Nighttime was always the most beautiful, magical time. Especially when the moon was full. The booby traps of the Evil Queen's land tended to sleep during the night, so one could step right on them or eat a poisonous mushroom at night…or hug one of those man-eating plants…and live to tell the tale. Nothing hurt anyone at night in Queen Snow's ghastly cursed land. Except maybe a furious person wielding a dagger or dangerous person guiding a dragon. But Robin was not currently in Queen Snow's land.
The stars were so bright on this night Robin felt like kissing them. The air was so fresh, it felt good to inhale it into his lungs. He smoothed over his tattered fox jacket, as if that would enable it to lose half its holes or make it smell less like a forest.
But the forest was Robin's home, where he felt most comfortable, so Zelena would have to accept that or he couldn't marry her. No matter how much he loved her. In order to have a good relationship, they had to know, accept, and care for each other as they were. Not some fantasy of taming each other and making each other perfect. But complementing each other.
Though Robin found it insanely ironic that he was proposing to a woman who once was a princess. Him. Of all the wonders in the world, he never foresaw such a thing. Robin Hood, the Hoodlum, marrying a princess? What was fate smoking when he stroked Robin's head and decided on these events?
Robin laughed to himself. He didn't mind. He just thought it was the weirdest thing. But Zelena wasn't a princess on the inside. She was like him, his other half. Which didn't mean she couldn't surprise him but more that she completed his world…because like him, she didn't want to be a sovereign or rich. She seemed to enjoy helping him steal from the rich and give to the poor.
And no woman who was a princess on the inside would like such a thing. Especially since it involved getting dirty. They'd ridden maybe fifteen horses together by now, and a few times, she'd fallen off into a pile of mud, laughing from exhilaration. She'd confided in him that she'd never had so much fun as a princess.
Clutching his hand as they sat at a base of a tree, she'd grinned up at him while stating, "As a princess, all people wanted was to give me two minutes of small talk then wander off. They never joked with me or wanted to do anything with me that could end with me getting dirty. I was a prized poodle…I'm amazed my mother let me ride horses. I used to press myself against the walls and eavesdrop on normal conversations, wishing I could be a part of them…I mean, some people like to read, but I enjoyed eavesdropping and pretending…well that I wasn't human but a wall," she'd admitted, briefly looking sad before resuming her smile.
Then she'd brushed his hair behind his ear and whispered, "It amused me how much those men gossiped because they also liked to say women who gossip are worthless. They only said that because they wanted to do bad things to women and didn't want women to tattle on them. Because the very men who I saw screaming at women not to gossip…loved to gossip about women 'flaws'. Any little form of defiance from a woman sent those men into a three hour gossipfest about what a bad person she was and any man who liked her was a damn fool." Then Zelena had sucked on Robin's upper lip. "But you're not like that, my love," she'd murmured breathlessly and happily.
Now Robin stood under the romantic moonlight and bright stars, waiting for Zelena to join him in the clearing of this forest. He was pacing a little because his legs felt too buoyant to remain still.
Marian and Zelena were doing a steal-from-the-rich-give-to-the-poor mission together. One that involved two horses positioned perfectly at night, fooling a rich carriage. Smooth cloaks over both women to conceal their tattered clothes. Then leaping off the horses and moving rapidly…
He could see it in his mind's eye. And he knew what Marian and Zelena were going to do with that coin. Maybe keep some of it to use, but the rest was going to the first poor person they found.
Robin and his Merry Men were still trekking back to Snow's land from Arendelle. It was a slow feat, made even more so because they kept stopping to enjoy some things they'd never see back at home.
Such as the northern lights. They spent five days mulling over that, just going out of their way several miles to have a great seat then huddled together, enjoying the chilly air and each other's company as they gazed upon the lights.
In addition, since five days after Robin had infiltrated Elsa's castle, he'd been passing out for an hour every afternoon, same time, due to the arrow he'd taken to his head. He literally could not keep his eyes open during this time—they'd slid shut of their own accord. He'd tumbled from his wild warhorse the first time and fell to the snow-flooded earth.
And he knew it was because of the hospital-fixed wound because before he passed out, that injury hurt like Hades was biting into it with Cerberus' teeth and all his rage over Zeus getting Mount Olympus. And the healed spot never bothered Robin anymore, except right before he passed out.
At this rate, it might take them six months—or longer—to make a two-month journey. Robin knew he shouldn't take too long if he wanted to save Granny and Red once and for all from the Evil Queen's abysmal taxes, but after stealing Isendre's purse, he knew they were settled for at least a year. Fighting that damn queen with one hand holding a sword, the other holding the coin purse.
Robin could see Granny winning a sword fight with no issue. She had the backbone of a warhorse crossed with a wolf and a jaguar. Her spirit was unbeatable. Red wasn't quite the woman her grandmother was, but he loved her like a cousin.
