V - Plans of Engagement
Guy of Gisborne didn't particularly like it when Sheriff Vaisey visited him in Locksley. Usually, he preferred to go to Nottingham to either get orders to do something or get yelled at. Locksley was the one place where he did not want to deal with Vaisey, so when the Sheriff came to visit him unexpectedly, Gisborne's day was immediately ruined.
"So, Gisborne, I hope you have been sleeping better lately," the Sheriff said casually as he strolled around the manor.
"Just tell me what you want me to do," Gisborne replied. He was not in the mood for the Sheriff's games. Yes, he might have been sleeping a little better for the past few days, but his insomnia was far from cured, and this meant that Vaisey's sense of humour was giving him even worse of a headache than usual.
"Now, now, no need to be so rude," the Sheriff said. Did he have no other ways to pass his time than to irritate Gisborne? "I bring you good news. Two pieces of news, actually."
"What is it?"
"Well, Prince John has agreed to graciously give us an extension on our payments," the Sheriff said and took a seat by the fireplace. If Gisborne was being honest, he had given very little thought to the whole thing in the first place, preferring to let the Sheriff worry about the money.
"And the other news?"
"You, dear boy, are getting married!" the Sheriff announced and clapped his hands together.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes, I have found you a bride. I think it's about time you got over your little leper friend and moved on with your life."
The comment about Marian made Gisborne's blood boil, but he did his best to stay calm. He wouldn't give Vaisey the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of him.
"And what's your real reason for this?" he asked.
"The girl happens to have a very rich father, and she comes with a large dowry that could make a significant dent in your share of the debt to Prince John," the Sheriff said. He leaned back on his chair, observing Gisborne's reaction with a pleased smile on his face.
"I'm not interested in getting married," Gisborne stated.
"You don't need to be interested. Just marry the girl, take the money and send her away somewhere. You only have to marry her; you don't need to like her. Or if you feel like it, make a few snot-faced little heirs for yourself. I don't care what you do with her, just play along long enough to marry her," the Sheriff said.
Gisborne had not even thought about the possibility of marrying someone else after Marian had died. For a long time, he had believed that one way or another, he and Marian would end up married, but now that she was gone, he struggled to imagine what married life would be like. He would never love another woman the way he had loved Marian, but maybe, just maybe, this woman with the big dowry would turn out to be someone he could grow to love. The idea of spending the rest of his days alone and being bossed around by Vaisey made him shudder. Guy needed someone else in his life, someone who could make his life worth living again, someone who could fix him. For these reasons, he decided to at least entertain the Sheriff's idea.
"What is she like?" Gisborne asked.
"Oh, you can see for yourself. Your bride and her father will come here tomorrow."
It didn't take long for Kate to realize she had been correct in her early assessment of Adam. Not only did he manage to annoy her with just his presence, he was also lazy, self-centred and generally unhelpful. He only did things around the camp if he was explicitly asked to do something – a fact which Much and Kate had complained about multiple times. But the worst thing was that Adam was immediately allowed in on the action. He didn't have a mother who would threaten Robin should anything happen to her child, so after proving that he was indeed good with a sword, he was out helping the others ambushing people. It seemed to be the only thing Adam happily helped with.
The one good quality Kate saw in Adam was his inability to aim. Robin had begun teaching the two of them to shoot, and although Adam was physically stronger than her and could fire the arrows more easily, Kate could actually hit the target. Well, she at least could hit closer to it, but at this rate she would be a better archer than Robin before Adam could land a single shot anywhere near the tree they were using as a target.
Kate wasn't the only one generally annoyed by Adam. Much hated that Adam would not offer his help under any circumstances, and this only added to Much's distrust of the boy. He voiced his opinion to Robin repeatedly, but Robin just continued to say that he had a good feeling about Adam and that the boy just needed a direction for his life.
John was stuck somewhere between Robin's belief that Adam deserved a chance and Much and Kate's annoyance at his laziness. He knew that life in the forest wasn't easy, and sticking together was often the safest option for everyone. But the least Adam could do was do something in exchange for the food and shelter he was provided.
Allan couldn't decide what he thought about Adam. On one hand, he too was irritated by Adam's attitude, but on the other hand, he found Adam to be good company – assuming no-one else was around, because Kate and Much would not give up a chance to let Adam know their opinion on him.
Much also let Allan know his opinion without Adam's presence. As they were walking back to the camp from Clun, he began complaining about all the things Adam had done wrong.
"– and am I asking too much if I want him to light a fire? Surely he could do that on his own!"
"Maybe he's just not used to working with others," Allan said.
"Well that makes him even more suspicious! I still don't trust him," Much said.
"Yes, you've made that very clear."
"Don't tell me you're on his side!"
"I'm not on anyone's side!" Allan said. "I just think you're overreacting. Adam hasn't done anything wrong, and you've already decided he's going to stab you in the back. The kid might be annoying, but he's not worth all this complaining."
Much huffed, annoyed.
"Of course you would think that," he muttered.
Allan could sense this wasn't all about Adam's rudeness and laziness anymore.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, stopping in his tracks.
Much walked a few steps ahead before spinning around to face him. "You betrayed us! And we were friends! We don't know anything about Adam, so he might just as well already be working for the Sheriff!"
