Things are going to be a little different for this one. Since I have a lot to do (in terms of how many fics I have to write- really sometimes I just want to shut my brain up for how many ideas I have rolling around there) I'm only going to be posting this chapter...for now. That being said, sneak peeks will be posted on Tumblr and Twitter (with the link to the post on Tumblr) Now I know there are some who don't have either of these but what I will do is make another page on my blog (regaloutlawswrites that is) that will hold all the sneak peeks for anyone interested in reading them. If you are, you can message me directly here and I'll give you the link to the page. That said, I hope you stick around for this :)
The squishing of the heart does nothing to quell her anger. Nor does the cold blood spilling through her fingers do anything to empty herself of the frustration and irritation and overall mortification that this little sheep could dare fool her. She killed the King, banished her mother, learned the power of a wish. She wasn't about to be fooled by some stag's heart.
She wanted a heart. Now she has nothing. Nothing but an empty box and a criminal on the loose.
Her fist bang against the table of her vanity, the objects jumping like they've been startled. Her hand wraps around the edge of the box. Fury still alive and pumping through her, she launches the box towards the wall where it lands with a thud, fallen on its side, the emptiness of it staring up at her.
Regina turns away, breathing hard, as her hand clenches into a fist, long finger nails biting the skin as she shuts her eyes briefly, focusing on the sweet digging of nails in her skin. She reopens her eyes, catching her reflection in the mirror, breathing evened out and anger controlled.
She should've known better than to trust someone with the task of killing Snow White.
.:.:..:.:.:.
It was a simple task really. At least in theory. Perhaps, breaking into castles where dragons were rumoured to live wasn't one of his smarter decisions, no, but what could one do? He should slay the dragon and return home as a hero.
Not bloody likely.
Robin of Locksley wasn't a hero after all.
But one tires of robbing small folk and royal tax carriages all day. He wants something bigger, stronger, more challenging. Something that have the adrenaline running through him again, that thrill in his stomach, just like thieving used to.
One can dream, can't they? Robin thinks as he takes his eyes off his prey for a second to glance up at the Forbidden Fortress millions of miles behind him. One can dream.
He turns back to his prey; a deer. A nice juicy looking deer that will certainly make him happy tonight. Robin repositions his bow, pulling back the string, ready to send the arrow flying into the deer's eye, ready not to miss, when-
Fwam!
The deer lets out one startled shrill, it's last sound, before it falls onto the floor, an arrow sticking proudly out of its neck.
But the arrow isn't Robin's.
Some bastard's stolen his dinner!
He keeps himself where he is, however. Keeps his bow positioned, arrow ready to go. Keeps a look out for who's taken his prey.
And that's when Robin sees him. Wolf Boy, they nick-named him back in the village. Often cried over his kill. Boys like him weren't meant for hunting and yet someone had decreed that they were because, despite crying over killed animals, Wolf Boy was one of the greatest hunters in the Forest.
And that didn't sit right with Robin.
That, and the fact that he's now stolen Robin's dinner for the night.
And perhaps some fools would class this decision Robin makes his dishonourable, but as far as Robin's aware, he was never one for honour, so he'd gladly kill an unsuspecting man crying over his dinner.
Wolf Boy barely has any time to react before there's arrow sticking proudly out of his neck and he falls to the ground.
After all, the arrow never misses.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.
It's late when she gets the news. Tired and irritable. Sore with a headache looming in the background. She'd lost count of the hours spent listening to worthless peasants complain about their lives. She didn't care if their stock was running low, she didn't care if they're houses were about to fall down. What she did care about were the whereabouts of Snow White.
Of course, her small folk turned out to be just as useless as she thought they were. When she'd asked about Snow White, they'd fumbled with their words, stuttering and falling over like toddlers learning speech for the first time, telling her that they hadn't seen the girl. Regina had lost interested by that point, lost interest in needs and complaints her audience presented her. She waved them off, telling them she'd see the rest tomorrow and that had been that.
(She remembers when Leo ruled; how he would sit in that chair for hours on end, listening to every word the peasants told them, promising them he'd see to every one of their problems and they'd left with a smile and a thank you. Leo was too weak to wave them away, but she isn't.)
So yes, she's tired and slightly annoyed with her small folk and is just about ready to go to bed and hope that tomorrow never comes when she hears a Caw from her balcony. It's scratchy and one she remembers hurting Snow's ears when she was a child but for Regina, it's a song to her, the promise of good news.
And it's good news she gets when her crow relays the day to her. She asks if he's seen Snow White to which he replies with a hesitant No (has everyone gone completely blind when it comes to the girl) Yet he does tell her of the Huntsman; how he was shot down by an arrow. The people are unsure of who shot him, calling him the Invisible Man. A stupid man, Regina thinks, nobody can become invisible.
You were, though. When Leo was King. When you were in the room, nobody sees you.
The bats the noise away. The noise belonging to the girl with the braids, the child who didn't want power or be married to the King. A silly girl. One who was too naive to see the true power of power.
