The campers in the woods spent the majority of the evening wide awake, telling stories, listening to music and dancing. The teachers allowed this without reservation, glad to see everyone getting on so well and celebrating ahead of the new academic year. The students awoke in the mid-morning to a breakfast feast, before packing up the camp and heading back to campus. After arriving back from the camping trip and ensuring that the students all checked in and returned to their rooms to unpack, Robin had coffee with the others teachers in the teachers' lounge, spending time with Killian Hook and Archie Hopper. The men talked about the camping trip for a short while, smiling and recounting stories and various experiences.
"I think my personal highlight was when young Henry and his friends snuck up on you in those masks when you were preparing your tent" Robin began, smiling at Mr Hook as he spoke. "You jumped so high I feared for the birds."
The comment was met by a laugh from Archie, who sipped his coffee and watched as Killian Hook smiled in response.
"Indeed, the boy is very mischievous" Killian agreed. "But good" he added, his tone sincere and his conviction unwavering. "Henry has this… this innate sense of goodness, a draw towards assisting others. He's a very kind and perceptive child."
"His mother taught him well" Dr Hopper replied, holding his mug with both hands as Robin turned towards him.
"I don't doubt it" Robin added gently.
"Principal Mills came to the camp last night, did she not?" Killian asked, causing Robin to turn towards him. "I remember seeing you and her talking by the fire."
Robin nodded simply in response, taking another sip of his coffee.
"Indeed she did" he returned simply as he turned towards him. "Henry forgot his sleeping bag and so his mother brought it down to the campsite for him."
"How odd" commented Dr Hopper with a pensive frown. Robin turned towards him with an inquisitive smile.
"A child forgetting something important?" he breathed lightly. "Perish the thought" he chuckled.
"But he's her child" Hopper stated simply, watching Robin as he spoke. "Regina is highly organised, I'm surprised it escaped her notice that he was without it."
"She's only human" Robin countered, pressing his hands around the coffee cup, which was becoming cold. "And he was not without it for long."
Robin watched as Dr Hopper made a gesture of non-committal in response, before sipping his coffee slowly. It struck him that Dr Hopper was the only teacher he had spoken to who referred to the principal by her name and not her title.
"The sleeping bag wasn't the only thing she forgot though, was it Locksley?" Killian asked, causing Robin to turn toward him. "She showed up at camp in nothing but one of those silk blouses she's so fond of. She must've been freezing" he continued. "Not that you had any intention of allowing that to happen, of course" he added sardonically.
"I beg your pardon?" Robin asked, his voice tinted with confusion. Killian looked up at him from over his coffee cup.
Killian had seen the way Robin had looked at the Principal as he spoke to her, approaching her so brazenly and smiling upon her as he displayed such genuine concern for her comfort. He didn't blame him, of course. Regina Mills was a beautiful and alluring woman, and when he first started he too had felt drawn to her. But despite her captivating beauty and unrivalled intelligence, there was something about her that forced people to keep their distance from her. She could reject a person's thoughts or feelings without words, breaking the bond they were attempting to build with her with a single glance or expression. He didn't blame Locksley for having a crush on her, of course, most new teachers did. He was the first one who had got close enough to touch her, though…
"I saw you, Locksley, wrapping your coat around her" he stated, his voice adopting a light and teasing tone. "Very kind of you I'm sure".
"She was shaking" Robin returned gently. "I did not wish her to become cold, that is all."
"Very chivalrous of you, Mr Locksley" Dr Hopper complemented.
"Not much chance of that, considering how she couldn't wait to get out the woods and back to the comfort of her palace" Killian began, gesturing around the room with his arms. "She's a queen, Locksley, and this is her palace" he stated gently. "Her life revolves around her rule, her kingdom and her prince, nothing else" he continued. "She keeps everyone else at an arm's length."
Robin held Killian's gaze confidently as the unduly simple and arguably narrow-minded metaphor was spoken.
"She was cold, Killian, I was simply being polite" Robin replied kindly. "Not every polite gesture has some underlying, seedy motive."