"So this isn't really even about him, is it? I've told you I'm sorry, what more do I need to do?" Allan sighed.
"I know you have! And we've forgiven you, but I can't just forget it all happened! There were nights when I couldn't sleep properly because I was worrying if you were going to lead the Sheriff to the camp!" The words began flowing out of Much's mouth.
"So that's what this is about," Allan said quietly. He knew that betraying his friends had been wrong, but he had avoided thinking about their possible reactions and what they were going through. It had been easier just to think they were doing fine without him.
"That's what it's always been about, Allan," Much replied. He sighed deeply and turned away from him. "We should get going."
"No. Just say everything you have to say now," Allan said and grabbed his arm to stop him from walking away.
"Fine," Much said and turned back around, "although… I think I just said it all."
They stood there in an awkward silence.
"How about we make a deal?" Allan suggested after a while.
"A deal?"
"You stop making offhand remarks about my betrayal, and I'll keep an eye on Adam. Trust me, I'll notice if he's up to something," Allan offered.
Much was about to make a comment on Allan and Adam's similarities but held back his tongue.
"All right," he replied. "But really, he could make me less suspicious of him if he ever helped me with cooking!"
Guy's hopes for even a tolerable bride were crushed the moment he met Meg. When she dismounted her horse, she immediately complained that she didn't like Locksley. And when she set her eyes on Guy, she just rolled her eyes and turned up her nose. He wasn't impressed either. She was just a girl, and although she was beautiful, her sour mood and awful attitude made him regret even considering the idea of marriage.
Lord Bennett on the other hand kept going on and on about his daughter's positive qualities – possibly to try to make up for her constant complaining and objections. According to him, she was bright, caring, and honest. The last one was certainly true, because Meg let Guy know that his manor was cold and uninviting, that black didn't suit him and that his stables didn't have enough room for her favourite horse. Lord Bennett put her daughter's complaining on being tired from the journey, but Meg didn't seem to lack any energy.
The Sheriff had decided not to attend dinner with them, which Guy was grateful for. Meg's shrill voice constantly whining in his ear was enough to drive him mad. Every comment she made seemed to make Lord Bennett uncomfortable, and the two were caught in a constant battle of trying to passive-aggressively undermine each other. Lord Bennett's face got more and more red as he struggled to explain away his daughter's rude comments and disinterest in the topic of marriage. Eventually he had to excuse himself, leaving Guy and Meg to enjoy their dinner in awkward silence.
While Guy tried to decide if it was worth it to try and make conversation with the girl, Meg broke the silence.
"You know, I'm not going to marry you," she said.
"Your father seems to disagree," he replied, taking a sip of his wine.
"He's tried to marry me off before. It never works," she said.
"I can see why," he muttered.
"I don't want to be married at all. And if you think you're going to be an exception then–"
"Trust me, you have not charmed me enough to make me think you would be a pleasant wife," he said, cutting her off.
Meg's eyes lit up. "Then call off the wedding. We'll both be off the hook," she suggested hopefully.
Guy wanted to agree, but Meg had already irritated him so much that he felt a childish need to prolong her suffering. He would call off the wedding, eventually, because he wasn't interested in spending the rest of his life with someone like Meg. Although Meg's attitude could be used as leverage to renegotiate the dowry, Guy could always just send her to live somewhere else, perhaps Bonchurch, so that he wouldn't have to spend time with her. Chills ran down his back when he realized he was starting to think like the Sheriff.
"Do you know how much money your father is ready to pay to get rid of you?" Guy asked.
"Clearly not enough," Meg replied.
"Enough to still have me considering this," he said.
"You don't even like me!" she said, but he just shrugged.
"There are plenty of married couples that hate each other," he said in a cold tone. She was breathing more heavily now, trying to find a good comeback, but her rage and annoyance got the better of her.
"You, my lord, are by far the worst suitor I've ever had," she huffed and stormed off.
Guy refilled his goblet. No amount of money was worth this.
Kate hated listening to Robin make his plans, knowing that she wouldn't take any part in them. A part of her hoped that one day one of the others would be somehow indisposed and she would have to step in. And if she did it once, she might as well do it again, because she would have broken her promise to her mother by then anyway. Not that there weren't other ways to work around the promise. But for now she was left out of all the action, and hearing Robin talk to John about a shipment of tax money they were going to steal soon made her irritated.
She was just about ready to come up with an excuse to leave the camp when Allan returned with Much from Locksley to save her from her boredom. Kate had never been much of a gossip, but having been stuck in the forest with barely any contact to the outside world, she was dying for any news she could get.
"We heard Gisborne is getting married," Allan said casually when they had given their report on Locksley – which didn't include anything out of the ordinary.
"Apparently some rich Lord is marrying his daughter off to him," Much continued.
"Of course it's for money," Kate scoffed.
"Well I doubt that Gisborne has managed to fall in love again," Much jeered before he realised what he had said.
Everyone looked at Robin, who didn't show any emotion on his face.
"Gisborne's personal life is none of our concern," he said calmly.