"Where is this man?" Regina asks the crow. He may be invisible to the people but crows can see everything (except spoiled little brats it seems)
It's a simple reply. A Caw, futile noise to most people, but to her who understands crows, a blessing.
The North Woods.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
It turns out it was a nice spot he'd chosen. It's kept him well hidden and he can see pretty much the whole woods. It's also a bonus that he'd got to hear what the peasants say. Whispers of a name, his name; The Invisible Man.
Robin likes it. Likes having a sort of alias and one as powerful as Invisible can definitely help him in the wrong run.
His spot also offers him a generous view of his decaying victim. After retreaving his meal, his dinner (thank you very much) he'd sat stop of his hill and watched as crows and bugs made their way over to the corpse. He watched as they eat away at him- a small price to pay for taking his dinner, as if death wasn't enough. Then he'd stayed silent as people flittered in and out of the woods. Listened to the screams and murmurs as they came across poor dead Wolf Boy and word quickly spread around the Forest, as it always did.
Now, with a full stomach he was able to relax, stare at the stars and its constallations and not think of how pointless and useless his life has become.
Or he would do that if the spark he sees in the corner of his eye doesn't have him feeling uneasy. The atmosphere changing as he reaches for his bow, fumbling noisily to get it into place as he keeps his eyes peeled in the space in front of him. Not that he can see more than ten centimetres in front of him, mind.
"The Invisible Man?" It's the shrill laughter that comes after that has him jumping, losing grip of his prized weapon as the arrow tumbles down onto the ground below. "It's not a man I would association with someone as noisy and as visible as you. The common people must be blind if they can't see you up there."
He knows that voice and it has his eyes rolling hard enough to give him a headache. She was no longer the meek Queen he once tried to rob from her carriage, neither is she the adventurous Princess he'd heard about. No, if this woman wanted to toss around nicknames, perhaps she should know hers before she does so.
"Your Majesty," he says, coming to sit upon his hill.
There's a rustling of trees, leaves moving out of the way of the moon and its light casts down on them both. Able to see more than ten centimetres in front of him, there she is, dressed in all black. Mourning, Robin thinks. Mourning the King still?
"A little bird told him you killed my Huntsman."
Robin smirks at that, pride running through him for reasons that he didn't entirely know, but it felt good. News had reached her already, it seems, though he doesn't remember Wolf Boy being her Huntsman.
"Your Huntsman? I thought he belonged to the wolves."
"He did," she says, staring down at the body of Wolf Boy. They're be nothing left of him by morning, Robin thinks mindlessly. "Until he made a pact with him and well..." She doesn't finish her sentence, instead she gives a throw away look and a kick towards the body, turning back to Robin.
"He stole my dinner."
The Queen scoffs, murmurs something that sounds like Animals and Robin agrees, they're all animals at the end of the day. Even she.
"He was supposed to kill Snow White for me."
Robin cocks his eyebrows. He's heard the rumours. All the rumours; Snow White killed her father, the Queen was seeking justified for her dear departed. He'd also heard the other rumours; how the Queen hated Snow White, hated her husband and planned to have them both killed. In Robin's eyes, both stories were interesting enough.
"And I take it he didn't?" he asks.
"No." she also growls but Robin hears the disappointment and that gets him thinking. He wanted a challenge after all, didn't he?
"What about you?"
"Me?" he asks, startled, unsure what she's asking.
She sighs and rolls her eyes, offering a clearly irritated and obvious, "Have you seen the girl?"
He smiles sheepishly, unsure what she'd make of his answer. "No, I haven't."
The scoffs again, muttering, "You're as useless as the rest of them." and Robin can't help the smirk that appears once more.
"I could become of use."
She perks up at that, the question in her eyes of How? One she needn't ask as Robin continues.
"I could help you find Snow White. Of course, I want something in return."
She looks towards the trees, bottom lip catching in her teeth for a second before falling through and Robin finds himself struck for a moment, feeling things he hasn't felt for anyone in years, not since Marian died. He untangles himself, however. It's a trap, nothing but a trap, along with rumours, he's heard the stories, stories he wants nothing to do with. So he rips her gaze from those red painted lips and back to her eyes as she considers what he's saying.
"What?" she asks and there's a tint of disapproval in her tone. Not many people have asked for things and lived to tell the tale, it seems.
"I have a place to sleep. At your castle."
It's a simple offer, a nice bed and a warm hearth is all he wants. As much as he loves the woods and all its glory there's too many memories here. Too many 'what ifs', he wants a fresh start, one that could be at court.
He watches her ponder his question, looking around their surroundings as she takes it in.
"What's wrong with this place?"
"Too many memories." he answers simply, it's the truth after all.
The Queen hums her agreement. "Fine," she says. "But there's one more thing I want from you."
"What is that?"
She smiles. It's sick and sweetly but it's the look in her eyes that says it all, that look of pure joy as said eyes land on his chest, and Robin gulps, no longer feeling that confident thrill he had.
"Your heart."