Chapter Text
It had begun when they'd been arguing.
Robin knew he was pushing it a bit far with the teasing that day. It could not be helped. Maria hadn't been to the woods with him in two weeks, the longest he'd gone without seeing her since they'd first begun to spend time together.
He would not admit to waiting at their meeting spot every day for hours. Nor would he admit that he'd attempted to approach the manor, not once, but three times, only to be sent away by Sir Benjamin of all people with the vague reasoning that Maria was busy. He'd then attempted to sneak in, as he had on some occasions when he had something to show Maria that he figured she would not want to wait and see, only to find her not in her room, nor in the library, nor any of her usual places.
So when his waiting was finally rewarded with the sight of the young lady approaching, he'd been expecting an explanation.
He received none, however, and that irked him. What irked him even more was Maria's solemn attitude.
So he'd pushed and pushed until she snapped at him and banter had finally begun. They'd traded barbs for what felt like much longer than usual until she had grabbed the rim of his hat and yanked it over his eyes roughly.
Now, it had not been the act of blinding him that pleased him. Rather the opposite, truly, for he had sputtered in indignation, an affronted shout of, "Maria!" being the first thing to leave his mouth.
He'd struggled to yank the hat off his face and he only grew more irritated at her haughty, "Well look, your head really is made too big by that thick skull of yours." When he'd finally managed to pull it off properly he'd been met with the sight of her staring at him, all too amused and all too pleased with herself as she continued to walk.
"And just what on Earth was that for?" He shouted, jogging to catch up with her.
"You were being particularly oafish. I had no choice but to make you realize you looked like an idiot."
He spluttered again and she laughed. "You little-" but what she was exactly never crossed his lips because when she smiled back at him his heart decided to become an acrobat and take a wild tumble in his chest, as it had become so fond of doing as of late.
Satisfied he'd gotten to her, but taken aback and suddenly very unsure what to do with his hands, Robin scowled. "Maybe I wouldn't be so oafish if you gave me reason as to why I haven't seen you for two weeks."
"Is that what this is about?" She jested, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Were you worried, Robin?"
"Of course that's what this is about, Princess," he snapped. "And I wasn't worried," he lied as an afterthought. "Come on, Maria, you never disappear like that. I had no clue what had happened and your Uncle was no help-"
"My Uncle?" She interrupted, eyebrows shot up. "You mean to say you actually came to the manor?"
His heart took a wild tumble again at the look in her eyes. "Well. Yeah. I did."
"And he sent you away? Without telling you anything? Not a thing?"
"He mentioned you were busy. Why? What happened?"
And suddenly Maria sank to the forest floor, head buried in her hands. Robin nearly tripped at the sight and stuttered to a stop.
"Maria?"
A bitter laugh escaped her. She looked up at him, and he found himself startled by the tears in her eyes. "Oh, Robin. I'm terribly sorry."
He sank to the ground next to her. "What for?"
"I should have been clearer with Uncle. I had only told him- but I suppose he- ugh," she let out a very unladylike grunt of frustration, though he knew better than to tell Maria Merryweather what was and wasn't ladylike. "I owe you an explanation."
He waited, very patiently, he might add, as she collected herself.
"I've been receiving suitors."
Well. Whatever he'd expected, it had not been that.
A rather loud "What!?" escaped him and she let out another bitter laugh. "I- you- what!?"
"I have been for some time now, I just didn't want to say anything."
"Why not?"
"I didn't want to," she replied simply. "I figured if I treated it as insignificant, then it would be."
Robin cannot find his words.
After a minute of gaping like a fish he finally managed to ask a question. "How long?"
"Since my seventeenth birthday party." Robin's stomach plunged into something very cold and very hot all at once. Eight months. "There was some visiting lord's son and apparently his father had heard I was of courting age. I rejected him, but the word had already spread, I suppose. I've been dodging proposals ever since."
"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice sounded rather petulant to his own ears.