Adam, who had been sitting at the back of the camp sharpening his sword, was slightly confused. He was still not quite in on all the personal history that the rest of the gang had. He was barely aware of who Gisborne even was, having gathered information here and there from conversations other people had. The one thing he had learned was that Gisborne had killed Robin's wife because he too had been in love with her. This was enough information to make him understand why bringing up Gisborne getting married might be an awkward topic.
Everyone went back to doing what they were doing before. Robin turned his back to Much and Kate, and began explaining his plan to Allan.
"I can't imagine anyone willingly marrying Gisborne," Kate said quietly, turning to Much.
"She probably doesn't know him well yet," he replied.
"Do you know when the wedding is?"
"No, but I heard that the bride's father is in a hurry to marry her off," Much said.
"Probably so she doesn't realize what kind of a monster Gisborne is," Kate sighed and rolled her eyes.
Much shrugged.
"Don't you think she deserves to know what she's getting into? Shouldn't someone warn her?" she asked.
"We are not getting involved," Robin commented. He must have been pretending to not be listening.
"Why not? You want some poor woman to have to spend the rest of her life with Gisborne?" Kate asked, taking a step closer.
Much turned away, deciding that he was not going to be a part of this conversation.
"No, but it's none of our business. We have better things to do than meddle with things that don't concern us," Robin replied. His attitude and cold disinterest were getting on Kate's nerves.
"We're constantly meddling with things that don't concern us! Weren't you just making a plan for us to steal tax money that doesn't belong to you in order to give it to others?"
"Yes, for us. You're not getting involved with that plan, and you're not going to get involved with Gisborne's life either. This doesn't concern you, so just let it go," Robin said.
Kate had not felt this angry in a while. She looked at Robin, then at everyone else, but none of them seemed to be interested in taking her side. Allan and Much avoided her gaze, John looked at her in pity, and Adam seemed to just be curious about the drama unfolding in front of him. No-one was agreeing with her, and no-one was even defending her. They don't even see me as a part of the gang, Kate thought. There was no use in standing up for herself. If the others didn't want her around, she might as well leave.
Without saying another word, she marched out of the camp. Someone called after her, but right now she was interested only in getting as much distance between her and the camp as she could.
"Why must you always do this?" Lord Bennett asked his daughter and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose.
"I've told you, I don't want to get married! Send me to a convent if you're so desperate to get rid of me!" Meg said.
She had escaped to the stables, but her father had found her quickly and began asking what had happened with Gisborne.
"You're too young to make a decision like that," Lord Bennett sighed.
"But I'm not too young to be married?" Meg asked back and crossed her arms.
"You… You're my only daughter, Meg. I don't want to see you waste your life at a convent," Lord Bennett tried explaining gently.
"Well I don't want to waste my life by being married to some arrogant, selfish man!" she objected.
"You're just being foolish. Either you marry Sir Gisborne, or I will find you a husband who is at the brink of death! Once you are a widow, you can join a convent if you'd like, but first you will get married."
They had had this argument many times before. The more Meg pushed her suitors away, the more Lord Bennett insisted that she needed to get married. It wasn't that Meg felt a particular call towards God – and Lord Bennett knew this – but it was the only way for her to remain unmarried. She knew she never wanted to marry a man, that there would never be any that she would like enough to want to commit to for life. Even if she did find a man she respected enough as a friend and who respected her, which Meg knew was unlikely to happen considering her difficult personality, just the idea of having children with and sharing a bed with a man made her skin crawl. If only she was a man, and could marry a woman, one whom she could choose. Women made much better companions than men.
Meg stormed out of the stables, leaving her father to nurse a headache left by her unyielding will. She ran across the village, giving the peasants a show with her dramatics. I'm sure nothing ever happens here anyway, Meg thought, here you go, gossip about this. She knew that she was being watched – her father wouldn't risk her running away – but she needed some space for herself. She ran up the hill towards the edge of the forest. She wouldn't go too far. If she kept in view of the village, no-one would bother her for a while. She was beginning to cool off, the anger and frustration turning to just slight annoyance at the back of her mind.
Meg had stopped running but was still walking fast, so fast in fact that she didn't have time to dodge when someone appeared from behind a tree. They crashed against each other, both losing their balance and falling to the ground. Meg stood up and took a look at the person she had knocked over. The girl was around her age, and her messy blonde hair was tied in a loose braid. Judging by her clothes, she must have been a peasant.
"I'm so sorry, are you alright?" Meg asked, offering her hand. The girl didn't take it, choosing to stand up on her own.
"I'm fine. You should watch where you're going," she said, dusting off dirt from her clothes. "M-my lady," she added with a blush on her cheeks once she took a better look at Meg.
"Yes, I probably should," Meg replied. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"I… I was going to visit my family," the girl said after thinking for a few moments. "What about you?"
"I'm running from my father who wants me to marry a man I don't love," Meg said with a sigh.
The girl's eyes widened with recognition.
"Oh, so you're the one Gisborne is supposed to marry?" she asked.
"Great, so the whole shire knows about it by now," Meg replied. She took a seat on a nearby rock.
To her surprise, the girl sat next to her.
"I'm Kate," the girl introduced herself.
