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"MHMPHH!"
The bandit groaned when the prince behind him made ANOTHER attempt at yelling at him. This had been going on for hours since he had kidnapped the boy and it was starting to get on his nerves. His grip on the knife got tighter, the thought of doing something cruel to shut the prince up entering his mind for a fleeting moment.
He slapped himself lightly at the thought. No, he had always vowed he wouldn't hurt anyone more than necessary, even if the temptation was laid on him thick as ice. The man might be a lowly criminal scouting through the night and kidnapping nobility, yet he still had some morals.
Besides, he already had the prince tied to a tree and gagged, it could be much, much worse. After all, it was only shortly after his arrival in Nottingham that he got wind of the short tempered and horrid prince that resided here. If the stories and demonstrations were anything to go by, letting that kid run his mouth would've caused the bandit to go insane hours ago. Just the way he spoke to his subjects already soured the bandits mood.
And yet, it also made him the perfect target.
Before entering Nottingham, he had decided to investigate the situation for a few weeks before making his move. Save to say, it certainly payed of. He was certain he kidnapped the right royal family member for this.
The guards around the young prince were clearly also bothered by his behavior, yet none of them dared to make a move. The Sheriff certainly had a grim look on his face every time the prince even as much as mentioned a new tax the villagers had to pay up. And speaking of the inhabitants, none of them seem to be awfully fond of the prince either. He had heard whispers around the village and hushed conversations about how they couldn't wait for the King's return. There was also wishful thinking, that one day the King would put his brother in his place and they may be free of his cruelty. It is save to say, were the prince to disappear, not many would bat an eye. And not many would get in the bandits way if he were to kidnap the prince and demand a ransom.
But every coin has two sides, and the princess was nothing like her cousin. The bandit considered kidnapping the princess first, but quickly scratched that idea once he had noticed how beloved she was across the kingdom. Villagers praised and adored her for her generosity and kindness. The princess was admired for her bravery when she stood up against her cousin, calling him out on his cruelty and taking the citizens of Sherwood under her protective wing. It was clear to the man that the Villagers would do anything for her and that kidnapping her would've resulted in an angry mop storming his hideout. Not to mention, she was flocked by her closest friends constantly. There was no way he's be able to catch her without someone noticing immediately. Especially not with the famed Robin Hood around.
Ah yes, Robin Hood. That was an entirely different topic.
He would've almost cancelled his entire plan of kidnapping a royal the moment he caught eye of the fabled and famous Robin Hood jump across the rooftops. The Outlaw was certainly younger looking than the stories described, and yet the tales didn't even come close to his talents. The Bandit had never seen someone handle a bow as gracefully and precise as this boy. The shots this kid fires are phenomenal and out of this world. The first time he saw him in action, the bandit had to gulp, heavily considering just leaving Nottingham and forgetting this entire plot of his.
And yet he was still here, pockets empty and desperate to be filled.
After all, he had seen the way Robin Hood interacted with the Prince. Their banter, their fights, their interactions. It painted a clearer picture to the bandit. One he knew he had to take advantage off.
So he hatched a plan.
He had to admit, it was embarrassingly easy to kidnap the Prince.
For someone with this high of a status in the country, you'd think they would put in more effort in keeping him save. And yet here he was, tied to a tree and being used as ransom so a lowly bandit could line his pockets with gold. Guess being greedy and cruel all the time does have its downsides for the prince.
"MHPFF MHHH!"
The bandit rolled his eyes, finally getting up from the stone he had idly been sitting on and turning around to face the prince angrily staring daggers at him.
"Will you shut up already? I already sent the ransom letter and if they actually care about a rotten prince like you, you'll be free in no time and we can both be on our way."
The Prince did not take any of these words into consideration, squirming and tugging against his restrains while trying to yell even more. The bandit just sighed, staring at the prince with a deadpanned glare. He really wouldn't blame them if no one showed up to get the prince back. This kid was insufferable.
