LIII

"Scarborough!"

Allan winced. Robin was fuming.

"What you lookin' at me for?"

"Because it was your idea of course!"

"How d'yer know that? It's his family that lives there!" Allan gestured to Will, silently cursing his friend for letting the cat out of the bag.

"Because I know you Allan!"

Well, there was no disputing that.

"I've got enough on my plate with Marian and Gisborne at the moment without having to worry about you two running off to the seaside!"

And wasn't that the truth? That Marian lived was a miracle heaven sent no doubt about that, but unfortunately that didn't change anything when it came to their original conundrum - what to do about the wedding..?

"What were you thinking?" The look of hurt accompanying this question from Robin had even Allan bowing his head in shame.

"Aye, that's what I'd like to know an' all." Little John chipped in, making the runaways feel even worse.

"We were scared, alright?" Will confessed and Allan cringed. He admired his friend's honesty; he really did, but he would never admit to half of what Will did.

"Scared of what?" Djaq couldn't wait to hear what possible explanation they could have for doing a bunk whilst she'd been trying to save Marian's life.

"Being out of a job! I don't know 'bout you, but when his majesty gets 'ere and Robin buggers off to wherever with 'im, I don't much fancy being left on my arse without a penny to my name!"

A roar of indignant comments is what Allan earned himself with this statement, all to the tune of how dare he think such a thing. He was almost beginning to feel bad were it not for…

"Well, you have done it before."

Ten points Will.

"What do you mean? The master has never…"

"What are you talkin' about? 'Course he has, you even went with him!" Allan rounded on Much.

"That was different…" Robin protested.

"Different how? Did you go to the holy land or not?" Allan inquired.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I…"

"Look Robin, what we did was wrong, we know that and that's why we didn't go through with it, but can you blame us for thinking that if the king asked you to go with him that you would?"

Twenty points Will.

"He's the king of England!"

"Yes Robin he is, but we need you too!"

Ooooooooooone hunnnnndred points Will!

"Do you?"

Robin turned to Allan with a look that could pierce bone.

"Do you need me Allan?"

Allan's jaw dropped open; he looked around to find that the others were just as shocked as he was.

"Or do you need Winchester?"

For a split second, one could've heard a pin drop and then a cacophony of voices echoed loudly through the camp as shock and confusion took over.

Two voices were notably absent: Robin's, because he was the one accusing and Allan's, because he knew exactly what Robin was referring to and was now very scared indeed.

"Allan… what is he talking about?" Djaq was not liking the way this was going and was curious to know how Allan was going to talk his way out of this one.

"I was gonna tell ya…" He offered lamely.

"You spoke to that man!?" Much was a picture of indignant anger.

"He's telling the truth, he was going to tell you…" Will offered.

"You knew about this?" Robin rounded on Will now.

"Yes and it seems I'm not the only one…"

Robin ignored the comment and strode determinedly over to where Allan stood squirming. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Wait a minute! Stop! Are you saying that he's been spying on us!?" Much was on the verge of exploding by this point and Little John took a step towards him knowing that he was probably going to have to hold him back shortly.

"I 'aven't!" Allan declared unhappily.

"You were seen! At the castle! A little bird just happened to tell Marian about it, who of course told me. What am I supposed to think?"

"Robin please…"

"No Will! Let him answer!"

"He caught me playin' cups at market. One minute all's alright, the next they've got me in the dungeon yeh?"

"You didn't have to tell them anything…"

"That's easy for you to say Much, you weren't on the rough end of it were ya?"

"Yes, but…"

"Yes but nothin' my friend, they beat seven sacks of sh*t outta me - I'd've said my name was Trudy if they'd wanted me to after that."

Nods and grunts of agreement came from the outlaws, which then turned into sympathetic glances in Allan's direction – it was like Roy all over again and nobody needed reminding of the outcome of that one.

Robin's gaze softened but his tone remained firm, "What did you tell him?"

"Nothin'. He wants me to tip 'im off next time we've got somethin' big planned."

"And you said you would!?" Little John did not like this.

"Yeh, but I wasn't gonna – I figured I'd just fob 'im off you know? Tell 'im a tale..."

"I believe that you would do that." Djaq declared smirking. It wasn't a great leap of the imagination - Allan was adept at talking his way out of trouble, so why should it be any different here?

Robin nodded, satisfied that this was how it had gone down. He wasn't happy that Allan had kept this from him, but the fact that he'd confided in Will, one of the most honest people Robin had ever met, (brief outing in the direction of Scarborough aside), showed that it was not his intention to betray them.

Much stared at the faces around him, his gaze lingering on Robin in particular and sensing the forgiving mood of his friends asked incredulously "So you're just going to believe him then?"

