I've been woorking on this story for quite some time, pondering whether or not I should post it. But, feeling that this was a good way for me to get better, I did. I hope you guys enjoy chapter 1! it's a bit lengthy, but just bear with me.

Perhaps you know the legend of Robin Hood: the Prince of Theives, the King of the Wood, the legendary outlaw. Perhaps you even know of me. Who am I? I am the one he fell for, the one who fell for him. His story was never mine to tell, but my story, well, I can tell my story. And my story will forever be entwined with his. So who am I? I am the Maid Marian and this is the story, of me and my Robin Hood.

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Chapter 1: The Beginning

"Marian, Marian where are you?" Michael, my brother, called out to me. I ran and hid behind a tree.

My father was the owner of the lands known as Knighton. We lived in a manor right on the outskirts of a forest, Sherwood Forest to be exact. He would always tell us stories of ghosts and spirits that haunted these woods, and yet I always returned to play in them. I'd pretend to fight bad guys and be the hero! I was never the princess type. No, I was much more fit to be a knight. My father even made me my own bow and arrow! I practiced in the forest and, I must say, I'm quite a good shot.

"Marian!!"

I giggled.

"I'm coming!" I finally gave up. I burst out of the forest and Michael and I raced back to the house. This is about how everyday went for the first ten years of my life…until I met him.

It was just another day playing in the forest. I'd just finished my lessons with my mother. I was out practicing with my bow. She very much disapproved of that, but, being my mother, she still supported whatever I wanted to do in life. God bless her.

So I was minding my own business, my bow, when something hit me…literally. I'd just pulled back for a shot when a boy barreled into me. Needless to say I missed.

I pushed him off of me quite ungratefully.

"Geez, can't you see where you're going?" I scolded. I was frustrated that he'd made me miss.

"Sincerest apologies milady," he mocked as he playfully bowed to me. I was fuming. For a young girl, I had a hot temper, I still do. However, when he looked back at me, my anger melted away. He, even at that young age, had the most beautiful green eyes. They were as green as fresh spring grass and had a playful shine to them. It was like you knew he was always hiding something. He had a crooked smile to match. His brown hair was lightened from obvious days spent outside. While he was still only a child, he was tall and had the potential of building lots of muscle. I was barely ten years old and I was in love.

We both kind of just stood there, staring. I finally caught myself and felt self-conscious. I was wearing pants and a puffy white shirt. I'd been in such a rush to come out to play that I hadn't brushed my hair or fixed it in any way or form. But he just smiled that crooked smile at me. I smiled back as I heard a voice in the distance.

"Robin…oh Robin! Where are you?"

So that was his name…Robin. He smirked at me and yanked me behind a tree as another boy approached. He covered my mouth and shushed me. I stood there with him without question. I couldn't help but chuckle a little bit to myself. Robin and this boy were clearly playing hide-and-go-seek, a favorite among the children in my village.

Just when I thought the boy had passed, he appeared around the tree.

"Gotcha!" he cried as he went to tag Robin. He looked startled when he saw me.

The boy had an orange red hair. He was small, just a bit taller than me. He had light blue eyes that got very wide when he saw me, almost like he didn't know what a girl looked like. I giggled.

"Hi," I said. I would obviously have to take the initiative here.

"Uh, hi," He replied.

"This is…um???" Robin tried to introduce us.

"Marian," I filled in for him, "I'm Marian."

"Much," he replied, "Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine," I nodded to him in the way my mother taught me to greet people.

"Do you wanna play with us?" he timidly asked. I nodded. I LOVED this game! However, before I could say yes, Robin was already talking.

"Of course she doesn't want to play with us! She has…girl…stuff to do. Besides, she couldn't handle us!" he smirked, beginning to walk away.

Um, excuse me?! Did he really just say that to me? I couldn't handle them. Girl stuff to do? Oh no, I would have none of that! I was just about to say something when a better idea came to me.

My bow was laying on the ground where Robin had knocked me over. I grabbed an arrow from my quiver on my back. I pulled back, and released.

The arrow went whizzing past his head to the tree a bit to the front and left of him. He immediately stopped walking. Slowly, very slowly, he turned to face me. I stood with my free hand on my hip, smirking.

He just kept staring at me. I figured that this was a good time to make my grand exit. I saluted him, turned on my heel, and walked away. I know he stared at me the whole way out of the woods, because I never heard the cracking of his feet, or Much's for that matter, moving.

I didn't get to the forest for the next few days. My mother had me doing housework. As I was going to sleep one night, I could hear a tapping on my window. I tried to go to sleep, but the tapping would not go away! Finally, I dragged myself over to look out. Lo and behold, there was Robin.

