Heart of Sherwood

by Edale Lane

  Robyn bit her lip anxiously and shot a glance to Marian who nodded in return. Stepping forward, Marian raised up on tiptoe to whisper into the King's ear.

  "Hmmm," he vocalized at first. Then his expression fell flat. "Oh," he uttered, then lifting the timber of his voice added a stretched out, "Ooooooh! I see, well," he stammered. "I am uncertain I can do anything about that for you." Richard made awkward glances at his mother and Sir Robert before turning a tentative gaze back to his goddaughter. "I understand your dilemma, my child," he began in a fatherly tone.

  Marian peered up at him with admiration and an affectionate smile. "I know," she stated. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, then settled back to confirm her revelation. "After all, I am my father's daughter." With that said, all color faded from Richard's face and Robyn thought for just an instant that she saw the mighty Lionheart quiver. Marian's eyes full of love and innocence then danced to her father. "Why did you never tell me?"

  Sir Robert stepped to her uncertainly with tears straining to burst forth. "No wonder the Queen employed you as a spy," he said with an embarrassed shake of his head. "Can anyone hide a thing from you?" Standing shoulder to shoulder with Richard, he took her delicate hands in his and confessed. "I was afraid that the light of my life and joy of my heart would be ashamed of me."

  "Oh, Papa!" Marian threw her arms around him and pressed her cheek to his. After a moment, she kissed that damp cheek as he could no longer hold back the swell of emotion. Standing once more before him, she gazed adoringly into his rugged face. "You are a loving father and a brave, honorable man. In what world could I ever be ashamed of you? I love you, Papa, and my King, both of you." She raised a hand to caress his face and ended up wiping away a tear.

  "Sweet Marian, my pride and joy," he uttered. "You are a vision of grace." Then he stepped back, brushing his hand to hers as he did.

  Color having returned to Richard's face, he stroked his beard and looked at Marian with pensive eyes. "I can think of no scenario in which society or the Church would ever approve. What say you, Robyn?"

  Her reply was steady and sincere. "Honestly Sire, I do not care what anyone thinks nor what society deems proper. But I do care about Marian." Pausing, Robyn cast her gaze to the woman she loved. "As much as it is my heart's desire to remain always at her side, I would not, could not ever do anything that would bring shame to her."

  Marian sighed and took Robyn's hand. She felt the warmth and devotion flow through that simple touch. "Neither do I care about those things, my sweetling."

  "But you do care about your family," Robyn said to her, "and what touches you touches them. I know your heart and I speak true."

  Then Marian turned her face toward Richard and in her gentle and charismatic way captured the King's attention. "The sum of all my life's experience and the education to which I have been made privy, has led me to conclude that love is never wrong," she said thoughtfully.

  "Your Highness, it was no easy thing to bring this petition to you, but our future now rests in your wisdom and power. Is there anything you can do for us?" The sound in Robyn's voice was that of a desperate plea, a longing so deep and compelling, so unabashedly passionate that it visibly moved the King.

  Richard rested a hand on his hip and rubbed the back of his neck with the other, struggling to grant them an answer. "Ah, bugger it all," he sighed. "There are some rules even a king cannot break." Then he looked back to Sir Robert. "Or I would have done so myself."

  "My Liege," he replied with an inclined head. "You are God's anointed to rule England, a heavy burden wrought with responsibilities. We knew that from the start, before you ever took the crown. Nothing outweighs the magnitude of that charge."

  Richard nodded and lowered his head, turning back to the young maidens. "Alas, you have done so much for me and there is nothing I can do for you in this matter."

  It was at that moment that Queen Eleanor stepped forward, her finger raised and an inspired glow on her alabaster countenance. "I think I may have the solution to your dilemma." All eyes turned to her in hopeful anticipation. Then she gave Richard an impatient glower. "Not you, son. Your solemn duty as king is to return to France to Berengaria, your wife and produce an heir… better two or three." Richard's cheeks blushed, and he shuffled his feet, diverting his gaze from her.

  "As I remind him frequently," Robert interjected. "It is indeed a matter of great import," he added to Richard.

