Chapter Text
Chapter 1: A New Chapter Begins
"Go and get your happy ending," Tink said, squeezing Regina's hands with a reassuring smile. "Good luck."
She released Regina's hands and walked away from her. Rubbing her hands on her skirt, Regina stepped closer to the door and reached for the handle. This was it, her moment of truth. Inside the tavern sat her soulmate. All she had to do was open the door and walk up to him.
Yet she remained outside, fingers wrapped around the handle. Fear froze her in place as Rumpelstiltskin's words echoed around her head. Was she giving up on Daniel so easily? Could she let Snow White go unpunished for her role in his death? If she let go of her anger, what meaning would her life have? What purpose would she have then?
She looked through the window again, finding the man with the lion tattoo still bathed in the green glow of pixie dust. His shoulders shook as he laughed at something and someone held out another tankard of ale. He shook his head, placing some coins down as he stood from the table. Regina realized he was leaving and that she needed to make a decision quickly. Did she go in or wait for him to come out? Or did she run away and return to the palace? Her existence there was a miserable one but she knew what to expect. She didn't have that comfort if she chose the man with the lion tattoo. The future would be unknown.
And that scared her the most.
The man turned and now faced the door. He stopped, tilting his head before smiling softly. She knew he saw her and as her heart pounded in her ears, she wondered what he thought of her.
Even through the window, she knew he was taller than her. He had dark blond hair that was lighter than Daniel's brown. She could tell he had light colored eyes though the discoloration of the glass and the dim lighting in the tavern prevented her from determining if they were blue or green. He wore a simple linen shirt paired with brown pants and boots. A knife was tucked into the black belt he wore around his middle but she believed that was more for protection than anything else.
She just knew that he was a good and kind man, just like Daniel and nothing like her husband.
The man straightened his head and his smile deepened, revealing two dimples. Regina's heart skipped a beat and her stomach tightened as her arm finally pulled the door toward her. She peered into the tavern before taking a few steps toward him, her decision apparently made by her heart.
Regina stopped in front of the man. She took a deep breath before saying: "Hello."
"Milady," he said, giving her a little bow. "How may I help you?"
"I…" She paused, frowning as she thought of an answer. In the end, she said: "I don't know."
He chuckled, biting his lip. "Well, why did you come here?"
"It's a long story," she replied. "But the short version is pixie dust."
He chuckled. "Then I think I want to hear this long story. Can I buy you a drink?"
She bit her lip before nodding. "I would love that."
"Two more ales," he said, raising two fingers in the air while keeping his eyes on Regina. "And a private table for the lady and myself."
He then held out his hand, revealing the lion tattoo. "Robin of Locksley, at your service."
"Regina," she replied, sliding her hand into his. He raised it to his lips, gently kissing her knuckles. Again, he never broke eye contact with her. It was as if he was transfixed by her. Something fluttered inside her at his attention – no one at court looked at her like he did.
She liked it.
"You two can take the table in the back," the barkeep said, breaking the spell around them as he approached with two tankards. "Follow me."
"After you, milady," Robin said, motioning for her to walk ahead of him. She did so and he followed, his hand at her back as they walked past the other patrons in the tavern. All looked up as they passed by and she was suddenly very aware of how she was dressed. Her white dress was embroidered with several crystals and nearly shouted that she was wealthy, likely even nobility if not royalty.
For the first time, she realized she should've worn something else. Maybe even asked Tink to use her magic to make her a different dress so she didn't stand out in this tavern.
The barkeep led them to the furthest table and set the two tankards down. He turned, eyeing Regina as he said: "No one should really pay attention to you two at this table. You won't stand out…much."
"Thank you," Robin replied, nodding. He gently pushed against Regina's back, encouraging her to sit down.
She took a seat and he sat across from her. He held up his tankard. "To pixie dust?"
"To pixie dust," she agreed, raising her own tankard. "And to lion tattoos."
He glanced down at his tattoo before looking back up at her with a confused smile. "I trust that's part of the long story?"
She nodded. "It is."
"Then let's take a sip and you can tell it," he said, taking a sip of his ale.
"Alright," she replied, taking a sip as well. It was more bitter than the wine she normally drank but it warmed her stomach just the same. She set her tankard down as she began her story. "So, I guess it starts with the day I rescued a young girl on a runaway horse…"
Robin set down his tankard, which she had to imagine was just as empty as hers by now. He steepled his fingers, looking thoughtful. "I am sorry for your loss," he said. "You didn't deserve any of that pain."
