Robin/Marian (BBC 2006)

Pairing
Pairing:	Robin of Locksley/Marian of Knighton
Alternative name(s):	RobinxMarian, rxm
Gender category:	het
Fandom:	Robin Hood (BBC 2006)
Canonical?:	love is reciprocated, shipment in death
Prevalence:	not as popular as Guy/Marian pairing
Archives:
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Robin/Marian is the het pairing between Robin of Locksley/Robin Hood ("Hood") and Marian of Knighton (Marian Fitzwalter or "Maz") in the 2006–2009 incarnation of the Robin Hood legend. It is by far the most popular and prevailing pairing for Robin, and one of the fandom's major pairings. The fandom has seen Ship Wars with fans of the Guy/Marian pairing.

In Canon

Robin Hood, the people’s hero and the King’s loyal man, and Marian, the outspoken heroine and the masked fighter against the Sheriff and oppression, form the apex in a love triangle with Guy of Gisborne. It is known from the show that Marian and Robin were betrothed before Robin left with King Richard for the Holy Land on the Third Crusade. After Robin’s departure, their betrothal was cancelled.

Marian didn’t marry anyone during the five years of Robin’s absence in England. When Robin returns and Marian sees him again, she acts cold and aloof towards him. In S1E2 (Sheriff Got Your Tongue), it is implied that the reason she is angry at him was because he left her for glory. Although she is hostile to her former betrothed, she helps him to escape from the dungeons in the beginning of the show and later agrees to help him by giving information on the Sheriff's plans. A cheeky rogue by nature, Robin always attempts to charm Marian but she always rejects his attempts. Despite this, they share a few moments in secret, most notably in the two part season finale.

Guy of Gisborne forces Marian to marry him in S1E7 (Brothers In Arms). In S1 Finale, Marian is seriously injured by Guy when she tries to rob him in the night as the Night Watchman. Fearing that she is on her deathbed, she admits to Robin that even if she calls him a fool, she thinks of him as a hero and also even if she ridicules his actions, she copies them as the Night Watchman. When she "dies", he breaks down over her body and confesses his love for her. Marian doesn’t marry Guy as Much interrupts the wedding and flees the wedding with Robin.

In S2, Marian’s relationship with Robin is growing stronger and deeper, also becoming more physical. She continues to aid Robin as a spy at the castle. When her father dies, Marian goes with Robin to Sherwood Forest. In S2E10 (Lardner’s Ring), Robin proposes to Marian over a fresh grave, and she accepts but must return to the castle with Guy. Robin and Marian get married in S2 Finale (We Are Robin Hood), when she is on her deathbed, mortally stabbed in her stomach by Guy of Gisborne after her confession in her love for Robin Hood.

In Fanon

Fans of this pairing tend to believe that Robin and Marian genuinely love each other. In the majority of fictions, Robin and Marian don’t have an ideal relationship and have to sort out certain differences. Often it is said that Robin is England’s man through and through; one of the major difficulties of their relationship is Robin’s conflict of loyalties to the King of England, to England, to the nation, and his love for Marian. In some fictions, authors wonder whether what place Marian takes in the hierarchy of loyalties in Robin’s life – above or below his loyalty to the King and the country. Die-hard Robin/Marian shippers assume that Robin changes after return from the war and matures enough not to let Marian down again by abandoning her for another foreign campaign after the King’s return to England. The idea is that Robin is more loyal to Marian than to his King.

The most important complication of Marian’s relationship with Robin is her attitude towards Guy. In S2, Robin thinks that Marian is “stirred” by Guy when she tells him that Guy has qualities and that she will marry him to protect her father; Robin is very jealous of her to Guy. Robin/Marian shippers usually assume that Marian only wants to save Guy and help him become a better man by breaking from Sheriff Vaisey, that she has only friendly feelings for him. The fans of the canonical pairing also state that there was too much negative tension between Marian and Guy, describing their relationship full of angst and exasperation.