  "I know, I will," he replied, raising his palms in surrender. Then he repeated with more earnestness, "I know." Their eyes met once more before Eleanor returned her attention to the eager young pair.

  "Maid Robyn," she addressed with poise, chin held high. "Would you be willing to donate your manor house to the church?"

  "Your Grace," she answered eagerly with a delicate curtsey. "Not only the house, but the lands, the crops, the cattle, the serfs, every last farthing I possess…"

  With an amused smile and clearly holding in a laugh, Eleanor broke in, "That will not be necessary, my dear. The lodge alone shall be sufficient. And Marian, would you be willing to dedicate your life to the Church in service as a lay person, for the upbringing and care of orphans and unfortunates?"

  Her eyes shone wild with excitement. "Why yes, Your Grace, I would love to!"

  Robyn recalled their recent conversation about the possibility of adopting children and as the Queen spoke, hope drove her spirit soaring.

  "As it happens, Prioress Margery Dourant of Wallingwells has been petitioning me to assist in the establishment of an alms or orphan house in Nottinghamshire for some while now. Of course I was unable to do so as every pence and most of my time was dedicated to getting my son home." She paused long enough to beam lovingly at Richard. "Something the two of you were rather instrumental in accomplishing. But I believe this endeavor would satisfy all parties involved. As it is Robyn's estate, and she has proven herself quite capable of management, it is imperative that she stay on and continue to do so. Loxley profits shall be required to pay for the food, clothing, education, and additions that will be necessary to house the waifs. Furthermore, the children will need a caregiver," she continued, shifting her gaze to Marian. "If Marian were to volunteer her considerable talents to that charitable calling, she would have to be in residence as well to be a mother, as it were, to the children. As it is too much for one person to perform alone, I do not see how the institution could be run properly without the both of you. And with your virtuous generosity, giving up your lives of privilege for those of service to God and the Church, none would dare question your respectability."

  Robyn erupted with excitement. "That is bloody brilliant! Uh, I mean, thank you, Your Highness; please tell the Prioress that she has her wish." She and Marian gleamed at each other and clasped hands enthusiastically, both completely giddy.

  Eleanor's smile touched her eyes, but she added a serious note. "I must tell you, though; it will unfortunately be necessary for any mention of Robin Hood to be stricken from the official chronicles along with the roles either of you played in obtaining the ransom. It would indeed be too difficult to explain."

  "Highness," Robyn replied, "it was never about reward or recognition, none of it. I was just trying to make the best of my unfortunate situation and help as many others as I could in the process."

  The king then spoke. "Both of you could marry the most highly placed of nobles, thereby securing your own wealth and influence for a lifetime. Are you sure you want to give that up?"

  Marian shrugged and waved her hand dismissively. "Eh, wealth, power… they don't guarantee happiness."

  Richard shook his head. "Aye, the sum of my life's experiences agrees with you. However, there is no turning back for me; I must simply persevere. Robyn," he addressed her as he took a step closer. "It would have pleased me to dub you a knight."

  "My bow and sword stand ready for your call, My Liege," she replied with a courtier's bow.

  The king let out a hearty laugh and shook his head. "Nay, I ha
ve hundreds of knights, but only one goddaughter. Take good care of her."

  "Aye, Highness," Robyn vowed. "I have dedicated myself to that end with all my heart."

  With a broad smile, Richard concluded by placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "As for you two extraordinary ladies, go, care for orphans and be happy. You have my blessing."

  Robyn turned to Marian who beamed at her so brightly that she literally saw stars while her own soul radiated with gratitude. Permeating as it was, that emotion was no match for the flood of unspeakable joy that swept through her, spilling out until it filled the entire chamber and encompassed all who stood within. With hands joined, the feeling that passed between them was undeniable. In an instant, Robyn's life seemed to flash before her eyes–the good, the bad, those moments you never forget–and this was the most glorious of them all. We will be together!

  *~*~*

  And so it was that Robyn's role was omitted from the written record; however, oral histories persisted, the story being handed down from generation to generation until it became legend, woven into the very fabric of England itself: the tale of Robin Hood who robbed from the rich to give to the poor, outwitted the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, won the love of the fair Maid Marian, and thwarted Prince John's plot to steal his brother's crown.

