A/N: Here is part two! Thank you so much for all your kind words about the first part. I'm sorry this is late, but I wasn't feeling so great when I got back from work and bowling last night. And I got a new idea for the story, so major rewrites were needed. I hope you enjoy it!
Over the next few days, Regina spent more time with Robin. At first, it was because he was nothing but persistent, appearing wherever she was to invite her to spend private time together. Most times, they walked about her gardens, talking about various topics. Robin often shared stories of his childhood and life in Sherwood. It was an idyllic kingdom full of people who found joy in the simple things, something he was starting to teach Regina. She wished she could respond with stories of her own, but her childhood had not been as happy as his and for the first time, Regina found she didn't want to scare someone off.
She also found herself seeking him out more and more as well. He had been fascinated about her magic and so she had offered to give him a demonstration. It had gone from simple transformations and a few fireballs to the two of them hunched over her workbench as she taught him how to make the simplest potion in her book—a basic sleeping draught. He had followed every one of her instructions and was proud of himself when it was completed. Regina thought his smile and giddiness adorable.
The following day, Robin handed her a bow and brought her out to an open space where his man, Will, had set up targets for them. He taught her how to shoot, though his proximity was distracting her. She thus nearly took out Will, who took shelter behind a far tree until her arrows started to at least land on the target. "Keep practicing and you'll be quite formidable," he told her as he collected the arrows.
"Perhaps," she replied. "But I think I prefer a sword. Allow me to show you."
So her councilors found her clashing swords with the prince, locked in what appeared to be mortal combat. They were horrified, apologizing to Robin. He tilted his head, frowning. "We were sparring. I agreed to this. You should be proud to have a queen so skilled as Regina."
They stuttered out their apologies as Regina busied herself elsewhere to hide her blush and silly smile. Robin had been passing all the little tests she had put to him, even though he didn't realize it. He didn't seem put off by her tongue or her preference for pants over dresses. For the most part, he was content to watch her daily routine as he wanted to know everything about Misthaven. But when arguing dukes had interrupted one of their private interludes in the garden, Regina had let him handle it to see what kind of leader he was. He listened to both sides before rendering his decision, showing knowledge of Misthaven law and being as fair as it allowed. Regina had been impressed.
In the privacy of her own mind and the secrecy of her heart, Regina believed she might have found love again. Robin was proving himself to be loyal, kind, just and understanding. She enjoyed being with him and even started like being addressed as "milady." Their hands often found their way to each other as if drawn by some powerful force. With his hand in hers, she didn't feel quite so alone.
But that still left his final test. Regina had been wracking her mind to come up with a test, knowing he had to go through it just like everyone else. His honor code would've demanded it, even if she confessed the true purpose of the tests. Perhaps she could bring back the feats of strength test. That had been a popular one at court and Robin had proven he could handle all the feats she would throw at him—both mental and physical. Decided, Regina climbed into bed, vowing to tell Robin in the morning.
*****
The next morning, Regina woke feeling giddier than she had in a long time. It reminded her of the thrill she used to get when she knew she would be able to go to the stables and see Daniel, to know they would get a chance to spend even an hour together. But now it was all because of Robin of Sherwood.
She dressed in her riding habit, pulling out a light blue jacket she hadn't worn in years. Once dressed, she strode toward Robin's chambers, ready to invite him for a morning ride before her duties as queen started. She could tell him about the test then.
As she approached Robin's chambers, she heard his and Will's voice drift down the corridor. "So you think you can break her in such a short amount of time?" Will asked.
"Of course," Robin replied. "I've done it before."
"I don't know. This one seems like she's more difficult."
"Please. I guarantee I'll have her eating out of my hand by the end of the week."
Regina turned on her heels and stalked back down the corridor, rubbing at the angry tears spilling down her face. Her mother's words came back to haunt her and Regina knew she was right. She was a fool to think Robin wanted her for her. He wanted a docile wife, someone he could control. Probably so he could control her crown.
Had he received training on how to woo her? Was that the reason why her council had spoken to him without her present? So they could train him and groom into being the one who would finally be able to win Regina's hand, giving them the heir they cared about so damn much.
"Daddy!" She stormed into her rooms, changing her outfit into one of her more familiar black dresses with a flick of her wrist.
Henry appeared, concerned as he took in his daughter's emotional state. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
"It's time we test Prince Robin of Sherwood," she announced with a cruel smile. She picked up the vial of potion she and Robin had made earlier, an idea for a new test forming in her mind. "Send for my Huntsman. I have need of him."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Henry bowed, wondering what had changed overnight. Regina seemed so happy the past few days. Now, she was the cold Queen her mother had turned her into again and Henry didn't know how to defrost her.
