Alyss let out a heavy sigh as she rode back to Nettleworth. She had spent the last hour talking to Edwin, and it had not been easy to hear him confess that he had been responsible for the rumours. Rarely did Alyss lose her temper, and yet he had caused her to do so, resulting in her nearly telling him to leave, but she had no wish to find a new miller. Edwin's family had been serving the manor for almost as long as Nettleworth had existed, and she did not want to punish his wife and children for something he alone was responsible for. The man had at least apologised, and swore not to spread any more lies, but Alyss was not entirely certain that he would keep his word. After all, she knew he despised Gisburne, and there was nothing that anyone could do to persuade him otherwise. Not that Alyss could blame him. The knight had murdered Edwin's cousin many years ago, purely because they happened to be the parents of two outlaws, and Edwin had never forgiven him for that. Alyss was determined to keep this fact quiet though, for she had no doubt that Guy would not be so lenient if he learned even half the truth.

She frowned at the thought of Gisburne. Though she still loved him, the man had not been the easiest to live with recently, especially as he seemed to question her every move and would barely give her a minute to herself. She knew that he did not trust her after what had happened in Sherwood three months ago, and there was nothing she could do to prove her innocence now. She had rarely left the manor alone, and wherever she went she usually had someone with her. Alyss was also aware that she was currently being followed, though this did not overly concern her. She had glimpsed the blue tunic through the trees when she had been leaving the mill, and she was determined to have words with Guy once they were both back at the manor. After all, she could not continue to live like this, for she was no criminal, and she deserved to live her life without being under constant suspicion.

Then again, she had known that he would probably be like this once she had admitted the truth about the outlaws, and that was why she had been so reluctant to tell him. Now that he knew the truth, she wished only for her freedom again. Though Gisburne had promised never to cage her, he had broken his word since they had faced Scarlet in the woods. Cursing the outlaws, she urged her horse on and tried to work out what to do for the best. She had no doubt that the knight would question what she was doing at the mill, and she was terrible at lying. There had been no real reason for her to visit it otherwise, and she wondered if he would question Edwin before returning to the village. If he did then Alyss could only hope that Edwin was a better liar than she was.

Upon returning to Nettleworth, Alyss was only a little surprised to find Edmund standing next to a cart, distributing goods to the various residents. Bringing her horse to a halt, she dismounted and let Alfred take it to the stables, while she spoke with her friend.

"Edmund, I am glad to see you. How is Nottingham?" The noblewoman asked.

"Nottingham fares well, although it is alight with news that should interest you, my lady." Edmund smiled.

"Oh?" She asked, more than a little curious.

"The Interdict is over." Edmund said simply, and Alyss blinked as she took in this information. For the last six years no church services had been held, meaning that children had been left unbaptised, couples had been unable to marry, and there had been no funerals. This had taken its toll on everyone, and many had sought other ways of performing these services. Some couples had taken to living in sin or had turned to the old ways of marriage, whereas desperate parents had begged for help from renegade friars or bribed priests, and many had turned their attention back to the old gods of their ancestors.

"How true is this?" she asked, not allowing herself to get too carried away. It could only be rumour, but if it was not, then that meant that her village could finally return to normal, and that she could get married.

"The letter from the King arrived just this morning." The soldier told her.

"Then everyone will be pleased." She stated as she glimpsed Sir Guy returning from the woods. "Are all of these for the manor?" She gestured to the various sacks in the cart.

"Mostly, although there are some of the requests from the people."

"Then we had best bring them inside." She said, then smiled as she saw that Osric and William had appeared. The three men were quickly dividing the load between themselves, while Alyss supervised. It did not take long to distribute the supplies, and then she sighed as she saw a package with a note attached. It was from the tailors, and she felt her heart sink as she knew what it was. Alyss knew that she should be excited, for not only had her wedding gown arrived, but she would be able to get married within the month if she wished, and yet… yet things had changed, and she was so unsure of what she wanted now. Taking the package upstairs, she placed it in her father's room and then gave another heavy sigh. She had rarely set foot inside this room since her father had died, and it still felt like it belonged to him. For one moment she imagined that he was still there, sitting by the fire as he told stories, and then reality hit her again. Lord Edgar was gone. He had not even been given the funeral he deserved. Though Tuck had done his best, it had not been the same, and… And, well, it hurt. She missed her father terribly, and she wished that he was still alive. Sitting at the end of the bed, Alyss let herself break for the first time in weeks.

