This chapter is my Land Without Magic entry for OQ Realms Week! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Regina woke to the sound of stifled sobs. Rubbing the back of her neck to soothe the aches that sleeping on a stable floor had caused, she looked around her for the source of the crying.

Getting up, she ventured further into the stables, finding nothing as she pushed aside barrels, troughs, food, and hay.

Finally, she pushed aside a few crates and found a young boy, who quickly dried his tears as he looked up at her. "Wh-what do you want?" he asked nervously. "D-don't send me back, I don't wanna go back and I c-can't."

"Don't worry," Regina soothed him, tentatively reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. "My name is Regina. I'm not going to hurt you, or send you anywhere you don't want to go. What's your name, and what's wrong?"

"H-Henry a-and I l-lost him!" the boy exclaimed, bowing his head in shame. "I promised him I would look after him- worse, I promised his mom I would look after him- and now I don't know where he is and he must hate me!"

"Trouble, Your Majesty?" Graham asked as he came up behind her.

The lad seemed to shrink away at the arrival of the newcomer, and Regina turned raging eyes on the huntsman. Why was it that he begrudgingly did her bidding when she asked for his assistance, and the remainder of the time inserted himself where he was neither wanted nor needed? "Leave us. Go do something useful and obtain something for us all to eat for breakfast."

"Yes, Your Majesty," he grumbled, but Regina's attention was too focused on the boy to pay him any attention. His eyes were wide as his astute eyes took in her attire. "Are-are you a queen?" he asked uncertainly.

The smile she gave him was more akin to a thin line. She had hated every minute of being Leopold's queen, being forced to perform her wifely duties while being ignored, an unwilling slave to every one of Leopold's whims. But worst of all was being the caretaker of the girl who had torn her chance at a happy ending away from her. And by the time she had regained control of her life, she was unrecognizable to anyone who had known her before Daniel's death. Now, she was in an unfamiliar realm with a captive huntsman in tow due to the fact that he refused to bring her Snow White's heart and thus ensure that her revenge was complete. But how to tell this boy that without making him turn from her, as all of her subjects had? He wasn't quite a child, but still was only about eleven years old, so she didn't know how to explain any of this to him in a way that he would understand. She didn't understand why, but she wanted to protect this boy from all the evil she had done. She wished she had gotten to spare herself from all she had done and all that was done to her. There was no need for this boy to know her darkness.

"I was, once," she finally admitted, her tone dejected due to all that she had lost. She would be honest with him, but there was no need to tell him details of her nefarious past.

"That's so cool!" the boy exclaimed. "Can you do magic?"

"What makes you think I might be able to do magic?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"In all the stories, every queen has magic," he answered matter-of-factly, as if she should have known that, bring a queen herself.

"Oh really?" she smirked. "What else can the queens in these stories of yours do?"

His face lit up with a joy she knew she hadn't felt in years. She envied him for his childlike innocence, the belief he seemed to have in magic and happy endings. She dreaded even thinking about what he would say if he knew that she was the villain in her own story.

At the same time though, who was this boy to her that she wanted to earn his respect, maybe even his love? She was Regina Mills, Queen of the Enchanted Forest whether one saw her as evil or not. She wasn't so weak that she needed anyone's approval, least of all this insignificant boy who had inserted himself into her life not even fifteen minutes ago.

Or did she? Looking into his eyes, she knew that she didn't want to disappoint him. Despite the fact that he was rapidly approaching adulthood, she sensed that he was still just a child at heart, and she didn't want to be the one to destroy his innocence. She may be evil, but even she would never stoop so low.

Caught up in her thoughts, she finally realized that he was answering her question, his blind faith unwavering as he told her, "All sorts of things! Slay dragons, kill witches, rescue kings… Queens can do anything!" This last declaration was accompanied by an awed expression that was directed at her. Her, of all people. The woman who single-handedly put terror in the hearts of all who knew of her nefarious deeds. If he knew that she was responsible for countless hearts being stolen from their owners, that the man with her was being forced to do her bidding, he would run from her, just as he should.

But the thought of yet another sweet, innocent child running from her made her blood run cold, so instead of answering with a brutal self-deprecating remark, she told him, "Some things aren't always what they appear to be. Not all royalty are heroes."

He seemed to consider her words, "They're not all villains, either. And no villain is entirely bad."

Incredulous, she shook her head. There would be no convincing this boy of her almost black heart unless he saw some proof. And for reasons she couldn't explain, she didn't want to ruin his image of her. As much as she disliked leading him on, she didn't want him to have hope that would only be crushed into miniscule fragments when he found out who she really was. For some inexplicable reason, she cared about this boy far too much and far too quickly for her own good, or his for that matter. It was simply nice to have someone who believed in her.

