Chapter 2:
Regina walks out of the dressing room in a sheer lace tulle ball gown wedding dress.
"You look marvelous, Darling!" Ella Vil praises. "I'm sure your mother will approve."
Regina gives an acknowledging smile.
"Oh, come on. What's with the face?"
"Nothing," Regina states nonchalantly.
"Oh please Regina, I've known you since you were "fresh meat" in high school and your unenthusiasm is ruining my gorgeously designed dress. So out with it."
She isn't wrong, Regina thinks. When Ella Vil, Matilda Drago, and Vanessa Triton were seniors in high school they took Regina under theirs when she was a freshman. They took a liking for the girl during an incident and they realized that Regina had life similarly fucked up and complicated as theirs. The three seniors wanted Regina to succeed so they guided her through Advanced Placement (AP), Honors, and Model United Nations (MUN) classes.
Regina sighs deeply, "Sorry," she apologizes quickly.
"Nu-uh," Ella calls out waving her pointer finger at Regina. "You're not going to pull that sad puppy crap."
Regina shuffles back inside the dressing room followed by Ella helping her out of the dress.
"Darling, I haven't gotten all day. Why don't you just spill."
"Nothing," Regina responds exasperatedly.
Ella was didn't want to go forward with this back and forth thing and she knew that if Regina didn't want to speak only one person knew how to.
"Okay, have it your way," she says smirking. "We could've done this the easy way, but it looks like I'll have to bring my reinforcements."
Regina, standing in the back only in her underwear tries to fiddle her clothes on as quickly as possible while Ella taps on her phone trying to contact someone.
"Hello, Darling." Regina hears from Ella.
Regina's head perks up knowing exactly who she called.
"Well I was having our sweet ol' Regina try on her wedding dress at my shop but it seems we have a slight issue here."
There's a short pause while the person on the other line speaks and Regina is currently trying to zip up the back of her dress.
"Well, we all know if she's going to confide to someone it's only you or the other blonde and I'd much rather have you than the latter."
A small grin rests on Ella's face once the call ends.
Regina finally fully clothed faces Ella and asks, "What did Mal say?"
"She said she'll be here in 30 minutes and will gladly take you out for lunch to have a small catch up."
"Ella!" Regina scolds.
"Be at River Belle Terrace by 2 and I'll have the dress delivered to your home a week before the wedding. If there's going to be one," whispering the last one underneath her breath.
Regina meets Mal at the River Belle Terrace and after a couple of small talk and catching up Mal asks the inevitable.
"Tell me, what's going?" Mal asks straightforward.
Regina lets out a deep breath before speaking. "Remember a couple years ago when I had that dream?"
Mal rolls her eyes. "You mean the man with the lion tattoo."
Regina stares at Mal innocently, a smile appearing on her face.
"Regina!" Mal scolds a little louder than she intends to. Some patrons around them turn to look. Mal glares look back. "Nothing to see here," she tells them.
Mal turns her attention back to Regina and asks her what the hell was she doing.
"Honestly, I don't know alright," Regina admits.
"Regina, what are you trying to do?" Mal questions. "This isn't some fairytale where someone is going to arrive at your house in a white horse and profess his love for you then you'll both run away to a castle and live happily ever after."
"That's not what happened in my dream and that's not what I want Mal."
Mal cocks her head waiting for her to go on.
"In my dream, he was Robin Hood and I was the Evil Queen. I was being dragged by a winged Monkey and he saved me," she smiles at the memory. She was never able to remember his face but she did remember his tattoo.
"Milady, you're injured," he states handing her a hand to help her get up.
"It's your majesty," I say as I eye him from head to toe. "And I'm fine."
Still looking at me on the floor and his hand still put forward, "a simple thank you would suffice," he rebuts,
"I didn't ask for your help."
In all honesty, Regina barely remembers the dream, the majority of what she can remember was him following her around trying to protect her from the Wicked Witch. He was her soulmate.
Mal snaps her out of her deep thought, "Look at me, you can keep searching for this guy-"
"My soulmate." Regina pushes.
"This guy," Mal restates, "or you can get over a man you've never met and go marry the man that's always been there for you."
Regina starts to ponder between her options.
Mal reaches for Regina's hand noticing the questioning looks.
"You know that I love you and that no man will ever be good enough for me when it comes to you, but I think it's absurd that you're giving up Daniel to be with someone you don't even know that exists. In times today, you will never be able to find someone as perfect and caring as Daniel."
Regina takes her hand back and looks down at her lap. She guesses that Mal was right, Daniel is perfect in every way. He's part of her social class, they move around the same circle, he's her best friend, and he's sweet and kind. But, how come she feels like something isn't right. No matter how she tries she can't give her all to him.
Walking out of the place with Mal she accidentally bumps a blonde woman with a big bun on her head.
"Sorry," Regina mutters.
"Wait!" the dainty blonde calls out. "You're troubled aren't you."
Regina gives a look of surprise. "Excuse me," she asks.
The woman continues to examine Regina, looking at her intensely. "It's about a man, well men to be exact," she corrects.
Mal has had enough of the hocus pocus and tells Regina that they should leave while tugging on her arm like a child.
"No don't. He's the man destined for you." Regina turns to look at the woman again. "He should be the only one, he's your soulmate."
Regina smiles eagerly, "who?" she asks. "Which man?"
"Who else do you think, Regina. It's Daniel. He's the only one," Mal calls out.
"No!" The other blonde shouts. "It's not him."
"What do you mean it's not him?" Regina and her best friend ask in unison.
"It has to be Daniel. Daniel is the only man Regina has been with. They're practically destined to be with each other," Mal explains.
"It's not him."
"It's Daniel."
"It's not him."
"It's DANIEL."
"It's not HIM!"
"That's enough!" Regina calls at the both of them.
The dainty blonde looks at the brunette woman. "This isn't going to go anywhere because I know you have doubts, but I also know that whatever you feel or this Daniel guy is only half of what you can feel for your soulmate."
Regina nods her head because someone, a complete stranger, finally understands the way she was feeling.
Here's my card, the woman hands her. "The name is Katherine Bell. Tink for short."
"Tinker Bell?" Mal mocks, "That's your name."
"Yes, and it's quite cute if you ask anyone."
Regina lets out a small giggle.
"Call me if you ever want to discuss your soulmate," she says making sure there was an emphasis on the last word before walking away.
Regina examines the card carefully.
"You honestly can't believe that pixie fairy, Regina?" Mal questions.
Lying, "No, of course not. That's absurd." she answers.
In another part of the city, Robin finds a sleeping Marian peacefully sleeping on their bed. He slowly leans on the door frame just watching her. Her chest steadily going up and down with her even breathing. Her light snores echoing the walls of the room.
He felt a small squeeze in his heart. He knows what he needs to do. He needs to let Marian go so she can blossom into the woman he knows she could be, no matter how much it might hurt.
Thoughts?