It was a breezy and cloudy day, serving to remind the city of London that fall would soon be arriving, and though the people otherwise appeared preoccupied with going about their business or merrily chatting away, some couldn't help but notice the black weatherworn carriage that reluctantly winded through its busy streets. For despite the many times the Merryweather family had embarked on this journey, there was something different in their demeanor, almost somber. A tension that revealed this trip had been made with much hesitation and after many discussions.
At the driver's seat, Digweed used one hand to steer the black stallions around the pedestrians on the street, and with the other, he held on fast to his cap, doing his best to keep the gust from blowing it off his balding head. This caused the old carriage to creak and groan, jostling its passengers within. Inside the carriage, the curtains were fastened shut in an attempt to retain the last bit of warmth that had traveled with them all the way from Moonacre.

Loveday rocked Albert asleep on her lap and bit her lips. Though a small smile played on the corner of her mouth, her worried eyes darted between Maria and Mrs. Heliotrope, observing the discussion. Sir Benjamin appeared distant, reading his newspaper, but his ears too were focused on the conversation.

"Dear, you must remember to write to us as much as you can—"

"Yes, Mrs. Heliotrope."

"And make sure to be on your best behavior—"

"I always do, Mrs. Heliotrope."

"And please my child, do not go about gallivanting through the streets of London—"

"Mrs. Heliotrope, please—"

"Maria, you must understand how serious I am! There will be no leaving the school grounds, no talking to strangers, no running off into adventures, and absolutely no 'hero-ing' on your part!"

"Mrs. Heliotrope, please, I'm not a child and it's my last year! I'll be alright."

The governess sighed and set down her needlework. She threw a glance at the covered window before giving Maria a worried frown. "That you can't guarantee. No one can. I know you're capable of caring for yourself to the best of your abilities, but they're limited. We almost lost you. Again! I just simply cannot allow another incident such as that. And besides, you only just turned seventeen, I hardly consider that to mean you're a fully independent adult."

"Oh Mrs. Heliotrope, surely you can't keep me safe forever."

"Well then, you'll have to stand aside and just watch me try! I will hear none of your protests. I promised your mother I would protect you, raise you, and care for you, and that I will! I have already gone ahead to express our utmost concern for your safety. Mrs. Watson has guaranteed she will keep a close eye on you!"

"No, how could you? Mrs. Watson needs no more reasons to feed her already obsessive tendency to nitpick at everything I do!" Maria was feeling indignant at the outcome of the events and crossed her arms. "Please tell me you did not reveal everything to her!"

"Maria! Mind your attitude. Mrs. Watson is only doing what she deems best for your development as an accomplished lady and obeying our requests to keep you safe." Mrs. Heliotrope then looked to Loveday and Sir Benjamin for support. Loveday averted her eyes and Sir Benjamin nodded his head.
"As to the extent of Mrs. Watson's knowledge, we only told her of the generations-long rivalry and Albert's kidnapping. Though I can't assure you her son didn't say much else. And Maria... I know this may seem off-putting, but we will need you to leave your pearls with us."

"Absolutely not! What for?"

"To keep both you and those pearls safe."

"But the pearls are much safer with me!"

"No, Maria. It's not about the pearls but about you," Sir Benjamin said finally joining the conversation. "Those damned pearls are the reason your life has been in danger since the very moment you arrived at Moonacre."

"But uncle, I am their guardian! I am supposed to protect them—"

"—But who will protect you?" Sir Benjamin raised his voice, cutting off Maria's defense. "God only knows what will happen if the word were to get out about your 'magical' pearls. We don't need others coming after you! And with you so far away from home—from us—just who will defend you?"

Maria stammered, "But—But at Moonacre, they'll be at risk! You all will be in danger! What if Charles and Althea escape and go searching at the Manor? What if they take Albert again? Or worst, hurt, possibly even kill you all, just to obtain the pearls? Besides, the girls and I got along well without protection for the most part."

"That was before we had a monster or the return of the pearls to deal with!"

"Uncle please, I can't leave them with you all. It's much too dangerous and only I can channel their magic. All it does with anyone else is bring out their vices and grant wishes, at least I can protect all of us!"

