Lion Heart (21 page)

That afternoon, the knights were making fast work in the city, and Winchester, Rob, Much, and I talked about what to do about the tax.

“We can't tell them,” Much said. “It will break the people after all that they've lost.”

“They won't be surprised,” Rob said. “We had barely a quarter of the amount we were called for. But that's all the people had, and now that's gone too.”

“I would give it to you,” Winchester said, “but not even I have the kind of coin you're talking about. Not after covering for the people of mine that couldn't pay. It took everything I had.”

“I'll sell my property,” I said.

Much frowned. “Leaford? But then you'd be putting people out of jobs and robbing yourself of any income that comes
in. Not to mention that I think the Lord and Lady Leaford would have a few concerns about that, which even if they aren't actually your parents, I would think you'd consider. And set all of that aside, no one has the kind of money to buy something like that. No one.”

“She's not Lady Leaford anymore,” Rob said sharp. “She's Huntingdon. She has all the Huntingdon lands, Much.”

Much blinked, looking between us. “Oh.”

“Maybe Eleanor will help,” I said. “She'll stop here on her tour.”

“Marian, she'll have already put every spare cent she has to bring Richard home,” Winchester reminded me.

I sighed, leaning on the edge of a table. “It was much easier when we could just steal things,” I said.

“No one left to steal from,” Rob reminded. He raised his eyebrow in my direction, and I frowned.

“Sheriff!” a page yelled. I turned to see Will Clarke run into the room in the garb the castle servants wore.

“Yes, Will?” Rob asked.

“The prince is coming, Sheriff! He sent word that he's returning Nottingham's knights.”

“Get everyone into the castle,” Rob ordered. “Immediately. Will, start spreading the word. Winchester, take half your knights to the city gate and have the rest guard the castle. Tell Essex the same. Much, go out to the towns and warn them.”

Much and Will left, but Winchester hung back. “You're the only one with the power to send him away, Marian,” he said.

“I know. And I will. He has no right to be here.”

“Whatever you do,” Rob warned me, “keeping you safe is the most important thing now. If anything happens to you, he can lay claim to the shire again.”

I raised my chin. “Then don't let anything happen to me.”

“Don't ask that from me, Scar, unless you mean it,” Rob told me, his eyes dark.

I drew a slow breath, looking at him. Wondering if my being a noblewoman would mean constantly putting him back in this place.

“No one will let her be harmed,” Winchester said, nodding at Rob.

Rob nodded once at me.

The city gate weren't near as well fortified as the castle, but if Prince John were ever to transgress against us, we'd make it hard as we could. We shut and locked the city gates and Winchester and I sat mounted on horses, the knights around us. Rob were on the city wall behind me, an arrow in hand, true to his promise to keep me safe. I even wore a dress for the occasion, taken from my old things, which Rob had fetched out of the room for me.

I wanted to look every inch a formidable lady like his mother when I faced down Prince John.

Because of the rain there weren't much dust to rise, and we just felt the trembling in the ground as Prince John rounded
the bend with a legion of Nottinghamshire knights. I held my breath, and a breeze kicked up, flapping my cloak to the side.

Prince John signaled his men—
my
men—to halt, riding a few paces up. My stomach curled hard when I saw his companion—de Clare, the cruel bully who'd taken great joy in hurting me the winter before.

But it were spring now, and this were my castle and my shire and for the first time in my life, I had the right to defend those things. “Lady Huntingdon,” de Clare greeted me with an oily smile.

“My lord Prince,” I said, clear and loud over the quieting roar of horses' hooves. “Welcome to Nottinghamshire.”

“Lady Huntingdon,” he said, glaring at me with a sick, pleased smile. “Winchester, Essex,” he said, nodding to each. “Marian, don't you just have a stable of men about?”

“Earls,” I corrected, lifting my eyebrows. “And yes, I've found the nobility to be most supportive of my new role.”

“Oh, yes, I'm sure an unmarried woman with a significant amount of land would become very popular,” Prince John sneered.

“And a widow at that,” de Clare said, his eyes skipping over me. “No need to be concerned with maiden honor.”

There weren't a sound.

Prince John chuckled. “Well. I've heard you had trouble here,” he said, all innocent. “I heard the town was sacked.”

I glanced round. The gates were shut and unharmed; you couldn't see the burned town beyond. “No. You must have been misinformed.”

He sniffed. “I can still smell smoke.”

Smiling, I glanced at Rob. “We had a feast and a bonfire to celebrate my creation. It was quite the affair.”

His smile grew more tense, widening to show his teeth. “My mother thinks she's very clever too, Marian, but she ended up in a tower for sixteen years for annoying my father with her willful mouth. You would do well to remember there are punishments for even the highest of the nobility.”

I drew in a breath to speak, but Winchester were faster. “Before you dare to speak of punishment to her, I suggest you look to your own actions and wonder what the king might have in store for you when he returns. Besides, you may be a prince, but with the loss of the Nottingham lands, your holdings are less than hers—and, I would remind you, mine.”

The prince lowered his gaze like a dog, glaring at Winchester and baring his teeth. “Those are bold words, Winchester.”

