Told you it would be up soon ;) It is currently 3:25am as I've finished writing this so no doubt there will be mistakes but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless. A x
As he delved further into the tree he noted that the Queen had already found her way to the staircase hidden within it and made her way down. He seriously needed to watch this woman closer. It would do him no good to have her disappearing on him. He needed her to secure his own future. A low objective yes but how the kingdom was now, completely necessary. Besides, she was a monster. It would be an act of heroism to see her brought to justice, even if it was by the woman of whom turned this once flourishing land into a living nightmare. He found her sat on a chair in the room hidden far below the earth. The touches casting her frame in shadow. For a moment, Robin regarded the woman in front of him. The feeling of guilt and shame bubbling deep in his soul. When he accepted the job, that was all it was. A job. A way to keep his son safe and with him for even a while longer. However, for all he knew of the Queen, he still felt shame in what was lying in her future…because of him. He was a thief, not a huntsman and not a guard yet he found himself thrust into this position. Even though there was no physical evidence that he'd sold his soul to the devil, he felt in a though someone was crushing his heart from the inside. But he had no choice. His son came first and she was the reason he didn't have a mother. His guilt would dissipate over time in the knowledge that he did right by his boy. Robin was pulled from his musing by the sound of bile being projected forcefully against the floor. It seemed that the Queen had attempted to reset her…broken arm? How did he miss this? What happened to him to have left her in this state for so long? He collected the empty bucket from next to the makeshift bed and tossed it in front of her whilst settling into the chair opposite. 'Let me see.'
'No thank you. You've helped quite enough for today. Anymore of your help and I'll probably end up dead.'
He flinched at the accuracy of her words. Robin hoped that the Queen hadn't noticed. It would be that much harder to get her to the palace if she knew what was to happen to her once their journey ended. Much to his chagrin she did… of course she did.
'Who sent you?' He sent he a dead look and remained tight lipped. 'There is no way in hell someone of your…kind, would have access to a portal. That is powerful magic of which I know you don't wield, so once again… who sent you?'
Robin could feel the anger of old being reignited with every word that left her crimson lips. She didn't deserve to know who was behind her fate. None of them had. But meeting her blazing gaze Robin couldn't help but add more fuel to the fire.
'I do not answer to you. I will never answer to you. If not for you this would have never happened and all of our fates would have been spared.' He spat, squaring her up.
'If not for you the children of this land would have never known suffering, never seen massacres or their home set ablaze. Young men and women subjected to a life of servitude against those they love. If not for you, we would have never known hell.' His voice grew deadly quiet and Regina for the first time, found herself unable to respond. Never had she thought of what she'd truly subjected her people to during her reign nor what would happen to them after the curse. It simply had never mattered. The air grew thick and Regina found herself unable to look up from her heavy black skirt as a single tear rolled down her cheek embedding itself into the open gash on her face. The sting was a welcome feeling if only because she deserved the pain after all she had done. She really was a monster.
'She however, arrived years after the curse from the west. A small village had been protected by her magic but none could remember who she was or how long they had been there. She took control overnight. First of the villages. Tearing them apart then setting them alight regardless of whom was left inside. We all thought it couldn't get worse after those first few months but it did. It always did. None of us heard them coming at first. Their wings silent, hidden under the buzz of chatter. By the time we noticed it was too late and they were upon us. Many lost their lives that night. Many of whom did not even know how to fight. By the time morning came they were gone but the damage was done. Those of us that survived, we changed. We learnt to hid soon as the sun left the sky. We learnt not to fight. We learnt how to survive.' Once he was done with his tale, he moved closer to her and grasped her arm. 'I can reset your bones if you wish and give you something for the pain but we shall be continuing on with the journey in 2 days. On that I will not negotiate for it is not you of whom shall pay.'
Regina turned to look at him confused. Why would he help her after he had made it so apparent that her loathed her? It made no sense.
'Don't think too much into it. It will simply be quicker to let you heal slightly before we start back otherwise you will probably collapse in a few hours and I'd have to carry you which is not part of the job description. Just sit still whilst in tend to your arm and then I shall reset your ribs and I'm afraid, that will be extremely painful.' Robin smiled slightly at that. Unable to rid the black malice in his heart from enjoying the prospect of hurting her. Regina steeled herself and allowed him to create a make-shift splint from fire wood for her arm and drank the concoction of berries and herbs that he gave her. After all, if she was to be dead in a few days what did she have to lose at this point? After instruction Regina lay upon the wooden table after removing her feathered cape, completely at his mercy. Normally, she wouldn't let anybody near her, let alone actually touch her. But she was without magic and in immense pain. There was no way she could even wash herself currently, let alone fight for her life- something she knew she may have to do.
