***Set during Heroes and Villains ***
Trigger Warning: Dub-con
Pairings: Snow White/Charming, Robin/Regina - briefly implied (LOL, I had to include SOME!)
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Revenge was literally in her hands in the form of a heart beating hard and strong under her fingers.
Not for long, though.
Soon she would crush it the way her hope had been.
"Please," the other woman begged a tear rolling down her cheek, "Don't do this!"
A sinister smirk played at her lips at the plea.
As she tensed to pulled the heart from her chest, the air whistled and she was hit by a sharp radiating pain.
She tumbled backward hitting the ground hard.
Above her Regina gasped at the sight of the arrow protruding from the right side of her chest.
Hoof beats thundered through the forest as the archer on horse back appeared.
"Take my hand!" he ordered
Regina hesitated.
Snow White lifted her hand to attempt to draw the arrow out with magic, but her strength was already fading.
Charming's sword clanged as he pulled it from its sheath. Regina and the archer both drew an arrow in response.
"M'lady, we must go now!" the mysterious man insisted. With a huff, Regina slung her bow over her her shoulder and accepted the man's outstretched hand, allowing him to pull her onto the back of his horse.
Stowing his bow, he spurred the horse into a gallop.
"No!" Snow screamed drawing all her strength to conjure up a fireball which she hurled after them.
Snow's head spun as she watched Regina's back bouncing away from her in the distance. Her vision began to blacken as she slumped forward onto the forest floor.
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She woke as the ground beneath her jostled. The pain was indescribable. She tried to draw a breath, but it felt like her chest was being crushed.
She tried to cry out through it, but that only made it worse. The pain radiated through her entire body, leaving her tensing through it with gritted teeth.
She did cry out, however, when an arm snaked its way around her shoulders lifting her into a sitting position.
A metal cup clanged against her teeth as the person pushed it against her mouth. She attempted to turn away, but an insistent hand held her head in place forcing her to drink.
Instinctively, she swallowed the liquid flooding her mouth surprised to find that it was only water. Fresh, clean water that seemed to cool overwhelming pain.
A calm sensation swept over her and, without even having the chance to think better of it, she relaxed back into the arms of her rescuer, falling into a deep sleep.
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Snow awoke to the crackling of a fire and a gentle breeze chilling her face. She opened her eyes, finding herself laying on the ground on a blanket more rough than any she'd normally sleep on. Above her a white canvas making part of a rough lean-to shelter rustled in the wind.
Rolling over slowly, she found that she still had the memory of incredible pain, but that it, along with the arrow that had previously been lodged her chest, was gone.
She pressed a hand to where it had been, finding a hole in her dress crisp with dried blood, but no broken skin.
Steadying herself with both hands on the ground, she took in her surroundings. One of her black steeds grazed absently nearby, and about 10 feet from her a fire burned large. Snow squinted as she noticed a figure through the flames.
Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of a blond man in dark breeches and a white shirt came into view.
"James!" she gasped.
When he turned, however, she realized her mistake. Of course it wasn't James. James was dead.
Charming walked to the other side of the camp fire and knelt to her level.
"You're out of uniform, Charming," she remarked unkindly.
He ignored her.
"Where are the other knights?" she questioned, glancing around. It was clear that they were alone.
Charming looked at her expectantly. With an eyeroll, she lifted her hand to lift the silencing spell. It was a simple thing, but even that took considerable effort, letting her know that her magic was still very weak.
"They-" he began, clearing his throat against the roughness from lack of use, "They fled."
"What do you mean fled?!" she demanded.
"When they saw you were shot, they assumed you were going to die. I only managed to grab one horse. They took the rest, along with the carriage."
Taking deep angry breaths, she hissed out, "They left their queen to die?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Charming answered, "Though you can understand why-"
"Oh, can you?!" she yelled.
"Yes," he answered, unphased by her anger, "Because no matter what anyone did you would have died if..."
