Chapter 51: A Mother Never Forgets
1398 Words
Luna’s POV
The air was thick with silence, the kind that would wrap around your chest and squeeze hard. I stood beside Ray, our heads bowed low, as the last words of the Alpha echoed over the graveyard. Alpha Ryker’s voice was strong, but there was something in it that I felt—a hint of sadness.
All around us were faces I had only seen from a distance. The royal family stood tall and somber. Royal guards and councilmen. Warriors and elders. But the one person I kept trying to spot… I couldn’t clearly see her.
The princess.
No matter how I tilted my head or rose onto my toes, her face was hidden behind the taller people in front of me. All I caught were bits and pieces of her black veil, the shimmer of gold on her wrist, and the way her hair glowed like the setting sun itself—it was only the light.
Ray gently nudged me. “Let’s go,” he whispered. “It’s done.”
We turned and began walking back toward the healer’s chambers. The funeral was over, but my thoughts were still spinning. Questions all around.
We were halfway through the long corridor when Ray stopped suddenly.
“Wait,” he said, patting his pockets. “I left something. I gotta go back, it's important.”
I blinked. “What did you leave?”
“My medallion,” he muttered, already turning. “I bet it's at the training grounds. I’ll be right back. Just wait for me… in the gardens?”
I nodded. “Alright, garden it is.”
With that, he disappeared around the corner. I sighed and turned in the opposite direction, finding my way through the winding path that led to the palace gardens.
Then I realized, “I don't even know where the garden is."
Somehow, after a couple of turns, I got there.
It was quiet there, the peaceful silence you only find at night. A soft breeze moved through the trees, and the moon bathed everything in its light. I sat on a carved stone bench near a fountain, the trickling water calming my nerves. I'd had a rough day.
I tilted my head to the sky. The moon was almost full—just a few more nights to go.
“Another full moon,” I whispered, hugging my arms around myself. “Let’s hope it’s kinder than the last one.”
Then I heard it—soft footsteps behind me.
I turned.
A woman stood at the edge of the stone path, frozen like she’d just seen a ghost. Her eyes were wide and locked on mine.
She was very beautiful, wrapped in a dark gown that shimmered under the moonlight. A crown sat on her head. Once I realised who she was, my heart nearly jumped into my throat.
The queen!
I stood quickly and dipped into a clumsy curtsey, my voice cracking. “Your Majesty.”
She didn’t speak. She just… stared. Not with disapproval, not with anger, but something else… Confusion? Shock? Her gaze darted across my face like she was searching for something, like she was looking through my soul.
I smiled nervously. “I didn’t mean to intrude or anything. I'm the new healer, and Ray told me to wait here.”
Still, she didn’t move.
Then she took a step closer. And another. Her eyes never left mine, and it made my skin prickle. I didn’t know whether to run or bow again.
Suddenly, I heard a voice—sharp and clear.
“Mother?”
The queen gasped and, in one swift movement, shoved me backwards, literally pushing me into the bushes behind the bench. I hit the ground with a thud and a confused gasp as the branches scraped against my arms.
I stayed low and peeked through the leaves.
A girl stood there, her straight hair falling over her shoulders, dressed in a royal blue gown. I couldn't see her face through the bushes, but I have no doubt it was Elena. Hearing her voice only made me want to see her more.
“The councilmen are waiting for you. Why do you look like you saw a ghost?”
The queen straightened her shoulders. “Never mind,” she said calmly, her voice returning to an elegant tone. “Come. Let’s go.”
She and Elena left off towards the palace, no doubt.
I waited until they disappeared into the corridor before slowly lifting my head.
“What… just happened?”
“Luna?” Ray’s voice pulled me from the bushes. He stood a few feet away, looking bewildered. “What are you doing in there?”
“Just pull me out,” I groaned.
He helped me up, brushing leaves from my hair. “What happened?”
I stared at him, still stunned. “The queen pushed me into the bushes.”
He blinked. “Wait… what?”
“I’m serious,” I said. “She just stared at me like I was some… ghost back from the dead, then pushed me into the bushes when the princess showed up.”
Ray frowned. “And you’re sure it was the queen?”
“I’m sure,” I said firmly. “She looked straight at me.”
Ray looked back toward the corridor and then at me. “That’s… weird.”
Tell me about it.
*******
Lucy’s POV
I slammed the doors to the throne room and snapped at the guards. “Leave. All of you.”
They scattered without question.
The throne room was suddenly too quiet, a little too cold. I walked to the center, staring at the grand chair that symbolized everything I’d built, everything we'd built. Slowly, I sat down, feeling its weight press into my spine.
I couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe.
“It’s not possible,” I said to myself, wishing this was some nightmare.
I stood up again, heart thudding wildly in my chest.
I walked quickly, almost running down the halls until I reached our chambers. I flung open the door and found Ryker lounging on the bed in nothing but his robe, flipping through papers.
He looked up, startled. “Lucy?”
I collapsed onto the bed beside him. My hands were shaking.
He came over immediately, pressing a kiss to my back. “You look tense. What’s wrong?”
I turned to face him, my heart now fighting to leave my chest.
“She’s here.”
Ryker frowned. “Who’s here?”
“Our other child,” I whispered. “She’s here. I saw her in the gardens tonight.”
His entire body went still. For a second, he forgot how to breathe.
He looked into my eyes, searching for doubt—but he wouldn’t find any.
“You’re sure?”
I nodded, tears pricking at my lashes. “A mother never forgets those eyes.”
I remember that night so clearly: holding her in my arms, her tiny hand gripping my finger, and then handing her over to Elder Nyra, praying that it was the right thing to do.
“She’s alive,” I said. “And she’s here, Ryker. In our home, right under our noses.”
Ryker pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly like he knew I’d fall apart.
“Then tomorrow, we find her. Whoever she is—we’ll know you have nothing to worry about by morning.”
I shook my head. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”
He pulled back. “Then who?”
“Elena,” I whispered.
Ryker’s eyes narrowed. “You think she's seen her sister?”
“No,” I said quickly. “But if she finds out… if they meet—”
My heart clenched at the memory of Nyra’s warning. “The children must never meet.”
I had laughed then. I thought it was superstition, nonsense. But tonight?
Tonight I believed it.
“What if it’s true?” I said softly. “What if something really does happen if they see each other?”
Ryker’s face was hard now. He was already thinking ahead—what steps to take next.
“We’ll handle it,” he said, brushing my hair back. “Just like we always do.”
I wish I had his confidence.
Because all I could see were those eyes.
My baby, my daughter.
- Writer
