Disclaimer: I own nothing

Author's Note: This is a sequel to Madeline: the First Volume, but you don't need to read that to know about this. All you need to know is, Robin has a sister four years younger than him, and before he went off to the crusades, she fell in love with Much. They got together, and he proposed before going to the crusades, where she promised to wait for him.

This story picks up as Robin and Much return from the Crusades.

Chapter One

Lady Madeline of Locksley sat on the fence of a little cottage in Locksley village. She looked up at the clear sky with a pout and looked at the clouds going by, lost in thought.

Her friend's voice made her snap back to reality and she looked at him quickly, in an effort to make it look like she'd been paying full attention all the time, " Hmm? " she asked absently.

Will Scarlett, a young man of 21, rolled his eyes at her, " You weren't even listening, were you? "

She sighed, " I'm sorry, Will," she said, " you know how it is - Robin gone, Much gone, Gisbourne always hanging around. I'm just fed up. "

" I know," he said, " I know, but things have got to get better, right? "

" One would hope so," Madeline shrugged.

Madeline was 22 years old, and had grown up as the daughter of the Lord of the Manor. She grew up happily in Locksley village with her elder brother and his manservant and best friend. Her own best friend, Lady Marian, was the daughter of the Sheriff, a similar age, and later became betrothed to Robin.

When both of their parents died of a fever, Robin became the Lord of the Manor. Madeline always loved Locksley, and she spent her time with her brother, and her friends, or in the village with the villagers, trying to make them feel as best they could.

Robin was always the best sort of brother anyone could ask for, with plenty of time for his sister, always there to listen to her, and very fond of her. He was protective, and even suprised Madeline by being there for her when she made what turned out to be one of the most life changing decisions in her life.

Madeline grew up with Robin's manservant, who became his best friend. His name was Much, and he was one year older than Robin. He was funny, sweet, sort of dopey, and he was all around good hearted. He became one of Madeline's best friends, and after she consumed a ridiculous amount of ale on her own one night and he helped her to bed, she kissed him.

From there, her feelings grew, and although she didn't know it, his did too.

By the time she was 17, Madeline's feelings had grown so strong that she could no longer hide it, and after a brief conversation, she and Much came clean to each other, and started to court.

They told Robin after two weeks, and he accepted it, as he wanted his sister and his best friend to be happy, and he knew no-one would look after Madeline like Much would.

For a very brief period of time, they were happy, until Robin recieved summons to go fight for the King, in the Holy Land. He accepted, along with Much, and they were to leave in two weeks.

Madeline was furious, and swore to never speak to them again, but after a conversation with Marian (who felt equally upset about the pair of them leaving) she came to accept it. She couldn't imagine living without her big brother and her new found love, but she knew she'd have to deal with it somehow.

Two weeks before he was due to leave, Much proposed to her.

She remembered the converation quite clearly - he told her to move on and to find someone else, and she slapped his arm and told him not to be so stupid. She promised he'd wait, and he promised he'd come back.

" I promise," he'd said, " You'll look after the people of Locksley and you'll do a great job. You'll be in the village one day and I'll come running across the grass, calling your name. I'll pick you up and hug you until you can't breath. Then I'll kiss you and tell you how much I've missed you and how much I love you. '

He'd proposed and she threw her arms around him tightly. ' You're the only person I want,' she told him,' so if we have to wait 6 months, or a year, or three years, we will. '

She remembered how they'd spent a night together the night before he left - he was hesitant at first, but then he told her how he could die, and he wanted her to remember him. She told him she'd aways remember him, and they spent that night together.

The next morning, Robin and Much were picked up from the village. She remembered the way Robin had tried to keep her spirits up, and especially the very tense moment when he'd put his hands on her shoulders, and told her, " no matter what happens, you do not forget all the good times we had. You do not forget me. And you do not lose faith in me. You know I'll always be there for you, even when you think I won't be. '

He held her hand until he left, and told her he knew she'd be fantastic. He told her he loved his little sister, and then got into the carriage.

Much had told her to look after herself, and promised he'd come back to marry her. He told her she was beautiful, told her he loved her, and slipped a sapphire ring onto her finger. He told her one little thing that always kept her going, " It'll all be OK in the end. If it's not OK, it's not the end."

It was now five years later.

Things had changed so much, and Madeline was barely the same person any more. The harder times had made her harsher and fiercer - she was extremely protective of the people of Locksley and very defensive about her brother when the peasants grew tired and asked why he didn't come back.

It had all changed just over four years ago.

Madeline went through a very difficult patch after losing Robin and Much, and had just come through it when Sir Guy of Gisbourne had shown up, along with a new Sheriff of Nottingham, who overthrew Marian's father, and forced Marian and her father into Knighton instead.

Guy of Gisbourne lived in Nottingham, because the Sheriff wasn't prepared to throw Lady Madeline out of the Locksley Manor. It was clear that the people all liked her, and he knew he couldn't take away her house, although he gave Gisbourne power over her lands.

