I thought of every moment of pain, every threat, every leer he had brought upon me. I had borne it all—for what? For the ashes of his promise at my feet. I were a fool to have ever believed him. I were a fool in every way.
My life had become something I couldn’t fair recognize.
I walked into the hall, and people were everywhere. The seats were gone, save for a single table to make the royals untouchable. The rest of the food were heaped on the tables, and people thronged around it, a feast in true. Music were playing, a lovely tune with laughter and chatter twining through it.
“Your pardon, your Grace, but may I steal the lady?”
I turned and a short, small laugh came out of me. It were Much, clean and kitted up and looking older and stronger than I’d ever known him.
Winchester bowed and relinquished me. Much bent his arm to me, and I grinned and wrapped my arm around his, trying to forget what Gisbourne could do to my friends to make me do his bidding. “You look very handsome,” I told him, and he beamed.
“Come along, everyone’s here,” he told me. He pointed to John and Bess and Godfrey, and I’d never been so happy to see the inside of the hall.
John hugged my waist, pulling me off my feet and careful not to crush my hand. When he put me down I went to Bess, looking about unsure and shy. She had one hand on her stomach. She met my eye and frowned a little. “Am I meant to curtsy?” she asked. “I don’t know much about curtsies.”
I rushed forward and hugged her. “You’re family,” I whispered in her ear. “You’re one of us now.”
She hugged me back, tight. “Thank you,” she whispered back.
Godfrey were next, and he bowed over my hand and kissed it. John made a face. “See, you can’t do things like that if you’re meant to replace me,” John said. “Scar’s head gets much too big.”
“Then maybe you should learn a thing or two about manners from me,” Godfrey told him with a grin. “Lady Scar, you look beautiful.”
“Only I’m allowed to tell her that,” said a voice in my ear. My heart broke painful open and I spun around as Rob’s arms circled my waist, hugging tight against him, desperate to hold on to him. He hugged me, rubbing my back, dragging his fingers over every silver swirl.
“Is it over?” he murmured to me. “Is it really over?”
Tears rose up and my throat went tight. I pulled back to look him in the eye. “You’re sheriff. The people have nothing to fear.”
Our faces swayed closer, and I shivered again. I would never have this, the right to kiss him in public.
We didn’t kiss, but a faster tune began, and Rob took my good hand. “Please dance with me.”
“I never learned the fancy dances,” I told him, frowning.
“I don’t care how we do it,” he said with a grin. “I just want you in my arms.”
He tugged me along to where a throng of common folk were dancing, and, careful to tuck my hurt hand up on his shoulder, he pulled me in close. We danced along with them, jumping and stepping fast and foolish. My short, funny hair flew about my face, and my heart beat as fast as my laughter, all the while I stared into Rob’s eyes.
He slowed down and pulled me out of the thick of the leaping throngs, dancing closer, rubbing his cheek along mine. “Marry me when the sun sets,” he breathed.
I raised my head a little. “What?”
“If your marriage is annulled when the prince leaves tomorrow morning, marry me by sunset. I can’t wait longer, Scarlet, I don’t have it in me. I have missed you every minute, and I don’t want to see another sunrise without you as my wife.”
My heart broke, and water spilled out of my eyes. “What if it’s not annulled?” I breathed.
“Then I’ll wait. Every sunset, every day. I’ll count them all until you’re mine. My perfect wife. My only wife,” he said. “The only heart that’s meant for mine.” His nose dragged on my face. “I only feel like a hero when you’re with me, Scarlet. I feel like I have a destiny greater than pain and hurt when you’re in my arms.”
I tugged him closer, tucking my head into the bend of his neck to wipe my tears on him. “Me too,” I said.
“Scarlet.”
“Mmm.”
“That was me asking you to marry me, you know.”
My eyes pressed shut. “Yes,” I whispered. “That’s all I want.”
“Oh, hell,” someone said, and I looked up to see Winchester standing behind Rob. Rob turned and I wiped my face overquick. “I’m trying to wait, but I have to accuse Lady Leaford of hoarding you, Sheriff,” he said.
Rob held me tucked under one arm, and bowed his head. “Your Grace,” he greeted.
Winchester looked more like a boy than I’d ever seen him. He gripped Rob’s shoulder and shook a little, laughing. “Your Grace! Do you know how odd it is to not be able to say that back to you? Though I’ll much prefer it to the names you were calling me when the healer was working on you.”
Rob winced. “He told you that?”
Winchester shrugged. “I’ve been called worse. You did very well today, Locksley. The master at arms would have been proud.”
“Master at arms?” I questioned.
“That’s how we know each other,” Rob told me. “We were pages together for a time.”
