Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood, it is property of the BBC

Thank you to Mara Scarlett and xxCee-Gxx

Chapter 14

A short while later, the gang of outlaws went to return Marian to her home.

At Knighton Hall, Djaq tucked a tired Marian into the bed, who began to drift of in to a sleep.

' Robin, this is my fault, ' Sir Edward, Marian's father said.

' No, it is the Sheriff and Gisbourne's ' Robin replied.

' When the King returns, the Sheriff will make his move, you know that? He will try to kill the King. Help me stop him. My daughter's wedding takes place in Locksley on Saturday and at the same time, the Sheriff will meet the King in Nottingham. Maybe he's thinking that I and others will attend the wedding and leave him free to assasinate the King. But we must forget the wedding, we must be in Nottingham. '

' We? ' Robin asked with a doubtful look, ' I don't think so.'

' You, me, your men - ' Edward began only to be cut off.

Ava added, ' and woman. '

Edward nodded towards her and continued, ' and a number of loyal nobles. Now is the time to act, to stand up and defend our king, join us. '

' What about Marian? ' Robin asked forcefully, ' she cannot be left to meet Gisbourne at the altar. '

As if by magic, Will came in to the room and whispered, ' Gisbourne.'

' I'll get rid of him, ' Edward decided.

The outlaws were at ease until they heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. Everyone ran to hide themselves somewhere. Much grabbed Ava's hand and pulled her under Marian's bed with him.

' Oh, ' Gisbounre said, as she flung the door open.

' I told you, ' Edward nodded.

' She looks pale, ' Gisbourne mused as he approached the sleeping lady's side, ' She is unwell, I shall send for a physician. '

' No need,' said her father, a little panic evident in his voice, ' Perhaps the excitment of the wedding has overcome her. '

Gisbourne smiled a little, ' Is that true - the wedding excites her? '

' You wanted to tell her someting? ' Edward enquired.

' Yes. Tell her, problem solved. Goodbye. ' with that, he left.

The outlaws scrambled out of their hiding places and stood around the room once more.

' Send for a physician? ' Much said sarcastically, ' He just killed one. He is revolting.'

' Killed one? ' Marian asked, as she had been roused from her nap by Gisbourne's arrival.

' Yes, Pitts. We thought he would renounce Gisbourne but he was a traitor. He was also revolting - I am glad he is dead. '

' Yeah, but she's got to marry Gisbourne now. ' Allan pointed out, ' Tomorrow. '

Much bit his lip, ' True. '

Robin looked deeply hurt by this, ' Marian, I will find another way out of this,' he promised her.

' Robin, I need to speak to you, ' Edward said urgently.

Robin followed Edward out of the room.

As the others gathered around to speak to Marain, Ava leant up against the door casually, in a place where she could overhear Robin and Edward's conversation.

' Do you really have another way out for Marian? ' he asked.

' I will think of something, ' Robin vowed.

' If you cannot stop it then do not speak of it. '

' Once Marian is married it can never be undone. '

' Then what is your plan? '

Robin sighed and shook his head, ' Edward - I will think of something '

' No! ' Edward said strongly, ' that is not good enough. You will raise Marian's hopes. You will raise her hopes only to see them dashed. If you care about her, then spare that. If you cannot spare her I beg you, do the right thing . Let her go. '

Robin sniffed, ' Do you know something? I am sick of doing the right thing '

--

After he gang left Knighton Hall, Robin said he was going off for a bit. Ava offered to come with him for the company, and Much also went along.

Ava and Much were now sat on either side of Robin, on the hill that over looked Locksley Village.

' I knew you'd want to come here, if you were to go off anywhere. ' Much mused.

' It is my village, ' Robin said, his voice hard with the hurt Marian's marriage was causing him.

' Remember the times we used to sit up here? Sit up here and say there was no finer place in England. ' Much grinned broadly.

' Gisbourne is stealing my life, ' Robin sighed.

' And you must let him, ' Much insisted.

' You heard Edward,' Ava agreed, ' The King is in danger. What is Locksley if England can't be saved? ' she asked him sadly.

' At this moment I care more about Locksley than England, ' Robin replied cooly.

Much shook his head, ' It isn't Locksley is it? It's Marian. We must leyt her go, I say we, I mean you. '

' There must be a way, ' Robin despared.

