Here's the next chapter everyone! Regina and Robin's conversation.

CHAPTER THREE

Regina felt her breath hitch as Robin, John, and Will bowed before her. This was something she never wanted to see. And the look in his eyes as he looked up at her almost choked her. His eyes were dark with betrayal. She'd worn that look herself, when Snow had admitted telling Cora about Daniel. She tried to give him a silent and pleading look, hoping he'd understand, but he looked away.

"Well, everyone, let's come inside," King Leopold said, gesturing for Regina to walk with him, so they'd look like a regular married couple. He was always determined to keep up the farce of their supposed 'marriage,' and this time was unaware that there were people who already knew something was wrong.

They walked into the Great Hall towards their thrones, although they didn't sit. The king turned to face his guests, and Regina tried to subtly catch Robin's eyes, but he was determined not to look at her it seemed.

"Snow, darling, you should go get ready for dinner, and we can let our guests change and freshen up."

"Regina," the girl turned to her with a bright smile. Regina attempted to smile back at her, but she could feel it looked forced. "Will you come and help me pick out a dress?" she asked, hopefully.

Normally Regina would have tried to make some excuse, but it was a perfect escape for now. She needed to regroup.

"Sure, dear, let's go," she said, ducking out and following her step daughter from the Great Hall.

Snow chattered about her excitement for the show all the way up the long stone stairs to her room. Thankfully, as usual, the child was so involved in hearing herself talk, that she didn't seem to notice her step-mother's lack of attention. It wasn't until Snow was actually trying on gowns that Regina couldn't stare off into space any more.

Snow tried on gown after gown, asking Regina her opinion on each one.

"Snow, they all look beautiful, just a pick a color you want," Regina said, somewhat exasperated.

"I can't decide, you pick," Snow said, eagerly.

Regina found herself smiling at her step-daughter's enthusiasm, which surprised her. She couldn't remember naturally smiling at Snow since Daniel's murder. But since she'd been getting out of the palace and spending time with Robin, she hadn't felt as angry all the time. Maybe it was because she'd had something to look forward to, or Robin had had more of an impact than she thought. Either way, while she still didn't necessarily want to be around Snow all the time, she didn't imagine killing her whenever she was nearby any more.

"The pink dress looks lovely, why don't you wear that one?" she suggested. Snow's eyes lit up with more excitement.

"Okay! I will. What are you going to wear?" she asked.

"I'm sure I'll find something," Regina said, getting up. "Now, ring Johanna to help you finish getting ready."

"You should wear red," Snow suggested. "You always look so beautiful in red."

"Maybe I will," Regina said, smiling softly back at her.

When she got back to her chambers, she considered ringing her maid as she normally would to help her dress, but there was a knock on her door.

"Regina?" a man's voice called through. It was her father.

"Hi Daddy," she said, as she opened the door to let him in.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, looking concerned. "You seemed out of sorts earlier in the courtyard."

She suddenly remembered he'd been standing near her by the tree when Robin and the others walked in.

"No, everything's fine," she lied as they walked into her rooms together.

"Regina, my dear, please tell me what's going on," her father pleaded. "Do you know those men?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Why do you think that?" she asked, turning to him as she sat on her sofa.

"You've disappeared a lot lately and you won't tell me where you've been going," Henry said, sounding concerned. "So, do you know those men?"

Regina looked at her knees for a moment, and decided to tell her father the truth.

"Yes, I know them. I met them in a tavern one night about a month ago, and I've been spending time with Robin ever since."

Her father sat down next to her, looking perplexed.

"When did you go to a tavern? And how did you go alone?"

"It's a long story," Regina sighed. "And I have to get ready for dinner."

"Regina, honey," he began, taking her hand. "Is he important to you?"

"Yes," she said. "But he's probably very angry right now."

"Regina!" Tinkerbell's voice echoed as she flew over the balcony into the bed chamber. She made herself big when she was near the sofa. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you had company.

"Tinkerbell, this is my father, Henry. Daddy, this is Tinkerbell. She's the reason I met Robin."

"You know about her and Robin?" Tinkerbell asked, surprised.

