Short chapter -well average- but I really wanted to update as soon as possible and I have so much ideas for the rest of the story. I'm so excited! Thank you so much to every single person who took time to review and give feedback on the story, so far.
As soon as the men noticed Robin was back, they got up. Some of them nodded, others cheered, but they were all happy to see their leader back at home safe and sound. They didn't really notice the small woman behind him, not until Robin actually stepped aside and introduced her.
"This is Rose." He said glancing towards the Queen. They greeted her with utmost respect. She blushed lightly, even as a Queen people didn't greeted her like that –they didn't greeted her like family, but this band did.
Little John came up to Regina, took her hand and kissed it lightly. "Hello. My name's John. But most men of this festive little band call me 'Little John'." He introduced himself before turning to Robin.
He grabbed his friend by the shoulders and started to walk away. "If you'll excuse me, Milady," said Robin over his shoulder. Regina nodded and as soon as Robin was gone she started to feel incredibly awkward standing there.
She walked towards the fire, sat on the trunk of a fallen tree and looked at the flames dance. She loved fire, so dangerous, so wild, but so fragile at the same time; just like me, she thought a small and sad smile on her lips.
"Why're you sad?" a small voice shrieked. A small boy was standing right beside her, not moving a muscle. She smiled at him, she had recognized Robin's little one, even though he looked a whole lot better now.
"I was just thinking…" she said.
"And who are you?" he started to bounce a little, obviously fascinated by the stranger.
"I'm Re-… Rose!"
He held out his hand and smiled. "I'm Roland!"
Regina took his hand and shook it. "Very nice to meet you, Roland."
"I see you've already met my boy." Robin walked back towards the two of them and sat next to the Queen in disguise. She looked at him, her green gaze locking with his blue and she smiled –all teeth out.
Robin preferred the woman's original eye color, it was so much more vibrant, so much more her, and it seemed to carry a lot more stories than this one… Honestly, although he would never say it out loud, Robin preferred the looks of the Queen to any other woman.
Roland climbed onto his father's lap and curled up against his chest. He looked at his father, "Papa! This is Rose!" he smiled dimples forming as his grin widened. His father chuckled. "I know Roland… I know. I brought her here."
His son's brown gaze widened, he was excited. "How d'you meet?!" Robin looked over at the Queen, a glimpse of fear in his eyes meeting the same impression in the woman's gaze. They both hadn't thought it through. They haven't thought about what to say if someone ever was to ask.
Little John came over and sat across the adults –and Roland-, a smirk on his face. "Yeah Robin… How did you two meet?" Everyone's attention turned to the two of them, a bead of sweat rolled down the side of the thief's left temple as he came up with something.
He took a deep breath and look over at Regina, imploring her to stay silent with his eyes. She nodded discretely and he started.
"Well it is quite simple, really…" he took another sharp breath, "I was ridding back to the Queen's-"
"The EVIL Queen!" screamed a drunken companion of Robin's. Regina felt her heart clench – she was used to her nickname, she knew they called her that, but she had never seen herself as evil, she simply wanted justice...
Robin nodded, an apologetic blue gaze staring towards his Queen. "Yeah, now shut up Doncaster and let me tell my story!" he said, with a playful tone. The man shut up and sat down with everyone else around the fire.
"So… yeah, the Queen's castle! I was ridding towards her castle, I had left a whole bag of gold there when I thought I had been discovered and decided to get it back… But then I heard a scream in the death of night." He gestured like he was telling a fantastic story to a bunch of kids. "Grabbing my sword –my bow and arrow already on my back- I jumped off my horse and ran towards the screaming. In the dim light of a fire I saw two silhouettes trying to hold another one on the ground, I realized it must have been bandits so I got as close as I could and drew my bow out. Aiming at the largest man I requested they let her go, they didn't listen so I had to let my arrow sink into the man's body. He fell on the side and Rose," he gestured at her, "ran in my direction. The other –smaller man- ran away, leaving his friend behind."
Robin was breathless; telling this whole lie in one single shot hadn't been that hard.
Most of his companions looked at Robin with awe and even Little John –the most suspicious man in the whole Enchanted Forest- seemed to accept this little story with a proud look upon his face. He got up and gave his best friend a vigorous pat on the back. "That's ma' man!" he laughed.
Roland was over joyed; he looked at Regina and crawled onto her lap. "So that means my papa saved you! He's your knight in shining armor!" He smiled with a big dimpled grin.
Regina ruffled his hair lightly and nodded. "Yes he did. He saved me…" she smiled towards Robin, who was looking over at Little John. He saved me… from myself, she thought.
"It's alright. My daddy does that sometimes… He helps people." The little boy yawned, and curled up into Regina's arm tugging on her dress to keep as close to her as possible.
It was getting late as Robin was telling his story, Regina looked around, noticing that the light she thought were the last rays of sunlight, were actually the flames of the fire burning brightly. It was dark now and most of Robin's men had left the surrounding of the fire pit to regain the comfort of their tents.
"Alright Little John, good night to you too." Robin waved his hand at the large man walking away. The thief turned back to the Queen and his heart sank into his chest when he saw the way she was holding his boy and how he was clinging on to her. She looked at him a small smile on her face and even though it wasn't completely her Robin only saw his Queen and his toddler together.
She smirked as he got closer to her. "So… A damsel in distress, really…?" He chuckled.
"The important is that everyone bought it." She approved as Robin glanced at his son. "I should put him to bed."
He tried taking back his boy, but his little grip on Regina's clothes was so strong that without waking him it was impossible to get him to let go. The two remaining adults sighed.
"Well I guess you'll have no other choice but to sleep in our tent… Rose." The thief said a grin plastered on his lips.
She smirked. "Is that so, outlaw?" She had taken her regal and imposing tone. Robin nodded.
He took one of her hand, as she grabbed on the little boy's body and he dragged her across the camp to his tent. He opened the flappy door of it to let her in and then stepped inside after her.
Regina looked around her, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of the candle that sat alone on a small table in the middle of the tent. She could see two beds, one relatively small and the other much more human sized. They were covered in fur and pelts of some sorts; everything to keep the owners of the beds warm at night. She smiled, everything was so rustic; no mattress or things like that, not even a proper roof over their heads, but the outlaw and his son seemed happy about it.
"So I guess I'll give you and Roland my bed, since he doesn't seem quite ready to let go of you, your Majesty." He had whispered the last words of his sentence into her ear and she had shivered, hearing his soft accented voice resonate into her soul.
"Well, if you don't mind thief, and even if you did. I would still have taken your bed." She grinned at him and walked to the makeshift bed. She sat down on it, placed Roland beside her –forcing him to let go of her- and buried the two of them into the furs.
As soon as they were settled the toddler had wrapped his arms around the woman's waist, burying his face into her chest. She held him tightly as his warm little body rested beside her.
Robin took off his shirt, blew out the candle on the table and sat down on his son's bed, taking off his trousers.
"Goodnight Robin." She said softly, her voice clouded by sleep.
"Goodnight…"
"…Regina." She finished for him.
The name rolled on his tongue, sweet and delicate. Regina. He kept repeating it to himself. A name truly worthy of a Queen, were his last thought as he drifted into the bizarre realm of dreams.
He finally knows her name! Hurray! As always a little review is appreciated. I will be updating this story a little bit more then the other fic I'm writing because I'm in the mood for fluff. There might be a little bonding between Regina and Robin or between Regina and Roland next chapter. (Let me know which one you would like to see most.) But one of them involves someone waking up from a terrible nightmare ;P
