G/M - One more lie - Chapter 12
No excuse this time. Work, real life and health can't make me update this more often. I hope you are still there. One more tomorrow. I already have it beta-ed by the wonderful amandajane17 so just copy and paste. Please, let me know what you think.
Allan was trying to get some sleep but tired as he was, he couldn't close his eyes. Sarah was always on his mind. He laughed athimself. Women could make fools out of the cleverest men.
His heart told him that Sir Guy was finally about to get his Lady Gisborne. He observed Marian's outfit as he tried to help her stand up after the fall; and every bit of it screamed "I love you, Guy" .
He was sure that Guy hadn't noticed anything, he could be so dumb sometimes; but Marian could find ways of making her point very clearly.. Then he remembered the brown bag she was carrying and wondered if she might have any wine in it. She had come to visit Guy after all, a deserving man with exquisite tastes.
His conscience pricked him a little at going through a lady's property...Then again he was an outlaw, right? This was something that might be expected of him. He found nothing to drink; but there was something far more important to Guy; the chest!
The naughty girl had had it all the time and not told Guy a thing about it.
He opened the lid and searched through the contents; but he found nothing that he'd have thought could destroy the king.
" Just a load of old rubbish,” he said to himself. “ Love letters and memories from the two love-birds but no sign of this mysterious, dangerous document." He even searching in the horse's bag but there was nothing there either.
"Well, Marian... I reckon you and I need to have a chat before you leave for the castle." he thought as he stood up and looked at the sky.
It was dawn and he must go and relieve Guy. He would offer his services as an escort to Marian. It would be the perfect opportunity to talk to her alone.
He now knew that she'd had the chest all this time, that she was lying once more... This would hurt Guy more than ever; Allan was not sure that his friend could face another deception from her.
***********
Marian woke up in the tight embrace of her leather clad man. He was sound asleep and his face was so peaceful . She traced the line of his jaw and stopped at the mark she'd once made with her wedding ring.
"If you are planning on hitting me again; please do it on the other side so I can have matching scars," Guy was awake and chuckling in that deep husky way of his.
"Then, you'll have to give me a matching scar for my belly." she replied jokingly; but then his expression changed.
"I'm so sorry about that, Marian... I didn' t know that you were the Nightwatchman.." he was struggling to find the words.
"I'm teasing you Guy... I know you'd never hurt me willingly " she admitted leaving a soft kiss on his scar.
"But I almost..." Guy began.
"Even when you you were so angry in Acre you couldn't do it," she said to his great surprise. " I was saying such horrible things to you. I saw that look in your eyes rage,madness and despair all at once; but stil you spared me. Your desire to protect me was greater even than the hatred and rage you were feeling at that moment."
"You knew what I was feeling?" Guy asked in amazement.
"You've always been so easy to read," Marian smiled. " Not right now though; I don't know what you are thinking now, " she frowned. Guy made to stand up;
" Right now I'm thinking that you ought to be returning to the castle before you're missed. "
"You still want to get rid of me? Then I might be losing my charm..." Marian flirted.
"Ahh well; you believed that kissing and hugging poor old Guy would do the trick and make me change my mind about your staying in the forest " he teased her.
" Hey you !" she thumped his broad shoulder. "I enjoyed the kissing and hugging... and you did too; admit it."
She gave him a reassuring smile; " but actually yes, that was pretty much my plan all along," she admitted while she fastened her belt.
Guy found himself noticing her outfit for the very first time; " what on earth are you wearing ? " he asked her.
" You expected me to go naked under the cloak? " Marian said. "This is a shirt as you well know, " she had the grace to blush, knowing exactly what he meant.
"I know that much, " Guy said scathingly; "and more than that; I know that it's my shirt."
Marian tried to appear nonchalant. " Alright I admit to stealing it from your room at the castle; go and report me to the sherrif if you wish. "
" I'm serious Marian," Guy said gravely; " why would you want to wear something of mine ? "
Marian looked him in the eye; " I'm getting ready to be Lady Gisborne," she said simply.
Any reply from Guy was lost when Allan appeared out of nowhere.
"So are we ready for breakfast?" he greeted them cheerfully . " I've brough bread, wine and..."
" Apples ? " Guy guessed wearily.
" Oh; now how did you know that ? " Alan jested.
"At this moment; If the King were ever to grant me a wish for some service I rendered him; I'd ask him to get rid of every acursed apple tree in the whole of England."
Guy said with feeling as he set a place for Marian to have breakfast. " Milady..."
" I can see you two have had a very good night, " Allan observed with a cheeky grin.
"It was beautiful " Marian said. "But then morning came..."
