Robin felt empty.
He still felt the blood pumping in his veins as if the pulsating organ still lay inside his chest.
But it didn't. And he felt nothing.
He did not feel a drop of guilt over what he had done. Not for yesterday, nor for a year ago, nor for ever.
The memory of Marian's last moments was still very much alive in his mind, it played over and over again, and still he felt nothing. There was a small trace of what the feeling had once been, but that had hardly tickled Robin. He felt no guilt, nor pain, nor love. That was to be the ultimate price for the numbness he had craved so much for.
He could not feel.
The moment he had been parted with his heart had been painful, one of the most excruciating agonies he had ever experienced. But after the sudden pain had disappeared, so had all the guilt and pain that had weighted his soul over the past year and even before. He felt relief, and yet he felt nothing.
Then he had gotten the opportunity to look at what he had done to his heart, something he had never thought possible. It looked smaller than he had imagined a heart to be and much darker he would have ever deemed possible. He knew he should have felt disgusted, that small, dark, red heart was the physical proof of what his twisted and tortured actions had done to him. And yet, he had been spellbound by the dark red glow. Still numb, still light, even though the organ had been separated from his body, the darkness it displayed still ran about his veins.
All of a sudden, he had felt it again, he somehow felt her, more specifically her hand. It surely sounded like the craziest thing in the world, but somehow he could feel his heart in her palm. He felt as if his very soul was melting away through it into her, mingling with her flesh, becoming one. She had most certainly felt something too, for she had screamed at him, hissed through clenched teeth, looking at his blackened heart before shoving it back into his chest.
Everything came back.
Worse than ever before if it was even possible for Robin to feel worse. The guilt, the pain, the remorse, the ache, the desperation, everything. He had found it hard to breathe due to the overwhelming amount of sentiment his heart held. All of it hit him with full force and for a moment, he was not quite sure if he was going to be able to withstand it.
He did not want any of that, he wanted to feel numb, he wanted to feel nothing. All this was far too much for him to take, and now that he had had a taste of what it was like to truly feel no remorse, he did not want to go back into experiencing those haunting feelings ever again. They ached too much, hurt too much. So he had begged her, had pleaded like a pathetic, helpless, little peasant for her to take it away.
I do not want it.
She had looked startled, not quite understanding, and yet she took it, even though his heart had clearly harmed her, and as soon as his heart left his chest, once again he was washed over with the blissful sensation of nothingness.
Though far too quickly he felt the organ start to burn again, it was her touch that did that. He could not quite fathom if it was a harmful sensation or not; it was too strange for him to track back to ever feeling before. She thankfully deposited his heart inside a box quickly, and the blissful numbness took over once more.
Her words then hit deep.
"I control it", "You are mine", "-everything I say", "-serve me in every way"
Robin was sure if he had his heart still pounding in his chest, he would have been drowned by all sorts of emotions.
Dread, that this half-crazed woman had now complete control over him. Anticipation, for the way her tongue had caressed the words 'every way'. Desperation, since his freedom – one of the few things he had left – was now gone. And relief, that he had managed somehow to find a place to settle down that did not in any way remind him of the life he used to lead.
Robin had recognized all those feelings, but he just could not bring himself to feel them fully. They were mere faint traces of emotion, just there, looming.
When their conversation took a more interesting tone, Robin could have sworn he could feel his heart pounding faster in his chest, making his blood pressure rise, whilst he stared holes through the Queen's clothing. Her mere manner enticed him, she was mysterious and gorgeous and apparently, rather open to new experiences. When she had let down that silly updo and taken her clothes off, the only thing covering her fair skin had been her raven hair, he had almost come in his pants. Her body was a wonder, his fingers had ached to trace their way along all that bare, exposed, flawless skin.
When she had spoken, Robin had hardly registered the words before he had his body against hers. It was almost unbelievable that the moment he had touched her, his senses had come back to life once again. The sensation was tantalizing, he felt lust and desire in an intensity he did not think he should feel given he was then heartless. He felt it, he felt her, the electricity between them more powerful than ever. Two seconds ago, even though he had been aroused, the feeling of numbness still ruled over his body. The moment he touched her he could feel, everything.
Well, not everything exactly; he still could not feel regret over his past, nor anger towards the runaway princess, nor love to the people he had left behind.
But he could feel her. Everything about her, he could feel it, running through his veins. He could feel the desire he had for her burning up his very soul, coalescing with the hate he felt towards her for treating him like a pawn and leaving him to his own devices. He could even feel the sympathy that had bloomed momentarily in his heart for her the day when she had shown him her broken side, for just a moment.
And it burned his very soul to touch her, to be overrun by this amount of emotion. But touch her he did, as much as he could. Like a man dying of thirst he had groped her body, had felt every inch of exposed skin and had her moaning and sighing for him.
But it was all over too quickly.
Evil. This woman had to be the most evil human being he had ever encountered; she had promptly deprived him of the only thing that made him feel alive.
Insane. This woman had to be insane. Robin could see all the emotions playing out in her expressions; anger, lust, tiredness, eagerness, curiosity.
What the hell had he gotten himself into?
Then she was touching him again and all thought and reason became a blurry haze. He felt wanton, desire burning in the pit of his stomach. It travelled its torturous way down to the very tip of his cock, which the Queen caressed with her finger, taunting him.
That bloody minx.
Through the light touch of her fingers, he could feel lust and anger mingling inside him, and he was not sure which one was stronger.
