A few days later Regina was in her bedchamber pacing as she debated in her mind the decision she had made when she first found out about the baby. Her body was healed as much as she wanted it to be so she had decided to take the memory loss potion so the pain of the baby and the pain the baby's father had caused would disappear.
"Your majesty are you sure you want to take the potion?" Mildred asked as she came into the room and saw the indecision on the Queen's face. She knew the baby's loss had affected her more than she cared to admit.
"Its the only way to make this all go away." Regina said knowing this was the best decision for herself.
"But your majesty as painful the decision to give your baby away, don't you want to remember that you are his real mother?" Mildred asked knowing this decision was wrong for the Queen.
"Its because of him that I have to forget, every moment since I gave him up has been a huge void in my life. You were right all along, I want nothing more than to hold him and nurse him and wake up in the middle of the night to rock him when he cries." Regina said as she wiped the tears from her face. "See this is why I have to forget him. I can't keep living my life in this much pain from his loss."
"And his father I assume?" Mildred asked as she saw the anger flash in Regina's eyes and instantly regretted her poor choice of words. Mildred wished she knew what had happened between them, she knew whatever it was that had happened must of been huge for Regina to be so upset.
"His father is dead to me. That is the one thing I wished I could remember so that I could make sure he pays for what he did to me." Regina said as she went to her table and removed the vial which held the potion.
"Your majesty there is one thing I think you should know about your son." Mildred said as Regina turned her head to look at her.
"And what is that?" Regina asked knowing whatever she was about to hear was going to hurt more.
"He has a little birthmark on his right arm with the same design as yours." Mildred said as Regina looked down at the little feather on her arm. This news was not going to help her now, she had let some thoughts of going to get her son back from the couple who had him but something had stopped her. That is why she had to hurry up and take the potion before she loss the will not to.
"I need to be alone now." Regina said as she closed her eyes to let her mind clear.
"As you wish your majesty." Mildred said as she turned to leave the room.
"Mildred." Regina said as Mildred stopped and turned to look at Regina. "Thank you for helping me through this." Regina said as Mildred nodded her head and left the room.
"Now only one thing left to do before taking the potion." Regina said as she waved her hand and removed any milk her breasts held. She had to remove anything that would make her question what had happened to her these last few months. She took the vial and removed the cork and and held the opening to her lips before she swallowed it whole. It tasted horrid but she knew it would do the trick to ease her grief. She went to her bed and laid down to let the potion take its affect. Once she woke everything would be like it was always meant to be, her all closed her eyes and as she was almost asleep the image she had tried to keep out of her mind was there. His face with his piercing blue eyes that she thought would bring her the happiness she had wanted since Daniel had died. Robin.
At the Hood house Marian was walking around with a crying Roland, nothing she did would would stop him from crying and she had gotten very little sleep as it seemed Roland did not like being here for some reason. The only time Roland was calm was when he was in Robin's arms. Robin was out hunting with John right now and she looked forward to his return.
"You must be missing your mother. But Roland I will be the best mother you could ask for." Marian said as that only seemed to increase his unease and his cries intensified. She was about to start speaking to Roland more when she started to cough, they were deep lung crushing coughs that went on for several moments before finally stopping.
"Roland just give me a chance to be your mother please." Marian said as just then the door opened and Robin walked in.
"He's upset again?" Robin asked as he put his things down and cleaned up before going over to Marian.
"Want me to try?" Robin asked as Marian handed Roland over to Robin.
"There, there is no need for all this noise now is there." Robin said as Roland immediately stopped crying upon being held by his father. "Now that is my little boy."
"He hates me." Marian said barely audible but Robin still heard it and frowned at her words.
"Marian he does not hate you, he is just cranky right now." Robin said as he looked down at his son's perfect little face.
"Its not crankiness Robin, he truly doesn't like me. He always is good when he is in your arms but other than that he is always crying with me." Marian said as she wondered if Roland knew somehow she was not his real mother. But that didn't make any sense since Robin was not his father. She would have to try to talk to the dark one some time and see what he knew about Roland's parents and see if he could give her any insight about why Roland was acting like this.
"Why don't you go lay down for awhile and I'll watch him." Robin offered because he knew Marian was exhausted. She had been ill during the pregnancy and he didn't want her to become sick again after Roland's birth. Having a newborn was hard enough but having a newborn with a mother who was still recovering from the illness she had during the pregnancy was even worse.
