Jadeys Fan
Fiction Robin Hood - Solitaire
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This story takes place where Series 2 finished.
PG rating
SOLITAIRE
Lyrics to the song Solitaire by Clay Aiken
There was a man, a lonely man
Who lost his love through his indifference
A heart that cared, that went unshared
Until it died in his silence
And Solitaire's the only game in town
And every road that takes him, takes him down
And by himself, it's easy to pretend
He'll never love again
And keeping to himself he plays the game
Without her love it always ends the same
While life goes on around him everywhere
He's playing Solitaire
Another day, a lonely day
So much to say that goes unspoken
And through the night, his sleepless nights
His eyes are closed, his heart is broken
And Solitaire's the only game in town
And every road that takes him, takes him down
And by himself it's easy to pretend
She's coming back again
And keeping to himself he plays the game
Without her love it always ends the same
While life goes on around him everywhere
He's playing Solitaire
SOLITAIRE
Part 1
‘Where am I?’
‘Do not be alarmed child,’ soothed a woman’s voice. ‘You have nothing to fear.’
Marian glanced down at the white spread covering almost her entire body.
Oh my God.
I was stabbed.
Stabbed.
I’m dead.
I can’t be dead.
I just got married.
Robin flinched in his sleep.
She felt herself float free of her corporal body. She was
ready. She watched as Robin kissed her, one last time. But
she felt nothing on her lips. No touch, no taste.
I am gone she thought. Already gone. Say goodbye to me Robin. Say goodbye.
The King spoke.
‘Do you want to say anything Robin…before we…’
‘No,’ Robin replied. ‘I said all I had to say
to her when we married. There is nothing more.’
Robin stood and turned to go.
Still she waited.
Say goodbye to me and let me go.
And he pulled her. And they pulled her. And she didn’t breathe. And she did breathe.
I’m still here.
Still here.
Hear me, hear me, hear me.
No sound.
A silent scream.
No-one to hear.
No-one.
…………………….
Robin had made it plain to the King that he did not wish to see Marian
lowered into the ground. That he would prefer to remember the
serenity on her face as he had laid her by the graveside.
With stoicism he did not really feel, Robin, along with Allan, John and Much, had made his farewells to the King.
He knew he had plenty of tears left to shed, but he would do it
alone. For dear as his friends were, he did not think he could
bear their pity.
With equal fortitude he had said his goodbyes to Will and Djaq.
He was truly happy for them and surprised himself by managing a small
smile as he wished them well in their new life together.
Somehow he was going to get through this.
‘Robin. It’s time to go.’
‘I know Much. I have to pick up some of her things. Then I will be ready.’
‘Why don’t I….’
‘No. It’s okay. Really it is. I’ll join you and the others at the port.’
He went to her room, in the town of Acre. And hidden from other
eyes he finally gave in to his despair. As he sank to his knees,
he cried out her name, over and over and over again. As an
incantation against the pain. A rally against the Gods. A
cry from his heart to the one he had loved and lost.
And she heard, and came back, but he was not there.
………………..
By the time the Priest and the gravedigger had realised, and by the
time one of the King’s men had galloped to the port, the ship had
already set sail, just a speck on the horizon. Robin Hood and his
men were already on their way home – to England.
Part 2
‘I thought just being the four of us would make it
difficult,’ said Allan, as he, Much and John sat round the
campfire that evening. ‘But it’s not. I mean,
we hardly see Gisborne any more. The Sheriff keeps disappearing
on business. There are still plenty of pickings in the
forest. Not being funny, but it’s pretty easy now,
isn’t it.’
‘Yes. Too easy,’ Much replied. ‘And
that’s the problem. For him.’ He inclined his
head towards Robin. ‘If we were having to fight tooth and
nail. If we were still living on the edge. It would keep
him busy. Occupy his mind. But we’re not. He
goes about business like he could do it with his eyes shut.
In fact, I think he does have his eyes shut sometimes. I mean, he
never sleeps these days.’
‘So what are we going to do about it?’ Allan asked.
‘Deliberately get ourselves into difficult situations so Robin
can come up with a plan? So he can work out how to save us
all?’
‘He needs saving first,’ Much sighed.
…………………
For many days she moved in a world between life and death.
Sometimes lucid enough to know that hands tended her and soft voices
spoke to her. Other times the world was full of twilight
images. Of men, one light, one dark. Of swords and arrows,
castles and trees.
In her lucid moments she sought to make sense of these images, but
always they slipped away from her as the pain took hold and she was
once again plunged into a clinging web of nothingness.
And then one day, as dawn approached, and the call to prayer rang out
over Acre, she heard her name being called - Marian. And she
opened her eyes, but he was not there.
…………….
In the light of day he was almost his usual self.
Laughing at Allan’s tomfoolery. Revelling once again in
outwitting the Sheriff’s men, who had become lax without the
constant haranguing of Gisborne – the latter having been sent to
London by the Sheriff. On several occasions they had even dared
to enter the Castle and steal from under the Sheriff’s
nose.
Yes, Allan had been right, easy pickings nowadays. A simpler
life. And that should have given him some cheer. But he did
not fool Much.
John and Allan appeared unaware. Enjoying their new found freedom.
Only Much saw, in the hours of darkness, how he suffered still.
How he would lay awake, sometimes hours at an end, staring into the
night. How, when he did sleep, he would toss and turn, often
getting up and walking off into the forest, to try and exhaust himself,
so he might sleep once more. And only Much would hear him crying
in the quiet of the forest night.
………………
And the world Marian moved in was not so very different.
Sister Katherine, who watched over her, who willed her to return to
this earth, regarded the girl’s troubled eyes, coaxing her with
sedations to help her get through the pain and stroking her hair as she
cried into her pillow.
Sister Katherine thought the pain was too much for the girl, and she would surely die.
But Marian held on.
And one morning, as the dawn approached, and the morning- prayer rang out over the town of Acre, she called out a name.
‘Robin.’
And she opened her eyes.
Part 3
The messenger stood, hopping from foot to foot. Unnerved no doubt to be
in the outlaws camp, despite the fact he had heard they were kindly
men. Of course, a big bearded man standing guard over you did not
inspire a great deal of confidence. He hoped Robin of Locksley,
Robin Hood, would soon show himself.
‘I’m sorry,’ panted Much, as he ran up to the messenger. ‘I cannot find him.’
‘Then I will have to wait,’ replied the young man, none too
happily. ‘This message is for Robin of Locksley’s
eyes only.’
‘And you say it is important?’ Much asked, for the third time.
‘Yes.’
Much sought the eyes of John and Allan. Both shrugged their shoulders.
‘He could be anywhere,’ Allan said. ‘You know what he’s like.’
‘Yes, well. We can’t wait all day for him.’
‘Can we give the message to him?’ Allan asked.
‘No,’ the young man stated flatly. ‘Besides, I have to return with his answer.’
‘Return where?’ queried John.
‘To…oh no you don’t. I’m not saying
anything else. Not till Robin of Locksley gets here.’
And with that the messenger stilled his fidgety legs and took root.
Nearly an hour later he was still standing there.
………………..
Robin sat, atop the hill, looking down at his home.
Locksley. But, despite Gisborne no longer residing there it
seemed, it was still not his home. As long as the King remained
in the Holy Land, and as long as the Sheriff was still in power in
Nottingham, it would never be his home.
The truth was, however, that he was not sure he even wanted it
anymore. In fact, he was not sure he even wanted to stay in
Nottingham anymore. Except that he could not think where else to
go.
Only sometimes, as he dipped into longed for sleep, or when he
gratefully surfaced once more to the day, did he think he knew where to
go – almost as if someone was calling out to him. But when
he tried to understand where that place might be, the only answer he
got was her name. Perhaps it was death after all.
‘I thought I would find you here,’ said Much, flopping down next to Robin.
‘If you’ve come to give me one of your pep talks Much, please save your breath. I really…’
‘No,’ Much cut in. ‘There’s a messenger
in the camp. With a message for you,’ he added.
‘Allan can read it.’
‘No. It’s for your eyes only. And it looked
like it displayed the royal seal. Although he was clutching it so
tightly it was hard to see.’
‘Then I’d better come.’
……………
When Robin and Much arrived back at camp some short time later, the
messenger was still in the same place, much to Allan’s amusement.
‘Allan?’ queried Robin. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘Robin of Locksley, Earl of Huntingdon?’ gabbled the messenger.
‘Yes?’
‘Here.’ He thrust the scroll into Robin’s hands and darted into the trees.
Allan burst out laughing and John chuckled through his beard.
‘Don’t be so rotten,’ chastised Much. ‘What does the message say Master?’
