When I started writing Beat of a Heart, I had a 'trilogy' of sorts planned… I had given up on the final instalment because it is SO different from where Once went, but it has some similarities… But on an impulse, I decided to continue it. This starts off where Arrows and Silk ended… If you've not read Beat of a Heart or Arrows and Silk, here is the low-down:

Regina and Robin met, fell in love and got married. Zelena cast a curse and they ended up back in Storybrooke. When they were victorious over Zelena, they were all sent back to the EF where Charming & Snow decided that Regina would rule (making Robin a king). Oh, and Robin and Regina have a daughter – Sarah.

DISCLAIMER: Not mine.

CHAPTER 1

It was hers once more. Regina stared out at the vast lands in front of her where she stood on the balcony of the castle, breathing it all in. This time, it held more meaning and she released a sigh. It had surprised her when Snow and Charming refrained from stepping up as King and Queen, Snow's reasoning being that the true Queen was still alive. Regina could not stop the gentle smile from forming on her lips. It was funny how her moniker had changed from Evil to True.

"You are brooding, my love."

The accented voice behind her caused her to turn and her heart skipped a beat when she caught sight of her husband. Somehow, he still managed to take her breath away and she leaned into his gentle kiss with an adoring smile. They had been through so much together and here they stood – stronger than ever. She tugged at his scarf with a smile.

"You're wearing your forest clothes again, I see."

Robin grinned uncomfortably.

"Yes, well… Even though I married a Queen, deep down I still am a thief."

Regina smiled radiantly and she pulled his face down to hers, lips brushing against each other tenderly.

"Perhaps. But you are my thief."

Robin smiled against her lips and wrapped his arms around her waist. She breathed out a sigh and ran her hands through his short hair.

"Where is everybody?"

His lips trailed a path up her neck in a most distracting way and she gripped his arms to keep her balanced, a soft moan escaping her lips.

"Robin…"

Her voice sounded like a groan and a purr at once and he pulled away with the cheeky grin she loved so much.

"Henry and Roland are with David and Killian – apparently training. Snow and Emma took young Daniel and Sarah for a walk. So we… have the entire castle to ourselves."

Regina looked at her husband through heavy-lidded eyes, her breath racing.

"What do you propose we do with all this… privacy… my King?"

He laughed at the title and bent his head down to capture her lips once more, pushing her elaborate coat off her shoulders. Regina wrapped her leather clad legs around his waist and gripped him tightly as he pressed her back against the wall, his tongue lapping at her skin. He pulled his head away slightly while his hands ran up and down her thighs.

"I can think of a few things, my Queen."

She grabbed onto his face and pulled him in for another kiss, moaning as he slipped his tongue past her lips.

"Robin…"

The moan that escaped her set his body on fire and he pulled her even closer, allowing himself to drown in her. An awkward cough behind them alerted them to someone else's presence and Robin dropped her to the floor quickly, his hands around her waist keeping her from losing her balance. Robin looked at the man who was kneeling down in front of them with a small frown, his eyes widening at once.

"Little John! What are you doing, stand up!"

The other man stood with a laugh and enveloped Robin in a hug before lifting Regina off her feet.

"Sorry to barge in on you, King Robin. I didn't know you were… busy."

Robin shook his head with a laugh, tugging his wife towards him when her feet touched the ground again. In his happiness to see his friend, he missed the tell-tale signs of worry on Little John's face – the smile that didn't reach his eyes, the slight twitching of his jaw and the nervous licking of his lips. Regina, however, noticed and the happiness at seeing Little John evaded instantly.

"John… are you here as our friend or our sheriff?"

Robin must have heard the slight note of anxiety in his wife's voice, for he glanced at her before looking back to his friend – sure enough, the answer was clear on John's face – and Regina bent down to pick the coat Robin had pushed off her shoulders up from the ground. She sighed before throwing it over her shoulders once more.

"Perhaps this is a discussion better had inside. I'll send a servant to find the rest of the council."

She walked off without another word, leaving the two men outside. John rubbed a hand against his head awkwardly as he looked down at his friend. In his forest clothes, Robin looked a lot like he had when Little John had first met him and the bigger man laughed, causing Robin to look at him curiously.

"Sorry. It's just… in the forest clothes… you look more like a thief than a king."

"Sometimes I feel more like a thief than a king… and look at you – Sheriff John."

Little John shook his head with an air of disbelief apparent in him.

"Yes, I can hardly believe how much things have changed. You've gone from robbing kingdoms to ruling one."

Robin let out a short laugh as he led his friend inside, shaking his head lightly.

"It's pretty much Regina who rules… But even David and Snow have to admit that the kingdom flourishes under my wife's rule."

Little John nodded quickly and Robin narrowed his eyes to look at his friend.

"Not that I am not happy to see you, my friend… but should we be worried?"

John nodded curtly.

"Yes. There have been… disturbances. I'm out of my wits, Robin."

They entered the council room heavily and Robin immediately took his customary seat next to Regina.

It was not long before Snow, Emma, Hook and David arrived. After ensuring that the young royals were safe with one of the guards they sat down and all eyes turned to John expectantly.

"I… there have been several uprisings and unrest in the villages. It seems as though…"

He took a deep breath, his eyes finding Regina's.

"The villagers claim to perceive a threat of magic. Dark magic. I'm sorry, your majesty… I don't mean to sound like anyone is doubting you, I just come to you with this because I believe we need your help. To identify this… threat."

Regina groaned dramatically, a smirk forming around her red lips.

"Well the last time we had an evil sorceress to defeat, she was related to me. Let's hope my mother did not have another secret child."

Although her cold voice was enough to convince the entire table that she did not perceive any threat to be a true danger, Robin sensed a hesitance and he moved his hand to grip hers underneath the table. Before anyone else could get a chance to speak, however, the doors of the council room flew open and a fluttering sound reached their ears before they spotted the speck of blue appearing on the table.

The fairy flew around hysterically before finally stopping to face Snow – pointedly ignoring Regina, as she has been doing ever since their return to the Enchanted Forest. She had not made a secret of her disdain for the Queen – or her complete disregard of Snow and Charming's decision to give the rule over to her – and Regina simply huffed out a breath and folded her arms, dark eyes scanning the fairy silently.

"It's gone! It's been stolen, someone took the wand…"

A silence fell around the table and Snow frowned, clearly not comprehending the extent of Blue's words. It was Regina who understood the gravity of the situation first and she jumped to her feet, clearly upset.

"You don't mean… the Black fairy's wand? Is it just me or should you really sharpen up your security around that thing? It's not the first time it's been stolen."

Not bothered by Regina's sass, Blue continued her appeal to Snow.

"In the wrong hands, that wand is deadly, your majesty."

Snow shot a nervous glance in Regina's direction before trying to smile comfortingly.

"We'll find whoever has it, Blue."

Blue looked back at Snow, worry clearly etched on her face.

"I hope by the time you do… that it is not too late. The damage that can be done with that wand is incomprehensible."

As she left, however, it was clear that the extent of the damage the dark wand could do in the wrong hands was not incomprehensible to all around the table. For the first time since anyone around the table could remember, Regina looked truly worried. More than worried – the Queen looked frightened beyond belief.