Disclaimer: the show doesn't belong to me : ( Only plot and OCs do.

Chapter 10: Spilled Beans

Lilith woke up and realized she was more tired than she realized since she overslept. She looked around and realized Robin was gone, and, surprisingly, so was John. She thought he might take a day to recuperate since he got beaten up pretty badly. Deciding she still felt dirty, she grabbed a bar of the rose soap and headed to the pool.

"Why on earth am I with outlaws?" she asked herself as she replayed the past nights events. She quickly stripped and got in the pool. "And it is still freezing," she muttered. She quickly washed her hair and the rest of her. She was pulling her chemise on when she heard someone behind her. "I demand you come out now," she called out.

"I didn't want to disturb you," Alan said.

"So you are a peeping Alan now?" Lilith asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, I just got here, and was making sure no one else was watching," he said.

"Uh-huh, who else would watch me bathe?" she asked running her comb through her hair.

"Do you have to always cover your hair?" he asked. "I think yesterday was the first day I have seen it," he said and reached out to touch a wet tendril.

"Yes, I do have to remain covered," she said. "It is for protection." Mainly, she didn't want Robin to recognize it.

"It is lovely," he said.

"Then you may stay while it dries before I have to put it back under the covering." she sat and Alan took a seat next to her.

"Thank you," he said. She blinked. "I don't think any of us said that yesterday."

"I am just happy I could help," Lilith said honestly. "I felt useful."

"I don't think I have ever seen a nun act like that," he teased.

"I am not a very good nun," Lilith admitted.

"Would you . . . have you considered not being a nun any longer?" he asked hopefully.

"I do not think I shall be a nun much longer," she admitted. "And I am being truthful with you."

"You would leave the order?" he asked. "Would you leave it for a man?"

"I could see myself doing that . . . for a certain person, not just for anyone."

"Would you do it for me?" he asked.

"I would fight King Richard for you," Lilith said honestly.

"I don't think you have to go to him to leave your Abby," he said laughing.

"Some things go beyond the Abby," Lilith said. "But I would honestly fight him for you." I hope you can honestly believe me when everything is known. She had no desire to ever leave Sherwood just so she could stay with Alan. I have to just stay away from Sir Guy and Father she decided. She was surprised when he leaned over and captured her lips. She returned the kiss eagerly.

"I hope Lady Lilith does not reveal herself if it means you stay here," Alan said.

"That makes two of us, for when Lady Lilith reveals herself I will be forced to join her," she said.

"I don't understand why," he admitted.

"You will one day," she promised as she recaptured his lips.

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When they returned to the camp, they found it in an uproar. Everyone was up and John was back, but what was causing the disturbance was Marion who had just arrived. "Marion?" Robin asked surprised when they found her in the forest. "What has happened?"

"Sir Guy and the sheriff have taken my father!" she said angrily as she dismounted. "They have been trying to find a way of getting back at both of us after the wedding, I'm surprised it's taken them this long. When Sir Guy arrived today, my father covered for my absence, but they discovered it was a lie. They arrested him and he is set to be hanged in Nottingham for conspiring with outlaws!"

"We'll get him," Robin promised hugging her. "I promise we will."

"Why did they go after him now?" Will asked. "They haven't done anything these two weeks."

"They have been looking for Lady Lilith, that is why," Lilith spoke up. She was trying to stay as far back from Marion as was possible (Marion always had a better memory and would recognize her).

"In their frustration of not finding her, they turned to my father," Marion said, studying her.

"They would have gone after him after the marriage," Lilith said. "Sir Guy's marriage won't stop their purges among the nobility."

"It's your fault!" Marion yelled stepping towards her. "Why on earth are you here?"

"Huh?" Robin said.

"Lilith!" Marion said. "It's all your fault! You've been here and now my father will hang for it!"

