Disclaimer: I do not own BBC Robin Hood
Robin Hood refused to believe what he heard about the reason the Duchess of London was staying at Locksley, in less fancy gowns and jewels with his enemy. Some said that Prince John stripped the title from Rose but others knew that she had given it up freely in order to be with Sir Guy. On top of that he had also heard that the wedding was going to be held at Nottingham castle with every abled bodied guard around every inch of the building in order to prevent any mishaps or wedding crashers.
There was to be a Lady of Locksley and she was a former Duchess, who had given up everything in order to be with Sir Guy. Robin couldn't understand it no matter how many sleepless nights he stared at the sky; he felt lost when he lost Locksley and couldn't imagine giving up a royal bloodline and crown for a man as dark as Sir Guy of Gisborne. Was she sick or stupid?
"She lied to me; she made out that she was on my side in this," stated Robin.
"No she didn't Robin; she traded with you to get back that chain for the man she loved. She never said that she was on your side. For weeks there had been rumours about her sending Gisborne men and weapons. At least this way with no crown she can't get to us," explained John.
"No but she can improve Gisborne. He has been weak due to lack of personal care, sleep, food, strength and reflexes. With a woman at his side he will be back to how he was before the Holy Land," added Robin.
The outlaws looked uncomfortable.
"But what can we do about it? She loves him and that castle has never been so heavily manned in all of history. They're going to get married and there is nothing we can do about it," explained Alan.
Robin developed a strange madness. He armed himself with bow, arrows and a dagger, he headed towards Locksley and didn't say a word to his friends about where he was going or why but they had a bad feeling and it didn't take them long to decide to follow him.
Locksley looked a little different in the daylight compared to the dark days it had suffered previously. Sir Guy was a lot more bearable and taxed a little less and his future bride gave the local children lessons on numbers and famous tales. The sun was shining and trade was good in the village of Locksley once again. Sir Guy's head was turned by the sound of Rose laughing as a child placed a crown of daisies on her head; it filled him with hope that someday she would be playing with their own children in the summer, picking flowers with the girls as he trained his sons to be fantastic swordsmen and young Lords of Locksley.
Robin was blinded by hate and the need for revenge. He did not see or hear that his people were once again content. If he couldn't be with the woman he loved more than anything, who loved him in equal measure then neither could Sir Guy. He lifted his hood over his face and took an arrow from behind him and took his aim on the former Duchess as she saw to a fallen child, who had tripped and grazed his knee on the path.
The other outlaws skidded to a halt as they saw Rose tend to the small boy's wound by tearing her dress and using the material as a bandage; they were moved by her kindness but John saw Robin struggling to get a clear shot and ran forward to distract him.
"Go home!" he ordered.
Startled by such a large man running at her, Rose picked up the child that she was helping and ran back towards the village. Robin lowered his bow when he saw John and the other outlaws forced themselves at him as Rose took shelter in Locksley manor.
Sir Guy noticed Rose running with a child close to her and excused himself from the business he was tending to in order to check on her.
"My love?" he asked.
"Outlaws ran at us. I don't know why; we have been good to the people, we have been fair but firm I don't understand. They're not acting on the behalf of the people…" explained Rose, settling down the child and removing the bandage to check on the wound.
Sir Guy snapped his fingers and ordered that the child be seen by the physician and taken home while he went to investigate the issue at hand. He heard reports that the largest of the outlaws seemed to be warning his future wife away from danger and that there was sounds of a struggle coming from the woods.
"He's after you. Our home is too open and you are too much at risk here before the wedding; he's after revenge and he won't stop until you are dead. I am almost grateful to the other men for saving you but they have all committed crimes that I cannot pardon. You have to go to Nottingham; I will send you with a handful of men to protect you. I'll not have him shoot his arrows into you; you are mine!" he growled angrily.
Rose tried to sooth Sir Guy but he was in a terrible rage. He felt sick, angry and scared all at the same time. The thought of Hood killing his bride made him almost as mad as Robin as he fought his friends in order to get back to Locksley to finish what he had started.
"Robin you are better than that!" snapped John.
"Did you not see the people? The children? They were happy Robin! She's brought peace to your village. The people are trading and the children are learning and playing," explained Much.
"He killed Marian! I'll kill her! That is justice!" snapped Robin.
"We are justice for the people not ourselves! Do you realize what you have done? He'll send her to Nottingham and his mood will darken and he will take it out on the people of Locksley right up until he is married," argued John.
Robin continued to struggle.
