles were reversed. Robin cannot deny the fact that he's heard many a story about the so-called great and terrible evil queen, but up until this point, he had never bothered to learn whether any of those stories were actually true.
But as he stares into the expressive brown eyes of the woman in front of him, Robin decides that whoever she may have been before no longer matters. After all, he knows her. She's the woman who risked her life to save himself and his men and made him dance and feel alive in a way he never thought would be possible after Marian died.
She's smart, sassy, loving, stunning and a thousand other things. But above all, she's a woman who wants to feel free.
"Robin, say something, please."
The outlaw snaps out of his musings upon hearing how the voice of the woman he loves come out so weak and so vulnerable.
He looks at the woman in front of him then – properly looks at her. Though the features of her face are different to the ones he remembers, Robin cannot deny that she doesn't look any less beautiful. If anything, she's even more stunning. His eyes then fall to a scar that rests just above the brunette's lip, one that is all too familiar. The thief brings his gaze to meet hers and his heart skips a beat as he immediately becomes lost within the depths of her brown orbs.
Slowly, Robin takes a small step towards her, relief soon sweeping through him as Wilma – no, Regina – doesn't take one back. The outlaw proceeds to close the distance that he had created between them, his gaze never leaving hers. Once he's only inches from her, Robin lifts a tentative hand to cup her cheek. He hears her sigh at his touch before closing her eyes and leaning into him as single tear runs down her cheek. "It's really you." the thief breathes upon tenderly wiping the tear away.
Nodding, Wil-Regina opens her eyes and smiles, "It's me."
Robin returns it before bringing his free hand up to cup her other cheek and gently kisses her. "So, this was your big secret, huh?" he asks upon pulling back and brushing his nose against hers lovingly.
"Yeah." she replies with a breathy chuckle. Suddenly, the woman jars her head away from his hold and a frown forms on her features as her brown orbs bore into the depths of his blue ones, "You're not upset?"
"Upset?" the thief questions incredulously whilst moving his hands to cup her cheeks once again, "No sweetheart, not at all. Surprised maybe, but not upset."
The brunette lets out a scoff as her gaze lowers to the ground, "Even despite the fact you've fallen in love with the Evil Queen?"
Robin's heart aches at her words. Sighing as his thumb strokes the apple of her cheek, the thief murmurs, "Look at me, Regina." For a moment, her gaze remains firmly fixed upon the ground before she inhales deeply and levels her tear-filled brown orbs to meet his blue ones. "Four days ago, I told you I could never hate you," he states in a firm tone, "and I meant every word. It doesn't matter who you are or who you used to be, and do you know why?"
He watches tears brim within her eyelids as Regina merely shakes her head in response.
Moving his hands to tangle within her hair, Robin tells her, "Because despite what you want me to believe, I do know you." At his words, the brunette releases a shaky breath as a few more tears escape the her eyelids. "I love you, Regina." he continues, catching the stray tears with the pads of his thumbs, "Nothing is ever going to change that."
For a moment, Regina simply stares at him, stunned. But then she grasps the lapels of his jacket, pulling the thief down to meet her lips. She kisses him fiercely and Robin lets her, getting lost in the feel of her mouth pressed to his.
The couple remain like that for a while, getting lost within the feel of being in each other's arms as they caress and rediscover the crevices of each other's mouth.
Upon feeling his lungs burn with the need for air, Robin places one last firm peck against her mouth before pulling back. "I love you." he murmurs in the space between them.
"I love you too." Regina replies as she gives him the brightest smile he's ever seen.
Returning it with a grin of his own, the thief rests his forehead against hers and declares, "We'll make this work, Regina, I promise."
He notices how the woman inhales sharply, but not thinking anything of it, Robin wraps his arms around the brunette's waist to pull her against his chest, his mind running over all of the possible ways in which their relationship could continue to flourish.
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They remain in silence for quite some time and Regina can practically hear the clogs turning within the thief's head. She knows that he's thinking of ways in which they could make things work between them.
And though she desperately hopes they could, the brunette knows it will be anything but easy.
They both have responsibilities towards others; Robin to his men and the residents of Nottingham whilst hers are to her kingdom and putting things right. Regina's well aware that it will be anything but smooth sailing, but after all the evil she has done, she owes it to her people to try.
The next few weeks are going to be incredibly messy, but maybe, when the worst of it has blown over, she can return to Robin and the people who have made her feel more at home than anyone else. Regina knows he won't like the idea of being separated for so long, but it's the only way she can ensure he won't become caught within the crossfire.
