Chapter Text
Will came running back from his spying on Nottingham, while the rest of the gang went about working on weapons and tools and Much cooked breakfast. His hurried footsteps and rustling of the brush caught everyone’s attention.
“News?” Robin asked, standing up from the log he sat on.
Will nodded breathlessly, looking directly at Jennie. “Arthur.”
Jennie stood up, eyes wide, leaving the dagger she was sharpening on the rock next to her. Robin looked back to her before turning back to Will. She came to stand just next to Robin.
“What?!” Little John asked.
“He arrived at the castle.” Will’s voice was full of exasperation. “He came with a carriage of belongings, and a few men. As if he was moving in. And…" He panted. "I saw him flash the guards his ring... He’s a black knight.”
He looked between Robin and Jennie anxiously before stomping past them towards the rest of the gang. Dropping down next to Djaq on a large rock, he wiped the sweat from his brow. Robin placed a hand over the scruff of his chin, the gears turning in his brain to think up a plan. Another antagonist in another village for them to fight against.
“What business would just one black knight have here?” Much asked, spinning the squirrel he was cooking. “And moving into the castle?”
“Whatever it is, I don’t like it. It means something the Sheriff thought would go unnoticed... I need to think.” Robin sighed, walking a few steps to lean against a tree.
Jennie looked around, between all the gang. Her chest burned with fear at the thought of Arthur being so close to her again. While all the memories of his volatile nature came flooding back to her, she knew she was the best bet in terms of being able to secure information from him. He was horrible, but she knew him better than any of them. She knew how his mind worked.
“I have an idea.” She broke the silence.
Robin looked over to her, followed by the remaining four sets of eyes in the group.
She continued. “You need someone on the inside. Someone to get close enough to get information, sort of like Marian.”
Robin pushed himself off the tree, holding out his hand to her, knowing immediately what she was saying. “Jennie, no. No, you don’t have the do that.”
She shook her head. “I’m the best chance you’ve got, Robin. I can get the closest to Arthur.”
“No. I won’t have you do this. You’ve suffered enough.”
“What are you both talking about?” Much asked, growing annoyed at being out of the loop.
“She’s suggesting she go back to Arthur.” Djaq’s eyes stared straight at Jennie. The others looked from Djaq to Jennie in surprise.
They had all seen the bruises and heard the stories. They knew Jennie being around him again would be difficult, and painful. He was not a nice man, and he surely wouldn’t have changed his ways in the time that they had been apart. The men shouted their protest in unison, not wanting to see their friend risk her wellbeing.
"Jennie." John stepped forward. "You do not go to Nottingham."
“Look, I know! He’s horrible and he’s done horrible things, especially to me. But this isn’t about me, this is about England. It’s nothing I don’t already know how to handle. I’d be like Marian, I’d be your spy.”
Robin shook his head as he let out of scoff. “What will you tell him when you turn up? The last time he saw you, you were leaving him at the altar with a band of outlaws.” He smirked.
Jennie shrugged. “Well… he doesn’t know I enlisted your help, does he? Let’s say you kidnapped me as ransom bait.” She suggested. “You’ve forced me to work with you all this time in the hopes that they would propose an exchange for my safe return to him as a wealthy man, threatening to kill me, but I finally escaped.”
The gang looked around at each other, and then at their leader. Robin stood staring down to the ground with his hands on his hips. It was a risk, there was no way of knowing it Arthur and the Sheriff would believe it. They could suspect her of lying and trying to infiltrate the castle, which she was, but they couldn’t know that. Otherwise, they would imprison her- or worse.
“It’s risky…” He sighed.
“It’s our best option right now, though. If I can get back into the castle, and Arthur’s good graces-”
“If.” Robin repeated sternly.
“If I can do that, then we’ll have a better chance at knowing exactly what’s going on while he’s here.” She finished.
“She’s right.” Will piped up as the group snapped their heads in his direction. “I mean, Arthur bought her freedom, right? He’s got a soft spot for her. It could work.”
Jennie nodded. “I know how to get through to him. Trust me.”
