4.

Gisborne stood in the castle corridor with his back against the wall; Vasey infuriated him, "How dare he give Knighton to Una!" He yelled mentally "He knows exactly how that place makes me feel." Gisborne grew angrier, "This time he has gone too far, I delivered Hood to him and yet he still throws it all back in my face." He turned around and kicked viciously at the solid stone wall, hoping to vent some frustration. He stopped when he heard the doors to the main hall open and quickly pressed himself against the wall when he saw Una come out and ascend up the stairway to her chamber. Guy waited a couple of minutes for the Sheriff to appear, when he didn't he began to move silently up the stairs after Una.

oOoOoOo

Una flopped onto the four-poster bed, she hadn't realised how tired she was until now. "Three weeks on a cold cave floor can really take it out of you." She joked to herself and laid back onto the bed, she couldn't believe how much things had changed so quickly. "To think I was going to leave him for dead." Una felt a pang of shame as she remembered this, Guy had proven to be a man of his word and the Sheriff had rewarded her indeed. Her thoughts then turned to the Sheriff of Nottingham; Una didn't like him much, he was vile, narcissistic and clearly hated getting his hands dirty. Men like Vasey were all talk and very little action, unless someone else was doing it of course.

She brought herself out of her thoughts and walked over to the wooden table where she had set her bag. She took out a comb and began to remove her hair from its braid; suddenly Guy of Gisborne burst through the door;

"He gave you Knighton!" Gisborne raged "That bastard gave you Knighton!" Una backed into the table, knocking her bag onto the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Una cried furiously, she had always hated feeling scared. "Have you never heard of a little thing called knocking?"

"He knows exactly what that place means to me." Guy began to pace around the room, his fists were clenched. Una felt nervous, Guy was strong and she had gotten lucky the last time her attacked her.

"Guy, what's wrong?" Una asked calmly, not wanting to provoke him. "It's just a village, what's so special about it?" She stayed propped up against the table and kept her eyes fixed on the leather clad figure stalking around opposite her.

"It was hers, it was Marian's." Guy's fists relaxed slightly as everything tumbled out, "I killed her, I killed her because she loved that ridiculous outlaw instead of me." He kicked over a chair and walked to the wall opposite and slid down against it. Una looked on as Guy folded his knees under his chin and hugged them tightly; he looked like a lost child. "I try to push it to the back of my mind and move on but I can't. She used me so many times but I loved her and she just laughed at me." Una moved slowly across the room and slid down the wall beside him;

"Can't you see that Vasey has done this on purpose?" She started, unsure of how to handle the situation. "He knows that the only hold he has on you is through her; he's put me there because he doesn't want you getting close to me. He's worried that if you get over this then you'll turn on him."

"Why has this not scared you?" Guy asked simply.

"I'm not scared because I would have done the same thing." She whispered back, holding his gaze. "I have made men lust after me in order to obtain things, but never love me. To break someone's heart is unforgivable."

"Are you saying that Marian deserved it?" Guy sneered. When he had kissed Una the day before he was so sure of himself, so sure that killing Hood was the answer yet Vasey's stunt had sent him reeling.

"Yes." She said blankly, Guy was stunned by her honesty but he couldn't help but feel the slightest comfort from the fact that someone other than Vasey was on his side. "Granted, you could have handled things a little better but what's done is done Guy; you can't change things now. You have to learn to accept things before the Sheriff breaks you down to nothing."

"He already has." Guy sighed resignedly.

Una gripped his arm tightly. "Don't you dare talk like that," Guy noticed that the fire in her eye's had returned. "You cannot let Vasey get to you like this; he is just an insignificant little man and without you he would crumble. Deep down even you know that." They sat in silence; Una could almost imagine Guy's mind working like clockwork, trying to process everything.

Eventually he smiled weakly; Una was right, he couldn't give Vasey the satisfaction of seeing him fall apart. He rose slowly and offered his hand to Una, helping her upright. "Thank you." He said, he had not noticed that their hands were still intertwined. "It seems I've had a lot of things to thank you for lately."

