Author's note: The first two chapters seemed a little short, so I went for a bit longer on this one. (:
"The commoners call him Robin Hood, and he's a thief," the Mirror informed her early the next day. Regina was pacing about her chamber, eyes tired, still feeling disoriented since the previous night's events. Images of the thief mixed with frustration and a strange sense of familiarity like she was forgetting something had kept Regina tossing and turning all night. She decided in the end that finding and killing this Robin of Loxley would be the best (and of course, her typical) way to solve the problem. She turned the mirror incredulously.
"Oh is he now?" she sneered. "I couldn't tell!"
Mirror lowered his head in an accepting nod. "Yes, yes, Your Majesty. Please, let me finish. He's not just any thief."
Regina paused. "What do you mean? All thieves are the same! Lying, selfish, evil little—"
"Your Majesty, please!" Mirror begged. "By that I mean… This Robin Hood and his band do not steal from just anyone, nor do they steal for themselves. These 'Merry Men' as they call themselves steal only from the rich and give these riches to the poor."
Regina huffed. "Oh, so he's a thief with honor? He's only fooling himself! I don't care what he's stealing for. He stole from me, and he deserves to pay."
The Mirror nodded. "Of course, You Majesty." Regina waved her hand, and the Mirror's face disappated. She continued pacing, thinking of what she needed to do. She had come here in search of Snow White, but it looked like Regina would have to kill two birds with one stone. Feeling a new sense of conviction, Regina made her way downstairs and hailed for her carriage.
"Where to, Your Majesty?" the driver asked once she was inside.
"The nearest village," Regina replied. "Summon the black knights. We begin our search today, and this time, we're not just looking for Snow White."
"And would you believe it!" Little John exclaimed, his features and movements as well as the expressions of his audience intensified by the flickering campfire. "The Evil Queen had Robin Hood deep in her clutches. All hope had been lost it seemed, until –" Little John spread his arms wide, "— our revered Robin Hood used his mighty strength to break free from her magic spell! And with a mighty yell he shot every one of her guards, managing to escape only seconds before she transformed into a terrible fire breathing dragon! But escape he did, and with enough jewels combined with the gold taken by his faithful Merry Men to feed Sherwood Forest for a year!" The crowd of Merry Men around the campfire all cheered at the resolution of the tale. Little John bowed and sat down next to Robin as the band commence chattering among themselves.
Robin Hood looked at Little John. "Mighty strength? Fire breathing dragon? Come on, Little John. You know that's not how it went."
"Oh, come off it Robin. You know the men like a little more excitement. Besides, she may very well have transformed into a dragon! It's not unheard of, and there was that fireball."
Robin merely shook his head. "We may have gotten the gold, Little John," he said, "but it was at a far greater risk than I'm willing to take again."
"Oh for the thousandth time. I'm sorry!" Little John said exasperatedly. "I swear this was nothing more than a freak accident! The queen has never come this early before."
Robin looked at Little John once more. "That may be, Little John, but from now on, no more stealing from sorcerers. Especially evil ones who happen to rule the kingdom."
Robin's mind flashed back to that moment when he had come face-to-face with the Evil Queen. Her sharp eyes piercing him with every word she spoke, and with such conviction. Robin would never admit it out loud, but he had to admire the way she demanded respect, though she may not deserve it. He had to wonder if she was always like this, or if perhaps a time when those sharp eyes would soften, and that grimace would shift into a genuine smile untainted by malice.
Robin sighed. He supposed he would never know. With any luck, he would never have to come face-to-face with the queen again. However, after unexpectedly escaping from her clutches, Robin had a feeling the queen did not forgive so easily. He had already heard tales of her ruthless search for Snow White, and no doubt he had just made number two on her most wanted.
"Your Majesty, you must not become too frustrated."
"Oh shut up, Mirror!" Regina spat as she paced back and forth across her chamber, brow furrowed and mind racing. She had about had it with the Mirror and his judgments. "When your pride is almost stripped away completely then come talk to me."
The Mirror raised his eyebrows at her.
"Oh, whatever," Regina said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
It was two weeks since Regina had begun her search for Robin Hood, and despite her efforts, he always remained one step ahead. As Regina had feared, he knew Sherwood Forest well, and he and his band were always moving from place to place, leaving well-off villages in their wake.
"Your Majesty… perhaps it's time to forget about this common thief," Mirror suggested cautiously.
Regina whipped around. "Are you suggesting that I let him get away with this?" Regina shook her head, mouth drawn into an angry line. "He stole from me, Mirror, and I must set an example for all criminals who dare challenge me!"
"Yes, of course, Your Majesty," the Mirror conceded. "But… aren't you forgetting about Snow White? Isn't that why you came to this palace?"
