Guy's Unexpected Marriage
Chapter Three: "Marian."
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. Oh, and her singing voice is played by Orla Fallon from Celtic Woman. And we're ignoring season three, which I didn't see.
Guy walked down the hall toward Marian's room. He had escorted Lady Kate to a guest chamber that Vasey had told the servants to prepare. She was resting now, tended to by the servants. He hardly knew what to think of her. She was different from any woman he had ever met, willing to sacrifice everything for her people, to marry a stranger she had no love for. Was he doing the right thing by asking Marian to marry him when Lady Kate so obviously needed his help? He felt guilty and selfish for wanting Marian when Lady Kate was willing to sacrifice her happiness so willingly for her people. He wanted Marian to say yes and was almost sure she would when faced with losing him forever but was that really the right thing to do? He tried not to concern himself with what was right and wrong usually but when faced with such selflessness it was hard not to think about it. Besides, she had offered him the world. Was Marian really worth giving that up for? Yes. Yes, she was worth almost anything. She was selfish and manipulative but he felt for her and he would rather be with her than have a kingdom. Even if Lady Kate was the most beautiful and appealing woman he'd ever met.
He arrived at Marian's door and stood there for a long moment, hesitating. He had a knot in the pit of his stomach, a feeling of anxiety. You're just nervous, he told himself. She'll say yes. But was that really worried about? Or was it the possibility that she might say yes that had him sweating?
Summoning his courage, he knocked on the door.
"Yes? Who is it?" Marian said from inside the room.
"It's me," Guy said. "I need to speak with you. It is very urgent."
"Come in," she said.
He turned the door handle and entered, finding Marian sitting in a chair by the fire, working on some embroidery.
"What is, Guy?" she said without so much as a smile.
Lady Kate did nothing but smile. He tried not to compare Marian with her but he couldn't help it. Marian was beautiful, there was no doubt, but she paled in comparison with Lady Kate. Marian's face was round while Lady Kate's was oval with defined features. Marian had a fuller, more muscular figure than Lady Kate who was slender and delicate, though she looked strong and healthy. The comparison didn't favor Marian, and despite his feelings for her, he felt as though he'd drawn the short straw. Did he even want to marry her?
"I've come to ask you something," he said.
"Yes?" Marian said.
"Well, I'm sure the servants must have told you that a lady arrived today," he said.
"Yes," Marian said. "I had heard. She is said to be very beautiful."
"She is, but that is not what I have come to discuss," he said, fumbling with words. His palms were sweating and he felt feverish. This was all wrong and he knew it. "Her father is dying and she needs someone to help her run his estate once he is gone."
"I cannot see what that has to do with either of us," Marian said.
"She has offered me her hand in marriage," he blurted out. "Her father owns the Gisborne lands and felt I had some claim to them. She agrees and has offered to marry me. As her husband I will be wealthy and well-respected, I will have surpassed my wildest ambitions."
"I see," Marian said with a frown. "What have you told her? I mean, you obviously cannot go through with this scheme. She's a complete stranger!"
"I've told her that I will ask you to marry me one last time and if you refuse then I will marry her," he said, feeling hot and cold all at the same time.
"What?" she cried. "Guy, that is preposterous! You can't possibly marry a stranger or not based on my answer to your proposal! This is madness! You cannot be serious!"
She rose from her seat and tossed her embroidery aside, pacing the floor. At least he'd gotten a reaction out of her.
"Why not?" he said. "You know how I feel for you and after a refusal from you it would be torture to stay here. She is offering me the world. I would be a fool to turn it down."
"Then why not just take it?" she said angrily. "Why ask me to marry you at all?"
"You I have feelings for you," he said, feeling desperate. "I cannot simply walk away from you without trying for your hand."
"Guy," she said, "I- I cannot- This is not fair. You cannot put me in this position."
"You've put me in worse positions," he said coldly, trying to reign in his feelings of anger and resentment.
"That is in the past, Guy," she said. "I thought you had forgiven me for that. I cannot do this. This is horrid. I cannot make a decision like this right now, without any time to think. It is unfair of you to ask me to."
"You're going to have to make a decision right now, Marian, because Lady Kate won't wait," he said. "You can't ask me to wait for you forever."
She thought about it for a long moment before answering him.
"I- I cannot- That is to say- I cannot marry you right now," she said, stumbling over her words nervously. "Things are far too complicated right now, especially with my father being in prison. Guy- I cannot. I am sorry."
A sense of… relief flooded him and he breathed deeply, not realizing that he had been holding his breath. Still, a wave of hurt washed over him and he felt bitter at her refusal. It was the final straw.
"I'll see you get an invitation to the wedding," he said abruptly. "Goodbye, Marian."
He turned to leave but she caught his arm and he stopped.
"Guy, I'm sorry," she said, "but you must understand. And you cannot marry her. She's a stranger. You cannot spend the rest of your life with a woman you barely know!"
"I intend on getting to know her very well," he snapped, shirking out of her grasp. "Goodbye, Marian."
He left the room and headed for Lady Kate's chambers. He had to tell her immediately before he could change his mind.