Episode 1x11 "Walking Dead Man" [Part 1]
Marian rode into Nottingham for her father's newest medicines and a fruit pie they'd ordered previously on Trading Day. The begging woman at the gate and the holding of peasants in the court yard wasn't new, so she learned years ago not to react to the injustice. It was especially not surprising on the last day of tax collecting. Whatever they wanted to call this--King's Levy, annual duty, ale tax, bread tax, license tax--it was just another reason for poverty and imprisoning.
Seeing John, chained to the tree in the court yard like the common peasants did stump her for a moment, but her expression didn't change. Setting her sights on Gisborne at the stairs into the castle, where she'd find the alchemist, she pointed out that the Sheriff seemed to be arresting everyone.
Marian might have stayed quiet if he'd not pointed out that they were there to remind them to pay their taxes and to be loyal to their betters, but she found she couldn't. Instead she found herself openly challenging the stupidity of the taxes that kept being announced each week. People who had nothing to give were being punished for having nothing.
And only seconds later did she truly regret opening her mouth.
When the Sheriff came down the stairs behind her, starting first at her being charming even as she was in dissent against his proclamations. But she was dismissed from his fascination just as quickly, when he turned to talking about John having taken out a squad of soldiers, and feeling he'd seen him before.
When she was asked, she put if off playing annoyed that he troubled her for it, saying;
"Outlaws all look the same to me."
The Sheriff ranted onward, about being wrong and simply being a brute, while her eyes met John's and then she looked away. They both knew nothing could be done at this moment. And yet she so longed to be able to walk over and simply free him. Instead she looked at the ground while the Sheriff ranted at her side, chastising John as though he were simply a dog.
When no one gave him any reaction he walked through them talking about the coming entertainment; A Festival of Pain.
The Sheriff having left them she tagged along after Guy, hoping she might wrangle some sense out of her fiancé and the situation. How could they do this? How could he approve? A day where mutilation, torture, and the scourge were only the first things any man or woman or child might have to face. Guy tried to quiet her, but again the same thing came in between them.
"Delicious, is it not, hmm? There is an air of poetry about; the poetry of pain." The Sheriff laughed, poking Guy's chest, and walking into their discussion once more. "Our peasant's advocate seems rather upset with me, Gisborne. Shh!"
He raised a hand, to stop any comment anywhere.
"Drip, drip, drip." He said walking closer to her.
"I can hear her heart bleed from here."
Then the Sheriff reached out and grabbed her chin, moving her eyes from where they were focused on Gisborne shoulder, to force her to look at his face.
"Fear humbles even the most rebellious spirit, my dear. Robin Hood himself will come to fear me one day, in time. Don't doubt it."
He smacked her nose with a finger as thought she was a child, and walked away until Gisborne spoke up to remind him of the King's Duty they would be moving, while Marian strove to not react or respond outwardly. Not even let her cheeks burn with the insults or dismissal.
Lucky, their opinions of her advocacy didn’t' extend to her astuteness, and they went on talking about the plan to move all the money. Which would be while the Sheriff was busy at his Festival....
...but Gisborne would not. Guy would take as much of the garrison as he needed and accompany it to the crossroads before it headed to London. Even as she strove to memorize every detail falling from Gisborne's mouth about the tax money, so that she could tell Robin and the Men, she couldn't help also noticing that he was trying to tell the Sheriff his plan for safe keeping.
A intricate plan which was rejected from mattering as much as her own thoughts and opinions had been.
Dismissed by both of them, she went to questioning some of the caste guards on just how many peasants had been brought in and then tried to sneak into see John but to no avail as the dungeon guard denied her even the flighty need to 'see the barbarian brute' that tomorrow's festivities would be showing off. Not to be put off Marian decided she'd have to stay the night in the castle, even under the guise of staying for the festival if she was going to be able to help John.
But surprisingly the door to the antechamber of the Sheriff's office did not open upon a desk and a megalomanic man but instead on a familiar looking pangalatic bar.
Seeing John, chained to the tree in the court yard like the common peasants did stump her for a moment, but her expression didn't change. Setting her sights on Gisborne at the stairs into the castle, where she'd find the alchemist, she pointed out that the Sheriff seemed to be arresting everyone.
Marian might have stayed quiet if he'd not pointed out that they were there to remind them to pay their taxes and to be loyal to their betters, but she found she couldn't. Instead she found herself openly challenging the stupidity of the taxes that kept being announced each week. People who had nothing to give were being punished for having nothing.
And only seconds later did she truly regret opening her mouth.
When the Sheriff came down the stairs behind her, starting first at her being charming even as she was in dissent against his proclamations. But she was dismissed from his fascination just as quickly, when he turned to talking about John having taken out a squad of soldiers, and feeling he'd seen him before.
When she was asked, she put if off playing annoyed that he troubled her for it, saying;
"Outlaws all look the same to me."
The Sheriff ranted onward, about being wrong and simply being a brute, while her eyes met John's and then she looked away. They both knew nothing could be done at this moment. And yet she so longed to be able to walk over and simply free him. Instead she looked at the ground while the Sheriff ranted at her side, chastising John as though he were simply a dog.
When no one gave him any reaction he walked through them talking about the coming entertainment; A Festival of Pain.
The Sheriff having left them she tagged along after Guy, hoping she might wrangle some sense out of her fiancé and the situation. How could they do this? How could he approve? A day where mutilation, torture, and the scourge were only the first things any man or woman or child might have to face. Guy tried to quiet her, but again the same thing came in between them.
"Delicious, is it not, hmm? There is an air of poetry about; the poetry of pain." The Sheriff laughed, poking Guy's chest, and walking into their discussion once more. "Our peasant's advocate seems rather upset with me, Gisborne. Shh!"
He raised a hand, to stop any comment anywhere.
"Drip, drip, drip." He said walking closer to her.
"I can hear her heart bleed from here."
Then the Sheriff reached out and grabbed her chin, moving her eyes from where they were focused on Gisborne shoulder, to force her to look at his face.
"Fear humbles even the most rebellious spirit, my dear. Robin Hood himself will come to fear me one day, in time. Don't doubt it."
He smacked her nose with a finger as thought she was a child, and walked away until Gisborne spoke up to remind him of the King's Duty they would be moving, while Marian strove to not react or respond outwardly. Not even let her cheeks burn with the insults or dismissal.
Lucky, their opinions of her advocacy didn’t' extend to her astuteness, and they went on talking about the plan to move all the money. Which would be while the Sheriff was busy at his Festival....
...but Gisborne would not. Guy would take as much of the garrison as he needed and accompany it to the crossroads before it headed to London. Even as she strove to memorize every detail falling from Gisborne's mouth about the tax money, so that she could tell Robin and the Men, she couldn't help also noticing that he was trying to tell the Sheriff his plan for safe keeping.
A intricate plan which was rejected from mattering as much as her own thoughts and opinions had been.
Dismissed by both of them, she went to questioning some of the caste guards on just how many peasants had been brought in and then tried to sneak into see John but to no avail as the dungeon guard denied her even the flighty need to 'see the barbarian brute' that tomorrow's festivities would be showing off. Not to be put off Marian decided she'd have to stay the night in the castle, even under the guise of staying for the festival if she was going to be able to help John.
But surprisingly the door to the antechamber of the Sheriff's office did not open upon a desk and a megalomanic man but instead on a familiar looking pangalatic bar.