(A/N-This was inspired by the movie Gone With The Wind, and a manip I saw over two years ago with Regina in Scarlett's red dress with Robin holding her in his arms. Special thanks to Mint18 for betaing this story. I have been wanting to do a civil war fic with these two for such a long time. So when you're reading remember this is a time piece, men and women, well acted a tad different back then. Also I tried to make Robin like Rhett Butler and Regina like Scarlet O'Hara just a little. While I did put a scene here or there using GWTW as a reference, there will be a huge difference from the movie as I unfortunately don't own it.)
*No disclaimer needed as I helped create Outlaw Queen, not Adam or Eddie per the COWARDLY ADAM!*
On a plantation in South Carolina, in early Spring,
He strolled along the ballroom, his shoulders catching her attention, his blue eyes holding it. Beneath the super fine material of his exquisitely tailored suit, his body was strong, almost illustrious. He strode through the crowded ballroom with the supreme confidence of a man who knew what he wanted.
Regina Mills, the daughter of Henry and Cora Mills of Queen's plantation, was in the peak of her prime. She was seventeen years old, and was a beloved and somewhat spoiled daughter. She had numerous beaus, but only one had ever captured and kept her heart.
Daniel Stables, from Fourteen Oaks, a neighboring plantation. She had known Daniel all her life and she couldn't wait for the day he would ask her father for her hand in marriage. Daniel was such a sweet young gentleman and she knew he would love and care for her all their years together.
She saw Daniel on the far side of the ballroom and started to take a step towards him, when she noticed the man from moments before, was staring back at her. His hair was dark blonde almost brown and he had some stubble. His face was almost chiseled, and as she looked back at him, he smirked at her, with the most amazing set of dimples she had ever seen. His eyes, the purest blue she had ever seen looked back at her without blinking, almost like a lion assessing its possible prey.
Regina, however was no naive, hapless little mouse to be plucked up for her fat dowry. Faced with such an unscrupulous stare, she lifted one eyebrow in response. Perfected during her days at finishing school, it was a pointed indication to a rude man that he was being rude, and its usual result was to send the man in question scurrying off in abashed dismay.
Not this man.
Instead of looking away, he looked down, and those bold eyes roved with unnerving thoroughness over her person, from head to toe and back, pausing for a little more than was the social norm at the neckline of her gown, reminding her how low it was cut.
For no reason at all, she blushed, heat spreading outward from where his gaze lingered at her breasts to all the other parts of her body, down her legs and along her arms, up her neck and into her face. Her toes curled in her satin slippers, and without thinking, she lifted one gloved hand, to her chest to shield herself from his ill-mannered observation.
His thick lashes lifted and his eyes met hers again, their corners creased with amusement, one corner of his mouth curved up in a faint smirk.
Furious, Regina tore her gaze away, and as she did, she caught sight of a footman carrying a tray filled with glasses. Feeling in desperate need of a drink, she plucked one of the glasses from his tray as he passed, and ignoring her mother's disapproving stare, she drowned half the cream sherry it contained in one swallow.
She passed by a group of women gossiping, "He is a handsome cad, but his reputation is not one that a family in the south would have."
"Where is he from?" another woman asked.
"He's from New York, his family is the Locksleys from Locksley Manufacturing," another woman said.
"And his name?" one asked.
"Robin, Robin Locksley," one answered.
Regina shook her head and headed towards the gazebo to meet Daniel. She thought of the warmth in his eyes, his tenderness, and the way he pulled her close, she knew she would be in love with him forever. He loved her and he could give her everything she wanted in life.
She looked forward to his proposal, Daddy would agree to the match, of course. Once her father gave his permission, she and Daniel would announce their engagement straight away, perhaps even right here at this ball. She saw that it was nearing midnight, when Daniel and her had agreed to meet.
She exited a side door, hearing a group of gentlemen talk about the war that was coming. Regina didn't care about all this war talk, she wanted to meet up with Daniel.
She headed towards the gazebo and saw Daniel standing there, he turned as he heard her coming. His boyish face took on an expression of pleasure and relief at the sight of her.
"Regina," he held out his hand, and she crossed to stand before him. Through the fabric of their gloves, his fingers felt warm and reassuring as they clasped her. "You came."
"Did you think I wouldn't?" Regina asked.
He gave her a disarming smile. "I wasn't sure. It's not as if you wear your heart on your sleeve, my dear."
"Neither do you. At least..." she paused, feeling shy all of a sudden. "You never have before."
"I know. Even I don't understand what's come over me. All I know is that when I saw you come tonight, I couldn't wait another hour to tell you how much I love and adore you. I want to spend my life caring for you and making you happy, Regina," Daniel said.
