There was absolutely no lie in the pageboy's remarks; the Queen was indeed the most beautiful woman Robin had ever laid eyes upon. His pupils dilated as he tried to take in as much as he could of the luring figure in red lounging like a feline before him.
But a few seconds of wonderment was all he was granted for, as soon as he was brought to stand a few feet away from where she sat, he was forced to his knees by one of the guards who uttered rashly; "Show some respect scum! Kneel before the Queen and keep that head down!"
His eyes were ripped away from the ruby red sight in front of him and were then staring at the polished cold, grey floor. Robin wondered if it had been a mere hallucination, for it was a swift moment, too quick, maybe a few seconds, in which his world had been bathed in red. He pondered with a frown if his reality had gone back to black and white.
"Leave us," he heard a female voice, he assumed belonged to the Queen, command firmly, in a harsh, indifferent tone.
Robin's senses picked up the footsteps of the black guards as they left the room in military precision and could feel he had been left alone with the monarch. And yet his gaze remained glued to the grey floor, for some strange reason Robin did not want to press his luck in disobeying orders so early on. He had never been an abider to any rules in the first place, but right now, even in the solitary presence of the Queen, he knew he was at disadvantage.
His eyes were still fixed on the ground. Rightly so, knowing this was the smartest thing to do if he was planning on leaving the stone fortress with his head still attached to his body - having an impressive amount of crimes to respond for will give you quite the heavy conscious, even if you tell yourself your intentions were the noblest. However, there was a niggling portion of Robin's will which wanted to do nothing more than look up and bask in the mesmerizing red vision. His common sense thankfully won the battle and his eyes remained firmly fixed on the polished stone underneath him.
The Queen hummed, and he could hear her moving on her chaise longue, and could not help but imagine the red fabric sliding over her skin as she shifted. Feeling the heat in her gaze from where he knelt, Robin wondered if her eyes would also bear the same shade of red she seemed to be shrouded in.
"Robin Hood," she finally spoke, slowly letting his name roll off her tongue before she ordered him to 'look up'.
Robin's head shot up so quickly it might have been comic hadn't he looked like he was going to eat her alive with his mystification. The color red had indeed returned to his reality, and it hit him like a hurricane.
When their eyes locked together for the first time, Robin felt as if something had, for a split second, gotten a hold of his heart and squeezed hard. The feeling momentarily stole the air out of his lungs and he had to control himself in order not to gasp to take his next breath. The sensation passed just as quickly as it came, but it left Robin's heart pounding loudly in his chest and his throat dry.
The Queen's eyes had widened as the momentary sensation had hit him, her mouth opening for a moment in a surprised 'O' shape and Robin had to wonder if she had felt that inexplicable something too.
After the slight start, Robin was finally able to drink in the image of the creature said to be the fairest of all women.
What he saw was of no assistance whatsoever to his attempts of keeping his heartbeat under control.
Her long, dark, pitch-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, the soft curls reaching her chest and a little beyond. She had a section pinned up in a fancy updo but most of it rested upon her chest. Her eyes were fierce, vibrant and dark, and even the heavy black paint she used in them could not hide their effervescence. She had a perfect angular nose, and her skin was of the lightest tone of olive, it appeared to never have been touched by the sun.
But Robin's eyes seemed to be fixated on her mouth, the indentation on her upper lip might have showcased some vulnerability if her red lips, which had been slightly parted, were not curled into a malicious smirk. Her mouth was hypnotizing him, enticing him, the only bit of living color in his reality. But when she spoke again, the spell was broken, and Robin's eyes returned to hers.
"Aren't you a difficult one to find?" The rhetorical question hung in the air as she paused for a moment and hummed, not paying much attention to the thief but seemingly enjoying the way he could not tear his eyes away from her.
"Although,-" she began with a hint of amusement "-now that I am in charge, things are done much more efficiently in this castle."
Robin's frown grew as she chuckled to herself, as if sharing some inside joke. She took a breath and studied him for a beat before delivering, "I hear you have given up prancing around from kingdom to kingdom doing charity with other people's possessions." She taunted, looking at him with an expecting expression and an arched eyebrow.
All of a sudden, Robin's blood began to boil, his face felt hot and the abrupt heat had nothing to do with the Queen's shapely figure or her taunting lips.
