Maria was aware that what she was doing was highly improper. In fact, it was far beyond improper, and more within the realms of scandalous, but she really felt she had no choice. She'd arrived at the De Noir castle that morning with Loveday, interested in the rumor she'd heard that they'd caught a half wild horse. Finding this to be true, she'd been distracted all day helping the aged stable master tame it, and Loveday, who'd only intended a short stay to bring George to visit her father, had promised to send the carriage back later on to collect Maria. A snowstorm had blown in not long after however, and the carriage from Moonacre had never arrived, the roads very quickly having become impassable.
And so Maria had been forced to stay overnight.
She hadn't been particularly bothered by this turn of events since it meant she'd be able to get up early and resume working with the horse for an hour or so, until her uncle inevitably found a way to get to the Castle Black and take her back that was, even if he had to attach flaming torches to the carriage wheels.
The problem that had arisen though was that the room she had been put in for the night: it was freezing. She'd been trying to sleep for several hours now, but no matter how deeply she burrowed under the covers, the room remained bone chillingly cold . It was unnatural, and she swore, swore, she wasn't alone in there. Just when she was on the edge of sleep, when her mind was most relaxed, but perhaps most receptive, she caught shifting shadows out of the corner of her eye, heard whispers of movement...
Well it could have her room, whatever it was. If it didn't want her in there then fine, Maria had absolutely no intention of freezing to death in her own bed. Grabbing a blanket, she swung her legs off the bed, pushed her feet into her boots (they were all she had and there was no way she was going to risk her toes on the chilly flagstone floors) and darted out of the awful room.
Her breath fogged the air as she tiptoed cautiously down the pitch black corridors, counting the doors and trying not to trip over her unlaced boots. Finally reaching the desired door, she pushed it open carefully, not bothering to knock since its occupant was most likely asleep anyway.
"Robin?" she hissed through the darkness, "Robin!"
There was a sleepy, groggy groan in response.
"Princess? What s'matter?"
"Your castle is what's the matter," she informed him in hissed voice, pushing the door shut behind her and trying to navigate her way through the dark at floor strewn with gear, clothes and god-knew what else to his magnificent four poster bed, "It's absolutely freezing and I can't sleep!"
"What do you want me to do about it?" Robin asked blearily. She could just about make out his figure as he pushed himself half upright.
"Nothing," Maria answered, at his bedside now, "Absolutely no effort is required on your apart at all,"
"What?" He pushed his hair out of his face before realisation seemed to dawn on him of her intentions. "No. Oh no,"
"Oh, come on Robin, I don't ask alot!" She shot back impatiently, unable to repress her shivering by now.
"Maria you cannot just hop into bed with me! If you're caught do you have any idea how much trouble I'll be in?"
"It's my reputation that would be on the line and I'm too cold to care!"
"Well I don't think you uncle would see it that way-"
"And how do you think my uncle would feel if I died of hypothermia on your watch?"
"You're over-exaggera- argh!" Robin let out a half yell as she pulled her hand from beneath the cocoon of blankets she was wrapped up in and pressed her icy fingers against his bare chest.
"Still think I'm exaggerating?" she asked sarcastically, before switching to a more pleading tone, "Please Robin, it's freezing out here- I'm not used to it!"
There was a long pause as he looked at her through the darkness. But then with a sigh, he finally relented, releasing the corner of his own blankets. Maria, wasting no time, hurriedly dived under them before he could think better of it. The change in temperature was instantaneous. Robin was positively radiating out heat and she scooted closer to him without a second thought.
"Bloody hell Maria you could have at least put some socks on!" He exclaimed when she accidentally brushed him with her toes.
"I'm wearing socks," She replied, somewhat distractedly because oh god, he was so warm and there was nothing on earth so important stealing as much of it from him as she could...
"Would you stop that? You can't get any closer and you're going to-"
He let out a pained grunt and she winced, lowering the leg she'd accidentally kicked him with in her quest to burrow as far as she could into him.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed with sincerity.
The annoyance and pain was evident in his tone when he spoke again. "Look, you can warm up here and then-"
"I am not going back to that room," She cut in curtly. "It's eerie and unnatural,"
"Princess, I know it's your first time staying here but don't you think you might just be-"
"I am not imagining things!" Maria interrupted furiously, "You know I can see things everyone else can't and there's definitely something in that room that does not want me in there,"
Robin was quiet for several moments. "Are you in the room at the end if the hall by any chance?" He eventually asked.
"Yes," Maria narrowed her eyes, "Why?"
"Well there's some idea that it's supposed to be haunted-"
"Oh, so you thought you'd stick me in there to see whether it was true or not?" She demanded indignantly, "For Heaven's sake, all your ancestors hated the Moon Princess, no wonder I've disturbed one of them!"
"God, superstitious much?" Robin scoffed, "And I'm sure it was a mistake, no doubt made in effort of keeping you a respectable distance away from me. Isn't that ironic?"
