Robyn Hood: Fight For Freedom

by Shea, K. M.

  George’s face split into a grin. “I am very glad to hear that, Lady Mary.”

  “We’ll have such fun,” Maxine insisted, coming up on my other side. “And don’t worry about Lady Marian. We shant have any problems avoiding her. Sir Guy has been practically glued to her side since her arrival.”

  Together George and Maxine herded me back to the stable, assisting me in untacking Crafty. (Maxine chattered at me, saying it was very daring to be leaving in the middle of the night without my dresses and men. Apparently he presumed I had left my clothing behind for my imaginary guards to handle.)

  Some minutes later George and I strolled toward the castle, Maxine roaming in front of us, my saddle packs slung over his shoulder.

  “I am very glad to hear you were so eager to leave only because of Lady Marian’s arrival,” George announced.

  I curiously glanced sideways at him. “Why else would I leave?”

  George looked rather uncomfortable. “I thought you might have heard some of the rumors.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “Rumors?”

  George looked rather cross with himself. “Being a deputy to the Sheriff I hear all the news regarding Robin Hood, and, well, apparently his band of outlaws are in an upheaval.”

  “Why?” I asked, like any good, nosey lady would.

  “Supposedly…Robin Hood has disappeared.”

  Around this time I began to wonder if a few of my men were leaking information to the Sheriff. How could George know this? He answered my question himself, actually.

  “They’re getting desperate, his men that is. Will Scarlet, I mean your cousin, William Gamwell, appeared in the Nottingham’s market today, shouting for Robin Hood at the top of his lungs, unabashedly appearing as one of Robin’s Merry Men. Reports from neighboring villages say that Little John was doing the same in village squares. About three Merry Men accompanied them each time.”

  I almost hissed. The dynamic duo of stupidity was going to get caught, or worse, hung!

  “In both cases they were able to successfully slip away,” George said, sounding disgruntled. “But next time, I assure you, they will not.”

  In my mind I so passionately prayed they would that I didn’t notice some odd feet behind us another couple had taken to following George, Maxine, and I.

  It was Marian and that wretched Sir Guy.

  And as they trailed after us, Marian studied me, in my lady disguise, with intense blue eyes. “Robyn?” she quietly whispered to herself.

  I unknowingly walked in front of her, listening to George’s vows to capture me.

  Lord Maxine was true to his word. Each day Maxine, complete with Lord Edward and Lord Elizabeth, would drag me down to the lower part of Nottingham Castle (the markets, the shops, the stalls) during the morning, and would then drag me out for rides in the afternoon.

  Marian famously did not rise until noon, and after that her mother usually forcibly paraded her around the castle grounds, usually with a knight or two, like Sir Guy, trailing in their wake like dogs.

  I didn’t see Marian once until the night of the masquerade ball, and truth be told I believe Lord Edward enjoyed our excursions to the markets in the morning. He was far more eager and attentive when examining livestock or haggling with a weapons dealer than he was when stuffed in the gardens, chatting about the weather. Lady Elizabeth faired as well as she could. She didn’t like it, but she bore it for Edward’s sake.

  The masquerade ball had Elizabeth in a tizzy. She spent the morning getting ready for it, even though Maxine, Edward, and I visited the lower city as was custom for our group.

  While in the city I, on the sly, managed to buy a lovely, burgundy mask with little roses sewn into the corners. My dress was the same shade of burgundy, and was one of my few ensembles that I truly enjoyed. The sleeves were long and open with little roses sewn into the cuffs. It was a v-neck, and had pretty veiling over the red skirts.

  Lord Maxine was to be my escort for the night. I suspected that George might have bullied him into it, but Maxine was willing enough.

  I left my room that evening, meeting Lord Maxine at the stairwell. He admired my costume and mask most beautifully. “You look positively stunning Lady Mary. Or should I refer to you as Lady Rose?” he winked.

  Maxine was dressed as a crusader. He wore the white linen tunic with the red cross and the silvery boots and chain mail gloves.

