'All this time I have been fighting for England! Do you think I am going to let you kill England?'

'Marian! Get out of the way!' Gisbourne swiped at her with his sword, but Marian dodged, stepping back as he advanced.

'You'll have to kill me first.'

'No,' Gisbourne said, his lungs drawing in great breaths, 'we're going to get out of this. I'm gonna do this thing and then I will have power beyond measure. And we will be together.'

Marian found her lips curving in a smile, felt a curious sense of freedom explode in her mind. 'I would rather die than be with you, Guy of Gisbourne.'

Gisbourne's voice was little more than a whisper. 'No.'

'I'm going to marry Robin Hood.' Marian said, her smile growing. Gisbourne stared at her. 'I love Robin Hood.' As she said it, Marian suddenly realised she had not done so before. The words felt secret, as though Gisbourne were no longer there. Just to make sure he had heard, Marian repeated them. 'I love Robin Hood.'

Just as she realised Gisbourne was stepping forwards, ready to run her through with his sword and that it was too late to do anything about it, Marian was pushed to the ground.

Marian heard the clash of swords and looked up to see Much and Gisbourne fighting. Marian was given cause to remember that Much, like Robin, was a Crusader. That, when they were children, Robin had insisted that Much have the same lessons. That the boys had spent the majority of their time practicing weaponry, and that Robin had never been much good at play fighting.

For a few moments, it looked like Much had the upper hand. Then his shield shattered under a particularly harsh blow. Gisbourne pushed Much to the floor and Marian saw the sword in his stomach. As Gisbourne stepped towards Much once more, the courtyard seemed to explode with noise.

She looked over Much's prone body to see Robin yelling and running, his bow held loosely in one hand, his sword in the other. Gisbourne stared down at her, his expression somehow dulled, his mouth open. For one strange moment, Marian thought he would apologise for what he'd done.

'Gisbourne!'

Marian looked over her other shoulder and saw the Sheriff running for a horse.

As Gisbourne joined his master, the Sheriff screamed in Robin's direction. 'This isn't over, Hood! I will have England!'

Marian stared at the Sheriff as he and Gisbourne escaped on the horse. Where was the hail of arrows? Where is Robin Hood?

'Djaq!'

Marian turned when Robin shouted and got her answer. Robin was kneeling by Much's side, his bow and sword lay in the sand, forgotten.

Much.

Marian crawled towards Robin and Much. Crouching beside Djaq as the woman examined Much.

'Much…' Robin said. Marian's head jerked up at the sound of Robin's voice. Broken. Terrified.

'Where is Marian?' Much asked, looking around wildly.

'I am here, Much,' Marian said, grasping his hand. She felt hot tears begin to fall down her cheeks.

'The King?'

'He is alive,' Marian said.

Robin was watching Djaq intently. The woman looked up at him, her tears streaking the dust on her face.

'I knew it,' Much said, 'I am going to die.'

'You are not going to die, Much.' Robin said.

'You have been a good master, Robin…' Much began.

'We are not friends,' Robin said. Marian looked up at him, feeling her own shock at the same time as she felt the gang's. 'You are my brother, Much, and you cannot die. We are going home.'

'I thought we had escaped death in the Holy Land, Robin.'

'We did. We are going home,' Robin repeated, his tone fierce. 'Djaq just has to patch you up first. We cannot have you bleeding all over Sherwood, you'd lead the Sheriff and Gisbourne right to us!'

Looking at them now, Marian saw the boys they had been. The boys who had played together, who had fought because Robin only ever had half a plan and that half always got them in trouble. Before the Holy Land. Before the Sheriff. Before Robin Hood.

'Marian,' Much called, 'take care of him?'

Djaq let out a breath. Robin and Marian looked at her quizzically. The young woman smiled slightly, but still looked worried. Marian looked back at Much. His eyes were beginning to close.

'I do not need looking after, Much!' Robin said.

'He lies, my lady,' Much said, gasping as Djaq prodded him. 'He needs a lot of taking care of. He is always doing the most ridiculous things…' Much's voice faded away and his head dropped to the side as he lost consciousness.

'We must take him to Bassam's house,' Djaq said.

'John,' Robin called, not taking his eyes from Much. 'Go with Djaq, take him. We will catch up.'

Little John stepped forwards and picked Much up.

'Be careful with him!' Robin said.

Marian moved to his side and put a gentle hand on his arm. Robin looked down at her and for a moment looked as though he were going to pull her into his arms.

'I cannot thank you enough, Robin.' The King stepped forward.

Robin looked up at him. 'It was Marian and Much, sire.'

