Notes: Hello, fanfiction world! I've had this idea for quite some time, and it's continued to grow so much that I just had to write it.
The first half with be six chapters, but I will update the chapter count when I finish mapping out the second half.
Lastly, this story is written in true Once Upon a Time fashion and it is a canon au, but I want to make it clear that I would never want to change Robin and Regina's actual tale. That said, it's a different twist on the story I'm delighted to tell.
Enjoy!
xxx
After at least a mile of running in the dusk, Robin Hood planted his feet in the familiar dirt and caught his breath. Getting off village ground had never felt as good as it did that day.
"We did it, lassie!"
He lifted Maid Marian up, spun her around, and kissed her before allowing gravity to do its duty and slowly pull her back down.
Reality. Reality would always hit him at times like these, but at least now he had her by his side.
Running off with the woman who was spoken for by the Sheriff of Nottingham was no easy feat, not when there were guards tracking her every move. But with the skills Robin had developed over the years, they managed to make it deep into the woods to pursue their escape.
"I suppose we should make camp for the night, aye?" he remarked.
He knew it wasn't over—running never was. But this was the life he had chosen.
And just through the brush, Regina Mills was finally choosing a life of her own.
Mud spattered her face and leaves decorated her braids as her steed recklessly cleared the foliage in her path. But she did not care, because she was free.
"Regina! Wait!" Daniel called, following shortly behind on his own horse, but with a noticeable distance between them. "Rocinante won't make it through the night at that pace!"
But Regina would not waver. She could never run far or fast enough from what she was leaving behind.
Hearing the stampede of a horse moving faster than any guard or knight they had ever encountered, Robin and Marian slowly parted from their embrace, instead bracing themselves for the incomer.
Robin shouted, "Halt!" and drew his bow. Despite the horse's speed, the woman pulled back on the reins and did bring him to a screeching, but steady halt, leaving the pair impressed with her riding skills.
Though she did reach a standstill, the momentum sent her cape over her head and her braids forward, then thrashing against her face. Scowling deeply, she vigorously threw them both back, revealing her face to the unruly onlookers. "I should be requesting that of you!" Regina boldly declared.
Robin studied the woman before them, who wore such an aggrieved scowl, and yet, whose features were still so soft.
"Careful, Regina. We don't know who they're for," Daniel said in a much more mild manner, riding up beside them a considerable moment later.
"Trust me, they're no knights of my mother."
"How can you be sure?"
"It's just...not that hard to tell. No offense." Growing up amongst royals both above and below the Mills family had made her very aware of who was and was not, even if it did not matter to her.
"Who's sent you?" The boom in Robin's voice disrupted them. She spoke of knights, and Robin could not afford to have any of them on his tail. He did not want to harm these people, he only wanted to know the circumstances which brought their paths to a cross. But Marian placed a hand on his arm, lowering his drawn arrow.
"Isn't it clear, Robin? They, too, are runaways. Hardly skilled fugitives, however, given their lack of discretion."
"Well, you're hardly being discreet, yourself. Thank you for that confession, as to what you're doing here in the woods." Regina urged her steed forward, prompting Marian to back herself up against a tree. The pair were clearly no threat, but Regina could not be too careful with the future she was fighting so hard for.
At that, Robin stepped in and offered his hand to help the young woman off her horse. "I apologize, my lady. We both do." It was clear that both parties were in peril, and they need not add to it with fear of one another. "You see, we are in fact on the run, and one can never be too cautious."
"No. One can't," Regina adamantly agreed, eyeing the man whose hand was extended with a skepticism that could only be of born instinct.
Regina could perceive that the girl was far less accustomed to a life on the run than her partner was. But aside from her riding skills, neither was she. She didn't care about becoming a royal, though. She cared about true love and happiness. All that seemed possible now, even on the run; even among this strange pair.
Taking his hand, Regina stepped down from her horse.
"Clearly, we're all in a rather delicate situation right now, so perhaps it's best we don't get hung up on this altercation. Perhaps we could be of assistance to one another," Robin offered. He was a trusting man who still believed in honor, despite the life he lead. "I'm Robin Hood, and this is Marian Dubois."
Regina froze momentarily before composing herself and withdrawing her hand. "I'm Regina...Saxton."