Regina stopped and faced away from the Mirror. She glanced toward the window and bit her lip nervously. "I haven't forgotten! I'm searching for her too… along the way," Regina said defensively.
A warm sensation filled Regina's cheeks, though she wasn't quite sure if it was from anger or embarrassment. She wouldn't soon admit it, but Regina had almost forgotten about Snow White. For the past two weeks, all she could seem to think about was tracking down Robin Hood.
Regina stomach turned with that new and terrible feeling. The whole ordeal was strange and confusing. Things were so much simpler with the brat. Whenever Regina thought of capturing Snow White, the rage and malice in her heart flowed freely, and the longing for revenge drove her. This was what she knew, what she could direct.
The thought of Robin Hood, however, was… different. The image of the bold faced thief filled Regina with an intense sensation she couldn't quite pinpoint. Her heart raced and her blood boiled, but she couldn't quite say it occurred in the same way as with Snow White. Unfamiliarity mixed with familiarity, and Regina was left unsure of what to think. All she knew was that she had to find this thief and get him out of the way, even if it meant putting off Snow White for a little while longer. Once Robin Hood was dealt with, then she could get back to what she knew.
At least, that's what she had resolved.
After a moment, Regina turned back to the Mirror, her face composed. "You're right," she said at last.
The Mirror blinked. "I… am?"
Regina nodded, smiling. "Yes. I can't forget about the thief, but I do need to get this Robin Hood out of the way once and for all so I focus on Snow White once more."
"Of course, Your Majesty. Which means…?"
"Which means," Regina said, grinning more and more as the plan materialized in her mind. "If this Robin Hood really is so honorable, then it's time for the Evil Queen to make her official return to Sherwood Forest."
"Uh oh," murmured Little John. Robin glanced over to him as he and their band journeyed through the thick forest.
"What is it?" Robin inquired. Little John frowned at Robin for a moment before gesturing to the nearest tree with a piece of parchment nailed to the trunk.
Robin stepped closer, examining the parchment. Sketched upon its surface was quite an undeniable portrait of himself. Large, bold letters lined the top and bottom indicating his current wanted status. Robin nodded, and turned back to begin walking once more. This was certainly not the first wanted poster of himself he'd seen, and he knew it would not be the last.
Somehow Robin and his men had evaded the Evil Queen for two weeks. How they had accomplished this, he was not sure, for the queen it seemed spared no restraint in her search (or so he thought). Posters appeared everywhere, black knights were patrolling constantly, and the sound of any passing carriage sent terror into the hearts of the Merry Men.
Robin and his men took every precaution. They developed a method of quickly and erratically jumping from village to village, sharing their new wealth and leaving soon after. But it was only a matter of time, Robin thought, before the queen caught up with them. They would have to leave Sherwood Forest soon if they had any hope of staying out of the queen's clutches.
Despite Little John's reassurances, Robin couldn't help but feel they had gotten themselves into quite the predicament. When The Merry Men mentioned the queen to the villagers, there was always an uneasy silence. The terror she seemed to induce surprised even Robin. Despite having seen her first hand, Robin found it hard to believe that she could really be so evil. And even if she were as bad as everyone said, could it be possible she hadn't always been that way? Robin always believed that evil wasn't born, it was made. And it could be unmade, he hoped. Robin couldn't help but wonder, frequently, if the Evil Queen was really so evil deep down.
"Robin, we're here," Friar Tuck said, shaking Robin from his thoughts.
Indeed, up ahead through the thick of the trees, the nearest village was visible. They had been there only seven days prior, promising to come back in one week with more wealth to distribute.
The village was only about twenty yards ahead, but something out of place caught Robin's eye, and he signaled for his men to stop. Silence resonated with the ceasing of the men's footsteps and voices, and Robin could make out the faint sound of yelling. Through the trees a large group of people seemed to be crowded in the center of the village.
The blood left Robin's face as he realized what was happening, praying he was wrong. Heart pounding but keeping calm, Robin looked back at his men to raise his index finger to his lips and tip-toed forward. Being an expert at navigating the woods silently, he soon made it to a nearby tree unnoticed, and quickly climbed it to get a better view of the village.
Through the branches, Robin recognized a figure clad in red storming about. He slowly bent lower in order to get a clearer view of events.
He almost wished he hadn't.
"You think this is a joke?" That all-too-familiar demanding voice (that somehow pervaded many of Robin's dreams) echoed through the trees. A group of horses and a handful of black knights surrounded the village. The queen, dressed in an extravagant red riding dress had a short, middle-aged, balding man by the collar of his tunic with a fireball hovering closely below his neck while the rest of the village stood in a crowd nervously off to the side. Robin could barely make out the man's terrified expression as he did his best to stretch away from the fireball. When the man let out a short sob, the queen yanked him closer. "What, you think Robin Hood is a hero? He stole from me and now you're paying for it. Does that seem honorable to you!"
