Heart of a Thief
Chapter 1: Finding Love Again
Summary: Regina entered the tavern that first night and she knew that the fairy had been right. The man with the lion tattoo was meant to be her true love.
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.
They had each loved and lost. Regina had lost Daniel because Snow hadn't been able to keep her mouth shut around Cora and Robin had lost Marian shortly after their son's birth. They both knew that there was the potential to love another person, since they had both given their love to others, but after losing that love, it was hard for anyone to have full faith in finding a love like that again. But they were destined to be with each other. They just needed that push… and Regina's came in the form of a fairy named Tinker Bell. Albeit it was a bit odd, at first, for Regina to believe a word of what the fairy said, but after seeing that there was someone else out there for her to love after Daniel, she knew what she had to do.
Walking into the tavern, the roar of conversation quieted when they saw that it was Regina. She was, after all, the new Queen, and deserved their respect, and humblest apologies for the loss of her husband, King Leopold. As patrons of the tavern offered their condolences to her as she passed by them, Regina simply nodded with small bit of gratitude and continued to make her way over to the man with the lion tattoo. It was only once she was standing a couple feet from him that she started to second guess her actions. For a brief moment, Regina considered turning around and leaving before he knew that she was even there, but right as she was about to bolt, he turned toward her and her breath caught in her throat.
"Your Majesty." He said with a deep bow.
"You do not need to bow so deeply to me Sir; I am not the rightful Queen of this land." Regina said before she could stop herself.
"And who then, may I ask, is the rightful Queen?" He asked.
"My step-daughter, King Leopold's heir, Princess Snow White. I did not want to marry a King, but I was given no choice after I saved her as a child." Regina replied.
"I see, and what, if you don't mind my inquiring, brings you here so soon after King Leopold's death?" He asked.
"To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure on my way here if there was something specific, but now that I'm here, I believe the answer is you." Regina commented, causing the man's eyes to go wide.
"Me? Did I do something that offended you or that is seen as treason in the eyes of the crown?" He inquired.
"Nothing of the sort Sir; if you would be so happy as to oblige me, I would like to talk with you in private." Regina said as she stepped a little bit closer and lowered her voice some.
"Your Majesty, it would be an honor to be in your presence in a more private matter." He said.
"First, what is your name Sir, so that I know precisely with whom I'm talking?" Regina asked.
"The name is Robin, M'lady. Robin of Loxley." Robin replied.
"Please, call me Regina." Regina requested.
"Only once I've gotten to know you better will I honor that request M'lady." Robin replied as he offered his arm to Regina, which she took gently. "And where, precisely, would you like to converse. For surely a tavern is not the proper place for the Queen, whether rightfully titled or not, to discuss private matters." He added.
"I would much appreciate it if we could return to the castle. My chambers are more than an adequate location for the conversation ahead of us." Regina replied.
"As you wish. Little John, if you would be so kind as to cover my tab, I shall most likely see you all tomorrow. And please go look over Roland sooner rather than later." Robin said before allowing Regina to lead the way back out of the tavern.
"Who's Roland?" Regina asked once they were outside.
"My son. He is merely a babe, but unfortunate circumstances led to my wife, and his mother, being killed shortly after he was born, due to my own stupidity." Robin replied.
"I must say, you are very noble to accept responsibility in such an unfortunate event." Regina said.
"I might be a thief by chosen trade M'lady, but that does not mean that I don't have honor." Robin replied as he gently pulled Regina to a stop. "M'lady, I can sense that something is bothering you. If there is anything that I can do to relieve such bothering, please, allow me to do so." He added.
"It might sound a bit crazy, and I'm still trying to believe it myself, but I am led to believe that we are supposed to be soul mates. I lost a man that I loved very dearly because of my step-daughter, and I was told that you were, well, are supposed to be my second chance at true love, but I'm not sure if I fully believe everything that the fairy told me." Regina explained in a low voice.