Daniel's eyebrows furrowed at her introduction. Yes, they were to be married, but they hadn't, yet. "And I'm Daniel Saxton," he said quizzically.
"Ah! Newlywed runaways, perhaps?" Robin proposed, with a slightly unsuitable look of glee. For how sad it was that many people were forced to run away, in order to wed.
But their hesitation hadn't gone unnoticed by Marian. The woman attempted to make eye contact with Regina, but to no avail.
"Both willing participants, I should hope," she remarked, instead.
"What are you implying?" Regina snapped back.
"That I know how men-" She paused to glance at her beloved. "How some men are. Often they're given too much power. I wouldn't care to see any woman-even one as difficult as you-fall victim to a man like that."
"What is it you take me for?" Regina spoke slowly, once again approaching the woman-this time off her horse. "I know power. I come from power. Power is what I ran away from. For him. For true love. So if you're questioning anyone's motives for being out here, let it not be me."
Marian had known their triumph would not last. She and Robin would always be battling their way through this adventure.
From beneath her cloak, Marian wrapped her hand around a concealed dagger. Her free hand grabbed the woman in a tight hold, skillfully whipping their bodies full-circle, to pin Regina against the tree with the blade held to her throat.
"Marian!" was shouted by Robin at the same time Daniel cried, "No!" The men's voices were ignored while the two women remained in position, stares locked on one another. Marian stood her ground, unforgiving in manner, which left Regina powerless to leave her stance, anyway, but she remained just as firm, her head tilted up toward the woman with a clenched jaw.
"That's enough, Marian," Robin insisted, stepping up to them, while Daniel cautiously approached from the other side.
"You heard her, Robin. She is of power," Marian sneered, eliciting a narrowing of the eyes from Regina. "She is the enemy."
"No. She ran from it. Just as you and I have," Robin clarified, and the stare between the two women was finally broken-by Regina, glancing curiously at the man coming to her defense. "Perhaps we do not come from power, but we did escape it."
Marian scowled and in a final act of fury, she yanked the knife away and returned it to its case.
The air seemed to grow thinner, despite everyone's suddenly heaving chests, as they each came down from such a heightened state.
"While I'm sure we each have our reasons for being out in the forest, it would seem that we have a common goal-freedom," Robin said, looking amongst the lot of them. "Perhaps we could use that bond to show one another some respect?"
Daniel nodded in agreement, while the two women adverted their eyes from the situation.
"Now, Marian and I were just about to make camp for tonight," Robin concluded.
"Actually, I know of a fresh spring about five miles north." They were deep into the woods and might as well have been a world away from the stables, but Daniel knew his resources. He may have been a mere stable hand, but he had skills and connections that the royals did not.
"That will take all night!" Marian insisted. Robin may have been all for becoming a team, but she hadn't gotten this far by allowing others to make her decisions.
Sighing, Robin placed a hand on Marian's shoulder. "We'll need fresh water, dear. And it's best if we travel when it's dark." Marian was still adjusting to a life outside of the village, as he knew.
"Then it's decided." Grinning smugly, Regina took Daniel's hand in one of hers and Rocinante's reins in the other, before sauntering off.
Marian required a look of encouragement from Robin before they were to follow.
While none of them had expected company in their freedom, that was what they had gotten. And no one in the forest that evening could use more enemies.
xxx
A fair distance behind their bandit companions, Regina and Daniel walked with Rocinante and Angelina in tow. Regina was rather tempted to mount her steed and keep him at a relaxed pace.
She found it absurd that Robin and Marian were on the road by foot, and foot alone. And if it came down to it, she could not jeopardize her and Daniel's fate, due to their lack of preparation. Yet, Marian insisted they were the skilled fugitives…
Marian would continue to make that claim against the woman who struck her as merely a spoiled Princess. Now that she knew Daniel was hardly the one in power, she speculated that Regina was in fact a royal. Perhaps Daniel was not, but that did not necessarily make him any more adept at survival. Such qualities were not always innate. An expertise in riding would only get them so far.
But Robin saw a drive in Regina that was similar to his own; a desire to escape the given circumstances in favor of the chance to better oneself.
Regardless of her noble blood, however, Regina was not like the other Mills. She was the absolute last in line for the throne, and so, she focused her efforts and her aspirations elsewhere. Her mother, on the other hand, was desperate to change her status, and that was why Regina had no choice but to run.
