Chapter 16
740 Words
Selene’s POV
I had just finished washing the dishes, my hands raw from the cold water, when a maid came rushing toward me.
“The future Luna requests your presence. Immediately.”
Her tone was careful, almost fearful, as if she knew just how much those words would sting.
I nodded silently, wiping my hands on my apron even though my palms still trembled beneath the fabric.
The future Luna.
Liana.
The woman who had made my days a living nightmare.
The woman who would soon become his wife.
As I walked through the grand halls of the palace, my heart felt heavier with every step. My chest ached with something sharp and ugly, something I couldn’t name anymore without feeling pathetic. Disappointment? Heartbreak? Betrayal? Or simply foolishness?
I was a fool to think I mattered.
When I stepped into Leandra’s chambers, the sight before me nearly knocked the breath from my lungs.
Silks. Jewels. Dozens of gowns spread out like trophies of her victory. She stood at the center of it all, her golden hair gleaming, her smile sharp enough to cut skin. Maids hovered nearby, flattering her with words and praise she didn’t deserve.
“Oh, look who finally decided to show her pathetic little face.”
Her words sliced through the air like a knife.
I kept my expression blank, bowing my head slightly as I had been taught. “You asked for me, my lady?”
She laughed. “How polite. How obedient. How… beneath me.”
The maids around her giggled, though none dared meet my eyes.
Liana turned, holding up two gowns to the mirror. One red, fierce and bold like blood. The other soft white, pure as snow. Both expensive. Both fitting for a Luna who wanted to flaunt her status.
“Tell me, Selene,” she said, drawing out my name like it tasted bitter on her tongue. “Which should I wear to announce my engagement to your Alpha? The red one that screams power? Or the white one that whispers innocence? Though let’s be honest… no one here is innocent anymore.”
Her gaze met mine through the mirror. Cold. Mocking. Victorious.
“I’m sure you have thoughts, seeing as you… entertained him for a while.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I forced myself not to react. Not here. Not in front of her.
“I’m only a servant, my lady,” I said quietly. “It’s not my place.”
She laughed again, full of cruelty. “Oh, but it is. I like watching you pretend this doesn’t break you. I like knowing you lie awake at night wondering why he touched you like that… only to choose me.”
The maids snickered. I kept my head bowed, nails digging into my palms so I wouldn’t cry, wouldn’t scream. Not here. Not now.
“You poor thing,” Leandra cooed, stepping closer. “Did you truly think you mattered? Did you think he’d love you, a slave? Did you think you’d ever be Luna while I still draw breath?”
She circled me like a predator, her perfume thick and sweet, her smile dripping venom. “No. He’s mine. His heirs will come from me. His title will be shared with me. You? You’ll keep scrubbing floors and serving tea. If I let you live that long.”
I wanted to tell her she didn’t scare me. I wanted to tell her that Kairo’s coldness hurt far more than her petty words. But the truth?
She did scare me.
Because everything she said was true.
“You may leave,” she said with a flick of her fingers, dismissing me like dirt beneath her shoes. “Try not to cry on your way out. It’s unbecoming.”
I curtsied, silent as always, and turned to leave. I felt the burn of their laughter follow me down the hall, crawling beneath my skin like fire.
Once I was alone, I pressed my back against the stone wall, my chest heaving with silent sobs.
Why did it still hurt this much?
Why did I still ache for a man who made it clear I was nothing?
Why did I let myself believe I could have meant something more?
I slid down the wall, burying my face in my knees as tears leaked from my eyes.
He was going to marry her.
And I was going to watch it happen.
- Writer
