The smell of freshly baked ginger seeped into her nose telling her that morning had finally come.

Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and looked to her left nightstand to find a plate of fresh baked ginger, and a cup of milk. Grabbing a ginger bread man, she took a bit out of it.

Oh how she'd missed Marmaduke's cooking.

She finished off the plate and quickly drank the glass of milk. Standing up when she was finished and wiping down her nightie of any crumbs.

An outfit was already out on a chair for her, she shook her head, at least Loveday was picking clothes out of her own closet and not her closet anymore.


"Good morning Sir. Benjamin, Milady Loveday." Marmaduke said as he placed the bowls of porridge on the table.

"Good morning to you as well Marmaduke." Loveday said cheerily.

"It won't be a good morning much longer doesn't forget the news I must give Maria." Sir Benjamin said as he sat down at the front of the table.

"I told you, you should have told her in the letters, and then we wouldn't be in this awkward position." Loveday said.

"I must agree with Milady." Marmaduke said.

"Of course you would." Sir Benjamin said grimly.

"Good morning everyone." Marias cheery voice sang through the halls as she walked into the kitchen.

Sir Benjamin stood up immediately, he watched as a now even more beautiful eighteen year old Maria walked into the kitchen.

She smiled happily at him as she ran over to him and embraced him.

"Uncle." She said.

He looked over to Loveday, hoping she'd help him out.

"Maria it's good to see you to." He said as he pulled her away from him.

"Sit, eat, we have much to discuss, you've missed a lot, and so have we." Sir Benjamin said as he sat back down.

"So tell us about your schooling." Loveday said.

Half an hour later …….

"Dear how could your professor stand being in a room with all you young women?" Benjamin asked.

Maria looked at him questionably.

"I would think he'd be used to it by then." She replied.

"School in London, summers in Paris, you must've been tired, I mean you only wrote so many letters to us, I was hoping for more." Loveday said.

"I was so very tired, the villa we were staying in for the summers was so very lovely, but it was so very close to the city, and every day the other girls wanted to go shopping for clothes, and shoes, and jewelry, they wanted to go to try new hair styles every other hour as well. And then the last summer, they even came up with the decision that they were all going to go back to go husband shopping." Maria said.

"So we read." Sir Benjamin said.

"How exactly does one go husband shopping?" Loveday asked.

"I have absolutely no idea. All I know is that I was defiantly not going to spend another summer with them."

"Obviously your dear uncle very much agreed with that notion." Loveday said as she looked over at her husband,

"Maria you're much too young for marriage I know in London and Paris you may have already been betrothed by now but I do believe that you have much more ahead of you than that." Sir Benjamin said

"I have to agree with you on that uncle." Maria replied.

The servant appeared before Sir. Benjamin bending down and whispering in his ear.

"Allow him in; we've been over this one too many times. There's no reason to tell me there here, they can come in whenever."Sir. Benjamin said

Maria smiled she knew exactly who they were speaking about.

The De Noirs'

He turned to her, his face serious and aloof.

"Maria." He whispered.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you, it's about Robin." He continued.

"Robin." She whispered back

Sir. Benjamin stopped what he was about to say, he couldn't be the one to tell her, she looked so much happier at the mention of the young De Noir.

"Coeur De Noir." She said happily as she looked away from him and at the entrance of the dining room.

He still looked the same heavy, tall, long black hair, plus a couple of whites here and there.

He smiled like the Cheshire himself and she only half wondered if they were somehow related. In her studies she came upon several hypotheses that humans were descendants of different animals.

He began to talk cutting her out of her musings. "Maria is that you I barely recognized you, look how much you've changed …. And grown." He said

"And fortunate for you, you have not changed at all." Maria said as she stood up holding her hand out for him.

He took it kissing the top.

"I would say that it is a fortunate coincidence given my age." He said as he straightened up.

"I would love to chat with you all, but some urgent business has come up, and you uncle and I must discuss it." He continued on as he turned to look at Sir. Benjamin.

