Chapter 20 Chapter 20: I will always be queen

Chapter 20 Chapter 20: I will always be queen
∆§∆ LUNARA’S POV ∆§∆

The moment Professor Reyes finished speaking, the room did not grow loud, it completely lost order.

Students’ chairs scraped against the floor as they turned toward each other, voices overlapping, arguments starting before any structure could even be formed, and it became clear that whatever calm the class had before was gone the second she mentioned merging teams.

I remained seated for a moment, watching instead of joining in, because there was no point in rushing into chaos when observing would give me a greater advantage than speaking too soon.

“Teams will be merged now,” Professor Reyes added, her tone putting an end to the noise without needing to be raised. “You will work in groups of three. Decide your Alpha and Luna before the end of this class.”

That was all she said before stepping aside, as though she had not thrown us into a situation and expected us to figure it out without guidance.

Which, in a way, made sense because this was not just about the mission anymore, it was about how we handled pressure when orders from superiors were removed.

The second the students heard her words, they began moving, some knowing whom they intended to pair with already, while the others, especially the human groups, formed unsure clusters.

Aurora’s team met with my team, while the third team that joined was the team that lost their points during the last mission because they didn't bother to try.

This team was mixed with the pure-bloods, elites, and one human.

We all stood within the same space, the tension heavy, as they stared angrily and disgustedly at me, even the human.

Aurora stood at the center of her group, her posture straight, her expression composed, yet in her eyes I could see the mockery in them.

“This is simple,” she began, her voice calm but edged with authority and arrogance. “I will take the Luna position.”

She did not hesitate. She did not ask. She just expected it. I almost chuckled at the stupidity.

Derek shifted beside me, looking uncomfortable. “Based on what?”

Aurora’s gaze flashed toward him, irritation surfacing briefly before she masked it again.

“Based on the fact that I am the most qualified person here,” she replied. “And the only royal princess fit to lead in this group.”

A few of our new teammates nodded, their allegiance clear, not because they had thought about it, but because they had already accepted her position because I am human.

Nathan, the Chancellor's son and Aurora’s henchdog, spoke up first. It was expected. I was not surprised since he followed her around like a puppy.

“She’s right,” he added, stepping forward, placing himself closer to her side in a protective stance. “Aurora should be Luna.”

Sophia let out a snort, her arms folding across her chest. “That’s interesting.”

Aurora’s eyes flicked toward her. I could see she had not been expecting anyone to push against her idea.

“Lunara is already Luna in our team,” Sophia continued, her tone surprisingly calm regardless of how angry she looked.

Derek nodded in agreement. Zeke looked away while Roman kept quiet.

I wanted to be anywhere but here with the eyes of Roman that track me everywhere, but I couldn’t. I needed those points.

“If Aurora or anyone else wants the position,” Roman added, folding his arms, “then they can compete for it, including Lunara.”

Aurora’s composure slipped slightly.

“Compete?” she repeated, disbelief touching her voice as though the idea itself was beneath her.

“Yes,” Sophia replied, suddenly excited because of Roman’s idea. “We vote. Whoever gets more wins.”

That suggestion divided the room instantly.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“A human competing for Luna?”

“This is a joke.”

Someone from Aurora’s side laughed under their breath before speaking louder.

“Seriously, humans shouldn’t lead. It just doesn’t make sense.”

The words were directed at me, but I did not respond, not because I had nothing to say, but because reacting would only feed into what they expected from me. Besides, I had promised someone to be calm today.

I stayed quiet and allowed them to continue with their opinions. One thing they don’t know is that if they make Aurora the Luna, it’s going to be the worst mistake ever.

Not only will we not get any points, but we will lose more according to Professor Reyes.

This time, we will be losing three thousand points, and if we win, we will get two thousand points. Just the thought of having that many points has my mouth watering.

My eyes moved to Blaze and Tyson. They had not spoken since all these arguments began.

I could see he was an observer just like me. He acted uninterested to look unserious, but I could bet the crown that he was smarter than he let on.

Tyson, on the other hand, leaned toward him, muttering something under his breath, but Blaze did not react or say anything, which only made his silence more noticeable.