Then all of a sudden her hands were hasty and his pants were gone, his body being unceremoniously pushed to the chaise. It was then when he definitely knew which emotion had won out.
She was impatient and yet she taunted him still, grinding herself against him with force, releasing sounds of pleasure that were certain to make him go crazy. It took all the will power Robin owned to not just grab her and fuck her and his sanity away. But he knew this Queen was not to be toyed with, she had powerful magic and a strange grasp on her own self-control. And so Robin bit his lower lip, and calculated his every move, fighting against all his urges to touch her.
Her face mesmerized him; she looked glorious, her red lips inches away from his mouth as her hips ground down against him. Suddenly Robin felt a slick substance graze his cock and he looked down to discover nothing else covered the Queen's modesty as she continued to grind herself against him.
And when he was finally buried deep inside her… the feeling was in no way describable.
God, he had wanted to touch her, he had wanted to ravage her as soon as their sexes became one. Even without his heart, Robin could say with absolute certainty that he had never felt such overwhelming power with anybody else. It seemed as if they fit each other perfectly, which was so wrong and yet so very right at the same time.
Robin had been in a haze of emotions. His mind flitting through as he watched the Queen riding him, first at a torturously slow pace but then picking up, impatient. She was a glorious vision to behold, all that pale flesh exposed, clad only in her black boots, hair still resting on top of those delicious breasts, fiery eyes locked on his. From the way she looked at him it seemed as if she could read deep inside his very soul.
By some cruel trick of fate her breasts had somehow been exposed to him and he felt he would rather claw out his eyes than see them, knowing he could not touch them.
As soon as his vision was black due to him clamping his hands over his eyes, she stopped. And Robin felt his blood boil with emotions.
Fucking wench.
He opened his eyes and she was there, looking at him, and telling him to look at her.
She resumed her frantic movements and his emotions changed again. She was most definitely driving him crazy. She had done something, she must have, some manner of silent spell to make him feel so bloody- He did not even have a word for what he was feeling.
Soon, when her walls started clenching around him, the urge to touch her became impossible to hold back, he held onto the chaise with a grip that might have snapped an ogre's neck. He was ever so thankful that she leaned her torso towards his, the amount of his skin touching hers increasing tenfold, the almost explosive electric flowing through his veins partially satiating a little his urge to reach out and touch her.
When she came, she let out a deafening scream right beside her ear. Her body became limp instantly and, although Robin was uncertain, his reflexes won over and he brought one of his arms to wrap around her, holding her to him.
He was still hard as rock inside her, desperately needing more to send him over the edge. He met her eyes in a silent request and was dumbfounded to find such a serene and content expression upon her face.
From what he had experienced and seen over the past day Robin was almost certain she would not let him come at all, rather just disentangle herself from him, and send him on his way to the river. But when her words hit him, you may finish, her voice hoarse and weak, Robin could not help but smile at her, a genuine smile. Something he could not remember doing for such a very long time. Robin figured he must have been hallucinating when he could have sworn she smiled back at him, the same gentle smile with a little light in her eyes.
With a silent gesture she had allowed him to touch her and Robin felt a primitive force come over him in that very second. He had to bask in this opportunity as much as he could. Acting on his primal impulses, he quickly turned the tables so it was her turn to have her back against the chaise. Then he fucked her, good and proper.
He pounded into her as if his life depended on it. And to his ego's delight, she moaned and cried out for more. His thrusts became more fierce by the second, the harder he fucked her the more she seemed to enjoy herself. And so did he; when his release came, he almost felt disappointed it was over.
He dreaded to think back to that moment, he had felt something strange, something he had not felt in a long time, complete. With the Queen gasping underneath him, her skin warm and flushed against his as he tried to calm his breathing from his high… he felt so very complete, like this was right, this was where he was meant to be. Which was ridiculous. He did not even have his heart on him, how could he possibly be complete just because this homicidal maniac and he had orgasmed with each other?
They had remained connected for a few minutes, their breaths trying to even out, his face having found its way to her neck as his whole body had relaxed. When he pulled back to regard her, he noticed he had left an angry red mark on her neck.
But as his eyes met hers she looked hazed, confused and not quite herself. His expression mirrored hers as he started to pull away. To his utter surprise, she grabbed his shirt as if she was unwilling to let him go just yet. He could see her actions puzzled her, but Robin's gaze fell on her red lips, still untouched by his, and he was lost. He did not know if he would ever have the chance to do this again, and if this was his last day on earth he was not going down before tasting her lips.
He kissed her.
He kissed her on those full, red lips and had instantly been almost overcome by sensations. It pierced his soul and clawed at where his heart should have been.
Her hands came in contact with his cheeks and she kissed him back, willing and eager.
This was meant to be, a small voice whispered in his ear.
No, it was not, this was insanity.
He pulled back and instantly missed her mouth against his.
The Queen retracted herself from him and quickly put a safe distance between their naked bodies.
She was once again regal, harsh and bitchy, and Robin had known that whatever had transpired between them in that moment was gone. She sent him away so quickly Robin had barely had enough time to put his trousers back on.
After that far from warm farewell, he had made his way back to the Forest Head Quarters as the Queen had instructed. On his way, Robin found it odd that none of the knights had met his eye. Upon arriving at his destination, the boys had scattered more quickly than kitchen rats, and the old captain Mormant had met his eye with an almost startled expression, but grave and dense too. He nodded and left.
