Fic: The Beauty of Knighton and the Beast of Locksley
Title: The Beauty of Knighton and the Beast of Locksley
Author: MsJDarcy
Rating: PG
Fandom: Robin Hood
Pairing(s): Guy/Marian
Disclaimer: Robin Hood is the property of the BBC, Tiger Aspect and their associates.
Summary: The classic fairytale of Beauty and the Beast rewritten with Marian and Guy as the title characters and illustrated with screencaps.
Author's Notes: This was written for hoodland's Once Upon a Time... challenge, where we were challenged to rewrite a favourite fairy tale or children's story with Robin Hood characters. It's not at all intended to be serious or in character but I hope you enjoy in any case.
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Once upon a time, on a dark and stormy night, there was a knock on the door of Gisborne manner. Guy angrily pulled open the door to reveal a small hunched figure, dripping with rain. He asked that Guy shelter him and his men for the night and held out a silver necklace in exchange. But for Guy, a simple necklace was not enough payment for the stranger and his men and horses, and he ordered them to leave.
What Guy did not know was that the man he had refused was the new Sheriff of Nottingham. At Guy’s refusal, the Sheriff became angry and unleashed his influence. Within a week, the Gisborne lands had been taken from him, and Guy had been forced into service by the Sheriff. Guy had to work the Locksley lands for the Sheriff's benefit and extract exorbitant taxes from all the peasants in Nottingham. To those peasants who didn’t know his past, Guy was simply a beast.
The silver necklace now hung over the mantlepiece in Locksley manor. It taunted Guy, reminding him of the freedom he once had and the man he could have been. If one day he could find someone to wear the necklace, a woman to love and who would love him in return, then perhaps Guy could find the courage to rebel against the Sheriff. But who could love the beast he had become…
Years later, in the nearby village of Knighton, lived the beautiful young Marian. She lived with her father, Edward, and yearned to be able to free those around her from the oppression of the Sheriff. The arrogant local hero, Robin, also paid her a great deal of unwanted attention and wanted to make her his bride, but Marian continued to resist him. Robin, however, was determined and continued to persevere.
One day, Edward was riding through Sherwood for business when he was thrown from his horse and lost his way. The weather turned and blinded by the driving rain Edward stumbled into Locksley. Guy’s kind servant Thornton let Edward in, sat him by the fire and fetched him bread and cheese. But when Guy discovered this unwelcome visitor, he was furious that his privacy had been invaded. Enraged, he had Edward locked up.
The next morning, Marian found her father’s horse wandering around Knighton and was immediately concerned for his safety. Mounting the horse, Marian allowed it to lead her through the forest until she reached the village of Locksley.
When Guy opened the door to Marian, he was taken aback by her beauty. For her part, Marian refused to be intimated by the leather clad man towering over her. She demanded that she be allowed to see her father. When she saw where he was being kept, she became greatly concerned for his health and begged Guy to free him. When he refused, Marian offered to take her father’s place. Guy relented and Edward returned to Knighton, determined to return to free Marian. But when he told Robin of what had happened, Robin thought Edward had lost his mind, so Edward went to rescue her alone.
Meanwhile Marian refused Guy’s invitation to dinner and offended, he ordered his servants not to prepare her any food. But once Guy had retired upstairs, Thornton brought Marian out and served her dinner. As she wandered about the manor, Marian’s eye was caught by the necklace over the mantlepiece. Intrigued, she picked it up and held it up to the light.
Suddenly a voice boomed behind her and the necklace was torn from her hands. Guy threw her aside and, scared by his livid appearance, Marian ran from the room. She ran from the manor and into the forest, determined to escape the beast of Locksley.
As she fled through the forest, she was set upon by a gang of outlaws. They captured her and strung her from a tree, leaving her to hang there. But Guy had followed her into the forest and he rescued her, and took her safely back to Locksley.
In the days that followed, the relationship between Guy and Marian slowly started to improve. He gave her gifts and she began to see the good qualities underneath the beastly exterior and to consider him a friend. Guy grew to love Marian and he began to hope that she may grow to love him and to give him the courage to break free from the Sheriff’s hold.
One day a young servant boy who had believed Edward’s story found his way to Locksley. He told Marian that her father’s mad rambling through the forest searching for her had left him weakened and near death. She turned to Guy with tears in her eyes and begged him to let her leave to tend to her father. Guy was reluctant to let her go just as he had started to gain a place in her heart, but he simply could not refuse her. As one parting gift, he gave her the necklace from the mantlepiece. He no longer had any need for it, and he watched Marian and his hope walk out the door. Thornton watched as his master let the woman who could have saved them all disappear into the forest.
