Sins of the Heart Part Seven

Warnings: spoilers for series 3
Disclaimer: All original characters belong to BBC/Tiger Aspect

Previously

'But we were going to go together and . . . Guy said to wait,' Marian finished pathetically because she wanted to do what Robin was asking, she wanted to give him the key, both because she was angry with Guy for changing his mind and because she loved the man now at her window. She looked at Robin closely, his face strained, those piecing, blue eyes that could see into her soul, pleading with her, his lips – so soft, so kissable – pressed together with worry. She met his eyes, it was so painful to look at him, the man she adored with every fibre of her being, but could never have again; to see the hurt she had caused written on the face of her darling Robin. At that moment she felt she would do anything for him, anything to erase some of that pain in his eyes.

Marian allowed Robin to trace his fingers over the back of her hand where it lay in the window sill. His touch sent thrills through her, as if it brought her to life. She could feel the key under her skirts, resting against her thigh. When Robin spoke again there was a quiet desperation in his voice.

'Marian, please, give me the key.'

Sins of the Heart Part Seven

Marian closed her eyes, her heart was tearing in two, but she could not do this whilst she looked at him. Nor whilst he touched her. She withdrew her hand.

'I'm sorry, Robin,' she said, 'I cannot go behind his back again.'

Robin bowed his head. He nodded incrementally to indicate he understood and let out a deep sigh of disappointment.

'I will talk to him again, she can't be trusted,' Marian continued, to herself as much as Robin. 'She must want something, I suppose it makes her look bad if her brother is outlawed, but it's one over me. I know it is.'

'Marian,' Robin said gently, 'do not let the way you feel about her cloud your judgement. She isn't as bad as –'

'Robin! How can you say that? She told Guy about us!' Marian knew she was losing it, that angry jealousy was rising within her again as Robin defended Isabella, conjuring images of them together, that kiss she had witnessed, kisses she hadn't witnessed, that might not have even happened, but that she tortured herself with nonetheless.

'She had feelings for me, Marian. I shouldn't have led her on . . . it was my fault. I just thought . . .' Robin shook his head sadly and pressed his lips together.

'She's evil.'

'Marian, you have nothing to be jealous of,' Robin shook his head and laughed in spite of himself. 'She has moved on to better men, she has the Prince Regent now,' he told her pulling a mocking face.

Marian smiled too, their eyes met sadly. Even in the worst of circumstances he still made her heart skip.

'There are no better men than you,' Marian whispered before she could stop herself. 'You are a good man, Robin, the very best.'

Marian watched him look at her intently, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He swallowed and sighed.

'But you won't help me?'

'I cannot, you know I cannot. But I will talk to Guy.'

Marian watched dejectedly as Robin swung down from the beam, his eyes full of disappointment in her, far worse than any harsh words or recriminations. She had expected a show of anger from him. It was as if he was beyond anger, leaving nothing but sadness and the hollow realisation she was no longer his Marian.

Marian watched him out of sight and pressed her head to the cool wall, gathering her thoughts. She was sick of her world spiralling out of control around her, she wanted to be in control, have some choices, not be dragged in and out with the tide. She began to feel suddenly angry with her father; what had he been thinking, raising her this way, telling her she had choices? He should have prepared her for reality; the reality that women had to do what men wanted. She had to do what her husband wanted, no matter who that husband was. Isabella knew it, she knew it, her father should have known it too.

Marian lifted her head up and took a deep breath. She smoothed her skirts. She would have to do better than this, she thought as she made her way back downstairs, preparing to do all she could to persuade Guy to change his mind.

'Once you're sheriff of course you'll have as many resources as you like to capture Hood. Vaisey was a fool, he wanted a game. You will have Hood's head and then who knows, Prince John may give you more than Nottingham.'

Isabella was in full flow, Guy listened intently, his eyes glittering at the possibilities. Despite their many years of estrangement she knew exactly how to win over her brother.

'The Prince will want a strong ally in the North, Guy. That can be you. And me of course,' she took another sip of wine and leaned in to him. 'Tell me, what were you planning?'

Guy shrugged and smiled enigmatically, enjoying keeping his secrets from her.

'Don't tell me then, but if it is an opportunity to get Hood, you're a fool to keep your secrets. Think how John will reward you if you give him that treacherous head on a platter.'

