A/N: My fifth entry and my fourth personal prompt! This one is based on a couple for Crown My Heart - Robin and Regina have a picnic with Henry; Regina completes her law studies. I hope you enjoy this little peek at Robin and Regina's future in in the story!

-Mac

Picnic

Regina opened the door to the balcony and her heart soared as a warm breeze hit her face. She could smell the flowers blooming in the gardens as the desire to be outside overwhelmed her. It gave her an idea and she turned back toward her bedroom.

"Tink? Are you in here?" she called out.

"Yes," Tink said, entering the room. "What do you need?"

Walking back into the room herself, Regina asked: "What does my schedule look like for the day?"

"You have lessons with Lady Wellingsbury this morning," Tink replied, "but your afternoon is then free. Why?"

"It's such a beautiful day, I was hoping to spend some time outside," Regina explained. "Can you check His Majesty's schedule with Will? See if a picnic could be arranged?"

Tink smiled, nodding. "I will. And if it works, I will ask the kitchens to pack your midday meal in a basket."

"Thank you," Regina said, reaching out and giving her friend's hand a squeeze. "You're the best."

"Do you need anything else? Shall I take the prince with me?" Tink asked her.

Regina shook her head. "I'll drop him off at my father's on my way to Lady Wellingsbury's office."

Tink bobbed into a curtsy before leaving the room. Regina followed her and scooped up her son, who was sitting as he played with some blocks gifted to him by Will and Ana. Henry let out a little laugh, hugging her. "Come on, my little prince," she told him. "We're going to see Grandfather."

He laughed and clapped as she gathered up his blocks into their bag. She picked them up and walked down the hall to her father's room, knocking on the door. Daddy opened it a few moment's later, grinning. "There's my boy!" he said.

"Thank you for watching him," Regina said as Henry almost threw himself into his grandfather's arms. She then handed her father the bag of blocks. "I really appreciate it."

"I'm always happy to spend time with my grandson," he said, bouncing Henry. "He makes me feel young again."

She smiled, kissing Henry's cheek. "Mama will see you later."

He waved at her and she felt her heart swell. She was blessed with such a sweet and loving son and she absolutely adored him.

After kissing her father's cheek, she then walked down the hall to head to Lady Wellingsbury's office. Regina knocked on the door and a few moments later, the older woman opened it with a smile. "Your Majesty, right on time. Please, come on in."

Regina entered the room and waited as Lady Wellingsbury closed the door. "What are we learning today?"

"Today is going to be a bit different," Lady Wellingsbury said. "Today marks the end of your formal studies."

That caught Regina by surprise and her heart sank into her stomach. "Did I do something? If so, I apologize."

Lady Wellingsbury paused before reaching out and squeezing Regina's arm. "You did nothing wrong. You've completed the required studies to qualify as a lawyer in Sherwood."

Regina's concern melted away as happiness filled her. "I have?"

"Yes," Lady Wellingsbury said. "Study of the law doesn't really end but from here on out it would mostly be on a case-by-case basis. You have learned everything required to have a good foundation to build upon. So congratulations, Your Majesty."

"Thank you," Regina said, still stunned that she could now be considered a lawyer. She reached out and took Lady Wellingsbury's hands. "You have been a wonderful teacher and I look forward to learning more from you."

Lady Wellingsbury gave Regina's hands a gentle squeeze. "I believe I will be learning from you going forward. You already have a brilliant mind, Regina. Now that you have the foundations of our laws, I cannot wait to see what theories and laws you come up with to help guide Sherwood alongside Robin."

Joy and hope bubbled up inside Regina. "I just want to be the best queen for Robin and Sherwood."

"You are," the other woman assured her. "Don't worry about that. Just be yourself and you will continue to shine."

Lady Wellingsbury released Regina's hands and motioned to a chair. "Please, have a seat. We're just going to do a final review and maybe discuss some new theory to end our time together."

"That sounds lovely," Regina said, sitting in one of the chairs. "But maybe we could continue to have weekly meetings? I think it would be nice to have someone else to talk about courtly things other than Robin. I love him and we have great conversations but…"

"But sometimes you need an outside perspective?" Lady Wellingsbury asked, sitting down across from her. She nodded, pouring a cup of tea for Regina. "I understand and I would be honored to keep our weekly meetings."

