[My heartfelt thanks to @JeannieGisborne for her invaluable help in correcting this story; pls check her lovely stories about Guy and the Robin Hood BBC fandom, I highly recommend them]
Chapter XVIII
Nottingham, July 26, 1194
When Violet awakened on the next morning, there was no trace of Guy in the room. He had folded the blanket and placed it on a chair with the pillow on top. She rose and crossed the chamber to open the shutters. The sun was shining, still low on the horizon. The window opened on the inner courtyard, where several servants were passing, minding their tasks.
Hearing a knock on the door, Violet withdrew from the windowsill.
"Who's there?" she asked.
"'Tis Rebelle", she heard her cousin's voice.
"Coming!" Violet cried. She hastily looked for her house robe, donned it and, still barefoot, ran to the door to open it.
Rebelle was back to her usual male outfit. Coming in, she watched her cousin closely.
"Everything's alright?" she enquired in a low voice. Violet nodded, closing the door, then she walked back to the bed to look for her house shoes.
"Well?" Rebelle urged her, still anxious. "How did Guy behave?"
Violet turned to her cousin.
"He was very understanding", she answered softly. Her words reassured Rebelle, but she noticed Violet wasn't smiling and this confused her, as a pleased bride would bear a dreamy and satisfied expression.
"Understanding?" she repeated, uncertain. "You mean that he was kind and gave you pleasure?"
"He was more than kind", Violet affirmed. Rebelle wrinkled her forehead and crossed her arms on her chest.
"What are you not telling me?" she queried. Violet considered keeping to herself that Guy hadn't imposed on her the consummation of the marriage, but her cousin deserved the truth.
"Promise me you won't tell anyone", she therefore said. "Not even Drastan", seeing Rebelle about to protest, she repeated more forcefully. "Not even Drastan! Otherwise, I'll say no more."
Rebelle realised the thing was very serious.
"I promise", she said with a nod.
"Guy guessed something was wrong and asked me to be honest with him", Violet told her, speaking in a low voice. "Thus, I told him everything about how Charles behaved in bed with me. For this reason, he... didn't touch me. He said he would wait for me to desire it as much as he does", she concluded all in one breath.
Rebelle was speechless and her jaw almost dropped to the floor.
"He didn't touch you?" she repeated, shocked. Guy's respect for Violet was much higher than she had anticipated.
"Well, almost", Violet corrected herself, recalling the kiss they had exchanged. "He kissed me in a very... intense way", she told her. Rebelle noticed she was now bearing a rapt expression and concealed a grin.
"Did you like it?" she asked.
"Oh yes, very much", Violet admitted.
"And... what did you feel? Your heart pounding hard? You felt hot? Tingling here?" Rebelle urged her, pointing to the lower part of her belly. Violet blinked.
"Um... aye, exactly. Everything you said", she whispered. This time, Rebelle didn't hide her smile.
"'Tis called desire", she informed her. "Guy made you feel like you wanted to make love with him, but you couldn't know it. Trust me and, next time, let yourself go!" she shook her head. "I cannot believe that, having you so excited, Guy didn't finish the task..."
"Mayhap he didn't realise it..."
"A man of his reputation? Of course he realised it!" Rebelle countered her. "Mayhap he didn't want to take advantage of your inexperience", she nodded with sudden conviction. "Aye, it has to be that, because he told you he would wait until you want it as much as him, and this implies that you must know what you want."
Violet was silent, pondering.
"Wanting his flesh entering mine?" she murmured in a marvelled tone, and the thought, instead of disgusting or frightening her like when it was referred to Charles, made her feminine depths tingle, a sensation she had never felt before.
"Exactly", Rebelle confirmed. "How do you find the idea? Revolting or... attractive?"
Violet looked at her, her expression confused.
"I don't know if I find it attractive", she answered in an undertone. "But... I don't find it revolting anymore."
"Excellent! 'Tis certainly one step forwards", Rebelle smiled. "You'll see, in a little while you'll find the idea very, very appealing. When it does happen, don't waste any time and invite Guy in your bed!"
Violet blushed, but then thought it was absurd to feel embarrassed with her cousin.
"And did you do so, with Drastan?" she asked, a hint of naughtiness in her voice.
Rebelle grinned.
