Chapter 6
Loyalty and Treason
The sun was high in the azure sky, and its strength was so ferocious that the sand itself shimmered and sparkled in the sunlight. A silence reigned in the Crusaders' camp in the morning hours as the majority of the king's men were still sleeping after the night of dissipation and farewell party in one of the finest brothels in the south of Acre. Not many Crusaders were awake, and some of those who didn't sleep were still in an alcoholic haze and were unable to fight; the king wasn't protected well now.
Robert de Beaumont wasn't in the king's camp; by the end of the night, he had been so inebriated that he had been carried to the Citadel of Acre by his comrades. Carter of Stretton, Roger de Tosny, Aubrey de Vere, and a handful of other guards hadn't drunk much at the party, thinking that it was not a time for relaxation despite the achieved peace in the Holy Land; Edmund of Cranfield hadn't attended the party. Robin of Locksley wasn't in the camp either because he spent the night with Melisende in Acre.
In the spacious royal tent, there were King Richard, Edmund, Carter, and the uninvited Saracen envoy. King Richard was reading Saladin's urgent message, and everyone waited for the king's speech in a tense silence. The messenger had arrived unexpectedly, showed Saladin's personal seal, and requested an audience with the king. After he had told Edmund the correct password, he had been admitted to the king.
A stunned Richard the Lionheart threw the parchment away. Anger replaced his initial surprise. His hands on his hips, he bent his head until his face was very close to the messenger's. "Why does Saladin want to revoke the peace treaty? Why is he going back on his word?"
Nasir shook his head. "My sultan is not canceling the treaty yet, but he can do that."
The king sighed heavily. "Oh?"
Nasir continued, "My sultan says that he will cancel the peace treaty if you refuse to discuss certain issues with him in person. He is prepared to talk, but only face-to-face."
The king's eyes flickered to Carter and Edmund, who were as shocked as Richard himself was. He regretted that Robin and Robert were not there and he couldn't consult with them.
"Saladin himself will come?" Richard asked.
Nasir gave a nod. "My Sultan agrees to meet with you, man to man, alone in the desert."
Richard sighed. "Where?"
"Outside Imuiz, the town ruined by your Crusaders," Nasir replied.
"When?" the lion questioned.
"Today at noon," Nasir said.
King Richard regarded Carter and Edmund, hesitating with the answer.
"My liege, is this wise?" Carter inquired with a note of apprehension in his voice.
"Sire, it sounds strange," Edmund noticed.
Nasir feigned regret. "Saladin knew it. You don't want to make any concessions to us, and, in this case, he will abrogate the treaty." He stepped aside, ready to leave.
The king thought for a moment. "Wait." As the messenger turned around, he spoke resolutely. "We will be there. We will discuss everything in person."
Carter's face fell in both disbelief and amazement. "Sire, please consider other options. Let's delay our departure and send our messenger to Saladin to arrange an official round of negotiations."
"My lord, let's wait for Robin. He will return from Acre soon," Edmund exhorted.
"No," the king said dismissively. "Robin may come back in the afternoon."
Nasir smiled at the sound of Robin's name. "Sire, my master offers you a gift as a sign of his goodwill."
The lion arched a quizzical brow. "What gift?"
"A gift of life," Nasir proclaimed emphatically, looking at Carter and Edmund, his gaze indicating that he wanted them to be dismissed.
"Leave us," Richard commanded.
Edmund heaved a sigh, Carter said nothing. Both of them reluctantly obeyed.
Nasir stepped closer to face the king. "There are men in your country who want to kill you."
The king took a step forward. He shook his head, laughing softly. "Thank you, but we already know about the Black Knights. Everything else is out of Saladin's business."
"They know that you know. That is why they recruited two of your most loyal men to kill you."
A deep frown marred Richard's forehead. "Who are they?"
Nasir repeated what Vaisey had told him to tell the king to convince the Lionheart of Robin's treason. "They are men whom you would trust with your life. One of them is already here, in your entourage. The other may come here anytime and offer to protect you. Later, when the suitable moment comes and your guard is down, one of them will slit your throat."
A bewildered Richard asked, "Really?"
"Yes, my king."
"Do you know the names? Do you have proof of your words?" Richard demanded harshly. "We won't tolerate unsubstantiated accusations towards the people we trust and towards anyone in our entourage."
The messenger sneered at the lion's last words. Then he removed the parchment from one of his pockets, the document that Vaisey had given him yesterday. "Take this. You will learn who betrayed you then."
Richard took two parchments in his hands. As his eyes fell on the seal – the Earl of Huntingdon's seal, he shuddered inwardly, feeling a cold shiver running down his spine. He broke the seal and unrolled the first parchment; he then looked through the letter. The blood drained from his face at the recognition of Robin's handwriting and signature which he knew so well. Then he broke the seal on the second parchment, unfolded it, and read the letter. He discovered that the second letter was also written by Robin.
The two parchments contained Robin's secret letters to Roger de Lacy, the lion's another beloved and loyal knight. In these letters, Robin wrote that nothing had changed in his relationship with the king despite his rebellion against Prince John in England, and, hence, he could gather intelligence for the Black Knights, aiding them to organize a new assassination attempt on King Richard's life. In the same letter, Robin pledged that he would regularly inform de Lacy about the progress of the peace negotiations and the king's plans to leave Acre. In this way, they would be able to design an effective plan to get rid of Richard.
The king cast a suspicious glance at the messenger. "Who gave you these parchments?"
Nasir proceeded to his tale that he knew by heart after having rehearsed it multiple times yesterday. "You allied yourself with the Hashashin. On the same day, Sultan Saladin and Grand Master of the Assassins pledged to inform each another about all existing and possible dangers for your and Saladin's lives. My sultan kept his word." He trailed off. "By chance, we intercepted the messenger who carried this parchment. We didn't know who wrote it, and so we broke the seal; then we saw what was planned for you."
"We will be in the desert, in Imuiz. Now leave," Richard barked.
Nasir bowed. "My sultan is sorry if the news displeased you, but your life was in danger."
Richard gritted his teeth. "Get out."
A delighted Nasir left; he was pleased that the seeds of doubt had been planted in the King of England's heart. Edmund and Carter entered the king's tent, looking worriedly at the king who threw away one of the parchments and began to pace the tent back and forth. His face turned white with rage, and he felt blood throbbing in his temples. He had never ever been so angry; he was overwhelmed with black fury.
Richard stopped, his mind trying to refute the idea that Robin was playing such a cruel game with him. He didn't want to believe that Robin was a traitor, but the parchment was sealed by Huntingdon's seal and was also signed by Robin. The lion's heart collapsed at the thought that even his dear and ever-loyal Robin, his half-brother and his mother's golden boy, had betrayed him. The revelation drove him to the verge of insanity. He didn't know what to think of Robin and what to do with his beloved knight.
"My liege, are you alright?" Edmund inquired cautiously.
"We are fine!" Richard roared. "Look at what the messenger gave us."
Edmund leaned down and took the parchment from the ground. He looked through the text, and a look of shock spread over his face. "No it cannot be true," he said, shaking his head.
Carter also read the letter, his face evolving into incredulity. "No, no, no," he murmured.
"It is the proof of Robin's vile treachery!" The king pointed at the parchment in Carter's hand. "We don't even need to investigate because we can see that these are Robin's seal and handwriting."
"Indeed," Edmund agreed.
Carter blanched. "I cannot believe that. It must be a mistake."
In the next moment, Sir James of Lambton appeared at the entrance. He bowed respectfully to the king, watching the lion's nervousness from the corner of his eye.
"James, what do you need?" Richard asked rudely.
"My liege, I have heard that Saladin's messenger was here," James of Lambton began humbly.
Richard sighed heavily. "Saladin may revoke the peace treaty if we don't agree to reconsider several terms. Thus, we are meeting with him in the desert at midday."
James gaped at the lion's statement. "Oh, it will be awful if the treaty is canceled!"
The king turned to Edmund. "Edmund, arrest the Earl of Huntingdon as soon as he arrives in the camp from Acre. Then take him to me, in shackles."
Edmund gasped for air. "But sire, we need to–"
Richard cut him off sharply, his Angevin temper flaring up to hellish proportions. "We don't care what you think. If we need your advice, we will ask you," he hissed between clenched teeth. "Arrest all of the people whom Lord Huntingdon brought from England. If Sir Roger de Lacy comes here, detain him, too."
"I… of course," Edmund sputtered, turning deathly pale.
"Leave!" the lion's imperative voice boomed.
Edmund and Carter gave the king grim glances. They bowed to their liege and hurried to obey, fearing the explosion of the lion's temper and thinking of the horrible news about Robin of Locksley and Roger de Lacy. James also bowed and exited the king's tent, smiling to himself at the thought that the sheriff's plan was working and Robin, whom he hated fiercely for so long, would be dead soon.
Robin returned to the Crusaders' camp from Acre in an elated mood after spending a passionate night with his wife. He was annoyed that he was always accompanied by ten guards, but he no longer left the camp alone and unprotected in order to avoid provoking Richard's anger. Robin dismounted and gave the reins to a young guard. He walked in the camp, and five guards momentarily surrounded him.
"Your hands, Robin," Aubrey de Vere, the Earl of Oxford said, not looking at his captain.
Robin sniggered. "Is it a joke?"
"You are under arrest," Roger de Tosny informed coldly.
"And what grounds?" a confused Robin wanted to know.
"High treason," de Vere responded. "King Richard ordered your arrest."
With a little smirk on his face, Robin theatrically bowed his head. "Then let me surrender to you and give you my scimitar." He grinned widely. "It is a very good day for jesting."
Taking the curved sword from Robin's hands, de Tosny handed it to one of the guards. "If I were in your shoes, Robin, I wouldn't have flashed your cheeky grins. What you have done is unbelievable and very low."
"Well, I don't know what I could do to be accused of treason," Robin parried.
Robin allowed the guards to chain his wrists, swallowing his humiliation and wrath. Under a heavy guard, he was led through the camp to the king's tent. The king's men watched Robin grimly, their eyes full of shock and disbelief at the sight of the shackled king's captain.
As they reached the royal tent, Robin saw Much and Little John who stood in the circle of the soldiers, their hands shackled, their expressions shifting from bewilderment to dread at the sight of a shackled Robin. Robin opened his mouth to speak, but in the next moment, he was pulled into the king's tent.
Robin was forced to his knees in front of King Richard; he inclined his head in submission. He managed to notice four people in the tent – Richard, Edmund, Carter, and James. Instinctively feeling the truculent glances of an incensed Richard at himself, he began to realize that it was very far from a joke as he had suspected at first. That frightened him so much that Robin opened his mouth to ask why he had been apprehended, but the unspoken words died in his throat.
"Robin," the king began grimly.
Robin raised his head and stared at the king, his cheeks flushing a shade of rose in agitation. "My liege, with all due respect, I have to say that I don't appreciate such a bad joke."
Holding the parchment in his hands, Richard approached Robin. "On the contrary, I have never been more serious, my dear Robin," he hissed with venomous sarcasm. He was so irate that he didn't f0llow the royal protocol in the presence of others. "Lift him from his knees."
Edmund and Carter grabbed Robin's arms gently and helped him to his feet. Their captain flashed them a radiant smile of gratitude for the respectful treatment. Edmund cast a strange glance at Robin, his eyes full of disbelief; Carter heaved a sigh.
Richard looked disappointed. "Oh, Robin. How could you do that?"
Robin was at a loss for words. "What happened?"
"You betrayed me, Robin." The king ate up the distance between them in two huge strides.