*****
Her advisors had invited him to another council meeting, forcing her to sit by him for the entire morning. Regina made a point to ignore him and resisted his attempts to hold her hand like before. She knew Robin was confused about the change in her demeanor and she didn't care. He could be two-faced but she wasn't. And she wasn't going to be nice to him just because he was pretending to be.
"Regina! Milady!" Robin jogged to catch up with her as they left the room. "Your Majesty, please."
Regina stopped, tapping her foot. "What is it, Your Highness? I am busy trying to run a country."
"I understand that, but I was hoping I could persuade you to come with me for a ride. Perhaps you could show me more of Misthaven? I would like to get to know the kingdom I hope to help rule."
"You seem confident that I will marry you."
"Only hopeful, milady."
"A fool's hope," she muttered. Louder, she said: "I can arrange a tour for you, but I must go. Excuse me."
She started to walk away but heard his boots behind her. "Milady, have I done something to offend you?"
"Done something? No." It was the truth. He hadn't done anything. It was his words that had betrayed him.
"Are you certain? For you seem quite eager to be rid of me." Robin matched her stride, staying by her side.
She scowled at him. "I'm busy and can't entertain you every day. Certainly you can find some way to keep yourself busy?"
"I can, but I'd rather spend my time with you. I came here to get to know you, Regina."
"Your Majesty," she snapped, stopping short. Robin almost collided with her but caught himself at the last moment. She still backed up anyway, putting distance between the two of them. "And there's not much to know, at least by now. I am not some cheerful queen who spreads sunshine and rides unicorns. If you think you're going to find anyone else if you spend more time with me, you're greatly mistaken and you should just go back to Sherwood now."
"I'm don't want a fairy tale princess," he shot back.
Her scowl deepened into a frown as she narrowed her eyes. "What do you want, Your Highness? Power? Money?"
"A wife," he insisted.
"Good luck with that," Regina replied. "Good day, Your Highness."
She turned on her heels and stalked away before Robin could say more. This time, he didn't pursue her and she ignored the pang of regret that filled her.
*****
Henry brushed his daughter's hair as she smirked at her reflection. "Good news, my dear?" he asked her.
"Prince Robin of Sherwood will be out of our hair come the morning." Regina smiled.
"Have you rigged his test?" Henry asked.
"Of course I have. He's going to fail, I'll throw him out and we can go on with our lives."
Henry sighed. "I thought things were going well. What changed?"
"Robin showed his true colors. He's just like the other princes who've come to court me." She stood, taking off her robe. "And so he's going to be tested like them, fail like them and go home empty-handed like them. Good night."
Henry didn't move. "Can you at least tell me the test?"
She shook her head. "You'll find out in the morning, like everyone else."
"Of course." Henry bowed. "Good night, my dear."
As he left the room, Regina climbed into bed and wrapped herself in her warm blankets. Everything was going to be better in the morning. She would be able to dismiss Prince Robin from her court. Then everything could go back to normal.
*****
Regina's sleep was uneasy. She tossed and turned, waking every so often with a frown. It puzzled her why sleep eluded her this night. She had slept through other trials before, so why was Robin's different?
Because he managed to worm his way into your heart before breaking it. You still care. For now.
A crash outside her door had her shooting up, the voice in her head silenced. Her heart sped up as she slipped from her bed, her door rattling. She conjured a fireball as she approached it, the sounds of a skirmish clear. With a flick of her wrist, her door opened and Robin came tumbling in. He held her Huntsman in an arm lock.
The fireball died out as Robin glanced up at her. "Apologies for disturbing your sleep, Your Majesty, but I found this shady character lurking about your rooms. I caught him before he could do something to you."
"He's my man. Let him go," Regina ordered, confused.
Robin did as she instructed and the Huntsman straightened up. He stepped closer to Regina. "I apologize, Your Majesty, but he was not in his rooms. When I came back here to tell you, he popped up and started fighting me."
"I understand. We will discuss this later," Regina told him, voice low. "You can go."
The Huntsman bowed and slipped from her room. Robin remained where he was, watching her with confusion and anger in his eyes. "Would you mind telling me what is going on?"
"Me? What about you? Why were you lurking outside my room?" Regina crossed her arms.
He frowned. "I noticed that man creeping about and didn't like it. When I came to warn your guards, I found none. So I've been keeping watch. Why don't you have guards?"
"No one has been foolish enough to try and hurt me," Regina replied. "And if they did, I can defend myself."
"You should still have guards, Regina." He then shook his head, the anger returning. "And what about what your man said? About going to my rooms?"
She slipped her emotionless mask on. "I test every suitor. He was part of your test."
"Which was what? Not bleeding to death when he slit my throat?" Robin's nostrils flared in anger and Regina found herself backing up a bit.
"He wasn't going to harm you. He was supposed to cut a piece of fabric from your shirt to show that you had slept through it and that you'd be useless in an attack."
