When Betrothal Goes Wrong.

Part 16.

I do not own Robin Hood.

21/5/09.

Back to Rose's POV.

I had my husband back. A husband I had always thought dead. My son knew what it meant to me, I don't know how as he never usually had shown a sensitive bone in his body. He claimed to go for a wonder, my husband gave his son a sword to use just in case he ran into any danger. He smirked and turned back to me, if I were honest I thought I was still dreaming. It didn't seem real.

"Lady Rose Hunter." He said.

"My Lord, Sir Guy." I said.

Names neither of us went by for a long time, but we had when we first met. When betrothal went wrong. Part of me was always glad it did, some times I wished I had taken The Sheriff's offer or done some things differently. Perhaps if I'd have realized sooner what love was and accepted that I had the power to act upon it. It had been so long since I last saw him, or rather since I heard his voice, begging to see me as I was kicked out of the castle in London, with Jade-Rose in my arms.

"When was the last time someone gave you that title?" He asked.

"At least sixteen years ago." I replied.

"Likewise. I thought I'd never see you again." He said.

I felt tears appear in my eyes as I spoke.

"I thought you were dead."

"Rose I'd have given anything to tell you that I wasn't. This was our punishment, my punishment mainly, I'd have given anything to join you, our children. Where is Jade-Rose?" Asked Guy.

I had no idea. I didn't ask but I assumed he was free to travel now as he followed me to Nottingham. We went straight to the castle but both stopped remembering our current position. There was no way either of us would be allowed to come and go into the castle as we used to, but the stones spoke memories to me, memories that I knew Jade-Rose would be wanting to discover. Yet we noticed there was no guards on the outside so decided silently to do our best to get in without causing any trouble.

"You do realize we've now lost our son too?" Asked Guy.

"One problem at a time." I replied.

We walked up to the double-doors of the main hall. I half expected to see the man I was supposed to marry, Vasey the Old Sheriff at this so called 'throne'. In a strange way I was disappointed not to see him, but he was the only person I had been right about in his death. We opened the doors and found Robin Hood eating and drinking with Jade-Rose.

"Don't worry it's only water. I believe she's just found out about her father." He said.

"How dare you?" I asked.

"Rose leave it..." began Guy.

"It's alright. Really, he was who he is and I am who I am." Said Jade-Rose.

"There, no harm done." Added Robin.

"Although I would like what is rightfully mine." She added.

"What?"

"I did the King no harm. Why was I made to suffer?" She asked.

"Welcome to my world. I never harmed a hair on the king's head, but I was the wife of someone who had. I won't be asking for Locksley anytime soon." I added.

"I want Nottingham." Said Jade-Rose.

The doors opened again behind us. There was another face from the past I did not expect. He smirked at me, glared at Guy and looked at the girl I had raised with interest.

"You want Nottingham you say? I'm afraid the occupation of Sheriff is already fulfilled. We meet again, Gisborne, Rose."

It was Lord Edward. I turned to Robin Hood, or Locksley or whoever he was claiming to be. He had failed to mention that he was the replacement Sheriff of Nottingham. I knew Guy wanted more than anything to cause him pain, but he had been on the run, it would be foolish for him to do so.

"What's going on? Who is he?" Asked Jade-Rose.

"Your adopted mother here, knew me as Lord Edward. I looked after her so well when she was younger, when her betrothal failed I was to be next in line or in charge of her, but she refused me everything for that man. I have never been so humiliated. He was only a knight." Replied Lord Edward.

"He was more than that to me!" I shouted.

"I don't understand. Why did you marry Guy's father?" Asked Jade-Rose.

"Because I loved him. I still love him. Edward you were always thought highly of, just not the one for me. When my betrothal went wrong, I found myself free for the first time in my life and I wanted to be who I wanted to be." I replied.

"A woman with two children, one of which is nothing to do with her?" Asked Lord Edward.

"No. I wanted to be free to choose who I married, to choose whose bed I went to. It could never have been you. Lord or not." I replied.

"You're a shame to your father's memory!" He shouted.

"A shame to a drunken lord? My heart bleeds! Why do you think he was put to death? Do you think I begged for his life? No. I let him be arrested. I can't insult him anymore than I did." I said.

