Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood, BBC, or BBCAmerica. Only OCs and plot post series 2 belong to me.

Disclaimer: I am not associated with Loreena McKennitt or make any money from this. I am only a huge fan :) who has bought her music.

so you find out who was brawling :) I kept tweaking this chapter, I'm not sure if I am happy with it or not...

Chapter 59: Brawls and Ballads

Prince John knocked on the door to Jacqueline's room but didn't hear a response. He wondered if it was strange that, even after nearly four years since her death, he still considered it Jacqueline's room. Marguerite hadn't changed it too much after she moved in; she hadn't ever really tried to make it her own personal space.

When he heard no response he let himself in and found only a single maid who curtseyed seeing him. "Where is Marguerite?" Was it possible she had already gone down to breakfast?

"I don't know, sire. She didn't sleep here last night."

"Where did she sleep?" Had she gone back to her own room finally?

"She slept in his room, my lord."

John saw red as he barreled out of the room, through the corridor and down till he reached the wing where the outlaws were located. How could she be so stupid to ruin her reputation now? He didn't care if it was consensual, the fact they were engaged, or any other excuse they would come up with. Guy had dared ruined Marguerite's reputation, John would exact revenge.

He crashed through the door to Guy's room, Guy pulling his shirt on at the moment and immediately went into fighting mode a moment before John's fist connected with his face. "So where is she?" John demanded.

"What the hell?" Guy demanded. He fought back, but held back knowing Marguerite would be furious if he hurt her favorite cousin.

"Where is Marguerite?"

"Her own room?" Guy suggested. "Why would I allow her here? I haven't come this far to ruin her reputation."

"Everyone already knows she was here!" John yelled, not realizing Guy obviously didn't know Marguerite hadn't slept in her own room for several years now. "The maid told me she was here. That Marguerite slept here last night. The servants are talking about it already," John fumed as he landed a punch square at Guy's jaw, but taking one in the kidneys.

"She was obviously lying," Guy panted as they fell out of the room into the hall. Noise clattered throughout the hall: the heavy oak door to Guy's room slammed into the stone wall, the sound of fists connecting to their targets, of bodies (Guy's and John's) falling out of the room onto the stone corridor.

Doors opened and suddenly the Sherwood gang was in the hall in various states of dress. Little John was the only one fully clothed, Much was clothed but it looked as if he had slept in his clothes. Robin was straightening his shirt but reached for his sword instead. Allan was only half dressed as he stumbled out.

"What the hell is going on?" Robin asked.

"A slight misunderstanding," Prince John panted as he and Guy tried to catch their breaths. When was the last time he had been in a brawl? The number of people unafraid of giving him a good thrashing had certainly diminished with so many of his cousins gone.

"Misunderstanding? Marguerite is gone and you accuse me of spoiling her!" Guy fumed. "Where is she?"

"You lost her again?" Robin asked.

"Why do they assume she is missing?" Gretchen asked Eleanor as they stood with Willa, eyeing the neanderthals.

"I think I know where she is," Prince John stretched.

"Now you realize where she slept?" Guy demanded wondering how the prince had gone from seeing red to lazily stretching like a cat sunbathing. Lord, Marguerite and her family were odd at times.

"Somewhere around your right hook connecting with my rib cage," Prince John agreed as he turned to head down the hall. Guy and the outlaws shared a look before trickling after him.

Eleanor and Gretchen shared a look with Willa, all three rolling their eyes. They slipped back into Eleanor's room and Eleanor laid down on her bed, tired. "You look as if you didn't sleep a wink," Gretchen teased.

"Believe me, if you were me, you wouldn't have slept a wink last night either," Eleanor grinned cheekily.

"I'm happy for you," Willa sighed. "Where do you think Marguerite has gone?"

"Someplace she wanted to go alone," Eleanor shrugged.

Gretchen looked over her friend to the door and saw Allan had walked inside. "I'm going to check on Ygrainne and Tom. Sleep," she told her best friend and then she and Willa scurried out.

Allan laid down behind her, spooning against her. "Tom is fine," Allan told her. "I just checked on him."

"I thought you went looking for Marguerite."

"You weren't worried about her, so I thought I'd catch 40 winks. As long as you were napping, too," Allan kissed the back of her neck.

"I'm torn between sleeping and touring the city," Eleanor confessed as she rolled over to face him.