"Perish the thought" Killian returned, raising his eyebrows doubtfully as he spoke, before turning towards Robin with a sincere expression. "Look, mate, I don't mean to imply that your intentions weren't noble" he continued. "I just… think it is important that you know how she views herself and how she views you" he stated. "As I said before, she's the queen and this is her castle" he repeated. "We're just the hired help."
"I hardly think that's fair, Killian?" Robin asked in a low, gentle voice. "She's a school principal, not a power-hungry despot who has little regard for those around her" he stated, remembering the look of concern on her face as she had rushed into the medical room. "She is a very capable and rather remarkable woman."
"An interesting observation considering you've only been here for a couple of days" Killian replied in a light tone, raising his eyebrow slightly as he leaned back in his chair. "I wonder just how much your opinions change when you really get to know her."
Thankfully for Robin and the increasingly awkward-looking Dr Hopper, the conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening from behind him, and a tall red-headed lady stepping into the room.
"Oh, I am so sorry" she smiled, her blue eyes darting across the faces in the room. "I'm trying to find my way to the Principal's office for the staff meeting, but I fear I've become a little lost."
Robin turned to Killian and Dr Hopper, who all exchanged a look and glanced down at their watches, before placing their coffee upon the table. The meeting was due to start in a few minutes and none of them wished to be late. Despite the lightness of their previous conversation, the last thing any of them wanted to do was incur the wrath of the Principal.
Robin, keen to leave the room quickly following Killian's crude implication, walked swiftly towards the woman before him.
"I'll walk you to the office now" he stated politely. "I am quite new myself" he added, before extending his hand. "Robin Locksley, head of History." The redhead smiled in response and shook his hand.
"Zelena Gardner, Science department" she smiled, clasping his hand tightly in hers. This was going to be even better than she thought.
"Shall we?" Robin asked, indicating towards the door. Zelena nodded, and he led her down the corridor and towards the Principal's office.
"So, what brings you to Mills' Academy?" Robin asked pleasantly as he and Zelena strolled down the marble corridor.
"I have family in the area" she smiled. "And it's such a beautiful location and prestigious school, how could any teacher resist?"
"Quite" Robin agreed, as they ascended the staircase and headed towards the Principal's office. "Have you met the Principal yet?"
"Yes" she returned immediately with a sharp nod. "I met her when I arrived yesterday evening. I fear I arrived extremely late, but she was very kind about it. She took me to my room and even stayed with me a short while to ensure I had everything I needed" she stated, her mind drifting back to the evening before.
"She is a most gracious hostess" Robin stated gently. "How are you finding the school so far?"
"Quite remarkable" she smiled up at him, before gazing around the corridor they were currently walking down. "Though it's quite a labyrinth, isn't it?" Robin smiled sympathetically.
"I'm sure we'll get used to it" he stated cordially, before knocking confidently upon the door.
The door creaked open to reveal Catherine, whose expression softened as she saw the handsome face of Mr Locksley. She smiled as she opened the door, allowing Robin and Zelena to enter.
"The others are just in Principal Mills' office" she stated in a low tone. "But don't worry, you aren't late" she smiled, before turning and glancing at the empty doorway. "You haven't seen Killian and Archie, have you?"
"I'm sure they're on their way" Robin returned gently, before leading Zelena towards the open door to the Principal's inner office, which he knocked upon regardless as he entered the room, his eyes instantly befalling Principal Mills, who sat in the centre of the large table.
Upon hearing a knock at the door Regina glanced up from her papers, her eyes drifting over the face of Mr Locksley, and then towards Zelena. She inhaled sharply and lowered her gaze to the papers before her, which she stacked neatly once more before making some additional notes in the margin between points one and three. Zelena, noticing the action, turned towards Robin, whose soft eyes lingered upon the face of Regina Mills, as he made his way towards a vacant seat. Zelena smiled and felt a wave of excitement at this revelation, knowing that what she had overheard a few minutes ago whilst loitering outside the teacher's lounge to be correct; Robin Locksley did indeed have a crush on Principal Mills. And, despite the words of Killian Hook, she suspected that the feelings were far from unreciprocated…
"Mr Locksley, Miss Gardner" Regina stated, raising her head as she spoke. "Thank you for joining us. Please, allow me to introduce you to your colleagues."