' Robin the King is coming back and if we can stop the Sheriff from messing things up, then England will be right again. ' Ava cried.

' Will it? ' Robin asked in a tone of voice that showed he did not care.

' Yes! ' Much hissed, ' the Sheriff will be out, you'll be in. We're talking days surely, I mean, you'll have your lands back - you'll be in Locksley, I'll be in Bonchurch. It's not a huge estate but it's big enough. A man could easily get lost on it, easily. ' Much was evidently looking forward to having his Bonchurch.

' You know something? ' Robin asked with a grin that di not reach his eyes, and a voice that held false amusement, ' if you are to get lost, why don't you stat practising now? '

' Robin! ' Ava reprimanded.

Much held up a hand to silence the teenage girl, ' He doesn't mean that, ' he told her, before telling Robin, ' You don't mean that. A smaller man would be offended, a smaller man would be wounded. '

' See, there is no smaller man, Much, ' Robin said, sounding cold now, ' you are the smaller man. All you care about is a roof over your head, food in your belly, you speak every thought that comes into your head, you're like a pox on my skin, I keep scratching but you never go away ' he finished viciously.

Much's face darkened with hurt from his best friend's words, and with one movement, he punched Robin in the side, knocking him in to the grass.

' You go away, ' he spat before standing up and storming off.

' There was no need for that! ' Ava told her leader angrily.

' The truth hurts, ' Robin replied cooly.

Ava shook her head, ' Who are you? ' she asked him, ' because you are not the Robin I know, the Robin we all know and love. The Robin I respect and look up to. I cannot respect you who would make such a cruel verbal attack on his best friend. '

Robin did not seem to care, ' This is me. Gisbourne has ruined my life and this is the consequence. '

There was no need to be so horrid to Much, ' she told him.

Robin snorted, ' Why don't you just go running after him like the eager little puppy dog you always are? Always craving the attention from Much, from your father, from Will or from me. Just go, '

' You are an idiot, ' Ava spat before leaving him to his own thoughts.

--

' So what are we going to do now? ' Allan asked the others back at camp.

' We are going to assist Edward in his stand against the Sheriff. ' Ava said simply.

' But Robin - ' Djaq began.

Ava stood up so speak, ' Robin is not here,' she pointed out, ' Robin is too busy in his self-pity but that does not mean that we too, should sit around doing nothing - this is the King we're talking about. Robin may not seem to care but I do, and I am going to help Edward. '

' Ava is right, ' John said firmly, ' we go to Nottingham. '

--

That was how a short while later, the gang - minus their leader - were walking through Nottingham in their big cloaks that hid them from the recognition of other people.

' This is strange - going without Robin, ' Will mused.

' There's something I have to do, ' Much declared, ' I must find Robin, ' with that he ran off, leaving the others to stare after him.

' Come on then, it's up to us, ' Allan said walking forward and taking hold of Ava's arm to steer her that way too.

As they joined the crowd of people awaiting the King, they stood behind Sir Edward, being sure to keep their cloaks in place to cover their faces.

The King soon pleased his people by riding through the streets and in to the castle courtyard.

His Highness then proceeded to go in to the castle room, where the nobles were gathered, many of them being in on Edward's plans to uproot the Sheriff. The outlaws also went in, under the pretence of being Edward's entourage.

The people applauded as the royal man took to the raised up stage.

' My loyal subjects, ' he began with his arms held out wide, ' we have survived the holy land and we are grateful for your warm welcome. However - there are those amongst us who who are disloyal, who would plot against authority, who do not understand law and order! We must wash them out. '

Ava's eyes widened as she feared they had been caught out and she she insinctively bowed her head - but there was no need.

The King continued, ' Arrest Sheriff Vaysey! '

As the guards took Vaysey away, he yelled back his protests, ' Me? Me? Me? Arrest them, arrest all of them, you idiotic buffoons. '

The remaining nobles chuckled at this, and the 5 outlaws were especially gleeful.

The King sat up on a large wooden chair and adressed the populace,

' Good subjects, we must judge the Sheriff according to law. In such a case, we shall hear fresh evidence. '

That meant that everyone present would be called up on to give evidence either for or against the Sheriff, one by one.

