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Betrayed But Not Surprised
Last Updated:
2024-05-26 17:15:12
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*Ana*“Hmm?” I look up from my desk. But Hidi is busy. She didn’t say anything. No, I swear I heard it. I look around again. But it’s absurd, and I know it. Nicoli is miles and miles away.And auditory hallucination, perhaps? I consider it. I’ve read about those. I sit back and peer out the window to see the gray sky. The clouds are heavy with snow, but it will never fall. Snow never finds Nochten. I used to wish for snow. The thought makes me smile sadly. Back then, when I was alone and the afternoons were too hot, I would look at some illustrations and wonder what snow was like. That was before Maddie, I remember, and I pinch my shawl. Even now, thinking about her makes me feel mixed. Should I condemn Maddie? Or should I thank her? Because without her, would I be where I am?“Ana?” Hidi smiles after me; she always smiles so quickly, as if it's nothing. “What are you doing staring off like that?” “I, it’s nothing,” I motioned for her to sit back down. “I thought I heard my nam
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*Ana*I don’t think I’ve had this many people in my study before. It’s quite a sight to see. Hidi takes up an entire couch on her own. It leaves Father, Cousin, and Sir Pendwick to share the other one.It's more like squished together. Father and Mykhol do not look happy sitting on opposite ends of the couch. But poor Sir Pendwick has the worst of it. He is smaller. So he must sit in the middle. And speaking of Sir Pendwick, I catch him in the act again.“Ah,” Sir Pendwick quickly looks away before his cheeks turn pink. Is my hair showing? I quickly check. No, my shawl is in the right place.Is it a bad habit of his, then? I go before catching Mykhol. Mykhol certainly has a bad habit of glaring today. He seems to like glaring at Father and Pendwick. Is Mykhol upset about something? I don’t recall any incidents. It’s been a peaceful morning. Maybe it’s the couch? It’s the only thing I can think of.Should I have another chair brought in? I turn to find Naska before I notice Father n
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Will Bear the Moon Chapter 36 Everybody Form A Line Prt 2
“Hidi?” But before I can have a chance to ask any further, Hidi only taps my arm, her fingertips pressing just a fraction too firmly against my sleeve."But we will talk later, as for now—" Her green eyes immediately shift to Nicoli and brighten, like lamps suddenly lit from within. The strange expression suddenly disappeared again, replaced with a mask, so perfectly that I wondered if I had seen anything at all. Her smile is bright and full, with blunt white teeth again, but something about it feels rehearsed, a performance she's put on countless times. Her attention was solely on him, her body angling toward his like a flower turning to the sun."Nicoli, did you see that? Look how helpful I am to our dear Ana." She beams, as if nothing were wrong at all, stepping slightly closer to him than necessary, her arm brushing against his in a casual gesture that somehow feels deliberate. "Our dear Ana" sits strangely in my ears, as if I'm a shared possession rather than a friend. Her voice
Will Bear the Moon Everybody Form A Line Prt I
Ana*“Please, everyone, if you would just-” But it's clear no one is listening. My voice is swallowed up by the cacophony of string instruments and the colliding conversations surging around us like crashing waves. The air thickens with perfumes and colognes—spiced amber, midnight jasmine, and something metallic that clings to the back of my throat. If I ever felt overwhelmed before a court of nobles shouting over each other after some new decree, it's nothing compared to the suffocating pressure closing in now. Actually, I think I'd prefer that over this.I don't even think my coronation was this bad. I recall that, being just a bit more orderly, the crowd maintained a respectful distance that allowed my lungs to fill properly. But then again, Mykhol was pushing them along so I could eat, right? It's a delayed shock of wisdom to realize that it was indeed helpful. I feel ashamed now that I ever thought he was being haughty at the time. He wasn't. His curt dismissals created a buffe
Will Bear the Moon Chapter 34 The Fair Trade Prt 2
Naska stared at the cup instead of taking it, more shocked than surprised at the motion. Someone poured her drink? It was indeed a first. No one had ever done anything for her. She was so used to doing everything for herself. And glancing up, the sight of who did, only made her more confused.It was one of the veiled women—a Bulgeon, a human. Her eyes lined in that inky black shadow seemed to regard her in silence just as she did. Her hand lifted the cup, steady, as if she were still waiting. Naska, not knowing what else to do, took the cup. But her eyes remained glued to the woman. Because of the veil, she couldn’t know what expression the woman was making. Was it friendly? Bitter? What did her face even look like under the cloth?Watching her, the mysterious woman moved with grace. She poured another ladle of blood, not wine, to steam against the glass. Her thin fingers peeked out of her sleeve to swipe a slice of meat to dip in, and she moved to eat under the cloth. Naska raised
Will Bear the Moon The Fair Trade Prt I
