A/N: I hope you'll enjoy this new update, a lot of revelations are about to be made. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts about them!
My next focus is Love from OQ day and my valentine's gift, so I don't know when the next update will be but I won't keep you waiting for too long, promise 😌
Robin opens his eyes wide, and sits up abruptly, choking on the pain coursing through his body, whimpering as he tries to overcome it, holding his painful ribs and struggling against the excruciating burn in his abdomen and the squeeze of his throat forbidding him to breathe. He's used to be in constant pain now, but this time was different, more intense and... troubling, to say the least.
It takes him a while to recover, to come back to himself, for the pain to ease and let him breathe normally as the sudden movements triggered his physical injuries. He fights to stay silent, so he won't wake up Henry and worry him. The man has come to care about him a lot, and he's clearly been affected by the recent turn of events. They already knew there were little chances for him to ever exit the dungeons, but the infection that has settled in him is worsening, weakening him, reducing the possibility to get out of this place alive to zero. And although Henry understands and agrees with Robin's persistence to keep his secret from the King, it doesn't stop him from begging him to fight back, to hold on, to find a way to escape this hell and save his life.
But what good would it do it him? He wouldn't go far. And he tried already. At the beginning, when his body wasn't yet a pile of broken bones and lacerated skin, when he still had the strength to, he tried. But the King is smart, and as long as Robin was in good shape, he had made sure to send enough men to restrain him should he try to escape. And as Robin's injuries grew, his strength decreased, and so did his resolve to flee this place. Now, he has accepted his fate. If he has to give his life so Regina can be safe, then so be it. His only regret, is that he will never see her beautiful face again.
Well... Until now.
The pain has finally subsided, the stirring of his abdomen now only a vague soreness, so Robin lies down, and stares at the ceiling.
Damn, that was intense.
He's spent the last weeks dreaming about a person visiting his cell, a person whose face he never saw, whom he heard step closer after he or she entered his cell, while he laid still on the ground. Each time, he only opened his eyes at the same time he woke up, thus never laying eyes on that person. A person he knows was Regina.
Tonight was different though. Tonight, it was only about torture, about Leopold toying with him, using his body like a canvas and a sharp blade as a paintbrush, alternating with whiplashes with an increasing strength until Robin had no other choice left but to scream. As if torturing him during the day wasn't enough, now his mind seems to want to torture him during the night as well. Must be the fever, a disillusion triggered by the smell of death that's surrounding him, and the knowledge that he'll rot in here until his last breath.
But while Robin had lost hope to see Regina in his dreams, this time, she was here, her eyes wide with shock and fear. The fear of her husband, probably. He knows how deeply she's scared of the man. He can't really blame her. His insanity has reached a level Robin has rarely seen, and despite the King's good reputation, he can tell that his men have started to question his judgement. Leopold doesn't hide behind lies and pretenses anymore. Now, people know he's on for Regina's head, and the sessions of torture he puts him through say enough about his level of madness. He heard bits and pieces on their ride back to the castle, heard the premises of the soldiers' faith in their leader falter, and then more as the men guarding his door spoke, unaware that he could hear them. Threatening Guy and William's lives, two men who did nothing but follow his orders, was the last straw. Several men questioned this decision, not understanding why the King would want to kill people who've been obeying since the beginning, fearing to be next. Hopefully, the consequences of this choice will backfire before it's too late for the two men and Marian.
Robin takes a deep breath, regrets it immediately when it triggers an itching in his throat and he begins coughing.
He coughs several times, wincing at the burning in his throat, the smell of blood when his entire airways feel as if they are on fire. He shivers, curls up and tries to warm himself up, aware that it's vain. The dungeon is freezing and he's been half dressed for as long as he's been in here. Not counting the infection that slowly spreads inside him, causing a strong fever and weakening him a little more every day.
