Hello beautiful people! I bring you a new chapter of this story. Thank you all for your support and to the new followers. I hope you like this chapter ´cause we are reaching the end of this sroty.
Thanks for reading.
Now that I have had to raise my son alone, I have neglected the Merry Man a little bit. John is helping me with them and continue with the business. Most of the time they leave on their own, but when the "jobs" are too important, John stayed at home with Roland and I direct our men so that no mistakes were made.
Roland was growing faster. He was already a little man. His brown hair was the same as Marian's and his eyes were big and brown; he had dimples, just like me, on my cheeks and ran around with a small smile on his face.
I watched him for a few seconds, while he played with some branches. I thought about how lucky I was to have him as a son. My mind wandered for a few minutes and Regina came back to my head.
Days ago, a rumor had spread throughout the town. The evil queen had threatened to use a kind of magic that would steal from everyone what they most wanted. The very thought of my son not being close to me was heartbreaking.
Why did Regina want to do that? For a long time, the people feared her and the title of evil queen nobody could take it away. What had happened to the Regina I knew? What had led her to be what she was now? Deep inside me, I knew that those answers would never come to me. She hadn't bothered to look for me all these years and she wouldn't do it now.
She made it, Regina casted the curse. The bells had begun to ring, announcing the great cloud of purple smoke that stretched across the sky and was moving rapidly.
"Robin!" John shouted attracting my attention "We have to leave now before the curse reaches us."
"We can't escape from it John" I answered turning my eyes to the purple smoke "It is impossible."
"No, it's not" he said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, wrinkling my forehead.
"I listened to a rumor... There is a part of the forest where the curse will not come. If we hurry, we can arrive."
"Are you sure of what you're saying?"
"It's going to be protected with some kind magic and we just have to pay to enter... The Merry Men agree to spend the last booty to save us from the queen's curse" John observed the purple smoke and let out a sigh "I think it is our best option."
I reviewed all the possibilities in my head and they were just two options. Or we stayed there waiting for the curse to come and take us to who knows where, or we paid to be protected and our destiny would be decided later.
I didn't hesitate a second, I wouldn't get away from Roland and wouldn't let anything happen to him. So there was nothing more to think about.
"We have to pack our things."
We rode as fast as the horses allowed. Each of my men had taken their essential belongings and we followed John to that place where the curse would not come.
My son was in my arms and held my wrists with great force. I could tell he was scared and I felt guilty for not being able to erase that feeling from him.
"Everything will be fine Roland" I whispered "I will not let anything happen to you and we will always going to be together."
"I know dad" he replied looking at me with his big eyes.
I gave him a small smile and Roland returned his sight to the road.
"We have arrived!" Reported John stopping the gallop.
A kind of blue line shone on the ground and on the other side of that line there were few people waiting for the curse to come.
"What brings you here, mates?" A man dressed in black approached us and judging from his leather clothes, and his eyes outlined in black, he was a pirate.
"We want to have protection from the curse" I answered making my horse take a few steps forward.
"Wow! But if it's Robin Hood" The pirate looked at me closely and I straightened my posture by raising my chin.
"I'm afraid I don't have the pleasure of meeting you."
"Captain Hook" He introduced himself showing the hook that he had in the place of his left hand" I'm afraid, that here can only enter if you have something to give in return" He said with an arrogant smile.
I looked at John and nodded to him to give my consent. He took a bag full of gold coins and threw it at the feet of the pirate.
"I think that will be enough for my men, my son and me."
Hook looked at the bag at his feet and leaned to lift it from the ground, shook it and then opened it a little to observe its contents.
"Welcome" He said stepping aside to let us pass.
I wasn't sure how that pirate had managed to be the one to lead that magical refuge, but he seemed to be getting a good deal of that.
Hours later, the purple smoke reached us and expanded over us showing the shape of the dome where we were in. The smoke can't touch us and it just stayed there, static over us.
The frightened faces of the people began to calm down when they saw that nothing was happening. My men were beginning to gather wood to make a small fire and Roland was sitting on a small log playing with a branch.
I approached him and sat on the floor beside him, let out a sigh and he looked up at me.
"What will happen when the smoke is gone?" He asked curiously.
"We'll stay here for a while until it's safe to leave."
"We will not return home?"
"Someday we will return, I promise" I give a small smile to my son trying to reassure him.
