Chapter 7: Changing Minds

After completing his first one hundred days in the Queen's employ, Robin had felt confident when he came to work. He had no longer worried about the security of his job, certain he was doing it successfully and that he was liked by his colleagues. Robin had felt settled and that his career in the palace was pretty much secure.

Now, he felt like he had in those first weeks. His conversation with Lady Blanchard had forced him to look at everything in a new light. Robin spent the weekend evaluating his own biases and wondering exactly how his views of the Queen had caused him to interpret – or misinterpret – the interactions and statements he had witnessed. Her lecture reminded him that he often didn't have the full picture as his role required him to come and go as the Queen pleased. Without the full context, he had let what he had heard and seen just continue to reinforce his negative view of the Queen without questioning it further.

It was called confirmation bias. He had looked it up over the weekend to see if there was a reason for what he had done and if there was anything he could do about it. And while he now knew that it was a common logical fallacy that could be overcome by being more conscientious about his judgments, it didn't make him feel much better.

He had also been plagued by one other question – was his job as secure as he believed it was? Lady Blanchard said the Queen liked him and thought he was a good person. But he certainly didn't feel like one. He felt like a jerk and wondered if his colleagues secretly thought the same. If Lady Blanchard picked up on his feelings after only a couple of interactions, he could only imagine what his coworkers had witnessed working with him almost every day for over three months. He had survived his probationary period but what if that was due to the Queen's interference and everyone else really wanted him gone? Would he be able to transfer elsewhere in the palace or would his feelings for the Queen get him blacklisted when his initial year was up?

Would he even be given that time? If he was, would he be able to change how he viewed the Queen and behaved around her or were his beliefs too ingrained? And even if he could change, would it be too little, too late?

"Robin? Are you okay?"

He blinked a few times as his thoughts subsided, making it feel as if a fog had lifted. Looking around, he realized he had been wandering through the office and had arrived at Tink's rather than his own. Had his subconscious brought him here to confess how he had viewed the Queen?

"Robin?" she prompted, sounding even more concerned now.

"Sorry," he said, deciding not to say anything specific just yet. He would just keep everything vague for now. "I had an interesting conversation over the weekend and it changed some things for me. I guess I'm still processing that."

Tink accepted that, judging by her nod. "Well, I need you to put that aside for now. I have a very important task for you."

Grateful for the distraction, Robin nodded. "What is it?"

"Since you're now past your probation period, I'm going to start ceding some tasks that should be performed by you as Regina's assistant," Tink said. "Today, you need to pick up her prescriptions, which are handled by one pharmacy that almost has as much security as the palace. Usually a trusted courier who has been vetted by the royal guard and has always been very discreet delivers them to the palace. Unfortunately, they are out sick today so you need to go meet the pharmacist at a secure location to get them."

Robin nodded as this wasn't an unusual request for him. While his previous employer didn't require as much secrecy as the Queen, he had picked up or accepted such personal items in the past. "Understood."

"These are the medicines you'll be getting," Tink said, handing him a folded piece of paper. "It'll be under the name Wilma Nolan."

"Wilma?" he asked, his heart skipping a beat as he thought of the blonde who had captivated him a few weeks earlier. Had she really been the Queen?

Tink nodded. "That's the latest pseudonym. We've had to burn through a few as the media started to figure them out. Unfortunately, Regina can never be just Regina. She has no privacy."

"I know," he said softly. After realizing how much he twisted situations and conversations involving the Queen, he had a better understanding of how anyone could do that – and how much the media played a role in it. He could only imagine what the media would do if they knew about the Queen's medical conditions. She did not deserve to have them become weeklong fodder for the pundits.

She tilted her head, studying him with an unreadable expression. He wondered what was going through her mind before she nodded. "The address is on the paper. You're still new so no one likely knows you're connected to the Queen. But pay attention to your surroundings anyway and make sure that no one is following you."

"Understood," he said before realizing a problem. "I, uh, don't have a car. I usually take mass transit here."

"Right," Tink replied. "Well, you're not meeting the pharmacist until ten so I'll come up with something."

Robin nodded, grateful for that. "I'll come back at nine-thirty then."

He left her office, greeting his coworkers as they arrived and he headed for his office. Robin prepared the Queen's agenda and her morning news report on autopilot, his mind unable to process anything else but all the new revelations he learned in only a half hour that he could add to the ones from Friday.