Robin had found himself once more looking out at the sunset from some dingy window in those headquarters. The place looked exactly the same, but he felt as if he had not been there in months. So much had happened in the course of this single day, he felt almost like a different man.
Only when he reached his room was he able to inspect the damage the Queen had left behind on him thanks to the small mirror that had been returned to the wall facing the bed. Deep marks of her sharp nails from the way she had grasped his neck and almost crushed his windpipe in her fit of rage. But he also had a very vivid memory of her hot tongue tracing the very same patch of skin when she had ridden his cock like there was no tomorrow.
Those nails of hers had cut deep, had even drawn blood from his neck. There was also another mark on his neck that Robin did not mind in the least. He grinned when he remembered how the Queen had sucked that exact spot fiercely just before she came, wonderfully wet walls tightening around him. She had left that red behind as if she was marking him.
Robin's smirk only widened when he remembered that he had also left his mark on her neck that day.
As he continued his inspection, the nasty gash on his forehead did worry him a bit; it was fairly bloody and if left alone it was likely it would get infected. He retrieved some clean cloth and flesh water from the deserted kitchen. He noted there was a loaf of bread hidden behind a jar and took it without even thinking. Only then he realized he was in fact starving, had not eaten all day, and given this day's activities, he should have passed out by now without food and water. The bread assisted a little in quieting the monster inside his growling stomach, and so, after eating everything he could find inside that kitchen, Robin returned to his room and cleaned up his wounds, bandaging them as best as he could manage on a full stomach.
Robin was disappointed – but not really surprised – that the Queen had not paid him a visit that evening. He would have been a sorry sight to see if she had, for he had collapsed into the cranky bed as soon as all the banding was done. He was utterly exhausted and found that quite funny, for he had had worse days with his Merry Men.
But never with her, were his very last thoughts to himself before he slept for what felt like days.
…
In the early morning, he was surprised to see yet another piece of paper appear upon his pillow as soon as he got up. She did not have to sign it for Robin to know who it was from. Her note was brief and to the point, he should present himself in the throne room at noon. As soon as he finished reading the note, the paper burst into flame. Why was that woman was so dramatic?
Robin found it best to simple wear his own clothes given that the garment he had been wearing the day before was soaked in blood and dirt, not to mention the Queen had torn the shirt with her flaming magical fingers.
Even though Robin did not wear the army's uniform, no man blocked his way in his entire journey towards the castle. As he got there, he became quite uncertain as to where the throne room actually was and took a leap of faith by following a group of guards that seemed to be heading that direction.
The throne room was large and imposing, grey stone covered the floors as well as the walls, but those were also ornamented with huge tapestries that succeeded in concealing most of the cold, dull, stone.
It was filled with men, a few dozen easily, they were all clad in some sort of military garb. Some wore that ridiculous helmet Robin was resolute he would not be caught dead wearing. Most of the young men wore the heavy dark armor, while the older ones sported only military jackets filled with pins and decorations, years of service repaid with adornments of tin.
To say Robin felt extremely out of place would be an understatement. While some of the younger men did not dare and meet his eye, several others eyed him suspiciously, and Robin was truly curious to know the reason behind such a stare. If they had recognized him, were those reprimanding looks thanks to his years as an outlaw, stealing from kings and Queens, or were they caused by Robin's behavior in the last year. That, he would unfortunately never know.
He was able to overhear that the Queen had all the captains and generals from her army assembled in her throne room to make some announcement of some kind. Of what exactly, not Robin nor anybody else seemed to know. Although he might have an idea…
He was able to spot the captain of the patrol, the one who had punched him like a coward whilst two other men had restrained him. He felt his blood boil and his hands clench in fists, he waited for the anger to come, but it never did; only a faint memory of the feeling had remained. Robin was glad. Last thing he needed was make a spectacle.
He stayed behind, close to the doors, leaning against the cold stonewall, the furthest spot from the throne he could find. This was easiest way out of the room were the Queen to stab him in the back and confess everything, or turn the story around to pin all blame on him. Given her mercurial behavior, he would not be surprised if she did something of the kind. He crossed his arms and waited, uncertainty and anticipation looming over him.
Suddenly, without any external help whatsoever, the heavy double doors beside him swung closed with a loud 'bang'. All the men in the room looked towards them, and inevitably his way, some even drawing their swords. Robin's eyes were on the doors for only a few seconds, for he knew only too well who was able to pull that kind of trick. He was one of the first ones to look at the throne altar where he was met with the image of the Queen he had been so very intimate with not 24 hours ago. He heard a voice loudly announce; 'the Queen!' All the others heads in the room snapped to look at her.
Robin came to the conclusion that with every passing day that woman managed to look more and more stunning. She had her long, black tresses tied high on her head, cascading over her right shoulder. Even though this was the least revealing dress he had seen her wear so far, she still looked exquisitely alluring and he still wanted to rip her clothes off and fuck her.
The dark, blue velvet clung to her upper body, and a tightly fastened corset adorned her torso. Unfortunately, there was no daring cleavage, nor was there any translucent fabric around her chest area. The garment was long sleeved and had a straight and rather disappointingly high cut that revealed nothing of the supple flesh Robin knew laid there. The velvet shaped her hips, and undoubtedly her ass – which was not in his field of vision, such a pity – perfectly and flowed down elegantly about her legs, legs he wanted to spread and-
For fuck sakes, get a bloody grip!
The mere sight of her was making him bloody half-hard already.
She stood there, all male eyes on her, drinking in her presence and Robin could not help but sense it was jealousy that tingled in his empty chest.
