Chapter 110 The tradition and Customs
Maureen Laskovic
It had been a week since the poisoning.
A week since my body had given out beneath me, since the taste of blood had filled my mouth, since the world had tilted so violently I thought I wouldn’t find my way back from it.
And yet—
I was still here.
Breathing. Awake. Alive.
Because of her.
My fingers tightened slightly against the fabric resting on my lap as I looked up.
Celeste stood a few steps away from me, quieter than I remembered, composed in a way that almost didn’t match the girl I had dismissed days ago. The bandage at her temple had been replaced, but the faint shadow of the wound remained. Her skin still held that fragile paleness, the kind that didn’t disappear overnight.
She had been discharged this morning.
And the moment she was strong enough to walk—
She came here.
“Luna,” she said softly, lowering her head.
I watched her for a second longer than necessary, studying her face, searching without really meaning to. It was strange how different she looked now. Or maybe… how different I saw her.
“You don’t have to bow,” I said gently.
She didn’t straighten immediately.
“Please,” she murmured. “Let me.”
There was no stubbornness in it. No pride. Just something quiet and deliberate.
I let it go.
“Thank you,” she continued after a moment. “For allowing me to stay. For… giving me the chance to prove my loyalty.”
My breath left me slowly.
“You took poison from me,” I said, my voice softer now. “That’s not something I can pretend didn’t happen.”
Her head lifted slightly at that, but she didn’t meet my eyes fully.
“I only did what I should have done.”
I almost smiled at that.
No.
That wasn’t true.
And she knew it.
No one does something like that because they “should.”
They do it because they choose to.
And she had chosen me.
The realization settled deeper than I expected.
“I’ve been thinking about it,” I said after a moment, shifting slightly against the cushions. “About what to do… how to repay you.”
Her gaze flickered up then, just briefly, before settling again.
“You don’t owe me anything, my lady.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
The words came out firmer than I intended.
Silence followed, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Just… full.
I held her gaze this time.
“I do,” I continued more calmly. “And I won’t ignore it.”
A small pause stretched between us before I spoke again.
“You’re not leaving.”
The words were simple.
Something in her expression changed—just for a second. Relief, maybe. Or something deeper that she hid almost immediately.
“You’ll stay,” I added. “Here. With me.”
She inhaled softly, as if steadying herself.
“My lady… I don’t need a reward.”
I tilted my head slightly, watching her.
“I only want to serve,” she continued, her voice quieter now. “If you’ll allow it.”
There was something in the way she said it. Not desperate. Not greedy.
Just… intentional.
“I’d rather stay where I can be useful,” she added. “Close to you.”
That settled it.
I nodded slowly.
“You will.”
She went still.
“You’ll serve me directly,” I said, my tone steady, leaving no room for doubt. “Not just as a maid.”
Her eyes lifted fully to mine now.
“And you’ll oversee the others.”
The realization hit her then—I saw it, even if she tried to contain it.
“You’ll be my head maid.”
The words hung between us, quiet but heavy with meaning.
For a moment, she didn’t speak.
Then she lowered her head again, slower this time.
“Thank you… my lady.”
Her voice was steady, but there was something underneath it. Something deeper than simple gratitude.
I leaned back slightly, studying her.
It felt right.
Strangely right.
After everything that had happened… this felt like the natural outcome.
And yet—
“Don’t make me regret this,” I said, not harshly, but not lightly either.
A faint smile touched her lips.
Soft. Certain.
“I won’t.”
I believed her.
At least… I thought I did.
Once she left the bedroom, I went straight to the bathroom had a long bath and my thoughts kept spinning and spinning around.
I didn't know how long I had stayed in the bathroom but when I came out it was a bit freezing. The north has always been freezing.
The maids came in soon and helped with my dress and makeup after that I had the carry one of the babies to feed.
I guess I was finally being accepted by them.
“Luna.”
The voice broke through the quiet, careful but insistent.
I didn’t look up immediately.
One of the babies stirred lightly in my arms, her small fingers curling instinctively against me as she fed. The rhythm of it grounded me—steady, warm, real.
Only then did I lift my gaze.
“What is it?” I asked, my tone calm but edged with impatience.
The maid had already dropped to her knees.
“My apologies, my lady,” she said quickly. “But you have visitors.”
Visitors.
At this hour?
My brows drew together slightly.
“Who?”
“The court ladies,” she replied. “They insist on seeing you.”
I had known it would happen.
Just not this soon.
Rumors didn’t stay quiet in a place like this.
Not births.
Not heirs.
And certainly not something as significant as this.
I shifted the baby gently, adjusting my hold before handing her over to the nurse beside me.
“Take her,” I said softly. “Careful.”
The nurse nodded, moving forward immediately.
I stood slowly, smoothing down my dress as I walked out of the room to the visiting room.
“Let them in.”
It didn’t take long.
The door opened, and they entered together.
Three of them.
Dressed in soft, flowing fabrics that whispered status without needing to announce it. Their expressions were composed, but their eyes—
Their eyes were sharp.
Calculating.
“My Luna,” the eldest greeted, inclining her head just enough to remain respectful… but not submissive.
The others followed suit.
I gave a small nod in return.
“Ladies.”
A pause stretched.
“We hope we’re not intruding,” one of them said, her tone smooth, almost pleasant.
“You already are,” I replied calmly. A flicker of something—surprise, maybe suspicion—passed over her face. Gone just as quickly.
“We came as soon as we heard,” another court lady said, stepping slightly forward. “Though… we’re surprised we had to hear it at all.”
I didn’t respond immediately, letting the weight of their words settle.
“Forgive me, my ladies, but I’m not sure I understand what you mean,” I said finally.
“The Heirs of the North have been born. Isn’t that something worth telling us? Or even the elders?” one pressed. “We’ve come today as tradition dictates.”
“What tradition?” I asked, frowning.
“It is custom that the court ladies care for royal heirs immediately after birth,” the first explained, voice firm. “We ensure the children are healthy, safe, and properly nurtured before the induction ceremony. The mother does not see or touch them until then. And then we plan the naming and induction.”
“What!?” I breathed, my chest tightening, disbelief rising.
“I see you’re not familiar with the customs and traditions of the North,” another added, a hint of impatience in her tone. “It has been decades since a royal heir was born. The pack must follow the rules, and the mother must defer to tradition.”
I clenched my hands in my lap, letting my frustration simmer beneath the surface. “First of all, I apologize for not informing you sooner. That was by Vuk’s decree. Secondly… how did you even know?”
“News flees faster than the wind, Luna,” she said lightly, though her eyes were sharp. “It is our duty to appear and uphold the tradition. The pack’s laws are older than any of us.”
“Is this some sick joke?” My voice rose, the anger snapping like a whip. “No, I’m sorry, but my babies are with me. I am not leaving them for another!”
“You’re not leaving them for another… you are simply following a tradition that has been alive for generations. My Luna, please—think this through…”
My heart raced, wild and panicked.
“Leave… leave now!! Guards!!! Guards!!!!” I screamed, my voice cracking, echoing through the hall. My legs moved before I could even think, carrying me back to my bedroom in a blur.
I slammed the door shut with a force that rattled the frame. The lock clicked under my trembling hands, and I sank to the floor, clutching Lauren to my chest. Our heartbeats thumped in unison, fast and frantic, like a drumbeat of fear and defiance.
“My lady, are you okay? Do you need anything?!” one of the maids cried
, hovering anxiously at the door.
“They… they want to take my baby… they want my babies…” My voice wavered, thick with disbelief and fury. I pressed Lauren closer, smelling the faint, sweet scent of her hair, grounding myself in the only thing that felt real and safe.