He was not foolish; Robin knew that the Queen could order his execution in a heartbeat, but the angry words at her disdain towards him and his long lost cause tumbled out of his mouth before he could even think about stopping them.
"What is it you want from me?" He asked looking her right in the eye and slowly adding "your majesty," hoping to draw a reaction from her.
The Queen let out an amused laugh, "I'm not sure if you are actually as bold as people say or just plain stupid," she said with a tilt of her head, a curious gleam now filled her eyes.
She stood from her chaise, still studying him with a newfound interest. As soon as she rose, all the anger evaporated from Robin's mind, making way for desires he though had been long lost. The Queen's skin seemed to have an alluring gleam from what little was shown by her garments; there was no low cut neckline, no bare arms or shoulders, no slit in side of her dress. The lack of visible skin was typical for a grieving widow. But the dress this widow wore was nothing like what Robin would have imagined a mourning Queen would present herself in.
The dark red velvet hugged the Queen's every curve, Robin felt his mouth water as he was now able to attest that her body had been made for sin. He could not help but feel slightly envious of the tight, black corset around her waist that molded to her body and firmly held her supple flesh in its confines. A sudden desire to alleviate her of all that fabric hit Robin by surprise. Her frame was petit but she stood so tall and with so much poise, she looked like a titan.
She was stunning, breath taking, and from the way her lips curved into a wicked smirk and the sway of her hips as she took a few steps forward, Robin knew she was fully aware of her allure.
"Regardless of your stupidity," she continued, "I'm in need of your legendary aim."
The Queen took the necessary steps to almost close the distance between them, stopping a foot away and resting a hand on her hip as she ran her other through her hair. His head was now aligned and dangerously close to something of the Queen's he never would have thought he would come to desire so fervently. He traced the outline of her hips with his eyes and swallowed, subconsciously biting his lower lip in the process.
When she ordered him to his feet, he stood swiftly in one move, which half startled the Queen who took a wee step back. The gleam in her eyes was intense and slightly amused - the tiniest of grins tugging at her red lips - as they travelled slowly from his head to his toes, cataloguing his physique with interest. After a moment of studying him, she rolled her shoulders back, straightening up her posture as she gave a pleased sigh.
"I have a job for you." She stated.
"Why would I ever do anything for you?" Robin retorted before he could stop himself.
She met his gaze with those sparkling, devious eyes, they were dark, Robin could not make out the color but knew they were dark. She moistened her lower lip with her tongue and curved her mouth into a smirk, as she got closer to him. Her index finger came into his line of vision and touched lightly at his chin, the small skin contact sent shivers throughout his entire body. Robin could see the Queen's eyes widen at the spark that lingered where their flesh met and was glad he was not alone in feeling such a powerful sensation from so little contact.
She produced a soft puff of air from her mouth before leaning forward until their faces were perilously close, she then whispered, "Because I have so much to offer," and Robin could feel the warm air that left her mouth come in contact with his and it sent his head spiraling with lust and confusion. She smiled when she saw him swallow before inhaling.
Robin found the Queen's suggestive words and forward approach quite enticing, and his breathing quickened as he started to feel his below-the-belt reaction to her closeness. He could not help but let out a groan when that single finger trailed its way torturously slowly down his neck, past his Adam's apple, reaching the top button of his shirt.
The Queen broke the contact with a content sigh, bringing his attention back to her supple mouth before she started to prowl round him, ensuring she brushed against his growing erection as she did so.
What was this woman planning of doing to him?
He could sense her coming to a halt right behind him, not as close as she had been before but close enough for him to feel the heat radiating from her body.
"I need to dispose of an enemy," she continued out of the blue, her voice was now business like sounding nothing like the words she had just slurred to him, "-but that's proven to be more difficult than I had originally expected."
Robin did not know why he was suddenly feeling so daring, he knew how dangerous it was to be bold and let his emotions rule over his head. This woman had power, great power over an entire army, plus he was almost certain she knew of his history in crime. But the words kept tumbling from his mouth, almost as if he had no control over them, her presence made him feel, different. Perhaps it was due to him having next to nothing to live for, Robin was not truly living, he was barely surviving.
Or perhaps it was because, logic showed him that the Queen would not kill him right away; she had sought him out personally to do this job for her. She needed her enemy gone and she wanted Robin of all people to do the job.
