Disclaimer: I do not own BBC Robin Hood, if I did I would not have killed Robin off or ended the programme after 3 series. I only own my original character Daisy

MARION

Marion was in shock as she stumbled through the hedgerow. She's known Sir Guy to be a dangerous man but had never expected him to behave as he had. She'd thought herself to be untouchable because he favoured her. Now she thought herself foolish. How could she have been that blind.

Her wrists were red and sore, her arms had large hand shaped bruises on them and from the way her face was making her wince, she knew it must be turning an alarming shade of purple. Her hands shook as she stumbled. Why did she pick the woods to run too?

It was a question she knew the answer too. Her Father would not offer her comfort, he would have told her that it was her fault and that she should apologise to Sir Guy and accept his proposal. Her Father was always on the lookout for himself. That was where she learnt her behaviour from. To protect oneself was the highest priority one could have. Forcing others to play off each other was a tactic that ensured her survival. The fact that she liked to manipulate people was so-so. It wasn't something she could give up now that it had become such a part of her life.

She'd run to the woods because the woods didn't judge. The woods didn't scold her or hurt her. The woods were just silent, the tall trees offered protection and the leaves blocked out the pain of the sun.

She'd run intently in the opposite direction from where she knew Robin's camp to be. She didn't want to run the risk of stumbling upon them. She valued herself too much and knew she wouldn't be welcome. The fact that she wouldn't be welcome stung her deeply to the point where she worried about the actions she had taken. She wasn't worried enough to change her actions but she was worried. In the last few months, life hadn't gone the way she had planned.

She had planned to pit Robin and Guy against each other before announcing that neither suited her fancy. She had planned to trick the Sheriff into the palm of her hand and stealing Nottingham from him. She had planned to play the lost woman card and earn the respect of Prince John and she had planned to slowly integrate herself into King Richard's court.

These of course seemed like pipe dreams now. She wondered how it had gone so wrong. It was so easy to blame Daisy for everything and really why should she not blame Daisy? Everything started to go wrong when her good for nothing cousin arrived on the scene.

She wrapped her arms around her as a cool breeze blew through the woods. Chewing on her bottom lip was a habit she'd tried to give up but she chewed anew as she thought of what had happened. Despite her hate towards Sir Guy, he had given her a great opportunity. Didn't he say that the Sheriff had asked for Daisy's capture?

Surely Marion as Daisy's cousin would have better luck at capturing Daisy that Sir Guy and a handful of guards. Imagine the look on the Sheriff's face as she walks into Nottingham victorious with Daisy in chains. Imagine the disappointment Sir Guy would feel at being outwitted by a woman. By the same woman he had beaten and the woman he proclaimed to love.

Wouldn't it be amazing? It was self-preservation of course. Marion could push herself to the top with the capture of Daisy. Perhaps her plans were not as shattered as she thought. If she could just gain back some respect and trust, then she'd have the Sheriff in her pocket. Sir Guy would follow the Sheriff and Marion would be free from her Father's ruling hand.

That Daisy could potentially die in the ordeal was of no matter to Marion. She was but a stain on the family that needed to be eradicated.

So wrapped in her thoughts she had been that she missed the large knobbly tree root that stuck out from the ground. It would have been a painful fall if she had hit the ground face first but instead she found herself in the arms of a complete stranger.

She could feel his muscles tensing beneath her and felt fire burn on her skin from where his hands were splayed across her back. He smelt smoky and woodsy. She breathed deeply, it was a smell that seemed so tantalising to her. It surrounded her senses and made home in her heart.

Balancing she grabbed onto the stranger's forearms with more strength. She looked into his eyes and could swear that time had stopped. She didn't know him from Adam and yet he seemed so familiar. It was like she was seeing a face that she had long forgotten, though, looking at him she didn't think she could ever forget such a face.

"I apologise."

She tried to remove herself from his grasp but his hold was too strong. The hands that were splayed across her back now drew soft comforting circles atop her dress.

"No need to apologise fair maiden. It's not every day that a woman such as yourself falls willingly into my arms. Pray, tell me, how did these marks come across your body? Who has harmed you so? Give me their name so I might exact revenge upon your behalf."

His speech shocked Marion. He spoke with such compassion and conviction. Did he really care so much even though he knew not who she was? How could such a man make her feel so warm inside? What did he expect from her?

"It matters not who did the harm. It is over now."

Ever one for self-preservation, Marion wasn't going to give an inch in the face of this unknown stranger. For all she knew, one wrong word and she could be hanging from a noose.

"Ahh I see. You're vulnerable. I'd wager that no one has seen you such in a long time. Tell me, do you enjoy controlling the lives of others?"

Marion fought then and escaped the weakened grip she was being held in. Her face was red with anger. How dear this stranger come across her and start making assumptions about her life.

"You know nothing of me. I wouldn't impugn your character with assumptions yet you clearly have no trouble doing it to me."

He laughed and flexed his muscles. She was reminded on what an attractive specimen the man before her was.

"Kitty has claws. You may not know of me Maid Marion but I know of you. The most beautiful woman in all the lands. Do you know what they say about you?"

Too busy preening under the compliment of her beauty, she missed the question he'd asked.

"They say; as pretty as Marion is, it's a pity about her ice cold heart. What a shame there is no kindness in her. The Sheriff would be a good match for her."

"How dare you make up such lies about me."

"They aren't lies sweetheart. You might think that you do a good job at hiding who you really are from the people around you but I can tell you now that you're failing. All those dreams you have are sure to fail. You have been cheated by people who sort to mould you into an unfeeling beauty."

"You speak these words as if you know them to be true but you know nothing of my life."

"Really? What a sad life it must be to be a woman grown without a Mother. To live in a house with a Father who is both unfeeling and demanding. To be told time and time again of the level of beauty you possess, yet informed that you'll amount to nothing more than someone's wife. One day you snapped didn't you? The life drummed into you became overbearing and I bet you decided to give in and become what you'd been told you were."

Marion was fuming, fuming because this stranger, this unknown man had managed to discovered who she was. He wasn't fooled by the masks she wore and instead saw the woman she'd tried to hide underneath. It was alarming, frightening and unusual. She didn't know what to make of it, who was this stranger that she didn't know?

"Don't go silent on me now sweetheart. Not when you've become so tantalising to me."

She blushed, she was unable to remain unaffected as he charmed her.

"How do you know so much about me?"

"I'm good at reading people."

She frowned because that answer didn't seem like a good enough one for all he had uncovered.

"So which will it be Princess? Will you break the ways you have been taught or will you continue on your lonely spiral towards doom?"

She frowned at him and crossed her arms. Why could she not have both? This strange man had touched her in a way that she didn't think possible. Yet to give up the dreams she had? Stop manipulating others and to not try and capture Daisy seemed impossible. Could she really turn away from a lifetime of living the same way?

She wasn't sure it was even possible.

"Meet me here two days from now. I must see you again Marion."

"Will you not tell me your name?"

"Next time. If you promise to meet me here, I will reveal who I am."

He smirked at her, he looked like a wolf stalking his prey. She nodded. She hadn't wanted to meet him again but the lure of his identity was too much for her to walk away from. She was curious.