Chapter 20 Your ladyship
SOMA
I wake up with a jerk. Morning light spills in through the crack in the curtains, bathing every surface in the room. Oh, no. My heart pounds with fear. Sheila and Maeve won’t let me hear the end of it for waking up late. But as I take in my environment and the expensive nightwear I’m wearing, memories slowly slide in.
The ceremony. The Moon. The Goddess’ choice.
This is real. I’m still at the palace. It’s not a prank. Sliding off the bed, I stalk to the connected bathroom, splash water on my face, and run my fingers through my hair.
What happens now?
Back in the room, I change into the spare outfit the maid left for me and wait. It doesn’t take long for someone to knock, and Lilith enters with a different maid from last night. She’s with a tray, which she drops on the bed.
“Your Ladyship,” the maid says, curtsying before leaving.
Once the door shuts after her, I turn to Lilith. “Was she talking to me?” She nods, and I murmur, “Your Ladyship?”
“Yes, Your Ladyship. It’s your new title,” she explains. My jaw drops, and words vanish from my head. “By the time your princess lessons are over, there’ll be an official ceremony for your coronation. But before that happens, people will have to call you something. You’re now Lady Soma Bello.”
“What?” I scoot to my feet. “Just like that?”
“Yes. Maybe this is all happening too fast for you, but these are normal procedures, Your Ladyship. Fine, I admit we might have hastened the process in your case, but for good reasons.” She pauses, as if giving me time to process it, but I can’t. Not right now because it’s too much in one day. “A lady doesn’t have as much power as the princess or the priestess, but she holds more power than other pack members. It’s a good rank.”
What? I shake my head, like doing that will make the entire room disappear and my normal life return. The weight of the rank isn’t an issue. It’s the rank itself.
“Is there really no other option?” I ask.
“No, Your Ladyship.”
“Do you really have to call me that?” I ask. Her stance doesn’t change, but standing before her in clothes that aren’t mine, I feel like a fraud. “It sounds too formal.”
“How about my lady?” she suggests.
“Still too formal. Can’t you just call me Soma?”
“No. Yes. Well, I can since I’m the high priestess, but if I want everyone to accept the Moon Goddess’ choice, then I must take the lead.” Her kindness hits me too hard, and my eyes water. She doesn’t call the princes by their titles, and no one bothers her. So she’s doing this to help me. “My lady it is, yes?”
“Okay. But you can call me Soma in private.”
She smiles and nods at the tray. “Eat. Your driver is waiting.” This is real. I sniffle, wiping at the tears that spill to my cheeks. She sighs, coming closer to grip my hand. “You must learn not to cry so much, my lady.”
“But—” I hiccup into my palm, trying unsuccessfully to keep the tears at bay. That bed is the softest thing I’ve ever slept on. Someone brought food for me, and I didn’t even partake in the cooking. They gave me two new outfits within a few hours. It’s a lot all at once. As much as I appreciate it, I’m scared. Fanning my face with one hand, I whisper, “I can’t help it. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Cry if you must, but always in private. Many see tears as a weakness. We wouldn’t want them thinking our soon-to-be princess is weak, would we?”
“But I am weak,” I remind her.
“Enough with that nonsense. Soma might have been a bit weak, but Lady Soma?” A corner of her lips twitches, and I release a small laugh. Maybe this life isn’t so bad. She heads to the door, talking as she moves. “I’ll make sure everyone knows to call you my lady instead.”
The door shuts, and my knees buckle. Moving in slow motion, I drop into the bed, stuffing food into my mouth. When a maid comes to get me on Lilith’s order, head bowed in respect like the one who brought my food earlier, I have a hard time closing my mouth.
Everything feels like a dream. From the guards and maids who bow when I pass them on the way to meet Lilith, to the driver who introduces himself as Dante and insists on opening the door for me. I stay quiet throughout the ride to the house, my heart racing too fast.
What if my cousins or aunt don’t acknowledge me?
Lilith places a hand on mine as the car stops in front of the mansion I’ve lived most of my life like a pauper.
“I’ll go in with you.” Unable to speak, I only nod. Dante steps out to open my door, and Lilith says, “Shall we?”
As soon as we step out, I notice the figure pacing in the driveway. Mason. He hasn’t left. Without thinking, I rush him in a hug that’s broken almost immediately by Dante. He rips us apart, tackling Mason to the floor.
“What are you doing?” I yell.
Dante has Mason flat on his stomach. His knee digs into Mason’s lower back as he twists my friend’s arms behind him. A groan escapes Mason. Otherwise, he stays still. Too still.
“My lady, are you alright?” Dante asks.
It dawns on me that Dante isn’t just my driver. He’s also a bodyguard. But that’s not important now.
“Let go of him,” I snap. “He’s my friend.”
“My lady,” Dante begins, his grip not easing. “He touched you.”
“Dante, I said, let go of him.”
“You heard your lady,” Lilith says from behind.
I half-expect Dante to disobey, so I’m proved right about my title being a farce. That I wield no power over anyone. But he steps back, offering me a remorseful glance as he steps toward the car to give us some privacy. I turn to Lilith, shaking my head before she can speak. My life is changing right in front of me, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
“Can I have a moment with my friend, please?”
She flicks Mason a pitiful glance and nods. “Yes, my lady. Let me know when you’re ready to get your things.”
Without a word, she leaves, and Mason jumps to his feet.
“So, it’s real?” he whisper-yells.
He reaches for my hand and stops, glancing around. I don’t see Lilith, but I know she’s close. Dante, too. He exhales and pulls out his phone, showing me a video. It plays at a low volume, but the message is clear. There’s a picture of me, and a short video from the ceremony showing when the moon picked me. But that’s not all.
King Rowan appears to give a verdict on my new title. When did all of this happen? While I was asleep?
“What day is it?” I whisper.
He scoffs. “Tuesday. I’ve been waiting for you.”
The ceremony began on Friday, but the selection happened at midnight on Saturday. I was out for too long.
“What now?” Mason asks when the video ends. “This is so messed up. How did we go from planning to, to… this?”
“I don’t know, Mason.”
“My lady.” It’s Lilith. She leaves a small gap between us. “We need to get moving.”