Friar Tuck and Alan entered Nottingham city, and the first building they met was the former Chateau of the Loxleys, the Title established with Robin and Marian, and thus very short-lived; just like its holders, or at least this was the official version. Alan deposed a flower on "Marian's" grave, and the Friar added a prayer for the vixen laying there. But our aspiring organista couldn't suspect he was paying homage to Annabelle, not Marian; and that his muse was waiting for him again.

While crossing the town, everyone greeted the Friar, and welcome back Alan. Sometimes someone asked the former if he knew something of the noises that came from the castle the night before, which he promptly denied; but actually knew what Robin, Marian and their offspring and friends were up to, and wanted to check if their plan was successful: once again, the hope of the English people were in the hands of the Sherwood couple and of their spiritual advisor.

Once reached the castle, the Friar tried his best to hide the tension.

"Father, everything alright?", asked Alan.

"Yes, don't worry. It just is that… I'm a bit anxious about how the Sheriff will receive the stuff you brought from Paris… You know, he is a bit… Ehr… not very interested in any art."

"Oh, don't worry, Father", pridefully stated the rooster. "He never has met such magnificent thing, and that will be what he will get him interested in them."

Meanwhile, in the castle, after a brief moment of prayer in the Chapel, Robin instructed Lady Kluck and Little John to wait for Friar Tuck at the drawbridge, while they would have remained there and awaited them. Marian was carefully scanning all over the place, with an upset gaze filling her eyes:

"Even the Chapel looks in disarray… How's possible the Sheriff haven't even cared for it? It's unacceptable… They always call for crusades and then, when it's time to upkeep their Chapel, they don't even move a toe?"

Marian always has been fervently devout; but again, not in the way the rest of the nobility wanted her to be: to her, it always have been a question of "diliges proximum tuum sicut te ipsum", "love thyne neighbour as yourself", instead of crusades and divisions. He even repeatedly praised his uncle King Richard and the Saladin for having been able to come up with reciprocal honor and respect, because she didn't want any religion to become an instrument of sufferance. On the exact contrary, in all of the idealistic transport she abided to the principle of "diligite inimicos vestros, bene facite eis qui oderunt vos", "love thyne enemy and do good deeds for whose which hate on you" with even more fervor, and while hiding in the forest she prayed for their enemies almost as much as she did for Robin.

Robin on the other hand was feeling a bit guilty around religious matters: he knew he had a bit of brushes with some questionable stuff, and felt uncomfortable about it. The actual truth was that he was now starting realizing his ways have been a bit odd, and needed to reevaluate them. But Friar Tuck always has reassured him on this point: he just needed to recognize it, move on and correct his way. No need for the self-loathing and harsh punishment some preachers claimed to be the way: recognizing the error and correcting him or herself was enough for everyone. He actually more recently had started a reconciliation with faith and devotion, especially since he was fascinated by Francis of Assisi, the Italian Friar which was preaching about finding peace with all things and people.

"Bar murderers", murmured Robin.

"Huh?"

"Marian, I was thinking what Friar Tuck always have told me about the act of repentance and atonement…"

"Don't worry, Robin. You've already done alright. Now let's wait for him, if you need a confession he can always give it to you."

"Yes, but… Having killed people is the only thing from which there's no return. And I unfortunately have done it in the past years – Starting with the material murderer of Anne, that is, the one which would have killed you…"

"You did wrong, ok. But you also suffered much, and learnt a lot… You are more than your errors."

"Would I have to be processed, would you still love me?"

"I'd give my life for you."

"Don't do that, our kits need both of us… I hope I can actually become a better person for them…"

The Friar saw Lady Kluck peeking from the merlons. He knew she by now was employed by the Sheriff, thus worried the plan didn't actually worked. And what would have been by now of the Hoods? Were they still alive, but hiding in the forest again? Had they been captured? Or even worse?... Kluck shouted: "The Friar has arrived, and Alan the Royal Messenger with him!", and the drawbridge was lowered.

