Hello all....today is friday 24th and also my birthday!!! yay i am soooo hapy that is why i have a new chap my gift for all of you please give kind reviews love you all!!!!
Chapter Eighteen Almost Lover
She was surrounded in a thick fog of darkness. It seemed to seep everywhere and Marian could not see where she was going. Aimlessly she wandered for what felt like miles and miles until, exhausted, she collapsed among the dark shadows.
Marian attempted to scream but her voice was blocked. Marian tried to scream for Guy but his name was trapped in her mouth. She couldn't seem to speak his name and let its meaning ring through the black abyss that was swallowing her up whole.
The girl began to cry. Tears formed in her eyes and dropped prettily down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and began kicking at the consuming darkness when suddenly she felt a hand take hold of her arm. The hand, with great power attached to it, lifted her up on her feet.
Marian did not look at first into the face of her rescuer. First she looked down at his feet. They were bare and caked with mud and dirt. Slowly she looked at her rescuer's legs. They were covered with long pants. Then finally she raised her eyes up to gaze into the face of the man who had saved her from the blackness.
Marian looked into the dizzying eyes of one Robin of Locksley. He was smiling at her. He was still holding onto her hand and would not let it go. At first she tried to break from his grasp but then she realized she did not want to.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him.
He chuckled. "I have always been here Marian. I have always told you I would save you. You can come home with me now."
Robin then embraced Marian with such force that Marian thought she would fall over backwards. But then their embrace turned into a passionate kiss.
Marian burrowed her face into Robin's chest. It felt warm and safe there in the midst of the surrounding darkness.
"I miss you," she said softly.
He kissed her forehead. "I miss you too."
Then suddenly there was a cackling behind them. Both Robin and Marian turned around sharply to see a second Marian standing before them. She was wearing a pure white dress and her hair was down in thick strands of curls. In her arms she was holding a baby.
"Oh," said the second Marian to the first, "you little fool."
The first Marian held tightly to Robin and raised her eyebrow at her lookalike. "What are you talking about?"
"Look at yourself," said the clone evilly.
Marian glared at the second Marian. "What of it?"
The second Marian used her free hand to point to Robin who had his arms around the first Marian and said nothing. "You are with him!"
"I love him!" screamed the first.
The second Marian rocked the baby in her arms lovingly. Then she looked angrily at the first.
"You should not waste your time with him," she warned.
The first Marian looked at the evil angel in white with hatred. "Why not?"
Then the first Marian defiantly looked up at Robin, and kissed him passionately on the mouth. Robin did not break away and he kissed her fiercely in return. Neither paid attention as the second Marian began to tisk with distain at the two lovers. And they did not notice as the second Marian snapped her fingers at the blackness.
Suddenly the darkness began to form the shape of a man. He was tall and dressed in all black.
"Marian!" screamed a very familiar voice.
The first Marian stopped kissing Robin and looked back to see Guy staring at her with eyes full of anger and passionate rage.
Robin let go of Marian abruptly and took out his sword. "Fight me Guy!"
Guy did not draw a sword. He walked past the Marian in white and past the Marian who stood next to Robin. Suddenly he drew out a small dagger and thrust it bluntly into Robin's chest.
"NO!" Marian screamed with rage and began beating with all her might at Guy. But she did not deal him a single wound. He merely laughed at her failed attempts and flung her to the ground. And then with a snap of the evil angel's fingers Guy disappeared into the black laughing madly.
The first Marian looked at Robin as he felt to the ground. She knelt over him and held his head in her hands stroking the locks of his hair. There was a lump in her stomach.
Robin looked up at her and smiled. "I guess I wasn't strong enough for you."
Marian shook her head. "No! Robin! Wait!"
But her cries were meaningless as the shadowy darkness grabbed hold of her lover and swallowed him up. Marian was left on the ground staring up into the eyes of her twin.
"The dead should not be granted love Marian. No matter how hard you love him, he will not come back to the living. Be content without finding out what you really are."
Marian glared at the imposter. "And what am I?"
The second Marian tossed the baby in the air and Marian dove to catch the innocent creature in her arms. As she did so Guy appeared once more, this time beside her, and put his arms around her waist protectively.
"A mother," replied the second stiffly.
And with that the Marian in white disappeared leaving the first Marian alone.
The baby in her arms began to wail…
And suddenly Marian sat up in bed. She was sweating and gasping for much needed air. Clara was indeed crying from the next room and had awoken her mother from a nightmare. Marian put a hand over her heart and sighed.
