First day

Two girls who appear to be Rhea's age approach, wearing white dresses that contrast with the beauty of tanned skin; they're also short and with thin straps, with fabrics as light as silk; after all, the sun is intense, and the heat is almost suffocating. Even though Rhea searches for the lightest clothes she's brought in her luggage, they're still too hot.

They approach and make a stiff reference, copying the one Rhea made when she first arrived. She suppresses a sweet smile at the girls' efforts to make her feel comfortable. But this is no longer necessary. From the moment Rhea was chosen to be Callisto's Luna, she decided to leave behind her kingdom and her customs.

It's not like she cares too much about where she came from too… since the beginning, all those people have caused her is pain. Why would she hold so tight to a rose when the thorns are bleeding her hand? Its beauty does not make up for the wounds made by it.

“My Queen, the King ordered us to come and help you get dressed…” The first and slightly taller girl approaches. Her expression is rigid as her reference, “My name is Vega, and this is my sister Atria. We're inexperienced regarding the customs and attire of your Kingdom, so I ask that you forgive us if we make any mistakes.”

“No need to worry about that, I don't intend to wear these clothes.” Rhea looks at the dresses she brought from the Werewolf Kingdom; they're lying on the ground like rags. “Are there any dresses from the former Queen? I would like to wear the traditional attires of this land.”

The two sisters look at each other with a conflicted expression.

“I'm afraid that's not possible, my Queen…” Vega says hesitantly.

And as if she were trying to spare her sister, Atria adds, “The former Queen did not wear the traditional attire of our realm… She requested that her clothes be sent directly from the Werewolf Kingdom.”

Rhea runs a hand through her long black hair thoughtfully. She never imagined that the one chosen by the Oracle to be the former King's Luna would refuse to wear the typical clothes of the Lycan Realm, even if the heat in this region is overwhelming. Is it really a matter of pride?

“Don't you have any clothes I can wear?” Rhea crosses her arms, still thoughtful. She will need to make a buy out as urgently as possible. Perhaps this will be scowled, and she will be considered a villainess, but what else can she do? Wearing her Werewolf Kingdom's clothes would be a bad decision indeed. She doesn't want to pass off the same arrogance as the former queen.

“I believe that the belongings of Elara, the King's sister, are still in her chambers…” Atria starts to say, but receives a discreet elbow from Vega.

The King's sister? Rhea remembers something like that. Didn't Callisto kill all his relatives with his own hand when he ascended the throne?

Unlike werewolves, Lycans do not actually follow the monarchy by blood. It's said that they rebelled against the Moon Goddess and embraced their bestial side, becoming violent beings who only desire blood and power. Moreover, they're said to abhor Werewolves for remaining faithful to the one who caused such a curse. This difference in thinking led to a deep hatred between the two kinds… and the near complete destruction of the People of the Moon.

Six hundred years ago, the two kingdoms entered into a violent war that almost devastated both. Many innocents died, on both sides. And to prevent their children from destroying themselves, the Moon Goddess intervened. The consequence for the Werewolves was to be unable to resist the shift during full moons. And the punishment for the Lycans was to never find their true mates.

Of course, that doesn't apply to the King… because whenever a new King rises, the Oracle of the Goddess chooses a mate for him. Unfortunately, this does not apply to other Lycans. In this way, females choose the best warriors to be their mates. And men end up having more than one female mate, precisely because they can't find their true mate.

This is somewhat absurd for Rhea, since in her kingdom it's common for everyone to have a single pair and be faithful to them until death do them part. It's an eternal and deep bond… a tie that was established between her and Callisto, someone cruel enough to kill his entire family upon ascending the throne… After all, blood means nothing to Lycans. Children have no right to lead the pack… it's the strength that rules.

But to wear Callisto's sister's dress when he killed her with his own hands… maybe it's not the wisest choice.

Rhea sighs… honestly, it's her first day in this place and her choices are the worst possible. If she wears her gowns and adorns herself like humans, as Callisto said with extreme contempt, she will put herself in the same position as the former Queen. But if she opts for Callisto's sister's clothes, perhaps Rhea will offend him deeply.

What should I do? It's like I'm walking a tightrope and there's only a cliff in front of me, — Rhea thinks, wondering about the best choice.

Become an enemy of the Lycan people… or an enemy of Callisto? Rhea's position as Queen is more unstable than her position as Luna. If Callisto obeyed the High Sanctity's orders and accepted her as his mate, he wouldn't be able to act as he sees fit and put Rhea's head on the castle's gates.

But if the people came to hate her, Callisto might use that as an excuse to kill her… and in that case, not even the High Sanctity would be able to condemn him… They would only send a second mate. Exceptions can happen occasionally… and considering this has never happened before, it's a possibility.

Rhea sighs, finally accepting that whatever her choice is, it won't be easy.

“What used to be the relationship between Callisto and his sister?” Rhea asks, sitting down on the surprisingly comfortable bench. In front of her, the mirror reflects her long black hair and back still bare, with small droplets of sweat.

The sisters looked at each other again, but it was Vega who said this time, “Of all the siblings, Elara was the one the King held the most affection for. They shared the same mother as well, so they were considerably close. The King took the throne two weeks before Elara came of age… She would have turned eighteen.”

Poor girl… she had a whole life ahead…

“They were ten years apart, and since the old King didn't pay much attention to his children, King Callisto used to be quite protective of her…” Atria stars, but it's interrupted…

“Atria!” Vega censured openly this time for saying too much.

Ten years… Does that mean Callisto is twenty-eight?

Rhea shakes her head and slaps her face lightly. This isn't the time to dwell on him, Rhea! You need to act… the clock is ticking!

“If their relationship was so good…why did Callisto kill her? It's not like the bloodline is a threat to the throne, right?” Rhea's question is too direct and too sensitive, but she needs to know… If her mate is a man cruel and heartless enough to kill even someone he loves, what wouldn't Callisto do with a Luna he didn't even choose?

“Usually, the leader of a pack simply passes on their place to the strongest. But when leadership is taken by force, it's common for the winner to kill the entire lineage of the previous one. This prevents the children from seeking revenge or trying to take back the pack.” Vega says calmly, as if not offended by the question.

“And not doing so is seen as weakness.” And Atria adds cautiously, fearing that she's once again saying too much.

So if Callisto didn't, his position would be questioned from the start, and many would come to challenge him… Rhea thinks, sighing deeply once more. This is all too complicated… how can they sleep peacefully when they can be targeted from all sides?

“Thanks for explaining a little bit about that to me…” Rhea gives a sweet smile, which surprises both girls. “I'll probably bring you trouble because of my ignorance, but I hope you'll bear with me.”

The girls try to bow to the Werewolf Realm, but Rhea cuts them off with a low chuckle, “No need for that… I belong to the Lycan Realm now, like you… feel free to just treat me according to your traditions.”

The two girls smile at each other and nod their heads. It's probably more informal than Rhea is used to, but certainly nicer than the thinly veiled insults and mockery she suffered as the cursed wolf.

“Could you fetch Elara's dresses for me?” Rhea finally looks at herself in the mirror. Her blue eyes are steady and sparkle with bravery.

Yes, it's time to make her decision… Rhea will win over the people and ensure the safety of her head — even if that means sacrificing a relationship with her mate.