"Indeed", she said. "I decided I would go all the way with him when I realised I desired it as much as he did. That's why I came to you, as I had promised."
Violet nodded, glad that Rebelle had followed her advice.
"And, in this regard: how did you spend the night?" she enquired, smirking.
"Let's say I shamelessly took advantage of Drastan's hospitality", Rebelle answered with a wink.
"You are most certainly starving then!" Violet laughed heartedly. "Let me get dressed, so we can have breakfast."
"That is precisely why I came here. To take you so that we could have breakfast together. Let me help you..."
Twenty minutes later, the two cousins went downstairs to the private dining room where they found Guy, Drastan and William. The three men were standing, apparently waiting for them to join in. Robin and Marian were not present, as after the wedding banquet they had returned to Locksley.
"Oh, here come Nottingham's two most beautiful women!" Drastan cried, smiling cheerfully to both ladies. "Come, have a seat", he invited them, pointing to the table laden with food.
Guy approached them and extended his hand to Violet.
"Good morning, my lady wife", he said in a low voice. He wasn't smiling, but in his tone was a tender note that touched her heart. She took his hand.
"Good morning to you, my lord husband", she answered in an equally low voice.
Guy led her to the head of the table, where he sat after having her seated to his right. To his left sat William as the guest of honour, with Rebelle next to him, and Drastan took his seat across of the warrior maiden.
Fred, the head of the household, had stood discretely at a distance so far. Now he came to the table and bowed to the lord and lady of the manor, then he signalled to the other servants, who began to bring in trays full of good things.
"Not knowing the Baroness' preferences, Joanna, our cook, prepared a little bit of everything", Fred explained. "Bread, cheese, salted beef, smoked salmon, eggs, wine, water, stout beer, ale, and fruit."
"Very kind of her", Violet commented, grateful for the cook's thoughtfulness. "Usually I have bread, fruit and water, and sometimes cheese or fish."
"No wine or beer?" Guy asked, signalling to one of the maids to pour him some stout.
"In winter, I like hot cider with the addition of a few spices", Violet informed him. "I'll give the recipe to... Joanna, is that right?"
Guy nodded to confirm.
"Joanna prepares an excellent hot beer", he informed her. "But I'll gladly try your spiced cider."
William was watching closely his daughter and son-in-law, trying to guess if things between them were running well. Their attitude looked a little tense to him, and their conversation forcibly light, but he was sure this was simply due to the fact that, even if they didn't know each other well, they had shared the deep intimacy of the conjugal act and now it was natural for them to feel a little awkward. All in all, he concluded, it seemed everything was fine. Perhaps they weren't dripping radiant happiness from every pore like he and his Adèle had been, but they had married out of love, while this was instead a marriage of convenience. The important thing, anyway, was that Guy would keep his word to honour and respect Violet, and William had no reason to doubt it.
At any rate, he noticed that his daughter was enjoying the food, unlike the night before. Reassured, he devoted himself to his smoked salmon.
Rebelle and Drastan kept exchanging glances, but didn't fail to participate in the conversation. When they finished, they all rose.
"Fred", Guy called to the head of the household. "See to it that Lady Violet is to be introduced to all the staff. From now on, in regard of the conduct of the house, you'll take orders from her. Any change she might want to make has my approval", he turned to his wife. "This is because I'm sure you'll make things only better, as your father told me you did at Chetwood", he concluded, casting a glance to his father-in-law, who nodded to confirm with a proud smile.
"Your trust in me is flattering", Violet declared, pleased, giving a smile to her husband, who returned it with a nod, barely curling his lips.
Guy and Drastan took their leave and left the hall, heading for their usual business. Rebelle and William hugged Violet, then left in turn to go back to Chetwood.
Fred was waiting in a corner of the room. Now that the new baroness was alone, he stepped forward.
"My lady, would you like to meet the household at once? I can have them summoned right now."
"Don't summon anyone, my good Master Fred", Violet answered. "I'll go to them, because this way, besides getting to know them, I can see them at work. Lead on."
"Very well, my lady. Where do you want to start?"
"From the kitchen", Violet decided, "So I can personally thank the cook for breakfast."
