A Royal Affair

The New Assistant

A/N: Based on this prompt from the last OQ Prompt Party: #100: Regina is queen and has never been in love until she meets Robin, who is her new assistant. It is love at first sight with her, but he believes what the press is writing about her and doesn't bother to get to know her at first, until at some point (through a certain event) he realizes she's the one.

I did start writing this and posted an earlier draft for that Prompt Party, which is still up if you want to read it. If you did read it, some parts may feel familiar. I wanted to slow it down as I realized it needed more. So I've gone back, focused more on the relationship between Robin and Regina. Show how he takes things out of context or filters them through his biased lens to reinforce his beliefs about her before everything he thinks he knows is challenged.

I hope you enjoy!

-Mac

Tink walked into her office, carrying several files. She stopped when she saw a blond-haired man sitting by her desk dressed in a crisp black suit with a blue button-down shirt. He stood as she approached, smiling and revealing two dimples. "Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," she replied. "May I help you?"

"Yes, Johanna told me to report here to a Rose Tinker," he said. "I'm Robin Locksley."

Tink nearly dropped her files when she heard that, surprise and dismay coursing through her. She had been told to expect Robin Locksley to report that day to fill the recently vacated Royal Assistant position but clearly Johanna had forgotten to mention a very important fact about Robin.

"You were expecting a woman," he said rather than asked. He didn't sound too surprised and Tink figured it happened often.

"Yes," she replied, knowing it was likely pointless to lie. She sighed. "But I do trust Johanna when it comes to staff. She's been hiring for the palace for decades and has a great track record."

He grinned, looking relieved. "Good. I was afraid I was about to wade back into the unemployment pool."

"No, no," Tink said, sighing again. "I have to tell Her Majesty that her new assistant is a man, not a woman, but that should just be a minor hiccup."

"Her Majesty?" he asked, a strange look crossing his eyes as his smile faded away.

Cold swept through Tink and she started to wonder if maybe Johanna was losing her touch after all. "Yes. Didn't they tell you what position you were hired for?"

"That I was to be an assistant to a high-ranking person here in the palace," he replied. "That was all."

"Right, right," Tink said, knowing that was standard practice. Most staffers did not know who they would be assigned to until they showed up for their first day of work. However, she felt like those working directly with the Queen needed to go through more intense scrutiny and be made aware of who they were working for before they took the job.

Especially given the Queen's reputation.

No matter how inaccurate it was.

She studied Robin and could tell that he believed the lies Sidney Glass printed about her and the other media outlets took as gospel truth. In a firm, cold voice, she asked: "Do you have a problem working with Her Majesty?"

"No," he said, a mask slipping over his eyes and his expression becoming neutral. "This is a job and I am a professional, I assure you."

"Good," she replied, hoping that would prove to be the case.

He looked around before asking: "So...are you Rose Tinker?"

She realized she had never introduced herself and her cheeks heated up as she held out her hand. "Yes, sorry. You can call me Tink – everyone else does. I'm the Queen's chief of staff."