- Chapter 78 -

As commanded by the Prince we had made our way to Locksley village. The village is decorated with garlands and flowers. Two men bring a pig on a spit, ready to be roasted, past rows of long tables. The villagers stand and applaud as they pass by and set it over a fire between the manor and the church. It was a wedding and it made me sad at the memory of Guy and I's ceremony that we were never able to finish.

The Prince rode in his carriage with Guy, the Sheriff, Isabella and I riding on horseback beside the carriage or behind. Isabella and I to the right of Prince John and Guy and the Sheriff on his other side as the carriage came to a halt. Everyone was lively and enjoying the fresh air that the day brought as I felt my heart grow heavy, as I knew something was to happen that would leave me wanting to burst into tears.

"Why? They look so lovely." The Prince spoke as I couldn't tell if he was being genuine or not.

"Looks like a wedding." Isabella spoke stating the obvious as I glanced over at Guy who was looking at the ground, unable to look at the church as I knew I wasn't the only one remembering our wedding here at Locksley church.

"I love weddings. I shall speak with them. You'll join me?" The Prince spoke as he stood and got out from his carriage and turned towards Isabella. She glanced over at Guy as though to see permission before dismounting from her horse as I did as well, and followed him with a small distance, my hand resting on my sword handle ready.

"They are sad little creatures really, aren't they? I sense disagreement." He spoke, as Isabella kept silent as he looked upon the people with disgust. I growled as he waved his hand away, in an attempt to silence me, but I felt offended. I had grown up with these people, they were part of a family, and a community and I hated how he had the power to just be rude. He had money and wealth but they had happiness and love.

"One cannot disagree with one's king." Isabella cleverly saved her skin as he paused taking in what it was that she had said about himself.

"King? You see me as your king, how delightful of you. I wish others accepted me as readily as you do." He smiled brightly and seemed to have a small skip in his walk as I continued to stand a few paces behind them. Keeping an eye on Isabella, I didn't trust her.

"Perhaps I've had the good fortune to know you better than most." She added with a small sly smile as I narrowed my eyes, wondering what her aim game was with the Prince. Not that I cared about either of them, I just wanted to ensure I could keep Guy and Robin safe.

"Perhaps. And perhaps you'd like to get to know me better still. Ah, you'll make me work for my conquest." The Prince flirted as Isabella chuckled and battered her eyelashes to the Prince as though to make it a game.

"Was not France more valuable because it was fought for?" Isabella chuckled as I rolled my eyes at the sickening flirting attempts between the two.

"Hah! You make this such good sport." The Prince chuckled as they both giggled together like gossiping old maids. I watched as a young boy comes up with a flower for Prince John with a few men behind him, they must have been his older brother and father to keep an eye on him as he smiled holding the flower towards the Prince.

"Hello, young man. Oh, thank you." He smiled as he took the flower for the young boy who smiled and ran to hide behind his father's leg once again chuckling as I watched the bride and groom coming closer looking happy yet nervous as the father of the bride bowed in front of the Prince.

"Would His Highness give us his blessing?" He politely asked nervous as I gave a weak smile. That was one thing I remembered and loved about Locksley, everyone was kind and polite to each other. They helped each other out when they struggled. The Prince breathed in and made his chest look wider as he stretches his arm out to welcome him forward.

"They would be honored if you would bless the bride and groom." Isabella smiled as the Prince nodded with an evil glint in his eye, which causes me to be wary and unhappy. He couldn't be so cruel that he would ruin someone's big day and the couple's moment of happiness, but then this was Prince John I was talking about, he was capable of all cruelty like the Sheriff.

"Of course. Hah! Are you the bride and groom?" He smiled and exaggeratedly swaggered forward to the nervous couple in front of him as they bowed and curtsied. I glanced back at Guy with a sad smile even though I knew he couldn't see my expression. How I wished that it could be our wedding day once again and this time be able to finish it without any interruptions.

"Yes, sir, Your Highness." They answered.