Robin gasped, and his eyes widened in shock. Anger tinged the monarch's aura, as well as something else Robin couldn't quite decipher; maybe it was pain and disappointment, or perhaps even hatred. "I beg your pardon, my liege. I don't understand you."
"How could you betray me, Robin?" Richard demanded incredulously.
"Sire, I didn't betray you." Robin was perplexed.
The king drew a deep, agonizing breath. "No, you did. I was wrong about choosing friends who turned out to be my enemies. Of all the men who have served me, you were the one I loved and trusted the most. I didn't expect that you would stoop so low as to conspire to kill me."
"What?" Robin's expression turned shocked.
Richard tossed his head as if he disbelieved his own still existing doubts. "When I sent you home to England, I did that to protect you, Robin. I thought that you shouldn't have risked your life anymore after being almost fatally wounded in the regicide attempt. I thought that I was sending away a piece of me; I thought that you would represent me there." He paused, sighing in frustration. "Instead, you returned to Nottingham, defied the law, and ran to Sherwood Forest, playing a role of the great fighter for the poor and downtrodden. In reality, you were bought by the Black Knights and hatched a plot to murder your king."
Deeply shocked, Robin shook his head, holding the king's gaze. "You are wrong."
Richard shot him a murderous glare. "Robin, stop pretending. I know the truth!"
"What do you know, my lord? You are in grave danger from the Black Knights, not me!" Robin cried out, disrespectfully, but he had to defend himself. "I have always been loyal to you!"
"And what will you say about these letters?" Richard brought the two parchments to Robin's eyes to let his captain read them. "Will you still deny the fact of your treason?"
Robin lifted his eyes and boldly glanced at the king. "I deny," he declared, his heartbeat accelerating to a panicky rhythm. "Sire, I have never seen these letters. I have never plotted to murder you."
In a voice woven of sheer disdain and deep reprehension, the king continued his verbal assault, "You are a consummate actor, Robin. All your vows and promises are worthless." His voice rose an octave. "The letters are written in your handwriting and are stamped with your seal. Is that right?"
Robin swallowed painfully. "The handwriting… and the seal… are similar to mine. But I swear on all I hold dear that I didn't write these letters to Roger de Lacy. I am sure that Roger is also loyal to you."
The lion flashed a fulminating look. "Now I understand why our reconnaissance gave us nothing." He smiled grimly. "Of course, you cannot find the spy. It is really ironic that you set traps for that spy and complained to me that they didn't work."
Robin insisted, "I have never betrayed you, my lord."
But Richard's didn't hear him. "Your own traps couldn't have trapped the spy because you are the spy!"
"You are mistaken, sire," Robin flung back.
With something between a growl and an exasperated sigh, Richard rushed to Robin. He grabbed the younger man's shoulders and stared into his eyes ferociously. "How could you betray me?" he whispered to prevent the others from hearing them. "I loved you so much. I thought that you… are my only brother who deserves my love and trust." His voice turned lower, vibrating in his chest. "And you betrayed me. You even dared swear your fealty to me on the day when we signed the peace treaty and I told you the truth."
Robin felt his blood freeze in his veins. "I didn't betray you." He held his breath, his heart pounding.
His heart tearing apart in pain, Richard released Robin and stepped aside. Glowering at his captain, he asked, "Do you know that I can execute you for what you did?"
Robin smiled sadly. "Sire, you can execute me; you are my lord and sovereign, and it is your right. Only remember my words that my loyalty to you has always been unwavering. I am innocent!"
"I could kill you for your treason!" the king raged. His favorite's stubborn denial enraged him even more.
"Then, order my death, my lord," Robin challenged, his eyes flashing with disappointment mingled with ire. "It might be considered treason to defend myself. And I have been doing that in the past few minutes."
For a moment, Richard looked as if he were about to draw his sword and strike Robin, for his hand was on the hilt of his weapon. But he simply turned away. "Nobody and nothing could make me so angry, Robin. Only you succeeded." He seemed to not take notice of Robin's painful expression before Robin's face turned blank. "Your betrayal and cowardice to make a confession don't make you look honorable at all."
"Sire, hasn't it occurred to you that I may have nothing to confess?" Robin remarked sarcastically.
"Stop lying, Robin!" Richard fumed.
"Sire, maybe we are wrong," Edmund interjected.
"My liege, I don't believe that Robin betrayed you. We must investigate," Carter put in, his voice firm and loud. "I can vouch for Robin. When I was in England–"
"Quiet, Edmund and Carter," the lion silenced them. "Everything is clear. Robin is a traitor, and we have the proof of his treasonous deeds. There is no need to investigate."
"What should we do with this foul traitor and his accomplices, my liege?" James questioned.
The lion gazed away. "Assemble the men and execute everyone, except for the Earl of Huntingdon."
"But… Huntingdon is a traitor…" James didn't like what he heard, for it could ruin their plans.
"Silence!" Richard's voice boomed. "Our orders are not discussed. Huntingdon will live."
"As you wish, sire," James muttered.
Carter and Edmund stared at the king in profound shock, stemming from both the accusations of betrayal and the sudden pardon. Carter didn't believe that Robin was a traitor. Edmund doubted the accusation, but he hesitated. What astonished them was the king's decision to spare Robin's life.
The king looked at his half-brother from across the tent; there was a dangerous light in his eyes. "We pardon the Earl of Huntingdon as we remember his services to us, for nobody can deny that he saved our life many times, although he schemed behind our back. He won't be stripped of his titles and estates, but he will remain our prisoner. Heavily guarded, he will be delivered to Aquitaine and will be held at our beloved mother's court under house arrest until we decide otherwise."
"For the love of heaven, sire! Release my friends!" Robin begged. "They are innocent!"
The king's eyes met Robin's. "This cannot be done. They are traitors. I can pardon only you, Robin."
Robin smiled, knowingly and ironically; the king was unable to step over the blood they shared through Eleanor of Aquitaine. "My lord, what should I do to atone for my transgressions and sins?"
"Robin, don't test my patience," the lion growled savagely between strong, white teeth.
Listening to the conversation between Robin and King Richard, Carter and Edmund feared that the king would kill Robin on the spot, with his own sword, for the lion was outraged and distressed beyond measure. There was only one man who could pacify the king's wrath – the Earl of Leicester; he could even persuade the king to cancel the execution. But the king's second grand favorite wasn't there. Carter and Edmund admired Robin's boldness, also condemning him for his foolish recklessness and disrespectful behavior towards the king; they were relieved and amazed that Robin was still alive after his speech.
At the same time, the group of four people appeared near the entrance to the camp. It included Roger de Lacy, Allan, Will, and Djaq, each of them out of breath after running through the desert from the walls of Acre. De Lacy and Allan had arrived in Acre only a few hours ago and immediately had hurried to Bassam's house, for they had needed to know where the king's camp was in case the Crusaders had moved on. Will and Djaq accompanied Allan and de Lacy, wishing to assist Robin in stopping the sheriff and Gisborne.
"I must see King Richard! Now! Now!" Roger de Lacy announced, struggling to catch his breath.
"Your password?" one of the young guards asked.
"Thesaurus Patriae," Allan responded, winking at de Lacy who winked back at him.
De Tosny approached the newcomers. "Roger de Lacy," he greeted, sighing frustratingly. "The password is correct. You can go to King Richard," he permitted with another deep sigh.
De Lacy ran as fast as his legs carried him, the others trailing behind him. The grave silence in the camp puzzled them. The king's men looked curiously at de Lacy, whispering something and backing away from them. They paused near the royal tent as Richard stepped outside and stared at them with eyes blazing with anger. The king's appearance bespoke anger and disappointment, and everyone noticed that.
Roger de Lacy dropped to one knee, his head bowed. "My liege, I bring grave news."
"And you too, Roger," King Richard spoke sorrowfully. "I have loved you so much."
De Lacy jerked his head up in astonishment, but he didn't ask anything. He spoke about what they had on the agenda – to protect the king from Vaisey and the Black Knights. "Sire, Gods be blessed that you are alive! The Sheriff of Nottingham and the Black Knights are plotting against you. Now the sheriff is coming here to kill you. They should have already arrived in Acre."
"The sheriff is very cunning. He is planning to murder you," Allan joined the conversation.
"Seriously?" The king released a deep sigh.
"Sire, you have to let us protect you," de Lacy enunciated.
"Oh, Roger, why did you do that?" the king drawled, his gaze sliding to Edmund. "Arrest them."
De Lacy looked dismayed and confused. "My lord, what is going on? We have come here to save you." He didn't say anything else as James of Lambton knocked him out with his broadsword. De Lacy's limp body tumbled to the sand, and the guards hurried to tie his wrists.
Shocked and dumbfounded, Allan shared with Will and Djaq uneasy glances. Then they turned their gazes and noticed Much and Little John who were chained and surrounded by the king's men.
"Mercy, Your Majesty! Ut prosim!" Much entreated.
"Silence before the king!" James screeched, and slapped Much hard across his cheek.
Robin wrenched out of Edmund's grip, stumbling and almost falling as he stepped out of the tent. He was surprised when his legs didn't fail him because he was almost giddy with nervousness. His gaze embraced the picture of his surrounded friends, and he flicked his gaze to King Richard. "My liege, I swear by all that is holy that these people are innocent. If you must take a life, take mine; but spare them," he beseeched, looking into the king's eyes, his own eyes shining with a desperate plea.
The king scoffed. "At last. That's the Robin I remember – a man who considers others."
"He is still the Robin you remember," Djaq interposed, shocked to see a shackled Robin.
Robin continued to plead with the king, "I saved your life, my liege! Don't you remember that? Don't I have the right to ask you to spare someone's life?" His voice rose an octave. "Spare these people."
The lion shook his head, his gaze piercing Robin's face. His heart was weighed down by the grief he felt because of Robin's alleged treason; it was also difficult for him to order the execution of Robin's friends. But his anger was blinding and all-consuming. "We cannot grant your wish, Robin. We won't take your life, and that's enough; the others must be punished." He stilled for a moment and sighed. "But you accomplished many feats for England and for the Lord here, in Acre, on the Crusade. You risked your life for us many times, and you saved us several times. We have not forgotten what you have done for us."
Robin's heart began to pound harder. "Sire, please–"
Richard interrupted Robin. "Let us finish, Robin! We will make you a gift: we won't take their lives." He ran his eyes over the traitors. "We will let the desert decide."
Much began to shiver in fear. "The desert? Well, what does that mean? Decide what?"
"No, I hate the desert. I already feel like a corpse," Allan moaned.
The corner of Djaq's mouth curved in a waspish smile. "Your protest means nothing."
"What are they gonna do to us?" Allan inquired, his eyes focused on the king's large figure.
"Oh, my God! It is madness," Will lamented.
One of the guards unceremoniously pushed Much ahead, motioning to move towards the exit from the Crusaders' camp. Much intercepted Robin's dolorific gaze, in which the innocent captain put all his devotion to his former manservant, together with unspoken farewell words. Much realized what the king meant: they would die in the desert from the heat and thirst, like Richard had done to some of the prisoners in the past.
There was a stir of quick movement all around. In a few moments, the guards began to drag the victims of the king's mistake out of the king's camp. Allan and Will stumbled and fell, but they were pulled back to their feet. Much shot two guards who grabbed him a hateful glare, and one of them punched him in the face. Roger de Lacy was still unconscious, his weight fully supported by James and another guard. Only Little John and Djaq remained calm, as if they had resigned to death, their eyes downcast.
"How splendid, my lord," Robin said with undisguised sarcasm. "You are correct that your choice of punishment for me actually does make it worse to live than to die. You are one of the most cunning and ruthless men I have ever met in my life. You know that I hate when innocents die."
