Sioggard - The Runaway Luna

12.

“What am I supposed to do with them?”

Sulking deeply, Arabella gave Ilyan a meaningful look, flatly refusing the flowers he was handing her.

“I thought you might like them, but I see I was wrong again.”

"If you have nothing else to tell me..." replied she dryly, impatient to close the door in his face.

“Wouldn't you like to go for a walk before lunch?” offered Ilyan, holding her back.

"No." refused firmly Arabella, increasingly impatient.

It was eleven in the morning, and she had just retired to the room she was to share with Celestia and Natasha Brestwood, after an interminable court ceremony.

Though she'd slept in the car for a few hours after the Crescent Horn stop, when they'd hit the road again the day before in the late afternoon, she still felt exhausted.

Arabella hadn't managed to carve out even a moment for herself since she had arrived at the Black Crow that morning, shortly after dawn.

Despite the early hour, Lavena had organized a slick welcome committee for them.

Then there had been the breakfast to attend.

And after there was a long line of guests to greet.

And to follow, the interminable court ceremonial.

Arabella had reached her breaking point, yet she was trying to be polite to Ilyan, not wanting to give way to more gossip than what was already circulating about them.

Rumors that Ilyan was courting her had quickly spread among the guests who had arrived at the Black Crow, and it didn't mattered that she didn't liked the attention he insisted on giving her, there were already several fancifully embroidered stories about them.

“The day is very sunny, it would be a shame to waste your time indoors when we could go outside to enjoy some fresh air.”

"It's my time and I decide myself how to waste it but thanks for the advice." replied coldly Arabella, once again. “If there’s nothing more, I would like…”

“You're not giving me any chance like this.” answered Ilyan and his frown was the classic straw that broke the camel of her patience.

“I never wanted to give you a chance!” snapped back Arabella, raising her voice dramatically but then she spotted some waitresses in the distance and forced herself to control the anger that vibrated in her chest. “I told you from the beginning that your proposal doesn't interest me. I don't like you!” She added icily but in a lower voice, so as to keep their conversation private. “If you misunderstood my ignoring you as an invitation to do better, I'll make it clear right away that it wasn't!” informed him Arabella with cold vehemence. “I thought you would get the message and stop bothering me but believe me, if you want me to be more explicit, I have no problem...” added then she, strongly suggestive. “If you know me even a little you should know that I don't give a damn about the rumors circulating the kingdom about me, no one expects me to have the good sense to start behaving like a royal princess anyway." Commented Arabella, dryly. "On the other hand, the rumors that I would raise if I had to commit myself to humiliate you would not benefit you at all, so before I lose definitively even the little patience I have left, you better leave!"

“Is that a threat?” asked her Ilyan, not at all impressed by her outburst.

"Take it however the hell you want but stay away from me!" demanded him Arabella, frustrated by his vaguely amused smile. “And Ilyan don't make the mistake of attributing qualities to me that I don't possess.” She warned him, hoping never to have to mention it again. "On my scale of values ​​I always come first." She told him concisely. “My family name, my role and responsibilities, the love for my father or the Black Moon… none of this matters more than what I feel and want and that will never change!” informed him coldly Arabella and then, without waiting for an answer, turned her back on him, closing the door in his face, sighing wearily.

She really hoped that Ilyan would get the message and stop bothering her but one way or another, the rumors had spread by now and her short stay at the Black Crow was already starting to darken her soul.

In less than an hour she should have gone downstairs to join the others for lunch.

Her father expected it, as did Dragan and Lavena.

But Arabella was too agitated and just wanted to rest for a while, alone and in peace.

So she wrote a note to be delivered to her father, even though she usually didn't bother to inform him of her intentions or ask his permission for anything.

However, being at the Black Crow and not wanting to displease Lavena, Arabella entrusted her note to a waitress, instructing her to deliver it to her father as soon as possible.

Then returned to the room that had been assigned to her and decided to allow herself a few hours of sleep, hoping thus to get rid of the irritation that still snaked in her heart.

And then she was so tired that she fell asleep immediately, as soon as she laid down on the bed, after drawing the curtains, because the sunlight hurt her eyes.

