The Ghost

Chapter 11 - A Short, Eternal Moment

Robin and Guy exchanged a quick glance before turning their attention to Marian. The girl looked very annoyed and ready to rebuke them.
"We weren't fighting!" Robin said, trying to look more outraged than guilty.
Surprisingly, Gisborne nodded, agreeing with him.
"He's right, we weren't."
Allan stared at them, surprised, but Marian wasn't convinced.
"Why did you chain him to the wall, then?" She asked, and Robin couldn't find a good answer.
"He was teaching me how to pick this lock," Guy said, with a completely innocent look, "so we can open and close these manacles when we need to, without the sheriff knowing."
Robin was quick to nod.
"Exactly," he said, "You shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions."
Allan lifted his eyebrows in ironic surprise, while Robin took his dagger to show them how to open and close the lock.
"If you have an hairpin it will work even better."
"You have a lot of practice with hairpins, don't you?" Marian asked, and Robin grinned.
"Why, are you jealous?"
Marian glared at him, while Guy blushed a little.
"I have hairpins," he said, awkwardly, nodding at a little box on the table, "over there. Take one of them."
The girl walked to the table and opened the box, wondering why Guy should have hairpins in his room. When she opened the lid, she was even more surprised: the box was full of jeweled hairpins, trinkets, brooches, and even a small, feminine dagger, similar to the one she once used to hid in her hair. Like the one that her father used to escape from the dungeons the day he was killed.
That sudden memory hurt her deeply, but she hid her sorrow and grabbed a hairpin, wondering why Guy had so many jewels in his room.
"They were for you," he said quietly, as if he had guessed her thoughts. "Gifts that I bought for you when we were betrothed, and that I never had the chance to give you. Actually I purchased some of them even after you left me at the altar."
"Guy..." Marian looked at him, touched by his confession, while Allan was expecting Robin to react to his words attacking Gisborne, and he was ready to separate them in case they should begin to fight, but the outlaw just cleared his throat, even if the expression of his face was grim.
"Do you want me to teach you how to open this lock or do you prefer to stay chained to that wall?" Robin said to Guy, without looking at Marian. "Look what I do, then try yourself."
After a few attempts, both Guy and Marian succeeded in picking the lock of the manacles.
Robin looked at them, and, for once uncertain of what to do, he glanced at Sir Edward.
The ghost smiled encouragingly at him.
"Robin, now you know that you can trust Gisborne. Please, forget your rivalry for now, and work together to keep Marian safe. Sir Guy, Robin, if you really love her, and I know that you both do, now it's the time to prove it. Don't think of your own happiness, but do your best to protect her, to give her the good life she deserves. Do you think you can do this for her?"
The two men looked at each other for a moment. They couldn't answer to Sir Edward's question, but they exchanged an imperceptible, although reluctant nod.
"I have to go now, before your useless guards wake up," Robin said to Guy, "but remember: hurt her and you are dead."
"I'd never hurt her. Hood, think about what I said. Make your choice."
Then Robin was gone, and Marian and Allan stared at Guy, confused.
"I'm not sure of what just happened, Giz, but you two didn't kill each other, so I can be contented."
"What choice?" Marian asked.
"Don't worry about it," Guy said, putting the manacles aside, and removing his shirt, "We don't have much time, the sheriff will expect me to show up at work on time."
He threw the shirt at Allan.
"Find a clean one identical to this one. They're there, in that trunk. Marian, I'm afraid that you'll have to keep your nightgown under the dress, unless you have another identical one, the sheriff mustn't suspect that we could get free from the chain."
Marian nodded, thinking that she could search for another one in her room later. She combed her hair while Guy finished washing up, and she looked at the burns on his skin, wondering how he got them. Only the sheriff could be so cruel to inflict wounds like those, even if their shape was so weird.
He must have some strange torture device, she thought, but how could he be so evil to hurt his most loyal man?
She was also curious to know what happened between Guy and Robin while she was away, because she couldn't believe that Robin went away without any further discussion, just trusting to leave her with Guy.
You will have to give me a few explanations, she thought, looking at Guy, but she had no time to say it aloud, because Guy was ready to begin his work and they had to get chained together again.
She followed Gisborne, who was headed to the sheriff's chambers at a fast pace, Allan in tow.
Now Guy didn't look anymore like the kind, caring knight who comforted her, but he was serious, professional, hiding his emotions behind a neutral expression.
Even Allan wasn't joking as usual, not daring to risk enraging the sheriff.
They entered the sheriff's room, and Guy stopped a few paces from the door, impassive, while she covered her face with a little cry, and Allan tried not to laugh: Vaisey was lying in a bathtub, completely naked, a satisfied grin on his face.
"You are late Gisborne, what's up? You didn't sleep well? Lady Marian, how did you enjoy spending the night with Gizzy? Can we assume that you aren't a maiden anymore, hm? It was about time I'd say, but you're lucky, many spinsters never get bedded in their lives."
"My lord!" Guy exclaimed, horrified, and Vaisey burst out in a laugh.
"Oh, Gisborne, now don't start blathering about you respecting her, and some other idiocies like that! If you didn't take advantage of my gift, you're just a poor idiot. Now stop losing time, and get to work!"
Vaisey stood up, and the other three turned away, disgusted, while a young servant hurried with a towel to dry the sheriff.
"Pat, girl, don't rub," he said, irritably, then he wrapped a towel around his waist, "Now you can look, lady leper, you can stop faking to be shy. Or maybe you don't like what you see? I should be offended, but I won't because I have no interest in your pretty face. Neither of them." He turned to Guy. "Gisborne, I expect you to do your job, show me that you are not hindered by your leper friend, or I'll throw her into the dungeons. We have a free cell, now that the old fart became food for worms."
Guy glanced at Marian, and he saw her become flushed with rage, but she kept quiet.
"What do you want me to do, my lord?" He asked, in a flat voice.
"Go to Clun, get the taxes, and if they don't pay burn their houses. You can go, now."