Robin unrolled the scroll and cast his eyes over the text. In King Richard’s handwriting no less.
Part 4
‘Robin?’
‘Do not be alarmed child,’ soothed a woman’s voice. ‘You have nothing to fear.’
Marian glanced down at the white spread covering almost her entire body.
Oh my God.
I was stabbed.
Stabbed.
I’m dead.
I can’t be dead.
I just got married.
‘Robin!’ she cried again.
Katherine came and sat beside her and took Marian’s hand.
‘He is not here my child.’
‘Where am I?’ Marian asked, casting her eyes round the
sparsely furnished room, momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight
pouring in through the open window.
‘This is not Nottingham.’
‘No my child. You are a long way from Nottingham.’
Marian tore her eyes away from the open window and rested them on the woman’s face.
‘Acre?’
‘Not quite,’ Katherine answered. ‘Tyre; close
by. The King wanted you somewhere safe. Away from the
renewed fighting.’
Fighting. The King. Robin and Guy.
Marian closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the memories that bombarded her.
‘Go slowly child,’ came the soft voice again. ‘It will take time.’
Katherine put some water to Marian’s lips and she drank
greedily. Soon she would try to make some sense of it all.
But even as this thought took hold, another part of her mind was
telling her to avoid it, for there dwelt pain and sorrow and a
tremendous loss.
……………..
‘What does it say?’ Much again asked.
‘It is a message from King Richard himself.’
‘And?’
‘He wants me to go back to Acre. More attempts on his life
have been made. And someone is trying to sabotage the peace
efforts.’
‘I’m coming with you,’ Much declared.
‘No. It’s me he wants. You stay here and help John and Allan.’
‘You’re lying,’ accused Much.
‘And you can’t read,’ Robin returned.
‘There’s some more on the back of the paper,’ Much
pointed out, piqued. ‘And you didn’t turn it
over. Even I can read my own name,’ he added
defensively.
Robin sighed.
‘Bring your manservant Much with you. He will keep you on the straight and narrow.’
Robin looked up. ‘What does the King think I am going to do?’
‘He remembers you from before,’ replied Much dryly.
‘Yes, well my girl chasing days are over. They’ll
never be anyone else.’ Robin met Much’s eyes.
‘Not now.’
Much looked away. ‘I’m still coming,’ he mumbled.
Part 5
I believe this belongs to you my dear,’ said Katherine, helping
Marian to sit up, and pressing the huge ruby coloured ring into
Marian’s hand. Marian stared at it, and bit her lip.
‘I am sorry,’ Katherine apologised, realising perhaps it
was too soon. ‘Richard told me it was yours. It was
with you when you were brought here.’
‘The King was here?’
‘Yes Marian. He came directly once he heard of your, how can I put it, miracle return to this world.’
As Marian stared questioningly at her nurse, Katherine smiled.
‘I have looked after King Richard for many a year now. My
name is Katherine and I was the King’s personal nurse.
And,’ she added smiling, ‘I am yours now.’
Marian returned her attention once more to the ring, and remembered.
I can’t go on without you.
Promise me Robin. You’ll keep on fighting.
I will.
I hope we have a lot more time in heaven because we sure didn’t have it here on earth.
Well, she hadn’t gone to heaven after all. Although the
look of pity she sometimes saw in Katherine’s eyes, and the fact
she could not feel her legs, made her wonder if perhaps she was about
to face her own hell on earth.
………………
‘We can manage, can’t we John,’ said Allan
cheerfully, as he watched Robin and Much packing their things, readying
to travel.
‘And we have a couple of other lads willing to give us a hand,’ Allan continued.
‘Oh?’
‘Rowan of Dunne. Remember? The mines? Silver Arrow contest?’
Robin looked as though he didn’t want to be reminded but Allan pressed on regardless.
‘He’s grown up a lot these past months and is quite good with a bow, so I’ve heard.’
John nodded his head in agreement.
‘And,’ Allan went on. ‘Luke Scarlett.
Wills’ younger brother. He is also proving quite a
marksman, and something of a carpenter too, just like Will. With
Dan dead and Will away I am sure he can be persuaded to leave Locksley
and join us. I know Will would be pleased.’
Again John nodded.
‘Looks like we’re not needed any more,’ said Much sullenly.
‘Much. I told you before. You do not have to come with me.’
‘Oh no you don’t,’ Much retorted.
‘I’ve spent too many years looking after you.
I’m not about to stop now.’
‘Then quit your moaning, and get packing,’ Robin
remonstrated in a mocking tone. ‘If we’re to catch
the next boat out we need to hurry.’
Suddenly it felt as if life was taking on a purpose again. Yet
Robin had the strangest feeling it had nothing to do with protecting
the King.
Part 6
‘You should not be afraid to at least try,’ said Katherine gently.
‘I do not know,’ Marian replied.
‘Here, give me your arm my dear. We will walk together.’
Katherine was right. She could not lie in this bed forever.
Even so, she prepared herself for the worse. Despite the feeling
returning to her legs as her wound healed, deep down Marian knew that
all was not as it should be.
The man who had worked to save her life had been used to treating the
wounded coming off the battlefields around Acre. But his skills
were limited to saving lives – nothing more. There was no
time for worrying about the outcome. They either lived, or they
died. He dealt in numbers. And he had never treated a woman
before. She would never have children, that much was certain, but
she lived. What more could she expect?
Marian had grown to care very much for the soft spoken and kindly
Katherine. Yet, as she swivelled from her bed, and hung her legs
over the side, she suddenly knew she wanted to do this alone.
‘I am sorry Katherine. But I would prefer to be by myself.’
‘But my dear. If you should fall,’ said Katherine, concern evident in her voice.
‘Please,’ Marian pleaded.
Katherine looked at her and understood.
Marian stared out the window. It’s raining she
thought. How very strange. It reminded her of home.
She stood up and with faltering steps made her way across the room, her
right leg dragging badly. Her heart sank, and as she reached the
window, she leaned her head outside and let her tears mingle with the
rain. Maimed on the inside, and maimed on the outside. She
could not be his now. She could never be his.
…………………..
Robin felt sick. Yet they had been on the boat for many days and he had not suffered. What had changed?
As he watched the approaching storm, and gratefully drank the water
Much had provided, he wondered if it had nothing to do with the rolling
sea, but more to do with the inner turmoil he was feeling as the Holy
Land and the port of Acre grew ever nearer.
…………………
‘Oh Robin,’ she cried, as the rain drenched her hair.
Robin leant over the side, and let the spray from the swollen waves hit his face.
‘We’re nearly there,’ said Much sombrely, his words whipped away by the wind.
He glanced across at Robin leaning over the side and his heart
ached. For the umpteenth time Much wondered if this was the right
course of action. Surely the King could have asked for someone
else. He knew better than most what had happened here and how
painful it would be for Robin. And yet? Perhaps being here,
in the place where Marian’s spirit dwelt, perhaps here Robin
would find that elusive sense of peace he was looking for.
Perhaps it was here, in the land that held so many painful memories,
that closure could be found, and not thousands of miles away in the
green of Nottinghamshire and Sherwood Forest.
Even so, as the land changed from a distant black line into a distinct
mass, Much quailed at the thought of stepping onto the dusty soil once
more.
The boat captain had declared the weather too dangerous to try and make
anchor that evening, and so they were forced to spend yet another night
on board.
As he and Robin settled down on the pitching deck, Much thought he
could not be too grateful to see the back of this most unstable
life. He didn’t even want to think about the return
journey, if God willing, they both survived this time.
Much searched out Robin and was glad to see he was sleeping peacefully for once.
…………….
Marian, still standing at the window, dried her eyes as she watched the
last of the storm rolling out to sea. The sky was an angry mix of
grey, azure and blood red where the sun was sinking on the
horizon.
Carry my thoughts to him she willed. Carry my love and my
protection. Let him be peaceful. And let him forget.
……………..
She filled his head tonight like no other, and the wind whispered her
name to him as it blew across the deck. It was as though the
storm had heightened his sense of her, or was it just because he was so
close to where she lay?
The wind ruffled his hair – her hands caressing. The
saltwater spray anointed his face – her tears. He wrapped
his arms around himself – seeking her touch.
Robin turned over and awoke. His thoughts turning to guilt and
shame, as his body made demands, he was unwilling to answer.
Inwardly he cursed. For one mad moment he thought he might throw
himself overboard into the angry sea below. Then he looked at the
face of the gently snoring Much and knew he could not.
Unsteadily he got to his feet and set off to pace the deck of the
rolling ship. He walked till his legs ached. And as dawn
broke over the horizon, he finally lay down and slept.
