This one's a little short, but hey I'm so proud! I got it out really fast!
Aren't you proud of me. This was supposed to be part of the last chapter,
but you know how it goes. Just a little fun before things get serious
again. Plus, Piper shows off a little of her feminine side.
CHAPTER 14
Piper didn't immediately return to her chambers or to the training field. She felt herself drawn by curiosity to a part of the Manor that in recent weeks she had avoided. She was going to have to assume the part of a lady in two days;a role that she never considered. She didn't know what fancy ladies acted like, or how they spoke. She didn't know how they carried themselves, and despite the Sheriff's confidence, she didn't think she would be terribly convincing, no matter what manner of dress they stuffed her into. A guard in a dress is nothing more than a guard in a dress.
The only lady of rank that Piper had ever encountered was Lady Marian, and their contact was extremely limited. On the few occasions that they did meet, both treated the other other with suspicion and contempt.
Marian had a sharp wit, and she exerted her own subtle brand of power, by manipulating and bending the opinions whomever she chose. She was subtle in what she did, but it required a certain amount of predictability from the people she manipulated. Marian considered Piper as an anomaly of womanhood. Piper didn't behave in any of the proper ways and therefore was unpredictable and dangerous.
Piper also distrusted Marian. She was aware of the unusual effect that the elegant lady had on her guardian. Marian had a power over Philip that, in Piper's esteem made her dangerous.
Still, Marian was a lady in the truest sense of the word. If Piper wanted to be successful in her next mission, she would have to pass herself off as a lady, at least from a distance. That is why Piper found herself standing outside the Lady Marian's quarters, staring down a very bored Walter. He had received several broken ribs earlier in the month, while trying to calm a frightened horse in the stables. So, he was assigned to light duties until his injuries healed and he was making it very clear to all concerned that he was not happy about it.
"What do you want, runt?" he growled from the shadows as he leaned against the wall beside Marian's doorway.
"I need to speak with her." Piper wasn't going to waste time on his attitude. They both knew that she could handle his foul mood and return it with equal force.
Walter considered his options with Piper. He wanted a fight. He was frustrated with his situation, and wanted someone to take it out on, but Piper's posture made it clear that she would not give him the satisfaction. Eventually his shoulders slumped and snorted. "You can talk to her all you want, but she'll probably just throw things at you." He opened the door to admit her into the room.
Inside, a small fire was still burning in the hearth. The room was elegantly decorated, and Piper suspected that most of the furnishings had been brought from Marian's own estate. She had never seen the luxurious, large postered bed, or anything like it before. The Manor didn't normally house such opulence. The esteemed Lady was sitting by the fire in an ornate, high backed chair, with a half completed tapestry in her lap.
The two women stared at each other with open disdain, and Piper realized that she had no idea what she was going to say to Marian. She had no plan of attack, and realized that Walter's warnings might soon become a reality if she didn't say something quickly. "Why do you do that?" She nodded at the tapestry.
Marian sighed. "What else would you have me do?" She spoke in a way that suggested great patience for an ignorant child. Piper did not like the way Marian spoke to her, but she tolerated it. She couldn't learn anything if Marian was unconscious on the floor.
"Well," Piper suggested in response to Marian's question. "If I were in your situation, I would be trying to escape."
"To where, my home? Philip would only have you fetch me back here. It would be a vain effort." Marian spit the Sheriff's name as though it were a malicious insult. Piper ignored it, choosing instead to pay attention to her movements and gestures, memorizing each one for later use. At the same time, she kept the conversation going, even though she was only paying the vaguest consideration to it. "It's true, it would be in vain, but to not even try; to just allow yourself to be captured without a hint of resistance seems so..."
"Female?" Marian suggested, arching one brow.
"...useless," Piper concluded, allowing only the slightest coldness to color her voice.
Marian sighed, resigned to the fact that she was not going to get rid of Piper until Piper was ready to go. She stood and placed her needlepoint carefully on the chair. There were no windows in the room, so she contented herself with staring at the glowing embers in the fire pit.