If I'm lucky, I'll die soon, so I'll finally find peace, and my friends' lives might be spared, Robin thinks, swallowing several times in an attempt to ease the burning of his throat. He remembers Regina's face in his dream, the horror written on her beautiful face, the fear and shock in her eyes. Despite the circumstances of his dream, it was good to see her again, mended his bleeding heart and mind a little, soothing his painful injuries.
But as he thinks of Regina, his thoughts wander to her. She must be worried sick about him, must wonder where he is, has probably tried to locate him thanks to the birds. But there's no window here, no way for them to see him, and he's fairly certain that she still ignores everything about his location, otherwise she'd already be here. She won't give up though. He knows she won't. But the chances for her to arrive on time to save him are thin, almost inexistent.
What will she do if he dies? What will she believe? Will she feel it, his absence, his disappearance from this world? Their connection has only grown stronger since they found each other again, will it be strong enough for her to know how much he loved her, how grateful he was to have her in his life?
Robin closes his eyes, too tired to focus on what will happen when he'll meet his fate. And just like always when he does, Regina's beautiful face appears in front of him. Her elusive but satisfying smile he'll never get enough of. It's incredible how much he misses her. Nothing can tamper his love for her, as it stays strong and vibrant, unwavering despite the threats surrounding him, growing stronger even. There are little chances for him to ever see her again. But somewhere, deep down in his heart, a part of him still clings to the hope of being given the chance to lay his eyes on her one last time.
Before the end.
xxx
Rumpelstiltskin crosses his arms as he watches through the window, to the vastness of the Enchanted Forest that lies before his eyes.
He wasn't able to find her location, but it doesn't matter. There's no need for him to pay her visits anymore, not now that he knows she won't be able to escape her fate.
He felt it. The wave of energy that overcame the entire land. The proof of a connection so strong, no one and nothing can break it, not even death. Wherever Regina is hiding, no matter how she managed to hide herself from him, Rumpelstiltskin knows that she won't be able to resist the call of her soulmate, therefore fulfilling his plan.
Soulmates...
How lucky he was, when he accidentally found out that the most effective hunter of the Enchanted Forest was his student's soulmate. A coincidence that he used to his advantage. It only took a small whisper in the King's ear, and the man was convinced that Robin of Locksley was the key to rid him of his wife. Ever since, his little visits to the King have fueled the man's rage, to the point that the monarch has now turned completely mad, obsessed with his hunt for Regina, regardless of the consequences. Regina, who fell into the trap the Dark One set for her.
Unlike what he pretended, Rumpelstiltskin's plan isn't to get Regina back. No. He knew that asking her to come back would only make her crave for liberty grow bigger. His only purpose all along, was to throw her into the huntsman's arms. And that was a complete success. The two have played their roles exactly as he planned, and the King as well. The huntsman fell for her at first sight, found himself unable to kill her, and Regina... Rumple knows how in dire need of love she is. It was only a matter of time before she succumbed to her feelings for the man. Feelings that have grown so intense, that Rumpelstiltskin was able to feel her heartbreak when he watched her learn about her lover's real identity. Her heart shattered into pieces that day, a part of her crumbling, starting to break the defenses that had taken her so long to build. He had followed the King when he learned that Regina had been found, and without realizing, the man had planted the seed for the next part of his plan.
Just like he hoped he would.
What happened tonight only confirmed that despite the pain that has started to weaken Regina, her love for the huntsman hasn't faded at all. It's still strong and vivid, and if his plan goes through –it always does-, that same love will be her doom.
Regina doesn't realize yet the role she has to play in the Enchanted Forest's destiny, the suffering that's waiting for her and will create the monster Rumpelstiltskin has been waiting for. His best creation so far: A woman so broken that she will destroy everything... and will give him exactly what he wants.
So indeed, he still ignores where she is. But the suffering that he can feel deep down, even if he can't locate it, isn't the hunter's. It's hers. That's how Rumpelstiltskin knows that she's here, somewhere, that a part of her still holds onto Robin.