Marian is likely to feel guilty of betraying Guy by helping Robin as a spy, and she doesn’t want to believe that Guy tried to kill the King in the Holy Land for a long time. Marian probably sees Guy as a better man than he really is. Nevertheless, in certain episodes on the show it is obvious that Marian is physically attracted to Guy. Many fans believe that Marian was torn between her feelings for Robin and her growing affection for Guy for quite some time in S2.

Hardcore Guy/Marian shippers claim and write in fanfiction that Marian is the center of Guy’s world and that he is committed to be with her, that he is more ready to accept her as she is than does Robin. While it is true that the King doesn’t stand between Marian and Guy, in contrast to her relationship with Robin, the fact that Guy is obsessed with power and wealth until S2 Finale cannot be denied. Marian and Robin share the same ideals and they fight for the same things – for the better England, for the King’s safe return, and for the better life of peasants. Guy has different ultimate goals, which makes him less compatible with Marian, letting some fans of the canonical pairing state that Guy doesn’t understand her and loves the idea of Marian, not Marian herself for who she really is.

Fannish Responses

Guy and Marian don’t work for me, not just because of the fact that Guy works for a megalomaniac and kills people for a living, but because their personalities are just so incompatible. Marian is too high-spirited and Guy is too controlling. We saw time and time again that if she defies him, he lashes out in a temper, and Marian has to modify her behavior in order to placate him by apologizing for something she doesn't need to apologize for. The dress scene in For England comes to mind. I really can’t wish a lifetime of that on Marian, and it would be a lifetime. Guy’s temper is not going to magically evaporate if she marries him. There’s always going to be something that sets him off, and the show makes it pretty explicit that when that happens, Marian is not exempt from getting the receiving end of his temper. And between two people who disagree on practically every single subject under the sun and seem to have no common interests in which to bond over, I can’t help but feel that altercations like the above would happen on a frequent basis, and I think the idea that Guy would let Marian wear the pants in the relationship is a bit naïve. The Guy I see interacting with Marian on the screen is one that wants to be in control.

I can’t deny that Marian is physically attracted to Guy. It’s most blatant when she enters his rooms while he’s trying on armor and gives a little nervous smile. This is a young girl responding with hot-blooded and undeniable lust to the sight of a good-looking man sans a shirt. Why lust and not desire? Once again, it comes down to context. This meeting occurs after Guy has invaded her house, threatened her father, humiliated her into begging for the safety of her house, and then burnt it to the ground anyway. Marian’s smile at this stage cannot possibly be interpreted as healthy desire for Guy the Person, otherwise there’s something very seriously wrong with her. I personally cannot regard this moment, and many others, as anything other than flat-out lust.

When it comes to Marian’s relationship with Robin, most of it lies in context. Throughout most of season one, she’s a veritable ice queen toward him due to their circumstances. She was (presumably) jilted by her fiancé who then left for five years on a Crusade that he probably wasn’t expected to come back from, only for him to return, try to pick up where they left off, and then become an outlaw. It makes sense that when Robin slips his shirt off in front of her in Childhood, she reacts with minimal interest.

Robin and Marian on the other hand share the same goals and want the same things. I won’t deny that Marian is a little afraid of being in a relationship and that Robin is sometimes too wrapped up in his job. I would have loved to see a story-arc in which Marian realizes that being with Robin doesn’t mean she’ll loose her autonomy or a scene in which Robin has a choice between Marian and his duty – and chooses Marian. But I’m willing to believe that had Marian not been killed, these issues would have been addressed, and there was plenty of evidence in the show itself to demonstrate that Robin had no desire to stifle or overtly control Marian (and when he does, Marian is confident enough to remind him that he has no right), and that Marian had little problem with “sharing” Robin with his wider responsibilities to the world.

Essentially, Robin and Marian fit the proverb that “love is not staring at each other, but looking out at the world together,” what with their acknowledgement of the wider world and their responsibilities to it. Guy had very much separated what he wanted from Marian (an heir, somebody to understand and sympathize with him) from his own personal ambition which he was told numerous times, from the horse’s mouth, was in direct opposition to what Marian wanted and approved of. When push came to shove, Robin recognized Marian as someone who had a life outside Robin’s own existence (“she has to live, even if no one else does”), whilst Guy’s ruminations in the same situation lead him to a very self-centric understanding of her place in the world (“without her, my world will turn to ash.”) Robin and Marian’s relationship changed and developed, Guy and Marian just went around in circles.

