The Road to Forever ~ The Sequel to Modern Fairytale

Those in Glass Houses

"Prosecution, call your first witness," the judge said from behind the stand, peering over his half-moon spectacles. Judge Albert Spencer was an intimidating man based solely on his appearance. He had gray hair, but was balding at the front; his piercing eyes were a mixture of light blue and gray, making him all the more mysterious. His voice was calm yet stern, adding to his overall powerful demeanor. It was clear that he was in charge and he'd stop at nothing to ensure justice was served. During the Renaissance, he might have been a malevolent king. However, it was the modern age and he was the next closest thing: a judge.

Mallory stood from behind her table, her assistant remaining seated beside her as she fumbled with paperwork, "Prosecution calls Regina Mills to the stand."

Regina stood from her spot amongst the spectators in the courtroom, Robin giving her hand an affectionate squeeze before she walked to the designated seat beside the judge. She remained standing, placing her left hand on the Bible and raising her right to be sworn in under oath. She'd testified countless times and even stood where her close friend was now about to question her; all she had to do was tell the truth and as she peered over to Marian, she felt more determined to lock the bitch up for the rest of her life than she ever had before.

Marian looked exhausted, leaning her chin in the palms of her hands as her elbows rested on the edge of the table. She was dressed in what appeared to be clothes loaned to her judging by the way they fell, her body swimming in the material of the oversized blazer and white button down. When she'd been brought in, she was handcuffed until she reached her chair. Luckily, Roland was staying with Cora until his day in court or Regina would have insisted she be kept in her restraints. Her attorney, Sidney Glass, was one that was appointed by the court because she couldn't afford one on her own, which meant there was no way Mallory would lose this case.

A week earlier upon their return from the cabin, Robin and Regina had gone over their testimonies briefly during lunch one afternoon. She'd even pulled Henry aside one evening before bed to talk to him about the case in preparation for when Mallory would call him as a witness. But today, it was about Robin and Regina. She'd been concerned about him having to face his ex-wife this way, remembering back to the year prior when he'd completely lost his sense of self. She didn't want that to happen to him again, not after all they'd been through since then. She kept a close eye on him and kept a mental note for herself to make sure he didn't close himself off to her. They needed to be open and honest with one another throughout the entire trial to keep him from going over the edge again.

"Please state your name for the record," Mallory stated as Regina took her seat.

"Regina Mills," she replied, straightening her posture and focusing her eyes on her best friend.

"Ms. Mills, can you please tell the court how you know the defendant?"

"Marian is Robin Locksley's ex-wife. I am currently in a committed relationship with Mr. Locksley," she said.

"When did you first meet the defendant?" Mallory began walking slowly about the courtroom, showing her comfort in the environment and absolute control over her cross-examination. She was astounding, a vision of pure dominance.

"I first met the defendant last September. Robin and the children had stepped out of his apartment while I stayed to finish some cleaning. While I was alone, there was a knock at the door. I thought Robin might have forgotten his keys, but when I opened it, Marian was on the other side."

"What was your reaction to her surprise visit?"

"Well, I was confused, to say the least. Robin had informed me that she was in prison serving a twenty-year sentence yet there she was. I thought maybe she wasn't really who she claimed to be, but after further questioning, I allowed her inside to wait until Robin returned."