"Like I said, I wanted to think it was no big deal," she responded, twisting the fabric of her dress, not looking at him. "But Robin, it's been so awful! Last month it got so bad that I had at least three suitors trying to win my affections per day! Per day, Robin!"
He did not appreciate the emphasis. He was already fighting a very confusing battle of emotions and he did not want it to get worse.
"What does that have to do with you disappearing for two weeks? You weren't anywhere I usually find you."
She turned incredibly guilty. "I've been staying at Loveday's old cottage."
At that, hurt dug into his ribs. "And you didn't tell me?"
"I didn't think I had to! It was a rather sudden decision, but I had to get away after one of them returned for the seventh time! So I left and told Uncle to turn away any suitors who came knocking, no matter who they were or what they said they wanted."
"So why didn't you meet me at our usual place?"
"I was exhausted! I couldn't go near the manor. What if some caller had seen me? The whole idea would have been for naught."
"So you just decided not to show up? No note, no explanation, nothing?"
"Believe me, I didn't think I would be ignoring you," she pleaded. "Honestly, I was surprised when you didn't come calling. I'd expected you to find out where I'd gone right away. When you never came, I just assumed you didn't want to bother me. Or that you didn't want to deal with it." His chest aches at the admission. "In any case, I figured you were fine with not seeing me. I never expected Uncle to not tell you anything."
"And about that," he pressed, extremely irritated. "Why didn't he tell me what was happening?"
She raised an unimpressed brow at him. "Your skull really is thick, Robin." He does not have the chance to be insulted. "I suppose he believed you fell into the category of suitor."
If he hadn't been sitting he would have tripped over his suddenly weak knees. "What?"
"Oh, don't be like that. Uncle's believed you were after my hand for two years now."
"What!?" He screeched, scrambling back and sending a few birds flapping away. His heart was swooping wildly over a dread filled pit and he was incredibly close to feeling faint. "What!?"
"Surely you knew that," she scoffed. When he only blinked owlishly, her eyebrows drew together in a befuddled manner over her piercing gaze. "You knew that," she repeated.
"No!" He yelped, sounding too strangled for his liking. "No, Maria! I did not know that! What on Earth gave him that idea?"
"Robin," she reproached. "These last two weeks have been the longest I have gone without seeing you since we've met. Your kidnapping attempts didn't even have that long between them. And when a young gentleman calls after a lady no less than three times a week, people come to conclusions."
He felt like the biggest buffoon to walk the planet. "I- I am hardly a gentleman," was the only argument he could think of.
"Well I know that," she teased, amusement alight in her eyes. "But Uncle has never believed me when I tell him we're just friends. I suppose I shouldn't have expected him to treat you differently from any other man."
She reached out and squeezed his arm and Robin felt as though he wanted nothing more than to scream. From embarrassment or something else, he did not know.
"I'm truly sorry, Robin," she said, looking deep into his eyes and he whished she wouldn't, just in case she could see the whirlwind of thoughts plaguing him. "It's entirely my fault. If I ever have to get away again, I'll be sure to tell you."
It was all he could do to nod dumbly. After a moment though, he found his snark, wit, and smile returned to him and he clung to them with all his might. "Oh, you better believe you will, Princess, or I will personally make sure that Miss Heliotrope finds one of the castle tunnels you use to escape her so often."
An offended gasp was the only warning she gave before smacking his shoulder fiercely. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh, but I would! And it would serve you right!"
"You would not," she argued. "Besides, if you do, then I shall tell your father that the bird feeders in the castle aren't from Loveday."
"You minx!"
And so they continued their banter, the air much lighter now that Robin knew what was going on. He could almost pretend that everything had gone right back to normal.
Except it most certainly hadn't.
And as he lay in his bed that night, staring out the window at the full moon, thoughts of Maria in a white gown, Maria with a ring on her finger, Maria under the altar with some faceless man, he found himself beginning to understand that he was in a world of trouble.