Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood, nor am I associated with the BBC. This is purely for entertainment, I do not make a profit.
I haven't seen all of series 3, but when my sister explained to me who Archer was, I couldn't resist ;)
Chapter 57: Conspiring
Marguerite silently slipped out of the bedroom. She hadn't changed when she retired, only slipped her shoes off so she could move silently through the house. Willa's door opened and she silently followed Marguerite outside. Marguerite found two horses were already saddled and waiting for them, compliments of Kazim she had no doubt. She had planned her get away a few days ago, her guards knew that the attack in Nottingham occurred and they were to use the time to come in and get her things while everyone was gone.
Now Marguerite and Willa pulled themselves into the saddle and Marguerite led them into the forest, away from the camp, away from Nottingham. "Where are we going, Marguerite?" Willa wondered after they rode for some time, putting as much distance between them and Locksley as quickly as possible.
"My men are right…here," Marguerite announced as they entered a clearing to reveal a dozen armed knights surrounding a carriage. She dismounted, one of the knights bearing Marguerite's crest and colors taking him and tying him to the carriage.
"We are all prepared," Kazim announced. "Even if I don't agree with this," he frowned at Marguerite.
"In this instance, Kazim, just look after my health. I've long given up on my happiness. Maybe Eleanor's right and being an Empress will make me happy," Marguerite sighed as another opened the door, ready to help her inside when suddenly everyone tensed, ready to fight as two horses entered the clearing. "Elle? Greta?" Marguerite frowned.
"Just us!" Gretchen held up a hand as a knight took the reins and held Ygrainne while she climbed down. Another helped Eleanor with Tom. "You would think we didn't get ourselves up," Gretchen grinned.
"Ey, Chivalry is important," Eleanor teased as they walked up.
Marguerite eyed the duo. Each carried a sleeping child and a sack. "Why do I get the feeling you are coming with me?"
"You did offer," Eleanor reminded her.
"Yes, but now you have Allan and Much," Marguerite pointed out. "Fine, we'll discuss this on the way, we need to move," she announced and moved into the carriage. Soon all four women were inside and taking off. They made it out of the shire before the sun rose, Marguerite thought thankfully.
"Can I ask why we are running away?" Gretchen pondered. "Elle and I discussed it and we cannot think of any good reason. Unless there is pressing family business back in London, but surely you could have told that to Guy."
"unless…" Eleanor jumped in, "it has something to do with what your Aunt Eleanor wanted to speak to you about privately."
"I'm going to hire you as my own personal spy, Elle," Marguerite decided. "Why are you here instead of Sherwood? I half expect Willa to ask to return to Big Bear, so why are the lot of you here with me instead?"
"Are you surprised we want to help you? You've helped all of us, Marguerite, without a reason, without expecting anything. Yes, it was for your cousin's throne," Gretchen conceded, "but you didn't have to stay. You did, you became our friend, we love you, we are going to help," she stated as a matter of fact. "So, are we going to London or Paris?"
"Prussia, Germany," Marguerite sighed. That had all three women surprised.
"But…I think Germany is the one country you don't have any land or titles in," Eleanor racked her brain going over the long list of titles after marguerite's name: Kent, Canterbury, Paris, Tours, someplace in Spain…
"Not yet. Give it a month or two," Marguerite drawled. "We are attracted to thrones like bees to honey," she snarled Granger's words out.
She became incredibly silent, one of her dark moods Eleanor recognized from when she first arrived although this one was tinged with an air of defeat. What could have happened?
They made incredible time for such a large party. It was evident that Marguerite wanted out of the country, and out quickly. "Are we in London yet?" Ygrainne asked, starring outside.
"No," Gretchen laughed. "It is going to take a little longer. 2 more days," she told the girl. They stopped in a meadow, eating a quick lunch one of the knights had purchased from a tavern on the way. The stop was clearly meant to relieve the horses, the only thing Marguerite seemed willing to stop for.
