A Thief and a Queen

Hope

“Hope” 

            Regina sat in her vault, books scattered around her. None held the answers to unfreezing Marian. She buried her face in her hands, trying not to scream. It was hopeless. She was letting down Robin and Roland and it killed her. 

            She stood, trying to walk out her frustrations. As she glanced over the books she had yet to check, she found Henry’s storybook sitting on a shelf. Regina pulled it out, flipping through it. She stopped at page twenty-three, showing her the night she ran from Robin and the tavern. How would life have been different had she gone in? 

            It did little to muse on that now. She had more pressing matters to attend to. Like unfreezing her soulmate’s wife. Why must her life be so complicated? 

            Putting the book back, she pulled out a thin book next to it. It might have something that could help her. At least, she hoped it did as she flipped through the pages. 

            Regina stopped as she came upon something promising. A potion that could counteract dark spells. Perhaps it could work against the Snow Queen’s magic? Hope filled her; perhaps she wouldn’t let Robin and Roland down after all. 

            She pulled out the ingredients needed for the potion, setting up her equipment to brew it. Dicing, mixing, heating—these were things she could do to feel like she was making progress. Regina watched as the potion bubbled, anxious to test the results. 

            Looking in the cauldron, she frowned. She didn’t think it should be bubbling so much. Turning down the flame, Regina checked the book to make sure she had done everything right. She missed how the cauldron began to shake and liquid splash over, hitting the flames. They danced higher, scorching the pot. By the time Regina turned back, she realized there was nothing she could do but take cover. It was going to blow. 

            Regina miscalculated and didn’t find cover in time. The force of the explosion propelled her forward and a sharp pain exploded in her head as she landed on the stone floor. Spots danced before her eyes before the black swallowed her. Her last thoughts were of Robin… 

***** 

            Birds chirped above her and she felt the warm sunshine on her face. Regina scrunched her eyes closed tighter, confused. Had the explosion blown a hole in her vault’s roof? She didn’t think it would’ve been that big. 

            Groaning, Regina decided it was best to open her eyes and determine how bad the situation was herself. She blinked a few times but every time, she saw nothing but trees. Turning her head, she realized she was in a forest, not a vault. Nothing felt broken, so she doubted she had been catapulted out of her vault. So what had happened? 

            She sat up and tried to take stock of where she was. The woods looked like every other forest she had ever been in: full of trees with green leaves that filtered the sunlight down on the grassy ground. But it told her she couldn’t be in Storybrooke, where the Snow Queen made sure it was even colder than the usual winters in Maine. So where was she? 

            Childish laughter echoed through the trees and she tried to figure out where it was coming from. Looking over her shoulders, she saw the tiny figures running amongst the trees. A young boy, about ten, led the back. He had dark hair that flopped into his brown eyes and his skin had a tan from being out in the sun. 

            On his heels was a young girl, not much older than Roland. She had dark blonde hair that was braided in two plaits. Brown eyes and similar facial features indicated that she was related to the boy she chased. She laughed as she closed the gap between herself and him.