"May I have this dance, milady?" a strong accented voice asks to her left.
Regina turns to face the owner of said voice and is met with a dark green mask which carries intricate embellishments in gold. But all the beauty of the accessory is quickly forgotten when Regina's set of brown eyes land on the man's bright blue. Bright, young, eager, good, Regina finds it astounding how she can read so much only by locking her eyes on his. He steals her breath away with the intensity of his gaze. She cannot not help but gasp and bring one hand protectively toward her chest; she cannot believe this small exchange stirred so much in her.
She apparently spends too much time reading his eyes and forgets to answer his request. Regina can see the dimples disappear as the man wets his lips before they become a thin line, "Milady?" he tried again, this time extending one hand in her direction.
"I-" she tries, bringing her hand up so he can take it but quickly withdrawing it out of fear, stone cold fear, "It's your ma-" she starts again, fisting her daring hand at her side, but no, she does not want him to know who she is, as soon as people learn of her title, everything changes. Finally, Regina is able to put together a complete sentence to give to the now confused looking – and good looking, very good looking – man, "I don't dance, forgive me."
His lips twist into a smirk that makes Regina's heart beat a tad faster as he replies, "I just cannot bring myself to believe that, milady-" his hand is still extended, still inviting, his eyes so vibrant, "-I caught you swaying your hips by yourself just a few minutes ago."
"I beg your pardon?" Regina's eyes widen through her soft blue mask, which Snow had picked out, as she had picked out Regina's entire outfit, "Were you spying on me?" she tries to sound indignant because she knows that is how she is supposed to feel, but deep inside she is intrigued, he had noticed her.
"I prefer the term admiring," he retreats his hand to run it through his dirty blonde hair, "Milady, if you will allow me to be so bold, I found it quite difficult to take my eyes off of you." He says in all earnest, offering her a true smile, which Regina fights not to reciprocate.
She is conflicted, does not know how to respond to such flattery, because this man is probably one of the very first people in a long time to truly compliment her, without any sort of agenda.
It is ridiculous, for all she knows, he can indeed have an agenda, know exactly who she is. He can be playing her, laughing inwardly at her naivetés. But somehow, Regina is certain his words are truthful, there is something about the depth of his blue eyes, the sincerity of his smile, that assures her he is being honest.
Regina finally manages to reply in true confusion, "What do you mean?" the smallest of smiles sneaks its way on her lips without her consent.
He gives her a hearty laugh that makes heart skip a beat and answers, "It means you are the most captivating and yet mysterious woman I have ever laid my eyes on." He takes one single step in her direction - they still stand in a respectful distance about two feet away from each other– and tilts his head to the side, she can see he is frowning even though his mask covers most of his forehead. He continues, "But I also sensed in my innocent observation that you did not seem to be enjoying yourself too much-" his voice is low, his words meant only for her ears, "-and I just figured all you needed was a dance to send away the sad aura about you."
Regina gives a dry laugh to his observations, "Unfortunately my troubles cannot be swayed away by a simple waltz." Regina then notices her arms have come around her belly protectively at some point of this odd conversation.
"A walk perhaps, then?" Regina detects both his hands are now clasped together behind his back, he does not seem as confident as before, probably due to her very non cordial responses to his perfectly agreeable compliments. Maybe mother had been right, maybe she was just not meant for love or compassion, already too dry, too damaged for human kindness, maybe she did deserve-
"I know this castle like the back of my hand-" he continues, snapping her out of her depressing thoughts, "-please milady, let me show you around, try to rouse your spirits somehow." His hands are still behind his back but his smile is so true and sincere, his eyes shone with hope and Regina is no longer able to resist the pull.
"Alright," she gives him, which results in the brightening of his smile. Something she did not think possible happens then; her lips give away and reciprocate the gesture, not as brightly –she does not think she has the capacity of smiling so beautifully – but in earnest anyway, "Lead the way" she gestures with her hand towards the crowd they are amidst of.
"This way then milady," his hands have not left his back but his eyes are fixed on her, even as he leads the way away from the busy ballroom into a large corridor where some guests converse.
They walk side by side for a few minutes wordlessly, only the sound of their footsteps and the noise of the burning flames of lit torches breaking the silence. Her hands grasp the fabrics of her skirts in order for her not to trip over it, but in truth no such thing is really necessary; she wants to find something to do with her hands since her fingers ache to touch his.
Regina knows this situation is utterly absurd, she hardly knows this man and yet her heart beats faster in her chest whenever he would look her way. She does not even know-
"Ahm-" she breaks the silence, "I'm afraid I do not know your name"
He chuckles, his hands still grasped behind his back – is he not going to try to reach for her hand again? Regina feels a chill at the thought that he wouldn't, that she had scared away any possibility of him wanting to reach out for her – and responds, "That is true," as if he has been reading her thoughts, his hands leave his back and he pinches the bridge of his nose, "I do not know yours either."
"Well-" Regina tries, she is feeling giddy, but rather reluctant in revealing her identity. There is an odd kind of comfort in wearing her mask, which keeps away her miserable reality, "are you not going to at least tell me your given name?"
