His Accidental Luna

THE GHOST OF SALEM

When Leandra woke up the next day, the sun are up high in the sky, beaming across as it woken them from the dreamscape that became their only sanctuary from the cruelty bestow to humans like them. The finger she broke throb, it was painful, she can feel a pang as she move, and as it made contact even in the slightest of.

She gnawed her bottom lips.

If only she had not been reckless last night, but all the laments were all futile. The damage has been done and as if she was to blame. She had been enchanted, drive through until she runs cross the beast. It was just a relief that he had not yet beheaded her or she wouldn’t just be there serving the Palace, and all the plans would come into waste. The effort that is going to waste isn’t something they had plotted.

“Lean, let’s go together.” Kelsey smiled at her.

She had just done putting the new clothes for the feast. Earlier as they woke up, a servant who had been serving the Palace for no one knows how long had given them new pair of clothes. It was just a white tunic, it was plain, but fair enough to say that it is much comfortable than to their old rug clothes that were given them from the slavery house where they come from. They fit them perfectly, not most of them as there are much larger and smaller in size compared to their small physique. Leandra’s clothes appeared loose, but she did not complain. It was much better than being naked.

At the sudden thought, she quickly disregard them and set aside.

“Sure.” She responded to Kelsey.

After she was done piling the pillows neatly against each other, Leandra and Kelsey walked to where they are assonated with. They are the one to handle the garden before the feast that would took place in the kingdom later that night. It was a relief that they had gotten enough rest, because surely sleep isn’t a as promising as it would be later on.

“The flowers are beautiful, are they?” Kelsey in admiration touch one of the roses in the garden.

“They are.” Leandra agreed upon what she said.

The roses sprouting on the palace are flourishing. They have thorns, yet they appeared as enchanting same as the growl she heard yesterday night. Leandra still couldn’t forget it. The beast is a sight to behold. She couldn’t help herself, but ponder about who he is or whether...if she would be able to encounter him at the feast. It was stupid. That though quitely alarmed her.

How dare she thought about that murderer? It is unacceptable.

Leandra quickly shook her head.

She haven’t had the time to admire them. The day would come that perhaps that encounter she had been expecting to would be the war to regain the throne taken from her.

“But did you know?” Kelsey asked.

Leandra responded with a small hum as she continue cutting the leaves and trimming the branches softly.

“I heard that the King hated this colour.” She added.

Leandra frowns. She stop what she was doing, but she did not glance to Kelsey’s direction.

She let her continue.

“He hated it because it is the colour of blood.” Kelsey whispered, but fair enough to reach Leandra’s ear.

He hated the colour of red? She thought. He hated something which he had been accustomed with? It was ridiculous. Her eyes darkened. How can he loathes that colour, when in fact he never show mercy when he annihilated her people. He had taken the leverage to boast how useless they are, how they are not match for his strength. He had taken the world from her. He had taken the Kingdom. He had taken the happiness she should have thriving. ‘stead of, they become slaves of his species.

They became the dirt of their soles. They became an entertainment, which means nothing, even if they die, not because of old age, but from the chores, and punishment equal towards the lashes for the crimes they had not committed; mistakes they did not meant to happen, but it will be the same end.

Leandra felt a vile emotion grilling her heart. It penetrated her core. Decisively, the bittersweet taste relished on her tongue.

“But did you know what I also heard?” Kelsey continue, this time her voice became much lower. “I heard that there are ghost in the Kingdom.”

“Ghost?” Leandra frowns. “Ghost do not exist, but nightmares and trauma are, Kelsey.”

“No, you don’t understand.” Kelsey shook her head. “It wasn’t that kind of ghost I am pertaining to, Lean.”

“Then what kind of ghost would it be, if it wasn’t the undead?” Leandra challenge her.

“Well—” Kelsey grinned at her. “—the ghost of old ruler who remain here in spite of how many years and eons bypass, Lean.”

The ghost of the old ruler. Leandra’s chest thumped loudly.

“What do you mean they remain?” She asked calmly, composed although her insides are already i a chaotic uproar.

“I don’t know exactly what those maid means, but that’s what they told me after I fetched our tools for the garden.” Kelsey shrugged her shoulder before going back to her own work.

On the other hand, although she was cutting the edges of the plant, and making sure that the branches are clean, Leandra befall upon towards an unfathomable thoughts that took her in an avalanche.

She was too lost, and absorb that she failed to noticed the sudden slip on her hand, right before she felt a pang on her finger.

“O—ow!” It was the same finger that had been broken since last night!

“Shi—” But she stop midway at the sudden memory of how the beast growled, disapprove at her curse.