“Bold, perhaps,” Essex said. “But true.”

The prince sniffed. “Holdings come and go, but royal blood is inalienable.”

“Yes,” I said, raising my chin. “Royal blood is inalienable, isn't it?”

“And where is the dashing sheriff?” Prince John asked, a smug grin coming over his face. “I'd heard he didn't fare well in the troubles.”

My blood roared in my ears. No such thing had happened; it could only mean that Prince John had ordered it so.

He wanted Rob dead.

“Forgive my failure to greet you, your Highness,” Rob called from his spot on the wall. I didn't turn to look, watching Prince John's snarl instead.

He didn't say anything for many moments. “Very well. Congratulations, Lady Huntingdon, on your incredibly swift rise from bastardy. If you can simply deliver the tax for your shire, I will be on my way.”

“No,” I said.

His horse pawed closer. “What was that?” he growled.

“No. You are not the overlord responsible for this shire, and considering our history, I will deliver our tax to the queen mother, or straight to London. The servants at the Huntingdon holdings have been alerted to the change and any personal items you may wish to recover, please write to me and I will handle it as I see fit.”

His chest rose. “May I remind you, nobles whose shires fail to pay are held responsible,” he said.

“We'll be sure to remind Eleanor of that. For now, I believe you are needed elsewhere, my lord Prince. Anywhere but Nottinghamshire, in fact. You may retain de Clare, but I require these knights.”

Prince John's lip curled. He looked at each of us in turn. “This has been a very memorable visit,” he said. “Rest assured I will treasure it for a long, long while.”

He spurred his horse, and de Clare hesitated a moment, then followed along behind him.

When we couldn't see their horses anymore, Winchester's men began banging their armored hands on their chests, clattering with noise in a knight's version of a cheer.

The rest of the men didn't quite know what to do, and I called for the gates to be opened so we could be let in. I sent Essex and Winchester on ahead, and saw Rob watching me as the knights filed in.

The knights stopped and dutifully dropped their heads to me.

“I lied before,” I told them. “There have been troubles here. Men came through, very well-organized and purposeful men, and burned much of the city. We are struggling to rebuild, and I need your help to protect these people and give them their homes back. I know some of you have been garrisoned here for a while, and some of you may be new. I look forward to your help and your service.”

I didn't wait for their reaction. It were important, whether they respected me as their lady or not, but I knew that were a slow process, and a man wouldn't wait for them to approve. They would do their jobs, and I would win them over as soon as I could.

I sent them to different tasks within the city, and Rob waited for them all to ride past me before coming up to my horse. I dropped off the horse's back, taking a moment to arrange the skirts of the dress that caught up around my legs.

When I looked up, Rob were close to me. His bow were over his back, and his arms were crossed over his front. “You did well,” he told me.

“Thank you,” I said, looking at him. “You're not happy about this, are you? That I'm Lady Huntingdon.”

He paused, but he shook his head slow. “I don't know what to think, Scar. I just need more time.”

“I don't understand,” I told him.

His shoulders lifted. “Those were meant to be my lands, Scar,” he said.

Slow and careful, I reached for his hand, threading his fingers through mine where they weren't covered with bandages. He smiled at the strange sight.

“Your hands are a little ridiculous, love,” he told me.

“Rob, they can be your lands again,” I told him with a whisper.

“If we marry,” he said, his eyes meeting mine, heavy and dark. “I know,” he said, looking at our hands. “I just don't know that I deserve them. That I will ever deserve that title.”

“Rob—”

“And more than that, I don't know that you can marry me, Scar.” His hand pulled away from mine. “Prince John isn't wrong about that—you can marry any unwed man in the kingdom. Your father won't approve of you wedding a sheriff.”

“I don't care about that!” I said, my heart starting to beat faster.

“Don't you?” he asked, looking at me. “You spoke of alliances. Do you know what the best way to ally yourself with another powerful lord is? What the best way to protect
Nottingham
is?”

I stepped back, close to the horse, and the horse tossed his head. “You want me to marry someone else?” I asked, my voice a bare whisper; I didn't think I were breathing.

“I want to keep you
alive
, Scarlet!” he yelled at me. “There's no way in hell I want to see you marry another man.
Again
. I've been through that torture once, thank you. But you are a noblewoman now, and there is a different set of rules. Protection and safety aren't things you can purchase at the tip of your knife.”

“No—they're things I should purchase with my
body
?” I yelled. I couldn't breathe, and there were tears blocking my eyes.

“You survived Gisbourne,” he said soft. “Surely he was the worst you could hope for.”

I shrank back farther, and the horse trotted away from me. I shut my eyes and Gisbourne were there again, pushing me against the wall, clawing at my skirts, pulling them up. Hurting me.

“
Scarlet
,” Rob said, touching my arm. I turned away, hitting the ashen remain of a wall, and he caught my shoulders. “Scar,” he said again.

I pulled away from him, and the tears shot out.

“Scarlet!” he said.

I shook my head, grabbing for the horse's reins and starting to walk toward the castle.

“Scarlet!” he yelled.

I didn't stop. And he didn't follow me.

CHAPTER