Chapter 7

Morgan paced back and forth like a caged animal while she waited for Guy to come to collect her when he was done with work, how she really missed the convivence of cell phones, or phones in general, at this moment. Morgan had just wanted to get this conversation over and done with, as she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep quiet. She needed to talk to Gisborne about Robin and her past before something happened, and she was unable to, or even worse! It ended up with someone else telling him. Then where would she be? Right back to where Robin and I had been the last time a secret was revealed before I had wanted it known. Morgan thought as she wrung her hands together. Just as she felt she would scream from the tension, Morgan spotted Guy riding her way and felt her nerves slightly calming.

A few minutes later he was there in front of her and Morgan felt herself grinning like a lovesick fool at the sight of him. He looked so sexy sitting up there on his stallion, dressed in his black leather. Guy was an intimidating figure even when not on horseback, standing well over six feet with a muscular build from spending so much time in the saddle and training. His short black hair sculpted a well-chiseled face that Morgan felt would even make Michelangelo jealous. His eyes were a combination of blues and greens, changing hues depending on his mood. Guy must have noticed her expression as he slowed his horse to a stop, and raised an eyebrow smirking, "Do you see something you like?" he teased.

"I do, the stallion is a fine-looking animal, is he perchance for sale?" Morgan teased back.

"Why you little minx" Guy shot back at her laughing. "Are you ready to go?" Guy inquired to Morgan, reaching out his hand pulling her up behind him, and urging Voltaire forward.

"I've been waiting for you, I thought you would have been here quite some time ago, is everything alright?" Morgan asked worriedly.

"Yes, the sheriff held me over, thankfully this won't be a problem much longer. The decree that states Vaisey is no longer in charge is being drawn up as we speak, or so I have been informed."

"Guy that is great news, I am excited for you, and Nottingham!"

"Thank you, but it might also prove to be a dangerous time. As we know, Vaisey is a powerful man with many friends from all walks of life. He might try to get at me through you, the one person I care about in my life. I am working as diligently as I can on securing guards to be with you during the transition for your protection. It is proving to be harder than expected though as I am finding the men, who I thought to be trustworthy are not. It's difficult to tell right now who is loyal to who. You could be in extreme danger and to be honest, I don't know what I would do if something happened to you." Guy explained to her, but he knew exactly what would happen to him should Vaisey get a hold of Morgan; however, he didn't want to add that to Morgan's worries. He knew she was already concerned about him taking over The Sherriff's role.

"I might have a solution to that problem, but I need to talk to you about something else first. Can we talk when we get to Locksley Manor? I don't think the conversation I want to have is appropriate to have on horseback." Morgan said, unconsciously tightening her grip on Guy's waist, something that did not go unnoticed by Guy.

"Whatever it is, the answer is yes, problem solved," Guy answered, thinking that would reassure her, surely all she wanted was something simple, maybe a few extra coins to purchase something for their wedding? He knew when it came to asking of something for herself, Morgan was uncomfortable in doing so, maybe that was why she sounded nervous, she thought he might be upset with her for asking perhaps?

"Guy, it's not that kind of talk. I'll need your full attention." Morgan replied to him.

Guy shifted ever so slightly in the saddle, he didn't like the sound of that, he wondered silently what Morgan could want to talk about. She had already reassured him that she wanted to marry him, she had made that clear the day he asked her to be his wife. He was completely stumped and hoped that whatever it was wasn't as serious as she was making it sound.

They reached Locksley Manor a short time later; however, it seemed like days to both parties. After making sure that Voltaire was taken care of, Guy walked Morgan to the main room of the house, instructing the servants to bring refreshments and then to leave them alone until he called for them.

"You wanted to talk? I'm listening." Guy said politely to Morgan as he motioned for her to sit.

"No thank you, I think I prefer to stand, at least for now," Morgan stated as she started to wring her hands, looking at them like they were the most interesting things in the world, twisting her engagement ring around and around on her finger unintentionally as well.

Guy simply shrugged and took a seat himself, waiting for Morgan to start. He knew that whatever it was she would tell him in her own time and pushing her wouldn't do him any good. He learned that years ago in the early part of their courtship.