"My loyal subjects, my fearless knights. I have called upon you today bearing saddening news." she addressed the crowd in front of her in her regal manner "As you all are aware, your king, my dearest husband, was assassinated in his own bed by a man he deemed a friend. A man he had helped find freedom and had been repaid with death. The whereabouts of this man is currently unknown, but he is still being thoroughly searched for by your companions as we speak." Regina was poised and her expressive voice poignant; all attention was focused on her.
"I have, sadly, come across new information regarding the King's death." There was a slight curious murmur amongst the men, the murmur died down as soon as the Queen started speaking again. "And I say sadly because I never thought this devastating information could prove itself to be so true. In my concern for the well-being of my step daughter, who refused to be escorted by knights but only by her maid, I procured the services of a man to watch over her whilst she made her mournful way to her father's tomb every day."
What? Robin thought, his brows knitting together. What the hell was she talking about?
Was that even him? Could she manage to twist the information that much?
The men were uneasy again but all it took was for the Queen to clear her throat for the room to be quiet again.
She continued, "And so, for the security of the child I deemed as my own, I procured only the best. I had none other than Robin Hood watching over her ever since the King's passing."
There was a general gasp amongst the men, Robin could feel the Queen's eyes burn into him, as she smirked his way. All eyes were on him now as he tried to not look uneasy, the wall he was leaning against assisted him in looking mildly disinterested. But Robin's mind burned with anger and uncertainty.
What was she doing?
Was she going to give him away so all these knights could have a go in killing him?
"Hood served his purpose right and silently watched over my step daughter these past few days." The attention was brought back to the Queen. "But nothing in my power could have ever protected her from her most deadly enemy…" she paused, everyone hanging on her every word in suspense "…herself."
Another gasp burst from the Queen's audience and Robin could see through her mask of lies that she was enjoying this far too much. He was afraid of where this was leading and hoping he would be able to exit the throne room with his head still in place.
"I had noticed yesterday that Snow's maid seemed at unease with something when she came to retrieve her for their morning walk." The Queen mocked her audience by pretending she cared and, surprisingly so, most of the men seemed to believe every word she said. "And as Hood reported to me later that day, the maid had found out about the princess' plans and urged her to not go through with them." She looked down at her shoes for a moment, a tear falling perfectly from her left eye, "a plan that resulted in my eminent demise."
What an artist that woman was.
The men were murmuring again but in sympathetic tones. How was she able to do this?
"I learned yesterday that Snow was the one behind my husband's passing, and that she had helped the murderous genie escape. And that she was now planning my own passing, so she could take over the kingdom and rule as Queen." The Queen continued bringing her hand to rest on her heart, or where it should be, because from what Robin had gathered the woman clearly did do make much use of it, maybe it was also out there in that vault near his.
"And so, upon learning her secret had been discovered, my twisted step daughter murdered her maid, right there, in the middle of the forest. Hood had tried to help her but she had been stabbed too many times and sadly passed away in his arms."
What?
"And so, as a reward for services to protect the crown, I award Robin Hood the post of captain of my personal guard."
WHAT? Robin's mind screamed, and that seemed to be the general consensus amongst the men too; all eyes went back to Robin with clear confusion and skepticism. He could see the Queen grin at him lightly for a second through the sea of faces before him.
"Things around here will change drastically from this day on; I cannot let rest the attempt on my life and the murder of the King now that I know who is responsible." She took a more firm tone now, letting only a bit of that masterfully faked, heartfelt expression linger. "I am fortunate enough to know in whom I can trust; you, my loyal knights. And the time has come to repay you for your loyalty, and also to give those who truly deserve, and take from those who don't."
What was she on about?
"And so, I issue from this day forward, that all people of noble birth be removed from my castle immediately. They have done nothing to deserve their luxurious accommodations, and to live under my roof and use my expenses other than simply being born with that right."
She spat those last words and Robin could feel the men around him get excited with what was unfolding before their eyes. "Furthermore, I have assembled only my finest, most deserving men here today. You, along with your families, may take the lodgings that will now be vacated."
Great shouts of joy burst throughout the room, men screamed, "Long live the Queen!" and roared with happiness. The man cheered and embraced each other in absolute glee as the Queen simply stood there, that fake smile plastered on her lips. They had bought it, she had won.
This woman was as cunning as a fox; she had been able to manipulate all those men who had been completely loyal to her husband to eat out of her hand with just a simple speech. She had also managed to clear his name with her army and give him a post he was not entirely sure he actually wanted.
'Captain of her personal guard'?
Robin did not know the first thing about being a pawn, a soldier, and nor did he have any desire to. This would prove to be very trying both for him and for her.
He continued leaning against the wall, now dumbfounded due to the events that were unfolding in front of him. He was thankful, however, that for once, soldiers were not gathering up to hunt him down. It made a refreshing change.
The Queen kept smiling as all her men boasted and cheered, her fingers entwined about her middle. She cleared her throat and silence invaded the room, the air had now a newfound, excited electricity.
