She didn't know how much longer she could hold her breath. The grass two inches to the side of her feet sizzled, the fire that had engulfed it going out in a puff of smoke, the poor greenery turning to mere specks of dust. The single giant red eye in front of her glinted maliciously. Getting ready for another go she guessed, and this time, she had a feeling it wasn't aiming for the grass. At least the poor grass hadn't suffered much; anything would be preferable to death by that smell. She had thought Barghests were smelly, but compared to this, this monstrosity in front of her, theirs was the heavenliest of all scents.

"I think she likes you." William's voice purred cheerfully. It's a she? How could he tell, the thing didn't even have any skin! It- that thing was not a she -moved its head toward William at the sound of his voice, muscle and sinew rippling , and the yellow filaments she had first thought were puss and which, upon later unwanted inspection proved to be veins, dripped and pulsed with dark black blood. She was so glad she had skipped lunch, or it would have pushed her breakfast, already taking residence an inch below her throat, up and out the rest of the way.

She still hadn't let her breath out, and the red eye in front of her was beginning to split into shimmering counterparts. "I knew you two would get along swimmingly!" Vindictive bastard wasn't he? I am sorry William I called your precious Barghests smelly. How long was he going to punish her for that? "She's a Nuckelavee if you were wondering." She wasn't. And if he expected to goad her into taking up the banter again, well she wasn't going to move a muscle of her mouth. Wasn't going to move any muscle. Any time soon. "Well she was, I've made some improvements. Had to cut away some unwanted parts...Didn't like the carry on passenger she had." So that was where the gaping hole on its back came from. Not that its other parts were any more whole. "Trouble is, she's not really taking to anyone else. She actually, um, kills anyone who attempts it." he was wincing so hard she could actually hear it in his voice. "But as you are the evil queen I'm sure you are more than capable of handling her." he added cheerfully.

From the corner of her eye, she saw him turn to Robin. "Brother, as you won't be able to call on your familiar, I thought you'd like to ride on Regina's steed."

Not my steed. Someone just get the thing out of my sight. She couldn't move. Robin's arms slowly, slowly closed around her, his head coming to rest beside her own. The red eye swiveled to stare at them. "I would like to make sure of that first, before taking you up on your generous offer." he said. She could feel his throat swallowing hard. He began inching them away; she let him, not moving anything other than what was absolutely necessary. The thing roared- it didn't neigh, it didn't whinny, nothing even remotely horse like -it roared, rising up on its hind legs, looming over the two of them, and opened its mouth wide, giving her an unenviable view down its putrid digestive track. Her breath chose that moment to leave her, and the stench hit her with such force, she was sure she was going to faint. I could be that lucky! This was it; the eye had turned the color of molten lava, and it was staring directly at her.

"Easy dear girl," William said. Tendrils of shadow wind themselves around the horse-wannabe creature, pushing it down in an avalanche of darkness. "Let's see what my brother has up his sleeve." She sagged against Robin, not caring or able to keep up appearances just now. It was the fact that the thing was supposed to be a horse that unsettled her more than anything else. She really shouldn't have told William that she liked horses. She should have known better.

Robin's arms tightened around her in reassurance."I've got this." He said and let go, starting for the far side of the clearing. She gazed longingly at the group of courtiers gathered on the other side with their beautiful normal horses. Why couldn't they get one of those? She turned to see what Robin was up to. She just hoped he had a way out.

The sky was bright tonight, the moon and the stars out in all their glory, illuminating Robin's kneeling form a few feet from where the trees stood guard with hands outstretched to the skies, giving his profile an otherworldly appearance. A hush had fallen over the forest. Not the kind of silence that dominated wherever William was present, but a respectful hush, pregnant with expectation. Like the whole forest was waiting with baited breath to see what their prince might do.

She found herself standing beside him, her feet having carried her there of their own accord. He fisted a hand in the earth in front of him drawing it to his mouth, and taking a deep breath blew it up onto the sky. It moved on the wind, not like the heavy soil particles that it was, but iridescent specks of light, basking in the glow that surrounded him.

She had thought it the light of the moon and the stars, but it was coming from him, intensifying with every passing second. He was looking up, in his face a serenity she had seldom seen on any other, and a surety pooling in his eyes.

The light had become blinding, and she suddenly realized it wasn't all coming from him. She looked up. There amidst the lights of the sky, a piece of heavens had dislodged itself and was plummeting down towards the two of them like a falling star. No, not plummeting. Its movement had purpose. Swimming in the sea of blackness, running towards them, a lion, glowing silver and pure against the backdrop of the inky sky. Robin had risen without her realizing, and had a hand outstretched towards the approaching light, the lion on his arm blazing silver, the blackness around it pulsing with life, mirroring the image up in the sky.

The silver apparition landed on the ground in front of them. The lion reared on its hind legs, gathering darkness like a cloak around him. The front paws descended on Robin. She should be afraid, but she wasn't. The man and the lion looked into each other's eyes, recognition and welcome glinting in both gazes. The lion opened wide its jaws, letting loose a below that shook her to her very core, and Robin laughed in reply. Their heads turned in unison to look at her. In his eyes, stars swam. Time stopped, and she lost herself in them. The lion bellowed again.

"All right, all right!" Robin said chuckling. "Regina, may I have the honor of introducing Mios, who for reason unknown, has deigned to be my familiar. Mios, my lady Regina."