It all confirmed Willa's, Eleanor's, and Gretchen's suspicion: Guy had broken the lady's fragile heart.
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Guy woke, euphoria like he had never felt before. Even when he was on the verge of marrying Marion didn't compare to this. Marguerite wanted to wed him, he was assured in her affections. He wasn't what she deserved, heaven knew, but he would certainly spend the rest of his life making her happy. She saved him from the darkest pits of despair, he could do the same for her, would do the same.
Where was she? He planned on taking a moment this morning, just the two of them, go for a ride and propose. The ring was burning a hole in his pocket, but he knew it was perfect when he found it. Braided silver made the band with a thin thread of gold giving the ring a strength and beauty that held the large sapphire the size of his thumb, a perfect cut judging by his standards as well. On either side sat a smaller diamond, guaranteed to catch the sunlight. The ring was audacious, beautiful, unique. He couldn't remember putting so much thought into any purchase before.
No sight or sound of Marguerite or Willa in the house. He would have her horse prepared, then, while he waited for her to get up. The sun was just rising, it would be a beautiful, perfect morning.
Her horse wasn't in the stable. That set his heart pounding in fear and he called for his own horse to be prepared as he dashed back inside. Surely she just went to the camp with Willa, maybe the little bird missed that giant oaf. That had to be the reason.
He checked her room, barely knocking before he threw the door open. He prayed she was there and would yell at him for his poor manners, but the bed was made and didn't look as if it had been touched the night before.
He ran down the stairs and jumped on his horse, taking off before he had completely settled. He had entered the forest, gone only about a mile when he ran into the outlaw gang.
An outlaw gang that did not have Marguerite. Or, he absently noted, Willa, Eleanor, or Gretchen. "Where the bloody hell is she?" Guy demanded. "I swear Hood…"
"Hey, ease up! We woke up to find Elle and Greta gone, they took a couple of the horses," Robin frowned at him. "Marguerite's missing, too?" he puzzled.
"The ransom money is still here. All of it," Marion frowned. "She didn't take it to London so she must still be expecting John's guard to pick it up today."
"To hell with the money, to hell with Richard," Guy spat out, turning his horse around. He was going to find her and get some answers. The first being why she would leave him.
They were riding through Locksley, making a scene since there was no reason for the gang to be plowing through the village on horseback with the sheriff gone. "Luke, Anne, oversee the transfer of money when the royal guard arrives," Robin called out as they rode past the hut.
"Wait! Sir Guy!" Luke called out, waiting for them to turn around. "Anne saw them," he announced. Thank God for his wife's overactive bladder, Luke thought. "Willa and Marguerite left before dawn, Eleanor and Gretchen rode by shortly after. That way," he pointed.
"Probably meeting up with that foreign lad," another villager spoke up.
"Explain," Guy demanded.
"That Saracen fellow," another added.
"Saracen? Djaq is right here," Will pointed out.
"No, a different fellow who's been hanging around here for a few months. The Lady will be angry with us for telling about him, he was a secret she asked us to keep," Jess's mother spoke up.
The entire situation was like a stone settling in Guy's stomach. What was a Saracen doing in Locksley? What did he want with Marguerite? Her family had more enemies than Guy could kill, although he would begin with this newest threat.
"Eleanor and Gretchen knew this," Robin frowned. "How did they know Marguerite was leaving? How did we miss the signs?"
"She has been off for a few days," Djaq decided. "I thought it was her killing that Granger man."
"Eleanor had this planned," Allan spoke up. "She isn't leaving us." Couldn't. She had just asked Allan to trust her, after all. So he would try to do just that, even if he had no bloody idea what the hell her sodding plan was. Couldn't she have given him a little heads up?
"No, that should have made her …relieved," was the only word Guy could think of. She had planned Granger's death so exactly she would have been relieved it was successful and finally over.