"You couldn't have done anything regardless." Added Lord Edward.

"She could have." Added Guy.

"She could have paid for his life." Added Robin Hood.

"Could have, but I didn't. I'd do anything to be myself." I added.

"Yourself? And how do you see yourself?" Asked Lord Edward.

"Let me answer. When Rose became her own person, she was the most lovely lady I had ever met and still is. Kind, helpful, protective, a healer, so moral that I thought she'd never give in to the likes of me. She exceeded my expectations and still does. I don't know how she found the strength to raise two children on her own, least of all my son." Replied Guy.

"What was Marian to you again?" Asked Robin Hood.

"Strong willed and stubborn, but I did have feelings for her. Just different to how I feel about her." He replied.

Robin stood angrily.

"This is what I don't understand. You moved on so quickly, so easily and you act as though it never happened." He added.

"No. There's never been a day I don't regret what I did." Argued Guy.

"Regret? Why? Guilty conscience?" Asked Robin.

"Yes but that isn't why I regret it. I realized when I met Rose, she should have been yours." He replied.

"Yes! Yes she should have! Some of us haven't been able to move on! I don't doubt that Rose is for you! She seems to think you're her world. Marian was my world. If this were left to me, I'd never allow you out of that forest, but the king thinks otherwise." Added Robin.

He stormed away and I saw something in Jade-Rose's eyes that I did not like. She went after him as I turned to Guy.

"We should go." I said.

"Find our son." He added.

"A son? You managed to conceive a son in that short time! Your clone is he?" Asked Lord Edward.

Everything seemed to happen at just the right moment. My son was brought in by some guards. Guy managed to release him and then looked at him for an explanation.

"I knew you'd be here, they just seized me!" He exclaimed.

Lord Edward smirked and looked at Guy junior with interest.

"Ah, the heir. I was right, you do look like your father. Apart from those eyes. Quite unbelievable to see you both. Looking for work?" He asked.

"You stay away from him!" I ordered.

"What's going on?" Asked My Son.

"He's trying to give you my place..." began Guy.

"Oh no Gisborne, Robin has your place and your house. Although I'm sure young Guy here, would love the chance to prove himself. If he did want your old position, to see what it was like in his father's shoes, he knows where Locksley is. Just take it my dear boy." Added Lord Edward.

"No thanks. I see what that job did to him. That position is cursed. Anyone who takes it becomes unhappy in some way or other." Said my son.

"Are you happy though?" Asked Lord Edward.

"Of course. I have my father back." He replied.

"I'm sure that gives some comfort, but you were supposed to be the next lord of Locksley. It's yours by birthright. Doesn't that bother you?" Asked Lord Edward.

"Don't listen to him." I added.

"That was taken before you were born!" added Guy.

"If King Richard hadn't come back it would have been. You'd have grown up together in Locksley Manor, wanted for nothing." Added Lord Edward.

Just like Jade-Rose, my son went after Robin to Locksley. Neither of us could change his mind or keep up with him. Not until we arrived at Locksley Manor, were I was forced to ignore the ghostly memories of a new love for the reality of another. Jade-Rose had her arms wrapped around Robin Hood and her lips against his. I knew Guy would be furious and when Jade-Rose turned to us when they realized they had been rumbled I struggled to stop both men in my life reacting badly.

"You can't honestly expect me to accept this!" Shouted Guy.

"Thought you'd have better taste." Added his father's son.

I knew how Jade-Rose felt. She looked at me and I knew what she was doing. She was her father's daughter and it had taken me so long to see it.

"Take care of her Locksley if you mean it." I said.

"Rose what are you doing?" Asked Guy.

"Mum you can't let her do this!" Added my son.

Jade-Rose nodded at me and Robin looked uncomfortable.

"I don't want to use her." He said.

"Then don't, but I won't loose my husband again and I know I will if she comes home." I said.

"Thank you. For everything." Added Jade-Rose.

I left. Guy and our son followed. I turned to them both with a slight smile on my face.

"She doesn't love him. She meant what she said. She wants Nottingham and were better to start than Locksley?" I asked.

"Then why doesn't she move in on Edward?" Asked my son.

"No doubt she will." I replied.

"Then I can kill him." He added.

"No. I'll kill him. I've waited long enough." Corrected Guy.