"What do you want?" I asked a bit groggily. I really just wanted to sleep.

"Why haven't you been in the forest?" he asked. There was a bit of a ledge where a cover covered our front door. Conveniently, this was located just below my window where Robin was standing.

I shrugged.

"I've been busy." I may have been the daughter of a noble, but that didn't mean that my parents didn't believe in raising their children to have responsibilities and work hard.

I turned to go back to bed but he reached through the bars of my windows and caught my hand.

"Wait," he said.

"What do you want, Robin? As I said I've been busy and I'd like to get some sleep," I asked exasperatedly.

"I'm good with a bow, too," he said.

I shrugged again. Why was this important?

"I was wondering if you would be interested in some friendly competition. Tomorrow, I'll meet you at your little 'target' arena and we'll see who is more skilled."

"Why does it matter?" I called out to him, but he was already gone and in the forest before I could even ask the question, much less get a solid answer. What did it matter? I would have fun beating him in the morning anyway.

The next day, I awoke early, before the crack of dawn. I got to the chores I'd been working on all week: fetch the water, tend to the livestock, hang the clothes. I WOULD get my chores done early, and I WOULD beat Robin at his archery challenge.

As I bustled about doing the chores, I failed to notice that a presence had joined me.

"Well, you're up early…" I whirled around to face the knowing smirk of my mother. I loved my mother, but she had these dark green eyes that I would swear could stare right into your soul. I hated that, and what I hated more was that I didn't inherit that trait. Michael did, but not me. No, I had my father's warm hazel eyes that were welcoming but would burn like fire the moment someone angered us. In other words, we were easy to read.

"Yes," I replied, going about my chores. I didn't want to tell her of my competition with this Robin boy. She already didn't like the fact that my father and brothers encouraged the fact that I learn to defend myself. Somehow I doubted she'd like the fact that now I was using them to compete against a boy.

Not that she needed to worry. I felt nothing but spite for Robin, especially from what he'd said the day before.

She continued to stand there. I could feel those dark green eyes fixed on my back. It felt as if they burned into me. I awkwardly kept going about my chores.

"Marian…" she began in an accusatory tone. I was caught. She knew I was up to something.

"Yes, Mother?" I smiled

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing," I replied innocently. It's not like what I was doing was wrong! My mother continued to hold my gaze. I would NOT lose this time. My golden eyes fought an invisible battle with her green ones.

Just as I thought my barrier was about to fall, she sighed and looked away.

"Alright then, Marian, just please be careful. And make sure you finished your chores," she walked over and kissed me on the head. She disappeared back inside, humming a tuneless hymn, and began breakfast. I smiled and continued to quickly do my chores.

Finally, I was finished. I washed up a bit, grabbed my bow and arrow, and ran out the door. I could hear the shouts of Michael and our other brother, Miles, as I disappeared into the woods. I chuckled as I ran. Well, that's what they got for not doing their chores earlier!

I ran to my target area hoping to practice a little before my competitor arrived. Unfortunately, Robin was already there. He was lounging very uncharacteristically on a tree. I thought sure he might have been asleep, he was not facing me, but I was proved wrong when he spoke.

"So, you did decide to show up," he commented. I had to bite back the words that I wanted to so badly say. And you thought I wouldn't?! I did fight the urge. I would beat him a lady, politely and wordlessly.

I simply smiled at him as he pushed himself off the tree and walked, no strutted, over to me. His cockiness sickened me. No matter, I'd put an end to that.

I gestured to the tree for him to take his shot. He stepped up, pulled back, and was about to let go, when he lowered his bow and turned to me.

"What fun is this? Anyone can hit any old tree? Let's do something a little more interesting. Come with me to my house. My father helped me set up my own fighting arena," he suggested.

I stared at him. Leave…with some strange boy I'd only met once before. Absolutely…

"There's an archery range…"

Okay, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"How far away is it?" I asked carefully, trying very hard not to show my excitement. Apparently I wasn't succeeding because Robin smiled a knowing smile at me…much like my mother.

"Less than a mile that way," he pointed west. Well, I supposed…that wasn't too far away.

"I'll have you back before dark."

That did it. I nodded my head, grabbed my things, and followed him.

It didn't take us long at all to reach his village, the village I'd recognized as Locksley. I'd been here a few times with my father while he met with the Lord of Locksley. My father owned the land that was Knighton. He often met with Locksley to discuss business deals and such. I never really paid much attention. I was always too busy playing hide-and-go-seek with the children of the village.

As we entered and I waved to familiar faces, I realized something. While I prided myself on having an intelligent mind, I could not place this Robin boy. Why had I never seen him before?

