AN: I just wanted to say thank you for all of the people who reads this story an reviwes. It means the world to me.
Next chapter will be up in two weeks, because this week I am taking part of the BookTubeAThon and I don't have time to write.
I am really sorry about that but I hope that you enjoy this chapter anyway!
Chapter Four- Fatal Flaw:
Regina sat in her place, a bored expression on her face. She didn't know why she even bothered to come and see the thief's battle, but she did, and now she was surrounded by the commoners' filth that cheered even before the battle began. She rolled her eyes in disbelief due to the situation she was in, and hoped with all of her heart that this fight will be over already and she could ask one of her maids to fill a bath with hot water for her, and she will be safe and sound between the walls of her bedchamber in the palace.
Her tongue moved upon her lips when she saw the outlaw for the first time, and she was immediately ashamed of her reaction. It didn't matter how handsome he was, she had to keep restraintand keep her self-respect at all cost. She couldn't be attracted to any man, especially not the thief, but the fact that he was bare chested and muscular almost drove her crazy, and made her forget every little bit of rationality she had.
She didn't forget her problems in the two days that passed since she met the thief. The imaginary clock still ticked above her head, and now its sound was clearer, sharper, like it claimed some magical solutions that she couldn't give it, not now and probably not later either.
She couldn't say his moves with the pitchfork and the net had any grace, when she finally saw him when he entered the arena. No, he was heavy and clumsy, and Regina truly believed he had no chance of winning against the confident and well experienced opponent who was in front of him. Robin Hood was usual to his famous bow and arrows. The thief who was capable to hit any target with his bow which never missed was well known in the empire, but in this game crossbows and arrows were completely prohibited. He only had the existing weapons, and the skills the gods gave him when he was first born, Regina didn't know what they were except from arrogance and a big amount to self-confidence, and she wasn't sure who much they will help him in this battle.
"He has to die. He has to die." She murmured, even though she didn't know what she wanted to happen, she didn't know what she wanted from herself anymore. Maybe the outlaw was right after all, she thought while the fight has begun, and both of the gladiators span around themselves, no one attacking yet, they both were waiting the other one will do the first move. Maybe the endless chase of strength and power was the thing that destroyed her. No, it was Snow White, and she will pay for it, she promised. She couldn't let the thief and his words get through her protections, play with her mind. She just pulled her shoulders and tried to focuses on the game; even though she didn't fully understand what her eyes saw.
It was a game for life and death, Regina was able to see it the eyes of both of the contesters: The outlaw and the big body monster that he had to fight against. She knew the gladiator who was against him. Well, she didn't really know him, she didn't even bother to ask for his name, he was no more than a slave and he didn't deserve a place in the memory of the empress. Yet all of her advisers, whose job was to hear everything and to know anything, told her that he was the best.
She was the one to tell them she wanted the outlaw dead in all cost, and now it was too late to regret it. She couldn't regret it, didn't want to regret it, but in some place in her heart she already did.
She played with a lock of her hair nervously "Kill him already. Just kill him already." She said, but she didn't know who she wants to be the killer. No one could hear her. The crowd around her was buzzing, like this game was the most exciting thing they have ever seen. Regina couldn't tell if it was so, because she was never in a gladiator fight until she met the outlaw. She has never bothered to come and see one. The gladiators were inferior, and they didn't worth a split second of her time or a drop of her attention. She didn't know what she was doing there at that moment, but something pulled her to there. She couldn't settle for a dry declaration of the outcomes from one of her massagers like she usually did, but she needed to see the battle for herself.
She focused her eyes on the outlaw and checked out his body moves. He was sharp, quick, and fought way better than she expected. But it wasn't enough. She saw the man that fought against him, and his moves were clean, perfect, and each and every one of them was made in order to kill, a thing she couldn't see in the eyes of the thief. Yet his opponent had one weakness, he underestimated the outlaw. He believed he couldn't kill him, wasn't able to win, and this was his fatal flaw.