And so, not quite sure which instinct he was then following, Robin turned around to face her and retorted; "Well why don't you have one of your 'efficient' knights to your dirty work for you?"
The Queen gave a dangerous chuckle at his words, "I'd be careful if I were you outlaw." Darting her eyes to his lips, she added; "That smart mouth of yours might cost you your head someday."
Her eyes returned to his and she drew her bottom lip into her mouth, teeth worrying the soft flesh before she went back to smirking at him.
Robin was fairly certain that this woman had a lot more on her mind than only assassination and business like deals. He wondered if she was testing him, playing some sort of rouse to provoke him and then leave him high and dry for her own royal entertainment. There was something odd about her, her aura seemed to want to draw him in, his nether parts could not help but react to her provoking double meaning remarks.
He had never felt this much need for a woman, especially when the woman in question had given away so little and was so… vicious and cold hearted. It was much like she had laid a spell on him, he felt incapable of resisting his urges. And Robin was far from being a shy lover having had his fair share of romantic escapades. Those were all before Marian, she had made him a better man and he had felt he as if no other would could ever tempt him. The better man lay six feet under along with the woman he loved.
And this was not romantic at all.
This was raw, primal and dark. Her red lips were like a magnet, drawing him in with the urge to kiss, bite, suck and ravage them until red was the only color they possessed and-
Robin snapped himself out of his fantasies.
What was happening to him?
Had he really changed so much that someone he had just met could reduce him to a lust-crazed animal? Was he under some sort of spell? Or was this an effect of his own actions? He had not been around many people in a long time, choosing to live in the woods for months. He had only come back into civilization a couple of months back and he had most certainly never been around anyone quite like this Queen standing before him.
"My target is much loved in this kingdom." She spoke suddenly, drawing his attention back to her lips. "I need someone who won't be blinded by that."
Pivoting on her heels, the Queen turned her back on Robin and headed towards a mirror which hung on the wall facing her. She stood a little to the left of the reflective surface so she could met his gaze through the reflection, she continued; "My prey has a protector, who has not left her side since my dear husband's passing." The way in which she uttered 'dear husband' made it very clear that the King had been anything to her but 'dear'.
Robin wondered just how much involvement she actually had in his demise; having met the 'grieving widow', he would not have been surprised to find out she had orchestrated the whole affair.
She turned away from the mirror to face him once more and for a moment, Robin could have sworn he saw the face of a man behind her, but he quickly brushed aside the notion; mirrors did not have their own faces.
"First you will rid me of her protector," the Queen declared, bringing his attention fully back to her making him forget quickly about mirrors with faces, "My prey has taken to the habit of taking the forest route to the King's grave which she visits every day. She's escorted by her protector and no one else."
The indifferent look in the Queen's eyes faded away, leaving them sparkling with bloodlust and darkness. Two things Robin could fully identify with.
"You are to covertly dispose of her protector with one single, fatal shot," she took a step towards him, inhaling deeply, "I want my prey to see her precious friend die right in front of her… and know that she's next." The words came out of the Queen's mouth as if she was describing a delicious feast she was about to devour. This woman was thirsty for blood and Robin, even though he knew nothing about her motivations, could not help but understand.
The Queen approached him once again, still wearing that fierce, dark look in her eyes, her voice had grown a little thick, as she moved to what seemed to be her favorite part, "Once that is done, you may reveal yourself. Then I want you to hunt her down like you do your preys. I want her to feel the agony of being pursued by death itself. I want you to shoot stray arrows that almost hit her to terrify her even more." She took a deep breath then, her hands were in tight fists and her eyes had started to fill with moist over the excitement of her demands and orders, "And then you will kill her, I will give you a weapon with which to do that. But-" She raised her index finger in front her face in warning; "Once she's dead, I want you to carve out her heart, and bring it back for my collection."
Robin swallowed.
"Do you understand?" She asked firmly.
"Yes" he breathed out, gaze fixed firmly on hers. He could not help but wonder what this person could have possibly done to warrant such treatment.
An evil smirk made its way onto the Queen's ruby lips, "Good."
She started walking towards him again, but passed straight by to stand in front of her chaise. With her back turned to him – giving him a good view of that picture perfect behind she possessed - she twisted her upper body slightly towards him, so she could look back at him with an arched brow.
"So-" she scanned him from head to toe once more, before lowering her voice to ask; "What do you want?"
