G/M - One more lie - Chapter 13
As promised, a new chapter! Hope you like it! Again, big thanks to the lovely amandajane17
Chapter 13
They'd been riding for a while. Allan was behind Marian and saw her shifting in her saddle as she searched for something in her saddle bag. He knew just what too.
"Is something wrong, Lady Marian?" he said chuckling to himself.
"No... No... It's just that I wanted to see if I lost anything when I fell off my horse." Marian slowed her pace to allow him reach her side and then smiled.
"Oh, I can see your teeth again," Allan grinned back at her. " I thought you'd lost them in the fall too. I haven't seen much of them since last night."
Marian laughed. There was nobody who could make her laugh like Allan could; and he was being so good to Guy. He was such an unaffected man and Marian wished she could do something to help his love affair with Sarah but...
"So... what is this thing you're checking for then ? A box, perhaps... something like a chest? " He raised his eyebrows in enquiry.
"A chest, yes " Marian confirmed.
"A chest full of letters and memories that really belong to Guy? " Allan said gravely.
"How do you know its contents?" Marian asked in a guilty outrage.
"Guy told me, " Allan said. " Come to think of it; I might have seen a hint of it being in your room that night I broke into the castle. You do know that Guy's been going mad searching for it. He really won't be happy about this. "
"I tried to tell him last night but..." she tried to excuse herself.
"You' re deceiving him again. Marian," Allan was angry now. " Why won't you just let it go? Marry Robin and leave Guy alone; for his own sake."
" I love him, Allan, " she said with a catch in her voice. " If you could only know how much. I can't just let him go and if he gets the chest..."
"You think that lying to him is better than letting him do what he thinks is right?" Allan let his fury fly at her. " Marian, you are just being selfish."
"What If I am?" Marian retorted. " I've spent my whole life worrying about the poor, about England, about Robin's desires,my father's, even Guy's. Why shouldn't I care about what I truly desire?"
"And that's Guy? " Allan asked unable to hide his amazement.
"I know. It sounds crazy, " Marian almost laughed. " I thought I hated him; I don't though. I love him and I want him to stay alive and be with me. If I give him this chest, then he'll leave England without me. I don't think I could stand that..."
"You' re condemning England to death by keeping that chest." Allan told her.
"How ? " Marian almost laughed. It's only a keepsake box."
"It's far more than that according to Guy." Allan assured her. "You've got to give it back to him."
"No," Marian cried. " He's not going anywhere, not without me..If you have that box, please give it back to me "
" I have the chest," Allan said firmly; " and it's going back to whom it belongs. The point is...will you tell Guy or will I ? "
"Allan, please..." she begged.
"Your choice, milady. If you do it, I'll support whatever story you concoct, " he stopped and sighed. " If I tell him, it'll have to be the truth and you know... we both know what will come of that. "
"That's blackmail, Allan," she pouted.
"I'm just trying to do the right thing here," Allan held up his hands. " I'm trying to be honest; and that's something I learned that from you." he tried to charm her.
"We are running out of time, " Marian informed him. "You should get back to Guy."
"I'll wait here until midnight, Marian, " Allan said. " If I don't have your answer by then, I'll tell Guy."
He stopped his horse and watched her disappear through the gates. Of course, he was not going back yet. He had something to do first.
*************************
No kitchen staff and no guards were around as she made her way to her rooms. It was extremely weird that the Sheriff had no one guarding the castle at this hour. The stable boy who'd helped her out the night before was nowhere to be found and Lady Georgia had no one around either. She was as watchful as a hawk. So... what was all this about?
She pushed open her bedroom's door and found Sarah there.
"Oh, milady, at last!" the girl cried in relief. "Are you alright? I've been so worried about you."
"I'm fine, Sarah, please leave me alone." Marian said a little sharply.
"But milady..."
"Leave me Alone !" Marian shouted.
"Yes, milady. " Sarah curtsied and left in a hurry.
The Sheriff and Lady Georgia were sitting having breakfast in the great hall. The lady was peeling an apple and regarding the figure of a stable boy who'd just been brought into the hall.
"So speak, " she ordered him. "Is she back?"
"Yes, milady. Her horse was full of mud. I believe she'd had a fall but she showed no sign of being hurt.."
"She's such a tomboy. I can't think why everybody finds her so engaging." Lady Georgia shuddered with distaste.
"Where is she now? " The Sheriff payed no attention to his wife's comment.
"In her rooms sir," the child answered. " Her maid has ordered her breakfast but they've had some kind of argument. Lady Marian shouted at her and sent her away. "
"Fine. You can go now but keep your eyes open," The Sheriff dismissed him without another word. The Sheriff and Lady Georgia exchanged looks.