"You should hurry and leave here soon before the sun is too high," Guy advised her. " It wouldn't do for you to be seen coming out of the forest this early; and with no good explanation."
"Yes, I know, " Marian snapped. " I don't feel hungry any more. So I'll just get my things together and be off. I can take care of myself; I won;t need an escort " she said, as they both made to stand up; bemused by her sudden change of humour.
"What did I say now?" Guy mouthed to Allan.
******************************
Marian was beside her horse, packing up her things. Guy took hold her of her hand that was resting on the animal's back. Her knees could hardly support her anymore and she felt like crying.
"Marian" he whispered next to her ear.
"I'd better get going." she tried to keep herself busy with the packing but it didn't help.
"My Leather Clad Knight is very uneasy this morning," she said.
" Marian, what was all that about being ready to become Lady Gisborne?" he asked her, his voice trembling.
"Nothing. It was just nonsense. Forget it" she hissed at him.
"I can't forget something like that," Guy said softly. " I've dreamed of you being my lady since the first time we met. God knows I tried to make you see how I felt about you but... " he paused for breath. "Marian you jilted me at the altar. You were clearly not so keen to be my wife then; even when your life was endangered; and just a few months ago you said you'd rather be dead than wedded to me..."
She turned around to face him and took his hand in hers. She Looked at his nails, they were full of dirt.
She tried to find the words to tell him what she needed him to know but failed.
So she went back to her horse and prepared to mount.
"Marian?" he was still looking for an answer.
"Maybe I've changed my mind" she just said as she bent down to kiss hisforehead. A lingering kiss o no passion but absolute tenderness. "Take care, Guy, please."
"Ready to go?" Allan asked, breaking the spell between the two of them.
"I said I don't need an escort" Marian repeated.
"And I was listening but... You know what ? Giz's my boss. He pays my wages. He says you need a escort... and I gotta make a living, Maz."
"He's not your boss and he has no money" she answered slyly.
"Ok. I see your point, but I'm going with you anyway, " Allan said " Let's just say I care about you. "
Marian started riding without looking back. She was angry, Allan could sense that; but with Guy not him.
"Could we please hurry ?" she said testily . "I don't have all day."
"Now she's keen to get back. Can you believe that?" Allan said looking at Guy.
"Don't let her out of your sight and make sure that Winchester is not around before you leave." Guy told him firmly.
"Oh, I'll make sure Sarah sees to her." Allan smiled and winked.
"I'm sure you will" Guy winked back. "Good luck with Sarah."
*******************************
Allan was trying to get some sleep but tired as he was, he couldn't close his eyes. Sarah was always on his mind. He laughed athimself. Women could make fools out of the cleverest men.
His heart told him that Sir Guy was finally about to get his Lady Gisborne. He observed Marian's outfit as he tried to help her stand up after the fall; and every bit of it screamed "I love you, Guy" .
He was sure that Guy hadn't noticed anything, he could be so dumb sometimes; but Marian could find ways of making her point very clearly.. Then he remembered the brown bag she was carrying and wondered if she might have any wine in it. She had come to visit Guy after all, a deserving man with exquisite tastes.
His conscience pricked him a little at going through a lady's property...Then again he was an outlaw, right? This was something that might be expected of him. He found nothing to drink; but there was something far more important to Guy; the chest!
The naughty girl had had it all the time and not told Guy a thing about it.
He opened the lid and searched through the contents; but he found nothing that he'd have thought could destroy the king.
" Just a load of old rubbish,” he said to himself. “ Love letters and memories from the two love-birds but no sign of this mysterious, dangerous document." He even searching in the horse's bag but there was nothing there either.
"Well, Marian... I reckon you and I need to have a chat before you leave for the castle." he thought as he stood up and looked at the sky.
It was dawn and he must go and relieve Guy. He would offer his services as an escort to Marian. It would be the perfect opportunity to talk to her alone.
He now knew that she'd had the chest all this time, that she was lying once more... This would hurt Guy more than ever; Allan was not sure that his friend could face another deception from her.
***********
Marian woke up in the tight embrace of her leather clad man. He was sound asleep and his face was so peaceful . She traced the line of his jaw and stopped at the mark she'd once made with her wedding ring.
"If you are planning on hitting me again; please do it on the other side so I can have matching scars," Guy was awake and chuckling in that deep husky way of his.
"Then, you'll have to give me a matching scar for my belly." she replied jokingly; but then his expression changed.
"I'm so sorry about that, Marian... I didn' t know that you were the Nightwatchman.." he was struggling to find the words.
"I'm teasing you Guy... I know you'd never hurt me willingly " she admitted leaving a soft kiss on his scar.
"But I almost..." Guy began.
