Prompt from Sleeping Arrow: Robin Hood x Princess Aurora/Briar Rose. After separation or the death of their previous lovers, they find love again in each other.
(Humanoid Robin Hood of course)
…..
Queen Aurora stood at the bow of the ship, looking out over the dark sea in front of her.
The rest of the crew were leaving her alone… they were all aware of King Philip's death, and how Queen Aurora quickly relinquished control and handed the throne over to her son, before getting on the first ship to England.
It had been so long since she'd last been to England. It wasn't long after her marriage…. Her and Philip were having issues.
She'd spent her life raised in a forest, he was raised as a prince… they disagreed over a lot of policies, especially those regarding perseveration of the woods and the creatures that lived within them.
'If they can do it in England, we can do it here.' She had argued with him.
It was during this time in England, visiting Prince John in Nottingham, that she'd met… him.
She sighed… she didn't really want to think of Robin. The man was a mystery to her at first, ginger hair and a cheeky grin… cocky but kind… a thief, but for all the right reasons. It was better to have nothing to do with him…. Or so she kept telling herself at first.
But step by step, as she found herself taking long walks in the forests of Nottingham, Robin worked her way into her heart… despite the fact that neither of them could do anything about it.
She still loved Philip and wanted to keep their marriage going, and he was infatuated with a child-hood love of his.
The feelings that they may have felt for one another had to be buried.
As a cool wind brushed past her, causing her to shiver, she found herself getting lost in her memories of him.
How he would place his hand on her back, as he guided her through the trees and back towards the town, scolding her for wandering too far into the mass of trees and bushes.
When she tried to explain that she'd lived in the forest for almost all her life, he'd smirk at her.
"Ah… maybe I should be asking for your protection then? With you by my side, what could go wrong?"
He was teasing her, but the tension between them grew and continued to grow.
If she and her husband had stayed any longer, she believed the tension would spill over and everything would be ruined.
At the time, she ran away, not believing that a princess (even though she didn't feel like one) and a common thief could ever be together…. So, she left and two weeks later, she heard the news of King Richard's return and Robin Hood's marriage to Maid Marian.
Once she got over it, she had told herself it was better like this, and she'd believed it. She became a successful and beloved Queen, and a doting mother.
But now… now she just wanted to know if she could have a second chance.
…
That lady on the bench kept staring at him.
Why she continued to sit there, unmoving and silent in clothes like that, confused Robin. Dressed as the blind man he'd used so often in his youth, he sat on the edge of a fountain and watched the old woman in silence.
"Robin… what are you staring at?"
Keeping his eyes on the woman, he answered Skippy. "The woman over there."
"… Why?" No matter how old Skippy was, his curiosity still knew no bounds, "Have you met her before? She does look a little bit familiar."
It was having lightning strike him… in that instant Robin knew exactly who the woman was. Bolting to his feet and tearing his costume off, leaving behind his simple tunic and trousers, he walked briskly to the bench, ignoring Skippy's confused cries.
"Robin?! ROBIN?!"
The woman watched him make his way over to her. Once he was in front of her, he looked straight into her eyes… violet eyes. Eyes that he had only seen once before.
"Your Highness." He bowed low, tilting his head slightly upwards as he smirked at her.
Aurora waved her hand in dismissal, "There's no need for such formalities Robin. I'm afraid my time as a royal is up." Giving him a soft smile, she shuffled over, giving him space to sit by her side.
"Thank you…" He took a seat, "… I'm afraid my knees aren't what they used to be."
"No more stealing from the rich and giving to the poor then?"
Robin couldn't help but cackle at the teasing tone in her voice, "Alas…" he exclaimed, "… I'm afraid after Richard came back and my marriage to Marion, my time as a thief was up."
"…. And how is Marion?"
Silence.
"Robin?"
Shaking his head sadly, Robin took a deep, shuddering breath. "Marion… Marion passed away some years ago. There was an outbreak… almost half of the town died, including her."
"… I'm so sorry."
Quickly wiping the tears away from his eyes, Robin plastered a fake smile on his face and turned to her. "She's in a better place now… so, what brings the ex-Queen to this part of England?"
"An old friend… one of the greatest friends I could ever have asked for really." She took a deep breath and turned to him, looking him straight in the eye, "One I was hoping to spend the rest of my days with."
It was then that he remembered the fluttering of his heart whenever Aurora smiled and sang, her bare feet lightly dancing over the moss of the woods…. The heart-breaking knowledge that she would never be his.
"How about… we continue this conversation in private. Over a hot meal at my house?"
She audibly sighed in relief, a warm smile on her face. "That's sounds… perfect."
…
It had been three months since the meeting at the bench.
Robin and Aurora were slow dancing in the woods.
Aurora was humming a sweet tune into Robin's neck, as they swayed from side to side. The sun hadn't yet risen in the sky, but it was peaceful.
And it was perfect.
"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream…."
