Meg & Guy
By Leah Day
Summary
A Meg/Guy AU take on ep 9 of series 3. Contains femme slash references, non-femme slash sexual references. It also contains a scene where a character's religious beliefs are questioned. I add this warning should any reader find that particular part offensive.
Just a warning to Guy fans, this fic is quite sympathetic towards Isabella, therefore you may not like it but please feel free to read anyway.
Disclaimer
If I were to own Robin Hood many a thing would change. I do not own Robin Hood therefore many a thing cannot change. Due to the fact that Holliday is only two years younger then Lucy Griffiths, I thought it fine to make this a M rated fic and am guessing Meg was older then she looked therefore she will be 21 years of age in this fic despite the fact that her behaviour in the ep suggested otherwise.
Nottingham Castle Dungeons
It was lonely without her. Guy of Gisborne had never realised how alone he was till Meg had come into the dungeons, roaring with rage, struggling against the iron grip of the guards like a wild animal.
How he wished she had stayed.
Jesu ... He was so very alone.
Lady Meg's chambers.
"It is slightly bigger then you are, but I'm afraid this will have to do," Isabella, lady sheriff of Nottingham, told her companion, handing her a cream woollen shift and red velvet gown.
Meg took the shift and dress, smiling faintly at the older woman.
"Thank you, Isabella," she told her. "I am very grateful."
Isabella reached out, taking the girls free hand in her own, squeezing it tenderly.
"It is I who am grateful, Meg. When Thornton had me digging for that treasure he swore to me that he would kill you if there were none to be found. I was so scared for you!"
"No need! No need!" Meg insisted fervently. "I am alive and well."
Isabella gave another tender smile.
"Yes you are. And no longer will Thornton or my wretch of a brother have hold over us ever again." She squeezed Meg's hand once more then gracefully rose to her feet. "When you've finished here, will you not come to my quarters?" She invited. "I will be writing to the prince," her blue eyes sparkled. "I daresay he shall be very happy with this horde!"
"I will," Meg promised.
OoO
As soon as Isabella was no longer in sight, Meg called for a servant girl, telling her that she was famished, thus needing food and sour ale.
"But milady, I thought you had already dined with lady sheriff," the girl questioned.
"I did, but I'm still hungry. Have food and a bath brought to my chambers, please."
The servant wench pursed her lips.
Meg arched an eyebrow.
"Is there a problem?"
"No milady."
Bowing respectfully, the wench left Meg alone.
The Dungeons
Guy had been sitting before the bars of his cell, staring with little interest at the comings and goings of prisoners, servants, priests, and guards when Meg entered carrying a tray of food and ale.
Normally he would have roared at her to leave him be but he was ever so grateful to see her he smiled faintly and bid her to come to him.
Gisborne noted that the girl had washed and changed her lavender and violet dress of earlier into a very lovely, though much too big for her, velvet red dress. Her long brown mane had also been attended to as well, pulled into a simple, yet tasteful, bun.
"Here," Meg said, setting the tray and tankard onto the floor, crouching before him. "It's better then maggoty bread."
Gisborne smiled gently.
"Thank you …. But I am not hungry."
And he wasn't. He had lost his appetite for food a long time ago.
"You must," Meg whispered. "For me."
Hot little beads of water ran down her white cheeks and she bit down hard on her lip, determined not to become a weeping mess.
When biting did not work, Meg lowered her head, breathing in deeply. Her grip on the cell bars tightened so greatly her hands ached.
"There's nothing I can do to save you. And I haven't down enough," she choked out at last.
Gisborne's hands covered her own, gently easing her grip on the bars.
"Look at me," he told her softly.
She shook her head.
"I can't."
"Look at me."
Reluctantly, the fair maiden raised her head.
"I'm looking at you," she croaked miserably. "What now?"
"You've done more then enough," Gisborne told her softly. "You made me think. Think about a person I once knew. She saw goodness in me when others believed there was none."