What did he want? He did not even know if he wanted to aid her at all with her twisted plan. True, he had killed many men before; even in his days leading the Merry Men, many had found their lives ending by his hands. Normally men who did not deserve to be alive, who had brought on misery or death upon many, mostly rapes and killers. Back then, he had felt he was doing the right thing by the wrong means, but it had been the only way to ensure those villains were never to commit their crimes ever again.
After he had left his merry band, he really could not have cared less if death was brought on by his hands. He had fought constantly in the beginning. He had sought arguments with lesser men, attempting to find an outlet for his anger and despair over what he had done to his wife and unborn child. Oddly enough, it had worked, it had been one of the only things that made him forget for a while, when rage invaded his senses, he was free. It had made him feel numb, and hollow.
And that had been perfect.
Taking a life drained his emotions in a way that all feelings had started to mingle together, becoming the same and yet nothing at all.
And that was how he knew he could do it.
He could do exactly what the Queen had asked him to, he could even feel a little grateful for the offering, for he was to feel that blissful numbness again.
But at that precise moment, being faced by this entrancing woman, he most certainly did not feel numb. Quite the contrary; this malicious and yet truly stunning Queen had awakened something in him he was not quite sure he had ever felt before.
True, he had loved Marian with all his heart, vowed to stay true to her and had desired her immensely.
But this Queen, this vision of what the fairest a woman could be, stirred something extremely primal in him, something downright animalistic.
What did he want? He wanted to rip off that teasing dress from her body with his teeth; he wanted to take her against that ridiculous chaise longue until she screamed his name.
What did he want? He wanted to grab, lick, bite, and mark her entire body as if it belonged to him. He wanted to shut her smart mouth with his cock and have her milk him dry and then swallow every last drop when he came.
What did he want? He wanted her on top of him, he wanted to take her from behind, he wanted her on all fours, he wanted her in every position possible, and even upside down. He craved to be inside her warm cunt, wanted to pump himself into her until she passed out.
She waited for his response, but Robin knew better than to voice his true wishes; they were no doubt far too forward.
"There must be something you desire," she drawled after a moment, turning to fully face him, "Name it and it shall be yours."
Robin's eyes had slowly gotten used to the new color pallet in his vision and was only now able to appreciate more details of the 'mourning' dress the Queen was wearing. His pupils dilated as he noticed that the black lace that covered the area between her breasts was translucent, and he could make out the curve of her breasts through the fabric.
The Queen, noticing his reaction, - she was a perceptive sort or maybe he was being a little too obvious - smirked and gestured for him to come hither with her finger. For a split second, Robin truly did not know if he should, for all he knew this could be a trap and she could shove a blade through the tissue of his stomach as soon as he got too close. After all, she was all too enthusiastic about having him do just that to another.
And yet, Robin's feet were taking steps on their own accord, stupidly approaching the vision in red. When he was just about half a foot away, she put a finger on his chest, making him halt in front of her. She could no doubt feel the erratic beating of his heart through the small contact her finger made with his chest and that had to fell slightly humiliating.
She then leaned closer, as if to kiss him, and humiliation was suddenly the last thing on his mind. However, just as their lips where ghosting over each other, the pull almost irresistible, she changed her route until she had her mouth almost pressing against his ear.
"I'm sure we can come up with something that could be-" she inhaled before pressing her cheek against his and brushing her lips against the shell of his ear,"-quite enjoyable for the two of us, don't you think?"
"Yes." Robin answered, his voice dropping an entire octave. He was fairly certain he lost the ability to speak and his entire vocabulary the moment her tongue came in contact with the skin behind his earlobe in a swift lick.
Robin groaned as she bit the flesh of his earlobe and pulled slightly before releasing it with a sigh. He could feel her breath ghost over the skin of his neck, almost touching, a tantalizing and torturous journey her red lips made until she then withdrew so their mouths were mere centimeters apart and her breath ghosted over his lips instead. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she stared at the outlaw's mouth, she then released it, and Robin was enraptured with the way the deep red color returned.
"What is it outlaw?" She asked sultrily, her eyes never leaving his lips. "You want to sink your teeth into my lips the way I just did?"
She blinked and her gaze returned to his, a malicious smirk appearing on her lips as she saw his Adam's apple bob with a loud swallow. It took all there was left of Robin's self-control to not ravage her lips then, not to crash his own hungry and desperate lips onto her lush ones.
