Maid of Sherwood (16 page)

Chapter Twenty-Six:

Mother paced across the sitting room, her movements crisp and angry. “He
dares
engage Marian to that—that lunatic?? Without our consent? Alan, this is madness!”

“And what would you have us do about it?” Father asked mildly. “Until Richard returns, we are subject to his whims.”

“We are going to kill him,” Marian said.

Father stared at her. “Kill who? Prince John?”

“No, the sheriff,” Marian exclaimed. “Did Mother not tell you?”

Father shook his head. “What’s she talking about, Bea?”

Mother sighed. “The Lady of the Lake wants Robin to kill the sheriff using Marian’s sword. I was going to tell you
privately
, but there was no time.”

“Unless she plans on it happening tonight, it does not solve our immediate problem,” he said.

“I cannot be betrothed to the sheriff,” Marian said. “How can the prince betroth me to someone without my permission?”

“He is our regent,” Mother said. Her voice was bitter. “He can do anything he pleases. But do not concern yourself, Mari. You will never marry the sheriff. I will not allow it, even if I have to kill the man myself.”

“I doubt it will come to murder,” Father interjected. “The wedding will not take place until the Harvest. That gives us six months.”

“And in the meantime what am I supposed to do?”

“For the interim, you will be a young, nervous bride-to-be.” Mother said. “I still have to get Excalibur to Nyneve tonight, before the prince’s announcement. Go down to the kitchens and see if Anna can rustle up a meal we can eat here.”

“She has been spending a great deal of time there,” Marian said. “I have hardly seen her.”

“Anna has been occupied with one of the older pages,” Father said. He shrugged when Mother raised an eyebrow at him. “The cooks are the backbone of every home, castles included.”

“Regardless of her desires, her duties are here. Tell her to come upstairs at once.”

“Yes, Mother,” Marian said obediently.

Anna was not in the kitchens.

“No, milady, she has not been ‘ere all day,” one of the serving girls said, her hands full of assorted cheese wheels. “Last I saw ‘er, she was with the sheriff’s page.”

Marian frowned. “Do you by chance know what they were doing?”

The girl shrugged. “Talkin’, milady.”

Marian narrowed her eyes. “I would never ask you to betray her, but is there any way you would know what they were discussing?”

“I do not eavesdrop, but I
did
over hear somethin’ curious.” She adjusted the cheese wheels in her arms. “They was talkin’ about some special sword. Anna told him she knew all ‘bout it.”

“Thank you,” Marian whispered, her voice suddenly gone at the thought of Anna having betrayed them all.

The serving girl ducked her head.

Marian stumbled out of the kitchens, her head spinning.

“Lady Marian, just the woman I was looking for,” The smarmy voice of the sheriff met her. “The prince just informed me we are to wed. What an utterly delightful prospect.” His tone implied marriage to him would be anything but.

“I—yes, that is what I was told earlier.”

“Then I think a walk together would not be amiss.” He took her arm. “Come, we have much to discuss before tonight’s banquet.” He propelled her at a brisk pace past the throne room and the dining hall.

“Sheriff, where are you taking me?” Marian tried to pull free of him but his grasp was unyielding.

“Somewhere we can have the privacy we need.”

“I do not think—” Marian began, but the sheriff cut her off.

“Your thoughts are not my concern,” he ground out. “You are my betrothed, sanctioned by the throne itself. Your only duty is to obey me.”

“I think not!” Marian protested. “If this is the way you hope to endear yourself to me, allow me to inform you that you are severely mistaken.”

“No,
Lady
Marian, you are the one who is mistaken.” The sheriff continued past the stairs to Marian’s rooms and down the old stone corridor. “You see, I know what you have in your possession. And I aim to have it.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Marian said.

“Then please allow me to be perfectly clear,” the man sneered, all semblance of courtliness vanished now that they were in the older part of the castle. “Your maid was most forthcoming with Phillipe. It was quite easy to gain the information we sought.” He twisted her arm brutally, and she cried out.

“Stop it! Where are we going?”

“These doors, my
beloved
, are the dungeons.”

“Wh—what? Why?” Marian writhed wildly in his grasp.