The sea became becalmed once more and the boat slid towards the harbour.
Part 7
‘I thought someone would be here to meet us,’ grumbled Much.
‘Have patience,’ said Robin tiredly. ‘Someone will come.’
The port was fairly bustling as goods were unloaded and brought
ashore. Soon the boat would head back out to sea once more.
Much was sorely tempted to suggest they get back on board and abandon
this foolishness. But when he turned to Robin to voice his
thoughts, he found they had been met after all, and Robin was already
halfway up the hill, heading towards the town itself.
Resignedly Much followed.
Their guide, Jeremy, one of the King’s guards, seemed intent on
making conversation, but Robin kept his head down and returned
Jeremy’s constant questions with a simple yes or no. After
a while, Jeremy got the message and concentrated his efforts on Much,
who, to Robin’s amazement, also appeared unwilling to engage in
idle chit chat. It seemed the voyage had taken its toll on both
of them. All the more reason to arrive at their accommodation and
settle down for the night.
Unfortunately it seemed other arrangements had been made for them.
Robin insisted they were tired and could they politely decline the
offer of being dined and entertained, but at the mention of food, Much
pricked up his ears and looked pleadingly at Robin. And despite
how he was feeling, Robin had to agree that whatever delicacies had
been laid on for them, it had to be better than the food they had had
to endure on the boat these past weeks.
Hopefully they could excuse themselves after eating and finally get some sleep.
After what seemed an age, Jeremy indicated that they had arrived at their destination.
The two men followed Jeremy into a dimly lit building. Inside they were
assailed by the pungent aroma of spicy food and the heavy sweat of men.
Jeremy pushed aside a curtain and Robin and Much found themselves under
scrutiny by both King’s Guard and Saracens alike.
A low table dominated the centre of the room. On it laid a
mountain of food and surrounding the table numerous coloured cushions
on which men lounged.
In the uneasy peace that now existed (still waiting for the ink to find
the paper that would end the hostilities once and for all) there were
equal number of Saracen and the King’s Guard, draped around the
centre table. Their talk seemed easy and the atmosphere friendly,
although after a moment or two Robin realised the two sides were
keeping themselves to themselves. Perhaps it was the language
barrier, but Robin knew that more than words divided these men.
He and Much were shown to places obviously reserved for them.
Robin was surprised to find that he did not recognise a single face
amongst the dozen or so Guard who were there. Had even more been
lost since his time away?
Much, he noticed, was looking longingly at the food laid out on the
table. Robin smiled and touched his friend lightly on the
arm.
‘Go ahead Much. Eat to your heart’s content.’
Much pushed several dates into his mouth at once.
‘Here,’ he managed to get out, shoving a plate towards
Robin. ‘Don’t tell me you can’t eat
this.’
Robin had to agree it was good. Even so he wished the evening was
already over and he could just sleep. He drank the wine without
realising it and found his eyes closing as the babble of voices rumbled
on around him.
‘Ouch!’
Much poked him again.
‘Master,’ he hissed. ‘Wake up.’
Robin raised himself on his elbows, and caught the amused eye of a
large Saracen sitting opposite him. Robin shrugged his shoulders
and the big man laughed out loud.
Only then did Robin register that the table, and all the food, had been
cleared away, and there was now an empty space in the centre of the
room.
As three musicians and a very large lady clothed from head to foot in
black, took centre stage, Robin cast his eyes round the room looking
for a way out.
The musicians started to play and the woman sang. No doubt her
voice had once been fine, but she was well past her youth and Robin
found the deep resonance of her voice quite tortuous. He studied
the other faces in the room. The King’s men politely
listening, the Saracens continuing to talk. Robin suddenly felt
sorry for her. But not sorry enough to still wonder about that
way out.
The large man who had laughed at him skirted the perimeter of the room
and plonked himself down heavily at Robin’s side.
‘You are wishing you were not here?’ he said in perfect English.
Robin inclined his head.
‘Be patient my friend,’ smiled the man. ‘For the best is yet to come.’
Part 8
Marian smiled as Katherine entered the room.
‘Your hair is wet,’ Katherine exclaimed.
Marian laughed. The first time Katherine had heard her do so.
‘The rain felt so nice,’ Marian explained.
‘Then you walked across to the window,’ Katherine stated.
Marian’s smile vanished. Slowly she raised herself off the bed and again crossed the room.
‘That is really not so bad my dear,’ said Katherine
kindly. ‘I was afraid for a time that you would not walk at
all.’
‘I am not sure that would have been better. In fact,’
said Marian bitterly. ‘It might have been better if I had
not lived.’
‘How can you say that?’
‘Because,’ Marian replied, fighting her tears but losing
the battle. ‘Because now all I will do is think of
him. Wondering what he is doing. If he is happy. If
he is learning how to forget me.’
‘But surely when you are quite well you can return home,’ remarked Katherine.
‘No!’ snapped Marian, more vehemently than she intended.
‘He will still love you surely?’ Katherine went on. ‘That would not change just because…’
‘No,’ Marian again said, although quieter this time.
‘I will not be a burden to him. There is still so much to
put right back in England. I cannot have him worrying over me all
the time. It is better this way.’
‘Better for whom?’ Katherine asked.
But Marian shook her head and sank back down onto the bed.
‘He will already be getting over me,’ she said
quietly. ‘And the marks on me will always be a reminder of
what can never be.’
‘Children,’ said Katherine softly. And then she
understood. The Lady Marian wanted children and it was not the
marks that Robin would always be faced with. It was the fact that
Robin’s presence would always remind Marian of a door that was
now closed to her. The door that defined her as a woman.
Perhaps she was right to forget this man after all.
As Katherine recalled her soldier husband, long dead to her, she
wondered if she would rather have him with her today, disfigured and
crippled as he would have been, than not at all. It was a
question she would never have the luxury of knowing the answer to.
‘What will you do?’ Katherine asked, coming and sitting next to Marian.
‘I do not know Katherine. Only that I will not go back.’
Katherine took Marian’s hand in hers and silently they watched
the sky clear. As dusk fell and Marian slumbered once more,
Katherine eased herself off the bed and quietly stole out of the room.
Despite what Marian had said, Katherine had made up her mind. She
would not keep the truth from Robin of Locksley, she owed Marian that
much. But she would implore him to return for his lost
love. If he were the man the King had once talked about then he
would come.
Part 9
‘There is more?’ Robin asked of the big man sitting beside him.
‘Well worth the wait my friend,’ the man grinned lasciviously.
Robin had had enough. If he had to sit through one more singing
routine he was sure he would pass out. Even Much, replete with
food now, had sunk into a sleep depraved stupor.
Robin made to get up, but a large hand pushed him back down onto his cushion.
‘You are making a mistake my friend,’ the Saracen said. ‘Look.’
Robin’s surprise at seeing King Richard enter the room was
quickly replaced by awe, as a beautiful Egyptian girl followed in the
King’s wake, and took up a position in the centre of the
room.
Once more the musicians struck up their instruments, but she was not here to sing.
She was here to dance.
She was dressed simply, her ornaments few, and yet this somehow made
her all the more striking. An incandescent green tunic clung to
her upper body and at her throat she wore a single bronze necklace with
a pendant in the shape of the sun. Her skirt, the colour of
amethyst and made of gauzy material, was full and flowing. As she spun
round it flared out and revealed long, shapely legs.
And yet none of this would have held Robin’s attention for long.
That is until she smiled at him. It was only a second or two, and
at complete odds with the serious mood of her dance. And as she
did so he understood it had been for him, and him alone.
He felt a jolt to his heart that he recognised from long ago. The
day he had stood on Marian’s doorstep at Knighton Hall, she
pointing an arrow at him, on his return from the Holy Land. A
lifetime ago.
And as that image of Marian came to mind, he tore his eyes away from the dancer, unwilling to look anymore.
King Richard came over to Robin and shook his hand heartily, inclining his head at Much at the same time.
‘I am sorry I was late to greet you Robin. But,’ he
laughed. ‘I can see my arrival has come at an inopportune
time.’ He nodded at the girl and Robin returned his
attention to her once again, more out of politeness to King Richard
than anything. And for a second time he felt his heart leap as
her eyes met his.
Determinedly Robin turned back to King Richard and smiled awkwardly.
‘It’s okay,’ Richard smiled.
‘Enjoy. After all we have little enough to smile about
these days.’
At his words Robin immediately felt guilty. His mission here, as
he understood it, was to help protect the King, find out who his
enemies were, and to try and bring the peace treaty back on
track.
Robin made to speak but Richard put up his hands. ‘No
Robin. Tonight we relax. There is time enough to dwell on
the troubles we are facing.’