She handed Regina the cup before pouring her own. Leaning back, Lady Wellingsbury smiled. "It's your big day, so your choice. What do you want to discuss first?"

Tink was waiting for Regina when her session with Lady Wellingsbury was done. She held up a basket. "His Majesty already took the prince and says he is waiting for you by his tree," Tink told her.

Regina took the basket from her handmaiden and thanked her. She walked down the nearest staircase and exited into the gardens. Following a familiar path, she headed toward the forest and one particular oak tree her husband favored. As she approached, she could see him rolling a ball toward Henry. Regina paused, watching father and son play for a few moments before she joined them.

"Hello, my loves," she said, kneeling next to her husband. She set the basket down before giving Robin a quick kiss.

When she pulled back, his eyes were shining with joy and love. "Hello, sweetheart. How was your lesson with Lady Wellingsbury?"

"Very good," she replied. Pride filled her as she said: "My lessons are now complete and she said I can consider myself a proper Sherwood lawyer."

Robin let out a whoop of job, pulling her in for a tight hug. "Congratulations, Regina. I am so proud of you. Henry and I both are."

Hearing his name, Henry walked over to them and patted her knee. She pulled away from Robin and pulled her son into her arms, holding him close. He babbled happily to her as he cuddled against her, content to be with his parents. There were some words she could understand – mostly Mama and Papa – but her son's vocabulary was still growing. Soon, she believed they would be able to hold better conversations with him and understand him better.

"See?" Robin said when Henry stopped babbling. "He's very, very proud of you."

She laughed as he then opened the basket. "Well, this calls for a celebration. What did the kitchens pack us?"

"Probably not what you're looking for," she told him, suspecting her husband was trying to find some wine to enjoy.

He hummed, his smile drooping a bit. "You're right. I only spot cherry cordial in here. While a fine drink, not one used to toast a special occasion like this. I guess we'll just have to toast tonight at dinner."

"Good," she said. "Then we'll have our entire family with us then. I want to celebrate with them too."

Robin sat back, grinning again. "True. Your father would probably be very cross with me if I celebrated without him. My mother too."

She laughed, gently hitting against Henry's hands as he kicked his feet. "Then let's just enjoy a picnic on such a lovely day."

"Agreed," he said, starting to take out the food the kitchen packed for them. "I am glad you thought of this."

"You are?" she asked.

He nodded, opening the cherry cordial and pouring it into two cups before finding some juice for Henry. "I had asked Will to open the windows in my office and I could feel the warm breeze. I was unable to concentrate. All I wanted to do was come out here and enjoy the weather. When Tink came to ask if I was free for a picnic with my family, it was as if the Great Being had decided to grant my wish."

"Well, I am glad I made your day," she said, pulling a grape off the bunch packed by the kitchens and giving it to Henry. He popped it into his mouth and chewed it before trying to reach for more grapes.

Robin intercepted him first, handing him some cold chicken. "Here, Henry. Eat this first."

"Tanks, Papa," he said, munching on the chicken happily.

"Still working on that 'h' sound," Robin commented. He reached out and ruffled their son's brown hair. "You'll get it soon. Keep practicing."

Robin then handed some chicken to Regina. "Milady."

"Thank you, good sir," she replied, taking a bite and chewing the chicken. He pulled off a few pieces for himself and they all ate in companionable silence for several moments.

After eating a few more pieces of chicken and a few more grapes, Henry stood from Regina's lap and started to walk toward the grass. She and Robin kept an eye on him, letting him running around for a while. Regina hoped he would tire himself out and have a nice long nap that afternoon so that he could enjoy time with their family that night.

Robin wrapped his arm around her. "I can't believe how big he's getting."

"I know," she said. "He's almost two. Where has the time gone?"

"It feels like just yesterday he was a wiggling baby who loved to be held all the time," Robin replied with a sigh. "I miss those days though my arms don't."

She laughed, kissing his cheek. "Well, those days may come back again."

He paused, slowly turning to her with hope in his eyes. "Are you…?"

