Author's Note: Hey everyone, real quick I need to tell you about the story before you go diving in. While this is an OQ fic, the world in which they're in is not the same as the show. It's Robin and Regina dropped into our history with a dash of magic. They're no longer in the Enchanted Forest, but medieval England. They also both have different backstories, Regina has a magical ability she didn't have before, as does Robin. And it's much earlier in the show, right before Regina marries Leopold. I'll explain things as it goes along if need be or if anyone finds anything confusing you can always tweet me KateJaneway25. I feel like I've done a crap job of explaining this; hopefully the story speaks for itself. And any thoughts or comments are truly appreciated. Eeeek! Okay, I'm done. I hope you like.

CHAPTER ONE

A Thief and a Princess

"What is the meaning of this?" A stout, curly-haired duke called out while being pulled forcefully from his carriage, both of his guards lying unconscious on the ground.

Stepping up to the flustered looking man, Robin Hood bit his lip to hide a grin. The annoyance of nobility never failed to amuse him. "This, good sir, is a robbery."

From the top of the carriage, another one of his hooded men jumped down beside them. Their hands, filled with the duke's luggage, dropped them at Robin's feet then reached up and pulled back their hood. Long, blonde hair spilled out and fell all around the woman's shoulders.

"I'm sure you will find something of use in these," she said with a bright smile.

"How dare you, madam!" The duke sputtered. "You are a lady!"

Claire raised a brow at Robin. "Astute, isn't he?"

He stepped forward and tsked at the duke. "Come now, not all thieves are men. I should think you of all people would know that or was that your brother, Lord Devons, whose wife ran off with his fortune?"

Robin reached down into the man's coat and took out a small, heavy coin purse. The duke's eyes widened before filling with outrage. "I command you to desist at once by the authority of the crown. That is meant for a donation to the kingdom, you are robbing King Leopold himself!"

Robin chuckled a rich laugh, not at all intimidated by the use of the king's name. "Then I insist you send him my sincerest gratitude. His donations will feed many of the small villages of this land."

The man sputtered, his mouth opening and closing before finally stating, "You won't get far! I know of you, thief, and I will send word to the sheriff of your realm!"

A smile pulled up Robin's lips, and he ran his hand over the stubbled, sandy blonde scruff along his jaw. "Please do, and tell him Robin Hood sends his regards."

"You will be hanged for this!"

Unable to hide his amusement, Robin grinned and opened his arms wide. "I will be hanged for many things, but your small purse will not be one of them." Robin tossed the duke's donation to one of his fellow thieves who caught it with skilled ease.

The dark-haired lad, Will Scarlett, the youngest and newest member of his men, caught the coin bag and stuffed it into a sack before tying it closed and tossing it over his shoulder with a wink.

Robin bowed to the lord. "Good day to you."

He and his men started into the woods with the round, little man following after them. "You rotten, thieves! You will be caught eventually, Robin Hood! Mark my words!"

The lord then tripped on a tree root, which ended his desire to follow.

Will handed their pilferages to Robin, who in turn gave the sack to another of the merry men, Allen. The peppered haired man was ten years older than Robin's four and twenty years and preferred to get the job done so he could focus his attentions elsewhere, like the local taverns.

They were a day's journey from home on their way back from Grimsby where they collected supplies and herbs not readily available in the villages closest to Sherwood. They even managed a few successful robberies which had replenished the money they spent in the higher country.

"I'll see to these," Claire said. Her hand fell on his upper arm and rested there until his eyes met hers. The light blue of her eyes was the lightest he'd ever seen, and they held his own as she smiled softly, almost shyly at him.

Robin gave her a slight nod. "Thank you."

She bit her lip and set off up ahead. Robin held back, like he normally did. He liked to know his men all got on ahead after a raid, a habit he developed after one of his very first robberies. He'd taken off directly after and in the chaos, one of his men was captured. He didn't find out about it until they had stopped to rest, and by then it had been too late to save him.

Will fell into step beside Robin as they made their way deeper into the forest and looked over at him. "Robin, are ya sure we should be doin' this?"

Robin's brow furrowed. "What's that, Will?"

"Robbin' Prince John and Nottingham, I get that, but… you know who he's marryin' don'tcha?" Will asked.