And that soon, she'll come for him.
xxx
He can't let that happen.
For weeks, he pretended, tried to convince himself that the King would relent on keeping his word, that at some point he'd stop torturing Robin and would let them go, but he was wrong. Now, he has no choice. If he wants to protect her and his friends, he has to warn her. He has to tell her the truth, come forward about the situation, or they will all be killed.
Guy stares at the ceiling, unable to close his eyes, unable to think of something else. How did that happen? How did they find themselves in such situation? They were friends, brothers, inseparable, and now they are forced to make each other suffer again and again, forced to live with the fear that the women they love might be killed by the same insane man.
It's eating at him. What he's doing to Robin. Bringing him so close to the precipice, but all along making sure he won't die, that he will live through yet another day of torture. This is unbearable! He's tortured people in the past, he's killed. But this... this is too much. He barely eats, barely sleeps, grits his teeth so he won't show anyone how deeply affected he is by all this.
But he is.
He hoped it would be over soon, that they'd find a way out of this situation, but now he knows that this way out is death, and he can't accept that. The King is losing patience, and that could lead them all to their doom. So he has to do something. He has to be honest, find a way to protect her, so he can focus on getting Robin to safety, and save everyone's lives.
Guy sits up on his bed, watches William sleep for a few moments. His friend is suffering from the situation too, anyone who knows him could see it. Since the beginning, William questioned their mission. He wanted to step back almost immediately, to give up, to run away, grab Marian and leave this fucking place. But Guy was too scared to take the risk, and look where it got them now...
He gets dressed, grabs his cloak, and leaves the room. Guy walks through the end of the night to her house, resolute about what he has to do. If she doesn't want him after that, so be it. But she deserves to know that her life is in danger, and who is threatening it.
"I'm Guy de Gisborne, Lady Marian's fiancé." he introduces himself to the man standing guard in front of the house.
"Lady Marian is still asleep, Sir."
"It's urgent." he insists, stomping his foot. "Can you tell her I wish to talk with her, please?"
The man nods wordlessly, enters the castle and closes the door behind him. What must last a few minutes feels like hours for Guy as he paces in front of the door, but soon, he hears footsteps coming back, and he straightens his back, readying himself.
"Lady Marian and Lord Fitzwalter are waiting for you, Sir." The man says, inviting him to enter.
Guy crosses the corridors in direction of the main hall, and faces his fiancé and her father, their eyes still full of sleep as they stand in the middle of the room.
"I apologize for waking you up, my Lord." Guy bows his head in front of Marian's father, the man acknowledging his apology with a nod. "My Lady." he says, taking his fiancé's hand and pressing a kiss there. "But there are urgent matters I couldn't keep to myself much longer."
"Tell us, then." Lord Robert Fitzwalter says calmly.
"First, I need your word that what I'm about to reveal will stay between us."
The man tenses in front of him. "Why would we do that?"
"I beg you, Sir." Guy says, joining his hands. "Lives are at stake. I promise, you'll understand everything once I've told you the whole story."
Marian's father hesitates, looks over at his daughter, and Marian smiles at him, nods, and turns towards Guy, taking one of his hands between hers.
"You have our word, Guy."
He brings her hands to his lips again. "Thank you, my darling."
Guy takes a deep breath. He's not really sure how to do this, but he's always been told that the beginning was a good start.
"Do you remember the mission my friend William and I were supposed to accomplish for the King?"
"Yes." Robert replies, he and his daughter both nodding.
"It turns out it wasn't exactly what we were told it'd be."
Lord Fitzwalter frowns, taking a step forward. "Explain yourself."
"Well..." Guy takes a second. Marian and her father believe in the King. What he's about to reveal will either crush their entire world, or send him straight to prison. "Our mission was to find and bring the Queen back to the castle. She was hundreds of miles from here, in another Kingdom, but we found her. Except the story wasn't what the King pretended."
"What do you mean?" Marian questions.
