Sherwood (24 page)

“
Your food,
Outlaw.”

Chapter
Twenty-two

As soon as the words left
her mouth, there was a moment of complete silence, before a quiet
scuffling could be heard. In the small amount of light, Harlow
could see the small movements and shades of gray that resided in
the cell.

Slowly, a figure started to
come closer in the warm lighting. First she saw his feet, but soon
after his torso had made itself apparent to her.

Harlow let her jaw drop an
inch or so. This wasn't as she had expected. Enders clothing hung
off his body as he stepped forward, stumbling slightly. He'd easily
lost twenty pounds within the last month and a half. He'd kept most
of his muscle, she noticed when his arms came into her view.
Otherwise, he was thin and looked sickly.

He was underfed.

'He's dying.'

Harlow watched with her jaw
slack as Enders face stepped into the light.

His cheekbones were much
more apparent than she'd last remembered. The bags under his eyes
were heavy, and it'd been so long since he'd seen the light that he
held up a hand to shield his eyes from the torch light.

The two didn't say anything
for a few moments. Enders let his jaw fall as well, but his eyes
looked more dazed and confused than anything else. He eyed the food
in her hands hungrily.

Without a word she slipped
the tray to him as fast as she could, through a small opening at
the bottom of the cell door.

He immediately dropped to
the floor and piled the food into his mouth when it was within
reach.

Harlow in turn, dropped to
the floor, her body trembling at the sight of him. She sat as he
ate his food for minutes, Enders focusing on the food and Harlow
focusing on Enders.

Silently, he glanced up at
her, an old expression there; an expression in his eyes that she'd
last seen weeks ago when he'd been irritated with her behavior.
“Why?”

Harlow lifted her eyes to
his own, covering her mouth with one hand. “Why what?” Her voice
was shaky and her hand was doing no justice in concealing her
terror.

Enders kept his eyes on
her, trying to look as menacing as he could.

The very sight of his
cheekbones through his skin made her cringe. She looked away
sadly.

“
I did this
for you.” It wasn't a bitter statement, but it certainly answered
his question.

Enders dropped his eyes,
and even though she thought he'd yell at her, he seemed more
relieved than anything else.

Harlow shrugged. She wanted
to reach out and touch him. “I couldn't let you die
here.”

Enders nodded and continued
to eat his food in the silence that filled the air.

Harlow looked at the torch
in her hands and stared at the doorway. The scribe on the other
side hadn't said anything to her yet, but she knew he would become
suspicious soon. “I must go.”

Just before she moved, she
felt the warmth on his hand on hers.

She looked at him, taking
in a deep, trembling breath.

“
Please,” He
whispered. “Come back.”

Harlow nodded. “I'll bring
you more food.”

Harlow stood and composed
herself slightly before putting the torch back on it's holder and
striding out of the corridor, and through the door. She walked up
to the scribe. “Thank you for letting me see this outlaw. He gave
me only few answers. If you don't mind, may I ask him more about my
father tomorrow?”

The scribe looked uneasy
for a moment. He sighed. “Only if you're quick about
it.”

Harlow nodded. “Right.
Thank you, kind scribe.” The man smiled at the
compliment.

Harlow smiled back gently,
tiredly glancing down before striding out of the chamber and up the
staircase.

'
How could they do
this?'
Her thoughts rang out
in her head, causing a full panic in her chest. Anger started to
build in her and spread throughout her limbs.
'He'
s
dying.'
She thought, sadness
and frustration about to explode from her.

As she walked back to the
kitchen, she strengthened her resolve to save him, to get him out,
and take him back to Sherwood.

*~*~*

Harlow walked through the
castle, frustration still echoing in her heart throughout the day
as she ran errands and delivered supplies.

She held a sheet in her
hands, making folds and creases as she glared into
space.

“
Harlow!” She
heard her name ring out in the corridors.

She turned her head to the
right, where the voice came from. Parker walked toward her, leaving
his fellow soldiers and coming closer to her.

Harlow forced a smile onto
her face. “Hello Parker,” She said, glancing up to his face for
only a moment before looking back down to the clothing in her
hands.

Parker wore his usual
friendly, enthusiastic smile. His charismatic eyes landed on hers,
and for a moment she felt her head clear, but Enders' face came
back almost immediately. "How are you this evening?"

Harlow had to fight to keep a smile on
her face. "Fine. How are you, Parker?"

Parker nodded, the smile he wore still
plaguing his lips for several moments. "Very well. We're back from
that scouting mission I told you about. It went well.”

Harlow smiled at him for a moment,
taking all the laundry in her arms and heading down the hall,
Parker following next to her. "I'm glad you're back safely." She
said quietly, not in the mood much to speak.

He looked up to her and smiled gently.
"Aye. Myself as well.” He sighed, following her as she stopped and
opened a pantry, placing several sheets and linens on the shelves.
“I've been given permission to leave military duty. King Wesley has
seen my work and offered to let me free of the royal
army."

Harlow raised an eyebrow, trying to
push Enders to the back of her mind temporarily. She needed to keep
up her act and focus on Parker for the moment. Harlow turned her
head to Parker, stunned almost. "What? How? I've never heard of
someone being relieved of military duty like this."

Parker tilted his head gently and
turned his eyes downward for a moment. “I told him my intentions to
have my own family and raise my own children. He's given me
permission to become a civilian and have all those things I so
desire.”

