Okay, so I love Guy/Marian pairings... here is a short story of how things could have gone.
. . . .
Marian softly closed the door behind her as she stepped out into the soft light of the early morning. Escaping the castle was no easy task, but she had learned that the castle guards were much less likely to follow her if she left before sunrise when she was supposed to be asleep.
Hurrying quickly down the streets of Nottingham, she slipped past the gate and left the city behind her, glancing around from time to time to make sure that she was not being followed.
Though she usually stayed in the castle as she was supposed to - leaving only when it was absolutely necessary to speak with Robin about something important - during the past few days - especially with the whole situation with Winchester - she had been longing to escape; the feeling was so strong that it made her feel desperate. So now she was on her way to do something she had loved, but had not done in a long time... since she was a young girl and Locksley belonged to Robin's father.
Skirting the edge of the village of Locksley, Marian walked just outside of the forest towards the pond that stood at the very edge of the estate, fed by a spring that was located just inside the beginnings of the trees.
Reaching the pond, she sighed deeply and closed her eyes, savoring the cool morning air and the sounds of the birds just beginning to awaken in the forest. Shivering slightly she opened her eyes and eyed the pond dubiously; it was cooler than she expected - perhaps she should give up on this idea and just go back.
"I have to wash it off," she whispered, making up her mind as she stepped towards the pond and loosened her cape, "The castle air. The Sheriff. Winchester. Being trapped. I have to be free."
Undoing her boots she set them aside with her cloak and stepped daintily to the place she remembered so well. Taking a deep breath she plunged under the cold water and swam forwards, her skin shivering deliciously as the clean freshness flowed over her body and through her skirts. The beautiful feeling of freedom refreshed her as she floated between the ground and the air, only coming up for a breath when completely necessary.
It was wonderful for a short time, but slowly she felt her skirts fill with water and suddenly began to wish that she had at least taken off a few of her heavier underskirts, as well as loosened her stays so that she could draw a full breath. Propelling herself firmly up towards the surface, she fought the fabric, trying to tread water as her father had taught her. Setting her jaw in defiance of the fear that threatened to grip her heart as she realized just how far from the shore she had come, she tried to unfasten her skirt, but gave up on the idea when she sank as soon as she stopped using her arms to stay afloat. Reflecting grimly that she should have practiced swimming more often in the past fifteen years since she had last done it, she began fighting desperately to reach the shore.
After a few minutes her heart sank as she realized just how much better she was at drifting than swimming as the shore seemed almost the same distance away and her strength was quickly failing in the cold water. A slow desire to give in grew in her heart, the urge to survive for her father's sake kept her fighting, but she couldn't help but think how much easier it would be to give in now... to stop fighting the Sheriff and arguing with Robin.
Gritting her teeth she struggled slowly forwards, fighting hard for every inch. Needing a rest, she turned onto her back, gasping for breath, spread her arms to float and promptly sank into the darkness beneath the ripples. The last thought she had was to wonder how long the last gasp of air would take.
. . .
Guy stretched and got out of bed; he had ridden back to Locksley from the castle late the night before, needing to be away from the Sheriff for a few hours at least. Dressing quickly he glanced outside and decided to go for a brisk walk before going back to the stone cage where he worked.
The cool morning breeze was refreshing as it caressed his face, and he became lost in his thoughts, going further from than he had intended. Several minutes later, his attention was jerked back to the present by a soft splash. Instantly on alert, he stepped quietly, but quickly, towards the sound that had come from the pond that he knew was on the Locksley estate, but had rarely visited. Creeping up, he peered through the branches of the bushes that half surrounded the water and was astonished to see a the back of a woman swimming in the water. A moment later there was the sound of a gasp and she disappeared from sight with the last thing to sink being her hand, grasping desperately for something to hold onto.
With a start, he jumped to his feel and ran towards the water, pulling off his shirt and boots as he did so. Diving under he swam out and then re-surfaced near where she had disappeared. Looking down into the darkness of the water, a sudden sunbeam - the first of the day - illuminated a pale hand beneath him. Going underwater once again, he grabbed blindly for her and got a hold of a handful of hair. Deciding that this was good enough, he pulled her heavy body up and then a cold shock stabbed his heart when he recognized Marian's face. Knowing that he had little time to lose, he pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her neck before swimming towards the shore as fast as he could.
