Reluctantly, Regina turned away from the magical shield, following the outlaws as they led the way towards Misthaven's borders with Sherwood.
Encroaching on Richard's kingdom was not going to be the wisest of moves, but Regina was sure that the encampment would be well-hidden and as far away from Richard's castle as possible.
As they walked, her castle occasionally came into view, and she found herself slowing down, her mind racing.
"You ready to make camp soon, Regina?"
Regina didn't answer, still watching a plan forming in her mind's eye.
Snow sighed. "You're thinking about Henry, aren't you?"
"I'm always thinking about Henry," Regina murmured. "But I was also thinking …" she turned away from the vista, her eye catching David's as he approached them. "There are tunnels that run under the castle. They may run beneath the spell."
"Which means we can sneak an army inside," David finished.
Regina shook her head, thinking about the numerous traps and pitfalls she had placed in said tunnels. "An army would be detected."
"So how do the tunnels help us?" Snow asked.
"Because it can get me inside," Regina said. "And if I can get inside, then I can lower the shield. Then you can send in your army."
And she would have the time - and privacy - to do what she needed to do, with no meddling stepdaughters in her way.
A screech rent the air, and they all looked up sharply.
The creature was back - or maybe it was a new one - either way, it flapped ominously above them. Charming drew his sword, Snow her bow, Neal's shout sending everyone scattering.
Everyone except one very scared little boy who was now right in the creature's path.
"Papa!"
Robin fought through the crowd to reach him, but he would never get there in time. Without a thought, Regina rushed forwards, scooping the child into her arms and out of harm's way.
The creature made another pass and, with Roland cowering behind her, Regina raised a hand. "Not so fast."
This time, she didn't bother with a fireball, her magic engulfing the beast until it landed in front of her, much smaller and inanimate - a child's stuffed animal.
A monkey.
By the time she turned with the monkey in her hands, Roland was safe in his father's arms, and she gave him a soft smile. "See? Not so scary. And now you have a new toy."
Roland took the monkey with a dimpled smile that melted her heart just a little bit.
"Thank you," Robin breathed, holding his son close.
The genuine gratitude in his voice shook her a little, but, in this moment, they were both parents, and she nodded, understanding too well the fear he had just gone through.
"What the hell was that thing?" David asked.
"The same kind of monster that attacked us on our journey here," Snow said.
"If I didn't know any better," Grumpy said, "I'd say it looked an awful lot like a monkey."
That would explain the shape of Roland's new toy.
"A monkey with wings?" David asked incredulously.
"Yes," Regina said, realisation settling in her mind. "That's exactly what it was."
"Okay, you're acting like that's normal," Neal said.
"Actually it is," Belle said. "But not here. There's only one land that has creatures like that. I've read about it. Oz."
"Oz?" Snow asked. "That's a real place?"
Part of Regina wanted to remind Snow that, in the land they'd just come from, no one believed they were real, but thoughts like that led right back to Henry, so she abstained. "The bookworm's right. It's quite real. And if our simian friend is any indication, then I think we know exactly who's taking up residence in our castle. The wicked witch."
"Are we talking East or West?" Grumpy asked.
"Does it matter?" Snow asked. "Neither one sounds good."
Grumpy shrugged. "Well, one you drop a house on, the other you toss a bucket of water at."
While his wife nodded in concession, David turned back to Regina. "So what exactly are we up against beside green skin and a pointy hat? What did you do to her?"
Regina gave him a dirty look. "This time, nothing. Never met her."
"This isn't a personal vendetta," David said flatly. "Shocking. Okay then, Oz aside, we stick to the original plan. Arm up, then attack. Assuming you can get the shield down."
"You don't need to worry about me," Regina said.
"I'm coming with you," Snow said firmly.
"No, this is a one-woman job," Regina said, already striding away.
"It's the Wicked Witch," Snow protested. "She has flying monkeys - who knows what else."
Regina rolled her eyes, turning to give Snow her full attention. "I don't care if the Lollipop Guild is protecting her. I can lower that shield on my own."