"You think he's going to rescue you, don't you?" Piper was surprised by her own leap of intuition. "You honestly believe that if you wait here politely and patiently, then your happy ending will just happen."
"He won't leave me here!" Marian spun on Piper, anger fueling her outburst while the red light from the fire cast a demonic glow over her face. Piper took a step back, forgetting where she was and who she was speaking to. Marian continued, using the deep shadows and red glow on her face to impress her words on Piper. "I don't expect one such as yourself to understand about love. Robin and I love each other, and that is a very rare thing. There is nothing that you or Philip or anyone else can do to keep us apart forever. You can do what you like and think what you like, but when the true King returns, all will be set right again. How will he reward your loyalty, child?"
There was a silence between them while Piper considered her next words. Then she advanced on Lady Marian. She didn't smile. She showed no emotion on her face, but her movements were confident and purposeful. She crossed the distance between them in several steps.
"No one can know what the future will hold. All we can do is hope that our decisions are right and just. I do know this however. Love, which you think I know so little about, is supposed to be a selfless thing. If you love somebody, their well being should come before your own. Your thief would have you wandering through the forest with rapists and murderers so that he can have you, and you would have him storm a small fortress, risking capture and death, to rescue you. That's true love?" Her eyebrow lifted in mock imitation of Marian's earlier expression.
"Meanwhile, the Sheriff risks your spite to keep you out of harms way. He hasn't once tried to take advantage of your position. He asks nothing of you other than your own survival. What a hideous man he is."
Marian scowled at Piper, but said nothing.
"It was an interesting conversation." The red head smiled slightly and left Marian without another word. Just as she reached the door, her instincts and keen hearing took over. She ducked right before Marian's chamber pot crashed against the wood where her head had been. Piper turned back to Marian and flashed her an impish smile. Piper amused herself again. She left, ignoring the contents of the chamber pot as they dripped off the door's surface.
Walter was backing away from the door when Piper stepped out. "Did we entertain you, suitably?" Piper's voice was airy. She didn't care that he had been listening to their conversation. She suspected that he might when she walked in.
Walter spread his hands in concession and smiled lecherously. "I have to do something to pass the time."
Piper rolled her eyes as she walked away dismissively. She didn't have time to bother with Walter. As soon as she was out of his view, her demeanor changed. She straightened her posture and raised her chin. She affected what she thought was a poised, disinterested look. Then she tried to walk, and she finally understood why ladies must wear dresses. There was no way, she concluded, that they could actually look graceful under those wide skirts. Piper tried several times, and made a frustrated sound as she kicked a wall. "Impossible," Piper growled.
She moved on, next practicing speaking. It might not be as important as moving like a lady, but Piper was fully absorbed in the task at hand. "What would you have me do?" She carefully pronounced each syllable, letting the foreign feeling roll around in her mouth. Just for fun she arched an eyebrow.
She began to strut again, looking something like a cautious deer, something like an injured chicken. "It would be a vain effort...a vain effort." Her movements became exaggerated, and her words, overly dramatic. "He won't leave me here." Her hand flew to her breast and she looked as though she were about to faint. "He won't leave me here!" She swooned.
A giggle interrupted her practice, which caused Piper to jump. She had been so lost in her feminine display that she hadn't noticed Sarah walk into view. The poor woman was trying to hide her laugh behind her hand. Piper's face hardened in indignation and she shifted her weight in an attempt to look more threatening. Sarah waved a hand in front of herself. "I am sorry. I'm sorry. I'll stop now." Just as she seemed about to calm down, another fit of uncontrollable laughter hit her, and she bent over breathlessly.
Piper crossed her arms over her chest and set her jaw. She stalked past the laughing servant, trying desperately to hide the burning redness had crept from her neck to her ears and cheeks.
