Elizabeth got to her feet in a flurry of dead autumn leaves and flailing limbs. In a second she had reached for her tiny blade and stuck it into Dulac's shoulder, not sticking around to watch the damage unfold even though she would have relished in seeing the giant man in pain.

She ran after Wrolf, narrowly missing any roots or plants that could have tripped her. She had no time to waste by falling over. Wrolf needed her.

"Wrolf..." She knelt on the ground when she came across a black streak buried in the tall grass. "Oh, Wrolf." She placed a hand between his ears. It was an odd sensation - she'd been taught to avoid this dog, fear it with all her life and kill it if possible. For such a brute, he was so gentle and loving. Even in his last moments, he managed to stare at Elizabeth with the same severity he did that day he had tackled her.

"It's all right." She told the dog, rubbing the fur on his neck. "I'm here."

She rested her head on his slowly rising chest, breathing in his scent. He smelt homely - that was the only way she could describe it.

Her head snapped up at an obtrusive noise. A small group of people flocked past, their chattering most painful to Elizabeth's ears. She caught sight of one of them through the greenery - Sir Benjamin Merryweather.

Beside her, Wrolf's breaths had become shallow and slow. Her heart broke as she pressed a kiss to the dog's forehead. "I'll be back." She promised.

Wrolf did belong to the Merryweathers after all, Benjamin had to be able to cure him. He had to.

Elizabeth followed behind the group, keeping a large enough distance between them that even if they did turn around, they'd never see her. They were loud enough to not lose, which worked to her advantage.

She analysed her father from the back but felt oddly shameful every time he turned to speak to one of his companions and almost caught sight of her.

Maybe he didn't want to see her and this was all a huge mistake.

She had been trying not to focus on those doubts, but their proximity made that difficult. He appeared to be a stern man who didn't seem to be capable of smiling. It worried Elizabeth that perhaps her reappearance into his life would not please him as much as she'd hoped.

The group took a sharp turn which she mimicked, following them into uncharted territory. She had lived in the forest but never ventured past it, not even into the valley. Now that she had, she felt a wave of nostalgia pass over her.

The sea crashed against the cliff they all stood on in violent waves of silver and azure. The moon shone bright and huge above the group, illuminating the gathering. Coeur stood near the edge of the cliff, staring into the distance.

Elizabeth shrunk behind the group, not wanting to be seen. Her task had been to kill Robin, not side with him. Coeur would be furious with her and if her plan to talk to Benjamin fell through she'd still rely on Coeur so it would be best to stay in his good graces.

"Your niece has failed!" He yelled victoriously.

Benjamin marched towards him, seething. "If you have harmed that girl in any way..."

It filled Elizabeth with a sense of warmth to know that despite his hard exterior he cared for Maria so. Perhaps there was more to him than meets the eye...

Maria's light voice stopped them. "We got them!" She called and stepped closer, holding the pearls to the light. They were a beautiful white colour that shone like the moon.

Robin lingered behind Maria, eyes trained on Elizabeth.

"Give me the pearls!"

It became apparent then that everybody else was present for one reason - the pearls. Elizabeth wanted nothing to do with them, she never had. And if this curse was as detrimental as foretold, she'd need to do what she set out to do. Quickly.

Sir Benjamin Merryweather had glanced her way several times, his eyes lingering on her face for a moment before their eyes met and he looked away uncomfortably.

"Elizabeth, grab the pearls and give them to me." Coeur ordered. Maria glanced to her left, sending a pleading look to Elizabeth.

Benjamin's mouth fell open as he released a shaky breath. "Elizabeth..."

"I will not, Coeur. I do not care for the pearls or the curse. I know only that you have cursed my life, forcing my mother away and lying to me for my entire life."

"Now is not the time, Elizabeth. Grab the pearls!" He spat through his teeth.

Elizabeth stood her ground and Robin stepped in front of her. "I told her everything I knew, Father."

"You ungrateful excuse for a De Noir." Coeur turned his attention to Benjamin and the beautiful woman at his side who Elizabeth recognized as Loveday - of course, it had been years since she'd seen her.

"Father." She breathed. "Why is there so much hatred in your heart? Don't you want to be free from this darkness imprisoning you?"

Couer pointed his finger at Benjamin. "It is he!"

"Look!" Maria called attention to herself. "The five thousandth moon. The curse is coming true." She turned back to the group. "If you can sacrifice your pride we can save the valley."

Elizabeth watched the two men bicker and sadness filled her heart. She had thought being a Merryweather meant being kinder than a De Noir, but watching Benjamin dance around the idea of being the first to sacrifice his pride had her stomach turning.

Maria looked as stricken as Elizabeth felt.

"I must do this myself."

"Maria?" Elizabeth questioned.

The auburn-haired girl moved to the edge of the cliff and held the string of pearls out. "At the five thousandth moon, I, Maria Merryweather, Moon Princess of Moonacre, do remove the curse that darkens this valley!"

Robin's hand brushed Elizabeth's as the moon grew fiercely brighter.

"If this doesn't work..." He whispered. Had they not been so close, she would not have been able to hear him over the crashing waves. "And we all die... I need you to know, Elizabeth, how I feel about you." He paused.

"Robin, I know..."

"I need to say it."

The pearls that Maria had thrown out flew back to her, clinging to her dress. After a futile attempt at removing them, she glanced back at everyone. Elizabeth waited for instruction, willing to do whatever it was that she needed. It seemed everyone realized what Maria's plan was - the girl stepped off the cliff, her hair and dress flowing behind her as she fell into the ocean.

Instinct took over Elizabeth, pushing her forward after the young girl. She may have not known Maria all that well, or even gotten along with her, but as far as she was concerned, she was family and Elizabeth would not let her family die.

"Beth, no!" Robin grabbed her before she too fell off the cliff.

"Robin, I have to; she's my cousin!"

"I can't lose you." His dark eyes turned pleading as his grip tightened around her.

Elizabeth moved forward, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that sent sparks shooting through her entire being.

A silver wave passed over the valley at that moment - the curse had lifted.

Elizabeth broke apart from Robin. She could deny it no longer, she loved him and the look in his eye told her that he felt the same.

A herd of white horses raced against the waves towards the shore, led by a dashing white unicorn. On her back was Maria, breathing and alive. The relief Elizabeth felt was unimaginable.

The unicorn came to rest on the cliff and slowly everybody approached Maria, crying out her name and enveloping her in hugs. Even Elizabeth hugged her, holding tightly to her little cousin.

When the cheers died down, Benjamin approached Elizabeth. He said nothing at first, opening and closing his mouth; at a loss for words.

"Sir Benjamin..." She said, unsure of what to call him.

"I... Elizabeth." He breathed and pulled the girl into his arms, squeezing her tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again, I..." He pulled away and looked into her eyes, brushing his hand along the side of her face. "I never meant to lose you. Please forgive me."

"Yes, yes of course." She replied, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"I should have never let you go, my child."

"It's alright, Father. I'm here now."

He pulled her into his chest again.

Loveday placed her hand on Elizbeth's shoulder, joining in the hug, soon Maria did too and eventually Elizbeth was struggling for breath due to how tightly everyone was squeezing her.

But she didn't mind.

She loved it.

And as Wrolf appeared, not as a dog but as a wild black lion and took his position near the edge of the cliff, he lowered his head at her as a show of not only respect, but love.

She would be eternally grateful to that lion because, without him, she would never have found her family.