"Should we expect to run into the French?", Marion wanted to know from her consort as she watched him checking the legs of his mount. She had to smile as she remembered the groom's face when he realized that the earl wanted to take care of his horse himself.
Robin looked up briefly and eyed her, then shook his head. "We should be safe, really, as long as we stay away from the coasts. But of course, I can't promise anything in that regard, so we won't be able to avoid taking a large enough escort of soldiers with us." He sighed. "That's what I was trying to avoid."
"Will will enjoy commanding the men", his wife remarked on his words and the earl had to laugh, for she was quite right about that. Scarlet had thrown himself upon his work as captain of the guard with the same eagerness as a starved dog would throw itself upon a bone. It didn't take long for everyone - except the soldiers, who cursed him for knowing their tricks intimately - to realize that he was just the man for the position. Robin was very happy to have been able to come up with something for his friend that kept him occupied. At least to some degree. There was an empty spot in Will's past that might never be completed.
"Have you decided who you're going to leave here?" probed Marion further. Her myriad questions resulted, perhaps, from her uncertainty in the run-up to her first journey as Lady Huntingdon, the earl's consort, though she would never admit that, of course. For then she would also have to admit that she was insecure about the fact that not every inhabitant of Huntingdon recognized her yet as mistress of the castle. Only to herself did she dare to acknowledge that she was afraid of how she might fare at the king's court. And Robin was sure that she was no more pleased than himself at the prospect of meeting persons there against whom they had fought during their time in Sherwood. These, of course, would be mainly persons who still saw them as Wolfsheads, whether the king had pardoned them or not. None of them looked forward to these encounters, but they would face them anyway. And conceal their insecurity from the others.
Robin, of course, had not missed Marion's change of mood, so he had stepped up to her and now took her in his arms. "I know how you feel, my Love. But I'm trying to console myself with how upset the sheriff will be about having to be polite to you and me and treat us according to our rank. He'll almost choke on that for sure, and his brother will be no different." He tried to smile, but what came up was more like a grimace. Still, Marion had to laugh at the image he evoked.
"You haven't answered my question", she finally repeated when she had calmed down again.
Now he finally managed a real smile. "I've been wondering if it would be a good idea for Tuck to stay here at Huntingdon. He's best suited to keeping an eye on things here at the castle, and I don't believe that coming to court will suit him. Therefore, I don't expect I will have to go to any trouble to persuade him not to accompany us. With John and Much, however, I may then need your help." He looked at her pleadingly.
She frowned as she considered his suggestions. "After all, I don't believe it will be difficult to persuade John to stay. Not now that Meg has finally arrived here, too. Still, it would do him good if you could give him an additional and sound reason why it's more important for him to stay here than to come with us to Winchester."
"A sound reason?" the earl murmured, and then another smile lit up his face. "John, after all, has already begun visiting the villages to inquire how the tenants are faring. This is a task that I think he is very well suited for, and I plan to assign it to him anyway. He is good at dealing with these people and furthermore he is not afraid to give me his opinion. Much could give him a hand with that, as I'm sure he'll be more comfortable out there than in the castle. And Meg won't complain if her husband doesn't have to put himself in danger and can be with her almost every night on top of that."
"Oh yes", Marion confirmed, "Meg will definitely like that, and if it suits her, John won't object. At least not as long as he doesn't get the feeling you're trying to reel him in." She kissed Robin, though not just as a reward for having thought about how to make his friends' new life easier. The earl immediately responded to her advance with much enthusiasm, and the two stood in the stall for a while, entwined, until they reluctantly broke away from each other.
"Let's go back. We have some preparations to make before we can set out on our journey.
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Morgaïne de Ivren let her gaze wander over this gathering of nobles, whom she assumed had come here to the English king's court for reasons similar to her own. As she watched the men and women, she wondered if there might be anyone among them who could be of help in her venture. To do this, however, she would have to know who she was dealing with, and she could only find out once she had been introduced to them. So far, however, she had only managed to meet a few people, and they were knights or, at best, barons - and their families. Of course, she should not forget the abbots and abbesses, whose company she had not sought, however. Understandably, she did not want to have too much to do with representatives of the church.
She had only arrived in Winchester with her companions last night, having had to break their journey for a few days in Dover. At this time of year, crossing the Channel was neither a pleasant nor a safe affair, and the young lady had only dared to do it because she was sure she would reach the English coast unharmed. However, she had not assumed that unharmed did not mean that she would get through the crossing all right. Unfortunately, she had to realize this was not the case. Her stomach had taken offense to both the stormy weather and the swell, and she had suffered quite a bit. She had had to recover from this hardship before they could continue their journey. And to her chagrin, none of her companions had gotten into trouble on the ship.