Suddenly, the brunette realises there is one other factor she had forgotten to cover:
Rumplestiltskin.
Though she's not entirely sure when, Regina has come to the realisation that she no longer wants to the learn the horrifying craft that is dark magic. After all, she never wanted to learn magic in the first place – but like most things, she was given no choice. As a result, magic has only managed to provide her with heartbreak and suffering.
Now Regina has finally had enough and cutting that imp from her life will be the first step towards her freedom.
However, the brunette is also aware that by cutting all ties with Rumplestiltskin, she would be making a superb enemy out of him.
An enemy that would stop at nothing to ensure her unhappiness and who wouldn't hesitate to harm those she loves.
So, as she buries her head against Robin's chest, Regina realises what she has to do, "Robin–"
"Look, I'm sure the men aren't going to mind if we camp in Misthaven for a while." the thief states, clearly not having heard her, "There's plenty of manors around the place to keep them busy."
Not being able to help it, the brunette gives a small chuckle, though it quickly catches within her throat, "Robin–"
"Maybe we could end up building some sort of base camp here." the thief continues, lost within his world of possibilities.
Lifting her head from his chest, Regina says, "Robin."
"No, don't you see, Regina," Robin states as his hands move to cup both of her cheeks, "this can work! If we just–"
But the brunette doesn't give him a chance to finish as she firmly claims, "I think it's best if we don't see each other for a while."
For a moment the outlaw remains silent, his blue orbs merely staring into the depths of her brown ones. But then, almost as if he's afraid of the answer, Robin asks gently, "And how long would that be?"
Finding herself unable to meet the intensity of his stare, Regina lowers her gaze whilst swallowing heavily. The brunette opens her mouth several times to provide an answer, but each time the words become caught within her throat.
"Regina?" the thief prompts gently.
Realising that pushing him away is not proving to be as easy as she had first thought, Regina moves away from the outlaw's hold and declares, "This is never going to work. Even if we tried."
"But, Regina–"
Bringing her gaze back to meet his, Regina doesn't give him a chance to finish his protest, "Robin, you have a responsibility to your men, and I have responsibilities here, to my kingdom."
"That may be so, but I also have a responsibility to you. Regina," the blue-eyed man claims, moving towards her and wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer whilst cupping her cheek with the other, "now that I have you in my life, I'm not letting you go. I love you."
Regina shakes her head and attempts to disentangle herself from him, but it's in vain as he only pulls her tighter against him. "Robin, listen," the brunette states, "you wouldn't want to be with me anyway–"
Cutting her off, the thief scoffs, "What are you talking about? I love you–"
"That doesn't matter!" Regina exclaims, succeeding in startling him enough to put some distance between them. "You don't know half of the horrors that I have committed," she continues with a heavy heart, "I am a terrible person, and it's only a matter of time before you'll end up realising loving me was a mistake."
Shaking his head in determination, Robin declares, "That's never going to happen."
"How can you be so sure?" she asks, hating how her voice sounds shaky and vulnerable.
"Because I know you and I love you." he replies, moving forward to take her hands within his.
Feeling tears pool within her eyelids, Regina looks down and questions, "But what if that isn't enough?" After all, it's never been before she continues but does not say, remembering how everyone who claimed to care for her abandoned her at one point or another.
Suddenly, she feels a finger gently hook underneath her chin, causing her brown orbs to meet his blue ones as Robin claims, "Believe me, it is." The sincerity within his voice is enough for her tears to fall before Robin tenderly presses his lips to hers. Regina doesn't resist – realises she never has been able to with this man – and instead adds a bit more pressure as she kisses him back.
"This still isn't a good idea." she murmurs upon pulling back.
Bringing his forehead to hers, the outlaw whines, "Regina–"
Needing him to understand, Regina shifts her head to meet his gaze, "Robin, if anything were to happen to you because of me, I could never forgive myself. I love you too much." Tears once again pool within her eyelids as she claims, "And I do love you, Robin."
Nodding, he replies, "I know."
Bringing her hands to cup his cheeks, the brunette admits, "And that scares the hell out of me."
Robin gently shushes her whilst pulling her tight against him. Regina allows the tears to run down her cheeks as she revels in the feeling of being safe within his arms. Burying her face within his chest, the brunette muses, I never want to lose this feeling.
But in order to keep he safe, she knows that she may potentially have to sacrifice just that.