Snow held her gaze for a few minutes, before nodding. "Then we'll be waiting for you on the other side."
Regina nodded back, pivoting on her heel to stride off along the boundary of the protection spell, offering up a silent prayer to the gods that the entrance to the tunnels was on her side of the shield.
Finally, she found what she was looking for - a gigantic boulder that blocked the entrance to the passageway, a boulder that could not possibly be moved by anything other than magic.
Well, there were probably some machines in the Land Without Magic that could manage it, but she didn't have to consider those here.
A pang of grief shot through her heart as she remembered three-year-old Henry's fascination with all machines like that. She vividly remembered taking him down to the beach, chatting away to him, pointing out the seals swimming off-shore, the crabs scuttling about in the rocks, the birds flying overhead, only for him to finally light up with a "Look Mommy - digger!"
Regina shook her head, pushing the memories back and focusing on the boulder. Her magic glowed in her hands, swirling around the rock and slowly lifting it. She lifted it higher than was necessary, taking the opportunity to stretch out her magic the way that a runner might stretch their muscles.
As she turned to place it out of the way, she caught sight of a flame flickering in the trees.
She had been followed after all.
But, as the figure came closer, she realised it wasn't Snow White holding the flaming torch.
It was Robin.
"No," She said firmly.
"No what?" He asked innocently.
"You're not," Regina told him.
"I'm not coming along?" Robin asked. "I do believe I am. I can help."
"I didn't ask for help," Regina said.
"Well, that doesn't mean you won't need it," Robin said. "That flying monkey back there wasn't after my son. It was coming after you."
Regina couldn't deny the shiver that ran through her, whether from fear or the intensity in his gaze she didn't know (and didn't care to figure out). "What makes you think that?"
"The woods are my home," Robin said, not arrogantly but with the certainty of a man confident in his abilities. "I've seen many a hunter stalking for prey. And that beast was coming for you. Roland just happened to be standing in between."
Regina raised an eyebrow, unwilling to admit that he was right, or that the same thought had crossed her own mind. "Your point?"
"That's the second time you've been attacked," Robin said. "The Wicked Witch wants you dead."
Regina laughed. "And what? You think you can stop her if she tries to hurt me?"
Robin shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. But I have to try. You see, despite the fact that neither of us likes it - I owe you a debt."
"Why is that?" Regina asked, frowning.
Robin took a step towards her. "Even though that winged beast wasn't after Roland, he still could have hurt my son. You saved him."
Regina's frown deepened. She could make the argument that she had owed him a debt, given that he had saved them from the flying monkey first.
Of course, she wasn't particularly willing to make that admission.
And she had a feeling that the two of them could stand there arguing the point for hours if she let them.
"Who knew a thief had honour?"
Robin smirked. "Who knew an evil queen had a soft spot for children?"
Despite the name, Regina softened a little, hearing his unspoken acknowledgement that saving Roland had been instinctive, not part of some dark plan.
"Don't get in my way," she said.
Robin gave her a mock bow. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it."
Hesitating just a second more, Regina turned and stepped down into the tunnel, feeling him follow close behind her.
His torch was useful - although she would never admit that out loud - as it freed her own hands from the need for a fireball.
"So where are we headed?" Robin asked in a low voice.
"There's a fire in the courtyard that powers her spell," Regina said. "As long as it burns, the shield will stay up."
"Then we simply need to put it out?" Robin asked.
"I simply need to put it out," Regina corrected. She had other things to do after all, things that did not need someone watching over her shoulder. "You need to stay out of my way." She flung out a hand, stopping him from advancing further, her eyes travelling over the white stepping stones on the floor in front of them. "Step in between them."
Robin raised the torch, the flickering light reflecting off some particularly nasty blades up ahead. "Oh, a nice little surprise."
Regina smirked. "Keeps people like you out."
"People like me?" Robin repeated, sounding offended.
"Thieves," Regina clarified.
"Ah, yes," Robin said with a chuckle. "True. But we aren't all bad, you know."
Regina snorted. "Not when you tell yourself you're stealing from the rich to give to the poor. I may have done bad things in my life, but at least I own it."
