Day 17-My Majesty

(Set in the Missing Year)

Robin and some of his men were just returning to the castle late one evening, they had been on a mission with Prince David about looking for the Wicked Witch and her minions. They had managed to round up several of her followers, but had had no luck in finding her. Robin was on his way up to his room to see his son. He had missed Roland these last few days and was excited to see him.

"Robin, it's good to see you," Friar Tuck said as he met him in the hallway.

"Tuck, how has Roland been?" Robin asked.

"Very well behaved, I must say," Friar Tuck answered,"How was the mission?"

"We didn't find the witch, but other than that, it was good," Robin said,"If you'll excuse me, I'm anxious to see my son." Robin started to walk around Tuck towards his room.

"Uh, Robin, Roland is not in there," Friar Tuck said, causing Robin to turn around.

"Is he with Alan?" Robin asked, thinking he had went to another of his men's room.

"No," Friar Tuck answered.

"Then where is he?" Robin asked.

"He's one floor above," Friar Tuck answered, his eyes moving upward at the same time.

"But that's those rooms are the Charmings', and the Queen's," Robin said. "Is he with Princess Snow?"

"No, he's with Queen Regina," Friar Tuck said.

Robin noted that his friend did not call Regina the Evil Queen. "She brought him to her room?"

"No, he went to hers," Friar Tuck answered and continued,"Ever since you've been gone, he's been following her, like her shadow. When she goes into the library, he's there reading. If she goes to the stables, he's with her, she keeps a close eye on him in case a horse becomes skittish. And after supper, he goes to her room to sleep."

"This is Roland you're talking about?" Robin asked, thinking of his shy little boy.

"Yes, ever since she saved him from that flying monkey, he's become obsessed with her," Friar Tuck said,"I went to check on him one night, he was in your bed, and he asked her would she go and make sure his papa was okay. She promised him that you would be, and that you would return to him, or she would have your head."

Robin chuckled at her sassiness towards him,"Thank you, Friar Tuck. I'll go see about Roland now." Robin turned and headed towards the stairs that led upstairs. Here he was, Robin Hood, the Prince of Thieves about to go to the Queen's bedchambers, but he reasoned his son was there.

Rigggght!

He had just arrived at her door and was about to knock, when he saw the door was cracked and he could hear Regina talking to Roland.

"You know you can ask me anything, my little knight," Regina said to Roland.

Her little knight? Robin thought to himself. They were evidently really close. Robin knew he could trust the Queen with his little boy, after all she had saved him that day.

"Majesty,...do you like my Papa?" Roland asked in a soft voice. Robin's ears perked up at this question, he too wanted to hear what she would say to this question.

"Well, he is a good father to you," Regina said.

"Yes, but that's not what I asked," Roland said with a smile.

Regina chuckled at his logic,"You do remind me of him at times, with your quick wit," Regina said before she continued,"but yes, Roland, I do like your father."

Regina thought of all the times that they had traded barbs with one another, but if she was honest with herself she had felt drawn to the thief. From the moment she had looked up at his outstretched hand, offering to help her up. That voice, and those eyes had held her spellbound.

"Majesty?" Roland said to break her thoughts.

"Your father is good man, a bit irritating to me at times," Regina said as she leaned down and tickled Roland a little causing him to laugh out loud.

Robin could see the scene before him, Roland was laying on the Queen's bed, her sitting by his side on the bed. This was a scene he had dreamed about, hoping one day he would find someone who would love his son like he did. Wait! But Regina? He could tell she liked his little boy, obviously from what Tuck had told him, and seeing this with his own eyes.

He too felt something was between them, some irresistible pull that would draw him to her always. He knew it was crazy for even thinking these thoughts, but thoughts of her had plagued him many a day and night. He had thought of her on this latest mission.

"Does Papa like you too?" Roland asked causing both his father and Regina to focus on him, on his question.

"I think that is a question for your father, Roland," Regina answered.

"What about you, do you miss Papa?" Roland innocently asked.

Robin listened intently on this particular question, he couldn't wait to see how Regina would answer this one.

"Your father is a particular man," Regina answered.

"And you miss him too right?" Roland persisted.

Regina sighed before answering,"You could say I miss him."

Robin had to hold in his laughter, as he knew how much that had cost her to admit that. He had to hand it to his little boy, when he wanted something he didn't give up on it.

