Chapter 1: The Beginning
Author's note: Like I said before, I have many ideas for many Guy/Meg fanfics, which I want to write down and will publish-some will follow the "Dangerous Deal" plotline, where Guy and Meg first met in prison; others will have different ways of how Guy and Meg first met. This one in particular is going to be extremely different from the original "A Dangerous Deal." It will also be slightly different from the BBC Robin Hood. You will notice the differences. Chapters will be published irregularly, because I want this story to be perfect and readable. Obviously, reviews and ideas would be appreciated. This is just the main idea of how the story will be like.
In this story, Meg is a Polish noblewoman. Now I am Polish by blood and can speak the langauge and aware of Polish history and culture. So you will have stuff like that (I also need to do some research if I have any doubts on historical accuracy and all that stuff). There will be some dialogue in Polish, but to those who can't speak the language, I will have the English translation right after the Polish sentences. Some translations may not be completely accurate, but it's the gist of what the characters are saying.
When it comes to pronounciation, I will give a few pointers. The letter "Ł", the L with the line going through it, is pronounced like a W, like WATER. The letter Ó with the comma on top of the O is pronounced like OO like the word BOOT. The Polish dipthong RZ is pronounced like the J in JEANS.
Another note: Meg's Polish nickname is GOSIA. The pronounciation of that word is something like "Goh-sha." There will alos be GOSIU, which is the same name, but in a different noun declension (because everyone loves those Polish noun declensions :P ) That is pronounced something like "Goh-shoo."
So, have patience with me as I try to flesh out this story. :)
England, 1190, two years before season 1
The feast in Nottingham Castle was grand and exquisite. Lords and ladies from foreign countries and from all parts of England attended this large gathering. In the Great Hall were tables upon tables where these people sat and talked and had a good time, eating varieties of food and drinking varieties of wine. Obviously, the important table where the Sheriff and his most important lords sat was situated in the middle. Since Sir Edward resigned from his position as Sheriff, Vaisey took over. He appeared out of nowhere, claiming a right to rule as Sheriff. At first, no one wanted him, but thanks to the efforts of his right-hand man, Sir Guy of Gisbourne, he achieved his goal.
Sir Guy of Gisbourne was a tall, well-built man, but everything about him seemed dark. He rarely smiled; in fact, no one ever saw him smile. He always wore shiny, black leather with ebony boots, as well as leather gloves of the same color. His eyebrows always arched, making him appear angry or distressed about something. His ice-blue eyes portrayed some kind of sadness or anger, but he never spoke a word about the reasons behind that. Speaking of words, he seldom spoke unless he was commanded to or unless he had something important to say. He often avoided the company of people, but since Vaisey commanded him to attend this feast, he complied, sitting next to his master at the table, eating, drinking wine, but barely speaking. People seldom approached him, fearing that he could bark at them like a violent dog. He often folded his arms, looking stiff, but he always kept his back straight, keeping a good posture, and took outstanding care of his appearances. Despite his coldness, many maidens attempted to win his favor, but he disregarded them. However, he took an interest in Lady Marian, the daughter of the former Sheriff, Sir Edward, but she was engaged to Robin Hood. That name brought him bitter feelings, and he had his reasons for the grudge.
When Guy finished eating, he placed his fork down and groaned, rubbing his forehead.
Vaisey noticed his discomfort. "Drunk, Gisbourne?" he burst into laughter, bidding the servant to pour him the tenth goblet of red wine. "Come on, drink up. Life is too short to groan and be all sullen. You should be happier, in general, Gizzy. They say laughter increases your life span." He laughed again, drinking his beverage.
Guy looked at the Sheriff. "The music these minstrels play on their harps and flutes are utterly annoying." His voice was deep, with a slight grumble behind it.
The Sheriff ignored him. "Oh, look! I hope you've been practicing your Polish, Gizzy."
"Polish?" He looked at the Sheriff like he had two heads.
"An important visitor from Poland is coming to Nottingham to sign a pact. His wealth and influence could benefit all of us." He stood up and went to the front of the table to greet someone. Guy got up and followed suit.