"What happened to her?" Meg asked although already dreading the answer.
Gisborne gave a shuddering breath.
"I destroyed her," he revealed, then adding with his voice cracking slightly. "I destroyed everything."
Meg felt a chill go down her spine.
She ignored it and reached out to touch Guy's cheek.
Gisborne trembled beneath the contact but did not dare pull away. He let her remain for a few moments then began to take the food into his cell.
"You need to go," he told her with much regret in his voice. "I will not have Isabella find you here."
Knowing it was for the best; Meg forced a smile.
"Take this," she said. "It's not food."
She took his hand, pressing something hard and smooth into it.
Gisborne stared down at the object in his palm.
Her ruby and gold ring.
"For the ferryman?" he asked, giving her a look of sheer amazement.
She cared so much.
The maiden shook her head.
"For you."
Gathering her skirt, she rose to her feet.
"Farewell," she said meekly.
Guy smirked.
"Goodbye," he replied.
And then she was gone.
What the man and girl did not know was that soon, quite soon, all Hell was going to break loose.
Later
Isabella struck Meg hard; the blow was so strong the slip of a girl fell to the floor only to be roughly manhandled back to her feet by the sheriff's two burly guards.
"Leave her be!" Guy yelled franticly. "Isabella please!"
"I loved you!" the woman hissed furiously at Meg. "And you choose him over me!"
"Isabella let her go!"
"Be quiet!" the sheriff snarled, whirling around to face her brother. "Or I swear I will make you kill her with your bare hands! Don't forget that I know how much you love killing women, you foul ogre!"
Gisborne's frantic struggles stopped immediately.
He stared at his sister, mouth gaping in utter disbelief.
'Not her,' he begged silently. 'Isabella … not her,'
"I can't love you, Isabella," Meg told the sheriff, voice trembling with fear and barely suppressed anger. "People can't choose who they love! It's inconceivable!"
Isabella looked from her brother to Meg, blue eyes cold as winter snow.
"Mon Dieu! You really are quite the pathetic creature, Meg!" she spat sourly. "There really is only one thing to do now. Go and join your lover! If you love birds want to be together, that's fine. You shall."
"Isabella-"
"You'll die together!" she snarled and with a whirl of her blue skirt, she left the dungeon, leaving the man and girl alone to comprehend their fates.
OoO
Meg stared through the bars, lips parted in shock, tears streaming down her cherubic cheeks.
What had she done?
Gisborne … He had been so surprised, so delighted when she came to save him.
There had been a look in his eyes she had never seen before. It was warm, tender, happy. Now the happiness, the delighted surprise … It was all gone.
What had she done?
Gisborne had retreated to his makeshift bed where he had taken the food and ale she had brought for him.
"Meg," he called to her.
The girl turned to face him, slender hand resting on her bloody mouth, long light brown tresses falling about her tear stained face like a waterfall.
"I'm sorry," she croaked. "I didn't think she would … I'm sorry."
"Come here."
She hesitated then picked up her skirt, stumbling over to where he was sitting.
"You're bleeding," Gisborne told her sagely, noting the blood bubbling from the side of her nose and bottom lip.
"She belted me right across the face, the sour faced bitch." Meg told him ruefully as she sat down.
The girl felt her face redden with shame.
"Sorry," she added in a small voice.
Guy, however, chuckled softly.
"A very apt description of my sister. Power does not suit her. It decreases her fairness considerably."
Meg dropped her head in her hands and began to cry.
"I'm sorry!" she wailed. "I couldn't let her kill you …. I didn't think."
She never heard him move, but in less then a moment she could feel his arm around her shoulders drawing her to him.
Meg sniffed, pressing her wet cheek against his chest.
"I forgive you," Gisborne murmured stroking her hair.
"Thank you," was her muffled response.
After a few moments of silence, Guy shifted, reaching for the tray of food.
"You need to eat," he told her.
"No … I'm not hungry," she replied but her stomach growled in aggressive protest thus causing Gisborne to smirk.