Robin continued walking through the village, greeting people as he went. I continued to ponder the mystery of Robin as we went. Who WAS he? Fortunately, I didn't have to ponder much longer. Robin led me right up the steps to Locksley Castle.

I stared up in awe. I HAD heard of Robin before, Robin of Locksley, son of the Lord of Locksley. How could I have forgotten about him?! Granted I'd never met him, but the Lord knows I've heard of him!

I began to back away slowly, but he caught my wrist. As I'd mentioned before, we lived in a manor. My father was a noble and had lands, but not a lot. My mother was even of royal blood, but yet, Locksley still seemed greater than us.

I shouldn't have been intimidated by a castle, but I was. Robin wordlessly led me inside. I couldn't help but gaze at the beauty of the castle all around me.

There were tapestries painted of life and battle in the most luscious reds, deep blues, and golden yellows. The sun shone through the stained glass windows causing colors to dance across the polished marble floor.

This…was a nice place.

I was soon pulled out of my reverie by a familiar voice.

"Marian!"

I faced the voice.

"Hello, Much," I smiled. It made me giggle how happy he seemed to be to see me.

"Much! We were just going to begin our archery contest outside. Would you care to join us?" Robin asked.

Much looked around. In the silence, I began to take note of him. He was dressed very casually, much like I dressed to do chores. He wore simple brown pants, tattered boots, and a white puffy shirt that was a bit too big for him. I then looked at Robin. He was also dressed in a puffy white shirt, but his was neatly pressed and washed. He wore brown pants and his boots were shiny and new. That's when I realized something. I had a hunch that Much was Robin's servant.

Much continued to look around.

"Well, I," he began.

Oh I did not want him to go! He seemed so sweet! He could be spared a little work to come with us, couldn't he? After all, he looked young enough to be my age and ten-year-olds deserved to have some fun.

I was going to say something, but Robin beat me to it. I sure hoped our archery challenge wouldn't be like that.

"It's okay, Much. Marian and I would really like you there," he explained. Though Much looked to be a servant, Robin seemed to genuinely treat him as an equal. Robin may have been cocky, but at least I could respect this one part about him.

Much immediately grinned from ear-to-ear.

"Really, are you sure, because I,"

"Come on, Much!" Robin laughed as he wrapped his arms around the both of us. Much was a few inches taller than me, but Robin was a whole head taller than the both of us. And his laugh! His laugh made me smile just hearing it! Though Robin may be a bit obnoxious, I was definitely finding little things I liked about him.

The three of us ventured outside to his archery range. Actually, it was more of arena for…everything. There were wood painted targets for archery. There were straw dummies for sword fighting. In the corner were various weapons. There were swords of all shapes and sizes. Some were curved, some were short, some long, some looked heavy and some light. Some weapons I didn't recognize, but what really caught my eye were the bow and arrows. Some of the bows were longer than me. Some were curved to make them smaller, like mine.

My eyes must have betrayed my amazement. I could feel Robin staring at me. I tried to wipe the amazed look off my face, but it was too late. I turned to face Robin. He was staring at me with a smug look on his face. I opened my mouth to explain. Robin simply smiled and walked away. I glared at the back of his head and reluctantly followed.

He led Much and me over to one of the targets. He faced me and bowed slightly.

"Ladies first," he said. I stepped up.

I pulled an arrow from my quiver. I zoned in on my target, the bulls-eye. As I pulled back, ready to fire, I heard horses galloping in the distance. I tried to ignore it, but it got louder and louder. I was getting angry. Just as I was lowering my bow for lack of concentration, Robin snatched it out of my hands.

I whirled on him. How dare he?! I opened my mouth to begin my rant, but I felt a pull at my back. Much was grabbing the arrows off my back and handing them to Robin. Robin pushed me behind him. Much shushed me as the horses I'd heard came galloping in.

Just to get something straight, I'm a pretty confident person. I'm not intimidated very easily. Though my confidence wavered just a bit as big men in dark uniforms with helmets and swords rode in on horseback, I was still fuming that Robin had the nerve to grab my weapon from me. I was NOT in the mood for this!

"Hello Locksley," the man that seemed to be the leader said.

"Master Gisborne," Robin replied. Though the gesture was polite, the way he'd said it suggested that he didn't really like this…Gisborne.

"How many times must I remind you that my name is Robin?"

Gisborne ignored him.

"You remember my son, Guy, don't you?" Master Gisborne asked Robin.

"How could I forget?" Robin nodded to a dark-haired boy riding behind Master Gisborne.

"Guy," Robin greeted.

"Robin," Guy replied.

Master Gisborne whispered something to Guy and continued into Locksley Castle. However, Guy remained with us.