"Very well then sorry my dears but urgent business must come first for the moment."Sir. Benjamin said as he stood up and moved out of the room with Coeur De Noir.

Maria turned back to look at Loveday & Marmaduke.

"I come back and they leave for business …. Nothing has yet to change around here."She said as she took a sit across from Loveday.

"Where's Brandon?" Maria asked.

"Sleeping. He came down with some kind of influenza late last night, thankfully the doctor said it was nothing to actually truly fear, lots of rest, liquids, and some good fresh air should get him back on his tiny feet in no time." She explained.

"Oh the poor child, I will pray for his health." Maria said as she began to eat her porridge.

"We all will." Loveday said.

"So this urgent business is it some big secret or something for them to leave the room?" Maria asked.

"I cannot say, I don't know what it's been about, it started about two months ago though." Loveday replied.

"Well they won't be able to keep it a secret now that I'm back."

Loveday merely nodded.

"We'll have to have men take on night watches; I believe that is when this person comes out." Sir Benjamin's voice said as it got closer to the dining room.

"I must agree, although Robins already got his men all over the forest, I don't think he's got any more to spare for a watch like that." That was Coeur De Noir

"Well have to ask. Sir Harper for his help then I'm sure he won't mind lending some of his men." Her uncle said as he stopped right in front of the dining room.

"Well then I'll give Robin the message, so I'll be on my way." Coeur De Noir said as he turned to leave.

"If I may ask would it be all right if I accompany you, it's been much to long since I've been in the De Noir castle." Maria said before Coeur De Noir had the chance to leave.

Coeur De Noir quickly turned to look at her happily. "Of course you may accompany me, now I'll have the chance to personally give you the grand tour of the new parts of my humble abode." He said as he held his arms out for her.

"Be back before nighttime then." Her uncle said.

"I will." She said as she slid her arm into the leader of the De Noir family.


"I see that you and uncle finally finished the trail." Maria said as she examined the pebbled trail from her spot on periwinkle.

"It took some debating on how we should have it done, but it was finally finished, it leads to the gates where the stables are."

She nodded her head. "So tell me Maria about your studies." Coeur continued.

"I studied many, many things, from astronomy & astrology, to politics, architecture, war, and of course fashion and how to be a better woman." She replied

"Did they teach you how to defend yourself?" He asked carefully.

"I didn't need to take that class. Thanks to my uncle and you the examination I took too see what I needed to learn for the class was passed with flying colors as they said. There was no need to take such a class, so they put me in a science class, where I learned many different types of the word science."

"That's good, that's very good."

"… So tell me about this new family that my uncle told me of." Maria said.

"Sir. Harper Aryiss. Came to our side of the world because he heard that Moonacre had magic in it, and of course that is very true, as you & I both know but, if any outsiders were to learn this it could ruin the village. All around us at the moment the magic is still awakening right now. It had been asleep for generations until you came, and it is still trying to completely wake up, but if that happens while that man is here, dangerous things could happen. The people of Moonacre live happily, peacefully. Even when the magic finally decides to show its true powers, we will still be able to live peacefully amongst it. Outsiders though will want to take it and use it for their own selfish purposes though"

"So what does that have to do about what you and my uncle were discussing privately?"

"Nothing that unfortunately is not for you to worry about."

She stopped when the gates to the De Noir Castle were opened and she looked on in awe at the newly acquired buildings. She was right it was length wide not width, easier to hide within the forest she had heard him say one time.

"Welcome back to the De Noir castle Moon Princess." Coeur said as he got off his horse holding his hand out for her to take it.

She took his hand and slid of periwinkle. "And here I was wondering if you had made it width or length." She said.


"You actually think my father will be the one to tell her?" Loveday asked.

"He will, or he'll give her hints on it." Sir Benjamin replied. As his fingers glided across the piano.

