A/N: Hi! I hope everyone's doing fine in this difficult times. This chapter will hopefully entertain you. Regina is finally about to rescue Robin! Will it be easy or not, only reading will tell.

To answer a few reviews, I don't plan my updates in advance, so I am unable to say when I'll update, just like I can't promise it will be "soon". I've already sped up my updates, I can't be faster than that. So be patient, all will come in time ;-)

I can't wait to read your detailed reviews!

Stay safe!

Little John unfolds the map in front of them and points at an area.

"We're here. The King's castle is there." He shows them a little castle drawn on the map. "That's an hour riding from where we currently are. Regina, do you have enough magic to transport us there and bring us and Robin back?"

"Definitely." she confirms.

"Perfect. Meanwhile, Maleficent, Alan and Tuck, you'll stay here, waiting for us to come back. If everything goes according to my plan, we should be back soon."

"Things rarely go as planned." Maleficent comments, staring at the map.

"A little faith never hurts." Friar Tuck replies, sympathetically smiling at her when she looks at him, assuring. "We'll get him back."

She attempts a small smile in return, and nods at him.

"What if something indeed goes wrong and you need help?" Alan suggests. "What's the backup plan?"

"Me." the blonde woman replies. She brushes the raven resting on her shoulder. "Diablo will stay close to Regina and John. If anything happens and you need help, I'll be ready to intervene through him."

"Remind me why I can't come?" Alan asks with slight annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest.

John rolls his eyes. "I told you this a hundred times already! We need a fighter here, in case someone finds you, and also so one of us is still able to fight in case I get injured."

"I hope we won't come to that." Regina says. "Your parents expect me to bring you back in one piece."

"I have no intention to get into a fight if that's not necessary, don't worry. My plan doesn't include meeting the guards." John reassures her. "But we are still going to rescue someone locked up in a King's castle. We can't ignore the risks."

"I know."

"Are you sure that the guards are keeping the dungeon's door from the outside?"

"I'm positive." she confirms.

"Pardon me," Friar Tuck intervenes, drawing everyone's attention. "I am not familiar with making plans, but I'm wondering: If something goes wrong and you have to come back by yourselves, we're an hour horseback riding from the castle. But that's three hours walking. In full night, without the possibility to light up a torch. Possibly with one of you being injured, and we don't know Robin's physical state. Wouldn't it be safer if, in case there's a problem, one of us meet you somewhere closer to the castle?"

Little John and Alan exchange a glance. The man has a point.

"You're right, Friar Tuck." John agrees.

"I'd suggest exploring the area around the castle while it's still daylight, and also decide of a rendezvous point easy to recognize in the middle of the night." Alan adds.

"The north of the castle would be perfect actually." Regina intervenes. "If my husband hasn't changed anything, that's usually where there are no guards except the ones on the ramparts."

"We'll start there then." John agrees. "Once that is done, we come back here, wait for the night to fall. And then we get Robin out of there."

xxx

"Marian is safe." Guy breathes out as he lets himself fall on his bed, dropping the note in his hand on the floor. "Now we have to find a way to get Robin out of the dungeon."

"The sooner, the better." William suggests, looking through the window. "We may have been less hard on him, but Robin's state has worsened. I don't know how much time he has left."

William sighs. Their friend is dying. It doesn't take a smart brain to see it. Either from his injuries, or starvation, or something else. Probably all of them, even. But something is killing him, and if he's not mistaken, it won't take long. The end of a suffering for Robin, an eternal regret and shame for them.

"The King's deadline is in six days. If we don't do something now, we'll be hanged and Robin will follow us in the grave anyway."

"It will probably be a challenge to put him out of the King's grip, but Robin deserves it. He saved our ass more time than I can remember." William reminds.

He smiles as he remembers all the adventures they lived together. They were a good team. And as he looks into Guy's eyes and sees a sparkle of determination dance in his dark orbs, he knows that his brother in arm in back.

"We just have to avoid getting killed."

