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Chapter 20: The Orphanage
ĐĐžŃНодноо ОйнОвНонио:
2022-11-29 14:35:58
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The Returned Luna   Chapter 21: The School
âMiss Laurel left with her maid, Sarah to tour the city,â Chasel told him and Adolph frowned. He had seen Sam and Lynn still on the castle grounds. Chasel huffed, âWhile Iâm sure theyâll be fine in the Imperial City, I wish she would have taken her escort.âAdolph chuckled and left Chasel. He lifted the hood attached to his vest over his head and left the palace with a few nods to the guards. The road into the Imperial City had been cleaned, but the flowers still littered the lower streets and colored the air with a soft floral scent. It was pleasant enough and made him remember that he should go take a look at the orchard the late luna had established. With any luck, it hadnât fallen too far into disrepair and could be used to continue producing food for the army and whoever else needed it. He sighed. It was such a tragedy that he had never met his daughter-in-law. Based on her efforts, she had been such a bright young woman. He hoped his lecture had settled in Basilâs mind, and t
ĐĐžŃНодноо ОйнОвНонио : 2022-11-29The Returned Luna   Chapter 22: Second Chance Mate
She wouldnât know who else to trust with the school. Sheâd planned the orphanage system, the school, and the hospitals, after all, but as far as Adolph knew, she was just a young woman from the country. Why would he give her the job? Why would he think a young woman could handle so much responsibility? Maybe he just wanted to push it off on someone else, or maybe he didnât care about having it all done well so much as getting it done. Anger burned in her chest and she huffed.âYou must be joking, Your Majesty. Are you trying to ruin this school by asking a country girl to handle all this?âAdolph winked, âI didn't mean that, Laurel. You're my mate--âLaurel glared at him, âSo youâre giving me all this work just to show me how much you value me as your mate? I don't want that! How can you casually give the lives of so many people as a gift to a girl?âAdolph stared at her, his expression was near placid as she glared at him and it only angered him more. There wasnât a flicker of guilt
ĐĐžŃНодноо ОйнОвНонио : 2022-11-29The Returned Luna   Chapter 23: The Invitation
After leaving the ministerâs office, Laurel threw herself into her work. If she kept busy, she wouldnât have time to worry about Adolph, mates, or anything else.Basil and Delia's wedding was coming up, so the entire castle was alive with movement. Sarah had been called from Laurelâs side to help due to the staffing shortage. Tinaâs voice, shouting orders, echoed down the luxurious hallways of the castle as servants scrambled to put up decorations everywhere. The air was thick with the scent of lilies and roses.The sight of it made her sick. Every newly shined candelabra and polished piece of silverware made her want to run back to her room and avoid the festivities altogether. Basil's attention to this wedding made her and Basilâs wedding looked like a joke. Roses were everywhere on the palace grounds for Delia, yet the only roses in Lauraâs wedding had been the four in her bouquet.She supposed that was the difference between a marked mate and a true mate.She stopped at the grand
ĐĐžŃНодноо ОйнОвНонио : 2022-11-29The Returned Luna   Chapter 24: The Dress
She had closed the box, put them on her table, and gone to bed without much preamble. In the morning, she called Sam and Lynn to her chambers.âGood Morning, Miss Laurel,â Sam greeted. âHow can we help?ââGood Morning. If you could return all of this to His Majesty that would be wonderful.âShe gestured to the stack of boxes and the invitationâs envelope on top. Sam and Lynn glanced at each other and winced.âWellâŚâ Lynn started.âIâd be happy to do anything for you, Miss Laurel,â Sam said, giving her a tense smile. âBut we would rather be dropped into a den of vampires without a sword than return what the king gave you.ââButâââNo one can refuse the king's kindness.â Lynn shuddered, âDoing so would only make him angry.âLaurel wasnât sure what to make of it. Why were they all so afraid of him? The common peopleâs fear was a bit more understandable, but Sam and Lynn had been on the battlefield with him. Surely, they knew him well enough not to fear him like this.With a sigh, she nod
ĐĐžŃНодноо ОйнОвНонио : 2022-11-29The Returned Luna   Chapter 25: Kindness
