Chapter 14
654 Words
Lyara's POV
The next morning, the king and Selene left the palace.
I watched from behind the curtains as the royal carriage disappeared through the gates.
Good.
Excellent.
Wonderful.
Now I could finally breathe.
Or so I thought.
The moment Kael's carriage vanished, the guards somehow became even more annoying.
Apparently, "protect the Luna" translated to "follow her shadow."
Ridiculous.
Fortunately, Lina and I had prepared for this.
The night before.
After nearly an hour of arguing.
And another hour of Lina telling me how terrible my plan was.
I stood before the mirror wearing one of Lina's dresses.
Plain.
Simple.
Forgettable.
Exactly what I needed.
My hair was hidden beneath a servant's scarf.
Even I barely recognized myself.
Lina, meanwhile, looked as though she was preparing for her own execution.
"My lady..."
"Relax."
"My lady."
"Lina."
"If the Alpha finds out—"
"When the Alpha finds out."
Her face paled.
"That isn't helping."
I grinned.
"It helps me."
It definitely did not help her.
Poor Lina.
She looked one heartbeat away from fainting.
"You worry too much."
"I work for you."
"Exactly."
"That is the reason I worry."
Fair point.
I squeezed her hand.
"I'll be fine."
She didn't look convinced.
Neither was I.
But that wasn't important.
Freedom was waiting.
Lina left first, exactly as planned.
Several minutes later, I followed.
Head lowered.
Steps measured.
Nothing suspicious.
Just another servant moving through the palace.
No one looked twice.
No one stopped me.
No one noticed.
Victory.
By the time I stepped beyond the palace gates, I wanted to laugh.
The air felt different.
Lighter.
Fresher.
Free.
For the first time since arriving in the Northern Kingdom, I felt like myself again.
Not a political bride.
Not a Luna.
Not a symbol.
Just Lyara.
I wandered through the lower district for hours.
Merchants argued over prices.
Children chased one another through crowded streets.
Women carried baskets overflowing with flowers.
Life.
Real life.
Not palace life.
Not council life.
Life.
And I had missed it more than I realized.
"My Lord!"
I nearly jumped.
Lina hurried toward me through the crowd.
As she called me "my lord," several nearby merchants turned to stare.
I shot her a warning look.
Immediately.
She froze.
Then cleared her throat.
"My apologies."
Good.
She remembered.
Out here I wasn't Lyara.
I wasn't Luna.
I wasn't the Alpha King's wife.
I was Laura.
A simple traveler.
At least that was the story.
Lina quickly handed me a bundle.
The clothing she had brought.
Far more attractive than the servant dress.
Perfect.
Because if I was going to break Kael's rules, I intended to do it properly.
The thought made me smile.
The Heartless Alpha might enjoy ordering me around.
But I was the War Luna.
I had never been raised to be weak.
And I certainly wasn't trained to sit quietly in a room waiting for permission to live.
The following days became my favorite since arriving in the North.
I visited the market.
Settled disputes between merchants.
Visited the tax quarter and overturned several unfair collections.
Much to the shock of the officials involved.
I spent time with the families of injured warriors.
Listened to their concerns.
Shared meals.
Heard their stories.
For the first time in weeks...
I felt useful.
Every street reminded me of home.
Every conversation reminded me of who I was before politics.
Before treaties.
Before Kael.
And for the first time since arriving in the Northern Kingdom...
I was genuinely happy.
Which should have warned me.
Because happiness never lasted long.
Not in palaces.
Not in kingdoms.
And certainly not in my life.
The trouble began three days later.
Exactly as I expected.
Apparently visiting injured warriors' families without permission was considered scandalous.
Who knew?
I certainly didn't.
The council certainly did.
By midday, half the palace was talking about it.
By evening, a formal complaint had been filed.
Against me.
Wonderful.
- Writer