Robin smothered a smile. He meaning Leopold. Robin, however, was not worried about whom the king was marrying.

"Who's that Will?"

"The Princess Regina."

Robin raised a brow. This was news to him, but he rarely kept up with noble gossip these days. "And where did you hear this?"

"Douglas heard it from one of Prince John's own guards. He said that's what all this commotion's about. Why Leopold's 'ere." Will paused and let out a breath of air. "I say good riddance. He can have her. Take her and her whole family with him. Better them than us."

Robin glanced over at the youth. "Do not tell me you believe the rumors of the Mills family to be true?"

Will's voice lowered as if the wood around them would pass along his words to the very family he feared. "The Princess is a witch, Robin. There's too many stories out there to make me believe otherwise."

"Stories no doubt greatly exaggerated by fear," Robin said, because he believed them to be just that. The small few who crossed paths with Prince Henry's wife insisted her means of punishment were of the supernatural sort. Ruthlessness and cruelty were not uncommon traits amongst nobles, but she was known for something much darker, which Robin believed to have been glorified by those fears.

"It wasn't a tale that killed those lords."

No, it was the winter. "Are you saying Lady Cora was responsible for the frost?"

"I'm sayin' there was no reason for it. Those men knew the lands and knew how ta survive in them."

"I suppose we'll never know," Robin dismissed, not at all inclined to argue with him for the entire journey home.

"Princess Regina's just as bad. I hear she can look ya in the eye and make ya want ta give her everything. Your gold, your firstborn, your life."

Robin chuckled. "Well then, we'll make sure to leave the children at camp when we set out on any robberies that involve the princess."

Will shook his head, his tone serious in his reply. "That's very funny, Robin. You wouldn't be makin' jokes if it were Merlin now would ya?"

That was true, he wouldn't. Merlin was a very powerful, very real wizard. He could still recite the poems and stories they had all been told as children. Tales of the great Isle, where the Fae and magic dwelled. Robin might even believe the whispers of the Mills family himself if magic hadn't all but disappeared from their lands. "Merlin has been gone a long time, Will."

Will nodded. "Aye, but it don't mean magic has."

Robin stopped in his tracks, considering Will's words. "Hasn't it, though?" He waited until Will turned to him, then asked, "Tell me, aside from the healers and fortune tellers, when was the last time you witnessed magic, Will? Real magic."

Without missing a beat, Will replied, "Why just two days ago in the pub…"

Robin snorted and continued into the woods, leaving the superstitious youth on the path. "That was not magic," he called over his shoulder.

"That lass refilled that glass without liftin' a finger…" Will said, his voice rose with each word as he jogged to catch up.

"That's because she didn't refill it, the bartender did."

Will paused, his brow pinched together. "I thought she was the bartender?"

Robin shook his head. "You thought a lot of things that night, including that she was interested in leaving with you."

"She may have turned me down, but at least I tried. How long's it been since you could say the same?"

Will's pointed look in Claire's direction made Robin's pace slow. His grip on his bow loosened as he weighed it in his hand. It suddenly felt heavy along with a sensation in his chest. Will's words were made in jest but impacted Robin more than he would like to admit. Since his wife's death, he hadn't sought out a courtship. Even after the two years that passed, it felt too soon, the pain of her loss too sharp to consider it.

He pressed his lips together. There wasn't a way to answer the young lad's question because he didn't have an answer and quite truthfully, wasn't sure he'd ever have one. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Robin gave Will a small smile. "Not long enough."

#

Regina's journey from the castle and out to the forest was quick and met with empty halls. She made it down and into a small alcove into a hidden underground passage that led to the outskirts of the woods, used by the help as her parents preferred to keep less staff in sight.

There were two guards stationed at the entrance to keep thieves and stray animals from wandering into the castle, which might have frightened her, but it only made Regina smile. She stepped out from the tunnel, and with a flick of her wrist in the direction of the man nearest, she reached out with her mind and whispered under her breath, "You're so very tired. Wouldn't you like to sleep for a while?"

The man in the heavy armor nodded and yawned widely before muttering a soft, "Aye, I would."

The second guard turned, not seeing Regina and scoffed. "You would what?"

The first guard only grunted at the man and walked over to the nearest tree, sitting down upon the ground, leaning back and closing his eyes, resting his head upon the large oak.