Just a dream.
She slowly got up, trying not to awaken Guy, and walked from the bedroom into Clara's bedroom. There was a little crib that Guy had built for her and Clara was wailing in it. Marian picked her up from the crib and held her in her arms.
Marian rocked the child methodically. She hummed a lullaby her mother had taught her and tried to get Clara to go back to sleep.
But Clara continued to wail.
"You've got lungs just as powerful as your daddy's," said Marian trying to chuckle.
While she walked around the room in a circle she thought about the dream she had had. What in the bloody hell did it all mean? Was she trying to save herself from loving Robin? That made sense she supposed but…
What about Guy?
Why had Guy killed Robin and not Marian? This did not seem logical to Marian. She knew that, in the real world if Guy had caught her and Robin together it was likely that they'd both be killed. So maybe the dream did not mean anything on the surface.
She continued to think.
Guy had stabbed Robin with a little dagger in the stomach. The exact same dagger, and the exact same location of the stomach, where Guy had stabbed her last year. Maybe Guy was not destroying Robin, per say, maybe he was destroying her old self.
Marian bit her lip as Clara cried on.
"Sh!" she said the little one, "I know you are stressed. I do not know what to do for you. You are not hungry…so why are you crying?"
Marian shrugged her shoulders. She did not expect any sort of logical answer to her question.
"Clara," said Marian thoughtfully, "you are so beautiful. Did you know that? You are a beautiful baby. I am so glad you have my brown hair…and were not born bald like blonde babies. And your eyes," she paused to admire her daughter's raven black eyes, "your eyes are your father's. He doesn't know how to use them like you do my sweet one."
What Marian did not realize was that she had an audience. Guy was leaning against the entryway of Clara's room watching Marian rock Clara to sleep. He remained silent, hoping she would go on.
"First time I saw his eyes," she said softly, "they were terrifying. I mean, absolutely, in your face, terrifying. There was so much unsettled hate and anger residing inside them. They held no remorse or sympathy at all…none visible anyway."
Guy bit his lip.
Was I really that evil in her eyes?
He decided to step out of the shadows and into Clara's room. He coughed and made Marian turn around…not unlike how she had abruptly turned around in her dream.
"Might I try?" he asked her holding his arms out for Clara.
Marian gently put Clara in Guy's welcoming arms and Guy held his little girl with love and affection. For a while, as Clara began to calm down, neither adult spoke aloud.
Then Guy whispered, "I think she is asleep." But he continued to hold her in his arms. He was unwilling to let her go that easily.
Marian bit her lip. "Guy, can I tell you something?"
Guy nodded. "What is it?"
"I know about what you did for that man a couple of days ago," she said.
Guy raised his eyebrow. "What man?"
Marian scratched her arm. "You gave some money to that poor man Alexis. He was really grateful to you. He came into Gabriella's shop ecstatic because he could finally afford to pay for his wife's medicine."
"Oh." Guy wondered if she had heard what the man had called him.
"Apparently he thought you were Robin Hood?" she asked with amusement.
Guy nodded silently.
"And you didn't tell him you weren't?" she asked again.
Guy shook his head. "He was already a couple of paces ahead of me, he probably wouldn't have heard me if I tried."
Marian yawned and Guy realized how tired she was. "Why don't you go to bed? I'll stay with Clara until she's finally settled."
Marian nodded and began to walk out of the room when she turned back to look at Guy. "I'm proud of you Guy." Then she left and walked back to her bedroom and back into bed. She hoped, as she snuggled under the covers, that when she closed her eyes she would automatically drift off to sleep.
But she was not so lucky.
As soon as she closed her eyes she was met with bright green eyes facing her. Marian, with frustration, opened her eyes and shook her head. She punched at her pillow and then closed her eyes tightly.
But sure enough she saw his smile.
Marian opened her eyes and stared madly at the ceiling.
I cannot stop thinking about him.
An image of the second Marian came to her as she stared at the ceiling. You will never see him again Marian. Why do you bother to give your love to another? He might be dead and gone for all you know. Did you think to realize that he has moved on?
Marian shot up in bed.
No. She had not thought of that. She had not considered that for a minute. But certainly it would make sense. Marian was married…why shouldn't Robin move on? Why shouldn't he go back peddling the same old dribble in the ears of another girl?
I must say that now, more than ever, your eyes, even when you look at me in anger I feel you.