In the meantime, however, she was feeling well again and therefore had no problem focusing on what she had come here to do. She had already sought an audience with the king since she wanted to have her inheritance confirmed as soon as possible. So far, however, this had only brought her the request to show up here. And the other people who were also in this place had most likely also asked for an audience, and she wondered if they could all get one on this day. To her, that just seemed like too many people, but on the other hand, she probably wasn't the only one who had more than one attendant. She couldn't imagine that anyone could have come here for any other reason, and she hadn't heard anything different from the conversations. She had picked up a few things as she moved through the huge hall with her entourage, but she hadn't found any of these interesting. From time to time she had been approached, but none of the people who had done that could be of any help to her in getting closer to her goal. She had no choice but to continue to exercise patience.
She wasn't the only one growing impatient, however. "How much longer do you think we have to wait, my Lady?" reached her the question of Sir Daví, her dark-haired protector.
The young woman, who had made up her mind not to let the waiting spoil her mood, snorted in amusement. "What makes you assume I could answer that?" she countered, to which the knight merely raised an eyebrow.
Morgaïne, of course, had immediately understood what the other was referring to, but what he was not allowed to ask about here - in public. He was not entirely wrong to pose this question to her, for there could well have been the possibility that she had seen something of the sort. Some of her visions had shown her trivial things like that, too.
"I wish I knew something, then we would not have to hold out here, for I can well imagine more pleasant sights."
Her three companions were standing behind her, as befitted their pretended rank, and one of them had failed to suppress a laugh. Which then led to some of the other people waiting giving them questioning looks.
"Now you've managed to draw attention to us, my Lady", Garin remarked in apparent dismay, but the manner in which he was staring so hard at the floor showed her that he too was trying to suppress a laugh.
"I can see that it doesn't do you any good to have to stand around here so idly. But we are going to do something about that right now. Sir Daví has behaved himself, so he may remain here by my side, but the rest of you now set out to mingle with these people and then try to pick up some information. I'm sure I don't need you to claim my inheritance, but I'd still appreciate it if you'd check now and then to see if I'm still here." Morgaïne found it very difficult to bring out these words with due sincerity and she managed to do so only with great difficulty.
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"That I am actually forced to put up with this!" Robert de Rainault was so enraged that he was unable to hold back, even though he was well aware that anyone could be observing him here at the side of the hall. And this involved a large number of people who had probably gathered here for one reason only. All of them had apparently sought an audience with the king, although, strictly speaking, he had not asked for one of his own. But that made no difference now. However, he should also not rule out the possibility that some were only here now to observe others. But all that obviously did not matter to him at this moment.
With his brother, however, it was a different story. The Abbot of St. Mary's seemed much more disgruntled than his brother, although he was not the one who had just been told by the king - or rather, by William Marshall - that he had been assigned a different position.
"You're still sheriff, Robert, and so now you should pull yourself together and behave as befits your position", he tried to get the older to speak more quietly.
"Don't tell me how to behave!" the smaller of the two brothers retaliated. He just wasn't able to recover so quickly from the humiliation that he had just been subjected to - in his opinion.
"I don't know why you're so upset anyway? For the last few months you've been whining to me that you couldn't do your work since the new king gave you his orders."
Robert de Rainault opened his mouth as if to answer his brother, but then closed it again without having uttered a word. At that moment it seemed to have dawned on him that not only his brother and the latter's steward, as well as his own, were paying attention to him, but also quite a few more people, some of whom he was even known to. On the spot he pulled himself together, for he certainly did not intend to contribute to the amusement of the others.
"I was still hoping that the king's regents had finally realized they'd made a mistake by acceding to that filthy outlaw's demands", he then explained in a surprisingly quiet voice.
"I certainly agree with your assessment of Robin Hood, but please remember that the man seems to have the ear of the regents. And that's despite all he's done in recent years."
"So, you mean, Brother, that I can't call him a filthy Wolfshead if we run into him here in Winchester. Shall I leave that to you then, since your position is obviously much more secure than mine." The sheriff's words might have expressed some amusement, but the tone said otherwise.
