She found her way through the Castle, and managed to get outside. After winding through some pathways she found the garden again. Rosebuds had just formed, and dew clung to them in the cool of dawn. She paused a moment to remember. She was remembering when she first spoke to her dark prince. And everything about that moment in time. She gazed at hills in the distance. The sun was just peeking over the horizon. Birds flew overhead. She was just reaching out to touch one of the roses when suddenly she couldn't help but harbour a strange and eerie feeling she was being watched.

She turned around. A woman stood a few feet away in the distance by the the stone wall of the Castle. Slender, with pale skin, fiery curly tresses, and pale blue eyes. She was wearing a light green gown.

"For a woman capable of stealing the heart of the ever unavailable Sheriff of Nottingham, you sure could've fooled me." The woman shrugged as she stepped closer to look at her.

"I beg your pardon, Madam?" Lady Rhiannon asked, taken by surprise.

"You're either very brave, or incredibly stupid." The woman answered evasively.

"Whatever do you mean? And who are you anyway? I don't believe we've met."

"Lady Meridwyn. Guy Gisborne's Lady." She paused. "I once was entirely smitten with your Sheriff milady. He was too damn hard to please. Nobody could please him." She said as she moved in closer. She stood before Lady Rhiannon and met her eyes. She really is beautiful, Meridwyn thought.

Rhiannon stood looking at her trying to follow her words but was already lost.

"Excuse me….whom exactly is Guy Gisborne then?" she asked.

"Guy Gisborne is the Sheriff's deputy. He is also the only family your man has. They are cousins. A little more like brothers I've found though." She said as she twisted some strands of her silky hair between her fingers. The curly red tendrils danced with light.

"I see. I've yet to meet this Gisborne." Rhiannon replied.

"He's on a mission, far to the North. I do believe the Sheriff plans to join him again soon. They are trying to find someone. A very bad man." She coughed. "Anyway, I was staying in my lover's quarters one night last autumn. I came out here in the dark of night. I saw you then." She said matter of factly as she cast her eyes downward.

"You….what?" Rhiannon said incredulous.

"I saw what happened."

Rhiannon's eyes flew wide open. She squinted as she looked at Lady Meridwyn and shook her head. "I don't understand….." she replied, her voice trailing off.

"I was frightened. He had approached me once too, but I managed to flee. I never told Guy. Never gave it another thought, until that night. I stood frozen in place. I couldn't move. Couldn't scream. And that's why I find it surprising to see you revisiting this place. The very place he took you." She said with a shudder. She tried to disguise, and it was subtle, but Rhiannon saw it notwithstanding.

She moved to change to topic of discussion. Before she lost her senses again. "This was also the very place the Sheriff first kissed me." Lady Rhiannon said. "And that is the reason I chose to come out here just now."

"How ever did you get away?" Meridwyn asked.

"I don't remember." Rhiannon replied as she moved to seat herself on a nearby stone bench. She was suddenly feeling light headed. Lady Meridwyn joined her.

"I remember laying on the bed, exhausted and frantic about something. I don't know what exactly about now. Then I felt very sick. A strange feeling came over me. Heat. A Rush all through my body. It made me frightened. I was very weak, and I thought I was dying. Soon everything went black and I thought I was dead. Then the next thing I knew, I awoke and my Lord was holding me." She said. "I still can't believe it, how he found me." She smiled wistfully.

"So romantic. You better hang on to that memory, honey. He's not usually so free with his time." Meridwyn replied.

"He's been making time for me." Rhiannon was quick to add.

"Yes? Indeed. But hear my words, honey. If I were you, I'd cease wandering around on my own until our men catch that monster."

"Our men?"

"Yes. My lover is a great distance away. He's on a mission to find him."

"But you said - Our Men." Rhiannon pointed out.

"When you returned to this Castle, the Sheriff came to see me with a message from Guy. He told me that once you were restored, he would return and rejoin my man. You're staying here with me in this Castle. We'll have plenty of guards to protect us. We'll keep their beds occupied but you didn't hear that from me." She winked.

"He's leaving?..." she said softly, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"He must milady Rhiannon. They will return. They always do. This is how it must be when you are the lady to the most important man about town. God knows I know the waiting is insufferable at times, but it needs to be this way." She sighed.