"Meg," Meg replied. She was desperate to have a normal conversation that didn't revolve around trying to convince someone that she wasn't interested in marriage. "So your family lives here, then?"
"Yes. I used to live here as well until… until recently," Kate replied.
"Where do you live now?"
"With some friends," Kate replied vaguely.
Meg's curiosity was piqued.
"Why don't you live in Locksley anymore, if I may ask?"
"My brother… He was killed and I just… needed some time away," Kate sighed sadly.
"Oh. I'm sorry," Meg said.
They were quiet for a moment as Kate wondered if she should tell the truth about what happened to her brother.
"It was Gisborne who killed him," she said finally.
Meg turned to look at her in shock.
"Really?" she asked. Kate nodded. Meg's own assessment of Gisborne had been that he was crude and unpleasant to be around, but hearing that he had killed Kate's brother made her blood run cold. "I didn't know he was capable of something like that."
"Oh, he's capable of much worse," Kate replied bitterly, "If I were you, I would call off the wedding as soon as possible."
"I wish I could do that," Meg sighed, leaning back and staring at the manor. "My father probably wouldn't care if Gisborne had killed hundreds of people. He just wants to get rid of me."
It was Kate's turn to look at her in pity.
"Why?"
"I'm difficult to deal with. And the more I say I don't want to get married, the more suitors my father tries to push at me. I would rather become a nun, but he won't allow it," Meg said. She closed her eyes and turned her face towards the warm spring sun.
"You don't want to marry at all?"
"No! Men are stupid and useless! I don't want to spend the rest of my life tied to one," Meg said. Kate couldn't help but agree, her thoughts turning to her friends back at the camp.
"You do have a point," she laughed, and Meg's cold exterior began melting away. They smiled at each other.
"So, you're going to visit your family?" Meg asked and nodded down at the village, changing the subject to something less depressing.
"Actually, now that I think about it, it might not be a good idea."
"Why not?"
"I'm actually an outlaw," Kate admitted. It was stupid to say this out loud; Meg could just run down to get one of Gisborne's men to come capture her, but despite not even knowing this girl, Kate felt like she could trust her. If Meg hated the idea of marrying Gisborne, she probably wouldn't take his side.
"Oh. Um… What did you do?" Meg asked.
"I tried to kill Gisborne," Kate confessed casually.
"Well, it's too bad you didn't succeed. You would have saved me a lot of trouble," Meg replied. Murder was not something she usually endorsed, but if it took care of one of her suitors, she wouldn't object. And Kate didn't seem like a bad person. She was probably entirely justified in her murder attempt.
"I would enjoy life as an outlaw a lot more if I had," Kate sighed.
"How is it then? Life as an outlaw? I can't imagine it's easy," Meg said. Realistically she knew that Kate's life probably wasn't pleasant, but a part of her envied the fact that Kate got to live outside society's expectations.
"Well, like you said, men are stupid and useless, and I happen to be surrounded by them," Kate grumbled, although she was smiling.
"I can't think of anything worse!" Meg laughed, flipping back her light brown curls that were practically glowing in the sunlight.
"Oh, it gets worse! Have you heard about Robin Hood?" Kate asked.
"Who hasn't? He's all bards sing about these days," Meg said.
"Well, he happens to be one of the stupid, useless men I live with. And the worst part is that I don't get to take part in anything those bards sing about! You wouldn't believe how boring life in the forest can be!" Kate complained and pulled her legs up and hugged her knees.
The desire to inquire more about the suddenly real Robin Hood left Meg quickly. Kate had already become much more interesting to her.
"I would much rather hear songs about the beautiful and brave Kate than some idiot with a bow," Meg said.
"Well, it's probably not going to happen. My mother made me promise I would stay safe," Kate said and nodded down at Locksley. It hurt to be so close to home without being able to see her mother and sister.
"How would she know what you do and don't do?" Meg asked.
"Mother's instinct?" Kate suggested. "Why don't you just run away to a convent if that's what you want?" she asked, turning the subject back to Meg.
"Trust me, I would, but I'm being watched all the time. If I so much as look at my horse or try to pack anything, someone will start interrogating me," Meg sighed. "There's probably some poor guard watching me right now."
Kate stiffened next to her.
"Oh, don't worry, we're not close enough to the village for anyone to recognise you. And if they had, I'm sure you would have been arrested by now," Meg said.
Kate agreed with her reasoning and found herself sitting a little more comfortably. They sat there for a moment, enjoying the spring afternoon in peace. But their problems kept marinating in Kate's head.
"Don't you have anyone who would help you? A relative or a friend?" she asked.
"Most of my relatives are just like my father. All I have are fussy aunts who convinced him I need to get married in the first place. As for friends, none of them are really in a position to help me," Meg complained. "Although, I do have a cousin in York. We were always close as children, so I'm sure she would help me hide if I could just get to her. But like I said, if I do anything out of the ordinary, my father will be suspicious."
Meg suddenly sat up straighter, and Kate could practically see the plan formulating in her head. She was surprised when Meg grabbed her hand between hers. Meg's hand was warm and soft, and Kate was suddenly very self-conscious of her own unkempt appearance.
"We can now call each other friends, can't we, Kate?" Meg asked hopefully.
