The child of Robin Hood and Maid Marian Fitzwalter

Chapter II

"Please tell me."

Later that night, after dinner and a visit from his father, Caleb quietly went up to his bedroom. Apparently Caleb's mind was filled with questions about his father, so I thought the person to ask would happen to be Marian.

As soon as Caleb entered his bedroom, he immediately changed into his red, silk pajamas.

After Caleb brushed his fangs and teeth, and lighted up his fireplace, he heard a knock from his door.

"I wonder who that is." Caleb thought as he approached the door, and opened it to find Marian in her blue nightgown, and carrying a tea tray.

"I assume you have some questions about your father." Marian said as she walked into Caleb's bedroom and sat down on a comfy chair right, right in front of a lit fire place.

"How did you know, mum?" Caleb asked curiously

"I saw the questioning look on your face when you ate your dinner." Marian said as she picked up a book off of the coffee table.

"Now that you have mentioned it, mum, I do have one question." Caleb said as he sat down on the chair next to her. "I've heard my father's name around the whole castle. Is he famous or something?"

Marian let out a small chuckle. It was obvious Caleb had never heard of his father before.

"Yes, he is famous, baby doll." Marian replied with a small smile now. "Your father is famous for stealing money from Prince John, and giving it to the poor."

"Why did dad steal?" Caleb asked as he crossed his long legs. He was tall for his age, about five-foot, three-inches.

"Because Prince John was collecting taxes from the poor, and the poor needed money to survive." Marian replied. "So, they relied on your father to save them. And that's why they considered him a hero and, maybe someday, a legend."

Caleb let out a whistle when he heard his mother's story. The letters he received did not tell him everything about his father. Now, Caleb did know, thanks to his mum.

"Wow!" Caleb said with admiration as he slipped on his slippers.

Marian nodded her head slowly.

"You could say, my son," Marian continued, "your father fought Prince John to uphold justice, by breaking the law."

"So," Caleb said, "where's dad now?"

"Your father, though now pardoned, is still living in Sherwood forest." Marian replied as she picked up her teacup and took a sip of tea from it. "Your cousin, King Richard, is thinking about inviting him to come and live with us, someday."

"Really?" Caleb asked excitedly as the thought of his father coming to live with him and Marian made him feel like a child on Christmas morning.

"Yes, my excited child." Marian replied with another soft chuckle. "Like I said, someday."

Then Marian got up to leave.

"I'm going to bed, baby." Marian said as got down on one knee, then hugged and kissed Caleb. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Goodnight, mum." Caleb replied as he returned the hug and kiss to his mother.

Then Marian left Caleb's bedroom and went to bed in her room.

"Aren't you going to bed, young man?" Lady Kluck asked Caleb as she stood in front of Caleb's doorway, with two knitting needles in her hands.

"I will in a little bit, Lady Kluck." Caleb replied.

Then Caleb walked over to get his bag off of his bed, opened it up, pulled out his personal journal, a long feather quill, and a bottle of ink, walked back to his chair, sat down on it, and began to write in his journal, which he bought while living in London.

After writing for an hour and a half, Caleb put the journal away and went to bed.

But before Caleb went to sleep, he looked out of his window and sighed.

"Goodnight, dad." Caleb said quietly into the night, knowing he will see his father again.

The next morning, Caleb woke up to the wonderful smell of breakfast coming from downstairs. He got out of bed, got dressed, and went downstairs to the Great Hall, which was decorated with beautiful, red and white flags. And the long tables were covered with white, silk tablecloths with red Holy Crosses on them.

But as soon as Caleb entered the room, he heard the entire crowd, on the other tables, shout:

"LONG LIVE KING RICHARD."

"Good morning, everyone." Caleb greeted his family.

"Good morning, son." King Richard replied friendly.

Then King Richard offered an empty chair for Caleb at the table between King Richard and Marian.

"Thank you, Cousin Richard." Caleb replied as he took his seat and sat down.

"You're more than welcome, young one." King Richard replied as he took a sip of his orange juice.

"That's your permanent place at the table, from now on." Marian added.

"Hungry, son?" King Richard asked with glee.

"Yes, sir." Caleb replied as he picked up his napkin and placed it in his lap. "Very hungry."

King Richard chuckled and loudly clapped his paws together twice. Then two servants emerged from the kitchen and brought a plate of breakfast food, and a cup of orange juice, to Caleb.

"Now, eat up, baby." Marian said to Caleb, with a paw on his right shoulder.

Caleb looked at her, smiled and nodded. Then he calmly, and politely, ate his breakfast while talking to his mother and his cousin between bites.

Later, after breakfast, Marian and Kluck were out in the backyard, playing volleyball. And right now, it was Kluck's turn to serve.

"Here it comes, Marian dear." Kluck called out as she threw the ball straight high into the air, and then hit it towards Marian.

Marian hit the ball. Then, later, both women were having a good time playing the sport.

Then Marian heard a familiar voice from behind the bushes behind her.

"Marian, darling." The voice said quietly.

Marian stopped playing and looked behind the bushes, to find Robin waving at her.

"Robin!" Marian greeted as she ran to him.

"Marian, love. Good morning." Robin greeted as he gave Marian a hug and kiss.

"Good morning, darling." Marian replied, returning the hug and kiss to Robin.

"Dad!" Caleb greeted as he emerged from inside the castle.

"Hey, there he is." Robin replied with glee as Caleb ran to him and hugged him. "Good morning, son."

"Morning, dad." Caleb replied. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Yes, son." Robin replied. "John and I cooked up some eggs for breakfast."

Then Robin turned to Marian with a desperate look on his face. Marian saw this and could tell, by the look on Robin's face, something was definitely on his mind.