He had whispered the words into her ears when he first returned home.
…After all this time you can see into my soul.
Marian put her hands over her eyes and sighed. But in the darkness of her closed eyelids she saw Robin standing before her. This time, he was not standing before her, smiling at her. He was with some busty blonde girl smiling at her with lust.
He kissed the new girl with as much passion as he had when his lips once belonged to Marian. And Marian was standing there forced to look at the two lovers. She tried to scream at them with frustration but she found herself silent.
In the other room Guy was still holding Clara in his arms. He knew that she was asleep but he still held her. He sat himself on a rocking chair and looked endearingly at Clara.
"A couple of things you might want to know," said Guy in a whisper. "Now that I have your attention."
Clara gently slept as Guy continued to soothingly talk to the only one in the house who he was not afraid to confess to.
"I almost abandoned your mother before you were born. I did this because I found out that she did not love me. I found out that she was the nightwatchman…one of my greatest enemies. I found out all of these hateful things about her and who she truly is. And while she was pushing you out, though I encouraged her, I thought still about leaving her. Still this was dangling in my mind. And when you came out, my precious little one, you were all gooey and disgusting. Then," he paused looking into his daughter's eyes, "you looked at me. And you saw me in a way that no other woman has ever seen me…even your mother. You were so trusting, and so sure that I would love you just as much as you loved me. So I will not leave you, or your mother, for anything."
He closed his eyes and began to drift off himself. In the darkness of his mind he found Robin Hood staring at him.
"What are you doing here?" Guy asked.
Robin did not reply but merely crossed his arms and continued staring at Guy.
"She married me!" Guy screamed at the deaf man before him. "Me! Not YOU!"
Robin shrugged his shoulders. "You are happy Guy of Gisborne. You are happier than I have ever seen you before."
Guy nodded. "I am married; I have a child…why shouldn't I be happy?"
Robin shrugged once more. "I do not hate you Gisborne. I do not hate you…"
Guy shook his head. "Then why are you here? Why are you haunting my sleep?"
Robin smiled. "I do not hate you Guy of Gisborne…"
Then Robin began to fade away from Guy and in his place stood the sheriff of Nottingham. The sheriff beamed brightly at Guy.
"When will you return home?" he asked Guy.
"I am home," said Guy desperately.
"When will you return home?" repeated the sheriff and he too faded into the dark.
Guy opened his eyes to the utter darkness of Clara's room. Because of Guy's lack of vision he held Clara tighter in his arms. He realized that there were tiny beads of perspiration on his forehead. He shook his head. Why had Robin and the sheriff invaded his dreams? Guy breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at his baby again.
Clara was the only one who slept soundly that night. Both her parents found themselves wide awake and unable to find any sort of comfort in sleep. When Guy finally dropped off to sleep he found his daughter gliding softly in his dreams. So what if Robin haunted his thoughts? So what if the sheriff made an entrance, every now and then, into Guy's subconscious?
Guy knew that they were both just ghosts and nothing more. They couldn't touch him, they couldn't hurt him. He didn't even think they could find him.
Marian, when she finally drifted off to sleep, was yet again confronted by Robin.
Marian knew that he was just a ghost and nothing more. He could not touch her; he could not truly hold her. And Marian didn't even think that Robin, were he alive, could find her.
But soon the two parents would soon realize how wrong they both were…
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The darkness suddenly became bright with lightning. Thunder rumbled soon after the lightning flash. And rain in sheets of anger accompanied the lightning and thunder. Though the rain did not know what mortals were doomed to be hit by its painful touch, it would have thought twice before landing on Vasey's head.
He groaned as he brushed it off his wig. "Why does it always rain on me?"
Edward rolled his eyes as he puts his hands over his head to cover himself from the downpour. "I don't know my lord, perhaps because you decide to walk the rain and the rain didn't have anywhere else to go but down."
The two travelers had lost their cart in the rain had been walking on foot for a while. The sheriff was losing his temper with Edward. He raised an eyebrow.
"Was that supposed to be funny?" he asked.
Edward shook his head. "No. Not at all my lord sheriff."
Neither Edward nor Vasey realized where they were walking. They stumbled and bumbled their way into a village. But what neither realized was that this village was the very village they wanted to stumble into. This was the village, the town, of Agincourt. But they were both too drenched to realize that.
Suddenly Edward saw a couple of shops and jumped up and down forgetting the rain.
