Sunday: "Thrown into Love"

39. Regina is thrown from her horse, Robin is the one who helps her

43. Bedsharing

99. The Merry Men accept Regina into their group

114. "I just want to see you smile."

"Why did you let me stay?" Regina asks, reaching up to stroke Robin's scruff covered jaw.

He smiles dopily down at her before staring off into the distance, as if lost in thought. She returns the smile, forever grateful that he not only rescued her ten months ago when she'd been thrown from her horse in a mad attempt to escape her mother's tight reign, but grateful that he'd let her stay. They'd all let her stay - his merry men had welcomed her with open arms into their little family once they'd gathered around the dwindling fire for breakfast her second day there and she'd told them about Cora and how she was trying to marry her off to the king.

Her beau, Daniel, had just been killed by her mother in their stables. The image of his body falling to the ground as his heart was crushed to dust still haunts her dreams at night. As soon as her mother had stormed off, leaving Regina to sob over his dead body, she'd grabbed the nearest horse - Rocinante, her favorite gift her father had ever given her - and dashed from the stables, rushing into the cool air of the night as tears streamed down her face.

It was raining, droplets stinging her cheeks as she raced through the trees. She could almost hear Cora's maniacal laughter, pleased with her plan to destroy Regina's happiness and make her the queen. Regina knew King Leopold was there to find a wife, knew her mother was more than willing to give her away in order to provide the lifestyle she'd always dreamt of.

But that wasn't what Regina wanted.

She wanted love, and happiness… and freedom. She wanted to be free, to not be torn down by her mother's words, but built up by someone else's. Daniel had given her that. He loved her, and she loved, still loves, him.

Watching him die had been the hardest thing Regina has ever gone through. Images of his warm, blue eyes turning cold and rolling to the back of his head flash before her eyes, and she smacks the reins against Rocinante even harder, pushing him through the approaching storm.

She didn't know how far her mother's magic could reach, wasn't sure if she'd even be able to leave the outskirts of her family's land, but she had to try. She had to get away.

After an hour of running Rocinante ragged, he'd finally had enough. He began slowing down, but Regina's tears and frustration at what her life had become tore her attention from her trusty steed, and she pushed him further - yelling his name and clamping her boots against his belly to push him further. The brown mare made it a little bit further before turning against her, just like everyone in her life had ever done, and reared back, kicking his front legs in protest to the exertion she was demanding of him.

Regina gripped the reins, trying to hold on, but it was no use. She was flung from Rocinante's back, screaming into the darkness of the night as her back hit the mud beneath her.

Rolling onto her side, she coughs, rain and tears spewing from her mouth as she reaches up to swipe at her face.

She groans, twisting her back and reaching around to rub at the soreness. Before she can move even further, a large hand reaches down. "M'lady, you're injured."

"I prefer Regina," she says defiantly, glaring up at the man, "And I'm fine." She's not, not really anyway. Her back is sore, she knows her skin will bruise by morning, and she's pretty sure she can feel blood trickling down her arm beneath her dark green cloak. But she's angry, not at this stranger, but at the world. At anyone who will listen and let her be mad.

The man smirks at her, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he says, "Of course," but still offers his hand out in assistance.

Sighing, she reaches up, grunting and screwing up her face in agony as she's made to stand on her feet. The man senses her discomfort and reaches out, asking if he can carry her. "Just over to my horse," he juts his head, signaling to the black mare behind him.

Regina nods, huffing in frustration at not being able to walk properly. "I'm Robin, by the way," he says, reaching both arms out to sweep her into his embrace. "Robin Hood, at your service."

He smiles, and she can't help but to smile softly back, thankful that he was here to help her. He walks the few steps to his steed, placing her atop it before hopping on behind her, wrapping his arms around her as he guides the horse to his camp.

They'd ridden to the Merry Men's camp, not far from where she'd been thrown, Rocinante tied to Robin's horse and following behind diligently.

It was late when they arrived, most of the camp bunkered down in their tents to avoid the rain still coming down. It'd let up some, allowing a handful of his men to stand guard at the entrances without being drenched. There were a few men finishing a late dinner who gave Robin a strange look when he entered with a woman on his horse.

He'd dismounted from his steed, helping her down and letting Regina lean into his side so she didn't have to put pressure on her injured foot.

Robin led her to a large tent, lowering her down onto a bed covered in furs.

"I'll go get the healer," he tells her, confirming that she can make herself comfortable.

She gives him an uneasy smile, unsure how to be comfortable in the place like this. She'd grown up in nothing short of a palace built for nobility. She didn't even know if she'd be able to sleep on this kind of bed.

