AN: Thank you all for reading my humble story, and I thank you sincerely for your reviews. I do have a plan for where I'm going with this, and I hope to update once or twice per week, depending on how much time I have.
For a bit more of an explanation, after watching "The Stable Boy", I was truly convinced that Regina, at one time, had a good heart and was fully capable of loving someone the way Snow loves James in the show. I also believe that Snow White was innocent in all that transpired, and though she didn't want Regina to lose her mother like she did, I believe that it would have been equally plausible that, due to Snow's affection for Regina, she would keep her secret. That is where this story comes from.
If anyone is wondering, Snow White will be making an appearance in the story, and in fact, will play a prominent part, as the friendship between Regina and Snow will take second seat only to her relationship with Daniel. However, I want to get Regina and Daniel settled into their lives before reintroducing Snow, and due to their desire to stay hidden from her mother, there will not be contact for quite some time between them. Why this is important will become evident later and is linked to how I plan to veer this story toward canonical events between James and Snow and the eventual culmination of the curse. (Fear not - and in some cases, I'm sure, my apologies - for there will be no cursed Storybrooke in this story, as it is set purely in the Enchanted Forest.)
Lastly, please forgive any errors. I edit and proof my own material, and sometimes don't catch everything on the first, second, or third pass! Feel free to enlighten me of any errors and I will do my due diligence to correct them. Also, I am not good at coming up with names, so please bear with me. And now, on with the show!
Disclaimer: I don't own "Once Upon a Time" or the characters that are portrayed within the show. I'm merely borrowing them for a while without thought or intent for my own personal gain.
Chapter 2 - Arennd
It was still fairly early in the morning when Daniel and Regina entered the small, idyllic village of Arennd. Thatch-roofed houses and a few scattered shops lined both sides of the solitary dirt road that divided the village into it's two quaint districts, before passing onward to the north through the Ephrayan countryside to the Capital, and finally, terminating at the foot of the Royal Castle. Most of the homes that lined the road were ordinary, single family homes, not much larger than two bedrooms and a family space. There were a few slightly larger homes, which mostly stood out due to the intricate horse motif woodwork that decorated their porches.
There was no large central market in Arennd. Once a week, the villages farmers and what few tradesmen lived within it's confines would journey fifteen miles to the north to Durrel, a much larger, mercantile town. Today, however, was not such a day, and most of the villagers were busily at work.
What few shops there were had opened. There was a butchery and a small vegetable and fruit exchange on the eastern side. The town's blacksmith - who also served as farrier - had his shop to the west, along with the the cobbler and tailor. There was virtually no crime in the town, and so there was no need for any kind of law enforcement. Everyone in Arennd knew and trusted one another.
A smattering of people milled about down the side of the road, going this way or that, attending to their daily business. Most of them did not spare a glance at the young couple riding into the village, but a few curious individuals gave them notice. Daniel sensed a spark of recognition in a few of them, although he doubted any of them they truly recognized him. It had been nearly six years since he had last visited his Aunt Vera and Uncle Travis, and he had spent most of his time here on their property.
As he and Regina rode slowly down the road, he found himself easily remembering his time here. He had been nearly eighteen years old the last time he had come, as he had every spring since he was ten, to apprentice for a season at his Aunt and Uncle's farm. It was the largest in the region and his uncle was one of the best horsemen in the Kingdom, so it was natural that his parents would send him to Arennd to learn to tend the stables, breed the horses, and care for the foals from birth to adulthood. Riding lessons were not an issue, as almost all children in the Kingdom begun getting experience with horses when they could walk, from riding with their parents to riding themselves once they were strong enough to do so. Daniel himself had begun riding on his own when he was six years old.
But his Uncle Travis had taught him everything he knew about horses and horsemanship, for it had been the plan that Daniel would take over the estate, as his Aunt and Uncle had no children. He was named their heir on his sixteenth birthday. Beyond that, he knew they loved him as a son, for they treated him as one, and he loved them just as fiercely in return. Daniel could hardly wait to feel his Aunt Vera's arms around him and to shake his Uncle Travis' familiar, well-worn hand.
