Gisburne could not stand still for very long, and yet he was determined not to let his nerves show in public. The people of Nettleworth had all gathered inside the church, and all of them were excitedly awaiting the arrival of their Lady. This was to be the first wedding to take place since the Interdict, and there were to be many more in the following days, although none were to be as grand as this one. A fine feast had been laid out, while the cottages had been freshly painted and thatched, and decorations had been hung everywhere. Everyone had done what they could to make the village look its best, and Guy knew that it was because the people loved Alyss. Any single resident would do anything she asked of them, and it had taken the knight quite some time to be able to develop the same skills. After all, he had been far too used to demanding things from the lower classes, and yet it seemed that his techniques had changed since he had been asked to be the Lord of the village. He had been somewhat surprised that no one had been against this marriage either, and he hoped that the ceremony would go without a hitch.

He came to a stop by the altar, with Edmund by his side, while the rest of the village were waiting in the pews. The church was refreshingly cool compared to the heat outside, and Guy was rather grateful as he was feeling a little uncomfortable in his newly polished armour. Though it had been his daily attire for much of his adult life, he had not needed to wear it in Nettleworth, and he was sweating beneath the chainmail both from the heat and nerves. He could only be grateful when the church door opened, and his worries soon melted when he saw Alyss. Her gown of pale blue silk fitted perfectly and only accentuated her figure, while her hair had been pinned and adorned with a crown of wildflowers. He knew that the necklace she wore had belonged to her mother, and she smiled widely when she saw him. He had rarely seen her so happy before, and she looked truly beautiful. He was not surprised to find that her hands were shaking when he took them in his, and he barely took notice of anything else other than the woman in front of him. At that moment, Guy knew that nothing else really mattered, for he would finally be able to be with the woman he had loved for so many years.

"Thank you for the flowers." Alyss said quietly as she stood on his left side.

"I hear they are your favourite." He smiled. "Still sure you want to do this?"

"I have never been so certain of anything else." She assured him as she took his hand in hers, before gesturing to the priest to begin.

Their vows were soon exchanged, and the couple grinned as they were pronounced husband and wife. The people cheered as the pair kissed, and it was not long before they were all gathered around the tables that had been brought outside. A veritable feast had been laid on, and Alyss had never seen such a selection of food and drink before. Sitting next to her husband, she happily tucked in to the various meats and fruits, and she smiled as she saw so many happy faces. Truly she had not felt this content in such a long time, and all her doubts had gone now that she was with the man she loved. It truly was a glorious day, and one that she was not sure that she wanted to end.

Day soon turned to night though, and while the people danced, Alyss was starting to feel tired. The lack of sleep and the copious amounts of wine were getting to her, and the cool evening air was not helping matters. Resting her head against Sir Guy's shoulder, she watched as a couple of the children chased each other around the tables, and she smiled sleepily as she realised that they could now have a family together.

"Tired?" Guy asked her as he kissed her forehead.

"A little." She admitted, while he smiled ever so slightly.

"Then shall we head home?" Alyss nodded, and they did their best to slip away while everyone else was distracted. Unfortunately, their absence was quickly noticed, and Alyss blushed at the encouraging cheers and comments from some of the people, while Guy merely shook his head. It was not long before they were stood at the manor entrance, but the knight stopped Alyss before she could go inside. She looked at him questioningly, while he just smiled.

"Allow me." He said, scooping her in his arms and carrying her over the threshold. "My Lady Gisburne." He grinned, while she giggled.

"My lord Nettleworth."

That had been five years ago now, and Alyss smiled as she heard her husband chasing after their son upstairs. Young Edgar had never wanted to go to bed on time, and it seemed that tonight was just the same as every other. She giggled as she heard a thunk, followed by Gisburne muttering under his breath, and for one moment she thought about going to his aid, before deciding to stay put. After a moment the running stopped, and she heard Guy speaking softly as their daughter begged for a story. Staying by the fire, Alyss listened in while happily embroidering a tunic, and she wondered just how she had been so lucky. She had nearly lost her husband soon after they had married, thanks to the aftermath of the Magna Carta. Guy had been called up to help the King, and Alyss had truly feared that she would never see him again. With a civil war happening and the barons rebelling against King John, the future had not seemed quite so bright. She had waited every day for news, and then, one fateful day, Guy had returned. He had been badly wounded, but he recovered under her care, which was just as well considering she had been carrying his first child.

Life in Nettleworth had only prospered after that. A new king had stopped the revolt, and Gisburne had officially retired from the soldiering life. He had focused only on his new life as a husband, father and lord of a village. They had two children now, and she smiled as she rested a hand on her swollen belly, for a third was not too far away. The knight had proven to be a good father, and she was so grateful that they had been allowed to find happiness together. Although she had never imagined that she would be Lady Gisburne, she had loved every moment of it. Guy had doted on her, and she never wanted for anything. The cruel, callous soldier from his younger days was long gone, and both were glad of that.

"One of these days he'll go to bed without a struggle." Guy muttered as he joined Alyss by the fire.

"You enjoy chasing him really." Alyss teased. "And besides, they grow up so quickly."

"That they do." He sighed as he wrapped an arm around his wife. "How is the little one?"

"Making themselves known." She said as she took his hand and placed it on her stomach.

"I still can't believe we…" He whispered as he felt a kick.

"Me neither." Alyss paused. "I mean, I never thought that you would come back to me, let alone that we would actually marry and…"

"Do you regret it?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"I only regret that we lost so much time." She sighed. "Do you?"

"I wish I had told you sooner." He admitted. "I regret nothing otherwise. Had I known that it would just take me stealing you away to make you fall for me then…" He teased.

"Then you would have stolen me the day you first laid eyes on me?" She guessed, while he looked shocked. "I knew exactly what that look meant that day."

"You hated me." He stated, looking confused.

"I despised you for the harm you were causing my people." Alyss admitted. "Though I did think you were rather handsome." Guy laughed.

"And now?"

"Still as handsome as that day." She paused. "If not more so actually."

"You grow more beautiful by the day." He complimented. "I still can't quite believe that you're my wife, and mother to my children. These things were all just a dream for such a long time, and now…"

"Now it's real, it's hard to believe it." She agreed. "I feel the same way. We are so lucky that you came home and I wasn't married off already."

"I hope our luck never ends." He said as he kissed her forehead. "I love you Alyss."

"I love you too." She smiled. "I hope we can stay like this forever."