Here's To The Night - Chapter 10 (original) (raw)
Title: Here's to the Night
Author: 
eyrial
Rating: PG - 13
Pairings/characters : Guy, Prince John
Word Count: 2,700
Warnings: Non-Graphic Slash
Summary: Guy pays a visit
Disclaimer: Sadly Robin Hood is not my creation and I am only borrowing their characters for a little while
Chapter 10: Forget About It
With Guy gone all I had to concentrate on was becoming king, it was a life I had thoroughly enjoyed before he had come. But now it seemed a half life, like something was missing, except I knew exactly what that was. What had once meant everything to me was now less important, I still wanted to be king, I still wanted to make my father proud but I felt like it wasn’t all I wanted anymore. Except the other thing I wanted I now could never have. I remembered every moment we had spent together and I remembered that every moment had meant nothing to him, he hadn’t cared. No matter what I did I couldn’t change how I felt, I couldn’t hate him, I couldn’t stop missing him. I had taken one thing from it though, every day when I remembered what he had said to me. I remembered him saying that I wasn’t a monarch, I was a fake, a fraud, and everyday those words rang in my head. Everyday I strove to prove him wrong.
With the loss of Guy I had been weakened, I no longer had a secure leader in Nottingham, not that Guy had lasted for very long but he had been important in my plans and now I had to change them. I decided a military attack wouldn’t be the best way when I wasn’t certain of a strong position; I needed another more subtle plan to gain my place on the throne. I needed a way to be crowned before Richard came back to England, giving me time to arrange a suitable force to greet him when he finally returned. In his absence I could prove myself to be a better king and therefore be supported by the people. My military plans could be reused once I found a suitable replacement for Guy. The only way I could succeed Richard was if he abdicated or if he died, if I forged a letter of abdication they would be able to write to him and check. However to prove he had died I needed a body, one that looked like him, a suitable enough replica to fool those intimately acquainted with him.
I ordered a waxwork model to be of my brother, no one would touch the body so no one would know apart from the sculptor, but he could easily be dealt with. And so I ordered a waxwork replica of Richard to be made in London and then placed in a coffin and sent to Nottingham along with a trusted friend of mine Lord Sheridan. Money can make any man stand firm by my side. I awaited the arrival of the fake corpse with both nervousness and excitement, its arrival would mark the process of my finally succeeding the throne, but I had to be convincing. People had to believe Richard was dead; they also had to believe I was genuinely grieving other wise they may think I had a hand in his supposed death. I was warned of the day it would arrive in advance so I was fully prepared. The coffin arrived and I stumbled out to fall on top if it in tears while the public heard Sheridan’s announcement with shock. I spoke a few words as I was announced the new king of England, trying my best to make everything as believable as possible.
The body was put in Kirklees Abbey and then had to be shown to the archbishop which would be the hardest part because he actually had to see the model and believe it was real. It seemed he knew something was wrong, he kept asking questions and seemed suspicious. He picked up on the condition of the body and I cursed myself for not thinking of the fact that his corpse would supposedly have had several months at sea, I glossed over it but I knew I couldn’t afford even little mistakes like that. Eventually he seemed appeased and reluctantly agreed to hold my coronation in Nottingham which I was still determined to make the new capital.
I returned to the castle to celebrate with the other nobles, I suppressed any thoughts of how I would have felt if Guy had been there to share my glory. He was gone, he hadn’t loved me and I just had to keep telling myself that. I was going to change England, Richard would barely recognise it when he returned to the country that was no longer his. I wanted to spread out the power of those loyal to me across the country; it was safer that way because it meant I had supporters everywhere when Richard came back from the Holy Lands. I turned it into a game, getting them to place a pin on a map, making sure that it was completely fair so no one would become resentful. If I handed out power myself I could make enemies out of former allies. I had waited for the throne for so long and now it was finally in sight I made sure everything was secure. I was approached by Isabella; my feelings towards her had changed since her affair with Robin and the fight with Guy. I couldn’t help but blame her for my argument with him. I had previously rather liked her as well as her being a useful way to cover up mine and Guy’s relationship, but there was no longer any need.
She was still keen to remain in my favour, desperate to gain power of her own, she cared about herself; she had spent most of her life suffering at the hands of men. The power struggles between them as she grew up that shaped her life, those clashes controlled by greed, the fight over her mother between her father and Malcolm of Locksley. Then her brother’s betrayal, he had sold selfishly her for his own gain, then her abusive husband. She was now wary of them and protected herself above all others, her only attraction to me was the freedom I could give her, freedom from men. I was tired of all the people trying to impress me, fawning over me in hope of gaining my favour and power, even Sheridan was beginning to bore me. I used to take pleasure in the fact that one of my brothers most loyal servants had turned against him in favour of me, but now he was irksome. But in their desperation to prove themselves to me I could play them off against each other, I could use them to get everything I wanted and needed.
I also had to get rid of any evidence that Richard was still alive, now his fake corpse had served its purpose and it needed to be destroyed before anyone discovered it wasn’t real. Sheridan and I returned to the abbey to have his body disposed of. My mind had been preoccupied with Guy ever since I had seen Isabella, I had been tormenting myself with all the happy memories I had and then when each one ended I told myself it had meant nothing to him. Every time I remembered another little detail came back and I found it harder and harder to believe myself, I just couldn’t see that it had all been a lie, it had been too believable. I had never relied on someone so much, never let anyone so close, and now I just couldn’t believe that it was all gone and he had been using me. I was angry and frustrated when the lid was lifted off the coffin and I lost control the sight of my brother’s face, even if it was only a wax work likeness. I just couldn’t bear not knowing what Guy had really felt, not knowing where he was and if he even knew what was happening. I hit Richard again and again, the soft wax crumpling under my crippling blows. I detached myself once again, I ordered the coffin to be destroyed and returned back to the castle to be haunted by Guy in my dreams.
