Regina hates balls. Robin lost a bet. One ball, One dance, will they part as friends?

Whatever you do DO NOT LISTEN TO LIGHT ROMANCE FROM BLOOD BROTHERS WHEN READING THIS.

Serious angst ahoy. I am sorry. Please feel free to scream at me.

TW: death (not in detail but it happens)

It's just a secret glance

Across a room

A touch of hands

Regina had never really liked balls. It was just an excuse for her mother to put her on display like some kind of panda. There was always another bachelor, a rich prince from a neighbouring kingdom. She accepted their offers of a dance, constantly dodging their two left feet and tried not to squirm too much when their hands began to wander. She had to keep up the appearance, for her mother's sake. It was just a couple of hours. A couple of hours of hell.

Robin wasn't quite sure how the hell he ended up agreeing to attend a royal ball. Attend was the wrong word. Gate-crashing was perhaps more apt. That was a lie, he had enjoyed the whiskey a little too much and lost a bet with Will, so here he was, about to attend a ball. A Mills Ball nonetheless, he had heard many stories about Cora Mills, none of them particularly complimentary. The tales about her daughter though intrigued him, many said she was beautiful, stunning, but she had a heart as cold as ice. Robin didn't or rather couldn't quite believe the last part. No one could truly be heartless, or cold. Everyone is capable of being loved, of loving someone no matter how many barriers are in the way. The heart is a fickle thing, its desires constantly changing; it keeps beating though through despair and hope. He just hoped he didn't get recognised. He didn't want to find out what Cora Mills did to renowned thieves. Particularly ones with a bounty the size of his. Still he believed that life was about taking risks, he had a good feeling about this one.

Regina looked at herself in the mirror. She scarcely recognised the reflection. Her dress was a midnight blue, almost black, with diamonds arranged on the bodice, making it almost garish, the skirt puffy. Ugh she hated it. One day she was going to turn up to a ball in a sleek velvet dress, a plunging neckline and give everyone something to talk about. That made her smile. For a moment at least. Until she realised how late she was. Shit.

Robin presented his invitation, a fake one. Tonight he was Robin of Locksley, Earl of Huntingdon, located in Sherwood. Whilst being an earl was almost the furthest thing from the truth, Robin Hood, as he was known as in the legends did reside in Sherwood and found it a wonderful place to call home. The woods offered shelter from the elements and a place to hide from the people searching for his head. The people of the forest were kind and pleasant, always willing to help, even though they had little themselves. In the forest it was all about the bare necessities, everything else, people believed would come to you, in time. The steward, who looked bored, nodded as he saw the invitation, motioning towards the main hall. Robin was almost disappointed at how easy that had been. He walked into the ballroom and took a deep breath, realising that this was where the real challenge would be. The room, despite its size felt claustrophobic. There were dignitaries and noblemen from kingdoms near and far, engaging in idle and forced pleasantries. Robin stood there bewildered. He didn't know anybody and nobody knew him, He was screwed. He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of two large doors swinging open.

"Sorry I'm late" Regina practically said, her voice dripping with disdain. She was determined to make it clear that she didn't want to be here. Or rather as a warning to her mother that if she were intent on destroying her happiness Regina would retaliate. Twice as hard.

Robin could taste the tension, the fear, anticipation of what was to happen next. He couldn't help the small smile that took over his face; the woman certainly knew how to make an entrance. The tales did not do her justice, she was stunning, in every way. It was more than beauty in the traditional sense. Regina oozed passion, from the way her eyes sparkled, boring into every single person, the way she walked- strode, with purpose. The way her lips curled into a salacious smile. The way she captured the attention of a bustling room with 3 words.

Regina wasn't quite sure what possessed her to make such a bold entrance. She had just decided that she was going to start living her life instead of her mothers. No matter what the consequences.

Cora stood their mouth agape. Her daughter had defied her. Publically. She was going to pay.

"Hello Mother" Regina smirked, her mother was furious.

"Regina dear, so nice of you to join us" Cora replied, a sweet smile plastered on her face.

"You know how much I love these balls mother" Regina answered, a smug grin still on her face.

Cora brushed past her daughter; she would find a way to destroy her new found confidence.

Regina watched her mother walk away; pleased with her small victory, however short-lived it would prove to be. She noticed something else though, a man, one she hadn't seen before which was somewhat strange as her mother had introduced to her every possible husband, staring at her.

He knew he should have stopped staring, he couldn't though. She had seen him, that surely meant trouble.

Before she could make it over to him she got swept into a dance, with some duke weasleton. Ugh she hated him. His breath stank; his dancing was worse than a drunken pirate. The only thing that moved faster than his wig was his mouth. There were a lot of insufferable fools in the room but he was the worse. She smiled, as politely as she could manage, and pushed him through the dance, until she felt a tap on her arm. She turned around shocked to see the man from before, pulling her away.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What I'm doing milady is saving your arse" he sassed, pointing to weasleton "from that decaying creep"

Regina smiled, not many dared to speak of nobles like that. "On that we can agree. I did not require saving, I am perfectly capable of dealing with the likes of him on my own."

