The Consequence of Loyalty

By Cynthia Burnett

Chapter 3

Knighton Hall

Within Knighton Hall, Marian busied herself sharpening blades for her trips in the shire as the Night Watchman. Her father decided it best that she do this in the house as long as she kept her tools in her room. She thought she heard the door open downstairs and quickly hid her stone and knife under a blanket. Picking up needle and thread Marian began to cross stitch a pillow that she had been pretending to toil over for months.

Sir Edward appeared at her door with worry in his eyes. "Marian, Sir Guy is here to see you."

Disgusted, Marian replied, "Tell him I do not wish to see him. Please send him away Father." She stood and laid down the needle and cloth.

Behind her father, Sir Guy addressed her for the first time since their interrupted marriage in Locksley. "I will not be sent away again, my lady. I must speak with you. It is important, and I think you will want to hear what I have to say." His voice was kind and soft, and did not sound like a man who intended any harm.

Marian searched his eyes for any malice or any reason to fear his presence in her house. She found none. In resignation, she lowered her head.

"Father, it is fine. I will talk with Sir Guy." She rose and walked by her father to face Gisborne, remembering the time he had forced the proposal of marriage upon her in this room. With a quick nod to Sir Guy, she headed downstairs, "I will talk to you outside." Gisborne followed her down the stairs and out the door.

Marian walked to the back of the house and glanced back to make sure Gisborne kept his distance. He reminded her of a stray dog that had once followed her home. In the back yard she felt safe and knew that should she need to she could leave him and return inside.

"To what do I own the pleasure of your visit, Sir Guy," Marian remarked sarcastically. Her cold stare was boring a hole straight through her once husband to be.

"My lady, I'm here once more to apologize for my actions. I only had your well being and the safety of your father in my heart. I am sorry that I hurt you with that lie, and that I used it to trick you into marriage that day." Gisborne lowered his eyes before returning them to gaze deeply into hers.

"How can you expect me to forgive you and let things return to what they were before that day? I cannot trust you. You lied to me." Marian tried to control her anger, but felt very satisfied that she was in charge of the situation. He could not manipulate her any more with his promise of protection. The Sheriff had shown his true colors and no one in Nottingham was safe as long as he ruled the shire.

"Marian, my lady, I have come here to express my apologies, but that is not the only reason I am here." Gisborne tried to suppress one of his crooked smiles, but did not succeed.

Realizing that Gisborne had something else up his sleeve, Marian looked to the house where she saw her father standing at the door, in case she needed him.

"What is it Sir Guy? The day grows long, and I have much to do." Marian saw his jaw clench, which was never a good sign.

"Remember when my house was broken into by one of Robin Hood's men?" He looked into her eyes, and saw fear there. He was sure that the idea of having your house broken into by outlaws would frighten any maiden. After she nodded, he continued. "I have made some changes and secured the house and the rooms with locks to keep the outlaws out. It is safe and secure."

Marian looked away, worried that her reactions would betray her embarrassment of being the one who had tried to break into his manor. "I'm glad for you, Sir Guy, but I do not see why that would concern me."

"I have protected my manor and my valuables for you, to be able to earn your hand in marriage, but that was not all that I have done. Today, while riding through the forest, I managed to capture someone, someone who I think you will have interest in." Gisborne left the statement open, waiting to see who she thought he had captured.

Marian kept her cool, trying to hide her worry with disinterest. She had a feeling that the person of interest was not Robin by the smile on his face. If his suspicions of her love for Robin were founded in any sense of reality, coming here to tell her of Robin's capture by his hands would not win him any favors. "If it is an outlaw, then I'm sure that he will not interest me."

Sir Guy just shook his head. "No, you know this one. He seemed to care about you a lot the day of our wedding." Marian searched her memory. The only outlaw she remembered Sir Guy seeing that day had been Much.

"Robin's servant?" She asked. Anger threatened to overcome her. "What have you done, Sir Guy?" She moved closer to the noble and forced him to step back.

A small laugh escaped him. "Easy Marian, he is safe. I am going to make sure that he knows his place in the house and that he learns that I am his master now." Sir Guy tried to touch her shoulder, but she rebuffed his contact.

"What of Robin? How did you separate Much from his master?" Marian was not sure she would like the answer, but she needed to hear it.

Now, anger crept into Sir Guy's voice. He should have known that the conversation would eventually turn to Robin. "Robin is alive in the forest. He had the misfortune of stepping into a net trap while we were chasing them through the forest. He was alive when we left him."