Lilith sighed and started lifting the various head pieces off her head. She shook her now dry head, her hair happy to finally be out it's confines. "I suppose I don't have to wear this any more," she said. The strawberry and gold highlights in her blonde hair, showing her Norman heritage, reflected the sunlight. All the men looked at her as if she had just declared she was Richard in disguise. "And you would have been targeted regardless if I married Guy two weeks ago. In fact, it probably would have happened sooner if I married him then."

"You have been hiding here, among us, all this time?" Robin asked surprised. "How could you simply leave your father without any notice? How could you lie to us!" Robin demanded completely shocked and outraged.

"I did not wish to lie to any of you," Lilith said desperately honest. "None of this was my intention, that is the truth. And the only lie I have been forced to tell was of my identity. Everything else I told you has been true," she said looking at Alan. "I was set to marry Sir Guy when we were attacked and you rescued us. Everything from then on has been nothing but quick thinking on my part."

"Why not trust us with who you were?" Alan asked and she could see the hurt in his eyes.

"Would you have treated me the same? I feared you would have simply returned me to my father– or Sir Guy," she explained. "I had planned to hide here for a few days and get answers from Robin. I was so surprised to find him alive, I had to spend a few days with him."

"Alive?" Much asked confused.

"The sheriff has told John that Robin died from the wounds he received in Acra. That is why the lands were entailed. I thought you had died like everyone else, and then you were alive and here and I could hear about my brother."

"So you fled your duty? Why doesn't that surprise me," Robin said. "You always were flighty and rambunctious."

Lilith glared at Robin and she saw Sarah clenching her fists to refrain from slapping him. "And you always were a spoiled, flippant boy. Duty?" she laughed. "What would you know about duty? Men and their misconceptions!" she raved. All the pent up frustration from the past couple of weeks was flying out her mouth. "To you, duty is whatever you believe you are honor bound to do. Unfortunately, that means whatever you want it to mean! It changes with the wind! You are honor bound to go to war in a far distant country leaving behind your family unprotected! Some stupid war overseas is more important than protecting your own wives and sisters! Then when you return, your would rather frolic in the woods to annoy the sheriff than take a stand for your own people! Why haven't you gone to John and declared an audience? Duty?" she spat. "A woman's duty is to remain where the men leave her, even if it kills her," she spat, "and if she tries to change that she is seen as honorless, vindictive, . . ."

"Cowardly," Sarah supplied.

"I never said anything about a women's duty," Robin said with a glare.

"Yes, you did, by disagreeing with my not marrying Sir Guy," she said. "What if it was Marion who was set to marry Guy? You obviously fought against that. What if you marry her? Are you going to slowly stiffle her with her duties?"

"A woman has duties towards her husband," Much said in defense of his master.

Lilith gave a frustrated stomp. "And if Marion doesn't approve of something and tries to change it, she feels it's her duty to take action, then what? You try to stop her? Like you try to stop her as the night-watchman?" She demanded. "It is this twisted sense of duty men have regarding women that will lead to their death."

"This has nothing to do with Marion," Robin said. "She has not been the one masquerading here."

"So if I had come right out and said 'hi Robin! Glad to see you aren't dead! Now, what about my late brother and husband?' that would have been better? You would have returned me and I would still have been forced into this marriage." She saw Alan cringe at the mention of her late husband and wanted desperately to talk to him alone and explain.

"Maybe I wouldn't have!" Robin said but Lilith gave him a look saying she knew he was lying. "It is not my decision to make regarding your future."

"Maybe if we . . ." Will started but the two nobles glared at him making him shut up.

"Can you fault me for trying to make decisions regarding my future for myself? I thought I might do a better job at it than my husband and father have in the past. You certainly have no problem with those decisions for everyone else," Lilith said. "But, you are a man. You believe it is your duty to chose our lives and then go off and have your own lives and duties, regardless of what happens to the rest of us," she said. She gave one last final glare. "I did my duty, the honorable thing once, and it nearly killed me. You are just like the rest of them." she stomped off towards the stream.