"You have to go." the brunette whispers after a while.
"What? Regina–"
Lifting her head to face him, she insists, "It isn't safe here–"
Clearly becoming exasperated, Robin exclaims, "For God's sake, Regina I can defend myself!"
"I don't care!" the brunette snaps.
Tightening his hold on her, the outlaw states, "Stop pushing me away."
Shaking her head as she closes her eyes, Regina murmurs, "You don't understand."
"Then make me." Robin replies in a surprisingly gentle tone.
Opening her eyes, the brunette is met with two blue orbs that hold nothing but love and understanding. Feeling her heart clench within her chest, she admits, "You're in danger by being here, by being with me."
"What are you talking about?" the outlaw asks, his brow furrowing in confusion, "What is it that you're not telling me?"
Sighing in an effort to gain some control over the way her heart aches, Regina claims, "I can't tell you. But you truly are in danger here." Noticing how the outlaw opens his mouth to protest, the brunette continues, "Robin, please believe me when I say I want this to work more than anything, but it can't." Taking in a shaky breath, the brunette grips his hands within hers and lifts them just underneath her chin, "I'm not having you lose your life because you so foolishly love me."
"Regina, listen to me." Robin insists, disentangling his hands to frame her face, "Nothing is going to happen to me. We will figure this out." The outlaw pauses to rest his head firmly against hers before declaring, "Nothing could make me give up on you so easily."
Moved by his words, Regina closes her eyes and lifts her hands to rest on his wrists. But still feeling the need to protest, the brunette starts, "But–"
Robin silences her by placing a finger to her lips and gently saying, "Darling, trust me when I say that this is an argument you won't win."
Knowing that he's right, the brown-eyed woman's shoulders sag in defeat. "Well, at least promise me," she murmurs upon opening her eyes to meet his, "you won't do anything stupid that will put you in harm's way."
In response, Robin moves a hand to grasp one of hers, placing it above his heart as he firmly states, "I promise."
Satisfied with his answer, Regina gives a nod of her head before leaning in to press her lips firmly against his in a searing kiss.
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Hidden within the shadows, a lone figure watches the couple's exchange.
It appears to be worse than I thought, Rumplestiltskin thinks to himself. The thief has clearly managed to win the affections of the Queen. That could prove to be dangerous for his plans, after all Regina is his only ticket towards his being reunited with his long-lost son.
So, it's for that very simple reason that the Prince of Thieves must go.
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"So, milady, what's our next move?" Robin asks the woman he loves after having fallen into a brief silence.
Not bothering to lift her head from where it now rests against his chest, Regina replies, "Well, we could go back to my castle." Then lifting her head to meet his gaze she adds with a smirk, "Unless you'd prefer to sleep underneath the stars?"
Chuckling at her words, the outlaw quips, "Though that does sound very appealing, I have to admit that the opportunity of sleeping upon the comfort of an actual bed is too good an offer to pass up."
"Ah, I see." the brunette replies with a slight chuckle of her own, "Then I suppose we better set a course for the castle."
"Yes, I suppose we should." Robin agrees with a nod.
Smiling, Regina gives a tender squeeze of his hands before walking backwards towards where he assumes she's kept the horses. Instead of following her lead and going across the bridge to collect his own horse, the thief continues to stare into the depths of her sparkling brown orbs. If he's being honest, the blue-eyed man is currently having a difficult time trying to understand how the woman in front of him could be considered as evil. Because to him, she's a woman who longs for freedom and a place to call home.
"Are you just going to stand there?"
Her voice shakes him from his thoughts, causing Robin to realise he still hasn't moved whilst the brunette now appears to be standing next to a chestnut male. Suddenly unable to provide an explanation, the thief briskly turns on his heel and walks over to where his steed has been resting.
Within minutes, they've both mounted their respective horses and the outlaw is gesturing for Regina to lead the way. She does so, but not before giving him a brilliant smile. God, he loves that smile.
They soon fall into a comfortable silence where the only sounds that can be heard are the soft clopping of the horses' hooves and the gentle rustling of the leaves in the trees. So, taking the opportunity, Robin looks around at the numerous flowers and shrubs that surround them and make up the royal gardens. Even in the moonlight, the thief is able to make out the different hues that belong to each closed bud. "I must say," he says, breaking the silence, "these gardens are incredibly beautiful."
"Yes," the brunette replies in a clipped tone, "I suppose they are."
