𝐒𝐨 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮

Chapter 2

       I quickly bathed and put on my nightgown, and lay in bed. Even though I was utterly exhausted, I just couldn't fall asleep. The look that the first moon princess had kept popping up into my mind. Finally, after what felt like hours, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I noticed that the sun was just rising. I soon realized that I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. I decided to get dressed and head for the library, where I left the book Father had given me, which told the story of Moonacre. Hopefully, rereading it will help jog my memory and help me realize what else there has to be done to truly free Moonacre.

Robin's POV: I surprisingly slept well last night upon waking up before the sun. I tried laying in bed until more people were awake but soon lost patience. I got up, changed my clothes, and left my room to explore. I started walking around quietly, opening doors and seeing where they would lead. Most would be spare bedrooms, bathrooms, or closets.

I found a staircase leading upwards. I didn't even know that there was another floor. I quietly wandered upstairs. There wasn't much there other than another door. I opened it quietly to find a room almost empty with another door and a picture hanging up. It was of a lady who looked like Loveday, but I could tell that it wasn't precisely my sister.

There was another door, but it was tiny. I decided not to open that door but to head downstairs to continue wandering. I somehow found my way into the library. I was stunned by seeing all the books. They have a library back home but don't nearly have as many books. I looked around until I found a book that was short but long enough that everyone should be awake once I finished.

Maria's POV: I walked out onto my balcony after getting dressed. The valley looked thriving, but thinking back to the look the first moon princess had given me, maybe not all things are how they appear to be. I may need to look closely into things, starting with rereading my book. I turned back around and quietly headed towards the library.

When I entered, I noticed someone asleep with a book in his or her hand. I caustically walked over to the person. It was Robin. What was he doing here? Should I wake him up? Well, he looks so peaceful. He was in the corner with a book falling out of his hand. He wasn't wearing his usual leather clothes. It was probably the clothes Uncle Benjamin had given him last night.

He still had his bowler's hat and his scarf on. I walked around him, wondering if I should wake him up. Well, everyone was going to wake up in only a few minutes anyways, so why not. I thought carefully about how I was going to do this. I carefully bent down, grabbed his hat, and slowly lifted it off his head. He opened his eyes, quickly grabbed his hat, and muttered with a small smile, "Oh, it's just you." Robin seemed half awake and sleepily put his hat on my head. He closed his eyes, yawned, and asked, "Is anyone else awake?"

"Not yet," I said, wondering why he did that, then noticing my book, I quickly got it and started to flip through a few of the pages. Trying to find the missing piece.

Robin's POV: After a few minutes, I decided it was time to get up. I stood stretching, wondering when Maria woke up and why my hat was on her head. Before I asked, I remembered putting it on her. I noticed how concentrated Maria was on her book that I don't think she realized I was standing behind her, ready to scare her, when I saw the next page.