now ?” Marian hissed, hopping off Nearly Dead. The grey mare sighed and walked herself over to Crafty’s pen. “I’m only worrying my head off in my castle tower, thinking about how I’m doomed but my greatest friend is going to help me and solve everything, when lo and behold I hear some village gossip. Apparently Robin Hood is now a matchmaker !”
“Marian , they needed help. Ellen was going to be married that day, your father, on the other hand, hasn’t even accepted Sir Guy yet,” I defended. “Besides, as I reminded you last time we met, you were the one who wanted me to be an outlaw. I’m not your personal hero, Marian, I have other people to think of too.”
Marian stared at me and rapidly blinked. For the first time in years she looked like she was about to cry.
I stammered a little, trying to figure out how to backtrack. The ever eloquent Alan-A-Dale stepped in for me.
“You must be the beautiful Maid Marian,” he smiled, running his fingers over his (fixed) harp in a beautiful river of notes. “The apple of Robin Hood’s eye, his beloved. Or so the songs say, and they hardly know the half of it. What brings you here, Maid Marian, and so angry? Surely you cannot be mad at your best friend just because she helped my wife and me,” Alan gently said.
Marian miserably shook her head and rubbed her eyes with her fists. “I’m coming to stay Robyn,” she whispered. “Father told me in a week he will accept Sir Guy’s proposal.”
All of the air left my chest and my mind raced. I glanced at Ellen and Alan, Alan’s words still dancing around my head. The apple of my eye, huh? I had already stopped one marriage, why not two?
A wolfish smile swept over my lips. “Marian, you and I will return to Huntingdon Castle—,”
“Robyn I—,”
“Only to deliver a letter that says you’ve run off to be with the love of your life, Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest. Write to your Father and tell him that you will have no other man besides Robin, and that he will protect you from Sir Guy of Gisborne. Start writing it,” I ordered before turning on my heels. “Alan-A-Dale, I am in need of your help sooner than I thought.”
“How can I be of service, Robyn?” Alan asked with a sweeping bow.
“Let us cement the rumor that Maid Marian is Robin Hood’s true love,” I decided. “Maid Marian may be my best friend, but who says she cannot be Robin Hood’s love? It will protect the both of us.”
“It’s true,” Much nodded. “We’ve been getting lots of womenfolk in Sherwood, looking for the bold and brave Robin Hood.”
“Marian will be free of the ruse when I dump the Robin Hood mask. It will be perfect,” I laughed.
“How can I help you?” Alan inquired.
“Write a ballad. Write several ballads. Make them all about the relationship between Marian and Robin Hood. But it is important, the ballads must keep Marian’s chastity, as well as my own,” I shivered. “I will not have bawdy songs being sung about us, nor would I ever want any pathetic lie such as that to be passed around.”
“It will work perfectly. You two are already the talk of the town with that sorrowful parting when Robin saved Little John and Will Scarlet,” Alan shrugged.
Marian blinked. “My ring got stuck on Robyn’s clothes.”
“It makes no difference. Once the ballads are out any interaction between you two, no matter how friendly it really is, will be made into the greatest love scene of all time through people’s imaginations,” Alan said, plucking a few more strings before humming a line.
“What will all of this do, Robyn, except boost your Robin Hood image?” Will Scarlet asked.
“The Sheriff, Sir Guy, perhaps even Prince John, are going to be angry. Very angry. We will draw them here to Sherwood. I will deal with Sir Guy, and we will rob the Sheriff blind,” I grinned.
“I like that plan,” Little John smirked.
“Me too,” Will Scarlet agreed.
Marian only breathed in relief and hugged
“Marian , they needed help. Ellen was going to be married that day, your father, on the other hand, hasn’t even accepted Sir Guy yet,” I defended. “Besides, as I reminded you last time we met, you were the one who wanted me to be an outlaw. I’m not your personal hero, Marian, I have other people to think of too.”
Marian stared at me and rapidly blinked. For the first time in years she looked like she was about to cry.
I stammered a little, trying to figure out how to backtrack. The ever eloquent Alan-A-Dale stepped in for me.
“You must be the beautiful Maid Marian,” he smiled, running his fingers over his (fixed) harp in a beautiful river of notes. “The apple of Robin Hood’s eye, his beloved. Or so the songs say, and they hardly know the half of it. What brings you here, Maid Marian, and so angry? Surely you cannot be mad at your best friend just because she helped my wife and me,” Alan gently said.
Marian miserably shook her head and rubbed her eyes with her fists. “I’m coming to stay Robyn,” she whispered. “Father told me in a week he will accept Sir Guy’s proposal.”
All of the air left my chest and my mind raced. I glanced at Ellen and Alan, Alan’s words still dancing around my head. The apple of my eye, huh? I had already stopped one marriage, why not two?
A wolfish smile swept over my lips. “Marian, you and I will return to Huntingdon Castle—,”
“Robyn I—,”
“Only to deliver a letter that says you’ve run off to be with the love of your life, Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest. Write to your Father and tell him that you will have no other man besides Robin, and that he will protect you from Sir Guy of Gisborne. Start writing it,” I ordered before turning on my heels. “Alan-A-Dale, I am in need of your help sooner than I thought.”
“How can I be of service, Robyn?” Alan asked with a sweeping bow.
“Let us cement the rumor that Maid Marian is Robin Hood’s true love,” I decided. “Maid Marian may be my best friend, but who says she cannot be Robin Hood’s love? It will protect the both of us.”
“It’s true,” Much nodded. “We’ve been getting lots of womenfolk in Sherwood, looking for the bold and brave Robin Hood.”
“Marian will be free of the ruse when I dump the Robin Hood mask. It will be perfect,” I laughed.
“How can I help you?” Alan inquired.
“Write a ballad. Write several ballads. Make them all about the relationship between Marian and Robin Hood. But it is important, the ballads must keep Marian’s chastity, as well as my own,” I shivered. “I will not have bawdy songs being sung about us, nor would I ever want any pathetic lie such as that to be passed around.”
“It will work perfectly. You two are already the talk of the town with that sorrowful parting when Robin saved Little John and Will Scarlet,” Alan shrugged.
Marian blinked. “My ring got stuck on Robyn’s clothes.”
“It makes no difference. Once the ballads are out any interaction between you two, no matter how friendly it really is, will be made into the greatest love scene of all time through people’s imaginations,” Alan said, plucking a few more strings before humming a line.
“What will all of this do, Robyn, except boost your Robin Hood image?” Will Scarlet asked.
“The Sheriff, Sir Guy, perhaps even Prince John, are going to be angry. Very angry. We will draw them here to Sherwood. I will deal with Sir Guy, and we will rob the Sheriff blind,” I grinned.
“I like that plan,” Little John smirked.
“Me too,” Will Scarlet agreed.
Marian only breathed in relief and hugged
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