Marian returned to Knighton to nurse her father, but Robin and a mob arrived, determined that the madman Edward be driven away from Nottingham. Robin would only relent if Marian agreed to marry him. Unwilling to sacrifice herself or her father, Marian was able to convince Robin that her father had been telling the truth. However, when Robin learnt how Guy had imprisoned first Edward and then Marian, his anger turned towards Guy. He locked Marian and her father inside an upper room of Knighton Hall before leading the mob towards Locksley to take their revenge upon Guy.
Marian watched helplessly from the window as the mob headed towards Locksley. Then there was a small tap on the door. The young boy who had brought word of Edward’s condition had returned to free them. Leaving her father with the boy, Marian ran to the stables to fetch her horse and galloped towards Locksley. She only hoped that she wasn’t too late.
In Locksley, Guy’s guards and servants had been able to keep the mob from destroying the manor, but Robin had managed to get inside and found Guy staring at the empty space over the mantlepiece. Guy could not find the strength to fight and he allowed Robin to drag him out of manor.
Marian raced through the village and saw Robin beating Guy. She called out to Guy and he lifted his head wearily at the sound of her voice. When he saw that Marian had returned, Guy gained a new wave of strength and he began to fight back.
Guy and Robin fought through Sherwood, throwing punches and insults. They reached the cliffs over the western side of the river, and gradually Guy got the upper hand. Guy grabbed Robin by the front of his shirt and held him over the cliff. But when he felt a small hand on his back, he lowered Robin back down to ground. Robin wasn’t worth the trouble.
Robin however refused to be defeated. He picked up a large rock, held it above his head and charged at Guy. Marian had noticed Robin and gave a pull on Guy’s arm but he could not move aside quickly enough. Guy caught a glancing blow to the side of the head and crumpled to the ground. But Robin lost his footing, and he toppled over the cliff to the river far below.
Marian turned Guy onto his back and hovered over him trying to rouse him. She started to cry as she thought she might lose the man she had only just come to know and love. She whispered that she loved him and a single tear dropped onto Guy’s cheek. Guy’s eyelids began to flutter and when they opened he saw Marian, and the necklace hanging from her neck. Marian, the woman he loved and who loved him in return, had come back to him.
In the days that followed, both Guy and Edward regained their strength, with Marian by their sides. It did not happen overnight, but with Marian’s support, Guy began to change from the beast he had been. He gradually gained the support of the villagers and together they overthrew the Sheriff and peace reigned in Nottingham once more.
Guy and Marian married and the villagers rejoiced. But the tale about whether they lived happily ever after is another writer’s story to tell...
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Author's Note: This took me right up to the challenge deadline to complete, but I ended up quite liking it!
Author: MsJDarcy
Rating: PG
Fandom: Robin Hood
Pairing(s): Guy/Marian
Disclaimer: Robin Hood is the property of the BBC, Tiger Aspect and their associates.
Summary: The classic fairytale of Beauty and the Beast rewritten with Marian and Guy as the title characters and illustrated with screencaps.
Author's Notes: This was written for hoodland's Once Upon a Time... challenge, where we were challenged to rewrite a favourite fairy tale or children's story with Robin Hood characters. It's not at all intended to be serious or in character but I hope you enjoy in any case.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once upon a time, on a dark and stormy night, there was a knock on the door of Gisborne manner. Guy angrily pulled open the door to reveal a small hunched figure, dripping with rain. He asked that Guy shelter him and his men for the night and held out a silver necklace in exchange. But for Guy, a simple necklace was not enough payment for the stranger and his men and horses, and he ordered them to leave.
What Guy did not know was that the man he had refused was the new Sheriff of Nottingham. At Guy’s refusal, the Sheriff became angry and unleashed his influence. Within a week, the Gisborne lands had been taken from him, and Guy had been forced into service by the Sheriff. Guy had to work the Locksley lands for the Sheriff's benefit and extract exorbitant taxes from all the peasants in Nottingham. To those peasants who didn’t know his past, Guy was simply a beast.
The silver necklace now hung over the mantlepiece in Locksley manor. It taunted Guy, reminding him of the freedom he once had and the man he could have been. If one day he could find someone to wear the necklace, a woman to love and who would love him in return, then perhaps Guy could find the courage to rebel against the Sheriff. But who could love the beast he had become…
Years later, in the nearby village of Knighton, lived the beautiful young Marian. She lived with her father, Edward, and yearned to be able to free those around her from the oppression of the Sheriff. The arrogant local hero, Robin, also paid her a great deal of unwanted attention and wanted to make her his bride, but Marian continued to resist him. Robin, however, was determined and continued to persevere.
One day, Edward was riding through Sherwood for business when he was thrown from his horse and lost his way. The weather turned and blinded by the driving rain Edward stumbled into Locksley. Guy’s kind servant Thornton let Edward in, sat him by the fire and fetched him bread and cheese. But when Guy discovered this unwelcome visitor, he was furious that his privacy had been invaded. Enraged, he had Edward locked up.