The whole exchange angered me. While Robin was calm about this, I was annoyed by their intrusion. I started for Gisborne and Guy, but Much grabbed me and pulled me back into place. He looked at me with eyes that said "this is not the time or place." Reluctantly, I stayed where I was, beside Much and behind Robin.

Guy must have seen that something was going on behind Robin. He went to look around him, but Robin simply moved with him. After this dance of eyes, Guy gave up trying to get a look at me. He turned instead on Robin.

"You know children are not to have weapons, Locksley. You'll have to get rid of those," he pointed to Robin and my bows. I sucked in. Much's hand held me firmly in place. I could NOT lose my bow and arrows.

I soon found out that I needn't worry.

"I'll get rid of mine when you get rid of yours, Gisborne," Robin smirked, nodding at Guy's sword. I couldn't actually see him smirk, but I could hear it in his voice. Guy had nothing else to say to that, so Robin continued.

"Why's your dad here, Guy?"Robin asked. Gisborne gave him a smug look. He wasn't going to tell Robin anything.

"Nothing much to worry about, Locksley, just some…financial changes." That was all he gave away. Financial changes?

Robin must have been thinking the same thing as me. He stepped up to Guy. With the two boys standing facing each other, I could really see the difference. Robin was tanned from being outside with light brown hair. His arms were toned because of work or training. He was also a good two to three inches taller than Guy. Guy, on the other hand, had dark black hair. His skin was paler than Robin's, clearly suggesting he spent most of his time inside. However, where Robin was lean and muscular, one could tell Guy would grow to be broad.

As I was processing these differences, the two continued to stare at each other, Guy's dark irises against Robin's now deadly green. Finally Robin broke the silence.

"If he's doing ANYTHING wrong against my father or Locksley, I'll," Robin was cut off by Guy.

"You'll what?" Guy spat. Robin looked down upon him, but he knew, and I knew, and Much knew. What could Robin do? He was only a boy of twelve.

He failed to come up with an answer. Luckily, Master Gisborne decided to rejoin his son at exactly that moment. Master Locksley followed him out.

"Locksley, always a pleasure," Master Gisborne said as he mounted his horse. Somehow, I knew he didn't mean it. Master Locksley simply nodded in return as Gisborne and his men rode off.

The two Locksley stared after them for only but a moment. Then, Master Locksley turned to the three of us.

"Well, Robin, you've failed to introduce me to your new friend," Master Locksley smiled down at me. I couldn't help but smile back. Robin was the spitting image of his father: crooked smile, light brown hair, lean muscular build. However, where Master Locksley's eyes were blue, Robin's were green. Those must have come from his mother.

"Father, this is Marian. Marian, this is my father," Robin introduced, shyly, I might add. It was almost as if he was embarrassed of introducing his father to someone.

"It's a pleasure, my Lord," I replied with a light curtsey.

"Well, the pleasure is mine, my dear," he replied as he gently kissed me hand. My cheeks heated up a bit.

"Are you staying for dinner?" he asked.

"No," Robin replied before I could, "Actually, I was just about to walk her home."

I gave Robin a confused look. I'd only just gotten here, hadn't I? It didn't matter. I didn't have time to ask as he dragged me away.

"Come back anytime!" he called. I waved in gratitude. Much stayed behind with him discussing something as I was mercilessly dragged home.

Once we got into Sherwood, Robin loosened his grip on me. He still held onto my wrist, but instead of being dragged, I was now walking beside him. It was awkwardly quiet as we walked. I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what to say. What went on back there? Robin clearly didn't like Guy. Master Locksley didn't seem too fond of Master Giborne either as he walked him out. Luckily, I didn't have to take the silence any longer.

"I'm sorry about that," he mumbled. He didn't look at me as he said this. His eyes remained downcast as we walked through the forest, leaves cracking under out boots.

"About what?" I asked, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. It wasn't his fault that we were interrupted.

Robin smiled but he still didn't look at me.

"They've been bothering us for a while now. I think something bad is about to happen, maybe not now, but soon. Their visits have become more frequent," he explained. I nodded.

"I'm scared, Marian, scared of what might happen," he finally stopped and turned to face me. His face was somber, but his eyes were filled with the fear he was speaking to me about. Once again, I didn't know how to respond.

So instead, I took a chance. I stepped up and wrapped my arms around his stomach. I was so short next to him; my head barely came up to his shoulders. To my surprise, he didn't pull back. What surprised me even more was that he hugged me back. He wrapped his arms around me and held me very tightly.

I realized I'd only known this boy for a week. This was only my second time meeting him. This boy was telling me about his problems, and now I was hugging him to make it better. One week, and he already seemed to trust me. I was supporting a boy who I knew nothing about. And he was taking my support.

Finally he pulled away. He was smiling that same crooked, goofy smile that his dad shared before.

