Chapter II: Ambitions and Welcomes

Sir Guy was very impressed with Lady Rachael and her family but mostly her and her cousin. He did hope his reason for being with the lady was beyond her justly so for he did not seek favor with Marian yet. Lady Rachael was very much dislike her cousin. To where both her siblings and cousin were tall, she was more petite in stature. Marian had some proof besides her hair of her feminine form but Lady Rachael it would be no secret that she was a woman. She had a well corseted but however voluptuous chest. She wore darkly framed spectacles except when she rode her winning destrier and when she rebelled and refused to put them on apparently he mused.

"Would seem they are both equally matched." He heard her comment; he reached up on the tree, which had been the set finish line, and tugged three apples from the branches. He handed her two. She inclined her head and fed one to Magdalene who tried to nip at the second one. Lady Rachael scolded as she then went over to Judas.

"Sir Guy may I feed this apple to Judas?" she asked before giving the fruit to the animal. Guy was shocked how calm Judas was around her but also because she had asked to give the apple he meant her to eat to his stallion. He shrugged and gestured a hand to Judas's mouth Lady Rachael smiled in half terms of the word, only one side of her smile went up and as she fed the destrier her one-sided smile became a full smile but still only through her pale bloodless lips.

Guy wondered why she did not care to wear lip rouge or powder; she wasn't like Marian or tavern wenches who seemed to pile it on to enhance certain features. Her face was of normal womanly length; her nose unlike Marian's had no upturn or hook like her brother, little on the larger end for feminine noses.

She was taut in the cheeks and it created her features to be soft but angular. Her hair was a different story than her family as well. Where Sir Thomas and Lady Sarah had dark blonde almost to be likened with that of Robin, Rachael's was dark near ebony with rays of light hitting it within awakening the crimson strands within the near raven-wings hair.

Pulled from his musings by the Lady's brother; Sir Thomas.

"My God Sir Guy wandering with my sister without a proper companion to either of you; you must be bored." He laughed good-naturedly. Lady Rachael though happy for her brother and friend's safe return did not share his mentality of being restricted.

"Dear brother I should like to think that Ashleigh would be suited for such a task for you. As she is your wife and mother of your children; you should ride to your estate to check on them." She dismissed after a moment of obvious contemplation he embraced her. "Sir Guy, Sister." He rode off.

"I think you should head back now Sir Guy surely my lord Sheriff Vaisey will have missed you by now." She quirking her voice as if she was trying to keep the annoyance out.

"I believe you, yourself need be in attendance." He replied back.

"I have already stated my disdain for the feasting on the hard backs of others Sir Guy. Forgive me for not yet attending." She said turning away to mount Magdalene.

"Surely your family would be grateful of the company." Sir Guy urged.

"Tis not my feast to attend nor is it my place. As you yourself Sir Guy, have witnessed I am not like my family." She mounted her mare. "Good Day, perhaps I shall see you on the morrow." She said awaiting his response which was an inclined bow of his own ebony head and with that she rode back to Knighton Hall and he mounted Judas and slid back off to Nottingham Castle.

In the castle Vaisey had managed to convince Sir Thomas and his family to eat among the other nobles. Lord David was chatting with Sir Edward whilst Lady Sarah chatted up her mother. Robin had appeared by Vaisey about the same time as the lieutenant. Vaisey would speak to him later.

"Ah Huntingdon you are missing your own feast." He quickly snidely rebuked. "Rumors abound."

"And pray tell this gossip." Robin deadpanned trying to keep himself from getting angry.

"That you are weak your…exploits have damaged you returning you back home." He said softly.

"My master has come home with honors from the King himself." Much piped up only to be silenced by Robin's raised hand.

"Though I'd assume a crusader a greater honor would have been to stay and fought… Oops oh well." Vaisey drawled.

"I have spoken to my peasants with Sir Thomas in your dungeons they have committed grave crimes. Which in fact would make you all the more compassionate in these people's eyes if you were to pardon them of these crimes." Robin ground out

"They will hang. We must have example and law." Vaisey said baiting him.

"It is accustom for the Sheriff to hear to his nobles' requests for clemency." He was boiling back his anger.

"Blah-di-de-bla-blah. Oh by the way in your absence we have nominated Sir Thomas to oversee tomorrow's entertainment. Unless of course you wish to?"

"No!" he said sharply.

"Too bad I wish you would; so these nasty little rumors of weakness would not have to spread. Better get them out while the stain is fresh. Hmm? Otherwise we'd all be paying for it."

"Fine I shall do it." He growled. Vaisey walked down the steps then turned around. "Oh and Do tell Lady Rachael next time you see her; I require words." He smiled heading back down. Then Marian headed through the archway straightening her dress.

"Marian…" Robin and Guy said in exact unison.

"Yes." She replied not specifying to which man it was for. Guy asked her for her company and Robin rolled his eyes and was disturbed as she took her hooked arm to his, they headed down the stairs.

"Go on Much enjoy. I think I shall search Rachael out." Robin said sadly.

"Master surely you would mi…" he trailed off and he went to help Ashleigh and Sir Thomas with their children.

Robin was still in quiet thought roaming the halls of Nottingham Castle when suddenly the alarm went up. Mass quantities of guards were called. He heard Vaisey's inhuman screech. He looked around for the reason not finding one. He then heard Sir Guy and the master at arms De Fourtnoy yelling at each other and then to the guards. Robin asked one who passed by him, "What is going on?"

"Prisoner escapes my lord. Believed to be released by Sister Phantom." He revealed. "Sister Pha…" Robin was cut off by Vaisey's yelling. "PHANTOM!" Robin noticed the woman known as Sister Phantom mount her horse white as snow.

She wore the Templar's uniform and her metal mask thick around the eyes. The metal was silver and clasped the side of her face with metallic vine wires that gave her the appearance of a masked nymph. Her mouth was cover by a scarf that lay under the vine work of her mask. In the dim light that remained from the setting sun Robin mounted his own horse and warded off the Sheriff's men. The nobles and poor alike saw how he defended Sister Phantom's actions.

"Good people of Nottingham! The prisoners that were released by Sister Phantom were of Locksley. They deserved no more than the spill in stocks or a tanning for their crime no more than that. Will you tolerate this injustice? I for one will not."

"MASTER!" Much screamed running after him. Robin grabbed his manservant up and saddled him and the rode off to Sherwood. Whilst in Sherwood the men came face to face with Sister Phantom. The younger boys Luke and Benedict had already retreated back with Dan Scarlet and left Much, Allan A Dale, Will and Robin to speak with her.

"She saved them Master surely she isn't all bad." Much tried to defend.

"She is a woman… an outlaw she helped us yes but now we ourselves are conspirators and outlaws." Robin argued. "Who are you?" he demanded.