"This place brings back some wonderful memories," he said then, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen. He allowed his eyes to wander and take in sights long unseen. "This is where I was taught all the most important things about horses. Everything I've been teaching you, I learned here from my Uncle Travis. It was like a second home to me."
Regina shifted a bit in discomfort at having ridden for so long without rest. But she smiled softly at his obvious happiness at returning to the beautiful, little country village. "You often talked of your Aunt and Uncle. I assume then that they love close by?"
"They do," Daniel nodded. "I loved every moment of my time here. I would always spend my winters at home dreaming about what I would do and learn the coming spring. By the time the last snow had fallen, I would be so restless, my mother would often scold me, half-heartedly of course."
"Why ever did you leave then?" she replied, genuine curiosity overtaking her. This was a subject she had never felt comfortable broaching. She knew he would tell her when he was ready, and she was content to let things develop between them naturally. But seeing the clear joy and delight on his face made her wonder.
Daniel nudged the horse westward at one of the two branches in the village off of the main road. He shrugged and allowed a crooked grin to spread across his lips. "Fate had other plans," he said simply, as if that were answer enough. It was not.
Regina nudged him playfully in the ribs and bit her lip to hold in a delighted giggle when he jerked and gave a tiny yelp. He looked at her crossly for a moment before rolling his eyes at the girlish glee in her eyes. "What?"
"You're going to have to do better than that," she declared with a grin. Leaving one hand settled at his waist, she gestured at him with the other. "Elaborate."
He gave a sigh of feigned annoyance before turning his attention back to guiding their horse, Sebastian, down the path that lead to his Aunt and Uncle's estate. "I suppose if you must know..."
"I must," Regina interrupted, returning her other hand to his hip and giving him a squeeze.
Daniel covered her hand with his own. "Six years ago," he began, his voice clear and bright. "I was out training a special horse." He turned his face to her briefly, as if sharing a secret. "My uncle breeds and trains the King and Queen's animals, you see." He turned his attention back to the road. "This horse was to be the King's personal campaign horse for the Ogre wars that had flared up again at the time. While I was training him to jump, a wealthy Baron from Landervas was riding by."
Regina almost interrupted him at the mention of the Kingdom of Leopold in which she lived, but she held her tongue.
Daniel continued. "He had recently purchased a stables near the border to the Lonely Forest, near a town called Charwood, and he was looking for someone to run it."
He paused for a moment and patted Sebastian's neck. In the near distance, he could see the familiar pillars of the home he had spent so much of his childhood in. They were close. His heart sped up slightly. He then felt Regina's hands tighten as her quick intelligence drew out the inevitable conclusion.
"My father?" she asked him, seeking confirmation as she already knew the answer.
Daniel nodded once. "Your father. He watched and questioned me for hours and was suitably impressed. He asked to meet my Uncle, and they spoke for some time. They came to an agreement that I would manage his new stables, garnering much needed experience for myself, and the skills I possessed for your father's benefit. I would be in your father's service until such time as my Uncle required my return. In exchange, your father invested heavily into my Uncle's business."
They rode along for quite a while in silence as Regina contemplated his words. She knew her father had been the one responsible for bringing Daniel into her life. She knew that it was his decision to bring Daniel on to the stables at their estate after Gerald's death. But, she had no idea he had been so long in her father's employ and that her father had personally hired him and brought him to Landervas.
"The stables at Charwood," she considered thoughtfully. She knew how important that project had been to her father. Her mother had never shared their interest in horses, preferring to spend her free time with her face buried in some magical tome or another, or perhaps frightening the life out of one of their servants who had not done their jobs just so. But her father had spent hours and hours pouring over documents and letters pertaining to those stables. Regina had known that it was something that was important to her father, and when something was important to him, he dove in hand and foot. Daniel, then, had to also have been important to him. Her mind raced. "No wonder Daddy trusted him with me," she said to herself, "the stables at Charwood went from insignificance to being personally inspected by King Leopold on his tour of the Kingdom. And that was all Daniel's doing."
