A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed i enjoy reading all of your really insightful comments they are my fav! Anyway I felt very un-enthused by the episode today and thought you may all need a pick me up so here you go Emma's Dream...
Disclaimer: I do not own once upon a time, I do not own it in a mine, I do not own it here or there, I do not own it anywhere.
I do not even own a house. I do not own Regina's blouse, I do not know where Red has gone, and this disclaimer's far to long.
I do not own collectively, the works of Adam and Eddie.
Twenty one: I am not a thief.
Regina left her horse at one of the stables bordering the township. It had been nearly two months since she had been able to venture into the market, her mother having spent more time at home on her families lands than usual. She had dressed her self as a common maid for the occasion, her father allowing her to have these adventures while her mother was away as long as she never found out.
Regina walked towards the market her leather boots making sucking noises as she pulled them from the mud lining the streets. Lifting her thin skirts to keep the majority of the dirt off. The plain cotton brown cloak that she wore covering most of her features allowed her to move with ease throughout the towns folk. She liked to come to the markets when ever she could. Watching the people that were under her father go about their lives. It was always more exciting here in the lower parts of the town. It was more alive. Reaching the outskirts of the market she always made sure to press a small copper coin into the hands of any waiting beggar. Her parents could certainly afford it and the people who lived under them could not; living in shacks made from wood or any other materials that could be salvaged.
Her mother held a tight grip on what she believed to be hers, the town closest to her family home one of those. She imagined that the town felt just as trapped as she did by her mother. It was one thing she knew they had in common and was probably why she enjoyed coming here rather than travelling further afield to a larger township. She understood it, and it her.
Regina traveled the market looking at the wares the towns people were selling. Wishing that she could buy some of their crafted work but unable to for fear of raising questions as to where she had acquired the items. She moved to a stall selling orchard fruits assured by the seller that they were the best money could buy. Looking at their bruised and battered flesh she felt over whelmed by sadness that they truly believed that this was as good as it got for them. She purchased a whole basket full of apples from the old woman intent on giving them to children playing on the outskirts of the town as she usually did. It was one small semblance of joy she could offer them before they too grew up and understood the harsh realities of the world they lived in.
She paused at the edge of a leather workers store the stall run by an old man clearly blind and what must be his son. The boy looked to be just older than her. Almost eighteen. Still a boy but nearly a man.
She was amazed at the quality that they had produced. The leather worked items supple and pliable under her hands. It was the intricacies of the stitching on one of the saddles that had caught her attention when she suddenly felt her arm being grabbed from across the counter.
"Now thief, you will put back what you stole or I will have the law-keeper here so fast you don't realize you have lost a hand." The young man growled at her across the table still holding her arm in a strong grip.
"I am not a thief." She said in shock as if the mere accusation had astounded her.
The young man laughed "Well there was a perfectly worked leather purse right where you were just standing and now it's gone. You would cheat a blind man out of his wages? You would take the food right out of his mouth?" He growled indicating the area where the offending object had last been seen.
"I assure you that I have never, nor will I, steal an item from anyone. If you don't believe me you may search my things." Regina said offering up her basket of covered apples for the young man to look through.
The young man could see the shocked look the girl had on her face as she was being accused and could tell from her compliance and lack of haste to get away that it had not been her to steal the item.
"Fine." he said gruffly. "Be more careful with how you stand next time." The young man moved away from her and back to the blind man waiting patiently behind the stall.
"That was a lovely lass. You should not have been so gruff with her. She has a kind soul." His father said.
"Yes well so do you and look where that has got us. Starving in the slums." The young man sighed giving the old man a pat on the shoulder before turning back to the stall front to find a single silver coin placed on the edge of the table.
The young man looked around for the mysterious girl he had been so rude to, but could find no trace of her anywhere.
Regina couldn't wait to leave the for the township. It had nearly been six months since she had been able to go. Her mother had decided that her education as a lady wasn't been seen to correctly and had taken it upon her self to ensure she got the results she desired. Six months of being trapped in side her own home like an animal. Six months of suffering constant berating and magically inflicted punishments, when she was not satisfactory, all in the name of love. She hurried to the stables already dressed in her peasants clothing wanting to leave as soon as possible. Her mother had been called away on business for a week at short notice and Regina was going to soak up as much of the freedom as possible. She always felt a little lost when her mother returned. The crushing weight of freedom lost affecting her more and more each time. It was those small moments she lived for. At least she had the opportunity to feel it even if it was fleeting.
