In his hurry to reach Marian, Robin almost pushed Annora out of his way. Dropping down beside his wife, who sat crouched over, clutching her sides, Robin gathered their child in one arm to comfort away her bewildered tears while desperately striving to access Marian's condition.
"Thornton!" Robin called out, trusting his steward to summon the rest of the servants. The faithful old man appeared immediately.
"Take Ellen to Nurse Mattie," Robin ordered, handing his daughter to a startled Annora, after assuring the frightened child her Mama would be alright. To Thornton, he commanded, "Tell Thomas to take my horse and fetch Matilda. He's till saddled in the yard. In the meantime, send Daniel to bring Djaq. Now!"
"Robin, I'm sorry," Marian whimpered, weak from pain and a cold grip of fear in the pit of her stomach.
"Shh," he soothed lovingly, masking his own fear. "You're going to be fine, my love."
"I'm...I'm bleeding," Marian told him, before another spasm of pain attacked her.
"Robin, I-" Annora tried to interrupt, not wanting to confess, yet wrapped up in her own guilt for what she'd done.
Robin looked up at her, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "Bridget," he said, thankfully spying Thornton's daughter stepping into the room. "Could you please take Ellen upstairs, to her nursery?"
"Of course, Master Robin," the young woman complied, possessively grabbing the child away from Annora.
Mary brought a basin of cool water and a clean cloth to the table, which Robin used to gently dab on Marian's face and neck.
"Hold on, my love," he beseeched her. "Help is coming."
"I need to...lie down." Easing herself from her chair, Marian tried to lie down on the floor of their hall. But Robin couldn't allow that. Swooping her up in his arms, he carried her upstairs, and layed her gently on their bed.
"Are you cold? What can I bring you, Marian?" he asked, failing to hide his overwhelming concern for her.
"Bring me Matilda!" she cried out, frightened and frustrated.
"She's already on her way," he assured her, reminded of his helplessness to stop her pain, when Gisbourne had stabbed her on the sands of Acre.
"Robin, I'm frightened," Marian confessed quietly. "I don't want another baby of ours to die. Is it because I rode, that time? I've tried to be so careful, and do everything right."
"Shh! It's alright. You didn't cause this, Marian. You've done nothing wrong."
"But I'm supposed to be on bedrest! Matilda said-"
"Shh!"
"Don't shush me! You know it's true."
"No, it's not. You were only supposed to stay in bed until you recovered. You were fine, my love. You didn't cause this. These things just happen."
"I don't want it to! I don't our baby to die!"
"Shh. Rest. Our child is not going to die."
"How do you know?"
"Trust me, my love."
"I'd rather trust God."
"Let's both trust Him, alright?"
While their loving argument had been taking place, Robin had climbed into bed with Marian, and was sitting up beside her, holding her and stroking her hair, while she rested her cheek over his heart. In spite of her seeming resistance to her husband's attempts to soothe her, Marian did feel stronger and calmer in his arms.
"I think the bleeding's stopped," she said, hope beginning to dawn as her pains lessened.
"Prayer works," Robin gently smiled, allowing himself some degree of relief.
A soft knock on their door made Robin leap up to answer it, certain that Djaq had arrived. But it wasn't Djaq. Robin pulled open the door to find Annora Fitzhugh, standing on swaying feet, her face ashen.
"Is she alright?" she asked, weakly. "I didn't mean to...I'm sorry. Robin, forgive me. It was the queen who gave me the powder, and told me to..."
Robin barely heard her, so great was his frustration at finding her instead of Djaq. But her words planted themselves somewhere in his mind, to be pulled out later, once he was sure Marian was out of danger.
At last, Djaq was brought to Marian's side, where she set to work making her comfortable and secure, until Matilda could arrive.