Reaching the ground, he pulled her out and laid her on the shore, his mind searching quickly back in his memory for what his father had taught him when he was a child.
"Son," Roger said quietly after they had attended a funeral for a small boy who had fallen into the river, "If you ever see someone drowning and you pull them out but they are not breathing, you shouldn't give up; there is something you can do. But you must be careful; only a very few people know how to save a life from the water, and those who don't would consider it witchcraft."
"Yes father," young Guy had nodded solemnly, "I will be careful."
"Go get your sister," his father ordered, "I'm going to teach you both."
Guy shook his head, growling to himself as he tried to remember what his father had taught him. With every second that went by, Marian's skin got more of a blue tinge and he knew that he did not have much time, if any. Suddenly, putting his hand on her to feel for her pulse, his father's instructions flooded his memory and he ducked his head to quickly give her the breath that her body needed, followed by the motions needed to stimulate her heart.
He was beginning to give up hope when she coughed slightly and water came out of her lungs. Breathing deeply on her own for the first time since he had pulled her out of the water, Marian opened her eyes and looked straight at him. Guy exhaled heavily and dropped his head in relief; the danger of losing her had frightened him more than he had cared to admit.
"Guy?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.
"Shh," he put a finger to her lips, "I'm going to bring you back to the house. Rest."
Scooping her up, he was once again surprised at just how much she weighed, but didn't say anything as he carried her into the house and laid her on his bed - the only prepared bed in the place. Leaving the room he hurried downstairs.
"Thornton!" striding towards the steward, he spoke decisively, "Send word to the Sheriff that Lady Marian and I are here for the day. And get whatever serving girls you have to come make Marian comfortable; she's had too long of a swim in the pond."
"Very good, sir." Thornton nodded as he watched his master leave, hoping that the woman he had known since she was a child would be alright.
. . .
Marian awoke several hours later with the feeling of being rather too warm. Opening her eyes she stared up at a ceiling that was not hers in surprise and growing alarm. When she realized that she was wearing very little under the blankets, and suddenly recognized the room as the master bedroom at Locksley, she was even more disturbed.
A moment later there was a gentle knock and a serving girl entered, smiling brightly when she saw that Marian was awake.
"How are you feeling now, m'lady?" she asked, coming over and feeling her forehead solicitously.
"I have a headache, that is all," Marian answered, "But how did I get here?"
"Oh, it appears that someone must have pushed you into the pond," the girl said, her eyes widening slightly, "The master found you and brought you back early this morning. Martha and I - my name is Nancy - hung your clothes out to dry and I lent you one of my shifts, I hope you don't mind, m'lady."
"No," Marian blinked, relieved, "Thank you, Nancy."
"Now," she said, unfolding the robe she had brought, "The master is coming up to see you with some food, so I've brought this for you to use if you'd like."
"Yes, thank you," she smiled at the younger woman gratefully, "That is very kind of you."
"Oh, it's no trouble," Nancy smiled back, "Now, would you like me to give you some new heated stones, or are you warm enough?"
"I'm rather too warm," Marian admitted, "Perhaps you could remove them?"
"Of course," she agreed, picking up the rather large rocks that had been heated in the fire and then wrapped with sheets to prevent Marian from getting burned, "Now, let me help you into that robe and you'll be ready for the master!"
. . .
"That is not necessary," Marian told Guy when he seemed to be preparing to feed her the soup himself, "I am quite able to feed myself."
"Very well." he put the tray on her lap and handed her the spoon without argument.
"I understand that I owe you my thanks," Marian said after a moment of silence in which she began to lift the spoon to her lips but - much to her consternation - her hand trembled so much that the soup would not stay in it, so she put it down; hoping that he had not noticed, "Nancy told me that you brought me here after my swim."
"You don't owe me anything, Marian," Guy told her seriously, a look of concern in his eyes as he firmly took the tray back and held the spoon to her lips, "I would do much more than that for you if you would let me."
"I can do it myself." she said, hating how pettish the words sounded when she spoke them.
"I know you can," he answered soothingly, "I've always admired you, Marian. One of the things that impressed me was how very able you were... are... to do the things you wanted. But accepting help is not weakness - in fact it often is more difficult than doing it yourself, at least for me."