"What's this?" The second man walked up and sharply kicked the other. "Oi, there! Wake up you pitiful fool."

Regina took a step toward him and slowly raised her hand.

The other startled. "What have you done to him?"

"Don't worry, you won't remember any of this. It's time for you to sleep, too," she said and again whispered seductively, reaching out and connecting with his mind.

Within moments the man was on the ground as well, fast asleep. Regina snuck by, unfearful that they would wake, knowing her gift would make them sleep for hours.

Stepping into the blackness of the forest, Regina made her way east, toward the well of the Dark Hedges where the witch was said to dwell. She'd wandered there on horseback with Daniel once before, but they only found the abandoned remains of a small dwelling. The only reason he took her there was because it was said only those who were lost found their way to her and when they did, most never returned.

The howl of a wolf, the screech of owls, and the song of crickets - so many sounds of the night went on around Regina, but she could not bring herself to care for them now. Her heart pounded with every step, though she was not afraid. Never had she been afraid of the forest nor the creatures that resided within it.

Only when she reached the lake did she stop to catch her breath. Using her magic against the guards left her tired. Her feet moved but she felt like a weight pulled her down. If she were to close her eyes she'd happily let sleep claim her. But it was there where she rested that Regina looked over the water, seeing the moon's reflection shone brightly over the glossy surface, illuminating the tree line.

Overwhelmed, tears fell down her cheeks. Regina drew her gaze up to the night sky, her mind on the Goddess and how badly she needed her. She never asked for guidance, since her mother taught her from a young age to never question why things happened the way they did. She was to accept Her will, for the Goddess would surely punish her for greed if she did not.

But now, Regina questioned. She asked and cried out into the night, to the large, bright harvest moon with everything she was and had, "Where are you?"

Her breath came out in great white puffs of air around her as she waited for an answer. Her heart pounded in her veins and chest so hard it was the only sound she could hear. Where are you? A quiet sob escaped her, and her heart broke at thinking she would hear no answer.

"Please, I need you," she whispered into the night.

A small flicker of golden light beyond the tree line from across the lake caught her attention. Had the Goddess heard her? The only sound now came from her breathing, as the light came nearer and nearer. Regina stood stock still, then when it was no more than a dozen feet from her, her eyes lit up recognizing the small ball of golden flame.

A wisp.

The flames came toward her, danced around her feet, jumped here and there and all around her. Close but never quite touching. She could feel the heat of it on her skin, and when she kneeled and reached out to touch it, she found it to be cool against her fingertips.

It jumped up into her palm and paused as if it were considering her as she was. Her palm warmed, and with the heat, a rush of urgency she couldn't describe washed over her.

When she found her voice, it was filled with awe and came out in a pleaded whisper, "Take me to the witch!"

The flame then jumped back to the ground and away, taking her on a steady pace deeper into the forest. She followed, not caring that her dress was catching and tearing on the bushes and branches which stuck out in her path or that she might reach the edge of the forest where her mother's magic would sense her. All she cared about was her destination and the witch who could help set her free. She could only hope the magic of the flame would overcome her mother's barrier around the castle.

After what felt like hours of chasing after the small ball of fire, the forest opened into a clearing, and looming in the distance was a small cottage. Only instead of it being a broken heap on the ground, it was standing tall, made of jagged gray stones, dirt, and twigs and looked as though a storm would knock it back to the rubble it once was. The smoke rising from the small chimney caught her eye, and light streaming out from the gap in the door and the stones which were tentatively holding the home together gave her promise of life inside.

The wisp went up to the dwelling without hesitance and jumped through the door, disappearing into the thick oak. Regina paused a few steps away and took a deep breath.

Her hand rose but paused in mid-air. Should I knock?

Whatever decision she would have made was taken away from her as the door creaked open and echoed throughout the room and in Regina's ears. Inside, candles and a great roaring fireplace filled the small, musty cottage with enough light that she had to give her eyes time to adjust from the darkness outside.

She heard the witch's voice before she saw her.

"Regina, come in child. I've been expecting you for some time."

Her heartbeat picked up. So, the witch did know about her. Stepping inside the cottage, Regina took in her old, frail form. She sat at a small table, a book laid open before her. Her eyes struck Regina the most - bright and brilliant blue, like polished sapphires.

