Chapter Two

Clear conscience

"Are you scared?" She asked Guy, he hadn't said a word to her for the last two hours and, to her surprise, it unnerved her. Sitting in a dark, damp cell was tedious, but having a silent, unfriendly person in the cell next to you, made it almost torturous.

"What of?" He asked darkly.

"What of?" She scoffed, before her voice turned soft. "Your date with the executioner."

"Do I look scared?" He demanded.

"Since I've only seen the back of you for hours, I wouldn't know!" She exhaled and all was silent for a moment. "Actually, no. Terrible, yes." He turned slightly and their eyes actually met for the first time in hours. Dark, cold, unfeeling. "You're not frightened. I'm almost impressed. It's as if you've got a clear conscience."

"Well, why shouldn't I have?"

"Because of all the awful things you've done in your life." She pointed out softly.

Guy of Gisbourne had done many horrid things. Ordered buildings burnt, tongues cut out, fingers cut off and impressed people who couldn't pay their taxes. She'd even seen him hit her own father for being a penny short! He'd also stabbed maid Marian and she'd almost died, but God had deemed that she be fit to live and marry the notorious outlaw, robin hood. Ever since then sir Guy had become more heartless and cold towards the people of Nottingham. It was as if he had no heart and all emotions had wrenched free from him.

"No one…actually seems sorry that you're about to die. Are they?" Her voice actually became tender and she realized what she was saying. No one would care that he was gone. No one. Did he have any family at all? "Does that….not make you sad?

"I care not what people think of me." He said quietly. "What's done is done. And if I am to die, so be it."

"Is your life, really that empty," she asked quietly. "that you don't care whether you live or die?"

He turned his back to her and she sighed and looked down at her bread she'd received. She sighed, hating herself for feeling a trace of pity for Guy of Gisbourne. She went to pinch off a portion of burnt bread when she saw something in the bread.

She peered closer. "Eww!" she flung the bread away from her and began to wipe off her dress. She could feel Guy watching her, but knew he wouldn't ask her what had caused her disgust. "Maggots. Disgusting." She sighed, hating that she was feeling so childish. Still the sight of those creatures made her sick.

Guy picked up the bread and she frowned slightly. Well, finder's keepers. She'd thrown it away and it landed in his cell. She turned to avoid looking at him as he began to scrape at the bread.

"Here." She turned and saw him extending the bread towards her. She frowned slightly. He was actually giving it back to her? "You need to keep up your strength."

She crept forward and examined the bread. It appeared to be maggot free. She smiled and took the bread. Their hands brushed and she paused at she felt warmth at the touch of his hand. She blushed and quickly averted her gaze. He watched her as she chipped off a piece.

She looked up into his eyes and smiled. "There must be some good in you yet." His eyes were blue, not dark brown as she had thought them to be.

He turned aside. "You don't know me."

"You don't know me either." She pointed out. "So I guess that makes us even."

"Besides," he said, a faint trace of amusement in his eyes. "I thought you hated men."

"I do." She started. He arched an eyebrow and gave her a look that clearly said, "are you sure?" She felt heat fill her cheeks as she put another piece of bread in her mouth. "I do." She examined the bread before popping it in her mouth. "So, have you any family sir Guy?"

He frowned. "Just Isabella. And you?"

"My father. You might remember him. Village of Locksley."

"Describe him."

"You hit him."

"I've hit many people."

"He was short a penny."

"As were many."

She groaned. "I threw a stone at you. Missed you, hit your horse though."

Light flashed in his eyes. "I remember. I threatened to knock your head off if you did that again."

She nodded with a quiet smile. "Aye, you did. Sorry, I didn't mean to hit the horse though, I love animals."

"On the behalf of my horse, I accept your apology." He said dryly. "I think I may remember some of those suitors of yours. By your descriptions, would the one with the 'brains of a tree' be the miller by any chance?"

She smiled broadly. "Yes!"

Guy snorted. "That half-wit must honestly have no wit at all if he thinks he could satisfy your needs."

She paused in mid bite, her female pride taking that line a little offensively. "And I suppose you could?"

Guy's face darkened and his voice dropped a pitch lower. "You're not my type. But yes, you'd need someone like me. Someone who could keep you under control."