Regina introduced Robin and Zelena to the others around the table, many of whom Robin had met over the past couple of days. Robin and Zelena then took their seats at opposite ends of the table. There was some gentle chatter amongst the teachers as Regina slid the lid of her fountain pen in and out of place as she briefly scanned her notes, trying to keep her attention on the matter at hand. She had spent the day meeting the newly arriving students, liaising with staff and parents, completing paperwork and overseeing the plans for the party on Friday evening. Until that very moment she had been calm and composed, but the moment Locksley walked into the room she felt herself feeling warm and weightless, and it took every ounce of concentration and determination within her not to look up and meet those captivating blue eyes of his. Regina clicked the lid of her fountain pen into place once more and sat up tall in her seat, casting a glance towards the opening door as Killian Hook and Archie Hopper entered the room.
"Good evening, gentlemen" Principal Mills stated in a low tone, her eyes drifting down to her paperwork as the late arrivals took their seats. "Let's begin" she stated, announcing the start of the hour long meeting which focused on the curriculum, new students, upcoming trips and sports events, exams and essays.
Robin remained quiet throughout the meeting, observing how Regina Mills encouraged discussion, listened to the opinions of her staff with open-minded and fair consideration, and displayed consideration towards the needs of both students and staff. Robin found himself glancing towards Killian as the meeting progressed, wondering what it was that could have caused the man to adopt such a low opinion of the Principal. As he considered Killian's words in the staff room, Robin found himself only able to agree with a single point; she did keep people at an arm's length. Killian clearly viewed this as contempt for those around her, but the more Robin listened to her and observed her interactions with the teachers, the more he found himself disagreeing. Regina Mills had high standards for both herself and her staff, and he knew from experience that teaching environments were often fast-paced, unpredictable and high pressure; he expected that the high standards of the principal and her tough disposition irked Killian somewhat, and accounted for part of his clear disapproval of the woman; and considering the comments he had made in the staff room, Robin felt he could correctly deduce the main reason behind the bitterness Killian clearly felt towards Principal Mills. Robin could not help but feel slightly disappointed in Killian at this realisation; rejection from a beautiful woman was no reason to condemn her. As Robin continued to watch Regina listen with interest to each point made, discussing them fully with the individuals and trying to engage the group in discussion, he found himself acutely aware of how he could never view her in with such contempt, and certainly not because of romantic rejection. Indeed, he the more he thought about it, the more he considered that simply being a friend or even confidante to this enigmatic, incredible woman would be nothing short of an honour.
"Does anyone have anything else they'd like to raise?" Regina asked politely, clicking the lid onto the top of her fountain pen which she held before her, as she glanced across the faces around the table. "Very well" she continued, lowering her gaze to the papers. Just as she was about to call the meeting to an end, she noticed one final point she was yet to raise. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot" she began, raising her head to face the teachers once more. "As most of you will already know, there will be a school dance on Friday to allow the students to meet and celebrate the start of the new term" she began, "we require a few more volunteers, so if anyone is interested then-"
"You can count me in" smiled Zelena, causing Regina to turn towards her and nod politely.
"Thank you, Miss Gardner" she returned.
"And I" stated Robin, looking at Regina confidently as she turned towards him, her features completely composed.
Robin had been silent throughout the meeting, which had surprised Regina somewhat, and removed any opportunity for her to justifiably place her attentions upon him. But as he spoke now, she found herself turning towards him in response, her eyes searching his as she finally made sense of the words he spoke, before nodding in response.
"Very well" she returned simply, her voice calm and polite, her tone unwavering. "Thank you, Mr Locksley" she stated, before blinking herself from his gaze and looking around the room at the other members of staff. "I'll arrange another meeting with all volunteers for… Wednesday evening, if that's convenient" she stated, earning a series of nods from the room. "Thank you for your time" she smiled politely, as people rose and began to vacate their seats.