To me at least, Marian’s feelings toward Robin were firmly in the realm of love, whereas any initial “stirrings” toward Guy were founded in lust, followed by her using examples of his “qualities” to try and prove to herself that what she was feeling wasn’t just lust. And maybe at times she did feel honest regard for him, but I don’t think it ever reached what I would classify as “desire”. Desire is when you love and want a person for all that they are, and it was simply impossible for Marian to accept Guy’s violent flaws, particularly when there was a man that she honestly loved and respected on the sidelines. {ravenya03}

I've been trying to come up with a good argument in defense of R/M, but really, this is what it boils down to for me. Neither relationship is perfect, but R/M is clearly healthier, and I think it would be easier for them to work out their issues than G/M. IMO, the way G/M ended is proof of that -- if Marian had stayed in the forest in 2x09, her relationship with Robin wouldn't have been a picnic, but I'm fairly certain it wouldn't have ended with one of them murdering the other. {Insomniac Bard}

And regardless of Robin and Guy's feelings and the boat-load of issues and baggage that they each come with, Marian chose to love and be with Robin, a decision that (I felt) was justified in the writing and the acting and the characterization

I don't have any disagreement with your overall point, because like you, I do think Marian has chosen Robin and actually loves him, whatever conflicted feelings of desire and/or conviction to reform she may feel for Gisborne.

However, I do feel like Marian made the decision about Robin long before we actually see her as a character, and for whatever reason (whether it's an idealized picture of the man in her mind, or some specific vision she has for their future), she's clinging to that decision even where the circumstances no longer warrant it. I think she loves Robin, but she's not particularly in love with him, which is why it takes the near-death experience in the desert to marry Robin, without setting several conditions for it first.

I guess I'm saying that while she's certainly made an active choice to be with Robin, it often feels like a foregone conclusion, or a choice made years ago with a different set of facts than she has when Robin returns from the Crusades. I also see Marian as a restless soul who will never be content with the traditional role of a lord's wife. No matter how much freedom Robin gives her (and I don't think there's any question that he does), she'll be forced to live basically the life she had when she was under her father's authority. I think if Marian were to make a real choice, she simply would not choose either man.

I think that's my biggest problem with the show. I don't care for Robin/Marian or Marian/Guy. I just wish Marian had been allowed to grow into the person she wanted to be without all this male pressure in her life. {rohwyn}

My basic view of the Robin/Marian/Guy situation is that while there are very real feelings in both relationships (Robin/Marian and Guy/Marian), and on both sides, all three principals often tend to be quite self-centered and focused on their own needs rather than those of the other. ("Self-centered" in the context of the relationship, that is -- Robin and Marian are clearly not self-centered in the sense of being focused on the "greater good.") For Marian, this means being caught between two men who both have their "qualities" but also repeatedly disappoint her in different ways.

Robin and Marian's rapport, most of the time, seems to be that of "buddies" or best friends rather than lovers. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that they have a longstanding familiarity with each other as childhood sweethearts. I have no doubt that they care deeply about each other, and they have some nice flirty moments (the one at the window in 1x07, Brothers in Arms, is my favorite) but I don't really see a lot of sexual sparks, and I don't see any real evidence of physical longing on the part of either of them. There is definitely some antagonism in their relationship too -- in Season 1 Marian still has a lot of resentment over the fact that he left for the wars and broke their betrothal, and I think that she often sees him as trying to control her and/or being dismissive of her accomplishments and her ability to act independently, while Robin is often frustrated by her willfulness. (Who isn't? )

