Well, I was struck my sudden and immensely powerful inspiration after watching a brilliantly beautiful Guy/Marian video on youtube by summersparkle2 called "Shattered" – as I said to her, the video made my heart ache so I'm writing this fic about how I interpreted it, some of the pieces of her video I had to shuffle around so it worked with my storyline but I tried to include as many clips as possible so I hope this fic lives up to the amazing video, if you haven't already done so – then you should go watch it, it's superb! :)
Obviously, as the concept is based on a video some of the scenes will seem 'familiar' but attitudes behind them will have changed so don't be fooled – or put off. :)
Other than that ... enjoy!

Title: Shattered
Pairing: Guy/Marian with some Robin/Marian
Summary: "And I can't understand why my heart is broken rejecting your love." The rocky relationship between Marian and Guy; AU.
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance
Rating: T

DI. Samantha Hunter
"Shattered"

Lady Marian Fitzwalter of Knighton, Nottinghamshire was stood outside of her relatively new family estate grooming her horse whilst also enjoying the comfortable rays that fell down upon her from the sun above, unlike most Noble women her age she enjoyed working in the sun and didn't mind if it made her appear 'less Noble' than the rest of them, if she were honest she was less Noble than the rest of them if 'Noble' meant stealing taxes from the poorest people of this ruined country to profit their own greed.

But then she'd never been an average Noble woman, even as a child. Whilst the other daughters of Lords and Ladies would sit inside working on embroidery and learning how to be a good house wife, she would be running through the woods with her childhood friend Robin or Locksley and his manservant Much or they would be causing amuck around Locksley whilst tiring poor Thornton, the Locksley housekeeper, out. Other young ladies would sneer at her when they did happen to meet and claim that if she stayed out in the sun too long her pristine skin would tan and she'd be cast away from the Nobles and have to live as a common peasant, she hadn't cared though and still stayed outside and, much to their disappointment and jealously, her skin stayed porcelain no matter how much time she spent in the sun whilst Robin tanned a healthy golden brown and Much burnt until he was red raw. Even now when she'd grown up and weren't playing silly childish games around Nottingham she still didn't act like one of 'them'.

What kind of Noble woman dressed in a square shaped, leather tunic and a cape to hide her feminine curves as well as a wooden mask to hide her face before giving large rations of food to the poor at night thus being branded 'The Night Watchman'? What Noble woman also secretly practised combat so they could fight the Sherriff of Nottingham's idiotic guards whilst out on these escapades? Marian smiled to herself, no, she weren't like those other ladies at all.

Her father, the former Sherriff of Nottingham didn't know that she left the house in the dead of night to feed the poor and neither did anyone else in her life, her other identity was a complete secret. This was partly due to the fact that she knew she'd be scoffed at if they thought it was her but mainly because the corrupt mercenaries that ran this country didn't approve of helping the poor and they especially hated the Night Watchman who now had a hundred gold piece price over 'his' head (passing these notices always brought a twitch to Marian's otherwise neutral face.)

The smile from Marian's face slid off as she saw who was approaching Knighton Hall, it was Sherriff Vaisey's black leather clad master at arms and – as Marian saw it - puppy, Sir Guy of Gisborne who had arrived in Nottingham when his master had come to take over from her father six months ago. He had since, visited them at their new accommodation frequently either bringing gifts or affection that Marian didn't desire nor need, it was hard enough pretending to be one of the Nobles without Gisborne breathing down her neck. Her suspicious and pessimistic views made her think he was sent to 'check-up' on her and her father as a spy for Vaisey, whilst her father claimed her was "rather taken with you" which always made her scowl. How she had gained this unwanted attention, she never knew.

As Gisborne slid off his horse heavily his large, black boots hit the earthy ground with a thud and seemed to remind Marian of the power he interposed, she dropped the brush she'd been gently stroking her horse with into the dry bucket beside her and stepped around the chestnut mare, her arms folding across her chest.

"Guy," she acknowledged.

"Marian, it's nice to see you, you're looking well." He commented.