After allowing the space between the parties to grow, Daniel moved toward Regina before quietly speaking. "My dear, why did you take my name for your introduction?"
"What does it matter? We're to be married." A brief pause took place. "Aren't we?"
"Of course, Regina." His eyes flickered toward her, while hers diligently avoided the gaze. "Are you...worried that we'll never get the opportunity to be properly wed?" he speculated. There was always the chance that they would never be able to settle and live a normal life.
"No." Regina's voice was low as she kept her eyes on the dirt that was growing firmer as the cold night came upon them. "Well, that is a possibility, but I don't care, as long as I'm with you." Regina looked ahead at their travel companions. They were never supposed to be a part of their journey, and Regina might have shooed them off like a couple of locusts, if not for the slight chance they could cause a plague. "It would not be wise to allow people to know of my lineage," she said slowly. "They may be fugitives, but what if they were to encounter the guards? What if they are threatened, or offered reward? If they know I'm a Mills, then our shot is over. At least this way, we have a fighting chance."
The daughter of Prince Henry and Cora Mills had been bred for royalty, that much was always made clear to her. Just as her mother had come from darkness. And with darkness came a desire for power.
It was often quite late when Regina would make it out to the stables to ride with her love. Her duties as Princess typically kept her at the Castle for the day. She held onto a lantern, but once they rode, only the reflection of the moon would illuminate their path. Fortunately, Daniel was a skilled enough rider and Regina had the will in her to navigate through any darkness.
When she approached nights like these, it was always with an excitement that is much too innocent. Like a yellow dandelion that does not know it will soon be colorless and scattered.
Voices were coming from the stables, causing Regina to stop in her tracks, as it wasn't the soft sound of Daniel, or the startling neigh of the horses.
"Oh, Geoffrey, I knew you had desired me this way since the day I moved into the Castle," the feminine voice panted. "If only your father would have thought to have you wed a gorgeous peasant girl, who would be so grateful, rather than just a plain, uptight royal."
"At least we're together now, love," a gruffer voice said.
It was her mother and her uncle-but why? She was far too confused by her mother's actions to let the disturbance of the affair sink in, for her mother never acted without reason. Love and desire were not reasons to Cora Mills. Marrying Geoffrey would have brought her one step closer to the throne, but at this point-it was only treason.
Leaves crunched beneath her boots when she tried to move quietly, almost as if...singeing. And if it were not for recognizing the colors of autumn, she would have sworn that they truly were on fire.
Opening the top half of the stable gate, she braced herself for the sight she was about to see, but it was even more compromising than she had imagined. For Cora was on top of Geoffrey, his mouth agape and breathing labored, with her right hand naked to the eye-
Until it emerged from his chest, holding in it a heart, glowing and throbbing against her mother's firm grasp. Her knuckles turned white and Regina was so transfixed as the woman clutched the heart, she could almost hear them crack. But then she heard Geoffrey gag and watched him writhe, fingers clawing at his stomach as if all the oxygen had left his body.
"Mother!" she cried, barrelling through the lower half of the gate. "What are you doing? Stop!"
It was as if Regina was a ghost. It was one thing to be unacknowledged, but another to not even have a presence, despite the most desperate of pleas.
No, Cora had no mind for anyone-only the heart in her hand. It did not struggle against the pressure she applied, simply turning to ash and dust, which fell down onto Geoffrey's lifeless body.
Dusting off her dress, Cora climbed from the Prince and fixed his trousers. "What a sad day it will be tomorrow, when the Kingdom is informed that their beloved Geoffrey's heart simply…" She paused to blow the remaining dust off of his face. "Gave out."
"Mother…" Regina whispered, exasperated and shaking her head. "Why would you do such a thing?"
"Because dear, it's finally time for me to get my happy ending," Cora said, standing up to circle her daughter, like a hyena does its prey. "You see, I'm going to be Queen. Now, only four more people stand in my way-one of whom is already on his death bed," she said of Regina's grandfather. "Perhaps we'll save him for last. Let him see his precious Princes perish before his ultimate demise."
