"If you don't stop pacing up and down then you are going to give me a headache," Bethany complained to her granddaughter. Elizabeth had spent the past four days in a state of hysteria, waiting for word of Nottingham to return to her.
She kept quiet, refusing to eat meals as her stomach grew with her impending child. She was distant, not even Roselyn could get a sentence from her. She was worried beyond belief about her husband, and she did not even bother to hide it. She did not think she could.
"Four days have been and gone," Elizabeth complained to her grandmother. "I have not heard a single word of him. It should not take this long for Nottingham to fall or continue to be held."
"War is something which you cannot understand, my dear," Bethany replied, continuing to sew in front of the fire. "Now, sit down and be patient. Your husband shall be safe, I am certain of it."
"How can you be?" Elizabeth complained, sinking to the floor by the fire. She watched the flames as they roared; her eyes wide and her mind filled with thoughts she didn't want her head. She knew that she couldn't win. She would not find solace until she had Guy back.
"I have heard the tales of Sir Guy of Gisborne," Bethany spoke. "He is supposedly the best swordsman to grace England. It is merely a shame he chooses to use his skill for bad."
"He has changed," Elizabeth promised her grandmother. "He does what is right now. He has done for a long time."
"And is that for you or because he can?" Bethany muttered, trying not to prick herself on her needle.
Elizabeth sighed, knowing that Gisborne had a long time to go before he could find redemption within her family. Elizabeth knew that it would take a long time before they would trust him, but she had no doubt they would. They would see what she saw soon enough.
"Guy is my husband and I trust him to do the right thing," Elizabeth mumbled before she saw her mother enter the room, gasping for breath as she went. Her hands were pushing her hair from her face as she looked to her daughter.
"Your grandfather spotted riders," Roselyn spoke. "A man and a woman."
"Where?"
"Close to the cottage," Roselyn responded and Elizabeth moved to her feet, rushing towards the front door. Her grandmother dropped her sewing on the chair she had been sat on, picking her skirts into her hands before moving behind her granddaughter and alongside her daughter.
Elizabeth stood outside, moving down the stone path with her skirts hiked up to her knees. She moved her hands to her hips, peering into the distance as her grandfather stood by her side, his hand on her back as they waited for any sign of Gisborne atop of a horse. Elizabeth squinted, noting one woman and one man on horses. She could see that one was Marian and the other one wore a green tunic, nothing like what Gisborne would wear.
It was only when she saw a leather clad man draped over the back of Robin's horse did she begin to stumble forwards. Jonathan noted the same thing, but he wasn't fast enough to catch his granddaughter as she sprinted towards the horses.
"Where is he?" Elizabeth demanded.
"Liz...Liz..." Marian repeated her name, dropping down from her horse and rushing towards her friend, catching her by the waist as Robin climbed down from his own horse. "Lizzie, you need to listen to me-"
"-No," Elizabeth interrupted. "Guy...Guy!"
"Isabella attacked," Robin shouted over to Elizabeth and she tried to push herself from Marian's hold. Robin took hold of Gisborne under his arms, hauling him from the horse and holding him close to his side. Guy's eyes were only just fluttering open before he saw his wife and a small smirk fell onto his face.
"What did she do to him?" Elizabeth demanded and fought her way from Marian, rushing to her husband and helping Robin to hold him upright. "What did she do to him, Robin?"
"She stabbed him," Robin spoke, his voice low as Elizabeth finally noted the blood stain on his stomach. She took another moment to grab hold of her husband's shirt, pulling it upwards to see the bandage which was covering his wound.
"The wound is deep," Robin spoke, his voice low. "We tried to find a physician but every village close to Nottingham has been evacuated. We rode hard and fast to get here."
"He will be fine," Elizabeth whispered, trying to convince herself of it. "He has to be."
"He needs medical attention," Jonathan's voice suddenly entered their ears. "I shall call for the physician. Take him to the guest room and change his bandage."
Elizabeth nodded to him and Marian took hold of Gisborne along with Robin, not wanting Elizabeth to strain herself with the child which rested inside of her womb.
"Elizabeth..." Gisborne whispered her name, his voice taut and his tone low.
Elizabeth nodded at him, wishing that she could help carry him. She could only whisper soothing words back to him.
"You're safe now...you will be fine, Guy...I know it...you're strong..."
Guy managed to peel another eye open to look at her before he felt sleep take over him again.
...