The next day was even worse, I woke up with a bad feeling even though I knew that in one short day I would be king of England and there was nothing that Richard could do about it. The Archbishop continued to be suspicious of my plans and disapproving of all my suggestions, he was still loyal to my brother. Sheridan had shown me the crown only to have let it be stolen than none other than Hood, and then Isabella had come in all proud and self pleased asking me to let her show me something. I obliged but I would much rather have escaped and busied myself with plans for the next day, alone. I followed her to her chambers, she had taken up residence in Locksley Manor again and I tried to fight back memories of her brother as I climbed the stairs. I was curious as to why of all places she would lead me here; I nearly took a step back when she gestured towards her bed but then I saw it was already occupied. She pulled back the covers intending to reveal Guy, I was shocked but excited when she claimed she had captured him; I would finally be able to see and talk to him again. Even if what he said made me no happier at least I would know for certain. It wasn’t him, it was a slave girl but Guy quickly made his presence known. His arms where round my shoulders and a knife was at my throat. For one small moment I forgot the cold feel of razor sharp metal digging into my skin, I forgot Isabella’s shouting and I forgot the rush of guards. For one instant it was just me and him, his arms around me again, pulling me close to him in an embrace. Then the moment was gone, he threw me from him and made his escape and I was none the wiser, I still didn’t know what he had truly felt.
I punished Isabella and Sheridan recovered the crown and dealt with Hood, with my upcoming coronation it should have been the perfect end to the day, and I should have been going to sleep filled with joy. But I wasn’t. My encounter with Guy had dampened my already quite low spirits. I opened the room and all the candles had gone out, irritated I was just about to call for a servant when a voice came from the shadows.
“Please don’t call anyone.”
“Who are you?” I demanded, I would have recognised his voice anywhere but I had to be sure, I had to make sure I wasn’t tricking myself. He stepped into a small patch of moonlight, it was cloudy but there was a little gap which the silvery light was able to peek through.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, I was holding my breath, desperate to run to him and kiss him and never let go but with half a mind to call the guards and put him in the dungeons.
“I needed to see you one last time, I can’t explain properly but I couldn’t bear for you to leave thinking what you do about me.”
“Leave? I’m not going to leave.”
“Never mind that now.” He walked over to me, and gently slipped his arms around my waist pulling me tightly to him, just as he had done earlier that day in Locksley. I struggled to get away, I just had to know.
“Wait, please do explain properly, you’ve been gone for weeks and I know I ordered it but I just don’t know what happened. The fight and everything we said, I apologised and you just walked away from me, I haven’t known what to think. I thought that the only reason any of this ever happened was because you were using me for what I could give, that all you wanted was to be sheriff.”
“No! That’s not true! That’s why I came tonight, I just couldn’t let it be like this, I love you and I can’t stand the thought of you hating me. It’s complicated and I can’t explain it all tonight, one day I will I swear but tonight is our last night and I just had to see you, I’ve missed you so much.”
“How do I know you’re not just doing this to get back in favour?”
“I would never do that! I’m not asking anything of you, I don’t want to be sheriff I don’t even want you to pardon me, I just want to be with you tonight.”
I brushed off the fact that he had repeated that it was our last night, I no longer cared about his warnings and hints, all I could do was pray that whatever was wrong would go away or that he would change his mind and stay with me. I refused to believe that after getting him back I would lose him so soon, it would just be too cruel. I sank into his arms, hearing everything I had wanted to hear, knowing that I had got it all wrong. I had been praying that I had. I kissed him desperately; the familiar heat was wonderfully welcome, my hands running through his hair just like on our very first night, his few weeks of living rough meant that my fingers caught in the familiar tangles. I was too happy as we lay there, facing each other and I was just grinning. I was no longer troubled by what he had said about leaving, about this being our last night. I beamed and leaned in to kiss him once again but he stopped me.
“Please promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“That whatever happens, whatever I do, always remember that I love you and absolutely nothing will ever change that.”
“What’s wrong Guy, what’s going to happen, what are you going to do?”
“Just promise me, I can’t tell you and I can’t explain but I will when I can, just please promise.”
“Ok, I promise.” With that he let me kiss him, and then gently rolled me over till I was facing away from him, I tried to turn back but he stopped me. He slid his arms under mine and hugged me, his body matching every angle of mine.
“Do you remember how all this started?”
“Of course I do, I was expecting money and I got you.”
“Do you remember the night I told you I loved you, the first time we saw each other again after I left for Nottingham and the night after I killed the sheriff?”
“Like it was yesterday, but why Guy.”
“Because while I’ve been with you I’ve been the happiest I’ve been in my life and I will never forget a single detail of our time together. Just know that whenever we’re apart, the only thing that’s keeping me going is my memories of you, no matter what’s happened. I will always love you, even if it seems like I don’t, never ever doubt me because I would hate to think that you didn’t know I loved you. Like you have for that past couple of weeks, I just can’t let that happen.”
His arms wrapped around me felt perfect and protective, like he would never leave me, we fell asleep like that. I was the happiest I had been in weeks.
I woke alone but I knew last night hadn’t been a dream because I could see the usual piece of paper under Guy’s pillow. I pulled it out, knowing that soon I would have to go and wake the Archbishop for my coronation but first I wanted to read Guy’s note. It was very short, he hadn’t even signed it or addressed it to me, but I knew his handwriting and had grown used to his custom of leaving letters. I read it and was slightly chilled by its words; I did my best to brush the feeling off but the words reverberated around my head.
Please don’t hate me.