"People say I look like Papa," Roland said softly.

"They are right, but you are much cuter than your father," Regina said.

"Really?" Roland asked.

"Really, and your dimples only add to that," Regina answered causing Roland to giggle.

"Majesty, what is a love slave?" Roland's question caused both Robin and Regina to look at Roland sharply.

"Where did you hear that term, Roland," Regina asked.

"I heard Little John bet Alan that my Papa becomes your love slave," Roland said. "So what is it?"

Regina was furious with Little John, and made a mental note to find the man first thing tomorrow, if not tonight. "It's an adult term, and no your father is not going to become my love slave."

Robin smirked at her answer, he would have a word with his men about gossiping, especially if his son was around to hear them.

"I miss him, My Majesty," Roland said.

Regina took his little hand in hers and rubbed it,"Roland, I want you to close your eyes and listen to me closely. No matter if your Papa is here with you, or not he is always with you." Regina said as she then put her hand on Roland's little chest,"Here is where he will always be with you, in your heart. For those that we love, never leave us there."

Robin was very touched by Regina's words to comfort his little boy, he could stand in the shadows no more and opened the door to make his presence known,"Is someone up past their bedtime?"

"Papa!" Roland yelled as he bounded out of the bed and ran to his papa's outstretched arms, Robin bent low and picked up his son. Giving him a huge hug in the process.

Regina watched the reunion, and while she was happy for Roland to have his father back, a part of her was saddened that she would have no such reunion with her own son, Henry. She longed to have her arms around Henry, to know that he was alright.

"You're home, Papa," Roland said as he was held in his father's arms,"I missed you."

"I missed you as well, little man," Robin said as he looked over at Regina, he could tell then that she was thinking of her own son."Now what has you in the Queen's bedchambers and not your own?"

"My majesty always makes me feel better cause I miss you when you're gone," Roland answered.

"Well, that was awfully nice of her to do so wasn't it?" Robin asked as he walked over to stand before her,"Thank you, for taking good care of him."

Regina smiled shortly, "Well, it is indeed past your bedtime, and now that your father is back, I think you need to get some sleep, Roland."

"Will you read me a bedtime story in my room?" Roland asked.

"Your father would love to read you a story, I'm sure of it," Regina said.

"Please, Majesty?" Roland asked once more.

Regina felt her inners shifting with the little boy's pleas for her to do so, she looked at the thief who only gave her a smirk. Robin knew that Roland had a knack for getting things he shouldn't.

"If your father doesn't mind," Regina tried one last thing.

"He won't!" Roland answered before his father could, causing the adults to laugh.

"Alright, let's go," Robin said as they went to his bedchamber that he shared with Roland, he put his son in his own little bed near the window. Regina went to her knees beside the bed, and started to tell a story, about a little girl and her favorite horse, how she pretended to be a boy to enter a race.

"And she won too, didn't she?" Roland asked, his eyelids were very droopy as he kept yawning.

"Yes, and after the race, they went to an open pasture and watched the sun set," Regina said softly as she watched Roland fall asleep.

Robin had been standing behind Regina, watching the way she spoke with Roland, so carefully, so gentle. She definitely had the touch of a mother.

Regina pulled the covers up slightly, and smiled at the image of Roland, with his toy monkey beside him in the bed. The same toy monkey she had given him, the day she had saved his life. Regina leaned in and kissed his forehead before standing up to leave.

Once she was standing, she saw the thief looking at her with a smile on his face. She rolled her eyes and started towards the door, intending to go back to her room. As she was in the hallway, she felt a hand on her arm, stopping her progress.

"I wanted to thank you for taking care of my boy in my absence," Robin said as he looked down at her.

"It was nothing," Regina said.

"It meant everything to him, to have someone to turn to right now," Robin said.

Regina nodded and turned around to head back to her bedchambers. She was smiling as she then heard,"Would you like to have a drink with me before you go to bed?"

Regina turned around to look at him, and was going to say something sassy, but instead she said,"I've already had a drink,"

"A pity, maybe we can share one another night," Robin said.

"Maybe," Regina said softly as she headed down the hall, but not before she heard the thief say,"I'll put you on my tab as owing me a drink then!"

Regina was smiling all the way to her bedchambers, was still smiling as she got into the bed, and all because of a thief, and her little knight who loved to call her 'My Majesty'