Robin looked over at the small Queen, watching her constricted breathing when it dawned on him that the corset would have to be removed for him to get to her ribs. A deep shade of crimson painted his cheeks with the realisation he'd either must ask the queen to undress or he'd have to do it for her. As she moved over to her, Robin took a deep breath to prepare himself before asking the question he'd surely been charred for if things were different.
'Don't tell me.' The Queen started. 'You need me to remove my corset, right?' His awkward expression gave her the answer she was dreading. 'You have to be kidding me? Was this all part of your plan? Break my ribs with your landing so you could take advantage of my pain. Seems simple enough and with where we are who would come to help me… especially if they knew it was me.' She instantly became that defenceless 18 year old that was forced too soon to become the wife of a man that neither loved nor respected her.
Robin saw her expression harden into one of malice and almost returned her ugly accusatory words until her once again saw her eyes. For in them was not malice or even annoyance but genuine fear, fear of him and his blood ran cold. Just what had this woman life been? Why was she so bloody confusing? One minute serving him hatful barbs, the next withdraw and distant before becoming this scared and pained creature he saw before him. And more importantly, why did it affect him so? Moving towards he cautiously, he lifted both hands up and a sign of trust. 'No matter how much I may hate you, no matter how desperate I may be, I would never subject any woman to that. I may be many ugly things, but nothing in all the realms would drive me to that. I truly only wish to help and I won't be able to feel where your ribs should be nor bind them tight enough over that contraption. You have my word I shall do nothing more. You can either undo them corset yourself or I can cut you out of it. I have a spare shirt that you can put on during if that would make you more comfortable.' Regina didn't trust him, at least not fully but she could tell that he was physically disturbed by her accusation. A reaction she was not used to but took some comfort in.
'You will need to cut the corset.' Her voice came out smaller than she remembered, as though she was still that 18 year old girl that was so despondent to the world. 'I shall put the shirt on first and you can cut it down the back.' As much a Robin hated her, he couldn't help but feel for the woman sat in pain on his table. What had the world done to her? How did she become a monster and was she still one now?
Walking over to the trunk in the corner, he pulled out a large white shirt. Sure, it wasn't the cleanest thing and the scent of pine hung to it like as though it were woven into the very fabric itself. He placed the shirt in front of the Queen and was surprised when she simply took the garment without hesitation and allowed it to swallow her petit frame.
The material fell too loosely over her and for the first time he noticed how tiny she really was and not just in height. He could make out the sharpness of her collar bones, the hollowness of her face and the dark circles under her eyes. Whatever demons she seemed to be fighting we affecting her badly. He almost felt an emotion with a likeness to sympathy for the woman sat in front of him. Almost. Robin approached her slowly and narrated his next movement so not to surprise or frighten her. He kept his touches light as he made quick work of her constrictive corset, seeing her finally able to take a decent breath in as he studied the multiple bruises on her back. Surely they could not of been only today as her back was a patchwork of black and blue and he pulled the destroyed garment from her. Realising she was uncomfortable with his lingering behind her, Robin moved around to face her. Instructing her to lie back and bite down on the piece of wood he put in her mouth, he lifted the shirt above her naval and waited until she granted him permission to continue further. A curt nod followed his silent questioning gaze so he lifted the material until it only covered her chest. From this angle, it was clear where the breakage was from the swollen and discoloured skin that marred the area. It was a miracle with that bloody corset that she hadn't punctured anything. A thought that left him feeling guilty when he realised that if such an event had come to pass, it would be on his conscience.
'Now, I'm not won't lie to you. This is going to hurt. Bite down on the wood and I shall set them as quickly as I can. That tea I gave you earlier should numb the pain slightly but not enough to make this comfortable.' Regina scoffed at this, earning her a very puzzled look from the man standing over her.' Trust me, you can hurt me no more than I already have been.' With this she placed the wood in her mouth and leant her head back, fixing her gaze on the exposed tree roots of the ceiling. Robin lined up his hands and counted down before the sound of cracking and muffled screams filled the room.
It felt as though her whole body was exploding from the force of his hands. She threw he head back and screamed into the wood as she bit down hard and clawed at the table. Trying anything to dissipate the pain but in her frenzy, could only see Henry's sweet face, moving the pain from her ribs and straight into her heart. Finally, the pressure was relieved and she felt herself being tightly bound, supporting the newly set bones. Exhaustion hit her like an avalanche and soon her eyes closed, drawing her into the realm of endless nightmares.