Robin Hood: The Age of Eloise

Author's notes:

Okay, okay, I'll admit being a Richard Armitage fan. He's gorgeous in black leather! But I created Lady Eloise of Chicester myself, or at least I've never heard of her. I did it because, let's face it, Marian doesn't deserve Guy of Gisborne when he tries so HARD to make her happy. Hell, if she doesn't want him, I'll have him!

Please be kind. This is my first bash at a Robin Hood fic. Plus I've only seen fourteen episodes...

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Part One: A New Beginning.

As the early morning sun rose over Locksley Village, a dark-haired and brooding man stood at the window of Locksley Manor. His piercing blue eyes swept the land critically before him. It was, obviously, far too early for anyone else to be awake or working, but Sir Guy of Gisborne liked it. In the quiet hours, he could see what was his. What once had belonged that infernal outlaw, Robin Hood, was now all his.

Well, nearly all.

The bitterness of losing his love, Marian, at the altar still bit at his heart like a cold knife inserted into an old wound. That was Robin Hood. He had taken everything from that wretched fallen noble yet still he couldn't take the one thing that he really wanted. Guy sighed introspectively. If it meant that Lady Marian would love him, he would trade his position as the Sheriff of Nottingham's right-hand man and everything on the Locksley estate for it. It was the only thing left worth living for.

Guy pursued his thin lips. No, it wasn't. She'd betrayed him. So he had taken from her, like she had taken from him. In place of his heart, he had taken her father and killed him. Slightly dramatic in retrospect, he silently admitted to himself, but it had to be done. Maybe the Sheriff had been right all along, though he hated the thought. Maybe the only way a man could survive in a position of power was by thinking of all women as lepers.

With a whirl of his black leather coat, Guy walked away from the window as the first peasants exited their homes and began work for the day. Neither they nor the nobleman who had been watching them would realise that the new day would not be any ordinary day.

Meanwhile, in Sherwood Forest, snores that would have awakened the entire garrison at Nottingham Castle floated across the clearing where Robin of Locksley, former Earl of Huntingdon and better known as Robin Hood, had been sleeping. The peaceful sleep, however, had been rudely interrupted by a onslaught of harrowing snores. Climbing quietly to his feet, Robin tiptoed towards the source of the invasive noise.

Much lay on his back, mouth wide open and hands folded neatly on his chest. There was an almighty snort when Robin prodded his former manservant's shoe tentatively.

'Makes no difference,' came a low voice to his left. Robin looked up to see Little John, seated on a tree stump and staring at Much's recumbent form.

'Has he been doing that all night?' Robin asked, slightly shocked. Little John nodded.

'He's kept me awake. I tried to wake him up but I got snored at,' another voice said reproachfully behind him. Robin instantly recognised it as Will Scarlett's. He nodded. Turning to face the carpenter, he noticed that the saracen scientist Djaq, who had long been a member of Robin's gang, was holding a bucket of water and had a rather impish smirk on her face. Robin grinned mischievously and stood back as she inched closer to Much. One very accurate swing later and Much sat bolt upright, spluttering and coughing, much to the mirth of his companions.

'Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh,' he grumbled, wringing out his scarves. Robin clapped his friend on the back.

'Cheer up, Much. Now we can all get some sleep.'

'Sleep? Master, what on earth are you talking about? I was asleep!'

'Yeah, but the rest of us weren't!' Will grumbled. Much looked around blankly, his mouth open in surprise.

'Have I missed something vital here? I thought, naturally, it being nighttime and all..'

'Snoring,' said Little John plainly. Much laughed, but noticed that Robin wasn't laughing with him. He grew serious.

'Now, come on, Master. You know I don't snore!'

'Well, last night you did,' Robin said, breaking the bad news tactlessly. Much searched the gang's faces to find proof of the contrary, but all he found was tired and grumpy faces. He returned his disbelieving gaze to Robin.

'Surely not, I mean...'

'Robin,' Djaq said shortly, her slender arm extended up. Robin's gaze followed it to the highroad, where a large carriage was passing by slowly, heavily guarded. Robin gave a low whistle.