He cupped her face. "Sleep, then we'll tour," he promised, pulling her up against him again.

ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

It seemed like the nightmare all over again. She hadn't set foot in the sanctuary once the last three years. She didn't worry about them holding it against her, they would understand. Marguerite seemed to just stare at the gates for a long minute, trying to get her feet to move.

Finally she pushed her way inside. She placed a single flower at the memorial for King George. "Hello, Uncle," Marguerite said softly. He was buried in France, but they had placed a memorial for Richard's father here with the family.

She walked further down the crypt till she rejoined her family. She placed a bouquet on Henry's first. "Your son is going to be the death of me. He is already near my height and at 14! I wish you were here, telling him how to be a man," she sighed. "he is just itching to go out and fight. I know I can't keep him in the nursery forever, even though I want to. What would you tell him?" she sighed.

She moved on to Jacqueline and placed the handful of flowers for her. "Yellow flowers, you always thought they were cheery," Marguerite grinned. "Genevieve is turning into a beautiful little version of you. And your boys! They have your mouth, just this morning did you hear what Harold told the nanny?" Marguerite laughed. "I can just imagine you giving them a little swat on the behind, then laughing with me about it over a cup of tea."

Next was Jean-Paul with bright red flowers. "Just like your hair. Sadly, Joan is at that stage where she hates her hair," Marguerite grinned thinking about her niece. "She blames you for her red hair."

Bluebells for Pierre. "I heard about Maries's illness. I'm making sure the best physicians are tending her. We can't have her joining you too quickly now, can we? What would Victor and Victoire do, hmm?" Victor and Victoire frequently saw their mother, Marie, more so than any of her other nieces and nephews.

"I'm sorry I don't have any of the flowers from Maeve's homeland, I know you were partial to them," Marguerite apologized to Christophe. "This was the closest I could get on such short notice, but I am sending someone to Ireland to gather cartfuls of flowers. I promised Cillian I would take him back for a visit. Maeve is due to arrive any day now. Do you think she will stand up with me? I'm hoping I can get all of them to come. Do you know how long it has been since we have all been in one place together?" Marguerite pondered.

"Three years," she sighed as she turned to Michel. "They all came to say goodbye to you, ma moitie."

She was at a loss, she had no idea what to do. She ran her hand over his tomb, looking at the artwork above it that showed Michel dressed for war, dashing, strong. So very much alive. "How ironic, that is what I hate about these French tombs. Why do people visit? I don't need to come and see you to remember you, ma moitie. I can't forget you, there is this hole that will never heal, not till I'm there," she nodded to the tomb set aside for her. "That's another reason I don't come. It is all just too morbid, and I have been so very morbid these last three years.

Let's talk of something else," Marguerite decided. She pulled the book out of her bag. "I finally found my courage and went back. I felt like I was walking in to gossip with you, I half expected you to be at your desk, or reading in the window. It hurt all that much more, you not being there. Everything was just as you left it. Which is how I found this. I had to tell the story from memory until Father procured another copy," Marguerite grinned as she opened the book of Norman history and tales.

"I wish I knew what you thought. You would have been the hardest on Guy, yet you would have championed him most fiercely on my behalf. What do you think of him? Jacqueline would find him attractive, I won't mention that to Collin," Marguerite laughed. "Henri would have trouble overlooking his attempt on Richard's life, Christophe even more so. I think Pierre would have understood him, though. I can hear Jean-Paul's exasperated sigh: 'you always have to do things the most difficult way possible, don't you, ma fae,'" Marguerite laughed. "And then I would pester you until you finally told me what you really thought of Guy. And then you would help me strategize on how to win father's, Richard's, and Philip's approval. Should I play Richard and Philip against each other?" she pondered as she sat on the floor. Anyone who saw her would think she was completely mad, perhaps she was. Maybe she had been completely mad the last three years without realizing it.

"I think Richard is going to be the most difficult one to win over. I think my course of action will be guilt, agree?" Marguerite asked aloud, as if polling her siblings' opinion. "Richard could never handle me guilting him. For Philip I think I should play on Guy's attempt on Richard's life. He will adore Guy for that," Marguerite laughed. She pulled the book on her lap and opened it to where Michel had bookmarked it. "You had nearly finished it before you left," she said quietly.

