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Daniël walked through the long corridors of the castle,

On his way to see prince John.

But the mission was the last thing on his mind...

All he could think about was the vixen he saw earlier.

"I wonder what her name could be... maybe just as beautiful as herself..."

The jackal snapped back into reality when he heard her voice behind a door.

She seemed to be talking to the old chicken again.

"Young love... it's a wonderful thing..."

"Oh Clucky, surely he must know how much I still love him."

"But of course, my dear.

Believe me; someday your uncle Richard will have an outlaw for an in-law!"

"But when, Clucky? When?!"

"Patience, my dear. Remember: absence makes the heart grow fonder..."

"Or forgetful... I've been away so long... what if he's forgotten all about me?"

Daniël took a moment to think about what she could mean.

"...was she talking about Robin? This might get complicated..."

The jackal made his way to the dining hall,

where a filled banquet was waiting for him.

He took a low seat at the table, not far away from prince John's throne.

The 'guests' around him were mostly thugs and solders,

Apart from a few corrupt noblemen.

The Sheriff was there too, snacking down on some random dishes.

Prince John, on the other hand, ditn't seem to enjoy his food.

He just sat there on his throne, carried away in deep thought.

The chairs directly next to him were empty... odd...

It ditn't take long before John's advisor appeared,

Slithering to his place on the right side of the throne.

"Sssire? I went to see Marion like you asssked. She said she wasn't hungry."

"What?! Go get her at once! I want her to meet our new associate."

"As you wisssh..."

The serpent left more to fetch the missing guest.

"...Marion? Could that be her name? It sounds... familiar."

Prince John stood up from his place to address his company.

"May I have your attention, please!

I would like to introduce Sir Anubis; The solution to our little... problem.

He has come from a far-away land to aid us in the capture of Robin Hood."

"That's right, my friends! Soon we shall regain control in Nottingham,

And together we will... we... will..."

Daniël froze for a moment when he saw Marion enter the room...

She was even more beautiful up close...

The vixen sat down on the empty seat next to prince John.

"Excuse me, where was I?

We shall take back England and crush our enemies once and for all!!!"

His failed attempt was met by a moderate applause, and even a faint laugh from the vixen.

He stood up from his chair and walked up to her.

"I don't think you two have been properly introduced yet.

This is Marian, my adopted niece.

I've been taking care for her since my sister went to join Richard in the Holy Land."

Daniël kneeled down and kissed her hand.

"It's an honor to make your acquaintance, my lady."

"Please, the honor is all mine."

He sat back down, only this time a little closer to the throne.

"One thing confounds me, sir Anubis. Where exactly do you come from?

How did you end up here in Nottingham?"

"Well I... I am a traveler. I wander the world in search of fortune and glory.

At some point I ended up in Cyprus during the crusader attack on Limasol.

I was a contracted mercenary for the Crusader army,

Taking down important targets for gold.

I overheard stories about the beautiful country of England,

and I wanted to seek out this wonder myself.

After... acquiring enough funds, I made my journey to the West.

Upon my arrival, however, the magic and wonder was nowhere to be seen.

The people are all hiding in fear, and darkness consumes the land.

I want to change all that... by the deal I have offered you."

"Interesting... and how will a few golden coins change the state of my country?"

"You'll see..."

Marion looked a bit confused and tapped prince John's elbow.

"Please forgive me for interrupting, uncle. What 'deal' are you talking about?"

The Sheriff laughed and accidentally knocked over a plate.

"Isn't it obvious?! Anubis here is going to kill Robin Hood!"

The vixen turned pale in a matter of seconds.

"Pardon me, what did you say!?"

"You heard me. Soon that meddlesome outlaw will be out of my way. Forever!"

The vixen stood up with a shocked expression.

"E...Excuse me. I... I don't feel so good."

She abruptly left the room.

"So tell me... when are you going to fulfill your end of the bargain?"

"I shall head into Sherwood Forest at the break of dawn. Alone.

You can place guards at the city's perimeter to prevent anyone from interfering.

Make sure to double the patrols around the castle as well.

The last thing we need is an angry mob storming the walls...

I think you have a good view over the woods from your private balcony.

I suggest you make yourself comfortable up there and enjoy the show..."

"A splendid idea! We can even have a private party in your honor!

Come along, Hiss. We need to make preparations right away!!!"

Prince John stood up from his throne and walked towards the door.

Suddenly Daniël blocked his way.

"Allow me, your highness."

He swiftly opened the door, revealing Marian standing right behind it.

She gasped in surprise, knowing she was caught.

The vixen ran off through the many hallways, chased by Daniël.

"Madame, Please! I just want to talk to you!!!"

After a few wrong turns he finally gave up.

"I guess I should leave her alone for now..."

The jackal sighed and returned to the guest tower.

He locked the door and removed his heavy chainmail armor.

Underneath the medieval disguise,

the jackal was wearing a state-of-the-art sneaking suit,

specifically designed for missions like these.

"Ahh... that feels so much better..."

Daniël sat on the bed for a while,

examining the mask he got from Marcus.

The skull-shaped design fit his muzzle perfectly,

And the pale white color gave a perfect contrast to his black bodysuit.

He reached under the bed to retrieve his hidden sniper rifle.

After preforming the final check-up,

He loaded a cartridge of arrows into the slot.

He put the mask on and activated his comlink.

"Agent Blaze, can you skip me ahead a few hours?"

"Don't you want to rest first?"

"No. The sooner I'm done with this the sooner I can go home..."

"If you say so..."

The jackal waited until a white light appeared in the room.

When it faded away, Daniël had disappeared ...

That is, until dawn...