"I own my mistakes too," Robin said, and - oh yes - that was offended. As they slipped past the concealed blades, he caught her arm, not tightly, but firmly enough that she stopped. "I hope you didn't let me come with you just so you could walk me into one of these traps. Roland's already lost his mother. I would hate for him to lose his father too."
Regina was torn between curiosity that this man had apparently already realised that his son's happiness was a more effective bargaining chip than his own life, and offence that he apparently thought that she was that unimaginative.
The way his eyes bored into hers, threatening to peel back layers of her defences and see right through her, momentarily throwing her off.
Again.
Good heavens, what is it with this man?
"Well, then, you should have stayed with the others," Regina said, her voice coming out less threatening than she'd intended. Pulling her arm out of his grip, she continued leading the way down the tunnel.
His voice continued to echo in her head.
Roland's already lost his mother.
Regina was certain that the Merry Men had only been in Misthaven briefly.
There had been a break-in at her castle, which had led to her sending her Black Knights after them, but, under her reign, there had never been any need for outlaws to protect the peasantry.
With the exception of those punished for protecting Snow White - rightly or wrongly - they had led far better lives under her leadership than her husband's - something she was quite proud of.
No, the Merry Men operated mainly in Sherwood and Nolansia, until George had been deposed.
So she was certain that Roland's mother - Robin's wife - had not been one of her victims.
But the thought that she might have been bothered her.
Why, she didn't know - after all, one life was nothing in the grand scheme of the damage she had done.
"So Roland's mother," she said casually. "What happened to her?"
Robin sighed. "After our boy was born, I … I couldn't protect her. It was my fault."
Not her then. She was sure if she had been responsible, he wouldn't have thought twice about telling her.
"Like I said," he continued, apparently taking her silence for surprise, rather than relief, "I own my mistakes."
Regina shook her head, about to make a retort, when light up ahead caught her eye and her blood ran cold. "That's not possible."
"What's wrong?" Robin asked, almost colliding with her as she stopped dead without warning.
"That door," Regina whispered. "It's open."
"Perhaps you left it unlocked?" Robin suggested.
He was trying to reassure her, and it almost made her smile, except she hadn't left it unlocked, and what was more …
"I sealed it with blood magic," Regina said, before realising that he probably had no idea what that meant. "I'm the only one who can open it."
"Clearly not," Robin said. "Appears the Wicked Witch is a formidable foe."
That was an understatement.
Slowly Regina moved forwards again, reaching out with her magic to confirm that the room was empty.
It was.
With a sigh, she stepped into the crypt, her footsteps echoing ominously off the walls.
"What exactly was this place?" Robin asked. "Must have been important for you to seal it by blood."
"A crypt," Regina said dryly. "Isn't it obvious?"
Robin let out a surprised chuckle. "Yes, what I meant was - who was it built for?"
This man did not pull his punches.
Regina approached the sarcophagus, running a hand across the top. The answer was Daniel, of course, and then her father.
She was not going to have that conversation with him.
"My mother. Like you, I've lost people I care about." Regina swallowed round the lump that formed in the back of her throat. "More than I'd like to admit."
"Including a child?" Robin asked gently.
Regina looked up sharply, distracted from her reminiscing. "How do you know about that?"
"I saw the way you grabbed Roland back there," Robin said. "Clearly you have the touch of a mother."
Roland had been in her arms for all of thirty seconds, if that, and still he knew.
"I do," Regina conceded softly.
"They're not with us on this trek," Robin said. "What happened to them?"
"He's not dead, if that's what you think," Regina said, her voice breaking. "He's just … lost to me. Forever."
She turned away, unwilling to allow him to see the tears that sparkled in her eyes, when he had already seen far too much without even really seeming to look at all.
"If the Wicked Witch is powerful enough to break blood magic," Robin said, apparently seeing her wish to change the subject away from Henry, "perhaps we should reconsider this plan."
"I don't care how powerful this witch is," Regina said darkly. "I have to go through with this plan."
