A/N : I'm finally posting this story that I started maybe (probably) six months ago. I hope you'll like it. I finally have a beta, that I have to thank for her wonderful job! Most of this multichapters and very long story is written, but only the first eight chapters are finished and currently being betaed, and I'm still working on the rest, so I don't know how often I will be able to update. Be ready, this will not be an easy journey. For those who have read my previous fic, I'm not gonna give up on you, you know I don't like it when things are too simple, I'm not a fan of rainbows and just as in my previous fic, I'm changing the end of a scene from the show, so basically, I'm changing the whole story. What we know of the show after that scene in 202 will have never happened, but people will meet, fate is fate after all. Be patient, everything will make sense. I'm focusing the first part (first eight chapters) of this story on Regina and Robin, but then... Well, you'll see...

As for the format: the italic part, is the present. It's Regina on Daniel's grave, telling him her story after she escaped the King's castle five years before. The rest, is what happened during those years. It's her life, and it happens in the past. I give some timeline indications as often as possible. Enjoy.

I'm also moving all of my stuff to Ao3, due to recent events with this website. It would mean a lot if you guys followed this story and new stories from me there. I'm under the same username (MGstars)

She climbs slowly towards the top of the hill, her eyes focused on the simple gray stone and what she can already read on it, his name. His name. Daniel. Just seeing it brings back a flow of memories, and she has to force herself not to stop, to put one foot in front of the other, to keep walking until she's standing in front of his grave, tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Hello, Daniel. I'm sorry it took me so long to come visit you. So many things have happened since your death.

I missed you so much. I still do. But I changed. I survived. And I found a new reason to live. It took me a long time to let you go, but I finally found love again.

Oh you would've loved him, I'm sure ! He helped me overcome your death. He was ready to start a relationship before me, I think, but I loved you too much, and I was so afraid, that I pushed him away repeatedly."

Regina chuckles, shakes her head, and sits on the grass, her fingers brushing the soft ground in which her former lover is burried. "I'm not making any sense, I'm sorry. Let me tell you what happened. It might take a while, so you better be ready. I will tell as much as I know, as much as I learned over the years, as much as they were willing to tell me. It's not just my story, it's the one of a family, of friends who were doing everything together and were ready to die for one another. They were facing every ordeal as a team, and no matter how high the cost was, they never gave up." She takes a deep breath, focuses, remembers.

"It all started 5 years ago. After my mother killed you, I had no other choice but to accept the King's proposal, so I joined his castle. The wedding was supposed to happen two days later. But I couldn't. I couldn't marry him, Daniel.

So I ran away..."

5 years earlier

The air whips her face as she rides as fast as she can. She can't stay there. She can't get married. Well, not to the King. She won't. The only way out is to run, and that's why she's currently riding Rocinante and guiding them both to the freedom they were deprived from.

The fear twists her guts as she spots the castle's lands' limit. If she crosses it, she'll be out of their reach. She will ride as far away as possible, will leave this kingdom, this life, this nightmare, and start a new one, where no one knows her, where no one will force her to do what she doesn't want to do.

She thought about it all night, tried to fight the fear and sorrow and do as she's been told, but it was too hard. So she waited, waited until dawn and carefully slipped out of her room, bringing nothing with her but the clothes she was wearing. She didn't want anything to remind her of what her life was supposed to become in two days.

She's not sure how the kingdom will react. She's not the Queen yet, but she's supposed to have accepted a wedding to the King. If it's not considered treason, it's something within that line, and they will have every right to come after her.

They will, she thinks. At least, her mother will.

Cora will never let her free. She will force this marriage upon her daughter by any way possible, no excuses, and she proved it already. That's why Regina won't stop until she's put as much distance between the King's lands and herself as she can. Because she has a gut feeling, and countless of experiences, that Cora won't be thrilled about her running away and will try to bring her back, no matter what the King decides.

And honestly, after Daniel's murder, she doesn't trust her mother anymore. She doesn't trust her enough to let her live if they find her and the King refuses her.

