"This...is a rescue! Oh, hello, Marian! What are you doing here?"
Surrounded by a cloud of dust, Much stood proudly in the open doorway of Robin's cell. Little John, panting from having shoved the door in after Will had weakened its hinges, stood immediately behind Lord Bonchurch, while Will looked back over his shoulder, watching for guards.
Marian hugged her husband, overjoyed to see their friends come to their rescue.
"Was this part of your plan?" she teased, fondly.
Grinning infectiously, Robin answered, "As a matter of fact, yes. I knew I could count on Much, the moment he watched my arrest."
By way of thanks, Robin threw Much a wink. With no time to lose, he then took charge, for leading came as naturally to him as breathing. "John," he commanded, "take Marian. Sorry, my love," he told his wife, "we'll have to run, and-"
"Running, we do not like," Little John complained, interrupting Robin without explaining.
Will offered up an explanation. "John's twisted his ankle, Robin. He can't run, any better than Marian can."
"Robin, what do we do?" Much asked, beginning to panic. "I mean, getting in wasn't much of a problem...it never is! It's getting out that causes all the trouble! I didn't know Marian would be here! Why? Why is she here? Oh, I hate this! I hate it! I knew it! We're going to die! We're all going to die!"
"Nobody's going to die, Much," Robin assured him, irritated at his friend for blaming Marian. "At least, not today."
"Then how are we going to get out? The whole castle's filled with guards, expecting you to make an escape! Which, I might add, we might have done, if it hadn't been for Marian, who wasn't supposed to be here! What is she doing here, anyway?"
"Like you, I was trying to rescue my husband," she explained, curtly.
"Well! I'm not saying anything! I'm not saying anything!"
"Good! Don't!"
Robin stopped the confrontation with a lift of his hand. "There isn't time to argue. We've got to get Marian out of here, now. Much, John, find Allan, and Will, go after Matilda. Here's what I need you to do..."
Much, listening to Robin's plan, couldn't help but raise objections. "But, Robin, we just can't leave you here!"
"I can't leave Marian, and she's in no condition to run. Just do what I say, now! The king wants to..." He couldn't bring himself to voice the unspeakable words.
"He wants to have me killed, at noon," Marian finished what Robin couldn't say. "Please, do as Robin commands. It's our only hope."
Will nodded, Much gulped, and Little John demanded, "We go, now."
"Immediately!" Much agreed.
...
Matilda was only too pleased to help Robin and his gang rescue Marian from a horrible death she didn't deserve. And when Allan learned that Marian's life was threatened, he couldn't wait to play his part to help save her.
With Djaq masquerading as his prettiest tavern girl, Allan made quite a show of distributing free drinks, laced with Matilda's potent sleeping draught, to all the castle guards.
"Drink up, gents!" Allan invited. "Courtesy of the Trip!"
"What's the occasion?" a suspicious guard, with slightly more brains than the rest, asked.
"Ah! That would be...in honor of the day the queen first lost her virginity! Yeah!"
Djaq shot Allan a disapproving stare, but the guards laughed boisterously, and every one of them reached for the cups on Djaq's tray.
"Bottom's up, eh, gents?" Allan laughed.