Hello everyone! First of all, I am so sorry for that delay, and so I'm going to make a summary of the previous chapter, because it's been quite a while. In chapter 3, Regina saves Roland, and a lot of discussions ensue. She leaves, alone, for the castle.
Second, I really enjoyed writing that chapter, and I hope you'll enjoy it too.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, all belongs to ABC, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. I don't make any money out of this story.
And now, enjoy this chapter, which was long overdue! :)
Chapter 4: You Have Changed
Robin suddenly woke up. He wondered what had happened, and his first reflex was to turn towards his son, who was still sleeping peacefully. He listened more attentively to the silence surrounding him, and that's when he heard it. A continuous scratch, like a quill on parchment. He frowned. Who was it? Who would write a letter in the middle of the night?
When the noise stopped, he quickly got up and out of the tent. The first thing he saw was the guard standing by the trees, who seemed relaxed (maybe a little too relaxed), and then he turned around and saw someone disappearing into the trees. He had a feeling he knew who it was.
He hesitated and looked back at the tent. His son would certainly be worried if he woke up and discovered his father was no longer here with him. Did he have the right to leave him here, alone, just to follow a woman he didn't even know two days ago? And then, it occurred to him that Roland wasn't alone: he had John, and Baelfire now, and they were both sleeping nearby. He was sure his son would find them if he needed to.
He nodded for himself and whispered to the night, "Goodbye, Roland" before turning away from the tents and disappearing into the forest.
He let his eyes adapt to the lack of light under the canopy, and then followed Regina's tracks. He was a great hunter, but one of the things he wasn't used to was hunting at night. He tried his best, of course, but he quickly lost track of the queen. He sighed and concentrated. He probably didn't even need his sight to track her down, just his hearing.
A few moments later, he heard a twig snap and smiled triumphantly. He followed the noises and suddenly stumbled in another clearing. This one was covered in moss, and the rock in its centre had an opening which seemed to lead down into a tunnel. And just in front of this entrance stood Regina… who was now looking at him like she wanted to strangle him, or set him on fire, or both.
"What are you doing here?" she seethed. "You're supposed to be asleep!"
"So are you," he answered mockingly. "And I'm pretty sure this certainly wasn't part of the plan."
"The plan? You had no plan! At least I can do something to stop… whoever it is that took the castle!"
He rolled his eyes. He had never known a woman so… infuriating in his whole life! Even Marian, who was very stubborn, wasn't as irritating as her!
Thinking about his wife darkened his mood. And apparently, Regina noticed it, because she looked at him, frowning.
"What's happening?" she asked more gently.
"Nothing."
She stayed there for a long time, looking at him with her deep dark eyes, and then she sighed and stepped down into the tunnel, without any warning… and any light. He followed her and discovered she was waiting for him, a fireball in her hand shedding light on her face.
"If you want to come, don't get in my way," she warned him.
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it."
She was ready to go down the tunnel when she seemed to remember something.
"And follow me closely, in my exact steps. I wouldn't want Roland to become an orphan."
He nodded, though she didn't see him because she had already turned away from him.
He followed her in her exact steps, just as she had commanded, and they walked in silence for a few moments, before she asked him again, "What happened back there?"
"Nothing important."
He couldn't tell her the truth. He had the feeling she wouldn't take it well. Maybe she'd feel guilty, maybe…
"You're very stubborn, you know that?" she asked him in a lighter tone.
"One of my many qualities," he answered jokingly, and she rolled her eyes in response. "Do you know you are very, very infuriating, milady?"
She breathed out a little laugh, and then asked him (ordered him would be the correct word), "I want to know what happened. Even if I get the feeling I won't like it. Tell me, now."
"You don't want to know what happened, Regina."
"Was it… I don't know, maybe you were upset because your plan sucked."
Sucked? he asked himself. Probably a bad thing though.
"No, it's more than that, obviously," she continued without noticing his confusion. "Why wouldn't I want to know you were upset because of this?"
"It was Marian," he quickly let out before she could continue her annoying rant.
Her steps faltered a little and she guessed, "Your wife."
"Yes, my wife."
"Why were you thinking about her?"
"Because she was quite stubborn as well. Not as much as you, from what I can tell, but… Sometimes she was too stubborn for her own good."
She hummed and then continued her interrogation, asking, "What happened to Marian?"
He didn't answer right away, and they continued to walk. She didn't press the matter, he noticed, and he thought maybe he could get away without answering. But would it be fair to Regina? Perhaps she needed to learn the truth now, and not later.
He opened his mouth to finally answer when she spoke up again.
"Was it me?" she asked, her voice weaker than before.
He stayed silent, and she deduced, "It was me."
Robin didn't deny and she nodded, her shoulders tense. He tried to reassure her, calling out her name in a gentle whisper, but she interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.
"Why are you helping me if I killed your wife?"
"I know I should hate you, but… I have the feeling that you have changed. And you dying will not bring her back, will not bring anyone back."
She looked like she wasn't convinced by what he was saying, but didn't have time to reply before they both heard a clack.
His reflexes allowed him to seize Regina's arms and pull her against him, just before the trap was activated and metal spears surged out of the ground at the exact place where Regina was standing two seconds before.
He heard her exhale and she briefly leaned into him before she let go of him. She had instinctively grabbed his arm, and when she let her hand fall back at her side, he let go of her as well.