"I told you, I'm past caring, and I'm not going back," To make this point clear, Maria burrowed further into his side, "Remind me again in the morning and I'm sure I'll be suitably scandalized..."
"I won't need to, the whole damn castle will be gossiping about it," Robin grumbled, reluctantly moving his arm when she pointedly banged her head on his shoulder.
"No they won't, I'll go back at first light before anyone even notices, I always wake up then," Maria promised, determinedly settled against him, her hand coming to rest atop his chest. He sighed, but didn't stop her, instead wrapping his arm around her where she was nestled into his side.
Satisfied he had admitted defeat, Maria didn't even have time to be surprised how rapidly sleep crept up on her. Lulled by Robin's heartbeat beneath her hand and the blazing inferno of his body, the last thing she remembered was a vague self command to keep her hands to herself.
When Maria awoke, it was well past first light. She shifted slightly, but a pair of strong arms tightened around her, preventing her from moving very far. Not that she wanted to. She didn't think she'd ever been so warm and comfortable. As her sleep fogged brain slowly cleared, she realised that these were probably not things she should feel in response to waking up in the bed of a half naked man, or that she should be waking up in the bed of a half naked man at all. She could feel Robin's broad chest rising and falling against her back and his breath was tickling her neck and still, despite her very unwed status, her thoughts remained as far away as they could be from getting out of this supposedly inappropriate situation. I fact they were rather more concerned with how to stay remain within it...
Content as she was, it was a while longer before Robin stirred at all, and Maria was in no rush to hurry him. When his arms did eventually loosen from around her, she rolled onto her back to face him.
"You're all stubbly," She announced in surprise, bringing her hand up to his face.
"Of course I am." He mumbled groggily, his eyes still shut.
"I've never seen you with stubble before," She mused, fingers trailing along his jawline.
"Well normally you're not in my room first thing in the morning before I've had a chance to shave."
This was a strangely intimate piece of knowledge, and Maria hurriedly retracted her hand, glad he still had his eyes closed and couldn't see her sudden blush.
Footsteps going down the corridor outside Robin's room filled the silence, and listening more closely, Maria could hear the faint sounds beyond of a bustling, busy household come to life.
"How am supposed to sneak out?" she asked in dismay, "It sounds like the whole castle is awake now!"
"Well if course it is, it's well past dawn now,"
"Yes, thank you Robin, funnily enough I realised that myself!"
He finally opened his eyes, fixing her with a patronizing look, "What was it you said last night? Don't worry, I always wake up at first light!"
"Well I usually do," Maria replied defensively, "I'm a very light sleeper now I can hear the whole of Moonacre at night! It's very distracting and I usually have to spend a long time trying to clear my mind to block it out!"
"Well you were out like a candle last night," Robin stated, closing his eyes again.
"Yes… well, I've not slept that deeply for a long time," Maria trailed off thoughtfully, "Perhaps it was the castle walls..."
Or perhaps, she couldn't help thinking, it had been because she'd been wrapped up in his protective arms…
"So the castle isn't so bad afterall," Robin commented dryly.
"I never said it was," Maria replied.
"Oh really? So I just dreamed you invading my room last night complaining about the cold?"
"Oh get over it bird boy," She retorted, "It was cold, how else was I supposed to warm up? All I asked was to share your body heat, it's not like I asked you to-" Maria broke off abruptly though, her mind catching up with her mouth and realising how suggestive these words were.
But Robin's eyes had flown open. "Asked me to what?"
"I- nothing. That's not what I- I didn't mean-" There was no hiding her blush this time, and it was clearly too late anyway if the smirk on Robin's face was anything to go by. He raised himself up onto one elbow.
"So that's what you wanted from me, was it princess? I'm so sorry to have disappointed you. Or perhaps all that business about the cold was just a cover story so you could seduce the De Noir heir?"
"Oh get over yourself," Maria scoffed, trying to wriggle away.
"Oh no," he rolled forward to lean over her, trapping her between his arms. Strong arms which she tried and failed not to notice, managing only to become more flustered as he continued to smirk, "No, this has just gotten interesting..."
Rather ironically, Maria was beginning to feel far too warm now. All her continued attempts to wiggle away only immobilized her further until all she had achieved was getting Robin even more firmly wedged between her legs. Oh Miss Heliotrope would die if she knew the position Maria was in now, clothed only in her shift, trapped under a half naked Robin De Noir, in his bed.
Still fruitlessly attempting to push him off, her hand slipped and she caught a slight involuntary flinch on his part as her hand brushed his ribs. Was he...? She ran her finger tips more insistently across his rib cage and there was no mistaking his response this time.
"I don't believe it!" She burst out gleefully, discomfort instantly forgotten, "Imagine that, the mighty Robin De Noir, fearless hunter and master of the forest... ticklish!".
"I am not ticklish," he denied, scowling down at her.
