Robin's plan worked amazingly well, at least at its start. Djaq was safely lodged with Queen Eleanor, and Will returned to Robin to inform him the Queen was indeed locked in the castle tower, only slightly weakened from her imprisonment. It was up to Allan, Little John, and Marian now to distract Prince John's soldiers so that Robin and Much could break into the tower to free the queen. Robin relished his role in the rescue, but Marian dreaded hers.
Alike in so many ways, Robin and Marian drastically differed from one another in their feelings toward having an audience. Robin, confident to the point of cockiness, fed off an audience's admiration, substituting the love he'd lost in his childhood when his parents died with the adoration of a spectators' crowd. Marian, on the other hand, never having been deprived of love until Robin left her for war, was a private person who hated performing. Sheriff Vasey had recognized this years ago and used it against Marian, punishing her by having her hair chopped off before a crowd in Nottingham, enjoying her painful humiliation.
Allan had no qualms fulfilling his role. Even more than Robin, he craved an audience, seeking their attention and approving laughter. "Step right up, gents," he announced, leading Little John and the Night Watchman through the gates of Pontefract Castle into the open courtyard. "Come one, come all! Watch as a common, honest yeoman takes on the Wild Hairy Man of the Forest in a fearsome battle! Who will win...brains or braun? Strength or wits? Examine the fighters, and place your wagers here."
As instructed, Little John growled fiercely at the gathering group of soldiers, like an animal. Marian stood perfectly still, hating to be gawked at, even covered as she was by her disguise.
Allan grew more and more excited, taking in money from the soldiers' bets. "Don't be shy," he called. "When else are you gonna get a chance to triple your wages, by wagering on such an obvious outcome? Look at their sizes! A giant brute of a man over a girl! But don't let her size fool you. She packs a mean right punch!"
Little John growled loudly, and Marian shot Allan a fierce look of warning. But Allan hadn't noticed his own slip of the tongue, carried away as he was by the soldiers' attention and their money.
"Did he say 'girl'?" the soldiers asked one another.
Allan, hearing their questions, tried to repair the damage he'd caused. "You thought I said 'girl'? Naw! You heard me wrong! What I said was 'Burl.' " He indicated Marian. "That's this gent's name, right, Burl?"
Marian nodded her head, flushing with embarrassment under her face coverings.
The crowd around them had grown to an enormous size, and their fight began. This was easier for Marian than being stared at. She remembered the moves Robin had staged perfectly, as if learning the steps of a dance. Little John, however, was struggling, unable to remember the staged movements, while also holding back so he wouldn't hurt Marian.
Robin and Much had almost reached the top of the rope they were climbing when they heard the crowd in the courtyard booing.
"Master! I mean, Robin!" Much cried, right behind Robin. "They're booing! What do we do?"
"Keep climbing," Robin ordered. "We're nearly there."
"They're laughing!" Much realized. "Unbelievable!"
"Probably something Allan said," Robin told Much, hoping he was right.
But he was wrong. As Marian battled Little John, her cape flew open, causing the soldiers to nudge one another and laugh. Finally, one of them called out, "Nice thighs, Burl! Take your mask and scarf off, so we can see your face!"
Another soldier called, "Who cares about his face? Hey, Burl, take your shirt off, too, the way the Wild Hairy Man did his, so we can see what you got under that padded vest! Must be pretty good! We can see you got curves aplenty, even trying to hide them!"
Allan tried to quiet the crowd's catcalls with lies and excuses, but their laughter rose, so that Robin and Much heard them.
"Your Majesty," Robin said, leaping gracefully through the tower window and dropping to one knee. Right behind him, Much struggled to pull himself through.
"You're late, Robin," Queen Eleanor fondly scolded. "I've been expecting you these many days."
"Apologies, Your Majesty."
"No matter. Better late than never. Arise, Robin! All joking aside, I knew you would find me. Djaq here has been telling me what you've been up to lately. Really, Robin! Working as a castle guard? My son King Richard would never turn you from your home. He forgave you not joining his fight the very day you left London."
Robin's beautiful smile showed relief. "I am glad I still hold the king's regard. But with respect, Your Majesty, we haven't time to talk. I need to get you out of here now."
"How, Robin? Djaq's magic potion to burn through metal is worthless, for the staircase leading here continues to be filled with guards, so many that even your fighting powers cannot take them all."
Robin sent Djaq to climb down the rope outside the window and join her husband waiting below. "Can you climb down?" he asked the queen.
"I could have years ago, like Djaq," she answered wistfully. "But alas, my climbing days are long since past."
"Much," Robin ordered, indicating with a nod of his head that Much should follow Djaq.
"Climbing!" Much complained again. "It's even worse going down, than up! I hate this, you know!"
"Just do it, Much," Robin ordered. "Hurry!"
Much obeyed, and Robin quickly unstrung his bow. "Can you hold onto me, Your Majesty?" he asked the queen.
"Are you planning to fly us down, while you hold onto your bow as it sails down the rope? I've heard of your exploits, seeming to fly fast as the wind, but I never expected to take part. How exciting! Though not as exciting as the time you sailed to the ground, slicing your way down a banner hanging outside the castle, with your knife."
"That was necessary, Your Majesty. I'd fallen through a window."
"You take your name too much to heart. You believe you really can fly like a bird."
"Are you prepared to fly with me?" Robin, peering out the window and seeing that Djaq and Much had reached the ground, called for them and Will to pull the rope taut and tie it to a pillar, then grasp it firmly to stop it from moving.
"Ready?" he asked the queen. "Hold on tight and don't look down, unless you want to."
"I wouldn't miss the view for anything. But where is Little John? Where is Big Bear?"
"In trouble, judging from the shouts from the courtyard, along with my wife."
"Well then," Queen Eleanor decided, "hadn't we better be off?" Standing behind him, she put her arms tightly around his chest. "Oh! Such splendid hard muscles! Your wife may be in danger, but she's a lucky woman, Robin." They began their swift downward flight, with Robin holding his bow over their heads as Queen Eleanor gripped him. "Don't worry," the queen continued telling him, talking because she was nervous. "I don't fancy you. You're far too young and pretty to suit my taste in men. Not to mention far too devoted to your wife."
They reached the ground, with Robin taking the brunt of the hard landing to protect the queen.
"Djaq," Robin ordered, "take the queen out of here to safety."
"Come along, Your Majesty," Djaq advised.
"And leave Big Bear behind?" Queen Eleanor asked. "No. I too once wore a man's disguise, so I could take part in the Second Crusade. It was there I learned a true English soldier never leaves a man behind. I may not be one of Robin Hood's men, but I will not leave here until all of us leave together, dead or alive."