"Lord Casimir," Vaisey greeted a short, middle-aged man dressed in colorful garments with open arms. He smiled and, feeling something between his teeth, used his finger to pick it out. Guy grimaced at the Sheriff's lack of decorum. That was nothing compared to his other flaws.
The other man bowed, like the Sheriff was the King himself, his red and blue cape flowing like a bird's wing. "Dzień dobry, Panie." Hello, my lord.
"Polish, right?"
"As you have guessed. From the province of Kraków. I am delighted to be here on English soil. I must say, it is quite different than in Poland. This is my first time here."
"Well, we hope to make your stay as comfortable as possible. If you need any assistance on anything, do not hesitate to ask."
"You have not met my daughter?"
"No, no, I haven't."
Lord Casimir walked aside to make way for his daughter. She was a tall young woman of a sturdy built, yet thin and graceful. As she walked, her navy-blue cape flowed like an ocean wave. She wore a dress of bright red, but it had gold and silver ribbons with colorful buttons. Her pale face was rounded, but possessing rosy lips, pink cheeks, and emerald-green eyes, which were round and contained a sparkle in them. She smiled as she did a curtsey and bowed her head before the Sheriff.
"My lord Sheriff," she began in a clear voice, which anyone could tell had an accent behind it. "Miło mi Pana poznać." It is nice to meet you.
She turned to Guy and did the same gesture, but this time, her smile grew bigger. Guy took her hand and placed it to his lips. The woman noticed a small smile form at the corners of his mouth, but that was all. When he released her hand, he said:
"I am Sir Guy of Gisbourne. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."
The woman curtsied again. "I am Lady Małgorzata."
"Małgorz-what?"
The woman released a giggle, which rang in Guy's ear like music. It sounded better than the minstrels.
"Mał—go—rza—ta," she enunciated the word syllable by syllable, while still keeping eye contact with him and while still smiling gracefully at him.
"Małgorzata," Guy repeated in his English accent. "Some name."
"I personally like it, but to other ears, it may sound awful."
"No, I think it is a lovely name, though I have never heard of it before. What brings you all the way from Poland?"
"Business," the woman replied. "My father has some business to work on. He also wants to find me an English husband for the sake of uniting Poland and England. I am still trying to get acquainted with this English atmosphere."
"Then it will be my pleasure to make sure that Lady Małgorzata's stay in England is as comfortable as possible," Guy said, smiling. "This is your first time here?"
"Yes, and, Sir Guy, enough with the formality. I've discovered that the English equivalent of my name is Margaret, so you can call me Meg for short."
A year later
It wasn't long after the feast until Sir Guy asked Lady Małgorzata if he could court her. Since her father approved of their match, Meg agreed to the courtship. She spent many horse rides, walks, and projects with Sir Guy, which enabled her to discover what kind of a man he was. Much to her dismay, however, she failed to find out much from him. Despite their time spent together, Guy always showed to be clandestine and vague in his answers when Meg inquired something about where he came from and topics of a similar nature. Since there was a possibility of a marriage, Meg knew that she wouldn't want to enter into a marriage with a man she barely knew and perceived as secretive. She simply could not understand his furtiveness. All she knew was that he was half-French, quiet, dark, had a temper, and worked for the Sheriff. The Sheriff always planned something which she perceived as devious, and Guy was there to be a part of his plans. She was denied many times access to what he was working on. It came to the point where she was visibly frustrated of his foxlike manners. She sensed an uneasy aura coming from his boss. She didn't trust him for some reason.
Despite Guy's flaws, Meg grew to simply like the man. There was something about him which attracted her to him. Maybe it was his good looks; maybe it was his sense of duty, loyalty, punctuality, and neatness.
Nevertheless, Guy didn't love the woman. He liked her, and was truly delighted to get to know her, but there was little affection. That disappointed Meg a little. She kind of hoped that their rumored marriage would be one of love and not of convenience.
One day in Locksley
The Sheriff visited Guy to discuss something very important and secret, something so important and secret that he had recently had a tattoo imprinted on his left shoulder. Vaisey demanded that Guy swear he would not tell anyone, so he did so.
