Scarlet
Whether or not it were today, I’d kill Gisbourne for that as well. If he didn’t kill me first.
“On your knees, Hood.”
“Wait!” I shrieked. This time my voice were above the crowd, and everyone looked at me. The crowd let me through now, and my shaking legs brought me forward to the guards. “Let me through!” I demanded.
Gisbourne chuckled. “Do it. Let the little thief come.”
Maybe Gisbourne already knew my plan, ’cause he looked like he just swallowed a canary whole and it were singing out his throat.
They parted and I climbed the dais, meeting Rob’s eyes. He didn’t look angry now. He looked lost. I felt lost. I stared at him and my heart broke fresh again. Loving him felt like drowning in his ocean eyes, like a tide I couldn’t hold back, crashing on me again, filling me up with hurt and shame and despair. Standing so close to him, all I could think were the hundred things I should have told him long ago. A hundred moments I’d lost because I were scared and weak and shameful.
It were fair twisted, but maybe doing this, maybe this sacrifice would make me, for one breath, the person he could love.
“Please tell me you aren’t really here,” he murmured, hanging his head. “Please tell me I didn’t save your life for nothing.”
“Needn’t make it so hard, Rob,” I told him. “I’m getting you out of here.”
His head jerked up, and it weren’t anger in his eyes. “The hell you are. Not with him, Scar, please.”
Gisbourne’s eyebrow twitched at this, but he just crossed his arms, all patient-like now that he were getting what he wanted. I looked back to Rob, all my inner bits crowded into my pipes, and I weren’t sure of a single thing. “Do not ask me to watch you die,” I hissed at him.
Rob’s eyes shifted, shimmery blue and wet like rain-slick rocks. “You think you’re going to fare any better?” he whispered. I looked over and saw Ravenna’s blood, and Gisbourne’s sword, dry and thirsty. I shook my head.
“Are you fixing to join him, or did you have another reason for annoying me?” Gisbourne snapped.
“A deal,” I said quick, standing in front of him, standing between him and Rob one more time.
His eyes scraped over me. “What could I possibly want from you?”
“The one thing you couldn’t ever get, not by force or my father,” I told him, and his eyes flared bright. “Two words, Guy.”
The sheriff chuckled. “I believe the lad wants you to marry him, Gisbourne.”
“Another reason you need a thief taker, Nottingham, is that your men should have realized long ago that Will Scarlet is merely a girl.” Gasps ripped through the hall, and Gisbourne laughed. “Christ, no one knew? Not only that, she’s a noblewoman in clever disguise. None other than my delinquent betrothed, Lady Marian Fitzwalter of Leaford.”
Everyone were staring at me now, but I just raised my chin. “Well?”
“What are your terms?” he asked.
“Release Robin and Godfrey. Both of them unharmed.”
He grinned, looking at Robin. “Well, I’ve already harmed him a little.”
“Do you agree or not?”
“And why shouldn’t I just kill him now, and then force you to marry me?”
“Like I said, Guy, you can’t force me to say the words. And we ain’t married till the words are said. If you want me, this is your only chance.”
He stepped forward, squeezing my chin between his thumb and forefinger. He smiled, but he looked more like a dog baring its teeth. “I will make it a living hell for you, Marian. That is, if you last longer than your friend,” he said, looking to Ravenna. Rob jerked forward, but I stayed still. “Are you willing to submit to me for his life?”
“Robin the Hood, Robin of Locksley, Earl of Huntingdon—whatever you wish to call him—is the prince of the people, Guy. He is worth more than my whole life.”
“Little that’s worth,” he spat, pushing my chin away. “Call the priest back,” he ordered.
“Scarlet,” Rob whispered behind me.
My pulse set to drumming. “Rob has to be away before I’ll say the words,” I told Gisbourne.
“How do I know you’ll actually say them?”
“You have my word.”
“I had your word before.”
“You had my father’s word. Now you have mine; I’ll marry you today, once Robin’s free and clear.”
He grimaced. “Fine. If not, at least I’ll get to kill you.”
“This is hardly your decision to make, Guy,” the sheriff said, wiping his blood-wet dagger on his arm.
Guy’s lip curled back, his big head whipping round to glare at the sheriff. “I caught him.”
“I hired you to catch him.”
“And I’ll catch him again. But this,” he said, swinging to look at me again, “can’t wait.”
“You let him go, and I won’t pay you a farthing until he’s dead.”
Gisbourne chuckled, staring at me, and his teeth shone white. “I don’t do it for the money.”
The sheriff’s mouth twisted into a sneer, but he shut his yap and didn’t stop Gisbourne none.
Gisbourne leaned closer. “If this is a ruse, Marian, you will know the full extent of the pain I can inflict.”
“Two women dying on their wedding day sounds lucky,” the sheriff mused.
“Trust me, I’d take a lot longer than just a day to kill her,” Gisbourne said, speaking to the sheriff but keeping his evil eyes on me alone.
I glared at both in turn. “I ain’t as easy to kill.”
Gisbourne looked pleased by this. “I like a challenge.” The priest appeared, and the sheriff nodded. Gisbourne sighed. “Very well, let the Hood go.”
I turned, whipping my arms round Rob before I could think or stop. He hugged me tight. “I’m so sorry, Rob,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
He gripped tighter. “Don’t do it, please. Please, let’s run.”
“You can’t run.” I shook my head.
His hands came on either side of my face, holding me up to him. Waves were crashing in his eyes, sure and strong and sweeping. “You are my whole heart, Scarlet. And this is breaking it.”
My heart cracked open and clear dropped out of me. My mouth opened, and I looked round me and stamped my foot. “Does this look like a good time to tell me that, you damn stupid boy?” I meant to sound mean but my voice wobbled. “Now?”