"Thank you, Marian," he said as he continued walking. I smiled and followed.

"You know if you tell anyone about this, I'll deny it," he said. I rolled my eyes. Very well, Robin hood, it is on…

And that's how that first summer went. We never had that archery contest; I think Robin was afraid I would win. Robin and Much continued to visit me after the summer was up. However, we never ventured back to Locksley. They became close friends with my brothers.

Robin and I continued to pick and tease each other. However, as we grew, no one could deny the fact that there was a chance to be more than friends. I loved Robin. I could tell him anything. He was my best friend.

One night, when I was thirteen, Robin and Much stayed at my house for dinner. My parents had become fond of the pair.

We were sitting outside around a campfire my father made. Robin went back into my house to help my mother with the dishes. We was very good at…sucking up. Much and I were left alone around the campfire.

"He fancies you, you know?" Much suddenly came out with. I was a bit taken aback. I stared at him. I'd always had an idea of what Robin and I could be together, but I never thought he felt the same way.

As I stared at Much, his eyes betrayed a flicker of guilt, but that was soon replaced by shining mischief. I giggled.

"He talks about you all the time. And even when he's not talking, he has this dreamy look on his face, and I know. I know he's thinking about you," he whispered so as not to be overheard.

"I may be a servant, but even I'm smart enough to see that you two really care about each other, and really belong together."

At the same moment, we turned to stare into the kitchen window where Robin and my mother were talking. As we watched, I caught Robin's eyes glance our way. But he looked away as fast as he looked. I could feel myself blush.

I glanced at Much and the two of us erupted into laughter. I loved Much, too. He was so sweet and cute. I couldn't help myself. I planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

His eyes opened wide and his mouth went slack. Then, just as a blush was creeping into his cheeks, he smiled a boyish smile. I laughed and so did he.

Much was right about Robin "fancying" me. Later that year, he took me on a walk through Sherwood. While I thought we were walking just wherever, Robin had other plans.

Before I knew it, we were at this beautiful little waterfall that pour into a pond. He led me behind the fall and made some silly comment about my first time seeing the back of water. I laughed. He did too.

Then, he grabbed my hand gently and used the other to brush a strand of hair that had fallen into my face. I looked up into his beautiful green eyes. His face inched closer to mine. I closed my eyes, and we kissed.

I could've stayed there forever, just kissing him. Butterflies were in my stomach. My whole body buzzed. However, I had to make a statement, so, eventually, I pulled away. As I did, my head began to reel as I longed to kiss him again, but, I had to leave him with something.

I smirked at him as I watched him recover from our first kiss. I pulled him out from behind the waterfall and he walked me home.

That night I slept dreaming of my sweetheart.

My thirteenth year was great. It was filled with adventure and romance. Everything was perfect. And that was where the problem began.

Robin came to visit me one day. He greeted my parents, but lacked the usual energy he'd had behind everything. When he came up to me, he simply took my hand and led me into Sherwood. I allowed myself to be taken. I trusted Robin with my whole being.

He led me to a clearing filled with clovers, wild flowers, and several large boulders. He sat on one of them, but never let go of my hand. He would look at me. That was when I knew something was wrong.

"Robin, what is it?" I asked, trying to get him to look at me. I waited. Finally, he raised his eyes to meet mine…and I could've broken down into sobs right there. His eyes were so deep and filled with sadness that it hurt to look at them. But I stayed strong, and my eyes never left his, even as he bore his weakness to me.

"My mum's dead," he said simply. I gasped. He broke down into sobs. I grabbed for him and held him close. He held me even tighter than he did when he told me about Gisborne and sobbed into my shoulder.

I pulled him down to the ground. We sat there for a long time. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I held my sweetheart.

Finally, his sobs subsided.

"Marian," he said, "I need to get away."

The words hit me like ice water. He wanted to go away. He must have seen my shock because he chuckled.

"Not far, my dear, thank you for, being you. I think I'm going to take the long way home…alone," he explained. I wanted to protest. I wanted to protest the fact that I didn't actually do anything. I wanted to protest him being alone. However, deep down, I understood. I would probably want to be alone right now to. I'd done my part, now he needed to be alone with his thoughts. So, I simply nodded. He did walk me home, and I kissed him good-bye.

"I'm here for you Robin," I said, "I'll always be here for you." I wanted, no, I needed him to know that. He smiled that smile. The smile he only gave me.

"I know love, and I'll always be there for you," he kissed me on the forehead. Then, he walked away. I stared after him only a moment and went back inside.

I waited for him to come the next day, and the next. I didn't pay any attention. I figured he was still grieving, which was understandable. But that what bothered me the most, I figured. I didn't know what was going on, or how Robin was doing. So, after a week of not seeing or hearing from him, I decided to venture to Locksley.