Also, Marian often seems exasperated by Robin's emotional distance/unavailability (her "Took you a long time to say that" in response to his "I do love you" in 2x07 definitely, IMO, has a touch of genuine frustration in it) and by his glib attitude (her comment about him practicing his "little speeches" in 2x09 comes off as rather snippy criticism, not banter). However, there is no question that she passionately admires his heroism and altruism. In Season 1 she still insists on pursuing her own independent agenda, but in Season 2 she largely merges her goals with Robin's, and I think that being his partner in both love and politics becomes a part of her identity. To some extent, Robin Hood the person merges in her eyes with Robin Hood the cause (as in "we are Robin Hood"). In a way, her relationship with Robin works best when they're apart and he represents the elusive freedom she craves -- he's the man who can defy all obstacles and constraints and seemingly walk through solid walls. Once she finds herself with him in the forest, she finds herself chafing at a whole new set of constraints. Robin doesn't really quite know whether to treat her as his girlfriend or one of his soldiers, and she doesn't take very well to that (as we see in Get Carter!). I also think (and I know we've argued this to death... ) that Robin's marriage proposal, which initially thrills Marian, is ultimately a letdown when he starts with the "the first time I held my bow" speech -- her expression visibly changes when he brings up the bow -- because it feels like he is always going to see her as first and foremost a working partner, and one who is not quite equal. I think that's why, after this, she reframes their plans in such businesslike terms (find Lardner, bring the King home, defeat the Sheriff and get married, "in that order") -- because she basically resigns herself to that kind of marriage, one in which the cause always comes first.

Re the issue of sexual sparks and passion in the Robin/Marian relationship: I don't think the fact that they had a previous courtship really explains the lack of such. Sure, one could argue they've already been through the early infatuation stage, but unless one believes that they actually had sex before Robin's departure for the Holy Land -- and I think most of us agree that that's very unlikely -- there is no reason this would lessen the sexual tension between them. If anything, if they've been apart for five years and then meet again and discover that they still have feelings for each other, the sexual longing should be even more intense, and you'd think that even if Marian is still bitter at Robin for leaving (and then getting himself outlawed), she should be, um, stirred when the man she was once planning to marry is sitting next to her half-naked. At the very least, there should be some "what might have been" thoughts running through her mind.

On the issue of what Marian feels toward Guy. I don't think it's simply "lust" in 2x03. I do believe it's important that this moment is preceded by Marian learning that Guy did something compassionate, and I don't think her reaction to him has to do only with the fact that he has a nice body. To me at least, her demeanor clearly suggests that she's moved emotionally. I believe Guy's half-nudity in this scene is not just a sexual thing -- it's also about Marian seeing him as vulnerable and different from his usual self. (As for this happening so soon after the burning of Knighton ... well, for better or worse, I think that Marian has a lot less anger about that than she should, and in part it's because she probably does believe by this point that she was wrong to act the way she did at the failed wedding. I think it's very telling that she appeals to him for help in the castle moments after the house-burning, and looks genuinely guilty when he throws the "You think you can humiliate a man at the altar" in her face.) (LadyKate63)

I have to admit, I'm a pretty hardcore Robin/Marian fan. It's a pairing that is practically set up for angst, which I love, and they can be very sweet at the same time. I also feel like Robin really needs Marian, whether it is her approval and support, or her love. The scene at the beginning of A Clue? No is probably one of my favorite scenes, not only because of how epic it is, but because it shows what Robin would be like without Marian without the destruction of Robin's character that came with Total Eclipse and the aftermath. (If there is one thing I dislike - that would actually be an understatement - about series three above all else, it is Kate and the Robin/Kate pairing.) They're just my top favorite couple. I don't have a preference either way for Guy/Marian: I don't particularly like it but I don't particularly hate it or dislike it even (I used to absolutely hate it). It's not a bad pairing in my mind - I like Guy's character for the most part, but I really prefer him with Meg if anyone.{Morgan}

Sorry, Guy/Marian shippers! Guy is absolutely positively my favorite, but I'm still a Robin/Marian shipper. Why, you ask? I don't deny that Guy and Marian had amazing chemistry together. They were a much more "sexy" couple than Robin and Marian. Whether this was deliberate or just the chemistry between the actors, who knows?