"Let me start by saying that after you hear everything, and should you want out of the engagement I will understand and would harbor no ill will towards you. I would, of course, return the engagement gifts to you…" Morgan paused, trying to figure out where to start her story, should she start with her coming here from another time, another place? Or should she simply start with Robin's gang? How much about her relationship with Robin should she divulge? How much of her past was relevant to her current predicament? The more she thought about it, the more she felt she should leave out the time travel, that information might get her burned at the stake; no, that information would stay between Robin, and her. The fewer people that knew that information the safer she would be overall. She wasn't sure if Guy could even protect her if she was found "guilty" of being a witch, her imagination started to run wild at all the possibilities if she were found out to be from another time!

"Morgan, I'm waiting for you," Guy said gently, trying to encourage her to continue.

"Yeah, I know, but this isn't easy so just chill!" Morgan snapped at him, she didn't mean to be harsh with him, she was just worked up. "I'm sorry Guy, that was rude of me. What I should have said was 'please just be patient with me. I'm trying my best here.'" she finished with a sigh and ran her hand over her face, 'damn it, this is even harder than I anticipated' she thought to herself.

"Guy, remember when you first started coming around to Marians? When I was extremely depressed because I had been betrayed by someone I deeply loved? You said you would wait for me to one day tell you the full story; well, that's what I'm about to tell you. But before I get to that part, I have to tell you what happened before all that. Do you remember a young man with super short black hair and dark blue eyes in Robins gang? That was me, I had been disguising myself as a man for five years before I decided to come clean. Robin and I were like two peas in a pod, especially during battle. As you may remember we made quite the team back then. Somewhere over those five years, I fell in love with Robin, and I had thought that he reciprocated those feelings.

Robin had wanted to do one last raid before we left for the Holy Land, he had heard a convoy was coming via the north road. That was the same day that I had planned on telling Robin the truth, the day it all went wrong. During the fight, I misjudged an attack by one of the guards and it resulted in my secret being revealed in a way I had not anticipated. The guard's sword had sliced up from my waist to my collar bone, cutting through my shirt and the bandages I used to bind my chest. Another guard snuck up behind me, and if Robin hadn't been there, I would have been dead." Morgan paused for a moment to sneak a peek at Guy, whose face she noticed, was completely void of emotion and that scared her more than she wanted to admit.

Taking a breath, she continued "When I turned around to thank Robin, I saw that he was just staring at me, I remembered then that my shirt was wide open with nothing underneath it. That had not been how I wanted him to find out, I had planned on telling him that night, privately. However, the universe apparently had other plans. I tried to explain myself when we got back to camp, but he wouldn't listen to me. He accused me of being a spy for you and Vaisey! He was acting like a lunatic Guy. I've never seen him so angry, I thought he might hit me in his fit of rage, but he didn't!" Morgan finished quickly as she saw Guy's already clenched hands turn white at the knuckles as his grip on the chair tightened further at the mention of Robin hitting her. Morgan prayed she wouldn't put her foot in her mouth again as she continued with her story.

"I don't know how long we argued but, in the end, he ripped my heart out, stomped on it, and then threw it in the fire. He said I was dead to him and the gang, that if he saw my face again, he'd kill me. He told me I was banished, and the final act in all this was him ripping off my dog tag and throwing it in the fire before moving his camp on. Robin throwing my tag in the fire sent a clear message to everyone that I was dead to him and was no longer offered the protection of him or the gang. I have no idea how long I sat in that spot or how I wound up on Marian's doorstep.

I was a mess though; I had been convalescing for some time before you came around to court Marian. I wasn't improving and honestly didn't care to go on living. Then you came into my life and you somehow managed to reach me when no one else could. We grew to be friends over the years, to lovers, and then to being betrothed. I still can't believe that someone like you could love someone like me; someone who was once so broken…"

Morgan paused here, trying to calm her emotions and see how angry Guy was with her. His face was still a mask of indifference, but she knew him like the back of her hand. She could see his jaw was clenched and there was a slight twitch along the corner of his mouth that only happened when he was extremely angry. His eyes had gone from a calm blue to the color of storm clouds, offering further proof of how angry he was at this moment. Morgan knew he wouldn't be pleased with her, but she hoped he would be more understanding than Robin. If not…well, she would cross that bridge if she needed to.

"Is that all to your story or is there more?" Guy asked in a tone that scared her.

"No, there is more. Would you like me to continue, or have you heard enough to make up your mind?" Morgan whispered in reply.

