The tiltyard was festive with colorful flags and bunting waving in the breeze. Marian was given a place of honor, seated between King Philip and Queen Eleanor upon a shaded raised dais. The crowd below, including Robin's gang, chattered excitedly.
"Is milady nervous?" King Philip asked Marian.
"A bit, Your Majesty. It has been years since my husband jousted."
"Perhaps some wine will calm your nerves."
Knowing it impolite to refuse, Marian gave a little smile of acquiescence. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"I give you permission to dispense with the 'Majesty,' " the king told her. "I hope we can be friends. Please, call me 'Philippe.' "
"I am honored, Philippe." She did not consider him a friend, but again she knew better than to refuse.
Queen Eleanor looked sly. She believed the king a fool to try for Marian, who was so clearly romantically and passionately in love with Robin. "I, too, would like some wine," she said. To Marian, she added, "You must try the Bordeaux. It comes from Aquitaine, so I am biased toward it. But I believe you will find it rich and heady, and quite delicious."
Trumpets announced the beginning of the tournament. The crowd quieted, and King Philip rose to his feet.
"Welcome to today's festivities," he announced. "We have eight worthy knights battling today, in three rounds. The four knights to win round one will be whittled down to two for the third and final round, to become champion. And now, each knight will approach his lady fair to attain her favor."
On horseback, each of the eight knights rode toward a lady in the crowd, and presented his lance.
Smiling, Marian tied the green ribbon Queen Eleanor had given her to Robin's lance. "Good luck," she wished her husband.
He smiled back and bowed his head, acknowledging her and the two royal personages upon the dais, then turned his horse and rode away.
"Locksley will joust last in the first round," King Philip told her. "He is the main attraction today, so I thought it best to increase the crowd's anticipation by making them wait."
"And having Robin get the least rest between rounds," Queen Eleanor added snidely.
"You are assuming he will win," the king answered back.
"I know he will."
The first round began. Marian had forgotten how loud a joust could be. The crowd was quiet, holding their collective breath, but the thunder of the hoof beats as the horses rushed at full speed toward one another, and the clash of lance on lance or shield were deafening. It was very exciting, as the crowd cheered each victory.
After the first three battles in round one, it was Robin's turn. Silently, Marian prayed a quick prayer and held her breath. The flag dropped, and Robin rode furiously toward his opponent. They struck and passed one another, turned their horses, and rode again. After five clashes, Robin unseated his opponent.
The crowd, favoring their own knight, was disappointed yet impressed. A cheer rose up.
In round two, Robin again went last, but had only one battle before his to rest and recover. Marian divided her attention between the first two knights jousting, and Robin and Much on the edge of the field. Much was efficient, giving Robin water and examining his lance and shield. All too soon, it was time for him to face his opponent.
"Are you enjoying the fete?" the king asked Marian.
"Very much so. The knights are so much more skilled than what I've seen before."
"French knights are the best the world has to offer. You must give France another chance," he said, and Marian knew he was alluding to himself. "Prolong your visit. I guarantee you will fall in love with France."
She gave him the smile she used to turn on Gisbourne, and wished he would stop speaking. She needed to focus all her attention on her husband's second round.
The flag dropped, and Robin charged at an impossible speed. He had studied his new opponent in the first round and knew his strengths and weaknesses, but chivalry demanded he not exploit it. Queen Eleanor pointed this out to Marian. "You see how Robin might have unseated him, as he did his other challenger? He is right to not hit him on his left side, though his opponent seems to have forgotten the laws of chivalry. Fie on your knight, Philip! He is going too hard."
"He is out to win," the king defended. "That is the goal, is it not?"
"Not at the expense of chivalry."
The French knight knocked Robin's shield away. Marian gasped and felt the king's hand press hers.
Never had he felt such warm silkiness. He imagined rubbing both his hands all over that silky warm skin beneath her gown. It would only be a matter of time, he believed. Women never refused a king.
Robin continued jousting without a shield. On the next clash, he knocked his opponent's lance from his hand and was declared victor of round two.
There was no rest for him this time. The third and final round began immediately.
"May he not retrieve his shield?" Marian asked.
"He defeated one of my finest knights without it. Let's see how well he does," the king coldly explained.
"Fie, Philip!" Queen Eleanor scolded again. "I hope Robin puts your champion in the dirt."
The flag dropped, signaling the final battle. Robin's horse was clearly flagging. Marian caught a glimpse of Much's anxious face. She watched Robin charge, holding her breath at each pass. Again and again the two knights charged. Sparks flew as their lances met, but neither knight gained the advantage.
"Come on, Le Gris," the king muttered under his breath.
At that very moment, Marian saw Robin be unseated from his horse. He lay stunned for a moment on the ground, then scrambled quickly to his feet just before his opponent steered his horse to trample him.
"What is this, Philip?" Queen Eleanor angrily demanded. "Murder?"
The French knight's squire tossed him a sword. The knight leaped from his horse and thrust his sword at Robin, who dodged the blade, calling out, "Much!"
Much was having difficulty unsheathing Robin's sword, but at last he pulled it out and threw it to Robin, who caught its handle. Marian's heart beat furiously, watching Robin fight the other knight. This was not sport, but a battle to the death. Yet Robin had the advantage. Within minutes, he knocked his opponent's sword away, pinning him against a pillar.
The crowd raised a cheer. Marian breathed out a relieved sigh, and Queen Eleanor turned to King Philip to gloat. Before she uttered a word, the six French knights who had been eliminated from the competition rushed toward Robin, their swords drawn.
Robin's gang did not hesitate. Holding their own weapons of choice, they attacked the knights who would have killed their leader.
Marian was on her feet, longing to join them. "Not again," Queen Eleanor told her. "I won't let you go against an armed knight, with no weapon of your own."
"Your hairpin, please, Your Majesty," Marian begged.
Queen Eleanor pulled the jewel from her hair and handed it to Marian. "What good this can do, I have no idea, but since you ask-"
Her words stopped in amazement, watching Marian take aim and strike a knight's shoulder. He dropped his sword.
"Amazing!" Queen Eleanor said. "You must teach me how to do that."
"With pleasure, Your Majesty."
"Be warned, Philip," Queen Eleanor said, happy to see Robin's gang disarm all the French knights.
Djaq, unfortunately, had not been able to avoid killing, lest she be killed herself. With a long drawn out grunt, she pulled her sword from the knight's chest.
"Arrest the Saracen!" King Philip shouted angrily.
"Time to disappear," Robin called, flinging himself into the saddle of the horse he'd chosen for the joust. Marian watched in alarm as the other outlaws seized horses and began riding away. Surely they had not forgotten her! But of course they hadn't.
Robin drove his horse furiously to the dais. "Climb on," he ordered his wife, who happily leaped behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Goodbye, Your Majesty," Robin called to Queen Eleanor, as he and Marian galloped away.
"Goodbye, Lord and Lady Locksley, and good luck," Queen Eleanor said with a smile, watching as Little John, a terrible seat on a horse, rode away.
One day, she thought, after Richard was home, she would invite John to Aquitaine, and partially civilize him. But only partially. She didn't want to ruin her beloved Big Bear by taming him too much.