After the party (1)
Everything that happened during the party was unexpected for her, and somehow, it exhausted Luna. They stopped just outside the closed door of the banquet hall because Alkrevas wanted to have a serious conversation with one of his aides, allowing her to glare at Alkrevas’s back in front of her. However, it was only momentarily, as the psychopathic emperor resumed his wide stride, dragging her along. Luna gasped and growled.
“Hey!” she called out loudly.
“Wait, I-” Luna didn’t finish her sentence when she realized the emperor’s guards, maids, and aides were following behind. Then, when she looked ahead, she saw Alkrevas giving her a warning look over his shoulder, indicating not to speak recklessly. For the first time, Luna obeyed and shut her mouth. She let Alkrevas drag her somewhere unknown.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.
It took them a few minutes to reach their destination, climbing stairs, passing through connecting areas, and walking down corridors. Luna recognized all their paths, knowing that Alkrevas was dragging her back to the emperor’s residence in the innermost part of the main palace.
Upon arriving at the emperor’s residence and the door closing tightly behind them, signaling their private space had been reached, Luna urgently asked Alkrevas, “Don’t you think you were overreacting with all of that?” Her breath became labored as she struggled to keep up with Alkrevas’s vast strides, compounded by her gown and heels, which made her likely to fall if she wasn’t careful.
“Your Majesty?” Luna called again, louder this time, but the man did not respond and instead thinned his lips while staring ahead with a piercing gaze. His grip on her wrist tightened, causing a hiss of pain to escape Luna’s lips.
“Hey! Are you pretending not to hear me?” Luna shouted. She stopped walking and resisted with all her strength so Alkrevas couldn’t drag her like a doll anymore, and then she yanked her hand away from him forcefully.
Luna looked at her reddened wrist from his grip, then glared at Alkrevas with a sharp, murderous look. “Why did you do all that? You almost killed an innocent, awkward man!” Luna growled.
“Do you want to ruin my reputation? Isn’t my appearance at this party for the first time supposed to build my reputation as a future empress?” For a moment, Alkrevas didn’t move; he just stood still with his back to Luna like a statue.
Luna observed the detailed imperial emblem beautifully embroidered in the middle of Alkrevas’s robe before looking at the back of his head. Two of the emperor’s servants arrived, asking if they needed anything. Still, with a hand gesture from Alkrevas, they bowed and withdrew.
Luna pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Isn’t that one of your goals in making me your companion at this banquet? The reason you made that declaration? So I would get support because I’m not from the Vasilos nobility, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then why?”
Suddenly, Alkrevas turned around and took wide steps toward Luna. One hand gripped Luna’s jaw firmly, while the other hand circled Luna’s waist possessively, pulling her body close to his. Alkrevas’s red eyes-still not back to normal since leaving the banquet hall-stared straight into Luna’s trembling brown eyes, indicating that behind her brave and always challenging demeanor, there was an intense underlying fear.
Alkrevas smirked, then kissed the corner of Luna’s lips briefly before whispering obsessively, “Because you are mine.”
After saying that, Alkrevas pulled his body away, withdrew his hands, and walked towards the chamber. Luna stood still for a moment, but not for long. She quickly turned and ran to catch up with Alkrevas, who was already at the chamber door.
“But you didn’t need to do all that if, in the end, you were going to make the announcement. Not to mention, with the rumors, that man also understands that I am your soulmate.” Luna murmured the last three words with some hesitation.
Alkrevas, who was about to open the chamber door, immediately abandoned his intention, lowering his hand and turning to look at Luna, who bowed. One of his eyebrows arched up, and he signaled the door guard to step aside. He then hugged Luna tightly, kissing the top of her head gently.
Alkrevas inhaled the woman’s scent profoundly and buried his face in her soft hair. His eyes closed tightly, and a mysterious smile appeared on his lips. “As you said, I am yours,” Luna added softly.
“What’s with all these changes? Why did you finally acknowledge the sacred bond between us, hmm? It makes me wonder…” Alkrevas muttered casually. He pulled away slightly and lifted Luna’s chin gently with his fingers placed under her chin.