He went outside, unfolding his recently-tattooed arm with his black jacket sleeve. His placed his hand over his eyes, squinting at the late spring sun. The days were getting longer and warmer, which meant that his journey to the Holy Land would be excruciatingly hot.
Then he noticed Meg riding a horse, entering the village. He greeted with a smile and proceeded to help her down. He attached her reigns to the stable and held her by her waist as she dismounted her horse. He turned red when he touched her waist, a feeling of warmth entering him, despite the warm weather. Meg smiled in return, removing her gloves after Guy released her.
"Dzień dobry. Chciałam tylko cię odwiedzić." Hello. I just wanted to visit you.
"Dzień dobry, Gosiu." Hello, Gosia. Gosia was the Polish nickname equivalent of Małgorzata. Ever since they started courting, Meg taught Guy a little bit of her native language. He was daunted at first by the pronunciation, the lack of consonants, and the myriad of grammar rules and linguistic exceptions that the language consisted of. But Meg was patient and gentle with him, so in time, he sort of got used to the language.
"I was thinking, Guy, that maybe you and I can attend the ball in London. Prince John will be there."
"When is it going to be?"
"Next month."
Guy closed his eyes and opened them again, sighing. He didn't want to deny one of her invitations again, but he had no choice. "Thank you so much for the invitation, Meg, I really appreciate it, but I can't."
Meg frowned. "Why not."
"It's hard to say. I have to go on a mission."
"Well, can this mission wait?" Meg placed her hands on her hips. Guy couldn't help but be attracted to this woman, when it came to her personality, appearance, and form.
"It's a secret mission, so I can't tell anyone, not even you."
"Is this mission so important to you, Guy?"
"What I can say is that it will bring me power, which I must have."
Meg sighed. "Power, power, power. Guy, is that all you can think about? Power? And why do you have to be secretive with me? It's frustrating. People are talking about a marriage between us, and if there is ever going to be one, I want an honest one!"
"Look, Meg, I must go on this mission. Power is more important to me than anything else."
"You are so vague. What kind of power?"
"That I cannot tell."
"So this 'power' is more important than me? Guy, do you even want to share a future with me? I know you have been nice to me ever since I arrived in England, and you have made my adjustment to a new country more bearable than I could ever imagine,but is this what you really want?"
"No."
"No?" Meg did not expect such a blunt answer.
"Didn't you hear me at first?" Guy asked, raising his voice. "Look, I don't mean to break your heart, but I couldn't understand your father's desire of us being together. It's evident that you want to marry someone you love, and I respect that. So, I think it is best if we go our separate ways. You deserve a man who will love you, not a man who has other ambitions to pursuit. We don't love each other. Yes, you are a kind, intelligent, good-humored, and attractive woman, but I don't love you."
"I understand" though Meg couldn't quite understand. She felt her hopes shattered at his statement. Perhaps he was right; it was true that they didn't love each other, and it was true that he wanted to do other things. But, she reasoned, they could always grow to love each other. She removed a golden corset ring from her finger and placed it on Guy's palm and closed it with his fingers.
"The ring you gave me when you asked me to court you," she said, kissing his hand. "Take it. Thank you so much for your time and your gifts. I shall go announce the news to my father."
"Meg," he said. "You must understand."
"Wszystko w porządku." Everything's okay. "You don't need to apologize or elucidate any more on this matter. It is not my place to question the things you do or your motives for the things you will do. It is, after all, your life, and you should live it. I will move on, don't worry. Thank you so much, but let's just forget this."
She turned to mount her horse, but seeing that she had difficulty, Guy helped her sit on the animal by holding her hand as she adjusted herself. When she was comfortable, she didn't release Guy's hand immediately. It was at that moment that Guy fully realized how this rejection affected her. Her hold on his hand was tight. He looked up at her. She smiled weakly, but he could tell that she was unhappy. Finally, with hesitation and reluctance, she let go of his hand. She clicked her tongue for her horse to ride away.