Chapter 138 Protecting the Princess
POV: Luna
I didn't tell Selene about the crystal.
Not yet. Not until I understood what it meant.
Instead, I threw myself into training her.
If people were tracking us, targeting us, then she needed to be able to defend herself.
We met in a private training room early the next morning.
"You want to teach me combat?" Selene asked skeptically.
"Self-defense. There's a difference."
"I already know self-defense. I'm royal. We have tutors for that."
"Then show me."
She moved into a defensive stance. Perfect form. Textbook positioning.
I attacked.
Gently. Just testing her reflexes.
She blocked my first strike. Then my second.
On the third, I feinted left and went right.
She fell for it and I had her pinned in seconds.
"Your form is perfect," I said, helping her up. "But you think too much. Combat is instinct."
"I'm not a fighter, Luna. I'm a diplomat."
"You're also a target. And targets need to know how to fight back."
She sighed. "Fine. Teach me."
We started with basics. How to react when grabbed. How to break holds. How to use an opponent's momentum against them.
Selene was a quick learner. Her movements became more fluid with each repetition.
"Better," I said after an hour. "Now let's add magic."
"I'm not good at combat magic."
"Show me what you can do."
She raised her hand and a ball of silvery light appeared. Beautiful. Elegant.
Completely useless in a fight.
"That's decorative magic," I said gently. "We need to make it dangerous."
"How?"
"By adding intent. Right now, you're creating light to look pretty. Instead, create it to blind. To disorient. To burn if necessary."
"That sounds violent."
"It is. But violence keeps you alive."
She tried again. This time, the light pulsed brighter. Harsher.
"Good! Now throw it at me."
"I'll hurt you!"
"I'll block it. Trust me."
She hesitated, then released the light.
I raised an Eclipse barrier. Her magic hit it and dissipated harmlessly.
"See? You have power. You just need to learn to weaponize it."
We practiced for another hour. By the end, Selene was throwing magical attacks with real force.
"I'm exhausted," she said, collapsing on a bench.
"You did great. We'll practice daily until this becomes second nature."
"Thank you, Luna. I know I'm a burden—"
"You're not a burden. You're my responsibility. And maybe my friend."
She smiled. "Definitely your friend."
My pack arrived for group training.
"Ready to get your butts kicked?" Nova asked cheerfully.
"Always," I replied.
We ran through defensive drills. Coordinating movements. Learning to anticipate each other's actions.
Selene joined in, surprisingly keeping up despite her lack of experience.
"You're doing great!" Lyric encouraged.
"I'm trying not to die," Selene panted.
"That's the spirit!"
Sienna was working with Aria on magical coordination. They'd perfected a technique where Sienna would create barriers while Aria attacked through them.
It was beautiful. Deadly. Effective.
"Can you teach that to me and the princess?" I asked.
"Sure. But it requires perfect timing."
"We'll practice."
We spent the rest of the morning working on group tactics.
How to protect Selene while still fighting. How to rotate positions. How to create magical shields that multiple people could use.
By lunch, we were all exhausted but satisfied.
"This is actually working," Nova said. "We're becoming a real defensive unit."
"We need to be," I replied. "With Victoria's clan targeting us, we can't afford mistakes."
After lunch, I took Selene to Advanced Combat class.
Cole was teaching. Of course.
I'd been avoiding him since the crystal incident. The bond between us was strained. Painful.
He noticed us enter but didn't acknowledge me beyond a professional nod.
"Today we're working on multi-opponent scenarios," he announced. "You'll face three attackers simultaneously and must defend without getting pinned."
Students paired off into groups.
Cole assigned Selene and me to work with three seniors. All members of Victoria's clan.
Of course.
"Is this safe?" Selene whispered.
"Probably not. But we'll manage."
The exercise began.
The seniors came at us hard. No holding back.
I shifted partially and met them head-on, keeping Selene behind me.
One tried to flank us. I blocked him and pushed him back.
Another went for Selene. She threw magical light in his face, blinding him.
"Good!" I shouted.
The third attacker was faster. He got past my defenses and grabbed Selene's arm.
My protective instincts surged.
I released a burst of Eclipse power that sent all three seniors flying.
They hit the ground hard.
The class went silent.
Cole was staring at me with an unreadable expression.
"Excessive force, Luna," he said quietly.
"They were going after the princess."
