MARIA'S POV

The carriage rumbles through the gates that shield off Moonacre Valley from the outsiders. Mrs. Heliotrope fusses about her indigestion inside of the coach, popping pills upon pills into her mouth. "Back to the country," Mrs. Heliotrope sighs, and I think I hear a hint of sadness in her voice. "That was quite a journey." She says, and belches loudly. "Mrs. Heliotrope!" I say and begin to laugh.

"Don't laugh like that, Maria darling, it's unladylike. And why don't you have your hair up?" I sit back and stiffen my body. It's good to be back to Moonacre—I've had enough of being proper. Here, they didn't care about being proper or improper. A groggy Uncle Benjamin steps out onto the porch of Moonacre Manor to welcome us home. He waves at us and smiles, his brown eyes lighting up like a spark. "Welcome home, Maria. It's good to have you back." I rush from the carriage, holding my skirts in my hands.

"How I've missed Moonacre," I say and wrap my arms around his neck. "Maria!" I hear Loveday call from the house. "Oh, Loveday!" I cry and hurry towards her. "I've missed you too." Loveday's dirty blonde hair cascades down her back as she runs to embrace me. "Everyone was waiting impatiently for you to come back. Even Robin." I'd almost forgotten about Robin. "Well, I'm here now." I say with a wide grin.

I look back to Mrs. Heliotrope and see that Digweed's come and was hugging her. Digweed and Mrs. Heliotrope made such a perfect couple together. I look around and gaze at the beautiful scenery I call home. The large city buildings in my memory were replaced with great green mountains and towering trees as tall as Big Ben. "Wrolf is waiting for you in the house." Uncle Benjamin says. "And Periwinkle in the barn waiting for sugar cubes."

I grab my valise and make my way into the Manor. I am nearly tackled over by my furry friend Wrolf. He tickles my neck with dog-kisses and growls happily into my stomach. "It's good to see you again, my beloved demon dog." I ruffle the black fur on his head, and climb the staircase to my beautiful room.

I open the tiny door and peer into my room. It was just how I left it. Some of Loveday's old dresses sit on my bed, my wardrobe doors swung open and empty. A brand new plate of biscuits and milk parked on my side table. The bed sheets were made, and best of all; the ceiling is littered with beautiful stars. Not a single star moved and zoomed away like before when I hadn't yet lifted the curse. I throw my valise into the wardrobe, not caring to unpack yet. The hearth is ablaze, the flames dancing and sparking. I take a biscuit from my end table as I sit on my bed. I bite into the soft sweet and marvel at Marmaduke Scarlet's cooking. How I missed that little chef.

"Maria?" Someone says. "It's breakfast." I open the door to Loveday, holding her hand out to me. "Oh, I'm not very hungry this morning. I think I might go satisfy my hunger for the woodland smell." She nods, and leaves me be. I remember my trunk of dresses that I bought with Mrs. Heliotrope in London. It is turquoise with feathers for the bustle and skirt. The top is very tight, and I didn't realize that when I bought it. I slip on my black boots and take the secret tunnel out to the forest. I'd never actually tried the secret tunnel, but Loveday assured me many times that it was safe. I reach for the marble horse head on the hearth and tug it downwards, opening the tunnel to the forest.

There is a torch lit on the wall that I suspect Loveday uses every time she enters this way. I grasp the torch in my hands and shine the firelight into the darkness. I cautiously step in. I must have triggered something on the floor, for the door shuts with a loud "bang". I cringe at the sound, but I move forth. I shine the light before me as I start down the tunnel. As I travel down into the darkness, I hear laughing and the clink of forks and plates. "I'm under the dining room." I say as I press my search farther.

I walk for about five minutes in the darkness, my tiny torch leading me around. I finally reach the exit, which is hidden under a bunch of leaves. I push the leaves up and poke my head through the hole. I blow out the fire and drop the torch at the end of the tunnel. I hoist myself through the opening and look around for a slight remembrance of where I am. In the distance, I see the De Noir castle's red flag. I smile when I see a curly headed boy sitting on the top of the ledge. I brush my long auburn bangs away from my eyes. "ROBIN!" I scream loudly, making the boy on the ledge fall over in shock.

I can't help myself but laugh. He looks into the forest, his eyes searching for the girl who called him. "Teasing him, are you sugar?" I spin around to face the person who had spoken. "You're Connor aren't you?" I say. He nods and grins, dimples forming in the centers of his cheeks. "I'm honored that the Moon Princess knows my name." I giggle at him. Connor is actually quite attractive. He is probably the one that looks most like Robin with curls that seep from his black bowler hat and soft and friendly brown eyes.

