CHAPTER 30-All Hail Juno!!

***Juno's POV***

I couldn't take my eyes off the road. We were back at the same market, the very place where I first met Loki. It was the first market I visited when I came to Azura. The memories rushed back to me, and I froze in place, goosebumps creeping up my arms. I could feel Nora's hand gently rest on my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts.

“You look so lost, are you alright? What are you staring at?” Nora asked, her voice laced with concern. I took a deep breath before placing my hand over hers in return.

“You know, this place brings back so many memories,” I said, my voice soft. “This was the first place I came to when I arrived in Azura. I almost got arrested by the royal guards, if not for Loki’s timely intervention. He saved me.”

Nora stood still for a moment, her face unreadable. Then, as if debating with herself, she spoke again. “Have you ever wondered how I got to The War Camp?” She asked, her voice taking on a serious tone. It seemed like she was about to open up about herself, and I knew I’d have to listen.

“Well, I haven’t asked because I felt like you would have told me if you wanted to,” I replied, trying to ease her into it. “I don’t want to bring up your life before the War Camp if it’s something you’d rather not talk about. I just thought that when you’re ready, you’d share it with me.”

Nora's eyes softened, her lips curving into a small, bittersweet smile. “You’re right, Juno.” She exhaled, clearly preparing herself for something difficult. “My life before the War Camp is not something I want to remember, honestly. I was betrayed by my own people... My uncle threw me out because I couldn’t shift. He said I was a liability. He treated me like a slave because of my deformity. My parents are dead, and they left me in his care, but he confiscated everything they left behind, using it all for his own children’s benefit. Even then, his children hated me. When my mate rejected me, he wanted to sell me off to the rogues. But I ran away... I was chased for days. I thought I was going to die. But somehow, I made it here. An old friend of mine told me about the War Camp when he saw how I was being treated at my uncle’s house.” Her voice cracked slightly, and I could see her eyes starting to turn red, the pain of her past threatening to resurface.

I couldn’t stand seeing her like this, so I turned to her, placing my hand on her arm in a gesture of comfort. “Oh, Nora, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. I thought your parents were alive. I didn’t know you’d gone through all of that,” I whispered, wiping the tears that were already slipping down her face. It broke my heart to see her like this. She’d always been strong, but it was clear that the scars of her past ran deeper than I had imagined.

Before Nora could respond, Hazel’s voice cut through the moment, sharp and demanding. “Get the basket and move the supplies to the truck. You didn’t come here to stand around and gossip. Get to work!” she barked, dropping a basket in front of us with a thud. We all knew how Hazel was, so neither Nora nor I flinched. We simply started working, lifting and moving the supplies into the truck, knowing it would be a long day.

We had more supplies than we’d ever had before, and by the time we finished loading, three trucks were filled to the brim. The sun had already dipped below the horizon by the time the trucks began moving. We headed back to camp, and my body ached from all the lifting. Nora, exhausted from the heavy load, had fallen asleep on my shoulder during the ride back. She had insisted on helping the young men who were loading the trucks, despite my warnings to take it easy.

When we arrived at camp, everyone was still awake, and they immediately jumped in to help offload the items. It wasn’t long before the supplies were safely stored, and by the time we finished, it was well past midnight. Some of the students hadn't eaten anything the entire day, so we made do with the bread and jam we’d gotten from the market. It was all we had to offer until the kitchen could open the next morning.

It was a long, tiring night, and we didn’t get any sleep. The camp was alive with energy as people gathered around, eating what little they had and singing songs to pass the time. Loki came out to address everyone, his voice carrying over the camp. He thanked them for their hard work and praised the effort everyone had put in to help gather supplies. But it was what he said next that caught my attention. 

“And a special thank you to Juno, who came up with the idea for this contribution,” Loki added, looking directly at me with a proud smile. “Her leadership and quick thinking saved us. Without her, none of this would have been possible.”

My face flushed instantly, and I couldn’t help but feel shy. I didn’t need everyone to know that I was the one behind it. It was the work of the entire camp that made this happen. But before I could protest, the cheers started.

“All Hail Juno! All Hail Juno!” the chant grew louder, their voices echoing through the camp. I felt my heart swell with emotion, and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. It was overwhelming. I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt so genuinely happy. 

Loki and Nora joined in, clapping and cheering along with the rest of them. The spotlight was on me, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying. Hazel and Lyla stood in a corner, their arms crossed, clearly displeased. They exchanged a few angry words, and I couldn’t help but overhear the frustration in Hazel’s voice.

“This is unbelievable,” Hazel muttered. “Do they actually think we didn’t work our asses off at the market, too? Why is she getting all the praise? It doesn’t make sense!”

“I just don’t like her,” Lyla responded bitterly. “We were dominating before she came to the camp, and now Loki’s made her an official. Can you even imagine that? If we don’t do something about this, soon we’ll be kicked out of the official quarters. You know how desperate girls can get.”

Hazel shook her head dismissively. “That can’t be possible. You’re overreacting.”

“Are you kidding me?” Lyla snapped. “You don’t know what I’ve heard. Loki told Collins that he already has people chosen to go to the King’s palace.”

Hazel’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. “Ok, so?”

Lyla gave her a pointed look. “The issue isn’t just that. The issue is that Loki chose three people. Himself, Collins, and Juno.”

“What the hell?” Hazel gasped, her face turning red with anger.