As if to prove his point, the gag the bandit put on him halfheartedly slipped off, and the Prince got his freedom of speech back. To the dismay of the man.
"FREE ME THIS INSTANCE OR I WILL HAVE YOU EXECUTED FOR KIDNAPPING AND TORTURING ME!" The princes shrill voice hurt his ears, making the bandit wince.
"Torture? You think THIS is torture?? Oh I can show you torture if you don't keep your mouth shut soon enough." He wasn't actually planning on torturing the prince, but a little intimidating demonstration wouldn't hurt, right? As if to egg him on more, the prince just scoffed, rolling his eyes and opening his cursed mouth again.
"As if a low life like you would have the guts to harm an actual- AH-" The prince yelped in surprise when the bandit grabbed his hair, yanking it upwards and pressing a blade close to his throat. The bandit had to ignore the satisfied grin that was threatening to spill out when he stared at the princes eyes, wide open in fear and focused on the knife in his hands.
No, no he said he wouldn't hurt him. He shouldn't be feeling giddily at the sight of some kid being terrified. And yet it was also satisfying to see the prince finally shut up.
"It would be much easier for both of us if you'd just do as you're told and shut up." He hissed, watching the prince try and mask his fear with anger again, this time unsuccessful. The prince pressed himself against the tree, as far away from the knife as possible, but the tight grip in his hair didn't let there be much distance.
"Y-you wouldn't-" The prince bit his tongue when the knife inched just a little closer.
"Wouldn't I?" He really wouldn't, but it was entertaining to see the prince so unsure and terrified.
"You really shouldn't."
The bandit whipped around at the sudden voice echoing from behind him, the previous smile dropping instantly at the sight of Robin Hood, perched on top of a stone with his bow drawn, tip of an arrow pointing directly at the man. His gaze was calm yet concentrated, gaze locked on the bandit with a glint in his eyes that made him feel like he was the outlaws next prey.
"Let the prince go and I'll consider not handing you over to the Sheriff." Even his voice was smooth, as if he had said this a hundred times before, with the same level of balance between a calm and threatening tone. All in all, the bandit should feel pretty intimidated.
Yet this is all he wanted.
He twirled the dagger in his hand, slowly getting into a proper stance and sliding a second one out of his pocket.
"Only if you pay. You know what I demand, show the gold to me or else you can say goodbye to him." He smoothly gestured to the prince who stared at the outlaw with an almost mortified glare.
"ROBIN? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" The prince screeched out and god, does this kid ever say something in a normal tone? Is screaming the norm here in Nottingham?
Robin Hood however, seemed unbothered by the princes outburst. On the contrary, he tilted his head a little, sending the blonde prince a teasing smile.
"My apologies Prince John, but it seems as if I'm your knight in shining armor today." The Outlaw cooed, making the prince let out an annoyed grumble. The bandit just smirked, pointing one of his daggers at John.
"Hand over the gold Robin Hood, or else your Boyfriend won't get out of here in one piece."
The bandit thought the threat was pretty good, yet for some reason, a deafening silence washed over them immediately. The outlaws eyes widened, tension in his bowstring loosening drastically as he stared at the bandit, mouth slightly agape. The prince was also suddenly quiet, so quiet indeed, that the man felt like he could hear the princes gaze bore into him.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" The bandit laughed out, yet even he noticed how awkward everything had suddenly become. He watched the outlaw press his lips together, sending one last glance towards the prince before speaking up.
"We're not..." His voice trailed off, yet he managed to gesture towards himself and the prince in a way that the man understood.
The bandit blinked a few times, looking back at the prince who looked equally as speechless as his after all not partner.
"You're not a thing?" He dared to ask, now genuinely confused. Robin just shook his head in silence, but the prince had definitively more to say.
"Of COURSE WE ARE NOT A THING! What the hell made you think that??" He yelled out and once again, the man really wished he had reapplied the gag on him earlier.
"If you aren't dating then why the hell did you even come save him in the first place?" He instead asked the outlaw who still stood high on the stone, the previous calm demeanor entirely thrown out the window.