Arabella had some strange, confused dreams and it seemed to her that she had just fallen asleep when she woke up, feeling strangely stiff.

The room was plunged into darkness and a vaguely tense silence filled the air around her.

Suppressing a yawn, Arabella rose to her waist to lean against the keyboard of the bed but found herself gasping in surprise as she fell back into space.

Annoyedly brushing the hair that went into her eyes, Arabella found herself frowning as she sat back up in bed.

She clearly remembered having her hair pulled back into a braid when she slipped under the covers and then what happened to the keyboard on her bed?

Was she tired enough to have imagined it?

It wasn't impossible, although Arabella was sure she remembered having a quick glance around the room when she went upstairs, after the interminable court ceremonial, and she thought she remembered that the bed she had chosen for herself had a wrought iron keyboard.

Or perhaps she had mixed up the beds, upset as she had been at the argument with Ilyan?

Arabella couldn't rule it out.

Anyway.

Shaking her head to clear the too many thoughts swirling through her mind, Arabella decided to get up and get ready for the evening.

Having already skipped lunch she couldn't miss dinner as well, Lavena had informed her in the morning that she had organized a banquet for all the Alphas present at the Black Crow.

It would be a formal dinner which meant she had to act accordingly, making an effort to tolerate Ilyan.

And it also meant having to dress up, struggle to make conversation, and endure the insipid company of Celestia's friends, with whom she would be relegated for most of the evening.

Not exactly an exciting prospect.

It was a pity indeed that she couldn't call in sick all week and only make a quick appearance on the night of the ceremony.

The yellow silk dress she decided, stifling a sigh, was elegant enough for the occasion.

Or at least it wouldn't have made her look bad, and that was enough.

But first Arabella needed to stretch her sore muscles, she felt quite stiff in fact.

Due to the long car journey no doubt, forced into that small space, unable to move much.

As she stood up, Arabella found herself stifling a yawn again, and then stumbling forward, in the pitch darkness that enveloped the room, tried to find the light switch.

"What the hell.." muttered in a ringing voice from the twinge of pain that spread up her leg when her left foot slammed into what to the touch seemed to be a chair or perhaps an armchair. “Celestia? Natasha?” she called out, having thought she heard someone breathing peacefully somewhere near her, as if he were asleep.

It was pretty unlikely but howewer.

“Where the heck is the switch?” she then asked herself in frustration, continuing forward in the dark, arms outstretched to avoid any other obstacles.

“Arabella.”

“Logan?” asked Arabella, pausing promptly when she recognized her brother's voice.

"Yes."

“What are you doing in my room?” inquired Arabella, frowning in surprise.

"We are not in your room."

"Mhh..?" asked she, trying to sharpen her gaze to follow his movements, she seemed to have heard him get up, in fact. “Oh..” added confused Arabella, when Logan had turned on the light and she was able to take a look all around her.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine but where are we and.." replied she, still rather dazed but then she caught the deep concern veiling Logan's gaze and realized that something was wrong.

"You have passed out again." Her brother informed her, getting straight to the point.

“For how long?”

“You slept for four days.”

"Four days…" repeated Arabella, unable to grasp the implications at the time.

At least most of the week had passed. “Are we still at the Black Crow?” she asked, to be sure.

"Yes."

“What excuse was given about my absence?”

“We told everyone that you are slightly indisposed.”

“And they believed it?” snorted contritely Arabella.

On the other hand, however, considering her past, it would not have been strange.

"I'll go get the others." informed her Logan, intruding on her thoughts.

"Mhh.." murmured Arabella, absently, and when she was alone, she took a more detailed look at her surroundings.

The room was large and luxurious, furnished tastefully even if perhaps a little too opulently.

She must have been in the private apartments of Lavena and Dragan, decided Arabella, going to the window for a breath of fresh air.

Wondering at the same time what was happening to her.

She wasn't scared, not in the strict sense anyway but all of a sudden she felt quite uneasy.

She was fine, was sure of it.

Arabella had spent a whole week in the hospital, undergoing all sorts of medical tests.

She was fine.

But then why did she kept passing out ?

Without remembering it?

Was she really about to shift?

Or was it something else?