"Well, it won't be the first time."

xxx

She did it! Regina transported them up the dungeons' stairs, and as she expected, the guard is on the other side of the door. For a few seconds, she and Little John stay silent, making sure that no one is downstairs and they won't be spotted. Once they're sure that they're alone, they nod at each other, John grabbing a torch behind her and beginning to walk down the stairs.

The further they go, the more a familiar sensation grows in Regina. If it wasn't for John's presence and the anguish that grips her insides, she could totally believe that she's in one of her dreams. But she's not. This isn't a dream anymore, it's real life, and they can't mess this up.

"What cell is he in?" John whispers as they arrive at the bottom of the stairs, facing several doors.

Regina doesn't hesitate and points at the second door. "This one."

She walks closer, her belly tightening with anticipation, her breath almost stuck in her throat as she waves her hand over the lock. The door opens in a squeak that Regina would have preferred to be quieter, and she stops just long enough to check behind her that no one is arriving. She then pushes the door enough for them to enter the room, and walks the few steps separating her from...

She stops dead when she realizes his state. It's worse than in her dreams: Robin's body is covered with bruises, lacerations, cuts, blood and mud. The smell of the room is barely bearable. His muscles have completely melted to create a body only made of bone and skin, giving him the appearance of a dead man. His hair and beard have grown, his nose is clearly broken, his lips are cut and covered with dry blood, his eyes are swollen are circled with large bags, rendering his face barely recognizable. But she knows it's him. She can tell, because there's a feeling that grew in her with every new step towards him, the same feeling that has been her every day companion during their time together on the road, and it's never been stronger.

A hand on her shoulder reminds her of the situation, and she silently nods at John, before kneeling in front of Robin, a hand hovering over his face.

"What did he do to you?" she murmurs.

She can't help it. The back of her fingers comes in contact with his skin, and a shiver shakes her entire body, startling her, making Robin open his eyes suddenly. Regina gasps when she meets them and can't help a shriek that she immediately tampers with a hand over her mouth.

Robin's eyes have lost their blue colors, and are as grey as they were in her dream, blank, empty. Looking at them now, she's afraid she might have failed to arrive on time to save him.

"Reg... ina?" His voice is weak, raspy, barely audible, but Regina sits back on her knees and cups his cheek.

"It's me, Robin."

"Am I... Am I dead?"

"No, I-"

A metallic sound startles her, has her looking behind her at the entrance.

"Regina?" A voice calls in the surrounding darkness.

For the second time, Regina freezes. The voice is familiar, so she gets up, a mix of hope and dread growing in her when she realizes who this could be.

"Regina, is that you?"

She rushes outside the cell, to the one where the voice comes from, and she opens the window on the door.

"Oh my God! Daddy!" she exclaims loudly, forgetting about being careful, immediately using her magic to open the door. She faces her father, pushing through the shock of seeing him covered with dirt and mud, skinnier, his white hair and beard that used to be perfectly tended to now a complete long tangled grey mess, and she jumps in his open arms.

"My beautiful girl." Henry says, holding onto her, not holding back his tears as they hug desperately.

Regina pulls back, her hands on his shoulders, notices the chains restraining him, and with a wave of her hand, unlocks them. Her father smiles, his eyes teary when he places his rough and weak hands on her cheeks.

"I missed you so much!"

Regina holds back her tears, bites her lower lip and brings her hands to loop around his wrists. "I missed you t-"

She's cut by her father removing his hands quickly, whimpering.

"Daddy?" Regina leans forward, looking for his eyes, and that's when she realizes what made him pull back. The skin of his wrists is ripped, covered with larges wounds where the skin appears to be raw, red and inflamed. She carefully grabs his fingers, and turns her father's hands to have a better look at the injuries. She looks up furiously when she understands what must have happened. "How long have you been locked in here?"

Her voice is strong with anger, because how could he? It's vibrating in her, relentless, growing stronger with every second she spends down here, witnessing her father's state, remembering Robin's, and Regina's eyes turn dark when her father admits. "He locked me up about a month after you disappeared."

