Grant What I Wish

Grant What I Wish - Chapter 19. End Game - part 1

Chapter 19. Endgame, Part I

Once again, I must be tied up.

Bring the curly ropes of your hair.

-Rumi

Nottingham

1195

When Guy reached the Great Room, all was in turmoil. Robin was shouting at John while the others stood about looking fearful and anxious. Guy looked to Imad and Ma'mun for an answer, but the men only shrugged their shoulders fatalistically and frowned.

Guy approached Robin and asked tensely. "What is it-what is the matter?"

"It's Kate," Robin shouted, livid with fury. "Kate's taken it upon herself to go to Longborough. She slipped out of the castle last night and left a message that she'd be back with the King's army-that is, if she makes it through the lines of soldiers!"

John blurted out angrily, "She knows what she's doing-you taught her well."

"I told her to stay here, and she defied a direct order." Robin was so angry he would brook no argument, Guy realized, and so he kept his mouth shut.

John, however, could stay silent no longer. "She left to help us, Rob. She did not want all of us to end up dead like Alan." The room fell silent; John's retort appeared to have acted as a bracing slap to his leader.

"What's done is done," Guy said calmly. "We need to concentrate on how we will deal with Vasey. Two of the trebuchets remain, and these can do enough damage to breech the walls of this castle. Does anyone have an idea what countermeasures we could employ?"

His query was met with silence, as the occupants of the room glanced at each other uneasily. As he gazed at the faces about the room, he realized that, in his distraction over Robin's news, he had not noticed that Marian was absent. Ma'mun and Imad had slipped from the room as well. A vague uneasiness came over him; if they were not here with the others, where would they be?

At that moment, one of the men from Nettlestown entered the room and called down, "The Sheriff is at the gate, Robin! He wants a word with you!" Robin hastened up the stairs and into the courtyard, with the others close at his heels. The wooden gates had been opened, but the iron gates remained closed, allowing those within the courtyard a glimpse of the Sheriff, Blamire-and Kate, who was held captive by Blamire, a dagger pressed against her throat. The Sheriff's soldiers stood off in the distance, at the ready.

"Let her go, Vasey," Robin demanded, rushing toward the gate in outraged fury.

The Sheriff laughed. "Not so fast, Hood. We caught her trying to slip through the forest and take a message to Longborough, to the king. Trouble is, the king isn't at Longborough-he's in prison, in Austria."

"You lie!" John cried furiously.

"He doesn't," gasped Kate, struggling against Blamire's hold. "Richard is being held captive by King Leopold of Austria for a ransom of 250,000 crowns. A messenger from Prince John brought this news to the Sheriff this morning."

The Sheriff crowed gleefully, "That is enough money to bankrupt a nation, and well does Leopold know it. No, Richard will not be coming to your rescue-the troops that have amassed will not fight without their king."

Those within the courtyard looked at each other in deep consternation. With no army to relieve them, how could they possibly hold out against the Sheriff's forces? There was no time to get the ransom to Austria, if such a steep sum could be raised.

"It makes no matter, Vasey-let her go!" Robin spat at the Sheriff coldly.

"Open the gates and give me the castle, and she will be yours," the Sheriff replied pleasantly.