Additional Notes/Warnings/Spoilers: None save for passing mention of S1 finale.
Author's Note: Again I'm not sure if this was what you had in mind. I admit it does wax a bit poetic and its rather AU but for what it's worth I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless Lotusflower.
Also to note in this AU Guy is closer in age range to Marian (five years difference). - A big thank you to LadyKate for pointing that out to me!
I
The first time Marian of Knighton was to marry Guy of Gisborne they were two young souls. On the stairs they hid, two giggling children whispering secrets, and plans of adventures on the morrow. Beyond a door of wood, their parents discussed their futures setting their destinies in stone. Both children, and best of friends they were naïve and eager at the promise that one day they would marry. Young Guy would be a knight of legend, and Marian, a great warrior maiden. Together, they would save the kingdom and serve their king loyally to the end; it was not meant to be.
When the King summoned Guy's father to the crusades; a new boy came into their lives. Lord Locksley did more than cost the Gisbornes their name and land, he tore their family apart, or so Guy came to believe. Without parents, lands, money, or a future, the young boy departed for France with Isabella in tow. It would be years before he would look back.
Marian's father believing he had seen the last of the Gisbornes engaged his only daughter to Robin of Locksley. In Guy's absence, Marian befriended Robin; promises of marriage to her childhood friend was furthest from her mind. Young Gisborne; never forgot.
II
The second time Guy came into Marian's life, her world had entirely changed. Gone were the childhood dreams, and promises of puppy love. Lady Marian was a woman, and she had dreams of her own; dreams of hope, dreams of freedom. She was not the only one who dreamt of a better future.
'Do you remember the promise our father's once made?' Guy asked her one day.
'Yes, a life time ago,' she sadly answered.
'Marry me now, and we can fulfil the dreams we once had.' In his eyes of blue, Marian saw the childhood friend she once knew and sorely missed. With a heart full of hope, and a head full of forgotten dreams, Marian agreed. While Robin was off playing hero to a king she never met, Guy remained. The people of England needed someone to protect them, and she was confident that together they would do just that.
Marian was a heroine in disguise, Guy was a villain's wild dog. The engagement ended before it could even begin. Neither was aware that it broke the others heart; as much as their own.
III
'Marry me, and I can keep your father safe,' he said. A promise made, was a promise kept. Only Marian knew it was never so simple. Robin may have promised her the future, but Guy had offered the one last link to her past.
'It will be just like the days of old,' the black knight swore one day as they rode their horses across a field so green. 'Only it will be better, because I will have land, gold, and titles.'
'I don't want power, spoils, or rank. All I want is my old friend back,' Marian explained.
'That weak boy died a lifetime ago,' Guy coolly answered.
'Then mores the pity,' the maiden sadly replied. It was a lie, one she knew too well. The Sheriff may have taken the man out of the wolf, but Marian was confident with time she could find him again.
They tried the dance the game of courtship, but outside players made it impossible. Robin kept Marian distracted, and divided. The Sheriff kept Guy detached, and cruel. When Marian learned the lie of the King's return, she had hoped that justice would prevail. She had to believe the boy she once knew had grown into the man she had tried so hard to forgive. Then she learned of Acre, and the King's failed assassination. The truth Marian once so valued, now threatened to tear her apart. Hopeful that she was wrong, the maiden sought out the black knight. Praying the past had not come to haunt the present, she pleaded with him as they prepared for their wedding.
'Speak the truth, and tell me no lies,' she said.
Guy's silence was answer enough. With sorrow in her heart, and rage in her belly, the warrior maiden took down her former friend, turned villain. She rode off into the sunset with Robin and his bandits; a true heroine like the tales of old. It was not the ending she sought.
[B]IV[/B]
Nottingham was on the verge of destruction the next time Guy proposed to Marian. The Sheriff was thought dead or gone, leaving their assailants to march against the common folk. It was not the first time Marian saw a reflection of the boy she once knew and loved. However, it was the first time she had seen him display his true person for all to see.
'You should leave while you still have the chance,' Guy warned Marian.
'What of you?' Marian asked. She had no intention of leaving.
'If Nottingham is to perish than I will perish with it,' he quietly affirmed.
'Then we will perish together,' Marian concluded in a tone that left no room for question.
'Remember when we used to pretend to be heroes protecting the kingdom? ' he asked with a smirk.
'Yes. Only this time it will be so much better because it will be real,' Marian replied. They exchanged a hidden smile. For a brief moment everything was right with the world.
The proposal came soon after; it was expected. In those harrowing moments there was no denying the thrill of a possible future shared with the black knight; her once beloved childhood friend. Together, they stood side by side watching and waiting for the prince's army to storm the gates. Never in her life did Marian feel more at peace, or more proud of Sir Guy then she did in that moment. Then the heavy portcullis opened, and with it came the Sheriff and his veritable army. When Vaisey bellowed for the black knight, Guy quietly joined his side like a broken dog with his tail between his legs. As the sheriff threw insults at her old friend, she immediately knew nothing had changed.
