Chapter 12 Truths
Truths
“Is she asleep?” Luna heard her father ask.
“Yes, sir. I think so. Haven’t heard her move in a while,” Clyde replied.
Stupid, handsome, horrible Clyde.
“Do you think the dungeon is an appropriate place for a lady of the court?”
“Considering yesterday’s events, I do, sir. It’s protocol. She can’t escape here, and the dungeon is well-protected from outsiders.”
“Treating her like she did something wrong is deplorable. We will see if the king agrees with you.” Her father huffed.
There was a long, drawn-out pause before Clyde said, “I’ll allow her out of this room on the king’s command—and only his command.”
She heard her father curse under his breath before she heard the distinct sound of his footsteps stomping away.
Luna didn’t dare move a muscle and alert Clyde that she was awake. Instead, she closed her eyes and forced her body to remain perfectly still, a desperate attempt to avoid interacting with him.
A short while later, she heard servants moving in the hall, going from cell to cell as they delivered morning meals. When they reached hers, Clyde stopped them. “I’ll bring it to her myself. Thanks.”
Dammit. So much for no interaction.
The cell door swung open, and he entered. She kept her eyes shut, praying he’d think she was still asleep and just put the food down then leave.
He stepped closer, his boots inches away from her as he set the tray of food down on the ground, practically in front of her nose. The smell of fresh bread made her feel like she was home with her mom; she could almost imagine Angie humming away while she baked.
A small sob burst her lips.
“There, there, Luna,” he cooed as he reached down and touched her shoulder—the gesture was warm, comforting even. “It’s going to be alright.”
A shudder swept through her.
If she were a more violent person, she would’ve smacked him. He was the last person who should have been trying to comfort her. He’d held his sword against her throat; he was the whole reason she was even in the dungeons. He didn’t care about her, and she wished he’d quit pretending he did.
She shrugged him off, but he wasn’t about to accept the rejection.
Undeterred, he sat beside her, alert as always, one hand resting at his side, the other on his sword, as if she was in any condition to attack him.
She stared at the sheathed metal, briefly torturing herself by reliving yesterday’s events before her eyes drifted to his. “What do you want?”
“To apologize. You must see that I’m only doing my job.”
Her gaze lowered to her hands, and she fisted them at her side. “Your responsibilities don’t involve you joining me in here . . .”
“Luna,” he cooed again, making her stomach flip, “I had to threaten your life yesterday. Otherwise, he would have taken you from us. It was the only way I could make that beast back down. You know I’d never hurt you.”
She no longer knew that. She refused to look back up at him, choosing to answer him with silence. How she regretted not going with Damien when she had the chance. If she had, she wouldn’t be sitting on this floor like a captive, forced to listen to the person who had trapped her.
“Luna, love,” Clyde purred. His hand cupped her face, forcing her to turn her head towards him. “I’d never hurt the girl I love. Everything I do is with our future in mind.”
She blinked in surprise. “You love me?”
“Of course I do. Does that surprise you? I’ve said it before.”
It’s true; he had. But back then, she had believed him, and she had loved him as well. Now, that feeling of love had turned into something else . . . something that invoked anger. “You tossed me in the dungeons like some criminal. You held a blade against me.” Her voice shook.
She took a steadying breath and willed herself to calm down. It wouldn’t be wise to make him angry, especially considering her circumstance; he was in a position of power. One look at the shackles on the wall told her that he could make her life a lot worse than it was.
“I already explained why I did that, Luna love. It’s all just a misunderstanding, don’t you see?”
No.
It didn’t make sense.
Surely, if she mattered to him, he would have ignored protocol.
He would’ve taken her far away from here. Done what needed to be done in order to have their happily ever after. But she didn’t say any of that, instead she said, “I think I need some time.”
“That’s fair. Eat up, it’ll be a while before your next meal. I’ll be outside if you need anything or want to talk.”
She nodded, knowing full well she wasn’t going to take up his offer, and then he got up and left.
Once she was sure he wouldn’t return, she went over to the tray, picked up the bun and devoured it.
