Chapter fifteen:
Marian's POV:
One second, I was about to climb out of the window to escape, the next I was walking out of the door, with Katherine. She was leading me towards her bedroom, because she claimed that I "deserved better than that dusty excuse for a room".
My new friend said she would make the Sheriff get me a better room, and when I began to disagree, she just laughed and told me to leave it to her.
Katherine didn't like boys the way I did, where I saw a potential friend, she saw a potential love match. All she saw in her future was marrying some rich Lord, and birthing him many children, while he drowned her in jewels and clothes.
Now, that idea would have to change. I hated that all Katherine saw in her future was doing someone else's bidding. Letting the men around her control her life was simply what she had been told to think was right. When, in reality, I could probably out-shoot most of the guards in this castle in an archery contest. Women were just as capable as doing anything a man could do!
"Don't you think, Marian?" She broke me out of my rant.
"Umm, yeah." Responding, despite not having heard the question.
"Well, that what I thought anyway. Ah, here we are!" We had arrived at her room now, I guessed.
She opened the door, to reveal the huge expanse that she slept in. It was just as I'd imagined: pink. Absolute everything was the same hue, but a different variety of shades were thrown around the room, giving it a little variety.
"Come in," she stepped aside, to let me enter.
Her bed was a huge four poster canopy, with lace curtains tied to the posts. The sheets were, of course, pink while the actual wood was a dark, almost black shade of brown.
Closing the door behind me, I took in the size of the room. The room I slept in last night was roughly one full pace wide, and the same length wise, Katherine's room was about ten times the size of it!
She walked over and flopped onto the bed, patting the space next to her for me to sit down in. As I did so, she gave me a hard look, as if she was trying to figure out what I was doing here. On the walk form the other room, we had told me a brief history about why pink was the best colour in the entire world, closely followed by purple. All I knew about her was that: she liked pink, and purple, loved to look at boys and maybe even imagine what their future would look like together, and how much she loved jewels.
"Can I ask you something, Marian?" She was looking at me intently, awaiting her answer.
"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" Despite already having a feeling about what she would ask, I questioned anyway.
"What are you doing here? I know that there was lots of commotion last night in the courtyard, but I don't know what it was about."
"It's a long story really, it would probably bore you to death!" I tried to make a joke out of my answer, in the hope that she would forget and change the subject.
"Marian, I've been alone as long as I can remember. So far, you're the first proper friend I have ever had, and I've only known you for about ten minutes. Trust me, I have all of the time in the world!" She announced, earnestly.
"Are you sure?" I wasn't completely okay with the idea of telling someone, who I'd only met ten minutes before, my whole life story. But, then again, she hadn't alerted any guards of my near escape, and she was very friendly.
Katherine nodded, and shuffled a little on her bed, ready to give me her full attention.
I began to tell her my story, careful to leave out any mentions of Robin or Much, something told me to keep that to myself until I knew for certain that she could be trusted. When I got to the part where my mother died, my throat began to close up and my eyes started to fog. Feeling my face turn scarlet, I began to turn away but a warm hand gently grasped mine.
"It's okay, Marian. Losing a parent can be unimaginably hard, and it is a pain that I have unfortunately felt." Her chocolate eyes were lined with sliver.
"Really?" I wiped my tears away with my hand, but they kept coming.
She nodded sincerely, "I lost her when I was only four years old. I don't remember her much, but I am told that I am the spitting image of her." Katherine announced, proudly.
"She must have been beautiful." My mind was flooded with the memory of my mother's limp body lying on the floor. Another tear slipped out.
"Did you look like your mother?" Even though I could tell she meant well, all she did was make me think of my loss. I wanted to say "No, not last night when her blood pooled on the floor around her, not when she eyes glazed over, no life left in them. Not then." But instead, I just nodded.
"It appears that we both have suffered great loss, Marian. Why don't we make it our sworn duties to look out for one another, eh?" Katherine nudged me gently in the ribs with her dainty elbow.
"I suppose we must, Katherine." Sniffing, I laughed.
"Well, my first decree as your new best friend, is that you must call me Katy!"