Marian never spoke of the proposal made that day, Guy knew better than to ask. Nottingham's unexpected victory had become their greatest defeat.
V
It was in Acre, when Marian proposed to Guy. It was not a gift, nor a promise; it was a weapon, and a sacrifice. Guy valued loyalty above all else, for this reason alone Marian gave him the ultimatum. The time had come for the black knight to choose; become the man he was meant to be, or remain the monster Vaisey had transformed him into. 'Kill the Sheriff, and I will marry you as you have always desired,' she said.
With a heavy sigh, he looked away, unable to meet her gaze. The knight looked older than his years, and Marian almost pitied him for it. 'I knew this day was certain to come. It was only a matter of time I suppose,' he murmured. His words were not meant for her ears.
'You don't know what you're asking of me, Marian,' Guy clarified meeting her gaze. There was no denying the sorrow in his voice. 'If I were to do as you ask, who can say you will even keep your word? You have baited and goad me for years with promises you never intended to keep. The sheriff is a sadistic bastard, but never once have I ever had to question where I stand with him.' As much as Guy's admittance filled Marian with shame, she did not dare back down.
'What became of that man who was once so willing to die in order to save the people of Nottingham? Where is that man, who came to my aid when I was nearly forced to marry the Earl of Winchester; who kept my identity as Nightwatchman a secret?' Marian pleaded. 'It is he I wish to marry, not this cretin who runs at the Sheriff's beck and call. Show me the man I know you truly are Sir Guy, and I will be your bride,' Marian promised.
The air was heavy in her makeshift cell; filled with emotions and words neither dared to say. In silence they stood, staring at one another until finally the dark knight spoke. 'How do I know you will keep your word?' His voice was quiet, barely audible, yet in the hollow jail cell it sounded loud and out of place.
'You will just have to trust me,' Marian replied. It was the only truth she could give. Guy departed without another word spoken. In his wake, he left the door to her cell open; if it was intentional, or an innocent oversight she could not say. She took full advantage of the opportunity given.
The warrior maiden did not dare allow herself to hope that her childhood friend would ever return. The sheriff's hold over him was far too strong for Marian to ever believe that he could break free. That day the black knight had not only proved her wrong, but he became the hero no one, Guy least of all, had ever expected to become. The Sheriff in his arrogance, never once suspected his pet wolf to turn on him; the oversight cost him his life. Guy not only killed his former master, he permitted Marian's escape, enabling her to warn the King of the Sheriff's intentions.
The noble knight Marian once feared was forever lost to her had returned once and for all. For the first time in her life, the warrior maiden was finally able to accept the feelings she had denied for so long. However, this time it was Guy who ended the proposal.
'I did what you asked. You got what you wanted. What more do you want with me?' he replied. It was not the answer Marian sought when she inquired of their future. 'You know I love you Marian. I would do anything to ensure your safety and happiness. But I can't do this…not anymore,' he fell silent for a moment, before continuing. 'I don't want you to marry me in exchange for service, or payment, and certainly not because you wish to protect another. I want you to marry me because you love me…for me.'
Marian wanted to argue, to mock him, to challenge the man she had once so easily manipulated. Instead, she remained silent; humbled by his admittance. Was she really no different than the late Sheriff?
'If you didn't do it for my hand, then why turn on the Sheriff?' Marian asked, not wishing to dwell further on her troubled thoughts.
Guy readily met her gaze, his expression stoic. 'You have your freedom and your precious Robin has his King. What does it matter now?' he pressed on. Again, Marian was left with no answer.
A day later, Ser Guy and Robin met privately with King Richard. When it came to its end, Marian could only watch on in confusion as a shocked Guy and a sceptical Robin silently departed from the royal tent. Both refused to speak of the matter further.
Shortly after, Marian returned to England with Robin and the remainder of his men. Sir Guy of Gisborne returned home alone as the only member of the Black Knight's order to have survived the King's wrath.
Nothing was the same between Marian and the knight ever again.
VI
It was two years since their return from Acre, when Marian and Guy began their courtship. Two years since the Sheriff was beheaded by his favourite henchmen. Two years since the King owed Sir Guy of Gisborne his life. Robin of Locksley had regained all his lands and his titles. Sir Guy had become the new Sheriff of Nottingham; a position that still irked the young Locksley beyond measure. With his new position, the knight was able to reclaim his family's land from the crown, for a hefty price. The Keep was in need of much repair; a project his recently widowed sister, Isabella had endeavoured to complete as soon as possible.