The sheriff, whose eyesight was not as good as his young companion, put a hand on Edward's shoulder to hold him down.
"What is the matter with you?"
Edward took hold of the sheriff's shoulder and pointed him in the direction of the shops. Suddenly Edward saw a candle flicker in the window of the shop.
There is someone in there! Maybe he will be good enough to give us room for the night.
Edward motioned for the sheriff to follow as the two set off towards the shop. They entered the small shop and both fell in exhaustion onto the floor. They were too tired and weary to get up and realize where they were.
They were lying on the floor of Gabriella's shop. She had not been able to sleep, what with the storm, and had gone down stairs to get a sleeping potion. But instead she found two men lying on her doorstep.
She coughed and Vasey and Edward looked up at her with surprise.
Edward awkwardly stood up and helped his "grandfather" up as well.
"Bonsoir," mumbled Edward hoping that that was the proper French word for good evening.
Gabriella crossed her arms. "Do not bother with the French. I can tell from your accent that you are not from around here."
Edward chuckled. "No, we are not."
"Who are you?" asked Gabriella curiously.
Edward smiled. "My name is Edward Mann. This is my grandfather Gregory Mann. We are in France visiting a cousin but some outlaws stood our horses and food. Could you give us shelter for the night?"
Gabriella bit her lip and looked from Edward's smiling face to his stooped over grandfather clutching his cane. She bent down and tried to meet Vasey's eyes. He would not look at her. Firstly because he did not want her to see his face for fear that she would recognize him. And secondly because, as the sheriff knew well, women were lepers and should not be dealt with.
"It's alright," said Gabriella warmly, "you can look at me I don't bite."
The sheriff slowly lifted his head to look at Gabriella. She was smiling at him. No one ever smiled at the sheriff just out of kindness…the only woman ever to do that was…
Vasey's stomach began to turn as he pushed away another memory of his sister.
"Hello," said Gabriella.
Vasey nodded to acknowledge her greeting. "Lovely weather huh?"
Gabriella chuckled and looked at Edward. "Good to see your grandfather still has his sense of humor."
Edward looked at the sheriff. "You have no idea."
Gabriella raised an eyebrow and then lowered it. "I'll lead you upstairs."
Vasey and Edward followed Gabriella up the stairs. Edward suddenly realized he didn't have the pleasure of knowing his hostess' name.
"Excuse me miss," said Edward as they walked up the stairs to the second floor of the shop. "What is your name?"
"Gabriella," said Gabriella.
"Gabriella what?" asked the sheriff curiously.
"Just Gabriella if it's all the same to you," said Gabriella as she showed Edward and Vasey their room. It was a simple room with only one bed.
Gabriella entered the room and began arranging the bed. "I'm sorry but you'll have to share the bed. But since you are grandson and grandfather, it wont be a problem right?"
Edward looked at the sheriff and then nodded that yes it wouldn't be a problem.
"Grandfather," said Edward, "why don't you sleep for a little while?"
The sheriff attempted to protest but didn't for fear of risking his identity. He simply nodded and allowed Edward to lead him to the bed. Edward tucked him in and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight grandfather."
Vasey rolled his eyes and turned away from Edward.
Edward shrugged and walked out of the room.
Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "Don't you want any sleep?"
Edward shook his head. He was going to do some spying for the sheriff. "No…I'm actually a bit thirsty. Do you have anything to drink?"
Gabriella nodded and led Edward back down the stairs and into the shop. She began mixing ingredients in a bowl while Edward looked over her shoulder to see what she was doing.
"You're not making me some sort of potion are you?" he asked timidly.
Gabriella shook her head. "No, I'm fixing you a drink my mother gave me when I couldn't sleep. I was about to make it for myself when you and your grandfather showed up at my door."
Edward chuckled. "Yeah sorry about that."
"Where were you off to anyway?" she asked kindly.
"To visit a cousin of mine," said Edward walking to the table and waiting patiently for the drink to be finished.
Gabriella looked at Edward twiddling his thumbs across the room. "Where does he live?"
"A village called Agincourt," said Edward, "do you know where it is?"
Gabriella bit her lip. She smiled kindly at Edward and said nothing. Then she reached for a different ingredient she was not planning to use and threw it into the mixture. When she was satisfied with her concoction she poured it into two cups and walked over to join Edward at the table.
She sat down across from him and handed him his drink.
"Cheers," he said drinking some of the mixture.