She dreaded to think what he would say when he found out who she really was, so she decided to test him. "What about a queen so evil she asked a huntsman to bring her her stepdaughter's heart, and made sure she had a sleeping curse prepared just in case the huntsman failed?" For that was her plan should she be unable to convince Graham to obey her command.

He perked up, his eyes shining with recognition. "Like the Evil Queen and Snow White?"

"Y-yes," she stammered. "Exactly like Snow White and the Evil Queen." How could he possibly know that? They were from entirely different realms, their stories likely so different that he would recoil in horror if he knew the true events that had transpired between herself and the woman who was once her stepdaughter.

He laughed. "Everyone knows the story of Snow White!" His eyes widened in realization as he glanced over her, likely taking in her regal attire and remembering how the huntsman had addressed her earlier. "Are you the Evil Queen from the story?"

She watched him questioningly. "What makes you think that?" While she wouldn't deny her moniker, she fervently hoped that she hadn't let any of her darkness show around this boy. He was too innocent and sweet for her to ever think of harming him, let alone follow through with harmful actions that she would regret within seconds.

He shrugged. "You're dressed up like a queen. And I always thought there was more to her story than the movie ever showed us."

She didn't understand half of what he had just said, but knew it would be unwise to let her confusion show, so all she said in reply was, "Really? Like what?" Surely, if even a piece of her story was known in this land, its inhabitants would see her as her subjects had: evil, without a heart or soul to guide her.

He shrugged. "I don't know. She lost her happy ending because of Snow White or was forced to marry the king… something like that. But like I said before, no one is completely bad."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "You really like having hope, don't you?" Good grief, he was just like that insufferable Snow, full of hope speeches that he was determined that everyone should hear. But for some inexplicable reason, she didn't mind him half as much as she did her stepdaughter. Maybe it was that he believed in her, something that no one but her father had done in quite some time. Or maybe it was just the smile he was giving her, full of childlike innocence and that insufferable emotion that Snow possessed in spades.

"Of course!" he answered. "If I didn't…" his face fell, his eyes somber for the first time since his tears had subsided. "I'd never find Roland again," he whispered.

"Who's Roland?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. She should know better. She shouldn't be getting attached to this boy and his problems when she would be finding her way back to her kingdom and her castle as soon as possible.

But before she could hear more, Graham appeared again, with what appeared to be breakfast in his hands. As she inspected the food he handed her, she reached for her magic, but knew instinctively that her magic was unavailable to her. Wherever Rumple had sent her was a land where her magic wouldn't work no matter how hard she tried. All the same, she wished desperately that she had it- it was like a sixth sense, an essential part of who she was. Without it, she felt defenseless. Her magic had served her well over the years, and without it, she wasn't quite sure what she would do.

Magic no longer a viable option, she lifted the bread the huntsman had handed both her and Henry and sniffed it. She didn't detect any known poisons, but knew that she didn't possess any knowledge about anything in this world, from the most trivial concepts to the most vital. So it was perfectly plausible that Graham had asked their hosts to give him something that would harm her- but would he really do that when he was in another realm, far from home with no way to return? Observing Henry would be no help to her, as she was sure that the huntsman would never harm Henry, or any child for that matter. So she supposed that she would just have to trust that the huntsman would not attempt to kill her- not yet, anyway.

As if he read her thoughts, Graham piped up. "You know, I haven't poisoned your bread."

Henry nodded his head in agreement. "Eat it, Your Majesty! It's safe, I promise!"

"Regina please," she corrected gently, hating how her title sounded on those young lips. Suddenly mortified with herself for not protecting Henry from any potential danger that the bread could contain, she observed him carefully. Seeing no signs that he had been harmed, she bit into the bread. It was far more delicious than any bread from the Enchanted Forest, flavored with what tasted like some kind of cheese as well as seasonings that she was unable to name. She couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips, then cast a concerned glance Henry's way. Such a sound was far too improper for such sensitive young ears.

He didn't seem to be unnerved by her moan, though. He smiled and nodded eagerly. "It's good, right?"

She hesitantly nodded and acknowledged, "It is."

"It would be nice to hear some gratitude," the huntsman grumbled. "I did do all of this for you, after all- not that I had much of a choice."

Henry's head whipped around, his eyes wide as he stared at her in awe. "You are the Evil Queen! Or Maleficent, or Mother Gothel, or-"

She nodded slowly, fighting back tears. "In our realm, I am known to most as the Evil Queen."

