Chapter 10,
The Nightmares Never Left,
Nightfall, at St. Mary's Cathedral,
Guy left his horse behind a group of trees so he wouldn't be seen, sneaking across the open ground he had his back flat against the cathedral wall and began to creep towards the door. Opening it as silent as he could he crept inside, the room he entered was dark so he blended in with his dark clothing, trying to walk across the wooden floor silently while wearing his riding boots wasn't easy, but he finally made it to the stairwell without being caught.
When he had made it to the top of the staircase he was greeted by nearly a dozen doors, so his idea of an easy task was thrown off the steeple. He placed his ear on the first door he came to trying to hear what was going on inside, all he heard was loud snoring from one of the abbot's.
As he was about to place his ear on the second door, he heard the sweet and familiar crying of an infant, it was Seth, following the wails of the baby he found the door he was concealed behind. He opened it and inside he saw a crib even though the room was unlit, noticing no one was in the room he walked over to the crib and looked down at the sweet infants face shining in the moonlight.
He extended his pointed finger towards the baby, just wanting to feel the child's soft skin again, when he was about to stroke the baby's head it reached out and latched onto Guy's finger. At first it felt awkward and he didn't know what to do, but soon after it felt so natural, it was a pleasure to feel the small muscle tone in the child's tiny hands, he had always wanted a child.
He caressed the child's hand gently with his thumb, not wanting to hurt him, like he had so many other people, including the child's mother Annie. He was soon broken from his thoughts as he heard someone ascending the steps, he quickly but gently pulled his finger out of the baby's grip and hurriedly concealed himself in the shadows of the rooms corner.
Annie walked down the corridor humming what appeared to be a lullaby, it made Guy smile as he heard her singing the soft melody to herself. She soon entered the room with a small pitcher of milk which she placed on a table, scooping up the small child she gently rocked him in her arms; she then whipped around when she knew someone else was in the room.
"Who's there?" She demanded, now grasping her child in fear of his life,
"It's me Annie." Guy said, as he stepped into the moonlight coming from the window,
She screamed instantly waking the house,
"Annie wait I just want to talk to you." Guy soothed,
"Stay away from me I won't let you hurt my child." She yelled, as she knocked things to the ground trying to climb onto the bed,
Guy lit the lamp in the room so he could see where she was, he didn't know that it was a bad move, but he did when guards rushed into the now lit room.
"What's wrong Milady?" They asked,
"Stop him quick this man is trying to kill me and my child." She said clearly frightened,
The guards then grabbed Guy and placed a sword to his throat, pulling back on his overgrown hairs the sword was placed threateningly to kill if he made a movement.
"Wait please don't take me away…I admit the last time we met I was trying to hurt you but believe me that is the last thing I want to do now I have changed my occupational status." Guy explained, Annie gave herself time to think before she made a decision,
"You're lying?" She insisted,
"Then look." Guy replied, as he pulled the wooden medallion from around his neck and threw it to Annie,
She picked it up and examined it, and when she was satisfied she looked happily at Guy, who smiled back at her,
"Let him go it's alright I know this man." She said, so the guards relinquished their hold on Guy and left the room closing the door behind them,
"Is it true you're working for Robin Hood?" She asked,
"Yes Robin told me where I could find you." Guy answered, as he walked over to Annie and sat on the bed next to her,
"Why are you here?" She asked,
"Because I have come to make things right between us." He said, and just then Seth reached out to him grabbing at his tunic, Annie allowed Seth to crawl over to Guy who soon cradled him in his arms.
"I was a fool to have done what I did, I didn't realize what it was I had, and I have come all this way to tell you how sorry I am." Guy said, as he once again offered the baby his finger, Seth clasped it and fiddled with it as if he had never seen anything like it before.
Guy's hands were worn and scared, naming the countless battles he had been involved in and sometimes started, but all Annie could see was the loving nature of a father. It wasn't long until Seth began to fall asleep in Guy's strong and secure arms, so he handed him back to Annie so she could feed him before he drifted off any further.
"You don't look like you did when I last saw you." She commented,
"Living in the forest will change one's appearance quite a bit." Guy offered,
"How are you going to make things right?" She asked, as she rocked Seth in her arms,
"I am going to make you my wife like I should have when we were in Nottingham." Guy explained,
"But what about the sheriff?" Annie asked,
"The sheriff is my sister Isabella of Gisborne." Guy replied,
"Your sister?" Annie questioned,
"Yes…but before I take you back to Nottingham I must make things right with her, I have wronged her." He said, turning his head away from her purely out of shame,
"I am sure she will forgive you." Annie said,
"You don't know my sister." Guy said sadly,
"Well how about you help me feed Seth." Annie offered,
"It would be a great pleasure." Guy said, as he rose from the bed, limping over to the table he retrieved the pitcher of milk,
"Guy what happened to your leg?" She asked,
"It was broken in many places and dislocated…but it is healing well." Guy explained,
"How did it happen…" Annie trailed off,
"It was my sister who did that to me she tried to kill me, like she did once before." Guy informed, he noticed Annie giving him a worried look as he walked back over to her,
"It's alright Annie I'm going to make sure you're safe…from now on." Guy said comfortingly, as he took her hand in his,
When Annie had fed Seth she and Guy sat in the room so they could talk, Guy loved to watch Seth sleep, because he just looked so sweet and innocent.