It was the first time anyone in the palace had cared enough to ask why she was crying. This wasnât the first time she had faced a moment like this, but Basil had never cared about her. His ministers had cared even less and usually went out of their way to embarrass her. Noblewomen often disrespected her without being scolded for it by Basil or anyone who should have been on her side.She had always had to defend herself; thus, Laura never cried because it was useless to cry. Crying was unbecoming of a luna, and no one cared about her feeling anyway. She had to handle every obstacle, every setback, and every difficulty on her own and with all the grace of her station. She knew that and that in the back of her mind, Laura was trying to pull it together, but it had been so long since sheâd been Laura.She was Laurel now. Hadnât she committed to it? Hadnât she committed to being just a young girl born on the border?Seeing Adolph shouldnât have made her burst into tears, but it seemed tha
ĐĐžŃНодноо ОйнОвНонио : 2022-11-29The Returned Luna   Chapter 26: Reasonable
"Are you rejecting me?"Adolph asked so bluntly, Laurel didn't know how to answer. Then, she nodded her head her face burning with embarrassment. A moment of silence passed and Laurelâs stomach churned with anxiety. Why wasnât he saying anything? She glanced at his face and found his expression unreadable.âI-IâmâŚâ She tried to calm down and speak clearly. âIâm just an ordinary girl. A girl from the border. I donât have any business⌠I donât deserve to be your partner for such a formal occasion, and--ââIf you were an ordinary woman your age, you would have accepted the invitation with joy.âShe winced. She couldnât argue with that. An ordinary girl her age would have tried on the dress and admired herself in the mirror for at least an hour, not packed it up, and tried to return it. If she were just Laurel, sheâd have thrown herself at him when they first met and lived happily thereafter without a care in the world, but Laura hadnât been put to rest; thus, all of her doubts were still
ĐĐžŃНодноо ОйнОвНонио : 2022-11-29The Returned Luna   Chapter 27: Matching Set
She woke up the day of the wedding and took a deep breath. She didnât want to go, but she had promised to go with Adolph. She couldnât back out. Based on the soft light coming through the window, she had woken up very early.She got out of bed and started to prepare everything she needed.Sarah entered the room quietly and stopped in the doorway, shocked. She curtsied politely.âGood morning, Miss Laurel. Iâm surprised you woke up so early.âShe smiled tensely, âI⌠figured it would take a while to get up to standard.âSarah shook her head. âNot at all with your beauty! But thereâs nothing wrong with a little extra preparation!âShe chattered about the merits of thorough preparation and her happiness was infections.ââŚbeside, Miss Delia deserves to be shown up on her wedding day!âLaurel gasped and looked at her. Sarah flushed with embarrassment.âWhat⌠do you mean? You donât like her?âSarahâs gaze turned cold with fury. Laurel had never seen her so upset.âThat⌠woman is the reason
ĐĐžŃНодноо ОйнОвНонио : 2022-11-29The Returned Luna   Chapter 28: Vows
Basil was very happy on his wedding day. Aside from marrying his beloved mate, he was dressed far more luxurious than usual in a white suit tailored to him with gold and red embroidery on his cuffs and sleeves. He wore no cloak as he had never needed one, but he always relished the chance to wear his crown as it made him feel more princely than usual.He waited for the ceremony to begin, and but he could have never been prepared for Delia's beauty when she entered the hall in her wedding gown. Her gown was blue, cut in a traditional style with golden embroidery. It made her seem refined and near untouchable in her beauty. He almost couldn't breathe and even his wolf agreed that she was beautiful.He remembered the first time he met Delia. She has looked so pitiful in her rags and bandages, pleading for sanctuary. Her timidity had been charming in the beginning. She hid her face as if to keep him from seeing anything wretched as she'd begged for water to drink and wash her face. It ha
ĐĐžŃНодноо ОйнОвНонио : 2022-11-29