"Uh, sure?" Kate answered hesitantly.
"Well, as friends, we can help each other out. I know how you can help me escape a marriage with Gisborne, and how I can help you do something a little more fitting for an outlaw." She squeezed Kate's hand gently. Kate felt her cheeks warming, and it wasn't just because of the sun.
"All right. What's your plan?"
By the time Kate got back to the camp, her anger had mostly dissolved. She still gave the others – especially Robin – the silent treatment, since it provided a good excuse to start executing Meg's plan in peace without anyone paying too much attention to her. Kate went to bed early, pretending to still be angry, although she had almost forgotten what had made her run off in the first place.
In the early morning, before sunrise, Kate got up and began to gather supplies. Working quietly in order to not wake the others, she grabbed a bow and arrows, the food she had hidden the night before and a change of clothes from the chest at the back of the camp. She cursed quietly as she opened the chest, its hinges squeaking and nearly giving her away. But the others were still asleep, and Kate gathered her supplies in a small bundle and hurried out of the camp.
Kate had to watch her step in the dark forest, but by now she knew the forest well enough to move quickly and quietly like a shadow. She knew there was a cave not too far away, perfect for hiding in for a while. Before she had made her way there though, she heard footsteps behind her. Drawing her bow, she spun around, only to be faced with Adam.
"Where are you going?" he asked, unphased by the arrow pointing right at him.
Kate relaxed and put her bow down. Of course, out of all the people in the world, it had to be Adam.
"None of your business. Now, get lost," she said, knowing well that he wouldn't just let this go.
"No, tell me. Are you running away? Or are you meeting with someone?" Adam asked. "No, wait, please tell me you're really a spy for the Sheriff! Much could finally leave me alone then."
Kate rolled her eyes. The one time Adam decided to care about other people's business, it just had to be now.
"I'm not a traitor. I just have something to do. Something, which doesn't concern you, so go," she said and began walking away. But Adam wasn't giving up.
"You're always complaining that I don't help you with anything, so let me help you with this. Whatever this is," he said as he began to follow her.
Kate contemplated just running away. She could probably outrun him and lose him in the forest, but then Adam would just tell Robin about all of this, and her plan would be ruined. Maybe if she entertained him just enough, he would keep his mouth shut.
"Fine. You can come with me. But on one condition."
"Name it."
"You can't tell anyone else about this. Got it?" Kate tried to make her words as threatening as possible, but she wasn't sure if it was working.
"All right. So, what are we doing?" Adam asked.
Kate couldn't believe she was missing Adam's usual uncaring attitude. In this situation, it would have been far less annoying than the constant questions which threatened Kate's plan.
"Come on, just tell me. What's all this for?" Adam asked once they had gotten to the cave.
Kate needed to think, but he was giving her a headache.
"I'm helping… a friend," she answered.
"Who's your friend and why can't anyone else know about this?" Adam asked, leaning against the cave wall.
"No-one you'd know," Kate huffed. Painfully aware of Adam watching her every move, she pulled out the clothes she had taken from the camp. She would have to change into them, but she couldn't do so with Adam loitering around. Suddenly he straightened up, like lighting had struck him
"No! You didn't," he said. Kate was confused as he crouched down next to her and sought out her eyes with his. "You really did."
"I did what?" she asked, frustrated.
Adam stood up again. "This is about Gisborne's bride, isn't it? You went to speak with her," he said.
Kate glared up at him. How had he figured it out already? She couldn't come up with a convincing enough lie on the spot, so her only option was to give in.
"She doesn't want to marry him, and I promised to help her get away. Now you know, so you can go," she said.
"What's your plan, then?" he asked instead, with no signs of intending to leave.
Kate sighed. She might as well just get this over with.
"I'm going to pretend to kidnap her and hide her here until she can get someone to come get her. Are you happy now?" she said.
Adam let out a snort. "Really? You're going to kidnap her?"
"What, you think I can't do it?"
"Well, let's be honest here. If something in your crazy plan goes wrong, I doubt you're good enough to fight anyone off. And if you die, who's going to complain about me with Much all the time? I'll get hot without your icy glare," Adam laughed.
Kate had never wanted to strangle anyone as much as she did at that moment. But she couldn't waste her time on Adam. She had to help Meg.
"You can keep your terrible comments and opinions to yourself. You know what I'm going to do now, so leave me alone. If I do die, then you can tell Robin about this and you can all laugh at my stupidity. Now, either help me or get lost."
Kate hadn't meant to ask for Adam's help, but the words had slipped out of her mouth by accident. Fortunately, it seemed to make Adam much more amicable, and his hostile humour melted away.
"All right then. I'll help you. Not that I've ever kidnapped ladies before, but it can't be that difficult," he said.
Kate was surprised that he was actually willing to help.
"I can't let you do the kidnapping. Meg and I already agreed on how this will go," she said.
"Meg and I? You must be close friends then," Adam teased, but shut up when he saw the angry look on Kate's face. "Fine, I'll stop. But I still think your plan needs revising."
They decided that Adam would be the one who would kidnap Meg. Kate just hoped Meg wouldn't be too angry with her for changing the plan so suddenly, but at least this way their plan had a better chance of succeeding. Not that Kate had doubted herself, she just felt more confident about executing this plan with someone else, even if that someone was Adam.
