The Force of Destiny, Chapter 28
Original Post
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/characters: Allan/Kate, Rebecca, Matthew, Maggie, the Outlaws, King Richard
Word count: 3189
Spoilers: While this alters the end of S2, there are still minor spoilers for the whole run of the show, including S3.
Summary: Kate and Allan go to share news of the gang's pardon with Rebecca.
Disclaimer: Most of the places and characters within belong to legend and/or the BBC/TA. No profits are made from this, and no infringement is intended.
previous chapter
-28-
There was a light tap at the door. Allan had been resting, and it took him a minute to get to his feet. The knock came again just before he answered it.
David of Doncaster stood there, and he executed a brief, formal bow, to which Allan could only blink in surprise. “The king requests your presence in Robin’s room.”
“Is everything okay?” Allan asked, concerned that Robin had taken a turn for the worse.
David grinned. “Yes, this is a good thing.”
“All right, then.” Allan smiled back, and started down the corridor toward the stairs while David knocked on Much’s door.
It was really odd to be living in the castle again, even temporarily. Even when he was working for Guy, and thereby for the sheriff, it had not been a place of comfort. Now, it should have been; but, the shadow cast over the whole of Nottinghamshire for the last several years had started within these walls, and it would take awhile to banish it. Also, that Robin was possibly dying here was not helping. Allan still felt as though he could not entirely trust the freedom that the castle now tempted him with, as though to relax would be to give it the advantage it needed to... To what? There was nobody left to come after him, so it had to be just the remnants of Vaizey's influence that was making him so uneasy.
Still, as he made his way down the stairs, his guard was up, and he peered warily around corners and down passageways as he passed them. Of course, he arrived at Robin's room unaccosted, but could not shake the sensation of being watched until he was leaning against a wall, surrounded by people he trusted. Kate was already there, speaking quietly with Will, but she excused herself and came to stand with him.
"Do you know what this is all about?"
He shook his head. "Don't you?"
"Not a clue."
Considering their friend and leader was still laying in the chamber's bed, not allowed to move and with something sticking out of his side, the atmosphere was fairly congenial. Allan realized they must be taking their cue from Robin, himself, who was smiling as he talked with Marian, who was perched beside him. His color was not good, but it was improved, and even Matilda had lost most of the strain that had been in her eyes the day before.
Richard came into the room then with two of his men, and conversation instantly ceased, all eyes on the king. He smiled at them. "It seems like there are even more of you, when you are all in a room this size." It was pretty crowded, but they had all been crammed into the old camp for so long, that Allan hardly noticed their present coziness until it was pointed out. "I will not keep you, but I thought you would like to be together for this." Richard held up a parchment. "This is a pardon, which I have just signed and sealed. Each of you is listed on here, and it states that you are hereby pardoned from all charges of crimes committed, and properties, lands and titles which were seized are reinstated, effective immediately." Looking around, he concluded, "Congratulations; you are legal citizens once again. And, on a personal note, you have my thanks for what you have done for England and her people. And, for me."
They all stared at him for a moment, and then the room started buzzing with emotion. Alice burst into tears, and was instantly in John's arms. Marian leant down and gave Robin a kiss that Allan found himself looking away from, it was so tender. Will had been standing behind Djaq, and slipped his arms around her, his hands on her belly and her hands resting on his. She smiled up at him and he beamed back down at her, both looking more at ease and younger than Allan had ever seen them. Much wanted to see the document, even if he could not read it; Eve pointed out their names, and then looked at the king in surprise. "This says, 'Earl of Bonchurch.'"
"That is what the former sheriff promised, is it not?"
Much was wide-eyed. "Yes."
"Then, it would be wrong of me not to honor it. And you have more than earned it."
"Thank you, sire."
As for himself, Allan was not sure how to react. He had been on the wrong side of the law since he was young, first without being caught, and then becoming outlawed long before joining up with Robin, so that it had just become part of his life. Even the brief time he had been on the right side of the law, that law had been corrupt. What the hell was he supposed to do with himself? The other night, when he knew he was going to be pardoned, he had thought about it, but it had not seemed real. Now that it was, he still did not have an answer.
He was startled out of his thoughts when Kate took hold of his arm. "I need to go tell my mother," she said. "Will you come with me?"