She could still hear Sarah laughing as she rounded the corner and headed for her own chambers. "She's going to tell Milly," Piper grumbled. "then I'll never hear an end to their nagging!"
CHAPTER 14
Piper didn't immediately return to her chambers or to the training field. She felt herself drawn by curiosity to a part of the Manor that in recent weeks she had avoided. She was going to have to assume the part of a lady in two days;a role that she never considered. She didn't know what fancy ladies acted like, or how they spoke. She didn't know how they carried themselves, and despite the Sheriff's confidence, she didn't think she would be terribly convincing, no matter what manner of dress they stuffed her into. A guard in a dress is nothing more than a guard in a dress.
The only lady of rank that Piper had ever encountered was Lady Marian, and their contact was extremely limited. On the few occasions that they did meet, both treated the other other with suspicion and contempt.
Marian had a sharp wit, and she exerted her own subtle brand of power, by manipulating and bending the opinions whomever she chose. She was subtle in what she did, but it required a certain amount of predictability from the people she manipulated. Marian considered Piper as an anomaly of womanhood. Piper didn't behave in any of the proper ways and therefore was unpredictable and dangerous.
Piper also distrusted Marian. She was aware of the unusual effect that the elegant lady had on her guardian. Marian had a power over Philip that, in Piper's esteem made her dangerous.
Still, Marian was a lady in the truest sense of the word. If Piper wanted to be successful in her next mission, she would have to pass herself off as a lady, at least from a distance. That is why Piper found herself standing outside the Lady Marian's quarters, staring down a very bored Walter. He had received several broken ribs earlier in the month, while trying to calm a frightened horse in the stables. So, he was assigned to light duties until his injuries healed and he was making it very clear to all concerned that he was not happy about it.
"What do you want, runt?" he growled from the shadows as he leaned against the wall beside Marian's doorway.
"I need to speak with her." Piper wasn't going to waste time on his attitude. They both knew that she could handle his foul mood and return it with equal force.
Walter considered his options with Piper. He wanted a fight. He was frustrated with his situation, and wanted someone to take it out on, but Piper's posture made it clear that she would not give him the satisfaction. Eventually his shoulders slumped and snorted. "You can talk to her all you want, but she'll probably just throw things at you." He opened the door to admit her into the room.
Inside, a small fire was still burning in the hearth. The room was elegantly decorated, and Piper suspected that most of the furnishings had been brought from Marian's own estate. She had never seen the luxurious, large postered bed, or anything like it before. The Manor didn't normally house such opulence. The esteemed Lady was sitting by the fire in an ornate, high backed chair, with a half completed tapestry in her lap.
The two women stared at each other with open disdain, and Piper realized that she had no idea what she was going to say to Marian. She had no plan of attack, and realized that Walter's warnings might soon become a reality if she didn't say something quickly. "Why do you do that?" She nodded at the tapestry.
Marian sighed. "What else would you have me do?" She spoke in a way that suggested great patience for an ignorant child. Piper did not like the way Marian spoke to her, but she tolerated it. She couldn't learn anything if Marian was unconscious on the floor.
"Well," Piper suggested in response to Marian's question. "If I were in your situation, I would be trying to escape."
"To where, my home? Philip would only have you fetch me back here. It would be a vain effort." Marian spit the Sheriff's name as though it were a malicious insult. Piper ignored it, choosing instead to pay attention to her movements and gestures, memorizing each one for later use. At the same time, she kept the conversation going, even though she was only paying the vaguest consideration to it. "It's true, it would be in vain, but to not even try; to just allow yourself to be captured without a hint of resistance seems so..."
"Female?" Marian suggested, arching one brow.
"...useless," Piper concluded, allowing only the slightest coldness to color her voice.
Marian sighed, resigned to the fact that she was not going to get rid of Piper until Piper was ready to go. She stood and placed her needlepoint carefully on the chair. There were no windows in the room, so she contented herself with staring at the glowing embers in the fire pit.
