Fic - Robin Hood - "Parenthood"
Title: Parenthood
Author: radiotardislive
Fandom: Robin Hood
Rating: PG
Pairing: Robin/Marian, bits of Will/Djaq/Allan (and also featuring Carter and Eve, however briefly!)
Words: 3628
Summary: Future!fic. Robin is busy at court being Lord Locksley once again, one night, and Marian is left to get baby to sleep by herself. However, without Robin, this proves tricky, due to extensive crying (from the baby, not Marian, but it's a close one) and she enlists the help of the ex-outlaws, who, unsurprisingly, are no use either.
A/N: Nickname of "Maz" is copyright of the Robin Hood forums on the net, which I have borrowed and give all credit to them for its brilliance :D Also, yes I know the title's the name of an episode, but I really can't think of another one, and if anyone else can, I'd be indebted to them. Eternally.
It was twilight at Locksley. The sun had set and the moon was beginning its vigil, rising high over the trees of Sherwood Forest. It was a clear autumn night and the stars shone brightly in the cool breeze which stirred the long grass that grew on the hill that overlooked the hamlet. Lights shone in the windows of the cottages, reflected in the waters of the lake. The mill was closed, the roads swept, and everything was tidy and peaceful.
Except for at Locksley Hall, of course.
“That is….. I must say, that is most horrid!” Much protested, his hands over his ears.
Marian rolled her eyes at him, as she paced up and down the long downstairs room, dressed in a thick red robe tied about the waist over her nightdress, rocking a baby in her arms. The baby was crying out loudly, wailing into the night, oblivious to the distressed looks of his tired mother, whose hair was loose and in disarray.
“You have only had to put up with it for a short time,” she said, irately, raising her voice over the din. “I have had to deal with it all night.”
“Well there must be something you can do,” said Much, apoplectic at the noise. “I mean, there must be something…”
“That is why I enlisted all of your help,” Marian reminded him, nodding her head in the direction of all of the other ex-outlaws that she had sent for, half an hour earlier. It was far past baby Edward Locksley’s bedtime, but he was not going to sleep without a fight. Robin was still at the castle, busy being Lord Locksley once again, having discussions deep into the night with the new Sheriff, Carter, and it was not known when he was expected to return. Thus, Marian had to do without her husband and his “magic baby touch”, as he called it, and try to get their son to sleep herself.
Sadly, she was having no luck, even with the gang’s help.
“’ere, let me have him, Maz,” Allan said, starting forwards, but Marian held her baby tightly and turned away from him.
“Certainly not. I have heard about you and your handling of children, and I am not having you drop Robin’s son and heir on his head. And Allan, I have told you, do not call me Maz.”
Allan spread his arms wide and looked round at the others. “Since when have I ever dropped a baby?”
Djaq snorted from where she was busy by the fire, heating up some potion or other which she had brought with her. “Every time you ever held one,” she pointed out. “You turned Seth upside down the moment you saw him.”
“Yeah, but - hang on a minute, you weren’t there then. How did you find out about that?”
Djaq shrugged. “Will told me.”
There was a moment when Allan looked across at Will, and the carpenter, sat on a stool hewing something roughly, looked slightly embarrassed. Scuffing his foot on the floor, he busied himself with his work. “Must’ve slipped out,” he muttered, his voice barely audible above the baby’s screams.
“Here,” announced Djaq. “It is ready. John, get me a spoon.”
The big man had been standing looking awkward against a post, and started up when requested, then went off into the kitchen to search for the required piece of cutlery. After a great deal of banging and the sound of pots and pans clanging around, Marian called out, “Beneath the plates,” and John humbly returned, a spoon clutched in his fist.
He handed it over to Djaq, who got to her feet, holding a decanter of sweet smelling liquid with a golden colour. “Here, Marian. It is like honey, but it will make him sleep.”
Marian stopped pacing, and bent over the flask Djaq offered her. She sniffed it briefly, and nodded her head, trusting Djaq’s judgement. She leant back, holding Edward out, and the Saracen poured a small amount onto the spoon.
“Come on, big fella, open your mouth,” Djaq requested. With a great deal of coaxing, Edward opened his small button mouth and Djaq deftly slipped the spoon in. “There. That should do it.”
They all stood around in silence, waiting, all eyes upon the baby. Will stopped chipping and Much leant forwards in his chair, hardly daring to breathe.
Then, Edward opened his mouth, and began to cry even louder.
Much sagged in his chair. “We’re doomed,” he cried ominously, burying his face in his hands.
Djaq stepped back with her precious bottle. She eyed it. “Well then, I suppose we could always use it to drug ourselves to sleep, no?”