They all turned their attention back to the girl.
All too soon the music stopped. Hands were clapped and one by one men hauled themselves to their feet.
Without warning Robin discovered a soft hand under his chin and he
found himself staring into the most mesmerising liquid brown
eyes.
‘Do not be sad,’ she whispered.
And then she was gone.
Part 10
Marian felt herself drifting off.
She felt calmer tonight than she had in a long time. She had come to a decision.
She was going to accompany Katherine to the children’s sanctuary
on the outskirts of town. Volunteers were always needed.
She knew Katherine had some misgivings, and she could understand why,
but when she had seen the faces on those children, who had lost parents
in the fighting, she knew she could not turn her back on them.
She had been spared death for a reason. Perhaps it was to do more than just belong to one man alone.
……….
As they made their way through the deserted alleyways Robin’s
head was still filled with the moment that had passed between him and
the dancer. A moment he would prefer to forget. As they
came to a stop he almost ran into the back of King Richard, so lost in
thought was he.
‘You will rest here tonight my friends,’ said
Richard. ‘Hopefully you will find everything you
need. Tomorrow I will return and we will talk of what is to be
done.’
‘Shouldn’t we come with you?’ Robin asked, weariness
evident in his voice. ‘I thought our purpose of coming here
was to protect you.’
‘Richard smiled. ‘You could not protect a flea
tonight my friend. Please, all is in hand for this night.
You must both rest or you will be no use to me at all.’
Robin could see the sense in this.
‘Till tomorrow then,’ smiled Richard.
As he, and the guard he had brought with him, turned to leave, Robin cleared his throat.
Richard turned around. The two men’s eyes met.
‘She is called Solitaire my friend. Perhaps she will dance in your dreams tonight.’
And with that King Richard and his men made their way down the alleyway and disappeared.
As Robin and Much entered their room they found Richard had been true
to his word. Beds, food, water, even spare clothes, were laid out
for them.
‘Tonight I will sleep like the dead,’ said Much, as he sank
gratefully onto his bed, and lay back, closing his yes.
Robin smiled. Much hadn’t even removed his boots and already he was snoring.
Despite his tiredness Robin had a quick check around. They may
have only just arrived but already their presence here would be known
and speculated on. He did not want to find them at the mercy of
the King’s enemies before they had even started their
mission. Unfortunately, they were in a one-roomed dwelling that
had only one doorway – not ideal.
Robin removed his boots and placed his sword beside his bed, tucking a
further small dagger under his head. No point in taking chances,
not even with fleas.
………………
Katherine gently pushed open the door and entered Marian’s
room. Soft moonlight poured through the un-shuttered window and
bathed the girl’s face. This was not a face that a man could so
easily forget, she thought, especially a man in love.
It would be a long time before her message got to England and then to
Nottinghamshire, but Katherine was sure that the minute he received the
message he would be on the next boat out here.
Marian’s breathing was soft and even. Her face
peaceful. They walked through the forest, holding hands, birdsong
filling the air. No need for words. All thoughts
communicated through the touch of their fingers. All desires held
in check – a delicious promise that was yet to come. He had
asked her to marry him. They were to become man and wife.
Her and Robin.
……………..
She danced in his dreams. In green and purple, the light bouncing off the sun at her throat.
His eyes moved from her painted toes, along the contours of her body,
finally resting on her face. The beautiful face of his
wife. Promise me you’ll go on fighting she whispered as she
bent down and put her hand under his chin. Promise me
Robin.
He woke with a start, filled once again with that never-ending longing for her.
Tears slid from the corners of his eyes to land softly on the cushion under his head.
He lay for a moment or two, willing sleep to return, but knew it would not.
Carefully he got up, pulled on his boots, and slipped out into the
velvet night. It seemed he was destined to walk the night here in
Acre as he had done so many times under the trees of Sherwood
Forest.
Same moon, same stars, same heartache.
Part 11
‘Where have you been?’
Robin sank onto his bed and pulled off his boots.
‘Oh. Don’t tell me.’
Much came over and settled himself down next to his friend and master.
‘You’ve got to stop this night-time wandering Master.
It scares the hell out of me. What if something should happen to
you?’
‘I am sorry Much.’ And he truly meant it. He
knew Much would give his right arm to be back in Nottingham right
now. And yet here he was. For Much’s sake, if not for
his own, then he must try and “get over her” or at least
give that impression.
To lighten the mood Robin pointed at the large basket of food that had
magically appeared sometime during the night. But Much could not
summon a smile.
‘Much?’
‘Exactly,’ said Much sullenly.
‘What do you mean, “exactly”?’
‘Don’t you see,’ sulked Much. ‘This food
arrived without me waking. It could have been someone stealing in
to slit our throats and I would never have known. That’s
why I need you to stop wondering off all night.’
‘You are right Much,’ Robin admitted. ‘And I
will do my best. I promise. Perhaps you should tie me
down,’ he smiled.
‘Yes. Well, I would do that if I thought it would
help. But if we were attacked in the night, a fat lot of help you
would be, all tied up.’
Robin smiled again.
The inane banter he often shared with Much was something he needed more
than his friend would ever know. It kept him grounded when the
pain of her absence threatened to overwhelm him.
Much threw a bread roll at Robin.
‘Here. If you won’t sleep at least eat. We might need our strength.’
‘Indeed you might,’ came a voice from outside the doorway,
and King Richard pushed aside the heavy material covering the door and
stepped inside.
‘Your Majesty,’ Much bowed.
‘There is no need for formalities my friend,’ said Richard smiling. ‘Please continue eating.’
Much didn’t need to be prompted.
‘And now to business gentlemen. I am sorry about last
evening. I know you were both tired but there was a good reason
for it.’
Robin waited, wondering what a night of indulgences had to do with protecting the King.
‘There were two people I wanted you to meet last night. And
I will introduce you formally at some point. But I wanted an unbiased
opinion first.’
Richard sought Robin’s eyes.
‘The large Saracen who sat next to you Robin.’
‘Yes?’
‘His name is Solomon. He is most influential in these
parts. And more than a little wealthy. Although I have
some, how shall we say, “doubts” as to how he came into
that wealth.’
Robin wondered where this was leading.
‘You seemed to get on well?’
‘Yes I liked him,’ Robin replied.
‘And you would trust him?’
Robin thought for a moment.
‘Yes.’
‘Good. I am glad to hear that. I always knew you were
a good judge of men. May I?’ Richard helped himself
to a date.
‘And Solitaire? You liked her also?’
What kind of question was that? Robin felt himself blushing and Richard laughed.
‘I am sorry Robin. I could have put that better. Of
course you liked her. Everyone does. She is a beautiful
girl, and quite a beautiful dancer.’
Robin felt his pulse quicken at this talk of her and he recalled her
hand under his chin and her large eyes staring straight at him.
‘And,’ Richard went on. ‘She is a gift. A
gift for Saladin when the peace treaty is finally signed.’
Robin shook his head, as though to make sure he had heard correctly.
‘A gift?’
‘Yes,’ said Richard. ‘Let me explain.’
Richard settled himself into one of the cushions on the floor, and
indicated to his guards who were just outside the door to make
themselves comfortable.
‘Solitaire was sold by her family to a wealthy but sadistic
Saracen about a year ago. She had upset her family by not
entering into an arranged marriage. The man she was sold to did
not treat her well I understand, but shortly after she arrived he died
in mysterious circumstances. It just so happened that whilst I
went to watch her dancing one evening, an attempt was made on my
life. It was Solitaire who warned me and if it had not been for
her I might not be talking to you now.’
Richard paused to eat some more and then continued.
‘I took her under my protection. She had come to the
attention of Solomon and when it looked like the peace treaty was
faltering he rashly promised her to Saladin, as a gift.
Apparently,’ Richard chuckled, ‘War is not good for
business.’
‘And the girl?’ Robin finally spoke. ‘She is in agreement with this?’
‘Robin. I can see how you would find this a little
“uncomfortable” but this is the way things work over
here. You should know that. And, to answer your
question. Solitaire is happy with this agreement. For all
that we are at war with each other, I have a great deal of respect for
Saladin. He is an honourable man and I believe Solitaire will be
well treated.’
‘I do not see how this has anything to do with us protecting
you,’ Robin blurted out, rather more angrily than he
intended.
‘I am sorry,’ Richard replied. ‘For I must
admit to having misled you somewhat when I sent my message to
England.’
Robin again waited, sorry for his outburst.
‘It is not me I want you to protect. It is Solitaire.’
Marian had to admit that she was having some doubts about her decision
to remain in the Holy Land. Robin was devastated when she
“died”. Now she had the chance to go back to
him. So why was she not taking that chance?