  But the one thing the bards, minstrels, and poets never knew was that Robin Hood, perhaps the most celebrated of all Englishmen, had in fact been a woman.

  FIN

  Author's Notes

  In Heart of Sherwood I have endeavored to create as historically accurate a telling of the efforts to secure the release of King Richard the Lionheart from his captivity in Germany by Holy Emperor Henry IV while at the same time remaining true to the enduring legend of Robin Hood (with the notable exception of the protagonist's gender). However, conflict often arose between key fixtures in the lore and actual historical fact. In those cases, more often than not, I acquiesced in favor of the treasured tale. Here I will inform the reader of those details of this story which I know are not factually correct but have included anyway, along with events which using author's license I condensed for brevity.

  Let us begin with the most obvious–the very existence of Robin Hood. The first literary reference to Robin Hood dates to 1377 and the various early tales place him in different centuries and hailing from varying locals. The British Museum preserves several antique manuscripts each claiming to chronicle the famous outlaw's life. Most versions agree that Sherwood Forest was his hang-out and he robbed the rich to give to the poor. The latter made him a folk hero whether or not he ever lived. So if there was a Robin Hood, would the character necessarily be a man? Some of the earliest Robin Hood stories describe him as a beardless youth, only 14 or 15 years of age. While he became older and more sophisticated with later accounts, historians often put more trust in the oldest manuscripts. In the Medieval Period being male was a prerequisite to becoming a knight or skilled fighter (a few exceptions such as Joan of Arc not withstanding); however, throughout the ages there have been times when females disguised themselves as males in order to engage in unconventional behavior. We know this was true both in the American Revolution and the Civil War as various women cut their hair and donned men's clothing to fight. So I suppose, since we have no concrete evidence of the existence of a benevolent outlaw known as Robin Hood, the concept that it could have been a woman is no more far-fetched than that of being a man. Besides, in my retelling of the story the circumstance of her femininity constitutes the very reason the name of Robin Hood was omitted from all official records.

  The Sloan Manuscript (anonymous) written towards the end the sixteenth century states that "Robin Hood was born in Locksley in Yorkshire or after other in Nottinghamshire, in ye days of Henry II about ye yeare 1160, but lived tyll ye latter end of Richard Ye Fyrst". He is also referred to as "Robin of Locksley" by Sir Walter Scott in "Ivanhoe," (1819), and has been known by that title ever since. While there is a village of Loxley in Yorkshire, too far away from Sherwood and Nottingham to be my Robyn's home, there was not then, nor has there ever been, an Earl of Loxley (nor Locksley). Anthony Munday depicted the enigmatic outlaw as the Earl of Huntington in his 1589 plays, but I have chosen to forgo historical facts to stay true to the most familiar version of Hood as the Earl of Loxley (or in my case, daughter of the Earl).

  According to lore, Robin Hood's arch-nemesis was the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Historically, this presents a sticky point as the city of Nottingham did not acquire its first sheriff until 1449. However, there was a position High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire that dates back to 1068. In the various tales the Sheriff was simply called by his title or had different names depending upon who told the story. Godfrey Giffard is not the name of any real High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire. During the period 1193-1194 there were two high sheriffs and because that did not fit my narrative and I did not want to disparage one of their reputations, I chose to create a fictional sheriff to fill the role of villain.

  Friar Tuck is a beloved character and central to Robin Hood's gang, therefore I determined to include him. Friars are Catholic clergymen who make vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and live and work among the people as traveling evangelists. Unfortunately, the first friars, which were Franciscans, did not arrive on English shores until the year 1224. Since tossing out the connections with King Richard and Prince John were out of the question, I opted to fudge on accuracy and include the good friar a few decades early.

  Maid Marian was not in the earliest Robin Hood ballads, but first mentioned around 1500. There was a "Marian of the May Games" from French tradition who was a shepherdess with a lover called Robin, and it has been suggested that the two tales merged at some point. From the late 1500s both Robin and Marian began to be portrayed as nobles who had a relationship ranging from friendship to marriage. In an Elizabethan play, Anthony Munday identified Maid Marian with the historical Matilda, daughter of Robert FitzWalter, a real-life supporter of King Richard who was forced to flee England after a failed attempt to assassinate the then King John. This representation of Maid Marian has held for centuries of lore so I chose to keep it.

