ONCE One Shots

The Lion Tatoo

Rating- PG

Tease- Young Roland gets separated from the Marry Men in the Enchanted Forest, and gets taken by the Evil Queen. Robin heads off to rescue his son. Takes place pre-dark curse.

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3 Year old Roland was all alone. He had wandered away from the Merry Men and his father without realizing it while everyone was focused on composing a plan for their next heist. Their plan was to attack a royal carriage, one that was under the reign of the Evil Queen. Robin saw no better person to steal from to give back to his people than the queen herself who had been terrorizing the kingdom for far too long now.

Roland had wandered his way to the weathered road, and begun to walk along it. It was almost 4 pm now, and in the fall that meant half an hour to sundown. Roland had no idea of that fact. He'd lived in the woods his whole life, staying in hobbles every so often, but normally sleeping in a tent beneath the stars. In fact he was so comfortable in the aroma the woods had, that he hadn't even noticed his wandering until it was too late. He stopped walking, and looked around frantically. The woods didn't scare him, far from it, but being alone certainly did.

"Papa!" he yelled out, "Papa!" he continued. He kicked the dirt beneath him, and started to scream out even more. The sun started setting amongst it all.

Everything was quiet except for his small voice that chirped up in a constant call for his father. The sound of a horse drawn carriage approached. Roland turned his attention towards it, and stumbled backwards out of its way when it passed by. Abruptly the carriage stopped in front of him. The door burst open. His eyes widened at the woman who, dressed in an extravagant all black dress and heeled boots, walked out.

"Well what's such a young boy doing out in the woods all alone?" she eyed him, and kept her towering stance. He didn't answer. "Hmm a quiet one are we?" She smiled.

"I want my papa," Roland spoke up. He was too young to really understand who Regina was. He knew of the queen, but not much more than that she lived at the Royal castle, and wasn't aware that this was her.

"Well he seems to have left you all alone in the woods," she told him.

"No," Roland answered simply with the shake of his head. He looked back into the woods behind him hoping his papa would be waiting there for him. He wasn't.

"I should leave you here to spend the night alone in the woods. You should hope that the wolves will take pity on you tonight," Regina threatened with a wicked smile. Roland stayed quiet, and didn't react to her threat. His big brown eyes connected with Regina's, and her smile faded.

"And who is your papa?" Regina asked, now curious to Roland's strange demeanor. She had noticed his clothing were not just dirty, but worn, and that he wasn't at all nervous of the vast forest around him like many children would be. He shook his head no to her request. She kneeled down to his level, pushing her skirt out behind herself dramatically. "What's. Your. Papa's. Name." she repeated herself, this time with a bit of a growl in her throat.

"Robin of Locksley," he answered. A wicked smile came across Regina's face. Robin Hood. A thief that had been on the run for years now. Robin Hood was such a pest to her, always running around the kingdom stealing from the rich like herself, and giving to the poor. Having him captured would be a great accomplishment. What better way than baiting him with his son?

"Well what a lucky find," she said before waiving her hand in front of Roland and putting him to sleep. She caught him before he fell to the floor, and carried him to the carriage.