I left early, taking the same route Robin and I had taken that first time. I had a good mind, I didn't forget things easily. Before I knew it, I was in Locksley.

I ventured to Locksley Castle. While I was confident in my being here, seeing the large oak door intimidated me a bit. The servants' entrance would be much more suitable for a now fourteen-year-old girl. I walked around the castle until I found it. Who do you know would be the first person I'd bump into but Much.

"Marian!" he exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Robin, I've been worried about him," I explained.

Much looked a bit uncomfortable. I realized that I now he was much taller than I. I now had to look way up to him. He was mumbling gibberish to himself.

"Yes, I suppose you would be worried about him then," he mumbled. Finally, he spoke directly to me.

"Alright, then, follow me."

I did as I was told. Much led me through the castle and up a flight of stairs. He knocked on a door that I could only assumed to have been Robin's room.

"Master?" he called to him. Master? The other servants must have gotten to Much. Since when did he refer to Robin as "Master?"

"What is it, Much?" Robin asked as he opened the door. He looked…different…so grown up. There were the beginnings of a beard on his face. His hair was a bit longer. His eyes were piercing. He actually frightened me a bit.

"Marian is here to see you," Much gesture to me behind him. Robin's eyes instantly softened as Much moved out the way to reveal me.

"I'll leave you two then," Much left us with a smile, but it wasn't a sweet smile, it seemed…sad.

"Um, come in," Robin invited me into his room. I'd never been in another boy's room except of course Michael and Miles. It felt…dangerous.

Robin's room was simple. There were green curtains and a green comforter. He seemed to like the natural color. I sat on the foot of his bed. He remained standing.

The two of us remained silent for a bit.

"So, since when does Much call you Master?" I asked just to break the awkward silent. Robin chuckled to himself a bit.

"I keep telling him to stop; the servants scold him, though. It's awkward. He's my best friend, yet he is my servant. If it were up to me, he would be free," Robin smiled.

I nodded. Silence still enveloped the room. I started my conversation, now it was his turn.

He must have read my mind.

"I'm sorry I haven't been to visit you," he apologized.

"It's alright," I said, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm sorry if I've caught you unaware."

"No, no, I'm glad you're here," he immediately said, "I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

I sat and waited to hear what he had to say. He walked over to look out of his window. The silence and suspense was nearly killing me. Between Much's sad smile and Robin's odd behavior, I was beginning to worry.

"Marian," he began. He had my attention, but it was almost as if he didn't know how to go on. I walked over to him, grabbed his hand, and squeezed it, showing that he could tell me anything. He smiled down at me, but his eyes held traces of sadness.

"Marian," he held my hand tight, "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" I would die of suspense if he didn't tell me what was wrong soon.

He sighed.

"I'm joining the Crusades."

His words hit me like a slap in the face. My stomach dropped. No, not the Crusades, he couldn't go. The Holy War had begun when I was twelve. King Richard, my distant blood cousin, had left to lead the Crusades. Young men flocked to this war, ready to die for their King and for England, and most succeeded in this. Robin couldn't go, he just couldn't!

Feeling like I'd been punched in the stomach. I released Robin's hand and backed away.

"Marian, please." I could tell that hurt him, and I was glad. How COULD he do this to me!

"Why?" I asked simply.

"Why, why what, Marian?"

"Why are you leaving me?!" I nearly screamed at him.

"Marian, please, I," he tried to explain.

"Just tell me, Robin! Just give me a straight answer! Why are you leaving me?!" Now I was screaming at him.

"Because I can't breathe here, Marian! Because I still haven't recovered from the death of my mother, because I HAVE to get out of here!" he shot back. His words pierced my heart like one of my arrows.

I could feel the tears forming in my eyes, threatening to pour out at any moment. I obviously couldn't make him happy. I couldn't make him better, and that hurt.

"Marian, I'm sorry, I," his voice softened, but I didn't care. Why should I anymore?

"I didn't mean it."

"Yes you did," I scolded him, my voice contained, but only barely.

"Fine, Robin, go. I don't care. But don't count on me being here when you get back," I said and immediately turned around and ran out of the castle.

He couldn't breathe, no I couldn't breathe. The love of my life was leaving me to go fight in some far off place in a war that's not even our fault. I loved him, and he was leaving me, and I couldn't make things better.

He called after me, but I kept running. I kept running and didn't stop until I couldn't hear the shouts of he or Much, who'd joined in later. I kept running until my heart felt as if it would burst out of my chest and sobs racked my body.