"He won't tell her, if anyone in Moonacre can't resist Maria it's him. She got him to teach her his style of sword fighting even after you taught her, and she got him to give her the golden box. He can't resist her once he starts he'll stop because she'll have that love stricken face and he will not be able to resist it."Loveday explained.

"And then Maria will find out on her own and she'll hate us for not telling her sooner." Sir. Benjamin finished.

"Exactly."

"You know, we can say we had no clue of it."

"I'm his sister, you're his brother in law, of course we'd know about it."Loveday said

"It was a try." He said as he shrugged his shoulders.


"Robin." One of the men in soldiers greeted the younger man.

Robin De Noir now at the ripe age of twenty two. He'd been forced into a haircut by his sister so now his hair was much like her husband's. He's wardrobe was a mix between his fathers, and his brother in laws as well. Not his doings.

He was taller, smarter, stronger, and much, much more handsome then he was when he was younger.

He got off his horse and turned to the messenger.
"Your father said that he wishes to speak with you as soon as you arrive."

"Very well." Robin said as he nodded his head.

"I wouldn't bother him at the moment though he's with a guest." The messenger said.

"My father with a guest?" Robin questioned.

"A woman, a very gorgeous woman at that." The messenger said

A woman at that. Robin turned away and walked out of the stables. He truly hoped his father wasn't trying to find another young wife for himself. The last time he did it, he nearly had a heart attack trying to keep up with the pretty young thing.

He pushed open the doors and walked into the castle. It was so much more like a castle now.

He slowed down at the sight of his father, and a woman's back to him, her arms slid into the older mans. He shook his head. Compared to his father the woman was nothing more than an small animal, she wore a long peach colored rouched skirt a big bow in the back with a long train attached to the bow. A tan colored corset with a peach colored long sleeve shirt beneath it. Her long light red hair was in a tight long pony tail neatly.

Well at least this girl didn't look like she was attending her own funeral.

"Father." He called as he walked into the room more.

Both turned to him and he nearly froze.

Much, much, more beautiful then he remembered. "Maria." He said unintentionally.

The collar of her shirt was the same as always it curved with the makings of her neck sticking to it like glue. Her face lost its baby fat, her body gained it's womanly curves. Her eyes were covered by dark makeup making her light brown eyes stand out even more. Her lips though were not covered with makeup.

She smiled a tiny blush covering her face.


Robin De Noir was so much more handsome than she could ever remember him. Loveday truly did some work on him while she was away.

Wait a minute.

I am Maria Merryweather; I will become the first female politician. I will not submit to my feelings. I will not fall in love with any man. I hold no intimate affections for Robin De Noir.

I am Maria Merryweather; I will become the first female politician. I will not submit to my feelings. I will not fall in love with any man. I hold no intimate affections for Robin De Noir.

I am Maria Merryweather; I will become the first female politician. I will not submit to my feelings. I will not fall in love with any man. I hold no intimate affections for Robin De Noir.

I am Maria Merryweather; I will become the first female politician. I will not submit to my feelings. I will not fall in love with any man. I hold no intimate affections for-

For.

For.

"Robin." She said with a smile. She could feel a blush forming on her face.

There went all her work on that pep talk of hers. A lot of good it did her. Not even a complete sentence and already she was falling head first for the older boy, no older man.

He turned away for a moment and looked at his father. "You wanted to see me father." He said.

How rude.

"Ah yes, we need you to go to the Aryiss estate and ask to see if Sir. Harper will allow us to use some of his men. For night watch on the village."

"Very well then, I'll be back on my way."

"Well then you shall ride with Maria." He said as he slid his arm out of hers and kissed her hand.

She smiled at Coeur. "It is getting late, so I really should be on my way." She said.

"And the Aryiss estate is passed the Merryweather manor." His father told him.

Robin nodded his head. "Yes father."

The older man left them alone. Robin finally turned back to her. Bowing and showing her the doors. "After you Princess." He said.

Maria rolled her eyes at the nickname.

Nothing was said between the two as they walked towards the stables, or when they got out of the castle.


