Marian's Men A Juxtaposition

Marian's Men A Juxtaposition

Marian's Men - A Juxtaposition

Critique Forum Re-write

By JeanTre16

Sir Guy of Gisborne had not seen Marian since she left him standing at the altar, one month ago to the day. Now she was back at Locksley … not for him, but for the commoners in his village. Winter was upon them and Sheriff Vaizey of Nottingham was demanding another tax. She was there asking for lenience to spare his people from their hardship. It was bold of her to come.

She had already carefully spoken her mind to him once, but he continued his inspection on a saddle, distant and unresponsive, not even as much as an acknowledgement to her plea. Marian stood near him and waited. Her scent of rose petals bridged the gap between them on the bitter air and stirred his senses. Her presence wrought difficulties in him.

"Sir Guy," Marian's sweetened voice petitioned for the second time, "the people of Locksley cannot work any harder. They have already produced several times over their quota to provide the tax monies the sheriff insists on collecting."

Her stunning beauty and soft hypnotic voice were at last too much for him to shut out. Guy finally stopped his tinkering and crossed his arms, positioning himself half-turned in her direction. His profile was dark and contemplating; his austerity was only deepened by his black leather, full-length coat. Pivoting his head patiently off to the side as he had become accustomed to doing in response to her child-like persistence, he corrected calmly, "Marian, my cousin will not budge, and I will not cross him. It is a peasant's duty to provide his master with whatsoever he requires. Now - " he looked hesitant and moved nearer to continue in a lowered voice " - I may find it within my power to delay their next collection … if the sheriff is given reason to approve my diversion to other matters."

Marian backed off to look at him, a perplexed frown on her soft features. Or was it fear? "What do you mean - diversion to other matters?" she asked.

Agitated, the tall dark-haired man rolled his gaze in her failure to see his aim. "I'm talking about the reinstatement of our engagement," he spoke with a tinge more impatience in his voice.

"Oh," she replied, genuinely speechless.

"Think about it," he said, not waiting for her reply. She had not outwardly rejected him this time, which gave him reason to hope. He would talk to his cousin. There had to be some way to make concession between Marian and Vaizey, long enough for him to lay hold of her.

Over the past weeks, he tried convincing himself he could do without her. He had Locksley and a position of power; he could let her go. But now that she was here, he found he could not. The closeness of her purity made his chest burn within. More than ever, he wanted her. She would be his crowning jewel of Locksley, erasing Robin from his tormented memory, from everyone's memory - including hers.

ooOOoo

Robin was standing by the fire warming his hands when he saw her approach. She rode her chestnut into the clearing at a leisurely pace, a pace he often saw her use while deep in thought. He smiled. To him, she looked like an angel, casting a lovely glow against the backdrop of leaf-deprived trees.

As she drew into the light of the fire, he noticed the joyless look on her face. His smile faded and concern grew in its place. Her dismount was accompanied with a deep sigh as her feet lit upon the cool autumn earth. Quickly, her troubled eyes lifted to find his among the men by the crackling fire. Finding them, he saw her pain and froze.

"What is it?" Robin asked, studying her for clues. Marian could fool just about anyone with her calm demeanor, but she couldn't fool him. He had spent too many summers with her before he had left for the Holy Land. Here in the forests, he had come to know her moods and faces.

Pursing her lips, she looked around at the others - Robin's men - and insisted, "Not here."

"All right," he permitted and gestured her to lead the way from the fire pit, "after you."

They walked off a distance before she laid her troubles on him - the day's events at Locksley and of Gisborne's renewed proposition. In closing, she asked, "What should I do? I'm tired of this game. And it is all a game for him. What could he possibly want in me? Surely I've shown no affection towards him … rejecting him even, in the worst possible way."

"Yes, leaving him on your wedding day to ride off with another man isn't exactly showing felicity," Robin agreed, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

Marian scoffed at his distasteful choice of words. She walked a distance farther and spoke again, quieter this time, "If it would make a permanent difference, I'd do anything for the people of Locksley. But I know it would not. Next week the feasting would be over, and the people would be no wealthier for the delay."