Emerging from his house fresh from his bath, Robin was surprised to find Marian assisting Jane Scarlett with decorations for tonight's festivities. Pleased, he ran over to join them. "You're still here!" he cried, smiling.

"I changed my mind," Marian told him. "I'm staying for Luke's birthday."

"Good! But what about your other plans?"

Marian adjusted a ribbon. "My aunt will just have to realize, my place is here, at least for this evening."

"Your aunt!" Robin laughed. "You let me know if she scolds you, and I'll set things right. I uncovered her weakness, you know."

You're her weakness, Marian was thinking. Then, speaking out loud she told him, "She thinks you should cut your hair and grow a beard."

Robin snickered and stroked his chin. "Does she? And what do you think?"

"Never! I always suspect men who wear beards having no chins. And you have a..." She stopped herself from complimenting the cleft in his chin she found so attractive.

"I have a chin," he finished. "But I might just follow your aunt's suggestion and let my beard grow. It might stop people referring to me as a 'pretty boy.' I'm sick of hearing that."

"Wait until after we're married. I don't want your face all hairy kissing me when the priest says you may."

"Excuse me, milady," Jane Scarlett interrupted, "but there will be a lot more kissing after the wedding, than during it."

Robin grinned while Marian blushed. "Why don't you two go on?" Jane invited them. "I can finish this myself."

"Ten years old, Jane," Robin said. "And you and Dan not a day older."

"I can well believe Lukie's ten," Jane responded proudly. "It's Will I can't get used to, already as tall as you!"

Walking hand-in-hand toward Robin's house, Marian stopped to mention, "Will gave me gift earlier." She reached into the knapsack she wore and pulled out the small wooden horse. "He said he carved it himself."

Robin took the horse from her and examined it. "It's good," he said, handing it back to her. Then, studying her closely he asked, "You weren't mad at me, were you, for not giving you jewelry, the night of the ball?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Your friend Gladys hinted to me I should have, when I was dancing with her. And you seemed angry at me today, when you first arrived."

"I'm not shallow, Robin. I don't need you to give me jewels, to prove..."

Her words left unspoken hovered in the air, making them both uncomfortable, yet eager. Robin longed to tell her he loved her, but the words sounded meager in his mind, compared to all he felt for her. And what if she laughed at him, for telling her? He wouldn't risk appearing a fool before her, and so, instead he said, "Come with me inside. There's something I want to show you."

His servants were pleased to greet her, adoring her and looking forward to when she would be their mistress. But one, never far from Robin's side, was missing. "Where's Much?" she asked.

"Probably fallen asleep in his bath. I got him up early this morning, to practice."

Fighting! Marian tried to forget the threat of war that might take Robin away, perhaps forever. She felt she hated Prince Richard and Queen Eleanor for inciting war and stealing Robin from her, though she had never even seen them. But she couldn't let the shadow of battle steal her happiness today. Who knew how many such moments were left them?

Robin led her up the main staircase of his home, stopping at the door of his master suite.

"You want me to enter your room?" she asked, teasingly.

"I've been in yours."

"Uninvited."

"But not unwelcome, as you so warmly showed me."

"Grow up, Locksley."

"It's alright! I want to show you your dressing chamber, and we have to walk through here to reach it."

As they walked across his bedroom, Marian couldn't help looking at his bed. "Which side do you sleep on?" she asked, thinking they would soon share it.

He grinned. "Right now, in the middle. But once we're married, I'll sleep on the side nearest the door, to protect you from intruders."

"Like Much?" She often pictured Much bursting in on them after they were married, asking, "What have you two been up to?"

"No," Robin answered, not guessing her thoughts. "Actual intruders."

"Do you get many of those?"

"Of course not! But it's customary, Marian, for the husband to sleep near the door, in case."

"What if an intruder comes in through the window? That's how they get into my room at night."

"They?"

"You know who I mean."

He winked at her. "Have you seen how high up we are? Take a look out the window."

She moved to the window and gazed down across his village and past it. This would be her view before long, she was thinking, the view she would look at morning and night, as long as Robin survived the war. If there was to be a war, which she fervently hoped wouldn't happen.

Robin stood behind her, sharing the view, his arms encircling her waist. He loved having her here, and wished they could hurry up the wedding so that she would be here always.

Marian could almost feel his longing. You love me. You love me. Tell me now, she was thinking.

But how to get him to admit it? She had promised herself she would try today, but she didn't know how to begin. Later, she vowed. Tonight, in the moonlight.

Robin felt the warmth of her body so close to his. He had missed her this week, but had been so busy practicing, he hadn't made time to see her. Was that why she had been angry, he wondered? If she had been home at Knighton, he would have gone to see her after dark, but he couldn't do that with her staying in the castle. He wanted to kiss her now, kiss her again and again.

"You wanted to show me my future dressing chamber?" Marian reminded him.

"Right. It's through here."

He led her into a room off the bedchamber. "You can change it to suit you," he told her. "In fact, you can change anything you want in the house. I want you to feel at home here, Marian. I want you to be happy."

She was moved, seeing how sincere he was telling her. Hiding her feelings, she asked, "What is this?" knowing what it was.

"Just my christening gown. My mother kept it here, treasuring it, I suppose. She made it herself."

They were both quiet, thinking of the babies they would have. "Is this all?" she asked, feeling it was more than enough.

"No. There's a jewel case here, that's yours. You can change the settings of anything you don't like, to suit your taste."

"Why are you showing me this, Robin? Did Gladys really make you ashamed, for not bringing me a necklace?"

"I just want you to know... I don't think about trinkets, Marian. I bring you strawberries, when other men give jewels."

"I don't need jewels! I mean, I will treasure these...they belong to your family, but I don't need trinkets to please me. I need..."

"What? What is it you need, Marian?"

I need you to love me, and to need me, she thought. "I have everything I need," she said instead. "I'm content, Robin."

"I'm content as well," he told her. "As long as you and my village are well and happy, then so am I."

"You care about your people, don't you?" she asked, still fishing for him to admit his feelings.

"I care."

"What will happen if there is war, and your village is burned?"

"We'll rebuild. Dan Scarlett built half the village already. But let's hope that won't happen. Come on! Let's look at the church. You can think about how you want it to look, for our wedding."