It was early in the morning; word was going round that Robin Hood's men were being hanged at mid afternoon today. I was fixing my hair in the window sighing. My father was still silent and shaken with the events of yesterday. I was wearing a white riding top, and my black leather pants. My boots clicked on the floor, as I patted my hair in a bun, with my dagger pinning it in place. A clear whistle rang out as I frowned before making my way to my window chuckling as I saw Robin standing below.

"What do you want?" I chuckled with a smile on my face.

"To talk!" Robin shouted out as he held out his hands to the side as I raised an eyebrow at him, trying hard not to snicker at him.

"So talk." I teased as he stuck out his tongue and took a few steps forward. From my window I watched as Robin jumps up and grabs a horizontal metal bar connecting the stable to a post below my window. He curls his feet over his head and pushes himself up onto the bar, then steps to the loft of the stable beside him and walks over to the window. I smile slightly, watching his progress. Robin tries to enter my window, but I sit on the sill.

"Ah, you can talk from there." I laughed as Robin grins at me, staring into my eyes.

"What?" I asked him as he smirked.

"Nothing." He grinned as I raised an eyebrow.

"You were looking at me." I insisted.

"That’s just the way my eyes were pointing." He teased as I rolled my eyes playfully as he sighed.

"I’m sorry about yesterday. How’s your father?" He questioned as I blew out a deep breath.

"I hear your men are going to hang." I avoided his question as he growled.

"They’re not my men." He snapped angrily as I could see that Robin was still angry with them for attacking my father yesterday.

"They were your men last night." I retorted as Robin sighed.

"The Sheriff is hanging them in my name, hoping I’ll turn up to rescue them. But my men think it’s a trap. Has your good friend Guy of Gisborne said anything to you?" Robin added with a hint of jealously as I shook my head.

"I think he was a little preoccupied. But I will go to the castle to see what I can find out." I informed him as he shook his head.

"If I do not rescue them, people will think I cannot protect my men. Do I risk us all to save them?" Robin asked me as I gave him a pitiful look as I looked at him in the eye.

"You are a good man, Robin. Nothing will change that." I told him truthfully as I saw Robin stretches his neck up to me for a kiss, but I put my hand on the side of his face and playfully and gently slapped it away.

"Nn-nn." I chuckled as I could Robin starting to get frustrated. "That won’t help you make your decision."

"It might!" He whined as I shook my head. He was such a child when he wanted to be.

"It won’t!" I stated he and I both knew that. I smiled at him a moment, then Robin sits on the edge of the loft and grab the bar to let himself down. He turns to give me one last look and a wave before disappearing I gave a small wave even though he was gone. I chuckled at him before going back inside. I got ready to make my way to Nottingham, my father wasn't in the mood to leave the house, as I waited above the top of the stairs that lead into the dungeons for Guy.

Screams of torture are heard in the background as I winced, closing my eyes trying to block out the flashbacks. It didn't work, I flashed back to when I was only a little girl remembering the burning feeling of a whip against my young skin. Or the feeling of metal cutting my skin, or even the hot metal rods. I shuddered as I saw Guy walking up the steps, he stopped confused when he saw me.

"Esme."

"Sir Guy." I greeted as he frowned slightly.

"So you did not like it after all….. The necklace." He whispered from my confused expression as I quickly understood what it was he was talking about.

"No, I do! It’s at home." I quickly smiled at him lying.

"You didn’t think to wear it?" He asked hurt as I quickly thought on my feet.

"It is very precious to me. I would not want to lose it." I told him as he seemed surprised yet happy that I thought of his gift as being precious to me. Inside I was scowling. More screams come from the dungeons, causing a pained expression to come across my face as I looked down the stairs.

"Come away. This is not for your ears." Guy whispered gently as I let him lead me to the cloister.

"What is it?" I asked him as he looked slightly stressed.

"Do you know the worst crime a man can commit?" He questioned as I frowned.

"Murder." I asked him innocently.

"Betrayal. My sergeant swore loyalty to me... and then he stabbed me in the back." He growled as he folded his arms over his chest and leans on the half wall.

"He hasn’t admitted it yet, but he will." He growled determined as I was confused as I took a step closer curious of how his sergeant had betrayed him.

"Admit what?" I asked him curiously.

"We set a trap to flush out a spy. An unguarded cart. Someone told Robin Hood." Guy informed me as I solemnly tried to hide my guilt, it evidently didn’t show on my face as he gave me a soft smile.

"But what if it wasn’t him?" I whispered as he frowned at me.

"My sergeant was the only one that knew. He was the only one I told." He told me looking at me with those eyes as I had to keep looking at the ground.

"Please, Sir Guy. Do not do this." I whispered, my voice had a hint of desperation. His sergeant will die for my betrayal. It didn't seem fair. He got up from leaning against the wall and took a step forward. I didn’t dare look up.

"You understand loyalty?" He asked me softly yet sternly.

"Y—"

"The importance of loyalty?" He asked again sternly.

"Yes, I do, but—" I began as I looked up at him before he interrupted me once again.

"So he must pay for his crime." It was evident his decision was final as he walked away leaving me concerned for the fate of his innocent sergeant taking my punishment…..

*************

It was only an hour or two before the hanging of Robin Hood's men. Guy stormed into the Great Hall in Nottingham Castle. He was heartbroken and furious; he had found that the Esme had given her necklace to Robin Hood. He felt betrayed and realized that his sergeant had died for nothing. He loved Esme, and yet he couldn’t believe that she would have betrayed him like this. The Sheriff was standing beside Lucky George as he stormed in.

"I’ve been betrayed." Guy informed the Sheriff as the Sheriff raised an eyebrow at Guy.

"Again? Hm, well, you’re making a habit of it, aren’t you?" The Sheriff complained as he cleans out his fingernails with his teeth.

"Not again. I was wrong. My sergeant died an innocent man." Guy informed slightly miserable he let an innocent and yet loyal man die for Esme.

"Well, I’m sure he was guilty of something." The Sheriff stated shrugging his shoulders.

"It was Esme. I have the proof." Guy informed the Sheriff as the Sheriff looked up at Guy Surprised. Esme was to innocent in the Sheriff's eyes to do something like betrayal, yet he didn't trust women so he wasn't at all surprised. He narrowed his eyes at Guy seeing his heartbroken look.

"Esme? Well, well, well... Am I surprised? Clue: no. It’s always the girl." The Sheriff lied, he didn’t think that Esme could do it. Gisborne looks down, his heart broken.

"Ahh, you’re really hurt, hm? Can you feel the hot metal of the knife twisting in your back, hm? All the time she was smiling at you, but really she was laughing at you, betraying you, despising you... humiliating you. Huh? And what do you want to do to her now?" The Sheriff questioned with a smirk as Gisborne looks into his eyes.

"Go... and enjoy it." He snickered evilly as Gisborne leaves. Even though the Sheriff did fancy Esme, he liked entertainment of a hanging. Something was nagging at him it wasn't her though if Guy had proof it was enough for him. She must have betrayed him. He snickered as he went back to cleaning his fingernails.

Meanwhile Guy was riding on his way to Knighton Hall furious at how he betrayed by Esme. His evil gleam in his eye sparkled hard; his facial expression was glued to furiousness, as he neared her home…..