"Well, I'm just starting to," Henry said.

"He's here Tinkerbell. The king hired Gwydion for Snow's birthday and he, Will and John are with him."

"Oh, and you still hadn't told him the truth," Tinkerbell said, uncomfortably.

"Yeah, and I didn't realize who the king had actually hired, so I had no idea he'd be coming," Regina said, talking faster in frustration.

"Okay," Tinkerbell said. "Well, he's here now, so you'll have to talk to him."

"I don't think he wants to talk to me," Regina said. "He looked so furious, I can only imagine what he's thinking."

"Well, we'll think of something," Tinkerbell assured her.

"I hope you do," Henry said, although he looked uncomfortable.

"You do?" Regina asked.

"Yes. Because ever since you've started disappearing, you've seemed better. Even happier. And I want you to be happy Regina. That's all I've ever wanted, and I know you haven't been since Daniel. So if this man is making you happy, fight for him. If he cares for you, and he really is right for you, he'll understand what you've been through," Henry said, suddenly determined.

"He's right Regina, when he gets over the shock and listens, he will understand," Tinkerbell said, sitting on her other side and taking her other hand.

"Okay," Regina said, taking a deep breath and standing up. "You're right."

The gong sounded, which usually signaled to dress for dinner, but today signaled the time of the show. Regina sighed.

"Well, I have to get dressed for dinner. I guess I'll try to get him alone afterwards or something. Now, I need to find something to wear to this thing."

"Do you want me to fetch your maid?" Henry asked, also standing up.

"Sure, thank you, Daddy," she said, absent mindedly.

Her father left and she walked over to her wardrobe, and searched through her gowns.

"You should try something other than these big gowns," Tinkerbell suggested, looking inside from behind you. "Don't get me wrong, some of these are beautiful, but you should try something a bit more…enticing."

"Enticing?" Regina said, confused but somewhat intrigued by the suggestion.

"Something Robin may have a hard time looking away from," Tinkerbell said with a wink.

"Oh," Regina said, a smirk growing on her face. "I don't know if I have anything would have that effect."

Tinkerbell excitedly waved her wand and green sparks floated around Regina for a moment.

"Oh, perfect!" the fairy exclaimed. "Go look in the mirror!"

Regina walked over to her vanity, and almost couldn't believe what she saw. Tinkerbell had put her in a deep burgundy dress that was form fitting and made of velvet. Her hair was in a half up do and curled.

"Wow," Regina breathed as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"That's what he and the rest will say," Tinkerbell said, enthusiastically. She turned to the mirror and said in a dramatic voice. "Mirror mirror on the wall, whose the fairest of us all? Regina."

Regina couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"Well, I only know one thing about this dress," she said, getting a satisfied look on her face. "My so-called husband will absolutely hate it. So if nothing else, there's that."

There was a knock on the door and Regina's maid stepped in the door way. Tinkerbell quickly made herself small and hid in the wardrobe.

"You summoned, Your Majesty?" Madge said, looking at her Queen in surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry Madge," Regina said, enjoying the look of shock on the young women's face. "I meant to call you off, I'm ready. If they ask, I'll be down momentarily."

"Very good, Your Majesty," she said, practically sprinting out of the room.

Tinkerbell flew out of the wardrobe, laughing.

"Well, good luck," she said, smiling. "I'll come back tomorrow and you can tell me all about it."

Regina agreed as her friend flew from her window. She took one last look in the mirror, took a deep breath, and walked from her chambers down towards the Great Hall.

She tried not to laugh when she heard everyone sucking in their breaths as she walked in. She looked up as she moved towards her place at the table and saw Snow's eyes wide and the king's looking irritated. As she took her seat, she turned her gaze to their guests. Robin, Will, John, and Gwydion all seemed to be doing their best not to stare too openly. Regina tried to catch Robin's eye but he looked away as soon as she did. She knew she couldn't be too obvious or the King would suspect. He was still glaring at her from across the table when she looked back and Regina stared at him defiantly.

Snow White broke the awkward silence, recovering from Regina's dress choice quickly.

"Gwydion, can you tell me some of the tricks, you're going to do tomorrow?" She asked excitedly.