Guy had returned from his ride shortly after Edmund had arrived, and it was not long after stabling Fury that he learned about the Interdict ending. The knight had heard the rumours during his travels back to Nettleworth last year, but he was glad to hear that there had been some truth to them. Now that the King and the Pope had reconciled, the whole of England could have normality restored to its churches. Gisburne knew instantly what this meant, and so he had not hesitated to seek out the priest and talk things over with him. Of the utmost priority was the baptism of the children born in the past six years, and then the memorial services for all the people who had died during this time. The weddings could then resume, but Father Joseph had been unwilling to relent on the banns being read. It would mean another three weeks before any marriages could take place, but this would be a small sacrifice to make.

Gisburne had then returned to the manor, determined to find out why Alyss had really gone to the mill. He had not heard everything that had been spoken from his spot in the trees, but he had known that she had been hiding something. She had not been the same since that day in the woods, and Guy could not help but wonder what else she was keeping from him. He had heard nothing of the wolfsheads since, and yet he could not trust Alyss entirely. He still had not forgiven her for risking her life, and it was putting a strain on their relationship. He was no longer so relaxed around her, while Alyss seemed to be withdrawing within herself. Even though he had expected some repercussions from that day, he had not imagined that it would affect their relationship so much. Though he loved her, he was a little uncertain whether he could trust her entirely, and that had caused him to be more suspicious of her actions. He was growing rather tired of it all though. He hated questioning her every move, and though part of him wished to believe that she was being truthful, he could not shake the feeling that she was still keeping secrets. Of course, it did not help that the incident had dragged up old memories, and Gisburne hated how much the wolfsheads had humiliated him. He knew that this was all in the past, and he had returned from Normandy hoping to put that all behind him. Sadly, it appeared that despite his wishes to move on, Hood and his men were still determined to see him suffer. He was also angry at Alyss for having been involved with them in some way, and yet… Yet he could not blame her for it. He knew that Alyss was only alive now because of them, and that was the one thing that Guy was grateful to them for. He just wished that they would leave them be now, for he only wished to focus on the future and the life that he and Alyss could finally have together.

Sighing, he wandered around the manor in search of the noblewoman, and then hesitated as he saw that the door to Edgar's chamber was slightly ajar. He carefully opened it, and found Alyss curled up at the foot of the bed, asleep. It was obvious that she had been crying, and Guy decided that it was best to leave her be. After all, he had no doubt that she would not respond kindly to learning that he had followed her, and he had no wish to make things worse between them. If anything, he wished to make things better, for he had no wish to delay their wedding and yet he did not want her to feel forced to marry him. That meant proving that he still loved her, and that he did trust her, and he hoped that, despite his recent actions, that she still loved him. Brushing a stray curl from her face, he watched her for just a moment, before heading back outside and trying to work out what to do for the best.

The next day found the people of Nettleworth gathered in the church for the memorial service. The children were to be baptised on Sunday, and there was already a list of couples who wished to marry, but priority had been given to those who had not been given funerals. As Alyss listened to the priest talk, she felt her heart ache for the loss of her only family, and yet found that it did not hurt quite so much. The service was strangely soothing, and she was grateful for it. The one thing she had been unable to give her father was a proper funeral, and this offered a small form of closure to her. Blinking away a few tears, she left the church after the service had ended and went to place a few flowers on her father's grave. She had no idea quite what to do, and she was unsure as to who had prompted the service, for she had been unable to find the priest yesterday evening. Sighing deeply, she wished that things were simpler, and dried her eyes on her sleeve.

