Maria stepped back into me, and Marmaduke watched as the book flipped back and forth. For a moment, I had my arm around her waist, holding her closer to me.
"Aha!" The book fell open to a page, and Marmaduke motioned for us to come back over. "Look, just as I thought."
Yet another new picture, one of Maria and I at the amphitheater. "Marmaduke, you seem to understand all of this, what does it mean?" I asked, hoping he had an answer.
"Don't you see? Benjamin and Loveday are not the joining force that binds the magic of the valley together. It's you two. You two are the key to unlocking the full potential of the moon magic, but both of you have to work together to do it."
"Is that what I think it is?" I stared at the page. There's no way....
"Robin, is that...are we...?"
"Getting married? That's what it looks like to me," Marmaduke turned to us with a smile on his face.
"Marmaduke, can you find Uncle? And then, please, apologize to Loveday. I won't be riding today. Not until we get this situated." Marmaduke nodded, and disappeared in a blink of an eye.
A few moments later, Benjamin came bursting through the door and found us in the back. Maria was still staring at the new picture, and I wasn't even sure how to begin.
"Marmaduke explained what he saw, is it true?"
"Uncle, it's as plain as day, look." He leaned over Maria to look at the book and took a deep breath.
"How could this be?"
"Robin's the prince of the forest, Uncle. I'm the Moon Princess...it was bound to happen, I suppose." She supposes? Is this not the future she wants with me...?
Benjamin looked at me, and I felt embarrassed. This was what I wanted to happen but...how could I want it if she didn't? Maria peeked out from behind her uncle, and I watched her expression change. She knew. Of course, she knew. I thought she wanted it, too.
"Uh, I think I'll excuse myself." I left the library quickly, unsure how to feel about any of what just happened. Am I supposed to feel anything about this? Does Maria still want a future with me? Or is she just...following her duty to the book and the pearls.
The library door reopened behind me, and Benjamin stepped out.
"Robin, follow me." He motioned to another door, and I was led into his study. He shut the door behind me, then motioned to an empty chair.
"Now, listen, I understand I haven't been the kindest to you."
"That's an understatement," I scoffed. He stared at me with a blank expression, and I apologized quickly.
"Maria has already told me how she feels about you. And I apologize for not coming to speak to you directly about all of this. You told me that you wanted to marry her. I don't believe we ever got to finish our conversation about that. Now, you two are both still young, and I want to make sure that this is what you both want."
"Well, I mean, of course it is. I don't care if you think we're too young to decide that now, but I know what I want, and I know I want to marry her." He looked at his hands for a moment, then back at me.
"I know you do."
"Then will you allow me to marry her?"
"I will. Under two conditions."
"Anything, sir."
"Protect her, please. She's stubborn and headstrong, but she doesn't know her limits. She can't always be jumping off of cliffs to save others." Benjamin made eye contact with me, he looked like he was ready to cry.
"I promise, I'll keep her safe."
"Now I know you have proved that on many accounts, but...she's my only niece. The only family I have left. There we are though, nothing to be done. You two love each other, and I want nothing but her happiness."
"Then why keep us apart?"
"Your father still poses a problem. Considering he wanted Maria dead before she saved the valley and now his right-hand man has tried to kill her and you more than once." He cleared his throat and stood up, "It's just my own hesitation to allow my niece be threatened with her life by marrying into your family. I risked enough marrying Loveday; Maria can't go through what we went through."
"I'd never let any harm come to her, sir." He nodded once and walked over in front of me.
"I know that you try, and I appreciate that. Now, the second condition. She wants to be stronger than she's allowed, I know she does. It's in her blood, of course. I want you to teach her."
"Teach her what?" I remembered this conversation with Maria, but it didn't ever come up again after. I thought it would be closer to when she was leaving.
"Teach her everything you can so she knows how to protect herself. She won't always be able to rely on you or on me. If she's able to protect herself then she'll have a better chance at..."
"At what?"
"Well...we don't know what's going on with the crown and now the dagger... And who knows what's happening with Dulac? I mean what if he comes back and we can't save her? She has to be able to save herself."
"I'll teach her everything I know, sir." He nodded once and left quickly, leaving me alone to an empty office. What do I do now?