"I'll make him pay for what he's done!"

"Regina-" Henry begins.

There are voices, the sound of metal clasping against each other, of a body falling on the ground, and Regina is brought back to the reality of their dangerous situation, and hurries outside the room to face Little John, removing his sword from one of the guard's chest.

He looks up at them, catching his breath. "We really have to go!"

Regina closes her eyes, fighting the indignation and rage boiling in her, focusing on her father's presence behind her, and rushes inside Robin's cell. He's unconscious again, if she can call his previous state consciousness. She rids him of his chains, and gets up.

But it's too late.

When she turns around, someone is at the door, and she recognizes her husband's captain of the guard immediately.

xxx

"Shouldn't they be back already?" Alan questions, nervously pacing in front of Tuck and Maleficent.

Friar Tuck rises and pats Alan's back. "Come and sit. We didn't know what to expect. Maybe Regina couldn't transport them inside the dungeon and they have to go there by themselves. Maybe she's talking with Robin. It's only been five minutes. Give them some time."

He helps Alan sit on the log next to him, but the young man looks at Maleficent.

"Can't you check on them?"

She sighs and links their fingers. "I could, but that's exactly what could catch attention on them if everything is going well. We agreed to give them twenty minutes. I agree with Friar Tuck. We wait."

She exchanges a glance with the man of faith, who nods at her. Alan's doubts are valid, Regina and Little should already be back. After all, it was supposed to be a simple round trip. Maybe something's gone wrong. But Tuck is right. It's too soon to intervene, they might just jeopardize the entire mission if they show up at any moment.

So Maleficent ignores the twist of her guts and the fear coursing through her veins, and stares at the fire instead.

xxx

"Well well well..." Anton says as he enters the cell. "Look who finally found her way back home!"

He pulls out his sword when he notices the one in John's hand, and takes a few steps closer.

"Did you finally decide to be reasonable and hand yourself over?" he adds, staring at Regina straight in the eyes.

"Did you finally understand that you're working for a monster?" she snaps, moving in front of Robin and her father.

"I'm faithful to my King!" the man bites. "It's not my place to question his motive."

"That's too bad. If you had, you'd see that he's gone mad. Look at what he's done!" she says, a hand vaguely motioning behind her. "Do you really want to defend such man? I thought you had a good heart, Anton! Where did it go?"

The soldier's eyes are upon Robin's body, and for a few seconds he doesn't speak, absorbed by the vision, the sight of a man who's been through a hell not many people would've survived. When he meets Regina's eyes again, his face has changed, a frown barring his forehead, head tilted to the side.

"I do what I have to do to protect my family." he replies flatly.

It takes a few seconds for Regina to understand the meaning behind his words, she's had her fair share of shocking revelations for tonight, but when she does, her eyes widen. "He threatened them." she breathes out, barely surprised that her husband was able to do such thing. After all, he locked her father up for months without any reason.

"So you understand that I don't have a choice." Anton says, straightening his back and reaching for something in his pocket. "The huntsman isn't going anywhere, and same goes for you."

"I'm sorry Anton, but he is my family, and I too do what I have to do to protect them."

It all happens in a blur. Regina waves her hand, activating her magic, closing her eyes as she transports herself and her family out of here.

But instead of the slight dizziness she's used to feel when it works, she suffocates, finds herself unable to breathe, and she falls on her knees, mouth agape, until air finally enters her lungs.

She doesn't need to open her eyes to know that it failed. When she looks up, she faces Anton's smile, and the tip of his sword pointed at her head.

"I told you." he says. "Whatever it takes."

xxx

A cloud of purple smoke appears in front of them, and Tuck, Alan and Maleficent immediately get up and hurry in its direction. They stop when they face Little John, his sword in hand, next to a body on the ground, and a standing old man.

Maleficent's eyes are on the unconscious man, and she kneels down, removing the hair from his face and gasping when she recognizes her brother. "Robin!"

