A/N: Hi everybody. So the next chapter and also a rather long one, I was inspired :D. Next week I will try to get a couple of chapters up since my holiday will start tomorrow.
I really wanted to do another chapter of Robin Hood, I was not happy with the last one and in my mind I wanted it to be longer. So here it's, the next chapter.
Enjoy it and please tell me what you think... Oh and if you have suggestions for a story then please tell me.
xxx
Merlin sighed, his thoughts still by the events that had happened just hours before, he couldn't believe that he met Lancelot again, the noblest knight of them all. A tear ran over his cheek, he longed so much for some more time with his friend.
As he walked his feet dragged him to a city, here he stared absentmindedly at the children running around the market. His eyes set themselves on his cape, the red fabric as bright as it once had been... maybe he should buy a new one.
Soon enough he found a dark green almost black cape, not the best quality but he knew how to change that. He handed the woman a few coins and replaced his fire red cape with the green one. As he now had the red cape in his hands he stared nervously at it before putting it in his bag, he couldn't part with it, not yet at least, he didn't want to lose even more from Camelot than he already had.
He settled himself down on a little wall and looked around, his eyes setting themselves on the children again. At least ten minutes had past when he heard a loud squeal and his head snapped around to face the sound, but before he was able to see anything his face was pressed against a woman's chest, two gentle arms wrapped around his body.
He pushed her in shock away, his magic immediately drifting to the surface, ready to attack if needed. The warlock gasped and his eyes shot to the woman, when he saw her kind face he froze. He would recognize her anywhere. 'Gwen?' He whispered.
The once and future queen stood before him, tears streaming over her face, but at the same time her eyes shined with pure joy. After hearing his whisper the smile on her face grew even wider and she threw herself against him again. 'Merlin!'
That one word made the raven gasped in surprise. 'You remember?'
She pushed herself away from him so she could look in his eyes. 'Of course I remember, how could I ever forget you.' Merlin grinned at her, she was one of the few that remembered him, most just looked at him, thinking he looked familiar, but they didn't give him a second thought. 'And you remember me!'
'No, I didn't.' She frowned at him and he sighed at her. 'Gwen, I... you know what I can do with magic?' The last he whispered to her, not wanting other people to hear and she nodded at him as a reply. '... I never died.'
The once and future queen gasped in shock. 'What, you lived for-.' He surprised the woman by placing his hand on her lips, she was shouting and it wasn't as if he wanted everyone to know. She finished her words while whispering. 'You have lived for a few centuries?!' He gave her a quick nod. 'But... that's just...' She sat down next to him looking stunned in his eyes.
'So what are you called now?' He asked her, curious about her new name.
The queen blinked once at him, her mind was probably back at Camelot and not in the here and now. 'Marian... they call me Marian.' After speaking those words her eyes lit up. 'Lancelot is also here!'
'I know.'
'You know?'
'Yes, I met him on my way here.' He grinned. 'Once the noblest knight of them all and now the hero of the people, his heart is pure.' The raven looked curious at his friend. 'So... do the two of you have contact?'
Gwen's cheeks turned bright red and she turned her eyes away. 'Uhh... yeah, kind off.'
'I'm glad.' He replied in a soft voice.
'Thank you.' She whispered to him and leaned against him while he placed his arm around her shoulder, he missed their talks, she was the only one that fully understood him.
But their peace didn't last long. Under loud tumult horses rode towards the market, one of the men dragging another one roughly forward. He heard Gwen gasped next to him and he stared frozen at the small, hurt figure coming towards them. The once and future queen grabbed his hand and squeezed in it, the warlock glanced quickly at her, seeing a tear rolling down her cheek while she whispered. 'Lancelot.'
He could only stare as Robin was dragged towards the other side of the market, towards a guillotine. The two of them quickly followed the group, staring as a man dressed in pitch black dragged their friend to his death.
'Who is he?' He whispered to Gwen.
'The sheriff.' She said with a small voice, her fear filled eyes stared at Robin.
The sheriff looked with a smirk at the villagers that had gathered. 'People!' He said with a loud and mighty voice. 'Today we have captured the thief Robin Hood.' Soft murmuring spread over the people, but with one hand of their sheriff they all fell silent again, fearing what he could do. 'He's hereby sentenced to death.' Were his only words, not giving Robin a fair trial and he signed to his men, who immediately grabbed the archer, pulling him towards his death.