The king threw him a scornful glare. "Robin, you know why I didn't order your death. I am letting you live only because of her: she would have never forgiven me if I executed you on any charge," he said quietly. "Your punishment will be the guilt for the deaths of your friends you will carry until your death."
"Thank you, sire. Thank you for your most benevolent act of mercy," Robin retorted acidly. "I am entirely helplessness! I cannot save my innocent friends, and that makes me feel absolutely worthless."
"Take him away. See to it that he is treated respectfully," the lion ordered.
Robin lingered his gaze on the King of England, his half-brother and his beloved friend, whom he loved wholeheartedly in spite of the greatest mistake Richard had committed today. Robin felt someone's hand on his shoulder; turning to his captors, he stared at Roger de Tosny who was frowning at him and glaring at him contemptuously. Aubrey de Vere urged Robin to go, his eyes full of shocked disbelief and cold disdain. His captors were surprisingly gentle with Robin as they led him to his tent, but their icy glares Robin caught at himself made him shiver like a cold wind prickling every hair on his skin.
Something tightened in Robin's chest at the thought that the king had chosen not to believe him. Richard believed he was a traitor, and that awoke the powerful emotions of pain and heartache in Robin. Kings also made mistakes, Robin persuaded himself, and he could resign to that. But Richard was also his brother, and somehow his blood ties to the king seemed much more important than the bonds of their friendship.
Disappointment and pain filled Robin's at the memory of Richard's words – the deaths of his friends would be his punishment for his treason. He knew that Richard was a cruel, capricious, and vengeful man, but he had thought that his liege could ever view him as a traitor. And yet, he could understand why that happened – Robin himself saw the fake letters written in the handwriting that was so similar to his; he also saw the Earl of Huntingdon's personal seal. It was the plot against him, and there was only one man who could have designed Robin's downfall so proficiently – he was Sheriff Peter Vaisey of Nottingham.
Despite Richard's cruel decision and his accusations, Robin didn't point a finger of blame at his liege. It was Vaisey's entire fault, not King Richard's fault, he mused. Undoubtedly, Vaisey had planned everything in advance! Now Robin had to do something to save the king and his friends. He prayed that he would have a chance to do that because now only God could help him.
§§§
Marian turned to the window and looked out, her eyes taking in the vast expanse of the pale yellow dunes. She had dreaded the moment of their arrival in the Holy Land, to the place that could easily become a grave for King Richard, Robin, herself, and anyone else. She wondered how men could fight in this death-filled land for years, wondering whether they had been bewitched by the enigmatic and monotonous sands.
"Where is Guy?" Marian pronounced aloud, but to herself.
Isabella glanced at her companion with amusement. "Talking to yourself?"
"It seems so."
The door shot open, and Guy stumbled into the room. He was clad in black leather despite the heat. His eyes were blazing like night fires, and there was a look of fury on his handsome face.
A baleful Guy paused near the bed and stared at Isabella, neglecting to look at Marian. "Damn you, Isabella! You are a married woman. Be decent and don't tempt this assassin!" he grouched.
Fear crept up along Isabella's spine. "Guy, have you gone mad?"
"Don't play games with me, Isabella." His eyes narrowed. "I know why Archer is coming here. He comes to you because you are seducing him. You also tell him bad things about me to make him pity you."
"Guy, you are as crazy as your master!" Isabella cried out, her eyes narrowing. "Archer is an assassin, but he is a gallant man and doesn't treat women as badly as you do. He comes to us either to bring us food or to ask whether we need something."
"Isabella, I prohibit you from talking to Archer," Guy hissed. "It also concerns you, Marian."
"Guy, you are incorrect," Marian said absent-mindedly.
"I prohibit!" he bellowed.
"You can prohibit us nothing, Guy of Gisborne," Isabella fired back. "Go to your master and lick his boots for his favor. You are incapable of doing anything else well."
Guy paled as rage swept through him. He came to Isabella and wanted to strike her, but Marian held his hand back. "This is unthinkable," Marian interjected. "What insanity has seized you?"
Guy shook his head, reality claiming him again. "I am sorry."
Holding Guy's arm, Marian glanced into her husband's stormy eyes. "Guy, don't kill the king. You are a decent man. This is... your last chance to be a good man."
He pushed her away and stalked to the door. Before opening it, he turned around and looked at Marian, his eyes cold, his expression hard. "Robin Hood's life is forfeit. Nothing can be changed now."
A shocked Marian grimaced in abhorrence at the sound of his cynical and hateful voice. Her shock crystallized into ire, hard and sharp as a knife blade. "What?" she uttered at last.
Guy nodded. A blank look settled over his face. "Nothing can be changed," he repeated.
"You cannot mean that." Marian shook her head in disbelief.
Gisborne sent his wife a look that would have felled a lesser woman. Marian merely stared back, which served to increase his ire. "I mean precisely what you heard."
"My Lord!" Marian crossed herself.
"I am sorry, Marian." There was undisguised regret in his eyes, which surprised Marian.
"Ha!" Marian snorted in derision. "You think that a simple apology is enough to justify your actions, Guy? Do you really possess such a huge insolence that you can apologize for killing the king and Robin as if you were apologizing not for treason and a murder, but for not giving me a gift?"
Guy came to Marian and put his hands on her shoulders. "Marian, you have no right to tell me anything! You trapped us by your foolish actions in Nottingham when you made an attempt on Vaisey's life!"
Marian scoffed. "And what else should I do when you wanted to kill our liege? I had to stop you!"
Guy bent his head and whispered into Marian's ear, "I told you that I don't want to kill the king. For whatever reason, I don't even want to kill Hood."
Isabella smiled. She didn't hear them, but she suspected what they were discussing.
"Kill the sheriff," Marian appealed to him.
Gisborne sighed. "I have to kill the king to save you and Isabella," he murmured into her ear. "I cannot kill Vaisey because you are guarded by the nine highly trained mercenaries who will kill me and then slash your and Isabella's throats if I try to escape with you after the sheriff's death."
Guy drew back from Marian, looking into her eyes. He hoped to see a sign of understanding into her sapphire blue eyes, but instead he saw only black rage.
"I understand you, but I am fed up with your arguments," Marian said aloud, this time not whispering but speaking in a loud, clear voice. "Remember my words: if you do something bad to the king or Robin, I will never forgive you for that."
Guy took a step back, his expression grim; he didn't expect to hear something like that from Marian. "Even if you never forgive me, at least you will be alive and safe."
"Don't be astonished, Guy," Marian said coldly. "I myself would gladly die for the king and England."
"You won't die, Marian. I will protect you," he assured his wife.
Isabella smiled ironically. "Brother, you have been so good at protecting us since we had left England."
Gisborne ignored Isabella. "I will protect you," he reiterated.
"But even if you protect me or us, someone else may die," Marian spoke apprehensively.
"Better someone else than you," Guy parried. Then he went out of the room. His heart craved to stop this madness and the sheriff, but there was no way he could make amends now.
Marian was silent for a while. "What did they do?"
Isabella shrugged. "Sheriff Vaisey is the Lucifer. He can do everything."
Marian stared at Guy's sister in woeful despair. She didn't wish to think that everything was lost. She couldn't admit that Guy had failed her and that Robin was dead. Her ebullience faded into despair, and she sighed heavily, as if it could help her feel better. She looked at the window from where she could see the sky and the sun that was like a huge conflagration. She began to pray fervently to the Lord and the Mother of God, begging them to intercede on behalf of King Richard and Robin. She wished she knew how she could save the king and Robin, but she seemed to have no options.
Marian and Isabella didn't spend much time together during their journey as Guy had tried to keep Marian close to himself, while Isabella had spent time in Archer's company. Now they were in the same room and lay shackled on the same bed, both of them at Vaisey's mercy. Uncertainty gnawed at both of them, like water eroding away a stone, making the waiting period agonizingly long.
"Why did you marry my brother?" Isabella asked Marian. "He is a monster. He lets Vaisey treat you, his own wife, so despicably, as if you were nothing to him."
"I had my own reasons for marrying Guy," Marian replied, not intending to share her thoughts with Guy's sister, for she instinctively didn't trust her.
"Wasn't Robin a better choice?" Isabella persisted.
Marian sighed. At the words about Robin, her cheeks flushed with excitement that she was unable to hide. "Why does it matter, Lady Isabella?"
Isabella's brows flew upward. "Hostility to me overwhelms you."
"You are wrong."
"I am right," Isabella parried. "You are a brilliant actress, but not as good as you think."
"What do you mean by that?"
Isabella chuckled. "You play a role of a proper, good wife in Guy's presence. Yet, you still fail to conceal your excitement when Robin's name is mentioned by the sheriff and Guy." She reached up to brush the hair back from his temple with her fingers. "It happens very rarely, but when the sheriff is discussing Robin Hood's death, your eyes betray your true thoughts and feelings before turning blank."
Marian's expression was hard and unrelenting. "You are wrong," she repeated.
"Come on, Lady Marian," Isabella said. "I am an observant woman. You feign your indifference to Robin of Locksley. You don't want him dead, unlike the sheriff and my brother."
"Indeed, I don't want Robin dead," Marian acknowledged. "And I don't want the king dead either."
"Well, I believe that you feel something for Robin."
Marian felt anger boiling in her veins. "Lady Isabella, I am married to Guy, your brother. I am a decent woman, and I am not going to discuss another man with you."
Isabella reached out for Marian's hand and took it in her own. "I am not your enemy."
"I hope so."
"We should be less formal. After all, we are relatives, and I have known you since childhood."
"I don't mind," Marian conceded.
"I asked you about Robin because I was astonished that you had married Guy. I remember Robin and you in childhood, before Guy and I were banished from Locksley. You and Robin were always together; you followed him everywhere; you enjoyed and laughed at his incredible tricks and pranks." She glanced into Marian's eyes. "And I am worried about your fate because I don't think that you are happy with my brother. I know how cruel Guy can be to people."
Marian scrutinized Isabella, wondering whether she was sincere. "My betrothal to Robin was broken a long time ago. I returned his ring to him when Robin went to fight in the Holy Land." She averted her eyes. "When Robin returned, many things changed: we both changed and he was declared an outlaw."
"Robin is no longer an outlaw, and Guy has nothing."
"Yes, King Richard pardoned Robin," Marian whispered.
"Well, you are definitely interested in his fate."
"Well, whoever Robin is – a mighty earl or a righteous outlaw, I feel only a sympathy for him," Marian said firmly, her face devoid of emotions. "He is a human being, and I don't want him dead."
Isabella snickered. "Oh, I don't believe you. Pretend in front of Guy, but not me."
Marian withdrew her hand from Isabella's. "Isabella, you are talking nonsense."
The older lady continued, "I have to say that I don't like Robin a lot as he is partly responsible for our banishment. Thanks to Robin, we starved in Normandy for many years."
"I know this story. Guy told me everything."
Isabella's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?"
"Yes," Marian confirmed.
"Do you know what Guy did to me?" Isabella asked suddenly. "He didn't care about my fate after I was forced to marry Squire Thornton in Angers. He was very cruel to me, and he felt no remorse."
"Guy informed me that he had arranged a marriage for you because he didn't have enough money to support you. I believe he didn't want to part with you, but he wished to give you a chance for a better life."
"A better life?" Isabella blustered, her heart drumming in her chest, like an army was marching through her chest, at the memory of her sadistic husband. "Can you call a life with an immoral beast a better life? Do you suppose that I was happy with a man who humiliated and beat me for years and capable of killing me?"
Marian looked abashed. "Oh my God! I am sorry that you had to live through hell."
