Hello everyone! I want to apologize for my long, quiet absence. I have been dealing with a death in our family and a few other personal issues that have kept me from finding any inspiration to write. I shall keep you waiting no longer! Enjoy chapter 4 and I shall see you at the bottom of the page!
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Uncle Benjamin was in an entirely frazzled state as he attempted to catch his breath. His devoted wife served him a cup of tea, longing to cure whatever may ail him. Ms. Heliotrope sat just across from uncle, her tea cup clattering against its saucer in anxiousness. We all wanted to know the reasons behind his sudden outburst, but it would do no good to rush him into speaking while he was tired. Loveday placed a red velvet cushion on the ground in front of Uncle Benjamin, gingerly taking her place on the floor and spreading her dress out in a circle formation so it would not become entangled around her. The two women glanced at me. I could see that this was a sign that I should speak first, neither wanting to be the first to ask questions.
"Uncle, when you are ready, we would very much wish to know what happened on your outing this morning," I said with a soft tone. He took a deep breath and placed his tea on the wooden side table next to the chair. He searched for his words, contemplating the best place to begin his story.
"I received a notice in the morning post. There were some villagers requesting my presence immediately. When I arrived, there were a pair of homes that had been burned in the dead of night. One family was away at the time. Their lives were intact of course, but their belongings are nonexistent. The other home involved injured an elderly gentlemen. It took him some time to get out of the house due to his age, so he unfortunately sustained a few injuries," he explained.
"Who on earth would do such a terrible thing? The villagers have always been kind and caring of one another!" Loveday protested. She placed her hand on my uncle's knee, motioning for him to go on with the story.
"There is a neighboring clan some hundred miles to the west. They call themselves the Ember Clan. They are mostly comprised of pillagers who burn down homes after removing valuables and leaving the embers behind. No one saw the thieves due to the thick darkness of the night. Somehow they were able to be undetected," he continued.
"Are they a threat to the rest of the residents?" I questioned.
"If they continue to come back repeating the same methods, then I'm afraid so, my dear. Why they would be interested in an isolated areas such as Moonacre, I am clueless. We need to be watchful of who we come in contact with and what we do. We must trust no stranger and be wary of all surroundings," he added. The parlor was filled with silence, all of us attempting to process the information that we just heard. The only threat Moonacre had ever known was the darkness that covered the lands, but after it was vanished, everything became peaceful. "I wish I could stay and catch my breath for a bit longer, but I must alert the De Noir's at once. We need to be prepared. If you'll excuse me, ladies, I'll be on my way."
"Do be careful, Benjamin," Loveday insisted. He placed a small kiss on his wife's head before picking up his hat and exiting the room. I felt some tension release upon his leave. It seems we were left with confusion and worry in replace.
"Now, now. We musn't fret over these things. Perhaps this will all sort itself out into nothing. Come, Maria, why don't we take a stroll around the grounds," Ms. Heliotrope suggested. Loveday and I were were in complete and utter confusion. Usually it was Ms. Heliotrope panicking over the tiniest things, yet here she sits, in calmness and steadiness, consoling our worrisome fears. Loveday shrugged. We would not question her sudden attitude change.
I joined Ms. Heliotrope for a stroll as she had asked. The air was warm and crisp with only a few stray clouds in sight. As intensely as I tried to focus on the beautiful day in front of me, my mind simply continued to wander to our current situation. We were not in any real danger were we? What about the De Noir's? Are they in danger? No, surely not. They have a larger force of security than we do.
"Maria you seem distracted, dear." Ms. Heliotrope forced me from my day dream and brought me back to our walk.
"I'm sorry. I just cannot stop thinking about all that Uncle Benjamin had told us. I fear for our safety and the safety of the village," I replied.
"It is quite concerning, but there is nothing in the present that we can do about it until we gain more information. Your uncle and the De Noir's will handle it all I'm sure. We must try to remain as we are and do as we are told. If something needs to be done, the appropriate actions will be taken. Do you understand that, Maria?" she said.
"Yes mam. I suppose you have a point," I responded.
"Plus we have more exciting things to think about. We should get started in planning Loveday's celebration. Perhaps you could speak to Robin about hosting the event at the De Noir's castle? I'm sure they would agree," she suggested.
"I shall speak to Robin at the earliest opportunity. I have not heard from him today."
"Well if I am not mistaken, that looks to be him coming over the hillside now," she said. I turned my gaze towards the edge of the forest, and sure enough, there was Robin racing down the hill to meet me. I felt a smile creep across my lips, but my stubborn self would not let it form completely to be noticed by others. I turned to Ms. Heliotrope, my eyes pleading with her to let me spend some time with him this afternoon.
"Go on, we shall resume our conversations this evening," she said. I gathered my skirts and met Robin in the field. He spotted Ms. Heliotrope, now some distance from us. He gave a slight bow and tilt of his hat, and held out his arm for me to take. We gracefully walked along the edge of the forest until we could no longer be seen, then racing one another to the Moon Princess' hideaway. Upon entering, he pulled me close to him, stealing the breath out of my lungs. He leaned closer to me, but instead pulled my hand up to his lips and placed a small kiss on the top of it.
"You're such a tease Robin De Noir," I said to him as I sat in a chair near the entrance of the hideaway. "I am under the assumption you heard the news from my uncle this morning." Robin sat himself down in a chair across from me and spread his legs out for comfort.
"Yes, we were informed. Your uncle is with my father now discussing some details. It's quite awful," he replied.
"It is, indeed. I cannot imagine losing my home and all of my belongings in such a way. I just have so many questions and very little answers," I added.
"I believe everyone feels that way at the moment. No one really knows why or how any of this happened, only the facts that it did indeed happen." Robin noticed the worried look in my eyes. It was as if he could sense my emotions without even asking me. He got up out of the chair and knelt down in front of me, taking my folded hands in his and smiling into my eyes.
"You needn't worry, princess. I will protect you."
So, it seems Moonacre has had some unexpected and unwelcome visitors! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Remember to R and R and follow/favorite!
Shoutouts:
Guest: Thank you so much for your kind words about my last story! I do hope this one lives up to its legacy! :)
Donutbird: Your review seriously made my dayyyy! It is lovely readers like you that inspire me to keep writing! Thank you so much for your continued support of me! :)
WhenPigsFly2018: Hmmm I wonder why on earth Tessa would mean so much to you?! I'm completely clueless...if I had a shrug emoji I'd use it right about now haha! :)
Well that looks like all for today everyone! Until next time my dears! :)
