Two new sets of eyes were trained on Elisa now. Both would see exactly what she wanted them to see: a Lady of some standing, impressive but humble, a little tired but strong, and completely sure of herself. The small man Guy referred to as Sheriff glanced at her guards and back to her while she fancied that if he stood up he would just be able to see over her shoulder. The other woman, however, was looking at Elisa with utter dislike and a trace of worry.
Elisa was surrounded by amateurs. She could guess the thoughts of everyone in the room from their expressions. Guy was pleased he could surprise the two, the little man was trying to figure out who she was from her attire and guard- and was failing- and the woman was not used to having female company and was unwelcoming and possibly slightly jealous.
It was unsettling to hear this short man be called Sheriff, though. The kind man she remembered was not present and Elisa worried silently what had happened to him. Still, it would be difficult for anyone to understand her thoughts or emotions, because her natural reaction was to think first and feel later. Such a trait was helpful in many respects, and was developed through her years at court.
"Madam, would love to chit chat, but the truth is I don't have all day, so please, let's get the introductions out of the way." The Sheriff betrayed his emotions with the impatience in his voice. Elisa smiled coolly to herself, he would be disappointed if he expected her to obey him so quickly. She enjoyed annoying him as she used to annoy her older brother. Some habits were hard to break.
"Sheriff," Guy cut in, ruining Elisa's fun, "This is Lady Elisa. Lady, this is Vaisey, Sheriff of Nottingham." Gisborne gestured to the woman next, "And this is Marian, our feminine touch at the castle."
Elisa bowed her head as she curtsied so no one could see her roll her eyes at him. The guards who stood in the shadows shared a significant look for they knew the meaning behind Elisa's movement aside from the general courtesy.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sheriff Vaisey and Lady Marian," she said, rising back to her full height. "I must thank you for your hospitality as I expect to stay here for a short while." The statement was slightly rude and Elisa knew she might ruffle some feathers with it, but she knew there was no way he could outright refuse her visit.
Still, it would seem that he could try. The Sheriff, with his greedy little eyes fixed on Elisa, spoke with some annoyance in his voice, "Well, my lady, I regret to inform you that we do not take in strange nobility. Especially if they are friends of outlaws currently harassing our shire."
"As I would expect of anyone. And I am sorry to make you take me in on faith, but Prince John could assure you of my station if you only wrote to him," Elisa let her flippancy on the issue shine through the thin- and obviously faked- veil of embarrassment and continued, "If you do send a message to him, I would love to let him know of my return. I have not had the opportunity as of yet."
The mention of John's title worked like the charm it always did. Elisa expected it to have a greater effect on this man after the rumors she heard about his darker ties to the regent while Richard was away. The only visible reaction of the Sheriff's was a narrowing of his eyes, but it was enough for Elisa to know that she would have nothing to worry about. Flaunting her connections was something she only did from necessity and in order to get the Sheriff's respect. It would do her no good to come all this way and be turned away from Nottingham castle. She needed at least to meet Robin before returning home.
"So it seems that you will need a place to stay until I can get a message to our Prince." Vaisey was unhappy with the current situation, but the connection his new guest had to royalty had him worried about offending the crown. He turned to the woman introduced as Lady Marian, "Show her to the guest suite and be a friend to her during her stay. You should find some comfort in the presence of another woman at the castle." He sounded like he had just swallowed a particularly disgusting medicine. "And you," he returned to Elisa, "try not to get in the way while you're here. We weren't ready to be hosting."
Elisa bit back the retort she would have made in the past, knowing she was stepping on toes and her place at this castle was tenuous even with the threat of the Prince's displeasure. She focused her attention on the Lady Marian instead and waited for her to lead the way out of the Hall, hoping the Lady would not insist on remaining any longer.
It seemed with some reluctance that Marian accepted Elisa as a respectable guest, even if she was not a welcomed one. The latter had to take a small step sideways as the former stalked past her and out into the hallway. "Thank you for your hospitality, Sheriff. I do hope to be of service during my stay." Elisa nodded politely and followed the woman into the hallway, her guards slipping out quietly behind her.
"What was all that about, Gisborne? You're bringing another leper into my castle?" The Sheriff was glaring at the door through which she had exited, ticking through the options he had regarding this unwelcome stranger. Options ranging from refusing hospitality to using her connection to the Prince, if there really was such a connection. That would be the first thing he confirmed. He would move on from there.
"If she really is a friend of Robin's, don't you think he'll feel some misplaced sense of responsibility if she should come to some harm in this castle? He's so predictable that it's pathetic." Guy was gruff, not anything new, but he was also defensive. There was no use in bringing the woman to the castle if the Sheriff was going to waste this opportunity to provoke their biggest nuisance.
"If he's so predictable," the Sheriff began, his words becoming more and more punctuated as he went on, "why haven't you caught him yet?" The Sheriff's words had found their mark and Guy clenched his jaw shut in frustration. He wasn't done though, "And your little plan doesn't mean anything if she has the protection of royalty. We cannot afford to anger Prince John."
Gisborne was seething by the time the Sheriff had finished. Not only had his prize for the Sheriff turned into a burden, but he had been whipped into submission again. "What do you want me to do now, sir? Our hands are tied until we know if she's telling the truth about her connection to the Prince. But do you really think she would lie about such a thing?"
"Since when have you become such a conspirator, Gissy? Leave that to me. We will have plenty of opportunities to use her in any outcome," he reassured, leaning back in his chair. "First we'll write to John, make sure she is who she says she is. Then we'll let Robin know of our guest, yes? He probably knows she's here, but we should make sure he knows the Lady Elisa is being taken care of."
Gisborne's smile looked feral as he imagined how this person might give him the upper hand with his enemy. It had been some time before Robin Hood had been extorted in such a way, and Guy had missed the tortured look he caught on the outlaw's face when he was deciding what to do about the threat. If this woman was indeed a friend, it could become quite entertaining.
I feel like apologizing for taking so long to get another chapter out, but at the same time I feel like apologizing will get any readers thinking that I can consistently turn them out more quickly and that is not always true. So I apologize for the pacing because I'd like to write more immediately, but life gets in the way a lot. Thank you for reading! I'll try my best to get more up before another six months go by. xD