"Thank you," she just said.
She turned towards the pikes and waved her hand at them, making them vanish into thin air.
He took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. And then he asked her the question that was on the tip of his tongue for a whole minute now.
"Was this trap even supposed to be here?"
"No."
A short reply, but very clear. A reply that meant that this trap could very well be the first of other unexpected traps. He hoped being on their guard would be enough to escape death, or mortal injuries.
When Regina started walking again, he followed her.
Surprisingly enough, they didn't cross any other unwanted traps. They were now waiting in front of an open door, which was certainly supposed to be closed, considering Regina's wide eyes.
"This door wasn't supposed to be open… was it?" he asked.
She shook her head silently and deduced, "The thief, no offense, entered the castle from the underground tunnels."
"Or this scenery's just meant to make you think so, and it's actually another trap," he deadpanned. "Is there any kind of trap in this room?"
She just ordered "Follow my exact steps" as if he hadn't done this from the second they had entered the tunnel, and she stepped through the open door, holding her dress up so it didn't graze the ground. He obeyed her order and soon they were in the castle, and they luckily hadn't stepped into another unexpected trap.
Seeing just the entrance hall seemed to stir memories in the former queen, memories she didn't necessarily want to remember. She shook her head to get rid of them.
They both silently stood in the great hall for a few minutes, until they heard a noise upstairs. Regina immediately started to walk hurriedly towards the stairs, but he held her back, calling her name.
"What?" she whispered. "The invader's probably there!"
"You have to be more careful, Regina," he tried to calm her down. "Besides, what's so important about this castle that you're willing to risk your life for it? This is where you've committed all sorts of atrocities, and –"
"And where my family is," she cut him off, her glare fixed on him until she lowered her eyes and continued more calmly, "We'll talk later."
With that final sentence, she started walking towards the stairs. At least she had followed part of his advice: she walked more calmly now, she was more suspicious.
He followed her up the stairs, into what seemed to be her former chambers. There was no sign of someone living there, and yet, even after all these years, there was no sign of dust in the room.
"Someone was here just minutes ago," Regina informed him. "Someone capable of doing magic. I can feel it."
"Should we worry then?" he asked without thinking.
She looked at him for a few seconds before she barked out a laugh.
"Oh, please. Do you remember who's with you? The Evil Queen!"
"You don't seem so evil anymore," he reminded her.
She just shook her head. Perhaps she wasn't evil anymore, but whoever invaded the castle would have to pay for their mistake, seeing her attitude.
She wandered around the room and let her fingers brush the surface of her vanity. A small smile formed on her lips and Robin felt the urge to comfort her. But before he could say or do anything, she seemed to regain her composure. She straightened her shoulders and regained a perfectly neutral expression.
He looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw something in her eyes that greatly worried him.
"Regina? What are you about to do?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
"I'm sorry… Robin."
The way his name sounded on her lips was so terribly… strange. Before he could react, she waved her hand at him and he found himself struggling to move.
"Regina?" he called out once more, horrified when he saw her sitting down and pulling a hairpin out of her complicated hairstyle.
Then, she unlaced a necklace he hadn't noticed before. At the end of the necklace was a little flask with blue liquid inside.
"This is a sleeping curse," she told him, her dark eyes fixed intently on the recipient. "It won't do any harm to me, I'll just… sleep."
He stared at her, understanding.
"That was your plan all along," he said, more calmly than he felt.
"Why do you think I wanted to come here alone?" she asked, and he was not sure she wanted an answer, so he stayed silent.
He watched her, helpless, as she poured some of the blue liquid on the tip of the pin. And just when she was going to pierce her skin, he held her back.
He said, "You do know this is not what your son would have wanted?"
"It doesn't matter! Don't you get it? I'll never see him again anyway!"
She was almost screaming by the end of her sentence, anger filling her tone.
"Maybe you will. Maybe you'll get a second chance with him," he tried to comfort her. "Everyone can get a second chance, Regina. You just have to open your eyes to see it."
After a long moment she spent studying him, she put down the hairpin and stood up, approaching him slowly.
"I don't get it," she thought out loud. "Why are you so desperate to help me after all my wrongdoings?"
"People can change. And I believe that you have changed."
"How can you be so sure?"
Such uncertainty coming from her was… startling, to say the least, but he answered anyway, "Well, you haven't killed me, a thief, yet. So there's still hope for you."
He smiled and she replied with a little smile of her own. Then she waved her hand and he was suddenly free to move again. He walked towards the vanity and grabbed the flask before heading for the balcony.
"What do you think you're doing, exactly?"
This time, the queen's voice was icy. He wondered how she could be so lunatic.
"Destroying this," he answered anyway. "You won't need it anymore… will you?"
She looked hesitant, but then she nodded her agreement, and just when he was about to turn to throw it away…
Pain, Robin thought. How can I be in so much pain?
I hope you enjoyed that chapter, as much as I enjoyed writing it! But please, tell me if any characters look OOC, so I may be able to fix it.
I also want to thank everyone that has read, favourited, followed and reviewed my story, it means so much to me! :)
And lastly, I won't make any promises as for when the next chapter will be out, because, as you can see, it seems I can't respect them (and I really should respect them, so I'm sorry again).