"I have broken into that castle more times than I can count. What makes him think that she's safe there? There are windows and I have disguises. I will get to her one way or another!" he added.
John knocked him out and tired him to a tree for good measure. Sir Guy watched from Locksley manor as Rose rode to Nottingham with a handful of his men to protect her. She looked back at him only once and he looked away in pain. Robin would pay for what he had done and what he had caused him to do.
Since her time in Locksley before Robin tried to kill her, Rose had tended to his fevers in the night when the memories returned and the nightmares began. She had mopped his brow, stroked his hair and kept him hydrated up to a point where she had fallen asleep on the chair next to his bed just so that he could steal a few hours sleep each night.
Once again Sir Guy would face sleepless and lonely nights; the Sheriff looked idly up at Rose when she entered the main hall. There was no need for him to roll out the red carpet or sound the trumpets but he did mock the sound with his mouth.
"The Duchess of Locksley at my hall once more! What can I do for you?" he asked.
"I need to stay; I was almost killed today," explained Rose.
"By outlaws? Is that so? I heard that your future husband was being all nicey-nice and that everyone was happy. Or is it more personal for our dear outlaw? Eye for an eye and woman for a woman. How unfortunate?" added the Sheriff, with a hint of amusement to his voice.
"The manor isn't as…" began Rose.
The Sheriff had looked forward to that moment. Rose had been cold and snooty towards him back when she had first arrived in Nottingham and he was keen to establish some kind of authority over her upon her return without a title and the threat of Prince John.
"Ask me nicely and I'll consider keeping you safe," added the Sheriff.
Rose narrowed her eyes. She didn't have the threat of the Prince Regent but she was pretty convinced that Sir Guy wouldn't take too kindly to the Sheriff forcing her to beg for sanctuary.
"Might I trouble you for a room safe from outlaws?" she asked.
The Sheriff tilted his head.
"There should have been a 'Sheriff' in there somewhere," he hinted.
Rose tutted at him and turned to leave but the guards refused to let her pass as the Sheriff had ordered them to do so.
"There's room for you and there is room for improvement on your part as a grateful guest," he added.
The doors opened and Sir Guy glared at the Sheriff, who stopped smirking and toying with Rose as he had been doing.
"You will treat her exactly the same as when she was a Duchess. I will pay for her keep and I am good for it as you know!" ordered Sir Guy.
He placed his arm protectively around Rose. She leaned into him as the whole thing was becoming a bit too much for her. She was tired from running and from riding. The Sheriff rolled his eyes and sent them to Rose's old room.
"But I want no funny business! This is a respectable home Gisborne and you don't have any rights over her yet!" snapped the Sheriff.
Sir Guy sent him a filthy look before settling in his bride to be for the evening and held her close before he left her.
"I'll put it right; one way or another," he promised.
Tears ran down Rose's face as she gripped leather arms and begged him not to leave her in the castle on her own.
"Stay with me Guy; don't leave me," she wept.
"Not tonight; we'll get through this," he soothed, kissing her on the cheek.
Sir Guy left the castle when it was dark and met a few riders on his way home. They stopped infront of him and seemed to await his orders.
"Burn it; burn the whole lot of that forest and see to it that there are no survivors," he ordered.
There was a sickness in both Locksley and the forest; it was caused by the need for revenge, protection and hatred. The Sheriff had no idea what his henchman was planning as he led the attack on Sherwood but he saw the smoke from his bedroom window and cried out. He banged on the door that led to Rose's chamber and barged through when she opened it and pointed to the smoke.
"Oh my…" she began.
"Stop him!" ordered the Sheriff.
Rose didn't think about what she was doing when she dressed and ran to the stables for a horse to rescue the outlaws who did not deserve to burn to death and what if the fire spread? She broke the habit of a lifetime and mounted her steed as a man rather than a lady in order to get some speed.
The outlaws were sleeping when the smoke began to take over the forest. Alan supposed he had left the fire burning and hardly opened an eye but soon realized that the flames from their fire had long gone . He forced himself awake and looked around the forest before he quickly and loudly woke his friends.
"Robin get up! John! Much!" he ordered.
"Shut up Alan," grumbled Much in his sleep.
Alan slapped him around the head and Much got up angrily before he realized why he had been awoken and turned to Robin and did the same.
They heard the sound of horses hooves and saw dark figures approaching them. The outlaws got separated in the struggle to get out of the forest through the smoke and to avoid the flames. By this time all of the villages had noticed the commotion and rushed to help the outlaws but Sir Guy and his men were keen to see the deed done.
