Episode 1x08 “Tattoo? What Tattoo?” Part II
It took a very long time to wait for Locksley to settled down, before she and her father could go be escorted home. And then even longer to wait before she might be allowed to fade into the forest to find out what had happened. This forced patience had worn her very thin, so she felt just as overjoyed as she was confused when Much appeared at the house ranting, making little sense, except that he needed her to talk some sense into Robin.
Laying there, in the crook of the tree, battered and bruised, he reminded her of being the very young, gangly arrogant boy she’d known for such a longer time. Which annoyed her. Because he looked all wounded, the laughter of his deep eyes silenced entirely, speaking about having to kill people, all of it grating on her.
”Everything is a choice. Everything we do.”
Repeating her words, she knew he was talking about Gisborne and his mysterious deed, but suddenly she felt shamefully aware of the area of her finger the ring had covered. Trusting it away she tried to focus on Robin’s story, finding it even more childish than her first assumption that Robin was beating him for the engagement somehow.
Guy was evil. He killed men, raped the land, and left babies to starve in the forest….but to think he’d gone to kill the king was rubbish, wasn’t it?
He was evil, not insane.
And yet the way Robin looked at her she could feel the seed of doubt in the center of her. She called him a liar and told him it was about them, casting aside his excuses. She’d thought it would be a good way to diffuse the whole problem, until he pointed out she hadn’t seem uncomfortable, making her remember the urge to brush Guy’s forehead when he’d seemed so moved.
Words stuck in her throat, but Robin pressed on with his accusations about the King’s assassin.
They talked in whispers, running the two conversations simultaneously, using each as a spring board for the other. Wasn’t that how it always was though? Politics and romance. Well, she knew which one would win out. She’d seen it five years ago. She could see it even now. He was hurt about her, but the other subject-the King, honor, duty, loyalty-was still more important.
But even supposing he might be right-he couldn’t could he? Guy would have to be gone and Guy was never gone. In fact, the only time he’d ever left them in any peace was….
Guy had been sick for a while, years ago now. No one has seen him and they’d all rejoiced for the lenient period not really thinking about it.
And even if she was right, making him right, the crazy look on Robin’s face bothered her even more. It was not the arrogant boy who wanted around the law because it was in his way to get some new trivial pursuit. It was beyond that. It was blatant disregard summoned by the blindness of his self righteousness, proclaiming without the words that he was above the law in this matter.
Because Gisborne, and the Sherriff, were the law. The law which could assassinate a king without a shadow of doubt on them.
She hated feel stirred toward his words. And she hated that long sigh, looking away, as he leaned into the tree like she might have hit him when she said she forbade him to kill Sir Guy. She knew their actions were wrong, but this was still hard to start grasping. Surely, the illness was just that. Surely he’d listen to reason. Surely he’d stop staring at her like every defense of Guy was a proof of her turning heart.
Which lead to more almost yelling, unable to raise their voice from a whisper lest Guy figure she was here with Robin and her situation become more dire. And she was trying to explain about her father, about doing this from the inside, even as her own words sounded hollow and feeble in her ears.
”Everything is a choice.”
This time it was she who winced, feeling as though she’d been hit.
She didn’t give up.
And neither-Marian frowned watching him address the returned men-was he apparently.
Her world exploded from that focused thoughts when Will said Djaq was a woman. Shock, mingled with down right annoyance at Robin over her being the Nightwatchman mingled with sudden terror for a young outlaw girl captured mingled with confusion for the subterfuge of no one telling her.
And then two admissions of love?
This was becoming crazy.
None of them liked her in a costume and no one save Guy was making admissions of love. This day was definitely insane. But thinking about Guy was not, she realizing, looking beyond them as Much was still trying to wade through the admission of flowers and hearts.
She announced the swap plan since it would get Djaq back in the forest and Guy away from Robin’s weapons.
As she wasn’t certain he wouldn’t kill Guy.
Which made her stomach lurch in a whole new way.
While making her secretly grateful John had punched him.
~*~
Thus she was sent as a bait for the trap and trade they would lay.
The dutifully active and worried betrothed of Guy.
The Sherriff didn’t like it, because he had to stop taunting Djaq but she knew he’d come and he’d listen. Even as his every look told her he really didn’t trust or believe her any more-now that Gisborne had cleared her and engaged her-than he ever had before.
He had to because she was presenting her information as any good person. She laid it on thick, making her voice trembled, cracking with worry and concern, eyes to brim.