The man only sobbed, and villagers looked unsurely at each other.
The queen pushed the man away, and he stumbled to the ground with a cry, curling up into himself. The queen turned to face to other villagers, fireball still in hand. "If your precious thief is so honorable, then why isn't he here? Shouldn't he be protecting the people he gives away so thoughtlessly to?"
The villagers merely looked down silently.
"Robin Hood… may be a thief…" came a weak and pained voice. The man the queen had thrown down slowly wobbled up into a standing position, seeming to overflow with newfound bravery. "But he is far more honorable… than the queen…"
Regina spun back to face the man, teeth bare in a furious sneer. Without delay, two black knights stepped forward and grasped the man by each arm. He struggled against them, glaring at the queen.
"How dare you speak out against your queen?" Regina screeched. "I'll show you who is honorable! You peasants think Robin Hood was helping you by giving you what you don't deserve. But I tell you that it is because of him, that if no one gives information about his whereabouts, I guarantee this village will be burned to the ground!" The queen's fireball flared up, and a gasp echoed throughout the crowd as families huddled closer together.
The villagers exchanged hesitant glances, shifting uncertainly. The queen waited, staring at them with wide, angry eyes.
It's okay, Robin thought, longing to speak out and encourage them. Just tell them. Robin and his men knew how to defend themselves. These villagers didn't.
Another beat passed.
"We'll never tell you, Evil Queen!" spat the same man held by the knights.
Regina slowly turned back towards the villagers. "Is that your final answer?" she said, every ounce of her tone demonstrating her intention to carry out exactly what she had promised.
Robin pleaded internally.
The villagers remained silent.
"Then so be it!" Regina exclaimed, fireball blazing. She made her way to the nearest cottage slowly, giving the villagers every chance to change their minds. She held her fireball just beneath the thatch roof. "A lot of good those riches did you."
Robin's heart sank. He knew what he had to do. Despite what the queen may think of him, he still had honor, and so help him if he were to let a whole village parish in his name.
Robin glanced down from his place in the tree at his Merry Men, who had heard the whole ordeal. His eyes met Little John's. Little John gave a slow nod, understanding what needed to happen, and Robin leaped down from the tree and into the clearing.
The villagers remained silent for a moment, shocked at Robin's sudden appearance, before erupting into joyous cheers. No doubt they were expecting Robin to fight off the Evil Queen and her black knights, saving them all and sending a noble message.
The black knights immediately drew their swords at the sight of Robin, but he kept his bow on his back, hands out, and looked straight at the queen.
The fireball disappeared from her hand. Her face was unsure at first, then calculating, and after a moment the queen's lips drew into that triumphant and devious smile Robin remembered all too well. She walked slowly toward Robin, raising a hand at her knights to remain still.
"Here to turn yourself over, are you?" she said. The villagers were bold enough to yell objections to the queen. He lip turned in annoyance, but she kept her eyes on Robin.
Robin looked at the faces of the frightened villagers, and then looked back to the queen. He raised his hands in surrender. "Yes."
The villagers yelled in protest. "No, Robin Hood! You can't!" the man who had stood up against the queen cried out.
Robin kept on looking at the queen as he spoke. "I may be a thief," he began, sparing a glance at the man, "but I have honor. I will not let an entire village die because of me."
The queen raised an eyebrow, examining Robin. Her eyes were contemplative and searching as she considered the affair, no doubt mentally preparing for anything while forming a plan of her own. "Well then," she said, breaking into a wide smile. "Works for me! Knights!" The black knights came forward and surrounded Robin instantly, taking a tight hold of his arms and stripping him of his bow and quiver before he could even think of drawing them.
"And if anyone even thinks of trying to save him, you can expect this village to be burned presently!" the queen announced without taking her eyes off Robin. Only she didn't seem to be speaking directly to the villagers, but to the surroundings in general. She had become aware of the Merry Men's proximity, but Robin Hood was grateful that he was her only concern.
With a jerk, the black knights pushed Robin along toward the horses tied to a nearby tree. He couldn't help but grimace as his hands were tied together and he was lifted roughly onto a horse. The knights soon took to their own horses, and the queen appeared from behind on a chestnut stallion.
"Good work today, men. I've always said results will come with just a little encouragement." She looked back at the villagers with that victorious smile. "Ta-ta!" she said with a wave of her hand, kicking off her horse and signaling for the rest of the knights to follow her.
As Robin was escorted by the surrounding knights, leaving his Merry Men and a traumatized village in his wake, all he could think was how wrong he had been about there being good in the queen.
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