To her dismay, there had been more running, but once again they had stopped for breath and to drink some water. She was not as tired as before- after all she now had the considerable advantage of John giving her a lift, as it were- but still she felt perhaps even more shaken up by the experience.

"So, where are we now, then?" she asked Sybil, who was nearest to her.

"Somewhere near Locksley Village, my Lady," she replied.

"And what, may I ask, are we doing near Locksley?" she enquired. For a long time she had wondered what the point of all of this strenuous exercise was, as it would appear that they had shaken off the Sheriff and his men, but everyone else seemed so sure of what they were doing she hadn't like to ask, "Not that I'm not enjoying all of this... activity, mind you."

She dared to cast a quick sideways glance at John, you abruptly coughed and looked the other way. She couldn't help but grin at the forest floor for a second. Matthew sat down beside her.

"We can rest here, your Majesty," he told her, "You understand we can't seek more comfort for you in the village because..."

"Because if we do and you're caught you'll be strung up by your ankles," she finished for him gravely, "Yes, I had rather grasped the point of your all being outlaws by now. You needn't worry about me being comfortable," she assured him, "It's as good a reason as any not to go somewhere."

"Well, thank you, your Majesty. Ideally it would be best to go through the village- it's quicker- but obviously that carries a risk too," he continued, "But we can stop near Locksley, and it's useful for us to do that. It lets us know if there's any news, anything we need to know about. That's where Will is now. And it's not too far out of our way."

"Yes," Isobel replied, "Where are we going?"

"On the other side of Nottingham there's a deputation of the King's guard waiting to get you safely back across to Aquitaine. We're looking after you until then."

"That's very kind of you," she replied, her mind not quite taking in the fact that she was about to be taken across to France, "But how can you be sure that they'll be there?"

"Because not all of these men are mine," he indicated to some of the men assembled with them, "They belong to the King's guard as well. They were sent over to help us find you."

"My goodness," she marvelled, "To go to all of this trouble the King must certainly have wanted to find me a great deal!"

"Of course he does," Matthew told her, "You're his mother."

Trying to remember this- apparently- wasn't her own son, no matter how much he looked like him, Isobel willed herself not to cry at this proclamation. This was no time for crying, she was the Queen. Stirring herself, she turned back to the men to avoid having to look at Matthew.

"So which of you come from the King's guard?" she enquired conversationally.

A few men raised their hands, looking rather shy to be addressed by the Queen.

"And this is their leader," Matthew indicated to a tall, well-built man on his left that, apart from being well-built, was the very image of Sir Anthony Strallan, "My old friend: Legrand."

"Your Majesty," he lent forwards with confidence, kneeling before her, taking her hand and kissing it. Over his shoulder she caught a glimpse of John's face; she noted with some pleasure that he looked rather disgruntled, "An honour to be of service."

Anthony Strallan was a lot more attractive outdoors, she noticed. The effect of the natural light really was extraordinary. Perhaps it was because he was taller.

Her musings were cut short by Will running into the clearing where they were all gathered. He looked like he was struggling for breath. It was clear that there was something wrong. Matthew got to his feet.

"What is it?" he asked, "Will, what's happened?"

Between deep breaths, the only word he could get out was, "Marian."

"Get him some water!" Matthew called, "Sit down, Will. Now, what has Marian done?"

"She's been caught by Gisbourne. They're taking her as a prisoner to back to Nottingham, but she's still in Locksley Village. They know that she's the Night Watchman, that she's the one who's been stealing from the rich and informing on Gisbourne to us."

Matthew looked utterly thunder-struck.

"They'll execute her for sure," Sybil declared, panic flashing across her face, "Robin, they'll never let her live."

Isobel thought she saw tears threatening to form in Matthew's eyes.

"The fool," he whispered, almost to himself, "I told her, I told her not to-..."

"Unless we get there first," Isobel interjected.

Everyone looked at her in astonishment.

"Am I speaking a different language?" she asked, "As far as I can see, they can't execute her if we get there first."

"We can't," Matthew told her, "It's out of the question."

"Why?" she asked, "You said yourself it's quicker to go that way."

"Our first duty is to protect you," he told her, his voice sounding as if it were costing him a great deal of effort to say this, "We cannot do so well enough if we take risks such as this one. Marian," he seemed to struggle a little, "Marian chose to do this. She knew the consequences, and now she's been caught-..."

