I stood in my room at the castle being fitted for another gown, my birthday was tomorrow and there was a tournament and celebrations being held for such an occasion. Turns out my little act of pushing the mother of my half brother away redeemed me a little, though that was not my intention. there was a small knock on my door.

"Sweetheart, are you decent?" Father asked

"Yes." I answered and the door opened, father stepped in and he gave one of his hint of a smile.

"You look, beautiful, Ophelia. Like your mother." I looked to the seamstress.

"That will be all thank you." she nodded and left closing the door behind her "Please, don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Mention mother, like you're glad I have her attributes when clearly you aren't." he looked away and i turned heading over to my dressing table.

"Ophelia." he breathed "The Sheriff."

"This isn't about him." I turn sharply in my chair "I can handle him, I knew the risk of openly going against him on such a public matter. What makes my stomach churn is that you not once protested, not once defended me." I shake my head and stand once more

"Those people were suffering, in all the years since I started forming an opinion you really expected me to do nothing. 'My lord, you know my daughter is soft of heart. My Lord, Ophelia you know she's not like us, she has her mothers temperament. My Lord don't drag my daughter out in front of everyone chop of her hair and make her cry, punish me instead after all I am responsible for her.' Would you like me to continue?" he kept silent for a moment

"Ophelia, you..."

"Defend his actions I dare you, and my silent treatment will be the least of your problems." I point at him "It is bad enough that you do not defend one child but you almost literally kill another. I had a brother...a brother who I knew nothing of, who I..." I stopped myself from speaking of my time with Robin.

"I am glad of two things right now. Mother not being here and Marion's refusal to even acknowledge your advances. Both women would be ashamed. Goodbye, Father." he sighed and left head down. I ran to the door making sure he had gone and saw that the cost was clear. I changed and took the food parcel I had made up from under my bed and then snuck out .

There had been an incident at my fathers mine and my father and the Sheriff had only made things worse by killing another innocent and sacking everyone. The ride was long and I arrived as the Scarlett Archer just as they were during the las to their dead. I pulled my horse to a halt. Then threw the food parcel down silently.

"Food parcels? You can't give that to us." one of the mourners replied. Gisbourne's forbidden it. He has spies everywhere." Right now I could care even less what my father things. I turn my horse and ride off only to be met with my father who threatened my horse. I fell back.

"Nothing like a tragedy to bring out the do gooders. Where's your leader?" I scrambled up and grabbed the reins. Luckily I had bought another horse that I payed to be stabled else where. Otherwise I would have been recognised a long time ago. "Where is Robin Hood?" I glance between an escape route and my father.

"Or are you alone. Does Robin Hood think himself too important to do his own mischief now? Humm? Man of few words no matter - I'm sure I will hear your voice when you plead for your life." he stalked closer and then scratched my wrist with his sword. I hissed internally but didn't say anything "Not even an ouch. ouch cost nothing, surely you can utter an ouch." Then I did something I've been wanting to do for days. I punched him, knocking him to the floor. I quickly jumped back on my horse and rode away. I headed to Knighton and climbed up to Marian's Room.

"Oh my.." I placed a finger to my lips. She looked down stairs and then to me and cautiously came over removing my mask revealing my face "I knew it." she whispered

"Takes one to know one." I mutter "I need your help." she nodded and pulled me in. I showed her my cut

"What happened."

"My father had a run in with the Scarlett Archer. I would do it myself but...I'm no good at stitching myself up, I've tried before."

"Sit here I'll help you. But first I will get you something to change into. She brought me back a dress and I change missing my wound and then she cleaned it and stitched it up. There was a knock from downstairs.

"Sir Guy." Lord Edward declared

"Crap." I mutter and Edward came up just stopping short of the top

"Stay here, I'll go down" She turned to her father "Don't say anything." he glanced at me holding onto my wound and then followed his daughter. I then climbed back out of the window and left back to the castle.

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I changed back into my gown and fixed my hair for this afternoons festivities. Father wasn't back yet so i made my way into the town alone. To various villagers congratulating me on my birthday. Marion and her father were already there, I smiled to them and stood next to Marion.