"Maria, in London I can almost guarantee that you will be surrounded by worst men than those found in Moonacre—"

"Are you sure, uncle? What about a flying mythical creature with the capacity to control minds and a vendetta against all humans? I doubt there exists a man more terrifying than such a beast."

"Benjamin, she makes a valid point," Loveday interrupted their bickering. She cradled Albert closer to her chest. "The pearls, they're much safer here. We're all much safer while Maria has them. She's already proved herself a worthy match against Althea, and with more people watching her, she should be safer as well.
"We've doubted her once too many times before. And every time, despite our objections, she's risen to the occasion. Even you can't argue against Maria's capabilities. More importantly, with our full support, she won't have to go about keeping secrets or running behind our backs."

Maria's eyes widened, thinking of her impromptu encounter with Robin that morning in the forest. She looked around and was thankful no one else noticed. Sir Benjamin's eyes were too busy narrowing in Loveday's direction. He was about to retort when Maria jumped in again, she was ready to defend herself.

"Please uncle, just listen. Every day that we fail to remove Althea's magic, is another day they have to plan and retaliate against us. We can't sit back with the hope they'll remain locked up forever. Not while Althea has her magic and Charles' friends remain missing. If they know the pearls are not in Moonacre, and should they escape, it'll give us plenty of time to get the pearls to safety. I could hide them and protect them, protect us!"

Sir Benjamin shook his head. "You have to understand, your pearls can only do so much. More importantly, you do not yet know how to use them! Keeping them with you will only keep us safer from Charles and Althea for a short time. And as you said, what about any other Charles-sympathizers? People who can band together and come after you? In London, you are alone. Yes, you have your friends, but aside from good companionship, I doubt they can do much else. Besides, I wouldn't want to jeopardize their lives as well!"

"What about Robin and his friends?" Mrs. Heliotrope quietly suggested. Loveday eagerly nodded her head, urging her to continue.
"They spend a lot of time in London, perhaps they can look after Maria while keeping a close ear on the streets. They'll know if others hear about our special, erm, situation."
Mrs. Heliotrope's stomach then gurgled. All this recent talk of monsters and memories was causing her indigestion to reappear.

Sir Benjamin scoffed and threw himself back into his seat. "Have you all lost your minds? Was I the only one who saw how ready Robin was to attack Maria? I'd be an idiot if I ever let that boy near her again!"

"But that was only because he doesn't remember me," Maria answered. "Also, I—er—saw him, earlier..." She paused at seeing Sir Benjamin's face instantly morph into anger. "And he didn't do anything to me. In fact, he seemed more afraid of me than anything else. He was convinced I would curse him." Maria forced a small laugh, a failed attempt to ease the tension.

"You what! You saw him? Without our permission?" Sir Benjamin began to yell at Maria about her recklessness. Claiming that this was further evidence Maria was not responsible enough for her safety.

"Benjamin, settle down! You'll wake Albert up and people will hear you!" Loveday snapped at her husband. "Are you forgetting that they aren't the only boys nearby? William and Sebastian attend school here. We can have them guard Maria as well. I know they wouldn't mind. Since Sebastian is Mrs. Watson's son, I'm sure we can devise an excuse to have them escort the girls on school outings and such."

"No, no, no! Absolutely not! I will not have Maria surrounded by those young men! We agreed she would only come back to school if she left the pearls with us! I will not have my niece running around London and putting herself in danger or surrounding herself with boys! What will people think?"

"Sir Benjamin! Listen to yourself, this is about Maria's protection, not about your pride or thoughts on potential suitors," Mrs. Heliotrope chastised him. "Moreover, Mrs. Watson made it clear none of the girls ever leave the school grounds without her direct supervision. She gave me her word that she would send a letter ahead of time to inform us of any events that would take the girls outside of school."

At this, Maria looked away thinking of the many times she had snuck out with her friends. Though she didn't like the idea of having Mrs. Watson constantly watch over her, it was the best chance she had at keeping the pearls. Plus, she was sure the girls wouldn't mind the chance to spend more time with the boys.
"It's settled then, we'll compromise. I'll keep the Moon Pearls. Then, should it be necessary, if I find myself in immediate danger, I will hide the pearls or turn them over to you, Uncle."