He managed to grunt a responsive, "Yes"
She hummed and gave him a small grin. "Well then… isn't this your lucky day?"
The Queen slid her finger down his chest, scratching at the worn fabric of his shirt until she reached its end. She promptly hooked her teasing finger into the waistband of his pants and pulled him towards her, finally closing the distance between their bodies.
The contact was exquisite, an electrifying vibration ran about every inch of skin he possessed that somehow came in contact with the Queen's; Robin's self-control slipped, if this was indeed a trap, he found himself not caring anymore. He released a low groan and both his hands acted on their own accord and immediately shot to grab onto her sinful arse, pulling her even closer. He did not bother to look at her expression when he heard her gasp at his actions, his face lowered to the crook of her neck and he inhaled her scent deeply, grinding his hips against her.
The Queen let out a small moan at the contact, teasingly asking; "Eager, are we?"
He could feel her raise her free hand and all of a sudden, the noise of the heavy doors being violently closed sounded just from behind him. He raised his head to look at the Queen with confusion, a small voice inside his head told him he was a fool to put himself in a situation such as this, for it could only be a trap. But she only granted him with a mere half shrug and tugged harder on his waistband.
The contact between them was exhilarating, it made his head light and his cock harder, as she grinded herself on him, urging him to make the next move, challenging him with her fire filled eyes. His hands flexed at her hips as the urge to bunch the material up in his fingers swept through him.
But then her patience seemed to run thin and she pounced, capturing his lower lip between her teeth and he could do nothing but tighten his grip on her. He could feel her trace her tongue over his lip, softly and slowly the tip of her tongue covered his lip and Robin found himself unable to react but only bask at the small and yet maddening contact.
As if knowing he was enjoying this only too much, she broke the contact too soon, leaning back with an evil gleam in her eye.
"Hmm, tasty. I like that." She purred.
Robin had to take a large intake of breath in between gritted teeth as the hand she had used to pull them together found its way underneath his shirt and slowly trailed up his torso. Her hand was small and cold, the interaction sent shivers down Robin's spine.
"And I like this very much indeed" she added.
When her fingers reached just underneath the center of his ribs, she dug her nails into his flesh and dragged them down his torso. The action on itself stung and was sure to leave an angry red marking and yet, Robin found it odd how the pain turned out to feel absolutely erotic and enticing, he could not hold back a groan.
"If you are lucky, I might even keep you outlaw."
She trailed her other hand past his waistband – whilst the other found its way to his behind, taking a rest there - and palmed his hard member shamelessly through the fabric of his pants. Robin grumbled loudly as his head fell back when she squeezed him hard, humming in delight at her actions.
Taking the Queen's incredibly forward actions as an open invitation to make himself familiar with her body, he ground himself against her alluring figure as his mouth found the pulse point on her neck and sucked hard.
Now it was the Queen's turn to moan, and the high-pitched sound she released was music to Robin's ears.
Damn her; even when uncontrolled, everything about her was striking.
And damn him; his absolute lack of self-control made it very difficult to focus on anything other than this mesmerizing woman in front of him, and the delicious flesh on her neck that was currently attached to his lips.
Damn his past and his wrong doings
Damn whoever it was that he was bound to kill for this woman
Right here, right now, for the first time in the longest time, something felt right.
Robin bit, nipped and sucked over every inch of exposed flesh until the Queen was moaning, gasping and trembling. He was reluctant to confess the flesh-to-flesh contact drew out something he had never felt before, ever. The sparks were raw and almost overwhelming, but he worked his way up her neck, resolute on painting it red with his mouth.
Both of the Queen's hands suddenly came to grab the back of his neck, her nails clawing so deep they could have easily drawn blood. Robin was surprised to discover he did not mind the pain, could even perhaps admit he rather enjoyed it. The firmer his advances became, the louder she moaned and the harder her nails dug into his flesh. Robin could not help but get a bit carried away, biting down hard – drawing a gasp from the Queen – and then tracing the indentations his teeth made with his tongue.
They were suddenly interrupted by a male voice "Your majesty, if I may..."
Robin was startled at the interruption for he was sure the doors were closed and that they had been alone inside that room. He might not have been paying a great amount of attention to his surroundings but he knew, could feel, that they had been alone.
