The Advancement Ceremony...
I blinked as I couldn't believe who was in front of me right now. I couldn't believe they invited Storm and Casey! They just arrived from the fancy coach of our pack. They wore fancy clothes that almost looked like one of the noble families.
"Rachelle!" Luna Casey almost screamed when she hugged me. "I couldn't believe it! You'll become a General today!" She giggled.
"Luna... Alpha..." I bowed and thanked her. "You two are a bit early. The ceremony will start after an hour."
"We have to visit the Grand Alpha King right now. He will be busy once his son arrives," Storm said and winked at me after he gave me a meaningful smile.
"You mean the Alpha King?" I arched my eyebrow. Why did he sound
As they both sat down after greeting their father and their sister, they sat down to their respective seat. Claude, I mean the Alpha King, sat in the middle while his seat was embellished with gold.I even saw Storm approaching Casey and stood beside her like he was her royal knight. It was as if they weren't husband and wife after all...This was all surprising for me.I mindlessly walked to the stage when it was my turn to be pinning a medal by the Alpha King himself. I tried my best to put up a stoic expression.There was a twinge of pain again as soon as I was in front of him. When he looked at me, there was his icy stare like he was looking down on me. I suddenly felt so small when he emitted his aura. I took a deep breath and bowed my head.
In the end, even if I wanted to get away from this gathering, I was ordered to come by the Alpha King himself. All the high socialites, nobles, and part of the royal family were all here gathering in the banquet hall.This gathering gave me a dull impression that I couldn't last to stay here. I was in the very corner, hiding from the eyes of the nobles. I am already tired of making social interactions with them. I knew that this was the start but I could have wished General Cairo and General Benedict were also here with me. But they chose not to go here for some reason even though they were invited. Maybe they found this very dull just as I am having a thought right now.If I wasn't ordered to come here, I wouldn't be here in the first place.I silently clicked my tongue, holding a glass of white wine as my eyes swa
"General, please. You can't just stroll around again," Jack, my secretary, said as I was heading out after finishing the tasks he asked me to do."Jack, I don't like staying in one place, alright?" I smiled as he looked so stressed from my action that I was going out."Stop being so lazy!" He huffed and fixed his glasses. He looked like he was about to cry.I chuckled and winced his hair. "Chill, Jack. You'll have wrinkles if you are being so hot-headed to me."He shot me a glare. "Come back here, you lazy General." He held my arm and pulled me back to my desk.I slumped my shoulders and frowned seeing another pile of papers on my desk. "Can't I take a break?" I asked wryly as he gave me papers in front of me.
Even he, too, was shocked from what happened seeing how his eyes widened.I immediately got off from him then I gasped because we came from the second floor and landed on the ground floor. I approached him and helped him to sit up as he was groaning."A-Are you alright, Your Majesty?" I asked, panicking.My heart leaped as his eyes darted on me."Y-Yes." He nodded. "How about you?" he asked and scrutinized me up and down."I-I am alright. Thanks to His Majesty," I said, feeling guilty.We looked at each other. I suddenly felt nostalgic for the way he was looking at me. I felt like I was throwing back to the times when he was still my supervisor with a mischievous expression on his
"There is no need to offer me a chair to sit in, Your Majesty. I am fine just sitting here." I made a turn and sat on the railings. "Why did you summon me, old man?" "Are you trying to jump again at this height?" I snapped my head to Claude. This man was getting on my nerves already. What he was doing right now was making my blood boil. "Why are you so quick to judge, Your Majesty?" I narrowed my eyes on him. Punish me for making eye contact with His Majesty. I just couldn't take this kind of treatment he was giving me. He had liked this ever since the banquet happened before. Although I told him that he would act hostile against me, he needed to act professionally sometimes. But how could I even suggest that? I would get beheaded if I dare to speak what's inside of
"I don't get why you have to come around, Your Majesty," I said as I was already frowning."Claude.""Huh?" I blinked, tilting my head. He didn't answer me so I scrutinized him up and down. "Why are you even dressed like that, Your Majesty?" He was also wearing a very cheap tunic which is the same as mine but it is more ankle-to-floor length. He wasn't wearing some fancy clothing to signify his wealth as the Alpha King.He stopped walking and faced me. "Call me 'Claude', Rachelle. It is just the two of us so you don't need to address me like that."I raised my eyebrow. "You'll go by the name of Claude Hackworth again? Just as you always pretend way back?" I huffed and passed by him.I didn't hear anything from him so I made h
We spent our whole afternoon eating some variety of sweets before we settled on the nearby brook and stayed at the nearest tree. My feet were soaked in the water while lying in the grass.Claude remained standing while his eyes were focused on the bridge that was connected to the next district, the Southside. I wasn't sure what was fascinating about it but maybe he was thinking of a new project for the kingdom.I stared at the sky while raising and waving my hand. Then I clutched something thinking it was a sword bathed with wolfsbane."I want to go to the war," I said out of nowhere. I just want some bloodshed killing some rogues who dare to defy and ruin the order of the kingdom.Especially Magnius Lothim. I am itching to kill him for having my soldiers killed.
