Hi All!

Please don't hate on me for this chapter, I promise it all comes good in the end and I think makes a very compelling story for later on.
I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 21

Locksley

The villagers gathered in Locksley preparing for the wedding of two of their younger villagers. The yard was decorated with tables and flowers, with a pig roasting on a spit for after the ceremony. The Prince's cart emerged around the corner of Locksley heading into the village, with Isabella at the side on horseback followed by Gisborne and The Sheriff.

"Look a wedding." Isabella smiled at the prince. She dismounted and walked towards the villagers. The prince in his cart and then kicked the door open and stepped down flamboyantly.

"Your Highness do us the honour of blessing the marriage." A villager asked Isabella. She turned to the Prince.

"They would be honoured if you would bless the happy couple?"

"Of course. I love weddings." The Prince cooed. He strolled over to the villagers. "I wish you a very happy and prosperous future. And I'm so glad that I could bring you sun today." He laughed. The villagers joined in his laughter and then waved as they headed into the church. The prince waved back to them when they final few villagers were entering the church the prince ordered, "When they are all inside, burn it to the ground." He climbed into his cart still waving at the final villagers. Isabella gasped and looked around. "Burn it." He ordered. Two guards rode forward and using lanterns set the church on fire. They barricaded the door to stop the villagers escaping and then continued to light more of the church.

Outlaw camp

"Quick, quick," Allan shouted as he ran down the track into the camp. "It's Prince John he's burning Locksley." All the outlaws jumped to their feet and grabbed their weapons. "Hurry come on," Allan shouted running back up the track.

Locksley

The villagers continued to pull on the doors to the church, desperately trying to escape the fiery building which was beginning to crack around them. The door flung open and villagers poured out into the village.

"You're all being punished. For intolerable disloyalty to me and for harbouring and assisting Robin Hood and his outlaws. And may God forgive you." The Prince shouted.

The guards continued to destroy the wedding throwing over tables and destroy the hog roast. Women screamed whilst men grabbed buckets and began to throw water on the fire.

"No No No No NO, they are trying to put the fire out, that's not what I want. Guards stop them." The prince shouted. The remaining guards rushed towards the villagers pushing them away from the fire and restarting new ones.

"Do you want them to love you?" Isabella asked.

"Of course and I think they do love me, but I will have respect as well as love." The Prince said.

"A benevolent king is loved."

"I am benevolent." The prince insisted. The Prince sat and watched the fire for a little while longer. "Bored now. Take me back to Nottingham. You, stay and make sure its burnt to the ground." He insisted as the cart began to pull away.

As the cart disappeared out the few Robin and the outlaws came running from the forest. They quickly disarmed the remaining guards and sent them hurrying back to Nottingham.

"Quickly make a line, we will pass buckets along the line," Robin ordered. The villagers did as he said and quickly began passing water along the line. Isabella saw her chance and she quickly joined the line next to Robin.

"You're a Gisborne you should be burning this to the ground not putting it out." Robin scoffed.

"I judge people by what I find." Isabella defended passing a bucket.

"Woah woah," Robin said grabbing her pulling her out of the way as the church began to fall.

The outlaws and villagers stood and watched as the church began to crumble, once the final piece fell the fire soon stopped burning, with only smouldering in the bottom. Robin passed cups of water around the villagers and ensured everyone was ok. He finally reached Isabella and handed her a cup of water.

"Isabella here."

"Thanks." She said.

"Well, there's nothing about your brother that you resemble," Robin said.

"There's nothing about my brother I wish to be. I hate him." She sighed. "I will always hate him."

"That's something we share then."

"A shared hatred is nothing to be proud of is it?" Isabella replied. She shook her head and then walked towards her horse. Robin followed her and the gang followed Robin. Isabella stopped just outside Locksley at her horse and tightened the saddle, Robin stood a few paces behind her.

"ROBIN, Come on," Allan shouted

"Go ahead, I'll catch up," Robin replied.

"Rigghhtt." Allan scoffed. Robin turned his attention back to Isabella.

"So will you go back to Nottingham?" Robin asked her.

"Yes, only to ruin my brother," Isabella said.
"Right, well you know where I am if you need me," Robin said turning to walk away.
"Your Robin Hood, shouldn't you be robbing me not helping." Robin stopped and threw his jacket and bow onto the ground.

"Your right, I am. Give me your necklace."

"You're robbing me?" She asked, Robin stood before her, he ran his finger down her cheek and then leaned forward. He put his hand around her neck and untied her necklace gently pulling it away from her neck. "But I like this necklace."

"Are you going to help me?" Robin asked.

"Help you? This is not the way to go about it."
"Give me your rings."
"My rings." Isabella smiled enjoying being so close to Robin, she pulled them from her fingers and handed them to him.

"Because you don't want Prince John thinking we co-operated."

"Is there anything else you want?" Isabella asked seductively.

"Yes," Robin breathed. "I want to humiliate Prince John and undermine his claim to the throne. And I'm prepared to die for it."

"Well, you might be a little more effective alive."
"Will you help me?" Robin asked her.