"I mean, Brother, that you are the Sheriff of York and should behave accordingly. You should also remember that you will no longer be subject to any restrictions on your new post. Moreover, you have been relieved of the responsibility for Sherwood", the Abbot of St. Mary's explained his point of view. He obviously did not believe his brother should act so aggrieved. This was perhaps also due to the fact that it was not really the latter's habit to let himself go like that in public.
Robert de Rainault was about to give his brother a fitting reply to this remark when Sir Jozelme cleared his throat, interrupting him. The sheriff stared angrily at his steward, but the elder knight only nodded impassively in the direction of the middle of the hall, whereupon his master now also looked in that direction and noticed that several persons were approaching them.
He immediately dismissed two men and three women who were a few steps behind the other two as servants, but the couple leading the small group looked completely different. From their demeanor and attire, they must have been of nobility, though he was sure he had never met them before.
In de Rainault's opinion, the man was too dark to be a Norman - though not as dark as the damned Saracen who was part of Robin Hood's band - but he held himself like a knight and then introduced himself as Sir Daví de Arcas as well, which gave the sheriff the satisfaction of having judged him correctly.
"My Lord!" the southern knight continued in only slightly accented Norman French that gave de Rainault no clue as to where he might be from. "This is the Lady Morgaïne de Ivren", he introduced the woman at his side, clad in an elegant gray gown.
"My Lady, Sir Daví", the sheriff greeted them both. "I am Robert de Rainault, Sheriff of Yorkshire. It is a pleasure to meet you." When he wanted to, he could be very polite. And as long as he didn't know who these people were and what they wanted from him, he preferred to be a bit more cautious. Especially on a day like this, when he had lost his office as Sheriff of Nottinghamshire. And in his opinion, York was not an adequate replacement for this.
"My Lord Sheriff", the woman now took the floor and de Rainault could not deny that her voice did not sound quite as unpleasant as those of many women. He was even convinced that a man who cherished women would respond favorably to her. It could not happen to him, of course, for he considered himself immune to the charms of them. "It has come to my attention that you were acquainted with my late kinsman Owen of Clun, and so I wanted to ask you if you could tell me anything about him."
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"My Lady, my Lord Earl", Robin and Marion were addressed by a smartly dressed man, whom the earl estimated to be certainly twenty years older than himself, for his dark hair was already interspersed with numerous gray streaks, as was his carefully trimmed beard. The most striking feature of him, however, was the patch that covered his left eye. Robin frowned, certain he had never met the man before. He glanced briefly over at his consort, but she didn't seem to know the other either.
The stranger smiled. He made a very sympathetic impression. "You do not know me, my Lord. I am Edmond of Baujot. Baron Baujot. I am in the service of the Earl of Gloucester."
"Baron, it is my pleasure", the earl replied, though he wondered what the man wanted from him.
"You have had dealings with my brother on many occasions", the other elaborated, but that didn't help Robin either. He simply did not remember anyone by the name of Baujot.
"Sir Guy", the baron added. Now he was no longer smiling.
"You are Gisburne's brother?" blurted Marion out, although she was well aware that this was not very polite. Besides, she knew it wasn't true, but of course the baron couldn't know that. "You don't look like him at all", she tried to explain her exclamation.
"You're not the first person to notice that, my Lady."
"I do remember hearing about you before", Robin commenced. "My father mentioned you once, though not by name. At that time, he spoke about Gisburne not resembling his father, Sir Edmund, at all, but having inherited his character from him, while it would be the other way around with the elder son. I think he was referring to you, Baron."
The other nodded. "Coming from your father, I take that as a compliment", he replied, smiling once again.
Immediately after, however, he turned serious again. "If one can believe the rumors that have been circulating in the country for some time, then Guy is your brother and not mine. This would then explain his looks."
Robin had expected someone to ask him about this rumor at some point, but the fact that this person had to be Guy's stepbrother, of all people, was already making him uncomfortable.
Since the former outlaw did not speak up straight away, Marion took the floor first. "I'd like to know who started these rumors", she exclaimed in an indignant tone. Robin had told her the truth about Guy and him, but he was sure she couldn't understand why he had started the rumor. So, at that moment he was glad he hadn't told her.
"I don't care who was responsible for it", the baron declared emphatically. "I also don't care if the rumor is true, because none of it changes the fact that I will always think of Guy as my brother. I regret that he wanted nothing more to do with our family." Sir Edmond took a deep breath. "I'm grateful to whoever started that rumor, for it saved Guy's life."
Robin stared at him in amazement. "Then you know what happened to him."
The baron shook his head. "I suppose I should have said that the rumor made sure he would stay alive, if he hadn't died yet. But alas, I do not know what has become of him."
