Royal Blood

Chapter Twenty: Choosing Sides

Hey guys! So in celebration of OUAT season 5 part B being released yesterday, I decided to release a little chapter! Hope you all enjoy!

Robin sat beside her in silence, the tension between them almost driving him crazy. Her breathing was soft and rhythmic as Regina gazed up at the rising sun. Robin glanced her way with his hands clasped between his legs.

"It's not what you think." Her voice was soft, almost too quiet to hear, but it caught his attention. Robin sat up straight and looked her way, surprised she was speaking. Regina's eyes stayed glued to the sky as she spoke. "The life I lived. For 20 years I lived in there. 20 years have been wasted."

Silence overwhelmed them once again as Regina shifted and turned her head away. Robin slid closer in encouragement for her to continue. "I... I hadn't ever been out of those castle walls. Ever. Not even for my sisters wedding. I was told that... That the world out there, past my orchard and the walls that surrounded it, I was told people were evil. That men abused their women and that children weren't loved. And I believed it. I truly did." She wrapped her arms right around her stomach, bouncing one knee. "I always believed that I would find true love. That it was what my sister had with her husband. And then my mother married me off to a man almost older than my father. She's a tyrant. And my father sat there and watched it happen. That's when I really first started to realize the truth about where I lived. How I lived. I was a pawn in her game. So was Zelena. It took me 20 years to figure out something so simple. Something everyone else could see."

Robin ached to reach out to her, to comfort her while she spoke. But inside he knew that disturbing her would mean disturbing her train of thought. "I didn't want to be a part of that. So we planned for my escape. Until the kingdom could settle again. Until I could rightfully rule. But then Leo found out. He pushed me away first, pretty sure he wanted me dead too." She nodded, pulling her knees closer until she balanced gently on the log. "But then I found you." At this, she turned to face Robin, tears streaming down her face. Regina smiled before shaking her head. "Your love for Roland is something I've never seen before. And your kindness to others is remarkable." She whispered, looking back down at her feet.

Robin licked his lips, waiting for Regina to glance back up. She did, smiling a bit as she saw his face. "What?" She asked, her eyes trained on the soft smile Robin portrayed.

"Nothing." Robin chuckled, shaking his head. He was happy shed opened up to him. Happy he was able to see the real Regina once more. "I'm glad I could be here. That's all."

Opening her mouth to say more, Regina was interrupted by the rustle of the leaves behind her. She turned, her heart racing from the sudden noise. "It's alright." Robin soothed, placing a calloused hand on her shoulder. "It was probably just an animal or-"

Another noise from the other side of the camp drew his attention away. Robin stiffened, slowly rising to his feet. "Regina..." He whispered as he slowly reached for his bow. "Please go back into the tent."

"No." Her response was quick, standing beside him. "No. You said it was probably nothing yourself." Her voice wavered with fear as she drew her own bow back.

And then she saw it. The rush of black against the bright green trees. The armor of a knight or solider that whisked by. Regina sucked in a breath, tensing up. "Regina." Robin warned, pivoting on his heel.

A wave of bravery washed through Regina as she stood tall. She knew well that they were surrounded. But she wasn't a coward. She was done being a pawn in a game she didn't want to play.

Pulling back her bow, Regina released an arrow into the air and watched as it hit a shoulder. Robin turned, the look in his eyes putting Regina back into place. She felt small and scared as men started to emerge from behind the trees. Her men. Men from her royal guard.

"Stand down." Regina ordered, straightening her back a bit. "I repeat, stand down." But the men just enclosed their campground. "That is an order, men." She barked. "You are under oath! Stand down!"

"Regina Mills, you are wanted for treason and other crimes against the Royal Family."

Hey guys! Sorry for the short chapter!! The book is almost done and I just wanted to spread the chapters out a certain way! I hope you liked it!