Chapter 7: May Showers

2 Days Later…

I awoke to the sunlight shining through the sheer curtains of my balcony doors. i glanced over at my wall clock that tell me it is, in fact, 9 AM. I had missed breakfast... Again. slowly, and groggily, i got out of bed and made my way to the wardrobe, pulling out my light pink tank top, green button-up top and worn out, ripped blue jean shorts. i threw them on, green top unbuttoned, and slipped into my brown combat boots. Certain that Uncle Benjamin would absolutely loathe my outfit-of-choice; I ventured out of my tower, braiding my hair along the way. i stopped when i heard a strange, distant noise. It was a piano.

I had not been informed of a piano inhabiting Merryweather Manor which made me all the more curious. I followed the sound into an unfamiliar room. it was a large, round room, the only furniture a grand piano at the very center. The music continued to fill the room, though I was the only person present. I walked slowly over to the instrument and sat on the bench. I watched as the piano played itself as if by magic. I lifted my hands and reached out to accompany it, and pulled back as it changed its tune. The song was sad, but joyous at the same time. Though i had never heard the song before, i felt the music run through my body as my fingers were drawn to the piano and i played along. Thoughts and pictures rushed through my head, most were of the moon.

"Digweed!" a voice shouted from behind, interrupting my thoughts. i looked at the door, finding Uncle watching me with enraged eyes. "Bring me my whip!" he called. My jaw dropped. Whip? Was he going to whip me for playing an old piano? He saw my expression and rolled his eyes, knowing i thought he was going to do me harm. he shook his head at my assumption, assuring me i wasn't in trouble. "Eve, follow me, now," he turned away. "And put some clothes on," he grumbled, making me giggle mischevously. Then, reluctantly followed him, still hesitant about his "whip".

"Where are we off to?" i asked him in a wary tone as he led me down the long hall and into the sitting room.

"You'll see," was all he said. I shrugged off my curiosity and followed him to the stairs, to the front door.

He led me outside and to the stables where Wrolfe lay just inside the door way, watching us lazily. i knelt beside the dog and pet him while Digweed and Uncle moved further into the stables. Wrolfe licked my hand and nudged me, begging for more attention. I snickered at the beast as he acted like he was a puppy. he rolled onto his back, urging me to scratch his belly. i obeyed and, strangely enough, he began to... purr?

"That would be Periwinkle, then, sir," i heard Digweed say, clearly to Uncle. A few moments later, the two men came back out, Digweed pulling to horses along behind him. i stood, despite Wrolfe's whining as i withdrew my hand, and observed the small one that i assumed would be mine to ride. It was white with tiny grey freckles covering her body. her eyes were a muddy brown and her mane and tail were the purest white i had ever seen. i stood in awe of the horse before me.

"Eve," Uncle said, redirecting my attention," You will be riding Periwinkle. She's a bit mischievous, but she is a loyal steed." i nodded and placed my hand carefully on the white horse's nose, to which she leaned against it happily. i smiled and let Digweed assist me onto the horse. My ribs ached for a moment, but as i straightened out my torso, the pain faded quite a bit. Then, Uncle boarded his massive, black horse, ironically named 'Midnight'. We set off, our destination Moonacre Village. The ride along the way was silent, awkwardly so. Uncle said nothing, nor did I, and honestly, things were better that way. i didn't feel like a conversation anyway.

When we finally reached the village, I immediately noticed how small and undeveloped it was. The homes were simple shacks, clearly with no electricity, and the people all wore rags. As we passed through, children waved cheerfully to us. I would smile and nod to them, afraid to let go of Periwinkle's reins. I know if I did, I would fall flat on my butt. Several times I heard the adults whisper about a "Princess". Even Uncle Benjamin would notice this and send them a rather fierce glare, forcing them to change the subject. I laughed inwardly, realizing Uncle knew about my being the Moon Princess. Near the end of our ride through the village, a girl, somewhat younger than me, approached us. She reached up and placed a purple flower in my hair, right behind my ear. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes upon, with her long, brown curls the fell just below her hips. Her muddy brown eyes left you mesmerized. Her name was May. She walked alongside us and we made our way to a field just outside the village. May told me everything she could about the Valley and of her favorite hiding places. She would tell me of jokes she's played on the other villagers, making herself giggle as she retold each tale. In many ways, she reminded me of Molly.

"We should be heading back to the Manor, Eve," Uncle told me. "It's getting late."

"May I stay out a bit longer?" I asked. "I'm actually enjoying this more than I expected and I'm sure Periwinkle will protect me and May," the younger girl flashed me a wide smile which I returned.

"Very well, but stay out of the forest," he ordered.

"Yes, of course, Uncle," I told him, fingers crossed behind my back. I knew I could promise nothing of the sort. Besides, the forest was in no way dangerous. With that, Uncle headed home, and May and I moved through the field.

"May," I said "how old are you?"

"Twelve," she said proudly in her high soprano voice. "Nearly thirteen, and you?"