Really, dealing with Rebecca was not something he felt like doing at the moment, but he did not want Kate traveling to Locksley alone. He nodded. "Sure." Tuck was standing nearby, talking with one of the king's men. Allan stepped in as politely as possible and told him where they were headed, and they slipped out the door.
Outside, Sakina was sitting under the tree in the courtyard, while Little Little John and Atiya ran around with a ball; Allan recognized it as one that a groom named Joseph kept in the kitchens for when the younger castle servants had some free time. As he remembered that, he noticed a pair of figures leaning against a wall on the far side of the courtyard. Joseph was there, chatting with Florrie. Both raised a hand in greeting, before returning to their conversation.
As he and Kate neared, Sakina smiled at them. "The king spoke with me before going in there. Congratulations to you both."
"Weren't you pardoned?" Kate asked.
Sakina shrugged. "I was never outlawed. My name is on the document, but King Richard said it was merely a formality. The childrens' names are also on it, for the same reason."
When she learned that they were headed for Locksley, Sakina suggested borrowing horses from the stables. "Carter said nobody seemed to care when he took a carriage, and it will make your trip shorter."
So, it was not too long afterward that the two rode into Locksley, tying their horses off by the pottery. Matthew came out to see who was there, and broke into a wide grin when he saw Kate.
Running over and grabbing her in a huge hug, he cried, "What are you doing here? Mum's going to have a fit, but it's great to see you!"
"Oh, it's so good to see you, too," she laughed, squeezing him back. "And Mum's going to be thrilled when she hears why we're here."
They both looked to Allan, who was standing off to the side. He nodded at Matthew, whose smile wavered, but remained.
"If you've got good news, I'll go get her," Matthew declared, and hurried off toward the workshop.
When they were alone again, Allan said, "I'll make myself scarce, let you talk with your family."
"No! Stay with me." She snagged his sleeve, causing him to raise an eyebrow, and she added, "Please?"
He did not get to finish saying, "All right," when Rebecca rushed toward them, clearly upset, Matthew and little Maggie trailing behind her.
"What are you doing here? I told you to stay away," she snapped, glaring at them both.
Kate started toward her. "I've got something wonderful to tell you."
"Stop!" her mother ordered, holding up her hand. Allan noticed some of the neighbors starting to wander closer, or poke their heads out of windows, drawn to the commotion. "Don't you understand? Our family's suffered enough; we don't need more pain."
"But, Mothe--"
"Kate. Go." Having said her piece, Rebecca turned to go back to the workshop.
Kate's bereft expression set off a fury in Allan's chest, but he restrained himself, since this was her mother. "Fine, we'll go," he called. "C'mon, Kate; let's go back to the castle and see if the king doesn't mind us staying there a bit longer."
She was still too upset to play along, so he took her arm and steered her back toward the horses while Rebecca froze in her tracks. "Did you say, 'the king'?" she called.
Kate drew a breath to reply, but Allan caught her eye and shook his head slightly. She was starting to recover her composure, and the corner of her mouth kicked up slightly. When he started loosening his horse's lead, she did the same.
Rebecca reached her as she got the reins loose. "Kate, what does that mean?"
"It means that we're all pardoned, which is what I came to tell you." She stepped back, giving her horse room to move so that she could mount it.
"So... you're free to come home?"
Realizing Kate was not backing down, Allan quickly swung up into his own saddle.
"Yes, Mother, I'm free to go home. Or, I'm free to find a new home. For now, I'll be at the castle." She smiled at her siblings. "You can come visit; things have changed, even if nobody knows it yet." Her gaze swung to Allan, her eyes twinkling, and she nudged her horse into a walk.
Unsure what he could say after that, he simply raised his eyebrows at her family in a sort of facial shrug, and followed.
They had gone several yards down the road before Kate stopped, bowing her head. Allan came to a halt beside her. "You okay?"
"I can't believe she wouldn't listen," she said, her voice small and made more muffled by her posture.
"She'll come round. I bet she's walking to Nottingham already."
She glanced over at him. "You think so?"
"Yeah."
Turning to look behind them, she muttered, "Then, let's get off the road. I'm not ready to see her."
He almost pointed out that, since they were riding, Rebecca would be unable to catch up. But there was no harm in travelling through the woods, so he got to his feet and handed her down. Leading their horses, they went into the trees. "You think your mum's tough? You should've seen mine."