Regina glared, fighting to hold up her guard, while her mother attempted to break through-whether to kiss or kill her, she wasn't sure. "Daddy won't let you do this! He'll protect his family," she insisted.
"Oh?" Cora stopped, ready to pounce. How Regina wanted to run, but she knew better. Cora was not the type of predator that could be outrun. You simply had to try and withstand her, and hope she caught the scent of something more fulfilling.
How morbid it seemed for this hunt to take place over her uncle's dead body. Would Regina have wept for him, had she not walked in on her mother's attack?
Her attention slipped away to such thoughts, only briefly, but it was just enough for Cora to bind her.
"Just like he protects you when I do this?" Cora purred, wielding her magic against Regina's defenseless body.
She wanted to scream, but she knew she couldn't. She knew she wouldn't, because who would help her?
"No, he does not, my girl," Cora said, as if she could read her mind. For all Regina knew, however, her mother could have procured such a spell. "I'm the only one who can protect you, Regina." The twisted smile on her mother's face was replaced with pure menace, accompanied by a shift in the tone of her voice to match.
Regina struggled against the constriction, managing to spit out, "And what are you protecting me from, Mother?" Because the only thing Regina felt she or anyone needed protection from, was Cora.
Closing her palm, Cora released her hold on Regina-the magical one, at least. "From the ordinary," she answered, her hand opening once more to grab Regina's face. "You see, I have planned very carefully and worked very hard for a life of greatness. And that is what we shall have."
"What if I don't want it?" Regina asked, her voice slightly muffled, due to the grip Cora had on her chin.
"Oh, that hardly matters, dear. You are a part of this plan; all this very difficult work I've done. You were born for greatness." She released Regina's face, but held her gaze. "And I suggest you do not get in my way, Regina."
Regina knew that her mother's words were true; knew what she was capable of. The rage boiled inside of her and she felt the hay crack beneath her boots. But her feelings held no merit when she was merely a pawn in the future Queen's game.
She could feel Cora break her stare, despite Regina not returning it, and she heard her swing the gate open to leave.
"Can I ask you one thing?" Regina said, glancing down at her uncle's corpse. She received no response, but looked up to find Cora unmoving, back facing her, her broad shoulders unwavering in their firm posture. "If you were only going to kill Geoffrey, anyway… Why seduce him first?"
"Because I knew it would get him alone; it would make him vulnerable. Because as I've told you," Cora said, turning back around to face her. "Love is weakness."
She knew it would not end there. With Regina being of age, her mother would have married her off to a King in an attempt to consolidate kingdoms; acquire more power.
Perhaps it was cowardice of her to run, while the bloodshed by her mother's hand continued. But if her own life was the only thing she could take control of, perhaps it was brave of her to do so.
xxx
Just earlier that evening, they had been running and hiding. The breath of their enemies was practically hot on their necks as they left an even hotter trail behind them. But now, they had been travelling along the same path in the bleak darkness for monotonous hours.
Marian wondered if the excitement was over. What if her great adventure was merely a daring getaway, followed by a normal life in a new town? Normalcy was everything she was trying to escape.
On the other hand, Robin knew this life well and he knew that the lulls in his journey were only the calm before the storm. He knew not to question them, because sometimes the storms were like thunder in the distance, or a strike of lightning that could be dodged. But other times, they were like tumultuous twisters, leaving nothing but devastation and destruction in their wake.
So while the eye of the storm is a misleading danger, Robin depended on it, for the only progress he could make was during such a time.
For Daniel and Regina, their only desire in life was to have true love. With one growing up as royalty, and the other serving at its feet, their flight had been out of necessity. To settle down together would be the real great adventure.
The two pairs walked arm in arm, with the horses surrounding them protectively. Their ears had gone numb to the consistent sounds of the night, leaving them undisturbed by the howl of wolves, cricket chirps, and even a snapping branch that fell just seconds after they stepped beyond it's path.
The fuzziness in their heads slowly blurred into the sounds of rushing water. It was Daniel who woke from the walking comatose state and simultaneously put a hand against Regina and his steed. "We're here," he declared gently, in turn bringing Rocinante, Robin, and Marian to a halt, as well.
Marian groaned as the passing hours all caught up to her at once. Drawing her bow, she turned a full three-hundred and sixty degrees, scanning the clearing with an eagle eye. It was only Robin taking her arrow that broke her focus, but at least it reminded her that she had gotten it back.