"Of course," Isabella said, she lifted her dress to reveal her bare legs and removed a bag of money she had strapped to her garter. "Here give this to the people of Locksley to help rebuild their church."

"So you'll defy Prince John."
"He begs my defiance." She purred, he dropped the bag on the floor along with the jewellery. Robin raised his hand to her cheek and gently brushed it with his thumb.

"Is there anything else I might steal?" Robin asked gently.

"Perhaps," Isabella breathed. Robin leaned forward and gently pulled her face to meet his then kissed her. She pushed him away gently and whispered, "Stop thief." Robin smiled and continued his passionate assault. He grabbed her around the waist and laid her on the meadow floor. Isabella pulled the laces on his trousers and Robin pulled the skirt of her dress up to around her waist.

Outlaw camp

"Where is he Allan?" Adam asked sitting up in his bunk.

"Look I tried." Allan defended.

"Allan you were the one who warned me about it."

"I know but what could I do, drag him here."

"Yes exactly that." Adam said.

"What are you two arguing about?" Much asked.

"Me and Allan have an idea." Adam admitted.

"What about?"

"The people heading north. We think one of them is Marian."
"You're being stupid." Much said. "We saw her die. Robin carried her through the desert."

"Yes but what i…" Adam started before Much interrupted him.

"What if nothing, my master has finally managed to deal with losing her and if you lot so much as make him re think, then then…"

"Then you'll what much?" Allan said. "Come on you got to admit, who else can do what these people have been doing?"

"Yeah well so. Doesn't mean you can give my master false hope." Much complained. "What's that got to do with where Robin is now?"

"We just wanted to keep in out of Isabella's clutches in case it is Marian." Allan said.

"He wouldn't!" Much exclaimed.

"He did with Marian." Allan countered.

"Yes but he loved Marian."

"And he did on the way home from the holy land the first time."

"Yes but."
"But nothing Much, you know he would and it's probably where he is right now." Allan said. "So god help him if it is Marian."

Outlaw camp

"What is she doing here?" Adam asked as Robin untied Isabella's blind fold after he had led her to their camp.

"She says she can help us." Robin said.

"I can get you into the castle." Isabella said looking around the camp.
"You expect us to trust her with our lives?!" John roared.

"Yes. I trust her with mine." Robin defended.

"So she's gets us into the castle then what?" Allan asked.

"We all get captured and then killed." Much said.

"The king's evil." John said.

"Not king, Prince, John." Allan corrected.

"No No, scrofula. The prince is looking for scrofula." John said.

"So he can repeat the same act his father did." Robin said

"Matilda." Allan said.
"What about her?"

"She can give us a potion that will make welts on the neck. Makes it look exactly like the real thing I reckon." Allan answered.

"Great. So all the nobles of Nottingham gather to witness Prince John try to save the victim and then he fails. Which leaves him humiliated." Robin smiled.

"And it distracts the nobles long enough so we can get the gold." John added.

"That might work." Much gasped surprised at the plan.

"Right so Isabella can get us in. Allan you know the castle better than anyone. You can get us out." Robin continued with his plan.

"There's a trap door in the cloisters, if we lower a rope down we can get out through a tunnel that goes under the castle. We won't even be seen." Allan said.

"Who's going to convince the Prince though?" Much asked, "He's hardly going to believe a group of outlaws."

"That physician who saved Adam. What about him?" Allan asked.

"Yes. Benjamin. Isabella you should know him." Robin said.

"No it's no good, he's due to be executed tomorrow." Isabella replied.

"Well, there's no reason why he wouldn't help us is there." Robin smiled to her, she smiled back to him. She had never seen this side to him, he had always been so serious.

"I won't let you down." She smiled to him. "Any of you." Allan stared at Isabella. He didn't trust this girl not one bit.

"We still need a victim." Much said.

"I'll do it." Adam replied, he had been sat in his bunk quietly waiting for a chance to be given a role.

"No, you're not well enough Adam." Robin shook his head.

"I'll be fine."

"No Adam, it's too dangerous."

"He tried to burn Locksley. I'm doing this Robin, besides I look half dead anyway. Its perfect." Adam said.

"Ok. It settled then." Robin sighed admitting defeat. "Allan, go to Matilda's, get the potion. I'll take Isabella back to her horse."

Allan set of for Matilda's immediately and Robin walked Isabella back to her horse.

"Will you be alright from here?" Robin asked as he removed her blindfold.

"Yes, I think so." Isabella said, trying her best to sound vulnerable and alluring, hoping to replay what happened in the meadow earlier that day.

"Good. Thank you for your help Isabella. It means a lot." Robin said sincerely.

"Your welcome, I only hope that what little help I can give you helps your people and your men. I hope they come to trust me."
"They will," Robin reassured her taking her into his arms. "They just aren't used to having someone in the castle that's all. Its been a long time since we had help."

"Well anything I can do for you Robin. You only have to ask." She smiled into his eyes. He bent his neck to kiss her and Isabella stomach flipped, how a man could have such an effect on her.

"Thank you Isabella," Robin whispered and then disappeared back into the trees.