Marian guessed a motive for Sir Guy's actions. "This is all a game, isn't it?" She could not stand it.

Gisborne tried to make this event work in his favor and to make Lady Marian understand why he was in the right. "Robin lost everything when he disobeyed the Sheriff. He has since done everything he can to undermine law and order here in the shire. When I was granted his lands, it included his serfs, his manor and his servants. This man, Much, is a servant to Robin. Therefore, he belongs to the Locksley Estate. He belongs to me."

Marian absorbed his words, and could see his point of view, however misguided it was. He saw Much as Locksley property. When Robin was forced into the forest by the Sheriff, everyone in Locksley had to start calling Sir Guy their lord, their master. Then a thought hit her that made her ill. Sir Guy had mentioned their wedding day to hint at who he had captured.

"Please, Sir Guy, tell me that you did not do this because of what happened." Her eyes softened, glistening with the onset of tears. "You did not do this because Much told me about the Sheriff's false King Richard."

Sir Guy could not hide the truth. He did not want to. He wanted to drown Marian in guilt, if he could. She left him at the alter because of this servant's big mouth. He hated to admit it, but seeing her hurt right now was the balm that he needed to heal. Once again, he was in control.

"And if the answer is yes, what will you do about it? You have already called off our engagement. You cannot do anything else to hurt me, Marian." Sir Guy finally turned to leave. Now that he realized he had hurt her, he could not believe how much satisfaction it gave him. He had hoped this servant was as dear to her as she had appeared to be to him. As he slowly walked around the house to find his horse, he was surprised to see Sir Edward coming out of the front door.

"Sir Guy, my daughter has asked me if she can accompany you back to Locksley. She only needs to change her clothes." The old man seemed out of breath and seemed to be struggling to comprehend why his daughter would make such a request. Guy had to admit that she would never have asked him the question herself.

Unwilling to let this opportunity to have Marian by his side slip away, Guy nodded, "I will wait for her." He had hoped that his visit would result in her coming back with him to Locksley, albeit to see Much.

Immediately, Sir Edward called for one of their servants to prepare Marian's horse.

Inside Knighton Hall, Allen and Djac watched the door very carefully, ready to hide at a moment's notice. They stood anxiously while Robin and Little John had rushed Marian into the house. She was visibly upset, and was not about to listen to Robin's plan.

"Marian, please, I sent your father outside the moment that we saw Sir Guy leaving. We need you to visit Locksley, to make sure Much is safe, to find out what fortifications Gisborne has put in place." Robin tried not to let his fear shine through to Marian, but she could not believe how transparent he was to her right now.

"Robin, I am afraid for Much too, but I do not know if my heart can bear to see him trapped there with no way out." She pulled away. "This is all my fault." Her tears started to flow freely from her eyes. "He didn't want me to marry Sir Guy because of a lie. Much came to the wedding, announcing to everyone that Gisborne had tried to kill King Richard. He told everyone that I loved another." She looked at Robin. "Robin, do you realize how dangerous this is for him. Sir Guy can lose his temper with the slightest provocation. He is very dangerous when he feels betrayed."

"I know, which is why you need to visit the manor and Much. Maybe you can keep Sir Guy occupied while we try to find a way to get Much out. Every moment that he spends with you is a moment he cannot spend alone with Much." Robin reached for her hand, and pulled her upstairs. "You need to change. He is waiting for you. Please Marian, I need you to do this for me… for Much. He needs you."

Marian pushed Robin aside and entered her room, closing the door behind her. She rushed to put on clothes that she could ride in comfortably. They had lost precious time talking, and she knew Sir Guy would be growing impatient outside. When she was ready, she ran down the stairs. She faced Robin, who tenderly dried her tears with a kerchief.

"You are a very strong person, my lady." Robin stated, as he handed her the kerchief. "We will be right behind you and right outside the manor." Marian nodded, and then exited Knighton Hall.

Outside, she saw Sir Guy, looking smug, no doubt believing he had won a victory over her. She swallowed her pride, and mounted her white mare to join him on the road back to Locksley manor. She prayed that she could be strong during the ride with Gisborne. The only thing she was thankful for was the quiet ride out of Knighton Hall. Gisborne seemed content to ride in silence, and did not try to ask her why she had such a sudden change of heart. As long as he did not ask, she did not have to come up with another lie.