Marian watched Guy considering, her heart almost stopped. She had a horrible feeling Robin would have a go at the strong room, key or no key, and if Isabella knew he'd find every soldier in Nottingham waiting for him and surely be caught.

'We were going to –'

'Guy! Don't tell her,' Marian called, rushing to her husband's side and laying a hand on his shoulder. 'Guy, you have said too much!' She was angry, knew she sounded it too.

'Marian, are you worried about your outlaw?' Isabella said with a twisted smile. Marian felt Guy tense. She chose to ignore Isabella, if she rose to it she would end up hitting her, which wouldn't help any of them.

'Guy, you said yourself you may still need this plan if the Prince isn't quite as amenable as Isabella thinks. You know how whimsical he is. He might have found a new whore by teatime.'

Marian narrowed her eyes at Isabella who shot her a daggered glare.

'You perhaps? You always have to have what I want, you can't leave any of the men alone, can you?' Isabella rose to her feet, her cheeks colouring at Marian's insult.

Guy was about to speak, but Marian didn't even notice the shocked and angry look on his face as weeks of tension and ill-feeling exploded and Marian slapped Isabella hard across the face. Marian felt a little stunned, she had never hit anyone before, except as the Night Watchman, not a woman and certainly not as Marian.

Isabella responded with a cry of fury and grabbed Marian's hair, clawing at her face with sharp nails. Marian retaliated, pushing her back onto the table top and grabbing her throat, she was the stronger and easily pinned Isabella down. It felt good, this power over her, making her pay for all the pain she had caused. Was this how Guy felt when he fought Robin, when he attacked her and Isabella? Was she like him?

This thought was enough to make her loosen her grip enough for Isabella to swipe her fingernails over her cheek, drawing blood.

'You bitch,' Isabella spat.

'You've ruined my life,' Marian yelled, all control leaving her as pain struck and Isabella went to hit her. Marian blocked her hand before it reached her and grabbed Isabella's arms, shoving her against the wall.

'You just couldn't leave him alone, could you?' Isabella hissed, her voice suffused with bitterness.

'He was never yours! He was mine, always mine!' Marian could hear herself, she sounded a little crazy, but all rationality had left her, all her anger was pouring out, directed at the now cowering woman she was shaking against the hard wall. 'He never wanted you, he was just using you, playing with you because he belongs to me, he loves me!'

Marian was about to say more when she found herself lifted bodily in the air and her arms pinned to her sides by the powerful, leather-clad arms around her. It was like being doused in ice.

'Enough!' Guy's voice was deep and furious. 'One more move from either of you and you'll both feel the back of my hand.' He lessened his grip on Marian a little, but still held her.

'Guy,' Isabella began to wail, 'she attacked me, she is a liar and she hates me because I told you about her, her and Robin.'

Isabella had tears rolling down her cheeks, she hung her head and tried to smooth her unkempt hair.

Guy looked from one to the other, Marian felt a sickening jolt in her stomach as she watched Guy's face, it was dawning on him that there was more than met the eye to their fight.

'What,' he said quietly and dangerously, 'was that about?'

'Nothing,' Marian lied, 'I wanted to go ahead with my plan, that is all.'

'You want to meet Robin!' Isabella cried. 'No surprise there, and you have the nerve to call me a whore!' Isabella was still furious.

Guy let go of Marian and pushed her forward roughly.

'Tell me what that was about,' his voice was raised, he knew they were keeping something from him. He looked from one to the other. 'Why,' he asked fixing his eyes on Isabella, 'did you call Hood Robin?'

Isabella gulped, she didn't speak. Marian said nothing, she didn't dare lie to Guy again, because he would know. Much as she would like Isabella unmasked as the liar she was, Marian was now deeply regretting her loss of control because Guy was working it out, and in a moment he would realise that both his wife and his sister had betrayed him and his heart would be torn apart again.

Guy leaned on the back of the chair that Isabella had earlier shielded herself behind. He looked hard at Marian.

'Tell me,' he demanded, 'tell me how she knew, about you and him.'

'Guy,' Marian pleaded, 'it doesn't matter now, I am sorry I have wronged you . . . please.'

'Was Isabella meeting Hood?' Guy asked, his voice was barely audible, but there was a deadly threat in every syllable. Marian could see the rage begin to cloud his eyes. She wished to be anywhere else, she wished she could lie, but she dared not. If he found out . . . if he suspected. She was remembering when he had discovered her last big lie. Her eyes flickered over his weapons.