"You think he's going to rescue you, don't you?" Piper was surprised by her own leap of intuition. "You honestly believe that if you wait here politely and patiently, then your happy ending will just happen."
"He won't leave me here!" Marian spun on Piper, anger fueling her outburst while the red light from the fire cast a demonic glow over her face. Piper took a step back, forgetting where she was and who she was speaking to. Marian continued, using the deep shadows and red glow on her face to impress her words on Piper. "I don't expect one such as yourself to understand about love. Robin and I love each other, and that is a very rare thing. There is nothing that you or Philip or anyone else can do to keep us apart forever. You can do what you like and think what you like, but when the true King returns, all will be set right again. How will he reward your loyalty, child?"
There was a silence between them while Piper considered her next words. Then she advanced on Lady Marian. She didn't smile. She showed no emotion on her face, but her movements were confident and purposeful. She crossed the distance between them in several steps.
"No one can know what the future will hold. All we can do is hope that our decisions are right and just. I do know this however. Love, which you think I know so little about, is supposed to be a selfless thing. If you love somebody, their well being should come before your own. Your thief would have you wandering through the forest with rapists and murderers so that he can have you, and you would have him storm a small fortress, risking capture and death, to rescue you. That's true love?" Her eyebrow lifted in mock imitation of Marian's earlier expression.
"Meanwhile, the Sheriff risks your spite to keep you out of harms way. He hasn't once tried to take advantage of your position. He asks nothing of you other than your own survival. What a hideous man he is."
Marian scowled at Piper, but said nothing.
"It was an interesting conversation." The red head smiled slightly and left Marian without another word. Just as she reached the door, her instincts and keen hearing took over. She ducked right before Marian's chamber pot crashed against the wood where her head had been. Piper turned back to Marian and flashed her an impish smile. Piper amused herself again. She left, ignoring the contents of the chamber pot as they dripped off the door's surface.
Walter was backing away from the door when Piper stepped out. "Did we entertain you, suitably?" Piper's voice was airy. She didn't care that he had been listening to their conversation. She suspected that he might when she walked in.
Walter spread his hands in concession and smiled lecherously. "I have to do something to pass the time."
Piper rolled her eyes as she walked away dismissively. She didn't have time to bother with Walter. As soon as she was out of his view, her demeanor changed. She straightened her posture and raised her chin. She affected what she thought was a poised, disinterested look. Then she tried to walk, and she finally understood why ladies must wear dresses. There was no way, she concluded, that they could actually look graceful under those wide skirts. Piper tried several times, and made a frustrated sound as she kicked a wall. "Impossible," Piper growled.
She moved on, next practicing speaking. It might not be as important as moving like a lady, but Piper was fully absorbed in the task at hand. "What would you have me do?" She carefully pronounced each syllable, letting the foreign feeling roll around in her mouth. Just for fun she arched an eyebrow.
She began to strut again, looking something like a cautious deer, something like an injured chicken. "It would be a vain effort...a vain effort." Her movements became exaggerated, and her words, overly dramatic. "He won't leave me here." Her hand flew to her breast and she looked as though she were about to faint. "He won't leave me here!" She swooned.
A giggle interrupted her practice, which caused Piper to jump. She had been so lost in her feminine display that she hadn't noticed Sarah walk into view. The poor woman was trying to hide her laugh behind her hand. Piper's face hardened in indignation and she shifted her weight in an attempt to look more threatening. Sarah waved a hand in front of herself. "I am sorry. I'm sorry. I'll stop now." Just as she seemed about to calm down, another fit of uncontrollable laughter hit her, and she bent over breathlessly.
Piper crossed her arms over her chest and set her jaw. She stalked past the laughing servant, trying desperately to hide the burning redness had crept from her neck to her ears and cheeks.
She could still hear Sarah laughing as she rounded the corner and headed for her own chambers. "She's going to tell Milly," Piper grumbled. "then I'll never hear an end to their nagging!"