"Thank you, you too," she replied politely although she didn't think him attractive, however now she looked upon him in this bright light she was able to take into account the nice shade of green his eyes were, she immediately and mentally shook these thoughts from her head.

"How is Sir Edward?" Guy asked, making light conversation however a pain hit Marian's chest and fear bubbled inside her but she swallowed it down and ignored it.

"OK, he's been taken ill though." She told him, composing her face at the same time to look only partly worried. "He should be fine soon though, I'm sure."

There was a pause and Guy seemed to be gaining courage before he finally burst out; "May I see him?"

"If you wish," she said although her voice was slightly higher due to surprise. She turned and led him into the house, they turned and walked up the wooden staircase to the second storey, passing a doorway which was covered by a thin linen sheet, Guy silently acknowledged this as Marian's bedroom before they carried on to a darkened room. Guy waited by the door as Marian walked to the wooden shuttered windows and threw them open, the sunlight immediately filling the whole room.

Guy nearly gasped in shock. Edward lay in a large bed with plush pillows propping him up and blankets wrapped around him, he was deathly pale and shivering despite the warmth of the day. Marian checked him over and noted he was sleeping before going to a bedside table and pulling a cloth out of a cool bowl of water that sat on top, she drained the water from it before dabbing at her father's forehead then rubbed the sunken skin soothingly, all the while conscious of Guy stood in the doorway, watching her. She wished he wasn't here, thinking this should have been a private moment really; she didn't want Guy to report to the Sherriff about how weak and fragile her father was, thus giving the Sherriff ideas.

Guy, however, was merely watching Marian's nimble fingers as she stroked her father's forehead and wondering whether the care she gave to her father was reserved just for him or whether she would give this care to a husband, a lover, or even just a friend. He tore his eyes away from her fingers and to Marian's eyes as she looked up at him, he cleared his throat softly.

"I can send my physician if you would like." He said, hoping he was being helpful.

"No," she said a little too quickly before backtracking, slower. "I mean, no thank you Guy. We'll be fine; I can look after him by myself."

Guy gave a single nod and Marian's eyes narrowed in response, she knew that nod and that look, he was presuming to make up a decision about her, choosing to avoid a confrontation she put the cloth back into the bowl before turning away from her father's sickbed. She gently pushed past Guy on her way out and he followed her onto the landing, he gently took her arm and she turned back to him, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Marian, tell me the truth, how ill is he?" Guy asked.

"I ... I don't know what you mean." She stammered.

"He's ... dying, isn't he?" Guy asked.

"No!" Marian snatched her arm out of his grasp.

"Marian..." Guy began but Marian cut over him.

"He's just ill," she insisted before adding in an accusatory tone; "It's probably due to stress having been stripped of his title and moved from his home."

Guy looked away guiltily but he could feel Marian's angry gaze still fixed on him, eventually he looked up and gazed intently into her blue orbs, his eyes piercing hers as he spoke with a sincerity she had never witnessed in him before; "Please Marian, whether you blame me or not, don't let your stubbornness be the ruin of your father."

He side-stepped around her, walked down the stairs and out of the house, Marian could feel tears pricking her eyes and she turned towards the open window in time to see Guy riding off slowly, she watched him leave wondering when he had began to change or whether he had always been like that, she just hadn't noticed?

--

Guy arrived back at Nottingham castle with a furrowed brow which kept most of the guards away from him in case he snapped as he was liable to do so, he had been thinking about Marian and Edward the whole journey back and the same thoughts were going around his head; 'Edward looked so frail', 'Marian is in denial about Edward's health', 'He may have completely ruined his chances of a friendship with Marian by challenging her.'

Impatiently waving off the nervous-looking, young stable boy who ran towards him Guy jumped off of his horse and led the jet black warhorse towards the stable himself, the thoughts seemed to reach their peak and he slammed his hand against the wooden doorway of the stable before leaning forward and staring at the ground, beginning to wish he hadn't left the castle that day at all, it would have been easier for him if he hadn't felt the desire to visit Marian.

Sighing heavily, his nostrils flaring at the self-loathing he felt, he didn't hear his second-in-command Allan A'Dale until he'd cleared his throat and began speaking; "Err Guy, one of the guards said that the Sherriff's looking for ya."