"My father knows." she muttered to me and I turn my head to her confused "Your father made a comment about wounding the Scarlett archer and he put the pieces together."

"Will he say anything."

"No, because in order to shift the conversation I admited the truth." I looked away and then back at her

"The truth?" she nodded "You don't have to I could have found a way, spoken to him or something." I noticed that my father and then Sheriff arrive

"He would find out at some point, I would rather it be on my terms, either way he's now more focused on what I do rather than you." The two men stopped in front of us.

"Ah, Lady Marion and the Birthday Girl."

"Lady Marion." Father greeted

"Lepers Gisbourne, Lepers." Vaisey commented and walked ahead. Father then offered me his hand and it would have mean giving him my injured one, so I opted for the cold shoulder of the daughter.

"Marion, shall we." I smiled to her taking her arms and escorting her away and to our seats. "I insist you sit next to me Marian."

"Thank you." she whispered as we sat, she had no favour for my father and welcomed the intervention from me. The Sheriff stood to address the towns people.

"Thanks to the rouge element amongst you I've been forced to introduce new security measures. The guilty object to security because the guilty have something to hide. So I expect your full co operation." he ordered the guard to seize a man. "No man shall wear a sleeve on his left arm." i looked to Marian and she shared the same look of concern as I. The left arm was stripped and there was nothing. Others rolled up their sleeve revealing their arm.

"Yes, well." he cleared his throat and turned gesturing for me to come forward "Today we celebrate the Lady Ophelia's birthday, the winner of this competition will not only win a silver arrow, but shall be the escort of the most noble lady to be celebration feast." he gave a sly chuckle

"Happy festivities." The two of us return to our seats and the competition began. I sighed, the escort was a slight dig at me by the sheriff that I should now have a husband on my arm. He was trying to be obvious without being too obvious. One by one men stepped up to shot their arrow but none of them hit the bullseye.

"No sign of Robin Hood." I heard the Sheriff comment

"He's a coward" Father replied

"Your Michael the red had better be the winner." I tilt my head slightly, then it clicked, it was more that just dig, this was a set up for me. "I don't want to have to give the silver arrow away."

"But surly if my man wins the silver arrow will be mine and he will escort Ophelia to the festivities." Could the really think I was not paying attention. Wait hold on, I was the fliverlous woman, of course they thought that.

"If Robin Hood turns up and wins, I will hang him and keep the arrow. If he doesn't then your man wins and he will return it being grateful to escort your daughter to such a event. Since you refuse to let most men anywhere near her."

"I see."

"Or I will hold you responsible." I was brought some fruit and and began cutting of the skin.

"You know, they say the peel of an apple can tell you the first letter of the name of the man you will marry." Marion joked making me chuckle I cut the peel longer and dropped it to the floor. We laughed and looked down.

"Is that an R?" she wondered

"Looks more like and A to me?" I shrugged sitting back.

"Our next Archer, Michel the red."

"Ah, sweetheart this will impress you." he tapped my wounded arm and i glance seeing the drop of blood on his fingers and thought quickly cutting my hand.

"I cut myself."

"Your arm?"

"No, my hand." I showed him the fresh cut, some of it but have caught on my sleeve. He looked a little pale "What? You know how clumsy I can get. I don't get why your so surprised anymore." I roll my eyes and reached in to his pocked for his handkerchief and and wrapped it around my hand. Michael the red took his shot as someone staggered onto the platform nearly getting shot and then up to beneath us, dropping to his knees. Wheezing.

"The....the mine...robin hood...fire." he stuttered out and it took a moment for the Sheriff to realise what was going on before he and father rushed off.

"Thank the lord." I mutter "That was too close..again." I whisper to Marian. I stood and went to address the people

"Let the competition continue." I call and it did as I sat back down. It carried on but no one came close to Michael the red and there was no one in disguise so, it wasn't Robin either. My hand was starting to throb.

"I need to sort this hand out. I'll be back." I headed back into the castle to find some relief

"My Lady." I turned come face to face with the man from earlier that was grieving "I'll be be quick. I'm a good shot."

