ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

Rodger of Gisborne and Eleanor of Locksley became formally betrothed that evening, after both sets of parents unhesitatingly approved the match. The happiness of the two families was unbounded. The fire in Nottingham was out, with no loss of life, and now they had this new joy to celebrate. Sheriff William's feast at Nottingham Castle had been postponed until the following week due to the fire—its cause forever remained a mystery—so they had their own family party instead, in the comfort of Locksley Manor. Their joy extended to the servants of the two families as well.

"What a lovely bride you'll make, milady!" exclaimed Edith. "I do hope you'll allow me to arrange your hair." She would have dragged Eleanor, with her freshly washed abundance of hair, up over the stairs to her dressing table to try out hairstyles that very minute, if Marian hadn't put the brakes on her enthusiasm by reminding her that the actual wedding was still some time away.

Anna was quite overcome with emotion, and began to cry. "I remember the day you were born, Rodger!" she sobbed. "What a beautiful baby you were. All big blue eyes and black curls. Look at you now! So tall and handsome! And old enough to be married! And you're to marry dear Lady Eleanor! And—"

Her husband Reggie intervened before Anna could embarrass Rodger any further. He shook Rodger's hand with simple and heartfelt respect.

"Bless you, sir," he said. "We're so happy for you both."

The two families ate their evening meal together. After supper, the two men sat down near the fireplace. Robin, being the tease that he was, could not resist a jab at Guy.

"Well, Guy, it looks like I'll be in your life forever after this," he observed, with a perfectly straight face.

"Just my luck," Guy responded with his best smirk. "You've been in my life forever already, Locksley, at least it feels like you have."

"Come on, it hasn't been so very bad, has it?"

"You've kept me amused, I'll give you that much."

Robin laughed, and clapped Guy on the shoulder. "What do you suppose our old nemesis would say if he could see us now? We made our peace with each other, and we've been friends all these years, and now our children are going to marry and carry on our names after us. Speaking for myself, I can't think of a better revenge against Vaisey, can you?"

Guy's sarcastic expression faded, and a genuine smile took its place.

"No, I can't," he replied. "Sometimes I wish he was here just long enough to rub his face in it."

Robin bent down to stir up the fire and add more wood. Guy turned, and caught a glimpse of Marian watching them from her chair next to Meg. She had an enigmatic little smile on her lips, and he wondered what she was thinking.

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Rodger would not marry his chosen lady before he could claim the title "Sir Rodger", and that would not happen until he was made a fully-fledged knight of the realm. So, two weeks after his proposal was accepted, he packed his bags once again and rode off for London, this time alone, to finish the training he had begun some years earlier.

The parting was not without drama on Eleanor's side, for, like her mother before her, she was angry at being "abandoned" by her husband-to-be. All of Rodger's reasoning, and her parent's, could not persuade her that he was acting in their best interests. Rodger finally gave up arguing with her on the matter. He promised her that he would write as soon as he got there and would be home for a visit before long. He then kissed her goodbye as best he could through her protests.

Robin and Marian were not sorry to see him go. They knew the potential difficulties of a long betrothal when the young couple was living in such close proximity, and they also saw that their daughter had some growing up to do yet.

"Even when they get married, they'll be fighting half the time, if what we've seen so far is any indication," said Marian pessimistically, one chilly and rainy evening that fall.

"Undoubtedly," agreed Robin, "but they'll be happier fighting with each other than getting along with someone else."

"Like us?" Marian asked. At Robin's grimace, she added, "At least he's not leaving her for five years, like a certain other enamored suitor I could mention, who left his beloved to be courted by another."

Robin, not to be outdone, answered, "Well, I've no doubt Guy kept you quite satisfied while I was away."

"Perhaps he did," said Marian. "Come to think of it, he wasn't such a bad suitor. For one thing, he was handsomer than you."

"Now, Marian!" cried Robin, and she smiled at having gotten the better of him.

Eleanor at last quieted down, and even felt a bit ashamed of her quarrelsome send-off. The next day she wrote Rodger a lengthy letter of apology. He received it the moment he arrived at the castle, and it cheered him greatly, as did his reunion with his friend Geoffrey of Longdale, also there to finish his training. Countless letters flew back and forth between the two lovers in the months that followed—so many that even Meg began to complain about the high cost of paper, until Archer offered to pay for both the paper and the delivery of the letters, as his contribution toward the furtherance of his niece and nephew's happiness.

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Meanwhile, in Nottingham, Rowan and his family found temporary shelter with relatives while the wreckage of their house was cleared away and a new house began to take shape. Though they received some assistance through a fund that was set up for the benefit of the several families and individuals who suffered loss in the Nottingham fire, a large donation came from Locksley.

Rowan was aware that Robin had given part of this donation. What he was not aware of, and never did know, was that the greater part of the monies to rebuild his house and life had come from Sir Guy. Guy swore Robin to silence on the matter. Robin wanted Guy to take credit where it was due, and argued with him to that effect, but Guy would have none of it.

