A big thank you to SherwoodRose- your kind comment has kept me writing!

Chapter Five

"Elizabeth died in childbirth," Will whispered to Allan as they snuck behind a deserted cart within the walls of the castle. "Richard died not long after. They say he died from grief."

"So his son got the job?"

"Not straight away. Ewan was only twelve or so at the time."

"So how old is he now?"

"Twenty something. Not much older than me."

"So that means that Charlotte is how old?"

"It's lady Charlotte to us, Allan," Will hissed, then darted behind a building. He motioned for Allan to follow, which he did. "Lady Charlotte is only about twenty-three or so, maybe even younger." Allan grinned.

"She sounds just right."

***

"Remind me again, why are we here?" Much groaned as they waited outside a little known gateway into the castle. Robin sighed.

"We are here to meet Lady Charlotte. Will and Allan are going to knock out some guards and steal their uniforms, and then let us in. We creep into her room; Will and Allan stand outside her door while we talk."

"What about John and Djaq?"

"They are meeting a friend of mine to pass on a message."

"To who?" Much cried. Robin clapped his hand over Much's mouth and shushed him, checking around them to make sure that no-one had heard. Luckily for them, there wasn't a person in sight.

Suddenly the two heard a key being thrust into a lock, so they stepped back. The blackened iron gate swung open smoothly, exposing two awkward-looking guards.

"Robin?" Allan hissed. Robin slid out from the shadows and nodded at him, followed by a grumpy Much.

"Her room is the third on the right off the second hallway," Will said. "We'll meet you up there."

Robin and Much snuck in, flitting behind stationary objects and avoiding the inviting patches of flickering orange light provided by the torches hanging on the walls. Eventually they found the room and slipped inside, hoping that Charlotte was asleep.

With a finger to his lips, Robin silently crept over to the bed. Quickly, he pounced on the figure, but his fingers slipped. Confused, he tore the sheet off the bed. Pillows had been stuffed under the blankets in the crude shape of a human.

"What on earth…?" Robin muttered to himself. Suddenly, something leaped on to his back and cupped a delicate-looking hand over his mouth. At first Robin tried to resist, but Much motioned furiously for him not to.

"It is considered good manners to knock on the door before entering a room," a female voice whispered in Robin's ear. He chuckled and she slipped off, landing silently on the bed.

"Sorry, milady," Robin said, turning to face her. Charlotte's honey blonde hair was braided, the plait so long that she slung it over her shoulder and it still reached her hips. Wearing only a nightgown, the two realised that Charlotte was actually quite tiny. Her deep brown eyes were cautious as she watched the two men.

"Allow me to introduce myself; my name is…" Robin began, but Charlotte interrupted.

"Robin Hood, I know."

"Oh?" Much asked, stepping forward.

"You're a legend in these parts- it was kind of obvious," Charlotte explained. "You must be…" she studied Much's face, "… Allan A Dale? Or Will Scarlet?"

"Neither," Much muttered, disappointed. Charlotte laughed.

"Kidding, Much." Both men stared at her, astonished. "I have my sources," she said mysteriously, then continued. "But that's not what you're here to talk about, is it?"

"No," Robin said. "We were just curious, and we were wondering where your loyalties lie." Charlotte raised her eyebrows.

"Truly, that is none of your business," she began, "but if you must know, I am a strong supporter of King Richard, as is my brother. England is falling apart and people are suffering… as a matter-of –fact, I had hoped that you would visit me sometime."

"What for?" Much asked, bewildered.

"I can help you," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Here I can get inside information, plus I am a trained fighter in armed and unarmed combat."

"That's very kind of you, but we already have…" Robin said, but yet again she interrupted.

"Lady Marian. I am aware of that, but I can help in ways that she can't; for a start, I'll be living here full time." Robin and Much exchanged glances, both slightly nervous and very surprised but too proud to let it show.

"How can I trust you?" Robin asked carefully, taking care not to let his tone sound challenging or disrespectful.

"The same way you trust your men- have faith in them. Have faith in me, please," she begged, her large brown eyes pleading. Robin and Much exchanged glances again.

"We'll need a vote," Robin said. Charlotte nodded.

"Bring in your men from outside," she commanded them, no longer beseeching now that they were considering it. Robin nodded and opened the heavy oak door, waving at Allan and Will to come inside.

"We're voting on letting Lady Charlotte join the gang," Robin explained.

"Blimey! I'm not being funny, but it's a bit early, isn't it?" Allan asked, unable to see Charlotte.

"Maybe so, but you can trust me," Charlotte assured him. Allan peered at her from behind Robin and grinned at what he saw.

"You're right," he said, looking her in the eyes. "She's got my vote." She smiled back at him, making his heart flutter. Robin, Much and Will looked at each other, all of them suppressing laughs. Allan liked Charlotte a lot.

"What do you say, lads?" Robin asked Much and Will. They both nodded.

"I think she should," Will said.

"Me too," Much agreed, "but the whole knowing-who-I-am thing is disturbing!"

"So we all agree that Charlotte should join?" Robin double checked.

"Yeah," the boys said in unison.

"But what about Little John, Djaq and Marian?" Charlotte asked. "I don't want to be the cause of any conflict."

"You're right, that is creepy," Will whispered to Much.

"We'll take an official vote later," Robin said, "but for now, we are fairly sure that you can be trusted." Charlotte smiled warmly at him.

"You can give me the result via Marian," she suggested, and Robin nodded.

"Did she tell you that she was with me?" he asked after a small silence.

"No," Charlotte said, shaking her head, "but the signs were obvious; she is supposedly your former sweetheart- that is well known- and she told me herself that she is engaged 'under duress'. Marian is a very capable and astute woman, Robin. You are very lucky to have her."

"I know," he mused, then perked up again. "We must go- thank you, Lady Charlotte."

"No, thank you, Robin," Charlotte said with feeling. "I will not let you down. Now go before a real guard patrols past my door!"

The four men said a quiet goodbye, Allan's by far the most extravagant. He kissed her hand and said, "I hope to see you again, Lady Charlotte." She smiled in reply, which sent his heart beating wildly again. They then disappeared so quickly that if you had blinked, you would have missed it.

That night, Charlotte slept very well. On the other hand, the Sheriff's sleep was restless and filled with anxiety- he could sense that something was wrong. Little did he know how wrong.