"It turns out that..." Guy braces himself for the revelations he's about to make. "The Queen willingly escaped the castle."
"What?" Lord Fitzwalter opens his eyes wide in astonishment.
"Why?" Marian adds.
"I don't have all the details," Guy replies, trying to stay calm despite the anxiety knotting his stomach and the sweat pearling at his forehead. "What I know is that she was with another man when we found her, and she didn't want to go back to her husband."
"This is treason! She betrayed her husband!" Marian's father thunders.
"Indeed, my Lord." Guy admits. "However, William and I learned that she had a reason for running away."
"What good reason could she have?" Lord Fitzwalter thunders, clearly annoyed and offended.
"The King was violent with her." He hears Marian gasps, sees her bring a hand to cover her mouth. "He also tried to murder her."
"Lies!" Lord Fitzwalter outrages.
"I'm afraid not, my Lord. I know that from a sure source: The man who was with the Queen when we found her."
Marian puts a hand on her father's arm to tamper his anger, and turns towards Guy, speaking in this quiet and gentle voice Guy loves so much.
"How do you know this man isn't lying?"
"Because..." Guy takes a deep breath. He's taking a huge risk by revealing this, but he has no choice. "William and I know him."
"You do?"
"Yes. He was..." He swallows heavily. "He was part of the same group William and I were part of."
Lord Fitzwalter lifts a suspicious eyebrow. "What kind of group?"
There we go... Guy knows that he's about to live the same thing Robin went through with Regina, and it freaks him out. Losing Marian would break his heart. But he hopes that his honesty will play in his favor, and that the revelations that will follow will open Marian and her father's eyes on how dangerous the King has become, and that they need to act now.
"A mercenary group." he reveals, holding his breath, tensing when he reads the shock on Marian and her father's faces, the anger in the man's eyes, the sadness in his fiancé's. "We grew up together, saved each other's lives more times than I can count. William and I gave up on this way of life a year ago." he says quickly, as if throwing all the information at them will stop them from chasing him from their home. "But Robin –the man the Queen was found with, he had already left years ago, and he became a huntsman, a man you hire to get rid of someone." He senses that Marian's father is about to explode and call the guards, so he uses an information he knows will shut them up. "He's the man the King had first hired, and his mission wasn't to bring the Queen back alive: It was to kill her."
There's a silence then. Guy stares at them, a bit breathless, sweating, anxious, his mouth dry as he waits for them to react.
"This is a severe accusation you're making here, young man!" Lord Fitzwalter declares, straightening.
"With all due respect, my Lord, the King's behavior when we found the Queen was proof enough, as far as I'm concerned. And there's also something else that you should know, something that involves you." He faces a perfect silence, so he continues. "After William and I swore to fulfill our mission to the King, he added a condition... A condition that puts you in danger." He reads the confusion and fear in their eyes, and hates himself for the news he's about to bring upon them. "He threatened us." he says, taking a deep breath. "He said that if we didn't fulfill our oath to him, William and I would be hanged... And so will you, my lady." Guy finishes, locking eyes with Marian.
Her beautiful brown eyes widen in shock, then she frowns, confused, exchanging a glance with her father, who's just as shocked and lost about all this as she is.
"I beg your pardon?" Lord Fitzwalter, stupefied.
Guy doesn't lose his composure. It's too late now to step back. "We didn't see it coming. The King had asked many questions about us, our lives, and I mentioned our engagement. So he used it against us, to make sure that no matter what, we would have no other choice but to obey him."
"But Guy..." Marian says with a voice full of incomprehension. "The King is a good man. He would never do that."
"Oh, I can assure you that he did, my beloved." Guy says, unable to hide his resentment and anger at the man. "He's not the kind man you believe he is. And even though William and I found the Queen, she managed to escape, so he proclaimed that we didn't fulfill our mission, which was to "find and bring the Queen back"."
"But you came back weeks ago, and nothing happened to my daughter." Robert points out.