Marian began to look desperate. “He’s not ill, is he?” she asked Djaq worriedly. Her face was pale and drawn, and it was clear that she had not had much sleep since the baby’s birth. Djaq’s heart went out to her.
“No, Marian,” she said, giving her a smile as she squeezed her arm, “he is perfectly well. He is a beautiful strong boy - he would not be wailing so loud if he were not, eh?”
Marian looked reassured, but still she did not look wholly comforted. “If only there was some way we could get him to stop crying,” she insisted, adjusting Edward in her arms.
Allan got up from sitting on the window sill, and put down the trinket he had been fiddling with. “Look, don’t give him to me if you don’t want to, Ma - Marian,” he said, grinning at her as he corrected himself mid word. “But just let me try.”
By now, Marian was willing to give anything a go, and so sighing, nodded. Allan reached into his pocket, and after a good deal of rooting around, pulled out a long string of pearls.
“Where did you - "
“Hush,” he insisted, waving Much away, and instead raised the pearls above the baby’s head. He dangled them in his face, waggling them around, so they shone in the candlelight.
“Here, what’s this then, baby? What’s this?”
To everyone’s surprise, little Edward stopped wailing, and instead, reached up two pudgy hands for the necklace, his blue eyes large. Allan, delighted, continued to wave it around, his movements becoming more and more violent, the swing of the pearls taking larger and larger arcs. “That’s it, baby, play with the nice pearls. Pearly pearls, very pretty, very - "
But then he waved the pearls too much and ended up hitting poor Edward in the face, who instantly began to cry again.
“Allan!” Marian cried, holding Edward’s heard protectively and glaring at the man.
“Well, it worked, didn’t it?!” he protested, drawing back to his seat as the others scalded him and tutted.
“Marian?” asked Will, looking up, his voice quiet as usual. “See if he likes this.” He held up a tiny horse, made very quickly and in limited light, yet still a close likeness. Marian accepted it with one hand and a smile and held it out to Edward. The baby considered it briefly, but then flung out a fist, knocking it out of Marian’s hand and sending it tumbling across the stone floor.
“He has Robin’s reflexes, no?” chuckled Djaq, as the others laughed.
“Yeah, and Much’s liking of horses,” added Allan.
Will looked shamefaced and bowed his head, but Marian went over to the toy and picked it up. She turned to Will and smiled at him. “It is beautiful, Will. You have a great talent. I am sure he will like to play with it when he’s older,” she said kindly, and set it on a chest of drawers.
Will blushed, characteristically, overcome with the praise.
“Right,” said John, going over to Marian. “My turn now, I suppose.”
“Give him a hug, John,” one of the gang called out.
“Yeah, a bear hug, Big Bear.”
They all started to snigger and laugh, Marian included, who couldn’t quite help herself, despite the situation. John gallantly ignored the remark, but did as they suggested, holding his arms out. Marian hesitated for a split second, but then held out Edward and placed him into John’s arms, adjusting the baby’s blanket.
John cleared his throat, and then, in a low voice, began to sing a lullaby gruffly.
“What is that?” Marian asked, as she went over to a chair by the fire and lowered herself into it slowly, passing a hand over her eyes. “I do not think I have heard it before.”
“It’s the song Alice used to sing to little little John,” Much answered. “John’s picked it up since they both came to live in Nottingham again.”
Djaq dragged a stool over to sit by Marian, whilst John continued to croon and the baby continued to lie mesmerised in his arms, his cries choking in his throat and turning into quiet snuffles. “Marian, you look tired. Why don’t you go to bed?”
“I can’t,” she protested. “I can’t leave him.” She dropped her face, and for once, Marian looked unsure of herself. “I’m a terrible mother,” she said quietly.
Djaq shook her head. “Marian, that is not true.”
“It is.” Lady Locksley looked up, her eyes persistent. “Robin is a natural father. He was always so affectionate as a boy, and indeed, he always has been. He shows his emotions very easily. He is so good with Edward; he can always get him to go to sleep, and he can play with him for hours at a time, whereas I can never get him comfortable. Edward always wriggles out of my arms and cries for his Papa. He loves Robin more than me.”
“Robin possesses a special something that makes all children love him. Perhaps it is the childlike quality he still has; they think he is one of them. But you are a good mother, Marian, and you must not think otherwise.”
She shook her head. “No. It all does not come so easily to me, the motherly feelings that I should have. I do have them; I love my baby, and I love to hold him in my arms. But I cannot strike up the same bond with him that Robin has with him. I was never openly emotional as a girl, so I find it very difficult now.”