"You've got a mother? And all this time, I thought you were found in the wild."
He grinned at her, glad to see her laughing again. She had barely cracked a smile since becoming outlawed. "Nah, that's just my natural ruggedness."
"Oh, is that what that stench is?"
"You don't exactly smell of roses, yourself."
She sniffed her arm. "You're right. That's honeysuckle."
"Honeysuckle, is it? That would not have been my guess."
Kate laughed, and he joined her. "So, your mum was tough, too?" she asked, when they had quieted down again.
He nodded, smiling to himself as he remembered. "She had to be, with seven of us running round. When my dad died, she got worse, and we'd all run off and spend the days in the streets, just to get some peace."
"That's where you got all your tricks, eh? And she was okay with that?"
"No, did she ever tan us when we got caught stealing or cheating! So, we learnt to not get caught. And we needed the money."
She studied him for a minute. "Where's your family now?"
With a shrug, he replied, "All over. I've got two sisters married. One of 'em did all right, too; bagged herself a pretty rich merchant-- he caught her nicking his purse, and fell flat on his face for her." He chuckled at the memory, and Kate grinned. "My brother Pete does okay for himself; he's down by Colchester, that area. Another of my sisters, Lizzie, ran off, and we ain't seen her since. Mum kinda disappeared after that. She said something to Pete about needing 'to atone for my life,' whatever that was about. And, my other brother Tom..."
She stopped. "I've heard about that. I'm sorry."
"Thanks. Me, too."
They walked a bit further, each in their own thoughts. Squinting as something occurred to her, Kate said, "Wait, that's only six of you. Didn't you say there were seven?"
"You've gotta be a member of the family to know about the last one."
"Why?" she demanded. "And anyway, if you didn't want me to know, why didn't you just say there were six of you?"
"I didn't mean to say it," he admitted.
Leaning over and smiling sweetly, she tried to coax him. "Can't you make a little exception?"
He looked at her doubtfully. "Nah, I don't think so."
"What if I ask really nicely?"
"Didn't know you knew how."
She shoved him playfully. "Wretch."
"Nosy."
"My nose has nothing on your nose."
He glanced at her. "True. That's not a nose."
"Look, just because yours is enormous doesn't mean everybody's has to be."
Allan fought the first comeback that popped into his head.
"What, you can't think of anything to say to that?" she teased.
The temptation was too great. "I just didn't think it'd be nice to point out that not everybody's is as big as mine." Oh, well; it wasn't as if he had a seat in Heaven waiting, anyway.
Kate's forehead wrinkled as she glanced at him. "You don't have to point it out; it's pretty obvious."
He feigned surprise. "It is?"
"It is right there for all the world to see."
Every single thing that came to mind was probably too much for Kate. He struggled not to burst out laughing, when suddenly comprehension dawned on her face, which flushed bright pink.
"You rotten, wicked, evil--" His laughter won then, and she started laughing, too. "You're terrible."
"Yeah, but you love it about me," he retorted lightly, only realizing after it was out of his mouth what he had said. God, he did not know why he kept slipping up around her; he had never been so unaware of what he was saying with anyone.
She stopped walking again and turned to him, very seriously. "I do, you know."
He froze. "What?"
She glanced off to the side, the fingers of her free hand toying with her shirt where it was tucked into her trousers. Her eyes slid over to him, shyly, which was a first for Kate. "I love you." It had come of nowhere, and all he could do was stare at her dumbly as she blushed and looked away again. "I know I haven't shown it, and I didn't mean to drop it on you like this. I'm sorry. I've just been so upset about my mother and all--"
"It's okay." She seemed to get more embarrassed with each word, and he could not stand to see that. "You wanna hear something crazy?"
Uncertainly, she said, "What?"
Rubbing the back of his neck, he gave her a half-smile. "I think I love you, too."
"You think?"
Apparently, that had not been the right thing to say.
His hand dropped down, gesturing his confusion. "Well, yeah. I've never been in love before, have I? So, I don't know for sure what it's like. I think this is it. I'm pretty sure, anyway."
"You bastard." With an unfair yank on her horse's lead, she stormed off in a huff.