"Then why did you mention it, Baron?" demanded Robin to know now. He had been looking for information about his brother for a long time. So far always without success.
"I got to see the verdict that King John passed on Guy. He acquitted him of the charge of treason, but found him guilty of membership in a forbidden order. To me, that means the king must have believed the rumor that Guy was gathering information for your father and only stayed in the order because of that."
Robin just managed to suppress a sigh of relief, for that was exactly the reason he had spread the rumors, even though he knew full well that Gisburne had done nothing of the sort.
But then something suddenly occurred to him. "Doesn't that mean, though, that the king must have gotten hold of him?"
The baron sighed. "I'm not sure if I should wish that were true or if that had better not be the truth. But I assure you, I would be very glad if Guy were still alive, no matter what he is accused of. Father is to blame for making him the man he is. He has always hated Guy, and if he is indeed your brother, I finally know the reason why." He looked challengingly into Robin's face. "I have only told you this hoping that you will not seek revenge against him. Now that you have become Earl, you can do without it. You now have back everything you are entitled to, but Guy has been left with nothing."
Robin had listened to the other man in bewilderment, and he could only wonder at his vehement defense of Gisburne. Clearly, he saw him as a very different person from the sheriff's hated steward.
He had no problem, however, in assuring the baron that he had no intention of taking revenge on his brother, since this was entirely true.
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"Were you just bored, or why did we have to put up with that nasty little man?" Zinat wanted to know and her tone could not be called pleased by anyone.
"And with the abbot, who is supposed to be his brother", Garin followed up.
Of course, Morgaïne had expected that her friends would ask her why she had sought the conversation with the sheriff. She herself did not know exactly what she had expected from this, but she had suddenly remembered spotting his face in a vision, and when she caught sight of him at the side of the hall, she had already moved toward him before she had even realized it. The talk had not been entirely in vain then, for she had learned quite a bit, even if some of it was second-hand information. Now she knew at least what had led to the death of the Marcher Lord. But she also knew now what sort of person Owen of Clun had obviously been.
"I knew his face", she informed the others, and they immediately understood what she meant. "However, I couldn't remember it until that moment."
"But why did you ask him about Owen, of all people?" wondered Mélie.
The lady gave her a wry smile. "That question came to me as unexpectedly as his face."
"Do you think we'll run into any other people here whose face you've seen before?" wondered Yazid. "Are there others you remember?" Her friends all were aware that not all parts of a vision were always immediately known to her.
She nodded. "When I caught sight of de Rainault, I didn't just remember his face. At that moment other images came to me as well. Now I also remember that I have seen the sheriff more than once, and with the abbot, too. Incidentally, the two of them are actually brothers, even if it is hard to believe. In addition, I have also seen the sheriff with a fair-haired knight, but I don't know who that could be. Then I was of the opinion that I had seen this man again, but this time under trees, until it just occurred to me that it was someone who was just very similar to him. This other person was also wearing a type of clothing that would not make him stand out in the forest, and I can't imagine a knight wearing something like that. But this also means that we won't meet the man from the forest here at court, which of course is different for the knight. I'm just wondering why he wasn't one of the sheriff's attendants."
"Then maybe you should focus on that fair-haired knight, right?" Yazid looked at her as seriously as if he believed she might choose something else.
Morgaïne nodded, although she was aware that she could not always plan these things in advance. Sometimes she just had to seize the opportunities that came her way unexpectedly.
"Wasn't there someone else you saw?" her own knight recalled.
Morgaïne nodded again. "Of course, there was someone else. I have not forgotten the man who will complete our coven. But we won't meet him here at court either."
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"You can't be serious!" Robin had rarely seen Marion as mad as she was at that moment.
"What was I supposed to do?" he tried to calm her down, although he was quite sure that this could amount to nothing. It would take her some time to accept what had just happened.
"You could have said 'no'!" she held out to him.
He shook his head. The opportunity to refuse the king had never existed for him. So, he could only hope his consort would understand once she stopped being infuriated with him. Whenever that would be.
"There's not a problem here between a husband and a wife, is there, my Lord Earl?" a voice he had hoped not to hear again so soon suddenly rang out from behind him. Of course, he would have preferred never to have to hear it again, but even the son of Herne could not expect miracles.
