When the Earl entered the Great Hall of Huntingdon Castle on that particular morning, he noted that his consort and his eldest son had already set about receiving the daily crowd of supplicants. This gave him the opportunity to remain in the background for the time being, from where he observed how the two of them handled the whole matter. As he watched them, he experienced a great sense of relief - and not for the first time - knowing that with both Gisele and David being so good at dealing with these people, it meant that he could allow himself to be occupied with other issues. Which did not however imply that he was not interested in the welfare of these people, for he did take his responsibilities as Earl of Huntingdon quite seriously. There were just certain tasks he preferred to do rather than spend half the day in the Great Hall listening to the worries and complaints of his tenants.
He had already realized some years ago that Gisele was much more adept at dealing with people than he was. To his great delight, she had also passed on this talent to David, who had surpassed him in this respect years ago. The eldest of his sons would one day make a good Earl and this ensured that no one would have to suffer from a transition. This was all the more important to him as he had come to realize that he himself would not be here that much longer. The time when he would be gone from these people's lives was quite close at this point.
But not yet on this very day. After all, even he had grasped that he could not simply leave without having said farewell to his spouse and his children. The fact that his family was not the only important part of his life did not alter that. To be sure, neither was his responsibility as Earl. But he respected Gisele far too much to just abandon her like that. After all, she had always supported him since she had entered his life many years ago. She had never complained either, but had understood and accepted from the beginning that he could not give her more than his respect and admiration. Still, she devoted all her strength and skill to making Huntingdon a place where the family he had given her could thrive. The Earl had never been able to figure out what he had done to deserve her staying by his side despite his many faults, but whenever he brought this up to Gisele, she would just smile at him. In all likelihood, she was of the opinion - as he was himself - that he would not understand anyway.
Of course, he had not married Gisele for his affection for her. However, hardly any member of the nobility was given the opportunity to marry someone he loved, but this did not mean, of course, that he could avoid siring an heir. When his wife then expressed the wish for more children, he could not bring himself to refuse. Perhaps the fact that he himself would have liked to have a brother or a sister when he was younger also played a role. Unfortunately, he was already too old when his brother came into his life and no longer in a position to be able to appreciate this accordingly. Of course, it could also have mattered that he had always seen the other one as an adversary.
Since his wife was as dedicated to managing Huntingdon alongside him as she was to raising their offspring, it was then not surprising that he would give her more children, even though each pregnancy filled him with concern that she might suffer the same fate as Matilda of Huntingdon, which some of the older servants had told him about. But this had fortunately passed them by, though he would not entirely rule out the possibility that whoever was watching over them had heard his prayers. David had been three years old when Robert entered the world, and he was then followed by Margaret, Marthe, and Osbern, until Ailric rounded things off. After the birth of the youngest son, they had then decided jointly that the family was now large enough. And although he had not thought it possible prior to that, his children grew very close to his heart. He would certainly miss them when he left Huntingdon.
But there was a lot more for which he was grateful. Gisele not only showed understanding for the fact that there was someone in his life who was just as important to him as his family, but she had even managed to convey this to their children. He could only assume that this was due to the fact that as a child she had had to experience how her parents had made each other's lives miserable. Even if she had not personally suffered any kind of abuse - unlike him - this had nevertheless made it very clear to her that she did not want to live in such a way. For this reason, the man who was closer to him than anyone else was also accepted and respected by his family. Over the years he had stayed at Huntingdon - outwardly as the Earl's bodyguard - they had even come to love him. God - but certainly also Herne - had apparently held his protective hand over Robin and Guy, sparing them from a joyless fate.
Since Gisele had been successful in the respect of implementing her resolution, her husband's life had been made easier. Also, never having hidden the fact that he would one day have to leave his family, they were now able to face that day with relative peace of mind. Although Guy could never have imagined this beforehand, he had managed to do his duty to his wife and his children, at least until the time came when he would have to assume a different kind of commitment. But he was now confident that they would not consider themselves abandoned by him.