Robin sighed. “I’ll speak with Marian. But if anything goes wrong, we’re getting you out immediately.”
Jennie took in a breath, nodding. “We’ll need to make it look like I struggled. That would help.”
“That’s good. Yeah.” Much agreed, with a chuckle.
“Here, hit me.” She stepped toward Robin, pointing toward her face.
“What?!” He exclaimed, confused.
“Come on, it needs to be believable, doesn’t it?” She pressed.
Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jennie- agh… I’m- I’m not gonna do that.” He shook his head.
“Why? Because I’m a girl? You punched Will just fine a few months ago when we were trying to find out the traitor.” She looked over to Will, who shrugged in response.
“It’s just…well, it’s different, isn’t it? Hitting you?” Robin winced, shuffling on his feet. “M-maybe Djaq-“
Jennie huffed and turned to Djaq, cutting Robin off. “Djaq, punch me.”
“Me?!” Djaq’s mouth hung agape for a moment. Jennie stared back, serious as a heart attack. Djaq cleared her throat and stood up, slowly walking over to Jennie. “You’re sure this is necessary?” She asked.
Jennie nodded. “I can take it. Come on, just…just do it.” She nodded, closing her eyes in anticipation.
“I don’t mean this, I’m sorry.” Djaw said quietly, winding up.
She pulled her arm back, cringing at the idea of hurting her friend. She waited just a beat before plunging her small fist directly into the left side of Jennie’s face with a grunt. Jennie immediately stumbled backward, landing bottom-first on to the ground, and quickly splaying out on her back. The group swelled around her, Djaq immediately kneeling down and profusely apologizing while the others asked if she was alright. Jennie blinked a few times, pushing herself to sit up. Suddenly she let out a laugh. Within seconds, one by one, each other gang also began to laugh, the ridiculousness of the previous few minutes overcoming them.
“You’re absolutely mad, you know that?” Much continued laughing.
** Nottingham Castle **
Jennie looked to the gate from just behind the tree line, taking in a breath. The plan was to have her run to the gate, disheveled and in distress, calling for help. She was escorted to the edge of the forest by the gang, who would watch from afar in case things went awry early on. Jennie turned to her friends before giving a nod. She then bolted out from beyond the trees.
“Help! Please! I’ve escaped Robin Hood! Please!” Jennie yelled, sprinting up to the gate. She theatrically collapsed at the guards’ feet, sobbing, and panting to play the part of an escapee. “Please, take me to my dear Arthur, I heard he had arrived. I came as quickly as I could. I have been Robin Hood’s hostage. Oh, please-” The guards quickly pulled her to her feet, bringing her within the walls of the castle.
Robin and the gang watched just out of sight. “Now we wait.” He turned to his friends.
Inside the castle, the guards had brought Jennie into the Great Hall before going to fetch Arthur, Gisborne, and the Sheriff. Jennie looked around trying to control her breathing, out of rhythm from both the running and the anxiety that had caught up to her. The gravity of the situation had truly caught up with her. She was about to face Arthur for the first time in about a year, after finally breaking free from him at their failed wedding. Not only that, but the fate of England seemed to rest on her shoulders by doing this.
Heavy footsteps barreling down the hall pulled her from her racing thoughts. It was show time.
“Jennie! Where is she?!” Arthur’s voice bellowed as he came into view, beelining toward her.
“Arthur! Oh Arthur!” She careened herself into his arms. “Oh, it was awful. I was terrified!”
“What happened? Where did… I-I-I don’t understand.”
Jennie pulled herself back. “Robin Hood. H-he and his gang of... horrid criminals. They took me hoping to get a ransom. They kidnapped me and held me hostage. I was able to escape, after they managed to do this to me.” She turned her head, pointing to her bruised eye, before throwing herself back against Arthur’s chest.
“Well, well. Little bird has flown home now, has she?” The Sheriff’s gravelly voice echoed throughout the hall. Gisborne and Allan followed behind him.