Madeline tried to protect her people as best she could, but Gisbourne grew worse and worse, and raged through the village, irritating and bullying everyone he could. He had complete power over Locksley, leaving Madeline nothing but the person who lived in the Manor. She attended Council Meetings, but her word counted for very little.

Gisbourne was a selfish man who no-one liked. He occasionally showed Madeline a slightly different side, but she wasn't interested, and she could see straight through him - she knew he was nothing but trouble.

People were miserable and struggling, and all everyone wanted was Lord Robin of Locksley back.

Will had, like Madeline, grown up in the village, and they'd known each other as children, but become closer friends when she was left alone. Her friendship was Marian still existed but Marian was more distant now, and Will was always there.

Will's younger brother was five years younger than Madeline, and was also a friend of hers. Will's parents had been like Madeline's after her own died, and she was always welcome at their house for tea.

" Look at it this way," Will said, knowing exactly how she was thinking, " no news is good news, right? "

Madeline shrugged again - she hadn't heard a thing from her brother and her fiance in five years, as there was no way of writing to them and be sure the messages were passed on. She prayed they were safe, but assumed they were alive because she'd have had a message of their deaths otherwise.

Sometimes she thought they might never come back, and this would be the rest of her life - she knew she'd never love anyone else, so shed not get married.

The only problem was Gisbourne. Gisbourne seemed to toy between liking Marian and liking Madeline, and couldn't decide who he wanted to court.

He really liked Marian, but knew if he could win Madeline over and marry her, Locksley would rightfully be his, and he could have the manor - that girl got in his way. Madeline wasn't interested, but Marian was more ladylike, and would do whatever seemed right in society, not for herself.

Gisbourne and his younger sister had been children of one of the men who ran a village a few miles away, and Madeline and Robin had known them vaguely when growing up.

Madeline remembered that Guy was always a quiet, brooding child, and he always spoke to her politely in a few times they met. Now his politeness was forced, and she knew she was in his way, and he didn't like it.

Madeline scoffed, looking at Will, " Maybe, but it's not always good news. I think it would be more accurate to say no news is no news. "

" Chin up, Lady Madeline," Will said with a slight smile, " what do I tell you? Any day now. "

" If you say so," Madeline said with a smile.

All she ever dreamed of was her big brother coming across the village and giving her a big bear hug. Then seeing Much and kissing him, and telling him there'd never been anyone else - it was all about him.

Much.

She'd thought about Much for such a long time, and he was all she wanted. She wondered if he'd still feel the same - if he was the same - if she was the same. She knew she must have changed, but she wasn't aware how much.

She'd seen Marian become cynical and sarcastic, and Marian had never gotten over Robin leaving. She swore that she hated him, whereas Madeline liked Much and had accepted that he had a duty to the country at first. Now she hated the fact that he wasn't there any more, and she couldn't help but feeling resentful that Robin and Much hadn't been there in the last few years, when she needed them the most.

Will chipped away at a stray piece of wood and as Madeline swung her legs out and in again, Will glanced at her.

" Gisbourne came around here looking for you earlier," he said absently, " I think you must have been at the market. "

Madeline smiled wickedly, " I was. My maid - you know Hannah? - heard that he'd be coming to the village and told me, so I made my exit before he got here. "

" And you supposed to be the fearless ruler of the lands," Will said, rolling his eyes.

Madeline shrugged, " I know I'm terrible, but I wouldn't do it unless I had good reason. He asked me, last week, to attend the Sheriff's birthday dinner with him. It's time I gave him an answer, and I can't go out in public with him like this because that's the first step in accepting him as my suitor. And I don't want him. And he doesn't want me. "

" Course he wants you," Will said, " you're charming, pretty, witty. Shame the same can't be said for him. "

" No," Madeline said, " Gisbourne wants me because I have Locksley. He basically has the thing anyway, except for the title and the Manor. If he has me, he has Locksley completely. But I hate Gisbourne and I love the village. "

" I hate Gisbourne too," Will muttered.

A while later, Madeline sighed and stood up. She needed to clear her head, and decided that she'd go for a ride on her horse. She said goodbye to Will, and walked back to the manor, smoothing down her pale blue dress, her sapphire ring brushing against the material.

Meanwhile, not far out of the village, two men walked through the forest, hurrying towards their home. It had been so long since they'd been at home, and they were looking forward to seeing the people they loved.

One, a tall, handsome dark haired man with an air of arrogance and confidence about him, strode ahead of the other, eager to get to his rightful home, thinking of the little dark haired sister who waited for him, and the beautiful dark haired woman who waited for him.

The other, a blonde man with blue eyes and a look of innocence around him, fell behind a little, carrying weapons over his shoulders. He looked up at the trees and thought of nothing but Lady Madeline of Locksley.