Notes:

I came like Regina; Sorry, I'm late!

I can say that this chapter is a preparation for the upcoming chapters, enjoy!

In the previous chapter

When the air grew colder and the fever subsided, he lifted the shivering woman onto his lap, and entered from terrace as Regina quickly curled up against him and put her arm around his neck. He placed her gently on the wide sofa, adjusted the pillows, draped the thick blanket on the sofa over her, and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Sleep, honey, I'll be here."

"Robin... Will you sleep with me?"

The wounds inflicted on her soul by all the shattered pieces did not allow her to be alone, She was not ready to leave his arms even if he was right next to her.

He lifted the blanket he had just draped over again and lay on his back to the place Regina had left blank. She rested her head on his chest as he ran an arm around her back and pulled her closer to him.

He continued to caress her hair until her breathing stabilizes and and was sure she was asleep.

"I swear I will dedicate every day to making you and our son happy. I love you!"

His fingers were clenched against the steering wheel, and despite his composure and his expressionless face, Regina knew the man driving the car well enough to know there was a problem.

The woman in the passenger seat looked around, his blue eyes constantly shifting between the rearview and side mirrors.

"What's wrong, Robin?"

"Hold tight. Check your belt." The sharpness in his voice cut through the calm and peaceful atmosphere that had just dominated the car like a knife.

The Queen felt Robin step on the gas as he slid in and out between other cars that veered off the main road.

"For God's sake, what is going on?" She said as she checked the receptacle to which the belt is attached.

"We are being followed."

Regina tried to turn around and see what was after them, but she was forced to turn in front of her by a hand resting on her shoulder.

"Stay still, Regina, and tell me if there's anything I need to know."

10 Days Ago

Sunlight seeping under his eyelids, the man awoke to the familiar scent filling his lungs. The sweet heaviness he felt in his chest was flooded by memories of the previous night as he came into view.

He had forgotten how much he loved this feeling, or so he thought. The peace of waking up with the woman he loves in his arms, her dark hair scattered across his chest, her shapely fingers resting on his heart...

His hands tingled to run through her hair, his arms contracted to hug her tighter, but knowing that she would be gone instantly if she woke up, he continued to lie still and enjoy the closeness of her presence to prolong this moment.

Regina proved she was still a morning person when she started fidgeting half an hour later. When the woman's head moved across his chest and turned upward, Robin realized that she was close to waking up and that the moment was almost over. He had to suppress a chuckle as she brought her nose close to his neck and took a deep breath, old habits were going nowhere, just like riding a bike.

Not wanting her to wake up on her own and think that she was bothering him, he decided to respond to the messages his hands were sending to his brain, running his fingers through her hair and softly stroking each strand of hair.

"Mmm…" A satisfied groan was heard from Regina.

He saw her eyes open halfway and close back due to the light.

"Good Morning." He said with his hand still in her hair.

"Good Morning." She pulled her head from his chest to meet their eyes. She became conscious of their current situation. "Oh, we slept here. Sorry, Robin."

"Shh. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I understand you want to go slow, I forced you."

"Hmm, I don't remember exactly when I was forced." He raised his hand to her face. "It was my best sleep in a long time."

She gave him the smile that brightened his morning.

"Even though I want to freeze this moment, we better wake Henry up. We should leave after breakfast."

"How about we wake up together?" Regina said.

Before setting off after breakfast, Regina told Robin and Henry that she needed to talk to them. They extended their trip for a coffee break.

"I want to start preparing for the press release when we return. I don't want anything to bother you. So I thought we should talk and put it in order."

Both men were silent for a few seconds, lost in thought.

Henry stood by his thoughts, which he had declared at palace. Although he did not want to be popular child in society, after these two days with his mother and father, he was quite sure that he wanted them to start a real family without secret.

Robin, on the other hand, was enumerating the consequences of Regina's mention of him in the statement. Somehow, bad comments would be made, rumors would of course come out. If she didn't mention about him, the press could get even uglier, and his son and the woman he loved would be in much more difficult situations. But wouldn't the truth come out when they finally got back to each other and had to make some statements again?

