Okay, third instalment of Kings to You! Hopefully, more people will review instead of leaving me empty… tons of thanks to my reviewer KyroxIsxSmexy!

Reviews are love!

Disclaimer: The term "fanfiction" is self explanatory. It means that it is fiction, written by fans. Easy peasy.

The next morning I woke up earlier than usual, just before dawn. I ate two cookies and downed my goblet of juice in one before I got out of bed and dressed in a yellow dress, with a shade of tan on the sash, jacket and under skirt. I wasn't feeling all that hungry so I went into Uncle Benjamin's library. I absolutely love Uncle Benjamin's library; it was filled with so many books.

My finger ran past olden spines, trying to decide which one I should read first. I found a nice novel by Jane Austen and I went up the stepladder that helped reached the higher shelves, sitting on the top rung. There I opened my book and immersed myself in reading. I lost track of time, but resurfaced when I heard the library door open. Soft footsteps came closer and I frowned; the footsteps were too light to belong to Uncle Benjamin.

Then Maria came around the corner. She was stepping carefully; probably knowing fully well she wasn't aloud here and there was a piece of tart on a plate in her hand. Just looking at the tart made my mouth water, making me realize I hadn't had breakfast. She was running her hands over the thick spines, as if searching for something, though I had no clue what; Maria had never read too much.

She set the plate on top of some books before continuing her search. She hadn't seen me sitting on the top rung of the stepladder. In one swift movement, I had swooped down and gotten hold of the plate, bringing it up with me. I took one bite and chewed slowly as I kept looking at Maria, savouring the amazing flavour.

I was starting to get tired of just watching Maria, so I decided to make my presence know. Just as I was about to speak, Maria pulled on a book. A row of what I now realized fake books opened with a creak.

"What?" I said wonderingly and Maria looked at me.

"Alice! What are you doing here?"

"I have permission to read here. What are you doing here?" I asked and she looked a bit sheepish.

"I saw the strange little cook—"

"You mean Marmaduke?" I interrupted and she nodded.

"He said I'd find the book father left us here," she went on and then seemed to remember something. She turned back to the, now revealed, hidden compartment and reached inside. Out she pulled the Ancient Chornicles of Moonacre Valley.

Intrigued, I followed Maria into a corner where we settled down. Maria looked at me for a second before beginning to read.

"The Moon Princess truly believed in the goodness of all. But the men soon revealed the greed that was in their hearts, each desperate to hold the power of the pearls for himself."

The tale went on, about how the father of the Moon Princess and her newly wed husband fought for the power of the pearls. Finally, the Moon Princess declared that a curse would be on the valley. When the 5,000th moon rose, the valley would be plunged into darkness if those in possession of a pure heart were not heard.

I didn't understand the part of 'those in possession of a pure heart'. Isn't a pure heart simply anybody with good intentions? But I was pulled out of my musings by Maria's voice.

"The moon pearls vanished, and where to fin them, remained a secret."

Suddenly, Maria leapt up, book thrown on the floor forgotten. She ran out of the room and I picked the book up before running after her.

"Maria! Where are you going? Maria!"

It soon became apparent where she was running to when she burst into the kitchen. I panted as I came to a stop. As I caught my breath, I glared angrily at Maria and was fully prepared to scold her but then I looked at her for real. She was pale and solemn, as if she had just seen a ghost.

"Maria, what's wrong?" I asked softly, gently touching her arm. She jumped a half foot in the air. And then Maria saw Marmaduke, and she started talking at once.

"Marmaduke, the house, the valley! It's all—" she stopped for a second to breathe.

"Cursed," filled in Marmaduke softly and I frowned at him.

"Marmaduke, what are you talking about?" I asked. "It's just a fairy tale."

"You should know better, Alice," Marmaduke said, eyeing me critically. "You who holds fairy tales at such a high esteem."

I felt my cheeks grow hot and I thought of my father, and how he'd always yell at me if he caught me reading fairy tale books. Marmaduke turned back to Maria.

"Oh yes," he said wisely, almost sorrowfully. "Take a look around you. Everything is falling apart. Ever since that terrible day, the two families have been totally consumed with pride and blind hatred."

"Not Robin," I said almost immediately. Maria looked at me surprised though Marmaduke with a knowing look. "Robin isn't consumed with blind hatred. He just blindly follows his father."

"Well, isn't there any way to break the curse?" Maria said, probably noticing the uncomfortable look on my face.

"The only way to break this curse," said Marmaduke. "Is a true Moon Princess. Preferably more than one, of course. But we're lucky if we get one Moon Princess; to hope for another would be irrational."

"The Moon Princess?" Maria asked. "But, she lived hundred of years ago. And there's only one."

"And legend tells of a little white horse, a mystical companion, that protects her; a magical creature. Invisible, so they say, to anyone except a true Moon Princess."

"Are you saying that I'm suppose to be this Moon Princess?" asked Maria incredulously and even I had to admit it was a bit far fetched.

"You along with Alice," he said simply. I tried to beg with my eyes for him to keep me out of this, but he was staring at Maria and me with such intensity that I felt intimidated. "Everyone knows the legend. Peace will never be restored until the pearls are restored to the sea and the families reunite again."

It was sketchy, and there were large holes in the story. Just as I was about to say this, Maria said, "This is all madness!"

"Marmaduke, how could we possibly be Moon Princesses?" I asked. Marmaduke came so close to me his long nose was nearly touching mine.

"Time is slipping away," he said in an anxious whisper. "5,000th moons to say it right."

"Stop!" cried Maria, backing away. "Stop, I don't want to hear another word! You're insane!"

And with that said, she rushed back down the hall. I collapsed on a chair, trying to get my thoughts together.

"Maria and you don't have much time," Marmaduke said. "You have to convince her to see the truth." I nodded wearily.

"I'm still not sure if I believe it," I muttered as I hurried down the hall after my sister.

That night, I was drawing in my notebook. It was an ink drawing of a moon, rising over the ocean, with the perspective of on top of a cliff. I had dreamed of it once. And now I was carefully sketching it, making sure to include the shadowing and perspective.

But then, Maria burst into my room through the door that connected our rooms.

"Alice," she cried. "The next moon to rise is the 5000th! What if Marmaduke was right?"

My mind raced as I tried to think straight.

"Don't worry about it, Maria," I said as convincingly as I could. "Let me think this out. You should get to bed, it's already late." I ushered her back into her room and tucked her into bed, as if she were still five years old and I was seven.

"Goodnight Maria," I said as I left the room. Just before I shut the door, I heard Maria say, "Goodnight Alice."

I smiled softly to myself before climbing into my bed. But it seemed like only minutes after falling asleep, I was woken up again. I could hear Maria talking to herself in her room, though her words were muffled. I got out of bed and padded over to the door that connected my room to Maria's.

Opening it, I saw Maria packing.

"What are you doing?" I asked, horrified. She wasn't running away, was she?

"I'm getting away from this madness," she snapped. "And if you were smart, Alice, you'd want the same."

"Madness?" I repeated. "This isn't madness, Maria! This is the truth!"

Since Marmaduke had told Maria and me about the Moon Princess, I had been thinking for awhile. I now truly believed Marmaduke. He wouldn't lie about something so serious.

"No, it's not!" she cried. "It's a bunch of insane people!"

And with that said, she picked up her bag and left. I ran to my room and quickly donned a red dress, not having time to braid my knee length hair. I quickly wrapped a red ribbon around it so it was pulled back in a ponytail before dashing out of my room and down the tower stairs.

I had to convince Maria somehow that it was all real.

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Like I said at the beginning, thanks to KyroxIsxSmexy for reviewing! I'd love it if more people did though…