"Control!" she said, irritation creeping into her voice. "Control me?"

"Yes."

She laughed. "I'll let no man tame me! I'll be me own woman and I shall be what I want to be. No one, I repeat, no one, not even you, could tame me."

Suddenly, Guy reached through the bars and grabbed her around the waist. She let out a shriek as Guy pulled her as close as the bars allowed to him! His powerful hands pulled her against and next thing she knew...Guy of Gisbourne was kissing her! Shock, and Guy's lips working her lips hard, made her limbs grow sluggish. After what seemed like an hour in Heaven, Guy released her. Both were breathing heavily as they separated.

Guy studied her before replying slowly. "It's a shame," Guy stood up and moved towards the cot. "that I'm dying tomorrow. For I'd love to try to tame your wild ways."

She looked down at the bread and and threw it away, her appetite gone. "Men." Her lips tingled and as much as she wanted to, she wasn't going to touch them. She was not going to give Guy the satisfaction of knowing what effect his kiss had upon her.

Guy fought the smile that threatened to make its way to his lips. Meg was a curious girl. Part Irish by the sound of her and a lively tongue. He wasn't attracted to her, or so he told himself, she was just fun to irritate. The kiss, was a spur of the moment way of humiliating her. Or...that's what he'd been telling himself, but his heart hadn't slowed down from the kiss. It was just a kiss and he owed it to the fact that he hadn't kissed a woman since Marian. She was the total opposite of the quiet and conserved Marian.

Marian.

He remembered when he'd lost control in the heat of battle and had stabbed Marian. She deserved it; he'd tried telling himself that many times. Two years of lies, false promises of love, kisses that seemed to promise a future together. But when the moment to become his wife arrived, she humiliated him and left him. Then, once again engaged to him again, she laughs in his face and declares how she was going to marry Robin Hood, his archenemy. He'd lost it. He was sick of her lies, deceit and betrayal. But oh, why did his heart have to ache for her so much?

"Release her!" Guy looked up to see his sister, Isabella, coming down the stairs in her royal splendor.

Meg jumped up. "Isabella, you're back!" Her enthusiastic voice ringing throughout the cells. He wasn't sure if he was going to miss her or not, he'd decide when the cell beside him was once again empty.

"Yes," Isabella shot him a glare. "Though I'm not sure my brother will feel the same." She gripped Meg's unshackled wrists and tugged her towards the stairs. "Come on lets go."

"Wait!" Meg said stopping and glancing at him. "Won't you release Guy too?"

Guy's head shot up. Isabella was shocked as well.

"What?" She said a poisonous note in her voice. "He's our enemy."

"But-" Meg stammered.

"Oh you see how he's manipulated you already?" Isabella soothed. "A few hours in a cell with a cold hearted killer and even you lose your wits, that's the poison of men Meg. None of them can be trusted. He'll get exactly what he deserves."

"What is that?" Meg asked curtly.

"Death."

"Does anyone really deserve death Isabella?" Meg asked. "I mean after all, this is your own brother!"

Isabella frowned and scowled at Meg. "Listen," she said. "I saved you. Don't make me regret my choice!"

"No, my lady!" Meg said. "I'm grateful. It's just….well…your own brother. And if he were my brother-"

"Did he seduce you?" Isabella demanded.

Meg gasped and blushed. Guy stood up. "Watch it Isabella."

She laughed. "Or what? You'll break the chains that bind you and strangle me?"

"If I could...I'd snap your neck."

"Milady," Meg stammered. "we…only talked and the subjects were nothing that you'd expect. Chains, family and death, nothing else. He mainly told me to shut up."

Guy nodded. "Except, she won't do that. So get her out of here!"

Isabella studied her closely, but she seemed content with Meg's answer. "Good. I better never hear a note of you pleading for guy's release. It will not happen."

Isabella pulled Meg along behind her. Guy watched as she glanced behind her shoulder at him once, before rounding the corner with his sister. As silence reigned, once again, loneliness enveloped him and to his disgust, he was missing Meg's company already.

What was the matter with him? His heart belonged to Marian. Only Marian! Even though she was married, his heart would always belong to her! So...why was his mind, body and soul suddenly consumed with the idea of the girl who was just leaving the dungeons? Did she know that she'd taken a small piece of his hardened heart with her?