Chapter One
"Lady Marian, you have to push," the young maid said anxiously.
"I…am…pushing!" Marian panted through the pain.
"Harder you got to push harder," Sally's big blue eyes pleaded with Marian as she sat on the bed.
"I…can't…Sally…it…hurts…too…much," Marian moaned, her usually strong stance reduced to a trembling wreck. She was in labour.
"Breathe and then one big push," Sally instructed. Marian nodded and then did what she was told.
"I can see the baby's head," Sally cried, "Push again." Marian drew upon all her strength and pushed. The slippery bundle fell into Sally's arms and she quickly cut the umbilical cord. She rubbed the small body down and it started crying.
"You did it Lady Marian! You have a…"
"No Sally, I don't want to know," Marian whispered, exhausted.
"But the child needs a name, my Lady," Sally reasoned.
"Alright," Marian sighed, this was killing her inside, "For a girl Grace and a boy…Tristan."
"Sally? Is it done?" a voice called through the door.
"Yes Sir Edward," Sally called, "I will bring the babe out." Sally took one last sad look at Marian, wondering how she could give her child up and then left the room.
She was met by Sir Edward outside the house, it was early morning, and he took the small baby from her. "I will give it to John and he will take it to an Abbey. The baby will be left on the doorstep and it can be brought up by the nuns and monks."
"Is this really right Sir?" Sally just had to ask.
"Sally, the child is a bastard. I cannot have one of those in my household," Sir Edward said, wanting to get rid of the child as soon as possible.
"But…"
"Sally, do not quarrel. Marian is to be married to Gisborne and she cannot have someone else's child."
"Well, could I not take the babe?" Sally asked.
"No Sally, it needs to get as far away as possible from here," Edward shook his head and turned away, "Now it must go."
"But shouldn't Robin know?" Sally said suddenly. Edward spun round, his eyes blazing.
"No, he should never know!" With that Edward hurried towards the stables to hand the child over.
Sally knew that it would be the last time she ever saw the baby and she hoped that the monks would find the note she had tucked in it's blankets telling of his it's name. It would not be right if the baby never knew its mother's chosen name.
"Goodbye Tristan," Sally said quietly and headed inside.
John dropped the baby on the doorstep of the Abbey. He smiled as he had to prise its fingers from his own and he stroked its soft cheek. The baby was beautiful and it was being abandoned. He knocked twice on the door and rode off.
A monk opened the door after he heard the knocks. At first he was puzzled because he could see no one but then he heard a small whimper. He looked down and saw a bundle on the floor. He picked it up and peered inside. A pair of brilliant, blue, eyes stared up at him. It was a baby. He noticed a note tucked into the blankets and plucked it out. All it read was Tristan, in scrawled writing that was barely legible. He realised the baby had been orphaned. "Welcome to the brotherhood little one," he whispered and disappeared inside.
R&R please!