"I have no doubt your majesty I merely thought that you shouldn't have to"

What the hell was he doing? He was going to get himself killed, speaking to her like this.

"You intrigue me" Regina remarked, pointing an accusory finger at him. "You intrigue me because I have not seen you here before and you seem unaware of how things like this work. Sometimes in life you get a choice, other times the path is decided for you and you just have to walk it. I did not choose this life, of ball gowns and princes. It is the life chosen for me, so I smile, I dance, and I put up with creepy dying men, because I have to. Many young girls dream of my life, of being a Princess, to them it is a fairy-tale. To me it is a nightmare. One constant nightmare." Did she really just say all that? To a complete stranger. She was an idiot; something about this mysterious man made her trust him.

Robin was shocked, and from her facial expressions so was she, he knew that she had opened a wound and he had to comfort her. "I will attempt to clear some of your confusion milady. I have not attended balls before because I have not been required to do so; Sherwood is a relatively small, self-sufficient kingdom with little need for trade. It remains neutral in as many conflicts as possible because we believe that love can conquer all, and that hate, hate is corrosive and exploits us all. For years people thought our optimism would be our weakness, some still do, it doesn't it makes us strength. All of us have our own lives, our own stories; we are the authors of our fate. Somethings may be foretold, but the rest we have to fight for. We may lose more times than we win. Life is a war, not between kingdoms but in us. A war between the light and dark, it is ongoing. This war is not about overall victories. It's about the battles we face and how we overcome them. So yes we have a choice. We always have a choice. The choice is this. Do we keep fighting, striving towards the light or do we give up and let the dark in. "

Regina stood there, shocked by the passion of the man in front of her, a man who spoke with such passion and love. A true leader. She offered him a hand, but it was more than asking for a dance, it was an olive branch.

Robin smiled when he saw the outstretched hand, and corrected his posture.

Regina smirked "Do not get in my way"

Robin grinned "I wouldn't dream of it"

The music began and Regina and Robin lost themselves in the moment. Their eyes met, the spark mirrored. Something had awoken in the two of them. They both shared the same smile, carefree and loving. They danced gracefully, unaware of the world around them.

If they were, they would have noticed a woman with a sour disposition, staring at her daughter and the thief. Cora Mills knew who the imposter was. She intended to make him pay

Regina had never felt at peace, here in the noble man's arms, she finally felt safe and warm. She finally felt like she belonged. The only downside- he smelt like forest.

Robin thought of the forest as his home. Here with Regina he knew he was wrong. The forest was where he went to sleep. Here, dancing with the strongest, bravest, most beautiful woman he had ever seen, this was home.

All that mattered that right now. They were here together. And it was true.

The music ended. Sudden silence, sudden heat. Both blushed. They knew the rules; this was where their story ends. This was where they part as friends.

The trouble was Regina didn't want them to part. She wanted more. The girl would sing the melody, a melody of love and care, of hope, of a new start. The woman stands in doubt, wandering what the price would be to let the young girl out.

Deciding that she would gladly pay the price, she leans forward, brushing her lips against his, tentative. Robin leans in longing for more. They close their eyes, losing themselves in the passion, lust and love.

They reluctantly broke apart.

"Hello thief" Robin gulped. His time was up.

Regina gasped. He was a thief. He had seduced her for her status. Just like everyone else. She pushed her way through the crowds of people, willing her not to cry. Not now.

"Regina" Robin screamed, knowing there was nothing he could do. She wouldn't believe him. She had given him her heart, even if it was only for a few minutes and he had broken it.

Regina lay on her bed, motionless. She thought she would be angry. She thought she would be heartbroken. Instead she felt nothing. She felt empty. She was alone.

He woke up in a cold, dreary cell. He didn't care for his future, it was already written, on a hangman's noose. He cared about Regina. She was his future.

She avoided her mother. She avoided him.

The bell rang out across the courtyard. It was time.

Robin had never feared death. It is something that comes to us all in time. Nor did he fear the unknown; the unknown offers us anonymity, the chance to be whoever we want to be. His life was short, yes, but it was full, full of family, full of hope, full of peace and love. He feared for those left without these, for that, that is a fate worse than death that is the true torment.

Regina sat beside her mother, trying to avoid looking at the platform. She had seen executions before; it was part of her life. She never truly understood the cruelty of it before, she had thought it justice. It wasn't justice though, not when it was those left behind who suffered the most.

The hangman stepped towards the rope. Regina gulped. Robin looked at her; there was no fear, no resignation in his eyes.

Foolishly they gazed.

Until they went their separate ways.

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