  “Thank you, Lord Maxine,” I said, a smile briefly gracing my lips as I fussed with a strand of hair. (I had taken the trouble tonight to pin my hair up.)

  Although a large part of me, the peasant part, was excited about the prospect of attending, I was worried. I would be able to leave Nottingham Castle tomorrow, but I didn’t have a clue what I should do when I left.

  Maxine took my quiet silence in stride and chivalrously led me to feasting hall, where Lady Elizabeth and Lord Edward were waiting for us. Lady Elizabeth looked positively exquisite, dressed in a beautiful white gown that completed her swan disguise. Lord Edward was dressed like a knight from a chess piece.

  Lady Elizabeth and I gushed over each other’s dresses, but I fell silent when Marian entered the room, on the arm of Sir Guy of Gisborne.

  Marian was wearing a dress that was colored with the muted tones of the forest. She wore soft leather shoes and kid suede gloves that looked suspiciously liked mine. Slung across her back was a rabbit skin quiver, and perched on her head was a brown hat, complete with a pheasant feather.

  Marian was dressed as Robin Hood.

  Marian was dressed as me.

  Chapter 3

  My Undoing

  The crowds murmured and shifted, staring at the lively lass who dared to dress like an outlaw in front of Prince John.

  The Prince nervously laughed when he saw her, a whining noise, much like the noise Much makes when Will Stutely sits on his head. Marian smiled prettily, looking as unassuming and innocent as possible.

  The awkward moment blew over without a problem. It was almost just as well Marian had daringly dressed up as Robin Hood because no one saw the tall, gallant gentlemen who entered the room after her.

  Elizabeth turned away from Marian, eager to lay claim on Edward’s attention. “Shall we dance?” she suggested, gesturing to the dance floor where couples were already spinning.

  Edward wordlessly offered his palm. Elizabeth glowed and took it before the two swept off to the dance floor.

  I sourly watched them leave. Dancing was one of the few things I would never be able to fake. Dancing around the May Pole is one thing. Dancing with nobility is an entirely different matter.

  “Do you want to dance?” Maxine asked me with obvious hesitation and dislike. Apparently I was not alone in my distaste.

  “No,” I emphatically replied.

  Maxine looked utterly relieved. “Great,” he brightly said before correcting himself. “I mean, w-what a shame,” he sheepishly laughed.

  By now I was comfortable enough with Maxine that I would occasionally let my peasant-y-ness get the better of me. A perfect example of this is my next action.

  “Man eating fire!” I shouted before hurrying off to stare one of the players.

  Maxine followed and watched me with great amusement as I gazed wide eyed at the players who were hired for tonight’s entertainment. The man had already swallowed the fire, and breathed it out the way a dragon would. He then proceeded to juggle torches, never burning himself on the brilliant flames.

  My eyes were practically popping out of my mask ten minutes later when Maxine pulled me away, handing me a goblet of wine.

  “They were just about to bring out the trained bear,” I muttered, disappointed.

  Maxine laughed, a loud, fun sound. “I will never tire of your company, Lady Mary,” he roared.

  I couldn’t help but grin in return before I cast my eyes over the crowd and had a heart attack.

  Two men were walking together, carefully searching the room. One was a mountain of a man, a giant who looked as strong as a
n ox. The other was tall and limber and carried a sword with the assurance of a man who knew how to use it. They could only be Little John and Will Scarlet.

  I wildly twisted around, trying to avoid their stares. Marian must have seen me and tattled after all. The snitch.

  “Lady Mary, are you well?” Maxine inquired.

  “Yes, I’m perfectly fine,” I said as I slowly side stepped until I was hiding behind Maxine’s body. “I just saw some acquaintances I would rather not run into at this moment,” I said as I looked for the nearest exit.

  There was no way around it, I would have to leave. Now.

  To my surprise Maxine grabbed my hands and swung me out to the dance floor.

  “Wh-what are you doing?” I hissed as Maxine twirled me around.

  “It’s those two strapping young men who entered after Lady Marian, right? They’ll be less likely to spot you in this whirling mob,” Maxine logically pointed out.

  “Thank you, how ever did you know?” I asked, bumbling on my feet like a hobbled horse.

