The Consequence of Loyalty

By Cynthia Burnett

Chapter 10

Nottingham Castle

The day had been filled with preparations for the dinner. Much found himself tasked with peeling potatoes in the kitchen, and eventually the polishing of the dinnerware in the Great Hall. Everywhere he went, he had a ten man escort with Gisborne not too far behind.

A couple of hours before the dinner, Much caught sight of Marian in a beautiful deep blue dress with white beads lining the neck and the sleeves. He had never seen her so radiant and stunning. His hands clenched in anger as Gisborne took her arm and led her to the Great Hall. By every right, Robin should have been by Marian's side, not Gisborne.

Suddenly, a stick smacked his knuckles, causing Much to cry out in pain. "Ouch!" He yelped while rubbing his hand. Garrick stood in front of him.

"Distractions are not allowed. You will find that the Sheriff will demand more than a hit across the knuckles if you miss a signal. With Prince John attending the dinner, I promise you that you do not want to embarrass the master." The tall servant with exceptionally perfect deep blue attire motioned for Much to follow him. "This way."

Upon entering the Great Hall, Much's stomach threatened to expel every morsel he had managed to sneak during the day. The prince's guards lined the hall and watched over every entrance. How was Robin planning on rescuing him from this?

Once again, his inattention earned him another swat across the knuckles. "Ouch! Stop doing that!" Much exclaimed.

Garrick only added, "Stop getting distracted." The servant pointed to one of two tall backed seats at the head of the table. "You will be serving the Sheriff. Your station is directly behind his seat. Prince John will be seated next to him and his own servant will be attending him. Whatever you do, don't embarrass the Sheriff."

Trumpets sound, startling Much. "Is it starting already?"

Nodding, Garrick led Much to his station. "I don't understand why he trusts this important duty to you, but he is the master." Garrick finally left Much alone, to stand behind the empty chair. As each trumpet sounded, Much tried to suppress the instinctive jump it caused. Slowly, the room began to fill with nobles from Nottinghamshire. Sir Edward walked in alone, and after a few more nobles entered, Gisborne and Lady Marian were announced and seated.

Much kept his eyes on Gisborne who survey the entire room, and assumed the noble was scanning for Robin and the gang. As much as he wanted to see Robin, the number of guards in the room left him apprehensive. He found himself hoping that Robin did not try anything that could get himself killed. He knew that he could not bear witnessing the death of his friend, no matter how many times Robin tempted fate and beat the odds.

Another trumpet sounded, this time with the announcement of Sheriff Vaisey. The Sheriff entered wearing a white fur cap and matching furs lining his black robe. With great fanfare, the pompous man seated himself at the head of the table. Much tried to remember if he was required to do anything after the Sheriff took his seat, but his attention was quickly stolen with the final trumpet, which had the ring of several notes that differed from the nobles' entry. This trumpet announced royalty, a sound that took Much back to his days serving with Robin in the King's personal guard.

Only this time, it was not King Richard who would be entering the room.

"His Royal Majesty, Prince John." Everyone stood, even the Sheriff, as the Prince stepped down the stairs and paused before the men and women of Nottingham. While all of the nobles' bowed, they all looked up to the Prince while servants continued to bow their heads. This was one moment where Much refused to follow the rules, and peeked up to see who had destroyed the England that he and Robin had so longed to return to from the Holy Land.

Prince John rivaled Gisborne in height, but instead of black hair, his hair was a well-manicured blond. Noting the strong jaw line, Much could see a resemblance to his brother, but the similarity ended there. The manner in which this royal held himself spoke of domination of those around him. His robes radiated deep purple, turning Much's stomach as he glanced down at his matching outfit and then back to the Prince. Surely the Sheriff did not plan this as a joke, he thought. When the Prince continued to acknowledge the nobles, Much quickly returned his gaze to the ground, but he knew he had already caught stealing a glimpse.

Afraid to look up, Much kept his head down as the Prince approached and sat at the table. When the Prince's servant rushed forward to fill his glass, Much did the same for the Sheriff. After setting the serving flask down quickly, he returned to his station while the royal highness addressed the others with a raised goblet full of wine.