Marian hesitated, the soup smelled very appetizing and she was very hungry.
"Please," Guy brushed the spoon against her lips, "Just eat some soup."
Her stomach growled and she blushed, finally relenting and taking the offered sip. The chicken soup was warm, but not too hot, and it was a far cry from the prison fair that she had been sharing with her father at the castle. Closing her eyes she savored the flavor for a moment, wondering if she could hide how anxious she was for more. When she opened her eyes, he was watching her with a smile of fondness that hid behind a veil of indifference a moment later as he looked down at the bowl to refill the spoon.
It took her nearly an hour to finish the soup, and he spent the entire time feeding it to her slowly.
"Now," he said, getting to his feet with a sigh, "I think you should rest. I am going back to the Sheriff, but I will return to bring you back to the castle this evening."
"Will you visit my father and let him know that I am alright?" Marian asked questioningly.
"Yes," Guy answered, "And I will bring him some food like you usually do."
Her eyes widened; it was against the Sheriff's orders that she shared her unsavory meals with her father, but she had thought that she did a good job of keeping that fact a secret from everyone.
"Don't worry," he said, the windows of his eyes closing again as a slight sneer hid the pain of her distrust, "I won't tell anyone your secret."
"Guy," she exclaimed as he reached the door, dropping her eyes as a pale color staining her cheeks when he turned around, "Thank you."
.
That afternoon Sir Edward ate better than he had in months.
. . .
Early in the evening as the sun was just beginning to set, Guy returned home to find that Marian had developed a fever. Thornton had called a doctor, but he had merely said that she had gotten the fever as a result of her prolonged exposure to the cold water, would be well in time and to keep rubbing her feet to draw the fever away from her head, before he had left.
Cursing, Guy hurried up the stairs to his room to find her staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.
"Marian," he said firmly, bending over her, "Are you alright?"
"He'll know," it was barely a whisper as her eyes met his in obvious distress, the fear so strong that he felt as though it could have knocked him over, "I can't hide it."
"Hide what?" he asked, his curiosity piqued even as her words alarmed him.
"The knife," she groaned, "The mark. I will be his wife! There is no way to hide the scar. He find out and he will kill me."
"Marian?" not understanding what she was talking about, he sat down beside the bed and took her hand.
"Just leave me alone, Robin!" she swatted his hand away in anger, "I have made my choice. Grow up."
"What?" Guy breathed, a coldness tightening itself around his heart as he suddenly began to put the pieces together.
"I am," her tone took on a tinge of shame and she seemed to be speaking to herself, "I am stirred by him. He stands against everything that I fight for and yet I am stirred by him. Father!" her voice changed once again, "I tried! I even begged! I'm sorry."
Guy's emotions changed so rapidly he was barely able to distinguish his anger and feelings of betrayal as it dawned on him that she was speaking of the injury he had given the Night-Watchman from his regret as he realized once again just how far he had distanced himself from her by his act of burning her house to the ground. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he reminded himself that there would be time to decide what to do later.
"Marian!" he spoke firmly once again, putting his hands on her arms to hold her still as she stopped speaking and began moving about feverishly, "Calm down."
Her eyes opened and looked straight into his. "You saved me from Winchester," she stated, then her expression softened, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." he would never have admitted it, but just the simple thank you - something he hadn't heard from her more than once or twice - was enough to begin to do away with his feelings of anger, betrayal, and embarrassment that had begun at the same time as his suspicion that she was the Night-Watchman.
. . .
Guy spent the entire night by her side, working through his suspicions and thoughts the whole time. He rubbed her feet, as the doctor had said, to draw the fever down from her head, he gave her water, he wiped her face with cool, damp cloths, reassured her when she cried out in fear, and he fell asleep in his chair next to the bed with his head on her hand.
. . .
Marian opened her eyes wearily and tried to raise her hand to brush her hair out of her face. A moment later she remembered where she was and snapped all the way awake to realize that the weight on her hand was Guy's sleeping face.
Furrowing her brow, she tried to remember what had happened the night before, but all she could remember were incredibly realistic nightmares of the events of the past several months. She shivered in spite of the warmth of the fire in the room and attempted to think of something else; dwelling on her fears was something thing she did not enjoy.
