After a while they come to a lake and Robin stops the horse which pulls Regina completely out of her thoughts. "We'll rest here." He says and gets off the horse, looking up at her and offering his help again. She looks down at him for a moment but accepts his offer. Placing her hands on his shoulders he lays his own on her hips and slowly lifts her off the horse. Once she's standing on her own feet she looks up. Meeting those kind blue eyes. She slowly takes her hands away from his shoulders. But Robin doesn't move, he just looks at her as she after a while clears her throat. "Thanks." She says and his thoughts find back to reality. "You're welcome." He answeres with a nod and takes his hands away from her hips. The blush on his cheeks didn't stay unnoticed showing that was kind of awkward for him. Regina has to bite away a cheeky grin and just looks at the lake, it's really a beautiful sight actually..flowers around the trees that stand at the water which is very clear, almost like a mirror. She walks towards it and stops, a thought comes into her head. When she was a girl, she and her father often went to the lakes in the forest. They removed their shoes and walked around in the water in summer. The lakes have always been too cold to bath in them even in summer. But Regina and her dad had fun anyway. "What are you thinking about ?" This voice again interrupts her memories and she rolls her eyes before turning around to throw an insult at him. He stands right behind her, not expecting her to make such a move he just stands there and grins, waiting for her insult. He crosses his arms and raises his brows expectingly. "I'm thinking about this damn day and how relieving it will be to finally have you out of my sight !" Robin's expression doesn't change much. His grin just widens which annoys Regina even more. "Is that so ?" He asks challengingly. "Oh yes, it is." She bites at him. Suddenly the horse that was drinking from the lake's water now stands lazily behind Robin and breathes deeply right in his neck. The expression on his face changes instantly to a stare that he gives the horse. When he looks back at her she grins mischievously and raises a brow. Robin just frowns already smelling that she was pleased to let go a comment. "Well, well..look at the both of you. Aren't you making a lovely couple ?" She smirks wickedly. Robin looks at her, speechless. He doesn't know what's the strangest thing about that now..Regina joking around about him in the most amusing way or the horse treating him like his closest mate. Oh how he wishes to take away this stupid smirk on her lips..and to replace it with the same expression like his right now. "Seems like the horse is ready to go." That damn smile still there and they make their way back to Regina's castle. It takes almost 2 hours until they're finally there. Regina tells a group of her guards to get the carriage back from the forest and the men who are still outside there, surching for her, as she was told. She then finally leaves him to get something to eat after this long journey and then finally enters her chambers. What a day..she thinks.
The next few days Regina's busy. After about a week working on her duties, she finally gets a free morning without being disturbed or woken up. She decided to go outside to her gardens where she can think and relax from the whole responsibilities. She sits at a wooden bench in the middle of her gardens. That's one of her favourite places of the castle. Because there's her apple tree which had been in her possession since she was a little girl. She often just sits there and watches it as she does now. Just this day obviously wasn't meant to be one of those as she heard a noise that pulls her out of her thoughts. The bushes a few steps away from the bench move and she narrows her eyes. "Who's there ?" She asks in a threatening voice. To her surprise a little boy comes out and looks at her with fear in his eyes at her harsh tone. Regina's feature softens when she looks at him. "Who are you ?" She questions in a much calmer voice which causes the fear in his eyes vanish instantly and he took one more step toward her. "I'm Roland.." he says shyly. "I was playing hiding with my papa..but then I got lost.." the little pout on his lips filled her heart with warmth. She tilts her head and looks down at him as he steps closer and climbs on the bench next to her. "Well, I'm certain your papa is going to find you, my dear." "Can you stay with me until he comes and finds me..?" There's a cute smile on his lips now and Regina can't just let this sweet little boy go if he doesn't even know where he is. "Of course you can." She gives him a warm smile in return and his just widens until deep adorable dimples are showing up. "Thank you." He looks at her and tilts his head a bit to the side. "Can I sit on your lap..?" The shy smile he's giving her touches her heart so she just carefully lifts him up and pulls him on her lap. Satisfied, he looks up at her. "You're beautiful.." Regina's heart jumps at his words. "Thank you.." she answers with a kind smile. "What's your name ?" "I'm Regina." His eyes widen. "You're the queen ?" He says with surprise and his mouth hanging open. "Yes I am." Actually she expects to see him getting afraid but what she saw was no fear...but excitement. "Woah..I thought the queen looks different. You don't look evil." He admits and Regina wonders why he's not scared..why he seems like he had an open heart for everyone who didn't want to harm him. This boy looks at her like she's normal and not feared.."Why are you here on your own ?" He asked after checking the surroundings, snapping her back to reality. "Well, I come here to think, where no one disturbs me. And I just love this place, it's quite beautiful..and because of this apple. She points at it with a smile. "I've had it since I was about your age." He looks at it and then back at her and she gives him a wink. "But an apple tree can't speak." He says like it's a very important point that he's proud of knowing about. "Aren't you feeling lonely ?" That question kinda makes her think. Does she feel lonely ? One thing she knew for sure, she didn't want the little boy to worry. "No, I think everyone needs a bit time for themselves sometimes." She smiles down at kindly. "But you don't need to be alone anymore. Cuz I'm with you now." He says with a grin and wraps his tiny arms around her waist..That freezes her for a moment. No one has hugged her for a very long time especially so lovingly and this boy just does like she had done something incredible.
Time passes and they sit there for a while. Roland has his head rested against her shoulder and looks up at the sky. Regina holds him with one arm and with the other she slowly strokes through his curly brown hair as he suddenly speaks: "My mommy is up there with the angels since I was a baby." When she hears his words her heart breaks and she tightens her grip around him as to show him she was there. But before she can say something Roland continues: "My papa said she looks down at me and protects me from danger. Do you think that's true ?" Regina smiles softly and slowly nods "I know it's true because my parents are up there too.." She whispers like it was a secret she was telling him, causing it to sound less sad. He looks at her surprised and she nods. "Your mommy always watches you even if you can't see her. She takes care of you from there no matter what you do. And you know what..? You see the colours at the sky every morning and evening like now ?" She asks pointing up to the orange-purple coloured sky. When he nods she continues: "That's the way she says good morning and good night..when you look up and see that coloures she reminds you that she loves you and that she's always there, never leaving your side even if she's with the angels." Roland being fully astonished, looks up and smiles. "Good morning back mommy." He waves up at the sky then looks at Regina with his big brown eyes and takes her face in his little hands, smiling sweetly. "Do you think my mommy meets your parents there sometimes?" He asks in a whisper so being sure just she could hear. "I'm quite sure." Regina whispers back .."You want to play with me later when my papa is here ?" That simple question sounds so strange to her. "I would really love to but as you know, I'm the queen who has a lot of things to do. I do hope you can understand that dear.." Roland looks up at her with a little pout but then he nods. "I understand. Maybe another day then.." His expression changes to a grin again and he hugs her. The second time..she can't remember being hugged two times a day before.
Meanwhile Robin walks through the gardens, surching for his son. They aren't quite small so it takes time to find someone there. He just hopes that he'll find him soon. After a while surching, he comes to the middle of the royal gardens, suddenly hearing someone talking. Taking a few more steps towards where the voices come from, he hides behind some bushes and sees the unbelievable. His son with a grin sitting on the lap of the queen and she...smiles ? The sight freezes him and for a while he just stares at them. What the hell !? She's never given him a true smile before and then such a beautiful one, but his son ? He would never understand that woman. So he raises a brow and in the next steps out of his hiding place and towards them.