Entwined ✔️

Chapter 21: Alliance

I opened my mouth to say something even though I had no idea what to say but she waved her hand dismissively.

" Don't bother answering that. I can easily see why. You exude as much sensuality as a dead cow." She said and got to her feet.

My cheeks burned at that insult. She had no idea how wrong that assumption was.

She moved towards a book shelf that took up an entire wall.

" My son is twenty three years old." She said as she browsed through the shelf. " He'll be the youngest king Aradia has ever had. Usually, a king marries to strengthen connections and build alliances. That is the case with you and Rhydian."

She selected two books and made her way to where I stood.

" You will marry my son." She said and my eyes widened and my jaw dropped. " You will become the Queen Luna of Aradia and you will serve this kingdom in every way that you can."

My mouth dropped open at her words. She wanted me to become Luna?

" You might have noticed that I'm a bit more hard on your training than I am on your sisters. That is because I'm training them to be ladies of the court but I'm training you to be a Queen." She said without a hint of remorse in her voice.

I remained quiet, too stunned to form words.

" Do you know the amount of good your being Luna can realize?" She asked and without waiting for me to say a word, she continued. " Your people can be released from the cells and be given a better life, here in Aradia. You can make that happen ...if you're Luna."

" Um..." I began still with no words to say. Thankfully though she continued speaking.

" Rhydian doesn't want a Luna." She informed and my heart sank. " He is young and unfortunately that means more arrogance than wisdom. He refuses to see the good a witch Luna can bring." She paused and regarded me carefully. " Do you know about the problems Aradia is facing?"

I shook my head, no and she gestured for me to seat down. I complied and she followed suite placing the books on her laps.

" After the purge, we found out the damage to the eastern barrier had gotten much worse. Your people caused that and now it can't be fixed because the only ones who know how are now dead." She said shaking her head.

Thanks to the damned purge, I felt tempted to say.

" Actually," I frowned searching my brain for all I knew about the eastern barrier. " Ancient moon people put up the barrier but there are several books on it that may contain a way to fix the damage."

The Dowager Luna nodded.

" I'm sure there were, except no books on the barrier survived the Purge. The coven villages were burned down with all they had in it."

I felt my anger rise at that. Several centuries of history gone because of the stupidly of Werewolves. I took a deep calming breath.

" There is a coven outside of Aradia," she informed. " But even they have no way of fixing it. The thing is that if that barrier gets any worse," she paused as a frown came over her face. " A vampire army can come through."

I gasped at her words and remembered the vision where the armies of the east and the west clash in war.

Good goddess don't let it happen.

" We believe we have a way to fix it though. That is where the Red forest comes in."

I'd heard of that before. Carrison and Mother Diana had mentioned it.