Author's note: Hi guys! Thanks so much for all the favorites/follows/reviews! It means so much! Here's chapter 2. I'm kind of trying to do weekly updates, but I get so impatient (truth be told, I have a good chunk of the story written already, but I don't wanna publish it all at once in case I fall behind). Also for any of you wondering (I did get one question), this is before Robin has ever met Marian. Don't get me wrong, I think Marian is an important part of Robin's life and development, and I love Roland too but... this is the story about the Evil Queen and Robin Hood. So no messy love triangles. (: Enjoy!
With the door slightly ajar, Regina slowly and quietly peered inside. A dim torchlight flickered through the darkness, only this time she could make out just who was holding it. From this angle, she distinguish a tall man with broad shoulders and a bow strapped to his back along with a quiver of arrows. He was turned away, but he wore a green leather tunic over a baggy white shirt and a green cape draped over his back. The whole scene felt strangely familiar to Regina.
She shook the stray thought and stealthily stepped through the doorway. The intruder hadn't yet noticed her, but upon the sound of a commotion from below – finally her guards were doing something useful, it seemed – he appeared to decide that it was time to leave. Regina braced herself as the intruder reached back for his bow and turned around almost straight into her.
Surprise and fear mixed together on his features. "Going somewhere?" she said with a slow grin. Through the dim torchlight Regina could make out a (she wouldn't say handsome) face. His eyes were pale and blue, and he had a well trimmed beard to match his short light brown hair. He had a very set way about his face, and his intense eyes bore into hers. Regina had only a moment to notice this, however, before the thief made a bolt for the door.
Regina quickly spun around and waved her hand, slamming the door shut. Stopping, the thief grabbed an arrow from his quiver and nocked it on his bow, pointing it straight at Regina, but before he could let it fly, she waved her hand once more, and a purple veil of mist settled around him, hindering his movements. The intruder struggled against the enchantment, but to no avail.
Satisfied, Regina paused , and her eyes fell upon a small pouch fastened around the intruder's waist. From inside it the faint glimmer shone through. "Are those my jewels?" Regina interrogated. She lunged forward and snatched the pouch. "How dare you!" She was tired, she was irritated, and now she was being robbed, and the whole situation was about to drive her mad. She began pacing back and forth as she spoke. "Who thinks they can come into my castle when I'm away, break into my chamber, and steal from me like I'm a simpleton!" Regina paused and stared at the thief, waiting for an answer. He merely struggled still against the binding spell, making muffled sounds as he tried to speak. Regina rolled her eyes, flicked a finger, and released the spell from his mouth. He gasped for air. "Well! Who are you!" she spat.
"Robin of Loxley," the thief panted after a moment of catching his breath. And yet somehow (the nerve) he managed a smirk and added, "At your service," with as much a bow of his head as he could muster.
Regina scoffed, raising her hand into a curved shape, choking him. His audacious little smirk twisted in pain. "Well, Robin of Loxley, what makes you think you can break into the queen's castle and get away with it!"
She released him once more to let him speak. He took his time gasping for air again. Still, after a moment he uttered, "Well, in my defense I was doing fairly well until you showed up early—"
"ENOUGH!" Regina bellowed, hands trembling as she balled them into fists. As if she had time or patience for sassy, impudent criminals. "Guards! GUARDS!"
"What are you going to do with me?" the thief rasped in a more serious and pleading tone than before.
Regina turned around. Oh, how she loved that question. With a slow smile, the queen stepped forward until she was only inches away from the bow and arrow he still held taught and stared straight into those intense, pale eyes. "What I always do to stuck up criminals who think they can outdo me," she enunciated, feeling the fire in her maniacal glare as she spoke. "I take off their heads."
The thief continued to stare boldly at her. Regina huffed, annoyed. The tension broke, and turning sharply away from him, she called out for her guards once more. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed up the stairs at last. "Yes, Your Majesty!" the guards said, having finally arrived at her chamber.
"Take this thief to his cell. He is to be beheaded in the morning," Regina said with a more passive tone, crossing her arms and backing away as the guards took hold of the thief.
"Er, You Majesty?" they said when they began having trouble moving him. "Oh," Regina said. She waved her hand and removed the binding spell.
And immediately regretted it.
The arrow that had been poised for shooting since the moment the thief had come under the spell left the bow with a twang! It flew through the air and straight into the shoulder of one of the guards. The rest of the guards ducked and scrambled out of the way as the thief nocked another arrow and aimed it all around. Regina stepped forward to attack but was barely able to raise her hand before she was knocked aside by a flash of green as the thief went racing down the stairwell.
Growling in anger, Regina looked back to her guards, all of whom were recovering from the thief's surprise attack. "You buffoons! After him!" she ordered. The guards quickly scrambled up and stumbled down the stairwell (including the injured one with the help of a few others), but Regina knew they wouldn't be fast enough. Fury and frustration boiled up inside of her, having been outwitted so easily by a common thief. She rushed to the window overlooking the forest and stared down at the sight of an entire band of men escaping the castle gates, led no doubt by the Robin of Loxley, easily dodging arrows and outrunning her disheveled guards. Throwing the window open, Regina conjured a fireball and threw it at the band with a furious screech. It blasted down upon them with a great yellow glow, but once it had dissipated, the band continued onward with only charred clothing. They soon escaped into the forest, where no doubt they knew the territory well. Even her guards gave up once they had passed the gates.
Regina marched about, hands trembling, teeth grinding with anger, and chest hot with shame. She recalled the face of that overconfident, cunning thief and wished she could have just ripped out his heart when she had the chance. The way he so foolishly thought he could steal from the queen. She took a deep, shaking breath.
There was at least one consolation, Regina thought. He may have gotten away, but at least he didn't manage to steal her jewels. Reginareached down to her waist where she had strapped the pouch earlier. Her fingers grabbed at nothing but air, however, and when she glanced down she was met with nothing more than her gown. She thought back to when the thief had knocked her aside and she was fuming once more.
At last Regina abruptly halted her pacing in front of her vanity. "Mirror!" she snapped. A cloud of familiar blue smoke poured into the round mirror on the wall, and a shadowy face appeared.
"Yes, Your Majesty?" the face said in a solemn voice.
Regina took a moment to compose herself and walked slowly toward the mirror.
"Mirror. I need you to keep an eye out."
"Your Majesty I've told you, there's been no sign of Snow White. She knows to stay away from mirrors—"
"Not her!" Regina huffed indignantly. She glanced toward the window. "There's someone else. Someone who has stolen from me, humiliated me, and deserves to be punished."
"Who, Your Majesty?" the Mirror enquired with the slightest tone of curiosity.
Out of the corner of her eye, Regina noticed something left on the ground. Turning, she picked it up and found it to be an arrow that had been loosed by the thief just as he made his escape but never found its target. Examining it, she stepped back toward the window and gazed out into the forest where the thieves had fled. She snapped the arrow in half and it disintegrated to the floor.
"His name is Robin of Loxley."
Thanks for reading guys! Don't forget to review so I can know what you think/answer any questions/find out what y'all think will happen!