Gwydion smiled at the princess.

"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore would it?" he said, pleasantly.

"Oh, please," she begged, much to the amusement of her father and the staff. Regina rolled her eyes.

"I can promise you Your Highness, it'll be a show you and your guests will remember," Gwydion said firmly but with a smile.

"Will one of you tell me?" Snow asked, now addressing the three assistants.

The three of them all shook their heads, looking slightly uncomfortable to have been asked something by a princess that was in direct defiance of their employer.

"Sorry, lass," Will said. "We can't reveal anything."

"Aw, but…"

"Snow, enough," Regina said, firmly.

The girl looked to her step-mother, seeming surprised.

"They told you they can't tell you their secrets," Regina began before the king could intervene. "Respect that and be patient for the show tomorrow. You'll see it all then."

When Regina said the word, 'secrets,' Snow looked at her oddly, as though she knew it meant something more but couldn't put her finger on it. Regina didn't worry about it; she had other things on her mind and really just wanted the girl to stop talking so she could find a way to silently communicate with Robin. But he was still avoiding her, looking at his plate for most of the meal.

She tried to catch him on the way out of the Hall after dinner ended, but he quickly rushed out, as did both John and Will. They were headed to their rooms, and the bachelor's corridor wasn't an area she could really be seen going to alone without rousing suspicion.

Regina took the velvet dress off that had failed her sadly. She still liked it, but it hadn't had the effect of getting Robin's attention that she'd hoped. Then again, she'd only worn another dress around him once and that was her white one from the night they met. All other times she'd basically worn riding clothes, and he'd never once seemed to find her unattractive. Was it possible he liked it better when she wasn't trying?

As she put her night clothes on, she heard the door to her chambers open.

"Daddy?" she called out, since he was the only person in the palace allowed in her room without an express invitation. After her wedding she'd given strict orders for the servants to never enter her rooms unless she summoned them first.

But when the door to her bed chamber opened, it wasn't her father who came in. It was the one person who she wasn't actually able to forbid entrance to her rooms. The king.

Regina quickly grabbed her blanket to finish covering herself up. If there was one man she never wanted to look vulnerable in front of, it was the king.

"What are you doing in here?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice firm. "I want you to leave."

"Not until I know exactly what you thought you were doing tonight."

"Having dinner with your guests," Regina said sarcastically. "At your insistence, might I add."

"So you decide to dress like a whore and make a mockery of me?" he said, anger in his eyes although his voice remained calm. "Do you know what those men were probably thinking?"

"More than you do I'm sure," Regina mumbled under a breath. The king seemed to have gotten the gist of it though.

"And you'd still let them look at you like that? You're MY wife, you have no right to let them look at you like that."

Regina simply stared at him, seething as he went on like she was simply an expensive wall ornament that only he was allowed to look at on the rare occasion he decided too.

"You don't look at me anyway so I don't see the difference," she said, with as much spite as she could muster. It was actually more than she thought, even if her anger had slowly been dissipating for awhile.

Her disappointed husband looked slightly taken aback and didn't seem to have an answer to that.

"Well," he said, trying to recover. "You won't be ordering any more clothes without my approval first. And you'll stay in your rooms tomorrow if you can't dress appropriately for my daughter's birthday."

"Fine," Regina said in a flat tone. If he thought not having to spend time with his insipid daughter was a punishment she wasn't going to correct him. "If that's what you think would be best for her."

He walked out of her chambers, and Regina heard him say to the guards,

"Make sure she stays in her chambers, until I tell you otherwise."

"Of course, Your Majesty," one of them answered.

Regina seethed internally and was tempted to try to use magic against them. She stopped herself and put her blanket back on her bed. Suddenly some green sparks flew over to her and then Tinkerbell made herself big. She had a concerned look on her face.

"God, he's a piece of work, isn't he?" she asked, as she sat down on Regina's bed.

"Whenever he bothers to look my way, yes," Regina agreed. "And now I'm basically confined in here."

"I'm sorry, I thought it was a good idea," Tinkerbell said. "I didn't realize what your husband was really like."

