Chapter nine: Friendship and confinement
Meg followed Marian and her father to the sheriff's quarters. He was feeding birds and looked somewhat cross. The guards pushed the doors open and she took in the sight of an older, balding, short man. She didn't like him and she made up her mind about that instantly. She could see he was a villain and a dangerous man at that.
He turned towards them. "The sanctimonious old fart and her father. You're an hour late."
Meg shrugged. "I overslept." Which wasn't true, she wanted to show him how she didn't conform to his timeline. "My friends invited me to bear witness to their summons. I could not refuse."
"You." He pointed in her face. His closeness caused her to observe that he was missing a tooth. "Will wait. I'll deal with you later!"
Meg's eyes bulged. "Who do you think you are?"
"Shut up!" He shouted at her. She held up her and he demanded. "What?"
"Did Guy talk to you last night?"
"Yes. He mentioned there was a stupid girl who wouldn't shut up! I'm assuming that must be you! Now, be silent!" his tone, switched to calm instantly as he turned to Sir Edward. Meg deduced that Guy hadn't show the sheriff her papers, but why, made her all the more curious as to why he didn't. "I gather you've been careless, with a wood fire."
"You know full well," Marian said as she defended her father. "that is not the case."
The sheriff ignored her as he went towards a table and perched on the corner of the circular table. True, circles don't really have corners, but she could think of no other way to put it. She tried not to observe the human skull that was resting by his knee. "Tell me, whose side are you on? Mine, or king Richard's? the real world or the old world?"
Sir Edward was silent for a moment before stating in a calm and controlled voice. "Yours."
The sheriff didn't seem to believe him. "Come along, we both know," he pulls the tooth out of the skull. Meg makes a face as she hears a sickening crunch as the tooth is detached from the upper jaw. "that's not true. Do we?"
"I believe in justice." Sir Edward chooses not to look the sheriff in the face. "I believe in the rights of the free man."
"Who cares…what you believe in?" the sheriff asks as he walks up to Sir Edward and gets all in his face, glaring at him. He's a good few inches shorter than Sir Edward is, but that doesn't stop him. "I have a plan and I will not tolerate deceit." Meg makes a face as he shoves the tooth up inside his gum. "So, you are under house arrest, here, in the castle, till I can find some use for you."
Meg's mouth drops open in shock and she begins to protest but Marian finds her tongue first. "My lord sheriff, I must protest."
He spins around and hisses at Marian. "you must?" again, she sees another man who cannot stand Marian. However, she is certain that this time it is not Marian's fault. If a snake bit this man, the poor creature would surely die.
"My father is unwell." Marian explained. "He must be allowed to-
"One more word, out of you missy and your father will never be unwell again."
"And am I considered under house arrest?" Meg demands. "I do not believe that you know-
"La-di-da," he snaps. "do I look like I care? You can do whatever you want! Just keep…your…trap shut!"
At that moment, Guy comes around the corner. Their eyes lock briefly, and she's certain for a moment that she reads concern in his eyes. "My lord," He steps towards the sheriff and speaks in a lowered voice. "another one of our friends has arrived."
The sheriff smiles gleefully. "Good."
The sheriff turns to walk away and Guy moves to follow him. Or he would have, had Marian not cried out to him. "Guy!"
Guy stops and turns slowly to face Marian. Upon seeing the murderous look in his eyes, she mutters. "Shut up Marian."
Marian chose not to head her warning. "Please." Marian turns on the eyes of a baby doe and goes into her soft, pleading act. "The castle is no place for an old man."
Guy is silent before taking slow measured steps towards her, his black spurs clinking with every step he took. "You think you can humiliate a man at the altar, a man like me, and get away with it?" His tone is harsh and bitter. "You're wrong."
He turns and walks away; Meg grabs a hold of her skirts and follows him. Might I accompany you sir Guy?" He turns and looks surprised to find her directly behind him. "I wish to speak with you."
He glowers darkly at her. "Have I a choice?"