"No," she said, regretting that she had gotten his hopes up. She had known the crushing feelings herself a few days earlier when she had realized she had been late. When she saw the blood the following morning, she had nearly cried. She wanted at least one more child to love as much as she loved Henry and so that he could have the experience of being a brother, one neither she nor Robin ever had.

She also knew that despite the Dark One still being a threat, Robin wanted a daughter. Regina was a bit more hesitant about having a daughter and not just because of the Dark One. While his threat hung over her every month as she waited for the blood to flow, she also worried that she would treat a daughter the same way her mother treated her. She had confessed that fear to Robin one night as they lay in bed, wrapped up in each other, and he had assured her that she was nothing like her mother. He told her that he knew she would love a daughter as much as she loved Henry and would not repeat her mother's mistakes. Regina had taken his words to heart and they had soothed her fears for the most part.

But there was still a part of her that worried and would likely worry until she either had a daughter or could no longer have children.

Robin deflated a bit before he smiled again. "Well, there's always next month and the month after that. We have plenty of time. We're still young."

"You're right," she said, taking his hand. "And maybe once we move Henry from the nursery into his new room, we could really try rather than being together intimately whenever we can sneak away for a few moments."

He nodded, brushing some hair from her face. "I would love that. I never can say no to letting you have your wicked way with me."

"My wicked way?" she teased him, laughing as she gave him a gentle push. He laughed as well, the sound echoing around her. She grabbed his tunic and pulled him closer to her, giving him a quick kiss again. "Well, then, I love having my wicked way with you as well."

Robin grinned, closing the gap between them and kissing her again. She sighed into the kiss, allowing him to deepen it. They exchanged a few more kisses before Henry's little voice made them break it.

"Papa! Play!"

"I believe my presence is being requested elsewhere," Robin said, kissing her nose. "I shall return soon."

He jumped up and started to creep toward their son, pretending to be a monster. Henry let out a peal of laughter before running away from his father. Robin gave chase, easily catching him and sweeping him up into his arms. Holding him close, Robin gave Henry's cheek a kiss before putting him down again. As soon as his little feet hit the grass, he took off running again. Robin chuckled for a moment before following him.

Regina leaned back on the blanket Robin had put down for them and pulled off another grape. She popped it into her mouth as she watched her husband play with their son. He looked so happy and after some of the stresses they had experienced in the past year or so, she knew he deserved these moments of happiness. Robin worked hard to be a good king and to best serve the people of Sherwood. His work was not in vain and their beloved country continued to enjoy prosperity and peace. Threats continued to lurk around them but she knew that Robin would ultimately prevail. If she believed in nothing else, she believed in her kind, intelligent and loving husband.

As Robin caught Henry again, giving him another kiss and released him again, Regina's heart soared. In these moments, she felt like she got to know the father-in-law she never had a chance to meet better. She knew that Robin interacted with Henry the same way Edward no doubt did with him and she could just imagine her husband running after his father as the king chased after him, wiggling fingers as threat of tickles to come. And she sent a prayer of gratitude to Edward, wherever his soul had found peace, for making her husband the man he was.

The man she loved.

Henry raced toward her and she caught him as he threw himself into her arms. She held him close as she grinned at Robin. "Do you need Mama to protect you from Papa?" she asked.

"Oh no," Robin said, playing along. "He found my one weakness."

She giggled as Henry pulled back, shaking his head. "Mama play too."

"I think that's a great idea," Robin agreed, stepping closer and holding out his hand to her. She took it and let him help her to her feet.

After smoothing down her skirt, she crouched and wiggled her fingers as well. "Now there are two tickle monsters on the loose!"

"All little princes should watch out!" Robin added. It made Henry laugh again before he took off running. Regina shared a look with her husband and they took off after him. They raced around as the spring sun warmed them. Laughter echoed around the field and she was certain they could hear them in the palace. She didn't care, though. Everyone already knew how much she loved her family and she was not ashamed of it.

It was almost three years since she had first come to Sherwood, nervous but hopeful that her decision to marry the young new king would bring her the happiness she had long sought growing up. She almost didn't recognize the woman she had been then and marveled at the path she had taken to become even stronger. Regina finally got the love she had always craved – her husband's, her friends', her family's, her son's.

But most of all, her own love for herself.