They found a clearing where the two horses belonging to Robin and one to Guy were tethered. From there, it was following the trail of a carriage and a contingent of armed guards. "A dozen, it looks like," Much said studying it. "At least they are well protected," he tried to be optimistic. Surely a dozen armed soldiers would be enough to protect Gretchen and Ygrainne.
"So we are assuming they are friends and Marguerite went into this willingly, right?" Marion confirmed as they raced on, riding south, towards London.
Away from Locksley, away from him, Guy thought.
"We'll get them all back," Robin vowed. Sheesh. Marguerite could single handedly conduct something to break half a dozen hearts in one move. He had seen it before, of course, but now it was his men acting like lovesick, worried pups.
"They have a head start, but we are traveling lighter. We'll catch them before supper," Robin promised.
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"We'll rest at the next village," Kazim announced. He nodded for one of her knights to ride ahead and make arrangements.
As soon as he pulled away an arrow came out of nowhere, dinging his chainmail. "Brendan!" Marguerite yelled, surprised. Who would be attacking them in the middle of the English countryside?
Her guards surrounded the carriage till she couldn't see out as they barred the windows. She heard rather than saw two of her knights jump to the top of the carriage to take aim at their hidden enemy. Unfortunately, they were pressed in on a narrow part of a road giving their unknown attacker the advantage. They charged through to get to a better fighting ground.
Marguerite threw open her seat, lifting the cushion to reveal a box of weapons underneath. She took a bow and quiver, laid her sword on the seat in case it came to that. "There are more under your seat," she told Gretchen and Eleanor. Willa took Tom and Ygrainne, covering them on the floor, as the two women armed themselves.
Their carriage rushed into a meadow, thankfully. Her knights were armed mounted cavalry. They needed room to maneuver if they wanted the advantage and thankfully they finally had it.
Their enemy crashed through the brush after them. "Brendan?" Marguerite demanded.
"Still alive, ma'am," he called out. "Just winded me."
"Archer better be up top!" Marguerite ordered. Randall, aka Archer, was her best bowman.
"Right 'bove you, ma'am," his voice called down.
She couldn't tell how many there were but the odds were at least two to one in their enemies favor. Possibly more, if only she could get a better look! She strung her bow and did a quick count. Randall and Oliver were top of the carriage, her best bowmen. Not as good as Robin, but Randall was near enough.
Marguerite maneuvered to be able to fire from inside the carriage. She could see there were more than she had originally guessed, at least 3 dozen. Whoever sent them wasn't taking any chances, it seemed, as more continued to come out. "Bloody hell," Marguerite sighed.
"Kazim, any of you die and I swear by all that is holy I am going to hate you until hell freezes over," Marguerite called out.
Gretchen, Willa, and Eleanor, she noted, were keeping their calm. Heaven help their attackers if they tried to get near the carriage, she mused. All three women would fight like savages to protect their children. "The question is, are they here to kill me or capture me," Marguerite spoke to herself.
"Do you recognize them?" Eleanor asked as she aimed and fired.
"Sadly, no. Kazim! Who?" Marguerite called out. By his expression she could tell he didn't know either. "Kill or capture, kill or capture." That was the ultimate question. Marguerite leaned her head slightly and yelled at her driver "Francois! Swing around! Charge!"
Suddenly the carriage made a wide turn and was charging directly into the foray as Francois lowered himself into the specially designed seat, a board that flipped up and locked into place that hopefully would protect most of his body. Not that anyone had anticipated trying out that new defensive board just yet.
"Wait!" Gretchen called out happily as she took down one of the strange men as even more yells filled the meadow. "I know those voices!"
"Merde," Marguerite frowned. "Pour l'amour de Dieu!" She continued to curse in French seeing the outlaws ride into foray. Her men tried to decide if her string of curses was an order to attack the outlaw gang as well. (an: Shit! For the love of God!)
"Can we kill the outlaws after we take care of these men?" Francois called out.
