Guy's Unexpected Marriage
Chapter One: "Robin Hood."
A/N: Gisborne Castle is portrayed by Eilean Donan Castle. Google it. It's beautiful. Lady Kate is portrayed by the lovely Eva Green. I'll do my best to describe her but that kind of beauty is beyond words. Guy is of course played by the sexy Richard Armitage. This is a Guy/OC fic so anyone not on board with that needs to back out now. I've had some people complain about putting an OC with regular characters so now I always put a little warning in. This is in no way a Guy/Marian fic. In fact, it's very anti-Marian. She'll be portrayed as bitchy and manipulative because that's kind of the way she is. Don't like it, hit the back button. And flames will be used to roast marshmallows. This takes place in season two at the beginning right when Marian and Guy get chummy again. Also, if you like my writing, check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Plain Jane by Ashleigh Knight. It's about vampires and is very anti-Twilight. Anyway, I hope you guys like this. I've been thinking about it for a while. Oh, and her singing voice is played by Orla Fallon from Celtic Woman. And we're ignoring season three, which I didn't see.
Lady Kate of Gisborne did not like travelling. In fact, she disliked it greatly. Her backside was numb and her paid companion, a middle-aged woman that annoyed her, was snoring loudly. Her father had insisted that she not travel alone, and in the state he was in she dare not argue lest he take a turn for the worst before she could complete her mission. She also couldn't bear the thought of losing a minute with him. He had so little time left.
She remembered the move to Gisborne Castle. It had been so exciting. She was only eight at the time and her mother had been alive. But she was gone now, had died shortly after the move to Gisborne. She remembered playing in the moat as a child. She smiled at the fond memory. Her father would always tease her for behaving like a ruffian, playing with the boys and getting all muddy and wet. When her mother had died she became the lady of the house and things had changed. She got a governess and she became more serious, though nothing could keep her from laughing merrily at her father's jests, however inappropriate they often were. She loved him too much to hurt his feelings.
The carriage came to a stop and Lady Kate looked out the window. They were not yet at the castle. Why had they stopped?
"Robert, why have we stopped?" she called.
"There's a log in the road, milady," Robert said. "I shall have to get down and move it."
"Very well, Robert, but do try to hurry," she said. "We need to get to the Nottingham before dark."
"I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere just now," a voice called from the woods.
Lady Kate looked out to see a man with sand-colored hair stepping out of the woods with a bow in his hand. Others stepped out of the woods. Outlaws. Lovely. Just what she needed. They would have to die. The thought wasn't pleasant. But she would do what was necessary. Fortunately there was a sword with the trunk of money. She had intended to present it to Sir Guy without blood on it but she would do what she had to in order to get to Nottingham with her gifts unstolen.
"You, sir!" she called to the young man with sandy hair. "Who are you that you accost women?"
She got out of the carriage and he stepped forward to help her down, something she did not expect. She allowed him to help her down without punching him and breaking his nose. She had a feeling that this man was not a common outlaw. He had all the marks of nobility and knew how to treat a lady with respect. Helping her from the carriage without being asked was a very marked feature of nobility. No commoner would know to do that.
"You have not answered my question, sir," she said irritably, freeing herself from his grasp. "You have not told me why you have stopped this carriage, nor what right you have to do so."
"The starving people of Locksley give me the right, my lady," he said with a bow. "And my name is Robin Hood."
She raised a doubtful eyebrow.
"Really? And what proof do you have that you are who you say you are?" she demanded.
She believed him. He seemed like the type to be Robin Hood. Besides, she could always tell when someone was lying. It was a gift she had inherited from her mother. Still, she wanted proof before she let him take anything. Her mission was too important to give away those gifts to just anybody.
"Here," the supposed Robin said, taking a wooden amulet from beneath his shirt. He took it off and handed it to her. It had a strange symbol on it. She looked up at him.
"Is this supposed to mean something to me?" she asked his dubiously.
"It's our symbol," he said. "It proves I'm Robin Hood."
"Any child could make this and say it proves he's Robin Hood," she said with a scoff, handing the trinket back to him. He frowned and put it back on. "Nonetheless, I choose to believe you at your word. The idea of you not being Robin Hood does not appeal to me. Besides, I can tell when people are lying. What is it you want of me, Lord Locksley?"
"We want your valuables," he said, glowing at her use of his title. "We'll only take a percentage of it but we need it to feed the poor of Nottingham."
"Very well," she said. "Robert, unlock the trunk."
"Milady, are you sure?" Robert asked, sounding scandalized.
"Of course, Robert. Now do as I ask," Lady Kate said, turning back to Robin. "Follow me, Lord Locksley."
