Chapter 10

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Dreamless sleep is probably the best thing for a man to calm his nerves. And having a beautiful girl laying on you isn't bad either. I woke, the room still and dark, but the breath of the person beside me was much too shallow and quick for a dreaming girl. Maria was awake and I wondered if she had gotten any sleep, when I felt the bed give way to air. She had shimmied me right up to the edge of the mattress and I was in danger of falling off. I ended up on the floor anyway and there was no possibility of sleep for either the now wide awake Maria or me, so we went up to her room for her to get dressed.

The smooth jade green dress that caught my eye in her closet looked around ten times better on Maria. It caught her in all the right places and made her look more mature then the already beyond-her-years fifteen year old was. I couldn't help capturing her lips and holding her in my arms.

"I have a new favorite dress." She said. I grinned and replied, "Me, too." She looked ravishing in the dress, but natural and other worldly. She slipped on some flat shoes made of a slightly darker shade of forest green, and she pulled her hair up into a pony tail and secured it with two slim white ribbons with jagged edges tied into a bow. She turned and her face was clear of hair and she looked at peace.

Maria frowned at me and I felt slightly self-conscience. "What?" I asked her, my eyes drifting over my clothes, momentarily lighting on the mirror, but I saw nothing wrong with my attire and my face was the same as usual, only my curls were wilder.

Maria walked slowly toward me, her hands reaching toward my face. I instinctively closed my eyes and I felt her hands touch the curls that peeked from below my hat. Then there was a sudden breeze and I snapped my eyes open, seeing Maria dance away from me, my hat on her head. She backed to her balcony and stood facing me, ready to leap out from my grasp had I thought of grabbing her. I said slowly, adding a playful threat to my voice, "Princess, you shouldn't have done that you know. I won't be held responsible for what happens. "

"Oh, Robin. I do believe this hat likes me better. I might just keep it… and I'm not worried about anything you might do." She giggled. She suddenly changed her manner to something I couldn't believe… something playful yet fierce… something seductive. "Besides I'm much more dangerous." She leaned against the rail of the balcony and laid back, her eyes watching my reaction through her lashes.

I leapt toward her, my arms pressed against her sides as I held her on the railing. My breathing came fast, almost a pant. But Maria giggled once again and ducked out of my grasp. She was fast so she made it to the door before me and swung it open. She flew down the stairs like a bird and I was left bounding after her with all the grace of a wolf: hungry and determined.

Maria didn't stop in the dining hall where our game would have been delayed, but sped past toward the front door. Through the open door, I saw Miss Heliotrope rise from her chair and stammer, " M-Maria? Maria, where on earth are you going before breakfast!?" But Maria didn't stop and nor did I, for the chase was on. "Robin? Oh, not you too?!" Miss Heliotrope yelled.

I saw my sister descend the stairs as I reached the door. "Oh leave them be. After all, they are young and in love. Let them play." My dear, dear sister said with a light laugh as the door slammed shut.

I raced after Maria as she sprinted across the lawn, laughing back at me as I gained on her. She was heading toward the edge of the forest when I finally reached her. She had slowed down and turned just as I plowed into her. We tumbled to the ground in a laughing heap, I holding my weight with my elbows and Maria flat on the ground, hands clutching the sides of the hat to keep it on her head.

"Princess, where on earth did you learn to run that way?" I gasped, breathless even from the run.

Maria panted a few breathes before replying, "Well, being chased through the woods by bandits does wonders for your speed and adrenaline." She gave me a coy look.

I leaned down close to her face. Her eyes fluttered and she heaved a sigh. "Princess, you make it very difficult for me to be a gentleman and hold back, did you know?" I softly said, kissing her neck softly. "I promised you it wouldn't be all about this didn't I?" I asked between the kisses I trailed up to her jawline. I paused and looked at her. She nodded, but didn't say anything. Her eyes held a tenderness that could only be matched by what I felt in my heart.

"Just know that I do this because I love you, Maria... Not just your body, but especially your heart, your sarcasm, evens the slaps you have given me! You are truly the most perfect being in existence. And I love you." I closed the distance in between our lips and the fire that erupted in my lips moved to my chest, my heart, my brain. A somewhat new feeling spread through my body and coursed through my veins: Passion.

During the kiss, I reached my hand up over hers and gently took my hat back. Maria only made a slight noise to suggest she didn't like that, but nothing else as our moment continued. We broke apart after a few minutes, each of us needing air, and I rolled off of her and looked at our location.

We were at a large oak tree with a huge trunk and limbs that seemed to stretch on forever. I leaned back against the natural chair and spun the hat in my hands, thinking just how truly luck I was. I lived in the most beautiful place in the world; one that swirled with magic that never seemed to grow old. I had the skill and fortune enough to be an amazing tracker that brought in the majority of my peoples meat. I had everything I could ever want and then some. And I had the blessing of Maria. My life that had been filled with hate and spite was flipped to one full of laughter and happiness.

Maria sat next to me and snatched the hat away, but instead of wearing it she turned it so that she could peer inside it. She gasped and pulled a small blue ribbon from the lining inside, and I leaned back with my eyes closed, internally groaning at how stupid I was for getting sidetracked.

"Is this my hair ribbon… from that time with the false trail?" she asked. I nodded but added, "It's the other half. I cut it when I got home. I kept the one in my hat, the other to track you with…"

She looked at the hat once more, and pulled out the next embarrassing object: A small black handkerchief. "You dropped it… that day of the funeral. I picked it up."