But the Merry Men had also stopped to sell a few things to weasels and peddlers, so they were slowly filling their money sacks. Robin used his pillowcase. Now that they'd finished with the Ways, he no longer had a use for a pillow and had enjoyed himself using arrows he'd found half-used and discarded on the ground to turn the pillow itself into a porcupine. After he'd finished, he'd stuck his amalgamation in a tree and left it there for passersby's amusement. All he needed was the pillowcase. Tied to his strong belt and sandwiched in a stiff fur coat that would muffle the coins' clink.
He heard the laughter before he saw them. Such a beautiful sound, it filled his ears with twinges of joy. Then he saw the laughter on her mouth, and it was the most beautiful sight he'd seen. Her with Marian, laughing uproariously at a silly joke Marian told—that Zelena understood with flying colors. Their fingers tangled together, just the tips but still.
In their outward hands, they clutched the reins to their horses and held their pillowcases over their shoulders.
Zelena bent her head close to Marian's and muttered an addition to Marian's joke, which made Little John's widow snort then stroke Zelena's cheek fondly. "That's an excellent observation," he heard her state admiringly. "None of the Merry Men wives would have noticed…it's nice to have a fresh pair of eyes and a new mind to add to what we've already got…"
As Zelena broke away and strutted up to Robin, Marian hung back, bringing her hands, pillowcase, and horse reins to her stomach. Gazing fondly at Zelena, Robin could read her thinking, I love that girl. Then Zelena's horse's butt blocked Marian's face from view.
"Have you decided whether you're keeping your bucking bronco," Zelena pinched Robin's butt in a seductive manner, "or ditching him?" She dropped her horse's reins, and when the gelding wandered close enough to Marian, she scooped his reins up in her fist.
Robin had explained to Zelena he was weirdly considering keeping the horse even though Robin Hood did not keep horses. "It's a little sudden for me and the boy to have a commitment ceremony just yet. But for now, sure, I'll keep him, but no promises." He paused. "But while we're on the topic of committing…" He pushed her against a tree and kissed the tips of her lips. His heart hammered as he pressed his nose against hers and confided, "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."
This wasn't how he had mulled over in his head, but in actuality, he hadn't thought of a good way to do this. Now he was winging it. As a river would, he was going with the flow.
He could have mentioned Marian wanted him to marry her, to try to make his suggestion "stronger", but he knew it would do nothing but make Zelena believe he only wanted to marry her because Little John's widow thought he "should". That was not true. It was a happy accident that Marian agreed with his choice of a wife. Because he did value her opinion slightly, in the way an older brother would value his sister approving of his future wife.
But she was not the reason he wanted to marry Zelena, and even if she despised Zelena, he'd still want to tie the knot with her. However, he'd have to keep the two women good and separated, even if it meant leaving his band of thieves in ripped up jeans behind to rule the world with Zelena.
Four blue eyes gazed amorously into each other as Robin moved his head back slightly and reached for Zelena's hand. Her arm was bent at the elbow; the hand was by the tree bark behind her. Robin played subconsciously and gently with her hand as Zelena seriously asked, "You want to marry me?"
"Why wouldn't I?" he couldn't stop himself from purring.
She smiled, her face glowing in the bright starlight. "Yeah, well, I've known you did. For a while. I could sense it. We have an inner connection. You can't hide thoughts like that from me…but it's been especially strong since we left that ice castle…was it three fortnights ago?"
"That's because," he produced the ring from his pocket.
Her jaw dropped. "Okay." Her shaky hand twisted out of his, and she pointed faintly at the ring. "I did not sense that coming. I never 'felt' anything about the ring, but when I thought about it, I figured you were going to…" she stopped briefly when he slid the ring on her willing finger. Wetting her lips, she forced herself to continue before she lost her train of thought. "…find a supremely long weed and tie it around my finger…you know," she held the ring up to the starlight, feeling her pulse slow at the beauty of the ring, "I'm going to have to make sure nobody whacks my finger off for such a priceless ring. Because we all know, they're going to want to."
"You can wear gloves to hide it when you want to. And when you want to display it, I'm sure you can stab any person in the chest if they try to hack your finger off." Kissing her forehead affectionately, he murmured, "I know you can handle yourself…maybe not that well with a bow and arrow, but with a knife, you'll get them. I have no doubts you'll keep that ring on your finger without any help for as long as you want to wear it."
"That'll be forever," she replied, snuggling against his broad chest. "I will never take it off, even if all the gems come out. Because as beautiful as it is, what amazes me the most is you cared enough to steal it for me. I love you, Robin Hood, as I've never loved anyone else."
"I love you too, Princess Zelena," he said, only calling her "Princess" because he was trying to be as formal as she was being, and he didn't know her surname. "In exactly the same way. I love my band of thieves, and I've had crushes on several women…but meeting you is like finding the last piece in a puzzle that has been incomplete my whole life. I'm so glad our paths crossed, because meeting you has made me…whole. In a way I couldn't be if I didn't know you."
Snuggling against him, she stroked his cheek and murmured, "I feel exactly the same way."
Then they shared True Love's Kiss for the thousandth time, a kiss which led them to a naughtier game. Marian had watched the proposal, but the moment she realized where things were going, she took the two horses, hiked up her skirt, and headed back to the camp of the Merry Men.