“You were a lady at court from a young age,” Djaq reminded her, with grave eyes. “And you grew up in a man’s world, alone, with no female role models. You were never going to be a gushing, incredibly maternal mother. Robin loves you for that. You are your own woman, Marian, and your own mother. It is not your fault that Edward cries; all babies do that. Now don’t you worry about your baby, you need to worry about yourself, ok?”
She sat back, tapping her hands meaningfully on her thighs. “When Robin gets back,” she continued, nodding her head firmly, ”I am going to have a talk with him. He is not going swanning off to Nottingham at every opportunity and leaving you alone to raise a child any more, don’t you worry. I shall make him see that he has to lend a hand and do some of the work too, and not just have the enjoyment of a child.”
Marian smiled gratefully at the Saracen woman. “I think you are the only person he’d listen to, Djaq.”
She grinned. “He’s scared to lose me, he knows without me he’d have to have the physicians from Nottingham. Of course he listens to me!”
“Hey,” whispered Allan, and the two women looked up. “Hey, I think John’s done it!”
They looked over in trepidation. Marian got to her feet and went to peer into the mass of cloths John was holding. Allan was right; the baby was asleep.
“Thank the Lord,” muttered Will.
“Allah be praised,” Djaq echoed.
“And now, if that’s all over,” Much said, “I am going to sleep myself. Marian, wake me in the morning, if that’s all right, my Lady. Goodnight, everyone.” And with that he wriggled around in his chair to get comfortable, closed his eyes and leant back.
Sadly for him, he leant back too far and succeeded in toppling backwards, hitting the stone floor with a crash. Unsurprisingly, this awoke the slumbering baby, and started little Edward crying again.
“Much!” they all cried.
“Sorry,” he muttered, brushing himself off and setting the chair up right.
“Honestly, Much,” said Marian, going to take the baby out of John’s arms, “you are going to have to get better at all of this, if Eve has a baby.”
“Yeah,” added Allan, “you’ll have to get used to the getting up in the middle of the night.”
“The nappy changing,” Marian agreed.
“The hard work,” put in Will.
“The breast feeding,” continued Djaq, nodding her dark head.
At that, Much blushed scarlet. “I -“
But what exactly Much was going to protest was lost, as they heard the sound of hooves racing through Locksley, and then a whinny as the horse was stopped, and the voice of a certain young Lord.
“Oh, thank God,” Marian sighed, her voice joining in with the clamour of the stable boy hurrying out to take his master’s horse, even at this time of night, and the baby’s crying.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and there he was, grinning widely, his hair tousled, as he reached up with one hand to take off his cloak.
“Hello then, everybody. What’s the fuss? You’ve got the house ablaze with light, Marian.”
“It is your son, Robin,” Marian said brusquely, marching over to him. “He will not go to sleep nor stop crying, and there is nothing either I or anyone can do to stop it.”
Robin unpinned the brooch at his throat, and pulled his cloak off with a flourish, throwing it at the chair behind the door. He reached out and took Edward from his wife’s arms, his face serious. “Come on then, let me have him.”
The baby slipped into Robin’s embrace easily, and settled himself into a comfortable position. “Sssh,” Robin whispered, cradling his son, peering down intently and stepping away from the group, walking off alone towards the kitchen end of the hall.
Almost instantly, the baby stopped crying, and with a last cough, closed his eyes. Within moments, Edward Locksley was deep in sleep.
“That is most annoying,” grumbled Much, folding his arms over his chest, whilst the rest of the group looked stunned.
Robin merely gave that low self satisfied chuckle of his, not even looking up, otherwise occupied with nursing his child.
Marian looked equally jealous, though she was too relieved to be too angry. She retreated to go and sit in her chair once again, where Djaq patted her comfortingly on the arm. “Tell me about it.”
“Hey, Rob,” said Allan, walking over to his friend and peering over his shoulder. “That’s a clever trick. You could earn a pretty bit o’ silver doing that.” He reached a hand out. “Aw, he looks so quiet when he’s sleeping, don’t ‘e?”
Robin nudged Allan away. “Ssh!” he hissed. “You’ll wake him.”
Allan put his hands on his hips. “Why is it no one trusts me around a baby?”
“Because all the evidence is against you,” said Djaq. “Now, come on everyone, get up. Let’s let the poor lady have some sleep. And you,” she said, pointed her finger at Robin and narrowing her eyes accusingly at him, as the gang begrudgingly stirred and reached for their cloaks. “I want to talk to you.”
Robin looked shocked as he carefully handed Edward to Marian, who started to carry him up the stairs to bed. “Me? What have I done?”
“Precisely,” Djaq said wryly, her hands on her hips.
