Living in Trinity

[OOM:

[OOM:

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere

[From Here]

After her father had fallen asleep sitting up (for the second time), Marian spent the better part of an hour convincing a guard to let her leave to use a privy. A million excuses and reasoning’s that fell from her lips, forgotten as soon as they were said, until he conceded to her whim. When she'd opened the door to the privy, she'd found something better than an empty room. There was Milliways on the other side.

She slid in, keeping the view out, and closed the door behind her, body leaning against it's solidness. The peripheral glance showed that nothing looked like it should. Which meant everything was normal at the end of the universe.

Marian left her head fall back against the door, eyes looking upward, body resolutely still, and finally let out a breath that shook like the leaves in early winter.

It was a summer day. The kind they rarely seemed to have in Knighton this year. The sun was golden, the grass was such a brilliant green and nothing seemed to be able to go wrong. She'd even managed to convince her father to come talk to her outside while she fixed a basket that frayed. The sunshine and light exercise would do him good she knew, and he hadn't even mustered up a complaint about her 'extra' activities of late.

Gisborne arriving was not part of her perfect summer day plan. Seeing him giddy as a school boy on arrival was disconcerting on many levels. When he picked her up over his shoulder, amid an outcry from herself and her father, she'd managed to flip away, thinking she'd idiotically given herself away only to see his face contort in a rare emotion: disappointment and hurt. Followed quickly by something as equally rare: an apology and then a gentle request.

If it was not duty, then it was curious confusion that drove her to obey the request to come to Locksley Manor with him. He was so buoyant in his step and free with his laughter she thought perhaps something had shifted in him. Seeing Thornton had not helped her but to remember the last few times she'd been in Locksley Manor; many, many, many years ago, off setting her almost comfort in this new, strange Guy. To make things stranger he led her upstairs to rooms she'd longer let rest in memory, to show her a chest full of money while he spoke of 'being a man of substance, wealth, who could provide for her'.

It wasn't until he spoke of pride and lineage directly, that she suddenly understood what he was so coyly dancing about: the king was returning.

It had taken a clever control of herself to maintain her cool in the face of the panic that longed to break free in her stomach. But when Milliways appeared she simply smiled, without simpering, while he spoke about date, details, and locations for their wedding arrangements

(the same as her last....

same church

same house

same bed

...everything but the man)

until she reminded him that she needed to see to her lands and arrangements if this was to happen so soon. He seemed to take it as a sign of her approval of the situation and let her go, not sparing her these looks of tenderness and pride which simply confused her more. And became a welling she pressed down when she spotted Robin among the sheet-wash before the house, glaring at her as though this were all her fault.

Marian spurred her horse for home, and arrived out of breath, as though she'd been racing the wind, or a hoard, and not simply her thoughts.

Marian confided the whole tale in her father, though it did little good. They discussed the impossible wishes and wants for escape in glances which needed no words. He spoke about the king in a hushed tone, even though she didn’t' respond except to contemplate her cup of water.

She missed a few rambling moments until he mentioned her mother's veil in a half sentence she'd ended simply by jumping out of her chair, causing it to rattle loudly against the floor, and striding toward the front door, stopping only to pick up her sword.

Lady Marian is practically radiating.

It's not because Robin came to Milliways. It's not because she made it on to the Milliways security force. It's not because she applied for another job doing something she knows well. It's not because she's finished her embroidery, gotten out of her engagement to Sir Guy, or solved the riddle of the tyranny in her home.

No. All those are tiny things.

It is, in fact, because her elder sister, Ilori, has come to Milliways at last!

Even though it's been a few days since they ran into each other Marian has not run out of hope they should bump into each other once more. You did know Ilori has always been her idol and mentor, who she'd always held in the highest esteem. The best big sister a girl could ask for and the most gracefully mannered Lady at court to learn from.

And now she was here in Milliways! What was there not to be radiant about?

Marian, sipping a cup of tea in a china set and wearing her security badge on a chain, is seated in a booth, looking wistfully to the doors everytime they open.

She would adore company.