Merry Christmas Clare!
Regina stood still, her jaw practically on the floor with shock. It was true that she had known, or at least suspected, that Daniel was in fact alive and had found her again, but having that thought and facing the reality of the truth of it were two entirely different things. "Daniel?"
He emerged from the shadows. "Yes! We can finally be together!" the boy she had once loved assured her, rushing towards her with his arms open. But at the stunned look on her face, he stopped. "Regina, what's wrong?"
He looked completely different from the boy she had known. His hair was shorter than she remembered, a buzz cut rather than the hair that she remembered combing through her fingers as they kissed. Between that and the beard she could see growing, he no longer looked like the boy she had once known. "I thought you were dead," she whispered. "Did- did you not know that?" Who was she kidding? Of course he didn't. His death had been a grand scheme of her mother's, she was suddenly sure of that.
The distress on his face confirmed her suspicions. "No, I had no idea. I'm sorry, that must've been terrible for you."
His sympathy, his love in general, was something she had craved for years, but after meeting Robin and the discovery that Daniel had not only not died, but hadn't tried to reach out to her, the words fell flat. Knowing now that he hadn't died like she had thought for years, she honestly only had two questions for him. "What exactly happened to you? And why didn't you try to find me?"
"Your mom threatened me," he revealed. "She told me that if I tried to find you, she would find a way to destroy my family. My parents barely scrape by as it is, I couldn't risk her making their situation even worse. She sent me here to work at a farm in their stables and finish school. It's a good job, I like it. Moving to England was a bit of an adjustment, of course, but-"
She laughed. She couldn't help it. She supposed she could understand why he hadn't tried to contact her to a degree. It stung, given that she had thought what they had could last, but she could understand wanting to protect his family as well. But at the same time, "A bit of an adjustment? What was an adjustment was having to be told that your boyfriend had died because of a spooked horse, then you weren't even allowed to go to his funeral- which, it turns out, wasn't even real because you're alive but didn't try to come back to me, even after all this time. Yes, you had a whole new life, but I think I'm the one with a bigger adjustment at the moment."
"Oh my God, Regina, I'm so sorry," he said, reaching out to her again, but she shrank away. She had once dreamed of this day, despite the impossible odds of those dreams ever coming true, but she had never imagined the possibility that he had been perfectly fine the whole time and could have contacted her. Now she didn't know how long it would take her to forgive him, let alone forget what he had done.
Suddenly, she found herself wishing that she had just stayed with Robin and the others. She knew there was so much about their life living in the woods that she didn't know or understand, but at the same time, she knew that even without the added drama of Daniel's reappearance, their life was so much simpler than her own. Who knew? She may start singing "Beauty and the Beast" sooner than she had first thought, which was saying something, given that she hadn't even dealt with her mother much yet. She longed for the simplicity living in the camp would bring.
Trying to regain her composure, she asked, "Can I just have some time to process this?"
He frowned. "Aren't you only in England for another couple of days? Don't you want to enjoy this time we have together? I know I do."
She nodded, wanting to assuage his fears- a little, anyway. "I just need a little time to process things, that's all. I promise I'll just sleep on it." In the back of her mind, she was already plotting how to be alone so she could sing. She needed time to process the news of Daniel's apparent survival, and she knew she wouldn't get that time if she was under her mother's thumb. If she stayed, the constant rehearsals would do nothing more than distract her. While she supposed she could use the distraction to a degree- after all, it wasn't every day your boyfriend came back from the dead- what she really wanted was some peace and quiet to process things, and she wasn't going to get that here. Maybe if she snuck out that night while everyone else was sleeping, she wouldn't raise the alarm again and she could be back by sunrise. Just the thought of coming back again already felt cumbersome, but she knew she had to- at least for now. She owed it to Daniel to at least consider letting him back in her life again, right?
He nodded. "I'll be waiting eagerly in the meantime."
With that he left and she was alone. Regina sank on the bed, but before she could figure out where the best place might be for Robin to hear her, her mother burst in.
Regina stood and faced her. What was she thinking? No, it was clear she wasn't thinking at all. Surely, if her mother truly had her best interests at heart, she would let her sing, and would've never taken Daniel away from her in the first place. Why should Cora expect any of her consideration now?
You know why. She always needs to have everything under her jurisdiction, a small voice said in her ear. It didn't matter what Regina thought. As long as Cora Mills was in her life, she would never be free to live it the way she wanted to. Her misery was centered around Cora's influence.
"Well, this is a setback if ever there was one," Cora said, and Regina laughed bitterly.
"A setback? Mother, how could you do something like that? Make someone change his life entirely, never see his family again, all for the sake of keeping him away from your only daughter, who you lied to, making her think he was dead? What kind of person does that?"
"The kind that wants what's best for her daughter," Cora replied in a deadly voice. It took all of Regina's strength and courage to not cower in fear, to stand up to her mother for once. She had a feeling that if she didn't do it now, she never would. "You are to stay away from that boy while you're here, do you hear me? Nothing can break your focus. We're performing for the Queen, after all. Nothing matters more than that."