' Walter, Lord of Merton! ' the announcer announced.

Walter, Lord of Merton, took a breath, nodded at Sir Edward and walked away, down the corridor he was to give evidence down.

Countless nobles went down the corridor, some who were in on the plan of rebellion and some who were loyal to the Sheriff.

Ava was suprised to hear her name being called out.

' Me? ' she asked, looking from the announcer to her friends.

' Miss A Dale? ' the man prompted, ' where are you? '

' Go! ' Edward whispered urgently.

She also took a sharp intake of breath to calm her nerves before she went. Will, who was nearest to her, planted a kiss on her cheek, ' Be brave, ' he told her.

As she walked down the lonely corridor, she heard a disembodied voice telling her what to do.

' Ava A Dale, go left - agoche - to give evidence for the Sheriff. Go right - adoir - to give evidence against the Sheriff. '

Ava was about to go right to give evidence against the Sheriff when an arm hooked around her waist from behind and pulled her away from the door.

' Robin! ' she hissed, ' what are you doing here? '

' It's a trap, ' he told her urgently.

' What is a trap? and Much, where were you? ' she demanded, ' where did you go? Robin, what about Marian? '

' Whoah one question at a time, ' Robin grinned, looking more like his usual self, ' Marian decided to punch Gisbourne in the face rather than marry him, so I tookher away in to the sunset on my horse. But then we remembered you lot and Edward's rebellion. '

' Ava it is a trap, ' Much told her again, ' The King is not really the King, he is an imposter. The Sheriff is paying him to act the part of the King to see which of the nobles are loyal to him. It is his way of working out who he can trust. '

' So, what now? ' she whispered, in awe that Much and Robin had come from distupting a wedding to uncovering fake Kings.

' Follow me, ' Robion ordered, before leading them in to the room on the right - the place to gove evidence against the Sheriff.

' Do you wish to give evidence against the Sheriff, ' asked a gruff voice, of a hooded man who was bent low over a desk.

Robin replied by shooting an arrow in to the wood of the desk, inches away from the man's fingertips, as intended.

The man's head shot up, as he knew who could fire arrows so well. The hood fell off to reveal the Sheriff, as expected.

' A clue: No, ' Robin sneered, stealing the dictator's line, ' Much, Ava my dear, Run! '

The three of them ran as fast as their legs would carry them in to the room where the remaining nobles, and the outlaws were gathered.

' It's a trap, it's a trap! ' Much yelled, brandishing his sword, ' this is not the King! Arrest that imposter! '

' I knew there was something funny 'bout this, ' Allan muttered, standing up quickly.

' Get him! ' the 'King' shouted as he raised one gloved hand to point in the direction of the man who had just accused him of being an imposter.

' Run! ' Much ordered the other members of the gang, who all decided that this was a good idea and did run.

The lot of them would have bben out and away if at the very last moment, just before theyreached the door, the Sheriff had not called out fiercly,

' Robin! '

This made the man in question turn around because the Sheriff never called him Robin.

' Not so fast, my friend! ' Vaysey carried on.

The whole gang turned around to see that the Sheriff had hold of Much and was holding a sharp kinfe to his throat - if the former man servant made one move, the ruthless old man could kill him.

' I think you know how this works, huh? Hands up! ' he ordered.

Robin shook his head slightly, ' I don't think so,' he told the other man, before using some very fancy and skilled archery to get an arrow and rope through the bottom of the Sheriff's sandal, and with one sharp tug, the evil man was dangling upside down in the air by his ankle

This meant Much could run free to join his comrades.

' I thnk we can safely say...' Robin began only to pause for dramatic effect, ' an audience with the King has been...suspended.

Everyone laughed as Vaysey thrashed around and yelled, getting himself no where at all.

' Come on lads, Ava, let's go home. ' he grinned, in that boyish way of his.

Before turning to leave the premises, he gave Lady Marian a cheeky wink, earning him self a sincere smile in return.

As they walked back to camp, feeling very triumphant and pleased with themselves, Much swept Ava off her feet and insisted on carrying her back.

And she was sure that it as not just her imaginatin when Djaq and Will were standing closer togther than usual.

A/N - So that's the end of series 1, should I leave the story as it is now?

Or do you want me to continue?