We distanced ourselves the moment we arrived at the plaza after the sun was set. We didn't even talk nor speak to each other.How am I supposed to enjoy myself here in the plaza if neither of us is okay right now?I must think of ways to get out of this awkward situation so I could at least enjoy my day off. I don't even know why His Majesty has to follow me here when he could have chosen to leave me here alone.I silently snorted after that.I roamed my eyes around as I saw the lanterns hanging around in the posts with lots of food stalls and some magic shows were set up in the plaza. The place was extravagant and I wanted to stroll around on every corner of this place.I stopped walking when my nostrils smelled something sm
The palace was in a chaotic situation right now.It was not because of the war. The war has been long gone and turned into history.It was because of the—"Your Majesty, Luna Queen Rachelle, where are you?""Prince Cloud.""Prince Claus.""Prince Clyde."I looked at my three sons as I hushed them not to make a sound as we were hiding at the back of the greenhouse garden. We silently laughed as the knights and palace guards were panicking all over the palace.'Hush,' I said through mind link to Clyde, seven years old, when he was about to speak. I gently pointed to his head. 'Use mind link to communicate with me, alright, darling?'I heard his giggle from the mind link. 'Yes, Mommy.'I turned at Cloudy, eleven years old, who was our lookout. He giggl
Claude nervously stood up as he bowed his head before my mother. "I-I..." He cleared his throat and looked at Her nervously. "M-Moon Goddess Lunaria, I-I am Clau..." He cleared his throat again when his voice cracked causing me to chuckle softly. "I'm... Uh... Claudian Alexander IV. I am..." He gulped. "I am Rachelle's mate," he said as he chuckled nervously. I chuckled and covered my mouth seeing how nervous Claude was right now. After we both shared a kiss earlier, Claude realized that we did it in front of my mother. Judging by the expression of my mother, I could surmise that she was raising her eyebrow, scrutinizing Claude up and down. (I know you, human. Your mother, Beatrice, always told stories about you and your sisters, Claude.) Claude gasped. "D-Do you always talk to my mother?" Mother nodded. "H-How is she? F-Father misses her so much. We also missed her, too." His voice croaked be
<Rachelle, my love...><Please wake up...><You promised me...><Don't leave me alone here please...><I need you...><Rachelle, our son... He needs you, too. Don't leave us, please...>I gasped and opened my eyes as I coughed and held my neck. "Claude...?" I creased my forehead when I was in a familiar... lavender field. Again? My eyes widened upon the realization. I even noticed that I was wearing a white flowy dress. "Mother!" I immediately turned my head when I felt Her presence.In an instant, She was already beside me and I felt suffocated because she embraced me in Her arms.(How have I long to hold you, my dear, Ragriel,) she said in her godly female voice. It was like there was another voice, an alto one, jo
"No, no, no. Claude, don't do this to me," I said as I held his face as he coughed more and looked into my eyes.He smiled faintly before he told me, "Please remove them. Quickly..." he demanded as I nodded to remove them.It was a good thing that Doctor McKenzie spared us a few antidotes in case something like this would have happened. Claude immediately took the vial and was about to bestow me the other one when someone shot it. Gasping, Claude quickly shielded me when we heard footsteps from where we came from."Well, well... I did not know I had a guest tonight."Claude and I growled a warning when my father, Magnius Lothim, appeared with a sinister smile plastering on his lips. His hands were smeared with blood and I was horrified upon seeing that he was holding the... decapitated head of—"Doctor McKenzie..." I mumbled his name as I started to feel disgus