'Well, well, well... seems like guests on the way to Knighton Hall, I should wonder. Curious that Marian should not have mentioned it, unless it is a surprise vist and if that is the case... these good people have no idea who we are.'

Robin cast a cheeky grin around his gang, who were already armed and ready. He returned his gaze to the road.

'It's show-time, boys,' he whispered under his breath.

At Nottingham Castle, several miles away, the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham, Vaysey, was sitting irritably in the Great Hall. He was surrounded by, for lack of a better description, the best guards the shire had to offer. The fact that Robin Hood had gotten past them numerous times with very little apparent effort served to irritate him futher.

'Where is Gisborne? Hm? Anyone going to tell me? Or is he off entertaining kitchen girls or perhaps drooling at Lady Marian's feet!' Vaysey screamed, thumping a fist on the table. The guards before him jumped slightly. A particularly brave member of the throng stepped forward nervously.

'Begging you pardon, s-sir...'

'Yes? What? What is it? Come, come, we don't have all day!'

'S-sir Guy sends his apologies. H-he says that he is poorly and w-will not be attending matters at the c-castle today...'

The Sheriff leapt to his feet and stared at the brave guard. His face purpled.

'What's that, hm? Gisborne is such a girl that a simple stomach ache keeps him home from school? Fetch him here this instant!'

The guards scuttled away to search for the missing nobleman. The Sheriff sat back down in his chair and clasped his hands under his chin in thought.

'This is most unlike Guy...' he thought aloud. He was right, of course. He prided himself on having the unnerving ability to almost see right into people's heads by judging their actions. Although it irritated him that Robin Hood, the scourge and bane of his life as Sheriff seemed to elude him like a slippery eel in a rockpool. Maybe, Vaysey thought, Gisborne was still nursing a grudge against Hood and that simpering do-gooder Marian, who had left him at the altar, after punching him in the face.

But that was too easy, the Sheriff thought. There was something else afoot...

'Marian!'

Lady Marian looked out of the window of Knighton Hall and saw a small convoy approaching. At the front of the procession, however, was a young woman with a round face and dressed in a slightly mud-splattered dress. Marian laughed and ran outside, grabbing the newcomer in a warm hug.

'Eloise! You never sent word that you were coming to Nottinghamshire!' Marian exclaimed. The women pulled apart and Marian was able to assess what time had done to her dearest cousin. Lady Eloise of Chicester was not the average noblewoman. Cousin on her mother's side, Marian's father had often said that her outspoken nature came from that bloodline. Seeing Eloise would definitely put paid to any doubts about it. She was adventurous and skilled in archery and swordsmanship, especially since her betrothed husband had died early in their marriage. This wasn't to be helped, since the former Earl had been rather elderly when he had married Eloise and left her without children. She had been fourteen and had run the estate by herself ever since. She hadn't grown very tall and kept her hair short, which was dark save for a few blonde streaks that had been there from birth.

'I am sorry, Marian. I would have sent word ahead, but we were waylaid by outlaws in the forest,' Eloise explained. Marian's eyes widened slightly.

'Did they disclose their names to you?'

'One did, yes. Said he was Robin Hood, as if I knew who he was.'

Marian chose, diplomatically, to remain quiet and listened attentively as Eloise recounted the tale. When she had finished, Marian took her cousin by the hand and led her inside the house.

'Well, you are welcome to stay here as long as you desire,' she said warmly. Eloise smiled and pulled her cousin close.

'I must confess, Marian, that I was not as unhappy to be robbed from as I had expected. I fear that things in Nottinghamshire are not as good as the Sheriff and, indeed, London would have us believe,' she whispered. Marian swallowed.

'How so?'

'It appears that your outlaws that haunt the woods do not rob to increase their own wealth, but to increase that of penniless peasants that are forced to pay exorbitant taxes. Is this true?'

Marian nodded mutely. Eloise stared at her.

'Then have you not spoken against this?'