"This is a training exercise."
"Then maybe don't pair us with people who want to hurt us."
Tension crackled through the room.
Finally, Cole said, "Class dismissed. Everyone except Luna and the princess."
Students filed out, whispering.
When we were alone, Cole turned to us.
"That display was dangerous, Luna. You could have seriously injured them."
"They were targeting Selene. I responded appropriately."
"You responded emotionally. That's different."
"Maybe I wouldn't have to if you didn't keep putting us in dangerous situations!"
"I'm preparing you for real threats!"
"Or you're helping create them!"
Selene stepped between us. "Enough. Both of you."
She looked at Cole. "Instructor, with all due respect, Luna's instincts were correct. Your students were targeting me specifically. I felt their intent."
"That doesn't excuse—"
"It does, actually. She's my protector. That's her job." Selene's voice was firm. Royal. "If you have a problem with how she protects me, take it up with the Headmaster. Not with her."
Cole's jaw tightened. "Fine. You're both dismissed."
We left quickly.
Outside, Selene said, "That was tense."
"That was nothing. Cole and I have bigger issues."
"I noticed. The bond between you feels strained."
"It is."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not really. But thank you for standing up for me in there."
"That's what friends do."
We headed back to her suite.
I was about to leave when the Guardian Bond flared with warning.
"Get down!" I shouted.
We hit the floor just as the window exploded inward.
Glass rained down as figures poured through.
Rogue wolves. Three of them. All wearing dark masks.
They'd breached the Academy wards.
I shifted fully and met the first one head-on.
He was fast. Skilled. Definitely not a random rogue.
This was a planned attack.
Behind me, Selene was throwing magical light at the second attacker. It was working, keeping him disoriented.
But the third was circling, looking for an opening.
I couldn't fight all three and protect her.
I reached through the pack bonds, calling for help.
Nova and Aria were closest. They were coming. Fast.
But I needed to hold until they arrived.
The first rogue lunged at me. I dodged and countered with Eclipse-enhanced claws.
He yelped and retreated.
The third used the distraction to go for Selene.
"No!" I threw myself between them.
His claws raked across my side. Pain exploded through me.
But I'd protected her.
The rogue raised his claws for a killing blow.
Then Nova crashed through the door in full wolf form.
She took down the third rogue before he could strike.
Aria appeared seconds later, her strategic mind quickly assessing the situation.
"Two on the left! One on the right!" she shouted.
We coordinated instinctively, years of training paying off.
Within minutes, the rogues were subdued.
Faculty arrived, led by Professor Cael.
"What happened?" she demanded.
"Rogue attack," I said, breathing hard. "They breached the wards."
"That's impossible. Our wards are—" She stopped, seeing the broken window. "We need to secure the princess immediately."
Selene was shaken but unharmed.
I, on the other hand, was bleeding from the gash in my side.
"You need medical attention," Professor Cael said.
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You're bleeding. Nova, take her to the infirmary."
Nova helped me walk, my side burning with every step.
At the infirmary, the nurse examined the wound.
"Deep but clean. You're lucky. Rogue claws often carry infection."
She cleaned and bandaged it, giving me healing potions that made my head fuzzy.
"Rest," she ordered. "At least a day."
"I can't. The princess—"
"Will be fine. The Headmaster has assigned additional guards."
I wanted to argue but exhaustion was winning.
Through the pack bonds, I felt my friends' concern. Their determination to protect Selene while I healed.
I let sleep take me.
When I woke, it was dark.
Someone was sitting beside my bed.
Liam.
"Hey," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got clawed by a rogue wolf. Because I did."
"Yeah, I heard. Pretty badass, actually. Taking on three rogues to protect the princess."
"I almost died."
"But you didn't. That's what counts."
I tried to sit up and winced. "What are you doing here?"
"Someone needed to watch over you. Your friends are rotating shifts with the princess. Cole's... somewhere. So I volunteered."
"You barely know me."
"True. But I'm an excellent judge of character. And you're worth protecting."
Something about his sincerity made my chest warm.
"Thank you."
"Anytime." He stood. "Get some more rest. I'll be right outside if you need anything."
He left, and I drifted back to sleep.
This time, I dreamed of the otherworld.
The sealed door was there, pulsing with energy.
Something was trying to get through.
Something angry.
Something powerful.
And it knew my name.