A Soulmate's Story

Chapter 29

The somber air hung heavily in the stables after Daniel's ashes had scattered to the wind. Everyone stood silently, lost in their thoughts, processing what had just happened. Emma, Snow, David, and Henry had retreated to their apartment, needing to regroup and take care of Henry. Navia had returned to the hospital to finish her shift, bringing Raven with her to keep her close, leaving Regina in the arms of Robin.

Robin's strong arms wrapped around Regina, his chest rising and falling slowly, trying to offer her solace. The steady beat of his heart was like a quiet reminder that despite all the pain, life continued. Regina, still trembling slightly from the ordeal, allowed herself to lean into him, the weight of her grief pressing down on her.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was thick, not uncomfortable, but heavy with unsaid words. Robin knew Regina needed this—needed space to process, to breathe, to exist without the weight of expectations or the need to be strong for everyone else. Right now, she could just be.

"I'm sorry," Regina finally whispered, her voice so soft Robin almost didn't hear her. She was staring out into the distance, her eyes unfocused.

"For what?" Robin asked gently, tilting his head slightly to look at her.

"For dragging you into this. For making you watch all of this unfold. For...for making you see what I did," Regina replied, her voice laced with guilt. "I had to kill him...again."

Robin shook his head slowly, pulling her closer, his chin resting on the top of her head. "You don't have to apologize for anything, Regina. None of this was your fault."

"But it feels like it is," she admitted, the tears she had been holding back once again threatening to spill over. "I wanted him back. I wanted to undo what my mother did. And now...now he's really gone."

Robin's heart ached for her. He knew loss—he knew what it was like to love someone so deeply and then lose them. It left a hole in your heart, a piece of yourself that never quite came back. "I understand," Robin murmured. "Losing someone like that...someone who was such a big part of your life...it's like losing part of yourself."

Regina took a shaky breath, her fingers clutching the fabric of Robin's shirt as if it was her lifeline. "Daniel...he was everything to me. He was my first love, my only love. We were so young, but I knew from the moment I saw him that he was it for me. I was a princess, and he was just a stable boy, but none of that mattered. I loved him...and I still do."

Robin stayed silent, letting her talk, knowing she needed to get this out. He could feel the raw emotion in her voice, the pain and the love she still carried for Daniel.

"I was going to run away with him," Regina continued, her voice shaking as she remembered. "I was going to leave everything behind—my title, my family—just to be with him. But my mother...she couldn't stand the thought of me marrying someone beneath my station. She...she ripped his heart out right in front of me." Regina's voice cracked as she said the last part, the memory still as fresh and painful as the day it had happened.

Robin gently stroked her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I can't imagine how much that must have hurt you."

"It destroyed me," Regina whispered, her tears finally spilling over. "I loved him so much, and she took him from me. And now...now he's really gone, and it's my fault all over again. I had to...I had to turn him to dust."

Robin held her tighter, his own heart breaking for her. "You did what you had to do," he said softly. "You gave him peace, Regina. And that doesn't mean he's forgotten. He will always be a part of you, just like Marian is always a part of me."