Guy suppressed a groan, reminding himself yet again that Vaisey was his way to position, power and wealth; he turned and shoved his horse's reigns into the hand of the stable boy from earlier before marching off towards the castle entrance with Allan in tow.

"Did this guard say where the Sherriff was?" Guy asked with a grunt.

"Nah, but he was stood outside the Great Hall so might be smart starting there." Allan replied, Guy turned right towards the Great Hall and once outside threw the doors open, sure enough the small yet menacing Sherriff of Nottingham was sat in his large, throne-like chair with stacks of papers in front of him. Sherriff Vaisey was a bald-headed man in his fifties who was ruthless and cruel but he was also the only source of affection Guy had had in his life since his childhood when his mother and father had tragically died.

Guy strolled down the creaking wooden staircase and across the marble floor, the spurs on his boots clicking as he went with Allan's shoes slapping behind him. He reached the table and folded his arms across his chest, sounding almost bored;

"You wanted to see me, my Lord."

"Ah yes Gizzy, how is the old Sherriff and his leper daughter?" The Sherriff asked in a lazy drawl.

"Fine," Gisborne lied before adding an understatement of the truth; "Edward has been taken ill though, a cold or something."

"A cold? In this weather? Maybe he's close to the end, eh?" Vaisey gave a humourless chuckle. "If you're a good boy Gisborne I might give you Knighton too, would you like that?"

"Too, my Lord?" Gisborne asked, ignoring the first statement.

"Ah yes, well, I've decided to give you Locksley, Gisborne." Vaisey replied, Gisborne's arms dropped from in front of him and his eyes lit up.

"Locksley, my Lord?" He asked.

"Yes Gisborne, Locksley. Not too far from here, manor, reeking peasants and a big pond called Locksley pond, get what I mean? Locksley?!" Vaisey answered as though speaking to a particularly simple child. "I've decided you can have it seeing as you've been my master in arms for however long now and we've come this far."

"Isn't Locksley Robin's old place?" Allan piped up from behind Gisborne and the tall, brooding man snapped;

"I doubt a man is going to rise from the dead and claim it back is he?"

"Exactly," Vaisey chuckled and slapped his hands together. "OK, you can go ... spread the good news to all those disgusting lot. And ... as a welcoming present, they can donate to the good cause and pay taxes, it's been a while since I've counted the gold. Now, all you have to do is sign there and go take what is rightfully yours."

In his excitement, Guy blotted the paper with a spot of ink as he signed but he doubted it would affect the papers, part of him even doubted the papers were legit but he didn't mind, for now he was one step closer to regaining and rebuilding Gisborne lands.

--

That evening, Marian sat in her satin nightdress with a thin linen robe over it in her room at her dressing table, her hair was in a long braid which fell over her shoulder and she was scanning a piece of old, torn parchment, it was a letter which she had kept for the past two and a half years. It had taken a month for the letter to finally reach her, by which time Robin of Locksley – her old childhood friend and betrothed - had been dead and buried for thirty long days after being stabbed during an "unprovoked Saracen attack" in which he had "died a hero's death whilst protecting his King" and yet, Marian thought, he couldn't protect himself.

"Fool," she muttered for perhaps the thousandth time. The first time she had screamed it in earnest whilst crying, then she had said it bitterly wondering why he had had to leave her and fight in the Holy Crusade, but now it tugged on her lips for it seemed like a simple ritual, one that kept Robin and his memory close to her. She could still remember begging him not to leave her, not to go and fight in Rome's war yet – as she had predicted – he hadn't listened and had gone anyway. "Fool," she muttered again softly but this time she weren't quite sure which of the couple she was cursing.

Slowly, hesitating ever so slightly, she decided that she couldn't always keep in the past and that she had to move on, in these trying times England needed her, so she picked the letter up and let it hover over the candle on her dressing table; the flames gently licking the paper. There was a strangled moan which brought Marian back to the present and she called clearly; "Coming father," before leaving the letter to curl and burn away to ash, a section of her life burning away with the words.

--

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