"Now," she started clear as the day, giving orders, he regarded a middle aged captain with blonde hair and severe dark blue eyes, "Rickon, I want you to take your men and start a search of the east side of the kingdom for Snow White and her accomplice the Genie. I want every last grain of sand turned in those kingdoms by the sea." The man nodded and she turned to a dark skinned man in his thirties and continued, "Mulok you and your men will take the west side in search of her." There was a grave 'Yes, your majesty' reply from the man and the Queen turned her attentions to a copper haired tall man in his forties, he had deep brown eyes, "Fowler, I want you to take your men and search for her in the Southern areas, near the boundary with king George's lands." She finally turned to a shorter black haired man with a mean face and finished, "And Dulok, take yours and search the north, the highlands belonging to the clans, I am positively sure they will aid us in finding the girl and bringing justice to our King." She took a deep breath before continuing; "We will find Snow White… and make her pay the price of treason."
There was a great loud cheer from the Queen's audience.
"Williams, I will give you the task of ridding my castle of nobility. Your men are to remove my unwanted subjects." Her voice was certain, she arched one of her eyebrows and completed; "by whatever means necessary. I want them gone today."
Excitement crackled in the air but the room was silent, all waiting for the Queen's next words.
"You may leave." She waved a dismissive hand towards the crowd.
Abnormally, in unison, all the men bowed to the Queen. Robin was the only one left facing her, the awe in his features betraying his feelings.
The heads lifted in turns, all giving the Queen one last nod of the head before exiting the room. She returned most of the gazes, nodding about half of the time.
Soon enough the room was almost empty. One of the eldest men bowed before the Queen, speaking something to her in a hushed tone, to which she replied with a small smile. That smile, much to Robin's astonishment, reached her eyes and seemed genuine. Her eyes sparkled.
The man in question turned around, he was half-bald, the only hair remaining on his scalp was white, and had gentle eyes. He was a little heavy and had a distinctive way of walking. Not military but noble. Noble and yet kind. Not the type Robin would think the Queen would have residing in her castle, and yet the man walked without fear towards the double doors. He stopped just outside the room to regard the Queen once more, who, in her turn, gave him a nod and another one of those rare smiles. He reciprocated the gesture, took both rings that adorned the doors and gently closed them behind him.
Robin noticed now he had been left alone with the Queen. He still had not budged from his spot against the cold wall, watching her gaze reside on the double doors after the old man.
"That was some speech, huh?" Robin said in a conversational tone, his arms crossing in front of him, "I almost believed you myself, and I know the truth."
The Queen's gaze snapped his and she narrowed her eyes at his words. After a second, she widened them in her impressive impersonation of innocent, doe eyes and faked a smile that almost reached her eyes. This woman could apparently fake her way into anything, could easily convince anybody of anything she wanted to. But somehow he could see through the façade all the other men seemed to buy. He saw the real thing. Right now, for instance, he could see that despite her victory she was bitter, lonely and mean. Robin wondered if this new perception was due to his lack of having a heart beating in his chest.
"I do not know what you mean, Hood." she said simply.
"Your majesty, if I could ask you something."
She huffed at his request, "If you must."
"I would ask of you to not call me Hood. I much rather prefer your insulting nicknames than that," he said bitterly. "Hood has been gone for a while. None of that man remains."
She looked at him gravely for a moment, a frown adorning her forehead.
"Very well." she said finally "But I cannot go about calling the captain of my personal guard 'outlaw' in public."
She started making her way down the cold stone steps in his direction, her velvet-clad hips swayed, making it very difficult for Robin to concentrate on the conversation in hand. "I will have to content myself in insulting you when we are in more...private settings."
She got nearer and nearer, and yet Robin did not budge. "My birth name is Locksley, Robin of Locksley."
The Queen's footsteps halted at his words.
"A noble name?" He nodded once in confirmation. "Who would have known?"
She chuckled slightly as her eyebrows rose in amusement, resuming her journey towards him with a smug grin.
The closer she got, the angrier he became, as if she was the only person who was able to ignite any kind of feeling in his cold, hollow chest. Maybe the person who took away your heart was the only person able to make you feel. It seemed plausible; Robin could not fathom why she, of all people, made him feel so alive.
She was four, three, two feet away and she did not stop. When she was one foot away she placed her hands on the wall either side of his head and leaned her weight onto them. The Queen bent her arms, getting closer. She was almost his height, and Robin couldn't help but marvel at how high those heels she was wearing must have been. His blood was starting to boil hot, his eyes widened as her gaze took on an even more seductive edge.
Her mouth was mere inches from him when she uttered, "Robin of Locksley it is." It rolled off the tip of her tongue as she spoke his name slowly, looking him in the eye. Robin could not believe his name could sound so sensual on anyone's lips.
Those lips which were then curved in a malicious smile, her eyes communicating a desire his soul mirrored. Since she was getting forward once again, Robin took it as an opportunity to take a chance.
"So tell me your majesty," he said casually. He brought the hand on his free side up, brushing his fingers lightly and steadily against the Queens's private parts through her dress. She let out a small surprised gasp and her mouth remained slightly opened, her grip on the wall almost faltering. Now it was Robin's turn to smirk, the courageous hand retreating and finding its way to run through his hair, as his voice turned suggestive "What would my duties be?"
"Why do you ask?" her voice was low.
"Just wondered if-" his hand was suddenly back feeling the soft velvet of the Queen's dress. This time she did not gasp when his fingers found her most intimate part through the fabric and pressured, "-they would include anything similar to yesterday's-" she bucked her hips ever so gently against his hand and Robin felt victorious.
The hand fell to his side again as the Queen's gaze burned into his, a mix of anger, amusement and oh yes, sexual heat playing around her dark orbs.
"That will depend entirely on how you behave, thief,-" she said, her voice a little darker, their faces were still mere inches away. She leaned in further, "-there are just so many rooms in this enormous castle." She whispered in a tone that suggested they were going to do it in every single room that place had.