Isabella looked angry. "Guy wasn't sorry when he married me off to Squire Thornton, Vaisey's distant cousin by the way." Her expression evolved into fury. "He sold me for money, like a slave on the market, and then forgot about me. I am his sister, his only living relative, but he still got rid of me!"
"I understand your anger, Isabella, but I think that Guy didn't know about your husband's cruelty."
"Guy could write me at least once, but he shunned me out of his life," Isabella complained. "All the men are worthless and cruel bastards. Women have to be obedient and sweet with them, bear their children, and satisfy their carnal needs, while they give orders, spend money, go to wars to get their damned glory, sleep with their wives to plant their seed into them and sleep around for sheer pleasure."
"I agree with you, but only partly." Marian had always thought that women were unfairly considered inferior to men in the society. They shared an understanding and a sense of solidarity on the matter. "But not all men are pitiless and vile. There are decent and honest men too."
Isabella laughed recklessly. "I don't think so."
Meanwhile, Guy exited the house. Outside, the sheriff and Archer were waiting for their Turkish allies to arrive. They stood in an oppressing silence for several minutes, Guy and Archer gazing somewhere into the sandy dunes and Vaisey's eyes darting between the two young men. As they spotted Nasir and Karim in the distance, Vaisey sniggered and started humming under his breath.
"Happiness?" The sheriff grinned maliciously.
"Almost happiness," Nasir replied sadly.
Vaisey pursed his lips. "Why? Did the king consent? Will he attend the meeting?"
Nasir nodded. "Mm-hm."
"Where is Robin Hood?" Vaisey inquired.
Nasir shook his head. "Oh, Captain Locksley…"
The sheriff grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Oh, tell me something good! Did daddy punish Hood, eh?"
"We have a problem," Nasir reported sadly.
"What?" Vaisey's voice sounded impatient.
"King Richard ordered to execute every traitor, even Roger de Lacy, but not Robin of Locksley," Nasir informed. "Our spy, James, said that the Lionheart was furious, but he only ordered to detain his captain."
Vaisey shot his accomplice an incredulous look. Guy and Archer stared at Nasir, nonplussed.
"Are you kidding me, Nasir?" Vaisey questioned.
"No, it is true," Nasir assured him. He told them what he had learned from James.
"This is not what I want! Damn Robin Hood! Why does he always come out of trouble?" Vaisey gritted his teeth. "But will James deal with Hood?"
"The king had Robin of Locksley arrested," Nasir pointed out. "James hates Locksley, and he is going to kill his captain in the dead of night today."
"Prince John won't be pleased if Robin Hood dies," Archer remarked.
The sheriff rolled his eyes. "Archy, are you stupid? You came here to kill the king and Hood, but you seem to… hesitate. You are becoming weak, like Gisborne."
"I just brought an important issue to your attention," Archer shot back.
Guy eyed Archer. "I have known that you are a braggart since I saw you in Portsmouth."
"Oh, I may show you what I can do if you wish that," Archer threatened.
Vaisey smiled. "Stop, boys. We have more important deals on the agenda. Don't argue and spoil my today's fun." He hugged Nasir, then looked at Karim. "So, Karim, my dear boy, you know what to do."
Karim looked alarmed. "What if King Richard knows how Saladin looks like?"
"It matters not. You are not stopping for a chat with the king, are you, huh?" Vaisey eased the man's fear.
Karim nodded. "Of course, we won't drink wine with him."
The sheriff let out an unpleasant laugh, his jeweled tooth gleaming in his mouth. He motioned them to go, and the Saracens nodded obediently.
Vaisey came to Guy and patted his shoulder. "Gisborne, there is something I must do. Go with them."
"Yes, my lord," Guy obeyed, unwillingly following Nasir, Karim, and Archer. He didn't see that the sheriff watched him leave with a perfidious look on his face.
A villainous plan was forming in his mind as Vaisey sauntered to Marian and Isabella's room. He opened the wooden door and entered, looking at the two women who were exhausted with the unbearable heat and constant worry. Today was the day of his ultimate triumph, and he wanted to see the defeated lion and the two dead tigresses that were grating on his nerves since their departure from Nottingham. Hood could wait, he decided; yet, his gut feeling told him that Robin would grant all of them a surprise today.
"Good chickens," the sheriff drawled. He stopped near Marian who stood near the window. "I owe you a debt of gratitude, young lady." He tossed the drumstick at her, hitting her in the buttocks. "Thanks to you, I know that Guy is loyal. If you failed to turn him against me, then nobody can do this."
Marian glowered at him. "What?"
Vaisey smiled venomously. "On the ship, I overheard that you, my little missy, demanded that Gizzy kill me. And he refused!" His smile widened. "But Gisborne still needs a lesson."
Marian paled; her heartbeat quickened. Her face was stony, but her heart and soul were mired in unutterable despair and immeasurable hurt. "Your heart... must be the coldest place on earth."
"And what now?" Isabella was frightened, although her face didn't betray her emotional tumult.
"And now we have served our purpose," Marian finished for Vaisey.
"No!" Isabella put a hand on her mouth, her face twisting in horror. "You won't dare murder us!"
Vaisey smiled at Guy's sister maliciously. "Oh, believe me, I will dare, my leper ladies." His gaze flew to Marian. "Missy, you tried to kill me! Do you think I am going to forgive you? Never ever!"
"I know," Marian said briefly, thinking that Guy was an utter fool.
"You cannot kill us! You cannot!" Isabella screamed in rage, jumping from the bed like a panther. "You don't know what will happen to you if I don't return alive to England."
"Enough." The sheriff came to Isabella, surveying her with interest and smiling at her. "You are beautiful, my leper. But Gizzy needs a lesson… to become a stronger and crueler man." He outstretched his arms. "I want Guy to be the boy I met him in Normandy. He was hateful, cruel, decisive, and vengeful, with a firm hand that chopped off heads, hands, and fingers and killed anyone at my order." His arms went to his sides. "Gisborne was a cutthroat thug who could do anything for me." He pointed at Marian. "But you, my dear Lady Marian, bewitched the old Gisborne and took him away from me. I will never forgive you for that!"
"Spare Isabella," Marian demanded in a hollow voice.
The sheriff scowled. "No, I cannot do that for you, my beauty. I want my erstwhile Gisborne back! You both can take his loyalty from me; I don't tolerate divided loyalties, and that's why you must die." He leaned forward, and wrapped his arm around Isabella's throat. "Gizzy's sister, dear God! I am sorry, my blue-eyed leper, but I want Guy to be so overwhelmed with pain and grief that he will revert to the old ways!"
Isabella's eyes glittered with danger. "My death means your own death warrant."
"A sharp-toothed tigress, with much venom in blood," Vaisey commented. "What a pity you have to die!"
"You will go to hell," Marian hissed in a voice laced with implacable hatred.
Vaisey released Isabella and leveled his glare at Marian. "Only after your death, missy, if hell exists in the afterlife. You can depart from this world together with Robin Hood's friends in the desert."
Marian and Isabella exchanged shocked glances.
The door flung open, and Vaisey's French mercenaries and a middle-aged Crusader came inside. The mercenaries freed them from their shackles; then they tied their wrists with coarse ropes, roughly pushing the woman towards the door and not losing a chance to molest the ladies.
As they were already on the front steps of the house, Isabella asked, "Where are we going?"
"You will learn, very soon. Be patient," Vaisey replied nonchalantly.
Isabella began struggling with her captors. "Let go of me! Let go of me!"
"What a spirited lass!" James of Lambton assessed, admiration shining in his eyes.
"She is a leper, James," the sheriff remarked. "Lepers are not worthy of men's attention."
James burst out laughing. "I don't agree with you, Lord Vaisey. After spending so many years in the Holy Land, any Christian woman seems pretty to be your bedmate if she is slender and not ugly."
Isabella screwed up in disgust. Marian huffed in anger and gazed away. The mercenaries giggled.
"Lepers bring only problems. I prefer power over them," Vaisey voiced what was the law in his whole life.
"A wise choice," James assented.
At the same time, the innocent traitors were tied up to the poles in the desert. The sun blazed down at the king's victims savagely. Everyone went very still, barely able to breathe in the hot air. They prayed for a miracle, hoping that Robin would somehow escape and rescue them. But there was no sign that someone was coming, and a lethal fog was slowly enveloping them.
Allan swept his eyes over the long row of the prisoners. "Yeah, I would rather stay in Nottingham and die there than in this hell-hole."
"I would love to see King Richard now. I missed him in England," Roger de Lacy purred in a voice woven of jarring sweetness and heartfelt nostalgia. Having regained his consciousness half an hour ago, he had to face the horrendous truth – he would die a pointless and shameful death of a traitor after he, together with Allan, had hastily traveled across the world to save the king from the sheriff.
Allan frowned. "Are you gonna say that the king is not guilty?"
"It is the sheriff's fault," de Lacy stated with formidable conviction. "Anyway, you must be content and proud that you are dying for your king and for England, even if you are not there."
Allan rolled his eyes in irritation; de Lacy was as staunchly loyal to the king as Robin. "Hey, Roger, I am not being funny, but it is the King of England who put us here. Why are you saying that?"
"Don't blame our king," de Lacy reiterated insistently. "The sheriff circumvented everyone! His insidious scheme besmirched Robin's reputation and doomed us. I should have murdered this hellspawn in England."
Djaq giggled. "Like Robin."
"Yeah, Robin… Only he can save us," Much spoke ruefully.
"If he manages to escape," Will added.
"Robin will save us! He will flee and come here! Don't lose hope! I believe in Robin!" Much twittered enthusiastically. "Robin is like a little bird. He always returns to his home. We are his home."
De Lacy was skeptical. "I am not so sure."
"Why? Do you doubt Robin?" Will inquired.
"Robin must be well guarded," de Lacy explained. "Perhaps, he was incapacitated as well."
"And we will die?" Allan asked in half a whisper.
"Who knows?" De Lacy 's voice was so pessimistic that it was clear he didn't hold out hope to survive.
Tears came to Will's eyes, and the young carpenter lamented, "I am sorry, my love. I should have made you stay with Bassam when Allan and Sir Roger came."
Djaq swallowed a lump forming in her lower throat. "I would have never left you, Will Scarlett."
Much gazed into the distance, as if searching for Robin. "We just have time until nightfall, you know."
Little John drew a deep breath. "Then what?"
"Then... it will be cooler," Much clarified.
Allan let out a small laugh. "Cooler? It will be freezing."
Much's face fell. "I know. But it won't be hot. This heat..."
"Much, we don't have till nightfall," Djaq contradicted.
Suddenly, Much saw an apparition of two women in the distance. He lifted his head, trying to focus his vision on the female figures; then he noticed that there were several horses riding towards him.
"I can see something!" Much shouted. "Someone is coming!"
The others stared at the silhouettes, appealing to them. They didn't want to reconcile with the fact that nothing could save them. Only de Lacy was quiet, skeptical about the possibility of salvation.
"Much is right," Allan agreed.
"Over here!" Djaq shrilled.
"Help! Help!" they cried out together.
"They have seen us!" Much was overjoyed.
Djaq laughed felicitously. "God is smiling on us!"
"Or Allah!" Will backed up his bride.
Staring at the horsemen behind the women, Allan groaned in despair as he recognized the sheriff riding towards them on a white stallion. "Devil is laughing at us! This is the sheriff!"
A look of utter despair came over Much's face. "There is no God."
