Author's Note: I appreciate all of you for continuing to read despite my lack of motivation. Each kind review, follow and favorite encourages me to keep going. To the kind guest that continued to encourage me to update via reviews, this one is for you. This chapter would have taken a lot longer without your persistence. Thank you, and I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 21: Monitoring You
Robin was quick to mitigate any sorrow he may have caused by bringing up Henry's inevitable departure. The Queen recognized that Robin was trying to alleviate her anguish on the subject by diverting her attention to other things, but she allowed him to do so. As much as she wanted to stand by Henry's side as he rode Snow and Charming's horse, she could barely stand to be within a few paces of her rivals. She also respected her older self's wishes to keep the peace. Though she planned to direct a few taunts and jibes at Snow along the way, she decided to save them for later.
Henry's joyous laugh echoed in the forest, bringing a small smile to the Queen's dark, crimson lips. Robin noticed the way her defiant exterior faltered ever so slightly at the sound of her son's merriment, even though she herself was not the source of his delight.
"Is it not true that a child's laughter has an enchanting effect?" he questioned sweetly, enjoying the way the Queen's features softened at Henry's exuberance. "Especially when the child is your own?" It never failed that she seemed to become more endearing and human in the presence of her future son. The effect he had on the dark Queen was an entrancing miracle to witness. A woman with such hatred and rage finding that her soul held the capacity for so much compassion and love led Robin to believe that perhaps this woman was not as corrupt as she made herself out to be.
The Queen's smile deepened, reminiscent joy touching her eyes. She turned to face Robin, a question upon her lips.
"Is that how you feel about your son?" she asked with a warmth that Robin found quite sincere. Although the Queen had never met Robin's son, let alone even seen him, she recalled Regina explaining that the outlaw would do anything for his son. This was the reason Robin had been easily persuaded to assassinate the dark Queen. He thought of it in the best interest for the future of his family.
"Roland is the light of my life," Robin admitted unapologetically. The Queen smiled softly at the knowledge of the boy's name. Roland… It certainly suited the child of Robin Hood.
"Does your wife feel the same?" the Queen prodded. She still wasn't quite sure how Robin could be her soulmate when he already had a child with another woman. Surely she would not tear the family apart just to be united with him.
Look how soft you've gone, a taunting voice chastised in the Queen's dark mind. Since when do you care about anyone's happiness but your own?
Since I learned I have a son, she quipped shortly in rebuttal.
She swiftly diverted her attention just in time to see a painful look cross Robin's face. Pressing his lips together, he suddenly found it difficult to look the Queen in the eyes.
"My wife… Marian…." He swallowed thickly, regaining his composure. "She is no longer with us."
The Queen instantly felt guilt capture her heart, regretting speaking of something that brought Robin such pain. "I'm sorry," she murmured, refusing to meet the thief's gaze. For once, she truly was. The Queen knew all about the horrors of losing a loved one. She had once convinced herself that she and Daniel would spend the rest of their days together. That dream had turned into a tragedy that drove her down a path of hatred and revenge.
"Thank you," Robin responded with a nod. This took the Queen by surprise. Here was a man grieving the loss of his wife, and he was thanking her? Robin saw the look of confusion plastered upon the Queen's features, and he was quick to clarify. "For your condolences. I suspect that isn't a sentiment you give away freely."
"It's not," she admitted in a sardonic voice. "However, long ago, I lost the man I loved. I share your grief. I know all too well what it's like." Robin was intrigued by this admission. He watched the way the Queen's gaze drifted towards nothing in particular. Her eyes glazed over, as if she wasn't there in the moment, but rather miles away, caught in a series of tragic, painful memories.
"You still love this man," Robin concluded, sharing the dark woman's grief while subconsciously, in a small token of comfort, stepping slightly closer to her as they continued to walk.
The Queen sighed deeply, hesitant to speak any further. She knew she was exhibiting a weakness that could be her downfall. Though she found herself not caring in the slightest. "I haven't been happy since he was alive."
Robin nodded sorrowfully in understanding. For a while, he had felt the exact same anguish and bitterness that the Evil Queen had experienced. However, Robin had pushed such negative sentiments aside in light for a promising future with Roland. "If I may," he started begrudgingly, knowing that the former Queen was not going to approve of his next set of words. "You're going to need to let it go."
As expected, the Queen turned on him in an instant. "Let it go?! How dare you—"
"I meant no disrespect," Robin quickly interjected, hands raised in attempts to convey his sincerity. "You seem to have harbored a significant amount of resentment from this loss. I only advise this out of concern."
"Are you implying that you have gotten over your wife's death?" The Queen questioned darkly, glowering at the outlaw, but with less ferocity than before.