Their breaths mingled in the small space between them and Robin could taste her bittersweet lips already-
But the witch pulled back at the last second, pushing her weight from the wall and turning her back to him.
Fucking tease.
Before Robin could think up of a proper come back she managed to make him speechless.
Her back.
The back of the fucking dress.
Or the lack of a back to the fucking dress. It made up for the frustrating, depressingly chaste front, that was most certain; a deep 'V' cut was the biggest feature, exposing nearly all of her naked back. That same back he had pressed himself against the day before, the skin that he knew felt like silk against his rough-skinned fingers-
"You will accompany me on all my journeys, those will mostly be hunts." The Queen said suddenly, Robin took a few moments to register she was actually addressing his earlier question in a rather normal tone.
"You hunt, your majesty?" he inquire, honestly curious.
"Of course I do." she said turning to face him again "My favorite prey is young women who former bandits let get away."
She lifted one perfect eyebrow and Robin fisted his hands, pulling his weight from the stone wall for the first time. She huffed in his direction and continued; "You will assist me in planning those journeys. I assume you have enough knowledge of this land to manage that. And you will be on duty any time I call you."
But those last words Robin were hardly registered for when she uttered them she threw her high ponytail from one shoulder to the other exposing to his sight a red mark on her neck. The mark he had made the day before. It stood out on her milky skin, red, calling him. His eyes were glued in the newly exposed skin and he unconsciously drew his lower lip into his mouth, biting down.
"I see you got yourself injured on your way back to the tree house yesterday," she continued, breaking the spell, she motioned to the bandage on his forehead and he had to bite down a laugh; she knew very well that she was the one who was responsible for that injury, and several others along his body.
"I cannot have the man who protects me be light headed because of his stupidity and lack of care, can I?"
She waved her hand and Robin felt the injured skin on his forehead come together, healing abnormally fast. Even though he was being healed it was not soothing, nor pleasant; it stung and burned and gave him a mighty headache. The bandage fell from his head and Robin brought one hand up to inspect her work. All he found was unharmed skin, as if the abrasion had never even been there.
He could see her smirk at his bewilderment as she approached him once more. She took quicker steps this time and immediately brought her hands to the top buttons of his shirt and undid them.
"Look at that," she said while inspecting the work her own nails had done on his neck, "were you attacked by some sort of animal? I gathered you'd be a match for any beast…" she brought one hand to his neck and traced his injuries, her touch light and enticing. "I will have to start to rethink your post." She continued with a malicious smirk. "Although I do think you rather enjoyed your time with that beast."
"Of that you can have no doubt your majesty." Robin retorted, daring to loosen up and keep up with her suddenly flirtatious tone. Her eyes left his injuries and met his, sparkling with amusement. "The beast was quite alluring."
She lifted an eyebrow and smirked, "I'm sure she was." She was again suddenly so close, her fingers still drew patterns on his neck. The bitter and painful sensation he had felt on his forehead spread through his neck where her fingers had touched.
She could not be… Was she healing him there as well?
She was.
When the contact ceased, she examined his neck and drawing a breath she told him; "I'll leave this red one."
Much to Robin's enjoyment, she brought her mouth close to his neck and licked the red mark she had created in her ecstasy. She withdrew her mouth from him and licked her dark red lips, "I like this one."
That did it for Robin; for the past two days this woman had taunted and teased him as if he was some sort of pet she could play around with.
Well, no more; Robin was no such thing.
Something inside Robin snapped and the tingling trail her tongue had left on his now-healed neck encouraged Robin to take control over this seemingly impossible situation.
He quickly took her by the wrist of the hand that had been tracing his flesh. The Queen only had time to gasp at his swift actions before he moved behind her, pressing her body against the cold wall and pinning her there with his own weight. Still gripping her wrist and taking a hold of the other with his free hand, he secured both against the wall to her side, his knuckles brushing against the hard wall. She quickly turned her face to the side, the side that carried his red mark, her eyes burning on him.
"What the hell do you think you…" she started but he cut her off when he pushed his hips forward so she could feel what she was doing to him. With his erection already painfully tight inside his trousers, he ground once against her velvet-clad arse. He groaned and could make out a small moan escape her lips despite her best efforts to keep a straight face. His lips brushed the shell of her ear as he spoke, his voice low, "I may work for you now, your majesty. But do not think for a single moment that you will get to play with fire and not get burned."
Her breathing grew heavier at his words, before he continued; "I'm not like your pathetic little knights who cower around your skirts."
Her mouth was hanging slightly open, somewhat shocked at his boldness. Robin knew that this was madness and it could most certainly get his sorry ass killed, but he could not take any more of her teasing without having her have a taste of her own medicine.
"I'm that one man who is more than willing to get under those skirts and make you beg to be fucked into oblivion." He groaned against her ear and the Queen shivered. There was a pause and she turned to look him dead in the eye.
"Promises, promises," she provoked with a smirk.
Robin then saw red. That color, so new and yet so fitting for when he was in the company of this maddening woman. She drove him insane with anger, and crazy with lust, both feelings so strong. They were only a trace when he was alone, but when he had his body pressed against hers they were almost too much to bear.
Robin groaned and put a small distance between his body and the Queen's, but still held her wrists firm against the wall. Her immediate reaction was to whimper but Robin could not care less about her reactions this time; his mission crystal was clear in his mind.