The next morning, Marian found her father’s horse wandering around Knighton and was immediately concerned for his safety. Mounting the horse, Marian allowed it to lead her through the forest until she reached the village of Locksley.
When Guy opened the door to Marian, he was taken aback by her beauty. For her part, Marian refused to be intimated by the leather clad man towering over her. She demanded that she be allowed to see her father. When she saw where he was being kept, she became greatly concerned for his health and begged Guy to free him. When he refused, Marian offered to take her father’s place. Guy relented and Edward returned to Knighton, determined to return to free Marian. But when he told Robin of what had happened, Robin thought Edward had lost his mind, so Edward went to rescue her alone.
Meanwhile Marian refused Guy’s invitation to dinner and offended, he ordered his servants not to prepare her any food. But once Guy had retired upstairs, Thornton brought Marian out and served her dinner. As she wandered about the manor, Marian’s eye was caught by the necklace over the mantlepiece. Intrigued, she picked it up and held it up to the light.
Suddenly a voice boomed behind her and the necklace was torn from her hands. Guy threw her aside and, scared by his livid appearance, Marian ran from the room. She ran from the manor and into the forest, determined to escape the beast of Locksley.
As she fled through the forest, she was set upon by a gang of outlaws. They captured her and strung her from a tree, leaving her to hang there. But Guy had followed her into the forest and he rescued her, and took her safely back to Locksley.
In the days that followed, the relationship between Guy and Marian slowly started to improve. He gave her gifts and she began to see the good qualities underneath the beastly exterior and to consider him a friend. Guy grew to love Marian and he began to hope that she may grow to love him and to give him the courage to break free from the Sheriff’s hold.
One day a young servant boy who had believed Edward’s story found his way to Locksley. He told Marian that her father’s mad rambling through the forest searching for her had left him weakened and near death. She turned to Guy with tears in her eyes and begged him to let her leave to tend to her father. Guy was reluctant to let her go just as he had started to gain a place in her heart, but he simply could not refuse her. As one parting gift, he gave her the necklace from the mantlepiece. He no longer had any need for it, and he watched Marian and his hope walk out the door. Thornton watched as his master let the woman who could have saved them all disappear into the forest.
Marian returned to Knighton to nurse her father, but Robin and a mob arrived, determined that the madman Edward be driven away from Nottingham. Robin would only relent if Marian agreed to marry him. Unwilling to sacrifice herself or her father, Marian was able to convince Robin that her father had been telling the truth. However, when Robin learnt how Guy had imprisoned first Edward and then Marian, his anger turned towards Guy. He locked Marian and her father inside an upper room of Knighton Hall before leading the mob towards Locksley to take their revenge upon Guy.
Marian watched helplessly from the window as the mob headed towards Locksley. Then there was a small tap on the door. The young boy who had brought word of Edward’s condition had returned to free them. Leaving her father with the boy, Marian ran to the stables to fetch her horse and galloped towards Locksley. She only hoped that she wasn’t too late.
In Locksley, Guy’s guards and servants had been able to keep the mob from destroying the manor, but Robin had managed to get inside and found Guy staring at the empty space over the mantlepiece. Guy could not find the strength to fight and he allowed Robin to drag him out of manor.
Marian raced through the village and saw Robin beating Guy. She called out to Guy and he lifted his head wearily at the sound of her voice. When he saw that Marian had returned, Guy gained a new wave of strength and he began to fight back.
Guy and Robin fought through Sherwood, throwing punches and insults. They reached the cliffs over the western side of the river, and gradually Guy got the upper hand. Guy grabbed Robin by the front of his shirt and held him over the cliff. But when he felt a small hand on his back, he lowered Robin back down to ground. Robin wasn’t worth the trouble.
Robin however refused to be defeated. He picked up a large rock, held it above his head and charged at Guy. Marian had noticed Robin and gave a pull on Guy’s arm but he could not move aside quickly enough. Guy caught a glancing blow to the side of the head and crumpled to the ground. But Robin lost his footing, and he toppled over the cliff to the river far below.
Marian turned Guy onto his back and hovered over him trying to rouse him. She started to cry as she thought she might lose the man she had only just come to know and love. She whispered that she loved him and a single tear dropped onto Guy’s cheek. Guy’s eyelids began to flutter and when they opened he saw Marian, and the necklace hanging from her neck. Marian, the woman he loved and who loved him in return, had come back to him.
In the days that followed, both Guy and Edward regained their strength, with Marian by their sides. It did not happen overnight, but with Marian’s support, Guy began to change from the beast he had been. He gradually gained the support of the villagers and together they overthrew the Sheriff and peace reigned in Nottingham once more.
Guy and Marian married and the villagers rejoiced. But the tale about whether they lived happily ever after is another writer’s story to tell...
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Author's Note: This took me right up to the challenge deadline to complete, but I ended up quite liking it!