Regina was beyond impressed, and a little confused. Neither her, nor Daniel, had made mention of his time at the Charwood stables. He instead had taken on the position of a lowly stable boy. But why? After all he had done for her father, why would he agree to take on what was obviously a demotion. Why had her father taken him from Charwood? Last she had heard from her father, and it occured to her now that it had been some time since he had talked openly of it, it was doing better than ever. Was it all for her benefit? Had both her father and Daniel agreed that teaching her was the best use of his skills? These questions burned in her mind.
But as the family estate loomed suddenly very large, Daniel's demeanor changed. Things did not quite look as they did when he had left. The manor had an additional wing on it's western side, and the stables were no longer of ten horse capacity, but had expanded to accommodate perhaps as many as 50 horses. There was a new stable in the distant east, and also a new foaling stall. His face fell for a moment in disappointment as he realized the magnitude of their flight. "I have now broken my agreement with your father and his with my Uncle in consequence."
"For my sake," Regina murmured, trying to comfort him, as she too took in the impressive sight of the large farm she realized her father's money had helped to build. She leaned her head against his back and sighed. It pained her to see such an expression on his face and her the cause of it. "I'm sorry." She tilted her face back up to watch his face. But the disappointment was gone, replaced by firm resolve.
"No more of that," he said. "No more 'sorries' for either of us. I would do anything, and make any sacrifice to be with you. I don't regret a moment of what's transpired, and I can't imagine there will be a time that I ever will."
Tears pricked at Regina's eyelids, but she refused to let them fall. She was agreed, no more sadness and no more regrets. She said the only thing she could say, pouring her soul into three words. "I love you."
Daniel smiled the most genuine, lovely smile she had seen all day long. "I love you, too."
No other words were needed as he nudged Sebastian with his spurs and the horse cantered the short distance remaining to the boundary fence of his family's farm. Spreading into the distance, horses could be seen grazing or standing lazily in the now-midday sun. Their black coats shimmered and gleamed in the light, and combined with the distinctive patterns on their foreheads, must have made for an awe inspiring sight to someone like Regina, who had never before seen the most famous horse in all the Ten Kingdoms.
In a country known for it's horses and horsemen, the fifty mile area centering around the city of Durrel was perhaps the most famous due to the perfect grazing country. But it was especially noted for the stock of horse bred there, a large, athletic, black-haired animal known abroad as the Durrel - naturally taking it's name after the region from whence it originated. Locals, however, referred to the breed as the Swordsman, due to the almost miraculously straight line of white hair that stretched down their long snouts, thinning to meet at the tip of the nose, and another across the front of their brows - forming the distinctive hilt and blade of a broadsword. He looked forward to watching Regina ride one in the coming days.
After a few more paces, Daniel brought Sebastian to a stop in front of the gate and lighted off him before helping Regina down. Now off of their horse for the first time in hours, they contented themselves to stretch their legs and arms and bask in the sun. There were few clouds in the bright, blue sky, and the air was still chilly, but after coming through the dark, empty cold of the Lonely Forest, the feel of the chilly day in Arennd was most wondrous.
After a few brief moments of respite, he tied Sebastian off to the fence and carefully opened the gate. He took Regina's hand. "Are you ready?"
She grinned in reply. "Are you?"
Daniel took her face in his hands and pressed a soft kiss to her slightly chapped lips. "As long as you're with me, I'm ready for anything."
Regina stepped away from him blushing and ducked her head. But then she took his hands into her own and looked confidently toward the home before them. "Then, by all means, let's go meet your family!" And they were off through the gate and headed down the path that lead to their future.