For a moment, Robin is confused by her tone. But then he remembers the story she had told him about her past, and from what she was willing to tell him, he cannot blame her for coming to resent the man that she was forced to call her husband.
"You know I have to wonder," the outlaw murmurs tentatively, "that story you told me, about your past–"
"Was a romanticized version of the tragic truth." the brunette reveals. For a moment, she doesn't make a move to address the subject further. But just as the blue-eyed man opens his mouth to start a different discussion, Regina continues, "I did fall in love with a stableboy and had planned to run away with him in order to escape the engagement my mother had forced me into. However, Daniel was not killed at the hands of my betrothed." The brunette pauses to inhale a shaky breath before revealing, "He was killed by my mother."
Shocked at the woman's revelation, Robin can't help but to utter, "Your mother? How on earth could she do such a thing?"
There is a long pause where the brown-eyed woman keeps her gaze on the path ahead. "Remember how I told you no one ever bothered to ask what it was that I wanted?" she asks upon turning her head to look at him. After the thief gives a nod in response, Regina releases a bitter chuckle with a brief shake of her head, "Well, she especially never cared for my happiness. She told me love is weakness, something I used to believe until very recently." Upon admitting those words, the brunette smiles at him before reaching across to grasp his hand within hers.
Giving her hand a tender squeeze, Robin admits, "I'm very glad to hear that, milady."
Humming as she gently squeezes his hand in return, the pair once again fall into silence. However, this time it is only brief as Regina declares, "I might as well tell you the whole story." The thief patiently waits as Regina briefly pauses to inhale a breath before continuing, "From the day I was born, my mother groomed me to be the perfect princess, convinced I would eventually become queen. But no matter how hard I would try to impress her, it never seemed to be enough." Robin notices how the woman swallows heavily, clearly these memories are unpleasant for her, so wanting to show her his support, the outlaw shifts his hand so that his fingers become intertwined with hers. Her gaze shifts downward to look at her hand firmly clasped within his before smiling up at him. However, it quickly becomes wistful as she says, "Then I met Daniel. And for the first time in my life, I felt like I was enough. He made me feel like I was enough."
His heart aches for her. How could anyone convince this beautiful woman that she wasn't enough? Well, that will no longer be the case Robin silently vows.
"He was always looking out for me, making sure I was happy. Honestly, it was impossible not to fall in love with him." Clearly lost within her memories, Regina gives a small chuckle. But it soon turns bitter as she reveals, "But any dreams we had of building a life together were destroyed the day Snow White rode in on a runaway horse though my father's lands. At the time, I didn't hesitate to rescue her." The brunette briefly looks down as she murmurs, "Little did I know that in saving her life, I would be losing control of my own in return." Shaking her head, the brown-eyed woman releases a sigh, "Upon hearing how I had rescued his daughter, the King was overcome with gratitude. So much so, that he proposed that very same day. I was so shocked that I didn't know what to say. Here was a man, thrice my age asking for my hand in marriage. But before I could refuse, my mother accepted the marriage proposal."
A sudden surge of anger courses through Robin. But sensing that there was still more to the story, he remains silent.
"As I told you, I immediately went to Daniel and told him everything." Regina continues and the outlaw notices the tears that pool within her brown orbs, "I didn't want to be queen, and I sure as hell didn't want to marry someone I knew I could never love, not when I had Daniel's love. So, I asked him to marry me." The brunette closes her eyes, causing a single tear to trail down her cheek, "But just as Daniel gave me a kiss to seal our engagement, Snow saw us. She ran of course, but soon fell over, so I quickly caught up to her. Though she was confused, I explained to her that I did not love her father. She seemed to understand, but insisted that we should tell the King. I stopped her, telling her that she had to keep this a secret. She promised that she would." A bitter chuckle escapes her lips before she continues, "Turns out little ten-year-old girls cannot manage to keep their mouths shut." Suddenly, Regina squeezes his hand tightly causing Robin to return it. "She told my mother what Daniel and I had planned to do and she stopped us before we even managed to leave the stables." she reveals as her voice wobbles and the outlaw notices how a few more tears fall down her cheeks, "I thought she had accepted, that I had managed to make her see reason. But I was proved wrong when she ripped out his heart and crushed it." Pausing, the brunette lifts her gaze to meet his, her voice sounding so small as she says, "Daniel died in my arms."
Robin is rendered speechless at her revelation. How could a mother do such a thing? And to her own child?
