Chapter 24 CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
ZARIA’S POV
I lay on the floor as Max walked out, the rug was cold against my cheeks, but I ignored it, all I felt was the humiliation in my chest.
Max humiliated me, firstly, he took the ceremonial carriage, allowing me to walk to the ceremonial hall.
As I walked my way to the ceremonial hall, all eyes were on me, whispering. “Is she not the Luna, why is she walking and not in the ceremonial carriage?”
I could swear someone placed a foot there, for me to trip, because my steps were steady. The tears kept rolling down my face as the event replayed in my head.
“How pathetic!” Max words, kept replying.
I summoned courage and looked up, only to see villagers sneering at me, laughing, and calling me names.
“Worthless!”
“Unfit”
“Nuisance”
They kept yelling, throwing stuff at me, staining my white dress.
The tears kept flowing, uncontrollably, blurring my vision. I didn't stop the tears, I just curled up on the floor, till the villagers disappeared and I could barely hear them call me names, and throw things at me.
Just then a shadow fell over me, blocking the light from the window. I didn't have to look up to know who it was, Her aura already spoke volumes.
“Still down there?” she asked, her voice laced with Mockery. “Oh, my poor little thing! Did you hurt yourself”
Hearing victory in Gwen’s voice, felt like a piercing needle into my skin, and I prayed for the ground to swallow me. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping she would just go away.
“I might have placed a stick over your legs, so you would trip” She laughed, a laugh of mockery.
I knew someone made me trip, but I didn't know it was her, Gwen would go miles just to see me broken.
“You are heartless!” I sobbed, making her laugh harder.
I have shown her my weakness, it seemed like she enjoyed the show.
“Look at you” She sighed, with fake pity. “You would always be daddy’s poor maid who can't stand against me, no matter what you are”
I clenched my jaw so tight that it arched, I wanted to scream a thousand hateful things to her, and I wanted to wipe the smug off her beautiful face. But the words were trapped in my throat. The humiliation was too much, too heavy and I had no more fight left in me.
Gwen bent down, and raised my head, so she could stare at my teary and swollen eyes, my ruined makeup, She smiled, enjoying every bit of it.
“This is how you are supposed to be, helpless, hopeless, unfit, and pathetic!” she laughed loudly, a wicked laugh, making my blood boil.
She stood up, and walked away, making the light return. I heard her footsteps fade, then the opening and closing of the door.
I allowed the silence to wrap around me, the only sound I could hear was my shallow breathing, even my wolf had crawled up, whimpering inside me.
I was trying to gather the courage to stand on my feet when I heard the door open and close again.
“Zaria!” a familiar voice yelled, it was Ethan.
He rushed to my side and held me close, “What the fuck did he do to you?”
Ethan kept wiping my tears, the sight of my stained white dress made his anger grow.
“Who the fuck did this to you?” he yelled, ready to punch at anything, reminding him of the other night, when he threatened to kill Gwen.
“Get the fuck off me!” I gasped, pushing me off.
Ethan stumbled back, biting his bottom lip, the other night when I peeped at Ethan and Gwen, Ethan had seen me, and he tried explaining things to me but I ignored him.
Gwen didn't know I saw both of them though, because when Ethan heard the sound of a stick, He instructed Gwen to run and he came for me.
“Let me help you, Zaria. Please” He pleaded, reaching for me again.
I scrambled backwards, till my back hit the wall, and stretched my hands forward, preventing him from coming close.
“Don't fucking touch me!” I growled.
He stopped, his once innocent eyes became fierce, I didn't know if it was anger. “He humiliated you, mocked you, and laughed at you, and you think I'm the enemy!”
I know Ethan’s not the enemy, but his sudden change of character just to keep me safe scares the fuck out of me, I don't want him to lose the innocence that I always saw in his eyes.
“I know you aren't the enemy, you are my best friend not a warrior. It isn't your job to murder people, or threaten them” I blurted out.
I could see the hurt in his eyes, he was only protecting me, I just couldn't bear the fact that he hurt my sister like that.
“I wasn't going to kill her, Zaria,” he mumbled. “I just wanted to threaten her, so she doesn't try to hurt you again.”
I gulped hard, staring at him, unable to speak. He isn't the enemy and shouldn't be treated like one.
“I appreciate your care Ethan, but that isn't your job.” I implored. “Not anymore, since I am married”
“Married?” he huffed. “Your husband made you a laughing stock, you are nothing to him, and if this is how you think of marriage, you have been deceived”
Tears blurred my vision at the harshness of his words, he was right. I meant nothing to Max and it fucking hurt.
Max and I were cool, I don't know what came over him, but he isn't like this to me.
“I have always been there for you Zaria!” Ethan said, with his voice filled with hurt. “But if you are going to pick him over me, I would give you some distance”
With that, Ethan got up and turned to leave.
“Ethan, please wait!” I yelled, my heart breaking into pieces.
Ethan stood still and turned to face me again. “Max had asked me to follow Gwen, during the search for your attempted killer, I was only following orders. I didn't tell Max it was Gwen, before you didn't want to implicate her”
With that Ethan walked away, leaving me hopeless. I just lost my best friend, and that was what hurt the most.