XXXVI

Silence.

Shrugs.

Somebody cheered but then promptly shut up.

Muttering.

A half-hearted attempt at a round of applause.

The majority in attendance at Locksley were wondering what they were supposed to do with this information. Winchester was nothing to them - known only in name or as a face in passing so why should they care that he'd gotten engaged?

Robin Hood and his men were thinking the very same, trading smirks and shrugs, each face an amused question mark.

Winchester was not in the least perturbed at the lukewarm response to his announcement for he was currently enjoying the scene before him immensely.

Sir Edward, ever the diplomat, was the first to collect himself and offer congratulations and Marian, grateful that Winchester would no longer be any trouble to her, did the same.

Winchester nodded in acknowledgement of their words but his eyes were elsewhere.

Namely, on Gisborne.

Marian frowned and turned her head to look at Guy. The air rushed from her lungs as she did so.

The look on his face was a mixture of shock and purest agony. She had never seen him like this before – so utterly undone. Winchester's announcement had completely floored him.

She followed his line of sight.

He was staring at the girl.

She was of a similar age to Marian and yet looked older. Thinner. Paler. Wearier. She smiled weakly at Guy. Her fingers fidgeting. Eyes apologetic. She was obviously fighting with her emotions but not as much as Guy. Marian wondered that she could stand the intensity of his eyes upon her for they were practically boring into her.

Marian glanced up at Robin to see if he was seeing this too. He was. He looked from Gisborne to the girl, fascinated by Guy's reaction to her.

"How do you like her Gisborne? I believe she was once a favourite of yours was she not?" Winchester's face was a picture of triumph as he snaked an arm around Francesca's waist and pulled her close to him. Marian felt herself shudder in revulsion and any relief at having escaped the unenviable fate of becoming Winchester's wife was now replaced by pity as she watched the poor girl struggling to conceal her own distaste at being so manhandled by the elder man.

She returned her gaze to Guy, interested to see how he would respond to Winchester's question. His expression was excruciating to behold, in particular his eyes, wide and unblinking, a window to infinite pain and confusion.

Suddenly he flinched.

Somehow he'd cut himself upon the dagger he'd been holding. Marian could hardly believe it; it was unlike him to be so clumsy. She'd fought against him as the Nightwatchman, so no matter what she might think of him personally, there was no denying his skill as a swordsman… which begged the question as to how on earth could he be so careless as to cut himself upon his own blade?

If her mouth had dropped open at that, then her jaw practically fell to the floor the next moment. In a flash, Winchester's fiancée was with him, standing in front of him, holding out a handkerchief to bind the wound. Guy jolted away from her, turning his back, clutching his hand to his chest.

"Please Guy." Her voice was soft and fraught with emotion. "Take it… please..."

Guy turned round slowly and hesitantly took the offering. He did not look at her; his eyes were fixed firmly on the handkerchief in his hand. He appeared to be more in control of himself now but Marian did not fail to notice the warring emotions upon his face; shock and disbelief, sadness mixed with anger born of wounded pride… but then he looked up and the look he gave the woman before him was one of such warmth and grateful tenderness…

Marian had never seen him look at anybody that way. Nor had she imagined him capable of it. If she'd had the luxury of time to think, she would've found it astonishing how little she knew the man she was to marry.

She didn't have that luxury though for Winchester interrupted any thoughts she might have had on the subject with his impatience. "Come now Francesca, your father will be here shortly with the sheriff and we want to be getting down to business don't we?"

"Not so hasty my lord, we have some business of our own…"

Robin was sorry to interrupt, curious as he was about what had transpired between Gisborne and the girl but he was chiefly there to do what Robin Hood did…

"Ah, this is the part where you'll be taking our valuables from us yes?" Winchester asked casually.

"Yes indeed my lord, this is the part where I inform you that my men and I have you all surrounded and it would be a great help to us if yourself and everyone present would hand over your jewellery and valuables to my good friend Much over there." Robin replied smugly, as if this was merely a part of the evening's entertainments and not in fact a robbery.

"Hmmm, then that would mean that this is where I inform you that it isn't going to happen for my men and I have the entire building surrounded." Winchester cheerfully announced; his smile easily as smug as the one that now disappeared from Robin's face.

On cue, Little John stumbled into the room having being shoved there by several guards.

"No signal today John?" Allan quipped.

"Would've. Didn't get chance." The big fellow testily replied, jerking his head in the direction of Winchester to signal the reason why he'd not been able to fulfil his role.

"Fabulous." This was Much's appraisal of this unfortunate development. He shot Robin a deeply unhappy look and just in case their leader was wondering where the blame should lie, he continued venting his frustration at their current predicament, "Why don't we celebrate the king's birthday too he says! Well, you can see where it's got us now, can't you master!?"

"Easy Much." Robin replied before lithely climbing down from the balcony, his bow slung over his shoulder. He strolled over to Winchester with the usual swagger, apparently unconcerned that he was about to be arrested. "On whose authority can you just walk into a man's house and threaten him and his friends? We haven't done anything to you, nor to anybody here as of yet so why don't we all just call it a day and go our own ways?"

"Well as much as I'm sure you'd like that, I'm afraid it's not possible for I am here on Prince John's authority and the men outside are his men."

There was a chorus of gasps from onlookers and groans from the outlaws. Winchester eyed his opponent with an infuriatingly self-satisfied smirk on his face, revelling in the knowledge that he had the upper hand. Robin kept his expression neutral, not wishing to give away how worried he was, and maintained eye contact with the lord. This tense interlude was only interrupted by the arrival of Lord Cavendish and Vaisey.

"Ah Vaisey, good to see you my friend."

The thunderous look on Vaisey's face gave everyone a good idea as to how the sheriff felt about seeing his 'friend'.

"Just in time for me to explain about how my visit came about…"

"Spare me." Vaisey muttered.

Winchester chuckled, thoroughly unbothered by any sentiment Vaisey might have, "You see Prince John has become very concerned about the situation here in Nottingham of late and so sent me to come and clear it up, what with you letting things get so out of hand..." He looked pointedly at Vaisey as he said this, leaving no doubt as to who he was directing his comment at.

"I am dealing with it!" Vaisey hissed.

"No my friend, as of now, I am dealing with it."