Maria glanced around at the beautifully decorated cliff theatre where the wedding service had been held and where lunch was set out picnic style. Her eyes fell on Robin and she smiled, blushing a bit. She had felt his eyes constantly on her since the wedding an hour ago, when she had appeared ahead of the brides in that dress.

That dress. As the Moon Princess Maria had warranted a special dress. So special in fact that she outshone one of the brides, but the older woman was more than happy to let her charge be so beautiful, even on the elder's wedding day.

The dress was white velvet, with silver ribbons edging the hem waist and necklines, and silver embroidery on the bodice; just enough and not too much. The dress was long and in the style of all the dresses of the Moon Princess, and had a fairly long train. It seemed to shine like the moonbeams themselves and this glow had spread to Maria so that her clear pale skin was radiant too. It beautified not only her but everyone around her. She looked like a bride herself.

And Loveday had been absolutely right; Robin hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her.

From where she was sitting, beside her uncle and Loveday, Robin had a direct view of her. She suspected he'd sat himself there on purpose, just so he could stare at her. She sent him a small smile, almost enough to entice him over to sit beside her.

At the moment Sir Benjamin was making his speech; thanking everyone for coming and for their good wishes on this 'most happy day of days' (both Robin and Maria had a hard time keeping a straight face at that). The Coeur De Noir had already made his rather pretentious speech and once Sir Benjamin was done it would be Maria's turn.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, my dearest niece has been commissioned to say a few words. Maria, I yield the floor to you." Sir Benjamin pulled her to her feet and she reached up and kissed his cheek sweetly. Sir Benjamin looked flattered and sat down.

"Thank you uncle. On this glorious and beautiful day, we have borne witness to the union of two people who couldn't be better suited. A union which finally bonds together the two great families of this valley; the De Noirs and the Merryweathers. I broke the curse here on this very spot but I was unable to properly unite the families. The previous moon princess has managed that, and despite what she says to the contrary the present moon princess has no plans for a similar union. I may be young in years, and I may only know a little about love, but all I have learnt about that state I have learnt from watching Sir Benjamin and Loveday. They showed me what love really means. Love means to forgive. It's knowing that whatever past disagreements you may have had, love cancels everything out but love. Love means knowing that you can wind up the person you love just to get a rise out of them, and knowing that you'll still be loved, or even loved for it. I have seen these two people set aside the old feud, and forgive their past mistakes. Every day I watch Loveday tease my uncle with almost as little mercy as Robin teases me, I see uncle get angry with her, but all it will take is a smile from her and he is back to being her own gallant knight. Love is trusting a person so much that there is nothing you wouldn't do for them. It's knowing that no matter what you might do wrong, whatever mistakes you might make, you'll still be loved, and you won't be judged for them. You might be teased, and called a 'silly goose' but affection will still be there. Love will still be there. Love is missing someone, and feeling incomplete, when they're away from you, even if they're only in the next room. I've lost count of the times Loveday has been down because she misses uncle when they are separated. I've seen her get jealous of me when I go off for a ride in the forest with uncle, even though she knows we'll only be gone an hour. I've learnt a lot about love from this moon princess. I've seen the way her face lights up when she sees him, and how the smile never slips from her beautiful face when he is in her presence. Clearly Loveday must have very strong cheek muscles. I've seen how uncle will go out of his way to do little services for Loveday. Pulling her chair out for her, opening doors, that sort of thing. I've seen him look ecstatic when she blushes after he's kissed her hand. He's happy because he's made her happy. Love is uncle not laughing at her when the pair of us came back from a jaunt in the forest covered in mud and leaves and looking thoroughly ridiculous. He wanted to laugh but he had enough respect for her feelings to restrain it. Love is the person you can be exactly yourself with, with no need for a social mask. You can show the person you love the very worst in your character and you know they are the one for you if they can cope with it. Above all love is knowing the worst secret they have, and not caring. You can know it, and it won't change how you feel. Shortly before their last attempt at a wedding, Loveday told him she was a De Noir. He was furious and she fled. For many years they lived apart, never seeing each other. About two months ago, Loveday found out that uncle had spent months searching for her after she'd run off. Uncle realised that their love was strong enough to conquer that feud, he just couldn't find her. But now he has, and I couldn't be happier for them. They have shown me what true love is. It's the stuff of fairytales, the kind I used to send myself to sleep with as a child. When I was a little girl I often prayed that I'd one day find true love, as Sir Benjamin and Loveday have. Last night I repeated that prayer. I hope I can find a love like theirs someday. And no Loveday, before you start that again, I haven't found it yet." Maria glared playfully at the bride and everyone laughed, applauding. Maria bobbed a cute curtsey and winked at Robin.

He raised his goblet of wine in a salute to her before downing it and getting up. He walked up to Maria with every eye on him. Taking her hands he kissed first one and then the other. "Happy Birthday." He whispered.

"You remembered. I didn't think anyone would." She breathed, her smile radiating her beauty.

"You're not fifteen everyday, princess."

"It's your birthday, Maria?" Loveday elbowed Sir Benjamin for ruining a tender moment.

Luckily the teenagers didn't seem to have noticed. "About what you and Loveday said this morning…"

"Robin, if you're going to tease me about this morning-"

Robin darted in and cut her sentence off with a brief tender kiss. "I'm not. I'm not great with words like you are; I'm a man of action. Must be all that running wild in the forest."

Maria giggled and then sobered. "But I thought you didn't-"

Robin smiled and raised his right hand, the scar still clearly visible. "Your needle may as well have been cupid."

She chuckled breathily. Taking the hand she kissed the scar. "I'm sorry about this. I never apologised for it."

"Listen princess, you can beat me up as much as you like. I don't care. You can't hurt me much anyway."

Laughing in disbelief Maria dropped his hand. "Oh really? We'll see about that." she challenged smirking.

"Do your worst princess." He too was smirking.

Letting her smirk develop into a suave pout she let her eyes speak volumes, knowing she could get a reaction from him. Delicately she manoeuvred herself very close to him. They were so close that their bodies were lightly touching and a few mere centimetres would be all it took to snatch a kiss. Robin blushed as she mewed a little in pleasure in the back of her throat.

"You don't know what you do to me," she whispered slowly and she noticed that his eyes never left her lips.

He was frozen as she kissed the corner of his mouth innocently. He was still stunned when a moment later she stepped back from him, an evil smirk now on her face and she chuckled an evil little laugh.

She turned away from the still stricken boy and went back to sit beside her uncle.

"What was that?" Sir Benjamin asked.

"He asked to be hurt."

"But that didn't hurt him."

"Not yet." She smirked.

"I think I understand. It's brilliant." Loveday said. "Although I can't help noticing that it counteracts what you've been denying for the past two months."

"Denial is a refusal to accept a situation. I've accepted it. And this is what I'm doing about it."

"I see. You've got a plan." Loveday smiled.

"Yes and my plans, unlike yours, have a tendency to succeed."

Robin stared at her. "As if I didn't think about you enough already." He muttered before sitting down at his place again.

Maria turned sympathetic eyes on him. "You asked for it."

"That wasn't exactly what I meant."

Doing her best not to laugh she sat beside him and took his hand tenderly.