"Well- you sent ME the ransom note, what else was I supposed to do? Leave him to die?"
"Yes? He is literally one of the cruelest most despicable people I have ever set my eyes upon. Why else would a hero like you bother to save him when not because he's your lover?"
None of the two boys had an answer, which basically proved his point.
"That... he'd do that for anyone..." John muttered out, clearly not even remotely convinced of his own words. The bandit just groaned, loosing his posture and whirling his arms around.
"Then why are you two flirting all the time? I've seen you two bicker on the street, there was nothing remotely normal about that!" There really wasn't. From the day he had entered Nottingham, the bandit had observed these two exchange sentence after sentence, blow after blow and tease after tease. Nobody who actually hated someone to the death would do all of these things with even remotely as much flirt and enjoyment as these two did.
The Outlaw and the Prince certainly weren't convinced.
"Now you're just making stuff up. We never did anything remotely akin to flirting." John tried to insist, but the bandit was just bamboozled at this point.
"He LITERALLY flirted with you a minute ago!" The bandit bit back, pointing at Robin who at this point had his bow loosely hanging besides him, mouth still tightly pressed shut as he was suddenly ripped out of his trance.
"I- that was different!" Robin stammered out, yet even he seemed to doubt himself and his words now.
"Yeah! Also that was entirely Robin's fault. I, for one, have never uttered anything remotely vulgar directed at him!" The prince tried to insist, but the bandit just raised an unconvinced brow.
"You announced to the whole Village how you want to own Robin Hood and angrily claimed him as yours when some baron offered to deploy his soldiers to catch him." That quickly shut the prince up, finally. His cheeks turned a little red as he turned away. That was clearly never supposed to be something Robin should know about. Especially because now the Outlaw suddenly had a smirk on his face again.
"Aww John, you're so protective of me, I feel honored."
"YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN!" The bandit yelled out, almost offended by their level of idiocy. Both of the boys faces were now tinted red, an awkwardness between them like never before.
"Let's- let's just wrap this up. Come on, give me the prince so this is over." Robin sighed, jumping off the rock and calmly walking towards him. That was all it took for the bandit to switch it up again, getting back into a battle stance while holding one knife to the princes throat. He didn't care that those two apparently weren't aware of their disgustingly obvious romantic behavior before, he still wanted his gold.
"Oh no you don't. I still want my gold, so unless you want to see him hurt, hand it-"
The bandit blinked once.
Once
That was all it took for the outlaw to draw his bow and hit him straight in the head with a sack of some powder, a white cloud exploding over his face. The effect set in within barely a moment, his mind getting embraced by a sort of drousyness almost instantly. He swayed on his feet, dropping his dagger and falling to his knees, staring at Robin Hood one last time before his eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor with a thump.
There was not a single word uttered between them as Robin undid John's binds and restrained the bandit with them instead.
Complete and awkward silence accompanied them as Robin lead John through the woods, back to the castle. None of them wanted to address the elephant in the room, both of them rather walking in silence, faces still flushed pink and postures completely tense.
"We should...probably talk about-"
"No"
Robin's conversation attempt was quickly cut off by the blonde as he quickened his pace, widening the distance between him and the ginger. He just let out a sigh, jogging a little to catch up with the prince.
"At least tell me if you're injured." That made John scoff, not slowing down even when Robin walked at his side again.
"Why? Because you secretly care about me? Don't act like there's actually anything between us." The blonde hissed out, gaining an eye roll from the ginger.
Robin stopped in his tracks, grabbing John's arm and holding him back with a yelp. The blonde angrily whipped around, eyebrows furrowed as he glared at Robin, trying to yank his arm away from the gingers grip unsuccessfully.
"You just got kidnapped for hours. Just tell me if you're injured or not and then I'll bring you to the castle and we never have to think about this again, okay?" Robin thought his attempt to defuse the awkwardness between them was good, yet for some reason, it seemed to make John even more angry.