"For me," he urged, echoing her words of earlier but Meg was hesitant so he picked up a piece of cow tongue in order to make an attempt to coax her.
"Come on," he said, passing her the meat.
Giving in, Meg took the pressed flesh from him and bit into it, chewing slowly.
"Will you eat as well, please?" she asked when she had finished consuming the bovine's tongue. "There is so much food."
Not giving her a yes or no, the dark haired knight reached for the ale mug, passing it to her.
Raising the mug to her lips, Meg sipped timidly then gagged.
"That's disgusting!" she gasped, thrusting the tankard back into Guy's hands.
"It's very hard to get wine or mead down here. Besides, you brought it down to me."
"I never thought you'd make me drink it!" Meg coughed into her hand. "Arrgh!" she exclaimed. "Jesu! My lip sodding hurts like buggery!"
"Language," Guy reprimanded gently.
"I've heard you say worse," Meg quipped.
"Eat this," Guy said wearily, passing her another piece of cows tongue.
"Only if you eat as well," Meg insisted. "You're skin and bone, Guy."
Seeing no point in arguing with her, Gisborne picked up one of the slivers of tongue and plopped it into his mouth. It was divine. He had forgotten how good fresh food tasted.
OoO
The food was gone, now it was time for slumber.
Gisborne's cot was a small affair. There were only two blankets and they were thin and filled with holes.
Meg's bun was no more. Her brown hair had fallen free, cascading down her slender shoulders. Despite the ugly tangles, Gisborne still believed it was beautiful.
"Do you pray?" Meg asked, watching him prepare the cot.
Guy stopped what he was doing to consider her question.
"I used to," he told her after a moment of mental debate. "Why?"
Meg fiddled with a pretty ring on her finger.
"I always thought praying was … folly. I mean … Well … Nothing good ever really comes from it, does it?"
Guy shrugged.
"If people want to pray before they die. Then they pray before they die,"
"Do you think we should pray now?" she asked.
Guy shook his head.
"I think we should sleep," he told her with all simplicity.
He lay down on the cot, pressing his back against the moist stonewall then patted the space he had made for her.
Meg hesitated.
"I don't bite."
The corners of Meg's mouth curled into a smile.
"Curiously enough, you do look like a wolf," she commented then wandered over.
Instead of lying down straight away, she opted to sit on the edge of the cot, hands clasped in her lap.
"I remember when I first saw you," she told him. "You were yelling abuse at your men. I thought you were a right git for being such a bully." She smirked, adding rather wryly. "Father said if I wasn't careful he'd offer you my hand,"
"Did he just?" Guy asked with a smirk.
"Yes. Luckily for me you were betrothed the very next day to lady Marian and-"
Meg stopped in mid sentence; seeing the shame on Guy's face.
"I destroyed her …. I destroyed everything."
"I know how much you love killing women you ogre!"
"They said she became ill with a fever and her body was cremated to prevent further contamination," she whispered.
Guy ran his tongue over his lips.
"No," he said at last. "I killed her."
"Why?" Meg asked softly, determined to ignore the growing horror that seemed to stroke down her spine.
Gisborne looked at her in sheer and utter wonder.
No one had ever asked him why he had killed Marian. They had only voiced their assumptions.
Jealousy. Hatred. Madness
"I didn't want to," he whispered after a moment. "I wanted to kill the king. I decided if I killed the king Hood would no longer love her and in time she would come to me."
Meg rolled her eyes.
'Robin Hood has never loved anyone but himself,' she thought with scorn.
"She didn't move out of the way," he croaked. "She let me run her through."
Meg sighed heavily.
"I did not know Marian well," she said at last.
Gisborne scowled.
"What is that supposed to mean, pray tell me, Meg?" he growled snidely, the misery in his voice having faded away.
