Regina's thoughts immediately turned to Phoenix and their complicated dilemma. But as the peddler had reminded her, all magic comes with a price, so she had to ask: "Are there any restrictions to that? After all, I've always been taught that all magic comes with a price."
"Unfortunately, yes, Because true love is the most powerful magic of all, I can't make anyone fall in love. I also can't kill anyone or bring someone back from the dead. Magic can do many things, but controlling life and death is something that is beyond its ability. Anything else lies within the realm of possibility, so don't hold back. If you want something, you need only to ask."
While Regina heard her words, her thoughts were still fixed on Phoenix. He was one of the townspeople, and she was royalty. But if she used a wish to become one of the villagers… Her heart soared as she considered all of the opportunities that would give them.
"What if I used a wish to become a peasant? Would you be able to do that?" she asked hesitantly, hardly daring to hope that her desire to be in the same social class as Phoenix could become more than just a wonderful dream.
"Of course!" Tinkerbell exclaimed, her eyes glittering with excitement. Her face grew serious. "I must warn you, though. That type of wish would alter the memories of all who know you as what you are. It would be as if your role in their lives never existed."
Images of Phoenix's smiling face flooded Regina's memory. No matter what the cost, she knew she had to be with him, especially if it meant that she would be away from her horrible mother and sister.
But at the same time, what about the welfare of the kingdom? Cora and Zelena would squander what remaining funds they had, leaving the kingdom destitute without the resources it needed to survive.
Then, she had an idea. She knew that she could use her new role as one of the villagers to influence her kingdom for the better. It would just take some time and strategizing.
Finally, she nodded. "I've decided my first wish. I wish for you to make me a member of the working class."
Tinkerbell nodded slowly. "As you wish. Go to sleep, and when you wake in the morning, your wish will be granted."
Despite her excitement at having found the start of a solution to being with Phoenix- they did still have to deal with the fact that he was supposed to marry someone else, after all- Regina fell asleep quickly, dreaming of finally being able to be with the man who she cared for more with each passing day.
Instead of the soft blankets she was used to, Regina woke to something that was much more rough covering her. She discovered that she was lying on a bed that was filled with straw, and a wool blanket was covering her. It wasn't nearly as soft as the fleece blanket she was used to.
She was immediately aware of two familiar voices calling her name, "Regina, we need to get up! The princess will be waiting for us! And you know how she despises tardiness."
The princess? Oh, they must be talking about Zelena, Regina thought as Emma and Mary each shook one of her shoulders in an attempt to get her out of bed.
She sat up. Glancing at the darkness framed by the room's only window- a luxury in the servants' quarters, she knew- Regina immediately flopped back down on the bed. "It's still dark, Zelena doesn't have to be awake for another three hours. We can sleep a little longer."
"Regina, you know we can't. We need to help prepare her breakfast before we wake her up, and you know how she doesn't like tardiness," Mary chastised her.
"So get up," Emma said, reaching out to pull the covers back. "We have work to do."
By the time they woke Zelena, Regina was already exhausted from the day's work. After she had quickly stuffed the lamp beneath her mattress, she had helped Emma and Mary in the kitchens before, but because of her role in the kingdom, no one had ever given her the most arduous tasks. After a morning of kneading dough, lifting heavy iron machinery to put the bread in the oven, and other work, Regina wondered if she had bitten off a little more than she could chew with her wish.
Then she thought of Phoenix, and she knew her efforts would be worth it once she saw him. But first, they had to get Zelena ready for Robin Locksley's arrival.
For the first time, Regina contemplated just how advantageous it was that she wouldn't have to marry the nobleman. Not only would she not have to deal with the trappings of being a princess, but she wouldn't have to deal with the pompous man's company for an entire day, let alone a lifetime. She had dreaded it the moment her father had told her about the arranged day spent in her betrothed's company. Now that Zelena would have the role of occupying him for the day, Regina found that she did not envy the girl who had once been her sister. In fact, to her surprise, despite the fact that they had never gotten along, she felt sorry for her sister.
Zelena's green gown swept the floor as they followed her out of her chambers. Emma held Regina back once Zelena had walked toward the grand staircase and Mary hurried off to continue chores. "We'll join her later. But first, I want to catch a glimpse of the man Zelena will marry."
Regina grinned and nodded. They hid at the top of the grand staircase in a hallway to the left and peeked out at Zelena and their- her, Regina reminded herself- parents. While she was thankful to have a break from her mother, a pang of loss filled her heart at the thought that her father no longer held that role in her life. Despite his flaws- especially his lack of strength when confronting her mother- Regina loved her father dearly, and always strived to make him proud.