"I know," Regina said. "The dress didn't quite work anyway. Robin did look at me, but then avoided my eyes for the rest of dinner. He doesn't want to talk to me," she continued sadly.

Tinkerbell smiled, and took Regina's hand.

"Actually, that's a good thing. The fact that he wasn't immediately enthralled against just because you were wearing something sexy, means he really feels something for you."

"Wait," Regina said, holding her other hand up. "You didn't tell me to do that because you wanted me to get his attention?"

"I wanted to see how deep his feelings are for you at this point," she explained. "You may be soul mates, but true love takes longer. If he's hurt, it means he cares. But, now you have to ease the pain and talk to him."

"Okay, but how can I talk to him if he won't even look me in the eye?" Regina asked, worried by his aversion more now. "Plus, getting him alone won't be easy if I can't even leave my chambers."

"Oh, come on, you know I'll help you with that. Plus, you know some magic, don't you know how to transport yourself?"

"No, I hadn't gotten that far in my lessons," Regina said, again wondering if quitting her magic lessons was a hasty decision.

"But you know where he'll be sleeping?"

"Yes, he and the others will be in the bachelor's corridor, which is a long way from my chambers, and the guards are under orders not to let me leave," Regina said, frustrated.

"Okay," Tinkerbell said, taking a moment to think. "I can put the guards to sleep so you can get there without interruption."

"Thank you," Regina said, taking a deep breath and standing up. "Do you think he'll forgive me?" she said, as she grabbed her dressing gown.

"Just be honest with him. Let him understand everything, and see what happens," she said, smiling and standing up.

Together they walked towards the doors and slowly opened the doors. One of the guards turned as he heard the door open, but Tinkerbell was quick and they were both down instantly.

"Okay, that should last an hour or so," Tinkerbell said.

"Only that long?" Regina said, worried she'd need longer.

"I can stick around and put them back to sleep if they start waking up before you get back. And take some of this dust with you in case you run into anyone else. Now go see him and fix this!" Tinkerbell whispered urgently, putting a vial in Regina's hand.

Regina nodded, and started walking through the dark palace. She had explored the entire palace when she first arrived, mostly trying to find possible escape routes. And while she knew it pretty well, there were certain areas she had never been to a second time because they had proven useless to her.

One of those areas was the bachelor's corridor. She had never had another reason to venture their again, and it was very far from where any women would be sleeping, which was by design. So, it took her nearly thirty minutes just to find her way there, and she praised Tinkerbell in her head for being a good enough friend to stay with the guards to keep them asleep. Luckily, most of the servants must have been having their late dinner downstairs, since she didn't need to use the sleeping powder on anyone.

When she arrived, after trying to remember which paintings and tapestries she passed so she could find her way back, Regina then had to figure out which room Robin had been given. If she guessed wrong, she hoped that the others would at least keep quiet about her coming there.

All the doors looked the same, and there was no way to tell who was in which room. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't want to use magic if she could avoid it, that path was one she wanted to avoid going down any further.

'This is stupid,' she thought to herself. 'You're going to have to just pick one.'

But she didn't immediately move. She studied the doors, trying to focus and decide. After a moment, the second door on the left seemed to stand out.

'Well, if we're supposed to be soul mates, maybe I can sense him,' she thought, walking to the door. She slowly opened it, and walked in.

Robin was awake and sitting on the bed when she walked in. His head turned quickly and his eyes widened as she entered and closed the door.

"What are you…?" he started to ask.

"Please, I just want to talk," she said, desperately.

"About your lies?" he said in a guarded voice.

"Yes, but they weren't all lies, not really," she said, walking towards him.

Robin shook his head, an irritated and distrustful look on his face.

"Conveniently leaving out the fact that you were a queen is a pretty big lie to me," he said. "For all I know, you were just trying to get in so you could arrest common thieves or something. Although admittedly, I guess you could have done that after the first night," he continued, as though he'd been giving this thought all evening.

Regina shook her head.

"I just couldn't tell you who I really was," she said, sitting down on the bed. "I couldn't tell anyone. And, I wanted…I wanted you to know me, before you met the Queen. I wasn't going to keep it a secret forever. I just needed time to figure things out."

