Guy And Marian Retold

Saving Graces

"I should have known you would sneak out here when my back was turned!" With that he turned and strode purposefully back toward the castle with me in tow, trying to keep up, my eyes stinging with tears from the pain in my arm. I dug in my heels and would have landed on my face if my arm wasn't still in his grip.

"Guy, you are hurting me. Please slow down so I can keep up." I said softly, and he drew in a shuddering breath. He took me, a little slower and gentler, around a corner and backed me up against the wall. Laying his forehead on mine, he waited until our breathing slowed before talking again.

"I am sorry, Marian, that I hurt you." He drew away, and I saw the terror in his eyes again before he closed them. I realized then that his anger was really fear for me and reached a hand up to caress his cheek. He kissed my hand and then continued his explanation. "Joseph mentioned seeing you heading down toward the barricade as he was coming up to talk with us. Vaisey told me to get you out of there before he had you locked up with them."

I gasped again at the thought of being in there. I wouldn't mind helping, but Joseph surely would have orders from the Sheriff to poison me, and Guy would have no way to stop him from out here. My arms wound around Guy's neck and he relaxed into me. We stood like that for a few minutes before he pulled away again and looked ruefully at me. His hands found mine and we both held my belly where our baby lay, as if to protect it.

"I understand," I told him before he could speak. "I didn't think about the consequences, but I wasn't sneaking. After you left I was restless, and thought only then of going down and helping. I have to start thinking more clearly, now that I don't just have my own safety to think about."

"My bleeding heart Wife," he chuckled softly, and I smiled. He pulled away, grabbed my hand this time, and walked me back up to our room. Once inside he kissed me softly and promised he'd be back soon, as soon as the Sheriff was done with him. I paced the room again, but stayed put this time. I didn't want to put either Guy, my father, or myself in danger.

Allan came to see me later, and gave me the sad news that they hadn't come up with a cure yet, and a few people had died. I thanked him and waited for him to leave so I could lay on the bed and cry for these needless deaths. When Guy quietly opened the door a short time later, he found me that way, my sobs bringing him quickly to the bed. He crawled into bed behind me to hold me and I turned in his arms, crying into his chest as he kissed the top of my head.

After I ran out of tears we lay silently, my thoughts going back over the events of the day. I was exhausted, the hatred rung out of me by the Sheriff's lack of care for the lives of other people. I couldn't even muster more than a vague dislike of him at the current moment. I just wanted to be, not think for a while.

I moved my head, searching until I found Guy's lips with mine, and we kissed, softly at first. As our hunger grew, the kiss turned more heated. I moaned softly into his mouth and brought my hands up to his neck, loosening his collar. He murmured my name as his hands found the strings at the back of my dress and pulled.

Our coupling was fast and intense, as if he knew I wanted to blot out the bleakness of the situation with something life-affirming. He probably did know - he knew me so well. I cried out his name as his thrusts brought me over the edge, and then his mouth covered mine again as he reached his completion. I clung to him as he rolled to his side, and he pulled me close to him. Our hands were still busy caressing each other. I buried my face in his now bare chest, listening to his heart beat.

We dressed later and solemnly went down to dinner. The Sheriff required our presence, the guard had informed us after his rapping at the door had awakened us from our shared doze. Sighing, I laid my hand on Guy's proffered arm and we made our way down to the dining hall. The Sheriff was in high spirits, we saw immediately. I almost threw up at his absolute gaity in the face of the deaths he had, once again, inflicted on innocent people.