Trying not to focus on how easily or why it was not hard to be concerned for the position Guy was in.
And not to be suffocated with guilt for Guy’s freedom earned once it had been.
Laying there, in the crook of the tree, battered and bruised, he reminded her of being the very young, gangly arrogant boy she’d known for such a longer time. Which annoyed her. Because he looked all wounded, the laughter of his deep eyes silenced entirely, speaking about having to kill people, all of it grating on her.
”Everything is a choice. Everything we do.”
Repeating her words, she knew he was talking about Gisborne and his mysterious deed, but suddenly she felt shamefully aware of the area of her finger the ring had covered. Trusting it away she tried to focus on Robin’s story, finding it even more childish than her first assumption that Robin was beating him for the engagement somehow.
Guy was evil. He killed men, raped the land, and left babies to starve in the forest….but to think he’d gone to kill the king was rubbish, wasn’t it?
He was evil, not insane.
And yet the way Robin looked at her she could feel the seed of doubt in the center of her. She called him a liar and told him it was about them, casting aside his excuses. She’d thought it would be a good way to diffuse the whole problem, until he pointed out she hadn’t seem uncomfortable, making her remember the urge to brush Guy’s forehead when he’d seemed so moved.
Words stuck in her throat, but Robin pressed on with his accusations about the King’s assassin.
They talked in whispers, running the two conversations simultaneously, using each as a spring board for the other. Wasn’t that how it always was though? Politics and romance. Well, she knew which one would win out. She’d seen it five years ago. She could see it even now. He was hurt about her, but the other subject-the King, honor, duty, loyalty-was still more important.
But even supposing he might be right-he couldn’t could he? Guy would have to be gone and Guy was never gone. In fact, the only time he’d ever left them in any peace was….
Guy had been sick for a while, years ago now. No one has seen him and they’d all rejoiced for the lenient period not really thinking about it.
And even if she was right, making him right, the crazy look on Robin’s face bothered her even more. It was not the arrogant boy who wanted around the law because it was in his way to get some new trivial pursuit. It was beyond that. It was blatant disregard summoned by the blindness of his self righteousness, proclaiming without the words that he was above the law in this matter.
Because Gisborne, and the Sherriff, were the law. The law which could assassinate a king without a shadow of doubt on them.
She hated feel stirred toward his words. And she hated that long sigh, looking away, as he leaned into the tree like she might have hit him when she said she forbade him to kill Sir Guy. She knew their actions were wrong, but this was still hard to start grasping. Surely, the illness was just that. Surely he’d listen to reason. Surely he’d stop staring at her like every defense of Guy was a proof of her turning heart.
Which lead to more almost yelling, unable to raise their voice from a whisper lest Guy figure she was here with Robin and her situation become more dire. And she was trying to explain about her father, about doing this from the inside, even as her own words sounded hollow and feeble in her ears.
”Everything is a choice.”
This time it was she who winced, feeling as though she’d been hit.
She didn’t give up.
And neither-Marian frowned watching him address the returned men-was he apparently.
Her world exploded from that focused thoughts when Will said Djaq was a woman. Shock, mingled with down right annoyance at Robin over her being the Nightwatchman mingled with sudden terror for a young outlaw girl captured mingled with confusion for the subterfuge of no one telling her.
And then two admissions of love?
This was becoming crazy.
None of them liked her in a costume and no one save Guy was making admissions of love. This day was definitely insane. But thinking about Guy was not, she realizing, looking beyond them as Much was still trying to wade through the admission of flowers and hearts.
She announced the swap plan since it would get Djaq back in the forest and Guy away from Robin’s weapons.
As she wasn’t certain he wouldn’t kill Guy.
Which made her stomach lurch in a whole new way.
While making her secretly grateful John had punched him.
~*~
Thus she was sent as a bait for the trap and trade they would lay.
The dutifully active and worried betrothed of Guy.
The Sherriff didn’t like it, because he had to stop taunting Djaq but she knew he’d come and he’d listen. Even as his every look told her he really didn’t trust or believe her any more-now that Gisborne had cleared her and engaged her-than he ever had before.
He had to because she was presenting her information as any good person. She laid it on thick, making her voice trembled, cracking with worry and concern, eyes to brim.
Trying not to focus on how easily or why it was not hard to be concerned for the position Guy was in.
And not to be suffocated with guilt for Guy’s freedom earned once it had been.