But despite that, I never saw an instance where Marian acted as though she would marry Guy willingly. When they got engaged in S1, it was under duress for her. She wouldn't even kiss him, she turned her face away. Hardly the way a woman in love would act! She cared for him, she felt sorry for him, she wanted him to be a good man. Perhaps some part of her did love him, especially, as in "Walkabout", where he acted (somewhat) unselfishly and was (almost) a hero. And obviously she found him very attractive in a physical way.

But, IMO, her true love was for Robin, the man who shared her worldview and her goals. If she and Guy had married, they might have had a sizzling honeymoon worthy of any romance novel, but then what? They were miles apart on their goals in life, and their views of people. Unless Guy made some major life changes, I can't see Marian being happy with him for very long. Guy's love for Marian may have had some genuineness to it, but there was the underlying core of selfishness in him. Not that Robin wasn't selfish, too, and immature. They all were. But Robin and Marian were truly partners in life, not just two people with the hots for each other. {manxcatmom}

Marian and Robin have many problems in their relationship, too. Robin was a difficult man for the marriage because he was just Robin and he was too England's man and the King's man. Marian and Robin are suited very well because they are idealistic and altruistic in their caring for England, their people, and their King. They share the same goals and ideals, though Marian’s fight is more for the people than for the King. Robin is too loyal to the King and England, and he is likely to place his duty to the King and England above his love for Marian, above his personal life and happiness. There are always England and the King between Robin and Marian, but there is no England between Marian and Guy. Guy and Marian seem to be a more pragmatic and less "idealistic" couple. Robin also tended to keep his real emotions inside himself and shun everyone out of his inner world, and that made their relationship more complicated because he didn’t give Marian a chance to look into the naked soul of the grown-up Robin – the soul of the man who returned from the Crusade.

There are some things which make me think that Guy can move on and be happy without Marian. I don’t argue that Guy loved Marian, but often I am not so sure that it was a pure, natural love – there was a kind of obsession – at least an element of obsession – in his love for Marian, as he wanted to possess what he couldn't have. Anyway, Guy’s love for Marian could be described as a devastating and destructive feeling to some degree, while Robin’s love for this lady seems to be a kind of different – it is more stable and a kind of reviving, though perhaps not as deep as Guy’s: love for England and love for Marian co-exist in Robin’s large heart.

My conclusion is that both Robin and Guy are not ideal matches for Marian, and this is the reason why I think that they can go on separate paths for their own good. On the show, I had a kind of perception that Marian was a kind of torn between Robin of Locksley and Guy of Gisborne for quite some time, especially after the siege of Nottingham by Prince John's troops. In general, Marian can be shipped with Robin or Guy depending on the circumstances. (Amaranthe Athenais)

In Fanworks

Given that Marian is fatally injured in S2 Finale, many fanfiction stories are AU stories in which Marian survives her wound by miracle or is saved from Guy’s blade by Robin’s arrow in the last moment. In other fictions, Marian is not stabbed by Guy and is saved by someone else, usually by Allan and at times even by Robin who sacrifices his life to save Marian and the King. So the most widespread trope is Marian Lives! fix-it Aus. In some fictions, Marian doesn’t try to kill the Sheriff and is not taken to the Holy Land; in one of the stories Marian doesn’t arrive in the Holy Land because of unexpected circumstances as she is “lost” on her way to the Holy Land.

There are a lot of stories about Robin after Marian’s death, written in angst and drama. There are some S2 AU fictions written in the genre of tragedy. In such fictions, Robin and Marian are shipped in death or in tragedy when they survive but someone else, perhaps even the whole outlaw band, tragically die.

Some Robin/Marian shippers completely ignore S2 Finale, developing the plotline in a different direction, for example assuming that King Richard returns to England before S2 Finale. In this case, fictions follow the events of certain stories and then evolve into complete AU. They are also many general fictions about Marian/Robin relationship in the pre-series to the show.