"No, of course not," Robin disagreed with a conflicted expression, his eyes expressing the heartache he continued to feel for his loss. "But I have accepted it," he informed. "I have to. For Roland's sake."
The Queen regarded Robin's answer with a slightly narrowed gaze. She didn't understand how the thief could remain so calm throughout the duration of grieving. Losing someone so close had a detrimental effect on any one person. Yet Robin seemed so at peace with the situation. "And...you and Roland are happy?" she asked meekly.
"Yes," Robin answered confidently.
"Even without Marian?" The Queen pressed.
"We miss her desperately," Robin clarified with a small frown. "But you can't let misfortune stand in the way of your happiness."
This caught the Queen by surprise. "What do you mean?"
Robin sighed and allowed a wry grin to tug at the corners of his mouth. He understood in that moment that the Queen sought the universal truth to obtain pure and true happiness. Robin was no expert in this subject, but he had discovered his own key to happiness. "It's taken me a long time to realize this, but happiness is a choice, your Majesty," he spoke clearly and convincingly, forcing the Queen to absorb his words by ceasing to walk any further while refusing to break eye contact. "You can choose to let circumstance drive your emotions, or you can make the best of it and choose to be happy, regardless of what life throws at you."
The Queen was instantly reminded of a similar conversation she held with Henry during one of their first encounters.
"Happiness is a choice. If you choose it and believe with all your heart that you can find a happy ending, it will happen."
Perhaps there was some truth to this statement. But the Queen wasn't willing to accept it. She did not desire to be unhappy. She rather opted to believe that the forces of the universe continually worked against her will. Yet, then again, she did harbor resentment and carried grudges that would make anyone unhappy…
"Where are the others?" Robin suddenly inquired, searching behind them for Henry, Regina, and the Charmings.
The Queen paused in her thought and followed Robin's gaze. She was met by the sight of an empty dirt path and greenery.
The group wasn't there.
"I knew it was a bad idea to allow those two idiots to join," she grumbled, repressing the urge to scream or groan in frustration.
When the Queen turned on her heels and marched off in the direction she had last seen the rest of their traveling party, Robin followed with no objections.
…
"Do you hear that?" Snow stopped abruptly, gripping the stallion's reigns tightly to slow him down to a steady halt. Henry's alertness instantly increased, and he used his height atop the horse to search for any signs of danger.
"I don't see anything," Henry informed, though in a softer voice than he intended, still acting under the assumption that Snow wasn't making up the sound she'd heard. As if unknown sources were attempting to combat Henry's observation, a low rumbling from nearby shook the leaves and branches of the surrounding trees. Everyone froze while Galandrial whined and anxiously tugged against Snow's firm hand.
"Nobody move!" Snow quickly instructed in an urgent, hushed voice. All abided to her command, and Charming forcefully held the stallion in place to the best of his ability.
Regina's eyes widened in fear, and she looked down the trail to see that her former self and Robin were no where to be seen. Instinctively, she took her son's hand and silently indicated for him to dismount the horse. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before the creature fled in a terrified sprint. Henry practically leapt into Regina's arms, much to her surprise and comfort.
The shaking ground incrementally became more and more unsteady as the unknown beast closed in on their location. Everyone had to make an effort to remain standing. "What is it?" Henry whispered in a combination of fear and awe, holding his mother tightly in his arms, finding solace in her embrace.
"It's an ogre," Snow informed in a low voice, gesturing for Henry and Regina to follow she and her husband to refuge in the forest, away from the clearing in which they stood.
"Impossible!" Regina hissed. "Ogres haven't infested these parts in years."
Her response was met by a deafening roar, not far off from their location. Henry winced and covered his ears with his palms while Regina guided him into a patch of shrubs and branches that hung low to the ground.
"You were saying?" Snow quipped in slight triumph, raising her brows as if daring Regina to deny her superior knowledge. Unbeknownst to Snow, this made Regina painfully aware of the fact that she was responsible for Snow's abandonment in the Enchanted Forest years prior. Snow had been forced to survive in the wilderness on her own by Regina's hand. When her wrath and vengeance had gotten the better of her rationality…
When the ogre's footsteps neared so close that Galandrial took off running with a terrified whine, Snow ducked behind a bush while Charming took cover behind a large tree trunk not far from her. Snow was distraught that she had so easily allowed the stallion to rip himself from her grasp, but she also recognized that there had been little chance of retaining him in a situation such as this. As mighty as Galandrial seemed, he was a horse of gentle nature. Brave under certain circumstances, and timid in others.
The ogre was almost upon them. Regina quickly and quietly instructed Henry to remain silent, explaining that while ogres were practically blind, they had a superior ability to hear. Henry nodded quickly to indicate that he understood.
