CHAPTER 29- The Contribution

***Juno’s POV***

“My father wasn’t a king,” I said, keeping my voice steady and casual. “He worked at the king’s court as his Beta and right-hand man. He was the king’s favorite, so I always knew a lot about royal affairs. My father sat on the council, and that gave me plenty of insight.”

It felt like a lie as it left my lips, but the truth would have been worse. Admitting my father was the king would have put me in a spot I wasn’t ready for. Hazel exchanged a glance with Collins, and I could see the silent communication between them. They had a way of talking without saying a word, and I wasn’t sure whether it was a good thing or not.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Lyla said, her brow furrowed as she tried to shut down my plan. But I wasn’t backing down. Not now. 

“What’s the worst that can happen?” I shot back quickly. I didn’t want her to think she could convince me to drop it that easily.

Hazel scoffed and added, “We’ll end up in jail. No sunlight, no food, and no water. We’ll be stuck in a cell somewhere.”

I shook my head, refusing to let fear rule the situation. “That’s exactly why we’re stuck here at War Camp,” I said, pacing back and forth. “We’re always walking on eggshells, afraid we might offend someone, especially the elders. We’re playing it safe, and nothing ever changes. If we want to get anywhere, we need to be audacious. We’ve trained for this. We’ve worked so hard, learned so much. We have the skills to take down any kingdom or clan. If we keep acting weak, we’ll never gain any respect. We have to walk into that meeting with the King and make him see us as a force to be reckoned with. We can’t afford to let him think we’re helpless.”

Lyla still seemed skeptical, but Collins nodded thoughtfully. “You’ve got a point, Juno. We’ve got the training, and we’ve got the ability. But... I don’t know. It’s risky.”

Loki had been silent the whole time, lost in thought. I couldn’t quite tell if he was absorbing everything I’d said or if his mind was somewhere else entirely. It was hard to read him.

“You’re quiet, Commander,” I said softly, breaking the silence. “Is there something you’d like to add? You know we can’t make any decisions without your approval.”

Loki took a long, deep breath, his eyes clouded with worry. “I’m just thinking about the students,” he admitted, his voice low. “I can’t stand the thought of them starving. I don’t want to see them suffer. It’s breaking my heart just thinking about it.”

I could see the concern in his eyes, and it made my heart ache, too. He was carrying the weight of the camp on his shoulders, and I could feel the weight of it pressing down on all of us. But I had an idea, something that might just help.

“Some of the students are on payroll,” I said, hoping to catch their attention. “They get paid for completing certain tasks.”

Hazel immediately scoffed, crossing her arms. “And what does that have to do with anything?” she asked. “You think a few coins are going to save us?”

I wasn’t going to be discouraged by her tone. “I’ve saved up a little bit working at the diner,” I said casually. Hazel and Lyla both burst out laughing, clearly mocking me.

“You’re kidding, right?” Hazel laughed. “You think that little pile of coins is going to feed the entire camp? It’s not even enough for a loaf of bread!”

“I know it’s not much,” I replied calmly, “but hear me out. If we get the students to contribute what they’ve saved up, we can restock the store. We’ve already seen how many of them don’t have families, and they don’t spend their money. If we talk to them, they’ll likely be willing to pitch in. It doesn’t have to be much from each person. But if everyone gives a little, it’ll add up quickly.”

Loki’s eyes lit up as I spoke. He snapped his fingers, pointing at me with excitement. “That’s it! You’re a genius, Juno!” he said. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

He immediately sprang into action, barking orders. “Hazel, Lyla, grab some baskets. Collins, get all the students in the field right now. Ring the bell. We’re going to make this happen. Juno, you’re with me. You’re going to talk to them. Get them on board.”

Hazel and Lyla weren’t thrilled about the idea, but they didn’t protest. They knew better than to challenge Loki, especially when he was this determined.

We gathered the students in the field, and they began to murmur, unsure of what was going on. As soon as they saw Loki and me, they went silent, awaiting instructions. I wasn’t sure if I should even consider myself an official at this point, but I was standing beside Loki, and that was enough to command respect.

Loki gave me a nod, signaling me to take the lead. I cleared my throat, making sure my voice was strong and clear.

“On behalf of the officials, I want to apologize for the disturbance this morning,” I began, looking out at the sea of faces before me. “We’re working to ensure that anyone responsible will be held accountable. But right now, we need your help. Our store is empty. The Council members have ignored our requests for supplies, and now we must rely on ourselves.”

I paused, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. “We don’t want anyone to go hungry. The students here are our family, and we need each other. So we’re asking for your support. If you can contribute any money, no matter how small, we can begin to restock the store and keep everyone fed until we can get more help.”

Hazel and Lyla placed two large baskets in front of me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the cash I had saved up. I dumped it into the baskets, one stack at a time.

“This is all I have,” I said. “This is everything I’ve saved since I arrived at War Camp, and now I’m giving it all. If you can, I ask that you do the same. Even a small amount will go a long way.”

For a moment, there was a hushed silence. Then, one by one, students stepped forward. Some went back to their quarters and returned with their own savings. The two baskets began to fill, then a third, and soon there were six baskets piled high with contributions. I couldn’t believe it. My heart swelled with pride as I watched the students come together. This was what we needed—unity.

We took the money back to Loki’s chambers, where volunteers helped us sort and count it. It took a while, but by the time we were done, it was already midnight. Loki stared at the piles of cash in disbelief.

“Wait... this is more than we even asked the Council for!” he said, his voice filled with awe.

We all stood there, staring at the sheer amount of money we had collected. It was overwhelming—more than we had expected, more than we had hoped for. We had done it. Together, we had managed to gather enough to keep the camp fed for a while longer. Maybe we weren’t as helpless as we thought.