'Yes,' Marian murmured, terrified as her words sunk in.

Guy said nothing. He looked at Isabella, then at Marian. Marian had expected rage, violence even. But he hadn't even moved his hands.

'I was only doing it to spy on her, because I knew she was up to something and I was right, I was doing it for you, Guy,' Isabella pleaded, she was desperate. 'Marian caught me, that day in the forest, when you rescued us –'

'Rescued?' Guy spat, Marian could see his arm shaking where it rested on the chair back.

'She has made my life hell, she has been threatening me at every turn, said that if I told you she would tell on me. She knew I was on to her.'

'You liar!' Marian cried, her rage returning with a rush that made her head spin. 'You lying bitch! You have tried to destroy me, because I had what you wanted!'

'No! She's lying, Guy.' Isabella clutched Guy's arm. 'She always lies, you know this, she hated me because she though Hood loved me instead, now she hates me because I unmasked her.'

Guy turned to look at Marian, the truth of Isabella's words was like a dagger in Marian's heart, all the more painful because it was Isabella who spoke them. Her jealousy was like a beast that ate at her brain, robbing her of reason where Isabella and Robin were concerned; she thought of the times when Isabella had disappeared in the past few weeks, meeting Robin, whilst she had had to stay at home with Guy. How she tortured herself imagining what they might be doing, how it pained her that her lover might look at anyone else as he did her, that he might touch another, kiss another.

'You have always lied to me,' Guy said slowly, addressing Marian. 'Isabella has been loyal to me.'

Marian could not believe her ears, he believed Isabella. Not her. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes, but why should he believe her? Now he thought the worst of her, believed she would bully his sister, threaten his only family to protect her illicit affair. She swallowed down her tears, she didn't have time for the indulgence of crying. She looked again at Isabella, who was holding Guy's arm soothingly. Isabella glared at her and gave her a malicious, triumphant smile. Marian cracked.

'She is in love with Robin, she adored him and she hates me because Robin loves me, not her. I wasn't going to tell you because I have hurt you enough without her betrayal too. She passed him information and she loved every minute of it.'

Guy stared at her, weighing up her words. He looked from one to the other, disgust written across his face.

'You're both liars,' he spat, picking up his goblet of wine and hurling it at the far wall. 'Hood's whores, the pair of you.'

'I'm sorry, Guy,' Marian whispered. She looked at him pleadingly, desperate to make amends, desperate to comfort him. She couldn't bear the hurt in his eyes, it was too much. 'Now do you see why we have to leave Nottingham, have a fresh start. We cannot stay here.'

Guy faced her, ignoring Isabella, who was crying, again leaning against the wall. He looked like he might cry too, all his certainties had crumbled in the last few days.

'Do you still have the key or did you give it to Hood when you were upstairs?' He spoke with a triumphant bitterness, sure he was about to unmask her treachery.

Marian reached into her skirts, surprised he knew she had been speaking to Robin, perhaps he was more astute than she gave him credit for. As she produced the key a look of relief swept his face. He let out a breath.

'I thought you had . . .'

'I promised you I am yours now. I have kept my promise. Now I ask that you keep your promise to me and we go through with our plan.'

Guy looked at her thoughtfully, then at Isabella.

He then turned back to Marian, grabbed her arm. 'Come, we've waited here long enough. Time to go.'

'Go where?' Isabella demanded. 'Guy, if you wait here and I speak to Prince John . . .'

'You're a liar,' Guy hissed, 'you lied to me all along.'

'So did she!' Isabella screamed, waving her finger accusingly at Marian.

'That wasn't Marian's fault,' Guy cried, his voice suffused with desperation. 'She is my wife and . . . and . . .'

'I love you,' Marian finished for him. She held his gaze and saw the relief flood his face at her words. 'Come on, Guy.'

It was Marian leading him now; Guy was looking back at Isabella who was hurling abuse at her, bitterness and resentment spewing forth. Marian knew it was wrong to feel triumphant, but she did. She felt victorious, having wrested her husband from the clutches of his scheming sister. She felt no pity for Isabella, her only pity was reserved for Guy, for his hurt at Isabella's betrayal. But at least he knew now, knew what Isabella really was and that her word was true.

