Guy And Marian Retold

Armor and Amour

When Guy was unable to find Robin's hideout and the Sheriff's gold, he got a lecture and a new task. The Sheriff had discovered a new armor, plates of metal that were supposed to be lighter and better than the chain mail knights usually wore. Guy was to test it out and see if it was sufficient to use against the Sheriff's and Prince John's enemies. That included Robin.

He spent a day in the forest testing it out with the metalsmith and a dozen of the Sheriff's guards. I decided it was the perfect time to visit my father and ask him why he hadn't told me that we already knew Guy when I was a child. After a hurried breakfast, Guy set off with the men and I made my way to Knighton. Per Guy's order, I rode the horse slowly and carefully most of the way, although I couldn't resist one run through a clear meadow.

My father was happy to see me, as always, and was thrilled when I told him I'd be there most of the day. We went inside and caught up - he had been to Nottingham a few days before and brought me back news that I hadn't heard from the guards who came that morning. Two people I knew had been hanged for stealing, but Robin had saved some from the same fate the day before. We talked about my pregnancy, and he told me how happy I looked; how I glowed just like my mother had. I smiled tearfully at the thought of her, wishing she could be here to experience it with me.

After we had talked for a while, and exhausted all the subjects I could come up with, we fell silent, and I knew it was time to ask. As I took a breath, he gave me a questioning look, and asked me what was on my mind. I told him that Guy had told me his story, and my father's eyebrows rose with surprise.

"I was wondering when he would tell you," he said softly, and held my hands. "How are you taking it?"

"I am wondering, Father, why you never said one word to me about Guy living here before, and the fact that I knew him," I replied with what I hoped was a steady voice. He sighed and looked down at my hands in his.

"When he left before, you were inconsolable, Marian. You cried for him for days. When he came back, he was so changed, and it was obvious that you didn't remember him. I didn't want to dredge up the past for that. When Robin came back, he and I decided -"

"Oh, so now you and Robin know what's best for me?!?" I asked incredulously, taking my hands out of his.

"Now, hear me out, Marian," he pleaded. I sighed, crossed my arms, and waited for him to continue.

When he had seen Guy with the Sheriff, he had recognized him immediately. Remembering how Guy had been with me, my father was hopeful, but quickly saw that he was not the same person he had been. Unlike me, my father didn't catch the glimmer in his eyes when he looked at me. So my father decided to wait and see how Guy acted before telling me anything. He quickly decided not to say anything, as Guy's actions got worse and my hatred of him grew.

When Robin returned, my father met with him, and they decided together not to tell me about Guy's history. Here I scowled, and he pleaded with me to understand. I sighed and gestured for him to continue. I knew why Robin hadn't wanted to tell me -- I would have looked at him differently, not just Guy. I was fuming at Robin -- again.

When Guy had proposed, and coerced me into accepting, my father had thought about telling me, but Robin had talked him out of it again. My father had thought that telling me might resign me to marrying Guy -- at least if I knew that he had once been good to me I might be able to make marriage with him work. But Robin had argued, successfully, that it was pointless to tell me how he used to be when he was so different now. Here I stopped my father, holding my hand up to let him know I had something to say.

"Father, I do understand your reasons. But, do you understand Robin's? Now that Guy has told me what happened, I am not seeing Robin in the same light I saw him before. I now know him to have been a selfish, arrogant, headstrong boy who put his life and the lives of those around him in danger multiple times. He didn't want me to know this about him. It had nothing to do with Guy!"