Regina stood at the door to the tavern, gazing in on the man whom Tinker Bell had marked as her new true love. The thought made her limbs nearly go limp. To be loved again, to feel it once more. Wasn't that what she really wanted? The whole reason she had turned to magic? To bring back the love she'd once had?

Steeling herself, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. She could see the man clearly, even though she could only make out the back of his head.

She tried to take a step forward, but fear froze her in place. How could she talk to this man? What would she say? That she was the Queen, trapped in a miserable life to a man she did not love and who did not love her? Forced every day to face the girl who had ruined her chance at happiness forever? And what would he say? That he was her knight in shinning armor come to take her away from all of that?

Regina didn't know what Tinker Bell had expected, but she knew love and life were so much more complicated than that. Her mother had shown her the truth of it.

She was a married woman, after all. What would meeting this man serve to do? Say they did fall in love, what then? Would King Leopold be so content to just let her go, let her live her life as she chose? And if she had to give him up, what then?

Her anger was all she had, the only thing that had kept her going after Daniel's death. If she let herself fall in love again, if she let true love's healing power soothe the wounds on her heart, and this new man was taken from her as easily as the last, what should she have left?

No, she would not go through that again. She would rather let her anger consume her, rather grow as dark and as twisted as her mother or even Rumplestiltskin than go through the terrible pain of losing another love.

She was just about to turn around and head out of the tavern when the man Tinker Bell had marked turn toward her. He must have felt her eyes on his back because when he turned, he looked directly at her. The surprise on his face quickly turned into a most charming smile.

Regina felt her knees weaken. She thought he was quite good looking. His face was made up of gentle lines, yet it angled into a handsomely chiseled jaw. His sandy hair was blown back from a high forehead that held permanent furrow lines, as though he'd experienced more hardships than he should have in recent years. Dimples curved around his lips that formed a smile she found hard to resist.

It was that exact smile that held her in place as he stood from the bench and approached her.

"Hello," he said, sounding just as surprised as she felt to be standing there.

"Hello," she said, her voice breathless.

"I'm Robin."

"Regina."

And though she did not offer it, he took her hand and kissed it. She smiled at him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Regina."

She nodded because she could not find words to speak.

Robin raised his mug. "Would you like to have a drink with me?"

She nodded again. "Yes." With any luck a drink would loosen her tongue.

To her relief he led her not to the table with the rowdy men where he had been sitting, but to a more secluded spot in the corner of the tavern set specifically for two.

They sat and talked about she didn't know what, but after she had gotten in a drink or two she was laughing more freely than she could remember laughing in what felt like a very long time.

At one point Robin's face contorted with concern, and he brought his mug down from his lips. "Are you married?" he asked, setting his mug on the table.

"No," lied Regina quickly, drawing back her hands. She spun the ring on her finger absentmindedly. It was not the ring she had been given by the king - she hadn't worn that one since the wedding. Instead, the ring she wore was the one Daniel had given her. "He . . . he's no longer with us."

"Oh," he said quietly. "I-I'm sorry."

Regina continued to spin the ring. What was she doing here? Did she actually think this man could replace Daniel? That the love she had felt for him could so easily be replicated? Would all the pain of losing him simply be wiped away and forgotten as Tinker Bell had promised? The very idea was preposterous. She couldn't forget Daniel, and he was not replaceable.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice hardening. She stood from the chair. "This was a waste of time."

"Regina, wait!" Robin called after her.

But she continued heading for the door. She was done. She was leaving. That ridiculous fairy had been completely out of her mind to think she could find someone else.

But Robin was fast. In an instant he was standing in front of her, blocking her from reaching the door.

"Get out of my way," she demanded.

"Regina," said Robin gently, both his hands raised in a gesture of peace. "I'm sorry. I touched on a very personal subject I had no right to. Please," he gestured toward the table where they had been sitting. "Forget my transgression. Can we not just enjoy each other's company as we had been?"

Regina wondered at the emotions this man caused in her heart. Was this how true loved affected you? She had felt similar feelings for Daniel, but they had grown up together as children. This was a man she knew practically nothing about, and yet her heart leapt at the near hint of a smile on his lips. It was as though her heart knew more than she did as to his nature and how well he could love her, not that she trusted such a feeling.

But she let him take her arm and steer her back toward the table. Before long, they were laughing again.

"These streets can be treacherous," said Robin when they left the tavern hours later. "Especially this late at night, and especially for a woman so elegantly dressed."

Regina hadn't thought of how out of place her simple yet ornate gown must be in this part of town.

"Would you allow me to accompany you home?" asked Robin, offering his arm.

Regina had told Robin nothing of where she lived. Though he apparently had not recognized her as Queen, she was fearful of what conclusions he might jump to if he came with her to the castle.