"Lords and Ladies of Nottingham, I am here today to ensure that the crown has the loyalty and service of all landed gentry in this shire. I understand that some of your serfs are suffering from the increased taxes and demands on their goods, but we are at war in the Holy Land. This requires sacrifices from us all to ensure that my brother, King Richard, has the funds and the means to restore the Christian faith to the land and return safely to England." Prince John held his goblet up to the Sheriff. "I need men like Lord Vaisey to rule by my side to make certain that everything is under control for my brother's behalf and his safe return. Until then, I rule England in his absence." With a final salute, the Prince toasted. "To King Richard and his safe return to England."

Everyone in the Great Hall followed suit and shouted, "To King Richard!" With the toast complete, the Prince sat and announced, "May you all feast and enjoy this celebration." With ceremony, the Prince broke a loaf of bread and offered it to the Sheriff. Everyone at the table mirrored the ceremony, breaking bread and offering it to his or her neighbor. The Prince leaned over to the Sheriff and whispered into his ear. After both men shared a heartfelt laugh, the Prince glanced behind to give Much a once over. Uncomfortable with the attention, Much felt his hands turn to ice and tried to rub some sensation back into them.

After filling the Sheriff's cup for the third time that evening, Much continued to glance around the hall, wondering how Robin planned on a rescue after the dinner. To his surprise, Prince John had left his seat several times to make conversation with Sir Guy and Marian. From the sharp glances the Prince received from Gisborne, the servant could only imagine that his attention was not appreciated.

This time when the Prince returned, the Sheriff once again raised his goblet for his servant to refill its contents. Frustrated at the man's over-exuberance for his wine consumption, Much attentively filled the cup. However, before he could hastily retreat back to his station, a strong hand grasped his wrist. He felt his stomach somersault in place when he realized the man holding his wrist was none other than Prince John.

Much paused to bow, before inquiring, "Your majesty?"

"Sheriff Vaisey tells me that you served in the Holy Land." The Prince's face grew stern as he continued to inspect Much from head to toe.

Unsure of how to react, Much decided it would be prudent to stick to short answers. "Yes, your majesty."

"Intriguing. It is not often that I have a chance to meet someone who has returned from the Crusade, and I have never heard of a servant returning from the war." Again, the Prince shook his head in disbelief. "You served in the Crusade?"

The Sheriff ordered Much to share more of his story. "Tell Prince John who you served with and how many years you were in the Holy Land." As Much hesitated, feeling all eyes in the hall on him, including the Prince, Vaisey added sternly, "Go on, tell him."

Much finally found his voice again, "I… I served with my master, Robin of Locksley. We were in the Holy Land for five years." Darting his gaze from person to person until he found Marian's face drawn with worry while Gisborne's eyes filled with daggers as if he could kill everyone seated at the head of the table. Finally, Much remembered his audience and added, "Your majesty."

The Sheriff took the liberty to add to the story. "Not only did this man serve in your brother's army, he was part of the personal guard that protected the King."

Much swallowed, realizing this information would make matters worse. Prince John stood to walk around the royally adorned servant. "Interesting. When you said you had a surprise for me at dinner, I never imagined that it would be this remarkable. I would love to hear stories about my brother and of the war from this man."

Entirely pleased with himself, the Sheriff smiled and gestured grandly, "Then take him with you back to London. I'm sure this servant will keep you entertained for hours with his numerous stories about the Holy Land and your brother. He has the gift of gab."

Surprise spread throughout the room as the nobles' wondered at the offering. Marian's eyes searched the room while Gisborne scowled darkly. He continued to stare a hole through the Prince and only moved his eyes to do the same to the Sheriff.

Unable to remain silent over this outrageous proposition, Much cried out, "No… I am not property to be passed around."

The room fell silent. Much had now compounded his misfortune by embarrassing the Sheriff in front of his very important guest.

The Prince spat, "What audacity coming from a mere servant!"

The Sheriff growled before reprimanding Much. "You, my friend, have no rights. You followed Robin into the forest as an outlaw. I could have you hanged, or have you serve out the rest of your life in a mine. Instead, you are going to serve Prince John, and tell him everything he wants to know about King Richard and the war. That is, if he still is interested after your insolent remark!"

