No cuffs on me yeah I'm free
No cuffs on me yeah I'm free
No cuffs on me yeah I'm free
No cuffs on me yeah I'm free

(No Cuffs-LianeV)

"Tell me again why I agreed to do this," Regina grumbled.

"Oh come on Regina, it will be fun," Mary Margaret said as they walked into the ball room of Regina's own castle. David walked behind the two women, one was his wife, the other was one who had tried to murder both him and his wife.

"Fun for you, you have your partner already," Regina said, "besides who would want to cuff themselves to the Evil Queen?" They were having a ball in which couples would be paired by whom the male put a cuff on a female's wrist first. Their cuffs were linked together and also enchanted by a simple spell that once a pairing was locked, they would be locked together for one hour.

"You're not the Evil Queen anymore, remember?" Mary Margaret said as she looked at her husband for support.

"Regina, if I didn't already have my partner, I would be glad to be yours," David said as he rubbed her forearm for encouragement.

"Thank you, I think," Regina murmured as she rubbed her hands together as she looked around the room. Sidney stood there with a smile on his face, she rolled her eyes at him. God, anyone but him!

She let her gaze scan the rest of the hall, she received a wink from David which made her strangely feel secure? Next her gaze landed on one Will Scarlett who bowed slightly and nodded his head at her, before also giving her a wink. A strange man, an attractive man, but a strange man. Didn't he know who she was? She was a Queen!

Her eyes moved from him to the man standing beside him, that smelly giant Little John who had a look of disbelief on his face. She curled her lips up in her own show of disgust, and turned around to see the Prince of Thieves himself, Robin Hood. A man who knew exactly how to get under her skin, oh she knew how to fire zings back at him, and for some reason he seemed to enjoy dueling with her.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asked.

He just smiled as she felt something wrap around her right wrist, she looked down to see him putting the other end on his own wrist. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I thought it would be very simple, I'm locking myself to you," Robin informed her with a smirk on his face.

"No, you're not! Undo this right now!" Regina demanded.

"I'm afraid we are locked together for the next hour," Robin said as he shook their cuffs to show her that they were locked together.

"You planned this! Just to irritate me," Regina said as she tried to undo the cuff, when that didn't work she tried her magic but it just bounced off the enchanted cuff.

"Now why would I do something like that to you?" Robin asked as he smiled at her antics, "and you might as well stop trying to undo them. You can't get away from me, until midnight."

"You insufferable smelly...nerf herder!" Regina cried out in frustration.

"I agree that I might not smell as clean as you with your perfumes and own scent," Robin said as he moved to stand closer to her, taking a deep breath of her beautiful perfume as he looked intently into her eyes, "but I assure you I bathe regularly."

"In a smelly, dirty river," Regina said as she moved her head from his gaze, to see that many were staring at them in the center of the ball room.

"I can promise you I do try to find the cleanest water available," Robin said as just then a song started to be played by the musicians. Robin smirked as he bowed before her, "Shall we dance?"

"This is so repulsive," Regina said.

"You just love speaking to people as if they are beneath you," Robin commented. She was being childish, oh he knew what he had planned would get under her skin, but for some reason he enjoyed pushing her buttons and seeing how she would react to him.

"I'm a Queen, you're just some peasant," Regina said defiantly.

"That might be true, but tonight, I'm your partner," Robin said as he took her hand in his and pulled her close to him, so close that they were almost touching. She had to push her head back slightly to look at him, he towered over her, so close that she could smell the faint scent of his forest smell, that was becoming achingly familiar to her. Robin started to sway to the light music filling the hall. One of his hands was on the small of her back, while the other held one of her hands.

Her thoughts went to another time, to another man, who had once held her in his arms.

Daniel.

They had once danced under the moonlight sky beneath her apple tree. He had held her hand, kissed her lips, given her thoughtful little gifts, listened carefully to her concerns, been very protective and caring. He had given her that ring from a saddle...

"I've upset you," Robin's words, snapped her out of memories.

"Nonsense, it would take more than someone like you to upset me," Regina said.

"Someone like me?" Robin asked.

"A common thief," Regina said.

"Ah, I see," Robin said, "I would rather be a common thief who has had his hands in the dirt and live, then to be locked in a castle and a title."

Robin watched as Regina's eyes were sparkling in defiance, her lovely face angrily flushed, her lips prominent and offering pure red invitation. He licked his lips as he thought of how those very red lips would feel under his much more hardened lips.

"You know nothing about me, thief," Regina argued.

"Then tell me about you, tell me about the woman behind the crown," Robin prompted her.

"Why should I tell you anything about me?" Regina asked defiantly as she lifted her nose up at him.

"Then tell me what a nerf herder is instead," Robin said. Regina just shook her head and mumbled something under her breath.

For the rest of the dance, Regina didn't respond whenever he tried to get her to respond. Once the dance was over, Regina started walking towards the table where the Charmings were sitting. Mary Margaret with a huge smile on her face, David was sitting there with a smile on his face as he fed his face.

Suddenly, she was stopped in her tracks as she turned to see Robin standing there, stopping her progress, "I'm going to my table," she informed him.

"And I'm going to mine," Robin said to her, "my son is there and I intend to enjoy dinner with him."

Regina looked over at the little boy who was sitting there beside that giant Little John, she couldn't help the pang as she thought of Henry, her son. She reluctantly went with him to his table, he sat down beside his son, forcing her to sit beside him. The merry men were leery of her still, not that she blamed them. Fear was an effective tool.

"Majesty?" Roland's small voice called out to her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, Roland?" Regina said as she turned her head to look at the little boy.

"Do you like being tied to my Papa?" Roland asked, causing a chorus of laughter to go around the table.

