"I want extra security. We cannot have our prisoners escaping," Robin told Much as they walked to the Great Hall. Marian was next to him, he kept a hand on her waist, inside he was still shaking about the last few moments.

"I will see to it," Much nodded.

"Keep your helmets on, and unmask them. I'd like them to be surprised when they see me, and at the time everyone else," Robin told the gang. He smiled, eager to let the Sheriff know who had been responsible for his kidnapping. He put them in the Great Hall, the King at the moment was not there, but up in his room, and Prince John was locked in a tower room with guards inside the room and outside. He would be for the King to punish, he wanted to deal with Gisborne and the Sheriff.

"So we are agreed?" Robin asked Marian.

"We are," Marian nodded. "You want to humiliate him."

"And you don't?" asked Robin.

"He's a human being," Marian protested.

"Barely," Robin said seriously. "It will take all the fight out of him. This is the man who forced you to marry him."

"I know, and yes, I want to do this. It's complicated. His feelings for me are genuine. I

don't try and hurt those around me."

"I know, that is one of the many reasons I love you," Robin grinned.

"If I go along with this, then you must give me something," Marian grinned.

"You have been with us too long," Robin laughed. "What do you want?"

"Time with you after our wedding, since I can't decide if I want Knighton Hall rebuilt or new furniture for Locksley, I want both."

"And if I say no?"

"Then you will be one Nightwatchman short," Marian laughed.

"Then I yield to your request," Robin bowed.

"Think of it as a gift," Marian referenced old times. "When you give one, you get something in return."

"I shall speak to Will," Robin nodded. "Here we go." He closed his eyes for a moment, he had waited for this day for so long.

He stepped out from the corner of the Great Hall. The Sheriff and Gisborne stood in the middle of the hall. The Sheriff was wet, Little John had thrown water on him to wake him up. He was sputtering, and yelling.

"VAYSEY!" Robin yelled, just as Much and Will removed the hoods, and were looking around the room in confusion. Robin stepped out of the shadows by the doors leading outside. He finally revealing himself, and with a nod his men revealed themselves, and everyone pointed a weapon at the two standing in the middle of the room tied together.

"I've waited so long to do this," Robin started to walk toward them, away from the doors, and not letting go of his bow. Members of the King's Guard came out of the shadows too, behind Robin, their swords and bows pointed at the hostages, they stayed in the correct spots of the King's Guard. "To make you finally pay for every finger... hand... tongue, and life you have taken. To see your eyes right before you drop, hanging from that white rope where you have sent so many. Finally, their deaths will be avenged."

"You cannot hang me, you don't have the power."

"No I don't, but my good friend the King does. He knows how much a traitor you are, and he knows than his stomach can handle. You and Gisborne will finally pay. I win, I got here first. I warned the King, and we have been diminishing your numbers for four days."

"That was you!" the Sheriff snarled.

"A Clue... no. But it was done on my orders. I didn't want to reveal myself to you, I planned this moment. Attacking at the same time Gisborne attacked me in the Holy Land, only I succeeded in my mission." Robin grinned. "And now it's time for confessions, for you to learn your downfall. I told you once Gisborne that if I ever met the Nightwatchman, I would kiss him. I do not go back on my word."

Robin did not look back, but everyone looked at the doors, from the same corner that Robin had appeared from as a cloaked figure emerged. The figure was hooded, and the cloak went fully around them, and the Sheriff and Gisborne could not tell who it was. The cloaked figure walked the same path Robin had taken, walking slowly to Robin's side. The cloaked figure stopped at Robin's side, turned to him at the same time that Robin turned, kissing him, and Robin dipped the Nightwatchman still kissing him with his hood up. Robin was careful where he put his hands on the Nightwatchman's waist, still half worried about what had happened outside the gates. He smiled, as they ended their kiss, and Robin moved behind the Nightwatchman, and slowly took off the hood.

"MARIAN!" Gisborne yelled, trying to move forward, but the staff of Little John got in his way.

"They call me the Nightwatchman, and I've been flaunting all your decisions, your taxes, and cruel treatments against the poor for about four years now. The Nightwatchman is not connected to Robin, even though you thought I was.

"Gisborne! You fool! You fell in love with the enemy!" the Sheriff rolled his eyes, and yelled at Gisborne.

"I don't believe you," Gisborne shook his head, anguish in his eyes. "Marian wouldn't do that to me! This is a trick of Hood!"

"Want to see my scar? You gave it to me in Locksley. This is no trick, though I was angry at Robin when he returned, I couldn't help but love him, and I helped him much to his surprise. But I must thank you, the moment you made me marry you, Robin was right outside my window, and I realized how much I wanted to be Robin's wife, not yours. You made me realize how much I loved Robin, and after you burned down my house, we became quite the team. He was there that night too, and when my father died and you were so supportive. He was waiting for me in my room, he held me, and comforted me the way you did not. I went away with him, but I could do more for him in the castle."

"What about the time in the tree, when Hood left you to die. I saved you!" Gisborne said his voice pleading for her to lying.

