Guy And Marian Retold

Revelations

I followed Guy upstairs, my hand in his.  He seemed pensive, and I wondered if I was finally going to find out all the things I wanted to know.  At the top of the stairs he stopped and looked back at me, his smile less bright than usual and his eyes sad.  I reached up and touched his jaw softly, and he closed his eyes for a moment.  Sighing, he led me on to our bedroom door and ushered me in.  We helped each other undress, slowly removing my dress and his leather outfit, and when we were done we climbed into bed.

Although we were exhausted, sleep didn't come easy to either of us, and we spent most of the night talking, punctuated with lovemaking. We started out with me snuggled up against him, his arms around me. I told him all the things I had told him before, when he was unconscious -- about growing up the daughter of a Sheriff, my mother's death, and what Robin was like as a young landowner. He seemed surprised when I talked of how Robin really took on the responsibility for the people on his land, even though he was still young and selfish in a lot of ways.

"Now I understand your...admiration...of him," Guy admitted, drawing me closer. "But I'm glad your feelings took a little turn." I kissed his cheek softly.

"As am I, Husband." We were both quiet for a few moments, and then we shifted so his head was on my chest, his fingers lightly tracing my slightly expanding stomach, as he started talking about his past.

He was born in England, the son of a woman from Normandy and an Englishman, Ghislane and Roger.  When he was young his father was given land after going to battle for the King -- land that was originally part of Locksley land. This meant that Guy actually did currently own his own land, as well as Robin's. Guy and Robin grew up as neighbors, although they were very different and didn't really get along too well. Robin always felt that Guy's father had stolen part of the Locksley lands, and continually made it clear how much he resented the Gisborne family. Guy was much more reserved than Robin, who continually spouted off his feelings to whoever would listen. I smiled ruefully at this description -- Robin was still like that.

Guy was a few years older than Robin, but it was Robin who rejected Guy's overtures of friendship.  Robin was an only child, so I would have thought he would have appreciated having as many friends as he could get.  But he wanted nothing to do with the son of the man who had moved into his own father's land. An extremely popular child, Robin turned his friends and would-be friends against Guy, who had a rather lonely childhood as a result. My arms tightened around him as he said this, wanting to soothe the long-ago hurts Robin had inflicted. He smiled gratefully against my chest and was silent for a few moments.

He was fortunate to have parents who loved each other, although a father who was gone much of the time, fighting wars for the King.  Robin's mother had died when he was young, and Guy had never met her. Although Robin hid it well, I knew that he had always felt sad that she wasn't around.  It was one of the things that I had felt a bond with him over as we grew up. I now felt a bond with Guy because although Robin hadn't rejected me, he hadn't paid much attention to me, either.

As Guy began talking again, I shook myself out of my reverie and listened as he continued his story. My hand found his hair and I ran my fingers through it as he spoke. When Guy was twelve, his father had gone back to fight for the King, leaving Guy's mother to raise him and his sister, Isabella. I gasped softly, not realizing Guy had a sister.  He paused and gave a rueful chuckle.

"Yes, I have a sister. But more about her later."  I nodded, letting him tell his story in the order he wanted to, but I was anxious to hear about her, what had happened to her, and where she was now.  He cleared his throat and continued the story.

Because Roger was gone a lot when Guy was growing up, Robin's father, Malcolm, had almost been more of a father to him and Isabella.  Malcolm had not yet remarried after Robin's mother's death.  He was always a friend to the Gisbornes, and after Roger left the last time, Malcolm and Ghislane became closer than just friends.  They were neighbors, and he could demand his land back from her if he wanted to, but they had other plans. Roger had now been gone for almost two years, and was thought to be dead.  One day Guy saw Ghislane and Malcolm embracing in the stables. Upset at his discovery, but unable to leave, he heard some of their conversation.  They were in love, and waiting for the right time to announce their decision to get married.