He sighed before starting after her. "Kate, wait." It was a rookie mistake and he knew better, but he was only trying to be honest. Any other girl, he'd have told her whatever she wanted to hear and sealed the deal; it was different with her, though. It was important. He caught up to her and tried to take her arm, but she shrugged his hand off. "Please. Look, I'm sorry; that didn't come out right."
"Obviously." She would not even look at him, marching forward through the woods.
"Please stop." Hoping she would follow his lead, Allan stood still. Finally, she did, and reluctantly turned to him.
"I really don't want to hear whatever it is you have to say."
She was trying to mask her hurt with anger, but he saw right through it, and both reactions made his heart hurt. This was not what he had expected at all when he left the pottery that day, elated that she had agreed to a picnic with him the next afternoon. Things had seemed so promising, after those kisses they shared; kisses which, despite her innocence, had been some of the best of his life--
That was it. She did not want to listen to him? Fine. He would show her how he felt. Dropping his horse's reins, he strode purposefully over to her, slid his hands along her jaw, and tipped her head back, pouring everything he wanted to say into a kiss.
When it was done, they were both a bit stunned. Her eyes were drowsy as they met his. "Wow," she breathed.
"Yeah. Wow."
Her gaze fell to his smile. "So... um..." She clearly could not think of anything to say, and that was fine.
Running his thumbs over her cheeks, he murmured, "I love you."
One of her eyebrows lifted. "Are you sure about that, or do you just think it?"
He kissed her again.
When he had his breath back, he replied, "I'm sure."
A mischievous smile teased her lips. "Well, in that case, could you tell me about your seventh sibling?"
How the hell had she remembered that now? He could barely remember his own name. With a nod, he focused enough to come up with an answer for her. "Penny's a maidservant to the queen."
Her jaw dropped. "Queen Berengaria? That's wonderful; why is it a secret?"
He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Because she was a tavern wench before that."
"You're joking!"
"Hand to God."
She stared at him. "How'd she arrange that?"
His attention, however, was no longer on his sister. "I could tell you the story. But I'd rather kiss you again, first."
Sliding her hands up his chest, she grinned. "Okay."
It was awhile before she heard the story.
next chapter
*
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/characters: Allan/Kate, Rebecca, Matthew, Maggie, the Outlaws, King Richard
Word count: 3189
Spoilers: While this alters the end of S2, there are still minor spoilers for the whole run of the show, including S3.
Summary: Kate and Allan go to share news of the gang's pardon with Rebecca.
Disclaimer: Most of the places and characters within belong to legend and/or the BBC/TA. No profits are made from this, and no infringement is intended.
previous chapter
-28-
There was a light tap at the door. Allan had been resting, and it took him a minute to get to his feet. The knock came again just before he answered it.
David of Doncaster stood there, and he executed a brief, formal bow, to which Allan could only blink in surprise. “The king requests your presence in Robin’s room.”
“Is everything okay?” Allan asked, concerned that Robin had taken a turn for the worse.
David grinned. “Yes, this is a good thing.”
“All right, then.” Allan smiled back, and started down the corridor toward the stairs while David knocked on Much’s door.
It was really odd to be living in the castle again, even temporarily. Even when he was working for Guy, and thereby for the sheriff, it had not been a place of comfort. Now, it should have been; but, the shadow cast over the whole of Nottinghamshire for the last several years had started within these walls, and it would take awhile to banish it. Also, that Robin was possibly dying here was not helping. Allan still felt as though he could not entirely trust the freedom that the castle now tempted him with, as though to relax would be to give it the advantage it needed to... To what? There was nobody left to come after him, so it had to be just the remnants of Vaizey's influence that was making him so uneasy.
Still, as he made his way down the stairs, his guard was up, and he peered warily around corners and down passageways as he passed them. Of course, he arrived at Robin's room unaccosted, but could not shake the sensation of being watched until he was leaning against a wall, surrounded by people he trusted. Kate was already there, speaking quietly with Will, but she excused herself and came to stand with him.
"Do you know what this is all about?"
He shook his head. "Don't you?"
"Not a clue."
Considering their friend and leader was still laying in the chamber's bed, not allowed to move and with something sticking out of his side, the atmosphere was fairly congenial. Allan realized they must be taking their cue from Robin, himself, who was smiling as he talked with Marian, who was perched beside him. His color was not good, but it was improved, and even Matilda had lost most of the strain that had been in her eyes the day before.