Wilma Nolan had really been the Queen, likely in a wig. He replayed his conversation with Lady Blanchard and realized both she and David had dropped hints about the truth. Robin, though, hadn't had enough information to pick up on them and this time, didn't try to jump to any conclusions.

And he tried not to do that now. However, part of him was angry at her deception. She sat there knowing who he was and never gave him a clue about her real identity. Especially as he told her things he usually didn't tell just anyone – namely his struggle with school and ADHD. Wilma told him that she struggled with anxiety and he felt a connection with him. But was that just another lie?

Robin glanced down at the paper Tink had given him. He unfolded it, finding the address where he was to meet the pharmacist. Underneath that was the names of two medications. Opening his browser, Robin typed the first name into it and hit search. It revealed it was the name of medication for anxiety. The Queen had lied about her name but not about her medical conditions. She really did have anxiety – and likely social anxiety too.

That certainly changed how he saw her public interactions now. Rather than a cold and aloof monarch, he saw a woman battling her own brain as it made her worry that she was doing something wrong and insulting someone. She still powered through it and handled each situation as best she could. And honestly, as he played them back, there were more moments where she was warm and welcoming than not. He just had focused on those few moments likely fueled by her own self-doubt.

He then looked up the second medicine and his heart sank further when he read that it was for migraines. Robin flashed back to the day he thought the Queen was hungover and realized all the symptoms – sensitivity to light and sounds, nausea, paleness – also matched someone suffering from a migraine. One of "those days" as the staff called it was just code for the Queen having a migraine.

It all made sense and he felt like a jerk for jumping to hangover rather than a migraine.

"Way to go, Locksley," he muttered to himself. "You've managed to snag a job that could set your career for life and you've likely ruined it by being a close-minded twat."

He felt like such a hypocrite. For years, Robin had prided himself on being open-minded and not rushing to judgment. But he had done just that with the Queen and had cast her as a villain before even meeting her. That wasn't fair to her and she deserved better from her assistant. Robin just hoped he could change and be the assistant she deserved.

"Don't just hope," he told himself. "Do it. Starting today."

Resolved, Robin turned back to his work as he waited for Tink's summons. He was about to be the best assistant Queen Regina ever had and pray it would be enough to make up for every unkind thought ever had for her.

"Based on all my projections, I believe we need to increase the rate in order to prevent a recession."

Regina's Minister of the Treasury then leaned back in his chair, almost smirking. Fire coursed through her veins at it. He had just spent almost twenty minutes boldly projecting that the economy was on a crash course to a recession and now he was smirking about raising interest rates. That alone would've told her that he had an ulterior motive if she didn't already know that his family had deep connections to the country's banking institutions. It was one of the reasons her father had chosen him to be his Minister – he thought the man had intensive knowledge of the economy and money.

The longer Regina spent on the throne, the less certain she was of that. But she chose to trust her father's judgment, hoping he knew something she hadn't.

"I disagree," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "Based on all the data you yourself have shown me, our economy is not in any danger of entering a recession."

"It may seem to indicate that to those who do not understand how economics work," Minister Gold said.

Wrong answer.

Regina sat up straighter in her chair. "I would remind you, Minister Gold, that I earned my bachelor's degree in economics."

"Well, yes, I know," Gold said, now backpedaling. "But this is slightly more advanced than what you would've studied for your degree."

"That's bullshit," Minister Spencer said, frowning. "I certainly understand the economy and I agree with the Queen that we are not in any danger of a recession."

While Minister Spencer was a misogynistic bastard who respected her even less than Minister Gold, Regina was glad he was on her side this time. As the Minister of Commerce, a recession would be bad for his office and he would sound the alarm bells if he thought a recession was likely or even imminent. The fact he didn't and was willing to agree with her confirmed that she hadn't forgotten everything she had learned in university.

Regina clasped her hands together. "It seems, Minister Gold that you were trying to trick me into raising interest rates which would only benefit you and your banker friends."

"How dare you!" Gold exclaimed, looking indignant. He turned to Spencer. "Can you believe that accusation?"

"While Her Majesty does have a flair for the dramatics, I don't think that's the case this time," Spencer said. "This is probably your most transparent attempt to line your pockets yet. We can all see it."

Gold scowled. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Spencer replied. "And if even Her Majesty could see it, then certainly the Parliament and its Speaker will see it too when they return from summer recess."