Robin frowned, stepping closer. "And what if I had killed him?"
"That wasn't going to happen."
"I'm an expert archer, Regina, and an experienced hunter. When put into such a spot, I can defend myself. And I can assure you, I would've heard him no matter how quiet he was."
Regina shook her head. "You were supposed to be asleep. You're supposed to be asleep now. I don't understand."
"I don't understand either," Robin said. "Would you care to elaborate?"
"The wine I sent you at dinner. Did you drink it?"
Robin frowned. "No, a countess or duchess or whatever she is had some food go down the wrong pipe and she was coughing something fierce. I gave it to her to drink."
She bit back a groan at his chivalrous nature. "Well, I guess she's sleeping like the dead now."
His eyes lit up in realization. "The sleeping draught. You put it in the wine, so I would sleep through your man sneaking into my room. So I wasn't supposed to pass the test."
When she shook her head, his face got redder. "Do you interfere with all the tests? Or was I just special?"
"I've rigged all final tests. No one's passed my other ones."
"So you've been testing me the entire time I've been here?" Robin crossed his arms. "And how did I fail?"
"You're just as two-faced as the rest of them," she snapped. "You say the right words to my face, but when you think I'm not listening...oh then it is another story."
He shook his head. "I assure you that I have never said anything behind your back that I wouldn't say to your face."
"Truly? So you would tell me that you can break me? That you would have me eating out of your hand within a week?"
"What?" His eyes widened in surprise. "Never."
"But you would tell your man that."
Robin closed his eyes, body sagging a bit. "You overheard us this morning."
"Yes."
"And that was why you suddenly got cold to me. Because you thought I was talking about you."
"Weren't you?"
"No." His eyes snapped open and a fire burned in them, his body tensing up again. "I would never discuss a woman, let alone a queen, like that. I was planning on gifting you a horse but the mare sent to me is a wild one. Will and I were talking about whether or not I could tame her before I had to leave."
Her anger evaporated and she collapsed into a nearby chair. A horse. She had heard Daniel use those same terms when talking about training horses and even she had used them. So why hadn't she thought of a horse first?
You know why.
Robin leaned over her table, fury radiating off him. "I demand another test."
"What?" Her eyes snapped up to his. "Why?"
"I want a chance to prove myself honorably. Can you do that?"
Regina swallowed. "I've never administered a second final test."
"Because the other princes didn't know they needed a second one," Robin responded. "They didn't know what I do."
She stood. "I'll think about it, Prince Robin. Good night."
He made no move to leave, instead grabbing her hand. "I thought we were bonding, Regina. That we had a connection. Why couldn't you just talk to me? Why did you think the worst?"
"There's still a lot you don't know about me," she replied, voice low. "And once you do, you'll realize I'm not worth it."
"Regina," he pleaded, squeezing her hand. "Please..."
She shook her head. "Just go. It's late and we all need sleep. I'll tell you about your new test in the morning."
Robin nodded, letting his hand slip from hers. He walked out the door and she closed it behind him. After a few moments, she slid down it until she was crumpled on the floor. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed for the first time in a long time. Her second chance at love was destroyed and this time, she only had herself to blame.
After what seemed like hours, Regina picked herself up off the floor. She took in her splotchy and tear stained face, her mother's voice echoing in her head. You look a mess. No one would want to be married to a wife who looks like that. Clean yourself up.
Regina conjured a handkerchief, wiping her face. She scoured her vanity for some soap. Instead, she found a tiny vial she had been keeping for years. A powerful sorceress had given it to her in exchange for a favor, pressing the glass item into the queen's palm. "For your worst enemy," Maleficent had whispered.
She was her worst enemy. The potion was her way out of this pain and could provide a good test for Prince Robin. She couldn't rig this one—he'd either succeed or not. And if he did, she would get happiness. If he didn't, she wouldn't be around to bother anyone anymore. Everyone else would get their happiness.
Resolved, she sat down on at her desk and wrote two letters. One was addressed to her father and the other to Robin. She left them on her vanity where Henry was sure to see them. Uncapping the vial, she sat down on her bed and downed the contents. She laid down, clasping her hands over her chest and closed her eyes.
And Regina slept.
*****
Robin sat in the chambers Regina had given him and Will upon their arrival in Misthaven, hunched over the table in the room. He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep after leaving Regina's rooms, too angry at first. She had been freezing him out over a misunderstanding that had taken two minutes to clear up. All she had to do was talk to him.
He stared at a letter he had opened on the table, well-worn and crinkled from being folded several times. Will sighed, sliding into a chair across from him. "You tried your best," he told his master. "You can go back to Sherwood with your head held high."
"We're not leaving, Will. Not until the final test. Regina is going to give me another chance."
