Nottingham - Castle De Burgh

The castle was in incredible chaos. It had been clever - she had to hand it to Hood - that he had cut the alarm bell. So it took longer than usual for the sheriff's men to be alerted to deal with the theft of the tax money. But now, the dark black and silver of the tabards under the sheriff's command mingled with the blue and black of Earl De Burg's. Fortunately, she knew a few ways and rarified paths to get to her chambers unseen.

Marian's heart was still pounding as she hastily closed the door behind her and leaned against the wood from the other side. She closed her eyes, then took a few deep breaths in and out before Marian pushed herself off the gate. Quickly she began to peel herself out of her wet clothes. The young woman was just about to push the buttons out of the loops of the dark blue doublet when loud thumping on wood made her flinch.

"Marian?" a voice from the other side of the door sounded muffled to her ears, immediately giving her pulse new nervousness. "Marian? Are you awake?"

Oh, and how she was awake! Her heartbeat had only just calmed down, but it immediately picked up again. Silently she uttered a very unnamed curse, while in the meantime, with flying fingers, she literally tore her doublet from her body and stepped out of her trousers."Yes, I am up! Please, be patient for a moment!" she cried while Marian rushed to her dresser and hastily stuffed the bag with the stolen goods into the first drawer. The leather bumped against the silver casket, making it rattle softly.

The sound immediately jolted Marian's senses, and her movements froze as if time had stopped for her. Sounds faded and moved into the background. She reached for the lid and opened it as if of her own accord. Soft velvet in pine green color lined the inside, and a cushion filled most of the casket. A bangle lay softly nestled there. The filigree gold was beautifully twisted, and the decorations were engraved with the greatest care. A rose-shaped setting finally encircled a red ruby that seemed to glow even in the little light.

Her fingertips felt over the jewelry, and Marian felt her throat tighten. Feelings she so carefully hid under opaque waters of smiles and charades, buried deep and suppressed, washed up. Tears blurred her vision, and Marian blinked against them.

"I did it, Gillian..."

>>Wham Wham Wham<<

The renewed knock on her door made Marian flinch. Damn it, she couldn't let herself be distracted or upset.

'Not now... there'll be plenty of time for that later.'

She quickly closed the box and pushed the drawer shut again to open the one underneath. With a flurry of movements, she pulled a nightgown out of the box and made a makeshift attempt to dry her hair. There was a low rumble as she slung her boots under the bed.

"Is everything all right?"

She could literally see Guy frowning in her mind's eye.

"Y-yes! I just tripped over something. Please wait a moment. My robe is inappropriate," Marian replied aloud, hoping he didn't notice her flurry of activity. She tried to get herself ready quickly with hurried and rushed movements, brushing the tangled strands back from her face and then throwing a shawl around her shoulders. With long strides, she hurried to the arched oak door with its noble fittings and pushed back the iron bolt. She prayed to God that she would not smell too much of the damned water from the moat.

As she opened the door a crack, her eyes fell on the man who was already there, shifting position from one leg to the other with obvious impatience:"Guy," she greeted the late guest, and the guilty conscience bit invisibly. "Why are you here?"The young man in front of her quirked his eyebrows, and she could see him glance over her mop of hair and into her room before falling back on her.

"The castle is in turmoil. Didn't you notice anything?" Disbelief was in the dark voice that matched his demeanor.

Guy of Gisborne had always blended in well with the shadows, with dark hair like raven's feathers and the shadow of a beard over his sleek features. And that was even though he was undoubtedly the last person who would hang around dodgy company.

Now the grey-brown eyes were on her, and Marian felt again like the young girl who had better conceal from her best friend that she had been with her fingers in the biscuit tin, cheekily pilfering a treat before dinner. However, this was about something other than a little trifle. Not only had she sneaked into the counting room to steal. In this case, however, it was much worse, for Guy of Gisborne was the Sheriff's son.

"Oh. I heard the guards but didn't think anything of it," she replied quickly and stepped aside to let him enter. Usually, it would be unthinkable to let a man step into a lady's chambers alone at this hour. But Guy was the Sheriff's right-hand man, his son, and her fiancé. The children had known each other since they were young so no one would doubt good intentions or their honor.