The sheriff laughed malevolently at the sight of Robin Hood's gang and friends tied up to the poles as common criminals. They stopped near the prisoners and dismounted. Then James cut Isabella and Marian's ties to the saddles and pushing them ahead. Vaisey's French mercenaries were not with them, for the sheriff didn't wish them to take part in the regicide and later use the knowledge about it against him.
A leering Vaisey taunted, "See, that's the trouble with foreign travel. You run into all the same people that you see at home." He pushed Isabella around the pole to de Lacy's back.
Isabella stared at de Lacy in astonishment. "Monsieur de Lacy?"
De Lacy smiled enchantingly. "At your service, my lady."
"You are revolting," Much spat.
Vaisey's laugh boomed portentously in the air. "No, I am just... a clever man," he objected. "I am only plotting a sudden and decisive change of the leader." He took off a glove, his fingers stroking the hot metal of the ring with the insignia of the Black Knights. "Oh, well, you see, I will soon see the king wandering out into the desert alone, unarmed, ready to meet his enemy, and then... England will have a new ruler."
"Foul Traitor! Traitor!" Much screwed up his face, looking at James.
"Get off me," Marian grumbled as James tied her to the opposite side of Much's pole.
"I see that your friend, your dear Robin Hood, deserted you." An insolent grin stretched across Vaisey's face. "Where is our pretty goodie-doer? Why is he not here with his… outlaw friends?"
John reminded, "We are not outlaws anymore."
"It doesn't matter, my darlings. You are traitors in the king's eyes." The sheriff laughed. "I understand you have met my colleague, Sir James of Lambton."
James saluted them and snickered. Then he raised his left hand in the air. "We meet again." He opened his palm, revealing the sheriff's ring that he wore on his middle finger. "Captain Locksley is a fool! He failed to figure out that I am the spy he was looking so zealously throughout the past few months!"
Much regarded James with disgust. "James, you let the Black Knights buy you."
"I work for myself and for those who may help me amass wealth and power," James answered.
"James, you are a rat," Roger de Lacy snarled.
James laughed noxiously. "I am ecstatic to see you dying here, Roger de Lacy. It is a huge pity that your friend, Robin of Locksley, is not here. But he will be dead soon, I promise."
"Vaisey, your hours are numbered," Marian menaced in a low contemptuous growl. "Guy will kill you."
The sheriff grinned fiendishly. "Only if he learns what really happened to you, my leper friend." He lifted his head to the heavens, blinking against the glare of the scorching sun. "Oh, blah-di-blah-di-blah, I would love to stay, but I don't tan well. Do excuse us, for we have the king to kill. Come along, James."
§§§
Robin was placed in his own tent; he was guarded by several Crusaders, one of whom remained inside the tent and five stood outside. His imprisonment was comfortable: the Crusaders didn't dare treat him disrespectfully as the king had pardoned him for the alleged treason. His hands were bound in the front, giving him some mobility to move, and his legs were not shackled, to his great delight.
Robin lay on a large wooden bed, covered with white silk sheets up. He squeezed his eyes shut and thought of the misfortunes that had befallen him today. Robin couldn't suppress the icy chill of dread that caused him to internally shudder despite himself. He couldn't bear the thought that his innocent friends would die because of the sheriff's plot. Fury and hatred filled him to the core; he hated Vaisey with every fibre of his being. His heart was beating so wildly that he had to force himself to think calmly.
His mind in turmoil, but he was endeavoring to arrange his thoughts to invent a feasible plan of escape from the camp and a plan for the rescue of his friends. However, he was disarmed, his scimitar and a curved dagger had been taken away after his arrest. Two more daggers he had kept in his tent and Much's weapons had been confiscated as well. Somehow he had to unlock the shackles, but he needed a dagger, a brooch, or another sharp tool to accomplish that. His mind raced, searching for a solution. He tentatively touched the shackles, his fingers assessing the complexity of the locking mechanism.
The thought that he had Marian's sapphire brooch in the tent struck him, and it was his saving grace. It was the same brooch that she had given him on the day of his capture in Nottingham after he had been just outlawed and the sheriff had planned to hang him. It also was his gift to Marian that he had given her seven years ago when he had courted her before his first departure to the Holy Land.
Robin smiled languidly as the image of Marian flickered in his mind. The brooch was one of the very few mementos of Marian and their love story he still possessed, another one being the sapphire engagement ring, not the one he had given her over a fresh grave in the forest, but the old ring, silver and simple in its design, that he had gifted to her when he had proposed to her before the Crusade.
Robin opened his eyes, Roger de Tosny's flaming head coming into the picture in the opposite part of the tent. He had to somehow outwit Roger. "Where is King Richard?"
"Why do you care, Robin?" Roger de Tosny asked in a voiced laced with hostility.
"I care for him. I don't want him dead."
"Don't lie to me, you traitor," Roger growled scornfully. "I have seen your letter to Roger de Lacy."
Looking at Roger's face contorted in rage, Robin felt anger rise in the pit of his stomach. How could his own men from the private guard believe that he was a traitor after the years of my loyal service to the king? With effort, he took his churning emotions under control. "It is a fake letter," he asserted.
"Why did you betray the king?" Roger confronted Robin. His voice was edged with hurt and anger; he resented his captain, but he still found it difficult to believe in Robin's treason. "You were one of the best warriors who could vie in your valor, bravery, foolhardiness, and God-gifted fighting skills only with the king himself, Robert de Beaumont, and a few others. The king loved you more than anyone else, but you repaid him by committing treason against him."
"I didn't do that," Robin affirmed.
A tense silence stretched between them. Before the silence could become too awkward and unbearable, there was a welcome interruption from de Tosny.
Roger shook his head. "I thought that you are a good man, but you are no better than Gisborne."
"Well, you may think whatever you want."
"The king forgave you. No one knows why he was so lenient towards you and didn't even strip you of all the titles," Roger continued indignantly. "The king should have ordered your public execution." The man was so furious with his captain that he would have probably strangled Robin himself if the lion hadn't commanded to take care of his disgraced favorite.
Anger again took the upper hand, and at that very moment, Robin's expression was almost savage before turning impassive in a split second. "Maybe you will shut up, Roger," he snapped.
"Gladly," the other man responded with obvious relief.
"It is so warm here," Robin spoke after a short pause.
De Tosny leaped to his feet and came to Robin. He regarded the younger man suspiciously. "What can I do for you?"
Robin complained, "I am as hot as the sand under the midday sun."
"What do you want?" De Tosny looked confused.
"Take the sheet away from me. Don't I deserve at least some comfort?"
"No, you don't mean that, Robin. I am not your servant."
Robin grinned brashly. "I mean exactly what you heard, Roger. King Richard ordered you to treat me respectfully. As you took Much from me, and my squire Lionel is not allowed to see me, you must serve me."
"Do you really like being so insolent?"
Robin knew that his only way out was to play a game, acting like a spoiled aristocrat who was insulted by those inferior to him. He had to inveigle Roger to come to the bed. He feigned anger and fumed, "How dare you talk to me this way? Have you forgotten who I am? I am captain of the private guard! I am the Earl of Huntingdon and Count de Bordeaux! I am married to King Richard's cousin! I swear that you will answer to me! I will inform King Richard that you humiliated me and disregarded your king's orders!"
Annoyed by Robin's theatrics, Roger de Tosny rolled his eyes, thinking that Robin was just a brat spoiled by royal favor and the people's love. "A moment, Robin," he conceded.
De Tosny stepped forward and paused near the bed. Roger leaned down to take the sheet, and Robin suddenly pulled his comrade to himself, wrapping his arms around the other man's back. In a few moments, Robin's hand found a dagger on the Crusader's belt. With a swift movement of his hand, Robin raised the weapon and rested the blade against Roger's neck.
"Shhh," Robin murmured, smiling morbidly at Roger.
Their eyes locked, Robin's eyes twinkling with mischief and Roger's emanating fury.
The red of anger tinged Roger's sun-darkened features. "I should have forestalled that you would do something."
"I am a thief," Robin reminded, smiling impishly. "My movements are agile and barely noticeable."
"You won't be pardoned again, Robin."
"Oh, believe me, I will."
"Bloody traitor," Roger hurled an insult at his captain.
There was sadness in Robin's eyes. "I am not a traitor." He clenched his fist, still holding the blade at Roger's neck. "I am sorry. I don't want to hurt you, but I must." Then he slammed his fist into Roger's face, rendering the man unconscious.
Pulling Roger's body from his own, Robin moved on the bed and let Roger fall from the bed. He eyed his unconscious comrade and released a sigh of regret. He swiftly climbed out of his bed and crouched, his hands fumbling for Marian's brooch under the feather mattress. Robin's heart began to beat faster in exultation as he felt the hot metal against his fingers – he found the brooch. He retrieved it and started working on the lock. He smiled slightly as the lock clicked and the shackles tumbled to the floor. He slid Marian's brooch into the pocket of his trousers, thinking that it might be useful later.
Robin bounced to his feet. His eyes darted between the entrance to his tent and Roger's body on the floor, the quiet voice in the back of his head reminding him of his urgent mission. Having no time to look for his own scimitar and his bow, he grabbed de Tosny's broadsword and fastened two daggers to his jeweled belt set with unusual resplendent gems; the belt was Richard's gift to him on his wedding to Melisende.
Robin walked on tiptoes to the back of the tent and bent down to slice the rough material with the sword, cutting a small hole in the canvas side of the tent. He stormed out, crouched, and started crawling over the sand. He scrupulously scanned the area ahead, determined to take the shortest escape route. Soon he was already in the opposite part of the Crusaders' camp. It seemed that he had fled unnoticed, and Robin raised his eyes to the cerulean canvas, feeling a foudroyant joy inundate him.
Suddenly, Robin felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Fearful of the worst, he turned to Carter's grinning face and Edmund's serious face. He blinked, for the vision of the two familiar faces didn't vanish. He had been discovered and would probably be apprehended again!
"Oh," Robin gasped, a chill running down his back.
Carter grinned. "Yeah, Robin Hood can escape any trap, cannot he?"
"Well, I suppose so," Robin replied in a quiet tone.
"Are you alright?" Edmund asked Robin with concern.
Robin looked like a frightened child. "Yes, I am. What now?"
Carter chuckled. "Now we have the king to save."
Robin frowned. "Where is the king?"
Edmund sniffed and wiped away the beads of sweat from his forehead with his fingers. "King Richard is a desperate man. He went to the desert to meet with Saladin and discuss the peace treaty."
Robin's expression changed into horror, the bloody pictures of Richard's murder creeping into his mind. "It is the sheriff's plot. He is going to kill Richard."
"And we will save the king and our friends," Carter said with a reassuring smile.
Robin recovered his confidence. "Yes, we will rescue them."
Carter handed to Robin his scimitar and his bow, with a full quiver of arrows. "For you, my friend."
Robin smiled gratefully. "Thank you."
Robin, Carter, and Edmund crawled towards the border of the camp, staying flat on the sand as Crusaders walked past the area where they were hiding. They managed to leave the camp undetected.
As Robin noticed several horses waiting for them in the back of the camp, he realized that Carter and Edmund had planned to free him, going against the king's instructions and, thus, believing Robin. Warmth filled his heart at the thought that not everyone considered him a traitor in spite of the king's words. Yet, the pleasant sensation was supplanted by the pain that brought him back to his senses and reminded him that Richard was the main reason of the troubles which had befallen his friends.
§§§
The innocent traitors were sizzling under the ferocious, blazing sun. They were sweaty, thirsty, and exhausted, and their skin seemed to be afire, seemingly hotter than the sandy dunes. They didn't fall unconscious yet, trying to concentrate and think, but the heat had already taken its toll on them: their vision was blurred, their heads spinning, their mouths dry; their minds were dulled, their perception deteriorated. Every minute seemed to be longer than an eternity as they waited for death to claim them.