"They are trying to get at us Much, trying to break us apart, but we can't let them." Robin answered with a steel in his gaze that he directed at each of his gang in turn. "This isn't the first time and it won't be the last." He paused to remember his fallen friend Roy before pressing the point home, "All we have is each other and so I need to be able to trust each and every one of you, just as I need you to trust that no matter what happens tomorrow, I will not abandon you or our cause."

He brought his eyes to rest upon Allan and Will who both met his gaze, nodding in understanding before looking to each other. It was that which allowed Robin to hope. If anybody could keep Allan on the straight and narrow, it was Will.

"And err… if anybody has any ideas how to stop this wedding I'm all ears." Robin could not resist a quip to lighten the mood after all that seriousness.

What he didn't expect though was for someone to take the request seriously, least of all the man he'd just been accusing,

"Ere Robin, now that you mention it…"


"Where have you been?"

Francesca sighed. She knew that tone all too well.

"Organising a wedding gift father, we don't want to be rude do we?"

"Really? Well, if that is the case, then why did you feel the need to rid yourself of your escorts?" Lord Cavendish had been most unimpressed to learn from a diligent snitch amongst the men that his daughter had sent her guards on paid leave.

"I didn't see the point of them accompanying me to ask about embroidery patterns."

"They are there for your safety. Have you forgotten that you got yourself kidnapped? Do you wish for it again?"

If this is the alternative…

"No, of course not father."

"You will stay here now. You will not set another foot outside the castle gates unless it is in the company of Lord Winchester or myself. The guards who were so keen to slack off on your purse will be punished…"

"No please father! They weren't to blame, it was my fault!"

"They will be punished. You are lucky I don't make you watch."

Francesca turned away to hide the look of hatred she so longed to level at him, knowing that an angry reaction from her would make things worse for the men.

"… and you will have new guards to watch your every move. Do you understand?"

She nodded dutifully, in the hopes that this would pacify him to the point where he would spare her the usual trial of having to apologise to him whilst secretly wishing some unpleasant fate to befall him.

"You will dine in your quarters for I have no wish to see you…"

Oh, you are too cruel.

"Nor does Lord Winchester desire your company this evening."

Double drat…

"Tomorrow I want you on your best behaviour."

Am I ever any other for you oh kindest of fathers?

"I will not have you show yourself or Lord Winchester up at the wedding…"

Wait… He's going to it!? We are going to it!? Oh God…

Francesca tuned out the rest of the lecture. She had not thought that Winchester would forego a chance to see the King Richard. She knew how close he was to Prince John, which was reason enough to give the king a wide berth, but then she'd always had him down as one to toady up to anybody if it could be worth his while. He also had a high enough opinion of himself to believe that he could talk himself out of any trouble he might find himself in with the monarch regarding his position in Prince John's inner circle.

Strange then, that he was choosing to miss out on perhaps the biggest event to happen in Nottingham in years to go to a wedding.

Perhaps he promised Sir Edward, they are old friends…

Then again no. He would never rank friendship over power.

No, this was out of character for him and she had not reckoned with it. The shock weighed heavy. Fortunately, her father was done lecturing her; otherwise, she would've ended up breaking down in front of him. As it was, she managed to get to her bedchamber just in time.

She reproached herself as the tears began to fall; it was not as if she hadn't known this would happen, indeed, she'd been painfully aware that she may well end up having to attend the dreaded event - it was just that her heart had clung to this final hope she would be spared…

The chances had been good: Winchester was the sort to see himself in the company of kings and not the sort to attend weddings of those he considered 'beneath him'. She would've put money on it. The wedding gift was to serve as an apology for her family's non-attendance.

No such luck.

She slumped upon her bed as the reality of what she would have to face the next day hit her with full force. The sobs wracked through her and she rode them out, unconsciously pulling her arms around herself in lieu of having somebody to hold her. In much the same way as her body sought comfort, so her mind; steering her thoughts to anything that could drag her out of the pit of despair she currently found herself in.

She thought of her little niece far away and told herself that it would not be long until she saw her again... Perhaps when this was over they could visit, she was sure her father would want to see Natalia and it would give her something to look forward to…

God knows she needed it.

For a while, she let herself pretend that the babe was in her arms and all else fell away: all pain and sadness, all anger and helplessness, all worry and grief. To extend the period of peace she so badly needed her brain suggested writing her sister a letter which would've been a useful and pleasant preoccupation were it not for the sudden remembrance of another letter – one that had been burning a hole in her pocket ever since Thornton had given it to her…

It was with trembling hands that she opened it, terrified of what she might read, warring with herself as to whether it was a good idea at all. This was something that Guy had wanted to say to her on his deathbed and therefore not applicable now that a) he was not about to die and b) he was about to marry Marian…

and yet…

she had to know...

had to read the words…

I love you.

I did not deserve you but wish I had tried to.

If I could have changed for anybody it would've been for you.

Forgive me.