Daniel... They could've had a beautiful life together. They'd have been happy, so happy, and in love. Leaving his body behind is breaking her heart, but unfortunately, she can't bring him with her. She needs to flee so far away that she'll be out of her mother's reach. Her heart squeezes as she thinks about who she's giving up. Daniel. Her father. Her mother. Despite everything, she loves her. She's angry with her, like she's never been before, but she's still her mother, and Regina always craved to receive the love Cora denied her. She knows the only way to win her mother's approval is to marry the King, but it's too much, it's not what she wants, it's not what she needs. The thought of it itself makes her sick, she's barely been able to eat or sleep lately.

Not to mention his insufferable daughter...

She trusted her, and that trust led to the death of the man she loves. She knows that if she doesn't cross the line, if she stays there, she will lose herself. This life will slowly destroy every bit of the cheerful girl she was until there will be nothing left but anger, resentment and bitterness.

And she doesn't want that. She doesn't want to be like her mother. She doesn't want to be her mother's dream. She wants to be her own dream. She wants a life of her own. A life in which she can chose.

And she's not a fool. She knows this life will be one of a loner, hiding and running and escaping.

An outcast.

A criminal.

But even this prospect is better than living in a golden prison with constant reminders of what she lost and will never have dancing in front of her eyes every second of every day. Even a bed made of straw is more appealing than the soft mattress and luxury she slept in for the last two nights.

So she made her choice.

Freedom.

Freedom is what she wants, and she will do everything in her power to have it and never lose it.

Seeing the frontier close, she focuses back on the road, looks behind her one last time, orders her horse to speed up, praying that nothing will come in her way.

"Come on, Rocinante ! Go ! We're almost free," she encourages in a hopeful but trembling voice.

She closes her eyes for one second, dreading to be yanked back into the King's land, but when she opens them again, she hasn't.

She's still on her horse, she's still riding towards her freedom. A smiles lights up her face, though the apprehension and fear have not left her yet. It's too soon, but it's better, it's good, she did it, she escaped.

She keeps riding, doesn't stop, until she's breathless, and tired, and sore, as well as Rocinante. She pulls on the reins, feels her gielding relax under her as she slows down his pace, then stops. Wincing, Regina dismounts the horse, leads him deeper in the forest, away from the path, hidden from people's line of view. It won't be long before carriages and crowd start to fill the roads. And she can't risk to be spotted. A woman riding alone would for sure raise questions, plus they might already be after her. She's been lucky not to cross paths with anyone until now.

She has no idea where she is, doesn't know anything of the forest, but she feels safer than she has since Daniel died.

She walks slowly, Rocinante on her heels, admiring the beauty of the place around her. She's under the protection of the trees, the thick leaves and branches making it almost impossible to see the sky. The temperature is good, so she closes her eyes for a second as a soft breeze caresses her face, letting the fresh scent of pine and nature invade her senses.

A sudden laugh takes over her, and she lets it, savors it, revels in the feeling of having that sparkle of hope and happiness back, even if it's tainted with grief. She bends in half, letting it all out, steadies herself by leaning against a tree, and slides against it, sitting on the roots. Her head falls back against the trunk, and when the laugh runs dry, she opens her eyes, and breathes.

For the first time in days, she breathes.

xxx

It's been two days. She's been wandering in the forest, alone, for two whole days. She never imagined it to be so deep, so immense, so frightening. Without the protection of a carriage, every sound, every movement, every shadow appears to be a threat. She's jumping less often than she was at the beginning, but she still doesn't manage to close her eyes more than a few minutes in a row during the nights. After the amazement and the relief of the first hours, Regina started to realize how dangerous her expedition was. But she won't go back! She may be scared and tired, but she's free. And that, is worth all the dangers she can't see but imagines are waiting for her.