Not anymore
He looked up to find the Queen's eyes wide and rage-filled.
She had not moved; her nails were still digging into the back of his neck, but her eyes looked right through him. Robin noted something else in her gaze, there was anger, yes, but he could also see frustration, and exhaustion.
He looked about the room, searching for the source of their interruption so he could rip their tongue out – he was very much so enjoying his 'negotiation' with the Queen - but he found it to be empty except for the pair of them.
The Queen dropped her fierce grip from his neck and spun around quickly to face the wall behind her.
More accurately, she turned to face the mirror, which hung on the wall.
Robin was taken aback at his earlier notion of seeing a face in this same mirror being proven correct; there was a man's face inside the reflective surface on the wall, hovering like a ghost.
Robin had seen many a strange thing in his lifetime, but he had had very little contact with this kind of witchcraft. Or any kind of magic whatsoever, he had despised the usage of it. The hovering head made him slightly uneasy, and the dark expression worn on its face did not help matters.
"How dare you?" The Queen roared towards the mirror, her seductive expression replaced with one of fury.
"Forgive me your majesty," The mirror stuttered in a manner of sudden complete submission, when he continued speaking his tone changed to something Robin would usually associate with those of a jealous disposition; "I merely thought that it wouldn't be wise for the thief to claim his reward before-"
"You have no say in how I tend to my deals!" She spat at the mirror, cutting off whatever reasoning the disembodied face was planning to give.
Robin could clearly see that the Queen was enraged; her nostrils flared, her hands clenched into fists and the corner of her ruby mouth turned up in a snarl. "I will do as I please!"
Robin found himself gasping when she made the mirror disappear in a cloud of smoke with a mere wave of her hand.
The Queen was a witch.
Well, that explained a lot, did it not? Such as the doors conveniently closing when he had first grabbed her, despite there clearly being no one else there. Perhaps she had put him under some sort of spell; it would explain this seemingly inexplicable attraction to her. He had never been this reckless in such dangerous situations, even when kidnapping Marian from her own wedding; he had planned it most carefully before storming the ceremony and stealing her away.
Magic
But wouldn't he have felt it if it was used on him? He did not feel any different, aside from the fact that he was hard as a rock with good reason and that had not been a regular feeling lately.
Somehow, he knew that just was not true; she may have seduced him with her charms and body, but there was no magic involved. She did not need to use magic to lure him to her bed, only a word from her would suffice. Of that, he was certain of.
So he watched as she waved her hand and another cloud of smoke appeared, the mirror reappearing high above in the ceiling. The man's face was still in there, trapped inside, although he was now decidedly more terrified.
"And if you ever interrupt me again-" she sneered at him, "-I will make sure to have every single mirror in this castle crushed to pieces!"
With a flick of her wrist, the smoke was gone and the mirror fell, crashing loudly on the floor as it met its shattering demise. Shreds flew everywhere, and Robin instinctively turned away from the shattering object in order to protect himself from the shards. But the Queen did not move a muscle, even when Robin was sure the sharp pieces of glass must have reached her face, she did not move a hair.
The Queen had her back to Robin, her breathing was slow and heavy, as if to try to compose herself before she returned her attentions to her 'guest'.
Robin was at a loss of words at what had just transpired.
What was that thing?
Was there an actual person trapped inside a mirror?
And the Queen's magic, it was wondrous at the very least, it turned Robin's thoughts into a knotted mess.
Of course, he knew of magic, knew of its presence in this world, he would have to be a complete fool to deny its existence. He was fully aware that some people had the innate ability to wield it, and that most of them used it for selfish purposes, the vast majority of those, evil. But the few witches he had come across had been old, not entirely sane and had resorted to more potions than actual spells.
Shortly after he had left his Merry Men, Robin had entertained thoughts of how magic could have helped save his wife.
He had made his first stop at the fairies, one of the only beings known to use magic for good, the well-being of others rather than themselves. He was met with the answer that their magic could not bring back those who had been taken by death. A response that did not fully surprise him for those irritating little bugs were known to play by the rules, and if there was a way to bring back Marian, that path would most certainly implode the rules.
He had then decided to visit magic wielders with looser morals. He visited all the witches he could track down, but had been met with the exact same answer. He figured they had not been powerful enough, refused to give up. He even considered the Dark One, as ridiculous a notion as it was, but he could never quite bring himself to formulate a plan to break into his castle.