"Urgh- you're so dense! That's not what-" The prince bit his tongue mid rant, taking a shuddered breath and collecting himself. For a split second, Robin could see a shimmer of vulnerability break through the blondes gaze as he stared into the gingers eyes, caught in them for a moment too long. It was a blink and you'll miss it moment, yet he managed to catch it before the prince put his signature scowl back on, turning away from him and scoffing.
"Just- let me go. I'm fine." His voice was just a murmur, almost too quiet for Robin to pick up. The gingers brows furrowed, the grip on John's arm loosening due to how taken aback he was from the princes sudden vulnerability. Said prince immediately used this opportunity to rip himself free, not facing Robin again as he continued his walk. The ginger stood there for about five seconds, staring at the prince walking away from him as his mind replayed the blondes reaction before finally opening his mouth again.
"Don't be like that John, what is this about?" Robin shouted towards him, hands on his hips as he watched the blonde freeze, shoulders tensing at the outlaws voice. The prince was quiet for a moment, then swirled around, cape dramatically following his movements while Robin came face to face with the familiar angry scowl.
"Why the hell did you really come to save me?"
Robin was taken aback by the sudden outburst, something he should definitively be used to by now.
"...you heard it yourself. I was the one who got the ransom letter because he thought...you know." He watched John's cheek go pink again, but they didn't calm the anger. Not one bit.
"Yes yes, I know what he thought. But why did you save me? To gloat about it? To brag about having saved me to everyone and make fun of me?" John took a couple steps forward, closing in the distance between the two again.
"You'd rather I left you there to die?" Robin asked him in disbelief.
"Yes! You heard him, I'm a horrible prince and nobody in this god forsaken country likes me so why would you out of everyone come and get me, if not for your own gain?"
Robin's confusion must've been visible, considering John just stared at him with frustration once he realized the ginger still didn't get it.
"You don't- urgh. You came to save me! You're making all of this so complicated." John hissed, now giving the turn to Robin to scoff.
"Me? I'm the one making this complicated? You're the one who won't just accept that I saved you. What's so hard to understand?"
"Because- god, because that would mean you actually care about me!" John's voice cracked at the end, the angry facade slowly chipping away one by one. The gingers eyes widened, words stuck in his throat as he watched John continue on.
"It would mean that somebody in my life actually cares about me. I know everyone hates me, I know that damn well and I have made my peace with it. I have my perfect little view of my life and I don't need you to pretend like I'm actually worth something more than my title to you."
Even though John's voice was wavering, it was followed with such sharpness, underlining every single word he uttered. His gaze wasn't on Robin, no, he couldn't look the ginger in the eyes anymore. Instead, he was staring at the ground, fist shaking besides him as he took another ragged breath.
"So don't start giving me hope. I don't want them to be crushed again."
His voice shook and yet it was as if the words couldn't be more clear to Robin. Tears pricked at the edges of his blue eyes. After the last sentence, John wobbly walked towards a stone off to the side of the road, lowering himself on it and burying his face in his hands, hiding the tears that threatened to spill from Robin.
The ginger stood frozen, mouth agape as he was speechless from the sudden outburst once again. But this time, it was different. This time, it wasn't an outburst out of anger. It was something else. Robin couldn't find the words for it, but something about what John said made his gaze soften, focused on the prince, usually so prideful and wicked, reduced to a curled up, crying mess.
Robin took a few moments before his legs moved again, towards the prince. He was lucky the stone was big enough for two people, so he sat down besides the prince, at first only in silence, then finally speaking again.
"What about Richard? He doesn't hate you." It was the truth, and yet he only heard John choke out a scoff.
"My brother doesn't know me the way everyone else does, no thanks to you." Robin pressed his lips together. He had gotten John out of being exposed for his greedy actions a bunch of times now, hasn't he? Richard has no clue of his brothers acts.
"If he knew, I'd bet he'd hate me just as much as you do." John's voice was quiet again, hands gripping his red cape and pulling it around himself as a means of comfort. The ginger knew he couldn't speak for Richard. Robin didn't know how Richard would react if he were to find out about it all. But there was one thing Robin knew.
