Swan Song ❂ Killian Jones [1]

114

- Enchanted Forest, one year ago

Odette walked alongside Aramis and Porthos, listening to them tell her a story about their first meeting with the Merry Men. One that certainly made her laugh. And it felt good to do so. It had been a long time since she'd been in the presence of her father's four most loyal men, and she'd missed them dearly. Only now realizing just how much too.

However, while they walked on their own, Odette easily overheard the ongoing conversation happening between the two women who walked in front of them. "So, what do you think of our new friend? Can we trust him? He's a thief." Regina's question had Odette stepping forward to join them.

"Think of it from his perspective. How do you think he looks at you?" Snow pointed out.

"And think of it from the perspective of knowing us. Snow and I were both thieves for a time too. And I was even a part of the Merry Men group." Odette jumped in with her own commentary, missing the looks shared between the four men who'd overheard her speak of the past.

"Point taken." Regina nodded her head, more than capable of accepting that what the two said was rather valid. She was the last person to judge.

"He's kind of cute, huh?" Odette had to speak up after a few short moments had passed in silence. While at first she'd been too busy with reunions, once they continued on their way, it wasn't long before she remembered their time in Neverland and Tinker Bell's story of her past with Regina. Most notably a man with a lion tattoo living in Sherwood Forest and intended to be Regina's true love.

However, Regina didn't seem to be as on board with the idea herself. "He smells like forest." She commented with a small scowl. One that made Odette let out a small chuckle. Trust Regina to make this anything but easy.

"Look!" David's call caught everyone's attention, making not only Regina, Snow, and Odette step forward, but few other members of their group too. Soon, they all joined David's side, eyes looking out to the space in front of them where all of the forest had been uprooted, leaving behind barren land where there should have been trees and nature separating them from the view of the Dark Palace in the distance.

"What happened?" Snow asked in a surprised voice.

"That's exactly what I'm about to find out." Regina announced in an angry tone, proceeding to walk up to the crossroads where her hand reached up to the air in front of her. Crackling sounded through the air, seconds later a magical green hue materialized in front of them. "A protection spell. The entire castle is encircled by it."

"Didn't you do this? Undo it." David said as if it sounded like the most simple thing.

"Well, don't you think, if I could I'd be halfway home by now?" Regina turned back to them, annoyance in her voice at his lack of thought. "No, someone hijacked it." She said pointedly as she walked back to them again.