Marian gave them all a grateful smile as she reached the landing, watching them all stagger to their feet and progress towards the door. “Thank you, everyone.”
“That’s alright,” smiled Will, looking pleased that his assistance had been required in the first place.
“Any time you need any nursemaid help, you just call us, Maz,” grinned Allan, waving his hand at her as John opened the door onto the night.
If it were not for the sleeping baby in her arms, Marian would have shouted, but instead, she shook her head at him, and disappeared down the corridor.
John cuffed Allan across the back of the head. “Idiot. Come on.” He pushed Allan out of the door, spluttering in protest, and followed with a “G’night, Robin.”
Much yawned and waved a hand, going out in search of his horse to hurry back to Bonchurch, where his wife, Eve, would probably still be up waiting for him. Will left too, after giving Djaq a look, who remained standing where she was in the centre of the hall, glaring at Robin.
“Right then, you, you are going to have to buck up your ideas.”
“What?” asked Robin, completely bewildered.
“You are leaving all the chores to Marian. She has no sleep with that baby, and you aren’t giving her any help. She’s struggling, Robin, and you are not helping one bit.” She raised her eyes to the ceiling and uttered a short Arabic expletive. “And don’t you give me any of this rubbish about it being a woman’s job to look after the family. You work as a team, husband and wife. Alright?”
“Alright,” he muttered, with the air of an admonished schoolboy.
Djaq went over to pick up her cloak. “You just take one look at her, Robin. She’s looking worn out. Give her a bit of a rest, get that shine back in her eye. And hey,” she said, nudging him and giving him a wink. “You’re not all bad. You’re pretty good at getting babies to sleep.”
Robin grinned. “Well - “
“Don’t push it, Robin. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Djaq. See you.” He watched her go, standing in the doorway with one hand on the frame as she rejoined Will and Allan, who had been standing by the fence, waiting for her, and then he watched as they all marched off, squabbling as to where exactly they were going to sleep that night. Since King Richard’s return the three of them had shared lodgings at the castle, then at Locksley Hall until Edward’s birth, and recently had been living at Bonchurch with Much. At present, they were reliving the good times and making the most of the last of the good weather, camping out under the stars.
With a final wave, Robin closed the door on them all, and, dousing the candles and leaving the fire to die in the hearth, went up the stairs.
He found Marian in their room, folding blankets and looking over at the crib at the bottom of their bed every few minutes. She gave him a tired smile as he came in, and Robin instantly saw what Djaq had been getting at. Without words, he went over to her and sat on the bed, pulling Marian down with him. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it.
“Marian, why did you not tell me you were so tired?” he asked, his voice low.
“Well, you’ve been hardly here, you’re always at the castle. I’ve been stuck at Locksley for the past few months since Edward. We’ve been passing each other like ships in the night.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Oh Robin,” she sighed. “I am so exhausted.”
He kissed her head. “I am sorry. I shall try and help now. Carter shall have to do without me and manage Nottingham on his own.”
Marian could have made a remark about how Carter had never really needed Robin’s help to start off with, and that the new Sheriff was a perfectly capable man, but instead, neglected to say anything that might bruise her husband’s ego and simply murmured her agreement against his neck.
“We were discussing the rise in taxes again, Marian,” Robin continued, putting an arm around her shoulders and hugging her to him. “The King’s decided to raise funds to repair the damage John has done in London and the surrounding area. Carter doesn’t know how we’re going to get them, really, I mean, the peasants are starved of money as it is. I said I’d ask you for ideas. Marian? Marian?”
He looked down, and discovered that his wife was asleep, her eyelids tightly closed against the worries and frets of the world. He smiled, and carefully, with the arm around her shoulders supporting her, lowered her body to the bed. He removed the slippers she was wearing, and shifted her up more towards her pillow. Marian settled in, turning her cheek towards the sheets, and Robin smirked as he watched her. Then she shivered in her sleep, and he fetched a blanket from the cupboard, throwing it over her and making sure she was comfortable.
Quickly, he undressed himself, pulling on the loose breeches he wore for bed, and then, after a final look into the cradle to ensure Edward was still sleeping soundly, Robin got into bed himself, and blew out the candle. Wriggling down under Marian’s blanket, he looked across at her, watching her sleeping face in the moonlight. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Sleep well, my love,” he murmured, before adjusting himself so that he faced her fully, and then he closed his eyes. Nothing, he decided, would disturb his wife that night. Nothing.
And so three tired, weary little souls finally slept in that bedchamber at Locksley Hall, as the moon reached its peak. An owl hooted, then pushed itself from its perch by the chimney and flew towards the woods. At last, everyone at Locksley was asleep.
