Back In The Castle (Thea and Open)

[Isabella]

Isabella could see that her account of her dealings with Bronte had served to confuse Roe. She knew that he was different form her; he didn’t take so long to form an opinion of people. Maybe he was a better judge of character, or just more sure of himself. Either way, she could tell from his expression that he disagreed with what she said about the knight. He had only seen the bad in Bronte, but she had been able to see some good. She wasn’t willing to dismiss him completely, as Roe was.
Perhaps he just thought he’d charmed her – but he hadn’t. It wasn’t flattery that made her like him, but what he’d said about the Crusades. It proved to her that he was deeper than most nobles, that there was a better man inside him than originally she’d thought. Isabella wanted to make Roe see that, but somehow, she doubted she’d be able to change his mind after what had happened. God, where was her fire? Normally, she’d be fighting hard to get him to see her point of view, to get him to go to the forest so he could be safe and to realise Bronte wasn’t all that bad, but now, she’d just numbly accepted it. Was it because she was still reeling from what had passed between her and Bronte? Or because her and Roe’s opinions were so very different? As he explained exactly why he’d arrested Bronte, that was becoming more and more apparent. Still, she had to say something.
“Listen, I understand why you arrested him,” she told him, “I don’t blame you. I’m just saying that when I met him, I thought that he wasn’t a bad person. Think of him what you will, but that’s just what I think.”
Isabella paused. She didn’t want to make excuses for Bronte, or explain why she felt this way about him, because she thought that it would only make Roe more suspicious of him – and her involvement with him. She didn’t want to go into detail about her meeting with him – it was between her and Bronte, and Roe might not understand. He wouldn’t want to understand – he didn’t like him.
She realised that Robin did need to know, though; the newcomer to Nottingham did pose a threat to their secrecy, and he was definitely nosing into other people’s business. He could cause them a lot of trouble.
“Yes,” she agreed, “We should tell Robin. He can decide what to do next.”
She began to think over how they were going to tell him – a letter would be too slow, and Roe couldn’t leave the castle now. It would look far too suspicious.
“I can go find him,” she said decidedly, “He needs to know as soon as possible, and you can’t leave now and blow your cover. It won’t look wrong if I leave the castle now – after all, it’s a beautiful day.”
Isabella realised too late, as she looked out into the courtyard, that it was not a beautiful day, and was indeed beginning to rain.
“Well, maybe not,” she admitted, “But I’m a delicate woman and I’m upset after the argument and want to go and be alone for a little while. There, that will do it.”

[Roe]

This was an entirely new experience for Roe. Though he had led large groups of men in the Holy Land and elsewhere in the Crusades he was used to making decisions alone, keeping his own counsel, and not depending on the views of others. He trusted Isabella in many things, just generally not in military or clandestine matters. He considered though, what he knew of her life with Sir Thornton, he imagined she was well used to keeping things secret. Besides, he had known her since they were children, and he was comfortable with her view of others. He was soldier and a spy, though. He could have no other view Bronte than a man who was involved in whatever was going on for his benefit alone. Men with such ambitions could be used, but never trusted.

Roe had always been close to Isabella. When he was a teenager he had dreamed of them being together eventually, but there always was the reality of them being of different classes, and unlikely, as a result, ofbeing any more than good friends. Even that hope had been demolished by the family tragedies of the Huntingdon's and the Gisbournes, and Isabella's departure from Locksley and Britain, and even Roe's departure for the Holy Land as a young adult. Now Roe had to question whether Bronte's charm had won over Isabelle, overwhelming her natural good sense and logic. She wasn't even arguing about it, which was strange for her. It was like she was accepting that there were 2 Bronte's. She was comfortable with her own view, but was unwilling to try to undermine Roe's, as if she recognized that such an effort was a waste of time anyway.

He had explained why he had arrested him. The old Isabella would have either agreed with his and probably said that he wasn't movingfast enough,or would have argued violently about the wrongness of the decision. Instead, here she was indicating that she understood his reason's for arresting him, but she believed that those reasons were wrong.