Regina groaned. "No, it's not important, Mother. Can you just leave me alone?" She knew it would be a lot to ask, but all she wanted in that moment was to escape… which meant she had a song to sing.
Cora shook her head. "So you can just go sneak off with that good-for-nothing stable boy again? I don't think so, Regina. I'm going to shut this door and leave Robert outside to make sure you stay here. Understood?"
Not waiting for an answer, she walked out and closed the door and once she was alone, Regina let out an exasperated groan. Her mother was officially making her a prisoner, and she couldn't have hated her more for it. She was certain now. Between Daniel's lack of consideration for her feelings and her mother's behavior, she was done. As soon as she got out of this room, she would sing for Robin- if he was even there to hear it. True, it hadn't taken them long to get back to the castle earlier that day, but would he really be willing to rescue her again so soon? She hated that concept, that she needed rescuing at all. Being the damsel in distress was not the part she wanted to play in the musical of her own life.
Wait. Maybe she didn't have to. She had read just enough adventure stories over the years that she knew it was possible to put bobby pins in a lock and turn the pin into a key to unlock a door. She had no shortage of pins… was it possible that she could escape the prison her mom thought she had so cleverly created?
She went over to her bureau and grabbed one of her bobby pins. Crouching by the door, she examined the keyhole, bending the pin so it looked like she might be able to fit it in the lock.
To her surprise and relief, the doorknob turned. Knowing Robert was just outside the door, she didn't open it, praying he hadn't noticed anything amiss.
Now that she had a way out, she needed a plan. Where could she go that no one would find her? The obvious answer was somewhere outside of the castle, but within the palace was another matter entirely. She needed somewhere where no one would find her, somewhere secluded enough that she could hide from the staff, who likely had all been bribed by her mother to spy on her every movement. After all, Regina was supposedly the star of the show, and Cora Mills would let nothing stand in the way of her success- even if that success wasn't what she herself wanted.
Then it hit her: the kitchens. It was just long enough after dinner that the likelihood that someone would be there was slim. It was the perfect place for her to sing for Robin without fear of being overheard.
The next few minutes were torture. Because it was a castle in a foreign country and not her room at home, she had nothing to do. All she could do to occupy her time was pace back and forth, worrying about everything that could go wrong, until she realized that she should be using her time productively.
With that, she started packing a bag. She knew she wanted to bring food for everyone with her, so she could contribute to their supply, but she needed a change of clothes too and basic toiletries. Thankfully a lot of this was already in a consolidated form thanks to her recent traveling, so she decided to put what she needed in her carry-on, a blue duffle that had come with her everywhere. It was only fitting that she'd take it with her on whatever adventures awaited her at Robin's camp, whether she stayed there for a night or longer.
But did she really want to leave for good? Dealing with her mother was certainly no walk in the park, but the rest… There was a small part of her that knew Daniel deserved a second chance, but she also knew that she owed it to herself to explore the camp and everything that came with it, including any stirrings of feelings she might be starting to have for Robin.
Space. That was all she needed. Space to think everything through, process the chaos that had become her life in the past 24 hours. The only place where she could find that was at the camp- assuming everyone would let Robin bring her back.
At last, she looked at her watch and saw that it was 9 pm. Surely even people with the after-dinner munchies weren't there right now, right? But that also meant it was likely that Robin could be occupied… There was only one way to find out.
She took out the bobby pin that she had used on the lock, once again fitting it into the keyhole and turning it. Once she had extracted it and put it in her pocket, she hoisted her duffle over her shoulder and took one last glance around the room, checking to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Who knew when (or if) she'd be back again?
She carefully opened the door a crack and peeked through it to see if she could sneak out. When she saw that Robert was leaning against the back of the chair, his head facing the ceiling, she quickly and carefully shut the door behind her. Who knew? This might be her only chance to escape.
She crept down the hall, her heart full of butterflies, looking around every corner she passed to make sure she wasn't seen or followed. The kitchen was on the ground floor and her room was in one of the many towers of the castle, so she had a long way to go to reach her destination, and she tried not to be frustrated at her slow progress. After all, who knew if Robin would even hear her and come for her? She may be waiting for awhile anyway.
At last, she reached the kitchen and peeked around the final corner. Her heart leapt into her throat when she saw there were people there: a gardener who was about her own age and the woman who appeared to be the head chef.
She shrank into the shadows. Just her luck, not just one, but two people were in there! She listened closely to their conversation.
"Ugh, I can't wait until that woman is out of here for good!" the younger of the two grumbled. "Both her and her daughter. They're just so… so... 'holier than thou,' and I can't stand it!"
"Now Ruby, you don't know them," the older woman, who Regina now recognized as Mrs. Lucas, whom Regina remembered was indeed the head chef, chastised. "I'll admit that the mother does seem to be a piece of work, but her daughter doesn't seem so bad. In fact, if you've been paying attention, you'll notice that she's been rather quiet this whole time, and there are bruises on her upper arm. I have a feeling there's more to their story than either of them may be willing to admit. That poor girl."
Startled at her words, Regina looked down at her arm, pulling up her sleeve. Sure enough, there were bruises that she hadn't noticed before, the result of her mother's cruelty. How had Mrs. Lucas seen them?