Was it truly because of the way she found herself now, maimed by Gisborne’s sword? Or was it just foolish pride?
Perhaps it was something nobler than that? The old adage that
time is a great healer might well have some truth to it and perhaps
Robin was indeed coming to terms with her “death” and
moving on.
Or was it none of these things?
Because in her darkest moments the thoughts that kept her awake at
night, that moved her to tears in the dark, were that he had found love
again.
She did not want to believe this could be true. But, as she walked in
the night, when sleep would not come, she would whisper his name, and
he no longer seemed to answer.
………………..
He hardly recognised her. That is until she raised her big brown eyes to meet his.
She was wearing baggy grey pantaloons and an equally grey tunic that
came almost up to her neck. Only the necklace, shaped like a sun,
remained. Her hair was no longer elaborately braided and adorned
with small gold flowers, but pulled back from her face and tied simply
with a piece of white cotton, the heavy locks hanging down her
back.
But those eyes.
The King gave Much an amused look.
‘Gentlemen,’ Richard said. ‘Allow me to introduce you to Solitaire.’
She gave a little bow, and studied the faces of Robin and Much.
‘My dear,’ Richard continued, turning to the girl.
‘These are the men I spoke of. I think very highly of them
and they both served me well when last they were here. Robin here
is one of the greatest archers I have ever seen and will be able to
protect you, even from a distance. You will be able to go about
your business and I will be able to breathe easier.’
‘Richard. I have told you time and time again, I do not need a bodyguard.’
Her English was perfect, her tone defiant.
That’s no way to talk to the King of England Much thought, but
Richard smiled at her indulgently and continued as though she had not
spoken.
‘And now I know you are in safe hands I must go and speak to Solomon. Gentlemen. Solitaire.’
King Richard stepped outside leaving the three of them staring at one another.
It was Solitaire who broke the silence.
‘Well. It seems I am, how do you say, stuck with you.’
‘We’re really nice people,’ Much stammered, for want
of something to say. ‘Would you like a date. To eat I
mean,’ he quickly added.
Robin came to his rescue.
‘Solitaire. A very unusual name. Not your real one I assume?’
‘No, it is not my real name, but it is the name I choose. I always dance alone.’
‘Yes well,’ Robin replied. ‘I have more than
one name but my second one was chosen for me when I became an outlaw
back home in England.’
‘Robin Hood,’ she said and laughed, her whole face lighting
up. ‘What funny people you are.’
Much didn’t know whether to laugh or not. He was sure she was making fun of them.
‘You still haven’t answered my question,’ said Robin determinedly.
‘My name is Femi,’ she replied.
‘Femi.’ Robin rolled the name around on his tongue for a moment and then his eyes lit up.
‘Femi. It means love in Egyptian.’
‘Very good,’ she said. ‘You speak more than one tongue.’
‘When we were here before,’ Robin explained.
‘It wasn’t all fighting from morning till night.
There was a lot of waiting around.’
Much nodded vigorously.
‘And I needed to do something to occupy my mind. However,
the only other Egyptian I learned was, and he leaned forward and
whispered in her ear.
‘What,’ she laughed. ‘Don’t forget to feed the goat.’
‘Well it might have come in handy some time,’ he
grinned. ‘Mind you. I didn’t know it meant that
at the time. I think someone was pulling my leg.’
‘Why would someone want to “pull your leg”?’ she asked.
‘It means playing a joke. You know what…’
‘Yes. I know what a joke means. And I think that a
joke is being played on me by your King. I do not need to be
followed around by two men day and night. I am perfectly capable
of looking after myself. I do not need men telling me what I can
and cannot do.’
Robin drew in a sharp intake of breath.
Marian had once said that very same thing. It was as though she was standing in front of him now.
His change of expression did not go unnoticed by Solitaire. She ceased her tirade and walked up to him.
‘You are sad Robin of Locksley. Robin Hood. I have made you sad.’
Robin shook his head unable to speak.
If Marian’s spirit did indeed roam the streets of Acre, then it
had surely touched this girl. And if that was the case, then how
in this world could he do what the King had asked him to do.
In that moment his resolve to “get over her” crumbled, and he made an escape out of the doorway.
He weaved his way through the alleys, already familiar after his
earlier night wanderings. Finding a quiet one, pooled in shadows,
he lowered himself down against the cool white wall and buried his head
in his hands.
Part 13
Marian leant against the wall, glad of its support. Not knowing
why she had stumbled when she had been walking so well of late.
Katherine and Lilian were still rummaging in the market stalls and had not noticed Marian slip quietly down an alley.
The small market was being held in a square where Marian had been once
before. In a place where she had stood over an injured King
Richard. In a place where she had declared her love for Robin
Hood, and in a place where Guy of Gisborne had stabbed her and left her
for dead.
Even now, she could recall the look of disbelief, followed by furious
anger and, just before she fell to the ground, run through by his
sword, the look of disbelief once more. She did not forgive
him. She would never forgive him.
As the memories flooded back, Marian realised she needed a moment to herself.
The alleyway was cool and quiet. She leant against a wall and
stilled her breathing. It was not Katherine’s fault.
She did not know that this was where it had happened.
‘Oh Robin, how I need you,’ she thought. Immediately
followed by another thought. ‘I must go back to him. Back
to my beloved husband.’
She wiped away her tears and started to smile. I’m going
home she thought. When the next boat sails to England, I will be
on it.
‘Do you hear me Robin,’ she whispered to the heat filled air. ‘I’m coming home.’
……………….
Solitaire came and sat down next to Much.
‘He still misses her yes?’
Much turned and looked into the girl’s eyes. Without her
finery, and dressed as she was, he no longer felt in awe of her.
‘You know about Marian?’
‘Richard told me what had happened before you all sailed back to
England. I suppose he felt I should know a little about the men
he has asked to protect me.’
‘Then you will not…you will not..’ Much faltered, not knowing how to put it.
She gazed into Much’s trusting eyes. ‘I will not what Much?’
‘Hurt him,’ Much said softly.
‘You care for this man a lot,’ she replied, equally softly.
‘I owe him everything.’
‘Do not worry,’ she said. ‘It seems his heart
still belongs to her, even in death. And besides, I am promised,
as you know.’
‘And you do not mind?’ he asked.
‘Compared to some of the things I have had to endure in my
life? The answer is no. I do not mind.’ She
inclined her head towards the fruit bowl. ‘Could I have
that date now Much?’
Much handed one to her and smiled. Perhaps it would not be so
bad. After all, how hard could it be to protect one woman.
Then Robin walked through the doorway and Much hastily retracted that last thought.
‘I should go,’ said Solitaire, standing up. ‘It is
late and believe me, you will both want to be rested when you accompany
me tomorrow. I do a lot more than dancing.’
‘I’ll go with you,’ said Robin. ‘Richard said you are to be protected at all times.’
Solitaire nodded at Much, who had also risen to his feet.
‘Is it far?’ Robin asked.
‘No. Just two streets away.’
‘Much. You can stay here. I’ll be back in a moment.’
Much went to protest, meaning to point out that the King had instructed
for both of them to protect her, but Robin had already led Solitaire
outside and Much wondered if perhaps he wanted a moment alone with her.
‘You have changed your mind,’ said Robin, as he walked beside Solitaire down the quiet alleyway.
‘About what?’
‘About us protecting you?’
She laughed softly. ‘Yes. I was being, how do you say…’ She looked at Robin enquiringly.
‘Stubborn?’ he suggested.
‘I was thinking strong willed. But your word is better.’
She stopped walking as they reached an open doorway. The sound of music and the babble of voices came from within.
‘We are here,’ she stated.
‘This is where you live?’
‘For the most part.’
‘But it’s…. it’s…’
‘A house for the night ladies,’ she replied, helping him out. ‘How did you know that?’
Robin coloured, and looked as though he wished he were anywhere but standing here with her.
‘Perhaps there is someone here you wish to be remembered to?’
Robin met her eyes and then laughed. He could see she was teasing him. And he did not mind.
She noted his look of concern. ‘Do not worry,’
she said, as though reading his thoughts. ‘I do not work
here. Only sleep. I am quite safe.’
And with these words she disappeared inside.
Part 14
Solitaire was true to her word.
After a night of rest, it was all Robin and Much could do to keep up with her the following day.
Still dressed as on the previous evening, but with the addition of a
large woven basket on her arm, she led them from alleyway to alleyway,
from square to square, seeking out people who needed her help.
The old left to fend for themselves, their sons killed in the
fighting. The women folk with no husbands. And the
children, homeless and often parentless, who roamed the streets and
looked for her.
