Chapter thirteen:
Marian's POV:
Everyone gasped in unison, all of us not completely sure what just happened.
"Stop!" I cried out too late, the dagger was already sunk in.
Gregory stumbled backwards, dropping his dagger and looking at his bloody hands, in horror.
"I didn't- I wasn't," he fumbled for the right words. Where those tears in his eyes?
Father and mother both turned to look around at me. Letting out a big sob, I ran towards them. Father's face held so many different emotions; anger, desperation, sadness and agony.
Gently, we laid mother down onto the floor, ignoring the snivelling man in the corner.
"Mother, I can run and get a do-" my offer was cut off, by her faint hand on my arm.
"No, I don't have much time left. Just, please promise me something?"
"Anything," I replied, tears stinging my eyes.
"Tell William, that I love him, and to never forget that." The colour in her face was fading into an ashy tone.
I was unable produce any words, so I just nodded.
"Fredrick," she turned to look at my father now. "Look after our lovely, wonderful children, and make sure that they know they are loved unconditionally."
"I love you, Elsie." Father sobbed, holding her hand tight.
"I love you too, Fredrick." Mother gasped.
Looking at me for the last time ever, my courageous mother told me something.
"Always be brave, and do what's right. I will always be with you, especially when it seems like I am not. I love you, Marian darling." The colour in her face was fading into an ashy tone.
"I love you too, Mummy," weeping into her chest, I felt her hand go limp in mine.
I couldn't bear to look, so I buried my face into my father. He hands soothed me, until my heartrate slowed to a normal pace.
Pulling back from our embrace slightly, I looked into my father's eyes.
"We must keep our promise to mother. It's time for justice." Careful not to look at my mother's lifeless body, father started to reach for his sword, but I stopped him. "No. That is not how mother would want us to avenge her."
We stomped over to the murderer.
"Get up, you shameful, lump of a man." Father's gaze was filled with nothing but hatred.
Gregory still had his hands over his face, so Father kicked him in the foot, to get him up. Standing up slowly, Gisborne's face was still distraught, and his arms were trembling from shock.
But then his pained facial expression turned in a smirk of satisfaction. Boots crunched the gravel outside of my house.
Giving father look, he understood and unsheathed his sword. While I ran back to the kitchen to get my bow and arrows, who knows what who was behind the door!
Bracing ourselves, father and I held out our weapons, ready for attack.
Looking over at Gregory, he was looking at mother's body. His eyes were filled with deep regret, I think he truly did love my mother, but someone as filled with hatred as him could never love fully.
In that moment, I had never longed for Robin's comforting presence more.
The front door slammed open, revealing a short, round man. He was surrounded by guards- oh no! Catching Gregory's eye, he gave him a malicious smirk.
"Ah, it appears that the party has already begun! Shame we're late," the little man turned around to his guards, "right boys?"
There was a series of grunts and chuckles, coming from the beefy men crowding the doorway.
Waltzing in, they took up most of our hallway, how would we get out of this one?
"Who are you, and what is your business here?" Father's voice sounded hoarse, from crying.
Turing his gaze to look at father, the stubby man announced. "Well, let's just say…" he began to pull his sleeve, revealing a tattoo, "I'm an old friend."
Father gasped when he saw it.
The ink was black, it took the shape of a lion, on a shield. Alost like a coat of arms, it was around the length of the top of my middle finger, to the beginning of my wrist. It wrapped around his flabby upper arm.
But there was one feature about the tattoo that was out of the ordinary. There was a large scar through it.
I nudged father's arm with my elbow, but he was still looking at the tattoo.
"You…" Father cursed, staring the man down.
"Ah, remember me now- eh?"
"Father?" He was starting to worry me, who else was father enemies with?
The man turned to look at me, as if only just registering my presence.
"You must be Fredrick's daughter. Mary, is it?" His eyes scanned me up and down.
"Actually, its Marian. Not that it will be nay use to you, I'm sure you and your cronies will be off soon." Replying, I gracefully nocked an arrow.