AN Please review if you liked! ;)
Author: radiotardislive
Fandom: Robin Hood
Rating: PG
Pairing: Robin/Marian, bits of Will/Djaq/Allan (and also featuring Carter and Eve, however briefly!)
Words: 3628
Summary: Future!fic. Robin is busy at court being Lord Locksley once again, one night, and Marian is left to get baby to sleep by herself. However, without Robin, this proves tricky, due to extensive crying (from the baby, not Marian, but it's a close one) and she enlists the help of the ex-outlaws, who, unsurprisingly, are no use either.
A/N: Nickname of "Maz" is copyright of the Robin Hood forums on the net, which I have borrowed and give all credit to them for its brilliance :D Also, yes I know the title's the name of an episode, but I really can't think of another one, and if anyone else can, I'd be indebted to them. Eternally.
It was twilight at Locksley. The sun had set and the moon was beginning its vigil, rising high over the trees of Sherwood Forest. It was a clear autumn night and the stars shone brightly in the cool breeze which stirred the long grass that grew on the hill that overlooked the hamlet. Lights shone in the windows of the cottages, reflected in the waters of the lake. The mill was closed, the roads swept, and everything was tidy and peaceful.
Except for at Locksley Hall, of course.
“That is….. I must say, that is most horrid!” Much protested, his hands over his ears.
Marian rolled her eyes at him, as she paced up and down the long downstairs room, dressed in a thick red robe tied about the waist over her nightdress, rocking a baby in her arms. The baby was crying out loudly, wailing into the night, oblivious to the distressed looks of his tired mother, whose hair was loose and in disarray.
“You have only had to put up with it for a short time,” she said, irately, raising her voice over the din. “I have had to deal with it all night.”
“Well there must be something you can do,” said Much, apoplectic at the noise. “I mean, there must be something…”
“That is why I enlisted all of your help,” Marian reminded him, nodding her head in the direction of all of the other ex-outlaws that she had sent for, half an hour earlier. It was far past baby Edward Locksley’s bedtime, but he was not going to sleep without a fight. Robin was still at the castle, busy being Lord Locksley once again, having discussions deep into the night with the new Sheriff, Carter, and it was not known when he was expected to return. Thus, Marian had to do without her husband and his “magic baby touch”, as he called it, and try to get their son to sleep herself.
Sadly, she was having no luck, even with the gang’s help.
“’ere, let me have him, Maz,” Allan said, starting forwards, but Marian held her baby tightly and turned away from him.
“Certainly not. I have heard about you and your handling of children, and I am not having you drop Robin’s son and heir on his head. And Allan, I have told you, do not call me Maz.”
Allan spread his arms wide and looked round at the others. “Since when have I ever dropped a baby?”
Djaq snorted from where she was busy by the fire, heating up some potion or other which she had brought with her. “Every time you ever held one,” she pointed out. “You turned Seth upside down the moment you saw him.”
“Yeah, but - hang on a minute, you weren’t there then. How did you find out about that?”
Djaq shrugged. “Will told me.”
There was a moment when Allan looked across at Will, and the carpenter, sat on a stool hewing something roughly, looked slightly embarrassed. Scuffing his foot on the floor, he busied himself with his work. “Must’ve slipped out,” he muttered, his voice barely audible above the baby’s screams.
“Here,” announced Djaq. “It is ready. John, get me a spoon.”
The big man had been standing looking awkward against a post, and started up when requested, then went off into the kitchen to search for the required piece of cutlery. After a great deal of banging and the sound of pots and pans clanging around, Marian called out, “Beneath the plates,” and John humbly returned, a spoon clutched in his fist.
He handed it over to Djaq, who got to her feet, holding a decanter of sweet smelling liquid with a golden colour. “Here, Marian. It is like honey, but it will make him sleep.”
Marian stopped pacing, and bent over the flask Djaq offered her. She sniffed it briefly, and nodded her head, trusting Djaq’s judgement. She leant back, holding Edward out, and the Saracen poured a small amount onto the spoon.
“Come on, big fella, open your mouth,” Djaq requested. With a great deal of coaxing, Edward opened his small button mouth and Djaq deftly slipped the spoon in. “There. That should do it.”
They all stood around in silence, waiting, all eyes upon the baby. Will stopped chipping and Much leant forwards in his chair, hardly daring to breathe.
Then, Edward opened his mouth, and began to cry even louder.
Much sagged in his chair. “We’re doomed,” he cried ominously, burying his face in his hands.
Djaq stepped back with her precious bottle. She eyed it. “Well then, I suppose we could always use it to drug ourselves to sleep, no?”
