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Change of Turn (1)
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Moonlight's Deception Change of Turn (2)
Clara descended through the ladder carefully while he was down there looking up and waiting for her.The moment her feet touched the grass, she was yanked farther away from the treehouse.“Let go of me!”“Just come with me, Clara. The guests are confused. Why did you run away?” Alistair said, his eyes looking straight ahead.“Why did I run away?” she repeated, her tone laced with poison. “You want to know why?” Clara struggled against his touch, but he only tightened his grip, making her grimace in pain.“You’re hurting me.” She whimpered, coming out softly from her lips. She thought he didn’t hear it, so she screamed at the top of her lungs with a few tears on her cheeks.“I said let go! You’re hurting me!” Clara Wrenched her arm back with force, making her fall to the ground. Alistair was stunned as hell, eyes wide open and a gaping mouth in disbelief.Clara never imagined the day would come that she would look at him as if he was an enemy. She never wanted it to be like this. Her e
Moonlight's Deception The Air Prince (1)
The morning air at Eirinia Empire was bitingly cold. Standing atop the floating island, the castle had enough chills amidst the summer season. But no matter the atmosphere’s temperature, it wasn’t something the air-wielders couldn’t withstand. It was to be seen with the way its people go on with their daily activity.At the hillside, where there was a makeshift ring, a pair took turns landing a hit to one another’s body. The northern kingdom’s fourth prince, Prince Heath Alexander Castellan, was having his usual morning battle with his ward and future royal advisor, Maxwell Beaumont.Alexander wiped the sweat off his brow and positioned his legs in a defensive stance. “Again,” he ordered, setting his gaze on his opponent. The prince wasn’t particularly in a good mood. Maxwell had to drag him out to spar when he was supposed to be burrowing his nose among the bunch of books. As much as possible, he wanted to stay away from prying eyes.Maxwell rolled his shoulders and stretched his nec
Moonlight's Deception The Air Prince (2)
“Oh. Prince Alexander, what brings you”—he trailed off, glancing one by one at the portraits—“here?” He cocked one eyebrow and smirked.Knowing what was in his brother’s pea-sized brain, Alexander already anticipated what was about to come. Here came his favorite pastime.“Oh, my bad. Where are my manners? Hello, brother,” he spat as if calling him brother was poison in his tongue.Alexander never expected Thunder to act like an older brother anyway. Their ages were never that far apart, for he was only a year older.“Thunder,” he said, acknowledging his brother’ presence. But his name rolled off his tongue unpleasantly, voice laced with a mocking tone.Thunder’s jaw ticked, and Alex had to fight back the urge to smirk in victory at him.“What?” Thunder huffed. “Is father out to give you another dangerous mission? Maybe father is that desperate to get rid of you. Unfortunately for him, you always come back in one piece.” He clicked his tongue in scornful regret.Thunder still never fai
Moonlight's Deception Escape Attempt (1)
Clara’s head was an aching mess. The last thing she remembered was being knocked out by an excruciating pain her body couldn’t tolerate and the panic-filled eyes of Alistair as he ran to her.Peeling her eyes open, she woke up in the most lavish and beautifully decorated bedroom she’d ever seen, momentarily confused by all the dainty, pretty things.“Where am I?” she whispered, then coughed. And the sound of her voice made her heart stop its beat.Her voice didn’t sound like her. It used to be like melting honey; however, the voice she just heard from her throat was heavy and a little sharp.She roamed her eyes at the strange setting before her, hitting every color of the pink spectrum. The rosy accent walls were punched with gold leaf patterns. A strong scent of wild rose in the air was too much for her liking, a stark contrast of her favorite vanilla fragrance.Clara propped her elbows with a low grunt, hoisting her body up in a sitting position. She tried to will her body to adjust
Moonlight's Deception Escape Attempt (2)
Clara gained consciousness and the events that occurred came blasting like a hurtling rock. She opened her eyes wide.“What is going on?” she yelled in panic, cupping her throat with both hands.The last thing she remembered was lying cold on the floor. How did she end up on the bed?Someone knocked on the door, pulling Clara out of her rambling thoughts. It opened to reveal an older woman who looked to be in her forties.“Good morning, princess. Would you like to have breakfast in bed?” The woman was wearing a black maid’s uniform. Clara only gaped at her, for she didn’t know what to do or say. She was being offered breakfast, but the answer was kept at the back of her throat. Indeed, she was feeling hungry.“Princess, are you alright? Shall I call the Healer for you? The king and queen are in the courtroom, but they will be here at any moment.”Clara didn’t grant her a response. In a flash of seconds, she brushed past her and ran outside, away from that room. She could hear the maid’
Moonlight's Deception Malini (1)
Silence tailored her thoughts with silken threads. It used to be comforting and warm. But now, silence didn’t help with the whirlwind of thoughts bombarding her mind. It was like a spark that triggered the fire in Clara’s head, and the failed escape attempt had thrown her into a pitfall.Clara examined her hands as if staring at them could bring back her powers. Without it, there was no space in her heart with nothing but helplessness.After Prince Alexander and Maxwell had brought her back inside the room, more guards were stationed just outside the door. And Clara knew she couldn’t pull off what she did earlier again. It was one lucky chance, yet she blew it off.Any moment from now, the parents of the girl whose body she occupied would barge through the door. And they wouldn’t know that a different girl was living in Ariah.There was just one big question that Clara had been dying to know the answer to: How did she end up in another’s body?‘Think, Clara,’ she told herself. ‘What is