"I am confident in my decision. Hiding is not the right decision." Henry put his mother at ease.

Her eyes were now on the blue ones.

"Robin, I don't have to talk about you if you don't want to. I know it will seriously affect your life."

"I am aware that everything that has to be said about us will change the way they look at all three of us, the change it will cause in our lives. None worse than leaving you both alone again. We are in this together, as a family."

The queen's dark eyes narrowed in her broad smile. "After we've prepared the text, we'll go over it together then. Is it suitable for both of you?"

"Is it normal to feel like I'm at a formal meeting?"

As Henry broke up the solemn atmosphere, his mother and father laughed in response.

"I guess you'll have to get used to it, it's not easy being a queen's son."

When the boy was silent for a moment, Robin wondered if he had said something to upset him. Regina stared intently at the thoughtful expression on her son's face.

"I am not the son of a queen." He said, leaving two confused faces on the table.

The sadness in Regina's eyes broke Robin's heart. He could see the woman tense up in her seat and thoughts running through her mind, but what he couldn't understand was why Henry had said such a thing. What changed when he seemed so close to accepting them during their two days?

Sitting directly across from her son, the woman lowered her hands from the table to her lap. The pain she felt the day she was kicked out of the certain house suddenly returned to her heart. She had never thought that the feeling would return, she thought that they had finally cleared the stones that stood in their way on the bumpy road they had taken with Henry.

"I am Emma Swan's son. I am Robin Locksley's son. I am... Son of Regina Mills. But I have no part of the royal shackle on your wrist."

The sound of exhalation that Regina didn't even know she was holding was heard. She thought she might faint from the relief that came after the sudden tension and sadness.

She was so focused on the fact that Henry had stayed by her side, that the current situation was moving in a positive direction that she realized later that he had called himself her son.

The sweet feeling that permeated her made her shiver, and she could not help admiring the child's mind, heart and ideas.

No one around her could distinguish that Regina was a separate person from the queen. Every day, every minute, every second, she was expected to be the Queen of Storybrooke. Yet she had never wanted anything more than just to be Regina, and the fact that her son understood that was the greatest gift he could give.

She lifted her hand in her lap and wrapped it around her son's fingers.

Regina announced that she would make a press release that weekend after their short vacation, but spent the next three days filling up the trash cans with crumpled-up paper. She didn't like the texts her advisors created, and she didn't feel comfortable with what she wrote.

She was still pacing in the study less than 12 hours before the press release. While her thoughts were being invaded, Robin called to find out the latest situation, he had been living with the same tension for days, and they had done their best not to show it to Henry, and they sent the most appropriate texts prepared by her advisors to the boy, but she did not want to list those stupid sentences and excuses tomorrow.

"If we can't write anything by morning, you can stick with Henry's. It made the most sense." Robin tried to calm her down on the other end of the phone.

"Most sense? I didn't leave my son and you for the sake of the country, Robin! That's not my logic." She grumbled angrily.

"I know, Regina. Did we just make a little premature decision? We can delay it if you want."

"We were already late. About 16 years."

"So what do you think?"

There was a brief pause, Robin could sense that Regina had an idea but was still weighing it.

"Tell me, Regina. What do you think?"

Robin and Henry were waiting for Regina in the study room half an hour before the press conference.

"I guess I'd better look into the situation."

Robin gave Henry a tap on the shoulder and left the room to look at Regina. He knew the woman well enough to know that she couldn't even get close to them, let alone get in front of the cameras, without calming down.

When he asked Graham he found out she was still in the bedroom, the man the queen's counselor had left alone at the embroidered door again, knocked on it several times.

When a softly "Come in." heard from inside, he lowered the doorknob. The part of the room, just opposite the door, was made entirely of glass, as in the study room.

Regina was standing in front of her large window, facing him. The queen was wearing a tight black v-neck dress. Robin could have sworn she picked this outfit to feel empowered, but something just didn't feel right.

"We've been waiting for you, are you okay?" He asked as he closed the door and walked in.

"I'm fine."