She nodded and started to drink some herself when she stopped the potion from just barely reaching her lips. She set it down beside her and looked at Edward.
"Who are you trying to find?" she asked sweetly.
"I told you, my cousin," said Edward.
"What's his name," said Gabriella waiting for the potion to kick in.
Edward shrugged. "My grandfather did not tell me his name."
Gabriella tisked seductively at Edward. "Come now, you can tell me his name."
Edward smiled and leaned closer to Gabriella. She responded by leaning closer to Edward and smiling at him.
Edward leaned even closer so that his mouth was by her ear. "His name is Guy."
Gabriella tried to stop her heart from beating so quickly. Instead she kissed Edward's cheek. "And what did he do to deserve a perilous visit from such a good looking cousin?"
Edward's face reddened and he suddenly felt the need to tell Gabriella the truth. He was not sure if it was the way she smelled or the way her hair seemed to graze his neck softy. In fact it was neither of these things...
"We are here to kill him," said Edward laughing wildly pulling Gabriella into a kiss.
She broke the kiss subtlety. "Why? Such a sexy man as yourself would have better things to do than kill some random man."
Edward shrugged. "I am here to kill him and his little wife too." He giggled like a little girl. He went into kiss her again but she backed away from him and went back to her collection of potions. She was searching for something particular.
Edward looked at her confused. "What is it?"
Gabriella did not answer but finally found what she was looking for…a big pot. She hid it behind her back and slowly walked back to Edward.
"Sorry," she said.
"For what?"
"For this!" she screamed as the pot collided with Edward's head. Suddenly Edward lost consciousness and fell to the floor. Gabriella smiled. But then she frowned. What was she going to do with him?
She shrugged her shoulders and lifted up Edward's limp body. She led him out of the shop and through the streets soaked with rain. Gabriella found the place for Edward. She knocked on the door and was greeted by a tired man rubbing his eyes.
He asked her what was the matter that she should bother him at such an hour?
Gabriella showed him Edward. She explained that this man was attempting to murder two harmless civilians. Gabriella said that he had even used a harmless old man as his alibi. She told the man, the sheriff of Agincourt, that Edward would make a perfect addition to the sheriff's prison.
The sheriff of Agincourt laughed and took Edward off of Gabriella's hands. He thanked her for the arrest and carried Edward to a cell. He thrust Edward in the cell and locked it. Then the sheriff went back to sleep.
Gabriella went back home happy with the result of her work. She walked up the stairs and heard snores. Then she remembered the poor old man sleeping in her guest bedroom. She shook her head. Attempted murder and kidnap?
Gabriella walked into her own bed and tucked herself in. She resolved that the next morning she would help the poor old man find his way back home. It was the least she could do for such an innocent soul.
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"Damned rain!" said Robin angrily.
The gang had to stay in the same in that night because of the heavy rain. They were all having dinner at the inn. When they were finished Robin decided that they should continue on. He realized that now that they knew what the sheriff was up to, they should hurry onwards. The night was so clear and inviting that Robin believed they would have no trouble. But the innkeeper shook his head.
He mumbled something in French which Stephan was quick to translate.
"Innkeeper says there's a storm coming."
Robin looked wearily at the innkeeper and then at his brother. "And how does he know?"
Stephan asked the question to the innkeeper. The innkeeper answered and Stephan looked back at Robin.
"He can feel it in his bones."
"He can feel it in his bones," Robin repeated with disbelief.
John shook his head. "Some people have that power Robin."
"Superstitions," muttered the leader.
Much tapped his fingers on the table and looked at John. "I thought only God had powers like that."
"I didn't say that these people make the rain Much," said John defensively. "I just said they know when things will happen."
"What?" said Allan with a chuckle. "Like a prophet or something?"
John nodded.
Much shook his head. "If this man was a prophet well…don't you think we'd know it?"
Suddenly there was a crash of lightning and a boom of thunder. Rain began to fall in buckets on the roof of the inn.
Much shivered and looked at the innkeeper. "Sorry. You can be a prophet if you want."
The gang laughed and Stephan translated for the innkeeper and he began to laugh too. But now no one was laughing. The rain did not seem to end. At first, due to Robin's sullen face, the gang tried to stay awake and hope for an end to the rain. But eventually they gave up and went to bed.
Will and Djaq shared their first night as an engaged couple.
Much and Eve shared their first night as a couple both acknowledged in requited love.
John and Allan slept peacefully each knowing that he was understood by the other perfectly.