Before Harlow could fix her own
thoughts, she was struck frozen by him. His hair swung gently at
his eyes as he towered over her. She realized he was a little too
close for her comfort, but even if her feet would move, she had no
where else to go.

He looked at her with smooth, almost
anxious eyes. "You deserve more than this castle for your life. You
deserve a family and children."

Harlow felt her heart stop for a
moment. She knew what he was doing, and she didn't like it one
bit.

"You deserve what every
other woman can have, and more. I can give you everything you've
ever wanted. I
want
to give you everything you've ever wanted." He paused, staring
at her for a moment.

Harlow had let her jaw drop and her
eyes go wide. She stared at him with complete shock and slight
horror.

"I'd like to arrange our marriage."
Parker said, a smile displaying itself proudly on his lips. He was
confident and enthusiastic, his smile never faltering and his
confidence never fading.

Harlow knew he was attractive, and he
was husband material. He was a commander of the royal army, and he
had barely any faults. He was calm, cool, collected, happy,
well-mannered, fit, and caring. Harlow had so many thoughts rushing
through her mind, she couldn't sort the good from the bad. She knew
if it hadn't been for Enders, she may have even genuinely agreed,
and it was that very thought that scared her the most.

Harlow stayed silent for a moment
before looking back down to the laundry in her hands. It felt as if
the gates to her memories had been opened and images flooded into
her brain. Enders face and his laugh, the way he said her name all
came rushing into her mind and refused to let her go from its
grip.

She felt the fabric in her hands,
replaying several moments she'd shared with Enders in her mind. She
felt herself come back to reality as she stood there.

Harlow couldn't say no. Parker was the
most suitable man in the castle. He was young and handsome, and
every girl in the castle aspired to be with someone like him. It
would be suspicious if she had said no to his proposal. She felt
hopeless, and she knew she had no choice.

She turned her eyes up to
him and forced a huge smile on her face. It made her sick to her
stomach. "I'd like that."
The
second the words left her mouth, she felt the wave of guilt wash
over her. Enders immediately came into her mind. Every memory she'd
shared with him made her cringe.

Parker's smile grew as
Harlow had to force hers to stay put on her face. He didn't seem to
notice her discomfort. “I'll start preparations immediately.” He
beamed, happily.

Things seemed to be
happening in a blur for her. Parker came close to her and hugged
her carefully.

“
We will
speak later,” Parker said, pulling away from the hug, resting his
hands on her arms, and nodding toward her. “Have a good evening,
Harlow.”

Harlow nodded as he pulled
away from her, the singe of guilt washing over her at the sudden
contact.

Parker turned away from
her, offering one last grin before he did so. Harlow nodded,
sending a smile back to him.

It pained her to her very
core to smile.

Parker strode down the
hall, away from her, turning a corner, a grin obviously plastered
on his face,

Seeing his excitement made
Harlow cringe even more, tears starting to well up in her
eyes.

It was then that she
realized that time was running out.

*~*~*

'I could
sneak him out through the gardens,'
Harlow thought, turning down corridors, the sound of her
feet matching the beating of her heart. She carried rags and towels
toward the kitchen area, her disdain for the castle's gray walls
growing more with every step.

It had been damn near a
week since she'd seen Enders, and she couldn't find an excuse to
see him. She was running through strategies, but every single one
ended up with him dead.

“
Harlow,
dear!” The cook immediately exclaimed, kneading his dough, his
cheeks rosy red with excitement.

“
Hello, sir
cook,” Harlow greeted, offering a small, fake smile before placing
the rags down on the counter and looking up at him.

She patted and fixed her
dress before placing her hands on her hips. She raised an eyebrow
upon seeing a giddy, excited Cook before her. “Another feast, is
there?”

“
Aye, my
girl,” He said happily. His smile fell only slightly as he glanced
at the cart in the corner of the kitchen. “I hate to ask, dear, but
can you deliver a plate to the prisoner outlaw
downstairs?”

Harlow felt her smile
falter and her heart beat faster. She felt her hands grow numb and
excited. She nodded, trying to compose herself as she stepped
toward the cart.

“
I can
indeed,” Harlow said, a genuine, small smile on her
lips.

She felt her heart start to
beat with excitement.

“
Thank you,
dear,” The cook said, paying attention to the dough in front of
him.

Harlow nodded, silently
taking the plate from the cart. She looked up to the cook and
noticed his back turned to her. She quickly swiped three extra
bread rolls, shoving them into her roomy pockets and rushing out of
the kitchen. She picked up her pace, excitedly, reaching the stairs
to the basement area, and prisoner's quarters, in what felt like an
eternity.

She took the stairs two at
a time, making her way to the bottom in record timing.

The dark walls and dim
lighting made her take a moment to adjust her eyes before she could
see the scribe from her previous encounter in the dark
room.

“
Get over
here, outlaw!” A demanding voice rang out in the darkness. Harlow
immediately, turned her eyes toward the hallway leading to Enders'
cell. She noticed the open door, and the unnatural torch light
seeping from the corridor.

“
Bind his
hands. Hurry up.” The other voice rang out, taking Harlow by
surprise.

She let her eyes grow large
and her heart sink into her stomach.

Parker?

She saw, as if in slow
motion, Parker and another soldier she barely recognized, emerge
from the corridor, holding Enders, hands bound behind his
back.

Harlow felt her jaw drop.
“Parker?”

Parker's eyes shot up to
look at her, a sorrowful feeling resonating in his pupils. “Harlow,
dear, what are you doing in this place?”