  I decided upon the identities and personalities of the various merry men after researching dozens of Robin Hood accounts, but focusing on more recent ones. I omitted Will Stutely who appears in two ballads, "Robin Hood and Little John" and "Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutely," primarily because I did not want to confuse the readers with two "Wills". Will Scarlet's death and burial is in keeping with tradition, and tourists can even visit his gravesite at the churchyard of the Church of St. Mary of the Purification, Blidworth in Nottinghamshire. The master archer Gilbert Whitehand only appears in a few literary tales. One version casts him as Will Scarlet's nephew while another portrays him as an older man. I chose the elder Whitehand so that my Robyn would have a teacher.

  One character, Deputy Edward Blanchard, is entirely my creation. I figured, what sheriff doesn't have a deputy? I hope you will enjoy getting to know him as you read.

  Most of the royals and nobles in "Heart of Sherwood" were real people who actually did and said things I have attributed to them. If I could not come upon a physical description, I created one. There are a few exceptions. Sir Guy of Gisborne is a traditional Robin Hood fixture, but there is no evidence he was a real person. Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe is a knight created by Sir Walter Scott and I named dropped him in the battle for Nottingham as a touché to the noteworthy author who also included Robin Hood in Ivanhoe's story.

  I had a most difficult time trying to ascertain actual names of Prince John's loyal supporters; therefore I invented the three barons: Sir Hugh Diggory, Sir Raoul le Clerc, and Sir Lambelin Bondeville. The propagandist, Hugh of Nonant, the Bishop of Coventry, was a real person. And while other clergymen mentioned truly lived in England at the time, the corpulent, licentious Bishop Albrec of Kirkstall is fictional.

  For times' sake, I condensed the action of three days of meetings with Emperor Henry IV down to on
e scene; likewise King Richard actually spent three days dealing with the disloyal barons after the fall of Nottingham Castle. According to some legends, Richard and Robin Hood did not meet in Sherwood Forest until after the battle of Nottingham, but I chose to include an earlier visit to Clipstone Castle than is historically recorded so that Robyn and her gang could be present for the final military climax.

  Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine was indeed the most remarkable woman of her time, and I endeavored to portray her indomitable fortitude and powerful personality in this tale. She did patron Sir William Marshall, probably the greatest knight in English history, and many of her precise words and actions, as well as those of Richard the Lionheart, are incorporated. Eleanor engaged in countless exploits beyond those recounted here and I recommend further reading for anyone whose interest has been piqued.

  Historians are divided over the issue of King Richard's sexuality as there exist conflicting accounts and a lack of personal information. It is likely that he engaged in sex with both men and women at one time or another, as one illegitimate son is attributed to him, but he spent very little time with his wife and never produced an heir. However, there is no doubt as to the preference of Chancellor and Justiciar William Longchamp; it is a well-known historical fact that the court minister was gay, and yet Richard not only kept him in his post, but placed great trust in him. There is no evidence to prove Richard and his supporter Robert FitzWalter were involved in a sexual relationship; there is also no evidence to deny that possibility, and if nothing else, Heart of Sherwood brims with possibilities!

  About the Author

  Edale Lane is the pen name used by Melodie Romeo for her LGBTQ literature to differentiate from her more mainstream stories. Melodie is a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi. She earned a bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master's degree in History from the University of West Florida. Ms Romeo is a retired school teacher who currently travels the country as an over the road truck driver with Prime, Inc. Her first book, Vlad, a Novel, (https://www.facebook.com/VladANovel) an historical thriller, was published in 2002. She has short stories published in anthologies by Seventh Star Press, Charon Coin Press, Alban Lake Press, and Less Than Three Press. She has a son, Peter and daughter, Michele who both serve in the US Army, a daughter-in-law, Jessica and two grandsons, Mark and Asher. Melodie resides in Utica, MS with her longtime partner, Johanna. Some of her works can be found at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00WFFFEA4.