"No, thank you." Una replied. "If it wasn't for you I'd still be back in Sherwood Forest." She beamed at him. "Now if you don't mind; it is late and if there is one thing I crave more than anything at the moment - apart from the use of my hand - it is a bath." She gently slid her hand from his.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, his face was starting to redden as he began to make for the door. "I shall leave you, my Lady."

"Guy stopped and stared at the floor. "What is it?" Una asked, to her horror she realised what Guy was staring at; her Tarot cards had spilled out from her bag and all over the floor. He bent down and slowly retrieved 'the Lovers' card; holding it up, he turned towards her.

"Care to explain these?" Guy asked menacingly. "Hardly the works of God are they?"

"Well last time I checked murder wasn't exactly top of God's list of favourite things either." Una returned Guy's stare as he backed her up against the wall. She couldn't help but find it slightly amusing how within a day of meeting the two of them had been in such close proximity of one another so many times. Una waited for Guy's threats but they never came;

"Una please; be honest with me," She could see it in his eyes; Guy was desperate to be able to trust her. "I know what you told the Sheriff was a lie, but please tell me the truth. I have told you of my past, you at least owe it to me to tell me yours."

Una sighed. "You had better sit down." Guy did as he was told and sat down on the chair at Una's bedside. Una pushed herself from against the wall and slowly walked towards her bed, she sat facing Guy.

"I was 13 when it happened; my older brother Alexander and I were wandering through the forest in Oxfordshire when we came across a traveller's camp. Alex, being the ever domineering one decided to exert his authority on the travellers by releasing their collection of songbirds they had hanging around one of the caravans. Of course, what my foolish brother didn't realise was that the noise would obviously alert the travellers of an intruder."

Una paused, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them she saw that Guy's eyes were still fixed on her.

"I hid behind a tree and watched as 5 men beat my brother to death." Her eye's shone with tears, "The old hag who owned the caravan found me, she decided that since the birds belonged to her she would take me as replacement."

"I'm sorry." Guy whispered.

"Why? Alex was an idiot; he was always looking for the next opportunity to show off. Just like my father, just like the Sheriff." She added angrily. "I lived with them for 17 years, moving all over the country. The old hag permitted me to learn some of her skills, including the tarot cards." She paused again and leaned closer to Guy. "I like to be in control Guy; I wasn't in control that day and look what happened. The cards help me feel like I have some sort of power over my future."

"Why did no one come looking for you?"

"They did, well they came looking for my brother to be more precise." Una laughed bitterly. "I had 3 brothers and my father loved them all, I was just a hindrance to him; I wasn't going to carry on the Oxfordshire name so therefore I didn't matter."

Guy couldn't believe what he was hearing, no wonder Una didn't want to tell him about this.

"I escaped 3 weeks ago; the old hag had made sure I had an excellent knowledge when it came to potion making and herbal remedies, so I used it to my advantage. The traveller's had to let me go, my brother's debt had been to the old woman and not with them."

"You killed her?"

"I had to, the place was suffocating me." She buried her head in her hands, "It was my only way out, if I'd have tried to make a run for it they would have caught and killed me for sure." Una laughed dryly, "We are not so different."

Guy moved and sat beside her, he put his hand under her chin and raised her head so that once again their eyes met, with his other hand he wiped her tears away and smiled.

"There was no way you could have saved either you or your brother whether you were in control or not. You did what you had to do and now you are back where you belong, you finally have your life back on track. You cannot let the past stop you." He pulled her into an embrace, his head resting on hers as he delicately stroked her hair.

"I won't let it if you don't." She replied, despite her tears she still looked beautiful.

"Agreed." Guy replied with a small smile. "Now you must get some sleep." He said breaking away and gently laying her down onto the bed, "a lot of things have happened today; you will feel much better after a good night's rest in a comfortable bed." He stood up and walked to the door, "Goodnight Una."

"Goodnight Guy." Una replied sleepily as Guy closed the door behind him.

I know Gisborne seems a bit of mess at the moment but I think that's how he'd be feeling in his head, one moment he'd feeling one way about things the next moment another. Hope everyone is enjoying is so far :) Nice comments please! :)