" Sowhere did she go ? " the lady asked.
"I think you know where. With that Gisborne," The Sheriff growled. " Winchester was right. She is in league with him."
"In league and in love, dearest, " Georgia pointed out.
" isn't she betrothed to that Robin of Locksley ?... " the Sheriff recalled.
"Not anymore," she replied. " I intercepted this message yesterday morning ," she handed it to him.
The Sheriff waved it away. " I'm sure you know every word of the message back to front. Why don't you just explain it to me.
"Well then. To cut a long story short, she has informed Locksley as to the change in her affections.
It seems she's been in love with Gisborne long before she even realised it..and so on."
she said with an unpleasant smile.
The Sheriff answered with a quite evil laugh; " and poor little Locksley ought to now know it; but doesn't. Oh how I love being the almighty Sheriff of Nottingham.
"Will you let her go back to the forest tonight?" Georgia asked.
"Yes," he replied. " we must let her feel secure about her little tryst. Once she's absolutely sure there's nothing to fear, it will be too late."
***********************
Sarah was feeling upset. As she walked through the corridors of the castle with Lady Marian's breakfast; she thought of the way she'd spoken to her lady about Sir Guy.
Flawed he might be, he was still a lord. She'd refused to help Marian with her little escapade and worst of all she'd said the most terrible things about Allan.
The funny thing was that she was lying. In truth she loved Allan.
She'd loved him from the first moment she'd seen him standing by that tree in the castle yard.
No one in the world could make her angry like he did. (and as a maid she had little experience to compare with, but of this she was certain).He was cheeky and cocky and God knew he'd been far too friendly with many a kitchen maid.
On the other hand he was a wonderful kisser, he was brave and tender when need be, he stood up
the Lady Gorgon when she hadn't remembered Sarah's name.
So why did she reject him ? Who was made for her better than him ? she answered herself.
It was fear. Fear of ending up heartbroken, of losing him before she even got the chance to know him.
"Lady Marian" Sarah called after knocking on the door. "Breakfast is here"
"Come in, please" Marian said from the within the chamber.
As Sarah was setting the table, Marian looked at her maid. She needed toapologise but how to do it? She was so used to being in the right most of the time.
"I'm very sorry about how I spoke to you earlier Sarah, " she tried.
"Don't be, milady. I tend to forget where place is here; but that will never happen again. You command and I must obey." she said, truthfully.
"I'd like to think we are more than lady and maid. Sarah," Marian said more gently. " I have no one else to trust here. I need a friend and you have proved yourself to be one of the best. Though I understand you don't want to be played with..."
"Breakfast was ready.
"Good. I'm starving!" Marian admitted.
Last night, she had been too comfortably settled in Guy's arms to worry about such earthly things as hunger. This morning their quarrel gave her no time for more than a mere morsel. It was almost midday now and she needed something to feed her body as well as her soul.
"So was it everything alright last night?" Sarah ventured.
"I thought you didn't want to know...." Marian said with a giggle.
"Oh, forget what I said. I was just being silly, " Sarah replied, pulling up a chair next to Marian. "I want to know everything. Was it all perfect?"
"Yes, last night was a nightmare but it was a beautiful nightmare..." she sighed dreamily. "He loves me. He told me so. He still loves me.. So much that I hate myself for it. "
"How could that be a nightmare? I don't understand" Sarah said.
"He loves me but he doesn't trust me, " Marian said with pain in her voice " He won't believe a word of love coming from my lips even if his life depended on it. Not that I can blame him for that but," she admitted; " It's going to be quite a task to convince him of my sincerity. "
"So what are you going to do? " Sarah asked her.
"I really don't know" Marian sounded helpless. " I've always been the one in control when it comes to our relationship. Now I don't know where I stand. "
"And Allan?" Sarah asked shyly.
" I thought you'd never ask," Marian smiled and held her maid's hand as a sign of support. " He is fine, darling. In fact, he's more than fine. He's blackmailing me into something. I'm to see him tonight at midnight; and if you'll play along with me, I will not be the only one he sees."
"I still don't know if I want to see him" Sarah tried to keep up her pretence.
"You are not fooling anyone, you know that, don't you?" Marian laughed.
"I said so many horrible things... " Sarah said wretchedly.
" No one could better Sir Guy and I at the art of insults; believe me." Marian giggled; "and Allan is not as thick headed as Guy can be sometimes. Don't you lose hope."
Sarah laughed with relief . Lady Marian was a very special lady; so the man she had chosen to be her life long partner must have something wonderful about him too.
