SIR BYRON OF SULLY
(A take off on Robin Hood)
Written by Linda Ellen aka Linda4HIM59
For the Valentine 2010 Forum challenge
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (but those people aren't using them anyway!)
This is a little different, this is meant to be funny. I'm hoping you laugh out loud.
Very important: Read it with a cartoon voice in your head!
Prologue: Sir Byron of Sully, defender of the downtrodden Cheyenne and a nobleman who was forced to become an outlaw called Byron Hood, had run afoul of Colorado authorities. Fleeing to Cheyenne Forest with his band of Merry Men, he robs from the rich and gives to the poor. He still, however, has time to woo the lovely Maid Michaela, foil the plans of cruel Sir Hank of Goldnugget (the Sheriff of Springingham), and keep the nefarious Prince Preston the usurper from taking the throne from his absent brother, Prince Heston.
And now...our story...
Friar Timothy scanned the area, making sure the coast was clear. Thinking back on the conversation he'd had with Loren of Mercantilester that morning, the good friar was thankful indeed.
"Friar Timothy, you've got to get this message to Sir Byron!" the old man had whispered. "The roving minstrel, Clouds-R-Dancing, brought me this note last night. It's from Maid Michaela," he added nervously as he glanced around.
The note read:
Sully, my love, [her pet name for him]
Prince Preston plans to capture you if you attend the tomahawk-throwing contest. I overheard him talking with that awful Sheriff Hank. The whole thing is being staged just to get you there. Prince Preston spirited me away and has locked me in Springs Castle. Please do not try to rescue me, my love, I'll find a way to escape. If he catches you here, he'll kill you! Know that I miss you, my darling. I miss your kisses. I miss your arms around me.
All my love,
Your Michaela
Now hearing someone coming, the good friar saw his friend, Sir Byron of Sully, making his way through the trees.
"Sir Byron!" Friar Timothy exclaimed. "I'm so glad I found you. You must not go to the contest today. It's a trap! Here, read this...it's from your lady, Maid Michaela!"
Byron took the note and stepped several paces away. Putting it to his nostrils, he breathed in the scent of her perfume with a sigh of pleasure, then opened it and read the beautiful handwriting. His heart skipped a beat to learn she'd been kidnapped. I've GOT to get her out of there! Byron knew the evil Prince Preston had always desired Michaela and would stop at nothing to seduce her away from him, since he and Byron had been rivals all their lives.
Valentine's Day was approaching and he had plans...pacing back and forth, trying to decide, he finally turned to his friend. "Friar Tim, I can't just sit back and do nothing! I must rescue her. You know what Preston is like!"
The friar nodded in agreement. Everyone knew what Preston was like.
I need to try and round up as many of my Merry Men as I can. Will you help me?" Bryon asked the loyal friar.
"Of course, Sir Byron!"
Byron smiled at his friend, his dimples showing, his incredible blue eyes twinkling. "I need you to find my Lieutenant, Little Dan, and my trusty fighter, Matthew the Miller's son. They'll know where Jake Stutley and Robert EBland and the rest of the men are and they'll bring them along."
"Of course, Sir Byron. What are you planning?"
Byron's eyes twinkled again as he grinned at the friar. "Planning? Why, my plans haven't changed. I'm going to win me a tomahawk-throwing contest! I need the money! My nephew, Brian Scarlet, is entering with me."
"But Sir Byron! What about the trap?" exclaimed the concerned friar.
Byron placed his hand on the friar's shoulder. "You just find my Merry Men and get them to the contest. I have a plan."
OOOOOOOO
Michaela turned her face away in disgust. Prince Preston had been trying to kiss and woo her for thirty minutes and she was beyond tired of it.
"Unhand me, you cad!" Michaela demanded. "I will not be untrue to Byron, no matter what you may do!"
Prince Preston, trying to grab her, chuckled evilly, showing his large, toothy, sickening grin. Michaela slapped his face in reaction.
"Byron has stood in my way and foiled my plans too many times, but soon he will be no more, fair Maid Michaela," he sneered, rubbing the offended cheek. "And don't think I don't know that he's been masquerading as one "Byron Hood", raiding and stealing as he pleases! I'll have his head by sundown tonight, or my name isn't Prince Preston A. Lodge the Third!"