At first, Robin and Much kept their distance, sometimes together,
sometimes apart, keeping watch over Solitaire. They were amazed
by her stamina, the endless energy that propelled her through the
streets of Acre.
As the day wore on, they realised their presence had become fairly
obvious. The children especially were keen to see the infidels
who followed their ministering angel.
As Solitaire came out of a house with yet another heavy load of food
and clothing, she found herself smiling as the two men took some of the
load and helped hand it out to those that needed it.
‘When she said she didn’t just do dancing, I didn’t
expect this,’ Robin commented, as they followed Solitaire down
yet another alleyway.
‘The Night Watchman of Acre,’ mumbled Much. He stole
a glance at Robin. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean
to…’
‘It’s alright Much. Really it is.’
And he meant it. Despite the strangeness of the day, Robin
realised he was quite enjoying himself. Perhaps, as in
Nottingham, helping those who were unable to help themselves did act as
a salve on his wounded heart. Or perhaps it was no more than he
had found himself enjoying her company. And, he realised, he was
looking forward to the end of the day and the promise of her dancing
once more.
Robin and Much left Solitaire at her night residence to change and they
returned an hour later to escort her to a large house on the outskirts
of the town. There they learned it was Solomon’s house and
he was having a party with Solitaire being the star attraction.
‘Ahh. My friends. You are welcome. Come in,’ boomed Solomon.
Robin and much entered the room. The air was heavy with smoke
from a fire burning along the back wall, over which meat of some
description was cooking. Again, the centre of the floor was empty
but for a large and intricately coloured rug. And again, men
sprawled around its perimeter waiting for the main event –
Solitaire.
At first, Robin hardly recognised her as the girl they had trailed all over town with.
Her clothes were of the deepest red, edged with gold sequins.
Gold anklets and a myriad of bracelets adorned her ankles and
arms. Her dark hair tumbled down her back interlaced with tiny
gold flowers. And the necklace, in the shape of a sun, once
more encircled her neck.
She was quite exquisite and Robin again felt his pulse quicken, as he
had that first night he had seen her, and recognised a desire that the
daytime with her had not wrought.
I am tired he thought, and it is how she is dressed, how she moves,
that is making me feel this way. She is no more than a young
girl, making money by dancing for men’s pleasure and then giving
it away to the poor. She robs these men as quickly and as easily
as we robbed with our bow and arrow back in Sherwood. What is
more, she does it without them even realising. And that was when
Robin knew he wanted to know her better. A whole lot better.
Part 15
‘Are you sure my dear?’ Katherine asked.
Again Marian nodded.
‘Yes, I am sure. I really cannot face the rest of my
days without him, or at least knowing that he is happy without
me.’
‘So what will you do when you get to Nottingham?’
‘I will find out how he is. If he still needs me.’
‘And if he does not?’ said Katherine, voicing Marian’s fear.
‘Then I will leave,’ Marian answered softly. ‘I
have found out that I can still be useful. Whatever happens, I
will make sure that my continued existence has not been in
vain.’
‘I will miss you,’ said Katherine, changing the subject.
‘And I you,’ Marian replied. But in truth, the day
the next boat sailed to England could not come soon enough.
…………………..
Despite being drawn to Solitaire, Robin had enough awareness to know
that he needed to keep his ears and eyes open for any sign of
trouble. Any one of the men in this room could be the one trying
to destroy the path to peace. And targeting Solitaire would be
just another demonstration of that desire for the war to continue by
those who had something to profit by it.
He turned back to her and clapped along with the others as she finished
her dance. Once again their eyes met, and this time it was she
who appeared sad.
She suddenly looked so vulnerable, standing there surrounded by men and
yet alone. He wanted to hold her and show that he understood how she
felt.
But why now?
Why, when until tonight every sinew in his body cried out for
Marian. Was it no more than male lust, brought on by the magical
qualities of her dance and attire, the fragrance in the air, and the
red richness of a goblet of wine? Or had he decided, finally, to
let go of Marian and to move on?
And then, sick at heart, he realised, that whatever the reason, it
didn’t matter. She was promised to Saladin, and by none
other than King Richard himself.
Robin downed another goblet of wine without thinking and longed for the night to be over.
Part 16
Solitaire had told them she would be staying in Solomon’s house
that night, with two friends of hers, who worked at a sanctuary on the
outskirts of town.
Solomon had more than enough men to keep watch over her and with some
small hesitation the two men finally agreed to return to their quarters
for the night. They would be back the following morning to escort
Solitaire on her “rounds” once more.
Robin felt particularly tired, and knew he had made a mistake in
downing that last goblet of wine. He had also made a mistake in
letting his heart open up to the possibility of a liaison with
Solitaire. She was promised to another and he had promised
himself there would be no one after Marian.
But right now he had no time for these heavy thoughts. He just wanted to take off his boots and lie down.
‘We’re here Master,’ remarked Much, as Robin almost walked past their door.
Once inside, Much set about lighting candles. The one window was
small and did not let in the light well, and dusk was coming on in any
case.
Robin walked towards his bed, knocking a small table on route.
‘You’re drunk!’
‘I am not drunk Much. I had no more than two goblets of wine.’
Although he had to admit he wasn’t feeling too good.
‘Here,’ said Much. ‘Sit down and drink some water.’
Gratefully Robin sunk onto a cushion and drank thirstily.
‘You’re gonna feel like hell tomorrow,’ chortled Much, shaking his head at his master.
‘I feel like hell now,’ Robin replied, water spilling down his chin.
‘Well, serves you right,’ Much remonstrated. ‘Look
after Solitaire. Find out what you can about the King’s
enemies. Not drink too much. I’m surprised you made
it back here at all.’
Robin wished Much would just shut up. Something didn’t feel
right here. In fact something felt very wrong indeed. The
pains in his arms surely didn’t come from drinking too
much. He knew what that felt like.
‘Much?’
‘No. I’m not saying another word. Except maybe I told you so..’
‘Much?’
Something in Robin’s voice caused Much to stop fiddling and turn and look at him.
Much’s eyes widened.
‘Master. You look terrible.’
‘I feel terrible Much. And I don’t think it was just the wine I was drinking.’
He stopped talking as a griping pain took hold of his stomach.
For a moment he could hardly breath. A gnawing fear clutched at
him.
‘Master. Robin.’
Much was sitting in front of him now, holding Robin by the shoulders.
‘What is it?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Robin managed. ‘But I think I may have been poisoned.’
‘In the drink?’
Robin nodded.
‘Oh my God. What’ll I do?’ Much looked truly scared.
Robin met his eyes and an unspoken fear passed between the two men.
Much took a deep breath. He had to pull himself together for Robin’s sake.
‘The bazaar. I’ll go to the bazaar. I’ve
seen someone there. A girl with potions. Maybe she
can….’ Much decided to stop his useless
gibbering. He’s going to die he thought.
Robin tried to smile. ‘Just go Much. Go and find help.’
Much nodded but still lingered.
‘Go Much. Now!’
Robin waited until Much had gone before he lowered himself to the floor.
The bazaar is closed he thought. And Much will have no idea where to go.
Already Robin wondered if it was too late.
The pain had now spread from his arms to his entire body and as the
room blurred he realised he was about to lose
consciousness. Some instinct told him to concentrate on not
letting this happen.
He was desperately thirsty again. In his haste to get help, Much
had left the water jug on the other side of the room.
Robin was also concerned that whoever had done this to him might yet
seek him out to make sure the job was finished or indeed to finish him
off, and therefore a weapon might come in handy.
He looked around the room for his sword, smiling grimly as he knew he
probably wouldn’t be able to hold it, let alone wield it, but all
the same he would feel better if it was on his person.
Lastly, and by no means least, his bladder was telling him that it no longer wanted to be ignored.
The room took on a darker hue. Don’t lose consciousness he
again thought. Concentrate on the water, the sword, and your damn
bladder.
Well, the water was too far away for him to crawl to in his present
state, that much was obvious. His sword too, he saw was laying on
the mantel and he had no chance of hoisting himself up to get it. And
it was too late to worry about the latter.
Intense pain racked his entire body. He pulled himself along by a
few inches and then gave up. Gasping for breath he found his face on
the floor and he tasted the dust on the cold stonework underneath
him.
So this was how he was going to die. Not pierced by an
arrow. Not run through by a sword. But lying on a hard
stone floor, bathed in his own sweat and urine. He tasted blood
in his mouth as he bit down to stop from crying out.
The room grew darker still.
‘Marian,’ he exhaled into the stonework.
Marian flinched in her sleep.
Part 18
Three more weeks before a boat would sail.