Recommended Robin/Marian Fictions

General

• A Legend Never Dies by Jammeke – Robin lifted his eyes to look at her. "They think I am a fox," he said slowly. " Robin & Marian short funny vignettes.
• The Final Tale by Jammeke – The story ignores the events of S3 Finale. Other than that the events are based on the canon. Robin/Marian, Robin/Kate.
• Best Laid Plans by JAGNikJen – Robin and Marian plan to spend the day together. Thunder, lightning, and sex ensues. Mostly a PWP concept.
• Paper Confessional by Zaedah – It’s set somewhere in S1 or S2. Until she’d handed over the letter, there was always the opportunity to recant the words.
• Marian Through the Looking Glass by JAGNikJen – an epic Robin/Marian fic, quite popular among fans. Marian is thrown from her horse and finds herself in a situation she never could have ever imagined.
• The Moment of Truth by Shadow Chaser – S2 AU with Robin/Marian and canon pairings. There is no trip to Acre in S2 Finale as King Richard returns to England and Robin and his gang must save their King.
• Search And Rescue by Kegel – S2 AU after S2E9 (Lardner’s Ring). Robin and Guy have to team up when Marian seems to have disappeared.
• Out Of The Distance by Kegel – It’s set somewhere in S2. An encounter in the forest takes Robin away from his gang and the way back is not easy. Will serious mistakes lead Robin to make a last, fatal decision?
• Better Days Will Come by Kegel – It’s set in the mid-S2. An unexpected offer give Robin new opportunities in his fight for both his people and country. It also brings new dilemmas, as he and the gang have to make hard choices to find their way when conflicts come to a head.
• Aylesbury Ambushed! by muchbeddled – The fiction is set somewhere in S1. Former suitor of Marian, wimpy Martin of Aylesbury, is ambushed by Robin's gang in Sherwood. Sequel to You Must Have Had Suitors.
• Into The Fall! by muchbeddled – The fiction takes places almost 4 months take place between SE11 (Treasure Of The Nation) and SE12 (A Good Day to Die). The missing adventures of Robin's gang during that time.
• Committed by muchbeddled – After the siege of Nottingham by Prince John's army, Marian gives herself to Robin and now they even more committed to one another.
• Heart Of The Matter by jadey36 – Robin has returned from the Crusades, hoping to take up where he left off with Marian. Guy is also determined to woo her, and a mischief-maker on the loose, intent on causing trouble for the young couple.
• The War at Home by Zaedah – King Richard returns to England and there is no trip to Acre. The tale about the toll the war had taken on Robin is told from Marian’s POV.
• Nightmares in the Manor by muchbeddled – It’s set in the post-series. Robin isn't the only one in Locksley Manor who suffers from nightmares, but he has his share.

Some Robin/Marian Fictions Set in the Pre-S1

• Home by Glorious Clio – It’s set in the pre-S1. They've only just gotten engaged, and Marian decides to try something she's never tried before.
• Window Blues by Glorious Clio – It’s set in the pre-S1. A collection of vignettes regarding Maid Marian and a visitor who is not unfamiliar with her second storey window.
• The Fruits of May by Glorious Clio – It’s set in the pre-S1. The tale about a particular day in May which makes a beautiful memory for Robin and Marian.
• Led Down the Forest Path by railise – It’s set in the pre-S1. Robin and Marian accept a dare.
• May Day by muchbeddled – The fiction is set in pre-S1. Robin and Marian's first kiss doesn't exactly turn out the way Robin would have guessed.
• Twelfth Night by muchbeddled – It’s set somewhere in pre-S1. Very interesting tale about Marian’s life in Nottingham and Robin’s adventures in the Holy Land.
• You Must Have Had Suitors by muchbeddled – The fiction is set in pre-S1. Tales of some of Marian's suitors and Robin's adventures while he was in the Holy Land. Final chapter written by FireSpring Roses.
• Little Bird by Emmithar – It’s set in the pre-S1. Yet it would not be the only loss Robin would suffer, as the Lord of Locksley would soon learn about in the years to come.
• Shattered Dreams by Amaranthe Athenais – It's set in the pre-series. Robin informs Marian about his decision to fight in the Holy Land for King Richard and England.
• Prophetic Dream by Amaranthe Athenais – It's set in the pre-series. Marian of Knighton is strong and stoic, but she is not invincible. In the night, she prays for the life of the absent man who broke her heart and shattered her dreams for the bright future.
• Come Home by Lady Marianne – It’s set in the pre-S1. Four years after Robin left for the Holy Land, Marian receives word from him.