She looked at him nervously. It was ludicrous, but after such a short time, she already cared about him. What would be his reaction to the information she had just divulged? She didn't think she wanted to find out.

Robin woke the next morning to a small form nestled in his arms. Looking down, he found Roland, the little boy he had met the night before, lying in his arms.

He spent a moment contemplating what had transpired the day before. Was it really possible that in twenty-four short hours, he had been a witness as the Evil Queen had ripped out his friend's heart and been forced to go with her to another realm? And in the process, he had followed them like the loyal friend he was, and he took a moment to berate himself for that decision. His actions had been rash. What could he possibly do for Graham in a land where he knew nothing and no one?

He reconsidered, looking down at the boy in his arms. He did know one person in this realm. A little boy who had clearly strayed far from home and needed help finding someone to care for him again. And in the meantime, Robin would do his best to ensure that Roland felt loved and understood, just as every child his age should.

He softly brushed Roland's curls out of his eyes as he looked down at him. He couldn't help making comparisons between this boy and his Marian. When he lost her, he had lost all hope of finding love again, particularly because she had been pregnant with his child when both had been cruelly ripped away from him, and it had been entirely his fault. But he had a chance to ensure that that didn't happen to this boy, that he found somewhere he belonged, where he was loved and cherished. All he needed to do was find out some of this boy's past, so that he could find any remaining relatives he had nearby.

The gesture seemed to soothe Roland, for the boy smiled sweetly in his sleep, revealing dimples that had been hidden in the darkness of the previous night. With them, Robin couldn't resist thinking that the child looked more like he could be his and Marian's lost child then ever.

But at the same time, that was impossible. How would Roland have gotten to this world on his own? And he had said that his parents were dead- if that was the case, what had happened to them?

Robin shuddered at the thought, and forced himself to take a step back. There was no concrete evidence that Roland was Marian's son other than the similarity of his appearance to his possible parents. But there were likely millions of people with dark skin, hair and eyes in this realm, and some of those had to have dimples as well, so the chances of Roland being his son were slim to none. Regardless, he would find out more of Roland's story as soon as he could. And in the meantime, he would be a father figure for him. It was clear that Roland needed someone to be there for him, and Robin wanted nothing more than to jump at the chance to fill the role of a father that he had been deprived of so long ago.

Roland began to stir, and Robin quickly sat back and reached for the rucksack that he had been carrying with him ever since he had set out on his rescue mission several days before. He still had several apples, some of which had been stolen from the queen's precious apple tree that resided in the castle's inner courtyard, as well as a loaf of bread and a container still half filled with water.

He passed one of the apples to Roland first. He was unaware of just how long he had been without food, and didn't want him to get sick because of food that was too rich for a delicate stomach. A polite boy, Roland thanked him before ravenously devouring the apple Robin had given him.

After waiting an hour, Robin gave him a small piece of bread, which was consumed almost as rapidly as the apple. It seemed that Roland was raised well by the people who had served as his parents before their disappearance from his life.

With that topic in mind, Robin gently asked his young companion, "Roland, is there any way I can help you? Any family I can help you find, perhaps?"

As he had feared, Roland's lip began to tremble, but he helped assuage any tears by immediately putting his arm around the boy's small frame and holding him close. "Shh, it's all right, we'll find them, I promise. And I'll always be here for you." Gradually, Roland's panic subsided enough to tell him, "Henry. Mama said that after she was gone, I would always need Henry."

"All right," Robin responded slowly. "What does Henry look like?"

He's big, he's eleven!" Roland informed him, his panic giving way to a clear admiration and adoration of the older boy. "He loves stories, especially all the fairy tales, and he takes care of me and always has fun games we can play!"

Robin's heart broke at his young friend's words. Although Roland's idolization of him was obvious, it was devastating that an eleven year old was taking care of this child. At that age, he was still practically a child himself. For him to be taking care of Roland, the boy must be mature beyond his years, and desperate circumstances must have befallen the boys to separate them.

He was torn between devastation and righteous anger when it came to the boy's parents. No child should be left in the care of another child. For his parents to have entrusted an eleven year old with such a task indicated that not only was the boy mature beyond his years, but that he had also suffered through things that no boy his age should have to. He was determined to find Henry and take care of both him and Roland, as difficult as that would likely prove to be as he simultaneously attempted to rescue Graham.

His hands soothingly s through Roland's curls as he whispered, "Don't worry, Roland, we'll find him." As a man with a code, Robin swore to himself that he would keep his promise to Roland, no matter what the cost.

Now all he needed was a plan that would somehow allow him to accomplish both of his tasks simultaneously.