"Weren't you?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, it seems like you had the best of both worlds. You got to go out in disguise and have a good time playing pretend. Then you'd go back to this lap of luxury you live in. Sounds like a good way to live a double life," he said, looking her in the eyes.

"You don't understand," Regina said in a pleading voice. "Please, just hear me out. I'll tell you everything. After that," she paused, feeling herself get choked up at the idea. "After that, if you don't want to see me again, I promise you won't."

He stared at her for a moment, considering it, and then nodded.

"Alright," he said. "Tell me the truth."

She took a deep breath and decided just to start at the beginning, with her mother.

"When I told you my mother tried to force me into a marriage I didn't want, I was telling the truth," she said. Robin nodded, but still looked defensive. "And when I told you the only way out was to leave, that was the truth."

"Alright," Robin said, listening cautiously. "So she forced you to marry King Leopold?"

"Yes. He proposed after I saved Princess Snow's life when her horse took off with her. My mother accepted for me, but I didn't want to marry him," she paused there, because she knew she'd have to talk about Daniel, which was painful. "She always wanted nothing more than for me to be a queen. But that wasn't what I wanted. I was in love with someone else."

"Oh," Robin said, his eyes narrowing slightly but he looked more interested than upset now.

"Yes," she continued, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "His name was Daniel. He worked in the stables, and I fell in love with him. And he loved me. He was willing to give up everything to be with me."

She stopped for a moment to wipe her eyes as her tears began falling. "The night the King proposed, I went to Daniel as soon as I could to tell him what happened. I even proposed to him, told him that the only way out was to run away together and never come back."

Robin's face had softened, and he looked more concerned at where the story was going.

"And you couldn't be honest with your mother, and tell her you were in love with someone else, I'm guessing?" he asked, more gently.

Regina shook her head, trying to keep her composure.

"My mother was a very powerful sorceress. She often used her magic to try to control me. Even before the king proposed, I was afraid of what she might do if she found out. And that night, when I went to him, Daniel agreed we should leave and get married. He even pulled a saddle ring off one of our saddles and put it on my finger as a makeshift engagement ring, because there wasn't enough time to get a real one."

"But your mother found out?" Robin asked.

"Snow found us kissing in the stables, and then ran off. I went after her, and tried to explain that I wasn't in love with her father. After we talked, she seemed to understand and promised she would keep my secret. I believed her."

"But she told?"

Regina sobbed once at the memory. She looked away from Robin for a second to compose herself again. When she looked back, she saw he was already looking a bit horrified, as if he knew there was only one possible ending to this story.

"She told. My mother got to her. And honestly, I'm convinced she's responsible for Snow's horse running off in the first place. So, Mother intercepted us on our way out of the stable. And at first, she acted like she was trying to understand," here Regina felt herself getting choked up again and paused. "But it was just a trick. She ripped his heart out of his chest and crushed it. And after that, she started arranging my wedding and made sure I couldn't get away. I tried, but she cast a spell so I could only leave the palace if the King was with me."

Suddenly, Robin looked confused.

"Then, how were you able to come to the village in the first place?"

Regina sighed, and continued.

"I got desperate, so I took her spell book and got help from…from her old teacher. He sent me a large looking glass, and told me to give her a push. So I did, and now she's trapped in another world. She can't hurt me anymore."

"Okay," Robin said. "Then why didn't you leave then? Why would you stay?"

Regina looked away, wondering if she wanted to admit to this.

"This is the part I'm really not proud of," she said, slowly.

"You promised to be honest," he reminded her. He then reached out his hand and put it over hers. It surprised her, but gave her the will to keep going.

"I did," she said, turning up her own hand up so she could grasp it. "I actually made to leave right after that. Then, that teacher intercepted me and offered to teach me more magic. The thing is, I loved it when I used it the first time. I felt like for once, I was in control. And he convinced me to learn more, so I could avenge Daniel's death."

Robin nodded, still looking concerned but keeping his hand in hers.

"Then one day, after stewing in the anger that kept growing, I fell from my balcony and was saved by a fairy. That's Tinkerbell."