"What just happened?" Robin said shaking his head. Before Sarah could go off after her mistress he grabbed her arm. "What just happened?"

"She enlightened you on the stupidity of men," Sarah spat out, her eyes narrowed with her fury at all of them– especially Robin and Marion.

"You will not speak to my master like that!" Much said. Sarah slapped him across the face. He was so shocked he almost slapped her back as Will and Robin reached out to stop him.

"No, a woman stands up for herself, men must protect their egos. Go ahead," she challenged. "I've faced much worse protecting my lady."

"Like going to war?" Much asked cynically.

"You obviously haven't been around conniving nobles Much, have you?" she said waving a hand dismissively and turned on her heal.

"Sarah, wait, please," Robin said grabbing her arm again. "What on earth is going on here?"

"Exactly as Lilith said. Men run off chasing their idiotic, ever-changing ideals leaving the rest of us behind to deal with the repercussions."

"What happened?" Alan asked.

"It is not for me to tell," Sarah said. "I keep my mistress' secrets." She walked off leaving the group of bewildered men & Marion (and a non-bewildered Djaq) behind. She turned back as a thought swarmed in her head and marched back up to Much. "By the way," she said pointing at his chest, "Lilith didn't want to disrupt your illusions of grandeur; she thought it was adorable, but I thought I should enlightened you. It seems the proper thing to do. You are not Lord Much, you are not the Earl of Bonchurch. The sheriff never negotiated with Prince John. The lands have been reclaimed by the crown until an earl can be appointed by the King upon his return," she snarled and walked back off.

"It has long been time for me to move on," Lilith decided as Sarah joined her by their stream. "You may remain here. I know you have an attachment to Will that I have not miraculously sabotaged with this mess, and I have long promised you your own happiness."

"Who would look out for you then, my lady?" Sarah said. "I do not trust you to anyone else."

"I highly doubt Sir Guy is wanting to poison me on our wedding night," Lilith said dryly. "Mayhaps our anniversary."

"I go with you, my lady." Lilith nodded knowing now was not the best time to discuss it. "Do you have a plan?"

"Of course," Lilith said making Sarah laugh. "We wait for them to fall asleep. If we arrive in Locksley around dawn, surely someone would be willing to lend us a pair of horses for our journey to Nottingham. We should arrive there before lunch then, and you still have my gown?" Sarah nodded. "Then I will be able to make myself presentable."

"I do not mean to overstep myself, but . . . why are you just giving in?"

"What else can I do?" Lilith asked despairingly. "My father would not believe these atrocities, nor John. I can no longer remain here hidden like a coward . . . I have resigned myself to my lot. Maybe I'll hire a food tester," she contemplated.

"I'll look into it upon our arrival," Sarah vowed.

Lilith squeezed her hand. "I could always tell him I can no longer have children. He would cancel the wedding immediately probably."

"He wants the lands too badly, Lilith. He would simply take on a mistress immediately after you consummate the marriage."

"True, true. We will not get any sleep tonight, I am sorry."

"At least we may finally get rid of these gowns! I am rather glad my father did not send me to a convent," Sarah said changing out of her nun's robes.

They waited till well after dark when the others had finished eating to return to camp. They made up their pallets and whispered to each other, feeling the glances from the others. "I never meant to hurt them," Lilith said. "I seem to always make a mess of things . . . no more," Lilith decided. "Perhaps marriage will do me well and finally carve out that streak father is always complaining about."

"I hope not, my lady," Sarah said squeezing her hand. They heard footsteps as Djaq appeared.

"What are your plans?" she asked joining them.

"We are going to slip away in the early morning," Sarah said.

"I can go with you to help," she offered.

"No, but can you cover for us and make sure they don't know about us leaving right away? We need time to get away." Djaq nodded.

Soon they pretended to fall asleep. They heard the others fall asleep one by one, but they remained awake. An hour before dawn, they grabbed their satchels and slipped away towards Locksley.

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