"Yeah, but do you want it? I mean, you came here on a whim because she was kind to our kingdom in a time of need. Not exactly the basis for a strong marriage," Will said.
Robin sighed, his eyes drawn to letter written in Regina's now familiar cursive again. It had arrived with medicines Sherwood had desperately needed and had included a plea from Misthaven's queen: that it be administered to the children first, so none of their lives were cut short. The ink on those lines seemed blurred and he realized the queen had cried when she wrote them. He grew intrigued over the mysterious woman who would cry over children she had never met and when his parents' council started to press him on his marriage plans, he had said he would try to court Queen Regina of Misthaven.
"She was the only one who sent medicines when I asked for them," Robin replied, low. "It drew me to meet her, to see if I could form a relationship with her. I thought we were doing that but something...there's something holding her back."
"She's not yours to fix," Will said.
Robin banged his fist on the table. "She's not broken! She's been hurt and someone made her think she's not worth loving. But she is. I just wish I could show her that."
Will leaned back, studying his master and friend. "You love her."
"I think I'm starting to," Robin responded. "And I think she's starting to love me, which scares her."
A knock came to the door and Will rose to answer it. "That's probably that old manservant of hers, coming to tell you what she's going to make you do now," he said, opening the door. "Ahh, Henry. I figured."
Robin tensed up as the older man entered the room, realizing something was wrong. Henry's eyes were red-rimmed and he was more solemn than usual. He hurried to the prince, holding out a note. "You need to save my daughter."
"Your daughter? Who is..." Robin trailed off as he realized the answer to his question. "The Queen. You're her father?"
Henry nodded, holding out a letter. "She's done something rash. It's all in this, I'm sure."
Robin took the letter, opening it to find Regina's handwriting there.
Dear Robin,
I don't know what Daddy will tell you when he hands you this letter...and yes, my manservant is my father. I have no excuse for how I've treated him other than that he's the only person I've ever trusted. Somehow he transformed into my servant and I was too awful a daughter to stop it.
You deserve an explanation. My mother was not an affectionate woman. I spent every day until she died trying to get even a morsel of her approval and love but was denied at every turn. Nothing I did seemed to please her. If I cried, she would tell me that queens don't show weakness like that. Daddy was the one who comforted me after nightmares, always making sure he got to me before Mother knew I was in distress so I wasn't punished by her. Even though he loved me and was always there for me, I ignored him in favor of trying to get my Mother's love.
When I was sixteen, I fell in love for the first time. His name was Daniel and he worked in the stables here at the palace. I'm certain you already know we were doomed—a princess does not marry the help. But I was young and starry-eyed. Daniel gave me everything my mother had denied me—attention, praise, understanding and love. When I was with him, I didn't feel I needed to be perfect. I could just be me.
We used to meet under one particular apple tree in the gardens. I thought we were being so discreet, so secret. But Mother had spies everywhere and she learned about us. One day, she was waiting for us. She forbad Daniel from seeing me every again but he stood up to her, saying that he loved me and wanted to be with me. Mother responded by crushing his heart, leaving him to die in my arms. As I sobbed over his body, she told me that love was weakness and that queens married to better their kingdoms. I didn't want that. I wanted a husband, a lover, a partner. So I vowed to never marry.
But I also want a child. I don't want the child to be born for the same reason I was—to just secure a throne. I want a child to love and cherish, born of love I feel for someone else. So I created a list of qualities the father of my child had to have and started to test my suitors. Just as I suspected, all failed and so I rigged the tests to justify sending them away.
Then you came along. And you do have all the qualities I was looking for. To be honest, I wasn't going to rig your final test. I had chosen something I knew you would easily pass. But then I overheard your conversation and well...I'm sure you can understand why I would assume the worst. I had years of being told no one would love me for me. So why would you be any different?
So here's your final test—I've taken a special potion, one that has put me into a deep sleep. And I will sleep forever until wakened by true love's kiss. I can't rig this one—you either succeed or you don't. If you don't—or I've completely screwed up and you have no desire to try—don't feel guilty. After Daniel's death, I've just been going through the motions of living. This is much better than the existence I was having. Everyone will be better off—I have some distant cousin that can take the throne and who will probably be glad to give the advisors the heir they want. You go back to Sherwood and find a woman worthy of you, who can love you without all the issues I have.
Yours,
Regina
Robin reread the letter a few more times before rubbing his face. His fingers brushed against something wet and he pulled his hand away, realizing he was crying. Looking up, he met Henry's tormented eyes. "I failed her over and over," the older man croaked. "Please, save her this time."
Standing, Robin folded both letters and placed them in an inner pocket sewn into his vest. They would stay close to his heart there. He squared his shoulders and looked at Henry. "Lead me to her. I will do my best."