A Hoboken Hipster In Sherwood Forest by Mari AKA Marianne Mancusi Page B

meat on the table under my rule. I would marry Maid Marion, King Richard's niece and my childhood playmate, and produce an heir. All very simple wishes, I thought."
    "But things obviously didn't work out that way."
    "Nay," he says, kicking at the ground with the toe of his boot. "King Richard launched the third Crusade, asking that all able-bodied men join him on his quest to seek the Holy Grail. My father loved King Richard so. And for him to provide his king with his only son—well, he was only too happy to do it."
    "And it all went to pot from there I take it."
    "I am loyal to my king," Robin says with a shrug. "And we should not question the decisions he makes. But to abandon his country, to fight in a foreign land for some religious cause and leave his own people unprotected from his evil blood relative—well, that seems an unwise decision to me."
    "Yeah, pretty dumb. He should have at least left some sort of force behind. Like the Knights of Homeland Security or something."
    "So you see, Christian, this forest existence is not the life I hoped to lead. Or one I could ever be truly content with. I was born to lead knights, not a band of ragamuffins. I was born to sit on a throne, not a stump of wood." He fidgets, trying to get comfortable. "At the same time, in many ways, this forest life agrees with me. It's simple. Honest. And I know, forsooth, my men are true. They would stand with me in the face of death, should I ask it. You do not often win such true friendships in a castle court, where the power-hungry vie for control."
    Hm. Sounds a lot like the fashion-mag biz, if you ask me. A bunch of skinny, Gucci-clad prima donnas fighting as if their life depended on getting that cover-story byline. So often I've imagined a simpler life. A less glamorous job in a small town. One where people know their neighbors. Where families help each other out. Where you can make trustworthy friends. Marry trustworthy people.
    "What about Maid Marion?" I ask, curious. I've been wondering about her: a major character in the Robin Hood legend, but completely absent from what I've seen. And after all, if I were to decide to start something with Robin Hood, I've got to size up the competition.
    Robin scowls. "She chooses the life of a lady in waiting at Prince John's castle. She has no interest in coming out into the woods and getting her soft white hands dirty.''
    Ah, I'm starting to see more why the guy's so bitter against women. He lost his titles and riches and his chick went running in the other direction. Stupid gold-digging, uh, wench.
    "That's pretty lame," I say. "If you two loved each other..."
    "I loved her more than anything. Mayhap, I still do. But I cannot say whether she ever loved me or simply what I once had. All I know for certain is that she seems no longer interested in my affections."
    "Are you sure? I mean , have you talked to her?" Oh jeez, I am the incurable matchmaker, aren't I? Still, I can't bear to hear the hurt in his voice without at least trying to Dear Abby.
    "When I first returned from the Crusades, my only wish was to see her again. But after I became an outlaw, I realized I could not by right walk through the castle gates. So I risked all, sneaked into the city dressed as a beggar and climbed over a back wall into the castle gardens, desperate to find her. And I did find Marion there, but she was in the arms of another." Robin stops for a moment and I can see his hard swallow. "She did not wait for me."
    My heart pangs in my chest as I steal a glimpse of his hurt face. If only he knew how much I understood. That devastating moment when the world as you know it crashes down, when the one you love more than anything betrays you in the worst possible way. I will never, ever be able to burn the image of Danny, skinny jeans down to his ankles in that bathroom stall, pounding away at that waitress. Him stopping when he heard someone opening the door. The color draining from his scruffy face as he realized it