Robin Hood BBC ::His Twin Swords
A/N: Somewhere in between S2 and S3, After my other fic 'God Save the Queen'
The large glass window from a staircase landing revealed, among other things, the Queen Mother's well maintained gardens where shrubs have been trimmed to some design, the stables at one corner, a small chapel at the other, the birds flying over the rooftops of the town right outside the palace walls, the sun, the sky and the perfect idle day that lay ahead of him. Allan A Dale stood by this large window, watching the palace servants flit about their daily activities and sighed.
Allan knew he should be happier about how things are in general. Didn't the gang just saved the Queen Mother from the evil machinations of her son Prince John? Didn't they just humiliate the sheriff, Gisbourne and their Black Knight friends in front of their leader? Wasn't the Queen Mother safe at least for now? Wasn't he living in a palace as a guest of the Queen while arrangements were being made for their travel back to England? Wasn't every servant here under his beck and call? Yes. In all accounts, yes.
Yet he felt like there was something wrong with this oh- so- perfect view, though he couldn't put a finger on it. So he sighed again trying to figure out what exactly was wrong when everything seemed right.
A giggle interrupted his thoughts. "Kit is going to fall of that horse again," said someone beside him.
Allan took a step back in surprise just to see a well dressed courtier tap the glass and giggle again. "And, there he goes," she said, grinning, "That boy never learns." He was slightly unnerved by the fact that he neither heard her footsteps ascend or descend from the staircase nor did he feel her presence when she was already beside him. It was no wonder to him that she was such a good thief. She knew how to conceal everything from the metal circle design of her belt were actually the pommels of hidden small daggers to the long daggers underneath the sleeves of her scarlet dress. Even the red ribbon braided through her black hair was actually a gang tag. He knew that though she might look like just an innocent court lady, Evangeline Stone de Laurent wasn't the type one would like to make an enemy of.
Which is why he was quite thankful that she was also a member of Robin Hood's gang. "What's wrong with you?!" he asked in disbelief.
The girl merely smirked, "Nothing. What is wrong with you?" she replied in return.
"How long have you been standing there?" he continued on ranting, "Not being funny or anything, but ain't it rude to sneak up on people like that? Geez, you'd think they teach you some manners in court or something."
"And, you would think a little ginger cat like you would be out and about enjoying the day. Maybe in some tavern in town tricking someone," she answered back, obviously amused, "Instead you are here--"
"Nothing wrong with that--"
"In one of the quiet corners of the palace--"
"It's a free world--"
"Sulking," she finished. Evangeline crossed her arms and gave him a victorious smile when he tried to find a quick quip but failed. He realized that she was right. That was exactly what he was doing. Sulking. "So," Evangeline gave him a soft smile, "what is wrong with you?" she asked.
"I'm bored," he answered, leaning against the banister.
"Bored," the girl repeated, arching an eyebrow as if asking asking for some explanation.
"Bored," Allan sighed, "Really, what did you expect? Everybody speaks French here. I can't understand a word and they can't understand English. Not being funny, but I don't like it when people make fun of me in another language," he ranted. "And while John's content with walking around the small woods behind the palace, I'm not. Much is looking after Robin who has holed himself up in his room after Will and Djaq left this morning for the Holy Land," he continued, "Which, you know, I get it. Really, I do. Sherwood forest isn't a place to have and raise a kid unless you want the kid to be a woodland creature."
"And so you are bored?" Evangeline questioned before bursting into laughter.
"What's so funny?" Allan demanded.
"There is no need to be anxious, monsieur," Evangeline answered with a shrug, "Carter is with them with a small handpicked army to reinforce the King's position in the Holy Lands. He also promised me he would personally drop Will and Djaq to her uncle's house and send me a note." The courtier sighed gently taking the outlaw's hand to lead him down the stairs. "Come along, Allan, let me accompany you to the fitting you missed yesterday with Madame's tailor," she offered.
Allan A Dale rolled his eyes as he took his hand away from hers. He crossed his arms looking at the girl eying him from several steps down. "That's not it," he replied, annoyed not at her but at everything in general, "That's not the point."
"Then, pray tell, what is your point?" Evangeline asked, curious and confused, at the same time.
"I don't know," the outlaw admitted, "I don't know what the point is. Not being funny, but I don't know if there was even a point to begin with. Everything just stumbles along ain't it."
Allan saw the girl tilt her head to one side and pause as if trying to decide what to make of him. He looked away from her gaze suddenly uncomfortable. He saw the view from the window again wondering if it was warm outside because it certainly didn't feel warm inside the palace. "I think you should come with me," his friend suggested, silently heading down the steps.
"I don't feel like going to a fitting," he replied, "even if it is for new clothes."
Evangeline merely shook her head, stopped at a step, looked up at him and chuckled, "Allan A dale, Jaques is the royal tailor," she said, smirking, "He takes one look at you and he knows your size. All that measuring and fitting-- he does it, not to make sure that he has the correct dimensions, but to reassure the customer because it is what they expect of a tailor to do. Very few people know that Jaques thinks all that is a waste of time," Allan's shifted his weight and placed his hands on his hips slightly confused. "He is just proving he is not a hack," she explained plainly, grinning, "I know for a fact that the times the Queen sends Raoul there to get measured and fitted, Raoul brings a bottle of wine and cheese and chats with Jaques. That way when the Queen asks, they can both answer that they had seen each other but Raoul does not really get measured," she revealed.
Allan felt the corners of lips raised amused and amazed. He wagged a finger, "Not being funny, but that's genius." he commented.
"That is what Raoul claims he is-- a genius," she replied with a shrug.
"So where are we really going?" Allan asked. This time he was the one that was curious.
"To find a point, yes," the girl answered as she skipped down the stairs.