The next day was filled with secrecy. Lacie spent the afternoon in Guy's chambers, calmly folding clothes for his satchel. Her husband was to be spending time in Nettlestone to oversee the final stages of his soldiers' camp. Vesey's sudden and violent illness had postponed the multiple bases of Nottingham being constructed on the outskirts of the Sherriff's territory, but now, after his passing, the project was able to be resumed. With no clear Sherriff in mind, though, it was a territory grab for whosoever was lucky enough to be next. Lacie Gisborne was the only person in England who knew for sure which man would be next in line, for only she knew what she planned to do after her husband left town.

Guy returned home from last minute review just long enough to snag his belongings and say goodbye to his family. Drake was not so prepared, though, to let his father head out of town for a week. If a topic or idea could make its way into the child's head he would spew it out and demand an answer from Gisborne. After he and the stable boy secured the last bag to the stallion, Guy knelt down and hushed his son with a finger to the lips and heavy chuckle. The boys had a tender embrace before Drake was sent back inside. Lacie wrung her hands together nervously and held a plastic smile for him. Guy, of course, was too caught up in work to notice her poorly executed lying. The humble girl couldn't ever get a fib through her teeth without dead giveaways interrupting. Luckily, though, she didn't have to tell a non-truth, she just had to keep her mouth shut. A kiss and a wave later, her husband was gone and she could take matters into her own hands.

Alice had not been told the reason, but she had instructions to stay in the manor this evening with young Drake and get him into bed on time and be sure he stayed put. She dared not grumble about how she wasn't a babysitter. Supper time came and went without Lacie taking more than a bite; she didn't have the stomach for food, she would rather just get her martyr work over with. Once darkness fell, Lady Gisborne drew a deep red cloak from her closet and rode off to Nottingham, ignoring her second thoughts and selfish desires to avoid Prince John. It was for Guy, she reminded herself, it was for her family.

The metal clad guards at the front gates of Nottingham castle were well acquainted with Lacie's visage. Without hesitation they drew open the barrier and kindly welcomed her into the courtyard. Her grim expression was slightly off-putting to the man responsible for tending to her steed, but he did not think anything of it. After all, could you smile if you were married to Sir Guy of Gisborne? Lacie did not speak a word in her arrival and she held her silence through the stone corridors of the castle. She was already familiar with where the Prince would be for he was a creature of habit; on each visit he would expect nothing less than the largest and most decorated room available. Lacie made only slight scuffles as her flat shoes ascended the winding stairs up to John's chambers. With a heavy gulp she tapped her knuckles to the wood and awaited a response. On the other side of the door she was met with a twisted grin.

"Well if it isn't the sweet Lacie," John harmoniously played. He was dressed in casual clothing that still boasted his wealthy stance in society. He was, of course, taller than her, but not so much as Guy.

"My Lord," she softly spoke, "I wish to visit you." He took in a sharp breath and gaped the doorway open to make room for her, but kept his body in the same place so that she had to rub against him to enter. She was just as soft as he had anticipated. John shut the door and waltzed proudly to the center of the room, stroking his chin momentarily, and then swiftly facing her.

"There is no doubt you have spoken with your husband?"

"He has informed me of your wishes." She answered with gravel in her throat. This whole idea disgusted her, but a good wife would sacrifice herself for her husband any day.

"I see," John delightfully rung as he came to her, "Hmmm and yet here you are, Lady Gisborne." He placed his hands on the sides of her arms and stroked down to her wrists with giddiness. His finger went to the neckline and untied the bow holding her cloak on, allowing it to slip off and show her body in its fitted gown. "I must say, I am glad he has learned to share his toys." With this comment he leaned in to kiss her, but Lacie turned her face just enough to avoid it. None of her wanted this.

"I am doing this for Guy," she concretely stated, "He deserves to be Sherriff."

"Oh and honey, he will be," England's prince swore with a caress down her cheek.

"He does not know I am here… he does not approve," she frowned, but this didn't bother John at all. He reached to hold her hand but she flinched away, causing him to grab after it and command it.

"Do you love him?" John foolishly asked of her.

"Of course!" Lacie spat, "More than anything."

"More than me? Your Prince?" John chided, seeming to take offence. Lacie was dumbfounded by the fact that he expected her to say no.

"Yes. Much more… I am only doing what is necessary to put him in his rightful office." John scoffed at this and marched to the other side of the room, pulling wine from a shelf and filling a goblet without hesitation to the rim. As the moments passed, Lacie felt her heart dragging and wishing she hadn't come – Guy had been right.

"Well, with an attitude like that, he is not going anywhere but down."

"He has been second in command to the Sherriff without a lapse in loyalty for over a decade. You have no ground to take this from him just because –"

"Because what? His mouthy wife?" the Prince set down his cup and stormed to her. Lacie realized that she had indeed lost control of her tongue, but was it such a bad thing? She had a point. Besides, all of this was childish and impractical. She decided to be Gisborne's mouthy wife after all.

"It seems to me, Your Highness, that you have already made up your mind and it is wrong," she was losing her temper quickly in this uncomfortable situation, especially when he shoved a finger in her face, "for I dare you to find someone more loyal to you than Sir Guy to run this county."

"Madame, you had best think of what you are doing-"

"I am. And what I am doing is my husband's will. I refuse to submit to you and your blackmail when you have no one else to fill the office. I expect that when Guy returns he will be Sherriff." They held a steely glare for one another. John looked upon his hand and realized that the card he was in fact missing was what he would do without Lacie's obedience. He became horrified once it clicked in his brain that she was right – who else could run this place under his finger? That detail was supposed to be overlooked. He was bluffing and it was called.

"I could bring someone from London to take care of it, I have no need for Gisborne," he fibbed. As a tragic liar herself, Lacie saw through the sham.

"Who?" she asked with coldness.

"Well, it is none of your business."

"I must know who to welcome to Nottingham." Her eyebrows went up and she realized what was happening: she was in a game of charades acting out her husband. Playing Gisborne now was her only hope of getting what she wanted while fully dressed. Both of them hit a wall and knew she had won for John was poorly equipped. He bit his lip and clawed at the edge of this cliff for ground to come out on top.

"Well, if I am to stick Guy in office, I demand –"

"You will get nothing from us!" Lacie loudly blurted in a high tone, "Appointing my husband is going to gain you a county. That is all you need." And with that, the skirmish was won. John looked away from the fiery redhead.

"I will see what I can do for him." He sighed. Lacie gave a curt nod and grabbed her cloak. She began to exit when, feeling empowered, she turned and put on a mask of Guy. It was iron and threatening, even from a five and a half foot woman.

"You can expect him from Nettlestone on Thursday." With that she burst from the room and took strong steps to the stairs. Upon reaching freedom, though, her costume disintegrated and she let her emotions wad into calamity. It had all happened so fast! She realized it was only by luck that she hadn't been cast down into the dungeon to rot until Guy returned. She still could not believe that she mouthed off to the Prince of England; who does that? Lacie gained a high from the knowledge that she had won, that Guy had won. He was to be Sherriff all along. This was just John's attempt at getting a sweetener, but he failed. Lacie looked back to the day when she married the noble of Gisborne – never had she thought she would be the Sherriff's wife. And yet here it was, the rise of her family into immortal power. She could not wait to get home and hold Drake to her chest, knowing that his future would be of nothing but gold.