In the back of her mind, a voice whispered she didn't have much time. Regina took a step further into the room. "I need your help."

"Oh?" The witch laughed a harsh laugh that cackled with mirth. "And what could an old woman like myself offer a beautiful princess like you?"

"I need a way out, and I know you can help me." She knew it just as she knew the sun rose in the East. Regina could feel the magic in the room. Her skin tingled and her senses heightened the moment she stepped into the cottage. She had only felt this around her mother but never to such a degree.

Regina clasped her hands and looked down at her fingertips as she spoke, "My magic is not as strong as hers. I'm a prisoner."

"She's an evil woman, your mother." Her sentiment made as more of a statement than a question and one that had probably been uttered hundreds, if not thousands, of times before by many others.

Regina tilted her chin up and dropped her hands to her side. "I'm aware of what my mother is." Her throat tightened, but she continued, "Her lessons…" Regina's voice caught over the memory not so long ago of her true love lying dead at her feet. Tears filled her eyes, and with great effort, she pushed the memory away and focused. "I fear if I do not get away I will end up just like her. Everyone and everything is under her power. I can escape the king, but she'll always be there to stop me."

Her hostess held out her hand and gestured for Regina to take a seat across from her.

The old witch's voice lowered as Regina sat before her. "What if I were to tell you the Goddess has a plan for us all, and the path you're on is not the only path."

Shaking her head, Regina looked down at her hands placed in her lap. "I would be afraid to hope."

"Hope is but belief." The woman reached across the small expanse of the table between them. Her wide almond shaped eyes looked at her expectantly. "May I see your hand?"

Regina's gaze dropped to her splayed hand. She knew what she was asking. She had seen a reading done once at a Summer's End festival. The woman who had the reading stormed off, and when Regina asked her grandmother why the woman was so upset, her kind, old eyes looked down at her and she told Regina she did not get the answer she wanted.

Curious, Regina sat down across the table from her and held out her hand tentatively, letting it fall softly on the table, then watched as the old woman reached out and slipped her warm hand under hers. She ran her fingertips over Regina's palm, inspecting the lines and curves.

"What do you see?"

The witch raised her eyes to meet hers. "Do you really wish to know?"

Regina's grandmother's voice rang through her mind. Never ask a question unless you want to know the answer, Regina. "I do."

"You are coming to a crossroads and the choices before you are not what they seem. I see a potential for great darkness in your future. A darkness forced upon you, yes, but there is hope. Your journey to find your destiny is just beginning."

Her shoulders sank with her disappointment. A darkness forced upon her? Hadn't she just told her as much? Regina began to wonder whether this witch really knew what she was talking about or if she was just telling her what she wanted to hear.

"You will carry no sons."

Startled from her thoughts, Regina stared at the woman across the table. While she had no desire to ever bed Leopold, she knew it would be impossible to avoid once they were married. Imagining the act itself was abhorrent to her. And yet, she could picture another life, far from here, where she might be free to fall in love. A deep ache steeled in her heart; her belly would never grow from carrying a baby inside her womb no matter what man she let lay with her.

With effort, Regina swallowed passed the lump in her throat and asked, "A-are you sure?"

The woman's gray curls bounced from side to side as her head shook. "I'm sorry, princess, but I do not see them in your future."

What kind of reading was this? After everything Regina told her, about wanting to be free from her mother, escaping this life, she thought that was the way to instill her with hope? She wanted to scream at the injustice of it all but instead snapped, "Then what do you see?"

"Let me show you."

Regina gasped as the woman's fingers closed around hers. They burned her skin, and a blinding, white light flashed in her mind before she was thrown into a vision.

Looking around her, Regina's eyes widened. She was no longer in the small cottage but standing in the middle of a large orchard. The leaves blew softly against the summer breeze at her feet and on the branches that stretched out around her. The songs of birds filled the air around her, and from behind her, the sound of footsteps. Regina turned to find a man reaching out to her. The sun shined so bright from behind him she could not see his face. She held up her arm to shield her eyes from the light, and she could make out what looked like a lion tattoo on his forearm.

In her mind, Regina could hear the witch's voice tell her, "Do not be afraid of him, for he is your true love."