He turned around deliberately slowly, for he hoped he was wrong, but of course he was not rewarded in that regard. But if he was honest with himself, he had not really believed that, and so he had already been prepared for his gaze to fall on Robert de Rainault, the former Sheriff of Nottinghamshire. Who was, of course, accompanied by his brother Hugo, who was unexpectedly - or perhaps not so unexpectedly - grinning rather pleased. The two were flanked by three other men, who gave Robin the impression of soldiers, for they held their hands exactly where the hilt of their swords would normally be, were they not here at the king's court.
"De Rainault! What a surprise to meet you here." Most of all, Robin would like to tell him this encounter was unpleasant for him, especially since he had surprised him and Marion at the very moment they were arguing. Briefly, the earl considered that he was quite capable of hiding in some alcove just to have the opportunity to overhear them. The timing just struck him as too good for coincidence.
The former Sheriff of Nottingham bowed, though not as deeply as befitted the Earl of Huntingdon. "The surprise is all mine, my Lord", he replied. "I had not expected you, when staying here at court must be rather unpleasant for one who has announced war on the rich and powerful. Or have you already left that phase of your life behind and forgone it?" His gaze slid over to Marion. "Surely your esteemed consort has been warmly received here?" The sheriff seemed to delight in his own acrimony.
Robin was sure that it could not have escaped de Rainault's notice how Marion was being gossiped about and that from the moment they arrived here. By that time, he had regretted exposing her to it all and had even dared to suggest that she stay in their quarters. This quarrel, fortunately, had not been fought out in public.
The older of the de Rainault brothers was now grinning as pleased as the abbot, and Robin would have liked to smash his fist into his face. Of course, he knew better than to allow himself to do that, even though he now outranked him.
"Staying here is definitely more interesting than anything I've ever experienced in Nottingham Castle. The people I met there were just boring," Marion announced in a sweet voice, surprising not only the former sheriff and his brother, but Robin as well.
De Rainault's face momentarily twisted, but he had enough practice to quickly get himself back under control.
"How rude of me!" he suddenly proclaimed, as if Marion had not spoken at all. "After all, I haven't even introduced you to the others." He turned to his attendants. "This is Robert, the Earl of Huntingdon, and his consort Marion. Though you'll probably know him more as Robin Hood." He had regained his grin and now looked again at Robin. "You do remember my brother, my Lord, don't you? But have you also met my steward, Sir Jozelme of Haket?" He pointed to the older knight standing beside him and then to the younger man flanking the abbot. "And that is my brother's steward, Sir Gallien de Puchot." He refrained from introducing the soldier, who remained in the background. Judging by his slightly better attire, this might be de Rainault's captain of the guard, but really it was of no interest to Robin.
"Have you told your steward what his reward will be if he serves you loyally, de Rainault? Or should I tell him about Gisburne?"
Again, Robert de Rainault's face twisted, but he quickly regained his composure. "Thinking of what I have heard here, perhaps I should not be astonished that you, of all people, speak for Gisburne. How long have you been working with him?"
Robin laughed out loud. "Worked with Gisburne? Have you already forgotten what kind of man he was? He would never have worked with me willingly." He laughed again, though he didn't really feel like it. "You actually seem to have forgotten that we are talking about Gisburne here."
"Will you accompany de Rainault when he leaves Nottingham, Sir Jozelme?" he now addressed the knight directly.
"Of course, I will go with the sheriff to York", the latter replied indignantly, as if Robin had just called him a coward.
"I pity the people of Yorkshire already, now that they have to put up with you", Marion let herself be heard again.
Meanwhile, de Rainault gave the impression of regretting having approached the Earl of Huntingdon. And when suddenly a black-clad figure appeared behind Robin and Marion, he involuntarily took a few steps backwards.
Nasir had agreed to appear in public as Robin and Marion's bodyguard and had been standing behind a pillar the whole time - apparently unnoticed by de Rainault. The earl looked over at his friend questioningly.
"There are some persons who would like to speak to the new Sheriff of Nottingham now, my Lord Sheriff", he explained with a volume that ensured that his words could be easily understood even a few paces away.
At that moment, the Saracen actually looked very pleased, while the sheriff suddenly gave the impression that something was stuck in his throat and was preventing him from breathing. Then de Rainault abruptly turned and stalked away, while both Marion and Robin had trouble not laughing out loud.
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Morgaïne de Ivren had in no way planned to take only a few steps away from the royal audience chamber before stopping again. Actually, she had intended to head straight to her chambers now and enjoy that contented sensation that resulted from the fact that Guillaume le Maréchal had confirmed her claim to Clun rather quickly. Moreover, he had assured her that the deed with which she could prove that the property had passed to her would be handed over to her the next day. So, she had now achieved what she had come here for, for she did not assume that the written confirmation would still be withheld from her.
