Disclaimer: *sings off key while strumming out-of-tune lute* Alas! Robin
Hood is not miiiiiine! *strings of lute break*
A/N: I'm back! Yay March break and vacations! *hugs all reviewers*
~*~
John led Rebecca down a staircase towards the courtyard, trying to listen to her chatter without bumping into his older brother. She was talking about her home, servants, friends, and as many other things she could think of. She also seemed to be in awe of all the ornate and beautiful things that were in the castle.
"Oh, this is amazing." She commented while touching a well made tapestry of a saint dressed in a white robe holding a small child. "Look at her. She has a natural grace that you can just feel, looking at it. Doesn't it make you want to do something? Like, start a convent or something..."
"I suppose." John answered. He had seen the tapestry countless times, and it had never stirred such...feelings. Rebecca was certainly very strange, but it was a good kind of strange. She could appreciate what was beautiful. He decided he liked her.
They exited the spiral staircase and into the great hall. It appeared to be deserted, but this was one of Richard's favorite haunts. He could not take any chances with a guest that might prove to be his friend. As Rebecca gasped in wonder at the beautiful architecture and artwork, John grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the large doors into the afternoon sun.
It was beautiful, for October. The wind did not have a bite in it yet, and for the first time in a week it was not raining. It smelled of autumn. John was relieved to be out of the great hall. Rebecca however, was not happy at being improperly dragged through the room.
"Why did you do that?" she asked, indignantly.
"I-I'm sorry." John said timidly. "I was- afraid...that R-Richard- would... find us and..." he stuttered, as he always did when he was tense.
"And what?" said a deep voice that John hated. It was Richard.
"N-nothing, brother." John said, cursing his stupidity. Of course Richard would want to be outside on a day like this, after all that rain. John remembered him remarking to his Saxon friend two days before how he would see his archery "Once this bloody rain clears."
Richard stood before his least favorite brother. "What were you saying about me, Lackland?" he asked nastily. "W-were you afraid that R-Richard w- would hurt you?" He said, mocking John's stutter and his high voice. "W- well, we'll have to see. I just happen to have the best archer in England here with me. Robin!" Richard called to his Saxon friend, but he did not appear. Grabbing John's shirt, he turned around, looking for his accomplice.
John saw Rebecca looking on angrily. His heart fluttered a little to see Rebecca angry in his defense, but he did not want her involved in this. "Go away." He mouthed to her. She shook her head no, but the look John gave her changed her mind. She hid behind a hedge just as Richard found his friend and caught his attention. The lad walked up to Richard and his brother, carrying a great longbow.
"Allow me to introduce you two properly. John, this is Robert of Locksley, a Saxon noble with a great gift in archery." Richard said in a mockery of politeness. "Robin, this is my brother," he said 'brother' with a sneer in his voice,' "John Lackland. You may call him simply, 'Lackland', as that is what I call him. He has no real rank or lands, hence the nickname. He's only alive because my father made a mistake in conceiving him."
Robin mocked a bow. "I'm honored."
John glared at both of them.
"Oh, my coward brother is very rude, Robin. I am profoundly sorry. Bow, Lackland."
John stood as stiff as he could make himself. He would not play their little games. He felt Richard's arms on his back pushing him. I will not bow. Not to Richard and his nasty little friend. Richard pushed him until his body bent, and then forced him up again. Beads of sweat rolled down John's face.
"So Robin, do you need to practice your archery? Should we fill my father's little mistake up with arrows and call it an accident?" Richard asked his friend.
He's just trying to frighten me, John thought. Even Richard wouldn't kill his own brother.
"No, I have a better idea." Robin said, grinning malevolently at John. John could tell that this Robin was putty in Richard's hands, as Richard was older than him and obviously valued his friendship. Robin whispered something into Richard's ear. John saw Richard's eyes widen in delight at the mystery torture.
"Excellent!" Richard said grinning hugely. "I'll get the rope, you watch him." Richard ran into the castle. John shuddered in apprehension. Richard would not get this excited unless they were going to do something especially horrible.
Richard returned with rope and they dragged John into the orchard. John noticed Rebecca emerge from the hedge and follow them. Stop! Go away! John thought desperately, but pointlessly. Rebecca was no mind reader, and she hid herself behind a gnarled chestnut tree.
Richard tied John to an apple tree. He plucked a ripe apple and, instead of eating it, tied it to John's head. John had an idea of what those dogs were doing now. They wouldn't dare! It was too dangerous, Robin was too likely to fail!
They would dare. Robin stood fifty paces away from John and aimed and arrow at the apple on top of his head. John was paralyzed with fear. Suppose he misses? He stood perfectly still, praying.
TWANG! Robin had made his shot.
The arrow was forty paces away.
John looked for Rebecca.
The arrow was thirty paces away.
Rebecca would tell his father when he died that he had been murdered.
The arrow was twenty paces away.
Richard would be beheaded. At least he would not have to die unavenged.
The arrow was ten paces away.
John shut his eyes, awaiting his fate...
SPLAT.
The arrow had gone through the centre of the apple, splattering the tree and John with pulp.
Richard greeted his friend with congratulations and they walked away, leaving John tied to the apple tree.
It was silent.
John began to cry. Rebecca ran from her hiding place and untied him. He fell to his knees sobbing. He was not able to stop crying. Rebecca put her arms around him, comforting him. They sat like that for a long while, even after the tears stopped.
