Chapter 43 CHAPTER 43
Lunaris.
A day later after the council meeting, the name still rang in Cindy’s mind bringing chills with it.
Morning light spilled through the tall windows, soft and golden, gliding across the marble floor of Cindy’s room. The palace was already awake; she could hear faint footsteps in the corridor, distant voices, the hum of life beginning again.
But inside her chest, everything felt heavy.
She sat by the window seat, still in her night robe, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea gone cold. Isabel had long gone downstairs for breakfast. One of the things she loved about the lycan court was the food supplied in plenty.
Below, the palace gardens shimmered with dew, and the fountains caught the light like silver ribbons. It should have been a beautiful morning, one filled with gratitude after the council’s acceptance. Yet all she could think of was the name still echoing in her head.
Her fingers tightened around the cup.
The council had spoken the word so easily, proudly even, as if it meant nothing more than opportunity. They didn’t know that to her it meant returning to everything she had fought to forget - the whispers, the stares, the cruelty that had lived in the walls of Silverpine.
“Lunaris,” she whispered again, the name bitter on her tongue. “Why did it have to be that school?”
A sigh brushed through her mind, familiar and strong. You’re doing it again, Lisa said, her voice calm, edged with a knowing warmth. Overthinking.
“I can’t help it,” Cindy murmured. “What if they send me back there? What if it’s the same people? The same faces?”
So what if it is? Lisa replied. You’re not the girl they threw stones at anymore.
Cindy stared out at the gardens, her heart twisting. “I’m still me.”
No, Lisa said gently. You’re us. That makes all the difference.
Silence stretched between them. Somewhere outside, birds broke into song, as if mocking her heaviness.
Lisa’s tone softened. You forget who you’ve become, Cindy. You were weak once, yes -but that was before you knew what you carried inside. Before you remembered that we are royal blood, that our spirit isn’t meant to bow.
Cindy’s throat ached. “What if I see them again? Anna, Sebastian, Sarah… they all go there. I can’t face them. Not after everything.”
You can, Lisa said firmly. And you will. Those wolves don’t own you anymore. They can’t touch what you’ve become. As a matter of fact, they should be afraid of you. They’ll see soon enough.
Cindy gave a shaky laugh. “You sound confident.”
Because I am. There was a smile in Lisa’s voice now. None of them could take me - not even Sebastian. He may have his bond, but you have me. We’re stronger now. You just need to remember it.
Cindy exhaled slowly, pressing her forehead against the cool glass.
It’s still a few weeks before school opens. Plenty of time, Lisa reminded her. Time to train, time to breathe. You’ll walk into Lunaris with your head high. I’ll make sure of it.
Cindy wanted to believe her. She really did. But memories had claws, and some part of her was still that girl who slept in a cold corner, who was told she didn’t belong.
The knock on her door was soft but steady.
“Cindy?”
She straightened instantly. Ethan’s voice carried through - warm, measured, the same tone he’d used the night before when he told her everything would be all right.
“Come in,” she said quickly, brushing her hair behind her ear.
He stepped inside, already dressed for the day, his uniform sharp and dark, the silver crest of the Ashvale line pinned to his chest. He looked like the king everyone expected him to be, yet when he saw her, the formality melted from his eyes.
“You didn’t come to breakfast, Isabel said she tried convincing you but you wouldn’t come with her. Is anything the matter?” he said, closing the door behind him.
“I wasn’t hungry.”
He studied her for a moment, then came to stand beside her at the window. “That’s not true.”
She looked down at her hands. “I was just… thinking.”
“About yesterday?”
She nodded. There was no point pretending. “About Lunaris.”
Something flickered in his expression, understanding, maybe even guilt. “Is that what’s bothering you?”
Cindy hesitated, then met his gaze. “Yes. I don’t think I can do it. I don’t want to go there.”
He frowned slightly. “Why not?”
Her words tumbled out before she could stop them. “Because that’s where the kids from Silverpine go. I can’t see them again, Ethan. Not after everything that happened to me at Silverpine, they had names for me - the slave girl, the unwanted one, and many more unpleasant ones. I can’t pretend none of it happened. Anna and the others…. I dread meeting any of them again.”
Ethan’s brow softened. “Cindy…”
“I know I shouldn’t care,” she whispered. “But I do. I don’t think I’m strong enough for this.”
