A/N Dedicated to the sneak peak released today!
"Yes, what is it?" Regina said rather short.
"Your majesty I just think you should know what happened to you recently." Mildred said and as she was about to speak more there was a loud banging on her door. Regina nodded to Mildred to answer the door and as she did in walked her top knight.
"Your majesty we have been informed that the bandit Snow White still lives." the knight said.
"WHAT? How is that possible? I destroyed her with a fireball." Regina said this news was the last thing she had expected to hear.
"We don't know how but she has been spotted in the western part of the forest." the knight said.
"I don't believe this!" Regina screamed out as she took a book and flung it at a mirror and shattered it.
"What should we do now your majesty?" the knight asked.
"Do? You get a squad together and you go after her. Immediately!" Regina said as she thought she had finally accomplished what she had wanted for so long. Snow White, dead. The knight nodded and quickly left the room, closing the door as he did so.
"Your majesty if I may continue." Mildred said timidly as she knew Regina was very upset at the moment.
"I don't have time for this, leave." Regina said.
"But your majesty this is very important." Mildred said trying one last time to get her to listen to her.
"I SAID LEAVE!" Regina said as she summoned a fireball in her hand which caused Mildred turn and start to leave the room. As she was to the door she looked at Regina once more and thought that if she had her son with her right now that the beautiful little boy could take away all the rage that Regina had for Snow White. Shaking her head she went downstairs to find Dreda and see what she could find out about the couple who had the baby.
As she went into the kitchen and asked around for Dreda, no one knew where she might be and the more they thought of it had not seen her in a few days. Mildred started to have a bad feeling that Dreda was gone for good and for some reason the baby was a huge part of the reason she was no longer around.
"Mildred if I may speak with you?" Penny the young chambermaid spoke up.
"Yes Penny of course." Mildred said as the two went to the side of the kitchen.
"Mildred I didn't know what to do but I was in the forest one day and saw Dreda head into the forest and I was about to speak up when she changed into the dark one. A few moments later a young woman who I thought was pregnant came up to him and I heard them talking about a baby she was going to get from him." Penny said.
"Penny you are saying Dreda is the dark one. Gods that means the dark one gave that precious boy away. Penny where is this woman?" Mildred asked.
"She lived in Sherwood Forest near the river with her husband." Penny said as her face saddened.
"Penny you said, she lived? Is she no longer living?" Mildred asked.
"She died recently, leaving the baby with her husband." Penny said.
"Bless her. The husband where is he Penny, I must speak to him immediately." Mildred said, a tad confused on why a young woman would want the baby.
"He's gone, he and his men have been on the run from the Queen's knights and King Midas' knights as well." Penny said.
"Who is he Penny?" Mildred asked.
"He's Robin Hood, the prince of thieves." Penny said.
"Oh dear that is a problem. But I must speak to him immediately." Mildred said.
"I might can help. I'm friendly with one of Robin's merry men and I can try to get word to him that you need to speak with him." Penny said.
"Please Penny hurry, not a moment do we need to waste. And Penny if you do find him, ask him if his son has a birthmark on his right arm of a feather." Mildred said as Penny nodded and left the kitchen and headed into the forest. She ran for almost half an hour before she came upon a camp ground with Robin's men. Spotting the man she was looking for she quickly headed over to him as he sort of stood out among the rest of the men.
"Penny, its good to see you. Why are you here, is something wrong?" Little John asked as he came up to her and took her hand in his.
"Its good to see you too John. Nothing is wrong with me but a friend of mine in the kitchen must speak with Robin immediately." Penny said.
"I'm afraid I can't do that Penny. Did she say why?" Little John asked."John, i'm not sure but I think it might have something to do with Robin's son." Penny said.
"What about my son?" Robin said as he came up walking to them.
"Robin this is Penny." John said.
"Hello Penny, its good to meet your acquaintance. Now what is this about my son." Robin said.
"Mildred the old lady in the kitchen said she needed to speak with you. She told me to ask you if your son has a birthmark of a tattoo of a feather." Penny said as Robin and Little John looked at each other, neither said anything but it was not needed as they both had the same thoughts of how she could know about the birthmark.
"He does, now what is this about?" Robin asked.
"I don't know Robin, Mildred just wanted to see you. I feel the need to tell you this though. There was a maid Dreda who took a baby to a young lady in the forest who lived in Sherwood forest near the river about a week ago." Penny said as Robin started to look at her with a very strange look on his face.