"That's why I never want you to risk your life for me." Regina declares as her brown orbs continue to dig into the depths of his blue ones, "The only reason Daniel lost his was because he loved me."
"Regina–"
Halting her horse and causing the outlaw to follow suit, the brunette shifts so that her hands grasp both of his, "Robin, I couldn't bare it if I lost you for the same reason."
"You won't lose me." Robin quickly assures as one of his hand lifts to cup her right cheek, "No matter what happens, I will always be by your side."
Leaning into his touch, the brown-eyed woman gives a small smile as she lifts the hand that remains intertwined with his to her lips.
"Now, tell me," Regina murmurs, continuing to hold onto his hand tightly as she urges her horse forward, "how's Roland?"
Robin smiles, keen to direct their conversation onto a happier subject as they resume their journey to the castle.
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It wasn't long before they arrived at the royal stables where the pair swiftly dismounted. Robin followed behind Regina as she led the three horses into separate stalls where they strip the steeds of their tack. Then, the brunette quickly ensures each horse is well fed and watered before giving their muzzles a gentle pat, though the thief notices how she lingers with the chestnut male. But once she's satisfied that the geldings are content, Regina takes his hand within hers and leads him up towards the castle.
They enter the castle though what appears to be the kitchens, though it appears the cooks have packed up for the night as each stove and countertop is clear of any pots and pans. The queen continues on, expertly leading him through the maze of stone-walled corridors until they're standing outside of a heavy wooden door, one that she opens with ease. Turning, she gives him a soft smile before gently tugging on his hand and leading him into the room.
Upon crossing the threshold, Robin glances around the room, taking note of the fur rug that lays in front of the large and imposing fireplace. Positioned just over to the right of it is a red-cushioned chaise lounge. An elegant high back chair with a decorative frame sits in front of a tall and tasteful wooden-framed vanity. The thief also takes note of the open archway that leads onto a spacious balcony to the right of the room. Finally, his gaze lands upon the dark and twisted mirror that hangs from a stone wall to the left of the vanity. This room suits her, he silently determines, and the design is almost as regal and stunning as she is.
"So, can I get you something? A drink?"
At the sound of her voice, Robin breaks out of his musings. However, before he is able to answer her with his reply, an unpleasant and gravelly voice states, "Oh, no thanks dearie."
Startled, the thief protectively moves in front of Regina as he turns to face the source of the voice. Suddenly he is met with a reptilian-like man who the blue-eyed man thought he would never have the displeasure of seeing again. However, just as he is about to address the imp, the woman behind him gently places her hand on his arm and moves to stand next to him.
"What do you want, Rumple?" she asks in a menacing tone.
Waving his hands in jerky gesture, the Dark One replies, "Can't a mentor pay his student a friendly visit?"
Stepping away from Robin, Regina walks forward until she's standing a few feet in front of the warlock. "We both know that's not why you're here." she growls.
Tutting, the imp points his finger towards the brunette, "Perceptive."
"Just get to the point." the brunette snaps, and the thief cannot mistake the annoyance that clearly laces her tone.
Smirking, the Dark One quips, "It appears that someone forgot to mention they found a new beau whilst they were away."
"What?" Regina barely whispers and upon noticing how her body has tensed at the imp's words, the blue-eyed man moves to stand next to the woman, gently wrapping his right arm around her shoulders and levels a glare at the warlock.
"Yes, I know all about how you were rescued by the infamous Robin Hood." the imp states, being sure to roll the 'r' of the thief's name as his smirk widens into a devilish grin, "And how you used him as a means to get your revenge on Snow White."
What? Confused, Robin looks to Regina for answers, but rather than meeting his gaze the brunette's orbs widen whilst she continues to stare at the Dark One.
"So, let me guess," he continues, stalking towards her, causing the outlaw to tighten his hold on the woman, "now that you've found some new love, you want to give up magic."
Regina swallows thickly beside him. "How did you know about that?" she asks heatedly.
"I know you, Regina." the Dark One replies simply. Clearly stunned into silence, the brunette merely gapes at the imp. But before Robin can comfort her, the reptilian-like creature's gaze lands on him, "And you. Surely you must know that you were only a means to an end."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" the outlaw asks with a snarl, his arm moving to grip the brunette at her waist in an attempt to bring her closer to him.
"It means, dearie," the imp growls, "that Regina never really cared for you in the first place."