Regina glanced down at her hands, trying her best not to react to Spencer's backhanded comment. She knew if she said anything, it would just be brushed off as her being overdramatic. Deep down, she knew they never would've said any of this to her father and didn't know if it was because she was a woman or younger than them.

Probably both.

"Fine," Gold said, scoffing. "But don't come crying to me when we do enter a recession."

"Noted," Regina said, looking up. A pit formed in her stomach as lights danced in front of Gold's face and a familiar tinge of black started to creep in at the edges of her vision. The last thing she needed today was a migraine but it seemed her body had other plans.

Just great.

She realized she had to wrap up the meeting and do it quickly, wishing she could text Robin to come up with some excuse like Ivy used to do for her. "Is there anything else?" she asked, hoping the answer would be no.

"Not at this time," Gold said. "Spencer?"

"I have nothing further," Spencer replied, much to Regina's relief. Gold's face was nearly covered by the auras and she knew her migraine would be hitting her shortly.

Graham stepped into the room. "I will escort you out, Ministers."

Spencer and Gold stood, murmuring their farewells to Regina as they passed her. Once the door closed, she groaned and placed her head in her hands. Her stomach started to roll and she regretted having tuna salad for lunch. If only her migraines could give her a warning earlier so she knew when to eat lighter.

"Your Majesty?" Robin asked softly. "Are you alright?"

Regina felt guilty as she realized she had forgotten her assistant was in the room. This was one of the first meetings Robin was taking minutes for and she had to wonder what he thought of the proceedings. If their relationship had been better – and if she wasn't fighting an impending migraine – she would've asked for his opinion. Now, though, she just wanted to get back to her office and shut off all the lights before the pain really came.

"Not really," she said. "It's turning into one of those days."

"Understood," he replied, holding out his arm to her. "I picked up some medicine for you this morning that should help with that."

Relief coursed through her for a moment before she remembered all the medicine Whale had prescribed her to help with her migraines. It was likely this would be a dud too but she still thanked Robin as that wouldn't be his fault. She took his arm and let him help her up from the chair. Keeping her arm around his, they left the conference room and started to walk toward her office.

If her stomach wasn't starting to roll, she would have enjoyed being so close to Robin.

"Regina?" Graham asked, entering the hallway. He frowned. "What's wrong?"

"It's becoming one of those days," Robin said, sounding concerned. "We're on our way back to her office."

Graham's face started to blur as the light began to hurt her eyes but she saw him frown. "You should go to your apartment instead," he told her.

She shook her head. "I still have work to do."

"You're not going to get anything done in this state," Graham said. "You need to go to bed and get some rest."

"My medicine is in the office," Regina replied, reaching for Robin to get him to confirm. She patted his hand. "Isn't that right, Robin?"

"It is," he replied, "but I can always go get it for you."

Traitor.

Graham rubbed her back. "I can tell you're already in pain, Regina. You're squinting, which tells me the light is starting to bother you."

"The color is also gone from your face," Robin added. "You're really pale now and I doubt we can blame the lighting."

She wanted to respond but her stomach rolled as her lunch finally came back up. Regina clutched her stomach and turned away, hoping she found some place to throw up quickly. Graham called for a trash can and it soon was thrust under her just in time. Hands held back her hair as she emptied her stomach.

"That settles it," Graham said. "Robin, can you go get that medication and Tink? I'm going to escort Regina back to her apartment."

"Yes, of course," Robin said, her hair falling back around her face as she realized he had been the one holding it.

Graham lifted her into his arms and she felt his every step as he retreated to her apartment. Her stomach rolled with every movement and she feared she would throw up on him before they got to er room. She let out a soft moan and he tried to assured her that everything would be fine.

But as pain exploded inside her head, she didn't believe him.

After several more steps and much more jostling, he finally laid her down on her bed. Graham removed her shoes before telling her he would go get a damp facecloth to help with her migraine. Unable to open her eyes due to the light sensitivity, she blindly groped for her blankets before covering herself in them.

"I have her medicine," Tink said as Graham placed the damp facecloth over Regina's eyes. "Let's hope this one works."

"I know," he replied. "I hate seeing her like this."

There was some silence before Regina heard Tink speak again. "I have your medicine and some water, Regina. Can you take it?"