"If you are sure, that sounds like a great idea. Thank you." Marian said as she started to walk to their bedroom when she started to cough over and over again.
"Marian are you alright? Do you need me to fetch a healer?" Robin asked as he shifted Roland to his shoulder. His concern was evident on his face.
"No, no i'm alright. I just need some water." Marian said as she poured her some water and was wiping her mouth before drinking when she noticed on the rag spots of blood. Her fear was increasing that the illness she had suffered as a child was back and this time it would end her life. She drank the water which seemed to end the fits of coughing for her as she went into their bedroom and sat on the bed and started to cry.
"I just wanted more time with Robin and our baby." Marian said to an empty room. Not that she wanted Robin in here because it would just worry him and she knew there was nothing he nor anyone could do to stop this. She knew her fate and had been prepared to spend her life alone as long as it was. That was until she had met Robin and fell in love with him, but a part of her felt that she was cheating him out of having someone to grow old with and the chance of a family as well. But now thanks to the dark one he would at least have a son to raise.
Robin was walking his son around the other room and he didn't want to admit much to Marian but he did find it off that his son only seemed to be calm when he was in his arms. Marian was his mother and they should be bonding but Roland was not having any of it. Robin was not going to voice his fears to Marian because he knew it would only upset her more to think her son wanted nothing to do with her.
Now his fear was growing because of Marian's poor health right now, he knew women who took longer to recover after childbirth but was tempted to bring a healer no matter what Marian said. Plus maybe a healer could give some advice on how Marian would bond with Roland more. He was still deep in his thoughts when he heard a knock on his door, he walked over to the door and opened it.
"Robin." Little John said.
"John is there something wrong?" Robin asked.
"We have news that the Queen's dark knights are circling not too far from here searching for Snow White. Is this little Roland?" John asked as he saw the little boy in his father's arms.
"Yes, this is the newest member of the merry men." Robin said as he handed Roland over to his Uncle John.
"I must say he looks just like you Robin, poor lad." John said as both men chuckled at this. "Let's hope he has more sense than his father."
"On that we both agree, so they are getting close to finding our hiding places." Robin said as he pondered on what their next moves could be.
"Yes they are less than a days ride to being right here in Sherwood Forest." John said as he continued to hold little Roland who seemed fascinated by his big Uncle John.
"We have to lead them away before they get here. Summon the rest of the men and we will have a meeting to go over our plans." Robin said as he paced back and forth as he spoke.
"I will have them ready for it." John said as he handed Roland back to his father.
"Marian is resting as she has not been feeling well since the birth so i'm giving her some time to sleep. Once she is awake i'll be on my way." Robin said as John nodded and was about to leave when he noticed something on Roland's arm.
"Robin what sort of mark is this?" John asked as he held Roland's little right arm.
"I've never noticed it before. It looks like a birthmark of a small feather." Robin said as he looked at his son's arm closely. "That's strange neither Marian nor myself have a birthmark."
"Well maybe some member of his family did somewhere down the line." John said as he nodded and left. Robin turned and closed the door behind him and walked back into the house.
"Now don't you worry my little man, I promise that Evil Queen will not get her hands on you." Robin said as he promised his son. Robin had never had any fear for himself against the black knights but now with his boy born, the fear he never felt was there because he did not want to leave his son without a father. He had hope for his little boy's future that did not include him being a thief like himself. He wanted Roland to know what it was like to go into a town and not have to be on the run from anyone chasing after him.
Robin looked at Roland and saw that his son was starting to move around a lot which signaled he was getting hungry. Robin prepared the goat's milk as Marian for some reason her milk had not come in yet which Robin just put down to her illness. Robin sat down and fed Roland as he drifted off to sleep again in his arms. Robin then walked to the bedroom and placed Roland in his cradle that he had made himself for his son. He looked down at his son and smiled as he couldn't imagine life now without him in it. Robin then turned and walked to where Marian was asleep on the bed.
"Marian." Robin said as he stood beside the bed.
"Robin what is it?" Marian asked as she woke up slightly.
"I have to go meet with the men for awhile but I'll be back later." Robin said.
"Where is Roland?" Marian asked.