I didn't know what would happen after this curse, but the least I could do at that moment was to give my son a little hope. At this point in our lives everything was unpredictable, and I couldn't afford to let myself be overcome by adversity.
After a month, the Merry Man and I decided to leave the dome that protected us and undertake the trip back to our land. Hook got in our way and gave us a cheeky smile.
"You leave so soon mates?"
"That's right, mate" I replied with some irritation "Any problem?"
"Oh no! I don't have any problem with that, but... You can't leave here."
"And who is going to keep us here? Your?" John commented with a small giggle.
"No, of course I wouldn't do that... But the dome itself."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, wrinkling my forehead.
"Look mate, this dome protects us from the curse therefore we can't leave it until the curse is broken" explained Hook as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
"And how long do we have to wait for the curse to break?" John asked.
"Exactly… 28 years."
My men were so surprised that I thought their jaws would fall to the ground. I looked at Hook with confused eyes trying to figure out if he was telling the truth. 28 years trapped in this kind of island was something I wasn't willing to accept.
"Don't worry" The pirate spoke again "For us it will be faster, you will not feel that they were 28 years."
"So, are we trapped here for 28 years?"
"We are... But I veil on the friendly side, mate. We can become great friends" Hook smiled and I checked that his comment was totally sarcastic.
"Don't count on that" John whispered, turning around.
I took Roland by the hand and turned around to return to the area where we had set up our camp.
After several hours, my mind crossed over a thousand ways to escape and get my people out of that protective spell, but the ideas seemed stupid when you couldn't get through the line. Somehow the dome was protected and thrown more than two meters to anyone trying to leave. John had painfully checked it after receiving a warning from Hook.
It was impossible to get out of the dome.
It was about to down and suddenly a blue flash caught everyone's attention. I got up slowly from the ground and watched the sky with my eyes wide open. The blue line shone for the last time in a flash and John approached the dome stopping a few steps away. He moved his hand slowly to where the wall of the dome was supposed to be, but this time nothing happened. John's hand crossed the line without receiving any kind of hurt. He looked at me with a small smile and I knew what it meant.
"Let's go Roland" I took my son by the hand and looked at him with a small smile "Let's go home."
The curse was broken.
We returned to the place where our small cabin should be, but instead we only found rubble. The whole kingdom was reduced to ashes and remains of buildings, the curse had destroyed everything in its path, and nothing had remained intact. Some trees lay on the ground and the wood of the humble constructions spread all over the ground.
I felt a lump forming in my throat as I realized that everything was gone. Roland squeezed my hand and I realized that his eyes were full of tears.
"Papa, where will we live now?"
"Don't worry son" I cherished Roland's hair and give him a little smile "We'll build a new one."
Something strange has happened, we were in the cabin and a purple smoke had covered the enchanted forest, but this time nothing strange had happened. I left the small cabin where my son and I lived and watched the sky looking for a sign of what had happened.
Seconds later, John appeared from the trees and ran towards me in panic.
"Did you see that?" He asked.
"I did... What do you think it was?"
"I don't know. But it was identical to the smoke of the curse."
"Do you think it's another curse?" I asked, wrinkling my forehead.
"I don't think so. If it was we were not be here anymore."
"I suggest we go to investigate to find out what happened."
"I'll gather the Merry Men to leave."
I nodded and looked at the sky again. Everything was very strange and I didn't like the idea of facing a new curse. I went back to the cabin and took my bow and arrows. I called Roland and inform him that we would leave, he ran through his cloak and returned with a small smile.
We left the cabin and the Merry Men were already gathered taking their weapons. Everyone turned to me and nodded in greeting. I started walking with Roland by my side holding my hand and John following me with the others behind me.
My eyes scanned every corner of the forest in search of something strange, but it wasn't my eyes, but my ears, that warned me that something was happening.
A strange noise came from a few meters ahead and I started to walk quickly towards him. A couple of women were standing with their eyes in the sky where a winged creature rushed towards them.
"Watch out!" I shouted placing an arrow in my bow and the two women dropped to the ground.
I pointed the arrow and let it go so that it hit the creature that seconds later let out a scream of pain and flew away.
I hurried to get to the two women, who were still on the floor, and I could observe them better. Both wore elegant and fine clothes, both had dark hair and both were still watching the sky.
"Milady..." I said extending my hand towards the woman who had her hair pulled back "You injure?