  “Your facial reaction was pretty obvious when you spotted them,” Maxine dryly said, spinning me in a wild circle.

  “Perhaps,” I agreed.

  Maxine snorted. “You are much more mysterious, Lady Mary, than I originally thought.”

  “What makes you say that?” I asked, nearly ramming into a beautiful girl who was dressed to resemble a fox.

  “Because with each passing day you seem to run into more and more acquaintances you would like to avoid,” Maxine said, spinning me into his arms. “Are you an angry woman, Mary?”

  “Excuse me?” I sputtered before he swung me away from him again.

  “Do you make enemies easily?”

  “I never said Marian was my enemy,” I countered, narrowly avoiding a man dressed like a court jester.

  Maxine arched an eyebrow while reaching out to grab my waist with his free arm. “You don’t say?” he asked.

  “Excuse me,” rumbled a deep voice I would never be able to misplace. “Could I have this dance?”

  I slowly dragged my panicked eyes away from Maxine and settled them on Little John, who was clogging up the flow of the dance while he patiently waited for my response, his hand outstretched.

  Maxine opened his mouth to deny Little John’s request while he tugged me backwards, but I moved first.

  “Thank you, Lord Maxine, for the lovely dance. I shall return to you shortly,” I said, pulling my hand out of his grip before transferring it over to Little John’s.

  “Are you sure, Lady Mary?” Maxine asked, eyeing Little John.

  “Yes. It’s no use, I’ve been caught,” I said with a half-hearted smile before I allowed Little John to pull me away.

  Little John led me through the dance floor, stopping when we were next to an open balcony door that was on the outer perimeter of the room. We could talk in relative privacy and fake dancing without bothering the other dancers.

  “Lady Mary, is it?” Little John asked.

  “Yes,” I crisply replied. “And what is your name, sir?” I asked with faked cheer.

  “You know my name, Robyn,” Little John hissed.

  “You seem to have mistaken me for someone else, kind sir,” I said, my voice turning cold.

  Little John snapped his head back, as though I had physically slapped him. “Robyn, I-I’m sorry,” he stammered.

  “For what?” I spat. “For running an unfair contest? For demanding to take my place? For driving me out of Sherwood?”

  “I didn’t mean—I’m sorry,” Little John pleaded.

  “Of course you are,” I agreed. “I hope you’ll be very happy as the new leader of the Merry Men. Good luck, you’ll need it.”

  “What?” Little John startled. “Robyn, you have to come back with us!”

  “I don’t have to do anything,” I harshly laughed.

  Little John stared at me from behind his mask, dismay oozing past the black edges.

  “Here, allow me,” said a second unmistakable voice.

  Will Scarlet didn’t give Little John an option. He swept in, cutting in between the two of us. He took my hand and elegantly twirled me in a swinging motion that was far more careful than Lord Maxine’s.

  “Robyn,” Will greeted as Little John backed off.

  “Scarlet,” I replied.

  “I must admit, you outdid yourself. Marian told me she had a hard time believing it was you. Really, the courts of Prince John were the last place I would have expected you to go to. Very cunning,” Will Scarlet praised, circling around me for the dance.

  “Oh, I learned from the best,” I said with a clear smile.

  Will Scarlet did not cringe or stumble as Little John had. “That may be so,” he agreed. “Crafty is aptly named, after all.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Now that all the little parties and feasts are done, you’ll come back,” he stated more than asked.

  I snorted. “Not in your lifetime, Will Scarlet,” I said, stepping to the side to continue our awkward dance.

  “You’re our leader, Robyn. You know we’ll never survive without you,” Will said, his blue eyes practically stabbing me.

  “You previously made it very clear, Scarlet, that my leadership was no longer necessary. Little John will be an excellent replacement, I assure you.”

  “You’re wrong Robyn. We need you. Our camp has fallen into shambles. The Merry Men went wild when we discovered you left. Nearly half of the company wanted to storm Nottingham to search for you. It was all Little John and I could do to keep them calm. Of course Much and Will Stutely wouldn’t help us, they won’t help anyone but you.”