She feels the exhaustion in her body, the strain in her muscles, the headache pounding from lack of sleep, lack of rest and food. She hasn't stopped since she left, except during the nights, when it was so dark she couldn't see what was in front of her. She doesn't know how far from the King's land she is, but she hopes she's at least past the boundaries of his kingdom. She knows this forest is cut in half between Kings Leopold and Georges' territories. But since she left, the trees are all the same, the sky is still of a light shining blue, the birds are singing the same songs. She's not stupid enough to think it would change with the owner, but she is in a desperate need to find a a sign, something, that will tell her she made some progress in her journey.

Regina brings a hand to her stomach as she feels it twisting with hunger. She was in such a hurry to flee that she didn't bring more than some water and leftovers from her last meal at the castle -and there is nothing left-. She thought she would find a village quickly, but she must have gotten lost at some point, because she hasn't met a living soul neither found her way back to the main road since she left it.

Rocinante is slower too. Though her horse had more than her to eat, they've been walking for hours, and even if Regina is now walking by his side instead of mounting him, she can feel the exhaustion in the animal's strong muscles. She stops for a second, pats his collar, stroking his side, whispering gently that everything will be alright, that they will be alright.

She doesn't pay attention to her surroundings for a second, and it's only when Rocinante stiffens and lets out a warning neighing that Regina realizes something has caught his eyes.

She turns her head slowly, trying to spot what startled the horse, who's now silent by her side, though still rigid and on his guard, but everything seems quiet. She looks back at Rocinante, ready to lead him forward again, when she finally hears it.

But it's too late.

She barely has time to turn around before she's surrounded by men, aiming crossbows and bows at her. She scoots closer to Rocinante, clutching at his rein, fighting her best not to show how scared she's in the inside.

She takes a look at the men. Well, young men, for they may be from different ages but barely older than her.

There's three of them. A well-weighted one, with a soft round and chubby face despite the threatening look he tries to put on, and curly brown hairs. A thinner one, but the muscles hidden under his clothes are giving him quite the body, and his blond golden hair shines with the rays of sun filtering through the trees. The last one has squared shoulders and a small beard matching his dark short hair, and is clearly older than the others.

"Who are you?" Regina asks in a voice she wishes would be steadier.

"What are you doing here?" one of the men asks back.

She stares at him, doesn't know what to answer. She doesn't look away, doesn't take the risk, not even when Rocinante gives her a gentle nudge on the shoulder. She grabs his head and starts stroking it to give herself some composture.

"That is none of your business!" she says defiantly, head high, spine straight.

"You're in our forest, so it is our business." the curly brown-haired man answers.

"Your forest?"

Regina can't help the surprise to pierce in her voice. They own this place? she wonders.

"Sherwood forest. That's where we live, and you, madam, are trespassing."

Sherwood? So she is quite far from the King's land, but not as far as she thought. She has entered King Georges's kingdom, but she's not sure it's enough. She needs to go further, to keep walking.

The men are still eyeing her curiously, and she wonders why they're living here, in the middle of a forest, why they're aiming weapons at her. But she doesn't have to know, she thinks, just need to find a trail again, and they seem to know the place, maybe they can help.

"I just want to reach the next kingdom," she finally admits, and it's not quite the truth, but not totally a lie. "Could you help me?" she tries softly.

They look at each other, obviously not expecting her to ask for their help. The blond man cocks his head and turns to her.

"For a good price."

"A price?" she draws the words, her grip on Rocinante tightening, not sure if she wants to find out what it is exactly that three men living in a forest would want from a lonely young woman.

"Your gold!" answers the brown-haired man.

"My gold?" she repeats dubiously. "I don't have any gold."

They seem to hesitate for a second, but the same who addressed her before speaks again "You're dressed like a noble. You surely have something hidden in your saddle."

Regina huffs in annoyance, rolls her eyes. When will people stop having prejudices on nobles?

"And I'm walking instead of riding. I'm alone. I don't have a carriage, I am probably miles away from the main road, and if you would pay more attention, I'm half covered in mud." she speaks out loud, gesturing towards her boots and the bottom of her trouser. "Do I look like a noble carrying gold to you?"

