Lady Locksley

Chapter 28

The Decision

William entered the room without knocking, sweeping in, imperiously, his piercing black eyes taking in his surroundings before he levelled his gaze on Roana. She shuffled, uneasily. Rather than take their leave by the door, which wouldn't have seemed too unusual given that they both now resided in the castle, Allan and Marian had instead remained in the room and were hidden; Allan under the bed and Marian in the shadowed alcove by the window.
Their presence should have given her courage, yet Roana worried that they would be discovered. Stepping closer to the door, she attempted to draw William's attention from the main body of the room.
"My Lord," she said.
"Roana," William's deep voice was cool. "Why was I never informed of your relation to a known outlaw? Is this not something a husband and wife should share?"
"I apologise, my Lord," the lies came surprisingly easy. "I had no idea that my brother had been outlawed until I returned to Nottingham. After that, I feared that it would damage our bond and threaten our marriage." She lowered her eyes and hoped that she appeared demure. "Of course, I fully understand if you have changed your mind about our betrothal. Marriage to a relative of an outlaw cannot be beneficial to someone of your standing."
She held her breath, hoping beyond hope that this was the case. There was a pause and then William stepped closer. Roana closed her eyes in revulsion as he reached out and drew a hand down her cheek.
"Beautiful Roana," his voice was dispassionate as he crooked a finger under her chin and lifted her head until her gaze met his. His eyes were like chips of coal. "The wedding will go ahead the week after next, here in Nottingham. After that, we will take up our standing as Earl and Lady of Huntingdon, presiding over Locksley village and living in Locksley Manor."
Roana was stunned. Robin was the rightful Earl of Huntingdon and Lord of Locksley; however, upon being outlawed by the Sheriff, he had been stripped of his title and lands. As second in line to inherit, Locksley would therefore become Roana's, yet would fall into the hands of her husband if she were to marry as married women were legally incapable of owning land.
William intended to become jure uxoris of Locksley. Once married, he would have no more use of her, and the Sheriff's hold on Nottingham would become complete.
Preoccupied as she was with her thoughts, Roana was unprepared when William suddenly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his embrace, clamping his mouth onto hers. Instantly, she struggled to free herself, yet he had her in a vice-like grip. His cold lips probed hers, greedily. Gathering all of her strength, Roana pushed on his chest and he broke free, breathing heavily.
"William! My Lord, no!" She twisted out of his arms and backed away, dragging her sleeve across her mouth. "This is most inappropriate."
"Roana," William moved closer, his voice sibilant. "Soon, you will be mine, and your constant rebuffals will be unacceptable. You will have to give yourself to me sooner or later."
Roana was filled with utter dread and an acute feeling of helplessness. She could not go ahead with the wedding; she would rather die.
Speaking quietly yet firmly, she said, "William, to lie with you before we are wed would surely be a sin in the eyes of God. I will not do it."
She met William's outraged stare and drew herself up, unwilling to brook argument. She sensed his fury, but he collected himself.
"Very well, Roana," his voice was deceptively mild. "If you insist on waiting until the ceremony, then so be it. But I assure you that you WILL become my wife and then you will no longer be able to say no."

******

Allan was by her side as soon as the door clicked shut behind William. He was seething, his hand at his sword. "Can I kill him?"
"I wish somebody would," Roana lamented, then covered her face with her hands in despair. Allan looked worried.
"So he wants Locksley and Huntingdon," Marian mused, slinking out from her alcove and dusting herself down. "I should have known. He is in league with the Sheriff and Prince John. The more land from here to the south coast that they take control of, the better chance they have of intercepting King Richard's return." She shook her head. "The Sheriff is building his army headed by the noblemen who side with him, and, with Robin outlawed, he has nobody to stand in his way."
"I must admit, I'm surprised," Roana commented. "I never imagined William would give up Bridlington for Nottingham. It makes me wonder exactly what the Sheriff has offered him."
"The deciding factor will have come from Prince John," Marian replied, with certainty. "Why continue to live in your fathers shadow when a member of the monarchy has offered you untold power? Because I can guarantee it will be more than just Locksley."
"But what about Guy?" Allan said. "I thought Locksley was his. He's not gonna be happy about this."
Marian's eyes lit up. "Allan, you're a genius! This is the perfect opportunity to drive a wedge between Guy and the Sheriff." Allan looked pleased with himself as Marian made for the door, continuing, "Ok, leave Guy to me. But we need to get word to Robin."
"I'm due to meet him in Nottingham later today," Allan confirmed. He looked at Roana. "You come with me. I'm not leaving you here on your own."
Roana nodded, and felt a warm feeling wash over her at his words. She hoped that her pleasure was not too evident on her face, but it was becoming more and more difficult to hide it when he was around. He made her feel different in a good way; in a way she had never felt before. It was thrilling but also a little intimidating.
If only she felt this way about William. It would make life so much easier. But the fact was, she didn't, and knowing the kind of person he was, she never would.
The feelings that she was developing for Allan may be new, and may very well go unrequited, but they had opened her eyes to how relationships should be. She did not want to marry somebody she detested, for convenience sake. She wanted to marry someone for love, and for them to love her back. She wanted to feel passion and joy in their presence, and not dread the very sight of them. When she finally gave her body in the physical act, she wanted it to be to someone special who treasured it, and not someone who saw it merely as their God-given right. Even though it was.
In that moment, she came to a firm decision. She would not marry William, no matter what happened. She would rather die than spend her life shackled to a man like him, and the very idea of lying with him as a husband and wife should made her feel sick to her core. She had to escape once and for all, and she only hoped that Allan and her brother would help her.
This was no longer just a battle to save England. It was a battle to save herself.