Although Rowan never knew that he had Sir Guy to thank for more than the saving of his son's life, Gisborne's courageous act of rushing into a burning house to rescue the very same young man who had badly beaten his son was no secret. The story was the talk of Nottingham for many weeks. That Guy's son should also have acted to save Peter was almost too much to believe for many. Robin and Allan simply had to tease Guy about it.

"Getting soft-hearted in your old age, Gisborne?" joked Robin one evening.

"Oh, so I'm soft now, am I, Hood? Let me remind you of something!" came the reply, and before Robin could duck out of the way, Guy cuffed him hard across the head and sent him sprawling. He raised his hand to Allan while Allan was still opening his mouth to echo Robin's words, but Allan had no intention of letting Guy's fist connect with any part of him. He swerved just in time to avoid a similar buffeting, for he had vivid memories of that man's brutal hands, which the passing of more than twenty years had not diminished.

After his broken legs were reset, Peter spent several intensely painful days at the castle infirmary before he was brought to his family's temporary home to continue his recovery. He had youth and health on his side, but it was still many weeks before he was able to walk without assistance.

Neither Guy nor Rodger went to see him, though Peter secretly feared they might. Robin dropped by several times to check on him, and was pleased to report that Peter was polite and respectful toward him.

It might be too much to hope of weak and wayward mortal flesh that young Peter would instantly transform into a model citizen after his near-death experience. But it was a fact that, in time, Peter did settle down, stopped most of his mischief-making, and became a useful son to his father. He learned his father's trade, and gained a reputation as a skilled carpenter much sought after throughout Nottingham.

It was also a fact that he never troubled the Gisborne men again, in any way. In the years that followed, whenever Peter chanced to encounter Sir Guy or his son on the streets of Nottingham, he would incline his head downward rather sheepishly, and pass them without a whisper of a sneer. Guy and Rodger were only human, too, and could perhaps be forgiven for the satisfied smiles that crossed their own lips at the sight of Peter's discomfiture.

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Both Rodger and Eleanor had feared that the months of training that Rodger still had to complete would drag on tediously, but both of them were so busy that time flew by quickly in a whirlwind of preparations. Rodger came back to Locksley as often as he could. If it meant riding all day and night to see Eleanor for only a few hours before he had to ride back again, well, so be it. He didn't mind. His beloved Eleanor was there at journey's end to fuss over his latest injuries received on the practice grounds, argue delightfully with him on the slightest provocation, and, in between arguments, shower him with kisses until he hardly knew what end was up.

Though their wedding date had not been set, and could not be until Rodger was knighted, Eleanor found there was much to be done. She went with her mother and Meg to Meg's father's shop to choose material for her wedding gown, and later to have the gown fitted as it was made up by the skilled tailors in his employment. Wallace and Jane then insisted upon giving the blue silk gown as a gift to their grandson's bride-to-be.

Edith gushed over the new gown when it was delivered to the manor.

"Oh, milady! That's the prettiest gown I've ever seen! Just the right shade of blue for you! And you know, blue is the colour of purity."

Eleanor made a face behind Edith's back. Purity. It was expected of her as a bride. But her private musings about Rodger were far from pure these days.

I can't believe that I ever cared for Robert. He would never have been faithful to me. At least Rodger and I will belong only to each other. He's been with no one else because he's been waiting for me, and only me, his whole life. And I've been waiting for him my whole life, too, I just didn't know it.

She remembered the last kiss she'd given Rodger, three days ago, out in the dim light of the stable early in the morning before he'd set off once again for London, and she smiled.

I wonder if Rodger would think me very pure and virginal after that kiss….

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Finally, after many months spent in the practice yards, slogging through rain and snow and summer heat, Rodger completed his training. His family, along with Eleanor and Robin and Marian, and numerous guests, traveled to London as the day for the knighting ceremony approached. They gathered in the enormous hall in the castle with hundreds of others in support of the small group of select young nobles who were to be elevated to knighthood.

Rodger, dressed in uncharacteristic white, stood with Geoffrey and the other squires before King Henry III. In the solemn silence, his deep voice echoing off the stones, Rodger spoke his knight's oath. Then he knelt before the king. As his shoulders were tapped with the flat of a blade, and he was proclaimed "Sir Rodger of Gisborne", Guy's eyes filled with tears. Meg held tight to her husband's arm. Marian stood on the other side of Guy, and when she saw his tears, she reached over to take his hand in hers.

"Your father and mother would be proud," she whispered to him.

"Yes." Guy gently caressed her fingers before releasing her hand.

Loud applause broke out after the ceremony. Rodger and the other new knights were taken away by the older knights to be prepared for the tournament. Archer and Sir Stephen took charge of Rodger. They dressed him in armour, after which Guy presented him with his own sword. They then paraded him about to the further cheers of the crowd, before all of them joined together on the field so that the new knights could display their martial skills. Rodger distinguished himself that afternoon, and at the feasting table that night, he and Eleanor were finally given permission to set a date for their wedding. This was duly announced before the other guests, and the two were also honoured to receive the king's blessing on their upcoming union.

