A lonely place

Lila's POV.

Before I could utter a word, someone knocked at the door.

A maid looked in, low-bowed, then announced that Luna Victoria requested to speak with Lady Sophia.

"Again?" Sophia said with laughter. "Perhaps the Moon Goddess herself does not want me to hear whatever it is you want to tell me because every time you open your mouth, someone calls me away."

Her eyes were soft and teasing, if only she knew the words I would utter would crush her. She bent down, fingers brushing mine. "Promise me you'll tell me someday, whatever it is."

I nodded, though I could not even utter a word, my throat was very dry.

She smiled in happiness and left with mom following shortly after. The door swung shut with deep silence lighting upon me like a thick cloak of weights.

Left all alone, I curled up on the bed, hugged my knees, and looked with no real aim at the faint light from the window. All was quiet in the palace; my mind was a mess. Ethan turned me down, picked someone else over me, and the moon goddess made it real by matching them the very next day!

Then another memory came flooding-back: Adrian's touch. The heat of him next to me. The wrong we promised to keep secret. My secret. Our secret.

The irony of those two memories was tearing me in two, and I couldn't tell which one of them hurt more: either the stab of abandonment or guilt having to do with the man standing next to my sister.

Fatigue, finally caught up with me; My eyes just shut themselves and sleep pulled me in.

When I opened my eyes the next time, the room was dark. I felt as though I hadn't just fallen asleep for mere hours but had actually slept for years. Briefly, I sat down there, staring at the darkness with nothing going through my mind. A knock brought be back to reality as a maid came to announce dinner was ready.

“Dinner is served, my lady,” said the maid, quite cordially. “I’ll help you get ready for dinner.”

In a hurry, she dressed me in a rather casual but well-kept outfit to take me into the long palace hall.

The room was softly lit by candle light, and the good smell of meat and warm bread filled the air, playing in my nose. The elders of the council were there once more, full of loud laughs. As I took my spot at the table's end, it was clear that they had started eating a while back, when I was not there.

Sophia was next to Adrian, shining with a happy face, while kind words were aimed at her. She spotted me and gave me a small smile, as the laughter rang around the merry table. Their talk filled the air, sharing hopes for strength, many kids, and big luck for the group. They said she and Adrian were just right for each other, a pair given to her by the Moon Goddess himself.

And every word plunged sharply.

I kept my head down, picking the food on my plate, while feeling too miserable to eat, causing the food to taste like chalk. Hands remained on my lap, keeping me in place while my heart ached.

And then just when I thought I would be able to finish the meal with no major fuss, she broke the silence with her voice.

“Lady Lila,”came Victoria, with a smile on her face, but never once did her smile reach her eyes. You are particularly quiet. Is the food not really to your taste? Perhaps you're used to... simpler meals.”

A light laugh flew around the table. Heat crept into my cheeks.

“The food is very good,” I said quietly.

“Glad.” she intoned. “We would hate for you to feel... out of place.”

A moment too long hung Victoria's penetrating gaze on me; however, she finally shifted her focus on to Sophia again and extolled her grace, beauty, and calm. But she had already scored her hit. At that moment I couldn't think of eating.

The older folks once raised their glasses for Sophia and Adrian anew, and Victoria sat back at the other end of the table. "It's good that the Moon Goddess put our future leader with someone right. Just imagine if she had picked someone... weak. That would have been sad, right?”

I froze, the insult sliding easily beneath my skin. Not even an attempt to hide it. Her eyes flicked toward me for the slightest moment, sharp and deliberate, before she raised her goblet to sip her wine.

The elders muttered their agreement, again uninterested - or probably unwilling - to acknowledge the cruelty behind her words.

I lowered my gaze again, pushing my fork through the meat on my plate. I could almost feel the walls of the hall pressing in.

But then came the final twist of her knife.

"Tell me, Lady Lila," Victoria spoke suddenly, drawing every gaze toward me. "Have you found a way to be useful here? Surely there must be something you can do to keep yourself busy while the preparations are being made.“

My heart sank. I swallowed hard, wishing desperately for the ground to open up and devour me.

Sophia was going to respond, but I shook my head quickly, forcing a thin smile. "I'm... finding my place," I managed.

"Ah," said Victoria, her smirk subtle but victorious. "I suppose even shadows take time to settle what more an omega."

Another round of uneasy chuckling swept through the elders. My mother sent me a worried glance but said nothing. As for Adrian-he must have noticed , I noticed his jaw tighten, his hand curled into a fist.

I sat rigid in my chair,anger, and shame swallowing me whole.

I tried to distract myself, forcing down a mouthful of food against the lump that had risen within my throat.

Victoria had found her prey. And I was it.