Despite the chill in the air, I must have fallen asleep again because the sun was quite clearly up when I next opened my eyes. I heaved a sigh of contentment as I rested against Robin and felt his arms protecting me. I could feel his heart beating and I was very conscious of my proximity to him, but I didn't feel awkward, just very much at peace.

I heard a birds singing and then the knocking of a woodpecker above and I looked up into the tree to see if I could see it. As I looked up, I realised Robin was awake too and he smiled gently as he looked down at me.

"Good Morning, Princess." It had irritated me when he had first called me that, but now I loved the way he used it as a pet name. I smiled up at him, our eyes meeting and locking. I suddenly felt joy washing all over me.

"Robin." I said his name softly, "what are we doing here?"

He chuckled before replying,

"I tried to carry you last night after you collapsed on me, but I didn't get very far. You are much too heavy!"

I sat up, away from him.

"Heavy?" I could hear myself shrieking in an outraged voice.

"It must be the dress," he smiled, pulling me back down to him.

"Heavy, huh!" I muttered to myself as his hands tightened around me once more. Then I felt his hand move up to stroke my hair. He curled my hair around his fingers and it felt so good, so relaxing that I sighed again as I rested back against him. We sat like this for a while, without talking just listening to the sounds of the forest and comfortable in each other's company.

"Maria?" Robin asked the question with his lips pressed against my hair, "I don't really think anyone could have...you know... done what you did. I couldn't."

I smiled to myself,

"I knew what you meant, Robin."

I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head and knew that I really had to move. I had managed to catch his hand in mine and arrest its descent down my hair, when I caught sight of the livid scar across it and I was filled with remorse. I had forgotten that it was his own attack on me that had led to his injury, I just felt sad that I had hurt him.

"I am sorry for this." I said quietly, lightly tracing the scar with my finger. He shook his head,

"I deserved it." He moved as if to catch my hand, but I was suddenly self-conscious and I stood quickly. He looked a little confused, and even disappointed, by my sudden movement, and I tried to soften my actions by holding out my hand to him and smiling. He moved to his knees before taking my hand in his and suddenly kissing it.

Then just as suddenly, he jumped up, grabbed hold of my waist and whirled me around.

"Come on, Maria, I'm starving!"

I laughed at his sudden change in demeanour and we hurried hand in hand through the forest.

We seemed to arrive home in no time at all and as we ran laughing into the entrance hall, I was stuck by the change that seemed to have come over the building. It no longer seemed cold and empty. It was a house reborn. Daylight sparkled in the windows and there were little rainbows of light across the floor where the sun danced in.

I could hear music playing and wanted to go and listen, but then I remembered the starving Robin and instead dragged him down the corridor to the kitchen. As I passed the large mirror where Wrolf's true form had been shown to me, I felt a pang of grief at the thought of him, but then the delicious smells of Marmaduke's cooking reached me and I realised I was as hungry as Robin professed to be.

Marmaduke seemed delighted to see us and kept up a constant stream of congratulations and praise as he appeared and disappeared all over the kitchen. He plied us with some of his iced biscuits which we were to take into his garden while he made us his wonderful kedgeree. Robin bit into one and a huge grin spread over his face.

"They are delicious!" he announced and then put the biscuit to my lips for me to bite. We were lost in each other, and the biscuits, and didn't notice Loveday's entrance until she stood right before us.

"Hello, you two" she smiled at us, "what are you going to do today?"

We looked at each other. I panicked slightly, what were we going to do? What if Robin just wanted to go home?

"I don't know." I replied to her slowly, "Robin, what are you going to do?"

Robin didn't hesitate at all before replying,

"I'm going to show Maria the woods."

I was so relieved to find that he wasn't deserting me that I didn't protest that I had seen more than enough of the woods in the last few days.

"Good idea," Loveday approved, "why don't I ask Marmaduke to make you up a picnic?"

We ate breakfast and I persuaded Robin to wait while I got changed. I had been swimming in that dress, after all, as well as having slept in it. I wore another gown that used to belong to the Moon Princess and I felt a thrill all over me as the soft green velvet slipped over my head.

Robin and Loveday were talking as I came back downstairs to the parlour. I entered in time to hear Robin say,

"Do you really think she will?"and Loveday reply something that I could not hear. Then they both seemed to realise that I had entered and so turned and looked at me in approval. Loveday said,

"You look beautiful, Maria. That shade of green is perfect for you." Then turning to Robin, she asked, "Doesn't she look lovely, Robin?" He pulled his gaze away from me for a moment to look at Loveday and then he turned back to me. He bowed extravagantly,

"Princess, you look beautiful. The sight of you in that dress quite takes my breath away. I shall be thrilled if you would do me the honour of accompanying me to the woods today." He said all this with a serious look on his face, but when I replied,

"It will be my pleasure to join you, Sir" his face began to crack and we were soon both giggling helplessly. Loveday looked upon us with a motherly smile and left us to get ready.

Loveday had not only arranged a picnic, but also for Periwinkle to be saddled. She did not think that I should exert myself too much following the previous day's exertions and Robin agreed with her.

"I'm fine" I hissed to Robin as he insisted that I should ride. He squeezed my hand and a mischievous look came over his face as he replied that he didn't want to have to carry me again. I looked at him in outrage and then began to giggle once more as he smiled impudently at me.