Both women turned to me and I froze. My eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was her, she was in front of me, looking at me with the same eyes that I remembered. Her face looked as surprised as mine, but just as beautiful as ever.
Regina moved her head from side to side and looked at me with eyes full of rancor.
"It's your majesty," she said in a cold voice. "And no, I'm perfectly fine... I don't need your help."
I didn't know what to answer. I was still shocked to see her there when I thought that never again in what I had left of life would I see her again in front of me. My heart was pounding in my chest and I could hear it echoing in my ears.
"Well, if you don't want it, I do." Said the other woman who took my hand to get up "You are very kind."
Regina got up immediately and shook off the black cloak she wore.
"Robin of Locksley" I present myself by gently squeezing the hand of the other woman.
"Snow White," she said with a small smile. "Thank you very much for the help."
"If you are Snow White, why are you with her?" Asked John pointing to Regina "She is the evil queen."
"It seems you know me" Regina said raising an eyebrow.
"Before the curse, we spent the days fleeing from your black knights, your majesty" I answered.
"Something you must have done to deserve it..." Regina looked at me once more and I understood that she was trying to pretend that she didn't knew me "What the hell was that thing that attacked us?"
"I have no idea. It's something we haven't seen, until now.
"We are starting going Regina's castle" Snow spoke "We could use your help and your company."
I looked at the Merry Men and they nodded in response. I turned my gaze to the princess and the queen and nodded, agreeing to accompany them.
It was strange to see her again, to have her around again, to be able to contemplate how the girl I had fallen in love with was now a woman. Regina had been indifferent to my presence, but what did I expect? It had already passed 28 without seeing us, she shouldn't feel anything for me anymore, maybe she didn't even remember what we had lived together.
I could see her from a distance. She was leading the walk next to Snow White as I advanced in the end with the rest of my men and my son. From time to time Regina turned quickly to look at the crowd that followed her and our eyes came to meet several times.
We had reached the edge of the castle that seemed to be protected by a dome. I noticed how Regina and Snow White argued in front of the transparent barrier. I couldn't stop looking at her, my eyes were drawn to her like a magnet. Despite the time, she hadn't changed at all, she was still beautiful, she was still a queen, and she was still out of reach.
"Dad!" I listened to Roland's scream while one of those winged creatures was approaching him quickly.
"Roland!" I prepared my bow by placing an arrow and point towards the winged creature.
Suddenly a kind of purple smoke covered it and fell to the ground turned into a kind of animal plush. Regina approached and took it from the ground to give it to Roland
"It isn't scary anymore" she said.
I approached quickly and took my son in my arms quickly, I observed Regina for a moment and let out a sigh.
"Thank you."
"no problem" the queen replied and walked away from me.
The night had arrived, we were all camping in the forest not far from the castle; there was a fire in the middle of everyone and the Merry Men were standing guard. Roland was asleep in a small tent and John and I were sitting on each side.
I heard the branches creak and I looked up as the queen escaped from the camp so cautiously that she was not seen.
"I'll take care here," whispered John. "Go for her."
I quickly got off the floor and went after her. I walked noiselessly trying to reach her and observed her standing in front of a rock that floated following the movement of her hands. The rock fell from the other side of the forest and she let out a small smile when she looked at the ground.
"You will not be thinking of going out there alone, will you? Your Majesty" I said in a calm voice approaching her.
"What are you doing here?" Regina asked in an annoyed voice
"I will not let you go alone" I answered
"I didn't ask for your help, I can do everything on my own."
"You saved my son, so I will not let you go alone."
She snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Just, do not get in my way
"I wouldn't dream of it."
We went down into a strange passage, we were shoulder to shoulder thanks to the narrow corridor. I held a torch with fire and she just walked watching the ground.
"Can you tell me why do you pretend you don't know me?"
"Because we don't know each other, not anymore. We are very different persons than we were before... You have a child, how is your wife?
"She died."
"I am sorry."
"Can you please leave these games? I don't understand why you behave like this."
"Stop" She said placing her arm in front of me. I stopped because her touch left me frozen, not because of her words; it was too long ago that she didn't touch me and when she did I was paralyzed "I set traps, for people like you, that could tear our heads out."
"People like me?" Ask confused.
"Thieves" she replied coldly.
She had changed, her words were cold and without any feeling. She was right, it wasn't the Regina that I knew, now she was just the evil queen.