Prince John ordered his two personal guards to seize Much. "This man seems to have forgotten his station. I would love to remind him of the rules of serving royalty. Take him…" Before the Prince could finish his statement, a cry split the Great Hall. His eyes grew wide as white smoke billowed from every corner.

"Fire! Everyone get out! Fire!" The word fire was repeated over and over by many in the hall as panic spread. Chairs were overturned as people fled the great room.

Right oncue, John, Allen, Will and Djac mixed the chemicals together in each corner of the room that produced a flood of white smoke. Robin stood back, waiting for the diversion to work while keeping a close eye on Much's whereabouts.

Fueled with anger, the Sheriff tried to play down the alarm. "It is a trick! There is no fire!"

However, the Prince was not buying his story. With venomous fury that the Sheriff could only envy, Prince John ordered, "Get me out of here, now!"

Without a word of protest, Sheriff Vaisey helped the guards immediately behind them escort Prince John safely out of the hall. Everyone coughed fiercely as the white cloud continued to expand.

To Marian's dismay, Gisborne had not been fooled by the ruse and immediately left her side. The lady tried to grab hold of him, but her grasp only found air. An unknown shout of "This way" was her only clue as to which direction to evacuate the room. Upset that she had lost track of Gisborne, Marian had no choice but to leave the Great Hall without knowing where the noble had vanished.

As soon as the 'fire' had appeared in the hall, Much knew Robin had to behind the event. Struggling with his captors, he found the strength and the courage to prevent the guards from dragging him out of the hall. After the smoke finally began to overwhelm the guards, Much managed to land solid blows to their temples. When the last guard hit the floor, he gave a victorious "Ha!" while running up the stairs to freedom.

At the first step, a strong arm suddenly encircled his neck while a gloved hand covered his mouth. Trapped, Much lost his balance when his captor pushed him against the wall behind several large banners. Now face to face, Much wanted to scream in frustration at the sight of Gisborne. Escape had been in his grasp. The noble quickly quieted Much's struggle with a solid punch to his stomach while still holding his left hand over Much's mouth, muffling his cry.

Gisborne leaned close to Much's ear and quietly threatened, "I can finish the deed I started with this dagger if you make one sound or continue to fight me." Much caught a glimpse of the knife's blade in Gisborne's right fist and when he looked into the nobleman's face, he witnessed the bulging veins that indicated his fury. Afraid to do anything else to provoke him, Much nodded.

Gisborne gripped his left arm so tight Much felt his arm go numb. It only took the two of them several seconds of running close to the wall and low to the floor before they reached a small room off of the entrance to the Great Hall. After tossing Much inside, Gisborne joined him and bolted the door. He could still hear the nobles and guards crying out "Fire" as they ran past the room, but Sir Guy knew this was just an elaborate hoax by Robin and his men to rescue their friend.

Resting on his knees, Much quickly covered his head with his arms when Gisborne began knocking over everything, destroying pottery and anything breakable in the room. Items shattered around Much, and a few struck him on the back.

"How dare he do this to me! He planned this all along without one word to me. Offering you to Prince John to win favors!" After destroying everything in the room, Gisborne paused, his rage barely spent. Breathing heavily, his gaze cemented on Much, who still cowered on the floor. Finally, his focused changed and the noble picked Much up off the floor, holding the trapped man up by the front of his shirt. He spat, "Give me one reason why I should not just kill you right now, to teach the Sheriff a lesson, to spite that snooty Prince John, to destroy Robin…"

Much eyed the dagger as it traced a line down his face. The only word he could breathe was a name, "Marian." This seem to quiet Gisborne's rage for a moment, but as soon as he sheathed the dagger in his belt, his fist drew back for another hard punch to Much's already bruised stomach. Again, the servant crumbled to the ground.

Realizing that he was caught in the middle of a power struggle between Gisborne and the Sheriff, Much felt all hope of escaping disappear. He definitely did not want to be killed by Sir Guy, but to be given to the Prince as a prize humiliated and terrified him. Knowing that Prince John held no love for his brother, Much could only imagine the kind of questions that would be asked of him. He began to wonder if it was Prince John and not the Sheriff who had sent Gisborne to the Holy Land to kill the King. The more his imagination took off, the more he became engulfed in fear about the outcome of this day. The thought of torture also crossed his mind.