Was he actually laughing at her? "Francois, you have obviously been too bored in the forest if this is enjoyable to you," Marguerite frowned. His driving, however, was proving inventive as they charged through the enemy.
Marguerite realized they wanted to capture, not kill her. Well, that was a slightly more cheerful scenario.
"I think I am going to be carriage sick," Willa frowned with yet another fast turn.
Finally it was over just as soon as it began and her knights were chasing down the last of the men. Marguerite burst out of the carriage, sword in hand, as she charged up to the last enemy left alive. Kazim held a death grip on the man that dislocated his shoulder and had his knee twice its normal size.
Sadly, pity was something long lost in her repertoire of emotions. "Qui travaillez-vous?" (a/n: Who do you work for?) Marguerite demanded, grabbing him by his collar. She let out a litany of questions in rapid French. When he didn't answer fast enough Marguerite gripped his shirt. "Ma tante Eleanor ?" she demanded dangerously. "Who else is involved? Otto? Henry?" Was Otto in on the plot to abduct her? Was he as low and rotten and deceitful as Guy had been?
"Non, seulement la reine," he panted out, Kazim doing something extremely painful. (no, just the queen)
"Djaq, tend to him," Marguerite ordered, still in regal mode as she commanded her friend.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" Guy demanded striding forward but her knights surrounded her.
"I am going to my estate to visit my nieces and nephews, say my goodbyes, and pick up Genevieve," Marguerite answered strolling back to her carriage. "Is anyone hurt?" she called out to her men, who all answered no. "Good. And to think this journey has hardly begun," she sighed.
"Marguerite," Guy said dangerously.
She spun around to glare at him and he saw such pain and heartbreak in her face, nothing could have hurt him worse, even if she had just outright gutted him. She turned back to her carriage, deciding not to address him.
Allan had reached the carriage first when the fighting was ending, pulling Eleanor out and straight into his arms, his heart practically flying right out of his chest. Tom was crying his head off as Willa rocked him. Eleanor took him and held him, Allan wrapping both of them in his arms.
Tom's cries were calming down as Much reached the carriage, seeing Gretchen rocking a frightened Ygrainne. "Are you alright?"
"We're fine," Gretchen said as she rocked Ygrainne, kissing the top of her head as the girl clung to her. "She was a brave girl, staying with Tom and Willa. Weren't you?"
Much reached out to rub his hand comfortingly along Ygrainne's hair. "They didn't stop last time," Ygrainne cried. The only other time she had seen fighting this close was when the guards had killed her father, Much realized, her fear twisting his gut into a knot.
"Let's go, Kazim," Marguerite ordered as she entered her carriage. She waited to see what the girls would decide, she couldn't blame them if they left. They hadn't signed on for any of this.
She was surprised, a part of her shocked really by their show of friendship, when the women entered the carriage and they were off again. "I'm afraid your outlaws are following you, my lady," Randall "Archer" called out laughing.
Marguerite frowned at him, his eyes dancing with merriment while hers were filled with annoyance. "Archer, I am going to have to order you to stop being happy," she frowned.
He quickly sobered up, only to burst out laughing. He rode up to see Ygrainne through the window. "Was that scary little one?" he asked her.
Ygrainne nodded, her wide teary eyes looking at the man on horseback in wonder. She had never seen a fully dressed Norman knight before, or a horse so covered with armor.
"You want to know a secret?" he grinned conspiringly, winking at her. "They are more afraid of Marguerite than you are of them," he promised. He tweaked her curls making the little girl grin. "She's as pretty as her mum," Randall flirted with Gretchen.
"Archer, your flirting is going to get you killed, and soon," Marguerite laughed despite herself. Randall had that effect on her.
"I think I can take them on," Randall nodded to the outlaws.
"I was referring to a wife's reaction to your behavior," Marguerite smirked.
He feigned shock she would tattle on him and their flirtatious banter continued. "Then it's a good thing I don't have one, ey?"
"How about your other secret then, hmm?" Marguerite pointed behind them to the outlaws.