'You do not understand, Eloise. The Sheriff is a cruel, unkind man. At his right-hand is the man responisible for the death of my father.'

Eloise fell silent. She looked gravely at her cousin.

'Then I must meet this Sheriff and his lieutenant. What are their names?'

'Vaysey and Guy of Gisborne.'

At the sound of the final name, Eloise's head cocked to one side and her face took on an intrigued look.

'Guy of Gisborne, you say? I was rather under the impression that there was no longer a Gisborne!'

'There wasn't. He was dispossessed and was given the lands of Robin of Locksley following his outlawing.'

Eloise gasped and grinned.

'Your Robin, an outlaw? That idealistic boy? Surely not!'

Marian grinned mischievously.

'In fact, you met him on the way here.'

'Robin Hood? Surely not! That was he? Oh, Marian, I see that I have much to catch up on!'

Eloise pranced to the centre of the hall and dramatically threw her arms wide.

'And so you must throw me a grand party to celebrate. Invite everyone. Robin will be bound to show his face with that many nobles around, surely? Plenty of trinkets to be passed on to the needy, yes? Perfect oppurtunity for me to suss out these donkeys you have running the show as well.'

'Hush, Eloise! That's enough to get you arrested these days!'

Eloise grinned cheekily at her cousin and twirled. This was going to be a very amusing visit...

'Well, that went well. Did that go well? I say that went well,' grumbled Much as the gang slunked back to camp. It hadn't gone well at all. The garrison had been a bit of a pushover, but the lady they had been escorting had put up a sensational struggle. She was adept with a sword, deflecting even Robin's marksman shooting with the flat edge of her blade.

'That was no ordinary woman,' Will muttered. He looked at Robin, who was deep in thought.

'You think she may have been a Crusader?'

'Pfft,' Much scoffed as he dropped to the ground.

'A woman in the Crusades? I doubt it. No place for a woman, war. It would imbalance their humours and cause them to faint a lot.'

'She is definitely a noblewoman. Something tells me that we have met before,' Robin murmured, chin resting on the top of his saracen bow. Little John looked him.

'Trouble?'

Robin shook his head.

'She's not with the Sheriff, if that's what you think. If she was, Gisborne would have collected her himself. You know what a taste he has for other people's things.'

Much recognised the sore point. Guy of Gisborne had all but stolen Robin's land and title and had attempted to steal away his love, Marian. He'd almost succeeded, too, until Marian had left him at the altar and ridden into the forest with Robin. But even that hadn't stopped Guy pursuing Marian when she returned. Robin turned on his heel and mounted his horse.

'I'm going to Knighton Hall,' he said.

'Marian may have the information we need about this unusual arrival.'

'A feast? Really? How delightful!'

Guy stood gloomily off to the left behind the Sheriff as the messenger relayed the invitation to a feast at Knighton Hall. As he bowed out of the room, the Sheriff beckoned Guy forward.

'What do you think, Gisborne?'

'Lady Marian would not throw a party so lightly, my lord. My guess is that she has a guest at the manor and wishes to introduce the local nobles to them.'

'Hm. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Perhaps this visitor would like to make a small but.. sizeable contribution to the King's quest in the Holy Land, what do you think?'

Inwardly, Guy groaned. But outside, he remained stoic.

'Might I suggest, m'lord, that we assign extra guards to the area around Knighton Hall? Such a collection of nobles would be ripe pickings for any outlaw in the near vicinity,' Gisborne murmured. The Sheriff clapped his hands.

'Oh, well done Gisborne. Do you always state the obvious or do you occasionally have an original idea?'

Guy bit his tongue hard. The Sheriff waved him away.

'Go. Prepare for your little party. Let me know what happens. Oh, Gisborne,' he said as Guy opened the door. Guy looked over his shoulder and shot the Sheriff an icy glare.

'Do not let me hear that Robin Hood makes his presence known without due punishment. I will be waiting for your report.'

Guy swept silently from the room. The Sheriff sat back thoughtfully. This party may prove useful, he thought.

Very useful...