I grabbed a tree and held it for support. I slid down to the ground and buried my face in my hands. I pulled my knees up to me and just cried. I cried and cried. I hoped my last words that I'd left Robin with hurt him. I hope they hurt him as much as they hurt me to say! I was angry! Then, that was when I realized that, if he didn't come back, our last words were spoken in anger. This thought caused me to cry even harder. What was my world without him! I could go on, yes, but the light radiated from him would be gone.

I noticed the sun crossing the sky as I sat there and cried. I knew time was passing, but I could never find the strength to drag myself home. Finally, as the sky turned pink and orange with dusk, I decided I would have to dig deep and go home. My family may be worried about me.

I walked home. I wasn't exactly aware of how or where I was, but I ended up home just before the last rays of sunlight disappeared below the horizon. My mother was outside working. When she turned and saw me, she immediately dropped the pail she was carrying and ran over to me.

She didn't have to say anything. She simply wrapped me in a hug; all the tears I'd cried earlier returned ten-fold. I felt as I would never stop crying, and she never let go.

By the next morning, my sobs had lessened enough for me to tell her why I was so upset. We cried together, because we both knew what joining the Crusades meant.

That night, there was a knock at my window. I got up, opened it, and tears filled my eyes. It was Robin. He gazed at me with sad eyes. As angry as I was, and however much I may have meant what I'd said, I was glad to see him. We both stood, not looking at each other, the bars on my window separating us.

Finally, Robin reached out and took my left hand. I didn't fight him. He slipped something onto my ring finger. I inhaled my breath.

"This is a ring that binds me to a promise I'm about to make to you," he explained. I gazed into his emerald green eyes, eyes that were filled with so much deep passion, pain, and…what was the other emotion I saw in them.

"I promise that I will come home to you. I promise that I will always be there for you. I promise that I will always love you, no matter what happens. I love you," he whispered as he placed his other hand on my cheek, pulled me to the window, and kissed me. He pulled away, gave me a small smile, and disappeared into the darkness. That was the other emotion, love. It was strong love I'd seen in his eyes, strong love, for me.

I stared down at the ring. It was beautiful. It was a silver wreath of leaves with tiny, very tiny, jewels set in the center of each. It was simple, which was perfect. No one would notice. As tears slipped down my cheeks as gazed at the ring, but it wasn't just because of the beauty, it was because of the promise that came with it. I trusted Robin, he would come home. He had to.

For the next few weeks, my mother kept me busy. My brothers kept me distracted. My father kept me practicing, which was the most painful. I didn't want to do anything that had anything to do with Robin of Locksley. I didn't want to think of what could be happening to me. My mother and brothers took the approach to make me forget him, while my father forced me to embrace his memory. One day, I went off on him.

I'd missed the bulls-eye, again. That was the last straw.

"Do it again," he ordered.

I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't take it anymore. I threw my bow to the ground.

"No! I can't do this anymore!" I yelled at him.

"It's too hard!" I buried my face in my hands and fell to the ground. I was exhausted. I exhausted of being strong and putting on a happy face. I was exhausted of pretending like I didn't care. My father appeared beside me and handed me my bow. I took it.

As much as it frustrated me, his method would help me the most. I knew that, and he knew that. So, I picked myself up, and kept practicing. And that's how I became strong.

I was picking myself up, piece by piece. My brothers even got smiles and laughs out of me. However, the fear Robin had expressed to me so many years ago slowly became true.

The Gisbornes had been up to something. Slowly, ever so slowly, the Sheriff of Nottingham became more and more powerful and who but Master Gisborne became his right hand man. Where everyone was once equal, there was now a clear line between the rich and the poor. The quantity of power people steadily grew as taxes piled on.

When I was sixteen, my life changed forever.

Knighton was attacked. Soldiers burned buildings, killed innocent people and held others hostage, only because my father refused to add more taxes. He stood up to the Sheriff, and the Sheriff did not appreciate that.

The soldiers attacked my home. Michael and Miles tried to fight them off, but there were too many. I realized that and kept my strength. As they took our home, Master Gisborne walked in. The snake! Robin had been right!

He smirked at me as he walked in. A soldier was holding me. Gisborne strode over and brushed his hand against my cheek.

"So, you are Locksley's lovely lady. Guy told me a bit about you. It's nice to finally meet you face to face. I've heard stories," he whispered in my ear. I tried my best to get as far away from his face as I could. He seemed to like that.

Thankfully he moved along. I stole a glance at my brothers; they did NOT look happy at the exchange that Gisborne and I had just shared.

He walked over to my father.

"Now, Edward, that we've gotten your attention, I'd like to make something very clear," he hissed. My father bravely held his gaze.

"No one, not even a noble, disobeys the Sheriff and gets away with it," Gisborne continued. My father raised his chin.