"I don't hate you."
He heard John take a sharp breath, lifting his head and rapidly turning it towards the ginger, a clear look of disbelief and shock in his eyes.
"What?" John still sounded so vulnerable, even if he was trying to hide it. Robin knew he couldn't mess this up now. He saw those small shimmers of hope break through the prince, even if they were barely noticeable. Even if Prince John was his biggest nemesis, the thought of crushing his hopes felt appalling to Robin.
"I don't hate you." Robin repeated with a shrug, but he wasn't sure if John had heard it properly even the second time. The blondes brows furrowed, eyes squinting with suspicion.
"I mean, yeah, it sucks when you overtax the villagers and make everyone's life a living hell." He saw John deflate for a moment, devastation but also resignation on his face, as if he chided himself for ever thinking otherwise of Robin.
"But without you, my time in Sherwood wouldn't be even half the fun it is now." Robin admitted, watching John perk up again.
"Your schemes and plans, albeit evil, are quite the entertainment for me. I do enjoy our fights and banter. Without you, it just wouldn't be the same." Robin didn't mention that he occasionally even looked forward to when John was going to cause issues again. There was no one he enjoys fighting more than him. It gave him a thrill nothing else could compare to.
"So no," Robin started, turning his head to look at John, meeting his eyes.
"I don't hate you." The ginger managed to muster up a warm smile, watching the blue eyes go wide, finally free of any anger from before.
"..." John went back to staring at the ground, yet Robin could see him loosening up a little, not nearly as tense as before. It was quiet again, but this time it felt less tense. Less heavy. More...civil and calm. As if they shared a moment, a rare one that both of them certainly did not expect to happen, especially between them.
"..t..nk y..." Robin shook his head, looking back at John who just whispered something inaudible.
"What?"
"I said thank you...for saving me I guess and not leaving me to die." The prince murmured out, finger nervously tapping on his arm.
The ginger just stared at him in shock. That was the first time he heard the prince genuinely thank Robin for saving him.
John quickly noticed his speechless staring, quick to hide his face and furrow his brows.
"Don't stare at me like that! I said thank you, that's all..." He grumbled and Robin had to shake his head again to gain his sense back, albeit still a little flabbergasted.
"I think that's the first time you ever said thank you." Robin enlightened him, to which John almost seemed offended.
"Impossible, I distinctively remember being forced to thank you before."
Robin rolled his eyes.
"Exactly. Forced. You never did it out of your free will." He reminded him, but the blonde scoffed.
"I'm taking it back, you don't deserve my thanks filthy outlaw!" The prince stood up, crossing his arms and holding his chin high, promptly walking away from Robin. And yet, the ginger couldn't do anything but smile. He jumped up as well, walking after the prince.
"After that whole kidnapping ordeal? Think you need a bath more than I do." Robin teased, watching John turn his head away from him with a tsk, yet the blonde couldn't hide the amused smile on his face.
"We could jump in the river real quick and get it over with, if your royal highness isn't too over his head to get his clothes wet." Robin jokingly suggested, gaining a raised brow from the prince.
"Wow, now I get why that guy thought we were a thing."
Robin let out a laugh at John's words, and both of them proceeded to make their way back to the castle together, a comfortable ambiance filled with jokes and peaceful conversation for once accompanying them.
Richard was of course horrified to find out about John's kidnapping.
"My god brother, are you alright? Did he hurt you?? Why did nobody get wind of this???" Richard fawned over John while actively angry about nobody noticing the Prince was kidnapped. Robin stood besides them, watching the blonde slap away his brothers hands after the King tried to inspect him for injuries the hundredth time.
"I am fine, I swear. Now stop poking me." He insisted, gaining a short break of Richards overbearing inspection before being pulled into a hug by his brother. The prince let out a yelp, but Richard wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.
