Robin and his family were just finishing breakfast when Allan a Dale came riding to their doorstep...riding as quickly as if all the demons in hell were chasing him. Without waiting to be shown inside, he slid from his horse's back and burst through the door, his eyes wearing a look of hopeless disbelief.

"He's gone," Allan announced with finality. "Robin, Seth's gone."

Robin immediately rose and dashed up the staircase to his room, with Allan at his heels. Pushing open the door, they saw King John and Isabella still sleeping soundly in Robin's bed.

"Where is he, you whoreson bastard?" Allan demanded to know from his sleeping king.

"Allan." Robin's voice was calm but firm. Its power seemed to steady Allan. Pulling his friend from the room, he shut the door behind them. They descended the staircase and rejoined Marian and the girls.

"We'll find Seth, Allan. I swear it. Tell me, has he ever been known to walk in his sleep?"

"Walk in his sleep?" Allan asked, aghast. "What the hell, Robin? He didn't go out for a stroll! That royal bastard's got him again!"

Robin inwardly cringed. He'd prefer Allan to guard his tongue in front of his "ladies." But he knew that now was not the time to upbraid him for his choice of colorful language.

"It can't have been the king," Robin stated. "He's been sleeping off the effects of my wine and ale all night. For all he knows, Seth's still under my roof. But as for Isabella...now she presents a different story."

"No, Daddy. No different story. Dragon story." Grace was singleminded in her preferences.

Robin solemnly scooped Grace up in one arm and held her against his side. She amused herself by poking her finger in and out of his ear.

The fact that Isabella was sleeping so soundly made Robin's suspicions rise. "Somebody needs to wake Isabella and have a word with her," he decided.

"I'll do the honors," Marian immediately volunteered, surprising her husband and taking him completely off guard.

"Whoa ho!" Allan cried approvingly. "Give her your level worst, Marian. It's more than she deserves."

Robin wasn't at all sure the chore should fall to his wife. He smelled trouble. But Marian was determined. After handing Ellen to Robin, she smiled triumphantly in his face and ran up the stairs to face her arch enemy.

She had absolutely no qualms about charging in on her sovereign and his mistress while they lay asleep in her bed. It was her house, after all, and they were practically trespassing.

She stopped short of yanking the covers off Isabella, settling instead for kicking at her with her foot...hard.

"Get up," she ordered briskly. "You have some explaining to do."

Isabella stirred while John continued sleeping off last night's stupor. Fully awake at last, Isabella raised herself on her elbows and glared at Marian.

"As greatly as I wish it were true, I have nothing to explain. Your loyal husband barely laid a finger on me, more's the pity."

"We are not discussing Lord Locksley. We're discussing Seth. He's gone."

"I know he's gone," Isabella whined. "I tried bringing it up to you last night, but you and Robin were too engrossed in shooting sparks at each other during your argument to pay me any attention whatsoever."

"Where have you put the boy, Isabella?" Marian persisted.

"You're asking me? Believe me, I only wish I knew." Her eyes clouded with worry as she looked at the king. "Do you have any idea what he'll do to me when he learns I let Henry be taken?"

"His name's not Henry; it's Seth. Where is he? His stepfather is downstairs right now, worried sick."

Isabella found amusement in Allan's pain. "Allan a Dale!" she cooed. "Good! Let him stew. It's payback for the time he robbed me."

"Are you referring to the time he stole our jewels back from you, after you had stolen them from us?"

"But who stole them in the first place? Wasn't it your husband's little gang of misfits? Who were the real thieves, Lady Locksley?"

Ignoring her, Marian returned to the matter at hand. "Tell me where Seth is, Isabella, or I swear, I will kill you."

At this moment, King John awakened, looking ridiculous with his hair all out of place, lying lank on his head. His eyes were bleary from last night's overindulgence, but they lit up with a small flicker when they spied Marian and Isabella in the bedchamber.

"My dears!" he cried delightedly. "My God, if I didn't feel so rotten, just think of the pleasures the three of us could share!"

Marian dropped a swift curtsey. "Your Majesty, the lady Isabella has taken Seth and hidden him."

"Liar!" Isabella shrieked.

John shut his eyes in pain and covered his ears. "Ladies! My dear ladies! If you cannot be more quiet, I'll order your tongues cut out and serve them to my dogs for breakfast. Now, what is it you said, Miriam, my pet?"

"Seth's gone, Your Majesty, and Isabella knows where he is."

"I don't! You took him...you and your husband's filthy little gang of outlaws!"

At this point, Allan and Robin entered the room.

"Marian?" Robin asked. "Are you alright?"

"Where's my son?" Allan demanded an answer from the king.

"What would I want with your son, peasant? Guards! Someone! Get this man away from me!"

"Give me back my stepson, you murderer!"

The room went silent. After a brief span of time, Allan continued, "Everyone knows what you did to Prince Arthur, in spite of your conflicting stories. We've all heard you announce that he was drowned, that his body was broken falling from the battlements of a castle, that he died of a fever. Get your stories straight, can't you?"

The king stared in complete horror. How dare he? How dare the lying peasant? He, John, by the grace of God King of England, Ireland, and Wales, Count of Mortrain...how dare a peasant question him? How dare he even mention Arthur's name?

"I will see you hang!" John cried.

At that very moment, Annie entered the room and threw herself onto her knees at King John's bedside.

...

(Note: John never did suffer repercussions for murdering Prince Arthur. The explanations Allan said John used for Arthur's death in this chapter were the three King John actually used to explain his nephew's disappearance. The truth did come out during John's reign, and he starved to death the wife and son of the man who told what happened, after the man escaped.

Also, if you're wondering what all Grace's fuss about the Dragon story is, you have got to watch Jonas Armstrong read the Cheebees Bedtime stories on YouTube. The dragon story is #3. Once you hear his hilarious voices (my personal favorite is Lizzie the Armorer), you will understand why Grace demands to hear the story over and over!)