The bickering continued. Having had enough, I spoke.

“If you choose leadership based on status alone,” I began, my voice calm but loud enough to rise above their voices, “then you will fail before we even enter the forest.”

The silence was immediate. Seeing I had gotten their attention, I continued.

“The theme of this mission is for our Alpha to make decisions. Either they are wrong or right. I know you all think we are supposed to follow blindly because of loyalty, but I can assure you that the entire team will lose.”

Not one of them said anything to reprove me because they understood, even if they did not want to accept it.

“This is not about preference,” I added. “It is about who can make decisions under pressure while everyone else depends on them.”

No one interrupted, but Aurora recovered first, seeing she was losing the team's attention.

“Let’s vote,” she said, lifting her chin slightly, confidence returning to her expression as though the moment of silence had not affected her at all. “Since everyone seems so eager to prove a point.”

She believed she would win. That much was obvious. The votes began immediately.

“Lunara.”

“Lunara.”

“Aurora.”

“Aurora.”

The pattern continued, steady, balanced at first, creating a brief illusion that the outcome could go either way.

My team voted without pause.

Derek voted for me, so did Sophia, Roman, and Zeke.

That made me glance at him briefly because I had not expected his support.

He avoided my gaze after saying my name, as though he did not want to explain his decision.

Aurora’s team followed. Nathan voted for her without hesitation. Two others agreed. But Tyson voted for me.

Aurora turned sharply toward him, disbelief clear in her expression, her composure slipping again, but this time she could not hide it quickly enough.

Blaze did not hesitate when his turn came.

“Lunara.”

Another elite followed and voted for me.

Just like that, Aurora lost.

Aurora stood still, her expression controlled, but the tension in her was visible.

Her gaze moved across her team slowly, as though trying to understand how they could betray her before settling on me again.

“Follow me.”

It was not a request. She turned and walked out without waiting to see if I would.

Derek stepped forward. “We’re coming with you.”

“That won’t be necessary,” I replied.

Sophia frowned slightly. “She looks angry.”

“I know.”

Because of that, I went alone.

I found her outside, not far from the building, standing where the noise of the class could not reach, her back to me, her shoulders tense in a way that suggested she was holding back.

The moment I stepped closer, she turned, and whatever control she had been holding onto shattered.

“You always take everything from me!” Her voice was raised, filled with rage.

“I am so tired of being second to you!”

She moved toward me suddenly, her hands reaching, but I stepped aside before she could touch me, not out of fear, but out of habit.

“Are you done?” I asked, my tone cold.

That only made her angrier.

“You don’t get to act almighty with me, Lunara,” she snapped. “You don’t get to pretend you did nothing.”

I looked at her for a moment without responding because there was nothing new in what she was saying, nothing I had not heard before in different forms.

Aurora had always wanted everything, even what was never hers, like the cardinals she was obsessed with. I saw her mouth moving, but I did not pick up her words.

“Repeat yourself,” I said.

Her breathing was uneven now, her composure completely gone.

“I want you to tell them you’re not interested in being Luna,” she said. “Do that, and I’ll give you all my points.”

That irritated me more than anything else she had said.

“No.”

I turned to leave. She grabbed my hand.

“Why not?” she demanded. “Do you actually think anyone will choose you? You’re nothing here. You are just a human.”

I smiled then because finally, I understood.

“You’re forgetting something,” I said calmly.

Her grip tightened.

“I am Lunara Throneborn.”

Her expression turned uneasy.

“No matter how anyone pretends, especially our parents,” I continued, my voice steady, even though I felt far from calm, “I will always be the next queen. I have the people’s backing, the temple chose me, and do not forget, the Moon Goddess chose me.”

Her hand trembled before falling away.

Tears filled her eyes. “Please… Nara,” she whispered. “I like him.”

That made me pause. For a brief moment, something old stirred to the surface. I pulled my hand away fully.

“I don’t care about the cardinals, Aurora,” I said. “I don’t make decisions for anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.”

I turned and walked away. I didn’t look back.

But I caught the small smile on her face before I left.