Richard came into the room then with two of his men, and conversation instantly ceased, all eyes on the king. He smiled at them. "It seems like there are even more of you, when you are all in a room this size." It was pretty crowded, but they had all been crammed into the old camp for so long, that Allan hardly noticed their present coziness until it was pointed out. "I will not keep you, but I thought you would like to be together for this." Richard held up a parchment. "This is a pardon, which I have just signed and sealed. Each of you is listed on here, and it states that you are hereby pardoned from all charges of crimes committed, and properties, lands and titles which were seized are reinstated, effective immediately." Looking around, he concluded, "Congratulations; you are legal citizens once again. And, on a personal note, you have my thanks for what you have done for England and her people. And, for me."
They all stared at him for a moment, and then the room started buzzing with emotion. Alice burst into tears, and was instantly in John's arms. Marian leant down and gave Robin a kiss that Allan found himself looking away from, it was so tender. Will had been standing behind Djaq, and slipped his arms around her, his hands on her belly and her hands resting on his. She smiled up at him and he beamed back down at her, both looking more at ease and younger than Allan had ever seen them. Much wanted to see the document, even if he could not read it; Eve pointed out their names, and then looked at the king in surprise. "This says, 'Earl of Bonchurch.'"
"That is what the former sheriff promised, is it not?"
Much was wide-eyed. "Yes."
"Then, it would be wrong of me not to honor it. And you have more than earned it."
"Thank you, sire."
As for himself, Allan was not sure how to react. He had been on the wrong side of the law since he was young, first without being caught, and then becoming outlawed long before joining up with Robin, so that it had just become part of his life. Even the brief time he had been on the right side of the law, that law had been corrupt. What the hell was he supposed to do with himself? The other night, when he knew he was going to be pardoned, he had thought about it, but it had not seemed real. Now that it was, he still did not have an answer.
He was startled out of his thoughts when Kate took hold of his arm. "I need to go tell my mother," she said. "Will you come with me?"
Really, dealing with Rebecca was not something he felt like doing at the moment, but he did not want Kate traveling to Locksley alone. He nodded. "Sure." Tuck was standing nearby, talking with one of the king's men. Allan stepped in as politely as possible and told him where they were headed, and they slipped out the door.
Outside, Sakina was sitting under the tree in the courtyard, while Little Little John and Atiya ran around with a ball; Allan recognized it as one that a groom named Joseph kept in the kitchens for when the younger castle servants had some free time. As he remembered that, he noticed a pair of figures leaning against a wall on the far side of the courtyard. Joseph was there, chatting with Florrie. Both raised a hand in greeting, before returning to their conversation.
As he and Kate neared, Sakina smiled at them. "The king spoke with me before going in there. Congratulations to you both."
"Weren't you pardoned?" Kate asked.
Sakina shrugged. "I was never outlawed. My name is on the document, but King Richard said it was merely a formality. The childrens' names are also on it, for the same reason."
When she learned that they were headed for Locksley, Sakina suggested borrowing horses from the stables. "Carter said nobody seemed to care when he took a carriage, and it will make your trip shorter."
So, it was not too long afterward that the two rode into Locksley, tying their horses off by the pottery. Matthew came out to see who was there, and broke into a wide grin when he saw Kate.
Running over and grabbing her in a huge hug, he cried, "What are you doing here? Mum's going to have a fit, but it's great to see you!"
"Oh, it's so good to see you, too," she laughed, squeezing him back. "And Mum's going to be thrilled when she hears why we're here."
They both looked to Allan, who was standing off to the side. He nodded at Matthew, whose smile wavered, but remained.
"If you've got good news, I'll go get her," Matthew declared, and hurried off toward the workshop.
When they were alone again, Allan said, "I'll make myself scarce, let you talk with your family."
"No! Stay with me." She snagged his sleeve, causing him to raise an eyebrow, and she added, "Please?"
He did not get to finish saying, "All right," when Rebecca rushed toward them, clearly upset, Matthew and little Maggie trailing behind her.
"What are you doing here? I told you to stay away," she snapped, glaring at them both.
Kate started toward her. "I've got something wonderful to tell you."