Marian began to look desperate. “He’s not ill, is he?” she asked Djaq worriedly. Her face was pale and drawn, and it was clear that she had not had much sleep since the baby’s birth. Djaq’s heart went out to her.
“No, Marian,” she said, giving her a smile as she squeezed her arm, “he is perfectly well. He is a beautiful strong boy - he would not be wailing so loud if he were not, eh?”
Marian looked reassured, but still she did not look wholly comforted. “If only there was some way we could get him to stop crying,” she insisted, adjusting Edward in her arms.
Allan got up from sitting on the window sill, and put down the trinket he had been fiddling with. “Look, don’t give him to me if you don’t want to, Ma - Marian,” he said, grinning at her as he corrected himself mid word. “But just let me try.”
By now, Marian was willing to give anything a go, and so sighing, nodded. Allan reached into his pocket, and after a good deal of rooting around, pulled out a long string of pearls.
“Where did you - "
“Hush,” he insisted, waving Much away, and instead raised the pearls above the baby’s head. He dangled them in his face, waggling them around, so they shone in the candlelight.
“Here, what’s this then, baby? What’s this?”
To everyone’s surprise, little Edward stopped wailing, and instead, reached up two pudgy hands for the necklace, his blue eyes large. Allan, delighted, continued to wave it around, his movements becoming more and more violent, the swing of the pearls taking larger and larger arcs. “That’s it, baby, play with the nice pearls. Pearly pearls, very pretty, very - "
But then he waved the pearls too much and ended up hitting poor Edward in the face, who instantly began to cry again.
“Allan!” Marian cried, holding Edward’s heard protectively and glaring at the man.
“Well, it worked, didn’t it?!” he protested, drawing back to his seat as the others scalded him and tutted.
“Marian?” asked Will, looking up, his voice quiet as usual. “See if he likes this.” He held up a tiny horse, made very quickly and in limited light, yet still a close likeness. Marian accepted it with one hand and a smile and held it out to Edward. The baby considered it briefly, but then flung out a fist, knocking it out of Marian’s hand and sending it tumbling across the stone floor.
“He has Robin’s reflexes, no?” chuckled Djaq, as the others laughed.
“Yeah, and Much’s liking of horses,” added Allan.
Will looked shamefaced and bowed his head, but Marian went over to the toy and picked it up. She turned to Will and smiled at him. “It is beautiful, Will. You have a great talent. I am sure he will like to play with it when he’s older,” she said kindly, and set it on a chest of drawers.
Will blushed, characteristically, overcome with the praise.
“Right,” said John, going over to Marian. “My turn now, I suppose.”
“Give him a hug, John,” one of the gang called out.
“Yeah, a bear hug, Big Bear.”
They all started to snigger and laugh, Marian included, who couldn’t quite help herself, despite the situation. John gallantly ignored the remark, but did as they suggested, holding his arms out. Marian hesitated for a split second, but then held out Edward and placed him into John’s arms, adjusting the baby’s blanket.
John cleared his throat, and then, in a low voice, began to sing a lullaby gruffly.
“What is that?” Marian asked, as she went over to a chair by the fire and lowered herself into it slowly, passing a hand over her eyes. “I do not think I have heard it before.”
“It’s the song Alice used to sing to little little John,” Much answered. “John’s picked it up since they both came to live in Nottingham again.”
Djaq dragged a stool over to sit by Marian, whilst John continued to croon and the baby continued to lie mesmerised in his arms, his cries choking in his throat and turning into quiet snuffles. “Marian, you look tired. Why don’t you go to bed?”
“I can’t,” she protested. “I can’t leave him.” She dropped her face, and for once, Marian looked unsure of herself. “I’m a terrible mother,” she said quietly.
Djaq shook her head. “Marian, that is not true.”
“It is.” Lady Locksley looked up, her eyes persistent. “Robin is a natural father. He was always so affectionate as a boy, and indeed, he always has been. He shows his emotions very easily. He is so good with Edward; he can always get him to go to sleep, and he can play with him for hours at a time, whereas I can never get him comfortable. Edward always wriggles out of my arms and cries for his Papa. He loves Robin more than me.”
“Robin possesses a special something that makes all children love him. Perhaps it is the childlike quality he still has; they think he is one of them. But you are a good mother, Marian, and you must not think otherwise.”
She shook her head. “No. It all does not come so easily to me, the motherly feelings that I should have. I do have them; I love my baby, and I love to hold him in my arms. But I cannot strike up the same bond with him that Robin has with him. I was never openly emotional as a girl, so I find it very difficult now.”
