A Thief and a Queen

Snowball Fight (Missing Year Trilogy #1)

8: outlaw queen missing year xxx: "You did not just throw that at me!"

            Regina missed the days when it was just her and her father living in this palace. Of course there were the servants, but they knew their place and stayed out of the way. Everything was calm and quiet. She could actually think back then. While the thoughts were usually destructive and filled with anger, she could at least hear them.

            Now, though, she had half the Enchanted Forest living within the palace gates. She didn't know how she had been able to accommodate them all, but Snow had managed. The Charmings were in their element, surrounded by everyone. By all the noise—laughter, arguments, shouting, whispers. Regina heard it all.

            She cursed that wretched outlaw for preventing her from taking the sleeping curse. At least then she would have some peace and quiet.

            All Regina wanted was a place to herself. Her room should've been her sanctuary but Snow had taken to barging in unannounced, no doubt afraid of leaving Regina alone too long in her grief. So for a while, Regina had sought solace once again in her orchard. But they had arrived in late autumn and winter had approached fast. The leaves fell only a few weeks after she had returned, all the apples picked. It didn't provide her with any cover—she was visible amongst the trees now.

            The worst part was that the outlaw and his men had set up camp not far from the orchard. She had found a way to go around them to get there but now they could see her. Especially him. Regina had noticed the way he watched her, bright blue eyes following her every movement. And not just when she was in the orchard. He watched her at council meetings (though why he was allowed to be involved with those, she didn't know), at meals and whenever they were in the same room together. It annoyed her. (It exhilarated her).

            This day, though, Regina needed to get out of the palace. She needed to get away from Snow White, her growing baby bump and her pregnancy glow. To get away from talk of babies, of children. Of anything that reminded her of Henry yet again.

            It had snowed the night before and most people were keeping inside. She was alone and it was quiet. Regina settled on a stone bench, wrapping her fur-lined cloak closer to her body. She saw her breath with each exhale. It was the closest thing to tranquility she had ever experienced.

            Until something cold and hard hit her back. She jumped up, spinning around to see who had attacked her. A fireball crackled in her palm, ready to incinerate whoever was there. Every fiber of her being was on edge.

            "Apologies, milady!" The outlaw appeared before her, holding a snowball in his hand.

            Regina frowned, letting her fireball disappear. "You did not just throw that at me!"

            "I didn't intend to. I'm afraid I was aiming for someone else," he admitted.

            She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you never missed."

            "That's with my bow. Not with snowballs."

            "Well, be more careful. Next time I may not be so merciful," Regina snapped.

            He held up his hands in a placating manner but he had started to smirk. The expression infuriated Regina more. She bent down and gathered snow into a ball of her own. As Robin walked away, she hurtled it at his back. It broke apart, scattering white pieces down his cloak.

            Robin stopped, turning to face her again. "You realize, milady, that you have just declared war? I am giving you this chance to rescind it."

            She threw another snowball instead. He sighed. "Have it your way."

            He threw one of his snowballs at her. Regina was able to sidestep it as she made her own to throw back. They continued their silly little fight, moving from the orchard to the open courtyard where they had more space to move around.

            Both opponents landed blows, had misses and close calls. Neither side was ready to surrender, though their noses were red and their clothing soaked. Regina's teeth chattered as Robin shivered when he wasn't dodging her snowballs. He realized there was only one way to end this fight. All he could do was pray it didn't cost him his head.

            Robin charged at the queen, catching her off guard. His arm encircled her waist as the two fell toward the powdery snow. They landed in a pile, him half on top of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck in an automatic response to the fall.

            They lay there, brown eyes meeting blue. Both were breathing heavily and their faces were only inches apart. Regina realized all she had to do was crane her neck and they would be...

            "Get off me, Thief!" She gave him a shove, sending him into a snow bank. "You're lucky I don't skin you for that stunt."

            Robin stayed in the snow, smiling. "Of course, milady."

            "I suggest you find some dry clothing. It'll do your son no good if you catch your death out here," she said, her voice soft. "Good day, thief."

            "Good day, milady."

            Regina walked away from him, head held high. Yet she still felt his eyes on her as well as his smile. She felt her own lips twitch but she schooled her features to remain expressionless. Snow would have too many questions as it was.