message that he needed to stop.
When he pulled away from her, he noticed
that her face was flushed and her eyes were softly gazing at him.
She was breathless, as if his kisses had affected her quite a bit.
He knew the effects she had had on him, as well, so it wasn’t hard
to guess.
Robin took a deep breath, licked her lips,
and finally broke the silence. “How did you know?”
Daniel smiled when he noticed her
breathlessness. He tenderly caressed her face with his fingers and
said, “It was the way you bit your lip and rubbed your hand against
your leg when you get nervous.”
Robin stared at him. “You noticed that?”
“Among other things.” He took her hand in
his and said, “I noticed what delicate hands you have.”
He gave it a squeeze. “And your mouth. No
one has heart-shaped lips like you, Marie. I guess I shouldn’t have
noticed, but it wasn’t hard to. I finally realized that you weren’t
who you said you were.”
“But I am,” she said firmly. “I’m Robin
Marie.”
“Robin Marie?” He smiled and raised his
brow. “So what shall I call you? I’m so used to thinking about you
every day as Marie. It might be hard to make the transition to
Robin.”
“You think about me?” Robin said with
astonishment. “Every day?”
Daniel cleared his throat and nodded. “Why
is that so hard to believe?”
She smiled and asked, “What shall we tell
the rebels?”
He replaced her hat upon her head and tucked
her mussed up hair inside. Then he handed her the mask and took her
hand, leading her toward the group of men and women.
“We tell them who you really are. They
should know who their leaders are. We have united and we’re now
one. But we will have equal say in the planning and strategy.”
She nodded. “You’re right. I need to let
your men know that I’m a woman.”
Daniel stood before the Freemen and Robin’s
Rebels and told them that they had joined forces. The Freemen
cheered. Everyone saw the respect Daniel had for Robin. His men
didn’t know she was a woman yet because she hadn’t taken her hat
off. Daniel knew it was time to tell them who she was. They were
all seated on the ground, eating and listening to his
announcement.
He turned to her and smiled as he said to the
group, “Robin is a great leader and archer. She won this tournament
but has agreed to unite with us. Andrew, her father, is a great
swordsman. We will all benefit from this unity.”
The men looked puzzled as they mumbled, “Did he
say ‘she’?”
“No, I don’t think so. You misunderstood.”
“I heard him say it. He said ‘she’.”
Daniel laughed as he took Robin’s hat off her
head, pulled her soft hair out of its bun, and let it fall upon her
shoulders.
The Freemen were shocked. Some gaped their
mouths open. A few swore softly as they said, “Who would have
guessed! Not me!” Others stared at her like they couldn’t believe
their eyes. They were speechless.
Finally, one man stood and said, “That woman
beat you at archery, Daniel. A woman! She beat you.”
Daniel laughed. “You bet she did. I want your
attention, men. Listen to me.”
Everyone quieted down.
“Yes, Robin is a woman. She is to be admired.
And we will treat her with respect at all times.”
The men understood what he was saying and
immediately cheered for their new leader. Robin’s Rebels looked
around and saw how the others had accepted her. This pleased
them.
When the cheering died down, Merek stood and
asked, “What are we going to call ourselves?”
Daniel looked at Robin and shrugged. It didn’t
matter to him. He had gotten what he wanted… in more ways than one.
Yes, he had kissed her and what a kiss it was!
Robin smiled at the men before her and said,
“We’re going to be known as the Freemen. That’s a good name and I
like what it represents… a free people.”
Daniel was surprised. He didn’t expect her
to change their name. This touched his heart. He wished he could
thank her properly once
When he pulled away from her, he noticed
that her face was flushed and her eyes were softly gazing at him.
She was breathless, as if his kisses had affected her quite a bit.
He knew the effects she had had on him, as well, so it wasn’t hard
to guess.
Robin took a deep breath, licked her lips,
and finally broke the silence. “How did you know?”
Daniel smiled when he noticed her
breathlessness. He tenderly caressed her face with his fingers and
said, “It was the way you bit your lip and rubbed your hand against
your leg when you get nervous.”
Robin stared at him. “You noticed that?”
“Among other things.” He took her hand in
his and said, “I noticed what delicate hands you have.”
He gave it a squeeze. “And your mouth. No
one has heart-shaped lips like you, Marie. I guess I shouldn’t have
noticed, but it wasn’t hard to. I finally realized that you weren’t
who you said you were.”
“But I am,” she said firmly. “I’m Robin
Marie.”
“Robin Marie?” He smiled and raised his
brow. “So what shall I call you? I’m so used to thinking about you
every day as Marie. It might be hard to make the transition to
Robin.”
“You think about me?” Robin said with
astonishment. “Every day?”
Daniel cleared his throat and nodded. “Why
is that so hard to believe?”
She smiled and asked, “What shall we tell
the rebels?”
He replaced her hat upon her head and tucked
her mussed up hair inside. Then he handed her the mask and took her
hand, leading her toward the group of men and women.
“We tell them who you really are. They
should know who their leaders are. We have united and we’re now
one. But we will have equal say in the planning and strategy.”
She nodded. “You’re right. I need to let
your men know that I’m a woman.”
Daniel stood before the Freemen and Robin’s
Rebels and told them that they had joined forces. The Freemen
cheered. Everyone saw the respect Daniel had for Robin. His men
didn’t know she was a woman yet because she hadn’t taken her hat
off. Daniel knew it was time to tell them who she was. They were
all seated on the ground, eating and listening to his
announcement.
He turned to her and smiled as he said to the
group, “Robin is a great leader and archer. She won this tournament
but has agreed to unite with us. Andrew, her father, is a great
swordsman. We will all benefit from this unity.”
The men looked puzzled as they mumbled, “Did he
say ‘she’?”
“No, I don’t think so. You misunderstood.”
“I heard him say it. He said ‘she’.”
Daniel laughed as he took Robin’s hat off her
head, pulled her soft hair out of its bun, and let it fall upon her
shoulders.
The Freemen were shocked. Some gaped their
mouths open. A few swore softly as they said, “Who would have
guessed! Not me!” Others stared at her like they couldn’t believe
their eyes. They were speechless.
Finally, one man stood and said, “That woman
beat you at archery, Daniel. A woman! She beat you.”
Daniel laughed. “You bet she did. I want your
attention, men. Listen to me.”
Everyone quieted down.
“Yes, Robin is a woman. She is to be admired.
And we will treat her with respect at all times.”
The men understood what he was saying and
immediately cheered for their new leader. Robin’s Rebels looked
around and saw how the others had accepted her. This pleased
them.
When the cheering died down, Merek stood and
asked, “What are we going to call ourselves?”
Daniel looked at Robin and shrugged. It didn’t
matter to him. He had gotten what he wanted… in more ways than one.
Yes, he had kissed her and what a kiss it was!
Robin smiled at the men before her and said,
“We’re going to be known as the Freemen. That’s a good name and I
like what it represents… a free people.”
Daniel was surprised. He didn’t expect her
to change their name. This touched his heart. He wished he could
thank her properly once
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