“You were a lady at court from a young age,” Djaq reminded her, with grave eyes. “And you grew up in a man’s world, alone, with no female role models. You were never going to be a gushing, incredibly maternal mother. Robin loves you for that. You are your own woman, Marian, and your own mother. It is not your fault that Edward cries; all babies do that. Now don’t you worry about your baby, you need to worry about yourself, ok?”
She sat back, tapping her hands meaningfully on her thighs. “When Robin gets back,” she continued, nodding her head firmly, ”I am going to have a talk with him. He is not going swanning off to Nottingham at every opportunity and leaving you alone to raise a child any more, don’t you worry. I shall make him see that he has to lend a hand and do some of the work too, and not just have the enjoyment of a child.”
Marian smiled gratefully at the Saracen woman. “I think you are the only person he’d listen to, Djaq.”
She grinned. “He’s scared to lose me, he knows without me he’d have to have the physicians from Nottingham. Of course he listens to me!”
“Hey,” whispered Allan, and the two women looked up. “Hey, I think John’s done it!”
They looked over in trepidation. Marian got to her feet and went to peer into the mass of cloths John was holding. Allan was right; the baby was asleep.
“Thank the Lord,” muttered Will.
“Allah be praised,” Djaq echoed.
“And now, if that’s all over,” Much said, “I am going to sleep myself. Marian, wake me in the morning, if that’s all right, my Lady. Goodnight, everyone.” And with that he wriggled around in his chair to get comfortable, closed his eyes and leant back.
Sadly for him, he leant back too far and succeeded in toppling backwards, hitting the stone floor with a crash. Unsurprisingly, this awoke the slumbering baby, and started little Edward crying again.
“Much!” they all cried.
“Sorry,” he muttered, brushing himself off and setting the chair up right.
“Honestly, Much,” said Marian, going to take the baby out of John’s arms, “you are going to have to get better at all of this, if Eve has a baby.”
“Yeah,” added Allan, “you’ll have to get used to the getting up in the middle of the night.”
“The nappy changing,” Marian agreed.
“The hard work,” put in Will.
“The breast feeding,” continued Djaq, nodding her dark head.
At that, Much blushed scarlet. “I -“
But what exactly Much was going to protest was lost, as they heard the sound of hooves racing through Locksley, and then a whinny as the horse was stopped, and the voice of a certain young Lord.
“Oh, thank God,” Marian sighed, her voice joining in with the clamour of the stable boy hurrying out to take his master’s horse, even at this time of night, and the baby’s crying.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and there he was, grinning widely, his hair tousled, as he reached up with one hand to take off his cloak.
“Hello then, everybody. What’s the fuss? You’ve got the house ablaze with light, Marian.”
“It is your son, Robin,” Marian said brusquely, marching over to him. “He will not go to sleep nor stop crying, and there is nothing either I or anyone can do to stop it.”
Robin unpinned the brooch at his throat, and pulled his cloak off with a flourish, throwing it at the chair behind the door. He reached out and took Edward from his wife’s arms, his face serious. “Come on then, let me have him.”
The baby slipped into Robin’s embrace easily, and settled himself into a comfortable position. “Sssh,” Robin whispered, cradling his son, peering down intently and stepping away from the group, walking off alone towards the kitchen end of the hall.
Almost instantly, the baby stopped crying, and with a last cough, closed his eyes. Within moments, Edward Locksley was deep in sleep.
“That is most annoying,” grumbled Much, folding his arms over his chest, whilst the rest of the group looked stunned.
Robin merely gave that low self satisfied chuckle of his, not even looking up, otherwise occupied with nursing his child.
Marian looked equally jealous, though she was too relieved to be too angry. She retreated to go and sit in her chair once again, where Djaq patted her comfortingly on the arm. “Tell me about it.”
“Hey, Rob,” said Allan, walking over to his friend and peering over his shoulder. “That’s a clever trick. You could earn a pretty bit o’ silver doing that.” He reached a hand out. “Aw, he looks so quiet when he’s sleeping, don’t ‘e?”
Robin nudged Allan away. “Ssh!” he hissed. “You’ll wake him.”
Allan put his hands on his hips. “Why is it no one trusts me around a baby?”
“Because all the evidence is against you,” said Djaq. “Now, come on everyone, get up. Let’s let the poor lady have some sleep. And you,” she said, pointed her finger at Robin and narrowing her eyes accusingly at him, as the gang begrudgingly stirred and reached for their cloaks. “I want to talk to you.”
Robin looked shocked as he carefully handed Edward to Marian, who started to carry him up the stairs to bed. “Me? What have I done?”
“Precisely,” Djaq said wryly, her hands on her hips.