The ogre stepped heavily into the clearing. All remained silent, rooted to the spot by fear and nervous anticipation. While Regina bit her bottom lip, anxiously waiting for the beast to continue onward, Henry watched the creature in awe.
It was large, standing well over twenty feet. The creature's muscular build complimented the menacing sneer he carried upon his elongated facial structure. He took his time trudging through the clearing, glancing all around as if he could feel them watching him. Just when it seemed that he was going to pass through without causing any problems, the distinct sound of a twig snapping echoed near Snow's hiding place.
The beast whipped around to the source of the noise, to which Regina rolled her eyes. Of course they would attract the ogre's attention. The ogre stalked towards the reigning queen, eyes narrowed as if trying to sense movement out of his blind sight. Henry and Regina watched in a nervous anticipation as the ogre neared Snow. While the younger woman held a steely glare, Regina easily saw through her. The fear flickering in her eyes could only be detected by one who knew Snow well. Despite the evident alarm Snow felt, Regina concluded that if she had some form of a weapon, preferably a bow, her step daughter would have little hesitations lodging an arrow in the ogre's eyes.
The ogre stopped a mere few feet shy of Snow, who kept low to the ground as to remain unseen. Though the ogre could not see her, he sensed there was something lurking amongst the trees. While many believed otherwise, ogres were not dim witted. They were actually quite intelligent. If their sight matched their wits and stature, then the ogre population would quite possibly be unstoppable. For this reason, no one was too surprised to see the ogre roar and bring his arm down heavily against the bush Snow stooped behind.
"You foul beast! Over here!"
At the threat of harm coming to his wife, Charming instantly emerged from behind his tree and attracted the ogre's attention, brandishing a short dagger, futilely hoping that it would suffice. The ogre took the bait easily and abandoned Snow White, instead racing towards the brash and insulting King. Regina watched in helpless horror as the ogre charged David and forcefully threw a fist at him. His dagger knocked from his grasp, Charming flew through the air and slammed into a tree trunk, falling to the ground limply, unconscious and bleeding from his head.
Seeing that Snow was still attempting to detangle herself from snow stained tree limbs, Regina made a quick evaluation, opting to intervene despite her lack of magic. "Henry," Regina forced her son to look at her. Henry was petrified, his face a pale white as fear threatened to overcome him. Regina recognized this, and cupped Henry's chin lovingly in efforts to bring his thoughts back to rationality.
"I need for you to get David to safety," she spoke in a calm yet assertive tone. Henry instantly nodded vigorously, understanding the severity of the situation. Then something more crossed his mind as he caught the determined look drawing on his mother's face.
"What are you going to do?"
As if to answer, Regina leapt up from behind the branches and called for the ogre just before the monster delivered a fatal blow to a lifeless and unconscious Charming.
"Hey!" Regina barked loudly, earning a sneer from the ogre as he whipped around to meet the brunette. Regina didn't allow the ogre to intimidate her, and took several bold steps closer to the beast. The ogre, sensing her movement, left Charming behind, allowing Henry to sneak in and haul the king behind a series of trees, out of harm's way.
Regina didn't turn and flee when the ogre stomped a few steps closer to her. Nor did she flinch when he crouched and roared right in her face. Her body tensed when she saw the ogre raring back to swipe at her. When he did, Regina was able to dodge the blow. Unfortunately, she landed on a bed of thorns, cutting her palms and staining the snow with crimson. She hissed, silently cursing herself for being so idiotic, but was instantly reminded of the danger she was in. She turned quickly to find the ogre leering over her, a wicked gleam in his otherwise blind eyes.
Snow watched all of this from afar. She couldn't rightly believe her eyes. Had Regina just saved her husband?! Had she really put her life in harm's way to protect David? She was grateful to Henry for pulling David to safety, but her heart raced in a gut wrenching terror when she saw the ogre moving in for the kill above a certain defenseless evil queen.
Thinking on her feet, Snow quickly withdrew a small, sharp dagger from inside her cloak, something she always kept with her in case the situation called for it. Without so much as a second thought, Snow expertly aimed the dagger and launched it through the air. The blade sunk deeply into the ogre's upper back, and he howled out of anger and agitation. He turned on the reigning queen in an instant, tired of the continual antics and redirections. Snow backed away from the creature, refusing to turn her back on him. She ran her back into a tree, and trepidation seized her body when she realized that she was cornered. Glaring at the ogre, she awaited its wrath.