"Even when you you were so angry in Acre you couldn't do it," she said to his great surprise. " I was saying such horrible things to you. I saw that look in your eyes rage,madness and despair all at once; but stil you spared me. Your desire to protect me was greater even than the hatred and rage you were feeling at that moment."
"You knew what I was feeling?" Guy asked in amazement.
"You've always been so easy to read," Marian smiled. " Not right now though; I don't know what you are thinking now, " she frowned. Guy made to stand up;
" Right now I'm thinking that you ought to be returning to the castle before you're missed. "
"You still want to get rid of me? Then I might be losing my charm..." Marian flirted.
"Ahh well; you believed that kissing and hugging poor old Guy would do the trick and make me change my mind about your staying in the forest " he teased her.
" Hey you !" she thumped his broad shoulder. "I enjoyed the kissing and hugging... and you did too; admit it."
She gave him a reassuring smile; " but actually yes, that was pretty much my plan all along," she admitted while she fastened her belt.
Guy found himself noticing her outfit for the very first time; " what on earth are you wearing ? " he asked her.
" You expected me to go naked under the cloak? " Marian said. "This is a shirt as you well know, " she had the grace to blush, knowing exactly what he meant.
"I know that much, " Guy said scathingly; "and more than that; I know that it's my shirt."
Marian tried to appear nonchalant. " Alright I admit to stealing it from your room at the castle; go and report me to the sherrif if you wish. "
" I'm serious Marian," Guy said gravely; " why would you want to wear something of mine ? "
Marian looked him in the eye; " I'm getting ready to be Lady Gisborne," she said simply.
Any reply from Guy was lost when Allan appeared out of nowhere.
"So are we ready for breakfast?" he greeted them cheerfully . " I've brough bread, wine and..."
" Apples ? " Guy guessed wearily.
" Oh; now how did you know that ? " Alan jested.
"At this moment; If the King were ever to grant me a wish for some service I rendered him; I'd ask him to get rid of every acursed apple tree in the whole of England."
Guy said with feeling as he set a place for Marian to have breakfast. " Milady..."
" I can see you two have had a very good night, " Allan observed with a cheeky grin.
"It was beautiful " Marian said. "But then morning came..."
"You should hurry and leave here soon before the sun is too high," Guy advised her. " It wouldn't do for you to be seen coming out of the forest this early; and with no good explanation."
"Yes, I know, " Marian snapped. " I don't feel hungry any more. So I'll just get my things together and be off. I can take care of myself; I won;t need an escort " she said, as they both made to stand up; bemused by her sudden change of humour.
"What did I say now?" Guy mouthed to Allan.
******************************
Marian was beside her horse, packing up her things. Guy took hold her of her hand that was resting on the animal's back. Her knees could hardly support her anymore and she felt like crying.
"Marian" he whispered next to her ear.
"I'd better get going." she tried to keep herself busy with the packing but it didn't help.
"My Leather Clad Knight is very uneasy this morning," she said.
" Marian, what was all that about being ready to become Lady Gisborne?" he asked her, his voice trembling.
"Nothing. It was just nonsense. Forget it" she hissed at him.
"I can't forget something like that," Guy said softly. " I've dreamed of you being my lady since the first time we met. God knows I tried to make you see how I felt about you but... " he paused for breath. "Marian you jilted me at the altar. You were clearly not so keen to be my wife then; even when your life was endangered; and just a few months ago you said you'd rather be dead than wedded to me..."
She turned around to face him and took his hand in hers. She Looked at his nails, they were full of dirt.
She tried to find the words to tell him what she needed him to know but failed.
So she went back to her horse and prepared to mount.
"Marian?" he was still looking for an answer.
"Maybe I've changed my mind" she just said as she bent down to kiss hisforehead. A lingering kiss o no passion but absolute tenderness. "Take care, Guy, please."
"Ready to go?" Allan asked, breaking the spell between the two of them.
"I said I don't need an escort" Marian repeated.
"And I was listening but... You know what ? Giz's my boss. He pays my wages. He says you need a escort... and I gotta make a living, Maz."
"He's not your boss and he has no money" she answered slyly.
"Ok. I see your point, but I'm going with you anyway, " Allan said " Let's just say I care about you. "
Marian started riding without looking back. She was angry, Allan could sense that; but with Guy not him.
"Could we please hurry ?" she said testily . "I don't have all day."
"Now she's keen to get back. Can you believe that?" Allan said looking at Guy.
"Don't let her out of your sight and make sure that Winchester is not around before you leave." Guy told him firmly.
"Oh, I'll make sure Sarah sees to her." Allan smiled and winked.
"I'm sure you will" Guy winked back. "Good luck with Sarah."
*******************************