slipped from Elara

runner covering the palace corridor

f them lo

n hers, searching for a reaction he c

em grew heavier with e

lace, bathing the marble halls in pale silver light. Only mome

lt unbear

refully before f

understood what

rsed this conversation a hundred times in his

should stand beside me during

stared

lebration is not a p

N

sacred ceremony

kno

the Alpha represents the Luna

his gaze for

kno

we even disc

w tigh

cost us the support of

ook he

N

wned s

N

o decide who stands beside an A

y do

rsation should a

remaine

ned her more than an

y had met, she couldn't read

ked ex

fli

den

of that lingered

il

n't refus

barely louder

eyes for a momen

them fo

eart

ally cons

d every poss

I in those co

always par

gh there wasn't a trace

't feel t

had become un

end pretended not to notice the growing te

wly and picked up t

dust from its polished surface b

ticed the

is t

the box for se

urged her

e gift into

nsform as he discovered he

whispered that this wasn't th

anym

noth

herself

stepped

now

u d

g is trou

le appeared

y the same

of the

een them had neve

Mooncrest Palace awak

arvest Moon Celebratio

ilver banners thro

ds of white moon lilies ar

elodies that had echoed throu

ra loved thes

ervised nearly eve

royal greenhouse, staring absentminde

been h

gentle voice b

ward him with

d a litt

ysician studie

aven't

tri

f is unde

rested a hand ag

ing to s

vement with unders

told His

ly shook

N

I ask

hesi

t didn't f

en didn't p

d beside her thro

rely blesses a royal

kno

erves to be wel

atened to

nted

still

e palace through the

ope

ouncil chamber, voices

elegates will n

his hand agains

ily still commands

uncil memb

e His Majesty, the alliance

owan f

t of Que

mbers exchanged un

remains r

y humili

ntends hu

voice sh

remony belongs to th

gs to the

ongs to

m fell

without interruption

y, he

e stopped

ony has no

ad across R

n con

ut

rd froze the

ara before making a

ers nodded

d anything

n, Elara returned t

ained untouched exactl

rosting had begun

miled

for the s

intending to have it rem

interrup

me

d entered carryin

Maje

t is

from the Ro

the scroll wi

passed through her hand

seal, she unfol

le disa

lurred befo

mmendation of the

tinued

marriage before the Harvest Moon Celebration in

rs began

message became d

the Alpha to enter a diplomatic un

tightened acr

o

uldn't

e council

k echoed thr

answer, the doo

stepped

in her hands, every trace of c

ve re

was bare

roll to the man she love

ved nothing could ever break w

itten a single word ac

vo

parchment wit

sn't what you c

ined comple

wed gave her the answe