42 // Unleashed

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When I returned back to Damien's bed, they both looked up to me in anticipation. I took a deep breath. 

"What's happened to her?" Lyon asked softly. 

"She had been taken as a patron of the Moon Goddess," I replied simply. "She will join the other women in the house just outside the palace walls." 

"Cyan, I'm so sorry," Damien murmured. 

"There's nothing to be sorry for. The Moon Goddess has taken away her pain, and that is more than I could ever ask for." I felt myself becoming numb to the thought, and I looked to them both. I needed a distraction, and right now, war seemed to be the only option on the table. 

"What have you two divised, Damien?" 

"Lyon, get her out of here," he replied calmly. I looked to him in shock. 

"I thought that you were going to go after Damien, he has to answer for what he did--" 

"And he will, love, but you will not take any part of it. You are this Kingdom's Queen now, and you need to focus on your duties as a Luna. War is not one of those duties." 

"Do you hear yourself?" I scoffed. "You're talking to me like I'm a royal piece of ass that's been locked in a tower for years. I'm not a fragile princess, Damien." 

"You're right, Cyan. You're not a fragile princess, you're a human. Humans are the most fragile of all." 

I couldn't help but turn and run from the room in anger. I knew that people changed after marriage, but I had absolutely no idea that it happened this quickly. 

I found myself out in the flower garden, sketching. I'm not sure how many hours had passed, but before I knew it, the sun was setting. A hand rested on my shoulder, and I jumped at the feeling of it. I looked up to meet eyes with Damien. In all my days, I would always get lost in them. My eyes travelled down to his outfit, which made me stiffen at the sight. I felt my throat tighten as I worked to get the words out. 

"Why are you dressed like that, Damien?" I murmured. I stood now, fixing at his collar. 

"We're deploying the entire guard force to attack the castle at dawn. We have to leave now, in order to properly prepare." 

"That doesn't mean you have to go, you idiot," I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. He cupped my cheeks, placing a kiss on my forehead. I closed my eyes, trying to absorb the feeling. I hated having this feeling of impending doom, like I was saying goodbye to him for the last time. 

"They need me to lead them, Cyan. I'm the King. I'm the head of all battle strategies, and this is going to be the fiercest battle that they've ever had. They need me." 

"What about me, Damien?" I spat the words out, spinning around. "You nearly lost your life to that man, and now you're just going to walk into the lion's den?" (If Lyon were here, he would make a pun about that.)

"I'm going to protect my wife," he murmured, wrapping his arms around me from behind. I felt myself melt into his chest in defeat.

"When will you be back," I whispered. 

"As soon as I can." 

I watched them leave out my studio window as the sun succumbed to the horizon line. Not only had Damien left, but Lyon had gone with him. Alessia was receiving training for her new position, and I was left to the palace in nothing but solitude. There were hours spent attempting to paint, and then throwing the brushes to the wall. Now the wallpaper was speckled with cerulean blue. I collapsed to the ground. Xander was controlling every aspect of my life, and he wasn't even here. 

"Why," I murmured. I wasn't talking to anyone in particular, only to the Moon Goddess because she was probably the only one that could hear me. 

"Love is a fickle friend, isn't it?" I looked up to see a familiar glint of someone's eye. Luca, Xander's right hand man, was leaning against the threshold of my door. Everything in me said to scream, but I couldn't move. 

"Xander couldn't even make the house call himself?" I raised an eyebrow. 

"Xander is a bit busy planning your fiancee's death, since he made a mess of it the first time around." 

My eyes scanned the sword that was tucked neatly in its sheath by its side. I tried my hardest to keep eye contact, but it was awfully distracting. I wanted to clench my fists, and scream at him, and demand that he end this game. 

"My husband," I spat. He cocked an eyebrow at me. "He's my husband now." 

"Love is feeble," he scoffed. 

"You came here for a reason," I was growing both bored and nervous by his extended presence. 

"You're alone here, right?" He raised an eyebrow at me. I felt myself tense up immensely. He rolled his eyes at this. "Don't worry, love, I'm not going to kill you, if anything Xander wants you in one piece. I'm not interested in getting my throat torn out. I just thought I should let you know that you're going to be alone for a very long time." 

"What are you talking about?" I felt my voice shake. 

"Your little Prince Charming is walking into a beautifully constructed trap, and he has absolutely no idea." 

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