Everything I Do: a Robin Hood romance (Rosa Fitzwalter Book 1) (50 page)

“There is not one man in England with the resources or the will to complete the task,” the prince stated, looking down on the outlaw. “Except you. If you succeed, your crimes and the crimes of your men may be erased. If you do not, well.” He stopped and smiled maliciously. “You will have had your just reward.”

“I need to see the missive concerning my king,” Robin said, and the prince, lifting one eyebrow to indicate his surprise that the outlaw could read, nodded to one of his men to fetch it.

Robin quickly perused its contents, although he already knew that the prince’s claim was true.

“I will go,” he said simply, as though there had ever been any question.

He and his men waited, standing, immobile, as the prince and his retinue took their leave majestically, leaving them unharmed.

Then, quickly, Robin turned and took his new bride’s hand in his, almost crushing the delicate bones beneath his death-grip. He did not lift his eyes to look into hers. He simply held on, as a drowning man would to an anchor, his entire body shaking, his eyes shut tightly.

“I’ll go,” he repeated in a whisper, to himself. “For my king.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, the readers of this story on FanFiction. Your support and enthusiasm is what inspired me to finish it, and then to start the (painful) process of editing and altering it until it would be fit for publication. You guys are my dream come true. I owe you so much!
 

Many thanks also to my husband who believed in this book more than I ever did, and kept (keeps) telling me how extremely proud he is of me and of everything I do -pun intended. I don’t deserve you.
 

To my brother, who shares the love of all things Robin Hood (the romance not so much) and encourages me daily to keep writing: thanks, dude. Love you too.
 

And, last but not least, to my First Reader, my dad, who is now in Heaven: it all began with you. I live daily with the hope of seeing you soon, and then we’ll make up new stories. Together.

M.C. FRANK
  has been living in a world of stories ever since she can remember herself. She started writing them down when she could no longer stand the characters in her head screaming at her to give them life.

She has had two other books published in another language to great critical acclaim, both titles in the young adult genre. She has also had numerous articles published, including a regular short-story column in a bimonthly magazine.

She likes to write romances, and then place them in brutal post-apocalyptic universes flooded with water or medieval forests plagued by greedy Sheriffs, but she also loves writing adventures and hopes to be able to explore the crafting of contemporary fiction next.

Recently she got her university degree in physics and is now free to pursue her love of reading and writing, as well as her free-lance job of editor-in-chief. She currently lives with her husband in a home filled with candles, laptops and notebooks, where she rearranges her overflowing bookshelves every time she feels stressed  -which is often, since she is currently editing her next novel, her NaNoWriMo (winning!) project of 2014.

Please visit her at her blog:
bookshelfstories.blogspot.com