Now that Marian had made up her mind to return to England, the day of leaving could not come quickly enough.
The constant heat and flies. The pitiful faces of the children,
and the never-ending demands for food or money or both. She was
truly sick of it.
And that was not all.
Last night, as she sat outside in the cooling dusk, staring once more
into the night sky, and wondering if he too was awake (not knowing if
it was night or day in England), she had felt a shiver come over her
that had nothing to do with the falling temperature.
Even when inside once more, she had been unable to shake off her
trembling. She wondered if she was coming down with some illness
or fever. How awful would that be? To have survived a near fatal
stabbing only to die of some foreign ailment.
Marian resolved to try and sleep. She must stay well. She must stay strong. She had to be on that boat.
……………………
Please let her be safe and well Robin begged, as he gazed into the
night sky, wishing he had another layer on now that the chill of night
was approaching.
He looked up at the stars, wondering at their patterns and found to his
dismay that he could not remember the stars over Sherwood Forest.
Are you up there he silently questioned. And will you forgive me if I love again.
Because he knew, as he waited full of inner turmoil for Much’s
return, that Solitaire was increasingly in his thoughts. And it
was both a delicious feeling and one of torment. Delicious to
yearn for the delights of a female again and yet torment because she
could not be his. Not ever.
Am I, he wondered, always destined to be alone?
And the stars were just stars. He would not find his answer out here.
He resolved to try and sleep.
If Solitaire was dead he thought, as he lay down, then he would
leave. Leave and return to England, despite what else the King
might ask of him.
If I lose someone else I care for in this God forsaken place then I need to be on that next boat home – to England.
Robin slept.
Marian slept.
And the dawn prayer rang out over the streets of Acre once again.
Part 19
‘Robin. Are you awake?’
Someone was softly shaking him.
Robin opened his eyes and regarded Much gravely.
‘She’s alright,’ Much immediately said, and noted the relief on Robin’s face.
‘You’ve been gone all night Much?’
‘No. I was here. You’ve been asleep all
night. For once. Actually, Ameena gave me something to put
in your water. Said it would help you sleep. And it seems
to have done the trick. You look one hundred times better this
morning.’
Much indicated a plate of food. ‘Breakfast?’
Robin gulped, excused himself, and bolted out the doorway.
‘Maybe not,’ Much muttered, helping himself to some bread.
A short while later Robin returned and gratefully downed a large cup of water.
‘Er…when I said one hundred times better, I actually meant ninety eight,’ Much grinned.
‘I’m surprised you can count that high,’ Robin smiled.
‘Now I know you’re better,’ Much grinned back.
‘Ever ready to attack the under educated.’
‘I’m sorry Much. But you do tend to walk into it sometimes.’
‘So how come you’re the one who got poisoned then?’ Much replied smugly.
‘Because I have a weakness for wine?’
‘Wrong answer. A weakness for women more like.’
Robin’s face clouded over.
‘I’ve put my foot in it again, haven’t I?’
Robin sighed.
‘No Much. You’re right. As usual.’
‘Master,’ said Much solemnly. ‘You have to be
careful. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.’
‘What can I possibly do Much. She’s promised to Saladin, by our King.’
‘Then you’ll let it go?’
‘Much. That may be assuming a little too much.’
‘Assuming what?’ Solitaire asked as she walked through
their door. ‘Are you alright?’ she immediately
asked Robin.
‘Me? Why didn’t you wait for us to come and get you? If the King knew…’
‘Knew what Robin?’ said Richard, following Solitaire into the room.
Robin regarded Much.
‘You told them.’
‘I was worried about you. That was all,’ said Much defensively.
‘This is not good,’ said Richard. ‘Whoever
tried to kill you is still out there. I have told Solitaire she
is to say with you and Much at all times. And I have doubled my
guards. Saladin is on his way to Tyre even as we speak. If
we can get Solitaire safely to him, and I can get the treaty signed, it
cannot come soon enough.’
He turned to Solitaire. ‘You must say with Robin and Much. No street walking. No dancing.’
‘But…’
‘And no buts.’
Richard again turned to Robin. ‘Make sure she does as she is told.’
‘Of course your Majesty.’
Richard kissed Solitaire lightly on the cheek. ‘My dear.’
He nodded at the two men and joined his guard outside.
‘Cards anyone?’ offered Much.
Part 20
‘Can I at least collect some of my things?’ Solitaire asked.
‘Of course,’ Robin replied. ‘I’ll come with you.’
‘Wait for…………me,’ Much said to the departing figures. He shook his head.
‘Are you sure you’re alright?’ Solitaire again asked, as they rounded the corner.
‘When Much told me what happened.’
‘It was my own fault,’ Robin admitted. ‘I should have been paying more attention.’
‘Instead of watching me,’ she replied, turning to him and looking him in the eye.
Robin’s heartbeat quickened. ‘You’re hard not to watch,’ he said.
She smiled to herself.
‘So,’ Robin continued. ‘How did you get into
this, what did the King call it? Street walking?’
She laughed. ‘I think there is another meaning for that in
this country. But I know what he means. It just
happened,’ she said, as they arrived at her door.
‘Tell me.’
‘Some of the children who go to the sanctuary do not stay
there. They want to be here, where their parents lived. One
night I stumbled upon some as I was coming home from a dance. I
gave them some money. The next day they turned up on my
doorstep. That is how it started,’ she said.
She took Robin unthinkingly by the hand and led him through a labyrinth of corridors to her room.
Busying herself collecting personal items, she carried on talking.
‘Don’t get me wrong Robin. The sanctuary is a lovely
place and the Sisters are very kind. But most of them are quite
old. Some are trained nurses, but many are not. They are
the washerwomen who lived and worked alongside the army. Most
have nowhere else to go and no one to go home to. There are one or two
younger ones. Like the lady with the limp.’
‘Who?’ Robin asked.
‘I have not spoken to her, but the children seem to like
her. English she is, and pretty by all accounts. I think
perhaps her husband was a soldier here. Some of the wives of the
King’s Guard followed their husbands out here.’
‘You seem to know a lot,’ he smiled.
‘It’s amazing what snippets of conversation you can pick up
whilst dancing,’ she smiled back. ‘I just need to
speak to a couple of my friends here Robin. I will not be
long.’
She left him sitting on her bed, gazing round at her things. The
room was small, her bed in its centre. There was little other
furniture to speak of, except for one low chair in a corner. The
walls, however, were adorned by her various dance costumes, in every
colour imaginable. He felt like he was sitting inside a walled
rainbow.
And he should not just be sitting he thought. Maybe the
poison still coursed his veins. They should be leaving.
Getting back to Much. Somehow he seemed to have lost his sense of
purpose.
When Solitaire returned she came and sat next to him and took hold of his hand. He did not attempt to pull away.
Their eyes met and something unspoken passed between them.
‘We should go back,’ he said.
‘Yes. I suppose so,’ she replied haltingly.
‘What is it?’ he asked.
She turned to him, her expression a little sad. Yet at the same time there was a knowing look about her.
He waited, his heart pounding.
‘All my life,’ she said. ‘I have been forced to
go with men I did not want or like, against my will.’ She
paused, as though making a decision, and then carried on.
‘Firstly my father.’
Robin’s eyes flickered but she paid no attention, determined to say her piece.
‘And then the cruel man he sold me to, amongst others. Even
Saladin, who I believe will treat me well, is not of my choosing.
Just for once I would like to be with a man because it is my
idea.’
Again she looked at him, and it was plain to her that he knew exactly what she was talking about.
Yet still he hesitated.
‘This will just make things harder for us,’ he said softly,
willing her to let him go because he didn’t have the strength
right then to walk away himself.
Instead she put his hand to her lips, a strange gesture, and planted
soft kisses on the back of it. Then raising her eyes to meet his
she said, ‘I think it is already too late for you to change your
mind.’
And as he lay down on the bed with her he decided that she was probably right.
Part 21
‘Marian,’ Katherine hissed. ‘Not down there.’
‘But the boy,’ Marian replied urgently. ‘He went this way.’
Ignoring Katherine, Marian headed down the dark alleyway, cursing her awkward gait for slowing her down.
If the boy was hurt then they needed to find him and quickly.
As Marian came to a halt outside the only lighted building, Katherine bustled up behind her.
‘Marian,’ said Katherine, almost beside herself.
‘He is much too quick for us, and this is the last place we want
to be standing at this late hour.’
‘I do not understand,’ Marian replied, wondering at the
babble of voices coming from within the house and straining to hear the
music behind its walls.
‘This is a house of ill repute Lady Marian. We must leave at once.’