Little John looks around him, searching for her, but she's nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she?" Tuck asks.

John turns towards Maleficent, eyes wide with fear.

"They got her." he says. "Go!"

She nods immediately, and her eyes turn to white as she falls back on the ground, unconscious.

xxx

Anton pushes Regina outside the dungeons, the tip of his blade against her back. He calls his men, who come from all direction, all drawing their swords and aiming them at Regina.

"I may have lost the huntsman, but I think the King will be satisfied to see you." He says.

Regina can hear the relief in his voice, but also the small tremor that speaks his fear, because after the small exchange they've had in the dungeon, Regina knows that Anton isn't following the King out of loyalty anymore, but out of fear for his family. If that's what it took for Leopold to keep his most faithful men under his order, then the situation is worse than she thought.

She looks around her, at the men surrounding her, their eyes full of curiosity, but also the same relief and fear she heard in Anton's voice. She can't be too far from the truth.

She follows them, powerless, furious and frustrated. Whatever powder Anton threw at her, it blocked her magic, so she's stuck, exposed, and clearly in danger.

Or maybe not…

A raven storms inside the corridor, croaking as he heads towards them, and he begins to bite at the soldiers' heads and hands, making them protect their heads with their arms and therefore releasing their weapons. Some try to attack him, but the animal is fast, avoids the blows, and once the men have stepped away from Regina, he stares into her eyes, and she recognizes Diablo. She lets the animal rest on her shoulder, barely surprised as his wings suddenly grow larger, wrapping around her body as a shield, keeping Regina in a cocoon of black feathers while an intense flow of magic begins to emanate from them.

Regina looks around, but her view is blocked by the wings, and all she feels is the magic surrounding and protecting her, growing gradually, and that suddenly unleashes in a deafening sound.

xxx

Guy and William look up from the castle's map, pulled from their discussion about saving Robin, when a sound similar to an explosion resonates in the quiet evening. They rush to the window, searching for the origin of the sound, but there's nothing unusual.

"Any idea where this came from?" William asks.

Guy shakes his head. "Not more than you do."

People begin to exit their houses, look through their windows, a small crowd forming in the village's square. Questions fuse among people, unanswered, until someone runs towards them, pointing at the sky behind him.

"The castle!" he screams. "It came from the castle!"

William and Guy exchange a glance. Without a word, they close the window, roll the map and hide it inside a parchment, before grabbing their cloaks and exiting the room.

xxx

There's a dull pounding inside her head, a wheezing in her ears, her vision is blurred.

Regina looks around her, to the dust flying around, and... the men sprawled on the floor. She shakes her head, confused, unsure of what happened exactly. When reality hits her, when she realizes the situation she was in before Maleficent intervened, the place she still is in, a rush of adrenaline courses through her veins, and she becomes acutely aware of her environment, of the magic lingering in the air, the air gulfing inside through the now widely opened windows.

Maleficent!

Invaded by a sudden panic, Regina look around fearfully, heart hammering in her chest.

No no no no no no!

She freezes when she sees the raven, wings spread wide, back to his normal size, lying unconscious on the floor, feathers half burned. She kneels down and carefully places her fingers under the animal, slowly lifting him, closing his wings and bringing him to her chest.

"Over here!"

Men's voices and loud footsteps resonate above her head and from the stair at the end of the hallway, forcing Regina to come back to her spirit immediately. She needs to get out of here now!

She sends a last look to the soldiers on the ground, to Anton, feeling slightly guilty for him, for the situation he's in, for the danger he unwillingly put his family in. But they're all in danger, and if he's ready to go to the extreme for his family, she's definitely ready to do the same. Although she kind of hates him for finding a way to have blocked her magic, because it's definitely going to complicate her way out.

She runs in front of her in the direction of the kitchens, her heart pounding in her chest and ears, fighting to stay upright as she holds the raven close to her chest. The soldiers are getting closer, she can see their shadow at the bottom of the stairs, so she speeds up, reaching the kitchens' door and pushing it open right before they arrive in the hallway. She closes the door slowly but fast enough that they won't hear it, and rests her back against it, holding her breath, trying to calm down.