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Chapter 13
They'd been riding for a while. Allan was behind Marian and saw her shifting in her saddle as she searched for something in her saddle bag. He knew just what too.
"Is something wrong, Lady Marian?" he said chuckling to himself.
"No... No... It's just that I wanted to see if I lost anything when I fell off my horse." Marian slowed her pace to allow him reach her side and then smiled.
"Oh, I can see your teeth again," Allan grinned back at her. " I thought you'd lost them in the fall too. I haven't seen much of them since last night."
Marian laughed. There was nobody who could make her laugh like Allan could; and he was being so good to Guy. He was such an unaffected man and Marian wished she could do something to help his love affair with Sarah but...
"So... what is this thing you're checking for then ? A box, perhaps... something like a chest? " He raised his eyebrows in enquiry.
"A chest, yes " Marian confirmed.
"A chest full of letters and memories that really belong to Guy? " Allan said gravely.
"How do you know its contents?" Marian asked in a guilty outrage.
"Guy told me, " Allan said. " Come to think of it; I might have seen a hint of it being in your room that night I broke into the castle. You do know that Guy's been going mad searching for it. He really won't be happy about this. "
"I tried to tell him last night but..." she tried to excuse herself.
"You' re deceiving him again. Marian," Allan was angry now. " Why won't you just let it go? Marry Robin and leave Guy alone; for his own sake."
" I love him, Allan, " she said with a catch in her voice. " If you could only know how much. I can't just let him go and if he gets the chest..."
"You think that lying to him is better than letting him do what he thinks is right?" Allan let his fury fly at her. " Marian, you are just being selfish."
"What If I am?" Marian retorted. " I've spent my whole life worrying about the poor, about England, about Robin's desires,my father's, even Guy's. Why shouldn't I care about what I truly desire?"
"And that's Guy? " Allan asked unable to hide his amazement.
"I know. It sounds crazy, " Marian almost laughed. " I thought I hated him; I don't though. I love him and I want him to stay alive and be with me. If I give him this chest, then he'll leave England without me. I don't think I could stand that..."
"You' re condemning England to death by keeping that chest." Allan told her.
"How ? " Marian almost laughed. It's only a keepsake box."
"It's far more than that according to Guy." Allan assured her. "You've got to give it back to him."
"No," Marian cried. " He's not going anywhere, not without me..If you have that box, please give it back to me "
" I have the chest," Allan said firmly; " and it's going back to whom it belongs. The point is...will you tell Guy or will I ? "
"Allan, please..." she begged.
"Your choice, milady. If you do it, I'll support whatever story you concoct, " he stopped and sighed. " If I tell him, it'll have to be the truth and you know... we both know what will come of that. "
"That's blackmail, Allan," she pouted.
"I'm just trying to do the right thing here," Allan held up his hands. " I'm trying to be honest; and that's something I learned that from you." he tried to charm her.
"We are running out of time, " Marian informed him. "You should get back to Guy."
"I'll wait here until midnight, Marian, " Allan said. " If I don't have your answer by then, I'll tell Guy."
He stopped his horse and watched her disappear through the gates. Of course, he was not going back yet. He had something to do first.
*************************
No kitchen staff and no guards were around as she made her way to her rooms. It was extremely weird that the Sheriff had no one guarding the castle at this hour. The stable boy who'd helped her out the night before was nowhere to be found and Lady Georgia had no one around either. She was as watchful as a hawk. So... what was all this about?
She pushed open her bedroom's door and found Sarah there.
"Oh, milady, at last!" the girl cried in relief. "Are you alright? I've been so worried about you."
"I'm fine, Sarah, please leave me alone." Marian said a little sharply.
"But milady..."
"Leave me Alone !" Marian shouted.
"Yes, milady. " Sarah curtsied and left in a hurry.
The Sheriff and Lady Georgia were sitting having breakfast in the great hall. The lady was peeling an apple and regarding the figure of a stable boy who'd just been brought into the hall.
"So speak, " she ordered him. "Is she back?"
"Yes, milady. Her horse was full of mud. I believe she'd had a fall but she showed no sign of being hurt.."
"She's such a tomboy. I can't think why everybody finds her so engaging." Lady Georgia shuddered with distaste.
"Where is she now? " The Sheriff payed no attention to his wife's comment.
"In her rooms sir," the child answered. " Her maid has ordered her breakfast but they've had some kind of argument. Lady Marian shouted at her and sent her away. "
"Fine. You can go now but keep your eyes open," The Sheriff dismissed him without another word. The Sheriff and Lady Georgia exchanged looks.