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His stomach churned but he nodded, walking into the room. Fear filled him, but as he entered the room he started to relax. âYouâre so beautiful⌠you take after your father.âLaurel lay among the sheets, dressed in a loose gown and cradling the baby to her chest.At the distance, he could only see a tuft of honey blonde hair in the swaddling blanket. The wetnurses bowed and stepped aside as he approached. Laurel smiled up at him, âWant to meet him?ââHim?âLaurel beamed at him, âHim⌠Nimue told me before, but I wanted it to still be a surprise for you.âAnother boy. Adolph sunk onto the bed beside her, kissing her cheek before looking down into her arms. He had Laurelâs nose and hair pattern though the coloring was all his. Maybe when he grew up heâd take after his grandfathers, but he wouldnât be able to tell that for a while.âCan I hold him?âLaurel nodded, offering the child to him. He smelled like fresh water and clean skin as Adolph took him, and held him close. He was so smal
The Returned Luna   Chapter 173: Defense and Not
Nimue took a deep calming breath as Basil let out a mournful sob. The air began to warm slowly around them as the path between their world and the afterlife closed. She should have known when her first evocation yielded nothing that Olivia was going to be another troublesome spirit.She hoped Basil would be able to recover and accept the truth in time.âNo⌠motherâŚâ Nimueâs heart twisted with grief as she calmed her powers and Basilâs hand tightened on her ankle. âWhy? She⌠She lifted it.ââShe was prepared to sacrifice you,â she said solemnly.âShe lifted the curse, Nimue! You didnât have to!âNimue looked down at him, âShe only did so to save her existence, Basil. That was the test. It wasnât about remorse towards what sheâd done to your father⌠it was about what she did to you.âHis eyes welled with tears as she set her staff aside, allowing it to hover in the air. âShe was never your mother.âShe kneeled beside Basil, placing a glowing hand near the dagger in his chest as he fell
The Returned Luna   Chapter 172: Oblivion
Adolphâs voice was sure and even, but Basil couldnât believe what he was saying. Didnât he understand that they had no way of knowing how long that would be? A few months? A few days? His father was the strongest man he knew, but he wasnât indestructible!âBut fatherâââYouâd let Basil be king?â Olivia scoffed and laughed, âYou know heâs not ready. He wonât ever be ready!âThe twinge of pain that went through him took his breath away. He pushed it aside. This wasnât the mother heâd imagined his whole life. He expected his father to say those things, not the woman who died giving birth to him. He winced at the thought. She hadnât died giving birth to him. Sheâd died giving birth to a curse. There was no other choice to make.âNimue, end the sĂŠance.âNimue said nothing. Whether that meant she couldnât or wasnât going to, he didnât know.Adolph shook his head, âYour father tried to make that true, but itâs not. Basil isnât an idiot. Heâs young and inexperienced, but thatâs fixable. He h
The Returned Luna   Chapter 171: Love and Obsession
Adolph narrowed his eyes down at Olivia. She was just as pretty as she had been before, but he saw the wicked light in her eyes. âShouldnât you be greeting our son whom youâve never met?â Adolph asked. She smiled at him, poisonous and vicious, âI would never put anyone before you dear husband.ââYou are dead,â Adolph said, âSpeak to Basil.ââ⌠very well.âOlivia turned her head and looked at Basil. Adolph was about to retract his statement at the hopeful look on Basilâs face, but it was too late. âYou asked them to kill the man who raised you,â Olivia said, âYou asked for the death penalty.ââMother, theyâââDonât call me that!â Olivia hissed at him. âAll of them. Murdered and for what? What of your loyalty to me?âBasilâs eyes widened, âTo youâŚ?ââAfter what your father did to me?â Olivia said, âWhat is a bit of money?ââYou⌠You knew?â Basil asked. âButâââI love your father,â she said, her eyes glimmering with tears. âBut⌠that wasnât good enough. My love was never good enough f
The Returned Luna   Chapter 170: Olivia
Laurel didnât expect Basil to come quickly, so when the door closed, she was grateful that Nimue made herself a cup of tea and smiled at her. âYou were once someone else,â Nimue said. âI am glad that the moon saw fit to bring the white wolf back to us.âLaurel blinked and sat across from her, âYouâre⌠not much like Eden.âNimue chuckled, âEden and I have different gifts⌠He is what we would call an elemental Wiccan. Lightning strikes, fire, flashy shows of power that most associate with real magic. Iâm a spiritual mage.âLaurel blinked and made herself a cup of tea, âWhat⌠does that mean?ââIt means I have a connection to the living and the dead. Hence, I know the body youâre in right now is one you were reborn into. I can only guess how you died, but I assume that Basil knew you in your past life.âLaurel winced, âThis⌠isnât how I expected this conversation to go.âNimue shrugged, âYou make plans and the spirits laugh, but Iâm not concerned about your aura. Itâs more than healthy a