"Thank the gods you're alright then. If you'd have gotten hurt I could've never forgiven myself." Richard shuddered out, a tight grip on his brother while John just sighed loudly, but eventually ended up melting into the hug anyways.
"Yeah yeah. Don't worry, the kidnapper was pretty incompetent anyway. He literally sent Robin the ransom note instead of you." John scoffed, finally separating from the hug to see Richards confused face.
"It's true, he sent me the letter." Robin confirmed, taking it out of his pocket and showing it to the King.
His face darkened at the sight of it, his grip crumpling the paper.
"And where is this bandit now?" The Kings voice was steady, yet extremely cold and calculated, as if he was already planning what to do with the man.
"Tied up back at the dolmen."
That's all it took for Richard to gather his troops and ride out, ensuring one last time that John was alright before embarking on the mission to arrest the man who kidnapped his brother.
This, of course, left Robin and John standing there, alone again. The prince eventually opened his mouth, hesitating for a moment before speaking.
"...do you...want to stay for dinner?"
Robin turned to him in surprise.
"Take it as a token of my gratitude, or whatever. Richard would've probably invited you anyways." John quickly explained himself, trying to hide his red cheeks. Robin blinked a few times, then smiled a little.
"I'd love to."
He let out a groan, tugging at the cuffs they put him in, letting his hands drop in defeat once he noticed it was no use. Seriously, chains? Sure, he kidnapped the Prince, but he was just one man with a track record of having never even as much as killed another man. Surely putting him in chains was a little much. He doesn't exactly remember how he got here either.
After he was knocked out by Robin Hood, he woke up bound to the tree with his own restrains, much tighter and firmer than before when the Prince was tied with them. Said Prince was gone, obviously. His not-Boyfriend probably brought him home. The bandit still couldn't believe how wrong he really was about the two of them. How could he have misjudged their relationship so hard?
No matter now, he should focus on escaping. If that even was possible
While the current King of England was known for his more peaceful methods, he doubted the King would let him go off scot free, especially not after he kidnapped the man's brother.
Just as he suspected, he soon heard the sound of doors opening, keys being retrieved and multiple pairs of footsteps along the floor, approaching his cell. It didn't take long for him to lay his eyes upon King Richard the Lionheart himself, accompanied by two of his knights as he opened the door, stepping into his cell and stopping mere inches before him.
The bandit had to gulp at the sight of the King. While he had seen the King before, albeit from the far end of the crowds flocking the man at every visit in another Village, he appeared way more intimidating up close. For someone who has the reputation of a kindhearted and brave man, he sure as hell looked like he could rip your head off at any minute. The King stood tall, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, the other hidden behind his cape. His eyes looked down at the bandit, the brown eyes appearing almost red to him. His gaze was cold, said kindness everyone talked about nowhere in sight.
In hindsight, he really shouldn't have kidnapped this guy's brother.
"Greetings, your majesty. How nice of you to give me company." The bandit chuckled, figuring that if he was going to die anyways he should at least use this opportunity to joke a little. The King even smiled a bit, yet it was clear to everyone that it wasn't even one bit genuine. It felt almost more threatening than a frown.
"I'd like to assume you are aware of why you are here, bandit?" The man's voice was not deep nor particularly threatening, yet it still sent a shiver down his spine hearing it. The King had a way of speaking, it's as if he has figured out the perfect way of being nice while at the same time reminding you of your place beneath him.
"I am." There was no point in lying. From what he gathered, it was the King himself who knocked him out a second time after his entourage of guards found him tied to the tree. There was no denying he knew of his crime.
"Good, then I am certain you will not mind answering the few questions I have." The bandit raised an eyebrow at that. What was there for the King to ask? But he wasn't in a place to ask questions himself, so he just nodded and waited for the King to speak.
"What was your motive for kidnapping the Prince?"
...
"Money." The bandit answered bluntly. He thought that was obvious honestly. Why else would anyone bother kidnapping the highly annoying and loud prince if not for money.
"Why Prince John specifically?"
