It wasn't supposed to be this way.
Her happy ending was meant to involve riding off into the sunset, Daniel by her side, finally escaping the clutches of her mother.
Not running full pelt into the forest, trying to keep track of a certain good-for-nothing thief ahead of her, in order to escape certain death from a very angry, very wet looking cluster of the King's guards.
She should have known better than to trust that fairy. To trust him.
"Come now milady. You can't tell me you've never wanted to give those guards a taste of their own medicine."
Regina smirks, remembering all the nights she'd spent silently (and sometimes not so silently) cursing the guards Leopold insisted follow her every step, preventing her from taking so much as a breath of fresh air unaccompanied.
What she wouldn't give for the chance to get them back. To get Leopold back - even if it was through the juvenile form of a petty thief.
"Well when you put it that way," she hedges, "no, I suppose I can't say that." A nervous smile plays about her lips, fighting the twitch that would broaden it into a defeated smirk, but she hastily adds, " it won't be anything dangerous will it, I don't want to hurt anyone."
"Don't you worry about that, milady, just a bit of fun is all. I already have the perfect plan in mind."
Robin's lips spread into a fully-fledged grin, and a part of her feels unnerved at how at ease he makes her feel. She's known him for all of 2 hours, if that. But the way her heart keeps tripping over itself when he traps his bottom lip with his teeth, or the way his dimples draw her eye every time he takes a pull from his drink, have her feeling emotions she thought had died along with Daniel. Foolish feelings such as hope and joy. Feelings that have no place in her life when they will only lead to further heartbreak.
Maybe she should be running back to the safety of the hatred and anger she is familiar with. Treat this criminal with the contempt he probably deserves and have nothing more to do with him.
But she's here now, and despite her misgivings, she does still have some of that foolish hope left within her. And this man sitting opposite her has her feeling slightly giddy. Feelings of affection are filling her, overwhelming her, pouring into her and mixing with the highly unladylike amount of ale she had consumed, so that her stomach is churning, that pesky hope fluttering to escape the flood of emotions.
And all because here was a man – her supposed 'soulmate' – offering her the taste of freedom she had so long been denied by both her mother and now Leopold.
Really. Who was she to say no?
"There you are darling, freedom from those infernal contraptions."
They'd finally come to a halt, and Regina at least was glad to see that she was not the only one to be less than pleased at their impromptu test of athleticism.
The steed that they'd managed to coerce into escaping with them brayed and snorted at Robin as he slid the bridle from its chestnut muzzle, as if to say 'thanks a lot', and Regina couldn't blame it. A cold shower followed by a rampant chase through the woods is hardly how she would like to be woken either.
"You're a madman," she panted, leaning against a tree, trying to catch her breath and relieve her burning leg muscles. (Surprisingly, spending your days locked in a palace doesn't allow for much in the way of exercise or keeping fit.) "I thought you said we were just going to have 'a bit of fun.' Not 'we're going to douse those guards with the entirety of the water tower and then flee for our lives because for some reason they won't much like it.'"
"It was fun!" Robin defended. "This what living feels like milady. You've got to open up your eyes to what life can really be."
"Oh yes. I'm really living. And I suppose stealing a horse while we were there was all part of your perfect plan was it?" Regina groused as she plucked a stray leaf from her hair. It was no doubt an absolute rats nest by now. Long, wavy hair didn't lend itself to chases through the woods even at the best of times, let alone when it was loose and flying behind her.
"Naturally. I had to gain something from this expedition. Other than spending more time with you obviously."
Robin, of course, was grinning smugly at her a few feet away, looking more exhilarated than exhausted, and it only increased her exasperation at him, his casual flirtation, infuriatingly having far more effect on her than she'd like. 'Add distractingly good looking and charming to his list of crimes', she thought begrudgingly.
" – wanted for crimes against the people of Nottingham, including but not limited to; larceny, fraud, and damage to personal property. A reward of 1,000 gold coins awaits any who can provide valuable information as to his whereabouts –"
The voice of the black guard fades into the hubbub of the crowd as it begins to disperse, many villagers no doubt launching immediately into discussions of where they might have seen the legendary Robin Hood.
"You're insane" Regina mutters, pulling the hood of her borrowed cloak further over her face. "This whole place is crawling with people after your head and yet you willingly want to cause a scene. And I must be insane too, for agreeing to come with you"
"Nonsense" chuckles Robin, "I doubt anyone here would know they've found Robin Hood even if they sat on my head, and trust me, a few have tried." He says, as he throws her a saucy wink. Regina isn't sure whether to scoff or laugh, and as a result ends up producing a rather unladylike snort that would make her mother rage with disapproval. But Robin only grins wider, blue eyes sparkling, before grabbing her hand to pull her into a run.
And if Regina uses her free hand to cling onto her hood, drawing it further across her brow, it's only to ensure her face is well hidden from the crowds of onlookers, not at all to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks.
tbc