The sheriff pulled open a familiar door and tossed her inside, slamming the door behind them. “I have questions. And you
will
answer them.”

Marian scrambled away from him. “I do not know what you want from me!”

He stalked closer. “Answers, Marian. I am not a fool. I know your family history.”

 “You brought me a visitor,” Dulcina sang out unexpectedly. “Can I meet her?”

“Not now, Scarlett Bird,” the sheriff growled.

“Ohhhh, you are angry.” Dulcina cowered back in her chains. “But I have been good. I promise.”

“I am not angry at you, Bird.” The sheriff snatched at Marian’s arm and hauled her up. “But I do not like liars, and your new roommate is a liar.”

“You are mad if you think I am staying here,” Marian snapped. Her foot shot out and she kicked him in the shin.

He grunted, but did not loosen his grip. “Lady Marian, it seems you are not a lady, after all. Very well, I shall treat you accordingly.”

“You mean like you treated Dulcina?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Marian realized she had made a crucial mistake.

“It appears you have availed yourself of my dungeons before.” His eyes narrowed.

Her back stiffened. “I have,” she admitted. “And if the way you treated Dulcina is the way you treat women in your care, I refuse to be counted among them.”

He dragged her to the wall opposite Dulcina. “Understand this. You do not have a choice in the matter.”

She spit in his face.

The sheriff grabbed her by the throat.

Dulcina screamed. “Stop, stop it, you will kill her!!”

He released Marian’s throat immediately. She began coughing.

“He will not stop until you tell him the truth.”
The ghosts whispered.
“He wants the sword. It is the only way he can rule England. He needs it.”

Marian shook her head. “But I do not know where it is.”

The sheriff’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you speaking to? It is those thrice damned ghosts, is it not??”

Cackling laughter rang out. The sheriff blanched.

“He is scared of us.”
The teasing voices turned sober. “
He should be.”

“Lady Marian,” he hoisted her up and shoved her against the wall before chaining her legs. “Prince John has presented me with a unique opportunity, and I plan to take full advantage of it.”

Marian looked up at him with tear streaked cheeks. “I will not marry you.”

He laughed. “I have no interest in marrying you, and the beauty of my plan is that I will not have to.”

“Are you going to kill me?”

“Of course not.” He actually looked shocked at the idea. “No, you will remain here and keep Dulcina company.”

“I shall be missed,” Marian sank to the ground, her fingers already picking at the metal cuff around her left ankle.

A half smile played around the sheriff’s lips. “Yes, you will; by your betrothed as well as everyone else in the castle.”

“And where will you tell them I am?”

“Sherwood Forest, of course. You have been kidnapped by Hood and held for ransom. As your betrothed, it falls upon me to rescue you and ensure your safety.”

“Ro—that would never happen!” Marian held her breath, hoping he did not notice the slip of Robin’s name.

“It does not matter,” the sheriff said. “As soon as I leave here, whatever I say will be the truth. Now, make yourself comfortable and think about where your family has hidden that sword.”

“But what about afterward?” Marian could not help but ask. “Will you keep me down here forever?”

“That is not a possibility,” he said. “Your mother is a descendant of the crown. She will not rest until you are found.”

It was Marian’s turn to look smug. “Then it appears as though you have a problem.”

The sheriff shrugged. “Once my plans come to fruition, any problems I may have will be easily solved.”

He glanced over at Dulcina, still cowering in her own set of manacles. “Everything will be all right, little Bird. Do not fret.”

“Then—then you are not angry anymore?” She queried.

He shook his head. “Not at you, never at you.” He smiled. “I love your new dress.”

The other woman grinned. “’Is it not pretty? The maid who brought it said you gave it to me.” The chains about her ankles clinked when she rose to her feet. “See?” Dulcina held her arms out. Elaborate floor length sleeves brushed the stone flooring of the dungeon.

“It looks beautiful on you,” he said.

“Will you dance with me?” Dulcina tilted her head to one side.

“I wish I could, Scarlett Bird,” the sheriff returned. “But I have court business to attend to first.”

The older woman pouted. “But then you shall come back and dance?”