"The wound is infected," Jonathan informed his granddaughter as she sat by Gisborne's bedside in a chair. She refused to move ever since the physician had told her that she could see him. She kept her hands folded in her lap, her legs underneath her as her eyes remained fixed on her sleeping husband.
"And?" Elizabeth asked; her voice croaky as she did so.
"He has tried to clean the wound as best as possible," Jonathan said, his hand resting on her shoulder. "Only time will tell. He is strong enough to fight this, is he not?"
"Stronger," Elizabeth replied, blinking through the tears which were slowly forming in her orbs. "He will get through this. I know he will."
Jonathan sighed and looked to his granddaughter, biting on his bottom lip as he did so. "And how long do you intend to stay here? You need to eat-"
"-I do not," Elizabeth interrupted him. "I am fine to sit here until he wakes again. Even if a fever takes hold of him...even if...no matter what, I shall not leave until he is awake."
Jonathan couldn't even get her to look him in the eye before he let her be.
...
Days passed and each member of Elizabeth's family came to try and pry her from Guy's side. Each time she said no, refusing to go. Even Marian couldn't bring her to form a rational sentence. She did manage to get her to eat a piece of bread, telling her that Guy would not appreciate her starving herself, nor would their unborn child.
It was on the fourth day when Gisborne awoke from his slumber. Night had just fallen over Huddersfield, Elizabeth found herself drifting to sleep before she heard him grunt. Her eyes snapped open, her gaze wide before she uncurled herself from the chair, moving to sit on the bed. Guy moved his hand out, his fingers stretching as he did so.
Elizabeth reached out, her hand curling into his. "How are you feeling?" she wondered and Guy chuckled, the sound deep and low.
"Like I've been stabbed," Gisborne mumbled and Elizabeth pecked him on the forehead. "How long have I been sleeping?"
"Long enough," Elizabeth responded. "I am merely glad you are awake now."
"As am I," Gisborne spoke back and kissed the back of her hand. She bent down to press her forehead against his, his warm breath tickling her cheek as she did so. Guy closed his eyes, moving his lips slowly until they pressed against hers.
Elizabeth kept the movement soft, not wanting to strain Gisborne any further. Guy's nose bumped against hers as the stubble on his chin scraped against her chin. She moved back as she felt him bite on her lower lip, a groan escaping her.
"You need not strain yourself," Elizabeth whispered to Guy, her hand cradling his cheek. "You are still weak."
"And you are my wife," Gisborne mumbled, "and are you denying your husband?"
"When my husband is attempting to weaken himself, then yes," Elizabeth smiled and kissed his cheek. "Do you need aid to sit up?"
Guy grunted again and Elizabeth wrapped her arm under his shoulders, helping him to rest his back against the headboard. She kept her arm around him, moving to his waist as Guy tilted his head back and groaned.
"Isabella did a good job," Guy muttered. "She must be reeling that she could not finish me off?"
"What happened to her?" Elizabeth wondered, coming to realise that she had not once paid attention to what anyone had told her of the outcome of what happened in Nottingham.
"Nottingham fell," Gisborne said. "The Sheriff could not keep it regardless of how many men he had in his army. Isabella and he fought me...she threatened to find you...Hood ran the Sheriff through whilst Isabella stabbed at me and I stabbed her at the same time. I killed her...my sister..."
"She would have killed you," Elizabeth reminded him. "Your sister turned against you. You both made mistakes which could not have been undone. It is not your fault what happened."
"No, it is partly my fault," Gisborne responded, keeping his voice low.
He did not wish to speak of Isabella. He wished never to hear her name again. It only brought him pain which he did not want.
"Blaming anyone shall not help you, Guy," Elizabeth whispered to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "We need to move on. We have everything to look forward to."
Guy smiled and moved his hand to rest on her stomach, his thumb roaming over the material of her gown. He nodded in agreement with her and closed his eyes, exhaustion taking hold of him once more.
"We shall stay here," Guy said and Elizabeth looked as a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead. "You have family here...family who loves you...I do not wish to take you from them again..."
Elizabeth wanted to smile widely at that news, but she remained still and Guy opened one eye to look back down to her. "You would stay here? Is that what you want?"
"I want to keep my wife and our child safe," Guy replied. "It does not matter where we live to me so long as I have you."
Elizabeth leaned across to kiss him again and Guy smiled as her lips pressed firmly against his.
"You will have me forever," Elizabeth whispered. "I promise you."
And somehow that was enough for Guy to forget everything from their past, his mind now focused, instead, on their future.
...
A/N: And that is the end of the story! I do hope you enjoyed it with the happy ending!