He stops abruptly and turns his body to face her - they had been walking a good while and left most of the guests behind them – he extends his hand again, this time palm facing to the side, as if he wants to shake her hand and says, "Robin, my given name is Robin" he motions with his hand towards her.
Without thinking, Regina takes it and squeezes, smiling as his lips open up in a surprised grin and says, "Regina, I'm Regina"
He squeezes her hand back as they shake on it, on this absurdly casual acquaintance they are making, no titles, no lands, no possessions, just themselves. Regina is saddened by the fact that she had been wearing gloves hence she cannot not feel his skin against hers, but even through the fabric it feels intense and wonderful. He then turns her hand and brings her cloth covered knuckles to his lips, giving her a small kiss there. Something that is common, happened most of the times a lady would get introduced to a lord. But when performed by him, steals her breath away, has Regina releasing a very soft gasp.
When his ears pick up the gasping sound, he immediately removes her hand from his lips and Regina misses the warmth of them instantly.
"I'm sorry, lady Regina, I-" he tries, his hand still holds on to hers though.
She squeezes his hand in reassurance, "There is no matter, I don't-" she cannot not find her words, he is frowning again. Maybe he is uncertain again, maybe he is going to walk away… No, Regina cannot not have that, "Please, it's just Regina, no lady required." She takes an unconscious step towards him and sees him gulp, maybe she is making him uneasy, she lets go of his hand then and completes, "I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm doing."
She clenches her fists as she looks down at her feet, terrified of the response that is to come.
"Neither do I, actually-" she hears humor in his voice and looks up, "I came to this ball tonight with a very different objective in mind," he is smiling again, it warms her heart, "But I must say, I would trade all of it for just one more minute with you."
Regina is flattered, her cheeks have grown hot, "Don't say that, you hardly know me at all-"
"I know, it seems strange but-" they start walking again, this time their pace is much slower, her hands have long forgotten about her skirts, "-I look at you and I see so much, I see brightness and darkness, they mingle together and create that lovely color to your eyes."
Regina immediately breaks eye contact with him facing ahead, not wanting to bare her soul to him, not wanting him to see the real darkness inside her. They have stopped again; this is a much darker section of the castle, with several doorless passageways, which lead to stairs that lead up and down. He takes her chin in his hand and brings her features to face him once more. His blue eyes, more intense than ever, lock with her widened brown.
"They are like an open book to me, I can see you are sad and so very lonely, but I can see hope and joyfulness." He is getting closer, too close for comfort. All Regina wants to do was close the distance between their lips and discover how this caring man's lips taste like. But she is afraid, so very afraid, of consequences, of her life, of her anger, she cannot not, their heads are so close-
"I'm married" she blunts out halting his movements, he removes his fingers from her chin - they had left a burning trail on her skin - and clears his throat taking two steps back.
"I'm so sorry milady-" his hands are back on his behind back – No! Regina's mind screams at her, she wants those hands warm upon her skin – "-I have over stepped my-" he stutters, "I have misread your-" he has his gaze cast down now, "Please forgive me" he does not meet her eye.
Regina stands very still, feeling her blood run fiercely through her veins, her head thump with a billion thoughts.
What had she done?
What was she doing?
She had wanted to kiss him, yes, but she is married to the King, she cannot indulge herself with kissing other men. But this is no ordinary man, he, Robin, he is different, he makes her feel so alive. She has not felt her heart beat so fast ever since Daniel. Now she had ruined it, as she did everything she touched, she ruined her small chance at a little taste of bliss. Maybe she does not deserve it, maybe it was better off this way. He himself has seen the darkness in her eyes, she is not worthy of the light he offered her, of the warmth his touch provides, she is in too deep in hate.
"Would you like me to escort you back to the ballroom milady?" his voice snaps her out of her musings. She looks up to find he is looking her way but not the way he had before, his eyes do not meet hers and have lost much of the light they once carried.
"No, I do not." she says dryly, her throat feels as if it is closing up.
"I understand-" he shifts his weight from one foot to another, his eyes downcast again, his voice sounds broken and Regina's heart breaks along with it, "The ballroom is down that corridor to the left-"
"I do not want to go back to the ballroom." She finds her voice, stating certain, a tone which would have made her mother proud. Upon her second sentence however – seeing the look of utter confusion on his masked face – she falters, "I-" she presses her lips together and tries again, "I do not want to go back."
An unconscious tear falls from one of her eyes, running down her cheek. His gaze catches the lone drop upon her skin and he takes a step towards her again, but this time it is wary, he is afraid, rather uncertain of how she is going to react.
"Milady, please forgive me-" he says in all earnest and all Regina wants to do was grab his face and kiss him senseless, kiss him until the end of time, "-I did not mean to upset you."
"You did not upset me," Regina replies, wiping her tear from her cheek with the back of her hand, "It's me, the problem is me." She looks down once more, not being able to bear his tender blue eyes upon her.
"Milady,-" she does not look up, he tries again, "Regina,-" upon hearing her name Regina dares to look into his eyes again, "Tell me,-" he looks so earnest, so eager to help, Regina's chest is nearly bursting, "-let me help."
She does not deserve him.
She runs.