"Sir Guy's Atonement" (Book 3) by Gratiana Lovelace, 2015 (a Wattys2015 Nominee)

Ch. 10 (PG-13, S): Affairs of the Heart, Part 1

"Sir Guy's Atonement" (Book 3), Ch. 10 (PG-13, S):  Affairs of the Heart, Part 1,  February 27, 2015 Gratiana Lovelace (Post #710)

[An Original Fan Fiction adaptation of the characters from the BBC's Robin Hood; 

& a Sequel to "Sir Guy's Dilemma" (Book 2) by Gratiana Lovelace]  (All Rights Reserved; No copyright infringement intended)   [(1) story logo, top right] 

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story with my dream cast of:  Richard Armitage as Sir Guy of Gisborne, Clive Standen as Lord Archer of Locksley, Emma Watson as Lady Roseanna Gisborne, Tommy Bastow as the young Seth Gisborne, Lucy Griffiths as the spectre of Lady Marian, James McAvoy as Lord George Middleton, Toby Stephens as Prince John, Dakota Fanning as Lady Caroline Havorford,  Chris Hemsworth as Sir Roderick Merton, Tamsin Egerton as Lady Rebecca Oxbridge, Lee Ross as Sir Jasper, etc.]

Author's Mature Content Note:  "Sir Guy's Atonement" is a story of romance and intrigue set amidst Medieval times.  As such there will be some passages in this story involving heartfelt love scenes (S) and some passages involving highly dramatic moments (D).  I will label the maturity rating of those chapters accordingly.  Otherwise, the general rating for this story is PG or PG-13 due to some mature situations and topics.  If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide, then please do not read the chapters with those labels.  This is my disclaimer.

Author's Recap from the previous installment:  Sir Guy of Gisborne found there to be many secrets and lies abounding at the Friday, March 29th, 1199 celebratory feast in his honor. Not everything is clear.  Especially regarding Prince John hinting that their kinsman John Oxbridge, Earl of Leicester--their Gordon Castle hostess Lady Rebecca's husband--might be gravely injured, or even dead.  And Sir Guy does suspect that Sir Roderick might prove to be a worrisome aspect of their lives. And Sir Guy knows that his eldest son Seth Gisborne will have questions about his birth and his birthright now that Sir Jasper has let slip about Seth's legitimacy degree.  Yet now all Sir Guy wants to do is sleep this night before he and Seth ride home to Gisborne-Middleton Manor.  But restful sleep will prove to be elusory, delightuflly so.

"Sir Guy's Atonement" (Book 3), Ch. 10 (PG-13, S):  Affairs of the Heart, Part 1

Thankfully for Sir Roderick, the Gisbornes decide to retire early from Friday night's feast since their younger children  six year old Lady Helen and four year old Louis are with them.  As Sir Guy wishes Sir Roderick a good night before he retires to bed as their guest in their guest suite's sitting room, Sir Guy notices a restlessness in the younger man. And Sir Guy wonders if it has anything to do with their hostess, Lady Rebecca, whom Sir Roderick escorted into the feast.  Sir Guy is not one for idle speculation about the nature of the acquaintance between Lady Rebecca and Sir Roderick--considering Lady Rebecca's seemingly genuine distress that her husband might be injured or dead in the Holy Land.  But Sir Guy also knows that Prince John would love to have the lovely Lady Rebecca as a pawn in his nobles' betrothal and marriage market scheme--and the fair Lady Rebecca and strong Sir Roderick do make a handsome couple.

Sir Guy:  Sir Guy begins solicitously.  "Are you feeling pain in your shoulder, Sir Roderick?  Perhaps you should drink some more wine to dull your senses."   Sir Guy holds out a cup with wine in it to the younger man.

But his senses dulled is not what Sir Roderick wants this night if he is to go to his Lady Becca.

Sir Roderick:  "Nay."  He smiles good naturedly at his host.  "I thank you for your solicitude, Lord Gisborne.  My shoulder does have a steady throbbing to it."  Sir Roderick rolls his eyes wincingly.  "But I will endure it.  And given your largesse in inviting me to stay with your family, I will surely heal more swiftly.  I am unused to such fine accommodations as these since I have been traveling our Northern territories for the crown."   He gestures toward the bed prepared for him at one end of the Gisborne's guest suite's sitting room.  "I am accustomed to sleeping in the open space of a moonlit night, the stars being my canopy."  Sir Roderick shrugs  sheepishly.