Marian Lives! Fix-it Robin/Marian S3 AUs

• A Year and a Day by Glorious Clio – S2 AU starting from S2E10 (Walkabout). Marian is tired of being a pawn, and Robin is tired of waiting. Marian joins Robin in the forest.
• The Longest Time by Kegel – S2 AU after S2E10 (Lardner’s Ring). When King Richard finally returned, Robin and the outlaws had to notice that things didn't turn out as they had always thought in the back of their minds.
• The Force of Destiny by railise – S3 AU with Robin/Marian and canon pairings. In Acre, Marian survives thanks to a timely arrow from Robin that hits Guy in the arm. Everyone returns to England to await the King's arrival. Guy eventually turns against the Sheriff and joins forces with Robin.
• Returning Home by VDStar – Robin/Marian S3 AU. Marian survives the Holy Land and returns home to find Robin in a relationship with Isabella.
• Not What it Seems by VDStar – Robin/Marian S3 AU. Marian survives the Holy Land, but Robin doesn’t know about it. The gang returns to England.
• To Protect Her From Everything by Abboz – Robin/Marian S3 AU. Marian is saved by Robin’s arrow in the last moment before Guy can stab her. Marian, Robin, and the outlaws return to England to continue their fight with the Sheriff and Guy.
• Crossroads by Trixter82 – Robin/Marian S3 AU. Due to a twist of fate, Marian never arrives in the Holy Land and is lost in the shipwreck, but she survives. Robin and the outlaws arrive in Acre and the events follow the canon in S2 E13 (We Are Robin Hood).
• Friend Closer Than a Brother by maxcatmom – Guy/Meg, Robin/Marian fiction, S3 AU. A fast-paced retelling of Season 3, starting with S2 Finale. Guy didn’t stab Marian in Acre but someone else did.
• To Keep You Safe by Robin Hood reader – Marian doesn't die in S2E13 and returns to Nottingham from the Holy Land. Instead, Robin is mortally injured in Acre.
• Robin Hood, Season 3 AU by SaraBethie – Robin/Marian S3 AU. A new take on Robin Hood Season 3. After Marian and Carter's recoveries in the Holy Land, the gang makes their way back to England.
• A Life Less Ordinary by lotusflower85 – Robin/Marian S3 AU, quite popular among fans. Marian is mortally wounded by Guy but she survives her and later returns to England.
• Sins of the Heart by sunnyday30 – Robin/Marian S3 AU. Marian had married Guy in S2E13 (We Are Robin Hood), thinking that Robin was dead. Then everyone returns to England, and Marian discovers that Robin survived his trip to Acre and also returned home.
• We Are Robin Hood by Lady Marianne – Robin/Marian S3 AU. At the end of Season 2, Marian doesn't try to kill the Sheriff and consequently is never taken to the Holy Land. Robin and the gang travel to Acre to save the King, but not everything ends as they plan.
• Quadrilateral by lotusflower85 – S3 AU after "Enemy of my Enemy". Marian returns to Sherwood, alive, to find Robin in a relationship with Kate, Guy as a member of the gang, and Isabella as Sheriff.
• The Return of the King by muchbeddled – Marian/Robin S3 AU. Marian survived and is married to Robin. Gisborne wants revenge. King Richard finally returned to England.
• Neither Timid nor Tame by bittersweetbetweenmyteeth – Vignettes featuring Marian & Robin, at various points in the series, starting at S1E13 ("A Clue: No") and continuing on. Mostly romance, a little angst.