The two of them went back to the camp to cover their tracks. Kate was obviously not even involved in that day's mission to steal the tax money, so she had a perfectly good reason to stay behind. Adam pretended to be feeling sick, and Kate wasn't sure if his act was working on the others, but they let him stay behind regardless. It was no use involving an unwilling participant in their plan.
Eventually Kate found herself hiding behind some bushes on top of a hill, overlooking the road that Meg had said she and her father would take when they went to Nottingham that day. Adam was hidden on the other side of the small valley. He had even ran out to steal a horse from who knows where, explaining that it was a necessary part of his new and improved plan. At that point Kate knew they were running out of time, so she didn't argue with him on it.
Kate's limbs were going sore from staying in one place for a long time. She wasn't sure how long they had been waiting. Had Meg's father changed his mind? Would they take a different route? Or maybe they wouldn't be going to Nottingham at all.
Kate didn't have long to worry, however, because soon she heard voices. She pressed herself close to the ground and watched as the small party travelled up the road. Gisborne, and a man Kate assumed to be Lord Bennett, were riding in front, talking about something that Kate couldn't quite make out. They were being escorted by two guards – not as bad as Kate had been expecting. Meg was riding her beautiful snow-white horse, and she was conveniently trying to slow down to move at the back of the party. Kate thought she looked like a princess.
But there was no time to admire Meg or her horse. Adam would have to act quickly, before one of the guards, or worse yet, Gisborne moved closer to Meg. Where was he? Kate began to walk along the hill, following the road and staying hidden.
Adam moved in so quickly that Kate almost missed it. Everyone's attention was caught by Meg's sudden scream. Kate would have to buy time for them to get away. She just hoped poor Meg didn't think she was actually being kidnapped. If only Kate had gotten a word to her.
She nocked an arrow and aimed it at one of the guards that had begun chasing Adam. She missed her shot, but the arrow caught Gisborne's attention. The guards and Gisborne began scanning their surroundings, and in the middle of their confusion Adam managed to get far enough that he could easily lose them in the forest. Kate shot a few more arrows as a warning, aiming them at Gisborne specifically. He was too far away, so she missed, but she came close enough to scare him a little.
Kate deemed her part done and began running down the opposite side of the hill. She needed to get away before someone saw her. All in all, the whole thing had been far easier than she had expected.
Before Kate even got to the cave, she could hear Meg yelling curses and insults at Adam, some of the words being the kind that Kate wouldn't have expected a lady to know.
"It's all right, he's with me," she rushed in to explain.
Meg relaxed the moment she saw Kate, and to her surprise, ran straight over to give her a hug.
"Oh, thank God! You should have warned me!" Meg said, but her voice was kind and warm, the complete opposite of what it had been a moment before.
"I'm sorry. There was no time to get a word to you, and I thought this would work better if I asked for Adam's help," Kate said. She wasn't going to mention the fact that Adam had practically forced his way into this plan.
"Well, I'm happy you're here now," Meg said, "I sent out a letter to my cousin late last night. I'm sure she will send someone to get me as soon as she can."
"Good. Are you alright though?" Kate asked.
"I'm fine. I can handle a few days hiding in a cave if it means I'll finally be free. And it's all thanks to you," Meg said with a beaming smile.
Behind her, Adam cleared his throat. "Uh, I helped as well, my lady," he said.
Both Kate and Meg turned to him, annoyed that he was still around.
"I still don't like you, so I suggest you stay quiet from now on," Meg answered coldly.
Kate bit her lip to keep from laughing.
"You two really deserve each other," Adam mumbled as he walked past them. Before exiting the cave, he made an exaggerated bow. "I'm glad to have been of service, my lady." With that, he disappeared outside.
"Charming," Meg said, rolling her eyes. But when she turned back to Kate, her eyes held nothing but kindness and gratitude.
In Nottingham, Lord Bennett demanded that the Sheriff needed to send men to search the forest for his daughter. Wanting to keep Lord Bennett happy – and knowing that their deal wouldn't work without Meg – the Sheriff sent his men to search through every nook and cranny in the forest. But he couldn't help but ask why this had happened in the first place.
"I don't understand how you could let this happen! I told you, my daughter needs to be under constant supervision!" Lord Bennet cried out, his face turning red with anger.
"Ah, yes, of course. Once we find her, the girl will be escorted by at least three guards at all times," the Sheriff said. He turned to Gisborne for reassurance, but Guy's focus was on the arrow he had brought along with him from the forest.
"Hood could have something to do with it," he said, handing the arrow to the Sheriff. "This is one of his."
The Sheriff took the arrow and turned it in his hands.
"Meg probably planned this on her own! I knew she might try to escape!" Lord Bennett said, but both the Sheriff and Gisborne ignored him.
"Did you see him?"
"No. It must have been one of his men, because if it really was Hood, he wouldn't have missed. I didn't recognise the rider," Gisborne said.
"Hmm. Kidnapping young maidens on a whim does not seem like Hood's usual style," the Sheriff thought out loud, tapping the arrow against his chin. He turned back to Lord Bennett. "You said your daughter could have planned this on her own?"