“If I can, I will. I promise.” He blew her a kiss before striding across the room and shutting the door behind him.

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

“He will come back,” Dulcina swept her arms back and forth, watching the blue wool sleeves drag on the floor with a rapt expression. “If he leaves the torches lit, he always comes back.” She giggled.

“Do you remember me?” Marian asked.

Dulcina frowned. “You look familiar. Do I know you?”

“I am Will’s friend; Beatrix du Luc’s daughter.”

The other woman shook her head. “You cannot be Marian. Why, you must be nearly grown! Marian is but a child, nearly a year younger than my Will.”

“Will is seventeen,” Marian said. “And I turned sixteen last month.”

“That is impossible.” Dulcina said flatly.

“It has been five years,” Marian insisted. “Will was just barely thirteen when you were brought here.”

 “Why would I come here? This is not my home.”

 Marian bit back a sigh of frustration. “You came to the castle after your husband was murdered to claim justice for him. You never returned.”

“But Will is all right?” Dulcina sat, her feet curled underneath her.

“Yes, of course he is. He was raised by your sister, Constance.” Marian bit her lip, unsure of how much she should tell the other woman.

“I had a sister once,” Dulcina said dreamily. “Her name was Constance.” She leaned forward, peering through the torchlight at Marian. “Is she still alive?”

Marian nodded. “Yes, her and Will live in a house very close to us.”

“That must be nice. Will always needs more friends. He is such a lonely boy.”

It was, Marian realized, going to be difficult to get Dulcina to understand what had happened to her. She sighed and tried again.

“Do the ghosts speak to you often?”

Dulcina smiled, and it lit her entire face. “Oh, yes. They are wonderful company.”

“What do they speak to you about?”

“They tell me stories,” she said, “about their lives here. It sounded like great fun.”

Marian frowned briefly. “Do they ever tell you why they died?”

“No, we do not speak of such things. They are—” she shrugged. “Uninteresting.”

“What are their names?”

“I have no idea. It seemed unimportant.” Dulcina raised one eyebrow. “Do you need me to ask them for you?”

“No, I have spoken to them myself.” Marian said.

“All you had to do was ask,”
the shadows said.
“The eldest is Dalen, and his brother is Alair.”

“Then why are you bothering me with such questions?” Dulcina yawned suddenly. “I am tired. Can you come and visit me tomorrow?”

“I fear you will have my company for a time,” Marian returned.

“Oh, good. I love having company stay the night.” The other woman smiled at her sleepily. “Good night…what did you say your name was?” Without waiting for a reply, she curled into a ball, her head resting on her arms.

“Marian,” she said softly, not knowing if Will’s mother would remember when she woke up. “My name is Marian.”

“Are you lonely? We can keep you company while she sleeps,”
The shadows crawled up the dungeon walls until all the stones were black.

Tears trickled down Marian’s cheeks. “I am not lonely,” she admitted. “I am scared.”

“
Prince John will not harm you
,” they said. “
Not like he did us.”

 “No one knows why you were killed; only that the sheriff and the prince did it.” She sniffed. “What if they decide to condemn me to the same fate?”

“The sheriff was correct. He cannot afford to harm you.”

“Because he wants Excalibur,” Marian stated.

“What he wants, he will not get. But that does not mean he will not bring you grief.”

“What do you mean?”

“He is adapt at pretense, and you are confined.”

“Why do you sound more like the Lady of the Lake, and less like children?” Marian narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“
Very good. I can, upon occasion, use the boys for my own purposes.”
The Lady sounded amused. “
Now listen carefully. Even now, the castle guards are readying themselves to tear Sherwood apart, searching for you.”

“Who is coming to rescue us?” Marian could not disguise the eagerness in her voice.

“
No-one,”
Nyneve replied. “
At least not immediately. I am sorry, Marian, but your fate dictates that it is not I who shall be the instrument of your release.”

Marian glanced at where Dulcina slept. “It hardly seems fair.”

”Nevertheless, it is necessary. Be patient. Help will come.”

“When?” Marian asked.

“
When what?”
The voices were the voices of small children once more.

Marian leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. “Never mind,” she whispered.