This was meant to be my Advent Fic a couple of years ago and its been sitting in my docs since them. I figured I might as well post it and give you all something to read whilst we're all locked in our homes. Hope you enjoy! Future chapters will be longer, this is just an introduction really.
Regina glanced at herself in the bathroom mirror and rolled her eyes, she was the curator of the museum but the actress they had hired to play the role of Maid Marian in their live role-play had phoned in sick a couple of days ago, and at such short notice, they were unable to find anyone else to fill in the part, especially considering there were only a couple of days until Christmas.
So now here she was, stood dressed in 13th-century fashion and having to play a role opposite the most obnoxious man she had ever met. The man they hired to play Robin Hood was a pain in the arse, to say the least, she'd hired him when she saw his audition tape because, to be fair, he was good at his job, but that didn't mean he was easy to work with. He gave them trouble at every turn, always had a problem with parts of the script or what he was supposed to be doing. He would protest that he didn't think Robin Hood would do some of the things that were scripted and Regina would snap back at him. He hadn't been the one who studied the figure in-depth and knew literally everything there was to know about the man and his life.
It was safe to say that Regina Mills had a short temper and when it came to dealing with people who liked to make her life harder, she just couldn't keep her anger at bay. She was a professional though and never showed her frustration when members of the public were around, when on the museum floor she slipped straight into character, not breaking from her role until she was back in the staff room and able to complain about the pig-headed man once again.
Now it was Christmas Eve and the museum was about to close for a couple of days, she had been surprised by how busy it had been. Usually, people wanted to spend time at home or with their families, however, it seemed that some viewed it as the perfect opportunity to come and learn about history.
She adjusted the hairpiece she had on and exited the bathroom, there was another hour until closing time and she couldn't wait, that was the best time of the day when everyone had gone home and museum was silent. Sometimes she liked to just stay in one of the rooms and look at the artefacts, even if she knew where everything was and could remember each and every detail. She just enjoyed being able to look admire them.
The current collection was certainly interesting, it had been her idea for them to have an exhibition about the legendary Robin Hood, she'd found some interesting material in the archives and thought it would be a fun opportunity. The idea for actors and interaction was also hers, and so far, the response to it had been nothing but positive.
Regina made her way back into the exhibition hall and spotted the actor she hired to play Robin Hood stood with his bow and arrow posing for a photo with a small boy. She smiled for a moment before catching herself and moving into the room to stand next to the man. "Where have you been?" he asked, turning to face her with a less than impressed expression on his face.
"The bathroom, not that its any of your concern, I think sometimes you forget who your boss is."
"Oh, I doubt I could forget that you seem so intent on reminding me every second of the day."
"Will you please be quiet and give it a rest already, we are nearly done for the day and then we get some time off for the holidays, hopefully by the time we're back at work the real Maid Marian will be feeling better and I won't have to play this role anymore."
"Oh, I can hardly wait," he scoffed, smiling at a family who came over and asked if they could have a photo with the two of them. Regina faked a smile as she posed for the photo, having to lean into the awful man to make it look as though they were in love.
Once the family moved on, she turned to him with her head held high, "I really hope that the real Robin Hood wasn't as much as a pretentious git as you are," she huffed before heading to the opposite side of the room. The sooner this shift ended the better as far as she was concerned. Not only was her temper growing thin, the dress was also extremely itchy.
Time seemed to drag by, but eventually, a voice sounded over the speakers that the museum was closing and asked the visitors to please make their way to the exits. Once they had all left the exhibition room, she removed her awfully tight headpiece and adjusted the tight updo that was literally pinned to her scalp. "Thank fuck that's over," the arsehole actor groaned, leaning the bow and arrow against the wall before walking out of the room.
"Yes, you have a lovely Christmas too! Goodbye!" Regina huffed. How could someone be so rude? She simply didn't understand how it was possible, he must have been making that his sole aim, no one could be that self-centred without even realising it.
The silence in the museum was a stark contrast to how it had been all day and she found herself sitting down on the bench beside one of the displays. Leaning her head back against the wall she closed her eyes and basked in the tranquillity that solitude brought. When she opened her eyes again, she glanced at the Robin Hood storybook locked in the glass case, humming to herself she stood up and removed the key from down her bra before unlocking the cabinet and taking the book out.
She moved over to the comfy reading area and sat cross-legged on the couch as she flipped the old book open and began to read.
Up high, nestled in the branches of the Great Oak, the man with the hood silently drew an arrow from the quiver secured to his back and notched it to the string of his bow. Hours had passed since he climbed the magnificent tree, it was before daybreak and were it not for the dense blanket of fog that swirled around the trees, the sun would have been shining down from its place high in the sky. However, that covering of mist was exactly what the man in the Hood wanted as he patiently waited in absolute silence high on his perch.
Slowly, he levelled the bow with his face. Spotted around in various trees residing in the clearing were four other men – John, Alan, Much and Will. They all heard the sound of horses and voices, as the approaching party called out to each other. They emerged from the white mist like ghosts in the night. The man in the hood closed a single eye, pulled back on the bowstring and stared along the strong, straight shaft of the arrow.
He waited, barely breathing, remembering, a day like this, same weather, same place in this forest. It was two, perhaps three years ago, when it all began, when the people started their fight back against injustice.
Regina was caught up in the book, reading page after page and imagining herself being there to witness it all. Suddenly though, she felt a strong gust of wind blowing through the museum, she looked up from her book in alarm, there was no way that was possible. This room was situated in the middle of the museum which meant it was nowhere near any doors or windows, there was no way of a breeze or anything reaching the room.
The force intensified and her eyes widened when the wind whipped around her, taking a hold of her, she tried to struggle against it but wasn't able to break away. It had her tight in its grip and she could see no way of freeing herself from it. Closing her eye, she felt the book slip from her hands as she was almost ripped from reality.