So much for a quick and easy mission...

She dares glance down at the raven in her arms, can't help but brush his head. The animal is in a bad state, but is still breathing. It must be the aftershock of the wave of magic Maleficent unleashed to protect her. She's no expert, but the amount of magic she summoned to accomplish such spell was incredible.

"What the hell happened?"

Regina startles at the question asked by a soldier, and it brings her back to the dangerous reality. She forces to see through the surrounding darkness, eyes scanning the area, searching for a place to give her time to think the situation through. She spots a door across the room, remembers where it leads, and heads there. She climbs the spiral staircase as fast as she can, breathing soundly, not stopping until she's reached the final stair.

She places her ear against the door, silently listens to make sure no one is there, then opens it and peaks her head outside. It's desert. She looks at her hand, hesitating merely a second before activating the invisibility ring. She remembers Tinkerbell's words "The ring only protects its owner", she knows it doesn't work on Diablo, but right now it makes her feel safer. She walks to the window, places the raven on the window sill, and stares at the immensity of the Enchanted Forest. She needs to find a way out, one that isn't filled with soldiers, one that won't cross her husband's path. But she can't find one. She's stuck in the west wing; she has no idea how to reach the outside without crossing the main corridors from here. Regina sighs in frustration, tries to summon her magic, and lets out a ragged breath when she fails. She wanted to be rid of her magic for months, and it's failing her at the exact moment she needs it. How did Anton manage to do that?

Her thoughts wander to John, Alan and Friar Tuck, who must be so worried about her, and she has no way to reach out to them. Not counting her father... Regina boils inside when she thinks of the months he spent locked in a dungeon. Leopold is worse than she thought if he made him prisoner while he didn't do anything wrong. Had she still had her magic, she'd pay him a visit and make him regret what he did to him, and to Robin.

Robin...

She hopes it's not too late. She saw the death in his eyes, the image is still imprinted in her mind, and it makes her shiver with fear. The moment she realized the state he was in, she felt her heart halt its beating. The pain that invaded her during her dream came back, but this time she was too stunned and concerned about Robin that she managed to overcome it. But she fears for his life. She hopes it's not too late.

A door opens in the hallway, and Regina holds her breath, her hand held out in front of her, before she remembers that she doesn't have her magic, and drops it. She steps back in the shadows even though she's invisible, looking in the direction of the door, glancing at Diablo on the window, that hopefully the person won't see.

"Is someone here?"

Regina stills when she recognizes the shy crystal-clear voice of the princess, who exits her room, a candle in her hand, glancing around her. Snow steps inside the hallway, looking on her left, then right. But while Regina hoped she would either go back to sleep, or climb down the stairs to check what's going on, the princess heads in her direction, gaze looking through the window as she lets out a long, deep sigh that sounds like sadness and disillusion.

Regina's heart rate intensifies, her fear increasing as she remembers Diablo that Snow is bound to notice, but it's too late now for her to do anything.

But as she finds herself facing the princess that is now turning into a young woman, Regina feels pushed towards her, an invisible force that makes her fingers tingle when Snow indeed sees the raven and puts the candle aside to carefully and tenderly cup him in her hands.

"Hey, little one. How did you end up here?" she whispers, thumb brushing its head softly.

She's changed. Regina can't tell what it is, but the girl isn't the princess she knew. The fact that she seems barely bothered by an explosion in the castle and the soldiers searching the place from top to bottom shows that the situation here has changed. A lot.

But something else catches Regina's attention. Snow White was a cheerful child, but her eyes are now only filled with sadness and despair. And as a noise makes her turn her head in the direction of the stairs, the light of the candle illuminates a trace on the girl's cheek, and Regina understands.

She puts the stone of the ring back into place, and steps out of the shadows.