"It'll be alright Alyss. I promise you that much." Gisburne said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. The knight had not spoken much yesterday evening, and though she was angry that he had followed her to the mill, she was too tired to question him. He had been by her side all morning though, offering words of comfort and reassurance, and his presence was rather comforting.

"Will it though?" She asked quietly. "I…"

"I know things have not been easy recently." He began as he helped her to her feet. "I have had my doubts, and I can see that it has had a negative effect. I can only apologise for my behaviour."

"I know that you followed me yesterday." She pointed out as they returned to the manor. Gisburne frowned, but did not deny it. "I also understand why you have been so suspicious of my actions, but I can promise that I have not had anything to do with…"

"I know that now." He sighed as he inched the bridge of his nose. "Why did you go to the mill yesterday? For I can only assume that it was not to order flour." Alyss fiddled with her sleeve as she paced the room.

"To stop the rumours." She admitted, and Guy looked surprised. "Edwin has never liked you, and he truly believed that you were taking over my home without my agreement." Alyss explained as she sank into a chair. "I thought that it was best that I have a word with him about it."

"You did not tell me because you feared my actions?" He guessed, and Alyss looked a little ashamed.

"He is a good man." She stated. "He has served Nettleworth for most of his life, and I had no wish for his family to suffer because of a misunderstanding."

"You are rather lenient towards your people." Guy pointed out, and Alyss looked wounded. "It is not a criticism. Most members of the nobility care little for their people."

"If they are happy then they will do what is asked of them." She shrugged. "And I have grown up with many of them. I care for them as if they were my family."

"As they care for you." Guy stated. "I was not the first to ask the priest for today's service, and there were many others asking for one for your father." Alyss tilted her head and looked at him in surprise.

"You were the one who organised it?"

"Well, Osric had gotten there before me, but Father Joseph would not have agreed to today if I had not…"

"Thank you." She said, meaning it. "And thank you for staying nearby today. I have been in need of…"

"I know. I have failed in that regard recently, and I am sorry for it." He admitted as he sat next to her.

"As am I. Since that day in the woods, I…" She hesitated. "I have struggled. I have missed what we were, and I have felt so guilty. This is all my doing, and…"

"We are both to blame." Guy stated as he took her hand in his. "I have been a fool to doubt you Alyss."

"You're no fool Guy." She assured him. "I know that we cannot change time, but…"

"Perhaps it would be best to put this behind us?" he suggested, and she bowed her head. "Then it is agreed."

"Thank you." She smiled, and Guy realised he had not seen her smile for weeks. She moved her chair a little closer to his, and he instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulder. It felt like an age since they had last sat so close without their guards up, and both melted into it, content to just sit there.

"Out of curiosity, did Edmund bring anything from the tailors yesterday?" Guy asked after a few minutes, and Alyss sat up straight as she remembered the parcel.

"He did. I'll go fetch it." She hurried upstairs, and Guy smiled softly as he watched her go. He could not be angry with her for very long, and though she had done some foolish things in the past, he knew that her heart was in the right place.

"Here we are." Alyss said as she placed the package on the dinner table. Guy let her untie the string that bound it, and she soon pulled out the gown she had ordered. She left it folded to one side, and then gestured for him to take the rest.

"These are yours also." He said as he handed her a small pile a few moments later. Alyss stared at them curiously, before giving him a questioning look. "Well, green is hardly my colour."

"But…" She tried to object, for there were two other dresses and a cloak, all in her favourite colours and in the fabrics that she had admired in Nottingham.

"Well, you deserve to dress like the Lady you are." He stated. "Call it a wedding gift."

"But…" She paused. "Wait, the Interdict ending means…."

"How about three weeks on Sunday?" He suggested. "I hope you have no other plans that day, for it has already been agreed." Alyss stared at him, before laughing.

"And if I do?" She asked, realising what he meant.

"Then you had best cancel them."

"You really did not want to wait much longer, did you?"

"I figured we have both waited long enough." Guy shrugged.

"Then it's just as well that I am free that day." Alyss smiled widely. "And it cannot come soon enough."