She smiled at him and led him around to the back of the carriage. On the back a trunk was tied. Robert stepped down from the driver's seat and took a key from a rope around his neck. He untied the trunk and laid it on the ground before Lady Kate, unlocked it and flipping the lid open. On top laid a sword encrusted with jewels. It shined in the dim forest light, the gems on the sheath gleaming wickedly. It was a beautiful sword.
"Oh!" Robin gasped. "May I?"
Lady Kate nodded with a smile. He reached forward and pulled out the sword, removing it from its sheath. The blade twinkled in the sunlight coming through the trees.
"It's beautiful," he said in awe, the others watching from a distance. "The balance is perfect. I've never seen its equal."
"Thank you," she said with a smile. "I will tell our blacksmith you said so. It is a gift for Sir Guy of Gisborne. I'm hope he appreciates its qualities as much as you."
"Gisborne!" he cried. "What have you to do with Gisborne?"
"It is my intention to marry him if he will have me," she said calmly. "I need him to run my father's lands when he dies."
"But Gisborne!" Robin said in horror. "You can't marry him! He's the devil!"
Lady Kate laughed lightly.
"That is a bit extreme, don't you think? The devil? But I suppose you know him better than I do. He seemed a promising young man when he asked my father about buying back the Gisborne lands. I never saw him but my father said he seemed quite the gentleman."
"Gentleman! Gisborne? Ha!" Robin shouted. "You've been deceived, or your father has. Guy of Gisborne is a monster. He's cruel and mean and evil, and he's only out for himself. He tried to kill the king!"
She frowned at this.
"That is not promising," she said emotionlessly. "Perhaps you are wrong. Perhaps he did not try to kill the king."
"I was there!" Robin shouted. "I saw him! He tried to kill the king!"
"Alright, I will concede that that is possible," she said. "That would be problematic should the king return. I will deal with that later though. I have problems of my own to deal with that are far more immediate. My father is dying and a wicked baron wants my father's lands and intends to marry me to get them. I will have no other choice if there is not a man already there to protect me. You must see my dilemma."
"But why him? Why can't you marry someone else?" Robin said. "There has to be someone!"
"In truth, there is no one else I can think of," she said. "And Sir Guy has claims on the Gisborne lands, which my father now own, that cannot be ignored. He once lived there as a boy, was forced from his home when his father died and they couldn't pay their debts. I intend to right that as soon as possible.
"And you know," she said with a nervous laugh, "he may not even want me. I have heard there is another lady who holds his heart, a Lady Marian Fitzwalter."
"I know her," Robin said gravely. "He'll want you. He thinks in terms of what he can get out of life. You have more to offer. He'll take you if you offer yourself to him and he'll make you miserable. You can't marry him, my lady."
"The baron is a cruel man," she said with equal gravity. "I know without a doubt that he would make my people very unhappy. There is a chance that Sir Guy won't. I must take that chance, Lord Locksley. I have no other choice."
"And what of your happiness, my lady? Are you willing to forfeit that for your people?" he asked.
"Wouldn't you?" she asked desperately. "I must do this terrible thing. Surely you must see that."
"I see only a woman destined for tragedy," he said with a shake of his head. "There must be another way."
"I tell you there is not!" she cried, trembling. She took a deep breath to calm herself and tried to smile. "Let us get that money for your people so I can be on my way. I would like to arrive before dark."
She pulled a cloth from the trunk that covered the contents and laid it on the ground, revealing that the trunk was full of gold and silver coins. Robin gasped. He hadn't seen so much gold in his whole life.
She took a handful and handed it to him, then another and another, until his arms were full of gold and silver.
"There," she said. "Will that do?"
"Will that do?" he said in smiling surprise. "That will feed all of Nottingham for a year! You are far too kind to marry Gisborne. You have to reconsider."
"I have and I am now more firm in my purpose than ever," she said firmly. "Now please move that log in the road so we can get to the castle. It was lovely to meet you, Lord Locksley."
She curtseyed and walked back to the side of the carriage. Robin dropped the coins to help her in and she smiled at him when she settled in. Her companion was still sleeping.
"Much, Allan, move that log!" Robin shouted to his men.
"Thank you, Lord Locksley," she said, extending her hand.
"Thank you, my lady," Robin said, kissing her hand. "If you need anything at all, you know where to find me. I'll be happy to help you in any way I can."
"Thank you, Lord Locksley," she said with a smile. "Perhaps one day I shall take you up on that. Goodbye."
Robert climbed into the driver's seat and the men moved the log. Robert slapped the reins and the horses started trotting. Lady Kate waved a handkerchief from the window as they moved away, closer and closer to Nottingham.