"I wish you prosperity and happiness." He blessed them dramatically as he held his hands over them as though he was providing them with the greatest gift in the world.

"Thank you, sir." They bowed before they made their way back towards the direction of the church.

"And I'm so glad that I could bring you sun today." The Prince laughed as the villagers agreed with a happy smiles and laughter. I watched Prince John cautiously as he turns back and walks back to his carriage. The church bell rings and the villagers make their way to the church to begin the ceremony whilst Prince John steps into the carriage and Isabella mounts her horse. I watched as the Prince waves and smiles at the villagers, who wave back.

"Wait until they're all inside the church and then burn it to the ground." He ordered with a smile still on his face as he lifted the flower that the boy gifted to him as he smells it. I gasped and felt my jaw drop as I was standing beside my horse. I couldn't even comprehend the words he had said as I looked over towards Guy who looked pained at the thought of burning the church, which we were almost married in. The last villager waves at the Prince, and he waves back before they shut the doors making me panic.

"Burn it." The Prince ordered once again. Two soldiers on horseback with cold torches gallop forward as they hold the torches to the flames under the pig to light them. One gallops by and throws the torch onto the roof causing it to light the shingles, then drops to the ground and the wall is quickly engulfed in flames. Prince John smiles at the sudden screams that begin to echo in the church as I was frozen in my place. A third soldier runs forward and puts a stick through the handles, barring it closed. The second torchbearer lights the walls on the other side. The flames rise and the people inside scream. The doors shake but don't open.

I continued to watch as another soldier lights a wooden cross outside the church as Prince John laughs. Inside, people are crying and screaming as I saw the doors rattle and finally break open. The villagers come out, coughing and bending over to breath in the fresh air as I looked to see the Prince call out to them.

"You're being punished! For intolerable disloyalty to me!" He angrily spat out as I watched the poor bride and groom run out holding hands and stop and listen.

"For harbouring and assisting Robin Hood and his outlaws! And may God forgive you!" The Prince hissed out once more as I watched the bride, groom and villagers run and women scream as the soldiers upset the lavish tables. The flames rise on the church.

"To the river, quick!"

"More buckets!"

"We need more water here!"

"Bring more water!"

I watched with slight pride that the villagers were trying to put out the fire as they grabbed buckets and threw the water onto the burning building. Though it seemed that all their efforts were in vain.

"No, no, no, no, no! They're trying to put the fire out. That's not what I want! Stop them, the both of you! Go on!" He whined annoyed that they weren't doing what he had planned, before he turned towards the Sheriff and Guy ordering them to deal with the situation. I smirked slightly to see the shock on the Sheriff's face to be doing labor work though Guy immediately set off into action and galloped towards the burning church.

"This should be entertaining." The Prince chuckled to himself as I watched with great sadness the church becoming completely engulfed in flames.

"You lot, hurry up! Get the buckets!"

"Faster!"

"Bring more water, quickly!"

"I've got two here!"

I continued to watch the battle against time as villagers threw water onto the burning church whilst soldiers continued to set fire to the back wall, to ensure that it kept burning just like the Prince had commanded. I turned to look up at the heartless Prince John who was sitting and watching with amusement and a dark chuckle.

"Do you want them to love you?" Isabella asked him fearfully.

"Of course. And I think they do love me. But I will have respect as well as love." He retorted as I snarled up at him catching his attention.

"Any landowner can subjugate his serf; only a king can liberate them. A benevolent king is loved." I growl at him trying to get him to see reason to his madness when he scoffed and scrunched up his nose slightly.

"But I am benevolent." He smiled as I looked at him in disgust.

"Everyone over here, quick! It's spreading! We need more help!" A villager cried out as I watched more run back to the stream and collecting buckets of water, trying to dose the flames.

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

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" The Sheriff shouted at a random peasant as a soldier holds Gisborne's horse for him and Gisborne dismounts. The Sheriff throws the village man to the ground.