Regina steamed inside and replied, "I think your Papa, enjoys being tied up by a woman." Regina said as she took a sip of her water. The laughter died down around her.

She ate very little, popping a morsel of food here and there in. She kept seeing Mary Margaret looking at her sitting with Robin and his merry men, Mary Margaret couldn't keep the smile off her face as she watched them. Regina turned her face to look at anything but the smug look on her face. Her gaze went to Robin, to Robin's mouth, the way he popped in some fruits and berries. She watched the way he ate his food, saw the way that his teeth bore down into the skin of the berries. She watched him eat a slice of orange and watched the way he sucked the sweet juices into his mouth. Saw the way a few drops of the sweet fruit were on his lips...

"Wouldn't you like a taste?" a voice asked as Regina snapped out of her trance. She turned to see Friar Tuck offering her a plate of fresh bread. She politely refused as she started to fan herself.

"Are you hot?" Friar Tuck asked.

"I'm fine," Regina said as she turned her head from him to stare at the wall behind where the Charmings were sitting.

She sat and listened to them talk amongst themselves, choosing to remain silent for about half an hour. "Are you just going to sit there saying nothing?" Robin asked.

She blew out a breath through her nose for an answer.

Robin smiled and leaned in closer to her ear, "When you get all steamed up," Robin murmured huskily, "you look incredibly hot and sexy."

Regina looked over at him, and smiled a slow, evil smile. She lifted her glass of water and emptied it over his arrogant dark blonde head, "Then it's time you cooled off."

Totally taken aback by her liquid assault, Robin sprang upright, blue eyes ablaze with disbelief as he flicked dripping blonde hair off his forehead. "You are behaving like a spoiled brat!"

"How dare you!" Regina yelled back at him as she stood up on her feet.

"Right now, I dare a lot!" Robin said as he snatched her off her feet, putting her over his shoulder, without the smallest warning and stalked stormily out of the room and into the hallway. He grunted as Regina pulled at his hair and used her fists to pound on his back.

"You put me down this instant!" Regina screamed at him.

Robin smacked her on her bottom as he stormed into his room, and dropped her on the bed.

Regina sat up, their wrists still shackled together as she surveyed him in shock as he began to wrench off his tunic, "What are you doing?"

"You soaked my clothing," he reminded her grittily as he ripped open the ties of his top, once the leather top was removed.

Regina's tummy somersaulted and a slow heavy heat spread in her pelvis as she looked at him because he, undoubtedly, had the most beautiful male body she had ever seen. Roped muscle defined his broad bronzed torso. She continued to look over him, his impressive pecks, narrowing down over a flat washboard stomach to disappear below the top of his leather pants. For a split second, he simply took her breath away.

Regina looked up at him, involuntarily enthralled by the beauty of his features, the sheer richness f his stunning blue eyes framed by luxuriant ebony lashes. His eyes locked with hers and he stood before her now, moving one of his fingers to brush across her cheek, "Don't," she warned.

"I must," Robin growled hoarsely, his hand dropping to her chin to push it up to enable his mouth to come down with hungry driving dominance on hers. Taken by surprise, Regina reeled dizzily, mouth opening to receive the erotic plunge of his tongue. He tasted so wonderfully good, a knot tightened in her pelvis and she gasped, feeling the scandalous dampness of desire surge between her taut thighs in treacherous contrast to her anger with him. The comparison shocked her and broke through the mesmeric power of his mouth on hers.

She let herself go and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he lifted her up against him as though she were a doll, and planting her on the edge of the bed, pushing her knees apart to stand between them, leaning forward to thrust his aroused body into the apex of her thighs.

"You taste so good," he pronounced.

Regina heard his voice through the wall of sensation caused by the outrageous stroke of his long, lean fingers encircling her hips just below her top, the touch of his fingertips across her skin alerting her to an innate sensuality she had not the chance to feel in such a long time. She could feel his erection through his leather pants and the knowledge that she aroused him even with his being mad at her was ridiculously empowering. She struggled to draw another breath past her tight throat as he pressed his mouth hungrily against the tender skin between her neck and her shoulder and her head fell back without her volition, a tiny gasp escaping her parted lips.

As his hands went to the sides of her top and started to push it up, they were interrupted by a voice, "Papa?"

Robin pulled back from Regina to twist his body to look at his son, standing there at the doorway, "Roland, what...what are you doing here?"

"I came to tell you they just brought dessert," Roland said.

"Ah, thank you, Roland. We'll be there soon," Robin said.

"What is my majesty doing laying on your bed Papa?" Roland asked.

Regina popped up suddenly and said, "I wasn't feeling well and your Papa carried me here so I could lay down."

"Are you better now?" Roland asked.

"Much better," Regina assured him.

"Then you should stay in Papa's bed," Roland said.

Robin couldn't stop the chuckled at his son's innocent words. Regina turned a scowl as she looked at Robin, who couldn't stop smiling at her.

"Will you do me a favor, Roland?" Regina asked.

"Anything, my majesty," Roland said.

"Will you go and save me a piece of Granny's Apple Pie?" Regina asked.

"I sure will," Roland promised her as he turned to go, but turned back around in the doorway, "are you still coming back to the table?"

"Of course," Regina said as they watched Roland walk out the door. Regina turned her head to look at Robin and rolled her eyes, "you're insufferable."

"That may be true, but you were enjoying my presence a few moments ago," Robin said.

"That's not true," Regina denied.

"Oh yeah? Well then why didn't you leave the room when we got here?" Robin asked.

Regina stood up on her knees on the bed and said, "Because of this stupid cuff!" She shook her forearm at him, which to her amazement she discovered that she was no longer cuffed to the thief.

"You were saying?" Robin asked with that damned smirk on his face again.