"He is asleep in his cradle and he has been fed. Don't worry I'll be back soon." Robin said as he kissed Marian's forehead before leaving the bedroom and gathering his bow and arrow and heading to the meeting.
Marian laid on the bed for awhile longer before she decided to get up and checked on Roland who was still asleep in his cradle. But upon her feet hitting the floor the room shifted for her and she had to sit back down and let her head stop spinning. She rubbed her head trying to stop the pain and just as soon as she felt a little better the aching coughs started again and she coughed the huge amounts of red blood once again. She knew the illness she had suffered through much of her life was taking a huge toll on her body. Once they finally stopped she got back to her feet, slowly this time and checked on Roland who was still asleep and went into the kitchen to try to start cooking.
An hour later she was in the kitchen cooking and heard several loud bangs on the front door. She walked over and saw the Queen's black knights at the door and tried to shut the door but she was grabbed by the arms and brought out to the wagon and she was thrown and tied to it as a hood was placed on top of her head and she felt the wagon jolt as the horses pulled. The last sounds Marian heard were of Roland's cries as they got further and further away.
Many minutes later the wagon stopped and she could hear a woman's voice talk about punishing anyone who helped the bandit Snow White. She knew who it was that was talking immediately, it was the Evil Queen herself.
"This is what happens to anyone who helps the bandit Snow White." Regina said as Marian's hood was taken off and the light from the sun made her shut her eyes several times as it was blinding to her.
"Help me! She will kill me!" Marian screamed to the town's people but they were too scared to take action against the Queen.
"Let this be a lesson to you all." Regina said as Marian was thrown back onto the wagon and the knights took off with her taking her back to the Queen's castle where Marian was thrown into the dungeons with other prisoners that had been rounded up earlier on suspicion they had aided the bandit Snow White as well.
"I have to get out of here." Marian said as she looked for a way out. She had to get back to Roland who was all alone back in the cabin. Robin would have no idea where she was or that Roland needed him at this moment.
"Forget it there is no way, we have tried." a man said to her right.
"My son needs me." Marian said as she started to cough again only this time she didn't stop and was soon coughing up huge masses of blood. She fell to her knees as the coughs didn't stop. A woman tried to help her with giving her some water but it was too late now. Before nightfall that night Marian's condition was grave as she had a very high fever now and she knew her time was almost over.
"If you find a way out of here, tell my husband how much I loved him." Marian said to the woman who was helping her. She told the woman who her husband was and the woman promised she would tell Robin if she made it out of the Queen's dungeons.
"Oh my little baby Roland, I know Robin and I could of given you a great life if I only had more time." Marian said out loud not to anyone but just to herself. She had only been Roland's mother for a few days but she did love her son greatly. And cried for the loss of knowing how happy they could have been if fate had not been so unkind to them. But Marian mind was eased when she knew Robin would love and care for Roland as both mother and father to him. Robin would protect Roland with his very life and at the end she was comforted with this knowledge.
Before nightfall Marian passed away peacefully as the illness that had haunted her since she was a young girl finally claimed her life and ended her suffering. The next morning the dungeons were emptied and Gabrielle, the lady who had helped Marian in the dungeon the night before along with all the others were released as the Queen thought she had executed Snow White had no need for them. Gabrielle and a few of the others took Marian's body and buried her in the forest in an open meadow surrounded by wild flowers. She asked if they knew how she could find Robin Hood, one of the men told her to try Sherwood Forest to start. A few days later she found Robin Hood who had come home to find a crying Roland an no Marian and Gabrielle told him the sad news that Marian had passed from some illness the night before. Robin was devastated and Gabrielle tried to comfort him and brought him to where Marian's grave was.
Robin was now a widow and single father to his son and he promised Roland he would raise him the best he could. He swore his son would never not know what it was to be loved. He and his merry men would be all the family Roland would ever need as Robin's mother had passed away earlier this year.
At the Queen's castle Regina was beside herself as she thought she had executed Snow White finally. Her revenge was complete and she was elated, but she did have to ask herself why she felt this void in herself as if she was missing something very important in her life. She rubbed a hand over where her dark heart beat and then it lowered to her stomach as if by reaction. Mildred watched the emotions going on the Queen's face and wanted so badly to tell her about her son but she feared how the Queen would react to this.
"Your majesty may I speak to you?" Mildred asked as she finally summoned enough courage to speak with the Queen about her son.