Introductory statement
I wouldn't like living in the Middle Ages, an era where women were not considered if not as breeding animals, but this is a reinvented Middle Age, historically inaccurate, just like the TV series on which it is based; nor am I an expert of Medieval history, therefore do not expect absolute precision about customs, traditions, technological possibilities or other things, peculiar of a professional. Also dates of real events are here different from History and follow instead those of the TV series.
Chapter I
The Holy Land, an abandoned village, 1194
Vaisey, Sheriff and Baron of Nottingham, was lurking behind the corner of a dusty building, in his hands a bow with a nocked arrow. It was hotter than hell, in this godforsaken abandoned village, at a short distance from Acre, and he was sweating profusely in his black clothes, furthermore adorned with a small cape of weasel fur.
He was waiting for King Richard Lionheart, determined to kill him once and for all, after a failed assassination attempt two years earlier, when he had sent Gisborne to do the dirty work and the latter had been stopped by Robin of Locksley timely intervention. As Vaisey was the chief commander of the Black Knights, the secret organisation Prince John had founded to get rid of his brother Richard to take the throne in his place, Vaisey had decided to take charge of the situation, so he would be nearer to his ultimate goal: England's throne, which he wanted for himself. After Richard's death, John would be proclaimed King of England, but being a weak, he would be easily overthrown and, at that point, being closely enough related to the Plantagenets, Vaisey would seize the crown...
The noise of hooves at a slow trot interrupted his thoughts; Vaisey held his breath, waiting to discover who it was, and a few moments later, he glimpsed the imposing shape of Richard of England, wrapped in his snow-white Crusader cloak, elegantly draped behind him on the mighty back of his warhorse. The sovereign had no chance to see him from that angle, and realising it, Vaisey sneered triumphantly: he bent his bow, taking aim accurately, then he released the arrow. It headed hissing towards Richard and drove into his shoulder. Vaisey cursed: he had aimed more to the centre, where the heart was located; in this position, the arrow wouldn't kill the Lionheart on the spot.
Richard arched backwards with a pained yell and then he bent over the neck of his destrier, but he managed not to fall; the horse went on trotting in the direction he had been steered earlier, leading him to an open space with a well at its centre. Here, the pain overwhelmed him and the proud sovereign felt his strengths fail and slipped from the saddle, falling face down on the scorching sand. He moved in the vain attempt to reach the arrow and tear it off his flesh, but the pain became unbearable and he lost consciousness.
At that very moment, from the other side of the open space, Sir Guy of Gisborne appeared in the arch between two houses, his hand on the hilt of his broadsword.
From the top of the staircase where she had been hiding, Lady Marian of Knighton had seen the king coming, strangely bent over his saddle; now, in horror she saw him falling to the ground and, at the same time, she glimpsed Gisborne. With an angry cry, she jumped out of her shelter.
"Guy!" she shouted.
Gisborne didn't understand how she could be there; he had left her shackled in the sheriff's rented house in Acre; how had she escaped? Anyway, he was there to fulfil a mission, which would give him everything he wanted for so long: wealth and power beyond belief. He couldn't waste time in cogitations. He would think about it later.
He unsheathed his broadsword, staring grimly at Marian; she ran down the stairs and rushed to place herself between him and the wounded king.
"Stop" she yelled again, halting and lifting her arms, not in a surrendering gesture, but in one of command, "'Tis over, Guy."
He ignored her and stepped forward.
"Get out of the way."
"All this time I was fighting for England", Marian said proudly, "You think I'm letting you kill England?"
"Marian... get out of the way!" Guy shouted, wielding his broadsword. She was startled, but didn't move.
"You have to kill me first", she declared through clenched teeth, all of her Nightwatchman temperament coming to the fore after months of forced inactivity.
"No", Guy snarled, "We can go out of this. I'm going to do this thing, and then I'll have power beyond measure, and we will be together."
Marian laughed in his face.
"I would rather die, than be with you, Guy of Gisborne", she declared straightforward, almost cruelly. Guy froze, distraught and incredulous.
"No..."
"I'm going to marry Robin Hood", Marian went on, smiling cockily again; Guy stared at her without understanding, unable to grasp the meaning of the words she was throwing at him, "I love Robin Hood", the young woman went on, in her voice a hint of disbelief, "I love Robin Hood", she repeated, now firmly, in a final tone.