"I am going to have a heart attack," Isabella of Gisborne complained.
Roger de Lacy smirked. "A heatstroke," he corrected.
Isabella lowered her chin. "It doesn't matter. They are the same sort of thing."
"Hmm," de Lacy snarled. "I can imagine how bad you feel in the desert after residing at Prince John's court and warming his bed every night."
"What?"
"What are you doing here?" de Lacy demanded. As they were tied to the same pole, they heard each other rather well, while others had to strain their ears to overhear their conversation.
"The sheriff kidnapped me," Isabella enlightened.
"I think that you needed to come here," de Lacy assumed.
"You think that I am out of my mind, sire?" Isabella defended herself.
"You are Prince John's whore. He sent you here." De Lacy didn't care that he was very rude.
"You are a cad, Monsieur de Lacy." Isabella shuddered; then she let out a quiet laugh trying to relax.
Marian and Much were tied up to the same pole, and each of them felt uncomfortable not only due to the heat. Knowing how deeply hurt Robin was due to her betrayal, Much loathed Marian for her decision to break her betrothal to Robin and marry Guy of Gisborne. Marian felt like a cat in a strange garret as she knew that all the former outlaws and particularly Much fiercely disapproved of her marriage to Guy, questioning her loyalty to Robin and the cause.
"Much," Marian called him.
"What?" Much reacted, lowering his chin down and shutting his eyes.
"How has Robin been doing here?" she asked, feeling a tiny hammer on her heart.
Much gaped at her question. "Robin is alright, not in the desert as we are."
"I mean Robin's marriage," she clarified.
Much was amazed that she had learned about it. "Robin is a lucky man. Lady Melisende is King Richard's cousin. She is beautiful, clever, and kind. I like and respect her."
Marian felt a stab of jealousy in her proud heart. "I am glad."
"This is the best what he could have after your betrayal," Much castigated her.
"Much, I didn't want… to hurt Robin. I thought that it would be for the better…" Marian's voice was thick with emotion, and she almost choked on the last words.
"It is in the past," Much said in a formal voice. "Robin likes his wife. She likes him. They are a stunning couple. You should forget about him."
"I wish Robin only all the best," Marian chocked out.
Much muttered something about Gisborne in a hateful voice, and Marian winced inwardly. She shut her eyes as the bright sunlight blinded her and aggravated the throbbing pain in her head. It was considerate enough of Much to answer her questions about Robin; it could even be a sign that Much, her childhood friend, still had some fondness towards her. She wished Much to understand her and be friends with him again, but she doubted that the man would ever be able to overcome his resentment her.
Allan was taking deep and shallow breathes with his mouth. "We are gonna be burnt here alive."
Will sighed. "I thought that Robin would come."
Djaq closed her eyes, her head spinning. "If he didn't find us, then it means that he couldn't escape."
"Robin would have never abandoned us," John agreed.
"I am bathing in sweat. This is terrible," Isabella lamented.
"It may be worse," Djaq added. "It is the expense of being in the Holy Land."
"King Richard may be already dead," Allan said.
"Damn the sheriff! May he go to hell," Roger de Lacy cursed.
"I believe that Robin will save us," Marian asserted.
"I would love to think so, but I don't hope for that," de Lacy opined.
"Don't lose hope," Marian prompted. "Something good will come out of this."
Allan, Will, Djaq, Isabella, and Marian were looking into the distance, their eyes wrinkled to slits against the severity of the sun. Everyone was plunging into abysmal despair. Much started sobbing quietly, and no one reproached him for the lack of self-control. The last vestiges of hope were dying in them.
"Much, dying an honorable death is better than living a coward's life," Marian claimed.
"I know! And I am not… crying…" Much muttered.
"He is not crying. He is laughing on the wrong side of his face," a familiar voice spoke.
"Carter!" Much cried out in joy.
Everyone laughed as a feeling of relief washed over them. Carter was approaching them, with Edmund and Robin walking next to him. They had several horses, with full water flasks hanging from the saddles. Robin and Edmund also carried flasks.
"We thought that you had left us!" Much reproached them.
Carter cut Little John's ropes. "Sorry. Out here you can lose your head." He handed a knife to John and walked round to Allan. "It is very hot today."
"I was a little… tied up myself," Robin spoke as he cut Much's ropes, staring incredulously at Marian and not comprehending how she had ended up in the desert with his friends.
"But you fled," Much inferred.
"I did, but it wasn't very easy," Robin replied.
"Yeah, we are free," Allan said happily.
Robin bowed to Marian, deeply and elegantly. "It is fortuitous to find you here, Lady Gisborne! I hope you are doing well after having a little rendezvous with the sun in the desert," he said in a mocking lilt, punctuating the comment with a smug smile, teasing imps dancing in his pale blue eyes.
Marian looked distressed for a moment, but she swiftly reigned in her emotions, and blankness settled over her face. Robin, her Robin, who had been rejected by her, now stood in front of her, grinning at her insolently and mocking her. They met under the most unexpected circumstances she could ever imagine – in a land of death and destruction, in Acre. Robin had saved her life from Vaisey today! The man in front of her was the old Robin, but now all was different: Robin of Locksley was not only her former betrothed, whose heart she had broken, but also a married man; not an outlaw anymore but the king's loyal servant.
Marian studied Robin's face closely. At first glance, Robin was as handsome as ever, and, of course, he was dashing, arrogant, conceited, and smug as well. Did he recover from the pain she had caused him, or did he need to recover from it? Marian found Robin looking unusual in a white Crusader tunic, his usually pale skin exhibiting a slight brown color; she also noticed that his sandy-colored hair turned a shade lighter.
Yet, Marian knew that Robin was greatly affected by their meeting. The tightening of his jaw proved that he was emotionally moved to see her after a long separation. She closed her eyes for an instant and drew a deep breath, listening to her racing heart and letting herself regain her composure. When she looked at him again, her emotions began to push to the surface – amazement, fear, anxiety, longing, joy, and happiness. Her ego couldn't help but inflate at the realization that she still had power over him. And a voice deep in Marian's heart decried that her old love for Robin didn't die despite being forbidden and impossible – they both were married and, hence, couldn't even dream of each other.
Marian held Robin's gaze; her knees were trembling. "I am well, thanks to you and your friends. I owe you my life, Lord Huntingdon," she stated formally.
Robin let out a cocky smile. "I have to say that it is not the best idea for a married lady to travel to the Holy Land only to find herself tied up in the desert." His voice sounded chilly.
Marian gave Robin a hard glare, wishing to wipe away that holier-than-thou smile from his face. "It is not what I wanted to do. It is what I was compelled to do."
Robin looked interested. "What happened?"
"I tried to kill the sheriff in order to stop him before he could make a new regicide attempt," Marian informed, raising her chin high.
Robin shrugged. "Well, sometimes ladies do something to have adventures they don't need to have. At times, even most intelligent women act on impulse, without thinking of the possible consequences. That's why I shouldn't be astonished; and yet, I am."
"You must cease this teasing of yours because it matters not, Lord Huntingdon," Marian countered.
Robin beamed at Marian his heart-winning smile that would have warmed Marian's heart if she weren't so irritated by his conceited behavior. "Lady Marian, it is common sense, not teasing. I know that you possess a great strength of will, and all the things you did in England attest to this. However, I must say that I have never thought that you may be so foolhardy and so reckless that you resolved to embark on the mission that was almost certainly doomed to failure from the beginning. Thank be to God that there was still time to save your life here, in Acre." Then, not sparing even a quick glance at her, he stalked to de Lacy.
Insulted by Robin's comments, Marian looked at his back with the sickening feeling that he was laughing at her abilities to kill the sheriff and save the king. Robin was enjoying himself as he spoke to her. She was furious at him at the moment, and yet she couldn't deny that there was truth in his words – she had already begun to doubt that her decision to kill the sheriff was the smartest one in the realm of possible options.
"We found Robin on the outskirts of the camp," Edmund said as he finished untying Will and Djaq, who smiled gratefully at him. "We planned to release him, but he was faster and managed to free himself."
"Of course, he was faster because he is Robin!" Much praised his most beloved friend.
"Much! Please!" Robin burst out in feigned displeasure, but he flashed a bright smile. He cut de Lacy's ropes and then released Isabella. "Yeah, there are a lot of interesting things in my head."
"Robin, your head is precious," Roger de Lacy said with a rich chuckle. He scooped their savior into his arms. He told Robin as he drew back, "Thank you, my friend. You saved our lives."
"You are welcome, Roger," Robin responded affectionately, patting de Lacy's back.
De Lacy laughed. "Robin, Edmund, Carter, have I ever told you how much I love each of you? Now I love all of you more than ever!" For a moment, he dropped his gaze as if in embarrassment.
"Roger, you rarely speak about love," Carter pointed out.
Edmund grinned at de Lacy's fake embarrassment. "Maybe Roger is losing his wits and charms after the many years spent in the Holy Land."
Robin's face changed into amazement at the sight of de Lacy tying up Isabella's wrists. "Roger, why are you so treating this lady so discourteously?"
"I don't trust Lady Isabella of Gisborne," de Lacy pronounced. "I will explain everything in a minute."
An amazed Robin regarded Isabella curiously. He was dumbfounded to see Marian in Acre, thinking that Gisborne must have lost his mind if he had taken his wife with him, even if she had really tried to kill Vaisey. But the fact that Isabella of Gisborne also was in the desert confused him even more. He couldn't know that Isabella had arrived in Nottingham after his departure to Acre.
Robin let out a small smile. "Well, we have many surprises today."
Isabella rewarded Robin with a dazzling smile. "You have changed, Robin of Locksley."
Isabella of Gisborne licked her lips. She had extremely improper thoughts about Robin of Locksley. Her lips parted, her body nearly swaying towards Robin's lithe form a little at the sight of his charming smile and his sparkling blue eyes. She was stunned that Robin was such an attractive man who made her able to suddenly fall into a pleasurable fit of passion and desire; nobody, not even Prince John, had ever had such an effect on her. She could imagine Robin's slender body naked in bed, moonlight streaming into the room, and she coveted to trace the firm musculature of his back and shoulders. She wanted Robin as a man.
"And so have you, Lady Isabella of Gisborne." Robin glanced over her well-curved figure and rested his eyes on her lovely features, thinking that she was a beautiful woman, yet sly and definitely not innocent.
Isabella stared into Robin's blue eyes. "You are not disappointed to meet me, Lord Huntingdon?" Her gaze slid down his face to his mouth and then back to his eyes.
The young captain laughed light-heartedly. "Desert spells are so dangerous. They may render anyone in a state when they are unable to feel anything, especially bitterness and disappointment."
"I am most honored to be saved by you, Lord Huntingdon. So few people can withstand these desert spells." Isabella's voice was husky, as if she were whispering endearments into her lover's ear.
"Your speech is too flattering, my lady," Robin threw over his shoulder. His gallantry precluded him from saying that her speeches were too sweet to take them without a pinch of salt. He glanced between Marian and Isabella. "Well, frankly speaking, I am truly amazed to find Guy of Gisborne's wife and his sister in the Holy Land and all the more in the desert." He sniggered. "Yeah, that is incredible!"
Marian strode forward and stopped next to Robin. "As I have just said, I tried to kill the sheriff, and Lady Isabella was an unfortunate witness. As a result, Vaisey took us hostage in Nottingham."
"A lifetime of no adventure is boring! You have just had such a wonderful date with ancient gods of the primeval desert!" Robin teased, his features unreadable, but his gaze proved that he had no more questions about Marian's appearance in Acre.
