Page 60 of The Wicked Prince

They started forward again, leading their horses to give them at least a bit of a break while still putting distance between them and Lathe.

Will and Alan pulled ahead, debating between them how many men Prince John was going to send after them. Robin wasn’t convinced John would send a bird after her. What man would want to expose himself to such rejection again?

“Robin…” Little Jon said, falling into step with Robin and squeezing her shoulder. “We all know how ye put on a brave face. But if there’s something ye want to tell us, maybe not now, but when ye’re ready… Ye know ye’re like a daughter to me.”

They really thought—

“I promise, Prince John was—” Robin shook her head. “I don’t know what he was, but I can assure you this. He did not hit me. He did not try anything with me, and he knew very well if he tried, he would not succeed. I made that abundantly clear. I was not defenseless.”

Robin tried not to remember John’s face as she’d bolted out of the study, hurt and humiliated as she could not answer him. She could not answer why she’d kissed him back.

She still couldn’t. She didn’t want to.

“Well, don’t worry. We’ve got a plan. Prince John won’t be able to lay a claim to ye when we’re done.”

“Where are we going? And how? I signed my legal name.”

“We’re not completely incapable without ye,” Little Jon said. At Robin’s pointed look, he shrugged. “Marian might have mentioned it as a ridiculous offhanded comment, but when she made it clear she wasn’t getting involved and was happy about ye not running around with us anymore, we did our own research.”

Robin twisted the wedding band still on her finger.

* * *

“You know this is a terrible idea, right?”

John ignored Guy as he turned to the Sheriff. He gestured to the small retinue of guards gathered in the castle courtyard. He said, “These are your best and fastest?”

“They are, Your Highness, but I must agree with Lord Guy.” The Sheriff crossed his arms. “First of all, the outlaw isn’t worth this effort if you’re right. Second of all, if you are right, there’s no need for you to go. You’re only going to put yourself in danger. Let Guy and the men go and you stay in Lathe.”

John glanced around the group of soldiers and to his and Guy’s horses being held by a stable boy. He waved the boy over and turned back to the two of them. “You’re not serious, right? The last time I left my outlaw in your hands, you failed to catch her every time. I’m not leaving the two of you to mess this up again.”

John took the reins to his horse as Guy shook his head and said, “This is different. If your hunch is right, we know exactly where they’re going. I’m more than capable of handling this. I’m properly motivated. Marian will kill me if I fail.”

Speaking of whom, the castle doors flew open and Marian rushed down the steps. She ducked around the guards and right up to John and she said, “Are you going?”

“I’m still trying to talk him out of it,” Guy said, rolling his eyes as his wife brushed right past him.

Marian glared at him. “Stop that! He has to go!”

John knew that, but he didn’t expect anyone else to. “I do?”

“Obviously!” Marian turned back to him. She shook her head and said, “You’re what she’s running from. So if we have a hope of bringing her back for good,youhave to convince her.”

“Did I do something to suddenly make you like me?” John eyed Marian. “Because I distinctly remember you were not thrilled with me at the wedding.”

Marian crossed her arms as Guy placed a hand on her shoulder. “Oh, I definitely hated you at the beginning for Rob’s sake. But I also don’t like those men who kept her from her proper family for years either. I don’t like how you got her to marry you, but I do like her not being shot at by my husband or sleeping in a forest. Besides, the rumors about you I once believed might have been slightly exaggerated. And I know enough about how things run in this country to know all those orders with Rob’s name on them couldn’t be done behind your back. The two of you are good for this country. And somehow, you’re good for her. So show her.”

“How?” John whispered, tightening his grip on the reins. “I don’t know how I’m going to show her.”

“Robin might be running right now, but I know my cousin. Not even she can outrun the faith she has in people.”

John swallowed and nodded. He turned to Guy and said, “Mount up.”

Guy let out a long sigh and kissed his wife goodbye, but not without muttering to her, “You couldn’t have just slept in and let me convince him to stay here?”

“Sorry, I want my cousin back too much to trust you to be able to do it. Be safe, love.”

The Sheriff gestured for his men to open the castle gates as he muttered, “All this for an outlaw you should have killed when you had the chance.”

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