There was a cup of water as well, and she took a few small sips.
Her stomach still ached with a dull hunger, but at least she had something in her belly now.
Time passed slowly in the cell—at least, she thought it did.
With the lack of windows, there was no way to really tell.
It felt like every few hours, Clyde would ask her if she needed anything or wanted to talk, and each time, she politely declined.
Finally, a servant came and told Clyde the king had summoned her to the throne room.
She straightened her clothes, trying to look half decent for the king; however, there was little point.
Her dress was wrinkled to hell, and the pale pink fabric was ripped where Clyde had held his sword against her.
She patted down her hair, smoothing down some of its wildness.
Finally, she nodded towards Clyde, signalling she was ready, and he escorted her out of the cell.
In the throne room, King Hendrix paced back and forth in front of his redwood throne with a scowl.
His black hair, typically tidy, now appeared straggly from his agitated movements.
Prince Kieran sat with a blank expression on his face in the smaller of the two thrones, and a fire blazed in the fireplace behind him, heating the entire room.
Overwhelmed with nervousness, Luna’s legs shook as she made her way down the stone aisle.
She focused on the floor, avoiding eye contact until she reached a respectful distance in front of the king.
After bowing deeply, she summoned the courage to look up, meeting the gazes of both the king and the prince.
Prince Kieran gave her a reassuring smile, but the expression didn’t reach his worry-filled eyes.
King Hendrix seemed beyond angry, as if anger were now his permanent state, hovering over him like a cloud.
He sat down on his throne, his hands gripping the arms of it so tightly he was probably indenting the wood.
When he spoke, his thunderous voice filled the room.
“Darius has made a request for you, Miss Luna—one that I’m struggling to give.
Before I make my decision, tell me, what is your side? ”
Her voice trembled, nerves getting the best of her.
“I wish I had a side to explain, Your Highness. But I am unsure how to defend myself, as I do not know why I am in the dungeons. I’ve hurt no one.
I’ve done no wrongs. I’ve always obeyed your rules.
” That last part was a fib, but he didn’t need to know that.
“I’m happy to explain my point of view on anything you desire, but I’m unsure where to begin. I don’t understand what’s happened.”
The king stared down at her; the pause in conversation only added to Luna’s anxiety.
“Clyde has reported you interacted with a unicorn and seemed rather friendly. Let’s start with that.”
She wasn’t about to tell the king the truth of their history. Instead, she said, “I only found out he was a unicorn when everyone else did. After he, um, transformed into one.” Turns out lying was pretty easy when they come one after the other.
“I see,” King Hendrix said, leaning back on his throne, his elbows resting on his knees as he tapped his fingers together.
“I extended the safety of my kingdom to you upon your father’s request when you were a mere baby.
I gave it graciously, asking for nothing in return.
Not only did I create guidelines to help keep you safe, but I even assigned you your own guard.
Although you are not of noble blood, I have allowed you to have the same status and education as any noblewoman in my court.
It is well known that the unicorns are our enemies.
We’ve been at war with them for many years.
Being friendly with one is treason, especially after all I have done for you, wouldn’t you agree? ”
Luna winced; she hadn’t thought of it that way.
He clasped his hands together, ignoring her reaction. “Your father has been very helpful throughout the years, and so I’m willing to overlook this. However, some adjustments will be made regarding where you will reside and spend your time. I believe this is a fair offer, do you not?”
It was an offer she could not decline. Without any other choice, she nodded gravely.
“You will be moved into an apartment in the palace, where Clyde will remain your guard. You will still hold your status as a lady of the court, but there will be extra responsibilities you will need to fulfill.”
“What tasks will those be?”
“There will be time to discuss that later,” he said, then rose from his throne, walked over to a small side table at the edge of the room, and picked up a goblet.
“Leave us, Clyde”—he commanded, lazily lifting his hand to flick his wrist towards the door—“and send for a servant to collect Luna’s things and deliver them to the room on the fourth floor, at the end of the hall. ”