Snow White startles, secures the raven against her chest when she almost drops it, her eyes wide open in shock.

"Oh my God! Regina?"

"Hello, Snow."

The princess places the raven back on the window sill, and wraps her arms around her waist before Regina has time to react. Regina closes her eyes, and hugs the girl's back. Snow pulls back with shining eyes and a bright smile, but the cacophony downstairs is quick to remind them of the tricky situation.

"What are you doing here? It's dangerous!"

Regina understands better the feeling that enveloped her as she secretly observed her a few minutes before. Snow knows what's going on.

"I-"

She stutters, but Snow White doesn't let her finish, she grabs her hand and the candle, let Regina retrieve Diablo, and drags her towards her bedroom.

"Come here! Father must not find you!"

She shuts the door behind them, and faces Regina.

She's grown, Regina realizes as she observes her, the candles in the room behind their only light. She's taller, slightly thinner, and mostly, her face is strained with concern and fear. The innocence of the young girl she met in a clearing is gone, and Snow White's eyes aren't blind anymore, but wide open on the real world. What may have happened for her to change so much?

That's when she remembers the mark on her cheek. It's discreet, and she'd have missed it had the girl not turn her head. Regina leans closer, grabbing Snow's chin and turning her face just enough to get a better look. She gasps when she releases her face.

"He's changed." the princess simply says, and Regina closes her eyes, inhaling deeply and looking back at the girl with compassionate-filled eyes.

"Snow..." Regina begins, unsure how to justify her reasons and everything that resulted from her decision, including this.

But to her surprise, the princess shakes her head and cuts her off with a firmness she's never heard from her.

"You don't have to give me your reasons, Regina. I understand now."

Regina frowns at her. "Was it the first time?"

"Yes. I shouldn't have pushed, but I discovered something and..." Snow White trails off, gaze lost behind Regina, but she looks back at her with determination. "I know Father made you miserable. If the monster he's become was the way he was with you, there's no need to question the reason why you escaped."

Regina stares at the girl, dumbfounded. For Snow White to call her father a monster, things must be worse than she imagined. Although the trace left by one of Leopold's rings on his daughter's cheek is enough explanation. He may have been violent with her since the beginning, but Regina always believed that his daughter was safe. Apparently, she was wrong.

"Your father is in the dungeons!" the princess warns her. "You must free-"

Regina's hand closes over Snow's tenderly, and her voice is calm and affectionate when she answers. "He's already safe."

"And the man who helped you?"

"He's safe as well, Snow. Thank you." Regina says, squeezing her fingers as she pronounces the words. For a second, they just stare into each other's eyes, for the first time in years connected in a way Regina never thought would be possible after Daniel. Her eyes are brimming with tears, and her heart is softening for this child who's lost her innocence and opened her eyes on the awfulness of the world in the most horrible way.

"There's something else you should know, Regina." Snow declares, resuming before she gets to ask any question. "Your mother is looking for you."

Regina freezes. She hasn't seen her mother in years, not since she's projected her through this mirror. She didn't even know if she was alive or dead, didn't think she'd ever see her again.

"What-" she clears her throat and swallows to fight the sudden dryness of her mouth. "When?"

"It was about two or three weeks ago. I've had some difficulties to sleep, so I took the habit to wander around early in the morning. I found her exiting your bedroom."

Regina's eyes widen. Her mother showed up at the castle around the time she and Robin connected and created the wave of magic Maleficent told them about. After years of being away. Could it simply be a coincidence?

"What did she want?" Regina dares ask, her belly tightening with anxiety.

The princess shakes her head. "I don't know. I've told her that you ran away months ago, and why. She seemed upset, but I couldn't tell why."

"Where is she now?"

"I don't know. She left after we talked."

"Did she see your father?"

"I don't think so."

Regina nods. That's good. She has no idea of what her mother wants with her, but she's not ready to take any chance. If Leopold uses her mother to get to her, then there will be little she can do to escape him this time.