"Regina... What did we talk about your perfect mask?" He took one of her icy hands.

She hid her brown eyes behind her eyelids, the blond man could feel all the worry behind his expressionless face.

When her eyes opened again, Robin found his Regina in front of him. He smiled at the fact that she could so easily put the queen aside when she was with him. He was her refuge!

"I understand you're nervous, but you can handle this. In addition, our son and I will be with you, we will be there for you at any moment."

Globes glowed between her long eyelashes that caressed the lower part of her eyebrows.

"Shh, today is the last day of captivity, today is not the day to cry."

"I'm afraid Robin. Not for me, but for you."

"As long as you are with us, nothing will happen to us."

"I can't even protect myself, how can I protect you?"

"How did my Regina get here if you couldn't protect yourself? As far as I know, she's been hiding inside a queen for years."

The brunette woman's tension slowly drifted away from her as if it had evaporated. She was filled with peace like every time she was with her family. When did she become such a hopeful person?

"I love to see you smile, please always laugh." He gently pressed his lips to the hand he was holding. "You will make everyone believe our story with your smile."

"I will need more than the power of a smile."

"I'm sure it will give you more than the power of a dress."

"What's wrong with my dress?" Her head dropped and her gaze landed on the fabric. "Is not it beautiful?"

"Very beautiful, you are beautiful in everything." He said. "The problem is that you're still hiding behind the queen. I know you still remember the meaning of the colors."

He thought about how charming she was in the white dress she had worn the day she came to talk to him.

"You must go to your people as you came to me with all your innocence. They've been seeing a powerful queen for years already, let them get to know Regina." They shared a reassuring glance. Robin walked into the dressing room, which he had seen through the open door as he came in, and turned back to her. "May I look?"

After nodding in acknowledgment from the woman still standing, he disappeared through the door into the seemingly endless room. In each closet there were many clothes separated by color and type.

He passed the blacks, eliminated the blues and reds. He opened the cabinet with the color shining in the light in the room. His fingers crossed over the blouses and trousers. He carefully moved the hangers of her clothes back and forth, finally finding what he was looking for among dozens of options and removing it.

He turned to Regina, now leaning against the door, watching him, curiously looking at the dress he was going to choose.

"How is this?"

"Don't you think it's too plain?"

The white dress had a square neckline, slightly balloon sleeved sleeves that would probably end just above her ankles. When he closed the distance between them and held onto her, he saw that it would stay two fingers above her knees.

"I think it's perfect, just like you." His blue eyes sparkled with love. "But I won't change my mind if you want to stay with what you're wearing. Keep in your mind that it's not these pieces of cloth that make you perfect."

Regina had to press her red lips together to keep from crying. If she stayed there any longer and was surrounded by Robin's affections, she would have taken her family and escaped from this damn palace before she could even give a speech. She took the dress from the man's hand, since that would in no way solve her problems, and she also owed Henry and Robin this explanation.

There were many cameras and microphones broadcasting live in the hall where the press was accepted. The three people in front of the back door held each other's hands and supported the one who would soon reveal all the truth.

"Are you sure you want me to call you?" The woman asked maybe for the thousandth time.

"Sure, stop worrying. Everything will be fine."

"Okay. Okay..."

She took a deep breath when she heard her name being called from inside. No matter what anyone thought, she would literally be reunited with her family today. She couldn't let anything stop her. Considering that she had been fighting harder to protect them all these years, uttering a few sentences shouldn't have been too big of a deal for her to get them.

She walked up to the podium and looked around the packed hall. She released the breath she was holding. Here we go!

"Hello everyone. Thank you for coming here today." Although she knew she had to keep her eyes on the cameras, she involuntarily took a quick glance behind the door that only she could see, getting the nods from her two favorite people to continue.

"As you may know, during the fifteen years that I have been queen of Storybrooke, I have always preferred to keep my private life private, never appearing before you to make a statement about myself."

She suppressed the urge to bite her lip and continued.

"But my reason for inviting you here today is not about our country, but for a much more personal reason. It was my duty to make this statement to myself, to people very important to me, and to you. And today it is time for me to pay off that debt."

