Of the Forest and Sea

Chapter 37

I sat in my room, waiting for her.

All I could think about was her.

I had never imagined that she would have been so damn important to me, and yet, here I am nervously waiting for Maria.

The light scar on the back of my hand made me smile, remembering the first day I had come face to face with her. I thought back to the way she begged me for help before the 5000th moon. Out of all of the people she could have asked for help from, she came to me. She sought me out. I never would have said yes, but...

How could I not?

I remembered the day I first asked her to marry me. 3 years, 2 months, and 13 days. I asked her again and again, and she always gave me the same answer. Until now.

I had been waiting on her answer for days. 8 days, to be exact. I went back to Benjamin, and practically begged him. I never would have considered begging on my knees for a Merryweather's hand in marriage until it happened.

I had barely slept in the past few days from nerves. I stayed up counting the passing minutes. I spent too many hours pacing, not wanting to pressure her any more than I already had.

Was I putting too much pressure on her?

It was Benjamin we were waiting on. He didn't give me an answer right away and had told me he wanted to talk to Maria.

I thought back to all of our little adventures, sneaking around and even getting caught by all of the adults. There wasn't an adult who didn't know about us, even though we continued to sneak around.

I remembered the conversation we had during our first Christmas, when she had convinced me to leave the castle. She wanted a life with me, then. But when the book showed our future, she was hesitant.

We had been through so much together. Dulac, the Moon Goddess, and the newest addition to the Merryweather family.

I smiled as I thought about the day I finally met the child. I had put it off for so long, not knowing how I would be around a baby, but Maria was so in love with the little thing, how could I avoid her forever? They had named her Willow, after a tree that Loveday had seen on her honeymoon with Benjamin. A fitting name for my sister's child. Maria had taken a liking to the child and watched over her whenever she was able to. The thoughts of her with her own child drove me wild.

Maria would be a great mother one day.

I groaned, stood from my bed, and started pacing around my room, doing everything in my power to prevent my nonsensical muttering.

I had changed so much from before she arrived - even after I first met her. I was no longer just a bandit.

I was Robin de Noir, Prince of the Forest.

I still couldn't wrap my head around that part. She had wished me to be a prince, and then I was. Maybe I always had been, but it wasn't until she had arrived that anything was set in stone.

The Moon Goddess had come back, every few weeks. Never long enough for us to see her, but long enough to know she had returned. Maria used the crown to ask her for help when we needed it, and it almost seemed like she came when Maria had asked. Whenever she came back, the valley seemed to get back some of the life she took with her when she left.

It had been like this for the past 3 years.

Finally, I heard a knock at my door. I took a deep breath before opening it. I could feel my expression drop when I opened it.

"Expecting someone else?" My father asked, chuckling.

"Not at all."

"I came to talk to you for a moment, if you don't mind," he said, waiting for me to let him inside. I opened the door further, allowing him in my room.