"Joanna is a formidable woman", Fred commented, starting to walk on Violet's signal. "She keeps an eye on everything, checks personally the provisions and keeps everyone in line, from the scullery boy to the suppliers. She's worked here at the castle since she was a child."
A few minutes later, the new Baroness of Nottingham made her entrance in the kitchen, where they were busy cleaning up from the preparation of the breakfast and the cook was already thinking about lunch. As soon as they saw her coming in, everybody looked at her in amazement and stopped dead to bow or curtsey low.
Joanna recovered quickly from her surprise and stepped forward.
"Welcome, my lady", she said, greeting Violet on everybody's behalf. "I'm Joanna, the cook. I didn't expect your inspection, this morning", she added, slightly nervous, as she remembered Vaisey's sudden visits, never a pleasant event because he enjoyed finding non-existent faults and flaws, so that he could inflict punishments for his own delight.
Violet sensed her uneasiness.
"'Tis not an inspection", she therefore reassured her. "Fred told me you manage the kitchen in an exemplary way. I just wanted to meet you and thank you personally for preparing such a varied breakfast, not knowing what I preferred."
Joanna was not an easy woman to win, but she liked at once Violet's simplicity and kindness.
"I thought it was a good way of making you start your first day as the Baroness of Nottingham", she said sincerely.
"You succeeded", Violet smiled. "Anyway, know that my favourite breakfast is very simple: seasonal fruit and bread, less often cheese or fish, and as a drink water during the warm season and hot spiced cider in winter, of which I'll give you the recipe."
"Aye, Fred told me, but I hope you'll like to try also my hot beer with honey and spices."
"My husband sang me its praises", Violet said. The words my husband sounded strange in her ears. "I'll gladly do so."
Pleased, Joanna nodded, then she invited the lady of the castle to follow her around the kitchen. While they proceeded, she introduced to her all the workers who, including cooks, scullery boys and girls, and male and female servants, counted a good dozen. Violet didn't even try and memorise all of their names, aware she would get to know them in time, but she didn't spare smiles and nods as they respectfully bowed and curtseyed to her.
OOO
"So, do you want to keep me on the hook much longer?" Drastan prodded in a bright tone as, at a fast pace, he was heading with Guy for the armoury. Guy cast him a perplexed glance and Drastan rolled his eyes. "Come on, have I to ask you straightforward how your first wedding night turned out?"
He couldn't ask him earlier because, when he had come to the hall to break his fast as usual, he had found his friend in Sir William's company.
He saw Guy setting his jaw.
"Perfect", came his curt reply. Drastan wrinkled his forehead. If the answer was what he could have expected, not so for the tone, nor the attitude of the new husband. It was apparent he was lying, but what could had possibly gone wrong? Guy was a young and healthy man, and Violet was neither ugly nor deformed. It didn't seem possible to him that they had had an argument, because their attitude at breakfast, though maybe a little awkward, had looked very friendly. Until a moment ago, Guy had been quiet, but now he was visibly tense.
Drastan stopped in the middle of the hallway.
"What's wrong, my friend?" he asked in a low voice.
Guy too stopped, but he didn't turn. He considered if he should deny that something was wrong, but he thought better of it. The Knight of Greenmere was is best friend, and he owed him his life at least half a dozen times. He could just tell him he didn't want to talk about it, but Drastan was the only one in the world he could confess something so sensitive like his recently started married life, and maybe, with his vast experience about women, he could give Guy some good advice.
Guy turned towards him.
"What I'm going to tell you must remain between the two of us", he began. "I want your word."
Drastan straightened to his full height to emphasise what he was about to say.
"You have it", he vowed.
Guy nodded. He knew he could trust him completely.
"Violet's first husband abused her", he said, and saw him wincing. "To the point that now she's terrified of the conjugal act."
Drastan was silent, shocked.
"You mean that Roganton took her with no tenderness at all? What a bastard!" he burst, barely not shouting as indignation overwhelmed him.
"That's it", Guy confirmed bitterly. "She didn't refuse me, but I read in her eyes so much fear, that I couldn't force on her..."
He broke off, but nonetheless Drastan guessed what happened: Guy hadn't forced on her the consummation of the marriage.