Moonlight's Deception Malini (2)
“You! You cannot die. I—” She paused while he only raised his brow. “You said you’ll take me to the city!”His features brightened like the early morning sun. “Well, that’s easy. I thought I would need to resort to kidnapping for you to go with me. Then, shall we, Princess Ariah?” He held out his hand, but before Clara could take it, there was something like a fire burning in her stomach. She did not have the chance to react because it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared.“Tell me your name first. And how are you related to the royal family of this kingdom?” Clara said.“We’re acting like this is the first time we meet, aren’t we? Well, then”— he sighed in exasperation—“The name’s Jayden Lavelle, Your Highness. And I’m an advisor to King Winston Leighton. Will you allow this man to escort you to the city?”‘A royal advisor? He looks too young to be one,’ she thought. But for once, she allowed herself to trust this man who introduced himself as someone close to Ariah’s father.“T
Moonlight's Deception Open Enrolment (1)
“Rovenshire. Arcelia City’s central town,” Jayden sang in his loud voice, garnering attention from passersby. “It’s been a long while since I last stepped foot here.” Wearing black robes to conceal their identity, Clara and Jayden emerged in a bustling street that thrived under the shadow of the floating rock island of Zephyrus’ castle.It looked like the entire world had come to gather. People bustled left and right, hopping from shop to shop. Carts of scrumptious foods lined the sidewalks. The air was filled with such a mixture of smells all jumbled up, making it hard to identify one from the other. Performance artists sat at random corners doing a strange number of tricks. One man created random shapes of small animals out of air as children chased them relentlessly. Another woman had several instruments floating around her, all playing at the same time until someone told her off for making unnecessary noises.Clara was about to cross the cobblestone street when Jayden pulled her b
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Moonlight's Deception Charms and Kisses (2)
Together, they exited her temporary chamber inside the palace of the Castellans. The ceilings were high, reaching a thousand feet, decorated with thick thunder clouds that Clara couldn’t quite place if they were mere illusions or not. They navigated through silent halls, past numerous private chambers, until they reached the huge oak doors, leading to the grand ballroom. There were two guards stationed on both sides. As they bowed their heads, pulling the heavy doors open, Clara squeezed Alexander’s arm, her nails digging on the hand-tailored fabric. “Say, Prince Alexander,” she whispered beside him, barely opening her lips, “would you be so kind as to explain what that kiss five nights ago meant and the reason why you ran away as if I was a bee who stung your lips?”Clara could feel the tightening of his arm’s muscles under the layer of fabric. The prince’s jaw tightened and he looked at her narrowingly from the corner of his eyes. Oh, to be reminded of that night. Clara didn’t kno
Moonlight's Deception Charms and Kisses (1)
Grunts and heavy, shallow breathing pierced through the deafening silence of the room. Bullets of sweat traveled down past Clara’s chin as she gripped on tight at the edges of the mirror’s frame. She grimaced as the Castellan’s chambermaid tightened the laced corset around her body. “A little more tight, Princess?” “No, no, please. That’s enough. Thank you.”Clara blew a loud breath through her mouth. The cursed fabric was like a tight vice around her lungs, rendering her incapable to breathe. The chambermaid stepped back and bowed her head and Holly took her place, holding the burgundy and gold ball dress that Clara would wear at the prince’s party. At the mere thought of the fourth prince, Clara’s cheeks were painted red in an instant. There were a lot of things playing in her head. Would Alexander like how she’d look in that fancy gown? That kiss.She heard from Holly that the two royal families decided to order a matching pair of attires for them.That kiss. But wasn’t the g
Moonlight's Deception The Invitation (2)
The night arrived, and so did the masses, turning it into a lively place. Young and old filled the streets with laughter and joy.Caelholme at night was a sea of sparkling lantern lights, a luscious breeze of food delicacies, and a music of sizzling fryers and boiling soups. Food stalls and carts that were not there during the day were now parked at the sides of the square. Tents had been set up along with plastic chairs and tables. It wasn’t the usual picture of Caelholme with people just in for a stroll around the town’s twisting cobbled streets, or to buy and sightsee around the shops, or to have a pleasant chit-chat with friends among fancy tea shops. The scene Clara was witnessing right now was a picture of unwinding, a time for people to vent off. Everybody else was there to simply have fun or get wasted just to forget the rest of their horrible day. Dressed in coarsely woven linen and wool fabric, Clara, Alexander, Maxwell, and Holly blended with the crowd. With Holly’s backg
Moonlight's Deception The Invitation (1)