He looked at her for a second longer and she found herself holding her breath, hoping that he could not somehow tell from the set of her shoulders that her plan and his plan were certainly not the same thing.
But he simply nodded, holding out the torch. "I doubt we'll need this anymore. If you don't mind, milady?"
"It's 'Your Majesty'," Regina grumbled, but she waved her hand regardless, dousing the flame.
"Normally I'd say 'ladies first," Robin said, setting the torch aside, "but …"
"But given that we're dealing with a witch and you don't have an ounce of magic in you," Regina interrupted, "you're not really going to do the chivalrously idiotic thing and insist you go first, are you?"
To her surprise, Robin's lips twitched in a smirk that was very definitely not attractive.
"Not at all, Your Majesty," he said, clearly mocking her for her insistence. "Ladies first."
Regina sniffed, turning on her heel to enter the rest of the castle, mentally scolding herself. The pain of losing Henry had been dampened somewhat, since Robin had joined her, distracting her with their bickering.
What kind of a mother was she, that a pretty face and a set of dimples had allowed her to forget her grief?
No, her plan had to be carried out.
So, instead of heading straight for the courtyard, she led the way up to her bedchamber, the same one she had slept in since her first night in the castle, where she had grieved Daniel, where she had planned her revenge, her sanctuary from her husband.
The witch had been here, that much was obvious as soon as she had pushed the doors open. Her closet was open, her dresses disturbed, her dressing table a mess.
"Make yourself useful," she said sharply. "Keep watch."
With any luck, he would take the instruction seriously and pay no attention to what she was doing.
The box at the back of her dressing table had been opened, but its contents undisturbed. The witch had clearly been more interested in her jewellery than anything else.
The Wicked Witch … reduced to a common thief.
The thought still made Regina smirk, even as she mixed together the carefully gathered ingredients.
"What is that?"
Regina rolled her eyes. Of course he couldn't follow orders. "Nothing that concerns you."
He took a few steps towards her, and then there was a noise she couldn't place. "I won't ask you again. What is that?"
The threat in his voice sent a frisson down his spine and she glanced over to see that he had strung his bow and had an arrow aimed at her.
Indignation, rather than fear, flooded through her and she automatically reached for her magic, an invisible hand grasping him around the throat. "How dare you threaten me in my own castle?!"
Her magical grip tightened, and he was struggling to breath, gasping with each attempt, but still his aim held true. "Even if you choke the life out of me, this arrow will still leave my bow. And trust me - I never miss. Now what manner of dark potion are you making?"
Regina narrowed her eyes. She was threatening to kill him, and yet he still hadn't made the shot, despite the fact that he obviously didn't trust her.
She could let him.
What did it matter, if the end of her pain came with her death, or an eternal sleep?
But then, if she died now, she would definitely never see Henry again.
At least with her plan, there was a chance, however remote.
So she released her hold, causing him to stumble with surprise. "A sleeping curse."
Robin lowered his bow. "The kind you used on Snow White."
"That spell came from Maleficent," Regina said. "I finally learned how to make one of my own."
"This spell," Robin said. "This is why you wanted to come to the castle."
Regina shrugged. "Ingredients like these are hard to come by, especially when you have Snow White breathing down your neck every second of the day."
"That was your plan?" Robin asked, sounding incredulous. "To use it on the witch?"
Regina laughed. "The witch? I don't care about her."
"Then who do you plan to use it on?" Robin asked warily.
"Don't worry," Regina said, running a hand over her hair and drawing out a hairpin. "No one you'll miss. No one anyone will miss," she added softly, treating the pin with the potion.
"This is about your son, isn't it?" Robin asked. "I can't let you do this."
Regina raised a hand, halting him in his tracks as he moved towards her. "It's a good thing you don't have a say in the matter."
"I know how you feel, Regina."
The use of her given name gave her pause and she turned to face him, momentarily stunned by the emotion in his eyes.
"I doubt that," she said coolly.
"When I lost my wife," Robin said softly. "I felt that there was no reason to go on. But then I found one. My son."