He paused, and though she'd known proposing marriage was his intent, she still felt a thrill as he sank to one knee.
"Regina,...will you..." he paused again, but though the silence was agonizing, she relished it. This wasn't the only offer of marriage she had ever received, but it was the first one since then that she wanted to accept.
But the proposal never came. Instead, another male voice spoke, one that was deeply shocked and unmistakable Northern.
"Oh, I do say!" the voice said.
Even before she turned, Regina could make a fair guess to whom that drawling, well-bred voice belonged to, and when she looked over her shoulder, she found her awful suspicion confirmed by the sight of Robin Locksley standing near the gazebo.
"I'm so sorry," his eyes widened in pretense of innocence, but his knowing smile made short work of both his innocent air and his apology. "Have I interrupted an special moment?"
"You! What are you doing here?" Regina asked.
"It's such a beautiful night, I decided to take a walk," Robin Locksley gaze moved to Daniel as the other man rose from his knees. "And a good thing, too. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened."
"Walk, my eye," she muttered, "You followed me."
"I did," he answered without looking at her, "though it wasn't really necessary to do so. I know that if a lady is going to be compromised a gazebo is a fine place to start."
"That's enough!" Daniel took a step forward. "This is a private conversation. Leave at once."
"I don't believe I will," Robin said, folding his arms across his wide chest.
"Oh this is ridiculous," Regina burst out, "I am not being compromised."
"Granted, I've been in the south long enough to know, that no gentleman with honorable intentions, would ask a young lady to meet him in this clandestine fashion," Robin said.
"I said, that is enough!" Daniel shouted.
"What, did I touch a nerve?" Robin asked, smiling. "Or do you intend to claim that luring a young lady out for a midnight assignation is an honorable course?"
"You sir are no gentlemen," Daniel said.
"That's rich coming from you," Robin said, "after what you did three days ago."
Regina looked from Robin to Daniel, "What does he mean, Daniel?"
Daniel stared at Robin, before looking down at Regina, "I have no idea my dearest."
"Really? Should I refresh your memory then?" Robin asked.
"Shut your mouth!" Daniel shouted and started towards Robin.
"And if I don't?" Robin unfolded his arms, straightened away from the door frame, and took a step forward as the other man approached him. "What will you do?
Daniel stopped, still a few feet away, and Regina heard him take a deep, steadying breath. "As much as I'd like to take you down a notch or two, it would be unthinkable to brawl in front of a lady."
"My, my, such chivalry," Robin laughed, a low, deep laugh of unmistakable mockery. "Or perhaps, it's just cowardice."
This taunt proved too much even for Daniel to bear. With a roar of outrage, he took the last few steps and struck out with his fist, but Robin ducked, evading the blow. In the same instant, his own fist came up, catching Daniel hard under the chin, sending him stumbling backward. Two more lightning strikes, one straight beneath his ribs and the other hard to the jaw, and Daniel hit the wall behind him. He sank to the floor.
"Oh, no," Regina hurried forward as he slumped sideways to the ground. "Daniel, are you alright?" But he didn't answer.
The tap of footsteps had her looking up at Robin, "He's unconscious."
Robin didn't spare more than the briefest glance at the unmoving figure on the ground. "He'll be alright."
"You knocked him out!" Regina yelled.
"So I did," Robin tugged on his cuffs. "A most gratifying experience."
"Why would you do this? You don't even know me?" Regina asked.
"No," he paused, "but I know him."
"You're a monster," Regina said as she stood up and started to slap her hands on his chest, Robin captured her hands and held them, restraining her from hitting him further.
"Calm down!" Robin said. She tried to pull free of his grip, but it was futile. All of a sudden his eyes locked with hers.
"What are you doing?" Regina asked.
"Doing what I've wanted to do since laying eyes on you," Robin said as he leaned down and kissed her.
With her velvety lips beneath his and her lithe body pressed against him, Robin felt as if the earth were caving under his feet and his body had been lit on fire.
He had known one day he would marry, and he had practiced kissing with many a woman and then some. Suddenly, giving all his kisses to just one woman for the rest of his life, seemed more like delight than deprivation.
Regina pulled back and as she looked into his eyes, she realized her hands were loose, not just free from Robin's, but had curled around his shoulders. She pulled them back and reared back and slapped him hard across the face but Robin just laughed and started to walk off.
Her night had been ruined because of Robin Locksley, and if she never saw him again it would be too soon.
Little did she know that this would not be the worst night of her life...that there would be many, more bad nights to come as one week later, Fort Sumter was fired on signalling the beginning of the Civil War.
(A/N-Now while I am going to lightly cover items about the war, I do not plan on going to heavily into the dynamics of the war itself. I'm going to focus on the relationship between Robin and Regina instead.)