The people there surged forward, the fear on their faces changing to a look of concern and wonder. Marian was radiant, her skin practically glowing in the early morning light. She surrendered the reins to a young man who used to be a stable boy. He led the animals away, and the others leading horses followed after him. With a surge of relief Tuck recognized Marian’s servant girl Chastity as one of them. He said a prayer of thanksgiving.
Marian smiled. “We have much to discuss,” she said, “but first we must tend to these children. They are the noble children, held captive by the enemy to manipulate their families. Chastity has found them and set them free.”
Cheers went up around the clearing. Tears stung Friar Tuck’s eyes as peasants raced forward and laid hold of the tiny newcomers who clung to them as if they were their own parents. Then he shook his head slowly. Some of the children’s parents were dead, victims of the pox and John’s immeasurable cruelty. Many of the men and women who embraced them had lost children themselves to the same evil.
Here, perhaps, a measure of healing could begin.
He turned back to Marian, his emotions working powerfully. He had so many questions, so many thoughts to share. She smiled at him wanly, and he suddenly noticed that she had gone terribly pale.
Before he could say a word, she collapsed in front of him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Sheriff stood on the rise as the sun came up. Most days he hated the cursed thing, preferring the darkness. That was his domain, and he relished it.
This morning, though, he permitted himself a small smile as the sun glistened off the masts of a dozen ships sailing into the harbor. Henry had arrived with his army—an army of humans that should have no trouble entering Sherwood and burning it to the ground. And then, well, then he would convert them—turn them into his kind of soldiers—and with them he would swarm across Europe, swiftly spreading his kingdom far and wide.
The flagship held Henry, pretender to the throne. It took all of the Sheriff’s self-control to keep from burning it with the little royal aboard. Yet it would be far easier to control the men if they knew Henry was working with him. Eventually, however, the prince would lose his value, and he could be cast aside at leisure.
This time maybe he’d even take his time and enjoy it. Glynna would like that. He smiled as he thought about how creative she could be when she wanted to inflict pain. She kept surprising him.
As the first ship made dock he strode down the hill. It was time to greet the prince, welcome him to Nottingham, and make sure he was very clear on who was actually in charge.
* * *
Despite her own exhaustion Chastity was quick to hurry back to Marian’s side as soon as she saw her lady collapse. Terror flooded her as she wondered if somehow her lady had sustained an injury while at the hands of the soldiers.
By the time she reached her, however, Marian was already awake and getting to her feet with the help of Alan and Friar Tuck.
“It’s fine,” Marian insisted, smiling. “I haven’t eaten in a while, nor slept. I’m just a bit worn out from all the activity last night.” Her face was pale, though—too pale, and it worried Chastity. She bit her lip and didn’t say anything in front of the others. She helped Marian to the tent where she could rest undisturbed and then went to get some food to take to her.
When Jansa saw her, she threw her arms around Chastity and the two women wept for a moment over all that had been lost and their relief at seeing each other again. Then Chastity made her way back to Marian and urged her lady to eat. Marian picked at the food, eating a little, but leaving most.
“You should eat, too,” she urged. “You’re going to collapse soon yourself.”
“I’ll get something later,” she said, even though her stomach growled embarrassingly. Marian closed a hand over hers.
“I’ll only eat if you do.”
With a frown Chastity sat down next to her and pulled a hunk of meat off the plate. She bit into it, and the flavor seemed to explode in her mouth. It overwhelmed her, she went dizzy, and tears stung her eyes.
“See, isn’t that better?” Marian asked gently.
Chastity looked at her. “There’s something different about you.”
“I have a feeling there’s much that is different about both of us,” Marian said, her smile slipping slightly. “I am so terribly sorry for what happened to you, and to Will.”
Chastity’s chest tightened at the thought of him.
“Thank you,” she said, pushing down the grief. She ate some more of the meat. Now that she was sitting, and the immediate danger was past, the exhaustion began catching up to her. Her arm felt like it was a tree branch as she struggled to lift it in order to keep eating.
“So, what is different for you?” she asked Marian, wanting to hear about her lady’s adventures rather than dwell on her own misfortunes.
“Let’s see,” Marian began. “The fey pledged to battle for us, when the time comes.”
“What?”
Marian nodded with a smile. “Last night, they took me to a secret meeting. I had to justify... everything and convince them to help. That’s where I was when they warned me that you needed help.”
“Remind me to thank them for that.”
Marian nodded again. “I haven’t had the chance to tell Friar Tuck or Alan about any of that yet.”
“I imagine it will keep a couple of hours until you’ve eaten and rested.”
“I imagine you’re right, though they will be relieved to hear it.”
Chastity frowned.
“What is it?”
“I thought when you came to rescue us that you were Robin, and just now you didn’t mention needing to tell him. Has something happened to him?” she asked, praying that it hadn’t.
Marian hesitated. “Robin is... away.”
“Away? Where?”
Marian gave her a wan smile. “Sir Lawrence came here and gave us the news that King Richard and his men had been captured by a barbarian king who was in league with John.”
