A month into his imprisonment in the Evil Queen's castle, the Huntsman decides - before he loses himself entirely - that he must try to get out.

The idea doesn't take very long to snowball into a plan, which then becomes a schedule - each step carefully and meticulously thought out. He knows what the Queen's wrath is like; he's seen it on several occasions with other disobedient subjects in her court - and most importantly, he has first-hand experience himself.

It is why he is here in the first place.

But if he does not leave now, he may never be able to and he would truly become her pet, made to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.

(And like a pet, obey without question.)


The most ideal time to enact this, he decides, comes right between his usual training with the other soldiers of the Queen's keep, and arriving in the Queen's bedchamber where he becomes her personal servant. With the extra time scheduled for dinner, there is a period of give-and-take that allows the Huntsman a smoother escape.

Or: if he had any belongings to take with him, he could quickly retrieve them.

Everything would - and should - have gone according to plan. Only, right around the end of dinner, two of the Queen's men with a few too many drinks in their bellies have come looking for him after the Huntsman successfully managed to beat one of them bloody during training (not by choice, especially not today). Now, they've got a vendetta against him.

And the deal, as they say, is sweetened when they realize what he's attempting to do.

"Well, well - the Queen'll be glad to hear about this."

The Huntsman doesn't say anything. He hardly ever says anything, but now his silence is a necessity.

"Leaving so soon?" the other one sneers.

"Queen's Bedchamber's that way. How could you forget? You're her little dog, aren't you?"

"The Queen's personal attention ain't good enough for you?"

They laugh, staggering on the spot. Without another word, the Huntsman throws out an arm, meeting the first guard in the chest and causing him to double over. He coughs, grunts something like a string of swearwords, and waves an arm for his comrade to continue - or finish - the job.

The Huntsman is ready.

Even before coming into the Queen's regiment, he had been a skilled enough fighter. The other soldier puts up a decent enough fight, but he is no match for the Huntsman.

Just when he thinks he's in the clear, it turns out that their scuffle had attracted unwanted attention, the very opposite of what the Huntsman wants.

It's fight or flight now, and the Huntsman can't see any other way.

Before the other soldiers can make it down the parapet, he is running for the exit.

"Come back here!"

"Stop!"


- entry point for Regina (?): after being caught, he is taken to the Queen's [chamber? courtroom? throneroom? dungeon? etc.?] for terrrrible punishment.