Two blissfully happy young people rode home together to Locksley in the company of their family and friends, and one month and ten days later, as was the custom, they were married.

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The wedding took place in Locksley village. Guy had protested at first when he learned that his son and Eleanor did not want to be married in the church in Nottingham, but Rodger and Eleanor had firm ideas about their wedding day.

"We're not a circus show," said Eleanor. "We don't want the whole of Nottingham coming out to gawk at us. We just want a nice, small wedding with our family and friends, right here in Locksley."

"And we want Tuck to perform the ceremony," added Rodger.

The inclusion of Tuck pacified Guy, and he gave his fatherly consent at last to the proceedings.

On a fine mid-summer day, Sir Rodger of Gisborne and Lady Eleanor of Locksley were married. Eleanor was arrayed in the blue silk gown, with a coronet of flowers in her hair that fell loosely over her shoulders—the elaborate hairstyle that Edith had campaigned for having been dispensed with—and Rodger was, as usual, dressed in black. All his mother's arguments on the subject could not persuade him to dress in a more festive colour. He had made the small concession of having his black silk shirt embroidered with gold thread. 'The Gisborne colours,' Guy had said proudly. Eleanor liked her bridegroom's head-to-toe black attire. 'Black suits you,' she'd said to Rodger, 'and thank you for not asking me to do the embroidering for you.'

Rodger caught his breath when he saw Eleanor. She had never looked so beautiful to him. But after all the years of misunderstandings and hurt feelings, would they truly be happy together? His face was grave and anxious, his heart and mind no less so, but Eleanor had no such qualms. She took his hand as she joined him to stand before Brother Tuck, gave him a naughty grin, and winked at him. In that moment she looked so much like "little Eleanor the Brat" from their childhood days that his face broke into a huge smile, and all his fears melted away in an instant.

While their family and friends looked on, the young couple repeated their vows, kissed, and were pronounced husband and wife.

Rodger turned and whispered to Eleanor, "We've done it now, my love. No turning back. You're stuck with me."

"And you're stuck with me," she said. "Too late now to change your mind."

"I haven't any wish to change my mind, silly girl," answered Rodger. "This is the happiest moment of my life!" And he followed it up with another kiss, to the cheers of their well-wishers.

As is usual on such occasions, the feasting and merrymaking, the dancing and drinking, went on for many hours. Every gem of wisdom regarding marriage ever uttered through the ages was recalled, and every jest about wedding nights was voiced loudly by the guests. The newlyweds smiled and blushed by turns at the banter, and then, as twilight descended on Locksley, they were escorted to their new home by a rowdy mob led by Allan and Archer. The more sedate inhabitants of the village received baskets of leftover food to be taken home to their cottages.

At last, only the family was still at the manor. Guy and Robin sat down at a table under the trees after the stars came out, while their wives went inside to talk over the day's events.

"Guy," said Robin, "do you realize that this time next year we could be grandfathers?"

Guy smiled. "Yes, Robin, the thought did cross my mind."

"Grandfathers," Robin repeated. "At one time I never thought I'd live long enough to be a father, much less a grandfather. It makes me feel old. Does it make you feel old?"

"Maybe," said Guy. "But there's one big difference between you and me, Robin."

"What's that?"

"You'll look like a grandfather, I won't."

"Oh, ha, ha, Guy. You're so very funny."

"Thank you."

"You should be King Henry's court jester. You know, I think I liked you better before you had a sense of humour."

"I've always had a sense of humour, Robin."

"Have you?"

"How else could I have stayed friends with you for so long without killing you?"

"There's a cheerful thought. I take back what I said about you having a sense of humour. And you look just as much like a grandfather as I do, no matter what Meg tells you. Don't deceive yourself."

Guy chuckled. "Here, I've saved the good stuff for us," he said. He reached for a new bottle, opened it, and poured wine into a goblet for each of them. Robin took the glass from him and held it up.

"To our children," he said. "May they live a long and happy life together."

"To our children," repeated Guy as he touched his goblet to Robin's. "And to us, Robin."

"To us. Since we can't escape each other, let's drink to the joining of our families instead," said Robin with a smile. "Friends forever, Gisborne and Locksley."

"Yes, to Gisborne and Locksley," said Guy, "and may God help us."

They drained their goblets, and poured another.

Not far away, with the moon shining in their bedroom window, Rodger and Eleanor lay in each other's arms. A little more than a year later, they would indeed make grandfathers of Robin and Guy, and their legacy would live on.

The End

Author's Note: I hope you have enjoyed this little tale. It's been quite an eventful journey imagining and writing it for the last two and a half years. But, no, I'm not going to write about Rodger and Eleanor's children, or Guy and Robin as grandfathers! (tempting though it is) This is as far as the story goes. I'll be moving on to new projects after this.

As always, thank you, dear readers, for your interest, encouragement, and reviews. It means so much to me! Best wishes to all of you! Manxcatmom