Marian had to smile. Dear Katherine, usually so soft and gentle,
had become all stiff and starchy. She reminded Marian of a
nursemaid she had once had as a little girl. A nursemaid who
Robin liked to flick acorns at. A nursemaid he liked to play
tricks on, and a nursemaid who once gave him a thick ear for his
troubles.
‘Why are you smiling?’ Katherine asked, her head flicking back and forth.
‘Oh nothing,’ Marian grinned. ‘I was just thinking about a naughty little boy.’
Katherine looked at her quizzically, not quite sure what to make of the remark.
‘Yes, well. There are certainly a few of them in there. Now please hurry,’ she pleaded.
Again Marian smiled, but ruefully this time. Hurrying was
something she no longer had the luxury of being able to do.
As she limped behind Katherine, sorry they had lost the little boy, she
had a passing thought. Robin had spent a long time in the Holy
Land. Had he ever visited this alleyway?
She sighed. Why was she taunting herself with these thoughts,
when she should be concentrating on getting home, on finding him
again.
The man she loved, and the man who loved her, and only her.
......................................
Part 22
Everything about him was so different from all those heavy men she had found herself cursed with over the years.
She was enthralled to find she could wrap her arms completely around
him. Her hand briefly found his scar, and she sealed it with a
caressing touch.
Just to hold him like this was enough for her, though not enough for the man she was sure.
And then in that moment, as he sought her mouth, she knew it was not
enough. Could never be enough. She had wanted to lie with a man
of her own choosing, and now she did not want to let that man go. Not
ever.
…………..
If her lips had been Marian’s. If her taste had been of
Marian, he would not go through with it. He would tear himself away
from her, despite the demands his body was making. But they were
not. She was as exotic to him as the perfume she wore and the
language she spoke. And he went to her willingly because he was
not reminded of Marian. Because, for tonight only, he promised
himself, he would allow himself this indulgence.
Nothing about it seemed real. Nothing here was real.
Only the forest and the leaf-strewn ground and the cloudy sky.
And only Marian, riding or walking through it. They were the only
things that had been real in his life.
And once there was peace here again, and Solitaire was gone, he would go back to that place and back to his memories.
But as Solitaire caressed his scar and then suddenly held on tightly to him, he realised he was wrong.
Solitaire was here, she was real, and Marian no longer walked or rode through the forest.
Marian’s spirit was here, in this place, and perhaps it was here he belonged after all.
And if he could have Solitaire, perhaps he would stay. Forever.
……………….
Marian cried. Because the next boat was still several days away, and Robin could be drifting from her, even now.
Part 23
Much knew where he was of course.
He paced the room. Even the newly arrived plate of food could not stop his agitation.
What was Robin playing at? Playing with fire, that’s what.
And they could not afford to play. Since the poisoning this mission had become deadly serious.
Why could he not have found another girl here, if he’d wanted
one? Of course, that was the trouble. He did want one
– and her name was Marian. Perhaps he thought he
would find it in Solitaire, but she was not the answer. She
belonged (or would belong) to Saladin.
Much paced some more.
Then stopped and studied the plate of food, wondering if he could
manage just a little. And as he stood there, Will and Djaq came
to mind. Much needed to talk to someone, anyone. And for
the moment Robin was lost to him.
……………..
Will, open mouthed, dropped the plate he had been holding. It smashed to smithereens on the hard stone floor.
Djaq ran into the room, and stopped, also open-mouthed.
‘Sorry,’ Much flustered. ‘Didn’t mean to scare you.’
‘Much!’ exclaimed Djaq, recovering first. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Well, I came for a bit of a chat actually.’
‘You…came…for…a…bit…of….a….chat,’ echoed Will slowly.
‘Well, obviously I didn’t just get on a boat just to see
you for a chat. But I…oh,’ Much grinned sheepishly
at Djaq.
‘Sit down Much,’ she said smiling. ‘And start from the beginning.’
Much explained about the message from the King, and how he and Robin
had left Allan and John in Nottingham and how they had come to the Holy
Land.
‘So where is Robin?’ Will asked.
‘What. Right now?’
‘Yes. Right now?’
‘Ahh,’ Much replied.
‘What does “ahh” mean?’
‘Well, I’m not exactly sure where he is. That is, I
think I know where he is. And more to the point who he’s
with.’
‘So you do know where he is?’ asked Will, a little exasperated.
‘Well, he’s been a little, how can I say, distracted, not to mention poisoned.’
‘Poisoned!’ both Will and Djaq exclaimed.
‘But I’m sure he’s on top of things. Oh God,
did I say that. I mean, I’m sure he’s alright.’
‘Much. You don’t sound very sure at all,’ said
Djaq. ‘Is there something we’re missing here?’
Much sat down and started tucking absentmindedly into a bowl of fruit.
Will and Djaq also seated themselves and waited.
‘Well?’ said Will at last.
‘Oh, yes. Well. There’s this woman.’
Will and Djaq exchanged looks.
Bit by bit Much explained about Solitaire and Saladin and King Richard, and finally how he and Robin came into things.
‘So Robin is with her now. Protecting her?’ Will asked.
‘Yes,’ Much answered indistinctly, between bites of an apple. ‘Protecting her.’
Will and Djaq both stared at him, beginning to comprehend.
Part 24
‘Richard!’ Solomon boomed, as the King stepped into the room.
He indicated a chair, and took a swig from his large goblet, an identical one appearing before King Richard.
‘I would ask to what I owe this pleasure, but I think I already know the answer.’
Richard nodded. ‘Saladin will be here soon. He is on his way even as we speak.’
‘And the girl is safe?’
‘She is with Robin and Much. She is safe,’ returned
Richard. ‘I will go to them shortly and advise them of the
meeting. My guards are already primed.’
‘Good, good.’ Solomon rubbed his hands
together. ‘Do you think Solitaire is aware of the riches in
her possession?’
‘You have asked this question before my friend,’ smiled
Richard. ‘And you know the answer. The lands and
wealth of her father passed to the man she was sold to and consequently
on to me.’
‘Is that what you call winning a game of chance,’ grinned Solomon.
‘Call it what you like,’ Richard retorted. ‘You
know I have no interest in those lands or monies. I desire
nothing more than to be done here and return to France. And to
answer your question – no I do not think Solitaire is
aware. And nor shall I tell her. You know what she is
like. She will want to give it all away to the poor.’
Solomon regarded Richard expectantly.
‘Do not worry my friend,’ Richard said. ‘You
will get your share for your part in setting up this liaison with
Saladin.’
Solomon smiled.
Richard stood up and made to leave.
‘Oh,’ said Solomon, as an afterthought. ‘Once
the exchange has taken place and the treaty is signed, you will tell
Robin of Locksley about his woman?’
‘Of course. As I have said before.’
‘Only, she was enquiring about a boat to England and one will be
here shortly. It would be a shame for them to miss one
another.’
Richard smiled. ‘Solomon. You make yourself out to be
such a tough businessman but you are really quite a romantic at
heart.’
Solomon chuckled expansively.
‘You know why I kept her survival a secret from Robin,’
Richard again explained. ‘This treaty is too important for
my man to be distracted by a woman. Especially one he thought
lost to him. I could not take that chance. But it is nearly
over my friend, and Robin will be reunited with his lady love, I can
assure you.’
‘Then let us hope,’ said Solomon gravely. ‘That he is not already being distracted.’
Richard shook his head. ‘I trust Robin. And Solitaire
knows what is at stake, even without knowing about the monetary
details. Trust me Solomon. They will do what is required of
them. This is one game where the stakes are too high to take any
risks.’
And with that Richard, and his assembled guard, took their leave.
Solomon smiled to himself. He had had more women than hot dinners
(despite his expansive frame) and it would not be too difficult for a
gorgeous creature such as Solitaire to turn a man’s head.
If it was not for the agreement with Saladin, he had had half a mind to
try for her himself.
Part 25
‘We should go back,’ whispered Solitaire, placing her hand lightly on Robin’s back.
Robin continued to stare out of the small window, gazing at the tiny courtyard and the wide expanse of sky beyond.
The sun was at its zenith and Robin was not surprised to find the streets and alleyways of Acre quiet.
As he led Solitaire, one hand holding her bag, the other her hand, he
felt uneasy. He was sure he had heard footfalls both ahead and
behind them, but when he looked he could see no one.
He felt her squeeze his hand but made no acknowledgement of it.
Just a few short hours ago everything had seemed so clear to him. Now,
as they made their way back to the others, Robin realised that his life
was not to be that simple. That nothing about love, or at least
the idea of being in love, was that simple.
He made to speak, to try and say something to explain to her why he had
let the moment get so out of hand, when suddenly some i | | |