Regina immediately cast her eyes back down to the pages before her, perusing them will feigned interest as she heard the teachers slowly file from the room, bidding her and each other goodnight. The room soon became silent, but Regina knew there was still someone remaining in the room. She swallowed hard and prepared herself to be as professional, calm and composed with Robin Locksley as she could be. But as she placed her pen upon her desk and turned towards the remaining member of staff, she found herself surprised by the identity of the person before her.
"Miss Gardner" she stated, a slight degree of confusion present in her tone. Regina composed herself immediately. "How can I help you?"
Zelena smiled at Regina, flexing her fingers onto the desk.
"I just… I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help with the party ahead of the meeting on Wednesday" she began, as Regina continued to watch her with interest. "I can only imagine how stressful planning such an event must be, especially at this time of year, with all the other things you have going on."
"You're not wrong" Regina stated, raising her eyebrows slightly as she spoke.
In truth she felt that she had every in hand so far, and that there was little else which required further discussion ahead of the meeting on Wednesday. But as she considered this more carefully, she realised that her current indiscretion with her emotions, which she was trying so desperately to reign in, would be benefited by such a distraction. Regina pulled a notebook from her bag and opened it, pushing it across the table towards Zelena, who received it with interest.
"You've seen the large dining hall, of course, which is the location of the dance" she began, watching as Zelena nodded in agreement and glanced down at the sketches in the pad. "What are your thoughts?" she asked kindly and with interest.
Zelena drew the images closer to her, noting that the principal had clearly made good use of the space and had taken into account that many students would perhaps prefer a quieter setting; she had therefore opened up two of the large rooms behind the main hall and was intent on making them into a less 'busy' atmosphere for those who preferred it.
"How very interesting" Zelena smiled, tracing her finger across the lights which hung over what would be the stage, her heart racing at the possibilities. "We've hosted many such parties at the school I worked in previously" she added. "So tell me" she continued, her voice gentle and her tone intrigued. "Have you given any thought to pyrotechnics?"
After a rather productive hour spent discussing matters with Regina, who listened intently to her suggestions and made a note of several of them to be raised on Wednesday, Zelena found herself heading back down the deserted corridor and towards her rooms. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing it firmly behind her as she turned on the lights and made her way directly towards the fireplace. Zelena picked up a large four-pronged metal fork from beside the fireplace and used it to ease a brick free from its position, placing it on the ground before her. She crouched down, her eyes shining brightly as she eased her hand into the dark gap between the bricks, and pulled out an engraved wooden box, which she held delicately in her hands. She placed the box in her lap before placing some wood and charcoal in the fireplace, which she lit quickly, causing a warm glow of orange flames which rose before her.
Zelena picked up the box and turned it over in her hands before placing it on the ground and slowly removing the lid, delving inside and pulling out a thick stack of photographs which she began to spread out before her in the all-too-familiar order. The artificial light in the room danced upon the images before her, some of which were old and damaged, with bent edges or slight tears. But amongst the aged pictures, and despite the fading, what the dozens of pictures which were spread out before Zelena revealed were perfectly clear: they were all images of Regina Mills. Zelena's once sweet and disarming smile fell from her features, and was replaced by a cruel snarl. Her eyes which had been so bright and so animated adopted a cold and glassy expression, as her fingers travelled across the most recent images, until they fell upon a picture of Regina in the woods, taken just one day previously. The image depicted Robin Locksley placing his coat over Regina's shaking frame, and it captured the precise moment Regina felt warmed by both the garment and the gesture: a look which was sadly missed by Robin Locksley, as the principal forced herself to adopt a stern and independent stance. Robin may not have seen the look on Regina's face, but Zelena did, and right now that very look was staring back at her. Zelena inhaled deeply and picked up the photograph, her breathing increasingly as her features darkened, as she tore the image up and angrily tossed it into the fire, watching as the faces of Robin and Regina became darkened and distorted. Zelena smiled broadly and felt herself relaxing immensely as she watched the faces of the principal and the history teacher crumble into ashes.