"But you love the girl," she told him simply, standing face to face with him, the rest of the men surrounding them both in a circle, "So you must go to her, and fight for her."

There was a rather stunned silence for a moment. It was Legrand who spoke first.

"So," he told them, "To Locksley, then."

…...

Their position on the hill looking down on Locksley offered them a panoramic view of the village. A sizeable boulder lay on the ground, and they crouched down behind it, peering down on the settlement.

"It looks like they're turning it into a military garrison," Much observed.

Matthew ignored him. Isobel knew that look on his face, and it spelled trouble.

"Can anyone see Marian?" she asked.

"They'll be keeping her indoors," Matthew told her in a low voice, "That is if they haven't taken her to Nottingham already."

"I don't think they have, Robin," Sybil called, to Isobel's right, "I can see, yes, it is him. There's Gisbourne there, look!"

They all squinted in the direction that she was pointing. A man with an undeniably handsome but still unpleasant face was striding between the thatched houses. He was undeniably a man of power, and if the way the peasants he passed quickly made themselves scarce was anything to go by, he was greatly feared by all. He had the precise look, Isobel thought, of Sir Richard Carlisle. Really, this was too absurd!

"If they're still there that gives us time," Will told them, "If they're still here that means..."

"We have time to see the Queen off safely before we rescue her," Matthew finished for him.

There seemed to be quite general content at this plan, but Isobel was unconvinced.

"Are you sure?" she asked him, "Any danger I am in is far less imminent than hers."

"The spirit of the nation, its morale relies on your safety, your Majesty," he told her.

"Your happiness depends on hers," she reminded him.

"Yes, ma'am, and I'm trying not to think of it that way at the moment," he told her, a wry smile passing across his lips.

She smiled too.

"You're a good man, Robin Hood," she told him proudly, "A truly good man. Right, then. Where to next?"

…...

In pairs, they began to creep down the slope and approach the village. Isobel went in the last pair but one with Legrand.

"Take your crown off," he told her, in low voice "Here, I'll hold it. And get under my cloak. Pretend to be ill and cold. They're mainly peasants, but we can't risk it that one of them could recognise you. If we're stopped say you're my mother. And if Gisbourne shows up, I'll pick you up and run like hell. Though," he added with a distinct grin, "I bet you'd rather John did that."

"At the moment I'm not too bothered who does it," Isobel admitted, "Just so long as we get through here alive."

"We will, your Majesty. One way or another," he assured her. The sound of his heart hammering against his ribs rather undid his attempts to calm her.

They were quiet as they entered the village, hoping not to draw attention to themselves.

"Just keep walking," he told her, "In a straight line."

Isobel felt like every eye was upon her. She was rather beginning to regret having suggested this course of action.

"It's alright," he told her, as if having read her thoughts, "We're alright. And just think of the time we'll have saved once we're out at the other side. No one's spotted us. "

She wasn't so sure about that. A sturdy peasant woman with a mop of brown hair and eyes that she recognised from afternoon tea with Cora. In her state of panic she couldn't for the life of her remember the maid's name.

They had progressed to the top part of the street. Outside one of the slightly larger cottages sat a woman with a little girl on her lap. Now, Isobel knew where she knew that face from.

"That's Mrs Ramsay," Legrand whispered to her, "Her husband's a farm blacksmith. They have eight children. Robin says they're having a difficult time of it at the moment because her husband's refused to favour Gisbourne for work. Insists on treating him like any other customer."

"Dangerous," Isobel managed to whisper.

"You can say that again," Legrand remarked, "Very brave man."

At the moment he spoke, the man himself emerged from his cottage to stand beside his wife and daughter. Isobel could not help smiling. In whatever strange, warped world they she had found herself in, she was glad that in this one the counterparts of Carson and Mrs Hughes were married.

"That's it," Legrand told her, "Just keep walking. We've nearly made it."

They saw John and Much standing at the village gate.

"There, you can have her back now. I'll wait for Djac and Robin," Legrand told John as he handed Isobel over to him. John scowled, putting his arm rather protectively around Isobel and led her a little further on. Turning her her head, Isobel saw Legrand grinning after them, and she could not help but smile back.

Please review if you have the time.

And next chapter... a FIGHT.