"I was hiding with him. We went to retrieve Lardner when we heard you coming. I was upset because I decided to leave the forest, to spy in the castle." Marian shook her head, feeling a little pity for him now that the moment had come that it was revealed how much she had used him. "I tried to find a good side of you, to help you be a good man, but I failed. I don't think you have a good side of you."

Robin nodded to his men who got even closer to the Sheriff and Gisborne. Robin walked back to her side, he kissed her cheek, and took her hand. "Now, are you two going to congratulate the happy couple?" He held up Marian's hand, which had on the ring that he had given her in the tree. He was enjoying this moment more than Marian "Now should you hang before we marry, or should Gisborne see the two of us wed?" He smiled again. Robin and Marian walked to the Sheriff, and Gisborne, and Robin took out his sword, and put the tip under the Sheriff's chin. "Time to introduce you to the King."

Gisborne turned to Allan, who had been behind him, "You! I gave you money and a position when Hood turned you out."

"And then you tried to hang me, and then make me fight Robin over a boiling cauldron. I'm not being funny, but your side is dangerous. I made a mistake, and they accepted me back. They are my true friends."

Robin grabbed Gisborne, who was connected to the Sheriff, and they stumbled a little. "I can't wait to sleep in my own bed."

"Much, go get the King. I told him I needed a few minutes with the prisoners, and he should be waiting for you in his room."

--

"So this is Vaysey, the Sheriff of Nottingham," King Richard walked into the room, followed by Much, and walked up to Robin and the gang, as they surrounded Gisborne and the Sheriff. "I have not heard one good thing about you. Conspiring against me, killing innocents, taxing the people beyond their means... that is now over."

He stared at Vaysey, and turned his attention to Gisborne. He looked disgusted, having heard all about the two of them from Robin, and his gang. "And this is the man who stabbed Robin, and almost killed me. You broke the peace, and almost killed one of my favorite and best soldiers. My brother's crimes are his own, and yours are your own. You will both hang for your crimes against the people of Nottinghamshire. Your titles are no more, your positions will be given to better deserving men. If he agrees, Robin Earl of Huntington, Lord of Locksley shall be the new Sheriff of Nottingham." He turned to look at Robin, who looked surprised.

Even with the eyes of the King on him, awaiting his answer, Robin did not feel compelled to say yes. He instead looked at Marian questioningly, and she smiled. Robin turned back to the King, "My soon to be wife says I can take the job." He smiled. He looked back at Marian who looked pleased. He wanted peace, and he would have been content to just be Lord of Locksley, but if the King wanted him as Sheriff, and Marian did not mind, why not take it. He could still protect the people.

"Good man," the King nodded. "You Vaysey and Gisborne will be taken to Nottingham to hang. That is the request of the new Sheriff of Nottingham. For now, put them in the dungeons."

Much, Allan and Little John took care of that, as Robin walked up to the King. "I don't know what to say." He laughed a little.

"Say that Robin Hood will continue as Sheriff, and the people of Nottinghamshire will be safe, healthy and happy once more."

"The spirit of Robin Hood will never die," Robin promised.

"Then I shall not worry about Nottinghamshire," King Richard smiled at him. "And as Sheriff, you can reward worthy men of land, and recommend nobles."

"I will properly reward my men," Robin smiled taking the hint.

--

Later that morning, King Richard, along with his guard and Robin went out to the camp that at the moment was leaderless.

"Matthew, the camp is under your control," Richard told him.

"Yes Your Majesty," Matthew nodded. "You three, find me the most senior soldiers. I'm sure all of them know what happened last night. I want guards in this camp, make sure no one tries anything."

"It's over," King Richard turned to Robin. "The army is ours, your Sheriff and Gisborne are in the dungeons, and my brother is no longer a threat."

"It won't be over until the Sheriff and Gisborne are dead," Robin shook his head. "only then will I sleep soundly at night."

"With the rest of Nottinghamshire," King Richard sighed. "The men my brother calls his friends..."

"Your Majesty, we have the Captains," Matthew, Carter and three soldiers came up to them.

"Well that was quick," Richard said. "Have the rest of the soldiers pledge their allegiance to the King of England."

"Yes Your Majesty," Matthew nodded.

"I think it is about time to return to London. There is much work there to do too," King Richard sighed. "But first, Nottingham, of course."

"Yes, Nottingham."

"You look forward to your wedding?"

"Since I was a young boy," Robin smiled. "I've always known I loved her, it just wasn't until recently that I was able to tell her."

"You deserve each other," King Richard clapped him on the shoulder. "You two were made for each other."

"I've told her that, she never believed me," Robin laughed.

--

Robin stood on the balcony much later that night, where he had sat every night before kidnapping the Sheriff, Gisborne and Prince John. He as deep in thought, though his heart was light. Free, he was free again. He never had to go back to Sherwood Forest, he had a real home with walls again.

The King was home, the Sheriff was defeated, and he was marrying Marian. The world was right again, and he would make sure that the people of Nottingham did not suffer again. He would protect them as Robin Hood had, but this time legally, and in ways he couldn't as Robin Hood. He had a name, Robin Hood, Lord of Locksley, Earl of Huntington, Sheriff of Nottingham, but he had a feeling he would always be known as Robin Hood.