"Because he was the easiest to kidnap. And royals usually mean more ransom money." The bandit shrugged, chains chiming at his movement. His answers so far were honest, yet he couldn't really understand why the King seemed so unsatisfied with his words.
"If that is true, then why did you send the ransom note to a well known Outlaw in these parts instead of the castle? Were you planning on selling the Prince off?"
The bandit blinked, then stopped for a moment to think again. Now it made sense, the King thought he was planning on getting the prince out of the country, perhaps his majesty thought he was part of a bigger kidnapping scheme. Well, he'd have to disappoint him.
"No I did not. And frankly, I don't think I could've sold the Prince off in the first place. Who'd even want him?"
The bandit saw the knights behind the King unsuccessfully hide their laughter with their hands, but both quickly shut up when the man sent them a deathly glare. Then, his gaze returned to the bandit.
"Then what is your reasoning for sending the letter to Robin Hood." The King asked again, gaze sharp and voice even sharper, grip on his hilt tightening just a little more as a demonstration. The bandit let out a sigh. Now he'd have to reveal his secret.
"To be honest, your majesty. I assumed the Prince had courted Robin Hood and I had planned to use the Outlaws love for the prince as a means to get the ransom." He felt ashamed admitting it, especially after he was proven wrong. It was mortifying. He didn't even dare to look the King in the eyes, his head hung low in shame.
That being said, his head quickly shot up again when he heard the King let out an array of laughter.
"That is-" The King couldn't even get the words out as he kept on laughing, both of his knights joining in. Okay, he knew it was embarrassing, but he didn't expect the whole thing to be this hilarious. Once the laughter died down, the King looked down at him again, all the coldness from before having vanished. He had expected the King to mock him for his mistake, to have him confess it in public before his execution. What he did not expect, was this.
"My god, I knew I wasn't the only one who noticed. They act like a married couple all the time." The bandits eyes flew open, not expecting the King of England to agree with him wholeheartedly. His mouth was agape, it was taking him a while to get back on track to respond.
"I couldn't agree more, sire. I have heard them shout flirtatious insults at each other almost constantly ever since arriving in Nottingham." He confessed, hearing the King let out one laugh after another.
"Oh I know. My favorite is still "Once I have made you mine, you will learn how to worship me!"
Now it was the bandits turn to cackle out loud. The King had even managed to imitate his brothers voice perfectly.
"With 'insults' like these, it's no wonder I have made a false assumption." The bandit sighed, hearing the King clap in his hands.
"Guards, free this man from his shackles. Stand up my friend, I insist."
He stared in shock as the guards actually undid his cuffs, the King himself offering him a hand to get up. Now that he was actually standing next to the King, he still had to look up to face him. They really weren't exaggerating then they said he was tall.
"Thank you, your majesty." The bandit did a small bow, trying to be on his best behavior now that the King was being so gracious with him.
To his shock, he was led outside, out of the castle and past the drawbridge. That made him wonder, were they actually going to let him go? Forget about his highly criminal offense? Do dreams come true after all?
"I shall make an exception for you this once and let you free, considering your incredibly hilarious mishap." He had to hide his bright smirk at the Kings voice as he shook his hand. Yet the King didn't let go just yet, his grip getting a little harder.
"But if I ever hear wind of you doing something like this again, I will have you executed immediately. No matter how many...thoughts we might share." The King was still smiling, yet his gaze suddenly grew sharp again, as if he was staring right through the bandit. He had to gulp, shrinking into himself a bit, barely managing to squawk out a "Noted." Before finally being let go.
He did not hesitate, immediately heading for the forest and disappearing in it, planning to head straight back to the border and never enter this part of England ever again. He was extremely lucky to have survived this whole ordeal, very lucky that the King happened to share his thoughts on Robin Hood and Prince John.
But seriously, what the hell was going on with that Prince and Robin Hood.
He was convinced if they weren't dating now, they'd soon be dating in the future. There was no way for this relationship to go anywhere else, he was sure of that.