A rumble on the lower floor reminds them of the situation, and the princess walks through her chamber, to a wall next to her wardrobe. Regina stares in astonishment when she watches her open a secret door.

"This way!" Snow tells her, her voice urgent. "It's a safe passage to the outside. You'll exit the castle on the east side. Given the loud noise of my father's men, I guess all of his soldiers are in the castle. You shouldn't meet anyone."

Regina takes large steps towards the girl, and cups her cheek gently. "Come with me." she says, almost begging. She might have hated her once, but the situation has changed, any lingering resentment is gone now, and she can't let her suffer because of her father's madness. A madness she may have triggered. "Don't stay with him."

"He's my father." Snow counteracts, shaking her head. "I may be the only person left who can reason with him."

"There's no reasoning with him anymore!" Regina argues. "If there's one thing I was always sure of, is that he'd never touch you. If he did, it means that you are no longer safe here."

"And if I leave, he'll burn the Enchanted Forest down to the ground in order to find me!" Snow White replies, shutting up Regina with an argument she can't counteract. "Look at what he's done to find you! I can't even begin to imagine what he'd do if I disappear."

Regina stays silent, because Snow White is right. The sweet and annoying child who saw the world with candid eyes and worshiped her father is gone, and this young woman is conscious of the danger, ready to put her life at risk if it means opening Leopold's eyes on the horror of his actions. She's becoming the Queen Regina never thought she'd be: A compassionate woman who protects people at the risk of her own life.

Regina wants to take Snow with her. She wants to force her away from her horrible father and take her to a safe place, but she knows she can't. She knows that Snow White has to do this. She only hopes that the girl won't pay a heavy price for it.

"Promise me you'll be careful." Regina can't help but say.

Snow White squeezes her hand tight. "I will. Now go!"

xxx

"Do you think that they have a chance?" Henry asks, his voice tired and weak, but full of the hope that his daughter will come back to him safe and sound, after he just got her back. His beautiful child who put him out of the hell he's been stuck into for months. Who rescued a man who betrayed her. He knew who Robin was protecting since their first conversation, he heard the resolution and shame in his voice, his regrets for reacting too late. He's glad that Regina came back for him. He may have made mistakes, but he certainly didn't deserve what the King put him through. His only hope now, is that Regina didn't sacrifice her life to save theirs.

Friar Tuck looks up from the bandage he's carefully wrapping around his wrist. "Your daughter is strong, Sir. And our friends won't let her down. I'm sure that they'll bring her back safe."

"Alan must be at the meeting point already." Little John adds. "Regina knows where to go."

"But will she be able to go?" Henry asks, looking to the side at a form lying motionless on the ground.

John and Friar Tuck follow his gaze, their eyes landing on Maleficent, still unconscious but breathing regularly, and to the horns on her head that have partially burnt.

They started to flicker half an hour ago, before burning like embers. Only a few still smoking twigs remain, but about two inches have been reduced to ashes, and none of them know what that means.

Little John and Tuck transported her in the carriage, lying her down next to her brother. Robin's state is alarming, Tuck realized it with a simple look. A thorough examination told him that the man indeed is on the verge of dying, that even with his care, he might not survive. He already tended to some of his injuries the best he could, cleaned his wound with some water and ointments, bandaged them, gave him a potion for his fever, and wrapped him in a thick blanket, before checking on Regina's father's wrists.

The old man is in a relatively good state compared to Robin. If he's weak, unnourished and his wrists are injured, his life isn't in danger. But his wounds definitely need to be closely checked.

Tuck feels pained for the man. He keeps a brave face, but he's lost, scared, and if what he told them is true, he's spent the last months in horrible living conditions. If Regina doesn't come back, he'd rather not think of what the man's reaction will be.

xxx

William and Guy's first instinct are to run to the dungeon. The sight welcoming them make them stop dead, William almost tripping over a soldier.

It looks like a battle took place here. The windows have exploded, the dungeon's door is shredded into pieces, and a good dozen soldiers are scattered on the ground, some regaining consciousness only now, others already sat and recovering from the shock, other soldiers tending to them.

