Marian sat at the small wooden table in her room, slowly brushing her now short hair while her mind wandered back at the events of the day.

She was glad that her father was apparently too tired to talk that evening cause she wasn't in the mood to make any effort for conversation; and so she had gratefully slid upstairs to find refuge in the comfort of her own room.

The sun was just beginning to set and she hadn't lit any candle yet, enjoying the feeble golden light penetrating from the opened window while she focused on her task.

Her beautiful hair… so long, so soft… it was gone now.

As the brush gently caressed her now less-than-shoulder-long chocolate locks, a sigh escaped her lips.

She wouldn't refer at herself as a vain girl, she knew there were more important things in the world, but that had hurt her pride anyway.

She had somehow –foolishly– hoped that Guy would have stepped forward at some point and found a way to stop that, but instead he had just remained there, impassibly witnessing her condemn and burying her last hope. The sheriff decided she had to be punished, and so it had to be. Sir Guy Of Gisborne wouldn't dare to oppose to it.

A bitter smile was reflected in her mirror, she knew too well who would have gladly interrupted the little ceremony, who would have dared anything to just spare her that public humiliation.

He wouldn't have disappointed her, she knew that in the bottom of her heart. He wouldn't have let them punish her, at risk of his own life. Yes, if he only had known.

If she only had told him.

Why was that they were always headed in different directions then? Why weren't they able to find a way together if she knew what he would have done for her? Was so impossible for them to follow the same path? After all they were trying to do the same thing… it shouldn't have been so difficult to put aside their differences and let go of the past. But maybe that was their destiny. To just meet at a crossroads and then go on, each one in his own direction, as they had just said an hour ago when they parted in the forest… headed in opposite directions, once again.

A lonely tear slid on her cheek and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand when she noticed the hooded figure staring at her sat on the window frame, one leg stretched out across the window length and the other hanging loose inside, his arms folded as he observed her.

"You look beautiful nonetheless." He whispered pulling back the dark green hood and revealing his face.

"Thank you." She replied in a low whisper as well, faintly smiling.

"Why did you cut it anyway?" He asked as she turned again her back at him to place the silver bordered hairbrush back on the table.

"I told you," she shrugged "it was becoming a pain to wash."

He rolled his eyes in a 'Yeah, cause I believe that' way.

"Let's try again but with the truth this time?"

"What do you want, Robin?" She huffed and impatiently stood up as she folded her arms on her chest.

"The truth."

"I told you the truth." She lied, avoiding his gaze to escape that curious/inquiring stare she knew too well. "Probably if you had longer hair you would understand. What is this sudden interest in my hairstyle about, anyway?"

He grimaced, leaning his head back against the wooden frame. "Will went to Nottingham, Marian. I know."

"Then there was no point in asking." She muttered and looked down momentarily before fiercely meeting his eyes again.

He slowly nodded, taking in her answer.

"You could have told me. You know you hadn't to do this. I- We would have prevented it."

She hesitated, not sure of the slightly hurt tone she had just captured in his voice, almost as he thought she didn't trust him enough.

"I know," she tried to soften up her tone "but what for? It's just hair after all." She shrugged.

"You know it's more than that." He firmly objected. "But of course," he went on before she could let out a single word "you always have to sort things out on your own, right Marian? The Nightwatchman can't let anyone help her."

"Please," she scoffed "this has nothing to do with the Nightwatchman."

"Yes, you're quite right." He retorted standing up as well and placed his hands on his hips "This is about you and your stubbornness in proving that you don't need anyone. If I search for glory you search for pride, Marian. Foolish pride considering where it just leaded you. Well, for once, let me be the one to tell you this: Grow up. We all need someone at some point in our life."

"You don't understand," she protested in a barely audible whisper, glancing away from him.

"Make me understand then!" He threw his hands up in frustration. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Robin, it's not-"

"You thought he was going to save you." He cut her off in what this time was a statement and not a question… and not a painless one. "You were expecting him to be your hero, that's why you didn't tell me."

"No!" She protested "Of course not!"

"But your Guy disappointed you, didn't him?" He grimaced.

"Stop it," she scoffed "he's not my Guy. And that's not the reason anyway."

"Then tell me why…!" He earnestly cried out, walking closer and seizing her shoulders to make her face him. "Please."

"Why is it so important? It doesn't matter, I don't care." She softly said.

"I do. I need to know." He pressed on, almost pleading. "You didn't think we would have immediately come?"

"Of course I know you would," she rolled her eyes "that's what I wanted to avoid!"

"Why?"

"Oh c'mon Robin," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, letting out a frustrated sigh "don't you think they were all expecting you to show up and rescue me? I didn't want to put you in danger. You already had to deal with Roy and the baby and…"

"I would have come." He stated as she trailed off "And fought nevertheless."

"I know," she faintly smiled "but there wasn't a worthy reason… I know you would have gladly fought for me, but what if something went wrong? If somehow they managed to catch one of your gang? And what for? Just for my hair?"

He slowly nodded, letting her go as he finally understood better and his facial features softened.

"It's just hair, it will grow back." She shrugged, trying to sound lighter hearted than she really was in that moment.

"There's no 'just' when it concerns you." He almost whispered, meeting her eyes for a brief moment as he turned his back at her, walking towards the window again.

"…I didn't want you to see me like that." She then suddenly blurted out, shocked at her own words.

He stopped in mid track while he was pulling his hood back up.

"…It was already enough humiliating," she whispered, a blush coloring her cheeks in the darkness of the room as she nervously played with her fingers "I… I couldn't stand you watching me like that."

Her confession remained suspended between them, in the silence, as they both didn't dare make a single move.

He eventually pulled his hood up and jumped on the window, then turned to look at her.

"Did I mention that your new haircut looks lovely anyway?" He smiled.

Her anxious expression finally relaxed in a smile as well as she looked at his trademark cheeky grin before he winked and jumped down again.

Marian walked to the window and rested her head against the frame, a contented sigh escaping her lips as she looked at his figure disappearing in the forest, a new found smile lighting up her face.