The King nodded and smiled at Marian. 'You are fortunate in your friends, Huntingdon.'

Robin nodded, his attention clearly elsewhere.

'I owe Much a great debt,' the King said gravely. 'Is there anything I can do that would go some way to repaying that debt?'

When it became apparent that Robin was not going to speak, Marian said, 'Bonchurch, sire.'

'Bonchurch?' King Richard asked, looking from Marian to Robin.

When Robin still did not speak, Will stepped forward. 'When Robin and Much returned from the Holy Land, Robin made Much a free man.'

'Gave him Bonchurch,' Allan cut in.

'You could make it official,' Marian finished, 'Sire.'

The King smiled and nodded. 'It shall be so.' He looked at Marian quizzically. 'And what would you like, Lady Marian?

Marian's eyes flicked to Robin's face, but he was lost in thought, his mind clearly on his friend. 'I have everything I need for the moment, sire.'

The King's smile widened, then disappeared as he regarded Robin. He put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. 'Robin,' he said, his voice soft, 'You are exhausted. Go to your friend, rest, but make sure you find me before you return to England. There is much I would say to you before you depart again.'

'And we must bury Carter,' Robin said quietly. King Richard nodded, his eyes filled with empathy. Robin looked to Will and Allan 'Make sure the King gets back to his camp, then come and meet us at Bassam's.'

*

After Djaq had assured them that Much would live, Robin had disappeared. Bassam's house was quiet now, everybody lost in sleep. Marian moved through the darkness, searching for Robin.

She found him sitting outside, by the door to the house. His hood was pulled up, concealing his face. He held his bow in his lap, looking down at it intently.

Marian approached and called out to him. He glanced up at her, guilt flashing across his features. 'Much-'

'Is fine,' she said, sitting beside him. 'Sleeping, actually, as you should be.'

'He saved your life.'

Marian nodded.

'Gisbourne would have killed you if it was not for Much,' Robin said, his attention on his bow again. 'I should have been there. For both of you.'

Looking at him, Marian was forcibly reminded of a time when they were children when she, chasing Robin and Much through the forest, had fallen down into a ditch, twisting her ankle. Robin – as always – was too far ahead to hear her cry out. It was the quieter, slower Much that had heard, had come back for her. Robin had been only seconds behind his friend, but had been almost beside himself with guilt.

She pulled his fingers from his bow and entwined them with her own. 'As much as I love Much, I do not think he was saving me.'

Robin looked at her quizzically, then said, 'The King-'

'Neither was he saving the King.' She looked at him silently for a moment, then went on, 'Last year, at my wedding,' she felt Robin's fingers tighten convulsively around her own, 'did you hear what Much said, in the church?'

'He said the King was an impostor,' Robin replied.

'He was so angry with me,' Marian said, her tone filled with dry amusement. 'Angier than even you, I think.'

'That man is a traitor! And a liar! Is that legal?'

Marian stared at Much, feeling, as well as seeing, the utter anguish on his face.

'And-' Much pointed an accusing finger at her – 'Her heart belongs to another! Let her tell you that!'

She looked from Much to Gisbourne, tears streaking down her face under the veil. Much was her friend. She had known him as long as she'd known Robin. Robin. Where was Robin? Why was Much here in his place?

The thoughts flicked through Marian's mind in a fraction of a second. She looked up at Gisbourne and she lied. Lied to save her father, to save herself.

Much was dragged from the church screaming her name. Then, when he was out of sight, she heard him scream 'He needs you! Marian!'

'You spoke the truth, Robin. You and Much were always more like brothers than master and servant, than friends. He did what he did for you.'

Robin laughed mirthlessly. 'I did not want Much to come to the Holy Land. Did I ever tell you that?'

She shook her head. When Robin had informed her of his intention to join the Crusade, she had been more concerned with being angrily cold towards him to afford Much any thought.

'I did not want him to come to war. He was kind and gentle. He refused to listen and came with me anyway. When we got here, I was glad he did. Then when Gisbourne tried to kill the King, Much saved my life. We were so relieved to be going home, then we got back to Locksley and-'

'It will all be over soon.' Marian said, soothingly.

Robin stood and began to pace in front of the door. 'Will it? I do not think the King intends to come home until he has made peace, and until he does-'

'The Sheriff maintains his power.'

Robin nodded. 'When I saw you and Much lying there…'

Marian rose fluidly and stood in his path, putting her hands on his forearms. 'We are both alive.'

He looked at her, the moonlight reflecting in his eyes as they flicked over her face, as though confirming what she had said. Then he nodded and pulled her to him, breathing in the scent of her hair.

*