"M'lady, nothing about that sounds the least bit crazy. We have both lost the ones that we loved, nothing should hold us back from finding love again. And if that love is supposed to be with each other, then that is what will happen. We do not have to rush a single thing, especially since we just met moments ago, but I am willing to do what I can to help you mend your broken heart, but only if you are willing to help me mend my own." Robin said as he pulled Regina closer to him.
"I am willing to try. Nothing can be worse than never loving another again, right?" Regina asked as a shiver ran down her spine.
"Of course not. Are you cold M'lady?" Robin asked.
"A bit. I hadn't anticipated being out this late, or that it would be this cold so soon, so I failed to bring a coat with me." Regina said as she wrapped her arms around her chest to try and radiate heat back into her body.
"And I left my coat in the tavern. Please allow me a couple moments leave so that I can go retrieve it. I shall not allow the Queen to be cold when I'm present." Robin said. "Will you allow me a couple moments M'lady?" Robin asked.
"Of course. I shall be right here when you return." Regina said with a smile.
While Robin walked back toward the tavern, Regina waited right where she stood, just like she had said she would. But when she heard a shuffling slightly to her right, she got nervous and a little anxious. If someone came across her there was a good chance that they could take her hostage- especially if they were poor and in need of money; she was the queen after all, even if she knew she wasn't the rightful queen. However, right as Regina considered waiting inside the tavern for Robin to get his coat; he walked back out and gave her a smile.
"Is everything alright M'lady?" Robin asked.
"It is now." Regina said then indicated the path that would lead them back to the castle. "Shall we?" She asked.
"We shall." Robin said with a small nod as he placed his coat on Regina's shoulders and then fell into step next to her and placed his hand on the small of her back.
Most of the journey was silent, save for the sounds of nature. As the wind picked up a little, Regina subconsciously pulled the coat closer to her frame. It smelled like him, as she knew it would, and the more of his scent that surrounded her, the more she hoped that Tinker Bell had been right about this man.
"Regina, may I inquire about something?" Robin asked.
"That depends on what you want to inquire about." Regina replied as she gave him a sideways glance.
"The man that held your heart before this, it wasn't King Leopold, was it?" Robin asked.
"No, it wasn't." Regina replied after a moment and with a brief touch of the ring that sat on her right ring finger.
"Who was he, if not your late husband?" Robin asked.
At this, Regina pulled him to a stop and turned to face him. They weren't much farther away from the castle, but she did not wish that her next words be heard inside the castle walls.
"His name was Daniel. I came from a wealthy family and he was a servant in our stables. We were in love, and he asked me to marry him shortly before I saved Snow White. After I saved her, my mother informed me that Snow's father, King Leopold wanted to thank me and in doing so propositioned me to be his wife. My mother accepted the proposal on my behalf and when I went to meet Daniel in the stables to tell him what had happened, and we planned on running away so that we could be together, Snow saw us. She was a confused and scared little girl who had just lost her mother and thought that I was going to be her new mother; I made her promise not to mention a word about me and Daniel to my mother, but she did so anyway, and the night before I was supposed to marry King Leopold, Daniel and I went to run away, but my mother stopped us, took Daniel's heart and crushed it right in front of me. My mother killed my first love and then I was forced to marry the King. I have tried for many years since then to get past my anger towards Snow for what she had done, and I am hoping that this is finally a step in the right direction, but you have to know that my heart might very well be broken beyond repair." Regina explained.
"Your Majesty, you must come at once; the Princess is missing." A guard called out from a sizable distance away before Robin could respond.
"Go and help locate your step-daughter. I'll wait for you to return." Robin said.
"I do not know how long I shall be. Snow has grown very accustomed to roaming the woods and she knows them well. I might not be able to find her in the next few hours." Regina warned.
"Then I will take my leave. My son will need me in the middle of the night anyhow. Shall I wait for you to send word for me tomorrow? Or should I come on my own?" Robin asked.
"Come around noon tomorrow, and you are welcome to bring Roland with you. Your son lost his mother before he even had a chance to know her, I do not want to keep his father from him as well." Regina said with a small smile.
"Very well then; M'lady, I shall see you at noon tomorrow. Hurried haste in finding the Princess." Robin said with a bow as he took Regina's hand in his and kissed the back of it.