Regina turned her head only for a moment, in order to check that her soldiers, whose job was to make sure that she will be back in the palace safe and sound, were still in their place, keeping her safe from any harm, and when she drew her attention back to the arena she couldn't believe to what her eyes saw. The thief locked his opponent under his net, and raised his three teeth trident that he held in his hand threateningly. She could see for a moment hesitation in his moves, and him mumbling something that looked to her like sorry, but the crowd went wild and demanded the unavoidable death, and the adrenalin that like vibrated in the air made him stick his weapon in the other gladiator's neck.
Regina couldn't remember when the last time she saw so much blood was. The only death she has ever seen was Daniel's, her old lover, but she wasn't able to remember the rivers of the red blood that spilled like now. It was everywhere in the arena, covering the body that fluttered and then stopped, the weapons and the armors of Robin Hood and all of his body, and she could swear in the name of the gods that she was able to smell the metal like scent of the blood that reached to her nose up in the Coliseum, and made her want to throw up, but the nausea made her forget about Daniel, and she believed it was a good thing.
The judge held Robin's hand and lifted it up, and the crowd shouted and shouted, and Regina thought it would never be over. She just wanted to leave and never come back. A lot of people were killed in her orders, more than she could count, but she just gave the commands and walked away. She has never seen how they die, and she didn't like what she saw. It was much easier to let someone else do the dirty work for her.
But it ended eventually, and Robin stepped out of the arena. But a moment before he walked out of her sight, he looked on the crowed that still shouted, and then he glared at her, his eyes burning her from the inside, and even after he wasn't there anymore she still felt his gaze burning her skin in detained rage, and she couldn't understand how he recognized her in the ocean of people she was part of.
Robin grinned when Regina went down the stairs. She didn't wait like the last time she came to meet him, and her steps sounded to Robin almost excited, eager to meet him. He didn't know what he had done to her, but he had definitely influenced her, yet probably not in the some way she has influenced him. Something inside of him has also changed since their last meeting. He couldn't say he was so excited that he had to struggle in order to breathe, but he didn't feel the same disgust he felt when she went down the same stairs a day earlier.
He couldn't stop the smile that appeared on his face when he finally saw her, a plate full of goods in her hand. "What did I do to get all of this?" He asked her, his brows arching and his mouth becoming wet when he saw all of the food she brought. He couldn't remember when was the last time he had such a big amount of food in front of him, so many options, and he was grateful for the opportunity to have a normal meal in this place, and he also had much wanted company as well.
The servants have given him clothes to change to after the battle, and he wasn't full of his and his opponent blood anymore, but he was still injured, and he knew that if she hadn't come to him he would have sunk into thoughts about murder, which would do no good to him nor to the man he killed, and it was impossible to bring back to life.
"I thought you deserve some rest. It looked like you worked hard today in the arena, and you even made it out alive. Impressive, I have to admit."
"The empress herself comes to give me food and not sending a maid? And she even says things that sound like kinds of compliments! It is almost as exciting as my victory today." When he talked he notice she had a sparkling object in her hands, which made noises when she finally made it to the dungeon. "And she also has a key! Is it my lucky day?" He made such an effort to make her laugh, but she still pouted. This woman will be the death of him, literally.
"Haven't we concluded yesterday that talking about someone who is right beside you like he isn't there is highly impolite? Besides, I am not here to free you, sorry to crush your hopes. This food is for both of us."
Robin smiled when he understood that the empress remembered the content of their conversation from the day before, and it wasn't something that passed by her like some kind of a harmless wind blow. "We also decided other things, like to be impolite toward each other. Why do you even want to share your food with me? I think it doesn't honor you." He determined when she got into his cell and then locked the door behind her. "Aren't you afraid to eat with an outlaw? I heard he actually killed someone in the gladiator's arena today." He didn't eat until she sat in front of him and offered him a piece of bread, even though he was hungry and exhausted.