Then she remembered her costume, its flowing sleeves that, while it could technically be called sleeveless, were connected only at her shoulders and elbows. No wonder the observant cook had spotted them, they had been on display for the world to see. Her cheeks heated, likely a beet red color if anyone had been there to see them. Her mother was so careful, never physically hurting her, leaving only bruises on her heart and soul. Why was it that the one time she had left a physical trace of her cruelty, someone had noticed?
Thankfully, the pair seemed to have finished whatever they were doing in the kitchen. The younger of the two left, but Mrs. Lucas lingered, and after what she had overheard, Regina knew it was safe to emerge. She doubted that this woman would betray her, even if she had been bribed by her mother to do so.
She came out from where she had been hiding and the older woman smiled. "I had a sneaking suspicion you were there, but just how much did you overhear?"
Regina blushed. Was she really that bad at sneaking around? If so, she honestly didn't know how she had managed to successfully make her way to the kitchen. How would she ever manage to sneak in and out regularly… assuming she did in fact want to come back and forth instead of just staying with them? And that was assuming she was welcome… she sighed. She needed this time away from the castle, everything was a jumbled mess. She needed the time and space to not only definitively figure out what her options were, but what she wanted as well. She figured she'd go with a safe answer. "Enough."
Mrs. Lucas sighed. "I'm sorry about Ruby. She sees a lot of people come in and out of here, many of them- most, if I'm being honest- much like your mother. When someone like you comes along who doesn't fit that mold, she doesn't easily see it."
Regina shrugged. "She doesn't know me, it's okay."
Granny looked at her long and hard, her eyes seeming to stare right into Regina's soul. Finally she said, "Just know that there are those of us who see the things others don't, what's under the surface. Your mother seems to be a piece of work-"
"You can say that again," Regina muttered under her breath.
"But unless I'm very much mistaken- and I'm a very good judge of character, so it's unlikely that that's the case- you don't seem to be very much like her," Granny concluded. She lowered her head and stared at Regina from over the top of her glasses. "Am I wrong?"
Regina shook her head, inwardly shuddering once again at the idea that anyone could have enough audacity to compare her to her mother. "No."
"Well, since that's the case," Granny responded with a smile. "You're welcome in this kitchen anytime. It seems you may need an escape every now and again, am I right?"
Regina nodded slowly, not sure if she should tell this maternal woman her plans or not. After all, it was maybe a good idea for someone to know where she was so her mother would worry a little less- but at the same time, could she really trust Mrs. Lucas? For all she knew, she could have been aware of Regina's presence the entire time and could be pretending to be on her side. After all, her mother was a master of manipulation. She always seemed to have influence over everyone and everything in Regina's life.
Regina shook her head. How had her mother turned her into this person who didn't trust anyone? After all, she knew that not everyone was alike, that everyone had their own motivations and desires. She had immediately trusted Robin, hadn't she? It was different because he lived at the camp, not within the walls of the castle, but still… What to do? She couldn't tell her father- hadn't been able to for years. Surely, there had to be another adult she could trust. Could Mrs. Lucas be that person? "You are," she admitted. "But you don't have to worry about me."
The older woman crossed her arms over her chest. "I can tell you're hiding something. Your secrets can remain your own, but know that no matter how many pounds your mother might offer, I won't betray your trust."
Regina looked up, startled. She hadn't had an adult like Granny in her life since her father had passed when she was a teenager. Was it possible she had found another adult she could trust? Since her father's death years before, under the tyranny of her mother's thumb, she had felt like she couldn't trust anyone, knowing that Cora's pocket and influence ran deep.
"I…" she began, still hesitant. When the woman across from her gave her an encouraging smile, she continued, "I was going to escape now, actually."
Mrs. Lucas raised her eyebrows. "And you thought it was a good idea to do that through the kitchens? They aren't on the ground floor, you know." Suddenly, understanding seemed to dawn on her, and she asked, "Unless you're going to be gone for awhile?"
Regina shrugged. "I'm honestly not sure. This just seemed the safest place to do what I need to do away from prying eyes."
Comprehension seemed to dawn in the old woman's eyes. Was it possible she knew about Robin and his motley crew of misfits?
She smiled and stood from the stool where she had been sitting. "I'll leave you to it then. Just know that if you need anything, you only need to ask. And there's no need to call me Mrs. Lucas. Granny will do."
"Thank you," Regina said gratefully.
With a squeeze of her shoulder, Granny was gone and Regina was left alone. She took a deep breath. Was she really doing this?
She closed her eyes and let the music fill her, the sound of Angela Lansbury's voice filling her ears. Here goes nothing.
"Tale as old as time. True as it can be. Barely even friends, then somebody bends unexpectedly…"
She sang the entirety of the song, then stopped. They had agreed that that would be the signal, so she didn't dare start singing anything else. But had he heard her? Would he come for her as he had promised? She would have to wait to find out.
Hope you enjoyed this, let me know what you think! The lyrics, of course, aren't mine (and neither are the characters, I'm just playing with them).