Chapter 10 The new image
I stared blankly at a corner, still trying to absorb it all. How could I possibly be the pillar of an entire kingdom?
"Don't be afraid, Luna. You can trust me!" Selena's hand went to my shoulder, trying to convey confidence. "I'll teach you everything you need to know."
I stared at her hand, feeling a burning sensation there. Her touch burned like fire. Again, that aura appeared. This time it was different; smoke was visible. A pinkish smoke surrounding that touch. I looked at her and saw her expression change to confusion.
"Is something wrong, Your Majesty?" Selena asked, looking at me confused.
When her hand left my shoulder, all that smoke disappeared. I looked at the makeup artist, seeing that she was also staring at me, confused. Only I had seen that smoke, that was a fact.
"Nothing, I think I'm just a little disturbed by all this explanation." I feigned a shy smile, trying to change the subject.
The two of them seemed to believe my excuse, returning to normal. But it still lingered in my mind. It wasn't the first time I'd seen things that other people didn't seem to see. But the burning sensation of her hand on my skin. That was new. The heavy aura over my body. I had never felt anything so strange.
I shook my head to get out of the middle of those questions. Conrad should understand these things and, little by little, I would tell him what I felt.
"I'm finished, Your Majesty," the makeup artist said with a smile. "I'll bring a mirror," she said with a gentle smile.
I took a deep breath, anxious. My image wasn't something I liked. Since I was very young, I was called a freckled redhead, impure eyes, and other cruel nicknames. I rejected my image early on and never worried about it.
But now I was worried. Because now I was a Luna, not of an alpha, but of a king. Now I had a partner who looked at me with desire, and I wanted to appear pleasing in his eyes.
I looked at myself in my chair, in the mirror that had been placed behind me. The image left me speechless. It didn't look like me. It somewhat resembled my features, but if someone had told me I would one day look like this, I would have laughed at them.
The freckles that dotted my face weren't completely covered. There was a delicate red blush on my cheeks, as well as on my lips. There was a small black line at the end of my eyelid, and my eyelashes were longer in that area. My gaze was different, more striking.
My mouth was agape. Because, for the first time, I felt beautiful. Good quality clothes and good makeup really did work miracles.
"Your Majesty, did you like it?"
I look back and see the makeup artist looking at me expectantly. I smile, softening her expression of doubt.
"I loved it!" I say sincerely, giving her a hug. "I never felt good about my image, but today, I am..." The words die as I still look at myself in the mirror, completely surprised. "She looks gorgeous! Luna will be the most beautiful Luna this kingdom has ever seen." The makeup artist finishes my sentence, making me smile.
"Thank you." I thank her, still enjoying that feeling of well-being.
A knock on the door interrupts us, and soon a security guard enters the room.
"His Majesty, the king, has asked us to take Luna home safely." He says robotically, without looking at me.
"Where is the king?" I ask curiously, approaching him.
"The king is still dealing with important matters for the pack. But he wants Luna to be safe and comfortable in the palace." The security guard explains, still looking at a random point instead of me.
"Okay." I reply, taking a deep breath.
What was happening? What was taking so long to resolve?
"Maybe I should go help him." I say aloud, thoughtfully.
"I'm sorry, Maya. But I think it's best if you obey the king's word. Remember, the king is above you, you have to obey his every order." Selena says, drawing my attention.
I just grimace and ignore her words. Obey his orders? Am I going to have to roll over and give up my paw too?
"I want to know where the king is!" I say firmly to the security guard who was walking towards the exit.
"I don't know for sure, Luna." The security guard replies, now looking at me in confusion.
"Find a way to find out. And I want to talk to him! I'm only leaving here when I know the king is alright." I say, sitting back down in my chair, acting like a stubborn child.
"Alright, Your Majesty." The security guard leaves the room, astonished by my behavior.
"The king might not like this, Maya. You might be getting in the way," Selena says with a serious expression.
I stare at her, lost in thought. There was no way I could know how my partner would react. But I knew Conrad would interpret my behavior correctly. I just wanted to know if my partner was alright.
"Don't worry, Selena. I know what I'm doing. You can help me get to know the royalty and my duties as queen. But not with Conrad. He's my partner and he'll have to understand that I need to know if he's alright," I say firmly, making her nod reluctantly.
I was inside the car, which was parked at the mansion. I had a cell phone in my hand, waiting for Conrad's call. All the staff were busy putting the various clothes in the car trunks or organizing the security for the trip.
I stared at the phone anxiously. I had been waiting for that call for over 20 minutes. The phone rings and I answer immediately.
"Conrad?" I ask quickly, needing to hear his voice.
"Yes, my queen. It's me. I'm sorry I can't take you home, I'd like to show you everything. But I need to take care of important matters," he explains with a compassionate voice.
I feel the weight that was on my chest lift. Just hearing his voice was enough to calm me completely.
"What happened?" I ask, and Conrad is silent for a while.
"Don't worry about anything. I'm here and I'll take care of everything."
"Did someone get hurt?" I ask, already sensing the worst.
The other end of the line is silent, and I already understand the answer.