Marian didn't know what she felt more...surprise or relief, when Saladin's brother Al-Adil released her and strode away, storming out of the harem.

What would happen to her now? Whatever the Saracen prince had in mind, Marian determined not to accept it without a fight.

Needing to clear her head, she began practicing the slow, methodical exercises she used to perform when alone that readied the Nightwatchman to fight.

It was no use. Her "odd" movements, foreign beauty, and unyielding behavior toward the prince had gained her unflagging attention within the harem. Every kohl darkened eye seemed to bore into her, every red stained mouth poured forth giggles. Impatiently pushing her hair behind her ear, Marian stopped.

She was hot and irritable, hating to stared at like a performing monkey. Impulsively, she ran to the pool and dove in.

The harem women's giggles turned to outright laughter, but Marian didn't care. Determinedly, she swam from one end of the pool to the other and back again, unhampered by her costume.

Having cleared her head at last, Marian climbed the underwater steps in the pool's shallow end to stand dripping on the marble floor. Conscious of her clothes clinging to her like a second skin, she quickly folded her arms over her chest.

A memory flashed through her mind, making her long even harder for freedom, and for Robin.

She was living in the forest with him, a part of his gang, not yet engaged but madly in love. They'd volunteered to go shoot something for dinner, and had tracked a deer to a lonely part of the forest. in no time, they forgot all about their mission, lost in the joyous warmth of their kisses.

Robin broke away, grinning down at her. Heaving a deep, hot sigh, he simply said, "I think I need to cool off. Care for a swim?"

Marian raised her eyebrows and laughed. "That won't help."

"It might! Come on!"

His sense of fun was contagious, and Marian ran with him to a deep stream that branched off the river Trent, winding a path through Sherwood.

Robin put down his bow, unstrapped his quiver, kicked off his boots, then peeled off his shirt and socks.

"Hold on, Locksley," Marian warned, enjoying the spectacle of him shirtless, as well as his wicked laugh.

Keeping his pants on, Robin dove into the stream, swam underwater, then shot to the surface.

Shaking the water from his hair, he grinned back at her. "Come on," he invited, winningly. "It feels great!"

Kicking her own boots off, Marian removed her socks and quiver, then dove in after him. The water was cold, but invigorating, and they had a wonderful time splashing and swimming, playfully ducking each other under the water, then holding one another and kissing.

"Cool enough?" Marian teased, knowing that he wasn't. "We better think about shooting something for dinner."

They'd returned to camp without any game too many times already, and she was tired of hearing Much's tirades and accusations.

Climbing onto the bank, Marian noticed how tightly her shirt clung to her and hid herself by folding her arms across her chest.

Robin, climbing out after her, grinned happily. "On my way to the Holy Land," he told her, pulling on his shirt, "there were vendors sold copies of a famous statue, the Venus de Milo. She was said to rise from the sea, and I never understood until now, why that statue didn't have any arms."

Robin! So cheerful and cheeky, yet true and brave and good. He was like perfect day in summer! Marian doubted he was so cheerful and cheeky now, believing she was dead.

"I've got to get out of here," she whispered, twisting her hair to squeeze it dry.

But how? She was more closely guarded and locked in, than if she were in prison.