Rose struggled to find anyone in the forest. She was getting closer to the fire as she called out for Robin in order to save him but only found Much and dragged him up on her horse as they struggled through the smoke to find the others.
"What are you doing?" asked Much.
"This has to stop. Your master and mine they can't go on like this!" replied Rose.
John and Alan made it out of the forest and fought off a handful of Sir Guy's men as Robin struggled through the smoke. He assumed his moments were numbered when he heard horses feet and fell to his knees coughing and spluttering for air. Much and Rose found him and took him to safety not too far from the fight that the other outlaws were having.
Rose dragged Robin off the horse and massaged his lungs to get the smoke out of his lungs. He coughed repeatedly and tried to shrug Rose off him and then he lunged at her but Much protected her.
"No Robin she saved us! This has to stop! You and Gisborne will end up setting fire to Nottingham and then where will we be?" asked Much.
Sir Guy heard the commotion and looked over to see Rose, covered in black smoke stains and dangerously close to his enemy. He assumed that he was up to no good and charged forward with his sword out and meaning business.
"Robin I am of no threat to you; I am from the royal family. I am Richard's cousin too. If you kill me he will never forgive you. I might have renounced my title but Richard will always see me as his little cousin," she pleaded.
Rose's eyes widened as Sir Guy pressed his sword against the back of Robin's neck. She held out her hand as he was about to strike.
"No Guy let him be! He's grieving for his wife. Enough blood has been spilt and he has suffered enough; you both have. It is time you called a truce," pleaded Rose.
Sir Guy glared at Rose.
"No woman of mine defends scum like him!" he snapped.
Rose lunged forward and knocked Sir Guy off balance as the outlaws made a run for it. Robin had no choice but to drop his attempt on her life as she had saved him twice from Sir Guy's attempts on his life despite the love she felt from him.
"We can't go on like this Guy!" she cried, holding his wrists to the ground.
Sir Guy paused only for a moment. His feelings for Rose were getting the better of him again; she was weak in comparison to him and yet she had him on his back and without his sword. Rose was lying on top of him, something he didn't expect until his wedding night. Was he a man or a mouse? He flipped her underneath him in order to regain some authority over her; despite being almost enjoyable he did not like being so unmanned in public as the sun was rising and the fire in the forest was almost out.
"What is wrong with you? He is my enemy!" he shouted.
"You killed his wife and stole his home. In return he has stolen some food, some coins and one chain that I managed to recover. You have wronged him more than he has wronged you; Robin has some honour left. He won't kill me after tonight," she warned.
Rose struggled as Sir Guy's weight began to get uncomfortable for her and he showed no signs of letting her go.
"What makes you think that?" he asked.
"I saved him twice tonight; he is in my debt for two life times. Be at peace Guy; we can have everything you ever wanted now," replied Rose.
Sir Guy liked the sound of that. There was comfort in Rose's words but also some doubt as he doubted that Robin's mercy would pass through to him but he liked the idea of his wedding going to plan and being able to start a family with Rose.
"Everything?" he asked, kissing her neck.
Once again the sound of horse's hooves reached the edge of the forest and Sir Guy looked up and found a very angry looking Sheriff. He had had no rest for the night and he had almost witnessed his home burn if the people hadn't rallied to save the forest and the outlaws.
"Do you like it hot Gisborne?" he asked, angrily.
"I made a mistake; I was angry," explained Sir Guy.
"You always do this Gisborne! You lose your head every time a woman comes into your life. I expected it to be different this time with her actually feeling the same way but no you just nearly set a whole town on fire with your need for protection!" snapped the Sheriff.
Both Sir Guy and Rose got to their feet.
"Sheriff I have personally put the matter to bed. The outlaws won't bother Locksley again; I have solved the problem…" began Rose.
"Is that so? Well then there will be a wedding in Nottingham with no hiccups won't there?" asked the Sheriff.
Sir Guy looked at the Sheriff questioningly; their wedding wasn't planned for another month and the Sheriff seemed to be hinting that he was going to bring it forward.
"The sooner the better don't you think?" he asked.
"There's so much we haven't…" began Rose.
"Then I suggest more time planning your wedding and less time being second mother to half of your village," sneered the Sheriff.
The Sheriff decided that the wedding of the year would be in a matter of two weeks. Rose had no gown and Sir Guy hadn't found any ring for her that would be suitable for her as he still perceived her as royalty.