Barely daring to breathe, Marian crept cautiously through the darkened corridors of Nottingham Castle, on what she considered a life or death mission.

Her back ached dreadfully, her thighs burned, while her feet felt covered in blisters, yet she kept on, believing she might be able to free her husband. The trousers she wore were so tight they cut into her belly, and the padding over her arms and shoulders, meant to balance out her torso and disguise her pregnancy, made movement of her arms difficult.

Good thinking, Marian, she scolded herself. How do you expect to shoot accurately, when you can't even fully lift your arms?

But still she pressed onward, slinking against the stone walls on silent feet, for Robin's life depended on her, and she would not fail him.

Her plan was not to try to spring him out of the dungeon, for what would that accomplish? His freedom would only force him into hiding to live again as an outlaw. No, she wanted him home in Locksley, in his rightful place as Lord of the Manor and head of their family, with his name cleared and his life free from the threat of the hangman's noose. It was necessary, and she did not balk that her plan had to be something far more dangerous to her safety, than merely trying to free Robin.

Marian needed to convince King John that his own life was threatened, so that he would demand Robin's release, issue a full pardon, and value him as his protector. And that was the reason she, disguised as a man, was posing as the king's assassin.

Reaching the outside corridor where she could aim an arrow through the open, barred window of the king's bedchamber, Marian looked quickly over her shoulder to make certain no one was watching. The padding under Robin's shirt she had borrowed hindered her, and so it took her longer than usual to reach for an arrow and nock it to her bow.

Please, Lord, do not let me hit anyone! she implored her Creator before firing.

"Oi! What are you doing? Trying to shoot the King?" a guard demanded, charging at her from out of nowhere.

For a brief instant, Marian panicked, trying to reach another arrow from her quiver to stop the guard from rushing at her. But she was clumsy within her padding, and she couldn't lay hold of one to nock to her bow. Nor could she spring into the Nightwatchman's flips in her condition, kicking the guard out of her way. She couldn't even run, though she first tried to do so. The baby in her belly felt as if it was bouncing up and down, and she clutched her sides in pain, worrying that she had hurt her child.

She remembered seeing Robin slam his bow into his assailants as they tried to grab him, and she felt it would be her only way to escape capture. Stopping in her tracks, she spun around to face her pursuer, who was panting as he ran toward her, every moment drawing closer and closer.

JAB! With her bow's end, she slapped the man in his gullet, feeling relieved when he doubled over in pain, allowing her to get away. But she'd only taken a few hurried steps, when she ran head on into three other guards, sent by the king as he cowered in fear from the surprise attack on his life.

Fearlessly, Marian swung her bow at all three men, but only managed to hit one. The other two easily overpowered her.

"Soft muscles," one commented, squeezing the padding on her arms.

"You can't hide behind that mask," another threatened. "Let's see the ugly mug of the man who dares shoot an arrow through the king's window!"

Pulling the mask from Marian's face, all three guards stared in shock into the beautiful periwinkle eyes staring back at them.

"Whoa!" the first one breathed at last. "We gotta take her to the king! What do you think he'll do, when he finds out a woman tried to kill him?"