Groaning, Regina slowly sat up and reached out her hand blindly. Tink placed a small pill in her palm and then a glass of water once Regina had popped the pill into her mouth. Regina took a few sips, washing the pill down to hopefully help with the pain pounding in her head.

She laid back down as someone rearranged the blankets around her. "Get some rest. Graham and I will be just outside," Tink told her.

Regina floated in her bed, waiting for the pain and nausea to subside. She heard Graham and Tink whispering, straining to hear them. "Robin seems to have done a one-eighty in how he treats Regina. Did you speak to him?" Graham asked.

"No," Tink replied. "But I'm glad to know I wasn't imagining his changed demeanor."

"It's pretty obvious," Graham replied. "What do you think is behind it?"

The scene now played in Regina's mind, her imagination filling it in as if she was watching it. She saw Tink shrug before she said: "I don't know. He did say earlier that something happened this weekend to make him rethink how he sees the world. Maybe that included Regina."

"I hope so," Graham said, though Regina detected some suspicion in his tone. She imagined him standing there with his arms crossed and brow furrowed. "But this could just be an act so he can get closer to Regina and possibly sell information about her to the media."

Regina's stomach rolled, though she wasn't sure if it was from the pain or the fear that Graham could be right about Robin. But Tink's voice calmed her. "No, no. Look, I haven't been Robin's biggest fan but that was only due to his feelings about Regina. Otherwise, he's a good man and he takes his job seriously. He wouldn't put his career at risk for something even he would agree was so stupid."

"Okay," Graham said. "But I think I'm just going to run another check on him just to be sure."

"I guess that's fair," Tink agreed. "But I really do think someone or something shook him up and he's now seeing Regina in a new light with no ulterior motives."

"I hope so," Graham replied. "For Regina's sake."

The pain in Regina's head started to subside as the sounds around her grew fuzzier. She sank into the welcoming embrace of the medication and let it carry her away. Hopefully when she woke up, she would feel much better.

"How was your day?" Mum asked as Robin settled into his chair with a cup of tea that night.

He sighed. "It was a Day. Honestly, the past few days have been."

"Oh," she replied, sounding concerned. "Do you want to talk about it? Are you able to talk about it?"

"I think so," he replied, though he knew he wouldn't be able to say anything about Wilma really being Regina just yet. He didn't want to be the reason the media realized her new alias and used it to try to invade her privacy yet again.

So he told her everything else instead about the weekend and that day instead. "And I learned that 'one of those days' isn't code for the Queen being hungover but for when she is suffering from a migraine. From what I can tell, hers are quite severe and I feel like a total wanker for having felt smug about the pain she feels."

"I know," Mum said. "I can hear it in your voice."

"I also can't believe I fell for the propaganda," he continued. "I always prided myself on thinking critically but really, I was just lapping up all the lies."

She sighed. "Don't beat yourself too much. You aren't the only ones. Besides, you should be able to trust the media."

He knew she had a point as he sipped his tea. "I'm surprised they are all so against her, that no one gives her a chance and tries to view her from a more positive lens. That they all just assume the worst, like I did."

"They didn't," Mum replied. "They used to be very kind to her when she was still the Crown Princess. And even when she first became queen, the media was very supportive of her. But barely a year later, they were all saying such awful things about her. It was very jarring."

"I don't remember that," Robin said, surprised. Queen Regina hadn't been on the throne that long – certainly he would've noticed such a change in reporting about her?

Mum was quiet for a moment before saying: "It was around the time you got the diagnosis. You had other things on your mind."

"That is true," he said softly, recalling how chaotic that time was. "I wasn't really able to pay attention to anything else as we tried to find the right medication. But I wonder what changed in the press?"

"I don't know," Mum said. "But I'm glad you're changing your mind and are at least giving the Queen a chance."

He smiled at how proud his mother sounded. "Thanks, Mum. It probably won't be easy. And I'll be very lucky if I haven't already cocked it all up and cost myself a great career in the palace."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, now sounding worried. "Did you do or say anything to do that?"

"Probably," he replied. "I thought I was being professional but apparently I was also very obvious in how I felt about the Queen. As I said, her friend Lady Blanchard called me out on it."

Mum hummed. "Sounds like it was a needed wake up call, though."

"It was," Robin agreed. "I just hope it's not too late."

"You said Lady Blanchard said that the Queen likes you, right? I think you'll be fine and can course correct," she assured him.

He sighed. "I hope so. I really do like this job."

