Lady Outlaw

Chapter 22

Scarborough Castle, Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire

After leaving Roana and Robin, Alice returned to the guest apartments and shut herself away in her bed chamber. She needed a moment to herself. The atmosphere in the castle had been extremely fraught since the failed hanging, and while she was in no way to blame, Alice could sense the underlying tensions and it made her feel uncomfortable. Prince John, while an awe-inspiring figure, was unpredictable at the best of times, and his displeasure at the aborted execution was being slyly exacerbated by Vaisey, who had gained the upper hand in his favours since Devereux and Dulcina were now in his bad books, and he was making the most of it. He had almost convinced the prince to return with them to Nottingham the following day so they could continue with their nefarious plans to kill the king.
Guy, in turn, was increasingly uncomfortable with the turn of events. He was sensitive to atmosphere at the best of times, which had often, in the past, lead him to present a stern, emotionless front in an effort to hide his true feelings. Alice knew that her presence was beginning to change him, to soften him in ways that worried her, even while they made her love him more. But it wouldn't do to let his guard down now, not while things were so volatile.
The door opened and Guy entered. Alice's heart leapt in her chest, as it always did when she saw him, and she crossed the room as he closed the door and leant against it, his face a mask of exhaustion. Reaching up a hand to rest gently against his cheek, his faint stubble rasping under her palm, she gazed at him, a question in her eyes.
He nodded. "Hood has left the castle safely. Roana, too," he added, seeing the worry in her eyes.
"Nobody saw them?" Alice ascertained, and he shook his head.
"I made sure the Sheriff and Prince John were out of the way before I directed them off the grounds."
Alice breathed a sigh of relief, before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him softly on the lips. With a growl, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, releasing his pent-up tension in the passion that he felt for this woman. Alice, although slight and fragile-looking, always responded so enthusiastically to his ardour, and she curved herself into his frame. He knew he had met his match, and he felt invincible, knowing that she was by his side. The thought of turning his back on the Sheriff did not seem so daunting anymore, because he was no longer alone.
Drawing back from him as the kiss came to its natural conclusion, she looked up into his eyes. "So, what do we do now?"
"We return to Nottingham with the Sheriff and I will begin plans to extricate myself from his service," Guy said, decisively. "Although, where we will go, I don't yet know."
Alice nodded and threaded her fingers through his, raising his hand to rest against her heart. "And what of Allan?"
"Allan appears to have fallen on his feet, as per usual." Guy's tone was wry but there was the ghost of a smile on his lips. Although he would never admit it outright, Alice knew that he was fond of Allan, as she was herself. It was difficult not to like the forthright yet charming outlaw, and knowing Roana's feelings for him only supplemented Alice's belief that he was a good man. Roana did not suffer fools gladly, and was not one to be taken in by pretty eyes and an attractive smile alone. Alice felt that Roana had found her other half, as had Alice herself. Nottingham had changed both of their lives irrevocably.
"So, we return to Nottingham, then." She moved away from him and began to gather items together. "When will we leave?"
Guy followed her. "Tomorrow at first light. The prince will be coming with us, along with the money collected for the black knights." The latter was delivered grimly, and Alice turned back to him. As a member of the elite band of knights whose main aim was to overthrow the regency and ensure Prince John was crowned King of England, Guy would be expected to lead the plans to kill King Richard, which he was no longer willing to do. Backing out might not be so easy to do, especially as Guy had already made an attempt on the king's life two years before, in the Holy Land. Luckily, Robin had been on hand to prevent it from happening, but Guy had been racked with guilt ever since. He no longer had the desire nor the will to carry out the prince's heinous plans. The difficulty would be informing him of this.
There was commotion outside their door, and it burst open without preamble. Vaisey stalked in with his habitual maniacal grin in place, displaying the gemstone glittering in his false tooth.
"Ah, Gisborne! There you are," he said, briskly, his gaze sweeping over Alice and dismissing her instantly. "I wish you wouldn't keep disappearing like that."
Guy looked mildly disgruntled. "My lord, I wasn't aware you still needed me."
"Did I ask you to leave, Gisborne? No, I did not," the Sheriff replied, decisively. "Now, we have arrangements to make."
"Yes, of course, my lord." Guy glanced at Alice sideways before his face fell into its usual deadpan and deferential expression. "What do you need me to do?"
"Well, Gisborne," Vaisey said with a sneer. "I would quite like you to kill the king. Do you think you can manage it this time around?" Guy looked stunned, and the Sheriff waved a hand at him. "No, no. Don't answer that. Because the answer is," he moved closer to Guy and widened his eyes, "a clue: yes."
Guy stared at him. "If this is what Prince John desires."
"It is, Gisborne. It is what Prince John desires," the Sheriff said, flippantly. "It is also what I desire. I will be rewarded for my loyalty, just as you will be rewarded for your loyalty." He moved closer to Guy so they were face-to-face, and placed a hand on Guy's upper arm. "Do not lose sight of our goal, Gisborne. Everything we have planned. It is now within our grasp. You just have to do this one.. last.. task."
Guy seemed captivated by the Sheriff's gaze, and there was a gleam in his eyes that Alice hadn't seen before. "I can do it, my lord," he vowed with conviction, and Vaisey moved away from him, clapping his hands together and seeming to break the connection between them. Guy looked dazed.
"Good, good. I knew I could rely on you, Gizzy." Vaisey sent a sly glance in Alice's direction then crossed to the door. "We will be leaving at first light tomorrow. Ensure everything is ready."
"Yes, my lord," Guy said, quietly.
Once Vaisey had left, he moved his gaze to Alice, who was by his side in an instant. "What am I going to do, Alice?" His tone was stricken.
She put her arms around him and he rested his forehead on hers.
"We'll figure something out," Alice promised. "We'll get you out of this."