Much to Marian's surprise, and just about everyone else, Guy proved not only suited to the job but he was quite skilled at it too. At first the people of Nottingham were fearful of his rule; his bloodied history with the former Sheriff had left little hope for improvement. His lack of social graces did little to ease their doubts. However, the knight was swift to restore peace and order where there had once been chaos. Guy ruled Nottingham with mercy and justice; proving to even to the sceptical Robin that he was a far better sheriff than anyone could have imagined. No innocent need to live in fear under his rule. Taxes, though never appreciated were always put to good use, encouraging new jobs and opportunities once not afforded under the Vaisey's leadership.
For weeks, Marian neither saw, nor heard, from the black knight. Until morning she received word that she had been summoned to the Sheriff's court. Her heart fluttered to the sight of his writing, just as her thoughts swam with questions unspoken. Though happy she was for the people of Nottingham, Marian could not help but miss the black knight. Departing for Nottingham proper, she could not shake the feeling that her life was about to be forever changed. At one time such a notion, (at least where Guy was concerned), would have filled her with overwhelming dread. Instead all she felt was excitement to the idea of seeing an old friend.
Upon her arrival to Nottingham, the young woman promptly learned of Sheriff Gisbornes desire she become his main advisor. Elated at the possibility of properly serving the people of Nottingham, Marian immediately accepted. It was a risky move on his part; but since Vaisey's death Guy proved to be a man who cared little for court rules.
So the months grew into a year, and then two years. As challenging as her position could sometimes prove to be, Marian thoroughly relished her new role as the sheriff's main advisor. Guy was not an easy man to contend with, but there was no denying that he was trying to do right by his people and by her.
It had been a little over two years since her arrival to Nottingham when Marian learned of Isabella's marriage to Robin. The two had been courting for some time, much to Guy's chagrin. Though happy for them both, Marian was also relieved that Robin had finally moved on. It also forced her to reassess her own relationship with a certain brooding knight. The Guy she had once loved as a girl truly returned, and she would be damned if she let him slip away again. The time had finally come to speak of what had weighed on her heart for so long.
'Have you such a low opinion of me that you would continue this age old game of deception?' Guy balked, upon hearing her proposal. 'You are a smart and clever woman, Marian. You have my utmost respect, both as my advisor and as a friend. Whether I like it or not, I've long since accepted the fact we will never be anything more than what we are now. I just wish you would show me the same courtesy, instead of digging up the past and toying with my emotions,' he added with a tired sigh. There was no denying the hurt or disappointment in his blue eyes.
'I'm not mocking you Sir Guy. I'm merely proposing that we court-' Marian suddenly faltered, feeling incredibly foolish. She was about to utter some sort of excuse, work exhaustion, the chill of winter, a fevered moment of madness when Guy lightly caught her chin. Holding her gaze, the knight studied her intently as if searching for any lingering secrets. None remained, for all she had once kept secret; she had long since shared with him. All save for what now weighed on her heart.
'Marian, if we are to court, I wanted to do it properly. No sneaking around, no secrets, no games. Let us know each other as we should have years ago, and see for ourselves if this is what we want.' Guy clarified. After a pause he added, 'Whatever is to come, let us both agree that we will not let this interfere with our duties. The people of Nottingham should not have to suffer because of our personal feelings. They deserve better than that.'
His words reminded Marian of how far he had come from the days when he was no more than Vaisey's vicious watchdog. Gone was the insecure warrior who sought only power and titles. In his place now stood a man who was both calm and self-assured, one whose concern went beyond his own needs, but to those who lived under his care. She never loved Guy more than she did in that moment. Overwhelmed by the sincerity of his words, Marian readily agreed. With a rare and sincere smile Guy took her hand into his own and gently kissed it.
It was almost a year later when Robin and Isabella gave birth to a baby girl. Not to be outdone, Sir Guy went on bended knee and proposed to Marian for the very last time. With love in her heart, and joy in her smile, she accepted. Some things may never change, but what really mattered was all that had.
Neither Guy nor Marian had any desire for a grand wedding, in the end it was not their decision to make. The knight had long since earned the people's forgiveness, while his beautiful bride held their love. All wanted to take part in Nottingham's greatest event since Sheriff Vaisey's death.
There was no King present at their wedding, no abandonment at the altar, no fist fights or interruptions by Robin and his merry men. However, Allan'O'Dale served as Guy's best man, while Jack, with Will in tow, travelled far from home in order to serve as Marian's Maid of Honour. Even Robin, along with his wife and daughter, was witness to the grand exchange of vows.
With a smile on her lips and her heart racing in nervous joy, Marian walked down the aisle. Upon meeting Guy's watchful gaze, the young woman though she could see him exhaling a sigh of relief. Neither imagined this day would ever come to pass.
It was truly the beginning of a new golden age, both for the people of Nottingham, and the newly-wedded couple. Though their lives would have its hardships and times of trial, neither ever lost hope in the love they shared. Together, they protected and governed the people of Nottingham; fulfilling their every childhood dream.
Though neither ever became legend, to those who lived under their care, they remained forever as heroes of the people, and the country they served.