" Sowhere did she go ? " the lady asked.
"I think you know where. With that Gisborne," The Sheriff growled. " Winchester was right. She is in league with him."
"In league and in love, dearest, " Georgia pointed out.
" isn't she betrothed to that Robin of Locksley ?... " the Sheriff recalled.
"Not anymore," she replied. " I intercepted this message yesterday morning ," she handed it to him.
The Sheriff waved it away. " I'm sure you know every word of the message back to front. Why don't you just explain it to me.
"Well then. To cut a long story short, she has informed Locksley as to the change in her affections.
It seems she's been in love with Gisborne long before she even realised it..and so on."
she said with an unpleasant smile.
The Sheriff answered with a quite evil laugh; " and poor little Locksley ought to now know it; but doesn't. Oh how I love being the almighty Sheriff of Nottingham.
"Will you let her go back to the forest tonight?" Georgia asked.
"Yes," he replied. " we must let her feel secure about her little tryst. Once she's absolutely sure there's nothing to fear, it will be too late."
***********************
Sarah was feeling upset. As she walked through the corridors of the castle with Lady Marian's breakfast; she thought of the way she'd spoken to her lady about Sir Guy.
Flawed he might be, he was still a lord. She'd refused to help Marian with her little escapade and worst of all she'd said the most terrible things about Allan.
The funny thing was that she was lying. In truth she loved Allan.
She'd loved him from the first moment she'd seen him standing by that tree in the castle yard.
No one in the world could make her angry like he did. (and as a maid she had little experience to compare with, but of this she was certain).He was cheeky and cocky and God knew he'd been far too friendly with many a kitchen maid.
On the other hand he was a wonderful kisser, he was brave and tender when need be, he stood up
the Lady Gorgon when she hadn't remembered Sarah's name.
So why did she reject him ? Who was made for her better than him ? she answered herself.
It was fear. Fear of ending up heartbroken, of losing him before she even got the chance to know him.
"Lady Marian" Sarah called after knocking on the door. "Breakfast is here"
"Come in, please" Marian said from the within the chamber.
As Sarah was setting the table, Marian looked at her maid. She needed toapologise but how to do it? She was so used to being in the right most of the time.
"I'm very sorry about how I spoke to you earlier Sarah, " she tried.
"Don't be, milady. I tend to forget where place is here; but that will never happen again. You command and I must obey." she said, truthfully.
"I'd like to think we are more than lady and maid. Sarah," Marian said more gently. " I have no one else to trust here. I need a friend and you have proved yourself to be one of the best. Though I understand you don't want to be played with..."
"Breakfast was ready.
"Good. I'm starving!" Marian admitted.
Last night, she had been too comfortably settled in Guy's arms to worry about such earthly things as hunger. This morning their quarrel gave her no time for more than a mere morsel. It was almost midday now and she needed something to feed her body as well as her soul.
"So was it everything alright last night?" Sarah ventured.
"I thought you didn't want to know...." Marian said with a giggle.
"Oh, forget what I said. I was just being silly, " Sarah replied, pulling up a chair next to Marian. "I want to know everything. Was it all perfect?"
"Yes, last night was a nightmare but it was a beautiful nightmare..." she sighed dreamily. "He loves me. He told me so. He still loves me.. So much that I hate myself for it. "
"How could that be a nightmare? I don't understand" Sarah said.
"He loves me but he doesn't trust me, " Marian said with pain in her voice " He won't believe a word of love coming from my lips even if his life depended on it. Not that I can blame him for that but," she admitted; " It's going to be quite a task to convince him of my sincerity. "
"So what are you going to do? " Sarah asked her.
"I really don't know" Marian sounded helpless. " I've always been the one in control when it comes to our relationship. Now I don't know where I stand. "
"And Allan?" Sarah asked shyly.
" I thought you'd never ask," Marian smiled and held her maid's hand as a sign of support. " He is fine, darling. In fact, he's more than fine. He's blackmailing me into something. I'm to see him tonight at midnight; and if you'll play along with me, I will not be the only one he sees."
"I still don't know if I want to see him" Sarah tried to keep up her pretence.
"You are not fooling anyone, you know that, don't you?" Marian laughed.
"I said so many horrible things... " Sarah said wretchedly.
" No one could better Sir Guy and I at the art of insults; believe me." Marian giggled; "and Allan is not as thick headed as Guy can be sometimes. Don't you lose hope."
Sarah laughed with relief . Lady Marian was a very special lady; so the man she had chosen to be her life long partner must have something wonderful about him too.
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