"That's all right," she said. "I can take care of myself." She was quite confident she could handle a few robbers with her magic, should she run into anyone.

"My lady," said Robin, concern evident on his face. "I'm afraid I must insist."

"No, I insist," she told him, looking him straight on, the hard edge back in her voice. "I will walk home on my own."

He backed down. "As you wish." He took her hand again and kissed it. "Till we meet again, Regina." He bowed and joined his friends as they headed the opposite direction down the street. Regina felt a soft pang of regret that he would not be accompanying her.

She turned toward the castle. Having been confined to the castle, she had never been to this part of town nor any other part of it. But the castle loomed high over everything. It was quite easy to discern which direction she should go.

The walk back was uneventful. Twice she thought she heard something down a side alley, but she couldn't see anything in the shadows and no one came for her. She walked quite confidently as she reached the richer part of town.

She could not enter the castle through the front gates, so she circled around it to a side entrance. But a voice made her jump as she reached for her key.

"So this is where you live."

She spun around to find Robin perched on a nearby rooftop like a cat.

"We're you following me?" she demanded as he lighted to the ground. He did it so gracefully she wouldn't have been surprised if he told her he'd been climbing rooftops all his life.

"I wanted to be sure you made it home safe," he said, leaving the shadows as he walked toward her. "And good thing, too." He was wearing a hooded cloak, a bow was clutched in his hand, and a quiver of arrows was slung over his shoulder. "I took out two men back there before they could attack you."

She wanted to thank him, but she held back. His actions didn't change the fact that he had followed her without her knowledge and she wasn't happy about it.

"Who are you?" he asked before she could be demanding of him. "You're dressed too fine to be a maid."

Regina spoke the first words that came into her mind. "I'm governess to the Princess Snow White."

He raised an eyebrow, seemingly half convinced. "Those crystals along the bodice." He pointed with his bow.

"They're fake," Regina said. In an effort to prove herself, she ripped them from the dress and tossed them to the ground. They most certainly were not fake, but the last thing she wanted was for Robin to know she was Queen. "I was attending a banquet before I found you. It is customary to dress your best."

He turned his gaze from the shadow in which the string of crystals lay to look at her. "What were you doing in that tavern?" The accusing tone in his voice had lessoned. He seemed to be speaking from pure curiosity. "There are certainly richer taverns for a woman of your stature to pay patronage."

"I was following," Regina hesitated, "the advice of a friend."

"It would seem your friend led you astray," he said simply.

"Perhaps not," Regina managed a smile. It had been a long time since she had flirted with anyone, and she hoped he would catch her meaning.

To her delight, the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile.

"Forgive me," he said with a bow of his head. "I should not be so mistrusting."

"You had good reason," she told him. "I was not honest with you."

He stepped forward and took her hands. "That does not tell me if I am forgiven."

He was so close to her now, his face just above hers. She could feel the emotions of her heart clouding her head. "You are forgiven."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked gently.

"I was afraid you'd judge me."

His eyes squinted with uncertainty. "Because I was in a poorer part of town?"

"Yes."

His eyes took in he full height of her. "You should make sure to dress more appropriately next time, for your safety."

"Yes."

He gazed into her face. She thought he might kiss her, but as soon as his face moved closer to hers, he stepped away from her.

"Would you permit me to see you again?" he asked, placing a hand against her cheek.

She leaned into the warmth of that hand. His touch was so gentle, and yet she could feel the calluses on his skin, no doubt from hard work.

"Yes," she told him. It seemed like the only word she could say recently.

"Tomorrow night?"

"Y-" she had to stop herself. "No," she said breaking herself from the trance he seemed to have on her. She stepped back from him. "I can't, not tomorrow."

He looked disappointed. "Two nights from now?"

She shook her head. "I'm not supposed to leave the castle," she told him. "If I leave again so soon someone might notice."

He took her hands again. "Three nights from now?"

She wanted to tell him no, of course not, that would be ridiculous. But there was just something about that charm of his.

"Three nights from now," she agreed.

She won that wonderful smile from him. Then he squeezed her hands and fled from her.

It took Regina a moment to regain her wits, and once she did, she couldn't help but feel lacking. She turned to gaze into the shadows, finding the dark figure within them walking away from her.

"Robin!" she shouted after him.

The figure stopped moving and turned to face her. Regina ran after him, seized him by the hem of his cloak and, pulling him toward her, pressed her lips to his.

It had been long, far too long, since she'd kissed a man she'd actually wanted to. She felt Robin's strong arms wrap around her, pulling her even closer to him. They stood like that for a few blissful moments, their lips eagerly seeking each other's. And then, when Regina's mind finally regained its senses, without a word or gesture, she fled from him, back to the castle, through the side entrance and up the stairs.

She never looked back.