Guy stirred and opened his eyes, sitting up slowly with a stiffness that betrayed his night-long vigil.
"Ah, Marian," he said, shaking the sleep out of his face before putting a hand to her face and feeling her temperature, "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," she admitted, eyeing him curiously, "And you?"
"The same," smiling slightly he stood up, "Your fever is gone; I'm sure that you'll be back to your old self soon."
"Fever?" she queried, raising her eyebrows.
"Quite a bad one, apparently," Guy answered, heading for the door, "You're over it now, though. I'm going to go order some breakfast for us; I'll be back."
She watched as he left, but her mind was working on the fact of her fever and attempting to remember what - if anything - had happened the night before.
By the time that Guy returned, followed by Nancy with a tray containing their breakfast, she had only remembered flashes here and there, and she was not sure if they had actually happened or if she had dreamed them as well.
. . .
"You're asking questions with your eyes." Guy observed after a silent breakfast during which he helped her more than once with her glass of water, allowing her to bring the bread to her own mouth with a shaky hand.
"No," she answered, glancing up at him once again with her closed smile, "When shall I be well enough to return to the castle?"
"Well, the doctor is to return this morning and it will be whenever he says." he said, getting to his feet, "When you are ready, I will bring you back."
"That is not necessary," she told him, "I am quite able to ride back myself."
"Well," he sighed, "We will see what the doctor says, now, won't we?"
. . .
The ride home was quiet as well, neither of them speaking as the carriage pulled into the castle courtyard and he helped her out. She was more weak than she expected, and was glad of his hand supporting her as she climbed out. The trip from his room to the carriage had exhausted her completely. A few shaky steps towards the castle and she was faced with a choice; attempt to climb the stairs and walk to her room by herself - doubting that she would make it more than two more steps without her legs giving out in front of all of the castle personal who happened to be around - or ask for help.
"Guy," Marian spoke up, her voice sounding slightly embarrassed, "May I speak with you for a moment?"
Looking curious, and slightly suspicious, he motioned the carriage onward and stepped towards her, bending his head to hear her quiet words.
"Might I ask your assistance..." her voice trailed off, unused to asking for help, she was not sure of how to proceed without sacrificing her pride. Starting again she could feel her face growing warm as she spoke, "I am not certain that I will be able to make it to my room without your help. Would you be willing...?"
Without a word he offered her his arm, something he had not done since the early days of their courtship when Robin had recently returned from the war.
Even with the support of his arm, it took her a long time to climb the stairs. By the time they reached the second staircase - down a few hallways - his arm encircled her back, allowing him to hold both of her arms, and when they finally reached her room he was carrying her bridal style while she hoped desperately that they would not come across anyone else to witness her helpless state.
"There now," he set her down on her bed, looking a bit tired himself - though she was much lighter dry than wet, "Rest. I will be back in a few hours."
"Thank you for your help." Marian said coolly, trying hard to maintain the walls of pride and dignity that had gotten her through the past several years of her life.
He nodded briefly and then left.
. . .
Marian lay with her eyes closed, feeling her exhaustion clearly. It felt as though all of her 'energy reserves', that had been lowered by the excitement of the last couple of days, had been banished completely by her swimming escapade - leaving her more weak than she would ever have expected.
Slowly but surely she felt herself drifting off to sleep, too tired to wish for anything else.
When a voice woke her, she had an inexpressible feeling of loss as her sleep fled and she could have happily murdered the speaker.
"You spent the night at Locksley," Robin stated, looking extremely annoyed, "Very friendly."
"Robin," she groaned, opening her eyes tiredly, "What I do, or where I stay may be a point of interest to you, but in the end it is none of your business. I do not have to explain myself to you. You should trust my integrity."
"You would not be the first woman to give herself to Gisborne," the outlaw's quietly controlled voice gave away his anger and disappointment, "Especially when he appears to own lands that are not his."
"I am not in love with the Locksley lands," Marian sighed, closing her eyes and turning over so her back was towards him, "And I have not given myself to anyone - not yet. Now please, Robin, let me sleep."
"What happened to make you so tired?" Robin asked suspiciously.