“A charm is similar to an incantation or a spell; a practice believed to have magic power. It is not something tangible, but any sort of charm can be stored in an enchanter’s possession, may it be precious jewelry or some old photograph. Hiestorans first learned the craft of charm-binding during the Light Age…”Ever since Clara attended Professor Kendrick’s Charms and Relics class this afternoon, her eyes could not set themselves on anything but the girl sitting two rows down from her seat.The rest of the First Class had moved on from their slight ruckus upon the transferee’s arrival and now had shown disinterest in the new girl’s presence. But not Clara. Not when her tiny and petite frame knocked on the doors of her memory. The girl’s paper-white skin and rose blush set Clara keen to know her more. A spark of recognition flickered, but a heavy dark curtain prevented her from remembering.She leaned further to the right, knocking Holly sideways so that she could have a better look at
Moonlight's Deception The Essence (2)
‘Did she just shut me out of the Royal Residence… where I have the right to go in and out?’ The two guards stared at him, both torn apart from letting him in to keeping the doors closed. Alex could barely process that the princess, who was head over heels for him, denied him entrance. “Alex, you princely prick!” The voice rang like a gong in Alex’s ears and that, too, made everyone stop to see who was mad enough to call such a name to the prince. Seeing it was only Maxwell, Prince Alexander’s right-hand man and royal advisor, the onlookers went about their ways.“Where have you been? I was looking for you,” Maxwell said as soon as he skidded to a stop in front of him. With the way he was breathing so heavily, he must have run a mile. Or he might be walking for hours and hours under the glare of the early morning sun.“And you know better not to worry about me.” Alex bit back a scoff. “It doesn’t matter. What do you have for me?”“King Lucian, your father, had sent his Orin this morn
Moonlight's Deception The Essence (1)
Clara had barely squeezed herself inside the office when Professor Rhyb hastily banged the door shut. His fast-paced steps, sweating forehead, and shaking hands struck suspicion to the princess. Whatever it was which made him lock all the doors, shut the windows and block every possible exit, she wanted to know; she won’t take just a simple shrug to the topic as an answer.The woody scent and minty breath of lemons and herbal plants wafted around the closed quarters. Various healing instruments were filed inside the wooden cabinets, apart from pots of plants hanging around the hollow walls and littering the floor. His office was so much like the one found in Terralis, the home of earth-wielders like her. She had been in their palace’s Healers’ quarters before, and being in the sage’s office resembled it so much. Professor Rhyb was a satyr, a creature of the earth, but it was no surprise that Blaire would hire a non-air wielder like him. Their kind had mastered the practice of medicin
Moonlight's Deception Ill Omens (2)
“Alexander! The rock… where is it?”The prince raised an eyebrow in question, nonetheless, he took the stone in his hand, which sat idly beside him all this time. “This? You were holding this before you fainted. I have to have this investigated.”Clara snatched the red rock, much to Alex’s surprise, and enclosed her hands around it, afraid that it might disappear. She waited for something to happen; she was patient. She rid her mind of unnecessary things and focused on what she really wanted: the truth. But much to her dismay, it did nothing and it remained like any ordinary rock.“Why won’t it let me see?” she said on the verge of crying, biting her lip in frustration.“Let you see what?”“The past.” A short breathy laugh that was so unusual of her escaped her lips. Her fingers tensed around the red rock. By now, it was not hard for Clara to tell the expression on the prince’s face. Perhaps, he thought she was being crazy. “Do you know what this rock is? W-When you touched it, has som
Moonlight's Deception Ill Omens (1)
It was hell. That was the only thing she could describe the sensation assaulting her head. And the distasteful stink of rancidity was so oppressive for her sensitive nose.Clara stirred in her sleeping position. Her body screamed of soreness from the hard ground she slept on. As she skimmed her hands over the fabric serving as her cushion, she felt the grease clung to her skin. She sat up with a start, looked around through her half-opened eyes, and realized that her makeshift bed was from the pile of unwashed musty clothes from the wooden chair in the corner. Clara grimaced. She was already on her knees, about to stand up, when she spotted the prince slumped back against the wall, his head lolling to the side. The memory of what unfolded last night came rushing back and it only worsened the pounding in her head. She closed her eyes for a minute, took a deep breath, and picked up a rangy cloth in an attempt to cover him with it. As she was about to drape it over his body like a blan
Moonlight's Deception Vision (2)
Alex strode without delay towards it and up he climbed the tunnel. Clara waited apprehensively at the bottom. Seconds turned to minutes and each time, Clara wanted to go up and follow him. She could only hear Alex’s grunt and the sound of struggling, and that alone sent a relief that at least she knew he was alive.Clara took a few steps back when Alex came back, sliding down the tunnel. His eyes held danger and he was clearly annoyed as he brushed off the dirt from his black dress robe. And this expression alone made Clara worried.“What is that noise?” “We’re trapped.” Alex huffed. He ambled towards the desk, ancient and frail-looking, but he managed to sit on it, arms and ankles crossed. Through the small curtain of hair that covered his midnight eyes, he looked at Clara with the kind of stare which held a power to render someone as stiff as a stone.“Trapped?” she asked and Alex gave one swift nod. “You looked rather… calm. What trapped us here?”“A boulder was jammed in the entra