"Marian, darling." Robin started to say. "Would you like to take a walk with me through Sherwood Forest?"

"Of course, love." Marian replied in Robin's left ear.

Together, the two foxes left the castle and entered Sherwood Forest, paw in paw. Like Caleb, Robin had a lot of questions to ask Marian, so he had to ask her about Caleb.

"Marian," Robin started to say, "I've got a lot of questions about you and Caleb.

"Okay," Marian said, shrugging, "What are they?"

"First of all, love," Robin replied as he lifted a finger to her, "You've got to understand I suffered a concussion when I hit my head after I jumped into the pond."

"I understand, love." Marian said, nodding her head.

"When and how did you give birth to our son?" Robin asked as they stopped at Robin's hideout. This time, Robin shrugged.

"Well," Marian replied as she and Robin sat down on a rocky wall, "I gave birth to Caleb when I was in London.

It was a beautiful sunny January day in London. The birds chirped beautifully as the sun shined over a huge, beautiful, six-story mansion. And looking out of a window, on the fourth floor, was a young orange vixen named Maid Marian Fitzwalter. But one thing about Marian was that she was pregnant with her fiancé's child, and the baby was due any day this month.

"Boy, I can't wait to have this child." Marian said as she rubbed her swollen belly.

Then Marian walked over to her bed, collapsed on it, and thought about her life as a mother. Was it going to be easy? Hard? She didn't know now, but she will soon.

One thing Marian did know was that Lady Kluck agreed to help raise the child. They had even turned a spare bedroom, next door to Marian, into the child's nursery during the baby shower.

Then Marian wrapped her waist in pain. The child was ready to be born. Desperately, Marian struggled her way to the door and opened it.

"Hello?" Marian called out into the hallway. "Somebody help!"

Lady Kluck, who was just a few doors down the hallway, ran to Marian with two house servants.

'What's wrong, dear? Kluck asked as the two servants helped Marian get to her bed.

"Klucky," Marian replied, "my water broke."

Lady Kluck gasped with shock as the two house servants prepared for the delivery of the baby by getting everything they needed. Fortunately for Marian, the house servants had years of experience with delivering babies.

Finally, after minutes of hard pushing and breathing, Marian finally gave birth to her child.

"Congratulations, milady." One servant said as she handed Marian the new-born child. "It's a boy."

With tears of joy in her eyes, Marian took her wailing baby boy into her arms.

"Hello, Caleb." Marian said to her child.

"Klucky?" Marian said to her nursemaid, who was standing at her bedside the whole time. "Would you like to hold your godson?"

Klucky took Caleb into her arms and held him gently. Klucky had to admit it, of all the babies she had seen all of her life, Caleb was the prettiest baby she had ever seen.

"Oh, Marian," Klucky said as she gave Caleb back to Marian. "Caleb is the prettiest little one."

"Yes Klucky, I agree." Marian said as he gently played with her son's red-orange fur.

Then Caleb finally stopped wailing and gazed at his mother. He had his mother's bright-blue eyes.

"Hello, little one." Marian greeted quietly to her child, who replied with little baby giggles.

Then everyone in the entire house entered Marian's bedroom to see Maid Marian's newborn child, and they all loved him, including King Richard, who came home after a day of fighting in a battle from the crusades.

"This little bundle of joy really lightens up my heart." King Richard said happily as he held Caleb in his arms and sat down, in a chair, next to Marian.

Then King Richard handed Caleb back to Marian, who had tears of joy as she held him in her arms.

End flashback.

"It was one of the happiest days of my life." Marian said with a tear in her left eye. "Just as happy as the day you carved our initials on the tree in my cousin's backyard."

Robin wiped the tear with his left thumb and kissed Marian's forehead.

"Marian, darling," Robin started to say. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

Marian became very nervous. Her paws became sweaty.

"It's alright, Marian." Robin said, trying to calm her. "You can tell me. I won't get angry."

"I was afraid you would get angry if I did tell you." Marian replied, a little relaxed now.

Robin figured out Marian's answer and accepted it. One thing Marian knew, and loved, about Robin was that he rarely got angry.

"Thank you, Robin," Marian said as she laid her head on Robin's chest, "for not getting angry at me."

"Anytime, darling." Robin replied as he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her.

"Would you still like to have six or twelve kids, Marian?" Robin asked Marian suddenly. "It's your decision, darling."

Marian calmly shook her head. "One child is enough, Robin."

Robin accepted her answer. Then the two lovers continued walking through the forest, and continued talking.

Meanwhile, back at Nottingham Castle, Caleb was busy oil-painting the entire village from his bedroom. Oil-painting was one of Caleb's favorite hobbies, and he was very good at it too. Right now, Caleb had painted three oil-paintings, so the picture of Nottingham was going to be his fourth picture. The rest of his paintings were hanging on his bedroom walls.

"Oh mercy," Lady Kluck said with delight as she entered Caleb's bedroom and looked at the paintings. "What beautiful paintings these are. Did you do all these, dear child?"

"Yes ma'am, I did." Caleb replied with a paintbrush handle in his mouth.

Then Caleb heard laughter coming from the backyard. Caleb got up, looked out his bedroom window, and saw Marian and Robin entering through the gate, paw in paw. Very anxious to greet them, Caleb ran downstairs and went outside.

"Mom, dad!" Caleb greeted them as he hugged his parents. "I was getting worried about you two."

"Here's our boy!" Robin replied as he and Marian returned the hug.

"No need to worry about us, baby." Marian added.

'Dinner is ready." Lady Kluck called from inside the castle.

Then, like a real family, the three foxes went inside to have dinner.

End of chapter II

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