She looked up and bit her lip to keep from crying. "For so long, I was so angry, so mad at you. You broke your promise, Michel. You didn't even leave me anything behind, I have babes from all of them, not from you. You left nothing behind except me. .." She slammed the book closed.

Why did she come? She wasn't this strong. She couldn't even handle being in his room, she had cried all night. She was surprise she had any tears left. "I came to tell you it's over, Granger is gone," Marguerite decided. She placed the book on the tomb. "I can't do this again, I'm sorry. I can't visit. I'll only be here twice more, I pray." She would come when her father passed, then for herself, but she wouldn't be able to visit again.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Why would she come here?" Guy asked as they approached the Cathedral and walked to the entrance of the crypt.

"I don't know," John couldn't think of any reason why she would come here. "She vowed she wouldn't return unless it was her own funeral."

"Who is buried here?" Djaq asked.

"Some nobles, I plan to be laid to rest here myself," Prince John admitted. "I could never be buried in France, I'm an Englishman first." Probably why he didn't get along with his brothers, mother, or sister.

As soon as they entered they could hear Marguerite's voice. "I'm only going to come back twice more, I pray. So watch over your babies, protect them where I can't because I can't bury any of them. I don't think I'll be able to see you in France, either. Philip visits mama and all of you, so at least someone brings you flowers. Now I best get back before Richard wakes up. I need to perfect this, I haven't decided yet when to start layering the guilt. If only one of you were here to help, especially Henri. He and Richard got along smashingly," she sighed.

The outlaws—Little John, Robin, Marion, Djaq, and Will—shared a look. Everyone could see the concern on Prince John's and Guy's faces. They had walked past a memorial to the late King George, and then walked past a few others, till they entered a larger room, a family crypt. Marguerite's family, apparently. Marion's hand flew up, covering her mouth, as she realized what she was looking at: nearly every member of Marguerite's family.

"Where is her mother?" Guy asked.

"She is buried in France, she is French and wanted to buried in her homeland," Prince John whispered.

"You will be thrilled to know that your children are just as rambunctious as you were, according to father. They all adore the stories of Arthur and Merlin, and mama's stories from the north," Marguerite's voice carried throughout the chamber. They heard her take a deep breath and steady her voice. "I feel like I am cheating them, telling them only half the tale, since I haven't…petite Henri has even stopped asking me to sing," Marguerite apologized. At fourteen he was old enough to remember back to when Marguerite and Michel would entertain all of them in song. "I can't imagine Arthur not being popular, but you just know Robin's escapade with the sheriff is going to become a favorite too. Lord help us all," she chuckled.

There was a pause as everyone wondered what she was thinking. "I couldn't before, but, well, I need the practice. I probably sound as awful as Joan now," Marguerite chuckled. "Poor thing, she despised being passed over, but hated being forced to entertain everyone because her voice was so weak. I look at her and think about how I was suppose to marry at the same age she did and I am very thankful Uncle George decided to go to war with Spain than marry me so young, too. Can you imagine how different everything would have been if I went to Spain when I was 14?" She would never have even met Guy and that was too horrible to contemplate.

"We should leave," Djaq insisted but stopped as soon as she heard Marguerite's voice.

"Okay, you can't complain anyways," Marguerite hedged. "But I refuse to sound as awful as Joan's croaking attempts to sing."

And now my charms are all o'erthrown,
And what strength I have's mine own
Which is most faint, now tis true
I must here be confined by you

But release me from my bands
With the help of your good hands
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill or else my project fails.
Which was to please.
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant,
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer

Which pierces that it assaults,
Mercy itself and frees all faults
As you from crimes would pardon'd be
Let your indulgence set me free.

Her haunting voice sent shivers down their spines. Something about her voice seemed to reach deep inside them till her pain was their pain. Marion realized in that minute why Robin never shared this experience with her before, it simply couldn't be explain the effect Marguerite had on you.

Prince John seemed immobile, staring at his cousin. It wasn't until Guy was moving forward that he seemed to find his feet again. He would personally make sure Marguerite was able to keep her man after this.

Marguerite had sung again. The last time was when she had keened at Michel's funeral three years ago and he had given up hope of ever hearing her sing again. He knew Guy was responsible for this, and he would make sure Marguerite got to keep him.

"Ah, the cavalry has arrived," Marguerite sighed dramatically. "They probably agree that I have gone mad now, and I probably croaked as badly as Joan," she laughed, her hand lovingly placed on Michel's tomb. "I was telling them about my latest adventures, and, well," she just trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

"Your mother isn't here?" Guy asked.