"H-How did you get here?" I asked as soon as I realized what was happening.Before Claude could answer me, he cupped my face and immediately crashed his lips into mine. My eyes widened at that unexpected action from him before he broke our kiss. His expression softened upon seeing my surprised one."I have missed you, Rachelle... I was so worried when you were abducted..." His voice croaked."Your Majesties, we must get to the infirmary now." It was Doctor McKenzie.I turned to him. "But I do have chains. I cannot simply walk properly—" I almost shrieked when I felt being scooped by the familiar touch only to find Claude who was so near to me right now that was raging my heart so wild."I shall bring this," Doctor McKenzie said while he was bringing the metal boulder which wasn't heavy enough for us since we were werewolves. "Be quiet for now, Luna Queen Rachel
That time, I was left dumbfounded and thought it over.Ragriel, the Goddess of Mate Bond... That was me? I have the capability to connect and break a couple's mate bond?Then it hit me.Which reminds me, about Claude and I... I knew we uttered the words of rejection against each other. It was already known that there was no way that a broken mate bond could be able to interlace again.Unless that was the Moon Goddess's works Herself.But that was a rare case.Since I am the Goddess of Mate Bond, then did it mean that I... used my ability? Unconsciously?Was I the reason why Claude and I's mate bond reconnected?I looked up at the ceiling to see that the moon shone my way. It was an open ceiling yet there was moisture that came from the dew which was why I could see the moon and the stars in the sky. I sta
"Now, come, come, Rachellian. Dine with your father," Lothim said with a welcoming tone as he ushered me while my hands were being clasped with tight metal bondage in front of me.Hesitant, I only nodded and didn't dare to say anything. I didn't dare to fight back as I was saving my energy.I decided not to be a hard-headed one and must do what it takes not to annoy my father. He had already done some abusive actions to me as it drained me. This time, his behavior changed and he didn't dare to take drastic actions to hurt me.It was as if he suddenly changed after that night."How's... the situation outside... um... F-Father?" Damn it! It was hard to even call him that. I even had a hard time calling Claude's father like that as well as Storm's father. Now that myrealfather was here, Lothim informed me that I must start addressing him as my father.
I screamed at the top of my lungs as soon as the hot iron rod was pressed to the flesh on my back, creating a searing pain that made me want to pass out immediately."I do not know how to communicate with Her! I only have done it one time with the former Luna Queen Beatrice's painting! That was only one time!" I said through gritted teeth, hissing as I felt the flesh from my back was slowly healing.I heard Lothim's snort behind me before I screamed again when he pressed the rod again to my back. "My apologies, my dear daughter, but I am not going to accept that as an excuse!" he said angrily. "I want to speak with your mother!" he demanded."Halt! Please..."...Father. I wanted to say it but that word couldn't come out because until now, I still couldn't believe that... Magnius Lothim was my... father.When he didn't hear anything from me, I was coerced to return back to t
Claude"Your real name is Isabella Ashdown, right? How come you have a different name as a goddess of healing and hunting?" I asked after Lady Isabel was done healing my injury on my face. Smiling, I sighed in relief after seeing that I looked perfectly fine now.I was impressed as I didn't feel any pain anymore. So, this was the power of a deity... I already imagined meeting one of them but somehow, I was still in denial."Iseldis?" Lady Isabel asked to confirm her deity name and cackled. "Father explained before to me that Iseldis is my deity name and Isabella is my mundane name." She shrugged her shoulders. "I thought that he was jesting when he told me about it. But when I grew up, I think it was starting to make sense," she explained.I kept nodding my head taking interest in her father and how he became associated with the Moon Goddess and had a daughter with Her.