While trying to regain control of his breathing, Much suddenly realized that Gisborne had knelt down beside him. Quietly, Gisborne whispered, "If a word of this gets back to the Sheriff, I will make sure you know what it feels like to be alone in this world without anyone alive who cares about you, understand?"

Confused, Much mumbled, "Yes…"

"Stay on the floor and don't move!" Gisborne commanded, causing Much to curl into a small ball on his knees, covering his face with his arms.

After lying there for several minutes, Much grew anxious, not sure whether Gisborne had actually left the room. Finally, a soft touch to his arm and a familiar voice nearly took away his breath, "Much?"

Tears filled Much's eyes as he strained to speak, "Robin…"

The outlaw carefully helped his friend to his feet and noticed his weakened condition. "Allen and Will, help him." Both men carefully supported Much on each side as Robin ran back to the door to secure their position.

"It is good to have you back, my friend." Allen stated as he placed Much's left arm over his shoulder.

Examining their disguises, Much realized how they were able to infiltrate the Great Hall so easily. "Very clever, dressing as the Prince's guard."

Will laughed, "At least you are not hard to miss. Not even the Prince has a getup like yours."

Self-conscious, the rescued man pulled on his gaudy wardrobe. "Yah, lovely isn't it?" he said with disgust. Casting a worried glanced to the door, Much asked, "Where is Gisborne? He brought me to this room after the diversion in the Great Hall."

Robin peered over his shoulder back at Much. "We have not seen him. Allen thought to check this room when we could not find you in the hall."

Relieved that Gisborne appeared to be out of the picture, Much grunted in pain as Allen and Will helped him closer to the door. He tried to smile before adding, "I want to go home."

Allen snickered, "Sherwood is hot this time of year, but I'm sure that it is a thousand times better than London."

Upset by Allen's teasing, Much glared at him. "I don't want to go to London."

Robin placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "You are not going anywhere near London or Prince John, I promise you."

Will and Allen supported Much as they moved closer to the door; everyone waited for the sounds of guards in the hall to fade. Robin came over and tapped on their helmets, "Remember, we are the Prince's guard and you are our prisoner. No smiling and no talking once we've left this room. If we meet any other guards, let me do the talking." With a nod, Djac and Little John opened the door.

Much smiled when he realized that Robin wore the ranking of a lieutenant on his jacket. It only seemed fitting that his master was in charge of this rabble of guards.

Before making it the west exit, Much's stomach dropped when he saw who stood in the hallway directing several guards. When Gisborne glanced his way, Much expected the noble to give a cry of alarm.

Much's feet refused to move forward, however Allen and Will followed Robin's command. "Don't stop walking. We will get passed them." Robin glanced back and noticed Allen and Will dragging Much forward. While he felt sorry for his friend's fear of the confrontation, it gave their little charade a hint of truth.

Finally, Gisborne cried out. "Halt, you there!"

Robin and his men stopped, and with a deep voice, Robin responded, "Yes, my lord."

"The smoke has filled these corridors. Take him out the east exit." Gisborne waved his hands. "We don't have time to deal with that one." He said gesturing at Much.

Nodding, Robin again replied, "Yes, my lord."

Allen and Will supported Much by his arms, dragging him the other direction. Both hesitated when Much gasped, "He is helping us."

Will shook his head, unable to comprehend Much's statement. "What do you mean? He is the reason we are here."

Much succeeded in glancing back over his shoulder and saw Gisborne watching them leave. "He warned me. He said that if any of this gets back to the Sheriff…" Too upset to repeat the noble's words, he decided not to finish the rest of the statement.

Robin also peered over his shoulder, remembering how Gisborne sat stewing at dinner. The irony of the situation struck him, but he had no time to ponder outcomes now. They neared the east gate, and Much's freedom.

Before Much had time to question the events in the castle, Robin and his friends succeeded in rescuing him from Gisborne, the Sheriff and Prince John. Once in the forest, despite his injury and sore muscles from Gisborne's punches, his hugs threatened to squeeze the life out of everyone he managed to get his arms around. Tonight, he would not be sleeping inside a locked room in Locksley or the castle. It felt great to be a free man once again.