"Walk alone behind me, and be careful where you step."
I obeyed because I didn't feel like replicating, her impact on me was still huge and after spending that time with her I realized that she didn't pretend to be indifferent to me, it really was.
"And... What happened to your son's mother?" She asked raising an eyebrow.
"After Roland was born, I went on a trip and I was not with her. It was my fault."
"That's impossible!"
I was surprised by Regina's comment about my situation, but when I looked up from the floor I realized that she was not referring to Marian's death.
There was an open door in front of us and she looked at it with a mixture of confusion and anger at the same time. That's right, I still knew how to read her face.
"What happened?"
"That door... It should be closed" she pointed out.
"Maybe someone else opened it."
"No! I sealed it with blood magic, it couldn't be opened by anyone but me. That magic is very powerful."
"Well, apparently not so much" She glared at me and started to move forward
I followed her step and entered a circular room filled with small golden boxes and a coffin in the middle.
"What is this?" Ask confused
"A vault" She replied approaching the coffin.
"Whose coffin is it?"
"Of my mother" She replied with tearful eyes "We must continue" Regina started walking before I could say any word
We continued walking to the room that I recognized as her room. Regina took a small chest from her dresser and started taking out some bottles that contained certain substances that she could not recognize.
I didn't want to distrust her, but I had no choice; I knew what she was capable of and what she had done before. I took an arrow, putted it in my bow and pointed to her.
"What kind of dark magic are you doing?"
Regina turned to me and her eyes lit up.
"How dare you threaten me in my own castle?!" She raised her hand and I felt my throat tighten leaving me breathless.
"Although you kill me" It was difficult to say a word but I tried "The arrow will leave the bow and I never fail."
Regina under her hand and I could breathe again. I couldn't believe that she had intended to kill me.
"It's a sleeping curse." She said.
"That's why you wanted to come to the castle alone? To make that spell? Like the one you used with Snow White."
"They are ingredients hard to get" Regina performed her magic and pulled out of her hair perfectly combed a needle.
"Who are you planning to use it on?"
"In nobody that you care" She putted the needle in the bottle and left it aside.
"Do you plan to use it with the wicked witch?"
"That witch I don't care about... I'll use it on me."
"What?! You cannot do that... I will not let you do it."
"Easy" Regina cast a spell on me and my feet were stuck to the ground "I will fulfill the promise of lowering the barriers so they can take the castle."
"Why do you want to do this Regina?"
"It's nothing that you care about Robin."
"Please, trust me" I begged her hoping she would listen to me and not make a mistake.
"I have a son, his name is Henry" she said. The news took me by surprise "he's very far from here and I'll probably never see him again and my life without him doesn't make sense."
"And his father?" It was the only thing that occurred to me to ask. I couldn't conceive the idea that Regina had had a child with King Leopold.
"Henry was adopted in the world to where I took us with my curse. He is with his biological mother at this time and he has no idea who I am and he will never know." Tears ran down her cheeks "My life has no meaning without him."
"I understand you" I answered looking down.
"No! You don't."
"Of course I understand" I said "When I lost you I felt that my life was over. I felt that I had no reason to live or to move on with my life. You left me devastated and I never knew why..." I couldn't contain my feelings anymore, I had to tell them out "You married, I did not hear from you again and yet every damn day of my life I thought of you and only you... And then Roland came, and I had to look for a better life for him, it was my motive to get ahead and overcome the pain that you had caused me."
"Do you think that you are the only one who suffered?" She asked in a choked voice "After you, I became bitter, cold, heartless, I turned to this" She said pointing to herself "And the only thing that made me happy again was Henry and now I don't have him, now I have no one, I have nothing to fight for or to live."
"Yes you do" I hasten to say "You have a very big reason... Finding your son, get him back. Do what you didn't do with me and fight for him... We all have a second chance Regina, you just have to open your eyes to see it"
"It's a shame that mine will be closed"
Regina looked at me and walked to the balcony drying her tears, and I just stood there, unable to move.
I couldn't let her do that, I couldn't let her fall into that spell that only the kiss of true love could awaken her. Well the truth I was no longer sure that I was once his true love and I couldn't do anything for her.
Minutes later I watched the barrier disappear and Regina returning with a determined and truthful look. She shook her hand and my feet took off from the floor.
"Let's go" She ordered.
"What happened?"
"I found a reason to fight."