Rejected Luna Of The Cursed Alpha

Something Was Wrong

Aria's POV

By the time the night sky turned to sunset, I had convinced myself not to go. I stood in front of the wardrobe Mrs. Evelyn curated for me, looking at the dresses inside.

None of them were very appealing. Some lacked my style, but others simply had too much. I was about to wait for Nora's dress to come but, as the alpha's wife, even the best designers had barely managed to whip something up in such a short time. I grabbed the simplest dress, something plain in color that barely came down to my ankles. It would not garner too much attention and simultaneously would not announce that I did not care.

That would do if Nora came without a dress, I thought as I tied the ribbon in my hair. A knock sounded at the doors

"I know you are not getting cold feet," she said as she knocked once more

I snorted and opened the door for her. She gave me the dress as soon as she got in, and I quickly changed into it.

Her eyes almost fell out of her sockets as she looked at me. "Oh."

"Yes? " I asked without sarcasm, Nora had done an incredible job. It was a simple yellow dress, but it looked outstanding on me

"You clean up nicely."

I gave her a laughing look. "I bathed."

"I can see that." She made a show of circling around me before giving a satisfied nod. "Perfect, I told you that I would make you a dress."

"You did and I love it. Thank you so much."

"You are welcome. Now, if you will, can I keep making dresses for you?"

"Of course, you are good at it."

"I like you."

I shook my head and smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was." Nora linked her arm with mine before I could say anything else. With a smile, she led me out

As soon as I exited the castle, I nearly fainted. The silent fortress had transformed overnight. The forest was somewhat lively now, as the lanterns that had been tied to the trees glowed warmly. Long tables had been set up at the center of the village, with different foods laid on them. Hot bread, roast meat, fruits, pastries, and pots of steaming stew.

Children dotted the village, playing with paper lanterns, and the sound of their laughter filled the night. Musicians played behind a large tree, their instruments producing amazing melodies in the general clamor.

The village was simply buzzing with life.

I stopped, looking around with a stunned look on my face. "This is beautiful."

"This is amazing, isn't it?" Nora said, smiling at me. "I told you so."

"I've never seen a festival like this before."

She looked surprised. "What about Valemont? What did you have there?"

It took me a moment to respond. "Formal." Formal because I had either been a maid or the king's wife

Formal in both instances.

Her nose crinkled in disgust. "That sounds positively dreadful."

"It usually was."

"There are speeches here as well." She leaned closer and whispered dramatically, "...But nobody pays any mind to them."

I laughed. Again, somehow this woman could make me laugh even when I felt like crying. Nora drew me through the crowd of villagers, chatting with a few of them as we walked. "This is my dad!" A burly man with some flour on his sleeves looked up from the basket of warm bread he was selling. He gave me a friendly smile as he took in his daughter and me.

"So, this is Aria." His voice was kind as he gestured for me to come closer. "We heard that you arrived."

I stiffened, but as I met his gaze, another emotion surged within me. For a moment, I almost felt at home

"We heard that James said you had it rough."

"I did."

"Well," he said, handing me a small honey bun, "everyone needs a bit of sweetness after a bitter experience."

I took the bread with both hands. "Thank you, sir."

He waved it off. "Thank me by eating it."

Nora laughed. "He says that to everyone."

"Because everyone should eat." His reply was solemn, causing us both to laugh again. "Anyways, a friend of James is a friend of ours."

For once in an eternity, the tightness in my chest lightened. It might, just might, be possible for people to be kind without expecting something in return

As the night wore on, the music grew louder. In the middle of the village, people gathered to form a ring of dancers. Couples danced, moving to the music, their feet making rhythmic sounds against the ground. All of them danced simple steps but with much joy.

Nora gave me a gentle push. "Now come."

"I will not."

"Yes, you will."

“I don't dance.”

"Everybody dances."

"I don't," I countered.

She gave me a sharp look. "That's because nobody has asked you."

Before I knew it, Nora had practically pushed me to the edge of the dancers. "Nora, I-"

"You only have to move."

"I will embarrass myself."

"So?"

"So everyone will laugh."

She made a show of looking around. "Good."

I blinked at her. "Good?"

"If they are laughing, it means they are happy."

I couldn't exactly argue with that. The music started as Nora's hands gripped my sides, guiding my limbs. "One step."

I paused, and then again. I repeated her careless moves, and she laughed, not at me, but with me. And soon, I was laughing too, the steps becoming less stiff as the songs played. For the first time in an eternity, I forgot. Not entirely, but almost.

And then, just like that, the happiness was stolen from me, as fast as it came. Across the village, I saw a woman standing next to a flower stall, chatting to a small girl who could not have been more than five years old.

This would have been a normal occurrence, nothing out of the ordinary, except for a sudden wave of grief that washed over me for no apparent reason. My smile faded as my chest tightened painfully. Tears welled in my eyes before spilling down my cheeks. It felt as if something inside me had died, shattering my heart into millions of pieces.

I stopped dancing, but then again, Nora seemed to sense my unease as she too halted

"Aria?"

I pressed a hand to my chest. "I'm fine."

No, I was not. It could not have possibly been that I felt this sudden wave of grief. I had been laughing only a moment ago, but now it was as if the world had caved in on me

I looked back at the woman. She continued smiling, chatting to the girl. Then, just as suddenly as the wave of grief had arrived, it was gone. The woman bent down and placed a kiss on the girl's forehead before walking away. I watched the woman with wide eyes as her shoulders sagged, her hands flying to her cheeks as she discreetly wiped her tears. She soon disappeared into the crowd, and Nora exhaled as she followed my line of sight

"Oh ..."

"What?"

"That's Mrs. Alma."

"You know her?"

Nora nodded sadly. "Today would have been her son's birthday."

I stared at the place where the woman had been last. "He's gone?"

"Three years ago."

There was a pause before I looked down at my hands. The grief inside me had lessened, as if she had only felt it for a short time. It left me feeling strangely empty and a bit confused. How had it happened? How had I known? I barely knew the woman. The woman hadn't cried or said anything

She had been perfectly normal, an average villager at the festival, and yet somehow, for a moment, I had felt everything she had

I swallowed, some strange feeling blooming in my chest

Something was wrong, and I did not know what.