*Naska*“What a joke of a party,” Naska muttered, baring her fangs as she leaned against the wall. ”Mine will be so much better.” Her pale red eyes flickered over blue and gold streamers hanging from the center of the high ceiling with a sneer. Ugly colors, she immediately found it stupid. But not as stupid as having to sniffle every other minute. Her nose was irritated and starting to run from all the damn pine scent in the room. Each breath was like choking on a bottle of soap. From the platform near the far wall, the gentle strains of stringed instruments played a song too delicate and indistinct for her to recognize. It filled the air like perfume—pleasant to some, she supposed, but meaningless to her. Light laughter floated between the nobles, punctuated now and then by the sharp clink of crystal goblets. Beneath the noise, however, the pressure in the room was thick. Everyone waited for Her Empress to return. The tension curled under the music like smoke, unseen but unmistakab
Will Bear the Moon Chapter 32 Drinking Buddies
*Johan*As he entered the banquet hall, Johan quickly noticed quite a few things. The first was that King Alexander was nowhere to be seen, though Johan expected that. He must have still been talking with Queen Bratha.What surprised him, though, was that others were missing—two, to be exact. The handsome brunette prince was not in the banquet hall as he thought he would be, considering he did not see him in the lobby or even the line. He was gone, and neither was Ana. Who he did see was just Hidi.The giant queen stood out among the partygoers- not just because of her size. Her very presence seemed to overpower anyone who dared draw near. Those who attempted to pass her either darted their eyes down or weakly bowed before hightailing it inside. Johan could see that even that old coot kept a safe distance if anyone wanted to try to talk to her, like the ever-eager Sir Celbest.The blonde was not pleased about something, and Johan could easily see it. The girl had never been one to hi
Will Bear the Moon Chapter 31 Is This How You Like It
*Nicoli*Nicoli held onto Ana like a man gripping the edge of a cliff—tight, unyielding, unwilling to let go for even a second. The very idea of releasing her, even to their father, was absurd. No. Absolutely not.He had waited too long, ached too much, spent years longing for this moment. And now that she was finally by his side again, he refused to let anything—anyone—take her away. Not tonight. Not ever. So be it if he had to fight off the entire court to keep her close. Vampire, noble, or king, he didn’t care. He’d take them all on.She was his Anastasia. And now that they were together, everything felt right again.A rare, genuine grin tugged at his lips—one that wasn’t for show, unlike the practiced smiles he wore in Dawny. This was different. This was real.But as they moved through the white halls, his excitement warred with Ana’s slow, deliberate steps. Too slow. She still walked like an old lady.Nicoli’s muscles twitched with pent-up energy, his entire body screaming to mo
Will Bear the Moon Chapter 30 Misdirection
*Ana*My body freezes, every muscle locked in place as Nicoli leans in closer. His face is inches from mine, and I feel my breath catch, a whirlwind of confusion and anticipation racing through my mind. What is he doing? Is…he going to kiss me?But we can’t—we shouldn’t. We aren’t children anymore.As children, it was innocent. Nicoli used to kiss me on the lips, but it was always affectionate—nothing more, just like when he would hold my hand or offer a playful hug. It was natural to him, something that didn’t feel strange, something I expected from him without question. But that was then.Now, we’re adults. And that changes everything.We can’t– I try to tell myself that, but something in me hesitates, unsure whether I want him to stop or... not. I’m paralyzed, my heart beating so loudly I can hear it in my ears. As his face nears mine, I feel the world shrinks, the air around us thick with tension. A strange eagerness stirs in my chest—a warmth I don’t understand. It coils through
Will Bear the Moon Chapter 29 Interconnection
*Ana*“Nicoli–” He’s going the wrong way again. I shake my head, the soft chime of my gold chains punctuating my amusement. But he insists on leading, judging by the stubborn set of his shoulders. He’s determined to get somewhere despite having absolutely no idea where that is.For the past twenty minutes, Nicoli has forged ahead with all the confidence in the world, only to crumble in confusion when we inevitably hit another dead end or loop back to the same hall. Left, then right, then left again. Each turn is taken with steadfast determination — and each time, I have to stifle a new laugh as we encounter yet another wall.“Nicoli, just let me show you–” I try, though I’m already bracing for him to ignore me. It would be far easier if he let me lead, though. This is my palace, after all. I know the twists and turns, the subtle variations in the endless white corridors. But he seems lost in his resolve. As if doing this out of spite at the challenge and not wanting it to get the bett
Will Bear the Moon Chapter 28 Not Everyone Can Be Happy For You
*Hidi*“But, what about me–” For once in Hidi’s life, her voice was too soft to hear—lost, swallowed under the sound of laughter. Their laughter. Hidi froze, her breath caught in her chest, her words useless in the space they left behind. Her eyes only widened as she stared after them, watching–watching, but not moving in disbelief.The two of them were running, laughing, hands clasped like children lost in their own world. And she was still standing here.She blinked. Did they really just… leave me?The air seemed too still while everything else moved too fast. Nicoli had been right there. Right there. She could have reached out, close enough to brush her fingers against his sleeve. But he hadn’t even looked at her. Didn’t even voice a hello.Not once.His sapphire-blue eyes had locked onto Ana, and nothing else had mattered.For the second time.A cool flick of irritation ran beneath her ribs, lodging itself somewhere deep inside her. She knew this was their grand reunion, knew th