The thief took one good look at the exposed flesh of her back and smirked. He lowered his head to the base of the deep V shaped cut that adorned the back of the dress, it rested very nice and low, exposing a lot of skin. He then drew his tongue up her spine ever so slowly, basking in the taste of her milky and smooth flesh.
The Queen let out a shaky breath, followed by a small moan when he reached her neck. He made his way down again but this time kissing and biting a hot trail on her skin down the center of her spine. The Queen whimpered again and Robin grew more confident with each reaction.
When his hot mouth reached the end of the V he remained there, sucking and biting the tender flesh. The Queen gave out small moans, her hands far from resisting his grip, eyes shut and mouth still hanging slightly open.
Robin wanted nothing more than to tear that dress apart and fuck her from behind, his desire for her only growing stronger and stronger with each passing second. But this was his opportunity to make her wait for change, it was his turn to torture her, his turn to have her moan helplessly for his flesh against hers.
Robin had always liked living on the edge. The thrill that she might summon her magic at any moment and cut the encounter short – which would be most unwelcome – drove him to do everything his instincts told him to. There was no holding back, he would taste her, try her and tease her as much as he could.
He trailed his way back up with his tongue tracing the edges of the deep 'V'. He made his way to her shoulder blades, taking small bites that made the Queen hiss in between her clenched teeth. When he got back to her neck he bit down on the red mark he had created there the day prior.
"Oh look at that, your majesty" he hissed in her ear, his voice low, "You got yourself one of those too."
He bit down again and she hissed, her arse bucking in the direction of his hard member, "But I must say yours looks very faint. Allow me to assist you with that, your majesty."
With that he brought his mouth on her pulse point and sucked hard.
The Queen released a strangled moan, her eyes still shut as he sucked with all his might. He wanted to leave that mark well taken care of so she would not forget he was not to be toyed with. He was not some sort of servant she could order around. And if she wanted to play, he was not going down without a fight. As he sucked, he felt his mind whirl and his head go dizzy, the zapping sensation had been moderate until now. But now that he liberated as much anger and wanton towards her as he could manage, it became almost unbearable to withstand.
He drew away after a few minutes inspecting the much deeper color the mark now possessed. He smirked at his handy work and the Queen opened her eyes slowly, completely focused on his firm grip on her hands; the only contact that connected them. Her breathing had become heavy and her cheeks bore a distinct crimson color.
Good girl.
"You..." her voice was low and dangerous, she had that hate mingled with desire look he felt mirrored in his soul.
"Yes, your majesty; me." he said, interrupting her.
He suddenly loosened his grip on both her hands, but before she could react to her newfound freedom, one of his strong hands found her shoulder and turned her around to face him. The Queen tried to gasp but it was muffled by his mouth as it came crashing down hers.
Her mouth felt so soft against his rash one, his kiss was not slow or tentative like it had been the day before, rather demanding and hungry. She responded with the same eagerness, her mouth attacking his own, much like the fictional beast she had just teased him with. Her hands were quick to find their way to his arse and pull him flat against her body, she squeezed, digging her nails deep into the fabric of his pants.
Their tongues met and the connection burned. It singed Robin's tongue, set alight to his desire and ignited his lust. It made its devastating way down his spine and hardened even more his length. His own hands held on tight to the back of the Queen's head and neck, pulling her impossibly close to him.
It did not seem enough, though. The contact, though maddeningly intense, was not enough. He needed to touch more skin, needed to have his mouth trace every inch of her, to be buried balls deep inside her to feel satisfied.
Their tongues danced quickly, making a quick game of their kiss, both testing each other, trying to take as much from the other as they could, not a drop of compassion in the mix. The kiss was desperate; they were clinging so much to each other it seemed as if this was to be their very last moment.
The Queen broke the desperate kiss only to immediately start to nibble his lower lip, nipping the flesh with the very tip of her teeth, making him feel a stinging bite that drew a hiss. She used her tongue to trace his bottom lip, her eyes were open, as she looked down at his lips hungrily.
She drew slightly back and Robin opened his eyes to see her mouth all smeared with red, matching the color on her cheeks. Her breathing was erratic and her eyes were filled with lust, dark and demanding.
Her hands left his backside only to find their way to the lapels of his shirt, pulling him to her for another hot kiss. This one, however, was more languid and Robin found they were both more able to enjoy each other. Taking it more slowly than before, their tongues brushed with one another, tasting… testing… savoring.
The hand that held onto the back of the Queen's head started making its way south. It travelled down until it reached her hip and squeezed hard, their mouths still attached to each other. Her hands travelled up and grabbed the back of his neck, forcefully bringing him even closer to her.
The Queen tilted her head in such a way that Robin was able to explore her lush, delicious mouth more deeply. The crackling energy they both shared was intense and Robin could feel the Queen shiver under his touch.
The hand that rested on the nape of her neck trailed down and cupped one of her breasts through the fabric of her dress. Robin smirked against her mouth when he felt the material was the only thing covering her chest, but he still cursed the damned garment for having no neckline whatsoever. He had to content himself with feeling her through the fabric, unless he undressed her completely, which did not sound like a bad idea at all-
Suddenly a high-pitched scream invaded his senses and they immediately drew away from each other. Robin's eyes followed the same path as the Queen's as she glanced at the closed doors. They heard hurried footsteps, several. There were several people running in the corridor just outside the throne room, and it seemed as if they were heading towards it.
Robin regarded the Queen who had remained static with her back resting against the wall, her eyes glued to the door and her expression unreadable.