She reached the stables and was accosted by the sight of a young man standing in the stall with her horse.
"Who are you? Step away from that horse. If you are a horse thief I assure you Roccinate will not go with you!"
"I'm sorry ma'am." He said hastily stepping away from Roccinate and back into the main area of the stables to be more in view with the young woman yelling at him.
"You're that man from the market. The one who called me a thief." Regina said in shock staring at the young man standing in front of her with a causal air as if he had every right to be in her stables.
"Well I guess we are even now aren't we." He said giving her a wide grin.
"I'm Daniel the new stable boy. It's nice to meet you..."
"Regina."
"It's nice to meet you Regina. What do you do here at the estate? Are you one of the lady's maids?" he asked.
Regina was confused for only a second when she realized that she was dressed in her peasants gear. Not wanting to give this stranger a reason to prevent her from leaving the property, she lied.
"No I'm not. I just work in the kitchens. I was just going into the market." She said moving to saddle her horse so she could leave this unexpected surprise behind.
"Oh, I'm sorry if I have offended you. Here let me help." He said moving to help clinch the straps on the saddle, checking to see of the horse was holding in any air to prevent it from slipping.
"I can come with you and help if you want?" he said as he finished putting the bridle on the horse.
"No! Don't. I mean you don't have too. I'm sorry that was rude." Regina said remembering her manners and what her mother would think of her behavior. Regina laughed a little knowing that her mother would be appalled that she was even talking to the stable boy at all and not just giving him orders.
"I didn't know I was so funny." The boy looked at her quizzically.
"Oh my apologies. I wasn't laughing at you, just at something I remembered." Regina said sincerely.
"That's fine Regina the kitchen maid." he said giving a large open smile, turning to leave. "Have a good time at the market."
"You can come with me if you want." Regina blurted out horrified at the fact that those words had just been uttered from her mouth. Are you trying to get yourself in trouble she thought before realizing that the young man was speaking to her and saddling a second horse.
"Old Breeze here is excellent at carrying supplies." He said patting the horses flank.
"Oh I'm not actually going into town for supplies. I was just going to have a look around." Regina said awkwardly not really knowing how to continue the conversation now that the boy seemed intent on going with her.
"That's fine." He said flashing a smile. "That sounds like more fun anyway." Mounting his horse and leading it out of the stables towards the town.
"Thank you by the way." He said looking back at Regina who was steering her mount in the same direction. "For the coin I mean. My father and I were able to eat for a month because of that. I don't know where you got it from but thank you."
"You're welcome." Regina said quietly for fear of having to answer any complicated questions.
They were half way to the market when the boy spoke again having ridden in companionable silence most of the way.
"So tell me about the owners of the estate, the Lord and Lady Mulls or what ever their name is. What are they like? Is there anything I should know about my new employers?"
Regina looked in shock at the boy. "You don't even know their names?"
Regina shouldn't have been nearly as surprised as she was, considering that he had not realized that the kitchen maid he was speaking to held the same name as the Lord and Lady's daughter.
Daniel laughed. "Well it's not as if I shall ever be enjoying supper with them. I have no need for their names past Lord or Lady just as they will have no need to learn mine. What? Don't look so surprised. Not everyone is as interested in these well to do's as most. The only thing I need from them is the coin from their pockets."
"I'm just surprised is all." Regina replied a bit taken aback by the boys cavalier attitude. "I would have thought you would have known who you were working for when you were hired. You are from the township close by are you not?"
Daniel shrugged. "I never bothered to learn. All I needed to know was that I would be earning enough to keep my father and myself out of the gutter. We weren't originally from here but my father lost his sight and we were no longer able to keep our shop and our house in the town just north of here. We had only just come to your township when I saw you last. My father's health hasn't been doing so well so I was forced to search for work further afield. I managed to get a job as the stable hand which will feed my father and my self. It has taken me away from my father during the day but at the same time it did lead me to you." He said giving her a genuine smile followed by a quick wink.
Regina's heart fluttered. This boy, a poor hardworking stable boy was smiling at her as if she was worthy of acknowledging. Not just for her title but for her as a person. His smile made something inside of her light up, a small spark in an otherwise hopeless place. That's what it is. Hope, she thought.
"So what are they like?" Daniel said once more.
Regina found it difficult explaining to the young man what her parents were like without giving away that she knew them better than she should, for a kitchen maid. It wasn't difficult talking about her father. She had often seen him interact with the household staff, acknowledging them, calling each by name. A trait that her mother utterly despised in him but it was something that she had never been able to cure him of, and Regina knew that she had tried.