"Oh really?" Maria demanded, laughing in delight and making to move her hands. She managed to lightly brush his abdomen with her finger tips, but in a flash he had grabbed her hands and pinned them over her head with a growl.
"You're not being very nice Princess," he accused with a glare, "You should be more grateful considering the favor I did you last night when you were scared of the dark,"
"I was not scared of the dark," she retorted. "I was just-"
"Oh but I know. Do you really think you can do more with the knowledge I'm possibly ticklish than I can knowing your secret intentions?"
"If I had planned to seduce you Robin De Noir, I would have succeeded," Maria declared with conviction, "Now let me up,"
But he didn't. He just gazed at her, a lazy smirk spreading across his face.
" That sounded very much like a challenge Princess. And you know I don't back down from challenges," He dropped his head down to the side of hers, where, with only a few centimeters left between them, she was sure he must be able to feel the heat radiating from her cheeks against his own "Unless, that is…" He added in a low voice, turning his head so his breath caressed her ear, making her shiver "You ask me nicely..."
"Robin..." Her own voice was barely above a whisper now and any authority in it had vanished. Her fingers, somehow beyond her control, were drifting of their own accord across his lower back, and it was his turn to shiver.
"Say the words princess," He breathed, moving his head back above hers.
All words had failed Maria however. All she could think about was the searing heat of his bare chest bleeding through her shift to her own skin, how his dark eyes were mere inches from her own...
Did she really want him to move? Or did she want him even closer?
Oh heavens, who was supposed to be seducing who again? What had she been thinking, climbing into bed with him? What had possessed her? This had all been a terrible idea- what had the cold last night been to the searing heat between them now? Surely she could have survived it whereas she was certain she couldn't survive the heat of this, now, not without letting her hands sink into those thick curls and dragging him down those last few centimetres -
A hammering on Robin's door diverted both of their attention. Robin instantly rolled off of her and Maria dived under the blankets, a split second before it flew open.
"You're still in bed? Get your lazy arse up Robin! There's about three feet of snow waiting to be cleared and if you think you're getting out if it-"
"Sod off David!" Robin retorted, his voiced muffled, but resoundingly angry to Maria, "You didn't mind me doing your share of work yesterday in the freezing cold while you were off entertaining yourself with a widow. You owe me!"
David made a disparaging noise. "Well maybe this will get you up: apparently the Moon Princess is missing. The servants are saying her room is empty."
"Have they tried the stables?" Robin muttered sardonically, making Maria repress the urge to jab him beneath the covers.
"In her night dress?" David snickered, "They're saying the ghost got her. Apparently her clothes are all in her room, apart from-" His eyes fell on something next to the bedside "-her boots,"
Oh hell Maria cursed inwardly. Well, the game was up now. She threw the blankets off and sat slowly upright, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong or abnormal about the situation, and as if David was the one somehow reacting unreasonably to a completely reasonable situation.
"Jammy bloody gits," He muttered, a sly grin spreading slowly across his face, "Looks like you're the one who owes me now Robin..."
"Look, it's not what it-"
But Maria cut across Robin's pointless attempt of explanation, knowing full well it would be wasted and only fuel the fire.
"You breathe a word of this and I swear I will take you down with me," She warned in a dangerous, threatening tone of voice.
"And just how would you do that Princess?" David drawled with a smirk, eyes flashing with amusement and mockery.
"Oh I don't know..." Maria said slowly, eyes meeting his without any hint of remorse, "But does Linnet know that you're paying visits to other women? Her dear, recently widowed older cousin for instance?"
"You little-" he broke off glaring at her, "You wouldn't dare," He hissed intimidatingly.
"Oh but I would. You see, I'm not a De Noir, and nor am I bound by your code of so-called brotherly honour. So if you want me to keep quiet, you'll have to do the same," She glared defiantly back at him, tone ringing with authority once again, "And what's more, you're going to go out there and cause a distraction, or so help me I will ruin you,"
He only glared at her for several more moments. "I'll buy you two minutes," He eventually growled before turning on his heel and storming out.
"You," Robin said disapprovingly, but not without admiration, "Are a dirty player,"
"You reap what you sow Robin," She smirked at him, and hearing a commotion from somewhere below, grabbed her boots and darted out of his room.
"I'll bear that in mind," Robin mutterled, watching the door shut behind her. His bed suddenly felt cold and empty, a feeling he suspected was going to haunt him for a long time to come.
I'm so happy to finally post this because this is actually amongst the earliest things I wrote, and first chapter I finished for this story back in 2019!! The bed sharing trope is just such a fun one that I love and really wanted to write...but engineering the background for the trope was not easy for the time period, hence the rather transparent thE rOOM wAs HaUnTEd plot device lol. But oh well, sorry not sorry, it did what it meant to. A bit of a shorter chapter but I had such fun with this one and hope you did too reading it! And Happy Christmas to those who celebrete it :)