She but her lips. Why does that monster even filing her head?

The large scissors she had been holding left a low thud as it fell onto the ground.

“Lean!” Kelsey quickly went closer at her. “Are you alright?”

She looks worried.

“I am.” Lying through her teeth, Leandra reassured her. “It is just small, it doesn’t hurt that bad, Kelsey.”

“But—” But she doesn’t sounded convince.

“I would live, don’t worry.” Leandra smiled at her.

One thing that she learn about her is that how often she get worried, exaggerate at things even though she shouldn’t have. Perhaps, it was just Kelsey being herself. She looks pure, but such innocence won’t let her survive in this world.

Leandra felt a pair of eyes digging holes to where she was.

She lifted her head only to be meet with an open window located on the 3rd floor of the Palace. The curtain dance across at the sudden breeze, whooshing and whipping, but Leandra saw nothing.

She discarded the feeling.

Perhaps, her mind wee just playing tricks on her. And so go back to where she left at, failing to notice the sudden movement from the shadows inside the room ‘til it disappear and vanish as if it was never been there from the very beginning.

“So, how was she?” Athena asked Valerian the moment he appeared at the base.

She was an old lady, her hair greying, and some strands were left hanging on her face, but she pay no heed. Her eyes were trained to the male who had just arrived a minute ago. Like him, and others, Athens is a refuge, a servant from the Palace who had serve for so long and manage to escape the slavery, if it wasn’t for the rebels help. They are all humans, gathered together in the camp.

Valerian pulled the cloak that serve as his protection. It wasn’t just a cloak, a mere clothing woven to be wear, because it has some enchantment. It came from the elves, who same with them had been helping them. During the reign of the great King of SALEM before his brother. He had made a treaty, a truce between their Kingdom and towards the elven who remain as their allies in secrecy. They are the one who had been feeding them with information, and weave magical objects that could aid them if needed. Same with this cloak.

“She was alright.” Valerian reassured Athens.

He saw relief past by on her already aging face.

“Oh, I was relieved to hear that the young lady is alright.” And she sounded she is.

And so he is after she did not appear yesterday night in the camp. It brewed worries, and fear. They haven’t had any idea what took place or what may had happened. This lead for Valerian to embark, and risk; to watch, and pry, slipped past across the Guards no matter how risky it was just so they ensured that Leandra is alright.

After all, her well being matters. It was the only thing they could have done for the Queen and King they failed to protect.

“So, did you talk to her?” Athena followed suit, trailing after him.

“No, I did not.” He responded. “It is dangerous to go near her and tell her that I was there. The Palace have all ears, and our enemy could later on knew that I was there.” He added.

“That explains then, but is she really okay in the Palace or to let her be there?” Athena continue

“It is much better than the slavery house before—”

“But it is much safer for her, the slavery house I mean.” The old woman meet his eyes. “The moment she found out the truth you keep hidden from her, you know what may have happened.”

Valerian stop.

“She still didn’t know that we are keeping the truth from her, Val.”

She sounded solemn, a far away look plunge itself as the old woman felt her chest gripped with such pain she could understand the source.

“We are just protecting her, because it is better this way.” Valerian firmly said.

“How long, Val?”

“As long as it isn’t the right time yet.” He said.

“She’ll hate you.” Athena warned him.

He lost count of how many times she had been urging him, but he couldn’t. If he tell Leandra the truth now, all the things they had built for years would be put in vain. Even if she hate him for keeping it in such secrecy, Valerian knew that it would be better this way than to see the young her recklessly falling into the emotions he knew what end awaits.

“I know.” Valerian removed his cloak and place it on his bed. “ I know she will, Athena.”

“And are you okay with it?” Disbelief Writ on her face.

Valerian lifted his head. Their eyes meet. Her, searching for anything across at what may have been running inside his head, but she found none. Valerian did not allowed her to see, and read his soul.

“Val....” The old woman trailer off.

“I am only doing what I knew was right, because this is where the future of the Kingdom depends, Athena. If we fail now, we are also going to fail the Queen—”

“We already do.” Athena cut his off. “We already do, when we left her rot on those cell.”

This made Valerian sealed his mouth shut.

What she just said was true.

Queen Agatha, the Queen of SALEM, wife of the first ruler was there. She is not dead the same way they had inflicted, imprinted on Leandra’s mind. Thus, she live the life as a prisoner onto the deepest part, where nobody knows of, except Valerian and Athena. They are the one who manage to escape by her, sacrificing herself instead of theirs.

The ruler of Salem, and the ghost that remains even if she suffered torments, tortured years knowing that the child borne for her is alive, while she is put behind the cell she isn’t supposed to.

@cycy