In which Robin De Noir mistakes Olive Heliotrope for the Moon Princess, and the two star-crossed enemies must work together to break a curse.
❝ Oh, I can't
Stop you putting roots in my dreamland
My house of stone, your ivy...
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THE FOLLOWING DAY BEGAN with a lesson in French, shortly after breakfast. Despite her desire to master the language, as she hoped to visit the country someday, Olive found herself easily distracted through the morning.
Aunt Jane had opted to keep the outside doors and windows open, which faced the garden, in hopes that the floral breeze would float into the room, and that the musty smell would see itself out. And through the open windows Olive could hear and catch glimpse of dozens of little birds that hopped from shrub to shrub, and branch to branch. She'd never seen so many colorful ones before, nor heard so many songs.
Adding to the accumulating distractions, Wrolf kept padding his way in and out of the room, carrying various strange objects in his mouth. One appeared to be a fully cooked chicken. The ladies exchanged nervous glances each time the giant beast passed by.
In the afternoon, Olive took to wandering the garden, stopping to smell nearly every different type of flower that had caught her eye. She leaned over to touch the various leaves and petals with a soft finger. At the end of the garden, a pond served as a sort of barrier between Moonacre Manor and the rest of it's grounds that spanned into the forest's edge. Weeping willows and giant oaks surrounded the pond, and Olive decided to find a good one to read beneath.
She sat for a few hours, making good progress, when she thought she heard a lovely tune coming from the manor. Olive closed up her book, and wandered back through the garden and through the halls, until she caught sight of Maria, sitting at the piano in the room across the way. She went to the doorway, and leaned against the frame, beaming as the sweet sound filled her ears.
The small room in which Maria sat, her nimble fingers dancing over the keys, was empty, save for some vases of wilting pink flowers, and a beautiful, yet neglected grand piano that sat in the turret. Through the tall windows that lined the walls, ivy had crawled through, covering the stone with its emerald green.
Olive had always loved to listen to Maria play. Maria had tried to teach Olive a few times, when they were younger, but Olive could never get the hang of it, always finding herself frustrated for not remembering the notes. But listening was easy. She could listen all day long, letting the melodies carry her to different worlds, full of magic, and fairytale endings.
She heard footsteps behind her, and found Sir Benjamin watching Maria over her shoulder. He looked a bit put off.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Olive spoke, not sure how else to acknowledge the man.
Instead of agreeing, Sir Benjamin fumed, as if he truly did hate every good thing in the universe.