“Is there something I don’t know about?” he asked, watching Luna open her mouth briefly before clamping it shut again. She shook her head slightly and turned away. She stepped past Alkrevas, opened the chamber door, and entered the room. Instantly, darkness greeted Luna, and if the moonlight hadn’t been streaming in through the window, she wouldn’t have been able to see her surroundings.
Luna heard a snap of fingers, and the darkness enveloping the chamber turned into bright light. Lamps made from magic stones lit up beautifully, and the crystal chandelier adorning the ceiling also contributed to its glow. Luna turned and folded her arms, glaring sharply at Alkrevas. “What’s going on?”
“Where did you go? I was looking for you.”
“I was having a conversation with the chancellor and some ministers.”
Luna sighed loudly and sat on the sofa in the chamber’s sitting area. “Little mate? What’s wrong? I can tell something is bothering you. Tell me.” Luna pursed her lips and shook her head. She looked up at Alkrevas and gave him a sweet smile for the first time. She could see how surprised he was, evidenced by his reaction and the fact that he didn’t blink.
Alkrevas opened his mouth to ask something but stopped when he heard a knock and the voice of a servant saying that warm water for bathing was ready.
“Your Majesty, you should go to the bathroom first. I need to remove my makeup and remove all the accessories I wear.”
Alkrevas looked suspicious but nodded. “I will call your maid to assist you.”
“Thank you.”
When Alkrevas left, accompanied by several palace maids, leaving Luna alone, she finally relaxed her entire body. She had almost impulsively asked about General Thea and the truth behind the conversation she overheard between two noblewomen. For some reason, her heart felt so uneasy.
Her soul was constantly restless, wanting to seek the truth. A strong urge tightened her chest whenever she recalled the noblewoman’s words. Luna rubbed her tired face and stood up. She walked into the dressing room and approached the window. She opened the window with one push, gazing at the night sky adorned with the moon and stars.
Her solitude was suddenly disturbed when she heard the sound of wings flapping from her right. When she turned towards the sound, Luna blinked in confusion at a bird resembling a pigeon. Still, its body was transparent, as if it wasn’t a bird from nature but rather a magical creation.
Luna saw the cute little bird fly right in front of her, and when she noticed the bird’s tiny feet, she saw a scroll tied with a red string. Wondering where the bird came from, she nonetheless took the scroll. As soon as the scroll was in her hand, the transparent bird vanished, and Luna murmured in amazement, thinking the messenger bird was made of magic. But her amazement quickly turned to confusion as she looked down at the small scroll in her hand. She turned and walked to the center of the room, unrolling the scroll and reading the brief message written on it.
“Antique shop Mianne. Bolmeghan District. Noon. G.”
From Ghea? Luna hurriedly tore up the scroll and threw the pieces into the fireplace. She rubbed her rapidly beating heart. Ghea asked to meet, but what excuse could she give Alkrevas to get permission to leave the imperial palace gates? The first opportunity was a stroke of luck, but a second chance?
Luna bit her lip and returned to the window, gazing into the distance with a troubled expression. Her hands gripped the window frame tightly. As did her hair, a gentle breeze blew into the room, causing the curtains to sway softly and rhythmically. Luna closed her eyes, trying to calm herself with the soft caress of the wind on her face. Still, her tranquility was short-lived when she felt a pair of strong arms circle her waist protectively.
Her eyes snapped open, and she turned to the side, seeing Alkrevas watching her intently with his brown eyes. There was an emotion in those eyes that Luna couldn’t identify, and for some reason, it disturbed her deeply. “Your Majesty.”
“Haven’t you gotten used to calling me by my name?”
“Uh… umm… Alkrevas.”
“You haven’t changed your clothes?”
“I was waiting for the maids.”
“They’ve been waiting outside. They’ve been waiting for your permission to enter.”
Luna’s cheeks instantly flushed with embarrassment. She had been so preoccupied with her thoughts that she hadn’t heard the maids knocking. She cleared her throat softly and removed Alkrevas’s hands from around her, then walked over to the large mirror that showed her entire body from top to bottom.
…