She was mesmerized by the silver gaze that seemed to see so far into her soul. Lifting his paws off Robin, he approached her. Stopping mere inches away, he slowly bowed his massive head to her, bringing their gazes level to each other. She had unconsciously raised her hands to his head, not daring to touch. He closed the distance and her hands were plunged into warm silky strands. It was like touching liquid light. She had been laughing, freer than she had in longer than she cared to remember. She turned to see Robin gazing at her with a soft look in his eyes and a smile playing at his lips.

"He likes you."

"The feeling is mutual." she replied, smiling up at him.

"I see you have not lost your touch brother." William's acid voice burst their bubble. She had forgotten all about him. He had thought Robin would not be able to call on Mios, and he really wasn't happy about the fact that he had. "Now that that's out of the way, let us start the hunt shall we?" It was the first time she felt the smile on his lips was forced, and he had forgotten to hide the hatred in his eyes.

"Of course brother!" Robin was beaming brightly at him in response. "Please proceed." Apparently Mios was not very pleased with that remark. He let out a roar that ruffled Regina's hair but for some reason failed to take away the hearing in her left ear. William arched an annoyed eyebrow at Robin, giving Mios a distasteful look. Robin said something in return, but she wasn't listening.

There, up in the sky, another light was falling towards them, getting closer, its shape getting clearer. The majestic creature galloped down the sky, sparks flying wherever hooves touched the blackness of the night. She let out the breath she had been holding unconsciously and drew closer. There was no hesitation this time. Her hands found soft warmth, one going to scratch behind one ear, the other running down the velvety coat. To call her merely a horse was a grave injustice. She was the most beautiful creature Regina had ever seen. She rose on her hind legs, giving a whinny of greeting. Regina ran her hands through her silky mane, over her delicate muzzle and the slight ridge she felt on her forehead, almost like a miniature horn.

She turned her head to where Robin had come to stand on one side. By the light in the corner of her vision she knew Mios was standing on the other. "She is beautiful." Robin said softly, his voice full of wonder and awe.

"What's her name?" Regina asked him, not able to tear her hands away from her.

"That is something only you can tell." his hand came to join hers on the other side of the elegant head, going to scratch behind the opposite ear. "She came here for you."

The name swam to the front of her thoughts from somewhere deep in her soul. "Aran." Regina murmured.

"Aran." Robin repeated, joy and warmth running through his voice.

"Well isn't this wonderful." William's voice was beyond annoyed now. She didn't want to turn to look at him. "Now if it's all the same to the both of you, I'd like to get back to what we actually came here for."

"Of course dear." she said turning, her hand still entangled in Aran's mane. In the light emanating from the two creatures, William's face had lost some of its youthfulness, his skin looking sallow and haggard. He whirled in a cloud of darkness, going towards the middle of the clearing. The two of them went to join the nobles on the other side.

Regina came to stand beside Adelina. Roiling shadows had begun to take form in the middle of the clearing under William's gaze. The shadows slowly began to take discernible shapes; torsos, hands, legs. The cloudy darkness completely dissipated, and in its place stood a group of about a dozen men, bound by chains of darkness and shadow, struggling and riling on the ground. This was what they were hunting? People?

At her side, Adelina gave a distressed cry. Regina looked to the middle of the men. Weighed down by William's chains, face full of hatred, struggling for all that he was worth, lay Ywain.

"Now to the business at hand." William said in a satisfied tone. "As I'm feeling generous, I will even give you an hour head start, to spice things up. I suggest you use it wisely." Adelina took a step forward, but Regina stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. She spun around, eyes savage and wild. She could not recognize this girl in front of her. Regina got close to her face, whispering furiously. "He is not dying." she shook the girl slightly. Confronting William right now would only get the two of them killed. "Let us handle it." Adelina stared at her, her breath ragged, her eyes moving between her and Robin. She jerked herself out of Regina's grasp and moved to where William stood over his soon to be prey. Slipping a hand into William's she cooed, "My lord, a dozen! We shall have to hunt till dawn to get them all!"

"An occasion as great as our union warrants such extravagance." He said, drawing her hand to his lips for a kiss. She giggled happily at him. "Did you see your gift my lady? All will learn. No insolence to the queen shall ever go unpunished from this moment on"

"Oh your majesty you are far too kind." She said breathlessly.

"You are my queen; this is what you are due."

William turned to the prisoners. "Hmm, I feel something amiss." He narrowed his eyes, and another figure came to join the other prisoners. The poor man was too shell-shocked to do more than move his mouth in an imitation of a fish out of water. It was the fat man from dinner, who had wanted to auction off his niece. "Now it's more like it." William declared pleased with himself. He clapped once, and the prisoners disappeared, the sound of hunting horns filling the clearing. The hunters began to mount their steeds, getting ready to give chase. Adelina's steely blue gaze met hers over the throng. There was an implied threat in them, saying she had put her trust in Regina's word, and if she did not uphold her promise, she would not like the consequences. Regina gave her a hard stare of her own. And what other option did you have girl? She was the girl's only chance at saving the man she loved, and they both knew it.

She turned to Robin, seeing her own grim determination mirrored there. "Shall we begin, my lady?" He asked, not just about the hunt. For the first time, she felt him awaken from the haze of dread and trepidation he had fallen into since coming to this place. It was time to begin paying back William for all his generosity.

She felt a devilish smile curl her lips. "I thought you'd never ask."