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✣ BROTHERS IN ARMS
"I'VE BEEN BETRAYED."
GISBORNE HAD called The Sheriff and Krystyna to a meeting, the blonde's features laced with concern as he spoke. The trio stood in the dungeons, but the maiden's attention was more on Hood's men that sat behind bars.
"Again, hm? Well, you're making a habit of it aren't you." Vaisey grinned, teasing his right-hand man.
"Not again. I was wrong. My sergeant died an innocent man."
"Well, I'm sure he was guilty of something."
"It was Marian." And next Gisborne said the few words the maiden hadn't wanted to hear. No. No. They couldn't figure this out so soon -- even consider her a traitor so soon. Krystyna hadn't even had the time to think of a backup plan, one that would get her to safety. "I have the proof."
"Marian? Well, well, well. Am I surprised? A clue, no. It's always the girl, hm, I told you. Women. Lepers."
"I am standing right here, father." The blonde interjected, looking up from where she was leaning against the bars. Her deep brown eyes had been gazing at the man she learned to be Alan A Dale's brother. The night before, she walked down to the dungeons and spoke to the prisoners. It hadn't surprised her when Tom called her the same nickname as his brother did.
Princess.
Despite how scared Tom was, he seemed so calm and happy when talking about his brother. He kept saying how proud he was of Alan, and what he had turned himself into.
"Hush. Oh, you're really hurt. Can you feel the hot metal of the knife twisting in your back? All those times she was smiling at you, but really she was laughing at you. Betraying you. Despising you. Humiliating you." This whole situation seemed to be something that Vaisey could use to manipulate Gisborne further -- as if he hadn't done it enough already. "Well, what do you want to do to her now? Go, and enjoy it."
Sir Guy turned to leave, and the eldest maiden was quick on his heels.
"Sir Guy, please --" Her hand shot out, taking his wrist quickly as to try to stop him from leaving. "Do not do anything you will regret."
"I won't."
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
The blonde walked out into the courtyard with her father, her head held high and blue dress brushed against her shins. She didn't like this -- something felt wrong. But she couldn't put her finger on just what it was.
Trumpets echoed through the stone walls, bouncing off and making the noise seem louder and more unbearable. Vaisey was far too happy, too happy to know that men were hanging -- had he planned something? Something Krystyna didn't know about.
"All those eager faces." He spoke when the trumpets had stopped, making his way up onto the scaffold to address the crowd. His daughter stood beside him, the complete opposite of her father in both appearance, popularity, and personality.
"You're all expecting Robin Hood to turn up, aren't you? Hm? Do a few tricks with his bow and arrow. Well, this is no time for schoolboy tricks. This is justice. We have laws. Robin Hood has no respect for the law. Robin Hood flouts the law. He would have us all be criminals. Murdering and stealing, and yet you wait here expecting him to come and save one of his own. Yes, of course, you do. Which is why I have brought the hanging forward by one hour. Look up there!"
The Sheriff exclaimed his last words, his finger pointing up to the battlements where the three men were hanging -- and had been for the past hour. A look of horror crossed the blonde's face, a shaky hand raising up to cup her mouth.
NO.
Even for her father, this was cruel.
The crowd gasped, murmuring amongst them. Krystyna paid them no attention, more concerned with finding Alan's face within them. There he was, trying to fight his way forward -- though another hooded man held him back. Oh, she couldn't imagine what he was feeling at this moment. Her father yelled his next few words, taking pride in the fact that he had finally managed to outsmart Hood.
"You're too late Robin Hood! Your men are already dead! Oh, I wish you could have seen the look on their faces just before they realised that you weren't coming to rescue them. Hm? Oh, it's very moving. First, there was disappointment, tinged with confusion. Soon to be replaced by anger, and then tears, just before they realised that it was the final, fatal drop. It was very moving. It was very touching."
Silent tears tracked down the Lady of the castle's features, her hues having drifted off to look at nothing. She felt numb, useless, angry, and confused. If only she had known. How did she not know?
"Yes! I wish you could have seen that, Hood! Well, thank you very much. Oh, um, will one of you tell Robin Hood, if you do see him? Thank you. Eager smiling faces. Good." And he walked off without another word, his whistling now replacing the noise of the trumpets.
"All in a day's work, Sheriff coming through!"
Krystyna didn't budge, Krystyna couldn't budge. It felt as if she was frozen, rooted to the spot. As soon as the doors to the castle shut, something seemed to change, and she ran towards the hooded man -- the one who had just lost his brother.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Arms were thrown around him before the pair were taken off to the side of the town.
"You have come for the belongings for the hung man, Tom A Dale. You are his cousin, bring them here quickly." A woman, Djaq, was speaking to someone about bringing Tom's belongings to Alan. The blonde moved to sit beside him, fingers resting upon his shoulder; a small, but a comforting gesture. He seemed to lean into her touch, and Krystyna was happy to help him.
Not a word was said, the man almost crying into the shoulder of the Sheriff's daughter. His fingers gripped the light blue fabric of her dress as he held her close. She had been right, not that he would ever admit that to her face.
Fingers had now raised to hold the back of his neck gently, carefully playing with the hair that lay there. Nothing needed to be said. Djaq had walked off a little, to allow the pair to have some space.
"He loved you a lot, Alan. He spoke of you to me." Her words were above a whisper, and she didn't wait for an answer back from him -- Krystyna sensed she wouldn't get one. "Tom was so proud of you. Of what you had achieved. Continue to make him proud. I know you can do that."
"Thank you." It was all he said, and she no longer spoke as she heard him speak.
Her attention raised up, Djaq now holding the belongings of Alan's dead brother -- and Will, still with his hood up had approached them. "Robin is looking for you. I'm sorry."
"Give us a moment," Djaq spoke, her attention between Will and Krystyna. After untangling herself from the grieving man, she walked and stood at Will's side. She dared not to eavesdrop on the conversation -- the other woman had asked for space for a reason.
"Why is Robin looking for them?" The blonde spoke to Will, looking up at him with a smile.
"Do you not know? Marian's in trouble." And there went her smile, concern replacing her features once more. She knew that Sir Guy must have been planning something, but not once, had she considered how much danger her friend might just be in. But, Krystyna didn't know the origins of Gisborne's doubt about her friend.
The sound of metal clinking caused the pair to turn around, both eyes lighting up when they saw what Alan had pulled from his brother's belongings.