The fat man facing her is the only one with his weapon still aimed at her now, and he only hesitates for a second before putting it down. When he does, Regina relaxes infinitesimaly, letting out a soft breath and holding herself together by stroking her gielding's side.

"Who are you?" one of them asks nicely.

She doesn't want to tell them, she doesn't know them after all, so she just sticks to the simplest truth.

"My name is Regina." she says.

"I'm Tuck." he says reverently. "And those are my friends, Little John and Alan."

She cocks her head towards them as they do the same.

She's about to open her mouth again, ask a second time which direction King Midas' kingdom is -she knows Sherwood is under King Georges's guidance, but his kingdom still shares a border wit Leopold's, and she doesn't want that-, when a breeze passes between them, making her suddenly hug herself, shivering slightly. It doesn't go unnoticed by the three men.

"You're cold." Alan states.

"No!" she hurries, refusing to show any kind of weakness in front of them. "No." she says again, softly this time. "I'm fine."

"What are you doing here alone?" John asks. "It's dangerous for a woman to venture in here by herself. The woods are unpredictable if you don't know them. You could get lost."

She eyes him without a word, uncertainty showing in her eyes. He's right. He's totally right. And she is lost. But she never thought of that. She only wanted to run away, escape the misery that would have been her life. Escape the unhappy marriage she should be attending this very day. But she can't tell them that. She can't tell them who she really is, who she should be becoming right now.

"I..." she tries, but nothing comes out. She realizes she indeed is cold when Tuck walks closer and wraps his cape around her shoulders, and she closes her eyes in content at the warmth spreading from the thick fabric into her body.

"Come on, Regina! We have a camp not far from here. You can find a shelter for the night, a fire to warm yourself up, and a good meal." he offers gently, his hand rubbing her back. "You have my word that we won't hurt you."

She shouldn't go with them. She shouldn't trust strangers, least of all strangers who threatened her five minutes ago, but she can't find it in herself to refuse. She hasn't escaped from the palace to die alone in the woods. And there's something about those men... Something she can't quite place. A feeling, a voice, a gut, telling her this meeting might just change everything for her. So she just nods, and follows them, Rocinante obediently walking behind her.

xxx

They stop maybe half an hour later in front of an alley of trees. Regina frowns. To a non attentive eye, it does look like regular trees in the middle of the forest, but now that she is staring at it, she realizes the whole length of those trees from the top to the trunk is covered by branches and leaves so thick she can't see through.

She stops when one of the men -Alan- holds his arm in front of her, halting her walk. He cocks his head and gives her a gentle, but firm look.

"We let you see the path to come here, because we understand you're not feeling comfortable being blind-folded by men you don't know. But you can't see how we access our camp. It's hidden, for our sake. I'm sorry but I'm going to ask you to trust us now."

She hesitates for a second, but looking deeply into his eyes, she sees nothing of malice, only honesty. So she nods wordlessly, notices the sight of relief on his face, turns her back on them and to the tree wall and doesn't protest when he pulls his scarf over her eyes.

She waits in silence as she catches ruffling noises and whistles and she jumps when someone grabs her arm softly to guide her on the right path.

She stumbles on a rock, but whoever is holding her steadies her quickly, preventing her from falling.

She's still blind when she's stopped, but she can hear whispers, and small talk, the voices so low she can't hear the words. It takes a few minutes, and she stays still, silent, waits until someone is removing the scarf and she can finally open her eyes again.

She blinks against the light, and meets Little John's shy smile. She smiles back, but doesn't move, not until she catches someone's form coming towards her and she turns her head slightly to the side to meet two blue piercing eyes staring at her defiantly. She has to force herself to tear her eyes apart from him and look at the hand he holds out for her.

When she tilts her head up again, she takes a few seconds to look at him. Dark blond hair. Dimples. Around his twenties. A small and concerned smile on his lips, and something passes through her as she takes him in fully.

"Hi!" he says, still holding out his hand.

She shakes his hand, smiles shyly, unable to speak.

"Welcome to our camp. I'm Robin."

So?