However, her contentment was diminished by the fact that she recognized the man who passed her as she entered the audience chamber from her vision, but had no way of addressing him and therefore still did not know who he was. At that moment, she could only hope that she would later be able to locate someone who could tell her who he was, for she was eager to meet him. Then she might have a chance to figure out the reason he had appeared in her vision.
She had naturally assumed that he would leave - having probably gotten what he wanted - and therefore did not believe her eyes when she caught sight of the man who had exited the chamber. And then he and the red-haired woman in his company were engaged in a conversation with, of all people, this unpleasant man, whom Morgaïne knew by now was called Robert de Rainault and was Sheriff of Yorkshire. And the latter was again accompanied by his no less unpleasant brother, the abbot.
Alongside Daví, who was the only one accompanying her at that moment, she approached the group very slowly - also considering how she could start a conversation with the fair-haired man - and for that reason came close to them at the very moment when the Saracen bodyguard uttered the words that made the de Rainaults move away as fast as if they had been put to flight. The other three persons suddenly seemed very pleased and the young lady immediately concluded they were not friends of the sheriff. But at the same time, she was astonished to encounter the fair-haired man here at all, for he was the one she had seen in the forest.
She was now determined to seize the opportunity that had just presented itself to her here. Therefore, she immediately made herself known. "I'd like to speak to the Sheriff of Nottingham", she expressed, and with these words ensured that the fair-haired man turned to her with lightning speed. Obviously, he had not noticed her approaching, while the bodyguard had not failed to pick up on this. However, otherwise he would not be the right man for the task.
"I am Morgaïne de Ivren and this is Sir Daví, my Lord Sheriff", she introduced herself to the man, wondering again why a sheriff would choose to clothe himself like someone who wanted to hide in the forest.
"My Lady, Sir Daví, it is a pleasure to meet you. This is my consort, Lady Marion", the other in turn introduced the woman at his side. "I am sorry, but I have never heard of Ivren before", he then added, apologetically.
The young lady smiled at him. The sheriff made a thoroughly sympathetic impression and was so unlike the stories she had heard about him.
"I'm not surprised, my Lord", she replied, "I'm from the South."
"From the south of England? Where there, exactly?"
Now Morgaïne had to laugh, and then immediately hoped the other would not be offended by that. "No, my Lord, from the south of the continent. I have only recently come across the Channel and know no one here. But even before I boarded the ship, stories of your struggle against Robin Hood had reached me. That piqued my interest."
Her words had a strange effect on the three people standing before her. The Saracen only raised his eyebrows, but he made a thoroughly amused impression. The sheriff blushed, but his consort started laughing loudly and seemed unable to contain herself.
Morgaïne and Daví looked at each other in confusion, for they could not explain such behavior.
Finally, Lady Marion got herself back under control enough to be able to say something. "Oh yes, your heroic struggle against Robin Hood", she remarked to her consort and immediately started laughing again. The corners of the bodyguard's mouth were now twitching treacherously as well.
"My Lord", Lady de Ivren started warily, "did I say something wrong?" Rarely had she found herself in a situation as uncomfortable as this one.
The sheriff quickly shook his head. "You'll have to excuse my consort, my Lady, but it's not your fault that your words make her laugh so hard. As you said, you know no one here. And so, you could not have known that you were mistaking me."
"Mistaking you?" Again, Morgaïne felt confusion. "But you are the Sheriff of Nottingham, aren't you?"
The other nodded. "But only for a short time. More precisely, only since I was with the king just before you."
"Oh", was all the young woman could get out. Still, that didn't explain Lady Marion's strong reaction.
"If you wonder why my consort found your words so amusing, I must tell you that this is a complicated story. But if it interests you, I invite you to my quarters. There we could talk undisturbed."
Of course, Morgaïne was interested in the story of this man who had appeared in one of her visions and therefore she immediately accepted the invitation. She was very curious about what she would learn, but she was also already wondering what she should tell about herself.
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The man whimpered in his sleep. He had made himself very small, as if trying to hide, while tears ran down his face and he shook uncontrollably. A voice he had thought he had forgotten rang out in his mind. A voice he had hoped never to hear again. A voice that frightened him so much that he would have preferred to die on the spot, even though he knew that he would then be even more lost.
"Sanguis equitis mortui tui fratrum." These were the words that this voice uttered and he knew that it was talking about him, since he was indeed already dead.