Jennie looked up at them. Allan nearly jolted at the sight of her. Jennie’s breath caught in her throat as he walked into the room, which she disguised as a whimper. She should have expected Allan, the traitor. Any softened feelings she had for him were quickly replaced by anger for betraying her, Robin, and the gang. Her seething brought her back to the heart of her mission: fool Arthur.
Arthur turned to face them. “She says Hood had kidnapped her for ransom. She managed to escape when she heard I was in Nottingham to come back to me. And look at what they’ve done to her!” He drew their attention to her puffy, discolored face, thumbing over the mark. Jennie winced, as she could only think of the times he had done the same damage in his frequent fits of rage.
The Sheriff tutted. “Is that so... Poor thing.” He rolled his eyes. “Oh! Speaking of the poor, how sweet is this. Two reunions occurring. You remember Allan from your time with the outlaws, hm? He works for us now. You must remember him betraying Hood.”
Allan shuffled in his place, looking up to meet Jennie’s gaze. His heart raced in his chest. He never thought he’d see her again.
“Yes. “ She sniffled. “Yes, I remember. He was the one who took me from my chambers on our wedding day.” She glared, followed by another whimper as she hunched over and covered her face for dramatic effect.
Arthur spun around to face Allan. “You?” He growled, taking a step towards him.
Gisborne stepped closer to his right-hand man. “Easy.” He growled.
Allan held his hands up in front of him, taking half a step back. “Whoa, hey, hey. That was old business, wasn’t it? I’m on the other side now, aren’t I?”
“Arthur, temper…” The Sheriff warned.
Jennie gave the slightest of a smug smile to Allan, from behind Arthur, making her distaste for him apparent. Arthur nodded and composed himself, coming to understand that Allan was right. He positioned himself to face the Sheriff.
“Cousin, I ask that she may stay here under your protection while I make arrangements for the manor- and the wedding? Once we marry, she can come to stay in Derby.” Arthur smiled towards Jennie.
“Derby?” Jennie asked, perplexed.
“Oh, darling, we have so much to catch up on. There have been some grand developments.” Arthur smiled between her and the Sheriff. “Why don’t you get cleaned up and we’ll discuss.”
The Sheriff turned to Allan. “Take her to her room, see that she’s comfortable. You must remember how to get there, hm?” He smirked.
“Right.” Allan rolled his eyes as he turned to Jennie, motioning her to follow him.
Jennie offered a smile to the three other men, curtsying as she followed behind Allan. As soon as she had turned her back to the men, her smile fell. Her jaw tightened as she walked alongside the man who was once her friend- more than friend? The man who at one point she had maybe thought that…no, no, it could have never.
The two walked in tense silence until they were out of earshot. Allan quickly looked both ways down the hallway, pulling her out of the main corridor. He stood face to face with her against the wall.
“What are you doing?!” Jennie began to yell, already struggling to get away from him.
“What are you doing?” Allan whispered. Confusion, concern, and surprise flickered through his expression. “And what happened to your eye? Did Robin really do that to you?”
“It’s none of your business. Especially after that last stunt you pulled.” She hissed back, squirming to free herself.
“Listen, I’m sorry about that, honest. I didn’t have a choice. Giz would have had you and me both on a spike.”
Jennie scoffed. “Everyone has a choice.” She finally managed to shove him a couple paces back from her. “You made yours long ago. And I should have understood that.”
“Now you sound like Robin.” Allan scoffed.
She rolled her eyes, pushing past him to walk back down the corridor, but he stepped in front of her again.
“Please. Jennie, can we just talk?”
“I’m not telling you a thing.” She spat.
Allan huffed. “I’m not interested in your plan, okay. I know you’re here for Robin. It’s just- well, I’m not bein' funny but why would you put yourself up to this? I mean the bloke banged you up real good before, that’s what started all this. Now you come runnin' back to 'im?”
“It’s not just about me, Allan. It’s for the greater good. There are innocent people who are suffering because of him and will continue to suffer if I do nothing. He’s here for something sinister, I know he is. I suppose you wouldn’t understand because you have only ever been about yourself.” She shoved past him again, turning around quickly. “I’ll see myself to a room, thanks.”
Allan stood watching after her, alone in the middle of the corridor.
