Hallo! Hope you enjoy this next update. It's another long chapter with lots of action! Thanks for reading, and please feel free as always to leave a review! Again, I appreciate your love and support!


As the carriage bumps along the road, I'm hit with a mild sense of dejá vu. Again, I'm out to retrieve a thief. Robin. I'm out to save Robin. God, I hate wording it like that. It makes me feel like one of those heroes I rant on and on about; the heroes I alas, here I am, bumping my way down a lonely dirt path.

As we move northbound, I think about the smirk upon his lips, that challenging yet alluring smirk that I could do absolutely nothing about. Robin was the first, the first man to prove himself courageous enough to defy me simply by way of tongue. I can't help but smile slightly, now, at the memory. Oh how he talked back at me, the way he defied my every word, made me have to work twice as hard as I normally do to get my own way with him. It really was quite brave. And oh how it gave me such a rush. How entertaining it was to banter back and forth for the short amount of time we've known each other. I have to admit that it was refreshing, and I sort of liked it. Of course, I'd never admit that outwardly.

Yes, yes, I may find myself fond of the man, I suppose. But love? Now that bastard of a Dark One was taking things a bit too far, if you ask me. But if it's not love, then what is it that prompts me to save just an ordinary thief, whom I could so easily just let rot in the Dark One's dungeons? Normally, I should be doing just that; leave the poor man to meet his well-deserved fate after failing me. I should not have the urge to care. That's just me being the oh-so-terrible Evil Queen. It's a real question; a question whose answer I'm not ready to give, let alone admit, for I just don't fucking know.

Up in the distance, the Dark Castle stands, looming over the treetops like an ominous cloud amidst the clear and sunny day. I swallow hard, steeling myself, preparing myself for a fight that is most likely to occur. Rumplestiltskin had taken the barrier down that prevented me from entering. Still, I don't understand what his modus operandi exactly is. Is this a test that I'm supposed to fail so that I'd come crawling back to his feet, crying that he was right all along? No. He can't do that to me. I've handled the Dark One before, and I can do it again.

The castle is a fortress. And transporting myself directly inside by way of magic is far too risky. But I know that the second best way of entering should be through underground. And fuck. I really liked these boots too. I scrunch my nose as the stench of mud and some other unnamed odor filter through my nostrils as I slowly make my way down, slipping into the narrow underground tunnel. No trouble yet.

I make my way forward cautiously, watching every step I take before...shit. The walls around me ripple, halting my movements. Slowly, they begin to warp and close around me, making it harder to advance as I try and escape. I groan in frustration as I feel them distort like liquid, drawing close to trap me in between. Magic doesn't work on these entrapments, so I have no choice but to surge forward, my hip scraping against the wall's rough exterior as I surge for the escape ahead.

I manage to pull myself away at the last moment and collapse onto the ground, the wall behind me completely sealing itself. I sigh outwardly in relief. However, just as I'm about to stand up, I hear a rattling above me. At the last minute, I roll out of the way, narrowly escaping a line of daggers that fall from the ceiling. Damn. I stand up quickly and move on, running a little faster down the tunnel until I come to a patch of stepping-stones on the ground.

I recognize these. They are ones similar to the tunnels in my castle. How original, Rumple. If one steps on the stones, that person will be impaled immediately by a grate of metal spikes that protrude from both sides into the middle. So I step between the stones. However all feelings of smugness dissipate in one millisecond as the grates begin to close in just as the walls have done. Shit! The bastard flipped it, and I was foolish enough, with my head far too stuck in the clouds, not to have known. In my frustration, I stomp my foot on a stone and immediately, the grate recedes.

So, I continue my march down the tunnel and come to a door. It's an elegant-looking door, inlayed and covered in gold in the most intricate of designs. But I know better. I pick up a stone and hurl it towards the door. Immediately, it explodes into a ball of flames large enough that I have to step back and shield my face with my hand. Fire catches on to the material on my arm and I pat it out hard. Stepping through the now empty doorway, I come into what looks like the castle dungeons. What luck!

"Thief?" I call out into the dim light of the tunnels, my shadow casted over the stone walls. I walk blindly in one direction, hoping for the best. Lines of cells greet me every way I turn, its prisoners either curled up in a corner or reaching out in pain towards something, anything. I assume they've all gone mad. Who wouldn't, after all?