"Indeed, my Lord. Because we did capture Robin, and the King had given us a mission: To break him." He swallows heavily, closes his eyes, keeping at bay the memory of the torture sessions, the face of his friend half conscious, bruised, the sound of his bones breaking under his punches, the smell of his blood... "To make him reveal where the Queen is hiding. Unlike what I pretended, I don't spend my days getting everything ready for our wedding, my dear Marian." Guy reveals. "William and I are taking turns in torturing our friend, according to the King's order, who gives us every day new ways to torture him. A man I used to call brother, who's been my closest friend for years. The King ignores that we know each other, and I hope he never finds out, for our sakes, but..." Guy gazes down, holds back his tears, trying to be strong, but this is too much, he can't bear any more of this. "Something happened yesterday. The King has given us two weeks to find out the Queen's whereabouts. If we fail, he'll kill us. And you, too."
"Are you saying that my daughter's life is in danger?" Robert asks, his tone more tampered.
Guy inhales deeply. "I am, my Lord."
He falls on his knees, exhausted, broken, lost, his pain so intense he has trouble breathing. He takes Marian's hand between his, pressing a kiss to its back.
"I apologize, my beloved. I've lied about my real identity, and I've failed to protect you. If you never want to hear anything from me, I'll leave this instant and you'll never see again. But I couldn't hold back the truth from you. You're in serious danger, you have to be put to safety."
He stays still, his forehead against the back of her hands, waiting for the verdict. He's a strong man. He's endured so much that he believed he would never waver, never break. But he was wrong. He was wrong! Keeping everything to himself for weeks, living with a threat above his head, coming along with a decision he knew wasn't right, going after his friend and putting all of his energy trying to force him to reveal what he knows he himself wouldn't have revealed... And hide the entire truth to the woman he loves with all his heart. It did him in the end. The truth is out, his life is in Marian and her father's hands. If they put an end to his engagement with Marian, then so be it. As long as she's safe and out of the King's reach.
He startles when a hand waves in his hair, gentle, soothing. He wants to open his eyes, but when he understands that it's Marian's, he sighs, leaning further in her embrace.
"Look up." she commands softly.
He does, unsure about what to expect. When he meets them, her eyes are full of love and understanding, shining with her endless kindness.
"Get up." she urges, and he does as told.
She then looks at her father, and Guy turns to face the man, whose face is unreadable.
"I've heard rumors about the King lately, and I refused to believe them." Robert admits, his tone quieter than earlier. "But if what you just told us is true, then King Leopold has indeed changed, and not for the better. I can't promise you my daughter's hand, that is a matter I need to think of given the recent revelations." Guy's heart drops immediately but well, he can't really blame the man. "However, if what you said is true, then you did the right thing by coming here and warning us, and that's something I won't forget. There isn't much I can do for your friend, but I'll make sure to protect my daughter's life."
Guy lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He meets Marian's glistening eyes, and her beautiful comforting smile, then shakes the hand her father holds out for him.
"Thank you, my Lord! You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that."
xxx
It's almost dawn, but it's still dark, so they lit up several candles and have gathered around the large table in Larry and Hannah's house. All eyes are on the stranger with horns and a raven, who just spilled out a very disturbing truth.
"So..." Tinkerbell begins, unsure of where to start, glancing at Regina, who seems completely shaken by the recent revelation and the events of the night. "Who are you?"
The woman straightens, her hands clasped in front of her.
"My name is Maleficent. I am Robin's sister."
Regina's eyes are on her immediately, wide and confused. Robin has a sister?
"Why are you here?" Larry questions, clearly on his guard.
Maleficent looks at him, patting her raven's back. "Like I said, Regina's child's and my brother's lives are in danger."