Guy bowed his head and put his hand briefly on his chest before actually entering. Marian noticed that he almost had to duck under the low wicket of the ladies' room. The days when Guy of Gisborne had been a skinny lad were behind him, as were hers as a young girl.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right," he explained, letting his gaze wander around the room briefly before returning to her. Guy had always been attentive and watchful, yet she couldn't help feeling that he hadn't come just for that.

"What happened? You look upset?" she asked in a gentle tone. Almost as if she didn't know what was causing him distress. Marian pointed him to one of the chairs in front of the fireplace, lined with furs, inviting him to sit down.

Usually, Guy left quickly. Since he returned from the war, his father hardly let him out of sight. In fact, she didn't expect him to stay long this time either. Considering the events just before, it calmed Marian inwardly when Guy raised his hand and shook his head to decline politely. "Robin Hood has once again entered the chamber of the enumerator and stolen the king's taxes. The sheriff and your father are beside themselves."

With an unaccustomed grimness, his fingers slid into the dark waves of his hair, and Marian held back the telltale smirk convulsively as she approached him. 'So? The sheriff was furious, then? Hearing that gave her a bittersweet satisfaction.

"This is horrible! How could this happen? Weren't the guards doubled after the last robbery?" Carefully she stroked one of the rumpled strands behind Guy's temple, struggling to look most concerned.

The latter leaned towards the delicate hand while his lips tightened in distress."They did. But it doesn't seem to have done any good. For far too long, that bastard has been dancing on our noses," he complained rancorously, and Marian listened to it - as she always had and surely would often again. "The custom house, the toll bridge, the treasury, and now the tax collector ... this man appears everywhere and miraculously gets out again! And now ... he was so close to the fortress too!" The groan from Guy's throat was so pitiful that Marian couldn't help but hug him quickly.

"He is clever; he was before. You told me yourself how you sneaked out of Huntington as children without his father or any of the guards catching you?"

The taller man returned the gesture of affection by wrapping an arm around her and resting his chin on her shoulder, where the rumble became more of a soft sigh. "That he was here in the castle worries me. I fear that he may seek revenge on me or you."

At that, Marian patted him on the back, and he reluctantly disengaged himself from her. "Guy, Robin going to war was years ago. We were all young, and you were in the war for three-plus years. I was ..." She faltered for a moment and had to think, "... Fourteen when we last saw each other, and he probably doesn't remember me." Marian took his face gently between her hands. "He just steals what he can get his hands on. Don't worry about it."

Marian thought he had already calmed down and slipped out of the trap when he suddenly raised his hand and took her braid in his fingers. His fingers ran over the loose strands and intertwined copper-red flows.

"Your hair is damp," he observed in wonder, and Marian saw his forehead wrinkle thoughtfully once more. Inwardly she groaned as her heart thumped restlessly faster. Hastily she reached for his hand and laid her fingers gently over his.

"I was tired after my bath today and didn't have the patience to dry it by the fire. So I went to bed with wet hair. It will probably take until morning for it to dry," she explained, hoping her smile hadn't slipped too crookedly and her voice was believable. Guy was an intelligent man ... she hoped that this time he was not smarter than would be good for him.

Her heart beat anxiously in her chest, but then he loosened his fingers around her hair to take her hand and place his lips on her knuckles. It tingled gently, and Marian's guilty conscience put new stones in her stomach. She didn't like lying to him. But in the end, it was just one more secret he had no idea about.

"Please forgive me for waking you at such a late hour. We've been hunting Robin Hood for a long time, and ever since he returned from the war... he just hasn't been the same. I wouldn't put it past him to hurt my fiancée for revenge," he growled, and the gentle tone of voice picked up again as he added, "I'll have extra guards positioned in your hallways."

Marian almost groaned at these words. Instead, she laughed nervously and shook her head hastily, making the copper ripples bounce around her features."That's nonsense, Guy. You need every man to protect tax revenues and levies," she replied, struggling to sound convincing. There was nothing to worry about. Certainly not about her. Why should there be?

Robin of Locksley was presumed dead and yet miraculously returned over a year later. But he did not even inquire about his former fiancée. All he did was rant and rave against the king and the sheriff. Until he finally lost everything. In all that time, he had never once stood on the threshold of Earl De Burgh.

Today she had met the new Robin, the thief Robin Hood, and if there was one thing she knew, this man was not planning anything. Especially not revenge on her.

"Trust me, Guy. There's no reason Robin Hood should be interested in me."