betrayed me. And it hurt deeply.
“That’s what I thought,” I said, trying to keep my tears in and the hurt from lacing my voice. I clucked to Crafty, who rocked forward into a walk. We snaked between the mounted Little John and Will Scarlet, moving past them.
We were almost out of sight when Little John called out. “Robyn! Wait!”
“Robyn!” Scarlet shouted.
The two barreled up to me on their horses.
“It was us,” Little John said in a rushed, jumble of words when they caught up. “I started it. I thought you would like me more since I was your right hand man. I was here first. If you were to love either of us it should be me,” Little John said, scowling at Will.
Scarlet interrupted him as they swiveled their horses in front of mine, making us stop. “Much and Will Stutely told us they would never see you married until the Merry Men were pardoned and disbanded and you were no longer the outlawed leader. We couldn’t very well get you pardoned, but it occurred to Little John that he could unseat you, which might be close enough.”
“So I challenged you to an unfair contest. I figured in the morning we could talk it over and you would choose one of us and… and,” Little John trailed off. “I didn’t think things through very well,” he admitted.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” I said, rapidly blinking. “All of this was because Much and Will Stutely said they won’t let me be married?”
Little John and Will Scarlet swapped glances before turning to me and speaking in one voice.
“Robyn, we love you.”
“ Really love you,” Scarlet stressed.
“Not the way the rest of the Merry Men love you,” Little John added.
“We really love you,” Will Scarlet repeated.
“So chose one of us.”
I couldn’t tell which one of them said that in such a pleading voice, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
I stared at them, completely dumbfounded. My mind was blanking. Their sudden, simultaneous confessions were the last things I ever expected to hear in my entire life . Besides the infamously flirtatious Dan the Musician, I had never been paid any particular attention by men as handsome, comely, and powerful as John and Will. (And Will was a lord’s son. A LORD’S son .)
I was so stupefied my hands went slack. Crafty judged his moment of liberation was near, and threw me without apology. I went flying off his back when he crow hopped, cracking into a small tree.
As I groaned, blinking stars out of my eyes while trying to regain my knocked out breath, Crafty laughed under his horsey breath and started meandering through Sherwood, heading back for camp.
“Robyn!” Scarlet cried as he and Little John slid off their horses and rushed to my side.
“I’m fine,” I groaned, already disengaging myself from the tree. “I’m fine,” I repeated, standing up on shaky legs.
When I finally reoriented myself I realized both of the men were clasping my elbows. Naturally shied by the awkward situation, I shook them off before abruptly plunging through the woods, heading for camp.
“ I must return to camp,” I muttered, scrambling over a log. Maybe if I ignored them they would go away.
Unfortunately, Little John and Will Scarlet trailed after me, leading their horses by the reins.
“Robyn?” Little John hesitantly called.
I stopped and turned around to stare at the pair.
They shifted and looked a little uncomfortable.
“We—,” Scarlet started.
I abruptly slapped my hands over my ears. “La-la-la -la-la! I can’t hear you!” I declared, spinning back around as my face turned the most brilliant shade of red. “La-la-la!” I shouted while skirting around a bush, following the unseen trails of the Merry Men.
Little John gave me the fright of a lifetime when he suddenly grasped my left wrist and pulled my hand off my ear. “Reacting like a bashful child isn’t going to make this situation disappear, Robyn,” he said.
I removed my right hand from my ear only so I
“That’s what I thought,” I said, trying to keep my tears in and the hurt from lacing my voice. I clucked to Crafty, who rocked forward into a walk. We snaked between the mounted Little John and Will Scarlet, moving past them.
We were almost out of sight when Little John called out. “Robyn! Wait!”
“Robyn!” Scarlet shouted.
The two barreled up to me on their horses.
“It was us,” Little John said in a rushed, jumble of words when they caught up. “I started it. I thought you would like me more since I was your right hand man. I was here first. If you were to love either of us it should be me,” Little John said, scowling at Will.
Scarlet interrupted him as they swiveled their horses in front of mine, making us stop. “Much and Will Stutely told us they would never see you married until the Merry Men were pardoned and disbanded and you were no longer the outlawed leader. We couldn’t very well get you pardoned, but it occurred to Little John that he could unseat you, which might be close enough.”
“So I challenged you to an unfair contest. I figured in the morning we could talk it over and you would choose one of us and… and,” Little John trailed off. “I didn’t think things through very well,” he admitted.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” I said, rapidly blinking. “All of this was because Much and Will Stutely said they won’t let me be married?”
Little John and Will Scarlet swapped glances before turning to me and speaking in one voice.
“Robyn, we love you.”
“ Really love you,” Scarlet stressed.
“Not the way the rest of the Merry Men love you,” Little John added.
“We really love you,” Will Scarlet repeated.
“So chose one of us.”
I couldn’t tell which one of them said that in such a pleading voice, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
I stared at them, completely dumbfounded. My mind was blanking. Their sudden, simultaneous confessions were the last things I ever expected to hear in my entire life . Besides the infamously flirtatious Dan the Musician, I had never been paid any particular attention by men as handsome, comely, and powerful as John and Will. (And Will was a lord’s son. A LORD’S son .)
I was so stupefied my hands went slack. Crafty judged his moment of liberation was near, and threw me without apology. I went flying off his back when he crow hopped, cracking into a small tree.
As I groaned, blinking stars out of my eyes while trying to regain my knocked out breath, Crafty laughed under his horsey breath and started meandering through Sherwood, heading back for camp.
“Robyn!” Scarlet cried as he and Little John slid off their horses and rushed to my side.
“I’m fine,” I groaned, already disengaging myself from the tree. “I’m fine,” I repeated, standing up on shaky legs.
When I finally reoriented myself I realized both of the men were clasping my elbows. Naturally shied by the awkward situation, I shook them off before abruptly plunging through the woods, heading for camp.
“ I must return to camp,” I muttered, scrambling over a log. Maybe if I ignored them they would go away.
Unfortunately, Little John and Will Scarlet trailed after me, leading their horses by the reins.
“Robyn?” Little John hesitantly called.
I stopped and turned around to stare at the pair.
They shifted and looked a little uncomfortable.
“We—,” Scarlet started.
I abruptly slapped my hands over my ears. “La-la-la -la-la! I can’t hear you!” I declared, spinning back around as my face turned the most brilliant shade of red. “La-la-la!” I shouted while skirting around a bush, following the unseen trails of the Merry Men.
Little John gave me the fright of a lifetime when he suddenly grasped my left wrist and pulled my hand off my ear. “Reacting like a bashful child isn’t going to make this situation disappear, Robyn,” he said.
I removed my right hand from my ear only so I
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