"You did well", he said. "You showed respect and consideration, she deserves them. And this made you certainly better in her eyes", he placed one hand on his shoulder. "You'll win her in time, Guy. Keep showing respect and consideration. The reward will go beyond your wildest dreams, I know from experience", he concluded. Actually, that was exactly the way he had won Rebelle's heart and body.
"That's what I intend to do", Guy confirmed. "I'll make her my wife through and through only if and when she'll want it as much as I do."
"You'll need to be very patient."
"Aye, I know. I've never been much of a patient person... However, for her I'm willing to be as much", he cast a quick glance at his friend. "Do you think it strange?"
"Not at all", Drastan answered, the hint of a smile across his lips. "It only means that you care about her. Don't you?"
Guy nodded.
"Yes, I do care a lot about her", he admitted, "I never cared so much about anyone else before her", he added in a voice tone Drastan found bizarre, because it sounded amazed. He could have no idea that Guy was comparing the feelings he had had for Marian with those he had now of Violet and that, with a sense of shame, he was realising once more how wrong he had acted towards the former. His protectiveness of Marian had derived solely from jealousy and will of possession, while the protectiveness he felt now on Violet derived from the wish to keep her from any kind of pain or worry. All of a sudden, he realised that Violet's happiness was more important to him than his own was. It was his mother's definition of love. Did fhis mean he had fallen in love with Violet...? He indulged in this thought for a few moments, but it gave him a too odd, almost frightening sensation, and therefore he hurriedly shoved it aside.
Unaware of the feelings wreaking havoc in his friend's soul, Drastan resumed speaking.
"I'm glad you found a woman capable of touching your heart as much as Rebelle touched mine", he declared. "You know, before meeting her I had no idea what having such a loving partner at your side means, how much warmth there is in the embrace of a woman in love with you, how life looks suddenly more beautiful, fuller, worthier of being lived. I thought it wouldn't be much different than bedding any girl, and instead, 'tis far, far better..."
"Violet isn't in love with me", Guy interrupted his friend's praise of love.
"Mayhap not, not now, not yet", Drastan said with his unshakeable optimism. "However, if you want to win her body, you must before win her heart, and because she isn't a fool, you need to be always honest. As much as I was with Rebelle."
Guy pondered his friend's words.
"I will not try to make her fall for me just in order to seduce her", he affirmed.
"'Tis not what I meant", Drastan explained. "Come on, my friend, you already admitted you care for her, so much that you gave up your marital rights, respecting her fear. This tells a lot about what you feel about her."
"Oh, really? And what would that be?"
Drastan watched his friend closely.
"You mean you don't know it?" he enquired. Guy shook his head in the negative. "Come on, I can't believe it", Drastan said, incredulous. "Not even a hint of an idea?"
Guy pressed his lips together.
"Mayhap", he said in a low voice. "But I'm not sure."
"Describe me what you feel when you think of her", Drastan urged him.
Guy's gaze blurred.
"I... would give her everything she could want", he began slowly. "I'd like to make her always smile. I would protect her from any pain, and if she must weep, then I'd be there to wipe her tears away and comfort her. And..." he sighed. "I'd like to feel her arms around my neck, her mouth on mine, her breasts pressed against my chest, and I wish to hear her moaning in pleasure as I make love to her..."
Drastan smiled.
"Old boy, really... Didn't you grasp it yet that you're smitten with her?"
"Smitten, you say?" Guy mumbled, and at his perplexed glance, he explained. "I've never been in love before. I thought I was with Lady Marian, but I actually wanted her for me because I thought she could make me a better man. Only after having almost killed her, I realised I didn't love her truly. And I realised also that 'tis up to me trying to be a better man, doing good where I did evil, in the hope my misdeeds will be forgiven, one day."
Drastan cast him a piercing look.
"But first thing first, 'tis you who has to forgive yourself", he observed with unusual calmness.
Guy set his jaw.
"No", he affirmed in a dull tone. "I'll never do that, because only this way I can be sure I'll keep behaving rightly."
Drastan frowned. "Do you have such little faith in yourself, my friend?"
"What do you mean?"
"That fifteen years ago I met a young man way too serious, even gloomy, but who surely hadn't an evil soul. As I told you before, 'twas the sheriff who played you, putting leverage on your ambitions and your dreams. You're still that young man, you've always been, you just got lost. And now that you found yourself again, that you're that young man again, you've got no need to nurture your guilt to act fairly."