"You love me too much to do that, my lady. Besides, why fight when I have the company of so many pretty ladies?" Their banter had everyone in the carriage laughing, the nightmares of the event no longer looming. Not forgotten, but not as frightening.
"What did the attacker say?" Djaq asked as the outlaws rode with the knights, Much eyeing the randy knight warily.
"She asked who he was working for, what they wanted," Robin translated the conversation he had overheard. "He was sent by Queen Eleanor, Richard's mother, to take Marguerite. Eleanor has something up her sleeve regarding Marguerite," Robin said darkly.
"What?" Will wondered.
"We'll camp here for the night, ma'am," Kazim decided as they parked the carriage. The other three women stretched and got out of the carriage after the long, eventful day. Marguerite simply stretched out on the seat.
The outlaws tethered their horses and Marion and Djaq immediately cornered Eleanor, Gretchen, and Willa. "Well?" Marion demanded.
"All we know is she is heading to Germany," Gretchen sighed.
"She won't say why, but she is planning on marrying the Emperor's brother, Prince Otto," Eleanor watched, hoping Marguerite would leave the carriage.
"I understand she could marry other royalty, that it is probably expected of her so I can understand her marrying the Prince of Prussia, but why?" Willa wondered. "I thought there was an agreement between her and Guy?"
"She isn't eating. Again," Eleanor fretted. "She hasn't eaten all day that I can recall. She picks at her food."
Marion frowned and strode over to the carriage. Before getting to know Marguerite, she would have claimed she was just acting the part of a royal snob. Yes, Marguerite had airs and knew her value and what was entitled to her. But she was much more, Marion could admit. She had no idea when she had come to consider Marguerite a friend, but somehow it had happened.
And somehow her friend had become resigned and decided to leave Guy. Why? She loved Guy, it was as plain as the nose on her face. Marion opened the door and took the seat opposite the one Marguerite was sprawled on. "Marguerite?" she wondered.
"Is this where you say you are my friend and want to help me, too? Are you going to try to talk me out of going like the other girls?" Marguerite drawled.
"No," Marion admitted. "I won't waste my breath. We both know I don't have a chance of talking you out of anything. I want to know why you are doing this," Marion admitted. "I just want to understand."
"It is my birthright, why shouldn't I be a princess? It is the only title I don't have, and in a few years I will be empress. Top that Ellie!" She sent a rude gesture in the direction of Aquitaine and her aunt.
"Uh-huh. That would have fooled me once, this royal snobbery. Now how about the truth?"
Marguerite was laying on her back, looking at the ceiling. "Sometimes I get so jealous of you, Marion, I could easily convince myself I hate you. Surprised?" she smirked, looking at her friend. "It's not for the reasons you think, though."
"You don't want Robin, never have, we have nothing to argue over. I don't want Guy, only ever wanted to be his friend," Marion pointed out.
Marguerite's sigh was of complete defeat. "I was jealous because you have had such freedom in your life, freedom I can only dream of."
"Freedom? You are the one manipulating kingdoms against each other," Marion pointed out.
"You have only ever loved one man and you worked and manipulated and just stayed stubborn till you got him. You defied death itself to stay with him. You were able to defy your father's and society's expectations to get what you want. I know exactly what I am worth, I know exactly what I am meant to do. I am part of two dynasties and kingdoms, all that means is twice the expectations and demands. I have been betrothed four times, Marion," Marguerite spat out. "I was betrothed as soon as I was born to the prince of Spain who was only 2! Then when it looked as if we were to be rushed to the altar—I was 14, mind you—they decided to go to war instead. Then I am betrothed to another prince, who went and died on me. Then I am betrothed and used as a bargaining chip in my cousins' 'Holy' war. They cause a war and are reduced to marrying me to a Saracen prince to end it. Not that either will admit it," she smirked. "I've decided men are good at war but it is women who have to make peace. My fourth betrothal brought me to the forests of northern no-where England."