"Ooh, she's a fiery one! They're the best kind," his guards all shared a loud chuckle. It made my stomach twist, knowing that they were all ogling me like that!
"Allow me to introduce, my esteemed friend, Lord Malcom Turner, soon to be the Sheriff of Nottingham!" Gisborne had stopped sulking now.
"Don't come any closer, you don't want to know what I will do." My bow was ready to shoot.
"What's a little girl going to do?" Malcom's laughter was cut short when an arrow flew past him, nicking his ear slightly.
"She did warn you," father shrugged.
Nocking another arrow, I raised my eyebrow, "What some more?"
Some of the guards started to shuffle back, not wanting their ears to bleed too.
"Get back here, you fools!" Malcom's face was red now. "Everyone knows that the best way to put out a fire, is to cut out it's air!" He made a lunge for me; he was too close now for my bow to be of any use.
I started to reach for the dagger stashed in my boot, but stopped when I felt something cold press against my neck. Other guards must have snuck around the back of the house!
Involuntary, I dropped my bow, the arrow clattered to the floor. A big hand grabbed my hands and pulled them behind my back. Stifling a yelp, I looked over at my father to see that he was being held the same way.
"Now, Fredrick, I have to make a decision." The red-faced man was walking towards my father. "Maybe you can help me out, should I kill you in front of Marian's eyes? Or kill her, in front of yours?"
Taking the moment, father spat in Malcom's face. "Rot in hell, you sadist piece of-"
Malcom slapped him across the face.
Squirming, I tried to break free from the guard's grip, only to the Lord's amusement. At least the attention wasn't on my father anymore.
His fat face was still smeared in spit, when he approached me. "Such a pretty thing," his stubby fingers closed around my cheeks, he squished them had in his hand. "It's a shame she has such a temper though, but I'm sure that we can sort that out." He was still holding my face.
There was no point in trying to escape, his grip was too firm, and I should try to keep the attention off of father.
"Take your hands off of my daughter! Whatever happened between us is our business, don't bring my daughter into this." Father snarled.
Ignoring him, Malcom's touch did not soften, but his eyes did wander. It sent shivers down my spine. The guards grip on my arms weakened slightly, meaning that I could reach the dagger hidden in my sleeve!
Feeling the hilt of it, I took my chance. Raising my knee, so that it connected with Malcom's sensitive area, whilst also swinging my head back, until it hit the guard's. Malcom let go of my face in shock, and the guard fell down, disorientated. Although I was free, I still had the guards and Gisborne to deal with.
Father swung his head back too, also freeing himself from his captor. Malcom was on his feet again now, surrounded by four guards.
"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Gisborne sneered, standing in front of six guards, himself.
"Give up your title, or the lives of you and your daughter! The choice is yours, Fredrick." Malcom had cornered my father. "Nottingham castle awaits me, thanks to King John!"
"Giving you my title means condemning the people of Nottingham to endless suffering, I could never do that!" Father kept his head high; we both never knew when to keep our mouths shut!
"Ha, the hard way it is then!" Gisborne grinned, maliciously.
With a click of his fingers, Malcom sent the guards forward.
Including Malcom and Gisborne, there were about twelve men opposing father and I, who only had a sword and a dagger between us. There was no way we were getting out of this. Unless…
"Enough!" I dropped my dagger, and stood between father and the rest of them, my hands out in front of me. "Enough of this! I will go with you to Nottingham castle, you can keep me as insurance. So that my father will keep his end of the deal!"
Gisborne and Malcom raised their eyebrows in surprise.
"Marian, don't do this! It's not worth i-" father began to reason with me, but was cut off by Gisborne.
"No, no Fredrick. Marian had proposed a rather interesting deal!"
"Do you mean it, girl?" Malcom questioned.
It was then that I thought of my mother; even up until her last breath, my mother had stayed brave. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I knew that I had to keep my promise, she would always be beside me.
"Yes." I announced, head held high.
It was clear that the real monsters were no longer under William's bed, but roaming the world. One took human form in Gregory of Gisborne, and another in the new Sheriff of Nottingham.