As if on cue, the doors burst open and several regally clad people ran inside and headed towards the throne altar. Some of the Queen's guards quickly followed them. They all stopped on their tracks, however, when they realized their ruler was not there.
Robin counted seven nobles; they had probably been chosen to represent their disgusting class. Five men and two women, they all had to be older than himself, he could guess that the youngest in the group, a round fellow with an uneven beard, had to be in his mid-forties at least. They were all clad from head to toe in luxury. All adorned with expensive jewelry and fine fabrics, the vision of their arrogant faces combined with their riches made Robin sick to his stomach. These were the kind of people he hated the most.
Robin could see the ghost of a smirk in the Queen's swollen lips as she lifted her back from the wall and stepped to stand in front of the open doors.
"What seems to be the problem here?" the Queen asked in her usual loud and commanding tone. She stood there, arms crossed and, to Robin's utter shock, lips perfectly painted with crimson.
He brought one hand to his lips and was astounded to find that the red that had been there only a moment ago was all gone. The Queen, apparently, did think of everything.
His attention was brought back to the issue in place by one of the noble people that had barged into the room. A woman, who had to be past her fifties, with a snobby attitude, her nose was so high up and the expression on her face so twisted with arrogance she looked as if she had horse shit under her nose.
"Your majesty!" The woman was breathless, probably due to the exercise of running that she was clearly not used to. "Your knights gave gone completely insane!" her voice rose up higher into a screech, "They have the audacity to say that they are acting on your commands." She let out a disgusted laugh, "That you yourself just commanded them to remove all of us from the castle!"
There was silence. Silence in which every single person in the room regarded the Queen intensively. The guards had an excited glee in their eyes, confusion and pride played in the noble people's features and as for Robin; he just wondered if he was going to be left high and dry once more.
The Queen's face was the spitting image of indifference as she regarded the woman.
"They were." She said, her voice low, her eyes going wide as a small mad glimmer played there.
"I beg your pardon your majesty?" the woman asked, affronted.
"They were following my orders." The Queen's voice was dangerous and her expression quite evil. She seemed to be enjoying herself a lot more than one should when banishing guests from their castle.
Robin had to wonder why she had such an attitude towards the kind of people that she had seemingly grown up alongside. Despite having also been of noble birth, Robin had lived his life despising the kind himself. He suppressed the small voice in the back of his head that told him that he and the Queen were not so different after all.
The noble woman gasped, her eyes going wide. The Queen smiled a wicked smile.
"You see, you are of no use to me my dears," she said simply "You never really earned anything you were given, you just took." She started walking towards the now terrified looking woman, "And quite frankly, I find court rather a bore, you lot make it even worse" the woman seemed to shrink as the Queen advanced, "Well, that is not going to happen anymore, not under my roof."
She halted about five feet from the woman tilting her head to the side, "So I would advise you to leave now before I make you."
One of the men of the group, the youngest, round one, dared to step forward.
"You?" he spat "You will make us?"
Wrong move, mate.
Robin could see the Queen's satisfied expression twist into rage and almost felt sorry for the poor man.
"Yes," she said, her head high and her eyes bore a hint of that madness Robin had experienced firsthand the day before.
One of her hands rose and the man was lifted from the ground by her invisible magic. The people around him backed off gasping and his body flew in the air until he roughly collided face-first with the wall Robin had been trapping the Queen against only moments ago.
Under everybody's dumbfounded gaze, the Queen walked to where the man still hovered, feet off the ground by centimeters. When she reached him, she turned him around with a flick of her hand. The impact had done quite a nasty job on the man's arrogant face, his nose was definitely broken, brood streamed from his nostrils and as he opened his mouth to say something, all that left his parted lips was even more blood. He looked at the Queen with fear and dread, barely able to make out a word as she came closer and grabbed his throat.
She held him there for a while, choking the man as his blood ran down his nose and mouth staining the Queen's pale and soft hands. She did not seem to mind the blood, neither did Robin, the coopery smell actually enticed him to have a go at killing a noble person himself. The other spectators, mainly the nobility, for the guards stood like statues watching, seemed in distress, the woman with the horse face was nearly sobbing.
"Yes." she broke the silence, looking him dead in the eye and setting free an evil laugh "Me."
And with that she spun her wrist and with a strength Robin imagined was ignited by magic, the noise was singular and precise, she had snapped the man's neck with her bare hands.
The fat man's limp, dead body fell at her feet when her blood stained hand left his neck.
Dead silence dominated the room.
The Queen kept her gaze fixed on the stone wall in front of her and lowered her voice; "I will not give any more warnings."
She turned to face the terrified group, "As you can see-" she lifted her bloody hand, "His blood was red, and not blue. You lot are not special at all and can bleed red blood just as any soldier of mine can." She had a wicked smile on her lips as she looked at the faces of the terror induced nobles, "You can either leave through the door or through the window." Her red hand pointed to each exit in turn, before she placed it on her hip and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Whichever suits you best. Although I find that the sport of tossing people of high birth into hard surfaces is most thrilling. So I would suggest you make up your minds quickly."
There was a beat, and then the snobbish nobles were out of the door so quickly Robin was impressed. They all did bow when they passed the Queen by, who was still standing in front of the double doors. Hurried gestures of absolute fright as opposed to the respect the gesture usually required. The guards remained, all looking at the Queen and expecting her next orders.
She remained where she was, not moving a hair and uttered "Clean up this mess" before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.