"Alright Katy, and my first decree is that you must find another colour to put in your room. Less Pink!"
Katy clasped her chest in shock, "Never! I am truly sorry but I think you just lost your privileges to make decrees!"
Pretending to be outraged, I jumped off the bed and made to storm out of the room. But turning back around slowly, I saw that she was trying desperately to hold in her laughter, just like I was. Suddenly, neither of us could hold it any longer, and we both let out laughs that sounded more like wheezes.
Falling back onto the bed, we both collapsed into a pile of giggles and shallow breaths. I couldn't help but wish that life would stay like this for longer, with me deliriously happy, all of my problems forgotten.
Days bled into years, and soon four had passed. Despite the years, I had not forgotten my old life. Nightmares haunted me now and again. Mother's blood pooling on the floor when she had been stabbed, father's face cast in agony as he let his wife and his daughter both slip away. Having not heard from my father or William on over four years, it was difficult not to cry on the days when my memories wouldn't leave me mind. Malcom probably wouldn't let them contact me if they tried.
What were they doing now? Would William look older? Did they miss, or even remember me?
In my second year of living in the castle, Guy's father had passed away, due to an illness. This only made Guy's affection for me greater, he saw his father's death as a way to get to my, though a need for sympathy. I had endless excuses to get out of walks or rides with him alone, but it never seemed to be enough, it always left him wanting more.
Not a day went by when I didn't want to go back, to my old home, and visit what was left of my family. But I was kept under strict surveillance. Albeit, it had loosened over the years; I had a bigger room, I could go for a ride or a walk in the village, but only with at least two guards present. That must still mean that Malcom was keeping my father under the heel of his boot.
Katy and I spent most days walking around the castle, picking fruit in the orchards, reading in the courtyard, or (my favourite) riding in the forest. Katy had very kindly gifted me a horse for my sixteenth birthday, which I called Glen. Glen was a dapple-grey mare, with a glossy white mane, Katy's horse, Lizzy, was also a mare, with a warm brown coat and a line of white on her nose.
Even though the guards were still behind us, it was the most freedom that I ever got.
Entering Katy's room, I ran and leaped onto the bed, in a not-very-ladylike fashion. She was on the other side of the room, doing her hair at her dressing table. She mumbled something about my lack of composure, not taking her eye off the mirror.
As an eighteen-year-old, I was already supposed married or at least engaged, not lounging around the castle as a glorified prisoner. Katherine, however, was avidly looking for suitors, particularly rich ones. She would have even married Guy; had they not been raised as cousins! Although, that didn't stop him from endlessly trying to win my affections with various gifts of various items of clothing, flowers or jewels. It was an odd week if I did not find at least two new gifts awaiting me on my vanity, left with a note signed with a rough "Thought of you", or simply a big G.
Katy offered the idea of going for a ride, so I agreed eagerly and practically skipped back to my room, down the hallway to put on my riding gear. A heavily layered dress, though stunning, was extremely difficult to walk in, let alone ride in! I took to light trousers, a modest blouse and a pair of riding boots.
Exiting my room, I wasn't looking where I was going, and crashed straight into someone, so hard that I was knocked back into my room. The person was muttering their apologies, and helping me up. I began to laugh and brush myself off, but stopped when I realised who it was.
Guy. What could he possibly want?
He had grown much taller than when we were younger, he now towered over me. His arms were buff, and he had developed a deep, gruff voice. The only thing that hadn't changed about him, at least a tiny bit, was his eyes, they were still his mother's.
Guy just stood there, not saying anything.
"Can I help you, or did you just come by to knock me over?" I laughed, attempting to get the inevitable conversation out of the way.
His eyes widened and he started to splutter and explanation with a "sorry" thrown in every few words.
"It's okay, I was only joking!"
"I just came by to tell you that you and Lady Katherine should stay inside of the castle." He finally got it out.
"Wh-what why?"
"I can explain later, but for now, I just need you two to stay put." Guy was already marching off down the hallway, not giving me enough of a chance to reply.
Going back into my bedroom, I looked out of the window into the courtyard.
There were guards everywhere.
What is going on?