"But what does that mean? Up until you showed up, I was certain that Robin was dead." Regina finally speaks, an arm wrapped around her stomach, her eyes puffy and red, exhausted, anxious, and completely lost. She closes her fingers around Tinkerbell's when her friend reaches for her hand, but doesn't look away from the woman who just appeared in the middle of the night and dropped a bomb on them. "So I wouldn't mind some explanation about the situation."
Maleficent tilts her head sympathetically, although she doesn't smile, and explains with a clear and calm voice.
"Robin and I communicate through ravens." she explains, glancing at the bird. "About once or twice a week. Almost two months ago, his messages suddenly stopped. Ever since, I've sent my ravens looking for him, but I couldn't find him anywhere. However, something happened tonight, that told me that he was alive." She takes a deep breath in, and reveals. "A few hours ago, the entire land was submerged in a wave of magic so intense that my entire castle was shaken."
"The entire land?" Larry frowns. "We didn't feel anything."
"Because you are humans." Maleficent explains. "I am a creature of magic, which means that I can feel its pull. What happened tonight was something only magical creatures can perceive."
Regina narrows her eyes, sensing that there's something Maleficent is holding back from them. Something that she's not certain she will like.
"And what happened exactly?" she questions, staring straight into the woman's eyes, defiant.
"Are you sure that you're ready to hear it?"
The question could have thrown Regina off, but she's recovered from the shock now, and if her child's life is in danger, she'll do whatever it takes to keep it safe.
"I am."
"Very well." Maleficent takes a long, lingering breath. "You and Robin share a unique connection. Something that is extremely powerful and rare, for it comes from both light and dark magic."
"Soulmates." Tinkerbell whispers, putting all the pieces together before Maleficent pronounces the word. She's heard about it, it is said that soulmates finding each other is something so exceptional, that almost no living being among all creatures, magical or not, can recall witnessing such event. She looks around her when Maleficent doesn't continue, and realizes that all eyes are on her, and Robin's sister is staring at her with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk, so she feels the need to explain. "I was a fairy before being banished. That's how I've heard about this."
Regina frowns. "You knew?"
The former fairy shakes her head and shrugs. "No. It's what Maleficent said that made me understand what she was talking about."
The woman nods reverently, and resumes, looking back at Regina. "This is correct. You and my brother are soulmates, Regina."
Regina's eyes widen. She too has heard of this legend, but never really believed it to be more than a story.
"That's not possible..." she breathes, her tone lacking any real conviction. If she's not ready to accept this fact, she knows it's true, because this news allows her to finally put into words what she's felt for Robin since the very beginning. Since their eyes met but they were too wild to accept each other. It also explains the reason why he couldn't kill her, and why she's been unable to forget about him...
"But it is." Maleficent replies, unaware of her turmoil. "And the child you're carrying, is the product of that love."
"Forgive me for asking," Friar Tuck interrupts them, holding out a hand. "For those of us who are unfamiliar with magic, can you explain what a soulmate is?"
Maleficent abandons Regina to her thoughts, and nods. "Of course. The legend says that at the dawn of humanity, humans were made of four arms, four legs, and two heads. They were peaceful creatures, made of love and light magic, but they also possessed an incredible strength that could –if the legend is true- reshape the surface of the world. As those creatures' strength grew and they became out of control, threatening the balance of the world, a very powerful wizard chose to protect the land, and sacrifice them. In order to do that and to avoid killing them, he decided to split them in two, thus creating the men and women we know. He sent them all over the world, to make sure that none of them would ever reconnect with their other half, because he was afraid that it'd have catastrophic consequences. Since those creatures were made of light magic, the wizard had to use dark magic to accomplish this task, which resulted in burning his entire soul. As the goodness in him disappeared, and as his powers were transferred from him to his descendant, he gradually turned into the vilest creature, the one now known as the Dark One."
Regina and Tinkerbell gasps at the revelation. They never heard this part of the story.