They marched swiftly through Locksley and headed for the cover of the trees. It was Allan who saw them first. Marian heard him mutter something vaguely insulting about her black dress, but ignored it. She was looking for Robin.

He emerged from behind a large tree, his hood up, eyes narrowed at them. Guy immediately sprung from Marian's side and leapt at Robin, his fist narrowly missing Robin's jaw and catching his shoulder instead.

Robin retaliated just as violently, his fists flying at Guy. Marian could hear her scream shrilly rising from her throat, but lost in the ugly, masculine grunts and cries of their fight.

'What's happened now?' Much asked her in a panic, as he tried to intervene on Robin's behalf.

'Isabella,' Marian replied, wincing as Guy's fist found Much's face, sending him sprawling backwards. However, Much's intervention was enough for Robin to gain a moment's advantage and pull his knife to Guy's neck. Marian screamed again.

'Give me one reason, Gisborne,' Robin hissed in his ear, 'why I shouldn't slit your throat.'

Guy laughed darkly. 'Because Marian will never forgive you and you still love her,' Guy smirked in triumph, knowing the truth of his words cut Robin to the bone.

'You bastard,' Robin spat, dropping the knife and punching him in the jaw instead. Guy was momentarily dazed and slid backwards before regaining his balance and sending a fist right into Robin's face, knocking him to the ground.

'That is for seducing my sister!' Guy roared, leaping on top of Robin and raising his fist again. It never made contact though, Marian had flung her arms around his neck and with all her strength pulled Guy back. He landed awkwardly on top of her.

'Get up,' she cried, pushing him off her and getting to her feet. 'What the hell are you doing, Guy?'

'He needs to pay for what he has done, to you, to Isabella.'

'I haven't slept with your crazy sister,' Robin retorted. 'She wanted me to, but I'm a one woman man.' Robin's eyes met Marian's pleading with her to believe him.

'How very noble of you,' Guy sneered. 'You take innocent women, Hood, use them, take them in with your warm words of charity, your good deeds. But I know you, you're as violent as the next man. You're nothing but a peasant now, living off scraps and trying to steal the woman you love, the woman you lost because you chose war over her.'

Robin charged at Guy once more, they met in a frenzy, quickly fell to the ground. Blows coming thick and fast, wrestling for dominance.

Robin straddled Guy's legs, pinning him to the ground.

'Do you ever wonder why, Gisborne? Why your wife was so desperate to run off with me, why your sister was so quick to betray you? People like you, you're scum, you inflict suffering on innocents without a second thought. You're all hate, you wage war right here, on your own people. I shouldn't have gone to war, you're right about that, but I would rather have died out there than lived the life you have.'

With that Robin punched Guy again before being bodily lifted off him by a quite furious Little John. Allan and Much were quickly at Guy's side, each holding back one of Guy's arms. Once again Marian stood in the middle.

'Enough,' Little John roared at the two of them. 'This we do not do!'

'Get off me!' Guy screamed at his two reluctant captors.

'Steady on, Guy,' Allan warned, 'just calm down, yeah?' Guy let a series of angry expletives fly out in reply, to which Allan clearly thought it best to ignore.

'Master, please,' Much begged, 'think of Marian.'

'I am,' Robin spluttered, his breath choked by the tight hold Little John had over him.

Finally Marian spoke, she looked from one to the other. 'Isabella is a liar,' she said evenly, 'we all know that, now we forget her. This morning we had a plan. To rob the castle, to save England,' at these words she looked at Robin, before she turned to Guy, 'a plan for a new life.'

'If you still want to have all that we need to work together. I have the key. If you two won't help me I'm going to rob the strong room alone then join a nunnery.'

Marian folded her arms and bowed her head, blew out a deep breath. She'd had enough, enough of the fights, the arguments, the tears and recriminations. She swallowed down the tears, the regret and stood firm. Enough was enough.

'Guy?' she asked finally, seeing her furious husband had finally stopped struggling.

'Alright,' he grunted, 'get off me and we'll do it. I'll show you the tunnel.'

Marian gave him a small smile as he shook himself down.

'Robin?' Marian asked tentatively.

Robin nodded. 'For England and the people though. Not for him.'

'Okay, for England, we all want what is best for England.'

Robin muttered something inaudible.

'Aw, what's the matter? Can't deal with the fact your precious king would rather be in France?' Guy mocked.