David had resigned himself years ago to the fact that he would never be able to see his father in his old age at the castle, just as his siblings had learned that their father had another life than that of Earl of Huntingdon. They knew that he would eventually pass on his duty as Earl to return to the place where his second life had begun. None of them had ever thought of putting him in a position where he would have run the risk of anything becoming known about the other life. There was no mistaking that they had understood there were people who would have tried to take advantage of this knowledge, which might well have resulted in Huntingdon being taken away from the Earl and his family. The recurring rumors that he had helped his brother could therefore never harm him, for he had always had the support of his family.
As the Earl observed his consort solving the petitioners' problems alongside David, it occurred to him that it was not only his own family he had to say farewell to; after all, there was also his brother Robert and his family. But there were also Robert's old friends, at least those who had not already departed from him. In the small graveyard next to the church at Leaford Grange - where the former outlaw lived with Marion and their children after he was pardoned - there were already several graves. Three of the members of the now-legendary band of outlaws - all of whom had continued to live in the vicinity of their leader after their pardon - had already preceded the rest. But it would very likely be only a few more years before responsibility passed to the younger ones on Leaford as well.
But by that time, the Earl would long since be gone.
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While the two men stood in the vicinity of the entrance to the cave where they had made themselves at home, they gazed down at the woods that enclosed them. They were standing so close to each other that it was not only their hands that were touching, knowing full well that here, in the heart of Sherwood, they need not fear discovery. Everyone they met out here had already accepted them as they were and there was no one among them who would betray them, for these people had realized that the two of them were no different from themselves. At least in regard to what was important to all of them. Moreover, no one was living here who did not have something to lose. This was what bound them all together.
The two men enjoyed the view quietly, primarily since they did not really need to talk to each other. They had spent a large part of their lives together and therefore they understood each other without any words. They had come to know each other better than they knew themselves, and in the meantime it no longer seemed odd to be so close, even if it had taken them a few years to come to understand that they had indeed met their soul mate.
As they glanced down the slope, they could make out several men sitting around a small fire in front of the entrance to a second cave. Even now in summer, it could still be quite chilly in the early morning, and none of those who had settled in Sherwood would want to miss the warmth of a fire. This was no less important than a hot meal. Both, however, were not always available and were therefore appreciated all the more.
As if they had sensed they were being watched, the three men turned around, only to grin affably at the two standing above them. They had not always done so, for in the beginning they had had a hard time accepting that the two men were a couple. In the meantime, however, they were no longer bothered by what was going on at night in the upper cave. It was a great change for both men not to have to hide anymore and to be allowed to show their love openly. As a group, however, they had managed to overcome all the problems that had arisen. Meanwhile, they could all laugh and joke about what they used to get angry and upset about. All that was long gone by now and each of them had become accustomed to the new life.
The two men returned the grin, but made no move to join the rest, and so a black curly head and one with reddish short hair turned away from them once again. Only the man with the tonsure watched for a moment longer, but then he too went back to his breakfast, probably unaware that the blond man was relieved not to be observed anymore. He had, however, never made a fuss about the fact that he had a harder time than his dark-haired lover in coping with the little jibes of the other. He knew this was only caused by the fact that there had once been a time when he found himself not on the same side as the rest.
Turning once again to his friend, he wondered for the umpteenth time where the latter's wrinkles, creases and gray hair had vanished to. He had never expected that their return to the woods would result in such a change, but he did not want to complain, for he loved the sight of the other man. It was only at moments like this, however, that he remembered that Robin had also marveled when he could no longer detect any silver in Guy's shimmering golden shock of hair. It was quite obvious that he had not expected this gift from Herne either. This had then led him to once again commit himself with great joy and even more enthusiasm to the woods and its residents, which was just as true for his lover. But of course, also for the rest, who had already come back to Sherwood. Now it probably could not be too long before they were joined by their friends, for they had realized that the woods were more than just a temporary home for them. Sherwood and they were now as one, and nothing would ever be able to separate them again.