"Well, call it absolute folly, but since I did not know Marian well enough I would prefer to take you as I find you. I have had ample time-," Guy snorted rudely. "I said I have had ample time to get to know you, Guy of Gisborne. I don't have another man tucked in some secret place pining for me and the king can bloody well stay in Acre and rot for all I care."
Guy's dour disposition turned to bamboozlement.
Meg lay down, facing him. She placed a small, slender hand upon his arm.
"I think I could say that Robin Hood and England blinded Marian against you," she whispered, fingers pinching lightly into the black silk covering his arm.
Guy's eyes widened in surprise.
"I also think it is fair to say that maybe it was Robin Hood and England who killed Marian, Guy," she added. "Not you."
His lips parted to call her a stupid girl but he couldn't.
She was right.
It all suddenly made sense.
Relief, such sweet relief, flowed into his tired carcass.
It wasn't his fault.
He could forgive himself now.
It wasn't his fault.
Guy drew Meg to him, shuddering whilst girl gently ran her fingers through his lank black mane.
OoO
Meg woke some time later. Her back faced Gisborne who was holding her to him. One of his arms was around her neck; the other tucked was securely around her waist, his cheek pressed against her own.
Meg shivered and took a deep breath.
"Guy," she murmured.
He seemed to be already awake.
"Yes?"
"I had a dream," she told him in a low voice.
There was silence.
"Guy?"
"Good or bad?"
Meg rolled over to him, her face all seriousness.
"I dreamt I came to a place of beauty, happiness. I met a woman."
"Your mother?"
"No. Mother is still alive. No, this …. I've seen this woman before but I cannot for the life of me remember where or her name. She was very beautiful, very kind. She told me everything was going to be all right. That I had nothing to worry about. I thanked her then I asked about you. She …"
Unable to continue, Meg dropped her head and began to cry.
"Tell me what she told you," Guy murmured stroking her hair.
"No it's too horrible!" the poor girl whimpered.
"Tell me," he repeated gently. "This obviously hampers you. Tell me."
Meg lifted her head to gaze tearfully at him.
"She told me she did not know," she revealed meekly then lost her composure and began to sob again.
"I don't want you to go to Hell," she moaned, tormented. "Why can't the devil have me instead?"
Gisborne said nothing. He merely hugged her to him.
"He'd never want you," he whispered eventually. "You're too sweet."
"I am not that sweet," she answered, her voice no longer strained from such heavy weeping but steady, almost aloof. "I am wicked."
He frowned his confusion.
"How so?"
Meg left the warm haven of his arms and strode over to the cell doorway.
"When I was eighteen, my mother gave birth to a little boy," she told him, staring through the bars. "He was as sweet as pie. We all loved him. One day he fell ill. The physician was being tardy and poor little Osborne was growing weaker and weaker by the hour. I hated what his illness was doing to mother so I took matters into my own hands."
"You took him to another physician?"
Meg shook her head slowly.
"I smothered him with a blanket till the breath left his body. To make sure I could not be implicated I set up a servant boy. He squealed like a frightened piglet all the way to the noose."
"I remember that day," Guy told her, sitting up. "Vasey gave a speech about children and family. I'd never seen him with so much false sincerity."
Meg turned to him, face half hidden by the darkness.
"Do you think me wicked, Guy?"
Gisborne paused deep in thought.
"I think you loved your mother very much," he said at last. "Sometimes we do drastic things to end the suffering of others. Isabella. I married her to Thornton because I believed that she was suffering. I'd rather her married to a complete stranger rather then have her beg in the street."
"When you first met Lord Thornton … Did he seem unctuous at the time?" Meg asked.
"No," Guy readily admitted. "He seemed likeable enough. I had no cause to believe that he would be abusive toward her."
"He is," Meg whispered, folding her arms across her chest. "Pitiless and voracious. And she fears him, Guy, she truly does."
She took her gaze away from him to look through the bars of their cell again.
Gisborne compressed his lips as the shame wrapt its arms around him.
All he had to say to Isabella was sorry. One little word.
Then this nightmare would all be over.
