Denial II, Chapter 5: Last Dance With Marian
Title: Denial II, Chapter 5: Last Dance With Marian
Author: darkentwisted
Characters/Pairings: Guy, Marian, Vaizey
Rating:PG-13
Genre: angst
Words: 921
Disclaimer: BBC & TA own; we just want to play in their universe
Notes: Beta'd by teamlavender. Set at the end of AU 2x13. Introduction and chapter links for DII are here...
Summary: Homage to a classic rock song. Gisborne agonizes over past mistakes.
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Chapter 5: Last Dance With Marian
She was still as the day he laid her to rest. Her skin like cool marble, translucent and pale. He brushed the back of his hand across her icy cheek. The nuns had done their job well. There was almost no trace of the horrible injury to her head that he had inflicted in rage. It had been carefully cleaned and the wound sutured so neatly it disappeared into her lush brown hair.
She smelled of honeysuckle and other exotic herbs and spices the natives of this inhospitable land used to make their miserable existence more bearable. The dress was just as he remembered it, the intricate gold-embroidered silk cost a small fortune alone. She had destroyed the first one but he had this one made just in case she woke up and saw he was the only choice. Now she never would.
The old abbess eyed Gisborne like she was staring at Lucifer himself. He could feel her eyes on him. "Leave us," he growled.
"It would not be proper--"
"I said leave us!" Guy barked, making the shriveled woman jump. She nodded and turned, crossing herself as she did.
The nun halted at the doorway without looking back. "God is watching, my son. He is always watching."
"God is dead," Guy said.
His fingers entwined with hers. He could almost feel her cold hand warming to his touch. He sobbed hard. "Why? Why couldn't you just get out of the way?" He buried his head into her shoulder as he lifted her limp body up to his. "We could have had it all, love, money, power...then you had to leave me for him." He looked into her still face. "But he won't have you now, no one can."
He imagined their wedding waltz and lifted her off the slab without even realizing. Her head lay heavy on his shoulder as her toes scraped against the rough floor. He hummed a soft melody as they moved, the swishing of her gown like a soft whisper. He imagined the grateful peasants around them laughing and applauding as Hood's corpse swung on the distant castle wall in Nottingham.
"Oh you don't have to be so shy my darling." He smiled as he hoisted her lolling head back on his shoulder. "They love you. You are their new ruler's wife." Her head rolled again and he stopped. "Oh you must be tired. We'll rest." He sat her back down and the slab became their wedding banquet. He carefully lifted the gold chalice with the scarlet liquid and held it to her still lips. "A drink to our love." He frowned as it dribbled down her chin and stained the expensive silk. "We mustn't waste good wine must we?" He kissed her lips and withdrew in terror. The walls were cold stone again. Marian lay in his arms, still and pale in her white robe, her mouth slightly parted. He recoiled in disgust. "You were never mine, you never will be, still you poison my soul. Well no more."
He waited till the calm of night covered his task. Marian lay heavy in his arms, a dead weight he so wanted to be rid of. The salt air stung his skin as he made his way, tripping in the sand and recovering. The warm water swirled around them as he let her go and watched her fall away. "Goodbye my love."
Her skin glowed in the moonlight, translucent as glass, smooth as marble. Her eyes opened blue as the sea that surrounded her. Her mouth opened silently as the last bubble of breath left her lips.
He woke up furiously grabbing at the covers on his bed. Breath fouler than the grave alerted him to who was in the room and over him. "Wakey, wakey, Gizzy Gizzy."
Gisborne rose up and regretted it instantly. His head swam with dull pain and his hand gingerly swept across the crusted bandage covering the wound Robin had delivered to him. It hurt to focus, but he tried to look anywhere except into the evil little man's eyes. "Marian..."
"It's been taken care of," Vaizey said as he rolled his eyes and examined his dirty nails. "As usual Gisborne, I have cleaned up your mess. Now get up. We have a boat to catch and I have a lot of explaining to do to Prince John. Heads will roll over this one, Gisborne, and I'm hoping it will be yours."
"Why me? You orchestrated this whole thing," Guy growled.
"That blow to the head has messed with your mind worse than I thought Gisborne." Vaizey turned at the door. "You had the kill shot, but because of your little toys, you missed. Now get ready, we both have to pay the devil!"
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Abbess Beatrix entered the chamber. Marian's body lay on the slab. She ran her hand across the maiden's pale cheek as she stirred. "Still alive but only just." She held the small bottle to the young girl's lips and let the bitter herbs do their work. Marian sighed and was still once more. The old lady palmed the small leather bag she had received as payment to keep her secret. She'd sold her soul to the devil but the poor would eat for her lies. Her God would understand. "It's better this way, my child. You do not want to be awake for what lies ahead of you." She covered the unconscious girl with the tattered blanket and prayed over what must be done next.
To be continued...