It didn't take long for Robin and the Evil Queen to locate the other members of their group. How could they not with the way they screamed and hollered in the otherwise dead forest? When they reached the clearing, the Queen's eyes grazed the scene while her lips curled upwards in a combination of disgust and irritation. Regina was sprawled out across the ground, hauling herself upright through clenched teeth while her palms bled a steady stream of thick, red blood. Henry stood guard by Charming, of whom was unconscious and bleeding from the head. As soon as the Queen laid eyes upon the ogre, the cause of the chaotic scene, she conjured a strong current of thick magic, engulfing the beast in cloud of swirling purple smoke. When the cloud dissipated, the ogre was gone. Silence was restored to the forest once again.
"Took you long enough," Regina griped irritably, bringing herself to her feet.
"Would you rather have had me not come to your aid at all?" the Evil Queen snapped at Regina's ungratefulness. "As you seemed to have had the situation fully under control prior to my arrival," she added in a sarcastic drawl with a mocking grin.
Regina gave her counterpart a pointed look that clearly instructed her to shut her mouth. Still grinning with a mischievous glint in her dark brown eyes, the Queen shook her head with a short laugh, finding the whole endeavor mildly amusing. Angered by her younger self's indifferent response, Regina shook her head and made her way towards Henry and Charming. The king was coming to, breathing deeply and slightly groaning while his head throbbed. Snow swiftly rushed to his side, dropping to her knees beside her husband, cupping his face gently in her hands while tears brimmed in her eyes.
"Snow," he breathed with a brilliant, heart warming smile. "You're alright!"
"Of course I am," she responded with relieved laughter. "You shouldn't have risked your life like that," she chastised while stroking Charming's forehead lovingly, wiping at the trickles of blood.
"I had to, Snow," he chuckled softly in response.
"I know," Snow sighed affectionately, understanding the endless devotion and love David held for her.
"Where is the ogre?" Charming inquired, slowly lifting himself into an upright position, wincing slightly as blood rushed to his head.
"Gone," Regina answered for Snow vaguely, arms crossed.
"Where did it come from?" Charming continued in bewilderment, eyebrows drawn in deep thought.
Suddenly, as if he and Snow were thinking in unison, the King and Queen laid their reproaching eyes on their arch-nemesis, the Evil Queen.
The Queen met their looks with a defiance of her own. "I sense an accusation on the horizon," she spoke with no surprise on her tongue.
"It is quite convenient that you were absent in a moment of distress," Charming quipped harshly.
"Wait," the Queen frowned while true understanding took root. "You think I did this?!" she questioned in astonishment, placing a hand across her chest. Though she wasn't surprised in the least, she couldn't deny the feeling of bewilderment that surfaced in her emotions. She loathed that she was always the first suspect in any given crisis. She grew tired of the constant accusations.
"It wouldn't exactly be out of character," Snow commented wearily. She couldn't help but wonder what had made the sound that drew the ogre to her. She knew she had not made a move, nor a noise to attract the ogre's attention. So what had? Of course, she was the first to admit that a small animal could have been the culprit, but now she wasn't quite certain.
"It seems as though someone has a selective memory," Regina interjected, coming to the Queen's defense in a heartbeat, knowing that her counterpart would never place Henry in a situation that entailed such danger. "Let's not forget who saved your life mere moments ago."
This comment was met by a weighted silence. Even the Queen was surprised to acknowledge this. She couldn't even recall doing so. However, upon searching her memory, the Queen managed to bring forth the image of the ogre leering over a defenseless Snow White. She hadn't thought much of dismissing the beast to a distant location, but looking back on the event, she had indeed saved Snow's life. Whether by intention or impulse, the Queen could not discern.
"I can confirm that she had nothing to do with the ogre's appearance," Robin defended loyally, breaking the deafening silence. "I was with her the entire time."
"So can't we just say it was an accident?" Henry concluded innocently.
"Nothing is ever an accident," the Queen answered despondently, suspension taking root, feeling as though there was more at play than what met the eye. Something was amiss. She could feel it.
Another silence ensued. Through this silence, Robin examined the state of the group. Regina and Charming were injured while the rest were merely frazzled. Aside from the Evil Queen, it appeared as though everyone could benefit from a good night's rest. Robin quickly determined where in the forest they resided, and calculated that they were only a few miles from a more than sufficient resting place.
"Nightfall is approaching," Robin announced, glancing up to the sky as it grew darker. "Come; I know of a place nearby where we can take shelter."
To Robin's surprise, no one objected. Regina helped Henry to his feet, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to shield him from the cold. Snow steadied Charming as he stood, slightly supporting him in the chance that he lost his stability. The Queen said nothing, lost in her own train of thought while she stared blankly into space.
Battered yet unbroken, everyone followed Robin's lead in a reflective and conflicted silence.
No one felt a pair of calculating and cold eyes upon them, watching the group with a keen, divisive interest.