"Stop!" her mother ordered, holding up her hand. Allan noticed some of the neighbors starting to wander closer, or poke their heads out of windows, drawn to the commotion. "Don't you understand? Our family's suffered enough; we don't need more pain."
"But, Mothe--"
"Kate. Go." Having said her piece, Rebecca turned to go back to the workshop.
Kate's bereft expression set off a fury in Allan's chest, but he restrained himself, since this was her mother. "Fine, we'll go," he called. "C'mon, Kate; let's go back to the castle and see if the king doesn't mind us staying there a bit longer."
She was still too upset to play along, so he took her arm and steered her back toward the horses while Rebecca froze in her tracks. "Did you say, 'the king'?" she called.
Kate drew a breath to reply, but Allan caught her eye and shook his head slightly. She was starting to recover her composure, and the corner of her mouth kicked up slightly. When he started loosening his horse's lead, she did the same.
Rebecca reached her as she got the reins loose. "Kate, what does that mean?"
"It means that we're all pardoned, which is what I came to tell you." She stepped back, giving her horse room to move so that she could mount it.
"So... you're free to come home?"
Realizing Kate was not backing down, Allan quickly swung up into his own saddle.
"Yes, Mother, I'm free to go home. Or, I'm free to find a new home. For now, I'll be at the castle." She smiled at her siblings. "You can come visit; things have changed, even if nobody knows it yet." Her gaze swung to Allan, her eyes twinkling, and she nudged her horse into a walk.
Unsure what he could say after that, he simply raised his eyebrows at her family in a sort of facial shrug, and followed.
They had gone several yards down the road before Kate stopped, bowing her head. Allan came to a halt beside her. "You okay?"
"I can't believe she wouldn't listen," she said, her voice small and made more muffled by her posture.
"She'll come round. I bet she's walking to Nottingham already."
She glanced over at him. "You think so?"
"Yeah."
Turning to look behind them, she muttered, "Then, let's get off the road. I'm not ready to see her."
He almost pointed out that, since they were riding, Rebecca would be unable to catch up. But there was no harm in travelling through the woods, so he got to his feet and handed her down. Leading their horses, they went into the trees. "You think your mum's tough? You should've seen mine."
"You've got a mother? And all this time, I thought you were found in the wild."
He grinned at her, glad to see her laughing again. She had barely cracked a smile since becoming outlawed. "Nah, that's just my natural ruggedness."
"Oh, is that what that stench is?"
"You don't exactly smell of roses, yourself."
She sniffed her arm. "You're right. That's honeysuckle."
"Honeysuckle, is it? That would not have been my guess."
Kate laughed, and he joined her. "So, your mum was tough, too?" she asked, when they had quieted down again.
He nodded, smiling to himself as he remembered. "She had to be, with seven of us running round. When my dad died, she got worse, and we'd all run off and spend the days in the streets, just to get some peace."
"That's where you got all your tricks, eh? And she was okay with that?"
"No, did she ever tan us when we got caught stealing or cheating! So, we learnt to not get caught. And we needed the money."
She studied him for a minute. "Where's your family now?"
With a shrug, he replied, "All over. I've got two sisters married. One of 'em did all right, too; bagged herself a pretty rich merchant-- he caught her nicking his purse, and fell flat on his face for her." He chuckled at the memory, and Kate grinned. "My brother Pete does okay for himself; he's down by Colchester, that area. Another of my sisters, Lizzie, ran off, and we ain't seen her since. Mum kinda disappeared after that. She said something to Pete about needing 'to atone for my life,' whatever that was about. And, my other brother Tom..."
She stopped. "I've heard about that. I'm sorry."
"Thanks. Me, too."
They walked a bit further, each in their own thoughts. Squinting as something occurred to her, Kate said, "Wait, that's only six of you. Didn't you say there were seven?"
"You've gotta be a member of the family to know about the last one."
"Why?" she demanded. "And anyway, if you didn't want me to know, why didn't you just say there were six of you?"
"I didn't mean to say it," he admitted.
Leaning over and smiling sweetly, she tried to coax him. "Can't you make a little exception?"
He looked at her doubtfully. "Nah, I don't think so."
"What if I ask really nicely?"
"Didn't know you knew how."
She shoved him playfully. "Wretch."