"Your friend?"

"Yes, I met her right before I met you. She told me it was possible to find love a second time, that I didn't have to be alone, miserable and angry for the rest of my life," Regina wondered if she should tell him how she'd found him, and decided she may as well if she was being this honest. "She used pixie dust to help me find my soul mate. It led us to the tavern, and showed me someone whose back was to me."

Robin's eyes widened as he started to comprehend what she was saying.

"I didn't see his face. But I did see his tattoo," she said, using her other hand to point to the lion on his wrist. "I was too scared to approach you at first, and I almost left before I could meet you."

Robin nodded, as he looked like he was trying to digest the whole story.

"I'm so glad I did meet you," she said, a smile gracing her face for the first time since she had come in. "I didn't really believe I could ever find someone again, but when I met you that changed."

He still didn't speak, so she pressed on.

"It doesn't mean we have to be together," she said, more nervously. "I told you, if you wanted me to leave you alone after this, I would. But you did deserve to know everything."

Robin looked down in uncertainty, and then back up at her. He squeezed her hand tighter.

"Thank you for telling me all that," he said. "I mean it, thank you."

"So…" Regina began nervously.

"Well, it certainly explains why I felt so connected to you. It was almost instant," he confessed.

"Are you still angry?" she asked. "Because I promise you, my feelings for you are real."

He thought for a moment, and looked around the finery to avoid looking at her until he had an answer.

"I'm not angry," Robin said. "I understand that you've been through hell. I just don't understand why you didn't tell me all of this during the time we spent together."

"I couldn't just tell you I was the Queen. I was afraid you'd run, or think I was trying to pull something on you," she tried to explain. "Plus, the wrong person hearing would have been a disaster."

"I guess it would have caused quite a scandal if people knew the Queen was going into taverns on her own," Robin said.

"More than that. Robin, if they find me in here, both of us would probably be dead. And it's the same if people knew we'd been together before."

"It's your home, can't you go where you please?" he asked, confused. "You're the Queen."

"I may be the Queen, but I'm a prisoner here. It's a fancy prison, but it's still a prison," she explained, shaking her free hand in frustration. "The king's my warden more than my husband. If he knew I was seeing anyone…well, I don't really want to think what he'd do. I took the risk because I wanted you to know the truth."

"Thank you," Robin said, sincerely. "I am glad you came tonight."

"So, where does this leave us?" Regina asked.

Robin leaned back onto the headboard of the bed, and looked like he was contemplating.

"I don't know if I can go on the way we were," he admitted.

"Oh," Regina said, looking away for a moment.

"But that doesn't mean we can't go on," he said.

She looked at him again with hope in her eyes.

"Really?" she asked, leaning closer.

"Yes," he answered, leaning back towards her. He kissed her lips softly. "We'll have to figure something out."

"Yes," she whispered back, pecking his lips again.

"But for now, you should probably get back before anyone notices you're gone," he said.

"Yes," she agreed. "The servants should be done by now."

"I'll see you tomorrow at the show?" he asked, as she stood up to leave.

"Yes," she said. She knew the King wouldn't actually stop her from going if Snow saw her first.

"Good night, Regina," he said, smiling softly at her.

"Good night, Robin," she said, shutting the door and walking back down the corridor.

When she got back to her chambers, Tinkerbell was sitting outside with two sleeping guards next to her.

"Must have been a good talk," she whispered as they walked back inside her chambers. "You were gone for hours, I was getting bored."

"Thank you so much for staying," Regina said. "And yes, it was a good talk."

"So everything's still on?" Tinkerbell asked excitedly.

"Yes," Regina said. "I don't know exactly how, but we're going to work something out."

"Well, you know I'll always help you two find each other. I can always bring him here," she offered.

"Thank you," Regina said smiling.

"Well for now, I'm headed out. You should sleep if you want to stay awake for him tomorrow."

Regina smiled and nodded. Tinkerbell made herself small and flew out the window. Regina climbed into her bed and fell asleep, feeling more relaxed and content than she had been since before Daniel's murder. Things may finally be going her way.