"You said he approached you once before as well?" Lady Rhiannon recalled as she asked Lady Meridwyn.

"Yes. One day when I was walking here to meet my lover. He came behind me and took me by surprise. I kicked him, and knocked him falling. Then I just ran as fast as I could." Meridwyn shuddered.

"Why didn't you tell him? Gisborne." Rhiannon asked.

"I didn't want to give him one more thing to worry about. You don't want to complain too much to either one of them, Guy or your Sheriff. They have a good deal of responsibility. A Lady to the Deputy or the Sheriff of Nottingham needs to be somewhat self sufficient."

"I think we already were before we met them." Rhiannon said. "Maybe that's why they chose us." She smiled.

Later, Rhiannon found her lover in the room outside of his private chambers. She stopped in the doorway a moment to look at him. Putting off what she now knew he'd tell her. He heard her approach and turned toward the door.

"My Lady." He said as he stood and walked towards her. She smiled and advanced toward him.

"I think you have something to tell me." She said

"It can wait. Are you well?" He asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Just a little light headed. I'm fine, my Lord." She smiled, then moved to seat herself on the velvet couch. He went to her and knelt before her.

"My Lady. You're the air I breathe. It brings me joy to see you awake. I'm going to have to go back though. Just for awhile. I'd like you to stay here. I've arranged for care, protection, and company for you."

"If that is your wish, I think that will be fine." She said, her voice trailing off. She looked at him. "It's okay my Lord. I know you have responsibilities. I'll never ask you to cast them aside for my sake." She said as she reached across to touch his face.

"I know my Love." He said as he leaned in to kiss her. "I'm staying another day. I can't bear to leave you now. I've waited so long for you to awaken."

"Tomorrow then?" she asked.

"Yes, my Lady. But for now, this day is ours." He smiled. She leaned forward and rested against his chest, and held him. She never wanted to let him go. So this is romance, she thought. I'm living in a fairy tale. He smelled so incredibly masculine to her, so magnetic. She was drawn into him. She could hear his heartbeat, feel his warmth, his energy. She wished she could hold onto it forever.

"My Lord, whatever is your wish to do this day, I'll agree to whatever it is. I'm pleased you're remaining here a little longer."

"I think we should just have a quiet day, my Lady. You look rather pale again. It doesn't matter. I could be in hell with you, but as long as you were by my side, we could be anywhere. I would be content." He said softly as he stroked her hair.

She breathed in his scent. He kept stroking her. Her hair, the back of her neck. She closed her eyes. It was dark again. She felt a chill.

For a moment, there in a flash of memory, she thought she felt a hand clasping around her throat, then releasing. The faint voice of a whisper…. "Don't expect to live much longer, after it is….." what was the rest? She saw the scene unfolding in her mind's eye, yet she lost the rest of the phrase. And then, another flash.

"Are you obtuse as well?" echoing, trailing in the distance.

"Thanks wench – Now I can get me some gold….." she shook her head. She was no longer relaxed, instead she was guarded.

The Sheriff sensed it, could feel her stiffen against him as he held her. He pulled back.

"My Lady? Are you quite alright?" he said as he looked into her eyes. His eyes were pleading with her to look at him. Look into my eyes, he willed.

She could still hear it echoing, louder, as if the memory was forming into the present.

"Are you obtuse as well? Don't expect to live much longer…." The voice, the menacing whisper trailed off into the distance again.

She was staring. He didn't know at what. She was distant. Lost in some faraway place in time. A look on her face like she might be trying to remember an event, something.

"My Lady." He said softly. "What is it you remember?" he gently prodded.

"What?" she shook her head and refocused in a quicker response than the past couple of times she went off into a different zone. "Oh. No my Lord. I was just feeling a little…." She started to head back into the zone when he brought her back to reality.

"Perhaps you should lie down my Lady?"

"No!" her answer left little room for negotiation.

"But, my Lady?..." he was cut off.

"How many weeks have I been lying down? No. This is our last day together until we don't know when. And…." She looked at him and smiled "My Sweet Prince." She whispered "I don't want to miss a thing."

"I swear you are my angel. My beautiful Lady Rhiannon." He said as he pulled her close to him.