S2 Finale AUs

• Inevitability by TheSingingGirl – S2 Finale AU, Marian is not killed by Guy. She is only seriously wounded in her stomach and survives. Marian and Robin marry.
• Husbanding England by Glorious Clio – S2 Finale AU. Marian is not murdered by Guy. Instead, Robin and Guy have a last fight in the courtyard.
• Condemnation by Emmithar – the original S2 Finale AU. Marian is wounded by Guy but she survives, Robin is taken captive by the King’s men as a high traitor.
• Robin Hood Season 2 Alternate Ending by SaraBethie – S2 Finale AU, Marian is seriously wounded but not killed by Guy.
• Price Of Loyalty by Amaranthe Athenais – the new tragic S2 Finale AU, popular among fans. The trip to Acre to save King Richard ends in the most unexpected way.
• Lost Illusions by Amaranthe Athenais – the new dramatic S2 Finale AU, popular among fans. The journey to Acre ends with the necessity to face harsh reality instead of daydreams.
• Love is in the Greenwood by lotusflower85 – S2 Finale AU, Marian is not killed by Guy as Carter saves the King and Marian from Guy. Robin and Marian marry in Acre.
• The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly by muchbeddled – Takes place near the end of S2, when Marian, secretly pregnant with Robin's child, travels as a prisoner to the Holy Land with the sheriff and Gisborne.
• Broken Arrow by alesh101 – It’s set after S2 Finale. Robin, now a broken man, broods in Acre after Marian's death.

S3 Finale AUs

• Surviving the bloodbath by exotic little bird – S3 Finale AU. Robin is wounded by Isabella's poison-tipped dagger. Guy survives the bloodbath in Nottingham. But is everything as tragic as it seems?
• The Final Battle by VDStar – Robin/Marian S3 Finale AU. The Sheriff has a surprise for Robin – he brought Marian alive from the Holy Land to Nottingham.

Ghost-Marian Fictions

Ghost-Marian often turns up in works that accept the S2 Finale outcome. At times, either Robin or Guy see Marian in their sleep.

• Whenever I Breathe Out by bittersweetbetweenmyteeth – Robin/Marian angst oneshot. Wherever they walk, Marian's ghost walks with them.
• The Last Song of the Siren by Trixter82 – Robin/Marian, Robin/OFC S3 AU. The tale is told in the voice of the last love of Robin Hood. Robin is in love with the ghost of Marian and reunites with her after the King’s return.
• Trust in Blood by SophieSaulie – S3 Finale AU. There is no battle in the tunnel because Guy discovers Sheriff in the forest before the siege of Nottingham. Guy sees Marian in his delirium and tells Robin what he talked about with her.

Threesomes

The pairing is also the nucleus for the threesome with Guy of Gisborne.

• The Choice Not to Choose by Sandrine Shaw – S2 AU with Guy/Marian/Robin

Other Tropes

[need examples]

Further Example Fanworks

Fanvids

• Sleep Well My Angel by Adi – beautiful video about Robin & Marian’s love story
• Robin Hood & Marian great video by snowbrow85's channel – an epic video about Robin and Marian and their struggle to be together
• Sleep Well My Angel by Adi – beautiful video about Robin and Marian’s love story
• My Immortal – Robin & Marian by alwyssmi7 – beautiful and romantic video about Robin and Marian and the difficulties in their relationship
• Robin & Marian-what hurts the most by foxyladyRMS – beautiful and tragic video about Robin and Marian, a tribute to Marian

Meta

• Fade to Black – LadyKate on resolutions to the Guy/Marian/Robin triangle
• Was Guy of Gisborne the Sheriff's b*tch? – Robin Hood on whether the Guy/Marian relationship was mainly in the heads of fans
• Robin Hood, a Hero or Loser for our times? – Robin Hood on what kind of a hero was Robin Hood in the RH BBC show.
• Lucy Griffiths tribute: Marian R.I.P. – Robin Hood about Marian’s relationship with Robin and her death.

Rec Communities

• Robin/Marian recs at the Robin Hood Fan Community
• Guy/Marian & Robin/Marian recs at Paperpilots.net

Archives & Communities

• Fanfiction tagged Robin of Locksley/Marian of Knighton at AO3
• Fanfiction tagged Robin of Locksley/Robin Hood at ff.net
• robinsociety general LJ
• bbc-robinmarian – Robin/Marian LJ