But Stephan went to bed alone. He tried to reassure himself that Robin, soon, would come and get some much needed rest. However, hours later, Robin had still not gone to bed. Stephan tried to sleep. But he found that he could not.
Stephan shifted the pillow and tried to think of pleasant thoughts, but nothing worked. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. The rain was still beating down hard outside of his window and he was thankful he was not out there.
But still he did not find blissful sleep.
You cannot sleep without your brother in the room.
Stephan shook his head. At the Abbey he was able to sleep every night without his brother in the room. He was a grown adult. He was a priest for godsake! Stephan of Locksley did not need his little brother for comfort anymore.
Stephan scratched his head.
You are worried about Robin.
That was true. But Robin was a grown man. He could take care of himself. But as Stephan thought this he found himself laughing at the sheer absurdity of the thought. Robin had never been alone…truly alone before. Stephan knew that well. There had always been people around him. As a child he had been looked after by his parents and his older brother.
And even when he had gone off to the holy land, Much had accompanied him dutifully and out of love. When Robin returned home from the crusades and had lived in the forest, he had his gang beside him. He had Marian beside him.
Though his gang was still beside him, though his faithful Much was beside him, Stephan realized that Robin for the first time in his life was feeling alone. He had let something he possibly took for granted, slip through his fingers.
Marian had always been a constant in Robin's mind, Stephan could see that now.
She was one of his best friends during childhood.
She was his betrothed during adolescence.
She was in his thoughts and his dreams during the Crusades.
She was his fiancé while he fought for justice and the people of England.
But now, for the first time, Marian was no longer a constant. Marian was no longer there. And Robin was alone.
He needs comforting.
Stephan got up and walked down the stairs of the inn to the foyer where Robin sat looking out the window.
"You are still here." Stephan's sentence was more of a statement than a question.
Robin nodded without turning around to face his brother. "I keep thinking it's going to clear up."
"A watched pot never boils," said Stephan trying to get Robin to face him. But his little brother's eyes remained fixed at the pounding rain.
"Robin," said Stephan, "what are you doing still awake?"
"I cannot sleep," said Robin still looking out the window.
Stephan sighed. "Robin, look at me. The back of your head is not much of a conversationalist."
Robin rolled his eyes and turned around dutifully to look at his brother. "You'll find I'm not going to be much of a conversationalist tonight."
"Robin, talk to me."
"Leave me alone," said Robin. "If you stay any longer I am afraid of what I will say to you."
Stephan shook his head and sat beside his little brother. "You have said many hurtful things to me in the past. I can take whatever you want to throw at me."
Robin began to open his mouth then stopped himself. "I can't think of any at the moment. How about you leave and I'll get back to you okay?"
"Robin," said Stephan putting a nurturing arm around Robin, "get some sleep."
Robin shook his head. "If I close my eyes then…" His voice faded off.
"Then what? You are worried you'll dream?" asked Stephan knowingly.
Robin's face reddened. "No."
"I don't care if you dream loudly; I just need you to sleep! You need you to sleep!"
Robin put his hands over his eyes. Suddenly he was confronted by her dazzling eyes and long locks of hair. He shot his eyes open and looked at his brother. He was breathing heavily.
"That's not the point," said Robin, "whenever I close my eyes I see her face. I cannot stop myself!"
Stephan rubbed Robin's shoulder. "That's not bad right? You love her; of course you're going to think about her. It's natural."
But Robin knew better.
It is not natural. None of this is natural. It is not natural that she is married. It is not natural that she is living with Guy. It is not natural that she is touching him…kissing him…because if it were natural then I would not dream it, I would live it.
"When I see her through my mind's eye," said Robin gloomily, "it only hurts me more."
"Pain and love go hand and hand," said Stephan sagely.
But Robin had had enough of the sage.
"What the hell do you know about this?" Robin asked angrily. "You're a bloody priest! You have never truly loved a woman before. You know nothing of how it feels to know that she is touching him. That he his caressing her soft skin that he is putting himself into her."
Robin clutched at his sides as he began to picture the grotesque scene in his mind.
Stephan hung his head. "You are right obviously…I have never known the love of a woman. I have never felt what it is like to have a woman on you…kissing and touching you all over. But I do know love Robby. I love you."
Robin shrugged his shoulders. "Different."