"If what?"
"If I had not brought you here," Charming answered.
Snow looked around, taking note of her surroundings. It was a wooded area by the bank of a body of water.
"What is this place?" she asked genuinely.
"Lake Nostos."
Her head whipped around to him, "Lake Nostos?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," he nodded.
"This is one of the most magical places in all the land, how could someone like you have found such a place?"
"Everyone has heard legends..." he answered, pausing before continuing, "...I suppose I was simply determined enough."
"Determined?" Snow asked, "Why?"
"Why?" he repeated.
"Yes, why?" she insisted, "You brought me here to save me, clearly, but why would you do that? Do you expect I'll reward you for not leaving me to die?"
For the first time during their conversation he actually looked angry, "I know you better than that...Your Majesty."
"Then why save me?" she asked suspiciously.
He glared at her, "Isn't it obvious?"
In fact it wasn't, and her expression must have reflected as much.
Clenching his fist, he glared into the fire, "Do you think I want to love someone like you? After all you've done...do you think I like it?!"
She blinked, "You...you love me?"
"That's what I just said isn't it?" he answered bitterly.
"Why?" she asked skeptically.
He barked out a harsh laugh, "I've asked myself that many times."
He waited so long to continue that she was about to demand an answer, but before she could get a word out he lifted his eyes to meet hers, "The only explanation I've come up with is that part of you must still be good...must still be the woman my brother loved."
Her mouth dropped open, but no words came out.
"Wait!" she grabbed his hand, as he made to rise to his feet.
With uncharacteristic hesitation she held his hand gently. She shouldn't be doing this. She'd sworn she'd never let herself be this vulnerable again, but the way he was looking at her...no one had looked at her that way in so long.
Leaning upward, Snow pressed her lips to his. She'd never kissed him before. She'd taken him to her bed many times. Nights of raw passion driven by anger were what they were best at. She loved knowing that even as he fucked her hard and fast, making all of his hatred obvious, she controlled him every other minute of the day.
She never kissed him, though.
Not until now.
He kissed her deeply, tempting her to lose herself in the sensuality of it. Once she began to do so, however, he tore his lips away from hers and gripped the back of her neck harshly.
Instinctively she raised her hand, but he grabbed her wrist before she could conjure a fireball.
"My name is David," he said firmly, eyes boring into hers, "I am not my brother."
Snow stared back, understanding the meaning behind his words. Slowly she nodded in agreement.
With that his grip softened and he gently cupped the back of her head as he pulled her lips back to his own...
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Snow White awoke the next morning with a heart beating hard and strong under her fingers. This time, though, it was underneath warm flesh.
She lifted her head from David's chest, taking in the morning sun over Lake Nostos. The most magical body of water in Misthaven where he had taken her to save her life.
Snow picked up his discarded cloak, and wrapped herself in it as she stood to look out over the water.
After a few moments of peaceful silence, David appeared behind her, gently wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
She allowed herself to lean back into his embrace as she took a deep breath, "We should go."
"Go?" he asked.
Snow turned in his arms, "That man from yesterday. The one who shot me. I've seen him before. He's the bandit of Sherwood Forest. The one they call Robin Hood. That's where Regina will be!"
David gaped at her, "But I thought-"
"You thought what?" she cut him off, "That one night of sweet lovemaking would fix everything? That you could change me? Make me forget what she did to me?!"
The disappointment was evident in his expression, but he simply shook his head, "No, Your Majesty."
Turning, she stormed across to the lean-to so that she could gather up her clothing.
"You can go, if you want," she said, "You saved my life. I suppose that means you've earned your freedom."
"No," he answered.
"No?" she asked.
"I meant what I said," David answered, "I know who you are, my Queen. If getting revenge against Regina is what you need to find peace I'll help you."
Snow's breath caught in her throat. She swallowed hard before speaking, "Then get the horse ready to ride...she can't have gotten far."
THE END