Marian gave them all a grateful smile as she reached the landing, watching them all stagger to their feet and progress towards the door. “Thank you, everyone.”
“That’s alright,” smiled Will, looking pleased that his assistance had been required in the first place.
“Any time you need any nursemaid help, you just call us, Maz,” grinned Allan, waving his hand at her as John opened the door onto the night.
If it were not for the sleeping baby in her arms, Marian would have shouted, but instead, she shook her head at him, and disappeared down the corridor.
John cuffed Allan across the back of the head. “Idiot. Come on.” He pushed Allan out of the door, spluttering in protest, and followed with a “G’night, Robin.”
Much yawned and waved a hand, going out in search of his horse to hurry back to Bonchurch, where his wife, Eve, would probably still be up waiting for him. Will left too, after giving Djaq a look, who remained standing where she was in the centre of the hall, glaring at Robin.
“Right then, you, you are going to have to buck up your ideas.”
“What?” asked Robin, completely bewildered.
“You are leaving all the chores to Marian. She has no sleep with that baby, and you aren’t giving her any help. She’s struggling, Robin, and you are not helping one bit.” She raised her eyes to the ceiling and uttered a short Arabic expletive. “And don’t you give me any of this rubbish about it being a woman’s job to look after the family. You work as a team, husband and wife. Alright?”
“Alright,” he muttered, with the air of an admonished schoolboy.
Djaq went over to pick up her cloak. “You just take one look at her, Robin. She’s looking worn out. Give her a bit of a rest, get that shine back in her eye. And hey,” she said, nudging him and giving him a wink. “You’re not all bad. You’re pretty good at getting babies to sleep.”
Robin grinned. “Well - “
“Don’t push it, Robin. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Djaq. See you.” He watched her go, standing in the doorway with one hand on the frame as she rejoined Will and Allan, who had been standing by the fence, waiting for her, and then he watched as they all marched off, squabbling as to where exactly they were going to sleep that night. Since King Richard’s return the three of them had shared lodgings at the castle, then at Locksley Hall until Edward’s birth, and recently had been living at Bonchurch with Much. At present, they were reliving the good times and making the most of the last of the good weather, camping out under the stars.
With a final wave, Robin closed the door on them all, and, dousing the candles and leaving the fire to die in the hearth, went up the stairs.
He found Marian in their room, folding blankets and looking over at the crib at the bottom of their bed every few minutes. She gave him a tired smile as he came in, and Robin instantly saw what Djaq had been getting at. Without words, he went over to her and sat on the bed, pulling Marian down with him. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it.
“Marian, why did you not tell me you were so tired?” he asked, his voice low.
“Well, you’ve been hardly here, you’re always at the castle. I’ve been stuck at Locksley for the past few months since Edward. We’ve been passing each other like ships in the night.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Oh Robin,” she sighed. “I am so exhausted.”
He kissed her head. “I am sorry. I shall try and help now. Carter shall have to do without me and manage Nottingham on his own.”
Marian could have made a remark about how Carter had never really needed Robin’s help to start off with, and that the new Sheriff was a perfectly capable man, but instead, neglected to say anything that might bruise her husband’s ego and simply murmured her agreement against his neck.
“We were discussing the rise in taxes again, Marian,” Robin continued, putting an arm around her shoulders and hugging her to him. “The King’s decided to raise funds to repair the damage John has done in London and the surrounding area. Carter doesn’t know how we’re going to get them, really, I mean, the peasants are starved of money as it is. I said I’d ask you for ideas. Marian? Marian?”
He looked down, and discovered that his wife was asleep, her eyelids tightly closed against the worries and frets of the world. He smiled, and carefully, with the arm around her shoulders supporting her, lowered her body to the bed. He removed the slippers she was wearing, and shifted her up more towards her pillow. Marian settled in, turning her cheek towards the sheets, and Robin smirked as he watched her. Then she shivered in her sleep, and he fetched a blanket from the cupboard, throwing it over her and making sure she was comfortable.
Quickly, he undressed himself, pulling on the loose breeches he wore for bed, and then, after a final look into the cradle to ensure Edward was still sleeping soundly, Robin got into bed himself, and blew out the candle. Wriggling down under Marian’s blanket, he looked across at her, watching her sleeping face in the moonlight. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Sleep well, my love,” he murmured, before adjusting himself so that he faced her fully, and then he closed his eyes. Nothing, he decided, would disturb his wife that night. Nothing.
And so three tired, weary little souls finally slept in that bedchamber at Locksley Hall, as the moon reached its peak. An owl hooted, then pushed itself from its perch by the chimney and flew towards the woods. At last, everyone at Locksley was asleep.
AN Please review if you liked! ;)