"Go, peasant!" He shouted once more as Gisborne draws his sword and sees the Sheriff standing near an overhang of the church. Gisborne growls, and with all his might knocks out a supporting pole and the overhang crashes to the ground. The Sheriff screams, then is silent causing Gisborne who was watching to smile with satisfaction and turn away. However the Sheriff peeks out at Gisborne from under the wagon where he had rolled and sees a bow and arrow on the ground in front of him. He crawls out, picks them up and aims at Gisborne's back as Gisborne approaches two other village men.

"Back off and your lives will be spared!" He ordered as he tightened his hold on his sword to make him seem more threatening as the Sheriff lets his arrow loose just as another village man approaches Gisborne from behind with his axe raised.

"I'll kill you, Gisborne! Ah!" The man cried out only to fall to the ground as the Sheriff 's arrow hits the would-be assassin in the back. Gisborne turns around, sees the man fall, then looks up at the Sheriff who lowers the bow, a grimace on his face. Gisborne smirks and waves at the Sheriff.

"Oh, bother." The Sheriff whimpered to himself waving back worried as Gisborne's smirk falls from his face and turns to two approaching men.

"Back off!" He ordered before he glanced up at the burning church. Part of him broke to think that another memory of Esme was destroyed and he vowed to anonymously help pay and rebuild the church exactly as it was in hope to preserve their wedding that they shared. As Gisborne and the Sheriff return on their horses Gisborne noticed Wolf's anger towards the Prince and frowned as they saw the church burn.

"Bored now. Make sure it's burned to the ground. Ah, I love the refusal before the surrender" The Prince chuckled in Isabella's direction as Isabella starts her horse, unable to watch any more. Gisborne smiled briefly thinking of when he thought that about Esme before the soldiers and the carriage turn to leave following after the Prince. Gisborne noticed that Wolf however wasn't riding but was leading his horse after the company; head down and in deep thought.

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

I had stayed behind from a distance and watched as from the forest line of the tree as the church began to collapse in on it's self. I heard the distraught cries from the villagers and saw Robin and his gang trying in an effort to keep the building alive.

The front upper wall falls in followed by the belfry falls into the roof, causing the entire front of the church to collapse under the weight. Only smoldering timbers remain as I felt tears drip down my cheeks as I quickly brushed them aside. I noticed that Robin was handing Isabella a cup of water to drink, which made my back straighten. Trust him to fall for a pretty face, yet she was not to be trusted.

I pulled out one of my daggers and angled it in the sun towards Tuck's face as I saw him flinch and shield his eyes before looking over in my direction. As he slowly began to make his way towards me I backed up to hide with the slight cover of the trees. It wasn't long before I turned around to the sound of the bushes rustling as I turned to see Tuck coming close as I lowered my hood and removed my mask. I saw the pity towards me as I quickly rubbed my face once more and removed any signs of tears and sniffled as he drew closer.

"Keep an eye on Robin" I began before he cut me off

"Robin can handle himself" Tuck answered back as I shook my head.

"Watch him around Isabella! Beautiful women easily sway him but I don't trust her. She has her own scheme which I haven't figured out yet, but she is not to be trusted," I warned as he nodded taking in my warning. I knew Robin better than he knew himself and if there was anything to turn his head away from his goal, it would be a beautiful woman.

"She seems harmless" Tuck spoke uneasy as I scoffed.

"She may seem innocent but she has more deception in one little finger compared to the Sheriff" I warned as he raised an eyebrow at my statement.

"Surely not?" He questioned as I laughed.

"She's a woman Tuck. I know first hand how a woman can portray deception like a second skin! It cost me Guy more than once and I refuse to allow it to happen to Robin." I informed as he nodded.

"I must return to the castle, Prince John will notice my absence...." I trailed as I began to fast my mask back on my face before lifting my hood over my face once more.

"TUCK?" Little John's voice called out as we both jumped. Quickly mounting my horse I rubbed his neck to keep him calm before I turned back to Tuck.

"Go quickly before he suspects anything" I instructed as he nodded and vanished into the wood heading towards Nottingham castle, unaware that my final seconds with Tuck had been observed by an unwanted party.....