The last sentence finally penetrated into the fog that had wrapped around Guy's mind. With a shout full of anger and pain, he threw himself against her, lifting his broadsword, determined to punish her for her insolence. He had to knock her out, kill the king and then drag her away with him to England, where he would force her to marry him.
Marian transformed instantly into the Nightwatchman and reacted forcefully, lifting her arms and blocking Guy's hand wielding the broadsword. Surprised by her unexpected resistance, Guy was slow in counteracting and he almost lost his grip on the hilt. They struggled furiously, moving around in the open space and kicking up a lot of dust. Marian was trying to disarm him and at the same time to shove him as far as she could from the collapsed and unconscious shape of the king. On his side, Guy was trying to break free so he could knock her out and kill the sovereign, without hurting her. Using his superior strength, he lowered his sword between them intent on freeing the wrist Marian was grabbing with both her hands; a jerky movement from her part, maybe in an attempt to push Guy backwards, made her instead fall against him. Her eyes dilated suddenly while a gasp escaped her; she staggered backward and Guy, terrified, saw a scarlet stain spreading on the front of her white kaftan. He took involuntarily a step forward, holding out his hand as if he wanted to help her; lowering his eyes, he saw the point of his sword stained with blood. He froze and, with a dismayed gasp, he dropped the weapon to the ground.
Marian pressed her hands against her belly, where she had been stabbed; she gazed at Guy, who had raised his eyes to her with an expression of complete horror. Her beautiful face showed pain, disbelief and fright in equal parts.
"No", Guy whispered, in despair. Without a sound, Marian collapsed on the sand; Guy moved to run and kneel beside her, but at that moment, Robin's anguished yell echoed:
"Marian!"
Guy saw him running closer and backed hastily. Robin dropped to his knee next to the injured woman, while the square resounded with other appalled shouts, those of Robin's companions. Guy backed further; Much and Little John ran to Marian, while Djaq went to the king, Will Scarlett at her tail. Behind him, Guy heard Vaisey roaring:
"Gisborne!"
He turned and saw him rushing to his horse.
"'Tis not over, Hood!" the sheriff barked, boastful as usual, while grasping the destrier's bridles, "I will have England!"
He made an imperious gesture to which Gisborne, used to years of obedience, responded running to him. Vaisey hauled up into the saddle and Guy mounted behind him, dazed, his mind empty of any thought, his heart in pieces. The sheriff spurred furiously the horse, which started at a gallop, taking away the two men from the deserted village, while even Allan A Dale was arriving, staring at them leaving, unable to stop them.
Bouncing hard on the back of the galloping destrier, Guy clang to the sheriff in order not to fall. In his mind was playing on loop the scene of Marian staggering backwards, blood staining the whiteness of her long tunic spurting from the wound to her belly. He was unable to recall if it had been he thrusting forward the point of his sword to hit her, or if it had been her who, colliding with him in the frenzy of the fight, had stabbed herself on it. For sure, he never meant to injure her. He wanted only knock her out, so he could finish the job, and then he would drag her away from there, alive even if maybe not unhurt. He wanted to marry her, damn, not kill her! Instead, she was now lying in the sand, a wound to her belly of which he didn't know the seriousness. He had seen many injuries to the belly and knew that, unless it wasn't a rather superficial cut, the chances of her surviving weren't large. Of course, she could count on Djaq's treatments – the Saracen girl was a very good physician – but she wasn't capable of working miracles.
He had killed the woman he loved.
He had killed the woman he loved.
He would never forgive himself for this. Ever. Because this had made him a monster with no chances for redemption.
In the darkness of pain and remorse that was clouding his brain, a question came insistently to the fore, a question he had already asked himself: how could Marian be there in the first place? How had she managed to free herself from the chains she had been shackled in the basement of the house the sheriff had rented? How had she met in the desert with Hood and King Richard? Hood must have found her, unlikely as it was, and therefore it must have been he who had set her free. And consequently, it was Hood's fault if Marian had been in that deserted village and had stepped in to defend Richard.
Guy's mind, looking desperately for release from the excruciating pain and the terrible torment distressing him, found a lifeline in anger.
It was all Robin Hood's fault.