Merlin felt how Gwen shivered next to him and he looked at her pleading eyes, her eyes filled with tears. 'Please... please save him.' She begged him.
Only by her words he already understood the love she felt for the other, her pleading eyes telling him that she would rather die with him than to live a lonely and meaningless life.
The warlock took a deep breath before he walked forward, leaving Gwen frozen behind. He made his way towards the guillotine, eyeing the sheriff as he made his way up the stage.
The men, who had till then only eyes for the outlaw, turned to face him, confusion spread over their faces. The raven stopped in the middle of the stage, waiting for the sheriff to finally notice him and when the wicked man eventually did, they just stared at each other. The villagers totally silent, seeing the power struggle that started in front of them, hoping that the stranger would save their hero.
It was the sheriff that finally broke the silence. 'Get off the stage.' Merlin didn't move. 'Didn't you hear me?!' The man now shouted in anger and the warlock still didn't reply. The sheriff took deep angry breaths and turned back to his men. 'Get him, it seems he wants to share the same fate as the outlaw.' The men did what their mastered ordered them and closed the distance between them and the warlock.
But they weren't prepared for what was about to happen next. With a small hand movement the guards were thrown of the stage, clearing the way towards Robin, the sheriff and the few guards that were still left. He heard the people gasped in shock and they backed away from the podium, afraid of what the stranger would do, but he ignored them, his eyes set on his friend and the wicked man.
'What... what are you?' The sheriff asked totally shocked.
At the same time Robin said in a small voice. '...You?'
The warlock gave his old friend a soft smile before turning his attention to the evil sheriff. 'What do you think you're doing?' The sheriff stared stunned at him. 'The man that you have sentenced to death does the job you're supposed to do, he protects the people!'
The man blinked a few times before he got the courage again to answer. 'And... and what will you do about it? Even when you're a sorcerer doesn't mean you can defeat all of us.' His courage was back together with the smirk on his face and he pointed at his men.
Merlin looked amused at the man, did he really think he was stronger than him, a legend? 'I have always fought for what I thought was right, as will I do now.' He looked once at the people. 'You're a tyrant, I will not allow you to hurt them any more... and even when that wasn't the case then I would still protect my friends.' He smiled at Robin as the man himself looked confused at the raven.
'You... you can't do that! You're still a subject of this kingdom, that means you have to listen to me!'
'I only listen to my king.' Was Merlin's only reply.
The sheriff placed his hands in his sides. 'As far as I know the king is still in the holy land, that means you have to listen to those who rule in his place!'
The raven softly shook his head. 'With my king I didn't mean the mighty Lionheart, the only king I will ever serve is King Arthur.'
The people started to murmur again. The sheriff stared angry from them to his opponent. 'He's only a myth, together with his little sorcerer.'
Merlin laughed, if he only knew. He stared to walk forward while he pointed his hand towards the wicked man, the guards, as terrified as they were, fled of the stage. Merlin only spoke one soft word and the sheriff immediately screamed in pure fear, feeling the power of magic rushing through his body, his face distorted in pain. After a few long seconds he released the man and the sheriff sank to the ground, staring at him in pure terror.
The warlock walked past him and towards his friend, hoping he hadn't terrified the man, but instead of fear he only saw surprise in those eyes. He quickly released the man and Robin got to his feet, standing a bit unsteady on them. Robin's eyes were set upon the raven's. 'Are you... are you king Arthur's sorcerer, Merlin?' The warlock didn't answer, he saw in Lancelot's eyes that he already knew the answer.
'I will leave the sheriff to your judgment.' He turned his head to the crowd. 'Gwen?' He held out his hand, asking the woman to come to the stage. She nervously walked forward, the people staring confused, as they knew her under another name.
She quickly climbed on the stage and he placed his arms around her while he whispered in her ear. 'Goodbye Gwen, I did what you asked me to do... but this is your story, yours and Lancelot's. My place is somewhere else.' He felt a tear ran over his face. 'Goodbye my friend.' Before she could reply he pushed her towards Lancelot. 'Oh noblest knight of them all look after these people... this time it will be your story, create a happy end for the both of you.'
With those last words he smiled through his tears at the stunned couple. He spoke quick words and disappeared from the stage, fleeing away, before his heart would force him to turn back to them. His mind deciding that he would never go back to that place again, but his heart pleading to go back, to not be lonely again.
But fate didn't place him in this story, he had to go, he had to travel those lonely roads again. His story would come again, once, but not yet. This story was for Robin Hood and Lady Marian.