Chastity gaped at the news.
“Surely he hasn’t killed the king?”
“Not to the best of our knowledge. Sir Lawrence escaped to tell us what had happened. He went back with a couple of others to try and free Richard.”
“Robin’s leading them, isn’t he?”
Marian nodded and Chastity’s heart broke for her friend. She grabbed her hand.
“I’m sure Robin will be safe and he will return with the king.”
“I hope so. I pray so,” Marian said, her voice gentle.
“He will, you’ll see.” Chastity began eating again. “So, clearly quite a lot has happened. Anything else I should know about?”
“Just one thing, I guess,” Marian said, her cheeks suddenly turning bright red.
“What?” Chastity asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“Before he left, Friar Tuck married Robin and me.”
Chastity almost spat out her food in shock.
“You... you’re married?”
“Yes.”
“You married Robin?”
“Yes, I did.”
Chastity dropped the plate and threw her arms around her closest friend. “Princess, that’s the best news I’ve ever heard!” she cried.
“Thank you,” Marian said, hugging her back. “I thought you’d approve.”
“Approve? Yes, yes, and yes!” Chastity pulled away, her heart overflowing. “How did he ask you?”
“I asked him,” Marian said with a smirk. “Well, more like told him.”
Chastity laughed at that. Somehow it didn’t surprise her.
Marian began to laugh as well.
“He was so surprised!” Marian said.
Chastity laughed harder.
“I’m not sure he knew what was happening!”
They both convulsed with laughter now, wild and uncontrolled. It felt so good. They hadn’t laughed together so hard since they were children.
“I bet the look o
n his face was priceless,” Chastity said.
“You should have seen him! I told him I was having him, whether we were married or not.”
“You didn’t!”
“I did! He just sputtered.”
“Scandalous!” Chastity’s sides hurt so badly she clutched at them, bruised and sore as they were, and she bent over gasping for breath. “So much for refined and ladylike,” she said when she could.
“Well, you know, sometimes men just don’t know how to say what they want.”
“It’s a good thing you don’t have that problem.”
“No, I don’t.” Marian beamed as though she was lit up from the inside.
“Was it... everything you had hoped for?” The words came tumbling out of her. She flushed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.”
Marian put a hand on her arm. “It was more than I’d hoped for,” she said.
Chastity nodded, for a single moment feeling as if she was living vicariously through her friend.
“It’s not anything like I ever imagined my wedding night, though,” Marian continued. “We were alone in the forest when Friar Tuck married us. Then, he left, and we were alone with just the trees and the woodland creatures. Robin was so shy at first, so reserved—worried, I think.”
“Yes?”
Marian nodded. “Then I literally ripped his shirt off him, and that put an end to that.”
They both dissolved into laughter again.
* * *
“Welcome,” Glynna said from her seat in what had been Richard’s study. The top of her gown lay around her waist, one breast covered by her suckling offspring, the other bare without shame. “My lord shall be with you momentarily.”
King Henry kept his eyes on her, staring unabashedly. His entourage moved behind him. The bodyguards kept themselves alert but the rest of his retinue were unaccustomed to such an open display and as such chattered furiously. Henry snapped his fingers, the harsh noise silencing his staff.
He smiled. “Forgive them. They are not used to such… openness.”
“Even in France? I thought every woman there was a whore.”
“No, that would be the men.”
“Ah.” She shifted the child to the other breast, leaving the first exposed and gleaming.
“And what is your name, you exquisite creature?”
“That is quite the inquiry.” Glynna tilted her head. “I was Lady Longstride, but she is no more. Hmmmm, perhaps I am Lady Nottingham.” She shook her head, thick honey tresses shaking like liquid gold, a few thick strands stuck to her wet breast, splaying around it like spider web.
“You do not know your own name?”
“A name tells the nature, and my nature has changed so much since I was named.”
“I do not know what that means.”
“It means she has become a queen of ancient and has no name that fits as such.” The voice of the Sheriff came from the shadows. All of the shadows. He appeared, stepping into the room seemingly from nowhere.
“And who might you be?” Henry asked, hand upon the hilt of his sword.
“Don’t do that,” the Sheriff snapped.
Henry moved his hand from his sword.
“Don’t make him angry,” Glynna pouted.
“I was called here by Prince John,” Henry said. “Why am I being subjected to this… interrogation?”
“You were called by me,” the Sheriff said.
“Who are you?”
“I am the Sheriff of Nottingham, and I am here to reward you for your service, Henry.”
“I am a king. A sheriff can offer me nothing.”
“I warned you,” Glynna said, putting the child on her shoulder to burp. The Sheriff did not raise his voice, did not yell nor scream, he simply spoke in a low, even tone.
“Leave us.”
One by one all of Henry’s retinue froze, turned, and marched out of the door, the last one pulling it closed behind them.
Henry crossed himself.
“Do not do that again,” the Sheriff said, “or I will turn you into Henry the Cripple.”