As the moments passed by, it occurred to Roe, that a special relationship was in the process of forming between himself and Isabella. That would indeed explain here willingness to overlook some aspects of his behavior. She also seemed to be constantly deflect the conversation away from Sir Liam. If she was this willing to look after Bronte's self-interest, could she be relied to look after Roe's or the gang's. For the fkrst time Roe questioned exactly where Isabella's loyalty started and ended.

He decided at least that they agreed that Robin should be made aware of the appearance of this young upstart, whether he had actually been sent by King Richard. If he had been sent by Richard the portents were not good. Normally, such an emissary would have had word sent ahead so that Robin could prepare. What this meant was that either the king thought that Robin and the outlaws were no longer significant, or couldn't be trusted, neither of which was a good thing. In any case Robin had to be informed. But how? Even with the poor weather conditions, Roe agreed that Robin needed to be informed as quickly as possible. "Yes .... its simply beautiful ....," he said, laughing, taking note of the weather. "I do think your absence will be missed the least, even on a rainy day." He agreed with her cover story and sent her on her way, once more, inc charge of the castle.

[Isabella]

Isabella could tell that Roe was thinking. His eyes had acquired the sharp look that they always did when he was considering something. Sometimes she wished she could read his mind, just to find out what was going on in there. He rarely let anyone in. But then again, neither did she. In these troubled times, even people who trusted one another had to keep secrets. They were both so used to hiding things that it had become almost routine. It was sad, she thought, that even the people closest to her didn’t know what she was thinking, and vice versa. Sad, but necessary. They were all just trying to stay alive, which were all constantly in danger.
Still, she did want to know what Roe was thinking about. He was probably wondering why she hadn’t explained her reasons for what she thought about Bronte – it wasn’t because she had given up on him, no it wasn’t that at all. But maybe he thought it was. Maybe he was wondering if she was still on his side. That was a terrible thought, but she couldn’t dismiss it, however unpleasant it was. He might even be weighing up if she could be trusted to go and tell Robin what had been occurring in the castle.
You can trust me, Roe, she thought, but she couldn’t think of a way to say it without sounding like she was accusing him of doubting her.
Isabella nodded when he agreed that she should go, partly relieved that he did have enough confidence in her to let her do it.
“Goodbye, then,” she said, and headed down the corridor towards the stables, wondering what Roe would be doing to Bronte in her absence.
Time enough to think about that on the journey, she thought, as she made her way out to the courtyard where the rain was drumming on the ground.

[Roe]

Despite all of the wheels that Roe could see turning in her mind, and plans she was undoubtedly making, Roe knew that she could see the same thing going on in his. He was aware that she knew him well enough to know when he was analyzing things and formulating plans as well. She was peering intently into his eyes, he knew in an attempt to read him. Therefore, as best as he could, he tried to get them to go blank. He could tell that she was trying the same maneuver with him as well.

He knew that if he stayed in the castle, which it appeared he was going to have to, he was going to have to play a risky game with Bronte. I this game, Roe believed, the odds were more on Sir Liam's side than his. However, he knew no other way to play it, and keep the maximum number safe, with the exclusion of himself for sure. Foremost though, he wanted to keep Isabella out of harm's way. If she had an inkling of what he was planning, and the danger he was putting himself in, he knew she would do what she could to stop him. Anyway, given her present relationship with Bronte, he did not know how much he should trust her with anyway.

He was fairly confident, he told himself, that she could be trusted to take what they had learned so far, little though it was, back to the gang in Sherwood. He was glad to see the positive reaction in her features and her face that he was sending her on that mission of trust. little did she know that the other reason that he was sending her was that if Bronte escaped, or Roe had to release him, that she would be far away from Sir Liam and Nottingham wen that occurred. Roe could could then be assured of her relative safety, and have one less worry. He would only have his hide to worry about at that point. Thinking him successful had his secrecy, he waved her a smile-less farewell as she disappeared down the corridor. Almost as soon as she had left, and elderly jailer walked up, informing him of the request of a young noblewoman with reference to the 'impostor' in the cells below. Roe return a grim smile .... "Go and tell Lady Thinnet that I will come and address her request shortly .... and let the games begin," he said the last comment to himself, out of the jailer's hearing.