A/N: I'm back! Yay March break and vacations! *hugs all reviewers*
~*~
John led Rebecca down a staircase towards the courtyard, trying to listen to her chatter without bumping into his older brother. She was talking about her home, servants, friends, and as many other things she could think of. She also seemed to be in awe of all the ornate and beautiful things that were in the castle.
"Oh, this is amazing." She commented while touching a well made tapestry of a saint dressed in a white robe holding a small child. "Look at her. She has a natural grace that you can just feel, looking at it. Doesn't it make you want to do something? Like, start a convent or something..."
"I suppose." John answered. He had seen the tapestry countless times, and it had never stirred such...feelings. Rebecca was certainly very strange, but it was a good kind of strange. She could appreciate what was beautiful. He decided he liked her.
They exited the spiral staircase and into the great hall. It appeared to be deserted, but this was one of Richard's favorite haunts. He could not take any chances with a guest that might prove to be his friend. As Rebecca gasped in wonder at the beautiful architecture and artwork, John grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the large doors into the afternoon sun.
It was beautiful, for October. The wind did not have a bite in it yet, and for the first time in a week it was not raining. It smelled of autumn. John was relieved to be out of the great hall. Rebecca however, was not happy at being improperly dragged through the room.
"Why did you do that?" she asked, indignantly.
"I-I'm sorry." John said timidly. "I was- afraid...that R-Richard- would... find us and..." he stuttered, as he always did when he was tense.
"And what?" said a deep voice that John hated. It was Richard.
"N-nothing, brother." John said, cursing his stupidity. Of course Richard would want to be outside on a day like this, after all that rain. John remembered him remarking to his Saxon friend two days before how he would see his archery "Once this bloody rain clears."
Richard stood before his least favorite brother. "What were you saying about me, Lackland?" he asked nastily. "W-were you afraid that R-Richard w- would hurt you?" He said, mocking John's stutter and his high voice. "W- well, we'll have to see. I just happen to have the best archer in England here with me. Robin!" Richard called to his Saxon friend, but he did not appear. Grabbing John's shirt, he turned around, looking for his accomplice.
John saw Rebecca looking on angrily. His heart fluttered a little to see Rebecca angry in his defense, but he did not want her involved in this. "Go away." He mouthed to her. She shook her head no, but the look John gave her changed her mind. She hid behind a hedge just as Richard found his friend and caught his attention. The lad walked up to Richard and his brother, carrying a great longbow.
"Allow me to introduce you two properly. John, this is Robert of Locksley, a Saxon noble with a great gift in archery." Richard said in a mockery of politeness. "Robin, this is my brother," he said 'brother' with a sneer in his voice,' "John Lackland. You may call him simply, 'Lackland', as that is what I call him. He has no real rank or lands, hence the nickname. He's only alive because my father made a mistake in conceiving him."
Robin mocked a bow. "I'm honored."
John glared at both of them.
"Oh, my coward brother is very rude, Robin. I am profoundly sorry. Bow, Lackland."
John stood as stiff as he could make himself. He would not play their little games. He felt Richard's arms on his back pushing him. I will not bow. Not to Richard and his nasty little friend. Richard pushed him until his body bent, and then forced him up again. Beads of sweat rolled down John's face.
"So Robin, do you need to practice your archery? Should we fill my father's little mistake up with arrows and call it an accident?" Richard asked his friend.
He's just trying to frighten me, John thought. Even Richard wouldn't kill his own brother.
"No, I have a better idea." Robin said, grinning malevolently at John. John could tell that this Robin was putty in Richard's hands, as Richard was older than him and obviously valued his friendship. Robin whispered something into Richard's ear. John saw Richard's eyes widen in delight at the mystery torture.
"Excellent!" Richard said grinning hugely. "I'll get the rope, you watch him." Richard ran into the castle. John shuddered in apprehension. Richard would not get this excited unless they were going to do something especially horrible.
Richard returned with rope and they dragged John into the orchard. John noticed Rebecca emerge from the hedge and follow them. Stop! Go away! John thought desperately, but pointlessly. Rebecca was no mind reader, and she hid herself behind a gnarled chestnut tree.
Richard tied John to an apple tree. He plucked a ripe apple and, instead of eating it, tied it to John's head. John had an idea of what those dogs were doing now. They wouldn't dare! It was too dangerous, Robin was too likely to fail!
They would dare. Robin stood fifty paces away from John and aimed and arrow at the apple on top of his head. John was paralyzed with fear. Suppose he misses? He stood perfectly still, praying.
TWANG! Robin had made his shot.
The arrow was forty paces away.
John looked for Rebecca.
The arrow was thirty paces away.
Rebecca would tell his father when he died that he had been murdered.
The arrow was twenty paces away.
Richard would be beheaded. At least he would not have to die unavenged.
The arrow was ten paces away.
John shut his eyes, awaiting his fate...
SPLAT.
The arrow had gone through the centre of the apple, splattering the tree and John with pulp.
Richard greeted his friend with congratulations and they walked away, leaving John tied to the apple tree.
It was silent.
John began to cry. Rebecca ran from her hiding place and untied him. He fell to his knees sobbing. He was not able to stop crying. Rebecca put her arms around him, comforting him. They sat like that for a long while, even after the tears stopped.