A lump formed in her throat at his words. She swallowed before saying: "Thank you."
"So what now?" he asked, looking intrigued. "A fairy used pixie dust to find me for you. What do we do next?"
"I don't know," she replied. "I honestly hadn't thought past walking into this tavern. And I was tempted to not even do that."
He frowned. "Why?"
"Fear," she admitted. "I don't know who I will be without the anger."
"I understand," he said. "I lost someone I loved at the hands of another person. And anger consumed me too."
That surprised her and she leaned closer. "What did you do?"
"Well, I plotted to get my revenge," he replied. "And I planned it down to the minutest detail. Just as I was about to enact it…he got sick and died. All that work and a sore throat killed him before I could."
"But he was dead," she said, knowing that the man still got punished. "Didn't that count for something?"
He nodded, looking thoughtful as he played with his empty tankard. "For a moment, yes. But that was all it was – a moment. I realized what I had really wanted. It wasn't his death. I wanted him to look me in the eyes and see the pain he had caused me. I wanted him to hurt as much as I had. I wanted him to acknowledge what he had done. Now that he was dead, he couldn't do that. He was now gone and my mother was still gone as well."
Robin paused as his voice cracked. He looked away and Regina's heart skipped a beat, knowing the pain he felt. She reached out and covered his hand with hers, waiting for him to compose himself again.
"I then raged against everything and everyone who crossed my path," he said, speaking softly. "I just couldn't let go of that anger. Until a friar who knew my mother found me and told me that I was not being the man my mother would've wanted to be. He encouraged me to change my life but I had lived so long with the anger, like you, I didn't know who I was without it. But I also realized that anger was not a personality. I couldn't let it define me.
"And so I went to my mother's murder's tomb and I raged one last time. I told him everything I wanted to say and kicked it a few times for good measure," he said, drawing a chuckle from her. "Then I got drunk and the next morning, I sobered up and started to figure out who I want to be."
She bit her lip, wondering if she could do the same. "And who are you?"
He shrugged. "Still figuring it out. And if you want, we can figure it out together."
"I don't know," she told him. "I don't think I can get the same release you did."
"Well, the offer stands," he said, rubbing his chin. "Actually, I have another offer for you?"
That surprised her and she asked: "You do?"
He nodded. "Why don't you come with me for a few days? I have a camp not far away and you can meet some of my friends. We can get to know each other more and see if that pixie dust was right."
"I wouldn't mind that," she said, realizing she had done most of the talking that night. "I do want to get to know you."
"Good," he replied, standing. "I also think that you may feel differently about letting go of that anger once you're not forced to constantly face the princess. And I promise you I will never force you into the shadows."
Regina's heart skipped a beat. She looked up into Robin's eyes, wondering if he was just saying what she wanted to hear. If he was just saying whatever it took to get her into his bed and use her just like everyone else in her life did. But as she gazed into the blue depths of his eyes, she saw only sincerity and kindness. He meant every word and despite only knowing her a few short hours, cared more for her than her husband. After spending time with a man who not only paid attention to her but also validated her feelings and supported her, could she just return to the palace and her life there, even if it meant Snow White would one day face punishment for what she had done?
Would that make her happy or was Tink right and her happiness lay elsewhere?
Lay with this man who bore a lion tattoo?
"Will you accept my proposal?" he asked, holding his hand. "If after a few days you want to go back or we don't click and you just want to go somewhere else, I promise to take you wherever you want. I will do everything in my power to help you find your happiness, even if it is not with me."
With those words, her heart melted while her resolved grew firm. She slipped her hand into his and let him help her to her feet. Regina smiled as she said: "I will accept."
He smiled, again revealing those dimples as he bit his lip. "Then shall we leave, milady?"
"Yes," she said, "but there's one thing I want to do first."
"And what is that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
She pressed her free hand to his cheek before saying: "This."
Regina closed the gap between them, capturing his lips with hers. He responded and it felt as if someone had filled her stomach with butterflies. She felt her head spin as stars exploded behind her closed eyes. Not even Daniel's kisses ever elicited such a response from her and she wondered if maybe Tink was right about Robin being her soulmate.
Maybe she had made the right decision after all.
All she knew as she continued to kiss the man with the lion tattoo in the middle of the tavern was that her life had changed. Though the future remained unknown, she now felt excited to see where this new chapter in her story led her.
Hopefully, it would all end with her living happily ever after at last.