"What the hell happened?" William whispers in Guy's ear.

Guy doesn't answer. He stares at the scene in shock. No human being could have done that. But a sorceress... Did the Queen come back for Robin? Did she do this?

"She's in the castle," a man declares as he attempts to get up, a hand at the back of his head, where he seems to be bleeding. Guy recognizes Anton immediately. "The Queen was here! She took the prisoners."

"Careful, Anton." A soldier says as the man wobbles but forces himself to stay on his feet, despite his clearly shaken balance and shocked state. "You're still-"

But Anton pushes at his helping hand, catching his men's attention. "They escaped by magic, but she's still in the castle, and she's powerless. Her magic is gone."

Murmurs run through the crowd at the revelation. Guy and William exchange a confused glance.

"Find her! Find the witch and bring her back to me!" Anton orders, with the strongest voice he can muster given the circumstances.

Soldiers start running in all directions in a chaotic movement, and Guy realizes that this is their opportunity to escape. Robin and Marian are safe. They can be too. Steps are being heard from across the corridor, and soon the frame of the King appears in front of them. Guy's arm is in front of William, forcing him to step back before the man spots them, turning on his heels and whispering, "Let's go!"

xxx

Alan stomps his foot, anxiously staring ahead of him, recovering from his hour horseback riding at full speed. He just arrived at the meeting point, and there's no trace of Regina. However, there's apparently a lot of agitation in the King's castle. This doesn't help him relax... He ignores what happened, what Maleficent or Regina did, but several windows have exploded, and guards seem to be searching the castle. In search of Regina, probably.

He's so tempted to go closer to the castle, pretend to be a curious peasant, try to find out what happened, free Regina if she's still prisoner. But he can't. He has to stick out to the plan, has to stay where she's expecting him to be, so he won't jeopardize the whole mess this mission has become.

He knew something would go wrong. Little John was brief in his explanations to let him leave as soon as possible, but from what he told them, he and Regina were discovered by the guards. He said that's a miracle she managed to send him away with Robin and her father, but that the man who caught her seemed determined to make her prisoner.

It can't be good. And the fact that she hasn't managed to get out of the castle in the hour it took him to arrive, make his fear the w-

"Alan?"

He jumps as his name is voiced at the same time something touches his shoulder. He swirls around, hand on his sword, and freezes, totally confused when he faces absolutely nothing.

"What-"

He scans the area despite the relative darkness of the night, squinting to try to see better, noticing a dark form that he can't identify.

"Holy shit!"

He jumps back, a hand over his racing heart when Regina suddenly materializes in front of him, holding a passed-out Diablo.

"I'm not sure your mother would appreciate to hear these words coming from you." she comments with a quirked eyebrow.

Alan shakes his head to recover from the shock, still staring at her in disbelief.

"You freaked me out!" he complains, before wrapping his arms around her neck, hugging her close and feeling her do the same. They take a few seconds to enjoy the reunion, the fact that they're here, that Regina got out of a tricky deadly situation, before Alan pulls back. "What happened in there?"

"I'll give you the details later, but one of my husband's men has found a way to block my magic."

"What?"

"I don't know if it's permanent or not, but I was powerless. Without Maleficent's intervention," She lifts the raven in her arms sadly. "I'd be at my husband's mercy right now."

Alan's eyes are on the bird at her words. "Is he-"

"No." Regina cuts him off. "But he's in a pretty bad state."

"How did you manage to get out despite the guards?"

Regina looks back at the castle, eyes fixed on a window in the west wing, thoughtful, the knowledge that the princess is still out there and no longer safe making her stomach twists in fear.

"I got unexpected help." She closes her eyes, and sighs when she looks back at Alan. "Come on! We should go before they realize I'm not in the castle anymore."

Coming next: Realizing the severity of Robin's condition, Regina must find a solution to save his life. This leads the group on the run on a different path than the one that was supposed to bring them straight home.