The Returned Luna   Chapter 169: Mates and Fated Pairs
Adolph watched Basil leave. Nimue winced.âI⌠would like a moment to speak with my wife,â Adolph said slowly. Nimue nodded, âIâll⌠go after him.âShe left wincing. That had been a fucking disaster if sheâd ever seen one. As she exited the room, she followed the trembling confusion, fear, and anger down the hall and around the corner. The thing about magical compatibility between fated matches was that it worked like a homing beacon. She found him in a parlor sitting on the couch with his head in his hand. He lifted his head and shot to his feet as she entered. âYouâYou canât just say things like that!â Basil said, âYou canât just accuse her if youâYouâre a healer! How would you know something like that anyway?âNimue watched him, his shoulders heaving as he held himself still. âI am a healer,â she said. âBut I am not just a healer. Sit down and calm yourself.ââLook me in the eye and tell me the truth,â Basil said, glaring at her. âTell me you know for sure my mother did it. Tell
The Returned Luna   Chapter 168: Lady Nimue
Basil had tried to keep his mind focused on the path ahead the next morning, no matter how Nimueâs scent had seemed to take over his senses and make him dizzy with need and desire. She smelled like fresh blooming flowers, fresh earth, and a hint of fresh sweet bread. It was a distracting, comforting, and maddening scent. His wolf growled in contentment and want whenever she grew near, so he took to riding further ahead to try and keep his mind clear. *I hate you*, his wolf huffed and growled. *You and your stupid pride and fear andâŚ**Not now*, Basil thought, stubbornly. *Focus on getting back to the capital, okay?*He huffed, *And your need for distraction instead of facing the truthâŚ*Basil sighed, tuning out his wolfâs whining. This wasnât the time for thinking about such things. Adolph and Laurel were supposed to be staying at the temple until the baby was born. There was no reason they should have called him back unless the baby was early or something had happened to his father
The Returned Luna   Chapter 167: Forgiveness
Taliesin sent the message off with a heavy heart. While his judgment was sound and he knew he wasnât wrong, the likelihood that it would all go to plan was slim. Curses laid by the dying or the dead were harder to get rid of than living curses and he was not an expert in such dark magics. He had no affinity for creating or breaking them. His late brother and twin, Merlin, had no such limitations, but he had gone into Eternal Repose after his wife, Viviane, had been killed in the war against Morrigan. Merlin could not help them.Taliesin couldnât blame him. The war had taken so much from all of them and raising the barrier had taxed them both greatly. There was little hope that he would ever wake up, and Taliesin had accepted that centuries ago, focusing on raising Merlinâs daughter as if she were his.âNimue?â Taliesin called as he returned to the meeting hall. She was seated on the old stone bench, looking up through the canopy of the ancient oak trees that were always in bloom. Hi
The Returned Luna   Chapter 166: Cursed Last Moments
Laurel woke up, frozen in terror in bed. The last time sheâd had a vision of the moon goddess, sheâd been pushed off a cliff. She wasnât sure if hearing that her husbandâs late wife put a curse on him was better or worse. How bad was the curse now? How much longer did they have? Could she break it? If she couldnât, what would happen to him?Her stomach turned as she turned over to see Adolph sleeping peacefully beside her. The days of his insomnia seemed to have caught up with him all at once. The strain of the days seemed to be gone now as he slept.His scent was just as bloody and lovely as ever, but that blood that she had once found just a bit sexy seemed tainted with danger now. It wasnât just the scent of someone who had seen a great deal of war, but it was affecting his mind. An alpha werewolf like Adolph could be dangerous if they lost control of their strength. She knew that Adolph was much stronger than the average wolf. Was it anything like going rogue? Would it kill him?
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