"I nearly drowned," she drew the quilt up around her chin, "And Guy saved me. Go away and leave me alone."
Robin had the grace to look ashamed of himself, and after a muttered apology, left her alone. With a grateful yawn, Marian snuggled down for more sleep.
. . .
With the nutritious food that Guy began providing for her, Marian recovered quickly over the next few days, and by the time a week had passed, was back to her old self.
Though she never would have admitted it, the time that Guy had spent with her while she was ill - as well as the fact that he was now giving her father regular meals - had begun to soften the ice that she had put around the part of her heart that contained her feelings towards him. As a result, she tried to withdraw from him even more, afraid that she would begin to enjoy his company more than she should now that Robin was pursuing her again.
Guy, however, had begun to take his new-found knowledge of the different sides of Marian's character and use it in his courtship of said lady. He was amazed the difference it made knowing what he did about her; her attitudes towards him suddenly began to make sense and he was able to respond to them differently.
It did not take long for his change in behavior to have an effect on her, as evidenced by the fact that she began to eat supper with him at nights when he would usually have eaten alone. Around this time she began to forget about withdrawing from him and instead just told herself that it was only supper... Sometimes she questioned her motives, but did her best to shrug it off as a desire to induce him to continue being kind to her father.
At first their meals were silent, but over time they began to talk - first about the weather, then about the far past, and - eventually - about the present and the future.
By the time she admitted, even to herself, that she was beginning to really enjoy his company, she was more in love with him than she ever had been with Robin. Though part of her hated it, she loved the feeling of sitting across from him at dinner, walking next to him - her head level with his shoulder - through the castle, going for rides through the fields with him... having a companion and a real friend for the first time in her life.
. . .
Guy ate the last bite of his supper in silence as he watched her. He had waited and thought for a long time about what he was about to do; debating how and when, but had finally decided.
"Marian," he said as she finished eating, "I bought you a gift today."
Her face fell slightly; the last time he had given her a gift she had ended up promising to marry him to save her father's life.
Guy noticed but didn't say anything as he got up and handed her a small package. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she opened it quickly. A small gasp of astonished pleasure escaped her lips; inside was a dainty bracelet that she recognized as one that her mother used to wear when she was a small child.
"You like it?" he asked, trying to read her face.
"Yes," she breathed, turning it over and over in her hands in disbelief, "But how...?"
"I visited your mother's sister in Derbyshire," he told her, enjoying her slow smile, "And asked if there was a keepsake of your mother that you could have. She gave me this."
"It's beautiful," Marian looked up at him, her eyes swimming with unshed tears, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Guy brushed her hair back from her face caressingly and then gestured towards the bracelet, "May I?"
Holding out her left arm automatically, Marian flinched and drew it back as his thumb brushed her skin, replacing it an instant later with her right arm.
"No," he said softly, reaching for the original wrist, "The left is better."
Marian blushed at his changed quote from their almost wedding and allowed him to fasten the bracelet around her wrist, which he did with an ease that she did not expect. As he finished, however, instead of releasing her hand, he turned it over and gently pushed aside the sleeve before running his fingers softly over the scar that he had given the Night-Watchman so many months before.
She froze as her brain grasped the implications of his touch.
"How long have you known?" she breathed, a look of fear coming into her eyes, "Do not punish my father!"
"Marian," he shook his head with a sigh, "Do you still not trust me? Your father is safe. I have known since the night of your fever."
"I am sorry," she met his eyes with something like shame in her face, "I could not tell you."
He nodded and hesitated before speaking again, "Would you... We have become better friends than I ever hoped. I can not imagine the rest of my life without your presence. Would you consider wearing our betrothal ring again?"
"Yes," not even a pause to make him nervous, "Yes, I will."
. . .
Marian and Guy sat on a blanket, enjoying a picnic supper on the shore of the pond at Locksley on the second evening of their married life.
"And to think," Guy remarked thoughtfully, "None of this would have happened if you had not... by the way, how did you end up in the pond that morning?"
"I was swimming," Marian said, smiling as she filled his glass, "Swimming in my clothes."
. . . .
Yeah, so no deep meanings, no real try for authenticity, and just a happy ending... Hope you enjoyed it! :-) Reviews keep me going... nice reviews that is! ;-)