"I am fifteen," I replied. We were now moving along the tree line when we were stopped by a cry from within the forest. "Did you hear that?" I asked, wondering if I was going mad.

"That was a Moonacre Rabbit," she said, gazing into the forest with worried eyes. "And it's in danger," she darted into the forest, following the cry.

"May, no! Stop!" I cried after her. She didn't even turn back to look at me. She just disappear. I leapt off Periwinkle. "You stay here," I ordered quietly. I then followed May's path through the trees. "May!" I called. No answer. "May?" I whimpered. Finally, I came to a small clearing, in the center, a trap with a rabbit in it. I took a few steps closer, studying the trap. "Now how do I get you out of here?" I thought aloud. Hearing a twig snap, signaling someone's approach, I looked up quickly. Robin stood before me, in all his beauty. But something about him made me uneasy. I watched him carefully, attempting to read his expression.

"Tut tut, Princess," Robin mocked. "Weren't you told to stay out of the forest?" Robin cupped his hand over his mouth and let out a bird call. Four more people joined us in this clearing. Three boys and a small girl… May. She had been gagged and was being held by a younger looking boy. I could have sworn he was her age. The other two boys were clad in black leather. The younger one, that had May, wore black leather pants, but instead of a leather jacket, he wore a long sleeve, blood red, button-up shirt. He had wavy, blond hair that felt just below his ears and enchanting blue eyes. He stood out among the lot. The other two boys had dark, curly, brown hair just like Robin and had covered it with a bowler hat as well. My eye travelled back to the blond boy hold my ne friend. He looked as if he wanted nothing to do with any of this.

"You let her go, right now!" I growled, turning back to Robin. "Or, so help me, I'll-"

"Or, so help you, you'll what?" Robin interrupted with a mocking grin. My eyebrows furrowed. What was he doing? It sounded as if he truly meant us harm.

"Robin, what are you…?" I couldn't finish my sentence, I was too confused. He burst into laughter, his friends joining in. I fought back the tears that threatened my eyes. I could feel my heart shattering into a million, unmendable pieces. "I thought-"

"You thought what?" he scoffed. "You're coming with us. Father will be very please with us. A Moon Princess," he turned his gaze to May. "And a new toy." May squealed in protest and tried to wiggle out of the blonds clutches. He shushed her and whispered something to her. No one else but me seemed to see this.

"You stay away from her!" I screamed.

A pair of large, strong hands wrapped around my arms. I turned and punched as hard as I could and my captor's chest. It had little effect on him, but I could tell I got at least good punch in, as I heard him grunt in pain. Suddenly, two new hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me away roughly. I whipped around to find Robin holding me tight. his shirt was unbuttoned halfway, and as I looked at it, I noticed new bruises and scratches. I looked up and into his eyes. His expression said it all: Coeur De Noir knew. Then, I saw the hatred in Robin's eyes. a hatred I had never seen before.

"Robin…" I whispered, shaking my head in attempt to clear my thoughts. But before I could speak again, barking erupted into the clearing as Wrolfe emerged from the trees, eyes glowing red.

"Robin!" one of the other boys cried, fear was evident in his voice. "It's the Demon Dog!"

Robin released me and I backed away, silent tears now flowing down my cheeks as I watched the hatred in his eyes turn to fear and anger. The younger boy released May and ran into my arms. I held her closer, protectively. Robin backed away slowly, watching me.

"That dog can't protect you forever, Princess," he spat my nickname. "I will get you," he promised. He disappeared through the trees and I broke out into loud, merciless sobs. The thought had finally sunk in. Robin didn't care for me anymore. The tears fell like rain.

"Eve? Are you alright, are you hurt?" May asked anxiously, examining my body for any injuries. I wiped at my cheeks, trying to get rid of the tears, and sniffled.

"No, no I- I'm alright," I assured her, noticing the stutter in my voice. I went over to the trap, fumbling with it until I got the rabbit free. I handed it to May, who snuggled up to it.

"Then why are you crying?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. Wrolfe came closer and nudged my hand comfortingly. I placed it on his head and held the other out for May to take.

"It's getting dark," I told her, ignoring her question. "We must be getting back."

She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it quickly and took my hand with a nod. We walked back to Periwinkle in silence. Wrolfe trailed close behind us, sniffing at the ground. By the time we were back to my small horse, my tears had dried and the sun was nearly gone. May and I climbed onto Periwinkle and rode back to Merryweather Manor. May had insisted that I not be alone after our little run in with the 'bandits', as she called them, in the forest. But I could tell that she was the one that was scared, not me. Throughout the ride back, May asked all about Merryweather Manor.

"It's a very beautiful home," I said softly. "But it's old, so it's beginning to crumble away."

"It's the curse, Eve. Once you lift it, all will be lovely again," she said quietly. I did not question how she knew of my being the Moon Princess. It's seemed everyone knew. Suddenly, Wrolfe began to growl and let out low snarls. I looked around in search of the danger, pulling Periwinkle to a halt. I studied my surroundings for a long moment until he finally caught my eye. Robin stood in the shadows, watching us. His presence made everything ache and the tears threatened to rain down again.

