"Sir Guy's Atonement" (Book 3) by Gratiana Lovelace, 2015 (a Wattys2015 Nominee)

Ch. 2: A Boon and a Betrothal, Part 1

"Sir Guy's Atonement" (Book 3), Ch. 2: A Boon and a Betrothal, Part 1  by Gratiana Lovelace, January 30, 2015 (Post #696)

 [An Original Fan Fiction adaptation of the characters from the BBC's Robin Hood;  & a Sequel to "Sir Guy's Dilemma" (Book 2) by Gratiana Lovelace] 
(All Rights Reserved; No copyright infringement intended)

 [From time to time, I will illustrate my story with my dream cast of:  Richard Armitage as Sir Guy, Clive Standen as Lord Archer of Locksley, Emma Watson as Lady Roseanna Gisborne, Tommy Bastow as the young Seth Gisborne, Lucy Griffiths as the spectre of Lady Marian, James McAvoy as Lord George Middleton, Toby Stephens as Prince John, etc.]

Author's Mature Content Note:  "Sir Guy's Atonement" is a story of romance and intrigue set amidst  Medieval times.  As such there will be some passages in this story involving heartfelt love scenes (S) and some passages involving highly dramatic moments (D).  I will label the maturity rating of those chapters accordingly.  Otherwise, the general rating for this story is PG or PG-13 due to some mature situations and topics.  If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide, then please do not read the chapters with those labels.  This is my disclaimer.

Author's Recap from the previous installment:  Sir Guy and his wife Lady Rose have a houseful of five children whom they love and nurture.  Their happiness and that of their extended family is a very great blessing.  And like his brother and brother-in-law, Sir Guy wants to give his wife Lady Rose more sons--as he thinks to the future toward his legacy.  But Sir Guy is getting ahead of himself, as he will soon find out.  For events will precipitously unfold that he could not have anticipated.

"Sir Guy's Atonement" (Book 3), Ch. 2: A Boon and a Betrothal, Part 1 

A few days later on Saturday, March 23, 1199, Sir Guy and his eldest son, the 10 year old Seth Gisborne are cantering back home on their horses from Middleton Hall where Sir Guy had an estate management meeting with Lord George Middleton--Lady Roseanna's brother and Sir Guy's brother-in-law. These past four years, Lord George and Sir Guy have developed an enviable friendship as co-estate managers of the larger Middleton Estates and the merely large Gisborne-Oxbridge-Middleton Estates.  Lord George values Sir Guy's wise counsel.  And in turn, Sir Guy values Lord George's ability to act as a buffer between Prince John and Sir Guy.  Lord George and Lady Mary attend court far more often than do Sir Guy and Lady Roseanna, so the Middletons' presence appeases for the absence of Sir Guy and Lady Rose. 

Sir Guy limits his attendance upon the Prince Regent Prince John to only the most necessary occasions.  Sir Guy has seen Prince John enact too many political machinations to view him with anything but a heightened level of suspicious caution--never more so than with the whole Nottingham Treasure being hidden from Prince John, who has an inkling about that.  Lord Archer claims it does not exist--and it does not exist, above ground. For though a small portion of the 100,000 pound treasure remains buried at Locksley manor--and about 25,000 pounds buried in a crypt at Leicester Cathedral--the largest treasure portion of 50,000 pounds is buried in Sir Guy's stables.  The monies consisted mostly of what the long deceased Sheriff Vasey had siphoned off from the nobles.  And yet, for all of Prince John's curiosity, he bears his cousin Lady Rose's husband Sir Guy no ill will.  And Prince John will carry out the latest charge from his brother King Richard now in France with their mother Queen Eleanor as he tries to reclaim more French territories from France [(2)].

After joining the main tree lined covered road from Middleton Hall to their home Gisborne-Middleton Manor, Sir Guy and his son Seth aretrailed by a small retinue of soldiers on horseback and in wagon for their safety.  Sir Guy looks at his son quizzically.  Then it dawns on him.