  “I see, so I am a necessary crank in the mechanics of the Merry Men? How thoughtful of you to invite me to return to such warmth. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to refuse,” I scoffed.

  “That’s not it Robyn. Why can’t you see that we lov—,” Will Scarlet started before I cut him off.

  “You are sorely mistaken, Scarlet, if you think you can butter me into returning. As far as I’m concerned you made your voice on who should be the new leader quite clear. Good luck, Will Scarlet. I hope you can free the King,” I said before disengaging my hand from his and walking away.

  I headed for Maxine, vaguely registering that George was shouting in the Sheriff’s ear as I stalked away from Scarlet.

  “Robyn, wait,” Will Scarlet hissed, grabbing my wrist.

  Just as he wrenched me around the Sheriff shouted. “Guards, seize those two! They are outlaws of England!”

  “Seize them!” Prince John echoed, gripping his skinny little neck with jewel covered fingers.

  For one wild second I thought he meant me. My heart stopped and I froze. It was only when the guards quickly surrounded Little John, who was two feet behind Will Scarlet that I realized I was being overlooked.

  “It’s Little John and Will Scarlet!” a soldier shouted, stepping forward to rip the identical, black masks off my men’s faces.

  Several women shrieked, Marian cursed like a sailor, and the music halted with an abrupt screech. The dancers fled the dance floor, watching the soldiers with wide eyes.

  Will Scarlet looked wild. His blue eyes swam with panic and he shifted his weight, as though to leap in front of me and shield me. He still held my wrist in his hand.

  “Step away from the lady, sir,” George gravely ordered, pushing his way through the crowd until he popped out near us.

  Will Scarlet did not move a muscle, but transferred his gaze to George.

  George carefully walked past the guards and hissed at Will. “I know Lady Gamwell is your cousin, Scarlet. If you have any remaining care for her or your family name you will give in without a fuss.”

  Will Scarlet slowly slid his searing blue eyes back to my face. He stared at me for a second before a smile cracked across his face. He leaned in until his lips touched my ear and whispered.

  “They need you Robyn. I don’t regret coming here, not if it means you’ll return t
o Sherwood. You’re our hope Robyn. We need you. We love you,” he uttered before pulling back, his cheek grazing mine. I blushed a brilliant red hue when he gently kissed the corner of my mouth before stepping back.

  “Lead the way, wishful sheriff,” Will Scarlet laughed in a careless manner, flicking his hand through the air while a soldier removed Will’s sword from his side.

  George twisted and stalked off, Will Scarlet trailing behind him with an armed escort. One solder held a silver sword pressed to Will’s back, pricking him between his shoulder blades. Little John followed, his arms held behind his back by two soldiers, but he gave a long, studious look as he passed by. His eyes flicked back and forth between Scarlet and me before he was hauled out of the room.

  My heart stopped in my chest as I watched my two best men, my Little John, my Scarlet, walk out of the room, most likely to the dungeons, and certainly to their death.

  I took two steps forward and opened my mouth, as though to cry out. Marian caught me by the wrist.

  I spun around to face her, looking stricken. She shook her head. “You can’t. You’ll destroy everything they’ve worked for. They’re sacrificing themselves, Lady Mary, for your sake,” Marian said.

  I ripped my arm out of her grip and backed up, my mind reeling.

  The crowd whispered and gossiped, a variable storm of lowered voices as Little John and Will Scarlet were paraded out of the room.

  Maxine, Elizabeth, and Edward materialized at my side.

  “Lady Mary, are you alright?” Edward asked in a concerned voice.

  “We saw what happened, how horrible,” Elizabeth whispered in a soothing voice.

  “Would you like me to escort you back to your room?” Maxine quietly asked, gently grasping one of my elbows.

  Marian faded into the mass of people that flooded the dance floor.

  “Lady Mary?”

  “Mary,”

  “I’m fine,” I blurted, backing away from my friends. “I’m fine,” I repeated. “I just need to go—,” I managed to choke out before pushing my way through the crowd, hurrying through the hall.