Down one tunnel and I have no luck. "Robin!" I call out more fervently this time. Fuck. If only I had something of his to do a locator spell. I turn down another row of cells, continuing to call his name. Not the best method, I am well aware, but it's all I have for right now. So I keep on walking. And with every step, I feel more and more foolish. "Robin!"

But suddenly there's a sound. It's something of a moan, a moan in pain. My hair stands up on the back of my neck as my pace quickens into a jog down the tunnel in which I am. I rush hastily down, calling the thief's name once again. I'm met with only another pained moan in response. But I follow the sound, fighting through the dim light until the noise leads me to a small wooden door in some obscure part of the dungeons. I waste no time pulling the large handle, allowing the door to creak open, before I step inside. Hit by the strong odor of blood and body, my eyes widen as the very sight I saw in the mirror, the gruesome sight that now stands before me.

"Robin," I breathe, rushing towards him. The thief's hanging head lolls slightly, eyelids fluttering open to see me. His eyes hardly register exactly who I am through the pain that overcomes them. He mumbles something incoherent as I reach up, working to undo the cuffs that suspend him off the ground. Up close I can see, in great detail, the hideous result of every single lash brought upon his body in punishment because of what I've done. Guilt lances through me, however, I cannot dwell on such feelings. Not now. Stay focused. I grit my teeth. Fuck. These cuffs are too hard to undo. Fuck it. I wave my hand, having to concentrate extra hard on making my magic work in the only place in the whole Enchanted Forest where I'm close to powerless. However luckily for me, my magic cooperates, effectively slicing through the metal cuffs.

Robin crumples to the ground, slipping through my meager attempts to try and catch him. I kneel by his side as he looks up at me, his eyes full of agony. "I'm sorry," I state lowly, unable to resist the urge to brush his oily, blood-encrusted locks from his forehead.

And with that, I'm closing my eyes and trying my magic again, extending my palms over his body. Come on. Nothing happens. Work, dammit! Suddenly, I feel a tingling in my skin, a soft blue light emitting from my palms and spreading over his body. An involuntary smile twitches my lips upward as I can't help but feel the least bit victorious.

"Regina," Robin says, his body now fully healed. He sits up, blinking at me confusedly. He shakes his head, looking as if he needs a moment to process what has just taken place. "What are you doing here?"

Not too familiar with such sentimentality, I merely resort to lifting a brow at him in response. "Mm," I reply simply as I stand up. I shrug off his question along with my deed. "A simple thank you would suffice, I think," I dismiss.

Robin gets to his feet beside me, shaking his head in both awe and confusion. "Thank you," he mumbles.

"There's no need," I respond curtly before taking him by the elbow. "Now let's get the hell out of here."

But before I move, a red cloud of smoke envelopes us both. And before I know it, I'm standing with Robin in front of the Dark One.


"I can see you've passed my test," Rumplestiltskin cackles.

I lift my chin fearlessly. "So, my assumptions have been proven correct. It was all a test," I sneer. I shake my head, narrowing my eyes at him. "Just what exactly are you trying to prove?"

"The fact that there is something more than what meets the eye," the man says, his smirk growing upon his features.

"Again, I still don't know what you mean."

"You seem to care so deeply about this man, that you are willing to risk your life for him. Isn't that right?"

"Oh, don't be so smug," I spit, "I know you can't kill me."

"It's not about that, dearie," Rumplestiltskin says lowly. "It's more about what this test proves. You have a weakness, a weakness that I will gladly use to my advantage."

I grit my teeth, growling lowly as I step forward. "I have no weaknesses," I snarl. "And I've told you time and time again. I will never come back to you. You have no power over me anymore. You can't use anything against me."

But the Dark One's lips curl into a devious smirk as he taps his fingers together, giving me a devilish look. It's mischievous and off-putting. I don't like it. "We'll see about that, dearie," Rumplestiltskin sings.

Instantly, Robin disappears, reappearing by the Dark One's side. I gasp underneath my breath, but show no further emotion outwardly as I glare at Rumplestiltskin from where I stand. Robin remains beside him, arms and legs bound to a chair in which he sits, just like he was but a few days ago at my castle.