OOOOOOOO
Several hours later, Sir Byron of Sully and his nephew, Brian Scarlet, stood together as the last two contenders in the tomahawk-throwing contest. With his Merry Men in disguises and at various places around him, Byron knew they would be able to foil any plans of Prince Preston, as they had many times before.
Sheriff Hank curled his lip at Byron, secretly seething that his plans were put on hold. He couldn't just grab the bloke in front of all these people. Curses! I'll have to wait. "Take your positions for the final round," he sneered.
The men stepped up to the line. As targets were quickly put in place, each delivered throw after throw. Then one final throw for each had Byron splitting a piece of straw cleanly in two down its length while Brian missed. Byron was declared the winner!
With the large crowd watching every move, Sheriff Hank and Prince Preston, fake smiles pasted on their evil faces, picked up the large winner's cup and bag of silver coins and stepped up to a smiling Sir Byron. With fake aplomb meant only to entertain the crowd, Prince Preston made a show of his magnanimous generosity and handed Byron his awards.
Just then, Byron's men rushed forward as one, lifting him to their shoulders and carrying him around shouting his praises. The crowd quickly came between them and the evil pair who wanted nothing more than Byron's head on a platter. At just the right moment, Byron and Brian switched places. Byron then slipped past the guards and made his way inside Springs Castle to find and rescue his fair Maid Michaela.
OOOOOOOO
Michaela paced her opulent chamber/prison, wringing her hands in nervousness, fretting about the outcome of the day, and worried for her virtue. With her window open, she could hear the shouts of the crowd as her true love, Sully, won round after round of the tomahawk-throwing contest. She wasn't surprised...he never misses. He certainly never missed an opportunity to press his lips to hers. Not that she minded one bit. But alas, I digress...
She closed her eyes and remembered the way he had looked the first time they met and tingles rushed throughout her body causing her to gasp. His incredible blue eyes twinkling as he gazed down at her from high atop his carriage, he had been dressed in a fine black suit coat adorned with a blue and gold sash crossing the chest from shoulder to waist and worn over top of a white shirt, complete with a white lace cravat.
Now as she paced across the room for the umpteenth time, she heard a scraping sound at her door. Heart pounding with fear, she picked up the only thing she could find to defend herself, the fireplace poker. Turning with it toward the door, she waited.
Seconds later, the door burst open and there in the doorway, blue eyes flashing in the light from a nearby window, was her LOVE – Sully!
"Oh my darling!" Michaela gushed, throwing the poker down and running to him. He met her halfway, scooping her up and swinging her around, kissing her passionately. Finally, prying her mouth from his, she whispered, "We better get out of here, or you won't keep your head."
Chuckling, he smooched her neck with a loud smack, put her down, and they ran out of the room together. Knowing secret passageways, it wasn't long before they were outside and on their way to Cheyenne Forest.
OOOOOOOO
Several days later when all the excitement had died down, Byron surprised his ladylove on Valentine's Day, dressed in his Byron Hood outfit of buckskins, beads and a buckskin coat. With the prize money from the contest, he had bought her a large diamond engagement ring.
Now, sauntering up to her like a mountain lion, and took her hand in his. With Michaela in black and a horse watching over her right shoulder, Sully brought her hand to his lips, his blue eyes twinkling with love. Magically producing the beautiful ring, he slid it on her finger and gazed deeply into her mismatched eyes. Then came the words she had longed to hear him say.
"Michaela I love you. I would do anything for you. I'd give my life for you...you know that. I want to be with you...no, I need to be with you. Will you marry me?"
Her mouth dry and her heart pounding, she whispered, "Yes!"
Then he took her mouth with his, kissing her passionately, their lips making those delicious suckling sounds as the Merry Men gathered around and snickered.
Breaking off their kiss, they laughed together. Then he vaulted onto his horse, reached down and pulled her up in front of him, and they rode off into the sunset to live happily ever after, with Michaela screaming, "Sully! Sully what are you doing? Sully!"
THE END!