MARIA'S POV

It's been a day since I got lost in the forest, and Robin and I have grown closer than ever…I'm serious. He won't leave my side at all, for he fears that I will get lost again. He holds my small hand in his large one and squeezes it tightly as we take a stroll in the forest. He tries to make me more familiar with the forest, so there's little chance of getting lost again.

"Which way did you go to find Sunset Valley?" Robin asks me with interest as he turns his head towards me. "I went north." I reply, knowing that the direction had to be wrong. "Oh, princess…" He trails off at the end of his sentence. Sunset Valley is east. Look at the sun." He points to the giant glowing sphere in the distance.

"Sunset Valley is always where the sun looks biggest." Robin tells me, taking hold of my hand. "Now I feel like an idiot." I comment, and he laughs. "You're not," He begins. "It was my fault for not telling you where it was. It was pretty stupid of me not to tell you where to go, knowing that you liked the place." I grin at him. "Yes, it was pretty stupid of you." He looks to me and smiles. "There's the old princess back. I was getting wary of your kindness towards me."

I raise my eyebrows. "Come again?" I say in surprise. "You know what I mean," Robin replies, snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me closer. My girdle is much too tight today, preventing most of the air to travel down the air-pathways in my body. Robin thinks that the forest green dress I'm wearing today brings out the best in my hazel eyes. It's one of the new dresses I'd bought in London. My long hair is twisted into voluminous ringlets that cascade down my back.

I hear a gurgle from the pit of one's stomach. "Was that you?" I giggle at Robin. "Wha-What was me?" He asks back, clearly confused. I decide to skip the explanation, only because I know it'd confuse him even more. "Are you hungry?" I inquire. "No, if you want to stay out longer we can—"

"Let's go eat." I say to Robin and tug him away into the clearing. "Maria, really I don't want to eat." He says, and I refuse to listen to his nonsense. "It's detrimental to ignore your stomach when it calls." I reply back, and haul him further. We approach Moonacre Manor, when he notices that he'd dropped his hat. "I have to go back," He shouts to me while he runs back. "I'll meet you inside!" I call back to him.

As I prepare to walk up the steps to the porch, I bump into someone tall and muscular. "Oh, I'm sorry, I…" As I swing my eyes to the man's face, I gape in astonishment. "Emmett? You came all this way?" He gives me a self-satisfied, lopsided grin. "Well princess, I didn't get my proper goodbye." I purse my lips. "But how did you know where I was?" I ask him.

"I'm your personal stalker." He replies with a snicker. When he sees my face, he says, "No, no I'm just kidding." I look back behind my shoulder. "You should go now." I try to shoo him away with the flick of my hands. "Why? Aren't you pleased to see your ol' pal Emmett?"

I shake my head and manage a smile. "No, it's not that. I just think that—" I'm suddenly cut off by another voice that wasn't Emmett's. "Uh, Maria?" I hear Robin say. Oh, God. He happened to come out at the worst time. When Emmett's body was closest to me. "What's he doing here?" Emmett asks me, shielding me off from Robin. "I live here." Robin hisses at him. "I thought you were permanently banned from Moonacre."

Emmett's face twists into a terrible smile. "I was just getting my proper farewell from my princess." Robin gasps at the last word he speaks. "Right, Maria?" I stand behind the boy, my jaw dropped to the ground. How dare he involves me in this? Robin looks to me, and I have nothing to do but nod. "And you'll be going now, right Emmett? I growl through my teeth.

"Not before I get what I want." Robin watches with fury as he sweeps me up and plants a kiss on my lips. I shriek and pound him with my fists. This might just be the end of Robin and I. "Get the hell off of her!" Robin shouts as he throws himself upon Emmett. He punches him square in the face, making him stagger back, stunned. Blood spurts from his nose as he laughs evilly.

"I've missed your punches, De Noir. Did you miss mine?" Emmett swings at him, and to my horror, he's aiming for his perfect face. He turns away just in time, and Emmett strikes him in the arm. He swears loudly, for it's his injured arm. "Robin!" I cry out and rush to him. "Watch out, princess." Emmett grumbles as he steps forth to injure my lover even more. I throw myself in front of him, though what can a small young woman do to harm a grown man?

"No, I won't let you." I say, and kick him in the shin as hard as I could. The scene gives me déjà vu as to what happened on the day when Robin had imprisoned me in the cell. "Maria, now don't be like that." He says, biting his bloody lip. I raise my foot again to kick him again, but I find I can't when he sweeps my feet from beneath me. I land on my back below him. Robin scrambles up as they continue their fight.

"STOP!" I yell, knowing that nothing I do will break them up. "I'll throw it!" I cry, taking a dagger from Robin's pack. They don't stop fighting.

"I'll…I'll climb a tree and purposefully fall!" They still don't. "I'll cut myself!" They glance over at me, but still swing punches. If this is the only way to stop them from injuring themselves, then step aside. I bring the blade to my skin and slide it lightly down my arm, and scream loudly at the pain. "Maria!" They both call at once as they see me. Their fists drop to their sides as they rush towards me.