All Chapters of The Heart of the Queen: Legacy of The Moonborn: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Ronan's eyes softened, his lips parting. “She told me once—before she even found you—that if the Moonborn ever returned, it would be someone no one expected. Someone who had been cast aside.”My eyes fell from his face, the ground beneath me suddenly becoming my point of focus as he continued to speak.“She said if anyone could survive the impossible…it would be you.”I felt a lump form in my throat and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe.And then, to make things worse, I remembered her eyes, her sweet voice, the warmth of her embrace. She used to wrap around me like a shield, even when I didn’t understand why. When it felt like she had no reason to treat me differently from how the pack did.Mira believed in me?The cold wind blew across the training ground, and I stood still, thinking of Mira’s words, the baby curled safely inside of me, and the impossible future waiting on the other side of this trial.This trial that I didn't know if I'd even come out alive of.I didn’t know if I wa

The corridor felt cold.I wrapped my arms around myself as I stood before the strange woman whose presence seemed to send constant chills throughout my body.“Who—” she spoke before I could finish.“I am the High Priestess of the Temple of Lunaris.”She stepped closer.Her presence filled the hallway like smoke—heavy, suffocating. Her dark eyes watched me as if she could see right through me. As if she vould hear every thought in my head.“And you… You are Aria,” she murmured, her voice a soft ripple in the air. “The Moonborn.”I felt a knot form in my chest at the word. I might never get used to being called that. Especially when I still didn't believe it to be true. “I…” I swallowed hard. “I don’t know if that’s true.”She smiled faintly, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards like she'd found something I said to be amusing. “You carry so much tension. Fear. Doubt. It clouds your heart, little one.”My annoyance spiked, my fists clenched at my sides. “Don’t call me that.”My mind

My heart felt heavy and my muscles were still sore from training. But it wasn’t just the physical exhaustion that was keeping me awake.It was the memories.As I sat on the edge of my bed, my eyes tired and fixed on an empty wall, all I could think about was the next trial. It had been weeks since the first and the second was drawing closer.The first trial—the Trial of Will— it had torn me open in ways I hadn’t been prepared for. I had thought I was healed, that I was ready to face my past demons. But apparently healing didn't come so easily, the past still haunted me and the trial had forced me to relive it.Every raw moment, every betrayal, every pain. Lucien’s face had haunted me in that chamber, his voice twisting around my doubts.But I’d made it. I survived.When it was over and I'd walked out, it was easy to pretend that what hapoened within those chambers hadnt gotten to me. But deep down, a part of me never left.Outside, Ronan had been waiting.“You did well,” he’d said sof

I tightened my fingers around the leather straps of my boots, pulling them snug as I sat on the cold stone bench out in the training grounds. My breaths came in short bursts, the air was warm but I felt cold.Ronan was crouched nearby, sharpening the edge of a blade. I knew I wouldn't be allowed to take weapons in, but I suspected it was his way of calming his nerves. His green eyes flicked up, catching mine.“You ready for a taste of hell, Aria?”A shiver crawled down my spine. Ronan definitely had a way with words.“Hell?” I tried to laugh, but it came out strained. “That’s comforting.”He gave me a small, crooked smile. But there was no humor behind it. I could sense his worry.“The Second Trial is meant to break you,” Ronan said softly, sheathing the blade and rising to his full, imposing height. "Isn't that what all the trials are supposed to do? Break me and unleash my barest self and all of that stuff" His wavy brown hair looked light in the sun. My thoughts drifted as I pict

By the time my eyes opened again, I was in bed, wrapped in soft blankets. I tried to move but practically every inch of my body cried out. My hand reached for my throat—It felt drier than a desert. My skin felt tight, as if the symbols from the trial had banded themselves onto me. I looked outside the window, hues of red blue and purple bled across the sky. Sunset. I didn't remember passing out. But I remembered being in Ronan’s arms and the look of pride in his eyes as he'd looked down at me. I shifted, ignoring the ache of my muscles. I looked down at my belly, placing my hand flat against it, it was my way of sensing them, checking to see if they were okay. I knew I was putting them through a lot. The thought kept eating at me. Just then, I heard a soft knock at the door. I managed to sit up in time as Ronan stepped in. He looked better now— still tired, but better. His brown hair was put up in a sleek bun as he normally did, his clothes were still slightly rumpled and his