"As for the soulmates, they wandered, in desperate search for their other half, that most of them never found. Some died of grief. Others found a companion into another human and had children, therefore repopulating the world with creatures like them, who over the centuries have forgotten everything about their magical ancestors. Almost all soulmates have disappeared, drowned in the descendants of multiple and varied unions, or extinguished with generations, exhausted from seeking their other half. But some survived, stronger than others, refusing to give up, reincarnating in every generation, always in search of their other half. This is your case, Regina, and my brother's as well." Maleficent says, her eyes back on the brunette. "Your souls and hearts are bounded by an ancestral bond that is older and stronger than any living creature. Now that you've found each other, nothing can break that bond, not even death."
"But you said my child was in danger."
"If we have heard the story of two soulmates who may have found each other thousands of years ago, we do not know of any soulmates who've had the opportunity to procreate as a result of their reunion. What I'm about to tell you is theoretical, and what I can feel deep inside myself thanks to my own magic. Your child is the product of love, but also of the oldest magic of all. I cannot predict its future, I do not know if it will be the most powerful being who has ever walked this earth, or an ordinary human being. What I do know, however, is that it is connected to my brother as much as it is connected to you, and that what you both feel, it also feels. It is too young and weak at the moment to take over the two of you, which is probably why it could only appear when you were both asleep."
"My dreams..." Regina murmurs, understanding better Robin's omnipresence in her dreams. "I've been dreaming about Robin every night over the last weeks. Did they come from our child too?"
"Most likely, yes." Maleficent confirms. "They may have been warnings, a way to tell you that Robin was still alive somewhere. I don't know what's going on with my brother, but to create such magical reaction as the one that brought me here, something must have happened and his life must be in serious danger. I'm sorry to tell you this, Regina, but given the strength of the connection your child has made with its parents, he or she will probably not tolerate the loss of one of you. In other words, if Robin dies..."
"Our child will die with him." Regina finishes for her, leaning back against the seat, stunned by the news.
She carries her hands to her abdomen spontaneously, rubbing in circle, as if the movement could soothe her or her baby, but she knows that it is useless. Maleficent's revelations shed light on tonight's events, explained the last few weeks, and she does not need confirmation, she knows that the woman is right. Which leaves her no choice.
She looks up at Robin's sister, determined, and Regina knows that Maleficent has understood what she's about to say before the words come out of her mouth. She knows that it's the exact reason why she came here tonight.
"In this case, there is only one possible option left: We must save Robin."
Tinkerbell and Hannah jump in their seats.
"What?"
"You're not serious?"
But Regina has made her mind. She meets Maleficent's blue eyes, her determination just as strong as hers, and looks back at her friends.
"I don't have a choice."
"After what he did to you, you're ready to cross the world to save his life? To put yours in danger when his last action was to protect you?" Tinkerbell argues.
Regina sighs. Tinkerbell is right. But this is so much complicated than that. There are so many things that she hasn't told her friend. How she cannot get over Robin. How she thinks about him every day. How even the amazing life she's created with her friends doesn't erase the loss. She's still resentful, there's no questioning that. But she also loves him more than anything. She may be mad at him for betraying her, but she can't look away when she knows for certain that he's about to die. No counting this new element that changes everything...
Regina can't feel her child move just yet, but she knows it's here. And she loves it already, so much. What kind of mother would she be if she lets her baby die by selfishness? She might be hurt by what Robin did, but if rescuing him means saving her child's life, then there's no doubt left about what she has to do.
"Our story is..." Regina glances at Maleficent, reads the question in the woman's eyes that tells her that she doesn't know everything about what happened between her and Robin. "complicated." she resumes, looking back at her friend. "But I can't stay here and do nothing if it means that there's even a tiny chance that my baby could die." She turns towards Hannah, knows that the woman will understand her next argument. "What would you do if you had to choose between your own life, and your children's?"
It takes two seconds. Hannah gazes down, and wraps her fingers around Tinkerbell's arms, making the young woman understand that arguing is pointless, Regina is right.
"We don't even know where he is exactly." Larry points out.
