Chapter 12

I am aware that they portray themselves as modest, elegant philanthropists who are powerless to incorrect, but that is not at all the case. The majority of the children are treated well by the parents, but I recall that they were almost completely abusive to one child in particular—the bastard son, who was the offspring of a relationship Lady Lunous had. He endured so severe torture that he eventually fled.

In any case, Craig, Sir Lunous's brother, employed me. He..." she hangs her head, and by the troubled look in her eyes, I can tell this still bothers her. "He would beat me. Frequently. Every time I made a mistake, or occasionally just out of pure curiosity. He kept beating me in that area since he saw that my left leg was the one that was mending the least. You name it: with brooms, with cast irons, with sword hilts. I was kicked out of the house and labeled as an invalid because I could hardly stand on that leg anymore." 

I realize I'm outraged, so angry I cannot breathe. I can't believe what I'm hearing. How could someone be so cruel, let alone to a girl like Macy? Macy smiles at me. "Don't worry about it now, though. Years have passed since then. It's not like it really matters anymore because I got back up and managed to get a job here." "However, that's... He did something horrible!Furious, I cry out, "He needs justice for what he did." Regardless of his nobility, he must be put down!"

Macy frowns and shakes her head, "I know, but you understand the nature of this planet. Who would believe a maid who was handicapped more than a nobleman?" I look at the ground, realizing that she is right—I know she is right, but it still enrages me so much—power can get you away with a lot in this world, and it only now dawns on me how privileged I was. 

However, enough about me. She sits down next to me and says, "I want to learn more about you. What's wrong with your heart? "as she peers at me through her lashes."

I glance in her direction, my fury giving way to disbelief. "How did you find out about my heart condition?"

Her gaze darts to my mahogany side table's drawer, "I noticed the herbs inside." I am aware of Foxglove's actions. I try not to smile. Only Macy would know that about me, of course. "Excellent. My heart was quite weak when I was born, and it has never grown stronger. I run the danger of developing heart failure if I overdo my fitness regimen or simply if I'm under a lot of stress. On other occasions, I simply get random attacks and then have to find a splinter in a moonstone. I'm shocked that I haven't had punctured a hole in my shoulder from all the times I've let them in."

"Well, that makes sense," Macy chuckles. Everything is healed by moonstone. Obviously not totally, though." 

Indeed, I reply. "Nothing can heal my heart directly, but moonstone is sufficient to prevent my heart from failing." A small amount of prevention is provided by foxglove. We are sitting there in peace when there's a knock on the door. Macy gets up right away and says, "Come in!"

My heart skips a beat as I see bright green eyes peering through the open door. Alex's smile looks more endearing today, especially when he directs it at me. "There you are, girls. I just wanted to let you know when the competition will begin. You are welcome to go and observe at the Arena."

"I'm grateful, Alex. We'll carry that out "said Macy.

 "No problem, Macy." Alex gives her a smile before turning to face me. "And Naomi, please make an effort not to get lost." I won't be there to lead you." He gives me a quick wink before turning around and closing the door. There is a pause of around five seconds during which Macy lets out a loud cry and wraps her arms around my shoulders. "Oh my gosh, Naomi! You kept Alex a secret from me!"

I laugh, but the infectious smile won't go away. "He brought me here on my first day. Still, it's nothing. 

"Are you serious?"He's the talk of the entire maid cohort," Macy screams. Everybody aspires to be near Alex. And how did he look at you, did you notice? You lucky duck, he's absolutely into you!"

I answer, "Nooo, that's definitely not true," but I can't help but smile foolishly. I'm not sure if it's Macy's excitement or the thought of someone so desired wanting me, but I can't help but feel warm inside.

"Oh! You're red in the face!Macy screams. "Cease talking!" I laugh. Then, I throw Macy up onto my back and grab her legs, so that I am giving her a piggyback. I don't know what's gotten into me, but suddenly, I want to match Macy's enthusiasm as well. "Come on, we're going!"

We break into a light pace as we burst through the door and into the corridors, Macy squealing again. I carry her about halfway before I had to stop and allow her take over the directions. She smiles and leads me down many hallways until we come to a specific archway.

People are leaking in and out of it, soaking up the light from outside, and we just follow along mindlessly. 

The arena is enormous; it's a big, circular building that makes me think of the old Colosseums that are all over the world. Its walls reach high into the sky, and rows of seats descend level by level until they reach the dirt pit that is about two meters below us. Inside the walls surrounding the pit are four archways and a sizable blackboard that has been covered in chalk. 

The royal family is seated in a booth that appears to sit above it all, and Macy and I make our way up the stairs until we find an empty spot on the bench and take our seats. Below, I can see the girls lingering inside the pit's arches, waiting anxiously as the crowd pours in. From here, I can see Kohl, but the harsh sun distorts my vision, making it difficult to discern any details, so I choose to look at the pit instead. 

I realize that the names on the blackboard are those of the girls, arranged in a one-on-one format into boxes; Bronte from Ounsli and Cynthia from Lunous will be the first to compete; I think of Macy's story about her broken leg and find myself cheering for the Ounsli girl.

Once again, I'm glad I'm not competing; an announcer enters the middle of the arena with a big smile on his face and begins to explain how the tournament will work. It's a round-based format, and the loser of each round will be eliminated from the Queenstrails completely. This information surprises me because in previous Queenstrials, the format was always point-based, meaning that competitors were ranked rather than eliminated. "Having said that, let us extend a warm greeting to Cynthia Lunous and Bronte Ounsli at the Arena!" I never got used to the strange eye color of the Lunous, and after hearing Macy's story, I doubt I ever will.

The crowd erupts in applause, and the announcer retreats as the two girls enter the arena. They appear to circle each other before settling into their positions in the pit. Bronte's dark skin glints in the sunlight, and Cynthia's silver eyes look so piercing that they give me chills. After a few tense moments of stillness, the two transform into their wolf, and a loud roar breaks the tension as they fight in combat. The Lunous girl, Cynthia, utilizes her heightened speed to go straight for Bronte's dark-furred neck, and it's immediately clear who will win.