"I would hear the rest of the story," Guy stated with a gesture of his hand and trying hard to ignore the distress Morgan was showing.

"I never expected to see Robin again in this lifetime. You became my world; I became addicted to you, and I looked forward to every day because I knew I would be seeing you. A few weeks ago, Robin showed up, I almost lost it, Guy. Seeing him again brought that night rushing back and the wound he left almost opened all the way again. I pulled myself together though and realized he had no power over me, and he had no right to make me feel that way again. He said he had come because he wanted to talk, to make amends. I told him he could go jump off a cliff for all I cared. He left after that and said he'd leave me alone, but if I changed my mind, he would be waiting for me.

A few days ago, I went for a ride on Midnight to help me sort through everything. Then, before I knew it, I was back at where the camp used to be, and surprise guess who was there? Robin and I talked, and he understands how much he hurt me, and if he wants to be in my life things will be very different, there will be boundaries and rules set in place. I am not sure how to define what we are at present, other than I don't want him dead. I guess you could say we agreed on a truce." Morgan finished, pulling out the dog tag that Robin had re-gifted her from under the neckline of her dress. She felt tears falling down her face and she knew she wasn't going to last much longer, she had one more thing to say, and then she would attempt to accept her punishment with grace, whatever that might be, or so she told herself.

"One last thing Guy, I want to remind you of what I said at the beginning. I understand if you want to be released from our engagement and would hold no ill will towards you…" She finished, gesturing towards him lamely.

"Are you finished now, woman?" Guy asked, uncrossing his arms, walking towards her. Morgan could only nod at this point as she kept her eyes on the ground, not having the courage to look at him.

"I have some questions for you of my own. If you are indeed who you say you are then one of the scars on your side was from me wasn't it? From the fight in the apple orchard where we damn near killed each other. That would also mean the scar that is on your calf is from the men, that I had hired to see the convoy, and all its goods delivered safely to the castle. The same men who had been instructed to kill anyone who stood in the way, and almost succeeded. Do you realize what would have happened had Hood not been there?! You were a worthy opponent and had many chances to kill me, and yet you didn't, why? I never thought twice about taking your life."

"I only kill in self-defense Guy, I never took pleasure in ending someone's life, it's not who I am. I could have killed you, yes, but there was always the option of wounding you enough so that I could get away." Morgan replied honestly.

"So, it was the perfect Locksley, the people's hero who abandoned you all those years ago? Who left you as a hollow shell with no regard for what happened to you? Am I hearing this correctly Morgan? Mind you, be careful how you answer as people's lives depend on your answer."

Morgan replied, her voice faltering as she spoke "Every word is true. I was stupid enough to fall for his charm and false promises at the time."

"Very well then; however, all those years we've spent together was any of it real, or were you only toying with me; using me to get revenge on your precious Locksley?"

"Of course, it was real Guy, every moment, every touch—"

"Enough!" Guy shouted, cutting Morgan off. "Vaisey was right about you women, you should be treated like lepers, only I was the fool to not listen to him. I can't believe that I didn't see it before, it all makes sense now; the scars, the voice, the hair, the eyes. I have one final question for you, I want no lies or half-truths, do you understand?" Morgan simply nodded.

"Are you still in love with Hood?"

"NO! I love you with all my heart, you complete me in a way that Robin was never able to. I meant it when I said I would marry you! If me telling you this before you found out from a third party doesn't show that I love you, then I don't know what would."

"I don't know what to think at this point, Morgan. I need time to think, to be alone…I cannot be around you at this point as I cannot be held accountable for the words I may speak." Guy stated as he started to walk away from her.

Morgan started to panic; her world was crashing down around her; again. She threw herself at Guy, grabbing hold of his arm "Guy, please don't leave me! I'm sorry you are hurting, that was not my intention, please don't leave me! I won't be able to live without you!" Morgan sobbed, as Guy disentangled himself from her grasp.

"Thornton!" Guy yelled for his trusted servant; he knew he could count on him to make sure Morgan got home.

"Yes, master?" Thornton asked as he came running into the room, observing the heartbreaking scene.

"See to it that The Lady Morgan is escorted home, safely," Guy ordered as he stomped up the stairs and slammed his door shut.

Morgan collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably now. She was having flashbacks to when Robin left her. She was going to be alone once again, but this time her heart wouldn't mend, she wouldn't be able to go on, and there would be no second chances.