Regina immediately shakes her head, "No! That's not–"
"Do you even know why Regina was wearing a disguise in the first place?" the Dark One asks firmly, effectively cutting the woman off. As a response, Robin merely gives a shake of his head. Moving so that he now stands directly in front of the outlaw, the warlock declares, "She wanted to hide from the princess, so that when the time was right, she could pounce and snap her throat."
"That's not true." the thief replies instantly.
Narrowing his gaze, the imp asks, "Isn't it?"
Robin opens his mouth to retort, but finds himself unable to do so. Did she really use him? The question rattles inside of his head before his heart provides him with an answer; No, she wouldn't. Regina is no longer the Evil Queen.
"Regina isn't that person anymore." he firmly claims, turning to give the woman a loving smile, one that she returns. "So, if she no longer wishes to learn magic," the thief declares, levelling his gaze to that of the reptilian-like creature's, "then you should leave her be."
Giving a gleeful giggle, the Dark One states, "It's not that simple." He then takes a step away from the pair, making a gesture between himself and the brunette as he continues, "We have a deal."
Beside him, Regina nods, "And I'll hold up my end of the bargain, just give me until tomorrow–"
"That's not the deal I'm referring to, dearie." the imp snaps, levelling his gaze with hers, "When you agreed to let me teach you magic, I told you that someday, you would do something for me."
Not sure as to what the reptilian-like man is referring to, Robin looks to Regina for an explanation only to notice how her eyes have widened in recognition. However, she quickly steels her expression before moving out of the thief's hold and once again standing directly in front of the imp. "What do you want, hmm?" she asks bitterly, "Keys to the kingdom? The crown?"
"No, no, no! I don't want any of those things." the Dark One replies, leaning closer to the woman, "I want you to cast the Dark Curse."
Immediately shaking her head, Regina takes a step back from the imp, "No, no way Rumple. That curse is the ultimate act of evil, I refuse to do it!"
"Well, unless you can find another way to the land without magic, you don't have much of a choice, dearie." the Dark One states menacingly before gritting his teeth, "No one breaks a deal with me." The room falls into silence as the imp walks away from the couple. "If you don't find a way to the land without magic, Regina," he adds, breaking the brief silence, "I will be sure to destroy all that you hold so dear." Turning around so that he faces the pair, the Dark One points one scaly finger towards Robin as he declares, "Starting with him."
Suddenly, a plume of red smoke surrounds the reptilian-like creature. And when it clears, the couple are once again alone with nothing but an overwhelming silence between them.
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Regina knew this was going to happen. This was why she had tried to push Robin away in the first place, because she knew Rumple would try to use the thief against her. Why else would the imp threaten to hurt him?
Rumple's revelation hasn't helped either. Though Robin had said she was no longer that woman, the brunette knows the imp's words have left their desired mark. So, releasing a heavy sigh and turning to face the thief, the brunette murmurs, "Robin, I–"
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks briskly, lifting his head to level his gaze with hers.
Suddenly, Regina's feels a heavy sense of dread fall into the pit of her stomach upon finding the anger that is swirling within his usually bright blue orbs. This is worse than I first thought she muses whilst swallowing against the lump that has formed within her throat. The brunette opens her mouth as if to say something, but when words fail her, she closes it.
At her lack of response, Robin scoffs. "I can't believe you used me like that – the Merry Men like that." he exclaims angrily, turning to walk a few paces away from her and towards the fireplace.
Wanting him to understand that it's not what he thinks, Regina starts, "Robin–"
"Was that all we were to you?" he asks, cutting her off as he whirls around to face her, "A solution to your sordid plan?"
"No!" the brown-eyed woman declares instantly, going to him and lifting her hands to cup both of his cheeks, "It's not like that at all."
The thief shakes his head but doesn't move out of her hold. "Well, what am I supposed to think?" he murmurs in a now gentle tone, "It's not like you've said anything to indicate otherwise!"
Nodding, Regina replies, "I know, Robin. And I swear it's not what you think–"
"Then tell me the truth." he states, lifting his own hands to cup both of her cheeks, the intensity of his blue orbs overwhelming her, "What were you really doing that day I rescued you?"
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A/N: Now Robin knows who Regina really is, but how will he react when he learns of her original intentions for Snow White? And will they be able to find a way to break Regina's deal with Rumplestiltskin?
Find out next update!
Please leave a review, I'd love to see what you guys thought of this chapter.
I'm hoping that the next chapter will be ready in about a month's time, so I'll see you then!
Thank you all for reading and have a wonderful month!