"Your friendly neighborhood Law Enforcer is welcoming you", said the "Sheriff" while bowing at them. But something was odd with him to Alan, while to Friar Tuck it was a relief: Little John at least managed to make it, a sign the plan had at least partially succeeded.

Once the castle was closed again, and everyone inside was hidden from any outside view, the "Sheriff" received from Friar Tuck the news.

"Oh, well, we now need the official dispatch. Can you give it to me, please?"

Alan was hesitant; but the Friar knew what to do:

"There's actually even more he's bringing to Nottingham; let's make to the Chapel, it's the perfect place for it, because we might need an organ."

Alan was actually so happy he could show his new skills, and telling everyone his experience with Magister Perotinus himself, he didn't even think about it. He even almost arrived to the Chapel before the Friar himself, only to give him the way the very last moment so he could open the door and enter first as it was the official protocol, and had all of his scores in his wings, ready to illustrate all of the techniques and intricacies involved… when he made them falling on the ground, in complete shock.

"Oh-de-lally, Alan… It was a long time since we last had a talk, wasn't it?"

Robin was there, and yet was strange to see him in the Castle: had he been pardoned? Did he truly compromised with authorities? And who were these two kits he was playing with?

But the greatest shock was in seeing another fox, playing with two other kits, sat on the neighboring bench: she looked like a female, and the dress wasn't unfamiliar – Almost looked like a worn-out version of those Maid Marian wore in youth.

"Good morning, magister a-Dale. We learnt you were coming back from Paris. How was it? We are curious now."

It couldn't be. The voice was that, but what had happened? Did she truly came back from the grave? And through which kind of sorcery? No, there should be another, more rational explanation…

"Hey, Rob, is this another one of your antics? Did you confessed something just to remarry? And now you also are get to become a stepfather? You didn't even take full responsibility of the vixen you seemed to be madly in love with, how can you think you're gonna do it with kits not even of your own?"

"No, Alan, I'm not remarrying… It's just a long story. Marian, would you like to explain it? After all, it was you the one which went throughout it…"

"For sure. But I'm going to become a bit emotional, so don't blame for some moments of crying…"

And she started telling what happened, once again. And once again, a river of tears poured from her eyes, when remembering her friend and the three kits which didn't made it.

Alan couldn't believe what he was hearing: he couldn't tell whether he was more relieved to discover his muse was alive, well and with a family, or more confused by all what had happened in these years.

"Well, that's ok… If told to tell your story, I will stop when you got married and just dismiss all the follow-up with the usual, trite 'and they lived happily ever after', because otherwise they'd think I'm just losing my marbles… Sometimes, it's better banal!"

"Would you still like illustrate us your Parisian stuff?", asked Friar Tuck.

"The polyphony, you mean? No, no… They have made me losing all enthusiasm. You stupid foxes, we all were giving you her for dead and him for dying and… Oh, you made me reconsidering basically all of my life, and now I feel like I must reconsider the reconsideration!"

Robin and Marian were chuckling, and so were doing three of their kits. The only exception was Lionel, whose musical inclination made him curious towards what Alan had brought.

"Mr. A-Dale, our mother has always told us you also gave lute lessons to our father. Can I have music lessons? I practically have learnt the whole Gregorian repertoire from her and Friar Tuck…"

"Ehr… Right now I also am Royal Messenger… I don't want to take commitments I wouldn't be able to fulfil… Besides of that, I would like to show what I learnt in Paris, under Perotinus, to the King, or someone close to him, just to be evaluated as a possible official organista…"

"Is a organista someone like… a bard? Or a trouvère? Mother also says her beloved uncle, King Richard, was a trouvère. Is this… Perotinus a colleague of him?"

"Not exactly… It's more complicated than that…"

"Anyway, Lionel" told him Robin, "what have we said?"

"That we are unallowed to do music until we would be able to lift the cover, father."

"Sorry, son, but you have to be patient. Alan can give you lessons, but before we need to enact the plan Friar Tuck said he had prepared. Father, what was it?"

"Everyone have a seat, now I'm going to tell you about it…"