"And you kept it… in your hat…" She eyed me. I nodded. No point keeping it from her. She laughed and pulled something from the inside pocket of the dress. I hadn't noticed her slipping it in in the first place. It was a black cloth; a strip with a single feather on it. "The funeral was the start of it all apparently, though I got this from the forest just beyond here." She said.

"No way… from that time… you kept it?" I stammered. So she had fancied me since then, eh? "Did you like me back then, Princess?" I asked cockily, thinking I knew her answer… but I didn't.

Maria laughed, "Heavens, no! I just thought you were quite handsome and, honestly, I was all too aware of you. I hated you because of your attitude and the kidnapping ordeal. But I love you, as it turns out, and you make me happier than I have or will ever be. I hope I'll be with you forever-" I wrapped an arm around her, cutting her off, unable to contain this ecstasy anymore.

"Then marry me." The words burst forth from my tongue before I had even thought them, though that was exactly what I wanted.

Maria's eyes widened as she looked up at me. My own were probably the same, but I blushed and hastened to cover up. "Er, sorry, Princess… um I don't know why I said that… after all we're so new and the spur of the moment…" I was cut off by a glowing Maria.

"Shut up, Robin. Of course I'll marry you." And she sealed the deal by kissing me. The sweet and tender moment warmed me from the inside out. I broke apart from her and paused. "Come with me, Princess." I didn't elaborate on where we were going, but I tugged her with me as I worked my way through the forest.

We reached the gates to my castle in less than an hour and I wrapped an arm around Maria's shoulders, pulling her close to me; the men in this castle were not to be trusted around beautiful women, and Maria was, unfortunately, a very beautiful woman indeed.

The boys looked her up and down, but seeing she belonged to me, they merely watch in the shadows, all their hope for a girl thrown away. Joseph approached me and Maria and ignored me, but paid plenty of attention to Maria, her bosom in particular. "Hey, I'm Joseph, but you can call me Jay. And you are?" he asked her, kissing her hand.

"I'm-" "Mine." I cut her off. "Jay" as he now wished to be called, looked at me with grudging envy. He grunted and said, "Taken, huh. That's a shame, really. If you ever get bored, or this old bird takes flight, come see me. I'm always free." He brushed past me and shouldered me harder than he should have. I lost my temper and turned, calling after him, "I won't fly away, MockingJay. Besides, she's taken for life. She's engaged. To me." He turned, his eyes flashing with malice for a bitter moment. Then he was gone.

"Don't worry about him, Maria. He is always trying to impersonate me. I take it as mockery and hate him. And he lies." I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "And I swear on my life, I won't take flight." Maria giggled at my rhyme but relaxed slightly as we headed into the castle and up the stairs, until we reached my rough wooden door. I pushed it open and glanced around at the messy space. I dropped my arm and gestured for her to follow me as I went to my bed side table.

I rooted around, digging for what I sought most and finally found it. I turned and opened the soft satin box and took out my mother's silver engagement ring. It had beautiful diamonds placed to resemble a rose, a small, simple, black stone set into the center to add a hint of feeling and shape to it. I slipped it onto Maria's left ring finger, kissing it, and looked up at her, only to see tears spilling over her eyelashes.

I hurried to wipe them, asking, "Maria, what's wrong? If you don't like the ring, I can buy a new one. One from London, or Paris, or even Asia if you wished." Maria sniffled and said, "It's perfect, absolutely perfect! I'm so happy that I'm crying…" I held her head to my shoulder and let a shaky laugh out.

"Oh, good. I thought I had done something wrong!" I said. Maria shook her head, "No! You did everything absolutely perfect!"

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I didn't rush you did I? I hadn't planned on asking you, not yet that is. I was planning on waiting a few years, a few months, at least, but I couldn't wait. Not another moment. But it's ok, we can take things slowly. I can propose to you properly then ."

Maria shook her head violently. "NO! You did everything perfectly, like always. I couldn't wait either, so don't say any more of us waiting longer." I chuckled and then thought of something.

"I might actually have to postpone this engagement though." I said. Maria looked up at me quizzically. I wiped the last tear from her cheek tenderly and continued, "I have to ask your uncle for permission remember?" she nodded her head but said, "Yes, but wait a few weeks, ok? Tonight, announce to him that you wish to start courting me. I'll acted surprised but pleased, and we will court for let's say… two weeks. Then you ask for my hand. Then, we will live Happily. Ever. After."

A smile pricked my lips and I kissed her forehead, "Or as happily as we'll ever be. Bickering and arguing all the way." Maria laughed at this and stood. "Well, should we tell your father then?" she asked. I sighed and nodded, knowing this meant I would be admitting that my father was right, but willing to go at it full force. But I paused and reached back into the drawer and grabbed a large silver locket with my initials on it. I slipped the ring from Maria's finger and placed it into the lockets cavity.

Maria looked confused so I explained with a smile, "We're not supposed to be engaged, remember Princess?" She laughed and said, "I almost miss the feeling of the ring!" I chuckled and draped the locket across her collarbone and lifted it with a final sigh. "This should never come off until the day I put that ring on your finger, is that clear?" I asked. 'Maria nodded and replied coolly, "Naturally." And we left the cluttered room and headed to my father's office to announce the thing that had led to my sister's banishment: That I, a DeNoir, had fallen in love with a Merryweather and planned on marrying her, whether he agreed or not.