"What are you doing, Marian?" he asked quietly, only intending to question, not demand. Marian was a woman of conviction, indeed. While she had joined him on his journey, he knew it was of her own accord and with her own intentions.
Her fingers wrapped around the slender, but powerful ammo, retrieving it from her partner. "We shall need food for tonight, and we'll need to prepare skins for warmer clothing and shelter for the future," Marian told him with great perception and without pause to meet his gaze.
"We can wait until it's light to hunt, my lady. We need rest, right now."
"I thought it was best to act at night?" she snapped, bringing his previous agreement with their unwanted companions, as well as the once-certain logic, back to the forefront.
While the fellow runaways did not seem to agree with Marian on the severity of their situation, Daniel believed the theatrics would only slow them down and distract them from their ultimate destination-even if not one of them yet knew what that was. "We have some food with us," he offered, stepping forward and into the throws of a lover's quarrel.
But the battle quickly shifted when Marian scoffed, unable to even hold her bow up with her given despair, as she claimed, "Of course you do."
"What is your problem?" Regina snarled, unable to remain mute any longer. Oh, how she wished to grab the maiden's throat and hash it out once and for all.
She stepped past Daniel, and as if on cue, Marian choked but did not waver as she moved forward to meet Regina's threatening notion. Regina could feel the contents of the cough sputter against her nose as she waited for Marian to catch her breath.
"You may have been able to bring goods and riches with you-but goods will run out and riches are useless to a fugitive." Marian spoke lowly, pushing past whatever was stuck in her throat. "But you'll never get what you're after out here, so long as you have something to return to, princess."
No one could have seen it coming-not Marian, for it happened too fast; not Robin, for he had finally left the women to their altercation; not Daniel, for he would not have anticipated such a thing from his love; and not even Regina, for the disturbance inside her had provoked her body to act before she was conscious of it.
Regardless, Marian was pinned against a tree by her own dagger, which Regina had swiftly removed from the woman's coat. The paler woman's arm was held against Marian's caramel colored neck, causing her to fade into the bark.
"Do you know why my name is Regina?" she said, watching Marian's breath fog the surface of the knife out of the corner of her eye, but she dared not break her stare. "It's because I was born for the sole purpose of becoming a Queen. I was born to an abusive mother who would destroy everything that stood in the way of me fulfilling that purpose.
I cannot ever return, unless I can accept that bloodshed on my behalf; unless I'm prepared to give up my love and all my freedom. So yes, I am a Princess, and a damn powerful one. But I never asked for it. So I will tell you for the last time, do not question my reason for being here, or my ability to achieve what I am after."
Regina dropped the knife and turned away from the tree. Even the water seemed to surrender, as the weapon hit the earth with a resounding thud.
She refused to even meet Daniel's eye, for he did not like to see her in such a state, but she had a survivor's instinct in her. She had no concern for whether or not Marian would again draw the knife on her in return, for if she did, no one would reach their happily ever after. Regina would perish; Daniel would lose his love; and the other two would be left with the consequences of having royal blood on their hands.
Of course, she could have just deserted the pair of vagabonds. But Robin Hood, at least, understood her objective, and everyone deserved the chance to be free.
Marian did approach the Princess, but the knife lay forgotten at her feet as she placed a hand on Regina's shoulder. "I am sorry, Regina," Marian spoke, letting her hand drop as Regina turned back around. "Perhaps I judged you too harshly and too suddenly." Though she had exhibited poor behavior so far, Marian could not have been more genuine, for she realized it was possible that being a Princess had only made Regina's life more difficult.
Robin moved to Marian's side, an arm wrapping around her shoulders supportively. Regina gave an offhanded nod before declaring, "Alright, then. Let us make camp and have some dinner." She confirmed the notion by pulling the satchel from her steed and heading uphill toward the spring, while Daniel gave the couple a reassuring look before following after her.
Despite their differences, the thirst for freedom amongst the group was strong, for they all sought to escape a chosen life in favor of one on their own behalf.
xxx
Notes: Just to clarify, King Xavier's kingdom did not collapse in this story (as it might be presumed in canon), which means Regina grew up as a Princess and Cora was prompted to develop an entirely different plan.