Chapter 1
Ever since I was a baby I've always been protected by my mother, father or one of the many guards in the castle. I had never been allowed to travel through the forest alone, I had been told stories from mother and father about the outlaws who lived there stealing money from people like my father. The outlaw who had been mentioned every time was the notorious Robin Hood, my mother talked about him with such love that on occasion that I never saw between her and my father.
Snapping out of my day dream Father and I were stood in the court yard "Annabelle, that's your present", in front of me was the softest dress I had ever seen the bright red would show off my fair complexion I ran towards the dress which was being held up by one of the maids that I saw on the odd occasion giving her a slight nod of the head I took the dress off her holding it to my small frame and spinning around the courtyard.
Out the corner of my eye I spotted a prisoner being forced across the courtyard. "STOP! Please Father don't kill him"
My father who had been watching my outburst stood in front of my taking the dress out of my hands and passing it to a nearby servant. "Look at me, he has done things that you wouldn't even imagine, he needs to die." He wiped away a stay tear which had fallen from my eyes as he talked
"If he needs to die please wait till after my birthday, I won't be able to enjoy myself knowing that someone has just died, please Father, I won't ask for anything you can take the presents back so long as no one gets killed on my birthday." By now I was sobbing into my hands trying to hide my face. After a while of thinking father told the guard to take the man back down to the dungeon, I walked back up into chamber still tears in my eyes.
After the door closed a smile played across my lips, yes I love my father but sometimes he was oblivious to what was going on, the man who was going to be put to death I had been told was one of Robin Hoods men. I loved the stories my mother would tell me about how Robin and his men would always protect their own.
I had been told that I had to be at the manor within 3 hours and father had given me back the red dress so I could wear that to the party but before I would even consider going to my party I would try to help the prisoner I had already saved from death.
Once I put I put on my dress and put my hair up and off my collar I headed down to the dungeon, the guard was one who always paid attention to me, he use to work in the stables but father got very protective and made him a guard down here so I wouldn't see him, he was cute but I always imagined who I'd end up with to have something more.
"What are you doing down here? It's restricted" he said trying to not look at me.
"so you've forgotten my name, and to think I remember your name, Max, and I got you this present" I handed him a wine bottle filled with sleeping drugs once he started drinking it he would be out cold within an half hour, Giving the prisoner perfect time to escape and not looking like I had anything to do with it. After that Max let me through into the dungeons I looked around until in the far cell I saw a boy not much older than myself, he was the boy I saved this morning I could tell.
Slowly I walked up to the cell max was still behind me so I had to be careful with what I said the boy came closer to the door he was stunning, his hair was darker than mine, his eyes looked coal black in the light from the sky light.
"My name is Annabelle, I wanted to check that you were alright." I smiled sweetly at the man in the cell before turning back to max "please can you go and get me a jacket from my chambers please I never realised how cold it was going to be" just for extra effect I trailed my hand up and down his arm as I spoke with that he left almost sprinting off to my chamber. "Listen in about half hour he will be asleep, I gave him a sleeping potion," I reached up grabbing a pin from my hair it was silver with red flower encrusted at the end, then passed it to the man "use this to unlock the door, most of the guards will be off duty there having a party so you'll be able to escape" I turned around heading away when he grabbed my hand very softly making me turn around to face him again.
His eyes didn't look as black as before they held hope "how will I return this to you?" he waved the hair clip slightly before looking into my eyes.
"Don't. Keep it, sell it do whatever you need you need to do" with that I walked away "remember half hour then go" I left the door just as Max was returning with one of my jackets. I headed off to the courtyard where my horse was waiting to take me home to the manor. All the way to the manor the guards around me wouldn't talk to me so they stayed a few yards behind me. As we got to the manor mother was already in the stables waiting for my arrival. Mother was just as beautiful as she had ever been. She said that the house wasn't ready for my arrival yet so we went for a walk in the close by forest.
We walked for about fifteen minutes without saying anything to one another, we didn't walk too far into the forest but just far enough so that no one would have followed. "What's wrong darling you don't seem happy it's your birthday" Mother said as she pulled me to sit down next to her. I had always been able to tell mother anything, unlike father she knew when I was lying.
"I did something really bad, father will be very disappointed in me" I looked down at my feet before I continued "I just helped one of the prisoners at the castle to escape." Mother was shocked her face was priceless a cross between worry and … pride?
"Annabelle, look at me" I slowly turned my body towards my mother, she surprised me by putting her arms around me and hugging me. Not that she didn't hug me normally but in these situations I half expected to be thrown out. "Who did you save?" her look was serious again.
"There was this man this morning he was going to be put to death but I told father I didn't want anyone being killed on my birthday so I got his execution postponed. Then before I came here I gave the guard a bottle filled with sleeping drugs and I hope you're not mad at me"
"Darling I couldn't be mad at you, but who did you save?"
"I didn't catch his name, but I knew he was one of robin hoods men" my mother hugged me again and slightly whispered something which sounded like "saved me a job" after a few more minutes of sitting in the forest I stood up " we better be getting to the party before they send out a search party" mother stood up telling me to go on ahead, so thats what I did until I hid behind a tree close by and continued to watch my mother after about a minute a man appeared and sat next to mother.
The man was shorter then my father his hair was light brown, almost a sandy blonde colour. His voice was so calming that I made sure I was close enough to hear what they were talking about.
"Your daughters amazing she saved Kyle, like mother like daughter" he said with a smile to my mother
"She's your daughter too, she's like both of us" Mother replied hugging the man next to her. I let out a gasp as she spoke and mother tuned around to look at me. "Annabelle! What did you hear?"
I walked towards my mother and the man, slowly realising who he was, it was Robin Hood. Still shocked " how could you mother, you lied to me!" after that I ran back to the manor trying to make sure my dress didn't get too filthy. I didn't want to go to the party now, after everything all I wanted was to be alone, I ran into the stables hiding behind the door, he walked in. Robin Hood my father.
"Don't talk to me! Leave me alone" I tried to shout but came out as little more a whisper. I was trying so hard to hate this man but I couldn't he hadn't done anything wrong if anything I hated myself for not seeing that something wasn't right between mother and father, I knew that Guy had made mistakes but because he was my father I forgave him for that. The mistakes he made had been unforgivable but still I called him Father. Just then I decided that I was going to help the poor, become the "night watch man."
"None of this is your mothers fault, so don't tell Guy, if he finds out then your mother will be dead and you also, the only reason Guy loves you is because he thinks that you are his child."
