Disclaimer: I do not own BBC Robin Hood; only my original character Lady Sofia
TEN
Although Sofia knew it was potentially harmful to separate herself from Robin, she did so for the next couple of days. This was because she wanted to let her wounds heal so that Robin would not be so concerned. She knew he would chastise her for injuring herself but she knew it had been a necessary sacrifice. Sofia had another reason to keep away from Robin but she knew she could not hide forever.
Then her door burst open to reveal her frantic Chief Guard 'Sofia you must go to Robin immediately' he said panting.
'Why?' replied Sofia 'whatever has happened?'
'There is no time to explain, you must go to him and explain everything' he urged.
Less than an hour later Sofia was speeding towards Sherwood Forest and Robin's camp. The closer she got the easier it was to pick out the raised voices and sounds of fighting. When she arrived and dismounted her horse, she took a while to digest the scene before her. Little John and Tuck were holding Robin at bay, Kate stood before him triumphantly. Djac, Will and Quentin stood between both parties looking concerned, while Much and Alan stood near Kate looking betrayed.
A twig snapped under Sofia's foot and they all turned to look at her.
'I can explain' she said softly.
TWO DAYS EARLIER
Sofia thought she might have gone a little too far with the injuries she'd inflicted on herself. Perhaps she'd taken the act too far. She had been afraid that the Sheriff would see through the act and act accordingly but she had apparently underestimated the Sheriff's brain as he hadn't suspected anything as he should have.
It wasn't long before she was called out to do a sweep of the surrounding villages. It was under the pretence that Nottingham was raising taxes again. However, Sofia was trying to refuse this rise in taxes because she knew the time for taxes was coming to a close – especially in a time of crisis like this. She was sure they could be reinstated again give or take a couple of years and once the Kingdom was once again led by the rightful ruler, she was sure things would be righted once more.
It was while she'd been visiting Locksley that it happened. She'd needed to visit the manor house to reassure the people working there that they shouldn't work so hard because Sir Guy was currently away and therefore not in need of their services. She knew they'd be working even harder in fear of Gisbourne suddenly returning, so she'd come to put a stop to that fear.
After reassuring the workers – repeatedly – Sofia managed to leave the manor housebut as she walked past the stables, she was manhandled by a pair of arms and dragged into a dark secluded corner.
'I know your game' said the voice triumphantly.
Sofia stood still and confused until the mystery person moved and some light flooded through. Suddenly things made more sense.
Sofia sighed, 'Kate…ever get tired of these games?'
'Shut up! I have information on you so you better listen good' snarled Kate.
'I'm listening' said Sofia curiously.
'I knew you were bad news but no one believed me when I said not to trust you. They'reall going to feel so foolish! Remember when we raided the castle a few days ago, well you foolishly left your bedroom door open and I found a rather interesting letter'.
Sofia gulped.
'How long have you been planning to kill the King?'
Sofia froze thinking she'd been discovered, then realised Kate said 'King' not 'Sheriff'. The next few moments could have gone two ways but ever the planner Sofia didn't burst out laughing like she wanted, instead she adopted a scared and guilty expression.
'Your silence condemns you' spat Kate.
'Going to kill me?' asked Sofia.
'Not yet but I will warn you, stay away from Robin! He's mine not yours! He wouldn't have you anyway once he learns of your plan. You're a disgrace'.
'That's it? I stay away from Robin and you keep my secret?' asked Sofia.
Kate laughed 'don't be silly. That was merely requirement one. I'm sure a woman such as yourself has many a wonderful thing…perhaps we can share'.
Over those two days Kate managed to get some jewels, food, money and other precious items from Sofia. You might wonder what Sofia was doing but don't be alarmed, aside from the food, the rest of what she handed over was fake. It was essential to the plan forming in Sofia's head that Kate believed she had won…
PRESENT DAY
Sofia looked from Robin to the rest of the group and back again.
'Explain can you? After what I've heard I'm not sure I can even look at you again. I gave my heart to you and you intend to destroy England' said Robin in anguish.
'Please let me explain' replied Sofia with tears in her eyes.
She could see Robin about to reject her but Little John stepped in.
'Let her speak' he said.
'I know my avoidance of you this week has been suspicious. In order to fool the Sheriff into believing I'd been attacked when you took the taxes I had to injure myself – hence the mark of my face. I didn't want to worry any of you so I stayed away' said Sofia beginning her story.
