Sioggard - The Runaway Luna

11.

"Besides, he's very strong, you would never have to worry about your safety." Added Celestia, continuing undaunted in her work of persuasion. "You would always have at least three or four warriors to accompany you everywhere, wouldn't that be nice?" asked her sister, not realizing that her reasons were having the opposite effect on her than desired.

Not that if Ilyan Wayward would agree to let her live on her own terms, his proposal would interest Arabella any better.

She just didn't liked him.

"Ah and then the Silver Horn.." added Celestia, refusing to be discouraged by her silence and continued to list all the good reasons according to which she was a fool to miss the opportunity to become Ilyan's Luna. “The Silver Horn is magnificent, you would never miss the Black Moon staying there, I would not miss it at all..”

“Then why don't you take him yourself, Ilyan Wayward…?” suggested dryly Arabella, listlessly turning a page of the book she was pretending to read.

"Don't be silly..." laughed Celestia, amused. "Ilyan and I are not compatible at all and then he wants you .."

"Yes well I don't want him." replied she piqued.

“But why?” insisted her sister, sighing in exasperation. “Ilyan is handsome, rich, powerful, he can give you everything you want and so much more!” she stated with firm conviction. “Why don't you want to give him an opportunity to show you that…”

“What is it that I want?” asked Arabella, cutting her off.

"What?"

“What is it that I want that Ilyan can give me?”

"The usual stuff.." replied Celestia, taken aback.

"Which things?"

"For goodness sake, we both know that such an opportunity won't come again!" Celestia snorted contritely. “Alphas like Ilyan don't grow on trees and who will want you if you refuse him? With your questionable manners and all and let's face it, it's not like you've got a line of suitors waiting to proclaim you theirs.."

"I told you, if you like Ilyan so much, take him!" interrupted her again Arabella, annoyed.

“You're noting but a selfish brat!” accused her Celestia and Arabella found herself frowning, vaguely surprised.

Not from the accusation received but because of her sister’s gloomy and frustrated look, she had never seen her get so agitated.

“You've always thought only and selfishly of yourself for nineteen years, getting everything you wanted and dad has put you through it all!” added Celestia, continuing to give her a look full of furious indignation. "Don't you think it's time to start worrying about what's around you?" She asked fervently, staring at her with such ardor as to attract a few glances from Natasha and Erinna, sitting not far from them.

After lunch, the adults had gathered together to discuss the fate of the kingdom and some other boring political issue, leaving them time and space to interact.

Arabella had immediately retired to a corner of the Crescent Moon pack house’s living room, with a book, voluntarily and intentionally distancing herself from the group.

Since everyone knew her well, no one was surprised even if her behavior bordered on rudeness.

Ilyan had made an attempt to approach her but then fortunately he had been called back by his Beta, Kyle Goover, who had also arrived at the Crescent Moon in the meantime.

For a few minutes, Arabella was then able to allow herself a few moments of calm, until her brothers, Sacha and Tristan went outside to take a walk and check the weather conditions.

Celestia who in the meantime had stayed in the company of Natasha and Erina Wayward, had therefore joined her to talk about the Alpha of the Silver Horn.

Trying to get her to accept his advances.

"Ilyan is the only one in the whole kingdom who wants you despite your stupid whims, instead of playing precious you should accept his advances before he changes his mind and realizes that you are not worth wasting time.." added Celestia, in a commanding tone that annoyed her beyond measure.

“Why don't you go and tell him then? To stop before he waste any more time, since I am not worth.” suggested Arabella in turn and had it not been that Tristan, his brother, Gabriel and Logan chose that moment to return, Celestia would probably have reacted very badly to her words.

"Is it still raining a lot?" inquired Natasha, getting up to go to Gabriel with a smile that made her hold back a sigh.

“It's getting better.” Replied her brother, returning the girl's radiant smile.

"We could leave in an hour at the latest." nodded Logan.

"When is it like this." Commented Arabella, promptly closing the book and standing up decisively when she saw Ilyan approaching in the company of his Beta and behind them, Rhys, Kellan and Theor. “Tell me Tristan, is there a not too cobbled path nearby, suitable for a walk in the rain?”

“There is a small garden behind the house, and we have a gazebo but it's quite cold outside.”