"Where are you headed, fair maiden?" He jokes with me, and I point to Robin still sitting on that ledge, looking for me. "Oh he's been crazy telling us about you." Connor says. "Has he really?" I say in shock, and he says, "Oh yeah. Nonstop." I slap him good-humoredly. "Stop lying to me." I say with a smile. "Can you lead me to him? I honestly have no idea how to get in."

"You were here before," Connor sniggers at me. "And I remember having to chase you and lock you in, then chase you again." I laugh sarcastically. "Oh yes, that was fun for me."

"The entrance is just around the corner, if you were wondering." I trudge off in the other direction, forgetting to thank Connor for the help. I glance up at the ledge and notice that he's not there anymore. "Rob—" I am silence as I bump into a tall figure. "Welcome home princess." I hear the figure say, and then I know for sure that it's Robin. "Hello, bird boy." I say and wrap my arms around his waist.

"I got your letter." He says to me, stroking my head. "What is it that you wanted to tell me about?" I press my face against his chest and say the name, hoping to muffle it. I lift my face up to his. "I said it." I say. "That doesn't count." Robin says reluctantly. "You have to say it again."

I take a deep breath and prepare to tell him. "Do you know a boy named Emmett Wilkerson?" He gasps loudly at the name. "How…would you know…that?" I flush slightly and hide my face in his leather jacket. "Ah-Ah, no. How do you know that?" I stare at him blankly and seal my lips. "Answer my question, Maria." He says, getting a bit agitated. Don't worry, Maria. I think to myself and answer him bravely. "I met him in London, and he told me that you guys had some sort of background." Robin narrows his eyes at me. "What are the odds of that bastard meeting you in London."

"I beg your pardon? Emmett is a very nice boy—" He puts his finger over my lips. "Stay away from him, Maria. Are we clear?" I nod reluctantly. "But I have more questions." Robin rolls his eyes. "My God Maria, what?" I unwrap my arms from his waist and take a step back. "He said you lied to Coeur and it almost cost him his life. He said that Coeur beat him and gave him scars and bruises." Robin's face turns red instantly and he starts screaming curses at not me, but Emmett, even though he wasn't even there.

"That's not true! He was going to capture you and kill you—" I put my hands on my tiny hips in protest. "So did you." He continues on, pretending that he didn't even hear me. "—He was going to steal the moon pearls and take over Moonacre Valley—"

"So were you!" I yell at him, stunning him. "Are you siding with him, Maria? He was going to go against all of us, and every single member of our clan heard him talking to his little buddies about this plot!" I glare at him. "No, I'm not siding with him, or you. I don't know which is the truth, and I don't want to. Both of your little stories are horrid and if they were true, I don't know what I'd do."

Robin grabs my shoulders, his face filled with anger and hate. "I am not lying, Maria. Do you really think I would lie to you?" His grip tightens when I don't speak. "No!" I squeal when his hold on me becomes too tight. "No, I don't think you would lie to me, and I don't think Emmett would either!" His face softens when I say the first part, then hardens again at the second. "You don't know him, Maria." He hisses at me. "You don't know his background, or his aggressiveness. You don't know anything!"

I stomp my foot on the ground in frustration. "I've known him for a week—" He stops me quickly. "You've just reinforced what I've just said. You've only known him for a week." He was right. I didn't know him, but I wasn't losing this battle. "You are so rude!" I cry out in fury. I tremble with anger and disbelief. My bottom lip quivers so much that Robin looks at me with a puzzled expression. "I don't believe you, I won't believe you! I won't believe either of you!" Robin steps back as I clench my fists.

"You have no forgiveness, no heart, no warmth in your soul. You have no love…" I silence, as he stands over me with fire in those chocolate eyes of his. "I have no warmth?" He asks softly. "I have no heart?" He pulls me close so he can close the gap between us. "I can't love?" My heart rattles in my chest, screaming to be let out. "If I didn't have warmth, then I couldn't do this." He places a warm hand on my cheek and wraps his other arm around my waist. His body heat reflects onto me, making me widen my eyes. "If I had no heart, then I couldn't kiss you."

He brushes his lips against mine, making me shiver. I start taking in rapid breaths. He captures my lips and moves his against mine, beckoning me to kiss back. I shiver again as he kisses a bit harder, and then stops. "And if I had no love, I wouldn't have you. And you're still here, aren't you?" I nod, surprised about everything that he was doing. This wasn't his normal behavior. He was never this passionate. He releases me and runs a hand through his mop of curls. "See you later then." He says, shifting his eyes to the forest floor.

I watch him go, cemented to the ground in complete astonishment.

A/N: Hello, my fellow readers. A little bit of passion from your favorite De Noir boy, and if I might express my opinion was making me shiver as I wrote it. Tell me if you'd like anything else in the story, 'cause I'm plenty open to suggestions!