It was dark when a messenger arrived at Knighton Hall. Marian stood out of sight on the stairs and watched her father open the door, his sword in his hand. In these times the sword was necessary, if only for his own peace of mind.

The man stumbled into the house, breathless. Marian recognised him as Thornton, Lord Locksley's man. For Locksley to have sent Thornton on this mission, the situation must be dire indeed. Robin.

Thornton spoke. 'My Lord Edward, Lord Locksley requests your presence immediately.'

'Can he not wait until morning?' Edward asked, 'The roads are not safe.'

'He cannot. My Lord… my Lord is dying. Please, you must come.'

Edward nodded and began to pull on his cloak. Marian stepped out of the shadows and began to descend the stairs. 'Father, I will accompany you.'

Edward looked up at his daughter, ready to disagree, but something stopped him. After her mother had died, his young daughter had become quiet, cold and distant. Then, her friendship with Robin had changed her, made her laugh more easily. The last two years had seemingly set Marian back on the path she had been following before Robin, as though the boy had never existed.

No, Edward thought, that is not right. Robin's desertion has made her colder. Since he had been replaced in Nottingham by Vaisey, six months ago, and after her sickness that had followed Robin's departure, Marian had become even more withdrawn, and was seldom at home.

'Fetch your riding cloak, and be quick!' Edward said. Marian disappeared upstairs once more, only to return seconds later with the cloak over her shoulders, as though she had made it ready before Thornton arrived. As though she were waiting to go out.

Edward realised there was no time to puzzle over this and together they left for Locksley.

*

When they arrived, Marian and her father were ushered into Lord Locksley's bedroom. The man lay in his bed, looking far smaller than he had any right to.

'Edward, my friend. I am glad you came. And Marian, it is good that you are here.'

Marian's father moved to his friend's bedside. Despite Lord Locksley's warm welcome, Marian stayed at the edge of the room. 'Robert,' Edward said, taking the man's hand.

In spite of the gravity of the situation Marian found herself wondering at her father's use of the man's Christian name. She knew it, of course, but the man was seldom called thus. He was Lord Locksley, always had been. Even his wife had called him Locksley. She remembered once asking Robin about it. He had laughed and explained that it was a joke between his parents that his father, though Earl of Huntingdon, had always preferred the much less grandiose manor of Locksley. Marian had thought at the time that Robin was a fine one to talk, having never visited Huntingdon in his life.

'I am glad you came, both of you. I do not deserve your company.'

'Do not be ridiculous, my friend.' Edward admonished gently.

Locksley looked over at Marian. 'Marian, come here child.' She stepped closer to the bed. 'I am glad you are here, Marian. For two years I have been too proud to speak with you. To apologise. I have wronged you, Lady Marian.

Marian looked confused, but noted that her father seemed unsurprised. 'You should, rest, sir.'

'Do not try to hush me, child, these could be my last words.'

Marian felt tears begin to prickle her eyes and looked down. She had never felt especially close to Robin's father, but the man looked so lost now, so unhappy.

'I wronged you, Marian. I should have stopped him. He should not have been permitted to leave. It was my fault.' His eyes closed for a moment. He seemed to be fading away.

Edward looked up at his daughter. 'It will not be long, now, child. Perhaps you should wait for me downstairs.'

Marian shook her head. 'I will wait here.'

Suddenly, Lord Locksley's eyes opened again. 'Edward? Edward?'

'I am here, my friend.'

'Edward, where is my son?'

'Your son fights in the Holy Land alongside King Richard.'

'Robin,' the man mumbled. 'Robin always ran when he should walk. I should have been a better father. But his eyes, Edward. And his anger. When Robin is angry there is nothing that can stop him. I was not a good enough father. I angered him. Locksley was not enough to keep him here.' He turned his eyes to Marian. 'You could have been enough, you were enough, if I had not… Edward I sent my son away! My only son. And now I leave my people with no lord.'

Marian gasped. Does he mean that Robin-

'You have had word from the Holy Land?' Edward asked, his mind seemingly following the same path as his daughter's.

'No. No word. I know not whether he lives or dies. All is as Robin would have it. He was taught so much, his mother insisted he have everything. And I could no more deny her than I could him. So much talent, so skilled was my boy. But now my son has no love for me.'

'That is not true!' Marian burst out, unable to contain herself.

'Marian!' Her father reprimanded.

'Robin loved you sir,' Marian said fiercely. 'And wherever he is, whatever he is doing, he loves you still. He uses his skills to prove himself to you. He left because he loves you, because he wants you to be proud of him.'

The old man looked at her for a long moment, studying her with an intensity Robin had surely inherited from him. 'When my son comes home,' he said, his voice barely above a whisper, 'When he comes back to you, you must tell him. He must know that I was always proud of him. You are a good child, a good woman. I know that you will tell him.'

*

When they commenced the ride back to Knighton it was growing light. Marian said nothing, she had not spoken since her last words to Robin's father. The man had hung on for a couple of hours after he had lost the ability to speak. Marian and her father had watched over his deathbed in silent vigil.

And now he was dead and it was time to go home. Marian knew her father was watching her closely.

'They say the sheriff will entrust the Locksley estates to Guy of Gisbourne until Robin's return.'

'Gisbourne?'

'The sheriff's right hand man.'

'The lackey with the black leather?' Edward concealed a smile and nodded. 'He is landless, no doubt he has designs on Robin's estates.'

'You still care for him,' her father said delicately.

'Robin should be here, protecting his people. He is a fool,' Marian said, urging her horse to go faster to avoid the conversation.

Edward stared at his daughter's back. 'A fool? Perhaps. Yet still you care for him. Quite deeply, I think.'

*