"Nosy."
"My nose has nothing on your nose."
He glanced at her. "True. That's not a nose."
"Look, just because yours is enormous doesn't mean everybody's has to be."
Allan fought the first comeback that popped into his head.
"What, you can't think of anything to say to that?" she teased.
The temptation was too great. "I just didn't think it'd be nice to point out that not everybody's is as big as mine." Oh, well; it wasn't as if he had a seat in Heaven waiting, anyway.
Kate's forehead wrinkled as she glanced at him. "You don't have to point it out; it's pretty obvious."
He feigned surprise. "It is?"
"It is right there for all the world to see."
Every single thing that came to mind was probably too much for Kate. He struggled not to burst out laughing, when suddenly comprehension dawned on her face, which flushed bright pink.
"You rotten, wicked, evil--" His laughter won then, and she started laughing, too. "You're terrible."
"Yeah, but you love it about me," he retorted lightly, only realizing after it was out of his mouth what he had said. God, he did not know why he kept slipping up around her; he had never been so unaware of what he was saying with anyone.
She stopped walking again and turned to him, very seriously. "I do, you know."
He froze. "What?"
She glanced off to the side, the fingers of her free hand toying with her shirt where it was tucked into her trousers. Her eyes slid over to him, shyly, which was a first for Kate. "I love you." It had come of nowhere, and all he could do was stare at her dumbly as she blushed and looked away again. "I know I haven't shown it, and I didn't mean to drop it on you like this. I'm sorry. I've just been so upset about my mother and all--"
"It's okay." She seemed to get more embarrassed with each word, and he could not stand to see that. "You wanna hear something crazy?"
Uncertainly, she said, "What?"
Rubbing the back of his neck, he gave her a half-smile. "I think I love you, too."
"You think?"
Apparently, that had not been the right thing to say.
His hand dropped down, gesturing his confusion. "Well, yeah. I've never been in love before, have I? So, I don't know for sure what it's like. I think this is it. I'm pretty sure, anyway."
"You bastard." With an unfair yank on her horse's lead, she stormed off in a huff.
He sighed before starting after her. "Kate, wait." It was a rookie mistake and he knew better, but he was only trying to be honest. Any other girl, he'd have told her whatever she wanted to hear and sealed the deal; it was different with her, though. It was important. He caught up to her and tried to take her arm, but she shrugged his hand off. "Please. Look, I'm sorry; that didn't come out right."
"Obviously." She would not even look at him, marching forward through the woods.
"Please stop." Hoping she would follow his lead, Allan stood still. Finally, she did, and reluctantly turned to him.
"I really don't want to hear whatever it is you have to say."
She was trying to mask her hurt with anger, but he saw right through it, and both reactions made his heart hurt. This was not what he had expected at all when he left the pottery that day, elated that she had agreed to a picnic with him the next afternoon. Things had seemed so promising, after those kisses they shared; kisses which, despite her innocence, had been some of the best of his life--
That was it. She did not want to listen to him? Fine. He would show her how he felt. Dropping his horse's reins, he strode purposefully over to her, slid his hands along her jaw, and tipped her head back, pouring everything he wanted to say into a kiss.
When it was done, they were both a bit stunned. Her eyes were drowsy as they met his. "Wow," she breathed.
"Yeah. Wow."
Her gaze fell to his smile. "So... um..." She clearly could not think of anything to say, and that was fine.
Running his thumbs over her cheeks, he murmured, "I love you."
One of her eyebrows lifted. "Are you sure about that, or do you just think it?"
He kissed her again.
When he had his breath back, he replied, "I'm sure."
A mischievous smile teased her lips. "Well, in that case, could you tell me about your seventh sibling?"
How the hell had she remembered that now? He could barely remember his own name. With a nod, he focused enough to come up with an answer for her. "Penny's a maidservant to the queen."
Her jaw dropped. "Queen Berengaria? That's wonderful; why is it a secret?"
He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Because she was a tavern wench before that."
"You're joking!"
"Hand to God."
She stared at him. "How'd she arrange that?"
His attention, however, was no longer on his sister. "I could tell you the story. But I'd rather kiss you again, first."
Sliding her hands up his chest, she grinned. "Okay."
It was awhile before she heard the story.
next chapter
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