Guy shook his head.
"You cannot blame the sheriff alone", he said, "I didn't have to stay at his service, I could've asked him to absolve me from my allegiance to him, but instead I chose to stay."
"I didn't say you hold no guilt", Drastan remarked. "Of course you have your share of responsibility, but from what Rebelle told me, Violet had come to strongly suspect you were often acting so that you would purposely fail the most hideous orders you got from Vaisey, or you left a way out, or tarried to the point Robin Hood and his men would intervene in time to thwart your plans. Can you see that the man you once were – before meeting the former sheriff – was still there? That man has never truly gone missing!"
Guy was silent, pondering what his friend had told him.
"I don't think remorse will ever leave me completely", he said at length in a low voice.
"Nor could it be differently, in a man with a conscience", Drastan observed quietly. "And as this demonstrates you have a conscience, you can be sure you'll keep the right path even without going on at yourself", he clasped his friend's shoulder. "I trust you, Guy."
Guy lifted one corner of his mouth in his typical half smile.
"Thank you, Drastan", he whispered. "I just have to learn to trust myself."
"Exactly what I wanted you to see", Drastan grinned
OOO
Violet and Fred the better part of the morning to tour the castle and meet its inhabitants. Besides the cook and the other employees of the kitchen, there were the laundresses, the seamstresses, the weavers, the spinners, the embroiderers, the scribe, the cellarman, the foreman, the baker, the cheesemaker, the carpenters, the masons, the treasurer. Aware that it was usually the lady of the manor's task to do the accounts, the latter offered to show her the books at once, but she declined, putting it off to another day.
When they reached the chapel, Violet felt greatly disappointed about its apparent state of abandonment, but she wasn't surprised, as Vaisey notoriously was anything else than pious. Therefore, her first order as the Baroness of Nottingham was to send for carpenters and masons in order to begin repairing the chapel. Afterwards, she would look for a deacon or a monk willing to come and say Mass regularly for those who didn't want to exit the castle.
The castle's vegetable garden was well tended, while the flower garden was completely ruined because Vaisey had no use for blossoms and ornamental plants. Therefore, Violet's second order was to get a few gardeners to prune the trees and replant the flowerbeds, and create a large enough area for her medicinal herbs.
To Fred's surprise, Violet insisted on seeing also the places that the lady of the manor usually didn't deal with, such as the stables, the kennel, the embrasure, the armoury and the forge. However, as it was almost lunchtime, they postponed the visits to the afternoon, and Violet returned to her bedchamber to briefly rest before eating. Half an hour later, the bell announcing the serving of the midday meal rang, thus she headed downstairs for the great hall, where the servants had set up two rows of trestle tables for the guard's officers and the prominent men of the castle with their families, around twenty people. Guy and Drastan were there already, waiting next to the high table. The sheriff – now Baron of Nottingham too – had his eyes set on the entrance, therefore he saw her immediately as she appeared on the threshold. He didn't smile at her, but his glance lighted up and he addressed her a greeting nod as she approached him.
"My lady wife..." he welcomed her softly. It felt strange hearing someone calling her this way, Violet thought. Charles had called her by name, or my lady, but never wife. This word gave her a bizarre feeling, mostly because it didn't fit the facts, not completely, because she and Guy were husband and wife only on paper, at least for the moment. A bizarre feeling, but sweet, she considered quite surprised.
Guy offered her his hand and she accepted it. They sat side by side, and Drastan took his seat on Violet's other side.
At this point, everyone else sat in turn and Guy started to signal to the servants to start bringing the food, but that would be up to the lady of the manor, therefore he stopped mid-gesture and looked at his wife, encouraging her with a nod. Violet took the hint and nodded in turn, then she signalled for Fred to proceed.
As soon as the servants had poured their drinks, Drastan, like the good deputy and the groom's best man he was, stood up raising his goblet.
"As you know, yesterday Sir Guy and Lady Violet were married", he began. "As William of Chetwood, Lady Violet's father, is Vaisey of Nottingham's next of kin, the title of Baron of Nottingham would be his, but he turned it down. Unfortunately, his son, Sir Jeffrey, fell in the Holy Land fighting at King Richard's side, therefore the title has now gone to Sir Guy by marriage. Let's drink to the newlyweds and new Baron and Baroness of Nottingham."