"I do." Regina replies. "Robin is in my husband's castle. And if I'm not mistaken, the cell Robin was in was the same one my husband locked me in before I escaped." She faces the surprise on everyone's face, as she suddenly remembers that she hadn't given them details about what happened between her and Leopold.
"What do you mean that's where he locked you in?" Tinkerbell questions, furrowing her brow.
But Regina shakes her head. Now isn't the time to think about it. With everything she now knows, there's no time to lose.
"That's a long story, I'll tell you about it another day. Right now, I need to plan my trip there."
Friar Tuck gets up at her words. "Wow, easy there! You're pregnant, remember?"
Regina rolls her eyes at him. "It's difficult to forget given the circumstances."
"Which means that too much effort and stress could also hurt your baby." he replies firmly, ignoring her intervention. "Besides, we're not even sure he's there. However, even if you're right, it means that Robin is locked up hundreds of miles away from here, in the castle of a King who's after your head. There's probably a whole army between you and him. How exactly do you plan to free him without getting caught or injured?"
"I have magic, remember?" Regina reminds with sarcasm and annoyance. "All I have to do is getting close enough to the castle so I can transport myself in his cell, and take him out of there."
"How close would that be?" Friar Tuck challenges her.
Regina hesitates. Her magic has never been predictable. She winces as she admits. "I'm not sure exactly."
Hannah sighs. "I understand your need to go there, Regina. I really do. But this is reckless! Your only way to avoid being caught isn't fully reliable. And if you plan to do the trip by horse, there's no way we'll let you go alone."
"I can help."
The voice startles them, all eyes directed behind them at the bottom of the stairs, where John is standing, looking determined.
"I'll go with Regina. I'll protect her."
Larry and Hannah get up immediately.
"No way in hell, son!" his father replies. "You're not getting into this."
"John, I really appreciate your offer, but I agree with your father," Regina adds. "This isn't your fight."
"That wasn't a request."
The firmness is the young man's tone is something they rarely hear from him, as he's from a calm and shy temper.
Hannah walks around the table, grabs her son's hands. "John, please!"
Her son squeezes her hands, brings them to his chest.
"My entire life, you and dad have taught me to be good, to help people. I've been training for that for years. My goal is to serve in the King's army. Tell me, what kind of good man would I be, if I'm ready to give my life for a King who ignores everything about who I am, but I don't help a friend in need?"
His sentence shatters his mother's resolve, and she shakes her head, hugs her son's tight before pulling back, cupping his cheek. "Promise me you'll be careful."
"I will, mom. I promise."
"What about you?" Larry questions a bit harshly, staring at Maleficent. "You storm in here with the news that your brother is in danger, you tell us nice stories about the connection between Regina and the man who betrayed her, warn us that if we don't do anything, her baby will die, but what are you ready to do about all of this? How did you even manage to find us in the first place?"
The agitation that had started to fill the house stops, as everyone turns towards the blonde woman, finding truth in Larry's words, and indeed, asking themselves the same questions. Maleficent calmly looks at them.
"I, of course, plan to accompany Regina on this journey. I found you thanks to the wave of magic that shook the land, I was able to sense and locate its two epicenters: Regina, and Robin. That's why I can confirm that Regina is right, Robin is at her husband's castle. As for the reason why I came here instead of trying to save my brother myself, it's because I am not in full possession of my powers. Consequently, I'll need help in order to get to him. But don't worry, I have every intention to be a part of this. My brother is the only family I have left, be sure that I'm ready to do whatever is necessary to get him back."
Maleficent meets Regina's eyes, and she can read in them the same resolve she's full of. They're doing this, and there's no stopping them.
"Alright then." Tinkerbell relents, accepting the situation. "What is the plan?"
Coming next: While Robin's life's hanging by a thread, Regina and Maleficent take advantage of the road to get to know each other, and Snow White makes a devastating discovery that definitively opens her eyes to the reality of what's going on in the castle.