"Your father died at the mine didn't he?" I ask unafraid. This was not the first time my life had been threatened because of something my father had done.

"How do you know?" he wondered

"You think I oblivious to my fathers exploits? I am the only one to challenge him, unfortunately the Sheriff powers of persuasion had trumped mine as of late. Unlike mine I know your father must have loved you very much. Everybody knew how dangerous it was to go down to that mine."

"I told him not to."

"He wanted to feed you and your family." I replied

"Your father knew it wasn't safe." he tried to hold back his tears

"Yes and your father must have known too. Only one was thinking of others." I countered softly

"I'm going to kill you. Make him suffer! Make him understand loss."

"At the cost of your own life?" I wonder

"It's what Gisbourne deserves."

"Your mother will lose the man of her house twice. What about her suffering." I tried to talk him down.

"I can't just do nothing. Just stand there and do nothing?"

"Well, if you want to hurt the Sheriff and my father, win the silver arrow. You say so yourself that you are a good shot. Win it. Melt it down into coins and you could feed your family for months. Compensate all the miners widows. Or would you rather shoot an unarmed woman?" I offer. I turn slowly and begin to walk away when Robin comes out of the shadows.

"Ophelia."

"Better late than never. Make sure he wins the silver arrow will you." I walk past him and grab something for my hand and return to the competition. I sit myself down.

"The next contestant is Rowan son of Dunne." The nodded figure of Robin came out and took aim then fired hitting it right in the middle. I smiled a little clapping lighting

"Hood! Get him!" Sheriff ordered and Robin ran off the platform into a crowd and it moments the guards brought up the nodded figure and the two smirked thinking they won. When Vaisey removed the hood it was Rowan instead of Robin. I smirked and a little at their expression

-----

I stood back on the platform as Rowan was being rewarded now that it was finished.

"Champion of the Lady Ophelia's Fair and winner of the silver arrow. Rowan son of Dunne." I smiled hand it over to him and clapped he took it from me and hugged his mother. Later that evening, Rowan was scrubbed up nicely to escort me to my birthday celebrations where he was fed much to the dismay of my father and the Sheriff.

-------

Back at Locksley Manor I was ready for bed after a interesting evening. I brushed my hair out when there was a small thud, that made me turn around. Robin crouched at my window making my roll my eyes.

"You've really got to stop making a habit of sneaking up on me. And more so when I'm in my chambers." I stood moving over to him "What do you want?"

"To make sure you're okay, after what happened with Rowan."

"I don't need you protecting me. I've survived long enough without the rebellious Robin Hood. Besides I was the one who talked him down." I folded my arms

"You seem to be very good with your words. Marion told me that you gave your father a good talking to. Tell me how does the great and scary Guy of Gisboure fair up against his daughter?" he smirked

"Not much to be of any difference." I chuckle "Well you've seen how I fair, good night."

"What not even a dance for the winer of the competition?."

"I already dance with Rowan." I grinned smugly and he gave a mock haha. He then offered me his hand "You can't be serious, my father could return any moment."

"Well then best not dawdle." I sigh and roll my eyes taking his hand and we danced a little. We stepped together within breathing dance of one another when we were interrupted

"Ophelia! Are you asleep?" Father called and I gasped

"Go! Go!" I shove him towards my window "Now."

"Till another time fair Lady."

'Ugh you're so annoying. Go." he jumped out and the door opened making me turn to see father enter.

"What not knocking now."

"My apologies. I just was hoping to give you my gift before you fall asleep. He opened the box he was carrying revealing a necklace make of pearls and rubies. "A beautiful necklace for my beautiful daughter. I know such flattery will retain your forgiveness but, I have been working on this since before our disagreements. Please." I lifted it up.

"It's beautiful, thank you." I lay it back down and he closed the box and set it on the table.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." he kissed my head and took his leave. I turn to where the window was and saw on the sill was another necklace, one made with a leather strap and a blunt arrow head. I smiled a little and placed it around my neck before going to sleep.