She smiled. "Yes, you do, just be yourself. If you don't wish it, then say no. But don't worry, unlike Marian, I am not going to plead for anyone's release just yet."
Guy is silent for a moment before nodding. "All right." He inhales and crosses his arms across his chest before turning and studying her. "I am to deal with a prisoner, you may accompany me towards the dungeon, but nothing beyond that. It's not fit for a lady of your status."
"Thank you." She shrugged as she fell in step beside him. "I've been in a dungeon before; it is not strange to me."
He blinked once in surprise. "And how came you to be there?"
"Nothing too exciting, I was put there," She exhales. "by my sister's oldest brother. He thought that he'd get the bulk of the inheritance, I was imprisoned there until my father's brother rescued me, and I lived with him until he died when I turned eighteen." She glances at him, sensing the brimming questions in his mind. "Go ahead and ask, I don't mind."
He frowns as he glances curiously at her. "Mind what?"
"Whatever it is that you're debating about asking me. I can sense it."
"Fine." He stops and glowers down at her. "Why are you doing this?"
"Why am I walking with you? I thought it was obvious, I wanted to talk to you."
"No, being nice to me." His eyes narrow as he studies her. "Is this some trick of Marian's?"
She shook her head. "No, actually Marian and I haven't been on speaking terms for the last two days."
In spite of himself, he is curious. "Why?"
She lets her eyes tell him the answer. "Do you really want me to tell you?"
His brow arched with interest. "The wedding?" she nods. "And? What's she upset about?"
"I believe she handled everything wrong and shouldn't have done what she did. She's upset….because I'm on your side in this one case."
Guy's eyes widened slightly. "You shouldn't say such things."
"Yeah, but, after the way Marian's treated you, I'd think you'd rather I blurt out things that are so blunt that they cannot help but be the truth."
Guy's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't need your pity."
"Who does? And who says I'm offering that?" Meg placed her hand on his shoulder and he glanced at it. "I'm offering you…friendship."
His eyes remained fixed on her hand. "Why?"
"Because you need it." He glanced at her suspiciously. "Now, I' m not offering you love, or anything romantic, so…don't worry." He smirked and shook his head in amusement. "You're safe from my constant problems."
"I guess." He nodded at her. "I can hope at least."
"Indeed." She smiled. "And I expect you to treat me as a friend. No mention of my title, promise?"
He nods. "If you wish." He's quiet for a moment before asking. "You said something, at the wedding, that…she was lying. How did you know?"
"I'm a woman." She explained simply. "Do you think a woman doesn't know when another woman is lying?"
"I guess not." He's quiet for a moment. "You also said that….she confessed that she loved another. Who was he?"
Meg was silent for a moment. "Do you really want me to answer that? It won't make things any better, nor will it make you feel any better. If you were to hurt or kill the man, it would only serve to make her dislike you with a greater vengeance than she does now. And in doing so, I would be betraying her friendship with me. I have few friends and Marian is one of the few I've got."
He nods silently. "You're right." He reaches inside his leather jacket and hands her back her credentials. "Here you go."
"And the sheriff?"
"I did not show him."
"I know that. The reason why I wanted to walk with you, was…I wanted to ask you why? Why didn't you show him?"
He's silent before saying. "Leave England." His tone is firm and leaves her no doubt that she is in some danger. "It's not safe for you here."
She shook her head before responding quietly. "I can't leave. How can I leave, after seeing so many people suffer?"
"You may see more before the day is out."
She frowned. "What do you mean Guy?"
"You'll see." As if he sensed the fear that was beginning to surface in her chest, he assured her. "Don't worry, it's no one you know or care about." With that, he turned on his heel and walked away from her.
Meg shook her head. "Try not to torture that prisoner too much." He paused, but didn't turn back. "The past, can come back to haunt us. I should hate for you to be tormented by the ghosts of yours at one time in your life."
He turned to face her, but they didn't say anything. They didn't have to. They were reading each other and silently communicating. Meg wasn't sure, but for some reason, she thought that he knew she was right.