"There are always adventures everywhere," de Lacy spoke as he passed by Marian and paused next to Robin. He winked at Robin who winked back at him. His gaze oscillating between Robin and Marian, he broke into witty tirade again. "The only question in life is whether or not you are going to answer a hearty yes to a new adventure. Life is such a voyage of discovery that is sustained by faith in God and by the hope that Robin Hood, England's greatest hero, provides the world with!"
Everyone broke into a light laugh that released the accumulated tension.
Robin laughed outright. "Life itself is an adventure if we allow it to be."
Marian's brow twitched in annoyance. "I find nothing amusing in a near-death experience in the desert."
Robin laughed, his eyes twinkling. "You shouldn't think so! If you die in your warm bed, like a proper lady should, you will miss all the fun. Dying tied up to the poles is not convenient, but any inconvenience is rightly considered a sort of fun. Dying in the desert is an awfully big adventure."
Marian smiled at him. "Well, I am not astonished to hear that, Lord Robin. After all, intolerable and mischievous men always court danger."
Robin grinned daringly at her. He decided to address her in the same infuriatingly formal manner. "Yeah, you are so generous with your compliments, Lady Marian." He laughed breezily. "Oh, I know, I am intolerable! What a nasty, disturbing, and obnoxious creature I am!"
Marian shook her head, a smile hovering over her lips. Robin was so intolerable and yet so charming! There was the sweet and yet dangerous venom in his hot, adventurous blood, and his dry humor was entertaining and pleasant to ears, though at times annoying; his witty comments and quibbles could crawl under anyone's skin. His arrogance and vanity were on full display for all to see, and yet many swooning women and idolizing men loved these features immeasurably. His compassionate and altruistic nature was a real treasure, while his ability to give without demanding anything in return was unlimited. All these features shaped his devilish charm that enthralled many women. Robin was the most infuriating, most noble-hearted, and most irresistible man Marian had ever met. This man was unique – he was just Robin.
Marian knew that Robin was different from Guy. While she always felt a thrill of danger being with Guy, she often missed the lightness and safety which were in the air about Robin. She was greatly attracted to Guy's dark handsomeness and his lethal charms, but her husband lacked Robin's light, captivating charm and she missed that charm so much, presently enjoying Robin's cheeky smiles and manners. She missed Robin's wit that was rarely present in her conversations with Guy. She was very happy to see Robin again, and her heart was aching in her chest as he wasn't her Robin anymore.
Carter burst into laughing. "When I joined the king's private guard, I heard that not only Saracens can kill a man. Everyone claimed that Captain Locksley may shoot a witty arrow at anyone, doing it cleanly, through the heart and rewarding his victim with an immediate death." He smiled. "But if Captain Locksley wants mischief, he may choose to massacre anyone with his witty arrows, prolonging the sufferings."
Marian smiled slightly. "His tongue is very poisonous."
"Sweet and poisonous at the same time," Robin put in, grinning sheepishly.
"Robin is an outrageously bold man and a man of sharp wit and vigorous life," Djaq spoke adoringly. Will, who stood beside Djaq, dipped her head in agreement.
"His wittiness is as sharp as a sword," Edmund remarked with a smile.
Isabella eyed Robin from top to toe and found herself utterly charmed. The brilliance of her smile was directed at Robin. "Nevertheless, there must be someone whom Huntingdon can never shoot with his sarcastic arrows." She had already seen the impudent and cheeky look on his face a long while ago – on the face of a boy whom she remembered very well since childhood.
Carter chuckled. "Robin may challenge and even mock King Richard. Robin Fitzooth and Robert de Beaumont are the only two men who dare taunt and tease the king, of course, if our liege is in a good mood."
De Lacy tightened the ropes on Isabella's wrists, causing her to whimper at this rough handling. "I am a bold and brave man, but I am fearful of teasing our king." He lapsed into silence and sighed; his gaze drifted to Isabella. "Don't be offended, Lady Isabella. You came here for an unknown reason, and you are getting what you deserved – an exciting adventure under the scorching sun."
Staring pleadingly into Roger's eyes, Isabella begged, "Please release me, Lord de Lacy! I promise to be good and obedient!" Her lips lengthened in an enticing smile that touched even her eyes. With her hands bound behind her back, she couldn't reach her captor, but she could use her charms on him.
"I am sorry, my lady, but I cannot grant your wish," de Lacy answered in a matter-of-fact way. He swept his eyes over his friends and then explained, "Lady Isabella is Prince John's mistress, and she can also be his spy. Who knows why she came here and what game she is playing?"
Marian gasped in shock. "Prince John's mistress?"
"Yes, she seems to be true," de Lacy confirmed.
"His mind has been addled by the sun!" Isabella protested. "I was kidnapped by the Sheriff!"
"Quiet, my lady!" Roger de Lacy shook Guy's sister slightly. "Your pleas will change nothing."
Edmund distributed the flasks of water, and everyone drank water which the Crusaders brought.
Carter approached Robin and declared, "We have horses. We have weapons."
Robin clapped Carter on the shoulder. "And we have King Richard to save."
"We should hurry up," Edmund prompted.
"Wait!" Much cried out. "Come on. We are Robin Hood."
"We are Robin Hood," Little John said proudly.
"What?" A deep frown creased Isabella's forehead.
De Lacy grinned. "Good idea! I like it!"
Little John drank water. "Just say it. Everybody say it." He raised his voice. "We... are Robin Hood."
"We are Robin Hood!" they chorused.
Marian chuckled at their statement. Isabella smiled wryly, her heart beating faster at the sight of Robin's charming smile. Carter, Edmund, and Roger laughed aloud. Robin chuckled, as always looking proud and confident. They were filled with gladness because the desert ordeal seemed to be over.
§§§
King Richard watched Robin fighting with the so-called Saladin. Richard had arrived in the meeting place with Saladin in time, but his horse had been stopped by Robin of Locksley, Carter of Stretton, Edmund of Cranfield, Roger de Lacy, and the others who had been sentenced to death by their king a couple of hours ago. There were also two ladies with them, whom the king had never seen before; he guessed that Marian of Knighton was Gisborne's wife and was stunned to learn that Isabella of Gisborne was Guy's sister.
The king and the others watched Robin locked in a battle with the assassin. Robin swung his scimitar at his opponent's chest, but Karim sidestepped and twisted to Robin's left. Karim was an excellent swordsman, but Robin was more deadly with a sword. Yet, Karim was seething with anger, his fury making him more violent in a fierce fight. Robin had to use many sophisticated blows to mislead and outwit his enemy.
"Look, mates, it is such an awesome sword dance," Allan commented joyfully.
"A sword dance, Allan?" Marian repeated. "You call it a sword dance?" She frowned, irritated by Allan's lightheartedness. "And what if Robin is wounded by this Saracen?"
"Maz, I meant nothing wrong. I want Robin to win, and I know he will win," Allan hurriedly explained. "I only wanted to say that their fight is beautiful."
"When two highly skilled swordsmen meet on the battlefield, the fight is gorgeous," King Richard agreed, his eyes taking in the scene of the ongoing fight. "It is not easy to learn outstanding swordsmanship and hone it. Swordfight is a beautiful art, especially if a swordsman has Robin's unique fighting style." He chuckled. "Watching such a performance is a great pleasure for a warrior."
The Saracen lunged at Robin with an overhead blow, and the young captain easily parried it, swiftly spinning around and making a new assault on his enemy. They exchanged a series of diagonal blows and then circled each other. Robin was swinging his scimitar in an upward arc.
Carter laughed. "Only bad dancers are skewered and only if they make a mistake."
"But everyone can make a mistake," Edmund interposed.
"Robin is not an exception," the king whispered, his heart pounding in his chest. "He has a deadly hand with a sword, especially with a scimitar. Robin is an incredibly gifted fighter! Yet, he is not the best swordsman we have seen and trained myself, but definitely one of the best we have ever seen."
At the same time, the conspirators – Sheriff Vaisey, Guy of Gisborne, James of Lambton, Archer, Nasir, and two Saracen assassins – were hiding behind the sandy hills. They lay on the ground, their chests pressed to the hot sand. As if mesmerized, they watched Robin Hood fighting with Karim.
"Damn King Richard and Robin Hood! Damn these Crusaders to hell!" Vaisey released a long sequence of unintelligible curses. He glared at James. "James, how did Hood come here? The king was supposed to be alone! You told us that the king didn't send him into the desert with the others, but you assured us that he was detained and heavily guarded in the camp."
James shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Locksley always does something incredible. I have always despised him, but I cannot deny that he is a talented man."
"It is taking too much time!" Vaisey's shrilling voice coursed through the air. "Do something, you idiots!"
Archer stared at Robin, observing Robin's magic swirls and spins in awe. "Robin Hood looks younger than his real age. It is difficult to imagine that this young man is a Crusader hero."
"Captain Beaumont and Captain Lacy are very young as well," Nasir interjected. "Oh, Allah! I hate all the Crusaders! I hate Melek-Ric!" He clenched his fists. "Karim must kill Captain Locksley."
"I doubt that it will happen," Archer voiced his opinion. Then he broke forth into a torrent of words, gesturing towards Robin all the time. "Karim is a less skilled swordsman than Huntingdon."
Vaisey sneered. "And you are such a great expert in exotic weapons and fighting, Archy?"
Archer shifted his eyes from Robin to Vaisey. "Lord Vaisey, I warned you that I wouldn't tolerate insults."
Vaisey smiled. "You are a spirited boy, Archy." His gaze went to Guy, his eyes narrowing. "Gizzy, my boy, you are a more obedient boy than Archy is and can ever be?"
"I am at your side," Guy whispered, anger simmering in his blood.
"Lord Vaisey, I can tolerate you less and less with every passing minute," Archer confessed. He gave Guy a long and puzzled look, astonished that the elder man willingly endured so much humiliation.
"Archy, I like rebellious spirits, like yours and Robin Hood's," Vaisey said as he surveyed Archer attentively. "You are as obnoxious and dryly humorous as Hood." He looked into Archer's eyes. "And you have Hood's eyes – the pale blue eyes. Such a rare color!"
Guy glanced at Archer. Archer flashed the same cheeky smiles as Robin did; Archer's eyes were of the same color as Hood's. Guy shook his head, then gazed away.
Archer stiffened. "A simple coincidence."
"Naturally," Vaisey murmured thoughtfully.
The sheriff drew a wheezing breath; his face reminded of a furious ugly grimace of a lunatic. "I want King Richard dead! I want Robin Hood dead!" He slammed his fist into the sand. "I want the king and Hood both dead today. If they died on the same day, it would be God's gift."
Archer and Guy said nothing. They shared brief uneasily glances, for a moment letting the guard of their emotions down and finding the same disgust for the sheriff in each other's eyes. Then Archer turned away, grinning at Guy, while Guy stiffened. They observed Robin lunge at the assassin, almost stabbing the man in the gut, but Karim was lucky and dodged from that blow.
Guy of Gisborne rubbed the sweat from his brow with his ungloved hands; then he threw his black gloves on the sand in disgust. He was boiling alive in his black leather attire, swearing oaths that he hadn't changed his clothes for a simple silk tunic in Arabic fashion. He felt his every muscle tense, his skin radiated heat. The heat in his body was growing, and he envied Archer who was dressed in a light green silk tunic.
Guy was conflicted over his feelings for Robin Hood. He wanted Robin to be killed by Karim, but, at the same time, he also wished Robin to overpower his rival. Disturbed by the confusing thoughts, he shut his eyes, sighing heavily. As he opened them, he observed the swords meet between the two battling men, locking with great force. He was waiting for a sign of who would win, but the outcome was not clear yet, although he believed that Robin would eventually prevail.
