Chapter eleven:
Marian's POV:
Father's eyes seemed to widen and his back straightened, as if his spine were on a string that someone had just pulled tight.
"I'm sure I have no clue what you are talking about, Sir." He gave mother a look, was it guilt that was plastered across his face?
"Come in, Sir Gregory, I'm certain that we can figure this out." Mother began to lead them into the meeting room.
William walked towards me, from his bedroom.
"M-Marian?" My little brother whispered. "I had a bad dweam." Still in a sleepy state, he slurred his words.
Putting a finger to my lips, to signal for quiet, I tapped my lap and he came and sat down.
"Do you want me to put you back to sleep?" I whispered, into his ear, careful to keep my volume low.
After giving me a sleepy nod, I decided that was a yes. Picking my five-year-old brother up, I quietly walked to his bed.
"Can you check under my bed, for monsters?" Will gave me his big eyes and I couldn't say no.
"Alright, but I promise they're aren't any under here." Rolling my eyes, I was already bending down. There was nothing under his bed but an old sock and a few discarded toys.
"Nothing, just like I sa-"
My brother was already asleep again. Smiling down at him, I wished he would stay like this forever. Innocent, naïve and blissfully unaware of the world around him.
Closing his door slowly, I returned back to my listening spot.
Gisborne was in the middle of a heated conversation with my father.
"Gentleman, let's sort this out, in the meeting room." Mother was trying to calm down father, who was red in the face.
Both men nodded, and began walking again. I leant forward from my secret position at the top of the staircase, but my sweaty hand made a noise on the banister. Shutting my eyes, I hoped I hadn't blown my cover.
Gregory stopped walking.
"Before we go in," a look of clarity came over him, "would you mind if I went upstairs and talked to your little girl?"
"Ah, well she's not so little anymore, Gregory." Mother attempted to lighten the brooding mood. "I believe that she is only a year or two younger than Guy." She began to walk again.
"Yes, but nevertheless, I would still like to see her. It's very important." He pushed, reaching for my mother's hand. "I wouldn't ask if it were not." His greasy lips closed in onto mother's hand.
Just looking at me think I was going to see my lunch again. I couldn't imagine what mother was feeling!
Why did Gisborne want to talk to me?
Father glared distastefully at the snivelling man, trying to win his wife's agreement.
Mother calmly pulled away her hand, from the dragon's mouth, and put on a fake smile. She opened her mouth, but was cut off by father.
"Unfortunately, Marian isn't here. What business do you have with our daughter anyway?" He lied.
Ignoring father, Gisborne didn't take his evil eyes off mother.
"Where can I find her?"
"She's currently in the woods, but she should be home soon." Mother ventured, adding to the false statement.
Why weren't they telling where I was? What were they hiding?
"I will speak to her when she returns, then." Defeated, Gisborne resided in the meeting room, with father. I heard mother making some excuse about going upstairs to check on William.
Scrabbling back into my room, I heard mother's soft footsteps heading towards me.
Facing my bed, I pretended to fold that washing on my bed. My door opened and I turned to see mother leaning on the back of my door. She was close to tears.
"Mother, what is it?"
Robin's POV:
Our new friend, Little John, began to explain why the tent was filled with dead soldiers.
"They came out of nowhere, one minute I was here, strategizing with the King, and the next, Turkish soldiers were flooding the place. I managed to hold them off long enough for the King to escape from the back, along with a couple of Lords." John shook his head, his eyes clouded with memory.
"The Turks all went when they realised that the King had gone. I hid under the desk when I heard you guys coming, thinking you were more of them."
Sighing heavily, father asked, "Any idea where the King went?"
John gave as small a shrug as someone of his size could.
Much stood up suddenly, he was still in shock from the massacre.
"I suppose it's time to go and find the King then."
Raising my eyebrows in surprise, I noticed the slight wobble in his voice. All of this death was too much for him, he missed his simple life of laundry and playing. This new life was too fast for him.
He looked at me, puffing out his chest, in an attempt to appear tough. But I knew him far better than that.
"We'll be back in just a second." Excusing both of us, I walked him to the other side of the tent, as far away from the bodies as was possible.
As soon as we were out of sight, I pulled him into a hug.
He wept into my back, I heard him mumble something about how much he missed his parents. My best friend choked on his words.
"It's alright, it will all be okay." I soothed, rubbing his back, "We'll be back home before your mum can say, 'Much, come put out this washing!'" He laughed at that.
I had a feeling that I wouldn't hear very much laughter for a while.
Marian's POV:
More tears trickled down mother's face as she sat down next to me.
"Marian, this will be hard for you to hear. I have to tell you something, which your father and I should have told you a long time ago."
I took her hand, "What is it?".
"As you know, your father came back from the war because he injured his leg. But it wasn't what it…" her voice broke, "seemed.
Feeling my eyebrows furrow in confusion, I squeezed her hand gently, telling her it was okay.
"What about father's injury?"
"Well, I was pregnant with you, he was off fighting. If he stayed out there any longer, that it would've been unlikely that you would have had a father. So, he made the decision, to stab his leg…" Mother's sentence drifted off.
"So that he would be sent home from the fight, meaning that he would be alive." I finished for her.
"If anyone ever found out, he would be stripped of his titles and branded as a coward. God know what would happen to the rest of us!" Her gaze drifted off, like she was imagining a series of terrible events.
"Is that why Guy's father is here?" Asking, even though I already knew the inevitable answer.
Mother looked into my eyes; it was like looking in a mirror. The same piercing blue, ringed with bright gold, in the inner edge.
"Marian, darling, I need you to know that your father and I love you and your brother more than anything on this earth. I need you to do something for me, can you do that?"
Nodding, I didn't break her eye contact.
"I need you to take your weapons, and run." She stood up, and rushed around my room, picking up my bow and arrows and shoving them into my hands.
Still confused, I didn't know what was happening.
"Please Marian, I don't have much time before Gisborne notices, hurry!" I had never seen my mother like this before.
Normally, she was calm and collected, but now she was rushed and frantic.
Snapping out of my daze, I started to strap knives and daggers to various hidden places on my body. One in my shoe, another pushed up my sleeve, it was instinct by now. Wherever I could think, I hide a dagger.
Then next thing I realised, a dark cloak was wrapped around me, my quiver was stocked with arrows, and my bow was strapped onto my back.
We were both crying now.
"Mother, I still don't understand, why do I have to leave? What about William?" My voice was nothing but a series of squeaks.
"Don't worry about us, I'll explain everything later. Go far into the woods and don't come back until it's dark!" She gave me a hasty hug, and held me at arm's reach.
Giving me a once over, she finally announced, "I'm so proud of the woman you have become." Mother had stopped trying to hold off her tears.
"See you soon, I love you." I replied.
Why did this feel much more like a final goodbye?
Ushering me out of the window, I was ready to climb down the tree when I felt a hand wrap around mine.
"Oh, and Marian?" Peering up, I saw her red eyes crease into a small smile.
"Happy birthday, darling." She gave my hand one last squeeze before letting go.
I had completely forgotten that it was my birthday! With everything that was going on, I guess it simply slipped everyone's minds. My mind went back to my red-eyed mother, distraught because I was leaving.
Why was she so sad, when I'd be coming back in a couple of hours?