"Yes! She has been… unsure about the idea of marriage and has threatened to leave before. I wouldn't be surprised if this was her own doing," Lord Bennett said.
"They could be working together," the Sheriff said, twirling the arrow in his hand.
"How could they have communicated a plan like this?" Gisborne asked. As far as he knew, there was no way Meg could have even met Hood without one of his men noticing.
"I don't know. But it wouldn't be the first time something like this happens right under our noses," the Sheriff said with a pointed look at Gisborne. He broke the arrow in half and threw the pieces on his desk.
Gisborne felt his stomach twisting. Was it Hood's life mission to turn every woman against him? He thought back to the day when Hood had kidnapped Marian and left her to die in a tree. That must have all been a lie. It wouldn't surprise him if this too was some sick and twisted plan against him.
"Either way," the Sheriff said, "my men will find your daughter. And once she's here, we can find out exactly what happened."
He offered Lord Bennett wine and hoped his men would for once outsmart Hood. He wasn't sure if he could handle the humiliation of once again letting someone slip right through his fingers.
Kate and Adam managed to hide what they had done from Robin for just one day. The forest was full of the Sheriff and Gisborne's men, and such a thing didn't go unnoticed by the outlaws. The search for Meg continued all through the night, and in the morning Kate was almost seen when she slipped away to take food to Meg, who was still safely hiding in her cave. Kate made another trip later in the afternoon, and by then there were far less men searching for Meg, although a few still lingered about. Once Kate got back to the camp, however, she was met with a cold welcome.
"I hear someone kidnapped Gisborne's bride," Robin said calmly when Kate returned to the camp. Kate glanced at Adam, who avoided her eyes. "I was surprised when I heard that Gisborne had been shot at by one of our arrows," Robin continued. He gave each of the other outlaws a long and pointed look. Kate couldn't help it that blood rushed to her cheeks. Once Robin's eyes landed on her, she felt sick.
"Kate? Do you know something about this?" he asked in a tone that told her that he already knew the answer to his question.
Kate felt everyone's eyes on her. She opened and closed her mouth, but she couldn't come up with any words. Should she just lie and pretend she knew nothing? Or would it be better to admit what she had done, since there wasn't much Robin could do about Meg at this point anyway? Before Kate could make up her mind, Adam cracked.
"It wasn't just her. I helped," he confessed.
Robin let out a deep sigh. Kate wasn't sure if she was grateful or angry that Adam had spoken up.
"Didn't I say that Gisborne's life is not our concern?" Robin asked. His voice was cold and angry, but he didn't yell. Kate almost wished he did, so that the heavy tension that hung over the camp would end. Kate looked to Adam for support, but it seemed that his helpfulness had ended already.
"She wanted me to help her. I couldn't say no," Kate said quietly. Why did everyone have to stare at her? Didn't they have better things to do?
"You're not supposed to go anywhere near Locksley. You disobeyed my orders," Robin said.
Kate felt both ashamed and angry. She had had enough of this.
"Who are you to tell me what to do? I am not a child. I just wanted to help someone who needed me. Isn't that what we do? Help people?" Kate asked. She tried to blink away her tears. The situation was humiliating enough for her without her bursting into tears in front of everyone.
"You are free to live on your own if you wish to do so! But if you want to be one of us, you need to follow the same rules everyone else does," Robin said. "And that goes for you too." He gave Adam a pointed look, and Adam at least had the decency to look a little ashamed.
"I do want to be one of you, but you won't let me! I want to do something that's actually meaningful, not just collect firewood or cook some stupid rabbits!" Kate said. Her voice cracked at the last word. Why was she getting all the blame, when Adam had been a part of the plan as well? Sure, she had initiated it, but Adam was the one who had done the actual kidnapping. Kate would never admit it out loud, but the plan wouldn't have worked without him.
"So you think the right way to go about this is to make everyone think Robin Hood kidnaps young maidens in the forest? And what about your mother? You promised-"
"I don't care! I don't care about your reputation or any promises either of us made to my mother! Just… leave me alone!"
With that, Kate stormed out of the camp. This was starting to become a habit. At first she considered running to Meg and just running off with her to go wherever she was going. But Kate didn't want Meg to see her like this. Instead, Kate found herself a hiding place near the stream, between two large rocks that made for the perfect hiding place.
There she let herself cry in a way she hadn't cried for a long time. At first, she cried about her frustration with Robin. Life in the forest was hard, which she had known from the day she became an outlaw, but it was hard in an entirely different way she had expected. Then she cried about her own stupidity and selfishness. She knew that if she was going to be a real outlaw, she would have to follow orders. But Robin made it so difficult sometimes. Then Kate cried about her family. She missed her mother and sister so much that she thought her heart might break in two. She missed the days when they had been happier, when her father had still been alive and Kate had been just a child without responsibilities. Then, finally, Kate cried for Matthew. She didn't realize it at the moment, but it was the first time she had cried for her brother like this.