"Well, when you talk about somebody else like he isn't there it is impolite, but if you talk about yourself like a third person you are just insane." She laughed at the joke she just told, and Robin could see that the rare smile the appeared on her face made her look so innocent, without a drop of cruelty in her, and much younger, maybe even younger than she really was, he didn't know. "Let me answer your questions. I am tired of listening to all of the hypocrites who will say anything in order to get close to me. Sometimes it is better to be around someone who will be honest with you, as much as it will hurt. And I have guards right there" She pointed toward two soldiers, who wore full armors. "If you just think to do as much as touch me they will snap your neck before you can scratch me. So I am not afraid, not for myself anyway. I am more worried about you if you will only think of doing something to me."
"You know I won't hurt you, m'ilady."
"I also knew you didn't have a chance in the gladiator's arena today, and yet you proved that I was wrong to underestimate you. Everyone bet against you, the odds weren't in your favor to say at least. Yet I don't know how you had the power to win like that. It was amazing and horrible at the same time. But now, everybody is so dazed off by Robin Hood the big and scary gladiator. Everyone bet on you in your next battle. You really impressed them, but in order to impress me you would have to do a lot more, thief. I still believe you had beginners luck."
"Betting on me, ah?" He lifted an eyebrow pridefully. "And what do I have to do in order to impress you, the Caesar?" He took a bite of the freshly baked bread, and a smile spread across his face.
She put her finger on her lips and gazed in the air like she was really thinking about a list of things he had to do in order to win her heart. The stupid game they played and the exchanging of words entertained him in an unexplainable way, and put color in to his gray day. His heart still ached for the man he had killed in the arena, a man whose crime was probably as small as his, but he told himself the killing was necessary. Every person he defeated made him a little bit closer to going back to his Roland, and each conversation he had with the empress was a small step toward her heart, and maybe his very wanted release, and also talking with her was much more sufferable than he thought it will be.
"Win again. Show everybody that it wasn't beginner's luck; that you were made to be a gladiator. If you do so, I promise to support you." She put a piece of cheese into her mouth.
"And how support from you will help me?" He asked, a curious look in his eyes. They were never so close to one another, she sat on the one end of the cell and he sat in another, and his heart started beating fast from being close to her, and he hopped she felt the same way too.
"You will find out if you win. It will be a shame if everyone who bet on you will lose their money, isn't it?"
"I have a better idea for an award that I can get if I do win."
"Don't cross the line, support is above and beyond what you deserve."
"A kiss" He bit his lower lip.
"Ah!" she groaned. "You are rude. You should get down from the high tree you climbed on as quickly as you can, otherwise you are not going to get a kiss, which you can forget about because it would never happen, and also I wouldn't bother to come to here anymore."
"Well, you can't blame me for trying. Did you place a bet?" He asked, trying to make her say that she truly believed he had a chance to win after his first game.
"I am not allowed to bet, you know, because I represent the law, after all." She put a finger on her lips. "But if I placed a bet, I wouldn't reveal all of my secrets in front of you." She put another piece of cheese in her mouth and kept quiet.
Robin didn't mean to push the empress into talking to him. Two could play this game. They ate silently until both were completely full, and the Caesar got up finally, when the plate was empty, and shook the dust off her clothes. Robin didn't bother to get up. He didn't have a reason to; it wasn't like he had somewhere to go, another place to be. It was only the cell and the arena, it was everything he saw, and probably everything he would see until he dies. But he was more than determined to prove her wrong.
"I have to say I had a good time, m'ilady."
"Don't get use to this, thief." She said when she locked the cell behind her. She started to climb the stairs, almost disappeared when she suddenly turned her head and said "Good luck." Two little words, and then she continued to step up until Robin couldn't see her anymore.
Robin kept sitting there, surrounded by the scent of wild flowers she had, and thought about how bad he wanted to win and prove her he had anything she could ever dream of- except from beginners luck.