Sir Benjamin rolled his eyes and shook his head. He couldn't believe what just happened. He peered out the window and saw they were nearing Maria's school. He had only agreed to let her go back to school because he was confident she would be safer in London. In Moonacre, she was too close to danger. However, now he wasn't so sure. Sir Benjamin shook his head once more and clenched his fist. All he had done lately was argue with Coeur's brother. Sir Benjamin was not about to stand aside and let Charles and that fiend remain in Moonacre for longer. Yet with every day, his problems only seemed to increase. And that's not including their new dilemma with Robin. If there had been any change of mind regarding that boy, well it was all gone. At least Coeur was understanding and agreed to keep Robin close to the Castle and not let him wander near the manor.

Loveday had tried many times to convince Sir Benjamin that this was not the 'real' Robin and that he was no danger, only lost, but Sir Benjamin was hearing none of that. He regretted letting Loveday take them to the castle for dinner the moment he saw Robin with that dagger pointed towards Maria.
He had made up his mind then and there that he was going to try to keep Maria in London for as long as possible. He had even been exchanging his own letters with Mrs. Watson about arranging Maria a teaching position at the school, indefinitely. Loveday didn't know of this plan, he was sure she wouldn't understand. Yes, Maria was still safer in London than in Moonacre.

The carriage came to stop and Maria bounced in her seat. She couldn't wait to see her friends. Hopefully, together they could figure out a way to get Robin's memories back.

However, Maria's heart took a dive as she stepped out of the carriage. At the school's entrance stood Mrs. Watson. She wore a stern expression and her eyes were directed straight to Maria. Behind her, stood Bast, Cat, and Lizzy. They looked grim and Maria began to doubt her last year would be easy.

...oOo...

Maria sighed. She took the letter in her hand and plopped herself down on her bed. Only a month had passed since she'd been back at school, and as promised, she was writing back home every week. Sometimes, when she had time, she even wrote twice a week.
In her hand, she held the most recent letter from Loveday. It had arrived that afternoon. As soon as she finished her classes, she immediately went to her room to read it, all the while hoping there would be news about Robin.
Cat and Lizzy joined her as well. The sisters were sitting together on the empty bed beside Maria's, eagerly awaiting any news from Moonacre.

Though for the most part, the letter was filled with great news, there was one particularly short sentence, postscriptedly written, that disappointed Maria.

"He still doesn't remember."

It was the last sentence of the letter, squeezed in at the very last minute. Maria was sure Loveday was avoiding any mention of her brother, a sharp contrast from the previous years. Maria guessed Loveday was simply trying to save her from any heartache, but she only found it more frustrating. She wished she could just talk to him, to force him to listen to her as she once did. 'Hmm...' Maria thought, 'Perhaps that was not such a bad idea....'

"How is your family?" Lizzy asked, coming to sit beside her.

"They're—they're good." Maria removed herself from her planning and forced a small smile on her face. "Albert's walking all by himself now. He has Mrs. Heliotrope all wound up in a coil ready to spring! The poor woman. First, she had to chase after me, and now, Albert as well. Here she thought living in the countryside would be dreadfully boring. Aside from Albert's 'rambunctiousness', as Loveday calls it, Mrs. Heliotrope is happy. I am sure even Digweed has also learned a thing or two about managing the chaos of child-rearing."

At this the girls laughed, thinking of the adorable little Albert running around behind Wrolf, and no doubt chased by a frantic governess.

"Marmaduke is as he always is. Popping in and out of the manor and cooking his delicious food. Wrolf continues to sleep throughout the day. Though now with a toddler in the house, he has taken to sleeping in the stables and forest again. Periwinkle is getting old—I'm afraid I may have to retire her from riding soon. Loveday and my uncle are doing well, somehow managing all the stress!" At this, Maria's smile widened.

"...And Robin?" Lizzy asked.

Maria's smile fell. "Nothing's changed. Or so that's all I can assume from the tiny little postscript she sent." She huffed and brought the letter up to Lizzy's face.