Regina smiled sadly. "That's where you and I are different. I already lost Henry. I already lost the one thing I care about."
"That doesn't mean you won't find a new reason," Robin said. "We all get a second chance, Regina. You just have to open your eyes to see it."
For a second, Regina allowed herself to believe him, to believe in a life where she and Snow ruled together, where she could be the queen she always wanted to be.
Allowed herself to believe that maybe the concern in Robin's eyes was coming from something else, that maybe in time he could be that second chance.
The thought stopped her cold.
Even if Robin Hood could somehow see past everything she had done in her past to see the woman she wanted to be, she had to admit that he deserved someone far less broken than her.
She'd only just met the man anyway.
"It's too bad mine will be closed."
"So that's it?" Robin asked, sounding … angry? "You just want to give up?"
"This isn't an end," Regina said, finding herself trying to reassure him. "It's an eternal middle. This curse can be broken by the only true love in my life, and the only reason I would even want to wake. My son."
"Regina, listen to me," Robin said urgently, fighting with her spell as she strode past him. "This is a mistake."
"Don't worry," Regina said. "I'll keep my word. I'll lower the protection spell so that Snow and Charming can be victorious." She rolled her eyes, suddenly feeling very tired, even without the curse. "But then … Then I go to sleep."
A sister.
She had a sister.
How many times as a child had she wished for an older sister - yes, to play with, but also to protect her from their mother's wrath.
And this whole time, she'd had one.
Zelena had knocked the hairpin from her hands before she'd had a chance to use it, but it hardly mattered now.
She recognised in her sister the desperate need for vengeance, the kind that no words or reasoning could break through - after all, it had taken her a curse, a new realm, a child, three decades and a bout of torture before she finally conceded that Snow was not at fault for Daniel.
Allowing happiness to numb her grief might feel like a betrayal of her son, but this - this was not happiness, but it was purpose.
And that was all she needed.
She had almost forgotten that she had left Robin stuck to the floor, but there he was.
"You didn't go through with it?"
Regina almost - almost - faltered in her stride, taken aback once more by the emotion in his voice. "You were right," she admitted, freeing him with a flick of her fingers. "The sleeping curse wasn't the answer. As you said, I just needed to find something to live for."
"And you found it?" Robin asked. "What?"
Regina smiled. "The one thing I haven't had in a very long time. Someone to destroy."
His relieved smile wavered just a little. "The witch?"
"She's gone," Regina said, replacing her spell ingredients. "The army will be here momentarily, but they're really not needed. She took off. Apparently just wanted to mess with my head."
"And the villages?" Robin asked. "The people trapped?"
"I said the villages had disappeared," Regina said. "Not the villagers. Everyone in those villages were transported to the other realm with the curse. Where they ended up, I don't know. Belle was here in the castle and she landed with us, so I'm guessing that anyone who left from within the protection spell was returned outside it. They should be fine."
"That doesn't help them with their homes," Robin said, "or their livelihood."
Regina sighed. "Then we'll have to provide them sanctuary until we can figure it out. Now if you don't mind, it's been a ridiculously long day, so go and meet them and give them the good news."
If Robin chafed at being given orders, he didn't show it, merely nodded and showed himself out.
Alone, Regina heaved another sigh, beginning to remove the rest of the pins from her hair. She had forgotten just how much pressure those elaborate hairstyles put on her.
Curl by curl, her dark locks tumbled down over her shoulders.
Downstairs, she could hear the noise of an army arriving, followed by the joyful sounds of a celebratory homecoming.
She should go down, she knew, and present the 'united front' that Snow so wanted them to show.
But she was in no mood to play nice with idiots.
There was a soft, familiar tap at her door, and she smiled despite herself. "Come in, Ivy."
Ivy entered, followed by Snow and Charming, and Regina braced herself for a scolding for the sleeping curse.
"She's gone?" David asked instead.
"Her name's Zelena," Regina said, rising to her feet. "Apparently she's my half-sister and, no, I didn't know. Apparently it's my fault that Mother abandoned her and Rumple used me to cast the curse, and I must suffer for it."