Glimpsing the regal tilt of Eleanor’s head, I slipped out from Rob’s arm. “Well, you two should talk.” I smiled at Rob. “I’ll find you.”
My life had become something I couldn’t fair recognize.
I walked into the hall, and people were everywhere. The seats were gone, save for a single table to make the royals untouchable. The rest of the food were heaped on the tables, and people thronged around it, a feast in true. Music were playing, a lovely tune with laughter and chatter twining through it.
“Your pardon, your Grace, but may I steal the lady?”
I turned and a short, small laugh came out of me. It were Much, clean and kitted up and looking older and stronger than I’d ever known him.
Winchester bowed and relinquished me. Much bent his arm to me, and I grinned and wrapped my arm around his, trying to forget what Gisbourne could do to my friends to make me do his bidding. “You look very handsome,” I told him, and he beamed.
“Come along, everyone’s here,” he told me. He pointed to John and Bess and Godfrey, and I’d never been so happy to see the inside of the hall.
John hugged my waist, pulling me off my feet and careful not to crush my hand. When he put me down I went to Bess, looking about unsure and shy. She had one hand on her stomach. She met my eye and frowned a little. “Am I meant to curtsy?” she asked. “I don’t know much about curtsies.”
I rushed forward and hugged her. “You’re family,” I whispered in her ear. “You’re one of us now.”
She hugged me back, tight. “Thank you,” she whispered back.
Godfrey were next, and he bowed over my hand and kissed it. John made a face. “See, you can’t do things like that if you’re meant to replace me,” John said. “Scar’s head gets much too big.”
“Then maybe you should learn a thing or two about manners from me,” Godfrey told him with a grin. “Lady Scar, you look beautiful.”
“Only I’m allowed to tell her that,” said a voice in my ear. My heart broke painful open and I spun around as Rob’s arms circled my waist, hugging tight against him, desperate to hold on to him. He hugged me, rubbing my back, dragging his fingers over every silver swirl.
“Is it over?” he murmured to me. “Is it really over?”
Tears rose up and my throat went tight. I pulled back to look him in the eye. “You’re sheriff. The people have nothing to fear.”
Our faces swayed closer, and I shivered again. I would never have this, the right to kiss him in public.
We didn’t kiss, but a faster tune began, and Rob took my good hand. “Please dance with me.”
“I never learned the fancy dances,” I told him, frowning.
“I don’t care how we do it,” he said with a grin. “I just want you in my arms.”
He tugged me along to where a throng of common folk were dancing, and, careful to tuck my hurt hand up on his shoulder, he pulled me in close. We danced along with them, jumping and stepping fast and foolish. My short, funny hair flew about my face, and my heart beat as fast as my laughter, all the while I stared into Rob’s eyes.
He slowed down and pulled me out of the thick of the leaping throngs, dancing closer, rubbing his cheek along mine. “Marry me when the sun sets,” he breathed.
I raised my head a little. “What?”
“If your marriage is annulled when the prince leaves tomorrow morning, marry me by sunset. I can’t wait longer, Scarlet, I don’t have it in me. I have missed you every minute, and I don’t want to see another sunrise without you as my wife.”
My heart broke, and water spilled out of my eyes. “What if it’s not annulled?” I breathed.
“Then I’ll wait. Every sunset, every day. I’ll count them all until you’re mine. My perfect wife. My only wife,” he said. “The only heart that’s meant for mine.” His nose dragged on my face. “I only feel like a hero when you’re with me, Scarlet. I feel like I have a destiny greater than pain and hurt when you’re in my arms.”
I tugged him closer, tucking my head into the bend of his neck to wipe my tears on him. “Me too,” I said.
“Scarlet.”
“Mmm.”
“That was me asking you to marry me, you know.”
My eyes pressed shut. “Yes,” I whispered. “That’s all I want.”
“Oh, hell,” someone said, and I looked up to see Winchester standing behind Rob. Rob turned and I wiped my face overquick. “I’m trying to wait, but I have to accuse Lady Leaford of hoarding you, Sheriff,” he said.
Rob held me tucked under one arm, and bowed his head. “Your Grace,” he greeted.
Winchester looked more like a boy than I’d ever seen him. He gripped Rob’s shoulder and shook a little, laughing. “Your Grace! Do you know how odd it is to not be able to say that back to you? Though I’ll much prefer it to the names you were calling me when the healer was working on you.”
Rob winced. “He told you that?”
Winchester shrugged. “I’ve been called worse. You did very well today, Locksley. The master at arms would have been proud.”
“Master at arms?” I questioned.
“That’s how we know each other,” Rob told me. “We were pages together for a time.”
Glimpsing the regal tilt of Eleanor’s head, I slipped out from Rob’s arm. “Well, you two should talk.” I smiled at Rob. “I’ll find you.”
