NETTLESTONE BARN
"But I don't know how to dance." Alan complained for the fourth time since they had arrived.
He and Robin had shed their outer jackets, Marian sat watching intently.
They were sat around the barn watching with various degrees of worry (Much over the plan not going well) and amusement, (Will was wishing that he had some way to record this piece of hilarity to show others.)
No one would believe him that Alan a Dale, who valued himself as every woman's perfect man, was frightened of dancing.
Alan was sure that it was not so much the dancing he was objected to, but looking like a…
A small group of minstrels, who had played at many an occasion in Locksley and knew former Lord Locksley and Lady Knighton well, were trying not to laugh.
"Alan this is not hard." Robin was growing frustrated.
"If I can learn this dance then so can you."
"It isn't the dancing!" Alan defended himself, "It is looking like a…."
"Yes alright." Marian stood from her place and walked over to them both.
"Perhaps you need a different teacher."
She stood before Alan and pushed Robin on the chest towards the top of the box she had vacated.
"it is simple." She told Alan.
"You simply walk around me in a circle."
She widened her eyes and he did so.
"Then I walk around you." She demonstrated and Robin watched intently.
John glanced at Marians husband and smiled to himself. Much was remembering all those years ago when Robin had openly courted Marian though dance (a suitable type of courtship, one that her father would not hate him for), at Knighton one Christmas.
Robin and Marian both had flickering memories in their mind of that night.
Marian stood back facing Alan after completing her circle.
"Then you raise your left hand," she lifted her and he did to, "and you press it to mine, lightly, so we are barely touching."
He did so, and her wedding ring sparkled in the streaming light through the cracks in the barn.
They walked in a circle according to Marian's next instruction.
Alan stared at her and suddenly stopped walking.
"What?" She demanded, "That was good, it is simple…"
"I won't do it." Alan turned to Robin, "Why do I need to dace anyway, can't I be the type of lord who sits there and gets…." He searched a word 'suitable' to say before Marian.
"Happy?" He settled on.
Robin sighed in frustration, "Alan this is a dance that every nobleman knows. It is danced at every celebration I have ever been to, if this party is to be a good rouse to cover what they are really plotting, then we need our rouse to be as good."
"If you are asked to dance, or every nobleman is invited to," Marian carried on, "We cannot stand out because we cannot dance."
"Well there is no we is there?" Alan demanded, "You can dance, it is me who does not know how."
"That is because you have never seen it before." Marian realised, she turned to Robin and held her hand out.
"Come on."
He raised both eyebrows and Alan moved to sit beside Will and Djac on another box.
Much was sat near where Robin was, and John was leant against the pillar close to the minstrels.
"Show him how it is done my lord." Her hand was will held out.
Robin stood with a sigh and walked over to her.
They stood a foot apart and the minstrels grinned at one another, before starting to play.
Everyone watched in complete silence as Robin and Marian completed their circles of one another, keeping eye contact as long as they could.
Slowly they pressed their hands together and turned, not blinking, not looking anywhere part form one another.
Robin gently ran his knuckles down Marian's cheek as she turned her head to lift her right arm, settling her hand on the back of his neck.
They walked three paces slowly to the right, then three paces to the left, switching arms as they did so.
Djac thought that this was perhaps one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
The music got higher, a melody playing out.
Marian and Robin circled one another again, before hooking opposite arms around each other's waist, drawing them closer.
They turned again, but this time, Marian moved her arms, spinning as they turned, so her back was to Robin.
He guided her back and spun her again; their hand's linked above her head, hands on each other's hips.
The music went round once more, and slowly they stopped spinning, facing one another, eyes locked.
They slowly unclasped hands and let them fall to their sides.
They stepped apart and bowed and curtsied to each other on the last note.
Alan cheered loudly and Djac and everyone else clapped.
The musicians and mistrals also cheered, and Much looked as though he may cry.
John smiled to himself.
Robin and Marian smiled at one another, him kissing her cheek before turning back to Alan.
"Right then… it's your turn."
Alan groaned and collapsed back on his box.
Marian turned back to Robin who grinned at her.
She stretched up on her toes and pressed her mouth firmly to his, his own arms holding her tight to him.