Describing her mother to him was a challenge in it's self. She didn't want to lie to him but also didn't want to have to explain some of the darker sides her mother had. The household staff that would vanish in the night, never to be heard from again. She didn't want to speak of the chamber her mother kept well hidden, though most of the staff knew it was there, they knew not what was in it.
She had been taken there once as a lesson in her obedience. The beating of a thousand hearts echoing like drums throughout the cavern. It had sounded to her like a battle song, the hearts beating out of rhythm with an underlying solid thrum. It had been a warning that day, that she to could end up just like one of those hearts. Her own sitting in a box of its own among a sea of others, forced to do her mothers bidding. Her mother had picked a box at random to show her exactly what the organ looked like, and with one swift clench of her hand had obliterated it in front of her eyes. She had been horrified understanding that in that moment someone, somewhere, had just died upon her mothers whimsy to teach her a lesson. Disobedience lead to death but not for her. For Regina her mother had plans. Regina never understood why her mother hadn't just taken her heart out then to store with the others. At least then she would know that she had no choices to make on her own. That obedience was not expected from her anymore but instead unwillingly taken. She couldn't explain any of that to Daniel and so instead she had settled on telling him about how her mother was strict and controlling and did not take insubordination in any form. He seemed to understand giving her a small nod before continuing their ride in silence.
Regina and Daniel spent most of the morning at the markets browsing the trinkets and wares that the townsfolk were selling. It was heading towards noon when Daniel asked her a small request.
"I was wondering if you would perhaps come and visit my father with me while we are here?" He said almost shyly.
"Oh" Regina said surprised. She had assumed that his father would be in the town somewhere but was uncertain exactly what had become of him now that his son was working for her family. "Of course. That would be lovely."
Daniel gave her a wide smile before pulling her towards a building that could only be described as a shack attached to a large wooden building. The smell of animal feces and stale urine in the air made Regina crinkle her nose at the offending smell.
"Yeah, you get use to it after a while." Daniel laughed at her discomfort. "They use the old urine and animal droppings to tan the hides before crafting them."
Guiding her into the shack she could see his father sitting on a low stool scraping and stretching a large hide that was strung up in front of him. Daniel's father may have been blind but years of working the leather allowed him to work unhindered. Using his hands to feel the skin and see where it needed more time.
"Father." Daniel said bending to kiss his father on the cheek before moving to the cast iron pot placed carefully over the burning hearth in the center of the room.
He stirred the contents as Regina looked around what appeared to be the old man's home. Animal pelts that had aged significantly, half eaten away by moths covered the walls for warmth and she could see the low-lying pallet where the old man must sleep. A sturdy table just behind the man was crammed into the space next to the fire making the space seem smaller than it already was.
"And who is the beautiful young lass that you have brought home with you my son?" His father asked turning his unseeing eyes towards Regina.
Regina smiled at the old man knowing that he could not see it but felt as if he would some how sense it.
"This is Regina, Father. She is one of the kitchen maids up at the estate. She was at the markets many weeks ago. I may have called her a thief." He said abashedly giving Regina an awkward smile before turning back to the contents of the pot.
The old man abandoned his work turning so he was now sitting at the table before looking her way.
"And what are your intentions towards my boy." the old man asked giving a gruff laugh at the end.
"Oh. I assure you I have no ill intentions towards your son." Regina replied awkwardly.
"Father!" Daniel scolded. "Leave her alone. I can't have all the friends I make chased of by a nosy old man." he joked.
Regina's heart lept at his words. Friend, she had never really had a friend before. There had been sons of Dukes and Duchess's that had pretended to be friends with her at the request of their parents. All accounts had ended briefly with her mother deciding that none were good enough for her daughter. None would elevate her daughter to where she wanted her to be.
"Sorry." Daniel apologized to the girl still standing awkwardly off to the side. "He thinks he's funny, but he's not." he said giving the old man a glare.
"I may be blind son but I can feel you staring."
"Oh hush now and eat your soup." The boy said good-naturedly. Setting down a bowl of broth and a spoon in front of the old man guiding one hand to cup the bowl and the other to clasp the spoon.
"I tell him to just drink it from the bowl like any one else would but he insists that we are civilized folks." Daniel said in a mock voice while bowing in front of Regina before pulling out a small stool and offering for her to sit.
Daniel placed a small bowl of broth in front of her with a spoon as he sat his own down on the table top.
