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"You imp, Robin!"
"Whatever can you mean, princess?" Robin asked with an impish grin.
"You know exactly what I mean, you scoundrel." Maria put her hands on her hips, which was never a good sign. "Now give it back."
Robin, quirking an eyebrow, lifted the book ever higher over his head. "And why ever should I do that?"
"Because I said so!"
Loveday only shook her head, watching as her brother and Maria began another argument -- probably the tenth in less than an hour. She left them there, in the library, to quarrel all they wanted. She'd tried before to end one of their little disagreements, but honestly her interference had only made it worse.
Closing the door behind her, she adjusted the light shawl around her shoulders and soon found Benjamin seated in his armchair in the parlor, feet stretched out toward the crackling fire, and a glass of some dark, intoxicating liquid resting idly in his hand. At his feet lay Wrolf, who was fast asleep.
Benjamin looked up as Loveday entered, his face shifting from thoughtful into a smile. "Hello, my dear," he said, reaching out to her. She moved quickly to his side, and took up his hand. "I haven't seen you since breakfast," he continued, lifting her hand to brush his lips against her knuckles. "What have you been doing all day?"
She smiled in response to his gentle affection, reaching out to run her fingers through his dark hair. "Well, my last few hours have been consumed by my brother and Maria. They were going to 'help' me reorganize a few shelves in the library, but...all they seem to do is argue."
Benjamin shook his head, looking back to the fire as he said, "I don't know what on earth to do with them. Yesterday they were shouting at each other in the forest so loudly I could hear them as I rode past."
Loveday chuckled, settling down on the arm of the chair and leaning against her husband. "I know what to do with them."
He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. "Pray tell, my love, before they drive us all to distraction."
"My belief is that the reason they argue all the time is because they're both too stubborn to admit that their feelings for each other have grown and changed over the last couple of years." Loveday lay her head on Benjamin's shoulder. "I judge them to be quite madly in love, you see."
"Madly in love?" Benjamin almost scoffed. "Maria and Robin? Nonsense."
It was Loveday's turn to scoff. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed, darling. It's very obvious."
"Maybe to you," said Benjamin with a slight frown as he turned over in his mind what Loveday had just told him. "Madly in love...are they really?"
"Yes, dear, and I intend to do something about it."
+
Indeed, Loveday did do something about it. It perhaps wasn't one of her most genius ideas, but it seemed better than locking the two of them in a room until they admitted how they felt about it each other. They would dig a tunnel through stone with their bare hands before they admitted to anything.
So instead, Loveday found a different solution. Over every doorway, around every corner, even in the halls and over the stairs, she hung a small clipping of mistletoe, each tied with an innocent-looking red bow. Someday very soon, before Christmas, she would catch -- or lead -- Robin and Maria under that mistletoe, and they would be forced to kiss each other. Undoubtedly once they kissed each other, the rest would iron itself out.
"Well, my dear," said Benjamin, slipping his arms around her waist, "even if it doesn't work on them, it most certainly is working on me."
She laughed as he bent to kiss her.
+
A few days passed wherein Loveday was unable to capture Maria and Robin beneath the mistletoe. Unfortunately, the only couple besides herself and Benjamin that became ensnared beneath any of the numerous herbal matchmakers was Miss Heliotrope and Digweed, which made for a very...interesting scene indeed. Lots of stuttering, fidgeting, and at long last, a chaste kiss placed on Miss Heliotrope's blush-painted cheek, before Digweed scuttled away in embarrassment, leaving Miss Heliotrope to fan at herself and insist that the whole thing was very 'improper and uncivilized', even as she watched the retreating figure of her suitor with a smitten look in her eyes.
But within a week, snow fell heavily, and the wind blew harshly, forcing Robin to postpone his journey back to De Noir castle and stay the night at Merryweather Manor.
Excellent, thought Loveday. He'll have to come into the parlor after dinner. She, of course, had strung nearly the entire doorway of that room with mistletoe.
She and Benjamin could hardly keep from laughing as they watched Robin and Maria walking down the hall ahead of them toward the parlor. It was so ridiculous, this scheme of Loveday's, and yet....
The unsuspecting pair was arguing about something one or the other of them had or hadn't said earlier that day, not even paying attention to their surroundings, let alone doorframes strung with plants.
As soon as their feet struck the threshold of the room, Loveday called out, "Looks like you two are under the mistletoe."
Maria froze, as did Robin beside her, both of them slowly lifting their heads up and focusing their eyes on the greenery above them.
"Indeed," said Benjamin with a knowing grin. "And we all know what mistletoe means."
Maria sent her uncle a glare, already there was color rising in her cheeks. From anger, most likely, but perhaps there was something else.... Robin only continued to stare at the mistletoe. Loveday wished she could read their thoughts at this moment, and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Her plan was finally being fulfilled.
"Well, go on, you two," she coaxed, "you can't just stand there all night."