He was silent for a long moment, his gaze drifting to the gardens below. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet but firm. “Do you know who owns Lunaris?”
She blinked, confused. “Owns it?”
“Yes.” He turned back to her. “Lunaris was founded generations ago by our family. It’s part of the Lycan Court’s estate. Our grandparents built it to train the next generation of Lycans in leadership, combat, and tradition. It doesn’t belong to Silverpine, Cindy. It belongs to us.”
Her lips parted slightly. “What?”
He smiled faintly. “The council probably didn’t tell you that. They were too busy worrying about rules and formalities. But the truth is, Lunaris is royal property. Every teacher there, every guard, every stone in those walls answers to the crown - and that means you.”
Cindy stared at him, speechless.
“You won’t be walking into that school as a scared girl anymore,” Ethan continued. “You’ll be walking in as the Lycan princess. They’ll bow to you before they even learn your name. And if they don’t, they’ll answer to me.”
Her eyes stung, not with fear now, but with something close to disbelief. “You mean… I’ll be going there as….”
“As their princess,” he said softly. “As their future.”
For a moment she couldn’t speak. The words sank into her slowly, wrapping around the old wounds like light. She looked down at her hands again, at the faint shimmer of her pendant. “I never thought I’d be anyone’s anything,” she whispered.
Ethan’s expression warmed. “Then it’s time you start.”
She gave a small, unsteady laugh. “But what if they still look at me like I’m the same girl?”
“They won’t,” he said. “Having them at Lunaris is a courtesy of the Lycan court. They wouldn’t dare mess with the royal blood.”
Cindy nodded faintly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Still…. I don’t know if I can do it alone.”
“You won’t have to.”
She glanced up. “What do you mean?”
Ethan leaned against the window frame, crossing his arms. “You’ll have someone with you every day. A bodyguard.”
Her brows furrowed. “I don’t want someone new following me around. It’ll make things worse.”
He smiled knowingly. “Then it’s a good thing it won’t be someone new. I’m assigning Liam to you personally. He’ll be your escort to and from Lunaris.”
Her heart jumped. “Liam?”
“He’s capable, loyal, and he already cares enough to keep you safe,” Ethan said. “He won’t let anyone near you who doesn’t deserve it.”
Cindy looked away quickly, trying to hide the rush of warmth that colored her cheeks. “He’ll probably hate that assignment.”
“Liam doesn’t hate much,” Ethan said. “And when it comes to you, he’ll take it seriously. You’re like a small sister to him. I trust him with my life, as well as yours.”
For a moment, Cindy’s ears and face turned pink, remembering the moment they had shared at the garden the other night.
“Are you okay?” Ethan asked noticing the change.
Cindy smiled despite herself, an embarrassed smile. The anxiety that had been clawing at her chest since yesterday began to ease, replaced by a tentative calm.
Ethan glanced at the untouched tea beside her. “Cold?”
She nodded.
He picked it up and handed it to her again. “Drink. You’ll need your strength. We start your training tomorrow.”
“My training?” she asked, startled.
He grinned faintly. “You didn’t think you’d face Lunaris without learning a few tricks, did you? You’ll have classes, but also combat sessions. Liam and I will make sure you’re ready for anything.”
Cindy shook her head with a quiet laugh. “You really think I can do this?”
“I know you can,” he said simply.
The certainty in his tone was disarming, solid, like a promise she hadn’t realized she’d been waiting for.
Outside, the morning light brightened. The sky turned the color of honey. Somewhere in the distance, the training field rang with the first clang of steel.
Ethan moved toward the door, pausing before leaving. “Get dressed. Meet me in the courtyard in an hour. I’ll show you the grounds myself.”
She nodded, watching him go. The door closed softly behind him.
For a long moment she sat there, motionless, listening to the echo of his footsteps fading down the corridor.
Then Lisa’s voice stirred again, warm and amused. See? What did I tell you? You’re not that girl anymore.
Cindy smiled faintly. “Maybe you’re right.”
I’m always right.
She laughed quietly, setting the empty cup aside. Her heart still trembled a little, but the fear had loosened its grip. For the first time since hearing the name Lunaris, she could breathe.
She rose, walking toward the mirror. The morning light caught her hair, turning it gold at the edges. Her reflection looked different - not braver yet, but steadier.
“Lunaris,” she whispered again. This time, the word didn’t sting. It felt like a challenge.