Robin wasted no time. The very next day, Marian found herself travelling with Robin, Much, and Little John south toward Leicester. Somehow, while she returned to Nottingham, Robin had secured four horses and provisions.
Marian was dressed appropriately for the trip in her riding clothes, though not for a wedding. Will and Djaq remained behind to continue feeding the poor and helping the sick. John was coming along to serve as a witness at the wedding and to "give her away," though he knew nothing, not having even been told about Robin and Marian's engagement. Much was accompanying them because Robin could not be married without his oldest and dearest friend in attendance.
Not long into their trip, they ran into minor trouble. A nail in a horseshoe was bothering Little John's horse. Spying human habitation, they made their way to it.
"Robin!" Much cried delightedly. "We've been here before!"
It was the furrier's, home of the former soldier who had offered an exchange of roast pork for some ditch digging on their way home from war...the man who had fought Robin for kissing his daughter Sarah. Robin hoped the furrier's memory would not be sharp.
"Good morning," Robin called politely. "Can you offer us some assistance? My friend's horse will soon be lame, unless we reshoe him."
"What do I look like?" the furrier asked. "A blacksmith? Oi, you look familiar! We've met before."
A baby's cry interrupted them. The luscious Sarah showed herself, holding a baby in her arms. Her eyes smouldered the moment they took in Robin.
Marian hopped down from her horse to see the baby. She showed no signs of her usual reserve. "He's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "At least, I assume it's a boy."
"It is," the young woman answered.
"How old is he?"
"He were born in January this year," Sarah said. Then, looking meaningfully at Robin, she added, "exactly nine months to the day you were here before."
Robin paled, but Much laughed. "Oh no, you can't blame this on us! My master only kissed you, you know!"
Robin breathed out a relieved sigh and smiled, until he saw Marian eyeing him suspiciously.
Turning back to the mother, Marian asked, "Your name wouldn't happen to be Sarah, or possibly Clorinda, would it?"
"I'm called Sarah. And you must be the one he doubted were waiting for him, in Locksley. You're lucky. Your husband's too handsome."
"You're lucky, too, to have such a healthy, beautiful baby. May I hold him?"
Sarah willingly handed Marian her son, wishing it could be an even exchange...her baby for the dark headed beauty's husband.
Little John had climbed down from his horse and was busy removing the offending horseshoe. Marian, delighting in a baby more than Robin and Much had even seen her do before, called both men to her. "Come look at this darling baby. Does he remind you of anyone?"
Reluctantly, Robin and Much got down from their horses to oblige Marian. When they looked at the baby Much said, "Oh, no! I know he's got popping blue eyes and all, but you can't blame him on me! I didn't even touch her! Robin was the one she mauled, with her hands all over his...his..."
"His what?" Marian asked.
"He looks like any baby," Robin said, with a shrug of his shoulders, trying to change the subject. "Very cute."
"The father's name were Tom," Sarah told them. "He come by right after you left me all hot and wet and bothered. He were hungry, just being stopped from killing a deer in the forest, and saved by some mysterious hooded archer from soldiers who were going to cut off Tom's hand. At least, that's the story he told. He were full of yarns and full of beans, too, which is how I got this young one. It coulda been yours," she told Robin, leaning into him seductively, "if you'd stayed."
"Are you finished yet, John?" Robin asked quickly.
"Imagine!" Much whispered to Robin, "two men on the same day being saved from having their hands cut off, just for wanting to eat a deer! Unbelievable! I wonder who the other archer was?"
"I don't know, Much," Robin said, used to his friend's thickness of mind. "I'm just glad it was windy that day!"
"Windy? Why?"
"Because the wind blew the furrier's cloth, so Sarah's father saw me kissing her! Sarah's right. That might have been my son, instead of Allan's."
"Allan's? What? I don't understand! She said the father's name was Tom!"
Robin watched Marian cooing over the baby. "Come along, my love," he told her. "John's horse is shod. It's time we headed to Leicester."