"A little yes," admitted Stephan, "but I know what it is like to love someone who you might never see again. I know what it is like to love someone and miss that someone so desperately that you can hardly breathe. At least you got to hate me," chuckled Stephan, "I couldn't hate you Robin. All I could do was love you."
Robin stared wide-eyed at his brother. "Seriously?"
"I tried to hate you," said Stephan looking away from Robin, "I tried to remind myself how you said goodbye to me with such anger and hate. I was sure that if I remembered ever hateful thing you said, then I would surely hate you and therefore stop missing you. I didn't miss our parents very much…but I could not stop loving you and missing you."
Now it was Robin's turn to put an arm around his brother and comfort him. "I did not know."
Stephan nodded. "I figured as much."
Robin stood up. "I think I should go to bed now. If you could get through your pain, then so can I."
Stephan stood up too and the two brothers walked up to bed. Each got into his own bed and bade the other goodnight. Stephan closed his eyes and found peaceful sleep. He drifted through dreams with a smile on his face.
But Robin was not so lucky.
When Robin closed his eyes he found Gisborne staring at him.
Well that is certainly new.
Guy of Gisborne was staring at him smiling viciously.
"What is it?" asked Robin desperately, "what is so funny?"
Guy did not reply he merely continued to stare at Robin. He crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"What are you doing here?" asked Robin.
Guy shook his head. Suddenly behind Guy, Marian appeared. She stood beside Guy. Her piercing eyes met Robin's anxiously. Marian tried to go to Robin but Guy's grabbed her arm and prevented her from continuing to walk.
"Marian!" Robin screamed.
Guy tisked at him. "You should be ashamed of yourself, lusting after another man's wife."
Robin's eyes narrowed. "You lusted after MY fiancé!"
Guy shrugged. "True, but I did not know it, did I?"
Robin groaned and then looked intensely at Marian. "Marian I will find you! I promise you!"
"Marian! Marian!" Guy chuckled mimicking Robin's shouts. Then he shook Marian fiercely. "There is nothing you can do about this. She is practically shackled to me. You'd need a miracle Hood."
"I have love," Robin said hoarsely. "I have all the passion and love for her. That can break any shackle."
"What about God's?" asked Guy with a cackle.
Robin madly repeated what Will had told him. He repeated the mantra that he had practically sung to himself. "Marriage is not binding. Marriage out of force is not binding. Marriage without love is not binding."
"La-di-da-di-da," said Guy sounding very much like the sheriff, "that was very pretty Hood. But until you come, she is still mine. She has lain with me. She is my wife."
Robin drew his sword and prepared to fight Guy. But Guy did not let go of Marian's arm. He shrugged. "What are you going to do? Kill me?"
"Worse," said Robin, "I will make you pay for what you have done."
"Let me get this straight," said Guy, "you will make me pay for merely saving the woman you love? That does not sound like a fair punishment for the crime now does it?"
Robin growled. "I will make you pay for all the crimes you have committed."
Guy shrugged. "It does not matter anyway really does it? Because, let's think for a minute, if you kill me then what happens?"
"I save Marian."
"Right," said Guy, "right, but here's the thing…you are not getting the same Marian you lost are you?"
"What are you talking about! What did you do to her Gisborne?!"
"You are getting back a damaged woman. She is not the pure Marian of your youth. She is no longer Maid Marian is she? When you lie with her, do you think she will smell like me?"
Robin's heart beat faster and he put his blade at Guy's neck. "Shut up!"
Guy picked up Marian and began to kiss her right in front of the hero's eyes. Watching this was ten times worse than any ready blade. He watched Guy pin her down on the floor in front of him. Marian could not resist because she was not as strong as him.
"Admit it Hood!" screamed Guy madly. "I am the better man!"
Then Robin awoke due to a loud flash of lightning. He took a couple of deep breaths but to no avail. He looked at Stephan sleeping and shook his head. Robin got out of bed and put on his every day clothes. He grabbed his bow and put his sack of arrows across his back. He walked down the stairs and out of the inn.
Robin wandered aimlessly through the rain. He walked until he could go no more. In exhaustion he fell to the floor and looked up at the unyielding heavens.
"Marian!" he screamed. "I am coming for you!"
Then he closed his eyes and found darkness.
OMG so everythings happening soo fast and people are having dreams and getting knocked out!!! i wonder how the sheriff will react when he finds out about Edward whats going to happen to Gabriella??? Robin wont die dont worry!!! love you all again
note: its called almost lover cause i was listening to the song while writing this chap thats why its angsty and sad....