Marian felt extremely odd. She was dancing with Sir Guy de Lusignan, apparently with Sir Guy of Gisbourne's permission, though she believed she needed no man's permission to dance with whomever had the courage to ask her. Trying her best to learn as much as she could of Lusignan's secret plans with Sheriff Vaisey, she knew she was failing miserably as a spy tonight. The former Crusader and sly Count of Poitiers refused to talk. Twirling as the dance demanded, she felt the room spinning in mad circles around her. Lusignan's face seemed to swell and tighten before her eyes, and she couldn't feel her arms or legs. Suddenly, everything went black, and she fainted to the floor.
"Stand back!" Guy of Gisbourne bellowed, charging at her. "Marian! Wake up!"
Lady Sybille stepped coolly to his side. "It would seem the young lady drank too much wine," she explained. "Allow me to escort her outside. A bit of fresh air will do wonders to revive her."
"Lepers, Gisbourne," Sheriff Vaisey warned his Master-At-Arms. "Always causing trouble."
Guy of Gisbourne lifted Marian's limp body from the floor, and carried her up the stairs of the Great Hall, through the castle corridors, arriving at last to a doorway, which was flung open for him. He placed Marian outside on a bench, and Lady Sybille sat beside her, rubbing her arms and cheeks to revive her.
Marian gulped the cool fresh air, and seemed to revive. "Locksley," she called, sounding helpless and forlorn.
"Yes?" Gisbourne answered quickly. "I am Lord of Locksley."
"Tell me the truth," Marian pleaded, her speech slurred. "Say the words, Handsome."
"She's clearly drunk," Lady Sybille commented, not liking the look of longing on Guy of Gisbourne's face. "I'll see she's put to bed. You return to my husband and the sheriff, Guy. I want you involved in their schemes. You deserve to be included. Don't allow them to push you aside."
"No one pushes me aside," Gisbourne snarled angrily.
"See that they don't," Lady Sybille advised.
Gisbourne turned on his heel to stride back into the castle, but froze when he heard Marian cry out with a sob, "I love you!"
Gisbourne's lips curled in a slow, satisfied smile, his eyes glinting like steel. So, his gifts hadn't gone to waste! Marian loved him, or so she claimed, with the wine loosening her lips.
"Put her to bed," he ordered. "Lock her in her room."
Without so much as a word of goodnight to his lover, or to the woman he longed to marry, Gisbourne strode away. He didn't trust himself around a Marian who was drunk, and wouldn't tell him "no." But he wanted to wait for the wedding night to take her. She needed to remain a maiden, until she was his bride, for he wanted a pure woman to be the mother of his sons.
Once he had gone, Lady Sybille turned cold, heartless eyes on Marian. "Feeling a little queasy, my dear?" she asked. "I know just the cure for your condition! How would you like to take a walk with me on the very top tower of the castle tonight?"
"Robin!" Marian cried.
Lady Sybille laughed. "I thought so!" she cried. "I knew you would favor the noble hearted boyish charmer over my vicious brute, Guy of Gisbourne! What a fool you are, Lady Marian! What a precious little virginal fool! Well, come along and walk with me. We'll get so close to the stars, you can make a wish on one that your darling Locksley will come riding by on his horse to save you! Too bad, though, my dear! For no one can save you now!"