Suddenly, a knock sounded on the oak front doors of the palace. Regina saw Zelena's eyes gleam with barely suppressed excitement. The door opened, and when she saw who was standing on the other side, Regina's legs gave out and she landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.
Robin entered the halls of the Misthaven palace, apprehensive about what- or rather, who- he would find there. The one ray of light in his day was that he would likely see Reina.
As he had approached the palace amid a crowd of his father and his advisors, who had come to discuss matters of estate with the king and queen, Robin had looked for Reina, but to no avail. It seemed that she was a specter in the night; invisible, unless one knew where to look for her- and more importantly, how to look. Despite his best efforts to catch a glimpse of her raven tresses, he hadn't spotted the girl who had completely captivated his attention for the last few days anywhere.
With far more pomp and circumstance than he felt was necessary, he entered the palace with his father and the rest of his father's advisers. He was met by King Henry, a small older man with white hair, and his wife, Queen Cora, who was the more intimidating of the two. Her formidable presence was emphasized by her severe hairstyle and austere expression. Between them stood the princess. Auburn curls framed a pale face with icy blue eyes. Although she was smiling, the smile didn't reach her eyes. He sensed a frigidity about her that was such a stark contrast to the warmth held in Reina's soft expression that although he had given his father his word that he would give the princess a chance, he knew he would never feel the same way about her that he did about Reina.
The king interrupted his thoughts, gesturing toward his daughter. "Robin, I would like you to meet my daughter, Princess Zelena."
Robin was momentarily confused. Hadn't his father told him the name of the princess he would be marrying was Regina? He tried to remember, but the memory was hazy, and he suspected that was largely because he didn't want to marry the princess of Misthaven in the first place. Shaking his head, trying to clear it, he focused on Zelena, bowing and takig her hand to kiss it.
Suddenly, he heard a commotion in the hallway at the top of the grand staircase. Concerned, he ignored the admonishments of the older adults around him and ran up the stairs, and what he saw lying on the ground made his heart stop. He would know that figure anywhere, even passed out on the floor, eyes closed and hair askew, as he saw her now.
It was Reina.
Regina woke to a pair of blue eyes that coaxed her into their depths. She knew she could spend an eternity gazing into those eyes and never grow tired of them.
Then she remembered who those eyes belonged to, and she immediately shot up and backed away as much as she could, which wasn't far, given that someone had laid her on her bed, which was pushed against the wall of the room that she, Emma, and Mary shared. "What are you doing here?" she asked Phoenix- no, Robin, she corrected herself, still hardly daring to believe the truth. "Don't you have a princess to entertain?" Her heart stung as she spoke, but she refused to examine her emotions until after he left.
"Yes, but seeing to your needs comes first, milady," he said matter-of-factly, his expression betraying no guilt for abandoning Zelena. "Making sure you have everything you need to live long and well is what is most important to me." His hand reached out to cup her cheek, and she leaned into him, resting her cheek on his palm.
"Of course, but-" she wanted to ask him why he hadn't told her who he was, but she suspected that it was the same reason she hadn't told him her true identity- or what had been her identity. The anonymity of a false name allowed for more freedom than the expectations that went along with their lineage. The only question remaining was: who was the real Robin? The kind, helpful man she had known in the tavern, or the condescending son of a lord?
He caressed her cheek. "Don't worry about it now. Instead, you should be worrying about getting better. Do you know why you fainted? Have you eaten yet today? Drank enough water?"
She shook her head. Seeing his concerned expression, she rapidly clarified, "I have, don't worry. The reason I fainted has nothing to do with that."
"Then why?" he asked.
She hesitated. Should she tell him? She trusted him implicitly- as Phoenix, at least. But given the results of her first wish, she wasn't completely sure he would believe her. "I would tell you… but I'm not completely sure you'll believe me. I know you trust me, it's just- this is something that it would be hard for anyone to believe. You might want to sit down."
Once he had, soothing her by running his hand up and down her arm, he coaxed her gently, "Tell me."
Regina pondered how to tell him her secret for a moment, then decided that being blunt was the best policy, whether Phoenix- Robin- believed her or not. She wasn't sure if she even wanted him to believe her- she didn't know now what his personality was really like. Were all the rumors about Robin, the rich, spoiled son of Robert Locksley, true? Or was Phoenix, the kind man she had come to know, his true personality?
Looking into his eyes, though, she can't imagine that someone who looked at her with such gentle sincerity could ever have the personality she'd always heard Robin Locksley possessed. So she decided to take the plunge for now, and determine his true character traits later.