Regina's hand came up out of its own volition, reaching for him. Just as he was about to touch her, she was abruptly pulled away from him and her vision.

Snatching her hand from the old woman's grasp, in a voice stronger than she felt, Regina demanded, "What kind of witch are you?"

"Those are your mother's words, Regina. You do not really believe in them." Regina's eyes widened and the witch chuckled at her startled expression. "Yes, I know much about you." The words were said slowly as if she was afraid Regina would run from them.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Epimeliad."

Something cold trickled down her spine. She had heard the name before. In tales which were spoken to her by her grandmother. "You're a seer."

"I've been watching you for some time now. It was she who came to me from the lake and told me about you. You've led a cruel, lonely life, Regina."

Though not deeply religious, Regina's chest filled with overwhelming sadness as the truth of Epimeliad's words sunk in. But the witch's words rang back to her and her fear overshadowed her sorrow.

Regina's head snapped up. Was this all some ruse? Some scheme set up by her mother to trick her, to see if she would fall for this elaborate hoax. "Why are you watching me?"

"All will be revealed when the time comes. For now, I am here to offer you hope. The path you are on can change, but it is you who must change it."

Her fear was beginning to subside but the sadness, the immeasurable sadness, had been her constant companion all her years and the years to come clawed at her chest, threatening to tear it open at the mention of something so reaching.

Hope.

She didn't believe in such things anymore. "Well if that's the case then I'm afraid you're wasting your time. Even if I wanted to, my magic is no match for my mother's, and as long as she's there I'll never be free. Not unless you help me."

"You understand what you're asking, child?" The woman got to her feet and turned away from Regina, walking over to a small cupboard. With warning in her tone, she said, "She's a very powerful sorceress. If she were to ever suspect what you were about to do…"

Regina got to her feet and crossed the space that separated them but kept a few feet of distance, only near enough that she could look directly into the witch's eyes. "She will never see this coming. Not from me."

The old woman cackled once again. She pulled her hand from the cupboard and poked Regina hard in the chest. "You believe getting away from her will get you what you wish?" she questioned, her wrinkled eyes narrowing. "Magic, my dear child, always comes at a cost. Your mother may have taught you in the ways of the Goddess, but she does not respect the principle of three. Do you understand what you put into this world, good or bad, comes back to us?"

Regina saw the haunted look in the woman's old, bloodshot eyes, a knowing look which spoke of the basic rules of their Goddess, and her own experience with them. Though Regina never wished to experience such retribution, using magic against her mother was the only way she would get away. Regina hardened her expression. "I understand, and I'm willing to pay the price."

The witch smiled before nodding once, and with a flick of her wrist, a glowing, red vial of liquid appeared. "She will need to ingest it," she hissed. "The magic will work quickly. Once she takes it, you must make haste. Don't approach her," she added quickly. "You must run. Take the child and run."

Taken aback, she eyed her wearily, wondering why she thought she would take Snow with her. Regina decided she didn't want to know, and her eyes shifted to the liquid. She watched as it churned inside its small confines for a heartbeat before asking, "What will it do to her?"

"It will bring out her fears. The sum of her actions will rise, and she will have to face them. For how long, I cannot say." The old witch outstretched her arm that held the potion Regina so desperately wanted. Regina opened her palm and felt the weight of it as the cold vial dropped into her hand, but then the witch's hand clamped around her wrist, pinning her in her grasp. Regina gasped. The old woman, though frail, had a strong grip that would not allow Regina to withdraw from it. "I want to make sure you understand what you are doing. She is your mother. Are you sure this is the path you wish to choose?"

Regina's voice trembled with anger even as tears filled her eyes. "She has never been a mother to me."

"You're sure about that, my dear?" The witch released her hold, and the vial quickly disappeared from her hand. With a loud, cackling laugh, wind filled the cabin as an all-encompassing cloud billowed around her. Regina closed her eyes, only opening them when she felt the chill from the outside on her skin. Exhaling, her breath came out in a fog around her. Regina looked up at the castle walls, near the very tunnels where the two guardsmen still slept soundly.

She searched her pocket, having felt the vial drop into her clothes before the witch sent her away and breathed a sigh of relief when her hand closed around the cold hard glass.