A flurry of emotions swept through Archer. As he saw Robin of Locksley, his legendary secret half-brother fighting with Karim, Archer realized that the sheriff's plot against Robin had been uncovered, and he was strangely pleased with that. Also, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts about Marian and Isabella whom he had seen with the Crusaders. Unlike Guy, he was convinced that Vaisey would do something bad to the ladies. As Marian and Isabella were with Robin, he thought that they had escaped and had gone to the king's camp. Now he was thinking of the salvation of Marian and Isabella and even Robin's salvation.
The fight continued to rage. Neither Robin nor Karim was going to let his rival overpower the other. Obviously getting angrier as he was repeatedly failing to overpower Robin, Karim gave an inhuman war cry, launching a new violent attack on Robin. Robin parried the blow and then advanced forward. Both men were fighting as if they were possessed by demons.
King Richard was very worried about Robin. He had publicly disgraced Robin and had even told the poor man that the deaths of his friends would be the punishment for the alleged treason. He had been too cruel to Robin, but at least he hadn't ordered Robin's execution. He was conscious of his guilt, and that tart feeling was corroding his heart. Richard's heart constricted painfully as Robin's blow was blocked by Karim who grabbed Robin's sword arm, turning the young captain to him and then swinging overhand at him.
Robin fell on his back to avoid being stabbed. He grabbed Karim's sword arm with his free hand, pulling the assassin down and then swiftly rolling Karim over, trying to pin him down. Robin jumped to his feet, and so did his enemy. Karim swiped at Robin's head, but Robin blocked that blow. Suddenly, Karim kicked Robin in the stomach, knocking him onto his back; then Robin punched his foe in the face.
The king thought that it was high time to help Robin, his blood boiling with rage and lust for battle. "We have seen enough," he proclaimed. "He needs us."
They got to their feet and rushed to the horses. Richard mounted his white stallion and spurred it. Marian hopped up on the horse behind Much; Isabella settled in the saddle ahead Roger de Lacy who was watching his prisoner attentively. The others also mounted. They slowly climbed the sandy hill and rode towards Robin, with King Richard leading the party and the others following him.
"Robin, please forgive me," Richard requested as he reached Robin and stopped.
Robin sighed and simply nodded. "I already have." Despite the heat, a slight wind had arisen, sending the clouds scud across the sky from the east. Robin looked up, at the sky, a feeling of apprehension about a possible sandstorm coming over him, but he swiftly banished it from his head.
"I was wrong. I should have never doubted you," the king added remorsefully.
"The sheriff is a cunning and dangerous man," Robin commented, staring into the distance where the sheriff, Guy, and other men were mounting their horses. "You believed these wretched lies because you were given the written proof of my guilt, although the forgery brought to you by the fake messenger."
The king smiled. "We will talk later." His gave de Lacy with a look of repentance. "Roger, I am sorry."
"All is forgotten and forgiven," de Lacy returned with a smile.
"Let's finish this now," Robin offered.
As he reached Robin's horse, Carter tightened the reins to pause. "Are you sure, Robin?"
"The sheriff crossed the line. He must be stopped," Robin snapped, his voice tight with anger.
The king nodded vigorously. "These traitors must pay for their crimes."
Roger de Lacy rode to them with slack reins. "I don't think that we should pursue them now."
"Why?" The king looked between Roger and Robin.
De Lacy glanced unsettlingly at his liege and at Robin. "I just don't like this situation."
"Don't exaggerate," the king reproached.
"After them!" Robin cried out, the familiar bloodlust gripping him.
Robin fiercely spurred on his horse and rode away, leaving everyone far behind. King Richard followed suit and galloped away across the sandy dunes. Carter, Edmund, and the others set their horses at the same maddening speed. As they set off in the direction of the ruined town called Imuiz, chasing after the sheriff's black figure; the sound of thundering hooves filled the hot air.
The sheriff, Nasir, Karim, Guy, Archer, and James galloped through a fallen archway into the deserted town. They crossed the entrance square, filled with broken carts, wagons litter, and sandbags, all the traces of the last defense of the former Saracen village. Vaisey stopped in the middle of the square, glancing between Guy and Archer and then shifting his gaze to Nasir and Karim.
"Nasir, are our assassins already here?" the sheriff questioned imperturbably.
Nasir smiled craftily. "We have more than twenty assassins here. They are hiding in the town."
Vaisey smiled nastily. "La di da di da! I like this! This is great!"
"Hood is with the king," Guy mentioned.
The sheriff laughed fiendishly. "Well, we may kill Robin Hood, too."
"So many assassins?" Archer cringed at the thought of what could happen in Imuiz.
"When you have Robin Hood near King Richard, you have to be prepared for everything." The sheriff's jeweled tooth gleamed in the sunlight. "Watch what I am doing and learn, boys."
"Marian and Isabella are together with the king and Hood," Guy spoke anxiously. "How did they get there?"
"Gisborne, now we must get rid of the king!" Vaisey bawled out. "Your lepers may wait!"
"But… my lord…" Guy stammered.
The sheriff rode to Guy and paused. He grabbed the collar of Guy's jacket. "Gisborne, shame on you! You are becoming meek again!" he grumbled. "Take a hold of your emotions! Remember what I taught you! Be a man, not a blithering, weak oaf! Your sword must be stained in blood! A man kills – a man never forgives and never whimpers. You must destroy and take human lives to prove yourself as a strong man!"
Looking into the sheriff's eyes full of undeniable menace and malicious joy, Guy was trembling all over. "My lord, I am a man. I killed many people–"
"Gizzy, I have already said many times that lepers are not important when you have power. Don't fail me today," the sheriff supplied. "Kill the king and live in paradise with me."
Guy gave a nod. "Yes, my lord."
"It is not too late! We may murder the king here!" the sheriff promulgated, his eyes darting between his accomplices. "Karim and Nasir, over there! Gisborne, with me! Archer, over that building!"
Nasir dismounted with his crossbow and hid behind an overturned wagon. The sheriff, James, and Gisborne galloped off down the street. His mind reeling and his heart torn between his desire to do the right thing and his wish to take revenge on Malcolm and Robin, Archer paused at the corner of the square, looking in the direction where Vaisey and Guy men had headed; then he stalked in the opposite direction.
King Richard and Carter rode off after the sheriff down the street; Robin was trying to follow them. Robin stopped and dismounted; Edmund and Roger de Lacy followed suit, though Isabella was still sitting on Roger's horse. As Much and Marian were crossing the square, Nasir nocked an arrow that struck the horse in the chest, causing them go down with the horse. An angry Much spewed curses, his eyes searching for a culprit. Robin helped Marian climb to her feet. Then Little John, Will, Djaq, and Allan arrived in the same courtyard; everyone dismounted and prepared their weapons to defend themselves and the king.
"It looks like a trap," Robin evaluated shrewdly. He eyed Marian and Much. "Are you both alright?"
"Yes," Much answered. "Where is King Richard?"
The sunlight softened Robin's hard features a little bit. "The king went after the sheriff."
"It is hazardous," Marian stated.
Robin gave a nod. "Richard always rules from the front rows."
John shook his head. "This I don't like."
"And neither do I," de Lacy joined the conversation.
"What will we do?" Edmund questioned, looking between Robin and Roger.
Robin spoke apprehensively. "I fear there are many Saracens hiding here. We must find the king: he should leave this place, and someone will accompany him back to the camp."
"Yes," Edmund acceded to his captain's proposal. "The king must leave."
Robin's eyes flittered between Marian and Isabella. "John, please take the ladies and go to one of the deserted buildings for their safety. Stay there and wait for someone to come."
Marian inquired with a laugh, "Since then have you begun to preach caution, Robin?"
"I became more careful a while ago, Marian. But I expected that you would dismiss my admonition," Robin responded, unable to conceal the unspoken condemnation. He roamed his eyes over the group of his friends. "If I do something risky or reckless, it doesn't mean I don't know what I am doing."
"What do you mean?" John asked.
"He always has another half-a-plan in case the original plan fails," Much provided clarity with a laugh.
Robin grinned. "Yeah, well, you are right."
"Whatever you think or do, Robin, you have no right to teach me," Marian shot back, still insulted by Robin's words. "I won't follow your orders. I am not your soldier."
For a moment, Robin looked perturbed, and Marian had the dreaded feeling that she had overreacted. But then he cursed, and his face morphed into something visually unsavory, and she backed away.
Robin snickered at Marian's attempt to defy him. "As you are refusing to obey direct orders from me who fought in the Holy Land for seven years, then it is even more necessary to watch over you!"
Marian persisted, "You have no authority over me, Robin!"
Everyone was silent, waiting for the resolution of the argument between Marian and Robin.
"Maz, I think Robin is right," Allan joined the discussion.
Robin smiled at Allan with gratitude; then he looked at Marian. "There can be only one commander in battle, and it is not you, Marian," he responded strictly, his eyes flying to Little John. "John, the ladies are coming with you. Take first right after the square; you will find where to hide in the town." He stilled for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Much, you are staying with me. Roger, Allan, and Edmund, go down the street where the king went. Djaq and Will, turn first left after the square."
Robin and the others split up in the town. The streets were framed by two-storied, old, sandy- colored Arabic houses with ornamented façades and small balconies, which were a good hiding place for many foes. While the king's men and defenders walked through a maze of narrow streets and deserted squares, the king's enemies – Vaisey, Gisborne, and James – also wandered in the same labyrinth. The battle of life and death was about to unfold, and there was no way back.
I hope you truly enjoyed this chapter and the plot.
At first, I want to apologize for a delay in updating this story. Life was too hectic in the past several weeks, and I had little time to sleep. I promise that I would try to upload chapter 7 sooner.
The sheriff's plan to trap Robin and his friends is successful. As King Richard gets the fake letters, Robin is exposed as a traitor, for the king has the written proof of Robin's alleged treason. Of course, Robin's loyalty to the king is being tested; something may change between them.
Taking into account Robin's blood relationship with Richard, I decided that Richard would not take Robin into the desert to die with his friends. The historical King Richard was a vengeful and temperamental man, but I can hardly believe that he can order to execute Robin, knowing that Queen Eleanor would never forgive him for killing Robin. That's why Robin is only detained while others have to pay a high price for Robin's supposed treason; the king punishes him by executing his friends, Robin's supposed accomplices, and indirectly casting the blame on Robin's shoulders.
But Robin escapes from the Crusaders' camp, together with Carter and Edmund. They save the others from death in the desert and then ride to Imuiz, chasing after the sheriff, Guy, Archer, and James. Some things are similar to what happened on the show in S2E13, but the framework for the regicide attempt is different.
Now a warning! In the next chapter, Robin, Guy, and Richard face each other during the battle in Imuiz and the great drama unfolds. Something is going to happen in the next chapter – something serious and life-changing, head-spinning and dramatic. There is bloodshed and a character's death.
I know that both Guy fans and Robin fans read this story. The triangle Robin/King Richard/Guy will be resolved in the next three chapters, so it will be a hot and interesting time. I also want to inform all fans of Lady Megan Bennet that Meg will appear in chapter 13 of this part of the story; she will also be with the readers in part 3 of Quintessence when King Richard is held captive by Leopold of Austria.
So what do you think? Reviews are always appreciated, including constructive criticism.
If you find any typos and/or mistakes here, please let me know about them in a private message.
Thank you for reading this chapter. Have a good weekend.
Yours faithfully, Penelope Clemence