"I'm glad to hear that," she replied. "I have to go now. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay, Mum. Give Dad my love," he said. She promised she would before ending the call, leaving Robin alone with his thoughts.

Which was dangerous even when things were going well. Now that he had so much on his mind, it would be even worse.

He moved to his desk, turning on his laptop. As he waited for it to boot, he found his favorite playlist on his phone and started playing it. The music filled his room and helped drown out his thoughts before they overwhelmed him.

Once his computer booted, he opened his browser and checked his email. Robin's heart skipped a beat when he saw a message waiting from "Wilma." Swallowing, he opened it and read her latest email.

Dear Robin,

I hope you're doing well. I know you said you completed your first 100 days at the palace – congratulations! I have no doubt the Queen is pleased with your work and is very happy to have you on her staff.

His heart skipped a beat. This was really the Queen writing to him. Was this how she really felt or how she thought Wilma would respond? As he thought about what Lady Blanchard had said, he was inclined to believe it was the Queen's true feelings toward him.

She did like him.

I also hope you are staying cool in this heat. David has complained about it. I've tried to give him some tips but I think he just likes to complain sometimes. God bless Mary Margaret for putting up with him.

Do you have any plans for vacation this year? I haven't decided on anything yet. There's a chance I can escape to a little cottage I like to rent in the mountains. I also have the chance to travel to the States too. Maybe if I'm lucky I can swing both.

Robin leaned back in his chair. He knew that the Queen had a planned visit to the United States coming up to open a special collaboration between Mist Haven and the Smithsonian Institute. As he thought about it, he realized she didn't go anywhere that wasn't related to her being queen. He once believed she only focused on her pleasure but now he realized she didn't do anything just for herself.

And that made him angry on her behalf.

Everyone deserved to have a break – even a Queen.

Tomorrow, I have to sit in a meeting with some important people here at town. I like to believe they were put into their positions because they deserved them and that they are working in the people's best interest. However, the more time I spend with them, the more I believe they are just working to advance their own interests, no matter the cost to everyone else. I wish there was something I could do to make them change their minds but I am powerless against them. It's the worst.

Robin checked the time he received the email and saw it had come in late the night before, likely after he had gone to bed. He only received his work email on his phone as he was worried having his personal email on his phone would either distract him or go unanswered. Forcing himself to check his email on his computer also made it more likely he would answer it sooner. Most people knew this and if they needed to get to him sooner, they would text or call.

The date and time meant that Queen was likely referring to her meeting with Minister Gold today. She was talking about her ministers and admitting that she didn't trust him. But she was the queen. Why did she feel so powerless against her ministers? Or was she just saying that to keep up the façade of being Wilma?

He thought about the meeting earlier that day. Gold had lied about the economy and the possibility of a recession to justify raising interest rates. Based on what the Queen said, he was closely tied to the banks. They would no doubt benefit from the higher rates and could line their pockets. Gold had really tried to push it and dismissed the Queen when she pushed back, making it clear that he didn't respect her. While Minister Spencer had supported her, it was also clear that he had little respect for the Queen as well.

So why didn't she just replace them?

Robin then considered everything he used to think because of the media. Chief among them was the belief that the Ministers ran the country while the Queen partied and lazed about all day. People loved them and despised her. If she fired them, it would give the media more ammunition to stir the people up against her. And if they did that, Robin believed there would be riot or even a rebellion.

The Queen was right.

She was powerless again them.

Robin stared at the screen a little longer, rereading her email. He believed this was the Queen bearing her soul to someone. Even though she had people who cared about her, he wondered if there was anyone she could really confide in. Or did she have to bottle it all up? Pretend everything was fine even when it wasn't?

His heart broke at that thought and he decided not to tell the Queen he knew she was Wilma. Robin believed she needed Wilma as an outlet and for whatever reason, trusted him enough to share her innermost thoughts. So he would let her and he would continue to write back, hoping that they could get to know each other better.

Clicking on the reply button, he began to compose his response back to her as he also hoped this didn't blow up on him.

A/N: So people are noticing the change in Robin as he realizes just how obvious he's been the past three months or so.

Thankfully he hasn't done too much lasting damage.

And that Regina is still pretty smitten with him.

He also now knows who Wilma really is but is continuing to email her. Will this work out for him? Or will it come back to haunt him and Regina?

Only time will tell!

See you next time!

-Mac