“A little wind won't kill me.” Murmured she casually. “Theor!” added then aloud Arabella, before Ilyan could offer to accompany her as he seemed intent on doing, judging by the smile he gave her. “Since you will probably allow me the pleasure of your company anyway.” commented she, heavily sarcastically, though forcing a smile. “Would you mind finding me an umbrella too? I feel like breathing some fresh air.” She asked him, even if Theor was frowning deeply. “Please?” added therefore Arabella, hoping that for once Theor wouldn't deny himself.

Even if that boy had an annoying tendency to hang around her every time she wanted him to stay away from her and never gave in when she actually needed something from him.

"There are some at the entrance." informed her Sacha, in the terse silence that followed.

"Thank you." replied Arabella, giving him a grateful smile.

Without another word she walked past Celestia, despite her sister's irritated look, and joined Theor side, ignoring Ilyan at the same time.

She didn't even glanced at him to see if the explicit way she'd found to avoid his company amused or irritated him.

"I might get lost if you don't accompany me..." commented caustically Arabella, once she was close enough to Theor to give him a provocative smile, and then without waiting for an answer, walked past him too, to go and find an umbrella.

Tristan had been right, it was quite cold.

A gust of icy wind hit her with nasty force as soon as she stepped out the door.

With an eloquent grimace addressed to the gloomy sky, Arabella hesitated for a few moments but in fact the rain was abating, and they would soon be leaving again.

Arabella needed to stretch her legs before getting back into the car.

Theor caught up with her as she was turning the corner to head towards the garden and even though she had hoped he would, was quite surprised.

It had never happened before that Theor pleased her with anything.

Better him than Ilyan Arabella told herself as she continued towards the garden, breathing in the fresh late afternoon air while admiring the view.

For a few minutes she walked slowly, lost in her own thoughts, despite the cold and rain but then the frost managed to penetrate the barrier of her clothes and Arabella looked resolutely at the gazebo Tristan had told her about.

It was a pretty quay and in the summer it must have been quite pleasant to spend time there, sheltered from the sun and enjoying the splendid scenery.

She wished she had a gazebo at the Black Moon too, Arabella thought, maybe she would have someone build her one like that, she could place it near the fountain in the back park of the castle.

"What are you doing?"

Contemplating the view, Arabella found herself frowning as she spotted Tristan standing outside the gazebo, at arm's length, with an inscrutable expression in his blue eyes.

“Come sit down Theor, I'm not in the mood to see you soaking in the rain.” she invited him when in response he just frowned. "Unless you prefer the rain of course." She added sarcastically. “Since when do you care about what I want..” muttered then under her breath, annoyed.

In fact, in the past Arabella had often asked him to stay at a safe distance but Theor had dutifully ignored her and over time, even though she hated having him around, Arabella had gotten used to his harassing presence.

Not that it made it any less unpleasant, however.

"Don’t you like him?"

Theor's voice intruded on her thoughts as Arabella was recalling her discussion with Celestia, from earlier.

“Something in my expression makes you think you can talk to me Theor?” replied she quite annoyed. “Or maybe you misunderstood something about my invitation to sit down?”

"Answer me.." ordered her coldly Theor, making her shiver angrily. “Do you like Wayward or not?”

"It doesn't concern you at all." informed him Arabella, annoyed. "And I don't even see why it should interest you .." she added dryly. "And if it's because you hope that by becoming Luna of the Silver Horn, my safety would no longer concern you, let me tell you that I'm much more eager to get rid of your annoying company than you are."

Not enough anyway to accept the advances of Ilyan Wayward.

Also because she hadn't yet lost hope of being able to get rid of Theor's shadow in another, much more definitive way.

Despite her mixed feelings about it.

“It wouldn't change a thing.” commented gloomily Theor, catching her off guard because she didn't understood what was he referring to. "As long as you continue to be a princess of the Black Moon I will be by your side."

Undecided whether to laugh or cry Arabella chose the first option, giving free rein to the laughter that rose in her throat, liberating.

Theor couldn't have said anything worse to make that day even more black than it already was but the idea of ​​having him around while Ilyan was courting her was quite ridiculous.

They would make quite a picture indeed, she trying to ignore Ilyan and Ilyan trying to ignore Theor.

“Is that why you followed me out here?” asked him Arabella, still amused, as she tried to get rid of the mental image that was painted in her head. “I should have known it..” murmured she, sighing darkly once her hilarity wore off.

When had ever Theor pleased her in anything?

"You're wrong." she then informed him coldly, standing up because she had stayed outside too long. “When I would find someone I really like, I won't give you any chance to hang around me.” She warned him firmly. "If I've put up with you until now it's only out of respect for your mother, nothing else!"