She listened to the murmurs rising from the hall, waiting for the atmosphere to fall into silence again.

"Life is not easy for anyone who breathes in this world. For you behind your microphones, for those watching us on their television... Contrary to popular belief, it is not for a queen. We manage to hide behind silk fabrics and fancy jewellery. We hide our troubles, we hide our feelings, we hide our secrets… We hide ourselves."

"What is she doing?" Henry looked up from the text on the paper he was holding and turned to his father. "I thought you would stick with it."

In The Previous Evening

"Tell me Regina. What do you think?"

"I want to improvise."

"What?"

"I will tell the truth, without going into details, of course. I want to speak with my feelings instead of making false official sentences."

Robin paused to think for a moment about what she had said. He didn't like it either, telling other lies just to make a statement, to hide the lies that had ruined their lives; involving their families in outrageous accusations.

"It's very risky... But I think you're right."

How she missed the man who stood by her every decision, helping her every moment!

"You have always acted on your feelings, I trust you and your feelings. They never misled us. I'm sure you can handle it."

"Oh, Robin… Thank you!" She let out a deep breath. "I badly needed this."

"Everything you need, milady."

Even though Robin couldn't see the woman, he could imagine her eyes closing and falling in front of her head and smiling.

And he was sure that that woman could handle anything!

Now

Robin responded by placing his hand on his son's shoulder and bringing him closer, saying that he should stop questioning his confident gaze and listen to his mother.

"I don't want to hide myself any longer. As a person, as a woman… As a mother."

Regina tried to not focus on the look of horror on the faces of all who were watching her, recalling her memories of the lake house.

"Before I married our King, Leopold Blanchard, I had a son. I loved him more than anything, as every mother loves her child, but for some much more private reasons I had to give him up for his sake. Just as I am sure this possibility will be discussed later, I want you to be sure that I have never betrayed our king and given up from my most precious possession for power, for money, for all the pomp you see."

Sh cleared her throat lightly to get attention as whispers rose to the sound of surprise that reached her ears.

"I've made more decisions than I can count over the years, but the hardest and most painful one was leaving my son. Now… To announce our reunion and…"

She turned her head and met Henry's eyes, confirming with her eyes that it was his turn.

"As a mother, I organized this meeting to introduce my son to you. With your permission..."

She left the lectern, walked to the boy in the suit, who showed himself out of the door, and took his hand in hers. Together they made their way back to the spot where the microphones were lined up.

"Let me introduce Henry Swan." She gave a big smile to the camera angle while introducing her son.

Although Henry could not hear any sounds around him due to the speed of his heartbeat, his mother put her arm around his waist to help him keep stand.

"Sweetheart." Regina moved away from the microphone and whispered, reminding him to greet as they agreed.

Hazel eyes met with her mother's chocolates, he found the necessary courage in those eyes.

"Hello to everyone."

"Your Majesty, will you explain who the father is?" She heard a voice from which she could not tell.

"I'll do more." She said. She took Robin as she had done with Henry and brought him to the podium. "I would be glad if you could meet him as well. Robin Locksley."

Regina and Henry made room in front of the microphones so Robin could speak.

"Hello. Thank you for giving us the chance to tell the truth of our lives."

But no one in the hall responded to the family's courtesy with the same courtesy, and everyone began to speak to make their own question heard, just as they had anticipated. Regina regained control and managed to silence everyone.

"I will take some of your questions one by one. Would you please raise your hand?... Yes."

The woman she had promised stood up. "Did you continue to see him the whole time you put your son up for adoption?"

"No. Henry was raised by his adoptive mother. We didn't want to have a negative impact on his psyche."

"Why did you give your son up for adoption?"

"I mentioned that this is a more private matter, sorry."

"How did your son react when he found out?"

"Henry is a smart and compassionate child who can interpret and understand the causes that develop against my will. There were some difficulties, of course, but in the end, we are giving each other a second chance... Please."

"Is your son's father included in this second chance?"

Regina looked at Robin and smiled. "There are always second chances for a family."

"Do you intend to marry Mr. Locksley?"

