Part Four: Maidenhood

Part Four: Maidenhood

As the castle of Nottingham loomed before them, Rosie suddenly turned quiet. William knowing full well that if Rosie was quiet it either meant she was up to something or she was worried so he stopped and turned to his youngest daughter

"What is it my child?" but Rosie just shook her head "Rosie" he said gently pushing her chin up so he could look into her eyes

"Daddy why do you have to go in there" she said pointing to the castle "It's scary"

William looked up and suddenly saw what Rosie meant. To a young girl the huge castle look intimidating with its ferocious portcullis and the masses of surrounding guards.

"Don't worry Rosie, the castle is not scary. Sometimes things just look scary and nasty from the outside to scare off people" and Rosie nodded.

They made their way into the castle and were shown to the great room by two guards who said nothing to them. Outside the room William bent down to his young daughter

"Be good little one, I wont be long" he whispered before standing up and entering the room followed by the two guards.

Rosie was left all alone in the dark long corridor. It was silent and cold. She sat down outside the door and hugged her knees hoping that William would come back soon

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William entered the room and was taken back by who was sitting in front of him. Instead of his loyal and favourable king there was a small bald man with a sneer on his face and a talk dark haired man in leather standing behind him

"I don't understand…." William began "Where is the king?"

"The king is off fighting in the holy lands" the bald man sneered

"Well who are you?" William frowned

"I am the Sheriff of Nottingham and this lovely fellow is Sir Guy of Gisbourne" the man said gesturing to the leather clad man behind him

"But I don't understand the king called for me"

"We need your services" the Sheriff said

"My services belong to the king and no one else" William said sternly

"I think you might change your mind when we show you what is at stake" the Sheriff said clicking his fingers as the guards moved forward and grabbed William roughly by the arms

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Back in the corridor Rosie jumped at the sudden noise that echoed down the corridor. She listened intently as the noise came closer and closer.

"Robin, I have to go my father will be expecting me back and I told him I would only be at the castle for the afternoon" said a female voice

"I love you Marion" came another voice Rosie was sure she recognised

"Master hurry" a third voice called down the corridor

Rosie suddenly felt very afraid, what if she got into trouble by sitting outside the door? Maybe the voices belonged to guards who would throw her in the dungeons if the though she had been listening to their conversation

Rosie pressed herself up against the door in a bid not to be seen as voices from the conversation grew closer and closer. She put wrapped herself up in a little ball and tried to make herself as small as possible. The footsteps got closer and closer until the stopped in front of her.

"Well, well, well what do we have here then?" a voice said

"Please don't throw me in the dungeons" Rosie cried

"Now why would I do that?" the voice said and Rosie uncurled herself and saw a tall man with light coloured hair and kind eyes looking down at her. From where she was sitting Rosie could see he had a bow hanging off his back. Next to him stood a shorter man who looked nervous and behind them stood a pretty young lady with curly brown hair.

"Because you're guards and you don't like people in your castle" Rosie said sniffing slightly

"We're not guards" the man said

"Promise?" Rosie said wiping the tears from her eyes

"I promise, now what is a pretty little thing like you sitting down on a cold floor like this?"

"Waiting for my father" she said with a bit of boldness creeping back into her voice

"And what's your father's name?"

"William Oaks" she said and the man stood up looking shocked

"As in the famous mapmaker" and Rosie nodded "Which means that would make you….no you couldn't be….could you?"

"I'm Rosie" she said with all the confidence in her voice regained and the man grinned down at her

"Rosie Oaks, my how you've grown, you were just a little baby when I last saw you"

"Do you know my Daddy?" Rosie asked

"Yes, I was his apprentice about seven years ago, I'm Robin by the way" he aid "This is Much" he said pointing to the man behind him "And this is Maid Marion although if I have my way she won't be a maid for much longer" he said taking the young girls hand whilst she blushed

"Robin don't" she smiled "I have to go" she said pulling away and hurrying away down the corridor

Rosie slowly got to her feet as Robin leant a hand and pulled her up. She brushed the dirt off her dress and looked up at the man who had introduced himself as Robin

"Is my daddy coming back soon?"

"I'm not sure, why is he here anyway?"

"The king wants to Daddy to help with some maps" Rosie said repeating what William had told her earlier

"But the king is in the holy lands" Much said

"No, daddy said he was here" Rosie said shaking her head manically

Robin looked at Much with a worried look on his face.

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"Well, well, well William, we need your skills" the Sheriff said sneering as the guards held William down

"And I told you…." William started to stay

"Yes I know, you're loyal to your precious king, well as I said he's in the holy lands and well we need your maps. See some of us don't want him back so we're going to trot off into to the holy lands and kill him" the Sheriff said coldly

"And why do you need me?"

"You made his maps my dear boy and we need them to go and find the dear old king"

"No I will never" William shouted "I am loyal to my king"

"You see I thought you would say that so I made arrangements"

"What sort of arrangements?"

"Those lovely girls of yours"

"What have you done with my daughters?"

The Sheriff clicked his fingers and the guards brought out a stretcher. On the stretcher lay three bodies. William leaned forward and cried out when he saw who they were. There lying quite still were his daughters.

"What have you done you monster?" William screamed

"You crossed me Oaks. You won't give me what I want and so I took away the thing you cherish most in your life"

"They were just children" he sobbed

"Well don't worry Gisbourne left one by mistake. Your youngest daughter wasn't there" the Sheriff paused for a moment before saying "Which means she must be with you. Guards!" he yelled.

But at that point William lost it. He leapt up and fought off the guards. He tore out of the room and fell down in front of Robin who was talking with Rosie

"William what happened?" Robin cried

"Daddy?" Rosie said looking scared

"He killed them Robin, he killed my girls" William sobbed

"William we need to get out of here" Robin said picking up Rosie and running out of the castle with Much helping William

"I should have known" William kept repeating "I had a feeling, that's why I gave Rosie her compass rose today"

When they were far enough into the nearby forest they all stopped and Robin put Rosie down who was crying in a mixture of fear and confusion

"Come here my darling" William said crying as he pulled his daughter into a hug "Daddy's here now"

"William you can't stay here now" Robin said

"I know" William said looking sad

"Travel away from here, keep Rosie safe. The Sheriff will be after her and yourself"

"But what about you Robin?"

"Me and Much have been called to the holy lands to fight. But I will get message to the king of the evil" Robin said looking stern "Now go before the guards catch up with you"

William stood up still holding Rosie and turned to Robin and Much "Promise me you will look after her one day if something happens to me"

"Nothing will William"

"Please promise me Robin…."

"I promise"

"Stay safe my young men" William said calling to the two young men as he ran off into the forest

"You too" Robin called

"Daddy where are we going?" Rosie said

"Far away from here my sweet" William cried

"But what about Ellie, Sapphire and Willow?" and William sobbed at the mention of their names

"They can't come with us; they're with your mother now"

"Daddy?"

"Rosie, it's just you and me now. We have to look out for each other" William said holding his daughter tight.

Rosie sobbed and clutched her compass rose tightly scared about what would lay in store for her now.