1 | master of arms [gisborne]

Forty

Linda's cheek burned as her head whipped to the side. She grunted, trying to keep her breathing under control. Her vision was blurry, and all she saw was spots. She heard female voices, and she shook her head, trying to regain her senses. 

"My lady, she's regaining herself," said a young female voice.

"Linda," said someone in a sing song voice. "That's it, come back to the world of the living."

Linda groaned and blinked, trying to get rid of the black that she saw. She tried moving, but her wrists burned as they grind against the ropes that held her. When she was able to see again, she knit her eyebrows and looked around. Linda was tied up against a chair in probably Isabella's bedchamber, and she couldn't move. Her head hurt like hell, and she felt the circulation in her wrists start to cut off. Her breath caught her throat when she saw Guy tied up on the bed, knocked out with a gag in his mouth.

"What the hell did you do to me?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

Isabella walked around her chair, her hand on Linda's shoulder. She had to refrain herself from biting the younger Gisborne. "I knocked you out and tied you up, placing you in the same room as my brother," Isabella said nonchalantly. "Seemed only fit that you look at him one last time before you both get handed in to the prince."

"You're not serious," Linda exclaimed, partially shocked.

"I am." Isabella sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her brother. "He's getting what he deserves. I'm condemning him to hell like he did to me as a child." She let out a breath. "And if it means taking down Lord Sheridan, then more power to me."

Linda groaned and let her head lean on the back of the chair. "You need to let it go, Bella," she spat coolly.

Isabella shot Linda daggers. "You know nothing," she accused. Isabella stood up and knelt front of Linda. "But I'm willing to forgive you."

"Eh?" asked Linda in a cocky tone. "How?"

"I will untie you and let you go–"

"Thank you."

"–on one condition."

"There's always one condition, isn't there?" Linda smirked and shrugged. "Name it."

"Save us both from him," Isabella said, whipping her head around and pointing at her brother. "Save Prince John the trouble and kill him. Save you the pain of having to deal with him and end it, like I should have ended Robin Hood."

"You really are a Gisborne, because you sound just like Guy," Linda mused. She let out a few breathes and put on a cocky side smile. "I'm not going to kill him, Isabella. I'm not going to let my hatred and anger blind me to do something I'll regret."

Isabella pursed her lips and let out a few breathes. With a frustrated laugh, she stood up. "Then have fun dealing with the devil," she said bitterly, moving to leave the room.

"I just got done dealing with it," she muttered, flinching when Isabella shot her a death glare. "Bella, wait."
Isabella stopped at the door and turned around. "What?"

"King Richard... is it true?" Linda asked slowly.

Isabella let her eyes lower to the floor and she bit her lip in thought. "You're smart, what do you think?" Isabella scoffed. "At least you were."

Linda's eyes widened and she started jumping around, trying to feel for something sharp. Isabella clicked her tongue, muttering something as she left the room. Celeste chuckled and stepped toward the tied up outlaw, her hands behind her back. Linda stiffened.

"Celeste, please don't do this." Linda didn't really feel like a) killing Celeste when she escaped, or b) get hit in the head again.

Celeste sighed. "You know, I liked you, honestly," she said. "But you betrayed my mistress, and my loyalty lies with her. She's done more than you could ever imagine."