"What are you saying Penny?" Robin asked. "Are you saying my son is not really my son?"
"Forgive me Robin but the woman I saw was your wife Marian." Penny said. "And there is one other thing, but Dreda changed into the dark one moments before your wife appeared."
"This doesn't make any sense. Why would Marian want to see the dark one? She was pregnant with our son, she would not need a baby." Robin said as tiny doubts started to feel his mind. How the baby never moved whenever Robin was around, how Marian's milk had never came in. How Roland had never seemed to bond with Marian. But that last thought didn't make any sense because if Marian had never been pregnant then Roland had no reason to bond with him as easily as he had.
"Robin, I beg of you to see Mildred." Penny said as she pleaded with him to do so.
"Bring Mildred to the old water well. Do you know where it is?" Robin asked as Penny nodded. "Tell her to come tomorrow morning at first light. And Penny tell no one else."
"Thank you Robin." Penny said as Robin nodded and left and went to the tent which held his son. He could not believe this incredible tale and had a feeling it was only going to get worse the more he heard.
Penny went back to the castle and quickly found Mildred to tell her the good news that Robin would meet with her in the morning. Mildred hours before the sun was due to rise quickly left the castle and headed to the old water well. She didn't have all that long to wait as Robin was there in a matter of minutes.
"You are Mildred?" Robin asked as he approached the older lady.
"Robin Hood, thank you for meeting me." Mildred said.
"You have something to say about my son?" Robin asked.
"Your son is only a few days old, and he had dimples doesn't he?" Mildred asked.
"And if he does what does that mean to you?" Robin asked.
"He also has a birthmark on his right arm, of a small feather." Mildred said.
"I will ask again what does this mean?" Robin asked.
"It means his real mother was not your wife." Mildred said.
"Of course Marian is Roland's mother. Have you gone mad?" Robin asked.
"You have to believe me, Robin." Mildred said. There was something in her eyes that was making his believe her.
"You have proof that Roland's mother was not my wife?" Robin asked.
"His birth mother has the same birthmark on her arm." Mildred said.
"And Roland's father?" Robin asked as he could not believe Roland was not really his. He had just lost his wife and now it seemed he was about to loose his son.
"I have no idea, the lady who bore him will not speak of him." Mildred said.
"So now what, she gave up her son and now wants him back? Well i'm sorry that is not going to happen." Robin said as he was not going to give up Roland whether he was his or not.
"She doesn't even know she had a child." Mildred said.
"How is that possible?" Robin asked a look of pure confusion on his face at this news.
"She took a forgetting curse to forget him." Mildred said.
"And why would any mother do that?" Robin asked as he could not imagine forgetting Roland.
"Because she was afraid her child would end up like her, she was scared but I know she regrets it. Or she did until the potion made her forget him." Mildred said.
"Who is this lady you speak of?" Robin asked.
"Please keep this in mind she has been through a lot of pain in her life which changed her dramatically." Mildred said as she feared his reaction upon hearing who Roland's mother really was.
"Tell me." Robin said fearing who this mother was who could give up her newborn son.
"Its the Queen, Regina." Mildred said as a look of shock appeared on his face.
"Wait, wait you are saying my son's mother is really the Evil Queen. The same Evil Queen who has hurt and destroyed so many lives and hunted me and my men many a day?" Robin asked totally surprised at this.
"Yes, I swear to you she is his real mother. She has the same birthmark as he does, I saw it the night the Queen gave birth." Mildred said.
"This is not possible. Why does my son bond with me? Because I can't be his real father if she is really his mother." Robin said as he could never have anything to do with the Evil Queen.
"I can't explain why he did bond with you. But she is his mother and like I said I don't know who the father is but I can try to find out again." Mildred said.
"So you are not here to try to take my son away from me?" Robin asked.
"I would not try to take your son from you. But my Queen is very sad and I know somehow she feels his loss even though she has no memory of him." Mildred said. "I would like to speak with you again in a week if that is acceptable to you."
"I will be here in one week's time, this time just after sun down." Robin said as Mildred nodded and made her way back to the castle. She was almost back when a puff of smoke appeared and fearing it was the Queen quickly went to her knees as if to ask for forgiveness.
"Now now, no need to bow to me." Rumpelstilskin said.
"The Dark One." Mildred said suddenly very frightened.
"Now what could you be speaking with Robin Hood about I wonder." Rumpelstilskin said.