Grant What I Wish

Grant What I Wish - Chapter 22. Checkmate

Chapter 22. Checkmate

The way of love is not
a subtle argument.
The door there
is devastation.
Birds make great sky-circles
of their freedom.
How do they learn it?
They fall, and falling,
they’re given wings.
—Rumi

Nottingham
1195

The morning of Meg and Much's wedding, the sun shone bright and the day promised to be fair. The villagers at Locksley had been hard at work for several days preparing food for the wedding supper, and decorating the village with garlands of flowers and streamers. Kate and her mother had constructed a large archway covered with ivy and flowers for the couple to stand under while they exchanged their vows. It had been many a long day since their last joyous occasion, and the villagers prayed for a happy celebration to erase the nightmarish memories of the previous wedding, when Prince John had attempted to trap the villagers in the church and burn them alive.

Marian spent the morning helping Meg prepare for the ceremony. She had given Meg her mother's wedding gown, which fit her beautifully. The girl had cried with happiness at the sight of the lovely garment. Marian had assisted in making the few alterations needed, and now was helping the bride dress for the ceremony. As Marian smoothed the fabric and fastened the small clasps and ties, she thought of the strange mixture of happiness and sadness that she had experienced going through the items in her trunk that Guy had retrieved.

She had forgotten that several of her better garments were stowed away in the trunk, along with her parents' silver candlesticks, a few hairclips, some ribbons and lacework to decorate clothing, and her mother's sewing implements. The thought that these few things were all she had left of her family had made her sad.

However, she was surprised to find other objects unknown to her in the trunk-a beautiful length of embroidered fabric with gold threads shot through it, a comb and brush of intricate design, a small polished mirror (which she had given to Meg as a wedding gift, much to the girl's delight), a set of jeweled combs, and numerous other small treasures.

When she had asked Guy from whence these items had come, he had flushed and hesitated to respond. After she had pressed him upon it, he explained in a harassed tone that whenever he had found something that he thought she might like, he had purchased it and stored it in the trunk. He was well aware that she was gone, he added as if he were afraid she might think him mad, but he still squirreled away anything that he thought might charm or please her. Reluctantly meeting her eyes, he admitted, "Perhaps I knew deep inside that you were still alive. Perhaps I could not give up hope."

He had turned to leave her, but she had stopped him, grasping his arm to force him around to face her. As he looked upon her with embarrassment, she had whispered, "How I love you," and kissed him with all of the longing and passion she felt. He had hesitated but a moment before sweeping her into his embrace, clasping her tightly against his chest and returning her kiss with an ardor that left her breathless. She had hoped that he would carry her off to his bedchamber, but after untold moments had passed, he had carefully set her aside, murmuring that he had business elsewhere. He quickly departed from her, leaving her bereft and aching for him.

As she thought again of how he had offered presents to her in the past and how she had rudely rebuffed these gifts, tears filled her eyes at her ignorance and spite. Granted, he had been gruff and lacking in graces, uncertain how to give a woman a gift-but he had not been raised with chivalry, and did the best that he could. She was ashamed now that she had hurt and shunned him, and was determined to make amends. In reparation today, she decided to wear one of her lovely gowns she had found tucked away, along with the jeweled combs he had placed in the chest for her to find. In honor of Meg's wedding, she would put aside her robes and dress as an English woman. She told herself it was in celebration of the wedding, but in reality she dressed for Guy.