Chapter 1

Robin trotted alone through the forest towards Knighton, he was feeling elated. He had successfully won back the support of his villagers and he had discovered that Marian was the same women he left when he headed for war. He needed to speak with her, he never did get to finish their conversation in Nettlestone that day. She had been speaking with Much then left quickly, Robin wondered what Much may have said, but besides he still needed to speak with her about his father.

Robin was walking past the hill where his father had been buried when he saw someone up there. He headed towards the treeline, and looked harder, it was Marian. He smiled and silently began walking towards the grave. As he got closer he could hear sniffling, he knew better than to sneak up on her whilst she was crying so he announced his presence.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, standing a little away. Marian did not turn but he saw her quickly wipe her face. She took a deep breath,

"Yes, everything is fine." Marian said standing, she turned and Robin could see the redness of her eyes, he said nothing. "I was just placing flowers on your father's grave."

"So I can see, they are his favourite. Are they not?" Robin said.

"You are correct, so I shall leave you alone." Marian said making to walk past him.

"Wait." He said grabbing her arm gently. "Marian please you are the only one who can tell me what happened." He pleaded. Marian was in no mood to talk of the past, it was exactly that, the past.

"Ask Thornton."

"I tried, he said I should ask you."

"I cannot. I am sorry." Marian pulled her arm away and turned away.

"Marian, please. I just want to know what happened." Marian turned back to face Robin, she could not deny him anything, not with the expression on his face at that moment, she sighed.

"Very well. I will tell you." She said and she began telling Robin the story of how Gisborne
turfed out his father and of the fire.

"I sent you a message." Marian said once she was done.

"Many messengers do not get through. Some are killed, others simply cannot find us so messages remain undelivered." Robin sighed, his face was grim as he stood before his father grave, which was next to his mothers.
"I would have put flowers on your mothers too, but it did not feel right considering I did not know her."

"It is alright."

"I had better be going, my father will be worried." She said turning towards her horse.

"Thank you." Robin sighed again. He snapped out of his gloom when Marian was near her horse. "Marian."

"Yes."

"I wanted to thank you for everything you have done for my people as the Night-Watchman. And I wanted to thank you for looking after my dog. It may sound inadequate but I really am grateful. Will has told me everything you did after his mother died."

"It was a pleasure, I didn't do it for myself, I wanted to help people. I could not just stand by and allow others hurt. And as for your dog, she is a pleasure, would you care for her back?"

"No, no I'm sure she will be just fine in your presence." Robin smiled. Marian nodded.

"Very well. Goodbye Robin."
"Goodbye Marian." Marian mounted her horse and headed in the direction of Knighton. Robin watched her leave before returning to his father's grave. "I am sorry I was not here father. I would do anything to take it back." Marian was hidden in the trees watching as Robin sat talking to his father, just as she did. Marian smiled and headed home, he was still the same Robin, of course he was.

Nottingham

"Can you not do something with it?" Gisborne said to the healer as he looked at the baby he had fathered in the kitchen maid arms.

"What do you want me to do, put him back in?" The women said scowling.

"I mean can you not give it something to stop it breathing."

"How dare you? I will not kill and innocent babe, least of all one I just bought into the world." She picked up her bag of herbs and forest plants and pushed straight past him and out through the door of the castle store.

"Sir Guy, look, this is your son. I thought we could call him Seth." Annie said nervously. Gisborne felt sick, he did not want this girl and he did not want this child.

"I will take the child to Kirklees abbey, until we are married, you do not want you name tarnished." Gisborne said with dark eyes, he had no intention of marrying this girl, he would marry a noble not some filthy peasant. Annie nodded reluctantly. "I shall take him now." Gisborne continued.
"No, the healer said that she must stay with me for at least a week so that he was the right milk."

"Then go home and bring the boy back in 2 weeks, then you can return to work." Gisborne grumbled.

"Thank you Guy." Annie smiled. Gisborne left feeling in a foul mood. He had no intentions of taking that boy to the abbey. He wanted it dead, Lady Marian could not discover this child, what that would do for this plans for her. She was pure, she would never agree to marry him if she knew what he had done to so many. This child needed to disappear.