It was killing him riding with her in such awkward silence. He needed to say something before she got to her home.

He should tell her.

"So how was school?" He asked

Not what he needed to say.

She turned to him finally. It was almost as if she was debating whether or not she should speak to him. Perhaps she already knew.

"At times it was good, and at times it was horrible, so I guess you could say that it was enjoyable." She finally answered.

Perhaps nobody told her yet, and they wanted him to tell her.

"And your summers in London?" He asked.

"Absolutely dreadful." She replied quickly.

The sun was setting and the way it hit her made her look so much more beautiful.

Bloody hell, this wasn't good at all.

"So why are your men watching the forest?" She asked carefully.

They didn't even tell her about that. The one thing she of all people needed to know.

"Perhaps I'll tell you when we have more time." He replied as he looked up at the Merryweather manor gates.

Her nose scrunched up in dissatisfaction.

"Well I guess I should thank you for escorting me home." She said

"It's a good thing I did it made me remember that I have something to discuss with your uncle." He said

"Am glad I could help you." She said.

Digweed was already outside waiting for them. "Robin." He said with a frown.

They must have wanted him to be the one to tell her.

He got off her horse and watched as Digweed helped Maria off hers. "Father asked me to escort her back seeing as I was coming this was to the Aryiss estate, as well as I have much to discuss with Sir. Benjamin." He said.

"He's in his study." Digweed said.

Robin nodded his head. Opening the door for Maria. The way to the study was in the same direction as the stairs to her chambers.

He stopped and watched as she began to walk up the stairs. He should just continue on to the study he really should.

"Maria." He called out.

Say goodnight, nice to see you again, glad you came back and be on your way.

She turned to him, she was so beautiful.

"Tomorrow I've been given the day off perhaps if you'd like you could join me for a walk so we can catch up."

His heart and mind were at war with each other and his heart was winning.

She smiled that lovely smile of hers that he'd missed for so long. "I'd love that." She said.

Say good night and be on your way.

"Goodnight then." Robin said. He watched as she turned back around and continued up the stairs.

Leave now. Walk away before you do or say anything else that will get you in trouble.

"Maria." He called out again.

Dear lord he was killing himself.

She stopped and turned back around. "It's good to see you back again." He said. And he turned around to leave finally.

He rubbed his face in his hands wanting to kill himself.

"You really shouldn't lead her on like that." Loveday said as she joined him in the hall.

"I shouldn't lead her on ….. She's the one leading me on with her smiles, and blushing, and her body!" Robin said.

"She's was bound to have a body she is a female." Loveday said.

"Still though you can't blame me."

"You could have told her on your way here."

"You want me to tell her, I'm the one who was in love with her since she was thirteen."

"That's why you should have told her while on your way here."

"You should have told her before I saw her."

"We tried ….. Although I think perhaps her time away made her realize something."

"What do you mean you tried?"

"Robin there's something I think you should know."

"Robin!" Sir. Benjamin called out as he walked towards them from his study.

"You! How could you not tell her about what's been happening in the village!" Robins asked

"She won't be in the village at night, that's why. I'll be informing her of her new curfew tomorrow." He replied.

"Curfew?! Since when has she really obeyed your rules, we all know how she loves to break rules! Especially if you don't tell her why the rule was put there in the first place!"

"She's not a child anymore, she's a grown woman and she was sent away to learn how to make adult decisions, and act like an adult-

-And because of that she'll not listen to you because she's an adult who makes her own choices!" Robin cut him off.

It went silent after that.

"He's right Benjamin; she won't listen to your rules." Loveday said.

Benjamin sighed. "We'll discuss this some other time. Robin you should be on your way."

"Your right I have to go, perhaps I can catch Sir. Harper before he heads to sleep." Robin said as he turned away.

Loveday turned on her husband.

"I told you tell in the letters, now we have to find a way to tell her and then all bloody hell will brake loose!" She said as she turned away.