Robin re-enters a few minutes later with a woman behind him. The older woman, whom Robin just introduces as Granny, smiles warmly down at her, assuring Regina that she's there to help.

Granny spends the next half hour helping Regina into more comfortable clothes. She has to wear an oversized tunic of Robin's that was clean and big enough to cover her body almost to her knees. It was shorter than a lady should wear, but the circumstances were dire and her torn dress needed to be removed in order for Granny to place healing herbs to her scrapes.

The gray-haired woman speaks softly to Regina, telling her it was going to be alright and that she got lucky to not be more injured. She has a large scrape on her forearm and a handful of tiny cuts on her back. The mud thankfully cushioned her fall, helping with not hurting her body even more, though Granny did confirm what she already knew - she would be bruised come morning.

Once Granny leaves, leaving some clean strips of cloth for Regina to clean her arm with later, Robin enters again.

He has a sheepish look in his eyes, and she questions him on it.

"This, uh," he clears his throat, gesturing to the tent they are in, "is my tent. So," he trails off, twisting his lips. "I don't mean to impose, but you see, the rain is coming down harder, and I have nowhere else to go."

He explains that all his other men are either married so their tents are full with spouses and children or they don't have a tent large enough to fit two grown men.

Her eyes widen, feeling guilty for taking his bed without even questioning who it belonged it. "Oh," she states shyly, "I'm sorry." She goes to push herself up, mumbling that she can find somewhere else to sleep.

Robin looks up, shaking his head vehemently. "No, no, no." He holds out his hands, walking over to her to gently press on her shoulders, laying her back into the bed. "I just meant I will have to sleep over there." He points to a smaller bed, one she hadn't noticed until just now.

She gives him a wary look, and he chuckles, explaining, "It's my son's." He informs her of his boy, Roland, and how he'd begged earlier to spend the night with his Uncle John. "Lucky for me, though, now his bed is free for me to sleep in."

Smiling timidly, Regina tucks her hair behind her ear, telling him that's fine. "I wouldn't want you to sleep out in the rain."

They share a soft chuckle before he climbs awkwardly onto the small cot. It can't be comfortable, she knows that. The bed is entirely too small for a grown man to sleep on.

Robin does his best though, curling up into a ball as best he can. Regina watches him for a few seconds, confirming that he's okay. When he promises her that he is, she closes her eyes and tries to sleep.

The sound of the rain and now thunder in the distance is soothing, but there's an awkward tension in the air. She assumes its from not knowing one another, yet having to sleep under the same shelter.

"If you don't mind… why were you running?" he asks suddenly, interrupting her thoughts.

Sighing, Regina opens her eyes, glancing over to the small bed. He's got one arm tucked beneath his head like an extra pillow while his other strong arm rests on his stomach. His head is turned, watching her.

Deciding to be honest, she reveals that she was running away from her mother. "She… did something that hurt the man I love, and I just couldn't be there anymore."

Her eyes water. She hadn't thought of Daniel in the last few hours with everything else going on, and now that she's safe, and warm, and already beginning to heal, memories of him dying in front of her assault her vision. Tears spring to her eyes and she sniffles, reaching up to wipe the tears away.

Robin looks concerned, sitting up in the cot and asking her what's wrong.

She waves him off, promising that she's fine. Clearing her throat, she takes a deep breath, in and out, trying to calm her racing heart.

After a few moments of silence, he asks her again if everything is alright, and she nods, saying that it is. They lay there, both clearly contemplating the last few minutes. She doesn't know why, but there's something about Robin that makes her want to be honest.

Maybe it's because he saved her, or how he checked on his men that were still awake when they entered, or the way he'd rushed to get Granny to help her without even really knowing who she was… whatever the reason, she finds herself opening up, saying, "My mother killed him right in front of me. I had to leave."

She looks over at him, trying to suppress a small bubble of laughter at his shocked expression.

They spend the next several hours talking - Regina finding out why they lived in tents, how they became to be known as the Merry Men, what they did each day to provide for the poor - it was all very honorable even though they were thieves, and Regina found that she liked it. Admired it, really.

She likes the idea of people like her mother being robbed and having their precious belongings, which they hardly paid any attention to anyway, taken from them to help those in need.

She'd opened up about her family, her mother in particular, and how she'd always been groomed to be queen. "I never wanted that life, though," she admits, and Robin stares at her as if he can see into her soul.

"Never wanted to be queen? Isn't that what all little girls dream of?"