'You are a pathetic man, Guy of Gisborne,' he told himself bitterly. 'Truly pathetic,'
With a heavy sigh, he rose to his feet, walking over to where Meg stood.
When feeling him beside her, the girl turned to him, large blue eyes appealing for him to do the right thing.
He reached out, fingers lightly tracing her cheek.
"I will kill Thornton and make peace with Isabella on one condition," he told her firmly.
"And what might that be?" the maiden asked, golden eyebrow arched in profound suspicion.
"That you will promise yourself to me. That you will marry me."
The request took Meg's breath away and she found herself unable to say a word.
Guy quickly grasped her arms, making her jump.
"Promise me!" he hissed urgently. "Promise me you will be mine!"
Meg felt her mouth quickly grow dry. She swallowed hard, wetted her lips with her tongue, parted them and-
There was a metallic jingle jangle of keys. Gisborne muttered something under his breath then swiftly pulled Meg to his side, snaking an arm around her waist.
"Whatever happens, do exactly what I say, understand?" he whispered to her.
Meg nodded too scared to argue.
To Gisborne's disappointment, it was not his sister who stepped into their line of vision; it was a group of guards.
"The execution's been cancelled," one of the men informed gruffly. "Due to bad weather. We've been ordered to move you to the tower till further notice."
"The tower?" Meg asked questioningly.
"Milady wants you both at your healthiest on the day. Doesn't want to see sickly corpses," another guard explained.
Meg looked questioningly at Guy who nodded to the men.
"Please," he invited. "Lead the way,"
"You won't give us trouble?"
"I'm too weak," the male prisoner replied with a shrug. "And this piece of skirt is no match for you. We won't give you any trouble."
The Tower
After ascending several stone staircases, the prisoners' were shown into a surprisingly luxurious chamber.
In one corner was a large bed, in another, a table laden with food and wine.
"Don't bother trying to escape," the guard told the man and girl whilst unlocking the metal cuffs around their wrists. "There's a triple guard stationed around the entire castle. Even Robin Hood himself wouldn't be daft enough to break in. Milady isn't taking any chances."
"Would it be possible to have the sheriff visit us?" Guy asked, rubbing his wrist.
The guard shook his head.
"Too busy. You'll most likely see her on the day of your execution."
"And Thornton?"
"Indisposed."
Guy frowned and stopped rubbing.
"What do you mean by indisposed?" he asked stiffly.
"He be ill in the head," the guard explained, tapping the side of his helmet.
Still frowning, Guy nodded.
"We need to wash and dress. Is there an adjacent chamber we can use?" Meg asked.
"No milady. Baths will be brought to you both in here. There's a changing screen behind you. The servants will put the bath behind it for your privacy. The sheriff says she won't take any chances with either of you, but she does want you looking you're best come execution day."
The guard then paused, listening to the heavy down fall of the rain. "Dunno when that's going to happen though," he remarked, wrinkling his nose.
End of part 1
Authors note
So are Meg and Guy headed for shaggy land?
Perhaps, perhaps not.
Will Guy do the right thing by killing Thornton and apologising to his sister?
Wait and see!
Many people ended up strongly disliking or hating the series 3 female characters of Robin Hood. I believe it is mainly because they felt very protective towards Gisborne or because they resented Robin snogging or being love with someone other then Marian. Personally, I don't really think there is a huge reason for all this bitchiness. Yes, Isabella helped kill her brother, and it was cowardly of her to stab him in the back, but her reasons in doing so are understandable, hence making it not wrong to show even a little compassion toward her even if you are, like me, a Gisborne fan.
As well as Kate of Locksley, I felt a lot of sympathy and empathy toward Isabella. I believe was a shame things turned out the way they did for her in the end.
In this story, instead of attacking her for what she does to Gisborne and Meg, I want to show compassion toward her and show how much she is suffering as well as show Guy and Meg's pain.
Anyway.
I hope I can do that in this fic and not make all of it one sided.