But something that had been worse than the pain of her loss, had been the devastating sensation he would get when he was met with the same negative response. The small joy of hope made everything worse than it had already been.
But this Queen was not like any other he had met before. He had never seen this kind of magic. And if she could so easily summon consciousness into a mirror with a wave of her hand, then maybe she was powerful enough to-
"You have magic..." He breathed out.
The Queen stilled but remained with her back turned to him. She waved her hand once again and the mess the broken mirror had left on the floor disappeared. The dark frame shaped like the flaming sun reappeared on its initial spot on the wall, but there was no reflective surface on the inside.
She then turned to face him, her eyes devoid of any warmth, a small track of red marked the flesh of her right cheek as a drop of blood ran down. It matched the ruby vibrancy of her once painted in red lips, and when that drop reached said flesh; her tongue came out of its confines in order to taste it. Robin was hypnotized once more.
"How very observant of you" she stated humorless before her fingers came close to her cheek and healed the marred skin completely.
Regardless of her uninviting words, Robin felt the burning poison of hope spread itself throughout his heart.
Maybe the Queen finding him was no coincidence. Maybe this was meant to happen.
Maybe he was meant to find her.
Those thoughts ran riot through his mind, repeatedly.
He would kill for her, twice; he would tear her enemy and her protector to shreds. Then, this powerful sorceress would owe him a favor. And now, Robin knew exactly what he wanted his favor to be.
With newfound confidence he declared; "I know what I want in exchange for my services."
She still remained expressionless and asked; "Oh? You do? I thought we had already settled that." she raised one eyebrow.
Robin ignored her last statement and continued, "I want you to use your powers-" her head tilted to the side with mild interest, "-to bring my wife back from the dead." His voice broke a little at the end of the sentence, and tears he did not even realize were pooling in his eyes threatened to break free.
The Queen's eyes widened at his words and her mouth opened a little. She stared at him without blinking, as if she had seen a ghost, her face a myriad of emotions.
From all he had seen from her, from the seduction to the blood lust, from the passion to the fury, the woman standing before him was a completely different person to the one he had been attacking with his lips not two moments ago.
Through the blurry haze – caused by the tears he refused to shed – they held each other's gaze. There was a horrid, weighted silence between them for a moment, before the Queen shook her head slightly and confessed in a small voice; "I cannot do that."
She took a large intake of breath and ran a hand over her cheek. "All magic has rules, and one of the cruelest is that you cannot bring back the dead."
Robin felt his heart sink inside his chest, shrinking and shrinking until there was nothing left. He screwed his eyes shut and let the tears he had tried so valiantly to keep at bay run down his face.
Pain
The pain was back. And the guilt. And every single helpless feeling he had ever experienced. They all returned and set about crushing him under the weight of his regret. For a short while he had been able to shut them away and feel like he was worthy of taking a breath again.
But now they were back, all his ghosts, stronger than ever. He had been a selfish, horrid person, and now he was paying the price. His world was no longer black and white but black alone – the last traces of light having faded along with his last hope. Darkness consumed him, there was only dark-
The Queen cleared her throat and he opened his eyes.
She was still a vision in red.
"Do not kid yourself outlaw." She said, there was a small trace of empathy in her voice, almost unnoticeable but he could detect it, "I was taught long ago that dead is dead. There is no amount of magic that can change that." She swallowed and darted her gaze from his, "If there was a way to do such a thing-" she took in a deep breath, "Well-" she looked at him almost sympathetically, "We wouldn't even be having this conversation."
She looked back at him and blinked. For a heartbeat, she looked like someone else, not the bold and audacious Queen he had met and had an utterly escalated intimate moment with, but someone shattered, someone broken, completely devoid of happiness. Someone hollow and alone. For a moment, he saw everything he had felt in the past year inside her dark eyes. He saw himself.
And then it was gone, if he had not dared to blink he could have thought he had imagined it all. Her trace of vulnerability a distant memory, and her eyes cold and distant.
"I shan't be rewarding you with anything until your task is done." She said icily.
She walked past him and came to rest on her chaise longue once more. Robin looked at her and knew that whatever glimpse he had seen of a broken woman was gone, and so he went back to thinking about the task in hand.
"So-" Robin started, squaring his shoulders and tilting his chin up, "who do you want me to kill?"