I watch as the Dark One procures the very same apple from that very same black satchel that I've been trying to reclaim as mine. My eyes widen slightly as he approaches Robin, fruit in hand. My body shakes in anger. How. Dare. He. An unwelcome pang of fear strikes through my chest as I watch Rumplestiltskin wave the apple in front of Robin's nose.

"Do you know that this is, Robin of Locksley?" the Dark One questions.

Robin glares at the man, staring defiantly at him. "An apple," he answers curtly. "I believe I was supposed to steal it?"

Rumplestiltskin cackles lowly, shivering in what looks like pure delight. "Yes, Robin. But, oh, it's not just any apple, dearie," he sings. Immediately, I understand what he is doing. Eyes widening, I step forward to interfere, only to find that my feet have been frozen upon the ground with magic. I growl inwardly, trying to move my legs, but to no avail. I can only look on as the scene unravels before me.

"Robin," I call out to the thief, but the only response I get is a swift glance my way before the man directs his attention back towards the Dark One.

"What do you mean it's not just any apple?" Robin questions carefully, frowning deeply.

"This is a weapon, dearie," Rumplestiltskin answers, waving the fruit, "A powerful, lethal weapon intended to curse its victim to an eternal slumber; a limbo of sorts, a fate worse than death."

At this, I watch as Robin's eyes widen upon realization, the realization that he had been tricked, that he'd been lied to. My heart immediately aches as I watch his features distort into horror as everything clicks into place for him. I tricked him into breaking his code. I tricked him into breaking the one thing for which he had left to live.

But the thief should have known. I am the Evil Queen after all. However, wrapped up in my despair of who I perceived myself to be, of who everyone saw me as, I failed to realize that the man viewed me as something more. He believed in me. And I let him—Robin—down. Lost in my callousness and my angry thirst for revenge, I broke my promise. And what's worse, I knew exactly what I was doing.

He looks at me, his demeanor profoundly wounded. I shake my head, at a loss for words. "Robin, I…" I have nothing to say.

"Shall I give you a taste of your own medicine?" the Dark One continues, blinking at me, his voice thick and oozing like syrup.

Robin catches on quickly, instantly pressing his lips tightly together and staring defiantly at the Dark One.

"Eat up, oh thief," Rumplestiltskin sings, brushing Robin's lips with the apple, "You have broken your code. Is there truly nothing else for which you can live?" I can only watch as Robin's head slowly turns towards me, a look of hurt and betrayal written all over his features. It breaks my heart.

Slowly, I shake my head at him. "Robin," I whisper under my breath, "No…" I silently plead that he not do what he intends, that he not surrender everything he'd ever worked for all because of what I did. After all, I take full responsibility. It is I who should be tied to the chair. It is I who should bite that apple.

But to my horror, Robin turns back to Rumplestiltskin, a distant look set upon his face. It's a look of hopelessness, and of emptiness; something so different from what I've seen of him. And with one last sigh, the thief opens his mouth willingly, biting hard into the apple grasped tightly in the hand of the Dark One.

"No!" I cannot help but shout. Walls crash down as I struggle hard against the magic that keeps my feet rooted to the ground. "Robin!"

But there's nothing I can do. It's too late. The sound of his breath hitching in his throat tears my heart apart more than I'd ever known. I watch as the man's eyes widen slightly, lips parting in a gruesome gasp. His body convulses once before his eyes are falling closed forever. He slumps over in the chair, jaw going slack. I give a shuddering, sob-like breath. The magic held on my feet releases and I stumble forward, rushing towards an unconscious Robin in the chair.

"Now you have no choice, dearie," Rumplestiltskin says from behind me as I can do nothing but gaze down at the relaxed features of my thief. "The apple's magic has been used. And you, you will never be able to save him." The Dark One lifts his chin, knowing that both he and I know that he is right. "Now, Regina, you have no choice but to cast my curse. Don't worry, dearie. In time, you will come to realize that this is your only way—I am your only way —to true happiness."


Regina is not so good at admitting to herself what her true feelings are. Oftentimes, her fear gets the best of her... How will she go about in trying to break this curse, then? Stay tuned to find out! Thanks for coming by, don't forget to review, and more to come soon!