"You know me as Reina- but really, I was Princess Regina, youngest daughter of King Henry and Queen Cora and next in line for the throne. Until last night, when I was given a lamp that contained a fairy that gave me three wishes. I used the first wish to become my alias- Reina- permanently, so I could be with you. Except now…" She trailed off. Now, everything was so convoluted she didn't know where to start untangling it. And she was sure that if he believed her, she wouldn't need to finish her last sentence.
She used that moment to look into the pools of his eyes. There was nothing but understanding, but she couldn't tell how deep that comprehension ran. "Now, everything's a mess," he finished for her.
"Exactly." She couldn't help asking: "How did you believe me so easily?"
"Simple. I thought I remembered the princess's name being Regina, so when I was introduced to Zelena, I was confused, and the memory was hazy, as though it had been tampered with."
Suddenly, his eyes filled with horror. "That reminds me- I should go. I was supposed to spend the whole day with the princess I'm going to marry-"
"Me," Regina interrupted.
"But now, to honor my deal with my father, I have to spend the day with her. But make no mistake," he added, reaching out to brush a lock of hair away from her forehead, "I'm quite certain I won't feel a connection to her like I do to you." And with those words, he rushed off to find Zelena.
As he spent the day with Zelena, Robin couldn't help making comparisons between the two sisters as they went through their day. He suggested that Zelena show him the stables, an activity he was sure Reina- Regina, he corrected himself, loving how the name sounded even in his mind- would love, given that he knew she rode bareback, a talent she had shared with him as he had walked her back from the tavern on the night they met. Having learned her true identity, he wasn't sure now how much he knew of Reina- Regina- was true, but he did know that much. Her love for her horse was too genuine for him to doubt.
Zelena, however, could barely stand the smell of the steeds for a minute before she begged Robin to go somewhere else.
He ignored her though, moving down the line of stalls looking for one particular horse: Regina's. He wondered if Rocinante would still be here, even though his mistress was no longer the princess she was born to be.
At last, he found him eating hay in a stall at the far end of the stables. The horse immediately recognized him and trotted over. Robin reached out a hand to pet his nose.
"That horse seemed to recognize you," Zelena mused curiously. "How? You haven't been here before."
Robin was at a loss for words. If he admitted he'd met Rocinante before, Zelena would at best be confused and at worst be suspicious. Finally, he said, "Our paths have crossed, or at least, I have seen horses like him many times in the past. It may not be the same one."
His nonchalant answer seemed to appease Zelena, and she proceeded to choose their next activity, since she had so greatly disapproved of Robin's. Her selection was tea on the terrace overlooking the grounds, and the entire time, Robin couldn't help thinking that the experience would have been much more pleasurable had Regina been the one beside him- and if the experience had taken place on the grounds themselves. The palace, while it bordered the forest, overlooked rolling hills on the opposite side, and Robin longed to explore the area, but knew he would never be able to with Zelena as his hostess.
By the end of the day, he longed to find Regina, sweep her off her feet, and take her away from all of the trappings they were under. He couldn't help wondering throughout the day how her new life as a member of the working class was treating her. He knew it would be challenging, but remembering the night they had met, he knew that she could handle anything, that they could conquer any situation as long as they were together.
Regina spent the rest of her day helping with chores in every corner of the palace. Every so often, she would catch a glimpse of Robin and Zelena- and every time, she would look away. He didn't need her prying into his life, least of all his time with her sister. She knew it would be immediately apparent to him how different they were, and from there, it was for him to decide which of the two he preferred.
All the same, she couldn't help thinking that their lives would have been so much simpler had she never made that wish the night before. She kept remembering that she had two more wishes- but if they turned out as disastrous as the first, she wasn't sure that she wanted to use them.
Late in the afternoon, the cook asked her to carry a tray of tea and sandwiches into the king's study, where he and her mother had been meeting with Lord Locksley and his men all day.
As she approached the door, she heard someone speaking. "Yes- all control of trade agreements and alliances will be handed to you. Our children have no knowledge of such things, and cannot be trusted. The alliance with Underland must proceed, or we are all ruined."
Regina was stunned. Alliance with Underland? But she thought… Dropping the tray, she ran to find Robin, not caring what she interrupted. This was too important.
When she finally found Robin and Zelena in the entrance hallway of the palace, she froze. Her former sister's arms were around Robin, the two locked in what appeared to be a passionate embrace.
She gasped and ran towards the stables. If she couldn't trust Robin, then she knew she would have to concoct and execute a plan on her own.
A/N: Thank you so much to everyone for all the kind reactions to this story, thank you for reading this chapter, and please leave a review!