"So tell me how's Marian doing?" She asked, but Guy's face grew dark with sorrow,
"She's…she's dead." Guy replied,
"I'm sorry to hear that…how did it happen?" She asked,
"…It was my fault." Guy began,
"Why was it your fault?" Annie questioned,
"Because I…I killed her." Guy replied,
"You killed her?"
"Yes I was so selfish…I wanted her all to myself but Robin loved her too and she loved him she never loved me the way I loved her." Guy explained, "I discovered she was the night watchman but I defended her, and when she found out that the sheriff and I were going to kill the king she tried to kill the sheriff only she was caught." He added,
"I had to tell the sheriff what I had discovered, he then decided to take her with us to the Holy Land, I was about to kill the King but Marian ran in the way. She pleaded with me not to do it, but I was driven by power, I told her that we could be together, but she said she would rather die than be with me." Guy continued,
"And that's when I ran my sword right through her…if I couldn't have her…then no one could." He said sadly,
"But you're sorry now and if she knew you were she would forgive you for it." Annie said,
"It took long enough for Robin to forgive me…I'm still trying to forgive myself for what I did to her and you." Guy explained,
"Yes Guy but I forgive you, you have to start forgiving yourself the past is exactly that you have to look to the future, and the future means that we're together now." Annie said, as she rose to sit next to Guy,
"I have changed Annie but I can never change what I have done to others, and what they think of me, nor can I stop their wish to see me dead." Guy explained,
She placed her head on his shoulder, and he soon wrapped his arm around her, at least he had someone left in the world that loved him dearly.
"I know Annie…and tomorrow (he began and soon he knelt on his knee) will you marry me?" He asked, as he took her hand in his,
"Yes Guy I will marry you." She said, so happy that a tear slid down her cheek, but Guy whipped it away with his thumb, and soon they held each other in a loving embrace,
"But you better not sleep here tonight…after all we live in an abbey/Cathedral full of monks and I don't think they will appreciate us sleeping in the same room when we are not married yet." She said,
"You're right I will sleep with my horse tonight and tomorrow you will make all the necessary arrangements for our marriage while I attend to some errands." He agreed, so after kissing Seth goodnight he left the room and returned to his horse that waited patiently for his arrival,
Leading him into the abbey's/Cathedral's stable he began untacking the flea bitten animal, "Things are looking up for us boy." He said, Renatus turned he's head to look at Guy,
"Tomorrow I will be married to the woman whom I have loved…but first I must get cleaned up and buy a ring." He said, Renatus simply nickered happily,
Guy had made a bed for himself in an empty stall by piling the straw together to make it slightly more comfortable, but that night he tossed and turned his subconscious actions driven by a fear induced nightmare. The fear of losing Annie was weighing on him, and the curse that had been with him since Marian's death was adding to his discomfort.
Only instead of it being him that took away the things he loved, it was Marian, she was cursing him to life of lost loves and misfortunes, he thought that killing Vaisey would ease some of his burden, but it only seemed to make it worse.
He watched helplessly as Marian bound Annie to a stake in the middle of the courtyard, fast burning wood was gathered around the footing, and oil was sprinkled around the wood.
"Annie!" Guy called,
"Guy help me!" She begged,
"He can't Annie because he doesn't want you." Marian said cruelly,
"Marian please you don't know what you're doing." Guy began,
"I know exactly what I'm doing Guy." Marian screamed, as her eyes shone a bright shade of red, and the side of her clothing where Guy stabbed her began to run red,
"Marian please." Guy interrupted,
"If I couldn't have you guy…than you can't have her." Marian said, as a finale before she dropped a flaming torch onto the fast burning timber,
"Noooooo!" Guy yelled, he tried to get to her and save her, but guards held him back, he could hear her loud screams as she was burnt alive,
He began yelling aloud as he tossed feverishly, Renatus heard this and he walked over to Guy trying to decipher what was wrong with him. As this particular horse had spent a long period of time with his master, he understood when he was going through times of mixed emotions. He nickered softly, but he got no response so he walked closer, he nickered again only this time louder than before, and when this got no response he nudged Guy with his velvet muzzle.
Guy woke from his sleep and rose to a sitting position faster than most half asleep people, straw clung to his face, hair, and hands as his sweat acted as a form of glue. Clearing the straw from his body that had begun to make him itchy, he was greeted by his horse who muzzled him innocently, Guy stroked his head kindly.
Finding that he had slept past his regular time he found that it was late morning, and that he had to have everything ready for his wedding that was going to take place that day. Having no guests meant that all he had to do was make sure Annie had a dress and that he had a ring, and something suitable to wear.
Hi, I hope you enjoyed the next chapter, sorry it it is a little short but I wanted to upload it as soon as possible. Review!