"Very well, do what you will to me, but I will NOT condemn these people," my father was brave, and I was so much like him. We both didn't know when to hold our tongues.

"Oh, I'm not going to do anything to you…directly," Gisborne explained, walking around to the various members of my family. He passed me, my brothers, and then came to my mother. That's when it hit me was he was going to do. He was going to kill my mother.

Sure enough, he pulled a dagger out of his jacket and circled my mother. I knew I had to do something quickly. So, I decided it was a good time to make an escape.

I noticed the soldier's grip on me had slackened. Big mistake. I drove my elbow into his stomach. As he keeled over in pain, I whirled around and punched him. I couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt. Robin had taught me that move.

The soldier fell and I tried to shake the pain out of my hand. My brothers had the same idea as me. Their captors were also keeled over on the ground. My parents' eyes were as round as plates and their mouths could've hit the floor. In any other situation, I probably would've laughed. But this was neither the time nor the place.

The three of us turned to face Gisborne. He had the dagger at my mother's throat. Her breathing was short, but her eyes showed nothing but bravery. That was when I knew. It didn't matter how hard we'd fight or how intimidating we might be. My mother was going to die here and now.

"Very impressive," Gisborne seethed, "Now, as I was saying, Edward, no one disobeys the Sheriff and gets away with it so…" and with that he swiped his knife across my mother's throat. Everything happened in slow motion.

Master Gisborne released my mother. She fell to the ground. I ran to her side. I think I cried out, but I really don't remember. As I knelt beside her, she smiled at me. Then, she closed her eyes, and moved on to the next world. I cried over her.

All of a sudden, time caught up with me. Everything was rushing to catch up. My father had gotten free of his captor and joined my brothers in fighting Gisborne and his men. I looked out the window and saw more men coming. I looked down at my mother, planted a kiss on her forehead, and jumped up. I couldn't do anything more for her here.

"Michael!" I called to my big brother. He looked at me and I pointed out the window. He followed my hand and saw what I meant.

"We have to go!" I called to him. He nodded and grabbed Miles. He went to grab my father, but he refused.

"Save your brother and sister. I will follow," he said as he continued to fight. Michael dragged Miles out of the house and I followed. Michael was bigger than me and therefore faster. By the time I was out of the house, he was already entering Sherwood. I ran to follow but someone caught me around the waster and covered my mouth. I tried to struggle against him, but I was tired. From beating down the soldier to watching my mother die, I was tired. I gave up and allowed myself to be dragged back into my house.

The fighting had, somewhat, subsided. My father was surrounded with his hands in the air. All was seemingly calm.

"Now, Edward, we must have another consequence for this offense," Gisborne acidly informed us. I noticed his hair was messed up and there was a nasty scar spanning from his ear to his chin and a bruise was forming above his right eye. I smiled to myself. My brothers did nice work.

"We're going to have to take Marian," he sighed. All traces of the smile I'd been entertaining earlier disappeared. Excuse me? He had to be joking!

"No, please!" my father protested, "Kill me! Please!"

"Well, that would just be too easy!" Gisborne was enjoying this. I knew it, and it made me sick. I also knew what I had to do. I had to do it for my town, for my father, and for me.

"You ask me to watch another parent die!" I exclaimed. Like I'd said, much like my father, I didn't know when to hold my tongue.

Every pair of eyes in that room turned to face me.

"No," I continued, "I will not, not when I can help it."

"Please, Marian, don't," my father begged. I had to turn away from him, or I probably would've changed my mind. Instead, I faced Guy.

"I will go with you," I agreed.

"You will?" Gisborne was obviously expecting a fight of some sort. That's too bad, he wasn't going to get one.

"As long as you promise that the people of Knighton and my family will be safe," I finished. Master Gisborne pondered this. Eventually, he looked back at me.

"Alright," he said, "As long as you remain in Nottingham Castle, you village and family will remain safe."

I nodded. Gisborne grabbed me. He pulled me outside, but not before he could make one last parting comment.

"Nice doing business with you, Edward."

I couldn't look at my father until I was on his horse. I saw him through the window, kneeling on the floor, and his head in his hands.

It hurt so much to see him like this. However, the last thing, the last image that passed through my mind before leaving Knighton was not my father, not my mother, not my brothers, but my sweetheart, Robin of Locksley. I don't know why, but I just asked the sky, and wherever my sweetheart was, one question. Robin, where are you? As the promise he'd made to me years ago ran through my head. "I promise that I will come home to you. I promise that I will always be there for you. I promise that I will always love you, no matter what happens. I love you."

That's how I got where I am now, in Nottingham Castle, almost three years later.

So, what has become of our dear Marian? More importantly, what has become of Robin? R&R!