Reluctantly, Marian handed the baby back to Sarah. "It was nice to meet you, Sarah. Enjoy your son. What's his name?"
"Enjoy your husband." Sarah wished she could just let the beautiful woman keep her stupid baby. He was such a nuisance with his mewing and his puking and his wailing.
...
Reaching the county of Leicester at last, Robin led his friends directly to the Earl of Leicester's castle.
Most earls in England had recently replaced their wooden manor houses with stone castles to better display their wealth and position. Robin of course had not done so when he'd still been Earl of Huntington, preferring to spend his money on his people's comforts, and liking his family home better than a stone keep.
Robert of Beaumont, fourth earl of Leicester, greeted Robin fondly. Marian saw a tanned, brawny man some ten years or so older than Robin, with dark brown hair and a trimmed beard, and battle scars on his face. He looked appreciatively at her when Robin introduced them, though he was less than courteous toward Much and Little John, sending them off to his kitchens to be fed.
"Marry you, Robin?" he boomed. "I would be honored. But have you heard? I'm to be married myself."
"Congratulations! Who is the lucky lady?"
"You'll never guess. King Richard has finally allowed his sister Joan to have me."
"The Princess Johanna?" Marian asked. She had never met her, but had always wanted to. She knew that the princess, second youngest in Queen Eleanor's large brood, was said to be lovely, with red gold hair like the king's. She'd also heard rumors that the princess had always been sweet on Robin.
"She did her duty, marrying the King of Sicily years ago," Leicester continued. "Then, once she became a widow, I thought she'd finally be mine. Remember how we saved her from Tancred in Messina, on our way to war, when he tried to force her to marry him?"
"I do. I'm glad you've won Richard over at last," Robin told him. "It's truly an honor that he trusts you to be his favorite sister's husband."
"Maybe not. He tried to wed her to Saladin's brother first, remember?"
"As an offering of peace. But I knew he would not go through with it."
A lovely female voice spoke. "You are too trusting of my brother, Robin of Locksley."
Marian saw Robin go down on one knee, and she followed his lead by dropping a graceful curtsey.
Glancing upward, she saw an elegant woman nearly thirty years of age, with long red gold hair and sparkling emerald green eyes. Taller than Marian by mere inches, she held herself regally yet had a bold look in her eyes, similar to what Marian had always heard about Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
"Rise and kiss me, Robin," the princess commanded. "It might be your last chance, until of course you kiss me as Leicester's bride."
"And may I kiss Locksley's bride?" the Earl of Leicester asked.
"That is entirely up to Marian," Robin said, courteously brushing the princess's hand with his lips. "Though I don't recommend it. I tend to be jealous, where she's concerned."
"So, this is your Lady Marian," Johanna said, trying to hide her bitterness. She looked Marian up and down, then seemed to dismiss her from her thoughts. Focusing all her charm on Robin, she purred, "I hear you saved my mother recently. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
"It was my honor, Your Highness," Robin said sincerely.
This was the first Marian had heard of Robin saving Queen Eleanor. She found herself somewhat angry and annoyed, wishing Robin would stop keeping things from her.
"And I hear my mother was most impressed by your little group of outlaws," the princess pursued, "especially a big man?"
Robin smiled. "You can meet him yourself. He came here with me."
"That big, hairy, dirty fellow?" Leicester asked, amazed. "He is the Queen Mother's new favorite? Perhaps I was over hasty, sending him to the kitchens. I will go myself now, and bring him here."
With Leicester gone, Princess Johanna linked her arm possessively through Robin's. "You could be in Leicester's place, you know," she breathed passionately. "You are the only one I ever wanted."
Marian's eyes grew wide, and her face flushed in jealous anger.
Polite but firm, Robin removed his arm and took Marian's hand in his. "My fiancé," he reminded the princess. "With respect, Your Highness, she is the only one I ever wanted."
"We shall see," Princess Johanna said petulantly, pouting like a spoiled child and resembling her younger brother John.