Regina and Robin shared a worried look. Every question came to their mind, but this… Why hadn't they thought of that?

Maybe they didn't even think about it. In the past, neither of them needed to get married to be a family, they were already each other's family without putting simple signatures on paper. The only thing that changed was now the fruit of their love was with them. Their families were complete. They were bound by a stronger bond than the bond of marriage. With love...

"I'll make sure you get an invitation if there's a wedding."

"What will happen next? Will you declare your son heir to the throne?"

"I can't say anything about that yet. I will make another statement in the future."

"Can you explain what you mean when you say causes that develop out of my will?"

I mean your king was despicable enough to bet his friend over a woman and my mother was cruel enough to use me in this dirty game, but I'm sorry I can't be prosecuted for treason just when I'm back with my family.

"While you are planning for yourself, others are making plans for themselves, and somehow you sometimes get involved in someone else's dream. No matter how hard you try, you may encounter situations that you cannot change."

Someone else. "Are you implying that you don't want to be a queen?"

I didn't want it, I don't want it! I just want my family, let your country and your kingdom go to the ground!

"It is an honor for me to serve this country."

She clenched her fists behind the lectern to control her nerves. She already knew that the hardest part would be these questions.

"Did King Leopold Blanchard know you had a child?"

"No." She just said it, but she knew she couldn't get away with it like this.

"You said you did not betray our king, but did you not betray by hiding such a truth from him?"

If your king hasn't betrayed your queen while he was bringing the morning of every night with other women, I haven't betrayed because I've protected my child from him. If you don't want me to gouge your suggestive eyes shut up!

She was thinking of herself 16 years ago as she continued to smile at everyone who did not take their judgmental gaze from her and made such ugly insinuations about her life without knowing what she was going through. Regina who was 22 years old, had already started to cry, but the flawless expression of the 38-year-old woman who had carried the weight of the world on her shoulders remained unshaken despite all the anger and pain that had accumulated in her.

"It would not be right for me to answer on his behalf what our king's definition of treason is." She closed the topic. She wasn't going to answer one more question about Leopold.

"Thank you so much for coming. I wish all of Storybrooke a good day."

She stepped down from the lectern and passed the door behind which she had stood with her secrets half an hour ago, and Henry and Robin followed, but the queen did not look back for a moment. The questions asked about Leopold, like every event he was involved in, had worn out her nerves. She wanted to get away from that room as soon as she could.

Din!

The woman, whose tension had awakened her every muscle, sat upright in her chair as if she had swallowed a stick.

She pushed open the cap of the pen between her fingers, which she couldn't remember when she had placed it there, then closed it back with a small click.

She was carefully reading the news on her computer screen from behind her black-boned glasses that rested on her nose.

"Did Queen Regina deceive King Leopold?" While voicing the headline of the news, she could not hide the hatred reflected in each of her tones.

"I specifically said I didn't cheat, didn't I?" She squinted her eyes and grumbled, as if the reporter were in front of her.

"The kingdom has a new heir!" She looked disgustedly at the captioned title.

"My son is not a pawn in power games and has a name!"

Deciding not to read any further so as not to get on her nerves further, she took off her glasses and threw them on the table. She wrapped her manicured fingers around her computer, stopping as she prepared to push the screen down.

Din!

The computer gave the news of a persistent person with a different tone than the notification sound from her e-mail, which she used in her official works. What could be so important as to overwrite it twice? Except for a statement that would turn the country upside down, of course...

She pushed the screen back up halfway and put her glasses back on. She clicked on the blue letter sign, frowning the expanding chocolate spheres as she opened the top e-mail.

The brunette woman, who had come across similar texts many times before, learned over time not to lose her composure and not to panic. But as she hit the back button and scrolled down her mailing list and found what she was looking for, her hands were cold and shaking as if she had been terminally ill.

Notes:

I know you might get bored with bureaucratic stuff, but I had to write this chapter. I wanted to give a few hints about what's going to happen in the next chapters. Some excited chapters are coming, get ready!

Thanks for reading, see you next week!

Please, let me know what you think...