"But your family care about you madly," Marion asked, confused. "I've seen Prince John, and from what Robin says your other cousins are the same. Your father would never allow that."
"Family? Marion, did you hear nothing I said? My family parcels me off on a whim. I am the last unattached female who is a Plantagenet and a Capet. My own aunt is sending a hunting party after me to abduct me," she pointed out, gesturing to the bound prisoner outside. "That is my family. If I wasn't left so bloody alone it may be different…" she trailed off, her voice breaking.
"I thought, foolishly, that I had Guy. For the first time in years my life was my own, I had happiness and I was going to fight tooth and nail to keep it. I've learned from the best how to fight dirty, and I was going to pull every trick I knew to keep this sliver of happiness."
"Guy adores you, what happened?" Marion wondered. When Marguerite didn't speak Marion knelt down near her head. Marguerite didn't say anything, just handed her a letter. A letter addressed to Guy.
"Yes, I kept it. I don't know why, just holding it tears the wound open anew," Marguerite sighed.
Marion read the letter in the fading light, and had to clench her firsts in fury. "That… I can't believe it!"
"Neither could I since John was always my favorite cousin, he is like a brother to me know that they are all dead. How could he? How could they?"
Marion looked up to see the tears falling silently down Marguerite's cheeks. "But why Otto? Because your aunt is making you?"
"She told me I could ransom Richard. I had to kill Granger first, I had every intention of refusing his proposal. Till I read that," she nodded to the letter in Marion's hands. She took out another letter, handing it to Marion.
She read Otto's letter and could see that Marguerite was trying to latch on to hope. She was going to punch Guy for this. "You need to eat, Marguerite," Marion said gently.
"I think part of myself is hoping that if I show up ill and on my death bed, he will refuse to marry me," Marguerite gave her a half smile. "Then I remember, why do you want him to refuse you when you have nothing else left?" She sighed. "I'll eat later, I promise," she said as Marion wiped away Marguerite's tears.
She stayed a few minutes more before Marguerite started to doze, having cried so much. Luckily, she forgot Marion still had the letters. Marion stormed to the fire where the outlaws were just finished eating. "Well?" Robin asked, draping an arm around her waist as she sat.
Marion glared at Guy. "What?" Guy demanded. "I'm tired of everyone blaming me when I have no idea what I've done," he said angrily.
"Go near that carriage and I will help Kazim castrate you," Marion promised, storming off. She needed to think this over, she had thought Guy was a changed man. She needed to see. His reaction certainly convinced her he cared for Marguerite, he looked ready to charge through the lady's dozen armed knights between him and the carriage. "I had expected more of you, Guy," was all Marion said.
"Ey, come on now, we all want to know," Allan pleaded, eyes watching Guy closely. After his time in the castle he could read Guy's emotions pretty well, and Guy was close to the breaking point. He actually pitied the poor man. Allan knew well what it was like being in the dark when the woman you loved was keeping secrets.
"I'm going to eat," Marion said, grabbing her food. She managed to pull the women aside as the five of them ate by themselves, Marion filling Willa, Eleanor, Djaq, and Gretchen in on what she had learned. They all sent dirty looks to Guy who was with the male outlaws. "Whatever you've done has certainly gotten all of their hackles raised," Robin commented.
"I'm not being funny, but I feel like I'm in the doghouse. Again," Allan sighed.
"I haven't done anything," Guy adamantly insisted. "And I can't fix anything until I know what happened."
He would give her the night, let her think she was safe and he wasn't going to press the issue. He would lull her guards into a false sense of security.
Then Guy would corner her.
Huge thanks to Fireheart (the personal relationships are going to be sorted out soon, promise!) and GalaxyDefender (Thanks! Marguerite is a bit strong, but I can't just have her stop with her pet names ;) I'm glad you like the story! Send me a message when you have it posted, I'd be happy to read it. I haven't seen all of series 3 just to let you know) for the reviews!