'Shut it, Gisborne. I'm loyal to my king, you don't know the meaning of the word.'

'I'm loyal to Marian, I wouldn't put any king or prince before her,' Guy retorted quickly.

'Guy!' Marian said sharply, placing her hand on his arm. 'If you mean that then you and Robin must come to a truce. You must agree to work together.'

'I do not trust Gisborne,' Robin spat, his face dark and twisted with anger.

'Then trust me,' Marian reached out and placed her other hand on Robin's arm. 'You are both important to me, both have a place in my heart and you may hate me for that if you want, but you must stop hating each other.'

They both laughed bitterly at the same time. Marian almost smiled, at least they seemed to agree on something.

'I want you to shake hands,' she dared, wondering if they would laugh or try to kill each other again. They laughed, but there was no humour in their grim smiles. 'I mean it, please, for me, Guy.' She decided to work on her husband first, he was the one who was claiming to have undying loyalty to her after all. Perhaps now Vaisey was dead he truly did.

'Maybe, for you, Marian. If he says . . .'

'Whatever it is, forget it, I owe you nothing,' Robin snapped at Guy.

'No ifs, no buts. You have wronged each other and I have wronged both of you. But all the time we stand here, the sun moves across the sky and we lose time. Time that we could be using to get to the tunnel, make plans.'

Robin sighed, looked as though he was considering, he gave the smallest nod of his head, so incremental it was barely noticeable.

Guy snorted, then shrugged off Allan and Much, making his way to stand just a pace from Robin.

'We do this, then I never want to set eyes on you again,' Guy spoke as if it were a threat, not an offer of a truce.

'Suits me,' Robin replied, equally hostile. Marian allowed herself a small smile, she caught each man's eye, silently urging them to shake hands.

Guy very slowly moved his arm forward, Robin did likewise, neither wanting to show more willing than the other. Their hands finally met and for the briefest moment they shook, before quickly letting go and resuming their hostile expressions.

'Thank you,' Marian breathed, feeling the knot in her stomach lessen for the first time in weeks.

'So this tunnel leads right into the centre of the castle?' Robin asked again.

They were gathered in the old camp, having decided it was safe for now. Guy's assurances the soldiers had been called off had finally been accepted when he'd pointed out he'd be risking his own life as much as theirs.

'Yes, then it is just one hallway, turn right and you're outside the strong room.'

'And guards?' Robin pressed.

'None of them know about the tunnel. The entrance is hidden. It looks like a disused door to a cellar. There will be four patrolling the corridor to the strong room. Unless John has upped security.'

'Which he might have,' Little John said. 'Be careful Robin, the royal guards are a different matter to the usual castle guards.'

'I know, but if Gisborne's right then we'll still out number them. Marian can create a distraction if we need it.'

'How?' Marian asked, wondering what Robin had in mind.

She was surprised to hear Robin and Guy answer together.

'Pretend to faint . . .' they both stopped on realising they were saying the same.

'Pretend to faint, be ill or something,' Guy finished, glaring at Robin. Marian nodded, kept her face impassive, but she allowed herself to catch Allan's eye. He had a wry look on his face, he was the only one, apart from her, who knew both men and realised they were far more similar in some respects that either would ever admit.

As dusk fell an uneasy silence also fell over the camp. Guy and Marian were ensconced in Will and Djac's old bunks. Marian was uncomfortably aware of the close proximity of both her loves. The memory of Robin's tears the night before – which now seemed an age ago – was still fresh. She was dreading another cold, sleepless night, this time without the comfort of anyone's arms around her.

Tomorrow they would go down a tunnel, tomorrow they would risk their lives. Robin and the gang for England, for Nottingham; Guy for his love, his Marian.

And Marian? She was doing it for them both, her one last gift to Robin, the man she loved so much, but could never hold again. And for Guy, her husband, the man she betrayed, the man she had come to love, to give him the means to start a new life.

But as Marian shifted uncomfortably on the hard bunk she was suddenly sharply aware of how alone she felt. No warm body next to her, no strong arms to possessively hold her, no muscular body to comfort her. Marian missed it and like a knife through her heart an image of both men felled by swords flashed before her eyes. Her blood ran cold, making her shiver even more as she furiously willed the image out of her mind.

Tomorrow they would go down the tunnel. Tomorrow Marian's idea would risk all their lives.

To be continued . . .