I looked away and urged Periwinkle forward, avoiding another glance at Robin. It would only hurt me even more. I let my expression go blank as I headed back to the Manor, just in case we were still being watched. I was glad to have May with me now, for I was sure the De Noirs would come after her to get to me. It was dark soon and I noticed May was resting her head on my back, snoring quietly. She clung to the rabbit with one arm, the other wrapped around my waist so she could hold on. After about an hour of riding home, Merryweather Manor came into view. The light from my bedroom in the tower shone like a lighthouse guiding me home. I smiled as relief washed over me, and I coaxed Periwinkle to go faster.

"May," I called to the girl behind me, attempting to wake her. "We're here, wake up."

"Mmm?" she grumbled.

"We're here, at the Manor," I repeated.

She lifted herself off of my back with a stretched and a groan and straightened up. We arrived in front of the Manor where Digweed was waiting patiently to retrieve Periwinkle and return her to her stall. I introduced May to him, and she immediately adored the old man, or rather him addressing her as "Miss May" and "Madame".

"Come on, then," I said as Wrolfe trotted into the Manor. "I am sure you're just as exhausted as I am." I sighed and took her hand in mine, pulling her into the Manor with me.

"Oh yes, I swear I'll pass out if I don't find a bed soon," she said. As soon as we reached the sitting room, we were bombarded with questions from Uncle.

"Where have you been?" he boomed. "Why are your clothes so filthy? What is that?" he shoved a finger at May's Moonacre Rabbit. In response, she scowled and pulled the rabbit closer to her.

"We found this wounded rabbit," I informed him. "And we intend to nurse it back to health."

"Yes, we saved her from the filthy De-" I clamped my hand over her mouth to shut her up. Unfortunately, Uncle didn't need for her to finish; he understood perfectly. And he was furious.

"I told you to stay out of the forest," he blazed. I felt no need to reply so I just let him stand there and calm down. Finally, he lot out a long sigh. "Just take May to your room so the both of you can rest," he ordered in a lower voice. I nodded and pulled May away to the tower. We were silent most of the way, afraid to even say anything. But she finally spoke up.

"Your home is absolutely stunning," she smiled awkwardly. I giggled at her attempt to relieve the tension.

"Thank you," I replied politely. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, now tell me why you were so upset today," she ordered in a sympathetic tone. I merely shrugged. "Oh, don't give me that, Eve. That shaggy, leader boy had quite an effect on your emotions. I know something is wrong," she insisted. I sighed and pulled her up the stairs of the tower, and into my bedroom before explaining.

"He," I broke off and looked down at my feet, my lip trembling as the tear welled up in my eyes. "He was my first kiss. Not only that, though. I feel for him. Hard." She nodded as if she understood, and pulled me over to sit on the bed with her.

"Personally, I find boys to be complete oafs and a complete waste of time," she said, earning a smile from me. It reminded me of a time when I firmly believed that boy had cooties. "I'm sure one day I'll understand," she admitted softly. I nodded with a small smile. I moved over to my vanity and attempted to brush the tangles out of my hair as May told me everything she knew about her life.

She had been in the village all her life, but she was an orphan. She never knew her true parents, and the only thing she had been told was that she descended from the De Noir clan. She was also told that she was to never search for her parents, or venture onto De Noir land or she would surely perish. I felt so sad for her. She had no family at all, but she wasn't sad about it. She was completely content with her life. Such a curious girl…

"If I were an orphan, I would be utterly depressed," I said honestly. I moved to my wardrobe and pulled out my favorite pajamas, handing them to May. I pulled out a baggy t-shirt and some comfy sweatpants for myself as well. After I brushed May's hair for her, I returned my hairbrush to my desk drawer, and then noticed something strange: my diary was gone. I shrugged it off. I hated the thing anyway, and I honestly don't know why I ever started it. I probably would've burned it if eventually.

I braided mine and May's hair so it would be tamer in the morning when we awoke, and tucked her into one side of my bed. She drifted off immediately, leaving me to my thoughts. I turned off the light to my bedroom and went to the balcony, hoping to find peace there. I leaned on the railing, just standing there. I was all cried out and was left with a numb feeling. I was still hurt; I just didn't have the energy to be heartbroken.

Thunder erupted loudly, but I made no move to escape into my room. I let the rain fall on me, pelting my skin. I was soaked head to toe but I didn't care. I let out a cry of agonizing sadness, the thunder drowning out most of the sound. I screamed and screamed until I was so hoarse that I could barely cry out again.

One last time, I cried out at the top off my lungs. The tears finally fell, and I stood there letting the shower drown my emotions.


(A/N) I'M BACK!(:

My computer is finally alive again so i can continue posting!

This chapter is longer than usual but i felt i owed it to you, dear readers.

My new chapter for RESCUE ME should be up tomorrow (i hope) so look out for it (:

YES i changed names... i hated the other one! Dont hate me if i confused u ):

REVIEW (:

~ICanHearThemToo~