Lizzy sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "That's all she said? Nothing else? It's hard to help him when we can't even see him or know of his progress."
She walked over to her bed where she produced a packet of loose parchment sheets from underneath her pillow. She sat at her desk and began to scrawl down some notes. "They brought him to the manor to recover, did you know that?" She called over her shoulder. "Sir Benjamin was horrified to think he had let him remain so close to you with his current state."

Maria shook her head and Cat sat down beside her. She placed her head on Maria's shoulder and took her hand.

"Mr. De Noir didn't trust keeping Robin in the same place as Charles or Althea. He was too vulnerable." Cat answered.

"It's unfortunate though. For this to have happened." Lizzy continued. She was still writing in her journal. "And we know so little... Maria, you haven't received any word from either of the De Noir boys?"

"No. I told you everything I know. Althea refuses to name her curse, much less tell us how to break it."

Lizzy sighed again. "Yes, and Robin doesn't believe them."

"Correct. He thinks we're all lying."

"And you gave him your book, right?"

"Yes...I was hoping that by seeing the story, I could prove that what we are saying is the truth."

"Well, I wish we knew if he read it. The boys should at least talk to us. That way we can all work together."

"I've been wondering, what if he's not enchanted?" Cat asked. "I think for it to be an enchantment, there would be a sort of cloud blocking Robin from remembering. But what if it was a permanent change? One that completely erased those memories. There would be nothing for him to find."

"Well, that can be a possibility," Lizzy said and Maria's face dropped. That was not something she had ever considered.
"I'm sorry Maria, but we can't deny it until we know what spell was performed. Don't lose hope though! If there was anything I learned from my books, it is that things are never truly gone. I know those memories must still be there. We just have to go through a list of possible antidotes that can free Robin from the spell."

"That's going to be easy," Cat said sarcastically and let her body fall onto the bed.

Maria bit her lips, she wasn't sure if she should mention Richard's idea. She didn't want to deal with more friends pushing her to kiss Robin. What if it didn't even work?

"I know what you should do!" Cat said as she sat up and snapped her fingers. There was a gleam in her eye. "Touch his back!"

Maria scrunched her face, "how's that supposed to help?"

"Yes, Cat's right! It's what you did to the guards, correct? Perhaps, it was a variation of the spell that took over their minds."

"It's just what I was thinking," Cat said proudly of herself. "And if that doesn't work, then just bop him upside the head with a good dose of moon magic!" Cat demonstrated by smacking a pillow.

Maria couldn't help but laugh. "Girls, I appreciate the help, but I doubt that would do it."

"Now, don't be so negative. If there's anything we learned from our stay with you, is that the impossible is possible. With a little help from your 'moon' magic as Cat calls it, you'll have Robin back and competing with William for your heart in no time!" Lizzy teased.

...oOo...

Richard stood by Robin's door and knocked on it.

"Oy! It's time to go. Wake up!" Richard shifted his weight and waited. He stretched up into the air and yawned. It had been a long night for him and the boys, well except for Robin that is. Robin went early to bed leaving the rest of them to stay up late planning the negotiations for today. Richard pressed his forehead to the door and gave it a few more hard knocks.
Still, there was no sound from within.
"Alright, Robin. If that's how you're going to be, I'm coming in!"

Richard entered the room and groaned. Robin was on his stomach, with his blanket haphazardly wrapped around his body, still fast asleep. He hadn't even stirred.

Richard walked over and smacked Robin's foot to the side, "Oy! Wake up birdboy! It's time to go!"

Robin raised his head and sluggishly turned to look at Richard. "Sod off," he mumbled. Then, noticing Richard's breeches and suspenders, he muttered, "What on earth are you wearing?" But Robin didn't wait for a response. Instead, he let his face fall back onto his pillow, hoping to go back to sleep.

Richard shook his head, "Oh no you don't! We've been covering your arse for too long already. It's time you came out and suffered like the rest of us. This is what we've got to wear when out with the 'gentry' business folks."

Robin groaned. "What are you talking about? I know nothing of trade."

"Whether you believe us or not, there's years' worth of experience shoved into your brain somewhere. If you're too daft to find it, well that's your problem."

Robin scrunched his face and covered his head with his arm.

Richard shook his head and muttered something about Robin being an idiot. Though it had been