Slowly, Maria and Robin turned to look at each other. Seemingly unable to make eye contact, they soon levelled twin glares at Loveday and Benjamin, who were simply too amused to be insulted. Maria was the first of the pair to speak.
"This is a stupid tradition!" She said, crossing her arms. Her eyes flickered from Loveday and Benjamin back to Robin, just for a second, before she glared at them again. "We shouldn't have to...to...to adhere to it."
Robin nodded, uncharacteristically silent, and unnaturally pink.
"Really, Maria, it shouldn't be that big of a deal," said Loveday, knowing that saying such would ruffle Maria's feathers, would sound almost like a challenge to her headstrong ears, "After all, it's only a kiss."
Benjamin feigned a frown. "But it is a kiss with Robin," he said, giving the young man a falsely critical look, "so perhaps we should let them out of it. Hmm?"
"What?" Robin said before Loveday could answer. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Maria seemed eager to accept any escape possible -- especially one which involved insulting Robin, which she apparently loved to do. "You're right, Uncle. It is a kiss with Robin, so we should be let out of it."
Robin's face was quite red at this point, but now for a reason different than embarrassment. "And just what is so wrong with me?" He demanded.
Maria looked at him properly for the first time since they had become entrapped beneath the mistletoe. "I can think of a million things that are wrong with you, Robin."
"Like what?"
"Where do I even begin? You rarely listen, you're far too impatient, you never --"
"But what has that got to do with me being apparently too repulsive for even you to kiss me?"
"Even me? What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, I don't exactly see anyone lining up."
"It's not like they're lining up for you either!"
Benjamin, fearing that the plan was dissolving into nothing more than a terrible argument, leant down to his wife's ear. "Should we--?"
"No," said Loveday quietly, giving his hand a squeeze, "let it play out."
"You still haven't told me why the idea of kissing me is so horrifying."
"Well I don't have to!"
"What, tell me or kiss me?"
"Both!"
"Are you afraid to kiss me?"
"What? No--"
"Afraid you might like it?"
"Robin!" Maria gasped, the red of her cheeks deepening at the suggestion.
Loveday and Benjamin exchanged a glance. It seemed they needn't do anything to egg Robin and Maria on, as it appeared the two stubborn lovebirds were doing quite a good job of it themselves.
"Oh, so you are afraid," said Robin smugly, folding his arms over his chest and looking far too pleased with himself.
"I'm not afraid of anything, Robin!" Maria shot back, "But rather I think you're afraid! You know, I've never seen you around another girl besides me all this time, and I think you're afraid to admit that you would actually rather kiss me than anyone else!"
Loveday's mouth opened in surprise, Benjamin's eyebrows shot skyward, and Maria's words echoed harshly off the walls as silence fell heavily around them. And Robin had been rendered speechless. Because, perhaps, Maria's words struck far too near the truth.
She stared up at him, the angry expression on her face gradually softening and the fire in her eyes being extinguished as she came to realize the gravity of what she'd just uttered. Robin stared down at her, his face set, his body unmoving even as his thoughts seemed to be running a mile a minute behind his dark eyes. In their world, Loveday and Benjamin were long forgotten, despite the fact that they were standing a mere seven feet away from them. Somewhere, a clock could be heard ticking. Perhaps even the snow could be heard hitting the ground. Loveday and Benjamin didn't dare to move, lest they break the spell that had seemed to settle over Robin and Maria.
"Robin," Maria finally spoke, her tone soft and apologetic. "I'm sorry, I--"
She dropped off when his fingers brushed across her cheek, his hand moving to cradle the side of her face. She drew in a sharp breath, freezing beneath his touch. He slowly drew his face nearer hers, even as he guided her toward him. Her hands came to grasp the front of his jacket, and as their faces moved closer, her gaze flickered downward to his lips before she let her eyes fall closed. There was a brief moment of apprehension before their lips met, scarcely longer than a heartbeat -- but long enough to make Loveday fear the kiss really wasn't going to happen after all -- until, at last, they melted into each other.
It was sweet, and far too long overdue.
Loveday lay her head on Benjamin's shoulder, smiling widely, because her plan had worked.
At that moment, footsteps descended the stairs behind them, unnoticed, until something akin to a shriek bounced off the walls. "Maria!"
Robin and Maria bolted apart, and all eyes turned to see Miss Heliotrope standing on the staircase with a hand clutching at her heart, the other grasping the stair railing for dear life.
"Oh Maria! Such-such impropriety! A l-lady would, would n-never -- I--!"
This sudden outburst was met with a breath of silence, and then, laughter. Maria couldn't help it. "Sorry, Miss Heliotrope," she said, even as she blushed and laughed and held tightly to Robin's hand. He was, at that moment, looking everywhere but at her, or anyone, really.
It was only a moment before Miss Heliotrope was reminded by Loveday of her own fling beneath the mistletoe, and any scolding was put to an abrupt end.
The group then, finally, entered the parlor, and for the rest of the evening there was peace, quiet, and not one single argument. It was truly a Christmas miracle.