He was sure that everybody knew already about the dynastic issues, but as often chatters and gossips didn't fit the facts and made things bigger than they were, he had believed it appropriate to succinctly clarify how things precisely were.
After a short pause, Gilbert, the captain of the guards who was attending the meal with his wife and their three children, got to his feet and raised his glass.
"To Lord and Lady Nottingham!" he shouted.
"To Lord and Lady Nottingham!" the bystanders echoed his shout, standing up in turn and toasting. Violet and Guy returned it raising their goblets and everyone took a sip, then sat down again as the servants came with the food.
"Was your morning interesting?" Guy enquired, still speaking in a low voice to his wife.
"Pretty much", she answered with an enthusiasm that the day before she would never expect to feel. "There's at least two areas in the castle in need of a drastic and urgent refurbishing, therefore I took the liberty to send for skilled craftsmen to assess the situation. Of course, before proceeding I'll discuss the expenditures with you and only afterwards you'll see whether authorising me or not."
"If you think the expenditures are required, you definitely have my authorisation, as I'm sure you'll manage everything in an exemplary manner", he reassured her.
"You don't even want to know how much it'll cost?" she enquired, surprised. He flashed her a tiny smile.
"Certainly, but your father told me you weight carefully the expenses, so I'm sure that, if you're talking about necessary expenses, they are necessary, and I know that you won't spend more than what's right. Besides, Vaisey's personal treasury is well-stocked because he was not only greedy, but stingy, too, and never shelled out a single penny, when he could avoid it", he speared a slice of beef with his knife and placed it on the wooden platter he was sharing with her. "Anyway, which areas of the castle are we talking about?"
"The chapel and the garden", Violet answered. "As far as I can say for now, anyway, as I haven't seen everything yet."
Guy was pensive for a moment, then he nodded:
"Vaisey neglected them both because he didn't care about either", he confirmed. "How do you plan to fix them?"
"The chapel needs a few minor masonry works, mainly plaster that has fallen from the walls. Especially, most of the pews must be replaced, as they're badly scratched or even shattered. And all of the sacred furnishings and the liturgical objects are missing, but for those I'll ask the monastery of Thurgarton, which could also send us a monk for the celebration of Mass."
Guy swallowed the piece of meat he was chewing and nodded.
"Very well", he approved, "And as for the garden?"
"First thing first, we need to get rid of the weeds, then the trees must be trimmed and the flowerbeds reset. I'll keep at least one half of the area to grow the medicinal herbs I use most, so that I'll have them at hand and there will be no need to go wandering in meadows and woods to gather them."
"An activity unfit for the Baroness of Nottingham, anyway", Guy observed, knitting his brow a little.
"I have no intention to stop using my abilities as a healer just because dynastic issues beyond my control took me to become the Baroness of Nottingham", Violet declared, softly but firmly. She waited for her husband's reply with apprehension. Would this detail be a source of disagreement, between them? She very much hoped not.
"I have nothing against it", Guy reassured her. "I only meant that wandering around in meadows and woods, looking for herbs, is not very safe for a woman alone and even less for a lady of your status, and that in this case you'd be forced to have an escort. Much better if you grow the herbs you need directly here in the castle."
"Oh" she muttered, as she had given no thought to it. She wasn't used to her new position as of yet, and she would need time to get accustomed to it. "I cannot grow them all here, it'd require too much space", she reasoned. "Therefore, I'll plant the most used, and should I need some special herb, I'll ask you for an escort."
"You don't need to ask me", Guy said. "You're the lady of the manor, you can come and go at you leisure. Just go to Gilbert or to the sergeant in command for that day."
Violet was well aware that such a freedom of movement was not granted to every woman. At Roganton, for instance, she had always to ask her husband for permission before leaving the walls of the city.
"Thank you", she therefore said gratefully. "And how was your morning?"
As Guy began telling her, Drastan listened to their conversation without interfering, aware that the two spouses had to have the opportunity to deepen the acquaintance of each other's daily life. He loved and respected them both, and he wished them to get along well and, possibly, to fall in love with each other, as it has happened to him and Rebelle.