After Robin Book 1: The Burning Testimony

Prologue

Maid Marian lay on her bed at deaths door, her face as white as snow. Her breathing was ragged and her forehead was burning up.

"Janice?" She gasped.

Janice, who had been pouring a glass of water for her, hurried over to the bedside.

"Yes my lady?"

"Please, send for little John, would you Janice?"

Even the effort of speaking was almost too much. She was as fragile and weak as a dandelion.

"Yes my lady." Janice said, curtsying to her mistress.

She was about to walk toward the door when Maid Marian's frail hand stopped her.

"Would you ask Emmalina to come in?"

"Of course my lady."

Janice hurriedly went out the door and closed it softly behind her as to not disturb the silence. Emmalina stared out the window at the falling rain. Her emerald eyes filled with tears and it took everything in her to keep them from streaming down her face.

"Miss Lina," Janice said, in her sweet and quiet voice. "Your Mother wishes to speak to you."

Without saying a word, Emmalina got up and walked toward the big oak door that led into the master bedroom. She reached out for the handle and turned it slowly. She didn't want to make too much noise but even the small 'click' from the door nob sounded loud.

"Is that you, Emmalina?" Maid Marian asked.

Emmalina slipped through the crack of the door and closed the door behind her, saying quietly, "Yes Ma, it's me." She tried hard to keep her voice from quivering.

"Come here." Maid Marian told her, patting the mattress.

Emmalina walked toward the bed and sat down on the mattress, next to her mother.

"I want you to know, Emma, that a lot of things are going to change from now on. You are going to have to be a strong girl."

"Yes, Ma." Emmalina answered, tears starting to break through the gates of her pride.

"Could you do me a favor? In the top drawer in my dresser there's a little brown box. Could you bring it to me?"

Emmalina nodded and did as she was told. Wiping a tear from her face as she did so. She opened the drawer and sure enough, right there, was a little brown wooden box with an M engraved into the lid. Emmalina stood there a minute and ran her fingers along the smooth, polished, surface.

"Did you find it?" Marian asked.

"Yes." Emma answered, closing the drawer and walking back to the bed. She handed the beautiful box to her mother and Maid Marian opened the lid, taking out a beautiful silver necklace with a cross pendant.

"Here," She said, handing the necklace to Emmalina. "I want you to have this...Your father gave it to me when you were born. He'd want you to have it."

Emmalina couldn't bear it anymore and she threw her arms around her mother, tears pouring down her cheeks like water out of a broken dam.

"I don't want you to go. I want you to stay here with me." Emma sobbed.

"We all must go sometime. Just some of us sooner then others."

Emmalina was still sobbing when Janice came back with little John. They could see that Maid Marian was barely clinging to the last threads of life.

"Little John," Marian said, summoning her last strength.

"Yes my lady?"

"Find...Find R-robin."

And with those last words she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Into eternal sleep.

"Ma?" Emmalina cried in fright. "Ma? Ma wake up. Please wake up Ma. Don't leave me Ma. Wake up. Please wake up." It was no use. Emmalina would never hear her Mothers comforting words ever again. 

-Sorry this is so short but I thought this was a good ending. Hope you liked it and if you did stick around for the next chapter. Thanks- Anna