We walked in silence back to the castle. Robin seemed to be finding it difficult to walk and I was scared. He looked so pale by now that I was afraid that we might not make it back. As we reached the path up to his home, I slid my arm through his so that I could help support him a little. At first he appeared to shrink from my touch, but then he allowed me to help him and we reached the gates of the castle. The gatekeeper saw our difficulty and immediately called for assistance. Coeur de Noir himself came hurrying down, concern written all over his face as he saw his son and heir stagger through the gate.

"Robin, Maria, whatever has happened?" his voice boomed down to us.

"I don't know what's wrong with him," I managed to say before Robin collapsed at my feet. I fell with him and sat in the dirt, too terrified to do anything. In an instant, his father was with me, hoisting Robin from the floor and calling for men to help. I don't know if I stood myself or if someone lifted me, I followed everyone as if in a trance.

Robin was carried to his room and laid on the bed. I recovered enough of my senses to take in my surroundings. It was so different to my room, whereas Moonacre was a country house, this was definitely a castle. The stone walls were covered by heavy tapestries that looked as if they had been woven in Tudor times, and the tiny window was glazed with thick, coloured glass. There was very little furniture; a huge four poster bed hung with heavy burgundy drapes dominated the room and was supplemented only by a couple of wooden chests and two heavy-looking square chairs. There was a large fireplace in one wall, but the fire was not lit today. It felt like a room out of a story and I half expected a dragon to appear.

I hovered around in the background while people rushed around, fearful of getting in the way but desperately wanting to help. The apothecary was sent for, and the others were sent in search of water with which to bathe him. Coeur de Noir and I were alone in the room with Robin, when he finally seemed to notice that I was still there.

"Maria, child, you should not be here." He spoke gently and moved towards me.

"I can't leave him. Not like this." I shook my head wildly. He couldn't send me away, what if something happened?

"Maria," his voice was persuasive. "We don't know what is wrong with him, he has a fever. It could be contagious. Your uncle would never forgive me if anything happened to you." It was fear for my safety that made him want me to leave. I looked at him,

"And I would never forgive you if you send me away and something happens to him." I said firmly. "I cannot leave Robin like this, you have to see that." He looked as if he was about to protest further when Robin gave a small moan and de Noir's attention was diverted towards his son. He began to remove some of Robin's clothes and I took his hat and feathers from him and placed them on one of the chests nearby.

He lifted Robin and I helped removed his coat. Underneath his clothes were wet with sweat, yet his skin was cold and clammy. A woman returned with warm water and cloths. I took one from her and began to wipe Robin's face as gently as I could. The woman looked about to object, but de Noir raised his hand and told her to let me continue.

I bathed the whole of the top half of his body, running my fingers over the smooth skin of his chest and his shoulders. I wondered if he could feel my touch, if he knew that it was me who was with him. I had just returned to his face and was starting to smooth back the dark, damp curls from his forehead when I realised I was crying. Tears dropped onto his head and mingled with the beads of sweat that were forming there.

When the tears started to come, they tore out of me in great sobs. It hurt to cry like that. I couldn't breathe properly. My whole body ached with sorrow and fear, and I was paralysed with the pain of it.

De Noir acted quickly. He put his hand over mine as I stroked Robin's hair and wrapped his other arm about my shoulders. He lifted me away from Robin just as the apothecary arrived.

"Shhh, Maria." His voice was unusually soft as he tried to sooth me, "we must let the apothecary do his work."

He spoke briefly to the apothecary and gave orders to a servant to prepare a room for me. Then he continued to hold me tight while the apothecary examined Robin. It took so long, and the medic's face was so grave that I began to panic. I had stopped crying but now my body shook and I didn't know how to control it. De Noir felt the change come over me and appeared to make a decision.

"Fetch WIggins!" he barked the order at the woman who had brought the cloths. She looked at him in consternation,

"Are you sure, Sir? Master Robin ..." she got no further as De Noir cut her off,

"Fetch him, I know what my son wanted, but this is an emergency. He will understand." He spoke rapidly, but he did not sound angry. Despite my fear for Robin, I couldn't help feeling a little curious about the mysterious Wiggins.

I soon found out who Wiggins was when the woman returned with a black, wriggling bundle of fur in her arms. Wiggins was a puppy.

"Master Robin was going to give Wiggins to you." She informed me. I gazed in amazement at her and de Noir confirmed her statement.

"He didn't like you wandering around the forest alone now that Wrolf has gone." He told me. "He was going to give you Wiggins for your birthday, but I think you might need him now."

I was amazed at the compassion he was showing me by telling me this. I had never realised that empathy was one of de Noir's character traits. I held out my hands for the puppy and the woman deposited him in my arms. He was all legs and tongue as he licked my arms and face repeatedly. I had trouble holding him.

"Robin was going to give me a puppy?" I was dazed by the news.

"I think he hoped you would let him share Wiggins occasionally," de Noir admitted. "He loves dogs and he was training him for you. That's why he has been at home so much recently. He was to have been a big surprise, but you need him now, don't you?"

This revelation was in danger of starting a fresh attack of tears. I buried my face in Wiggin's fur and tried to calm myself.

De Noir picked me up and had no trouble carrying Wiggins and me down a corridor to another bedroom. He laid me gently on the bed in there and promised to be back as soon as he had any news.

I couldn't reply. Now he had taken me away from Robin's room, I was only conscious of pain at the thought of losing Robin. All fears of an alliance between him and Lucy disappeared. I gave no thought to Adam. I suddenly realised, as I lay there that Robin was as necessary to me as air and water. Without him, I would have no reason to live. There could be no joy in my life and no meaning in my existence. I loved him. He was my best friend and we were meant for each other. Now he lay dying and I couldn't tell him that. I curled up on the bed with my arms wrapped around Wiggins and wanted to die too.