'Two days ago I had rather a rough meeting with Kate. Seems she'd been snooping through my room again. A letter caught her eye and she misinterpreted it. She accused me of plotting to kill the King. She said she wouldn't tell anyone if I stayed away from Robin and supplied her with the finer things in life. I let her think she'd won'.
'I did win, you're guilty' said Kate.
'Your problem Kate is that you do things in halves. You only looked at the letter, if you had read it you would know that the letter was FROM King Richard signalling when he'd be returning to England. Remember when we first met, did you ever wonder why I killed Prince John?'
'Well yeah, but you're a woman and all, if you can kill a man…well we didn't want to get on your bad side' said Alan.
Sofia sighed 'I'm surprised you haven't worked it out. I told you Robin that you'd fought beside my brother in the Holy Land…Prince John used to be my brother till he locked me up in that tower and tortured me continually for years. I met Djac in the Holy Land when I visited my other brother, the King, a year before I was captured'.
'Princess Sofia is dead' said Robin.
'Never dead, only lost. I feel no regret in killing my brother, perhaps I should. He was more monster and less human in the end. I'd had years to work on my plan to restore England. The fact that people believed me dead helped me work from the inside out'.
'Why Nottingham?' asked Much.
'For some reason it was a personal favourite of Prince John's and I knew it to be the most damaged area. I also knew from my brother, the King, that Robin Hood and his outlaws lived in Nottingham and that made me all the more eager to come. After hearing the stories I longed to see the man behind them'.
Robin had the decency to blush at her words.
'So you did intend to snare Robin!' cried Kate.
Sofia shook her head 'I intended to see if he was willing to help my cause and I hoped we'd become friends. It was only when I first saw him that I realised my heart would want more' said Sofia.
Djac laughed 'you were always attracted to the rebels'.
Kate swung to look at her 'you knew her prior to this?' she exclaimed outraged.
'You idiot, if you'd listened carefully you would have heard Sofia explain that she knows Djac from when she visited the Holy Land' said Quentin.
'You!' seethed Kate 'best friend's with Sofia. You knew who she was and didn't tell us'.
Quentin rolled his eyes 'it wasn't my story to tell. I knew Sofia would reveal all when the time was right'.
'I don't understand why you hid your identity at all. Surely being the Princess of England is a good thing' said Much.
'Prince John was working to tear down England as we know it and the Sheriff of Nottingham was one of his biggest allies. With King Richard in the Holy Land and me supposedly dead there was no one to stand in their way. If I returned announcing myself as Princess Sofia what do you think the Sheriff would have done?'
'Killed you on the spot' said Tuck.
'Exactly. So I created a different persona. I became Prince John's 'loyal trustee and secret weapon' – created should anything happen to him'.
'That's why you needed us' said Robin 'you'd be able to tell us everything that would enable us to stop the wrong doings while your persona remained safe'.
Sofia nodded 'acting as two people is hard but more people are seeing the real me, it is only the Sheriff that remains in the dark'.
'Is he still in the dark?' asked Tuck.
Sofia nodded.
'What of Gisbourne?' asked Alan.
'Momentarily unavailable' replied Sofia mischievously.
'I don't even want to know what that means' said Alan.
Robin took a step towards Sofia 'can we talk, alone' he asked.
She nodded and followed him into a clearing away from the others. She had become good at drowning out Kate's words so she didn't hear much of what was said as she left with Robin.
She stopped walking short of bumping into Robin as he turned abruptly to face her.
'You lied to me' he whispered.
'I did not lie, I merely withheld information' she replied.
'Why would you not tell me who you were when it was clear that others knew?' he asked bitterly.
'Because I wanted to be sure of our feelings' she said.
'You doubt my feelings for you!?' he shouted.
'No, never!' she responded desperately.
'Then what feelings did you need to be sure of?' he asked.
'I wanted to be sure that you loved me for me and not someone I was merely pretending to be. I didn't want you to fall for the title, I wanted you to fall for the real deal and I was afraid that once you found out who I really was that you would treat me differently for it' she whispered.
'You were that afraid of rejection?' asked Robin.
'From you, always' she whispered 'you are most important to me' she added.
'You are most important to me also' he replied taking her hands in his 'I am sorry for not trusting you enough to hear your story'.
She shook her head 'do not apologise for I fear I would have reacted the same' she replied.
'Promise me if it is important you will tell me rather than hiding from me' he said.
'I promise' replied Sofia and they shared a small kiss.
'Is there anything more you need to tell me?' he asked.
'The King will return to England in two weeks' she said seriously.
'Then we have a lot of work to do' replied Robin.