She scoffs bitterly, rolling her eyes. "Maybe some, but not me."

Regina tells him how growing up in a strict household, having her mother use her magic on her for punishment, and everything else Cora could've done to make Regina's life miserable, made her realize all she wanted in life was to be free. "If I were to ever become queen, or any other type of nobility, there's no way I could have the freedom to do what I want."

"And what do you want?"

She thinks for a moment - no one has ever asked her that before. What does she want in life? Regina shrugs, letting her teeth sink into her bottom lip. She releases the flesh, sighing out with a small smile growing as she declares, "Love."

They grin at each other, Robin saying he can understand that. He tells her about his late wife, Marian, and their son, and Regina envies him. She's jealous of the way he's gotten to live his life. He's been able to love and laugh and do what he wants when he wants. It's a dream for her, really, and she wishes against all hope that she can one day live like that.

Robin makes mention later in the night, almost morning at this point, that they need some sleep. They bid each other a goodnight, Regina drifting off thinking how she's never talked to someone so freely before, not even Daniel. It was nice, getting to know someone, and having someone get to know her - the real her.

She hears Robin sigh, grumbling under his breath as he twists and turns, trying to get comfortable on the tiny cot. After almost an hour of his struggling against his son's bed, Regina finally huffs, slamming her uninjured arm against the feather filled mattress. "Would you just get up here?"

He flips onto his left side, brows furrowing as he questions her.

"Your huffs and groans are keeping us both awake. Just lay on top of the covers, and I'll stay under."

She must've spoken it with more authority in her voice than she felt, because Robin stands with an unsure look on his face with the little pillow tucked under his arm. He lays down though, sighing in relief when his body is able to stretch out like normal on his bed.

"Thank you," he drawls in pleasure, yawning and rolling onto his side, facing away from her.

She smirks, murmuring a, "You're welcome," before closing her eyes and trying to fall asleep.

It's hard though, images of Daniel taunt her when she closes her eyes, but the heat from Robin's body and his soft snores toy with her when her eyes are open. Maybe telling him to share the bed wasn't such a good idea.

She'd woken up the next morning completely embarrassed, later finding out that the healing herbs Granny had used could cause the person to have the same effects as too much alcohol - loose lipped and far too comfortable with her surroundings.

It'd been funny later, once she'd gotten over the shock of waking up next to a man she'd only met the night before, but their conversation that night had bonded them more than either of them knew.

That day, she'd met the Merry Men, including the tiniest of them all, Roland. They'd had breakfast before Regina was sent back to the tent per Granny's instruction to help her heal faster. Roland had made himself comfortable in her presence right away, bringing in a wooden toy of his to play on his papa's bed while Regina rested.

And the rest is history. She'd attempted to leave a few days later, claiming she was all better. But Robin and his men refused to let her go back to her mother, jokingly exclaiming that they'd kidnap her before letting her go back there.

She had chuckled back then, smiling to herself out of giddiness as finally feeling accepted by people. So, she stayed. Robin and John set up a new tent close to his for Regina to live in, and she spent her days learning from Granny and helping to heal the sick. Life was wonderful.

A few months after being there, Robin shyly asked her if it would be alright for him to court her, and she never thought she'd have that again - never thought she'd be lucky enough to have another man show interest in her - but she couldn't deny him. There was an attraction there, built from an unlikely friendship, that she wanted to explore. Her guilt over Daniel overwhelmed her at points, but Robin had been right there to comfort her, knowing what she was going through from personal experience.

"You never answered my question," Regina giggles, tapping Robin on the nose.

"Hm?"

She rolls her eyes, scooting closer to his body. "I said why did you let me stay?"

Robin smiles once again, biting down on his lower lip. He leans in, pressing a kiss to her lips before wrapping his arm around her and pulling her even closer. "I just want to see you smile all the time," he replies, grinning. "I couldn't let you go knowing I'd never seen that gorgeous smile ever again."

She whacks him in the chest playfully, but secretly touched by his words. Regina kisses him again, beaming into the embrace. She has finally found her place in this world, and she couldn't feel more content.

She knows it's only been a little under a year, but it's months she'll never forget. Regina has experienced more freedom since coming here, always looking over her shoulder or wondering when her mother will finally find them, but despite the fears, she's learned to love. And to truly live.

She's found a family in Robin, Roland and the Merry Men, and she can't count how many times she's thanked the gods above for her running away and being thrown from her horse. Her blue eyed hero has permanently imprinted himself in her heart, and she prays each morning to never lose him.

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Thoughts? :)