“I see the sword on your side, but harming me will be no easy task.”
The Sheriff smiled. “Challenge accepted.” Then he was in front of Henry, even though the man had not seen him move. Henry’s mouth opened to speak, and the Sheriff rammed his hand into it.
Fire.
Pain.
He was stretched, so stretched, the muscles across his chest failing, until he hung only by tendons. Fire burned, banked deep in muscle fiber.
He uttered an incoherent gurgle, but remained immobile.
The manacles on his wrists and ankles were so imbedded into his skin that it felt as if they were a part of him. But mostly it was the fire. It gnawed at his flesh, taking him all the way to bone and marrow.
Relentless, cruel fire.
He could not scream.
Could not pass out.
Only suffer.
Henry came back with a jerk, feeling his face held in the hand of the Sheriff. The dark man pulled it so close to his own that Henry thought they were about to kiss. The breath that issued forth was sickly-sweet, the breath of a carrion eater.
“You are mine, at any moment I choose to have you.”
And Henry knew it was true.
* * *
It was nighttime when Chastity awoke. She must have slept through the day. Marian was gone, and the camp was quiet around her. She picked up a piece of meat left on the plate and chewed on it as she got up. Every muscle ached, but she reminded herself that it meant she was alive.
Outside the night was quiet and crisp. The moon was high in the sky. All around there were people sleeping, some huddled inside tents, others on blankets in little clusters. She walked carefully through them. Just the act of walking a short distance caused her to be short of breath. She looked for the children and found a few clustered together, but the rest seemed to be spread throughout the camp.
It was at the edge of the woods that she finally found Marian. Her lady was sitting on a log speaking with Friar Tuck and Alan. She stopped when Chastity came up to them.
“What is it?” she asked, wrapping her arms around her.
“I’m telling them about my trip into the woods last night, and the pledge of the fey,” Marian said. She took a deep breath. “I’m afraid the time we will need them might be coming sooner than we expected.”
A chill danced up Chastity’s spine. “Why?”
“We’ve had word that Henry has arrived with his army.”
“Is he here to battle the Sheriff?” Chastity asked, hoping for just a moment.
Marian shook her head. “No, we believe he is here to join their forces. This will more than double the size of the army the Sheriff has at his disposal.”
“Maybe someone can get to Henry,” Chastity suggested. “Explain to him what’s really happening here.”
“I don’t think that will work,” Friar Tuck said. “The Sheriff isn’t exactly trying to hide what he is anymore. I think if Henry didn’t know yesterday who he was dealing with, then he knows today. And a friend saw them breaking bread together in the castle.”
“A friend,” Chastity said, blinking. “I thought those loyal to us came with Jansa?”
“There are one or two who stayed behind. They couldn’t get out when everyone else did. It might be lucky for us that they couldn’t,” Tuck said. Alan nodded agreement.
Instantly Chastity started thinking of all the servants in the castle, wondering who was loyal enough to the king and the lady Marian, that they would still spy for them. She didn’t know, and that scared her. She just hoped this spy really was loyal to the king, and that no harm would befall them as it had so many others.
After the death of Will, treachery was first on the list of things she expected from others.
“We also have an answer to something else that has been troubling us,” Friar Tuck said, his voice heavy.
“What?”
&nb
sp; “When John was killed, it did not break the spell binding all those who had signed their names in blood,” he answered. “They are still walking around as men in a trance.”
“Which means that even if we could get word to them that their children have been rescued, we can expect no help from them,” Marian said. “I’m not even sure they would comprehend what we were talking about.”
Chastity heaved a sigh. “Three of the children died in that tower.”
Marian nodded. “Bartholomew told me that another one named Rory was left behind when they were moved there. We should assume that he’s dead, as well.”
“So, we saved the children, but that’s all we managed to do,” Chastity muttered.
“Don’t belittle that,” Marian said while the two men nodded. “It is still a great thing.”
“We could contact their mothers, their other relatives,” Chastity said. “See if any of them would be willing to fight.”
“Friar Tuck is going to see what it would take to accomplish that... how many of them are even still alive, after the pox and everything else that has occurred.”
“Surely there will be a few of them still alive and willing to do something—particularly if they know their children are alive.”
“The Sheriff’s men didn’t take all the children. One from each family,” Marian said. “We can verify that in the morning when we talk to the ones you brought here. So the families might still have something to lose.”
Chastity folded her arms across her chest. “At least we have a bargaining chip we didn’t have before.”
“Yes,” Marian agreed, rubbing her temples. “I’m just trying to figure out the best way to use it.”
“There’s more bothering you than that,” Chastity said. “You said we might have to fight sooner than anticipated.”
Friar Tuck cleared his throat.
“The soldiers under Henry’s command are human. Unlike the Sheriff and his demons, they are not spellbound, nor any type of magical construct. They could enter this forest.”
“They could find us,” Chastity realized.
Marian nodded.
Alan made a quick series of gestures that Chastity didn’t quite follow.
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