"We have a place for her here, papa wants to be buried in England, mama in France. Her family insisted on it," Marguerite shrugged. "We have a memorial there," she nodded to the memorial next to where her father would be buried. "In turn, there is a memorial for papa in France," she laughed. "Now I am embarrassed. No one was meant to hear me, except them," she gestured.

John pulled his cousin into a tight hug. "Bullocks, you are going to tell everyone, aren't you?" Marguerite sighed.

"As soon as I step in the palace. I think I am going to proclaim it to the kingdom. From the balcony."

"John!" she chased after him as he laughed and ran out of the crypt. Only John could make her act like a child in such a holy place.

"These are… these are all of her siblings?" Marion asked in disbelief. She knew Marguerite had lost someone, but she had no idea, had never guessed, that it was so many.

Robin walked up to Christophe's tomb. "I knew Kazim promised to bring him home," he said surprised as he paid his respects. "I didn't know that Michel and Pierre died…" he hadn't even know about her other siblings, the ones who had died before he left for the crusades.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Much walked into the garden to find Ygrainne playing with two of Marguerite's nieces, Genevieve and one of her cousins, Victoire. When Ygrainne saw Much she waved and ran over. "Are you having fun?" Much asked as he picked her up.

Ygrainne nodded. "Genevieve doesn't talk, but it is okay because Victoire and I talk enough for her," she said eagerly. "They dressed me up in a pretty dress!" she said happily. "We were playing with Archer, but he ran away."

"Archer? He was playing with you? Why did he leave?" Much asked, sideswiped by the announcement. It was hard to imagine one of Marguerite's big Norman knights playing with the girls. Then Much remembered how this Archer had flirted with Gretchen and Ygrainne, making him frown.

"Victoire says that there are always guards around them, but Archer was so much fun! He said he had to leave because he was hiding from Robin and Guy. Why? Where is my mum?" she asked looking around. "I haven't seen her in so long."

"She is probably getting dressed," Much guessed. He knew she didn't go after Marguerite, and if Gretchen wasn't worried about her, than Much wouldn't worry. He needed to use the time for something much more important. He would have to think about what Ygrainne said about Archer later.

"Ygrainne, can I ask you a question?" Much asked as he sat on the stone bench and placed her on his lap.

Ygrainne nodded, her strawberry blonde hair bouncing in the curls someone had placed them in. "Much, I'm scared," her lip trembled. "Mum said we aren't going back to the forest. But she didn't say where we were going. Why can't we go back to the forest? Mum said everyone else was leaving too." She hugged him tightly, as if he was just going to disappear on her.

"No one is leaving, we are just all going to different homes, now," Much tried to explain.

"But we can't go home. It burned and there was fire and it's gone," Ygrainne's lip trembled with the memory.

"And that is what I want to ask you. I want you and your mum to come with me."

"Where? Why?"

He would have to work on the where part. "Ygrainne," he brushed back her hair. "I want to be your dad. I want you and your mum to come with me so I can be your dad," Much explained.

Ygrainne looked at him with wide eyes. "Why?"

She had been asking that with everything the last few weeks, but he had a feeling it wasn't Ygrainne just being stubborn. "Because I don't want you and your mum to leave me, because I love you both."

"I love you too, Much!" Ygrainne's grip tightened, if possible, around him as she hugged him.

"This is our secret, okay?" Much grinned. "Don't tell your mum yet, just play with your new friends," Much asked as he kissed the top of her head.

"Why?" Ygrainne asked again.

Much stifled a chuckle. "Because it is a surprise, okay? I want to surprise your mum."

"But why? Mum will want to know why, Much. Are you going to marry mum? Where will we go? You will be my dad? Can I call you dad?" Ygrainne asked.

"I want to marry your mum," Much blushed. "And you can call me dad as soon as she says yes."

"You didn't answer where," Ygrainne reminded him.

"I'm working on that part," Much grinned.

The song is Loreena McKennitt's "Prospero's Speech" chosen (after a long debate) not so much for the lyrics as for the fact that I loved how Loreena sang it.

HUGE thanks to Aloha94, Fireheart93, apprenticeassassin, & jojia for the lovely reviews! It is a relief to know people are still reading it after so long!