Chapter 4- A Queen of Revenge

ELARA

"Luna," the guards in every corridor I passed greeted me. 

I had to keep reminding myself that they were referring to me. Me!

Gregor's voice kept echoing in my head. I was his Luna, mother of two children, Queen of a vast kingdom. It felt like I was in a dream, nothing felt real anymore. 

As I walked, I kept repeating the names under my breath so they could stick- Jamie, Julia, Alvan, Bannock, Shadowvale, Gregor...

I wondered if Gregor suspected the truth. There had been a bad moment when I couldn't offer up an explanation after Amber had talked about me having kids, but then the idea of faking amnesia had popped into my head. 

I stood in one of the corridors of the mansion, trying to decide how to ask one of the guards or maids for directions to the children's room when I saw Amber come out of a room and hurty downstairs.  

I had to take several deep breaths before I found the courage to open the door of the room she had just left. 

Two dark haired children, surrounded by a lot of stuffed animals, sat side by side, facing the window. 

"...Daddy and nanny said she would come soon," the boy said, throwing his arm around the girl's shoulders. 

"I want mummy," the little girl sobbed, rubbing her eyes.  

"Don't be such a baby, Julia. We're four, remember? Daddy says big girls and boys don't cry."

"You cried too," Julia said, raising her voice. "And I still want mummy!" 

So these were my children- Arianna's children. I opened my mouth to say something. The words didn't come. I felt a lump form in my throat. 

I took a step back. Then another. I didn't think I was ready to do this. At least not yet. 

Something made the girl turn sharply around. Her brown eyes lit up the moment she saw me. 

"Mummy!" she shrieked. 

She launched herself off the bed and right into my arms. Her brother also came running. He hugged me tight. 

I stroked their heads. I felt a sudden rush of warmth. So this was what being a mother felt like. 

Another thought popped into my head. 

These poor children would probably never get their real mother back. Why had the moon goddess not put me into the body of someone with a less complicated life?

I felt a tug on the sleeve of my dress. I looked down to see two pairs of identical worried brown eyes looking at me. 

"Mummy, what's wrong?" the boy asked. 

"You're crying," said the girl, pointing at my face.  

"No, I'm not." I quickly wiped away the tears I didn't know had pooled in my eyes. "I just got something in my eye, that's all. So tell me about your day."

It was the right thing to say. For the next half hour, I listened to the kids excitedly tell me every single detail of every single thing they had done. 

They didn't make two sentences without including their father, Gregor. It was obvious they adored him.

 I was jealous of the bond they all shared because even if they called me 'mother' I still felt like a stranger, looking on. I guessed I would always feel that way. 

When Amber came back in, I left the children with a promise to come back. 

"Where is my husband?" I asked a guard after wandering around the house for a while. 

The guard jerked his chin up the stairs. "He's in his study, Luna," he said. 

I climbed the stairs. I tried every door in the corridor I passed. One of them was unlocked. I gently pushed it open.  

Gregor was sitting behind his desk, papers and files spread out in front of him. He looked like a cold, older version of his son. 

"Yes?" looking up at me with a frown.  "What do you want?"

"I went to see the kids." I paused, waiting for a reaction. "I still can't remember them." Still nothing. Just those sapphire eyes staring at me with a look of weary impatience. "I umm- I'm finding it hard moving about without asking for directions. I remembered what you said about not asking about things I should know but it's hard not to. This place is so-"

"Arianna, was there a particular reason why you came here?"

"No, I just-"

"I am a very busy man with a kingdom to run. As for your... problem, I told you can get whatever help you need from the library." He pulled a file towards him, focused on it. "Shut the door when you leave."

I stood there for a few seconds more, glaring at him, wishing I could throw something at his arrogant head. 

Yet a large part of me wanted to penetrate his tough armour. I wanted something deeper than the closeness sex with him offered. I wanted to know if he was a jerk just to me or to everyone else. 

Finally, I left. 

"A letter just arrived for you, Luna," said Amber's voice, jerking me out of my thoughts. 

I stopped at the door of my bedroom. Amber was holding out a sealed letter. 

"Thank you," I said, taking it from her. 

I went into my room. My fingers tore open the thick envelope before I sat down. A letter to Arianna would tell me more about her. 

The paper I held was covered with unfamiliar writing. 

My eyes went to the top of the page.

The first word that caught my eye was 'Elara'.   

Remembering the goddesses' warning, I gasped. The letter fluttered to the floor. My heart slammed in my ribs. My mouth went dry. 

Who already knew my secret? Who knew I was really Elara in this body?

With a hand that shook badly, I snatched up the letter and read on. 

Elara, Gregor's real mate, is dead. Your brother, Allan and Pete took care of her. They made it look like a suicide. Now that she's finally out of the way, Gregor now has no choice but to accept and mark you as his. 

Once he does this and names Jamie as his heir, send word to us so we will go on to the next part of the plan; to kill him and take over Shadowvale. 

Written at the bottom of the paper, almost like after thought were the words; burn this letter as soon as you've read it. 

I felt the paper crumple in my fist. 

My head spun as I tried to make sense of what I had just read. 

So my father and the world thought I had committed suicide? And then what was this about Gregor being my mate? 

I clutched my head. It felt like I was going mad. 

Squeezing my eyes shut, I thought about that scene in the hotel room; Allan walking over to the window, throwing it open. Allan and Pete, of them taunting me until I attacked them. The push out of the window. The fall. 

My eyes widened at the horror of it all. 

It was all planned. Everything. 

I had always been in the center of a deadly plot and now by some twist of fate, I was back in the center of a conspiracy to take over Shadowvale. 

Anger, slow and steadily burning coursed through me. Slowly, I got to my feet. I looked down at the crumpled paper in my hand. 

It was a sign. A sign the universe had sent me to start the mission for which I was reborn- revenge.