Chapter 14

Nottingham castle – 2 weeks later, march, 1190

Marian was creeping through the castle as The Night Watchman, she was outside the sheriff's room, it was early evening but had already gone dark, and the sheriff didn't usually enter his room until later. She reached for the door handle but stopped instantly when she heard voices coming from inside. She could swear that one was Ashley. She leaned close to the door to listening. "Leighton please tell me it is happy days?" Sheriff said.

"Everything is sorted; I'm going to get her to marry me by the end of the month. Then Knighton will be in my control her father will be out, and Knighton will be yours. You shall have complete control over Nottingham's nobles." Ashley said, Marian could hear in his voice he was smiling.
"Oh my boy you are just pure genius. Tell me does she suspect."

"Not a thing, she is so simple, everything I heard from Locksley was a lie, she isn't sharp. I have met sharper grass." Leighton laughed. Marian clenched her fists, her knuckles were turning white. She had to walk away before she burst in and slapped his fickle face.

Knighton house

She wasn't hurt she was angry. How could she be so stupid, both John and Robin had warned her about men who wanted to get married quickly. Once again Robin of Locksley was right. And that annoyed her even more. She rode into the stable and dismounted her horse. Even though she was angry she was always gentle when it came to her horses. Her anger could wait, but if she scared her horse all the trust she had gained with it would be lost. She put her horse, Olivia, back into box and walked towards the house.
As she was walking back, she tripped over a bucket. She hooked the bucket's rope over her foot and flicked the bucket into the air, as it fell she kicked it out through the door. She let out a deep breathe, that felt better. She walked into the house, feeling slightly better but still angry.
She saw some knives sat on the table, Sophia had been out in the garden with them by the look of the mud stains. She grabbed the three knives and stood about 10 strides away from the marks in the wall. She twirled the first knife in her hand, the others tucked into her belt, she had shed her night-watchman mask, cloak and bpdice in the stable. She held the blade in her hand, took a deep breath and then threw the knife at the wall. It hit perfectly in the middle of her marks. She took the next one from her belt and did the same, twirled, breathed then threw. She hit exactly the spot she wanted too, just to the left of the first knife, she would aim for the right this time.
The same ritual but before she threw she was interrupted by a voice from behind her, "Bad evening." She span and threw the knife at the figure, she caught the person's shirt and had him pinned to the wall. "Last time I speak to you with a knife in your hand." Adam laughed pulling the knife out of his shirt and the wall to free himself. He handed her the knife still laughing.

"Sorry." She grunted, she was in no mood to talk.

"So what's happened?" Adam asked, indicating for her to sit on the chair in front of the fire whilst he collected the knives one she had just deposited on the table, the other 2 in the wall.

"Nothing."

"I have known you long enough to know it is never nothing." Adam laughed, struggling to pull the knives out.

"You were right." Marian said, Adam waited for her to continue. "About Leighton. There was something wrong and that something was the fact that he was only after Knighton, he is in league with the sheriff and they wanted Knighton between them so the sheriff had a better grip on Nottingham. Having the two largest estates in his power was always going to help."

"Marian I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, I'm not upset. Im angry and annoyed that I fell for it!" She said.

"It's not your fault, how were you supposed to know?" Adam said casually putting the knives on the shelf so Marian wouldn't notice. He sat opposite her. Adam resembled Robin. A lot. He had the same sandy, light brown coloured hair. But he wasn't as muscled as Robin and Adam had hazel eyes instead of blue or green, depending on the light. Adam was only a few inches taller than Marian, making him an inch or 2 shorter than Robin. His personality was similar to Robin as well, he often challenged Marian and wasn't afraid to tell her what he thought. That's why Marian respected him, he knew his station but wasn't afraid to speak his mind, whilst still staying respectful to the person he was speaking to. When it came to it, Marian could always count on Adam to be there when she needed him. She would trust him with her life, and with Melissa growing more and more distant. She and Adam were growing even stronger friends.

"Thank you Adam." Marian smiled.

"For what?" Adam was confused.

"For always being there for me? for being you? I don't know, for everything I guess." She smiled. "Right I'm going to get some rest, tomorrow could be interesting. I suggest you get some sleep too, busy day on the farm I think." Marian smiled, gave Adam a quick kiss on the cheek and headed upstairs.

"Goodnight Mi'lady and the mask and everything is on the hay rack if you're looking for it." Adam said as he walked towards the servants' quarters to find his brother.