It was there, between the two large rocks, where the reality of her new life hit Kate in a way it never had before. She would never get her old life back. She would never be normal again. Her family was torn to shreds, and if she didn't do something about it, she would suffocate in the camp by being denied the one thing she secretly longed for: action. Something thrilling that could make her feel alive again. When she and Adam had rescued Meg, Kate had tasted just a piece of the life she wanted, and she needed more.
It was already dark when Rebecca heard a soft knock on her door. Maggie was asleep but remained undisturbed as her mother quietly cracked the door open.
"Kate?" Rebecca gasped when she saw her eldest child, standing outside her house, looking less like the woman she had grown into and more like the little girl who had once cried when she found out cats don't live forever.
"Can I come in?" Kate asked.
Rebecca ushered her inside, not wanting to risk someone seeing her.
"What are you doing here? It's not safe," Rebecca said. Kate headed to the bed where Maggie was sleeping. The little girl was completely unaware of her sister's presence.
"I needed to see you," Kate replied in a broken voice and gently stroked Maggie's hair.
Rebecca sat down next to her on the bed.
"Is everything all right?" she asked.
Kate couldn't lie at that moment. She just shook her head and let out a silent sob as tears began to stream down her cheeks. Rebecca pulled her in close against her chest, rocking her gently while keeping an eye on Maggie and making sure she stayed asleep.
"I j-just miss you so much. All the time. You and Maggie. A-and Matthew," Kate sobbed, keeping her voice low. Rebecca stroked her hair.
"I know. I miss you too."
Rebecca held her daughter tightly. She never wanted to let her go again, but she knew Kate couldn't stay. Eventually Kate's sobs quieted down, and Rebecca wiped her tears away.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here. The risk-"
"Never mind about that. You're always welcome here," Rebecca whispered and pressed a gentle kiss on Kate's forehead.
Kate drew in a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Then something at the foot of the bed caught her attention. She grabbed the object and pulled it closer. It was one of Matthew's shirts. Suddenly the tears threatened to return.
"Can… Can I keep this?" Kate asked quietly, squeezing the fabric in her fists.
"Of course. You can have anything you'd like," Rebecca said.
For the next few days, Robin let Kate be. The two didn't speak to each other unless necessary, but it was clear that with time their argument could be put behind them. Until then, everyone tried to keep the two separate. Kate even found herself preferring Adam's presence to that of Robin's.
But most of all, Kate wanted to spend time with Meg. She was the only one in the gang that Meg saw, because she had made it clear she did not wish to spend time with Adam and held no interest in meeting the others. Because of the situation they were in, Robin had agreed to let Kate take supplies to Meg until her cousin sent someone to collect her. This at least gave Kate something to do.
The two spent hours just talking, because they didn't have much else to keep themselves entertained. Kate found that Meg understood her in a way no-one ever had before, but she knew she shouldn't get too attached. Soon they would likely never see each other again. Still, Kate let Meg entertain the idea of the two of them running off to join a convent together, even if just for a moment. Those long afternoons and nights by the firelight in the cave were something Kate liked to remember even when Meg was long gone.
Despite Meg being a lady, and Kate just a peasant, during their long talks they found that their thoughts and feelings were not too far apart from each other. It seemed that they would never run out of things to speak about, but when they did, they played games. Kate's favourite was the one where Meg dared her to close her eyes so she could give her a gift.
"You don't have anything here to give," Kate laughed, but closed her eyes regardless.
"Of course I do," Meg said.
Kate felt her warm breath against her lips a moment before Meg leaned in to kiss her. A warm feeling pooled in the bottom of her stomach as she buried her fingers in Meg's soft curls and let herself be lost in the kiss. Despite the cave being cold, wet and dark, it was Kate's favourite kiss so far. Meg's lips were soft and gentle, and they made Kate forget all about the world around her. Compared to the few kisses she had shared with some of the boys at Locksley – some of which had happened on a dare – this one was like magic. When it ended, Kate wasn't sure how long it had been going on.
"There. That's a thank you gift for helping and being so good to me. Take good care of it," Meg said with a smile.
Kate felt herself blush, but she was a little proud of the fact that Adam certainly wouldn't get any reward like this from Meg.
However, eventually Meg had to leave. Her cousin had sent two men to fetch her, and so Kate stood by the road, saying her goodbyes to Meg. Adam had insisted on coming with her for some reason, but Kate wished that both he and the men waiting a little further ahead were not there.
"Thank you. For everything," Meg said, and gave Kate a quick kiss on the cheek.
Adam raised his eyebrows. "Do I get a thanks?"
"No, I still don't like you," Meg said, although with a smile on her lips, as she mounted her horse. She turned to look at Kate, and her eyes held a genuine sadness. "Goodbye, Kate. I hope we meet again someday."
And with that, Meg rode off. Kate watched her longingly, wishing that their friendship could have lasted longer.
"So. What did you do to spend all that time in the cave?" Adam asked with a smug smile on his face as they walked back towards the camp.
"I'd like to remind you that I can still shoot better than you. Continue with your comments, and I will use you as a moving target for practice," Kate replied, although with far less malice than she usually did. She might have lost Meg, but at least she had learned to somewhat tolerate Adam now. She wasn't quite ready to call him a friend, but perhaps with time he could learn to be less annoying.
Who knew, maybe one day life in the forest would be much better for her.