Chapter 25 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
MAX’S POV
I toiled from every end of the bed, trying to sleep, trying not to think about Zaria and how stupidly I treated her yesterday.
But all was a waste of time, as she lived rent-free in my head, tormenting me and reminding me of how horribly I treated her.
Each time I close my eyes, all I see is her face, staring up with tears in her eyes.
“Fuck!” I groaned, smacking my forehead.
It was already morning, but I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. I just stared at the ceiling, wondering how Zaria would be feeling.
I'm an asshole, and don't deserve someone like Zaria, I humiliated her and left, for the villagers to humiliate her as well.
She would certainly hate me, and the thought of that made me sick in my stomach, I could puke at any moment.
The knock on my door distracted me from her though, I knew it was Elara, because I sent for her presence. I just need assurance that Zaria was alright.
“Come in” I called out, and Elara pushed the door open.
A little part of me expected to see Zaria beside her, Elara and Zaria were very close. But my expectations were crushed.
I sat up, my eyes fixed on Elara, I could not read her emotions, her face was plain, with her eyes wrinkled.
Elara had been working for the palace, since I was eight, she watched me grow, and I'm closer to her than my mum.
“How is she?” I asked, getting out of the bed.
She sighed, before looking up at me. “She isn't doing great, your Grace. She has refused to eat or drink since yesterday, her eyes are swollen and…”
Then there was a heavy pause, stretching my anxiety to its breaking point.
“Elara, I am still listening!” I growled, jolting her back to reality.
“She is thinking about the punishment for making the moonflower drop to the floor,” Elara said.
Fuck! I closed my eyes, allowing a wave of weakness to run through me. I forgot that there was a punishment attached to it, because No one has ever dropped the moonflower to the floor.
“And she claimed someone made her trip,” Elara added, and I stared with wide eyes.
My jaw clenched in anger, I could fist in anyone who tries to hurt her.
“WHO THE FUCK DID THAT!” I thundered, Elara's lips drew in a straight line, Probably Zaria had warned her not to tell. “Elara you have to tell me”
“I don't know, Your grace, she didn't tell” Elara shrugged. “But I have my suspicions”
“Who do you suspect?” I asked, before she could complete her statement.
“I think Miss Gwen had something to do with it, but I'm not sure, so I didn't raise alarms,” She said, with her hands akimbo.
Gwen has proven to be a suspect, Every time something awful happens to Zaria she is always a suspect, which is already suspicious.
“I will make sure Gwen pays if she is found guilty,” I managed to say, after minutes of silence. “Tell Zaria to eat, and that's an order”
Elara nodded slowly. “I will deliver your message, Your Grace”
With that Elara left the room, allowing me to get ready for the board meetings.
My heart was heavy as I dressed up, The board members didn't like her, and trying to convince them will not be easy.
With a swift movement, I wore my well-tailored suit, and allowed my curly hair to flow to my forehead.
With steady steps, I made my way to the boardroom, where all the board members were spotted with a scornful look on their faces.
I walked in, and they bowed as usual.
I sat beside Raymond, who didn't even glance at me, he hated how I treated Zaria at the ceremony, and to be honest, I fucking hate it too.
“The trial Luna dropped the moonflower tothe floor, and that had never happened in our pack for centuries” My uncle yelled, standing to his feet.
Hearing him call her ‘The trial Luna’ made my blood boil, but I tried to keep my cool.
“We all witnessed it” I growled at my uncle.
The next hour was brutal, I presented different reasons not to hurt Zaria, and took full responsibility for her actions. But the board members were not interested in my excuses. They were interested in punishing Zaria.
“Your Grace!” I heard Lord Fisher’s voice ,a sharp-eyed board member, who was tapping his hands on the table repeatedly, waiting to speak. “Well you have given all excuses for the trial Luna, one fact remains certain, she is too weak, pathetic and that would only expose our pack to danger and you know it”
“She is not weak nor pathetic,” I growled, and they all stared at me, with amusement in their eyes.
“You said it yourself, she is pathetic and would not have been there, how I wish you had not made a clumsy mistake!” My uncle sneered and the board members nodded in agreement.
This is not going my way, they are always in support of my uncle.
“Your Grace” Raymond called, trying to ease the tension in the boardroom, the weight in my chest felt lighter, Raymond is always by my side. “The board has thought privately on this matter, before your arrival, we value and respect your opinion but we believe a warning message must be sent to the pack members, that no one is above the Law, not even the Luna”
What the hell is he trying to do? I braced myself up, and waited for Raymond to speak again, he speaks too fucking slow for my liking.
“The board has agreed to punish the Luna, Your Grace” Raymons stated, his words final and authoritative.
I glared at Raymond and he glared back, there is nothing I could do at this moment, my beta isn't even backing me up, making this whole thing pointless.
“What is the punishment?” My jaw tightened, as I waited for the reply to her punishment.
“According to the law, the Luna would have to find another moonflower, in the midst of the beast!” Raymond said, and my mouth fell open.
Sixty warriors spent, fourteen days in the midst of the beast, to get the moonflower, and only ten came back alive.
Zaria won't survive it, and the thought of losing her makes me sick.