"Oh no you don't have to feed me. Really you are too kind. I really couldn't." She pleaded not wishing to eat their hard earned food when she came by hers so easily.
"Nonsense child. Anything we have, we share with you willingly. If we were not willing to share, then we would not have invited you into our home." The old man said his unseeing eyes focusing on her but seeing her all the same.
"He's right. Eat up. We still have the ride back to the estate and we haven't eaten all day." Daniel said giving her a small nudge with his spoon.
Regina gave in to the request hesitantly scooping some of the broth onto her spoon before taking a sip. It tasted like dirty water she thought. Whatever form of vegetables and meat had gone into it now almost non existent. It didn't matter to her. It wasn't the food that warmed her stomach. It was the thought of the two people across from her who had so openly accepted her, a mere stranger, into their home and offered up the little that they had.
Regina was horrified. Her mother had returned a day early breaking the spell that she had been under. She knew that she was already longing for the freedom she had experienced in the past week; going into the township everyday with Daniel accompanying her on most of her trips. She hadn't really found it hard to keep the guise of kitchen maid up with him. He seemed to be more interested in her as a person than what she did to make a living and had even said as much. They had talked about her passions and she had asked Daniel so many questions about the places he had been and visited that she was half certain that he would get sick of her and stop going into town. He hadn't to Regina's surprise. The guilt wore her down each day being untruthful about who she was, but she was so wrapped up in the friendliness and companionship he offered that she just couldn't bring herself to tell him.
She had a problem. She had been going to tell him the truth that day, one last trip to the markets before her mother returned. Instead she found herself dressed in her pristine riding gear trailing behind her mother and her new riding instructor fearing what the future would hold.
Her mother did not normally come to the stables as she deemed it beneath her but she was making the effort for her new riding instructor which meant that her mother must be paying him a large sum of money to teach her. Her mother ignored her as she spoke with the instructor telling him about Regina's progress so far.
Daniel must have been told that her mother was coming to the stables as she saw him leading out her horse saddled and at the ready and tried to control the inner terror at seeing him. He didn't recognize her for a second but she could tell the moment that he did, nearly tripping over his own feet in his confusion making the horse falter.
"Boy." her mother said looking through him. "My daughters horse is worth more than your life. I suggest you not be so careless next time."
"Yes my Lady. My apologies my lady." he said bowing his head before quickly stealing a glance at Regina who had attempted to step as far back from everyone as possible.
He could see the fear in her eyes and the slight shake of her head no as if she were pleading with him.
"My lady." he said leading the horse over to Regina to mount. Helping her to slip each of her booted feet into the stirrups.
Regina hadn't been able to say anything to him. Only able to give him one last pleading look when she thought her mother wasn't looking as she was led away to showcase her skills to her new instructor.
Regina was freaking out. She wondered if while she had been riding, that Daniel had said anything. She couldn't keep the fear away and it had affected her performance. The horse had sensed her distress and acted out. Her mother had looked appalled at her efforts and had left shortly after with the instructor. No doubt to discuss how to fix her apparent shocking technique. She rode to the stables as quickly as possible not certain of what she would say to Daniel.
Un-mounting her horse she quickly lead Roccinate into the stable where Daniel was working away, using a pitchfork to add hay to the stalls. He walked over swiftly as she dismounted and took the reigns from her hand.
"M'lady." He said a tad of mirth in his eyes.
"Daniel, I..." Regina couldn't think of what to say, of what to ask of him. She could only plead with her eyes.
"It's OK. I understand. I'll keep your secret." Daniel said moving closer, holding fearful brown eyes staring at him as if the world were about to end. In a bold move he leaned in and kissed her. His chapped lips quickly meeting her soft round ones before stepping back.
"Now you have a secret of mine, too." He said, a half smile on his face walking away with the reigns in his hand, pulling her horse behind him.
Regina's face flushed looking awkwardly after the boy who had so easily stilled her fears in one swift motion and made her heart soar with the next.
Coming up next: It's Detective Regina Mills damn it I mean Detective Emma Swan. Man these two swapping is crazy how about we call it Detective Mills Swan no problems there. Also who is burning what red leather jacket?
A/N: Did I make you like him? Did you like him before? I didn't ship these two before but now i'm not so certain. What are your thoughts on poor Daniel...
Let me know in the review section or you can talk to me on tumblr letoutthecrazy. I would love to know your thoughts.
P.S: I am very proud of my disclaimer this week you should be too :P