Snow looked worried. "What's she going to do?"
"I dread to think," Regina said. "But she's gone for now. I'll renew the protection spell so she can't reenter."
"You haven't done that already?" David asked.
Regina gave him a dirty look. "Magic takes energy. It took a lot of mine to override the spell. I need a moment to breathe before I can do it."
"Right," David said, having the decency to look sheepish. "Of course."
"Are you coming to dinner?" Snow asked. "Granny's going to see what she can scrounge up from the pantry."
"Mrs Harper's not happy," Ivy added.
"Well, Mrs Harper should realise that Granny likes feeding people," Regina said. "The pantry should be stocked; I put a preservation charm before I left. On saying that, the witch seems to have helped herself to at least one of my dresses, so who knows the damage she's done downstairs. And, no, I'm not coming to dinner. I've done a lot of magic today and I'm exhausted."
"Of course," Snow said softly. "We'll leave you in peace. We'll see you for breakfast tomorrow?"
Regina nodded. "You will."
"Good." Snow smiled brightly, but it was still tainted with concern. "Goodnight, Regina."
"Goodnight dear," Regina said absently, as the couple left. "Now, Ivy, you know Ruby was right - you don't have to return to service if you don't want to."
"But I do," Ivy said firmly. "It's what I know how to do here; there aren't opportunities the way there were in Storybrooke. Besides, no offence, Your Majesty, but can you really get out of that dress by yourself?"
Regina paused, reaching around to check her corset laces. "… No."
"I didn't think so," Ivy said, rolling up her sleeves. "May I?"
Regina nodded. "Just loosen it up for me please, and lay out my nightgown. I can take it from here."
"Of course," Ivy said, deftly unlacing the corset. "Would you like a wake-up call tomorrow morning?"
Regina nodded. "As usual. But I'll take breakfast with the others."
"Of course." Ivy turned away, beginning to collect the clothes that Zelena had left all over the floor, placing one of the nightgowns on the bed. "Shall I put these through the laundry?"
Regina grimaced. "No, just leave them. I'll sort them tomorrow with magic. No washing machines here."
Ivy sighed. "Right. Forgot about that. Is there anything else I can do for you this evening?"
Regina began to shake her head, then paused. "Actually yes. Can you check that the rooms I used for magic and make sure that the doors are locked, and then just warn our Merry Men that they're locked for a reason? Especially the child. Something tells me he likes to explore."
"Of course Your Majesty," Ivy said. "Should I direct Princess Snow to the archives as well?"
"If she asks," Regina said stifling a yawn. "That will be all."
Ivy nodded with a curtsey. "Good night, ma'am."
Once she was gone, Regina pulled the rest of her dress off, not bothering to hang it up. She could sort it with the rest of her - remaining - dresses in the morning. She put on her nightgown and slipped into bed, the telltale headache of magic overuse brewing behind her left eye.
What she wouldn't give for an aspirin right now.
With a sigh, she rolled over, trying to get comfortable, but her gaze fell on the nightstand, painfully bereft of the framed picture of herself and Henry that sat on her bedside table in Storybrooke.
A lump formed in her throat once more.
She would never see her son again.
Unless …
She sat up, ignoring the pain in her head, fumbling for the locket around her neck.
The locket itself had travelled with her from Storybrooke, because it had been hers before the curse, but maybe - just maybe - her love for Henry had allowed …
It had.
Opening the locket revealed two photographs, one of Henry when he was a baby, and one at his tenth birthday, with both of them blowing out the candles on his cake.
The last birthday before he learned about the curse and everything fell to pieces around her.
But that didn't matter right now.
She could, at least, look at her little prince whenever she wanted, even if she would never speak to him or hold him again, or see him grow up into the wonderful man she knew he would become.
That, at least, was more than she had five minutes ago.
She settled down again, clutching the locket to her heart, a soft smile contradicting the tears that slipped down her cheeks.
She drifted off to sleep thinking about her son, but the last stray thought that crept in was that somehow, for some reason, Snow never did bring up that sleeping curse.