Queen Eleanor took over the seating arrangements for Robin's birthday feast, seating herself at the head of the long rectangular table, with Robin at her right hand side. She allowed Marian to sit beside Robin, and placed Princess Joan directly across the table from him, where he had a good view of her beauty. At the far end of the table, the Queen had Lord Locksley preside at its foot, with the Sheriff on his right, and Prince John on his left. The Prince sulked during the entire duration of the meal, complaining of the food, the company, but mostly, the occasion for celebration.

"This isn't the real party," Robin told the Queen, stealing glances at the princess. "It takes place tonight! I hope Your Majesty will stay for it."

"Indeed?" Queen Eleanor asked. "And what, exactly, takes place at the real party, Robin?"

Robin and Marian exchanged smiles before he answered.

"It takes place outdoors, in my village. We throw a feast for all the people, with games and music and village dances. Everyone has fun! And if some people are unwell and unable to come, we take them food and visit for a while, to cheer them up. And I get to shoot, and anybody else who wants to string a bow."

"It's not a contest," Marian explained. "The Earl won't let Robin embarrass the men by outshooting them."

"It's just for fun," Robin continued, finishing her thought.

The Queen marked how often the boy and girl seemed to do that as they talked. Their thoughts were more in sync than a fond, married couple's. Well, she thought, were they to marry, as planned, they would surely enjoy a contented life together, lacking in passion, but rich in friendship. She would shortly learn how wrong she was about her interpretation of their relationship.

"Robin," Marian suggested, "tell Her Majesty about Geoffrey."

Robin grinned at his friend, then faced the Queen. "Geoffrey does tricks! If you stay for the feast tonight, you'll see. He's so funny-"

"He's hilarious," Marian confirmed.

"-he can pull an egg out from behind his ear!"

"How very droll," the Queen commented. "Well, I certainly cannot miss such a humorous spectacle as a man who can pull an egg from behind his ear! But just who is this Geoffrey, Robin?"

"He's a serf," the boy explained, saying the word cheerfully, without any disparagement in his voice.

Princess Joan's face maintained its pleasant expression, even though she felt discouraged. She knew her mother's wish for a match between herself and Huntington's heir, but the boy was so young! She felt herself to be a young lady, but Robin was just a little boy! A very pretty little boy, with remarkable blue eyes, a straight aristocratic nose, pretty mouth, and handsome cleft in his chin, but a little boy all the same. Better him than a dottering old man, but why, oh why couldn't her lady mother arrange a match for her with the seventeen-year-old heir to the Earl of Leicester, instead of the child prattling across the table from her?

With dinner over, the Queen announced that Robin should walk Princess Joan around the village, to show her Locksley. Marian noticed Robin blush, and suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"May I come, too?" she asked.

"Of course," Robin agreed, then recanted. "That is, if Her Royal Highness doesn't object."

Marian felt a wave of something wash over her. She had never felt this way before. It felt something like anger, but there was something more as well, that she didn't understand.

"I have no objections," Princess Joan said. "I'll be pleased to have the company of both you children."

Her mother shot her a disapproving glance, and Joan bowed her head and took Robin's arm, surprising him. The boy was tall for his age, but Joan had reached her full adult height, and she stood half a head higher. They left the house, with Marian trodding unhappily at their heels.

Marian didn't like the princess hanging onto Robin's arm, as if she couldn't walk unassisted. She especially didn't like how polite Robin was behaving to the lovely golden haired girl, nor how he was ignoring her.

Not recognizing it was jealousy that began raging in Marian's girlish breast, she only knew she felt terrible. The final straw came when Robin, offering to teach the Princess the basics of archery, stood behind her, reaching around her to improve her aim, his arms in a near embrace.

Without thinking, Marian ran and pushed the princess into some fresh gooey dog doo.