"Now listen carefully. He is mine. He has always been mine."
"If I ever see you anywhere near him again, you'll wish the Queen's slap was the worst thing that ever happened to you."
Selene held Lara's terrified gaze for another moment before shoving her away.
She stumbled backward and fell hard onto the ground.
"Stay away from him," Selene said coldly. "This is the last warning you will ever receive."
She smoothed the front of her gown as if nothing had happened.
"Come."
At her command, the two maids waiting nearby fell into step behind her.
Lara remained on the ground, one hand trembling as she rubbed her sore scalp.
She stared after Selene until the woman disappeared around the corner.
Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet. Her chest tightened. She felt foolish indeed.
Wiping away the tears gathering in her eyes, Lara turned and slowly made her way back toward the palace, more determined than ever to leave before she caused any more trouble.
By the time she reached her room, the palace corridors were almost empty.
The servants had retired for the night, and only the soft glow of the wall torches guided her way.
Eleanor, who lived down in the town, looked up the moment she stepped inside. She had come back into the palace just to see Lara.
"Lara?"
One glance at her face was enough for her smile to disappear.
"What happened?"
Lara quickly turned away. "Nothing."
But her voice betrayed her. Eleanor stepped closer and noticed the slight redness on her scalp and the tears in her eyes.
"Lara..."
Lara swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I think I should leave," she whispered.
Eleanor froze. "Leave?"
She nodded slowly. "I don't belong here."
"You don't belong here?" Eleanor repeated softly. "Lara, look at me. Was it Selene? Did she do something to you?"
Lara lowered her eyes.
"It doesn't matter," she whispered. "I just... I think I'd be better off living in the town with my parents."
Eleanor's expression darkened.
"That wretched girl." Her hands clenched into fists. "Wait until the king hears about this..."
"No!" Lara said quickly, reaching for Eleanor's hand. "Please... don't tell anyone."
Eleanor stared at her in disbelief.
"But Lara, she hurt you."
Lara shook her head.
"I don't want to make matters worse. The Queen already hates me. If the King finds out, it will only cause more trouble."
Eleanor took both of Lara's hands and looked her straight in the eyes.
"You are not leaving. Do you hear me?"
"I have no reason to stay here. I am fine now."
"The king wants you here," Eleanor said firmly. "That's reason enough. And moreover, you've done nothing wrong."
Lara didn't look convinced.
"I know exactly who Selene is," Eleanor continued. "She's a snake. She lashes out because she's terrified of losing her hold on the King."
Lara frowned. "She is the King's betrothed, she has every right to lash out."
Eleanor gave a short, humorless laugh.
"Is that what she told you?"
Lara nodded.
"There has never been any form of betrothal. The queen wants Selene on the throne, that's all. As for Selene, she wants the king for her own selfish reasons. But wanting something doesn't make it true."
Lara looked confused. She was quiet for a moment.
"But why doesn't the king want to marry her?" she asked quietly. "She is very beautiful."
She shrugged.
"Beauty isn't everything. As for why His Majesty refuses... only he can answer that. What I do know is this, you don't need to run away."
"Then what should I do?"
"You need a bodyguard."
Lara let out a soft laugh. She could not believe it. "A bodyguard?"
She looked closely at Eleanor's face, waiting for her to smile. But Eleanor's face did not change. The laughter died in her throat.
"Wait... you are serious?"
Eleanor nodded.
"If the Queen and Selene think they can intimidate you whenever you're alone, then they won't get another chance."
"No, no, that is too much," Lara stammered, shaking her head. "I mean... I am only here because of charity."
Eleanor said nothing. Instead, she dipped a clean cloth into a bowl of cool water and gently pressed it against the reddened skin near Freya's hairline.
Freya winced but said nothing.
Meanwhile, across the palace, Thornak remained tied up in another council meeting.
"What did you discover Ninzu?" he asked.
Ninzu's expression grew grim. "The signs are darker than I feared. The stars have confirmed what the stranger warned about."
She slowly looked around the room, meeting each council member's gaze.
"A great war is coming... and we are not ready for it."
A heavy silence settled over the council chamber. No one spoke.
At last, Edrion, the high Chancellor, broke the silence.
"Do the stars reveal who our enemy is?"
Ninzu slowly shook her head.
"No. Only that he is powerful."
Alpha Veyra frowned. "Then we strike first, and hunt down every rogue we find."
Ninzu looked at him. "You cannot defeat him."
Maravelle scoffed. "Preposterous."
Ninzu calmly turned to face the Queen Mother.
"What I mean queen mother is that according to the revelation, we do not have the means to defeat him. Only the Moonguard can."
The words sent a murmur through the council chamber.
"The Moonguard?" An elder asked.
Ninzu nodded. "According to the oldest prophecies, when darkness rises to consume the world, the Moon Goddess will awaken one born under her divine blessing. The Moonguard saved the world centuries ago from this same darkness before she died."
She looked at Thornak.
"That child alone will possess the power to stand against the coming darkness."
"And where is this Moonguard?" Thornak asked.
"I do not know, Sire. But if the prophecy is true, we must find the her before our enemy does. I believe she is the one he has been looking for using the rituals."
"So what you're saying is that an enemy we know nothing about. Whose motives remain a mystery, can only be defeated by a girl we don't know?" Maravelle asked.
Several members of the council exchanged doubtful glances.
Another elder shook his head. "Truthfully, it sounds absurd."
An alpha leaned forward.
"The fate of the kingdom resting on a prophecy? We have defended this kingdom with our claws for generations."