Mate bond…
The ritual of mate bond must happen by marking each other.
And Claude decided not to do it as soon as we got married.
Biting my lower lip, I darted my eyes on his back, silently following him behind as we returned to the palace grounds. I wanted to speak with him but it seems he has no mood for that.
“I must go back to my study room,” Claude said as soon as we arrived at my chamber.
I looked up to meet his eyes. “Are you alright?” I asked, worried as he remained silent.
He smiled and nodded. “Yes, I am. I’ll see you later.” There was a little dejected tone smeared on his tone which worries me.
“O-Okay…”
I watched him sauntering the hallways as the palace guards greeted him but Claude didn’t greet back. I returned to my chamber and lay down in my bed, feeling mixed emotions from today’s events.
I am about to lead my brigade. I would be leading them again! If Claude is announcing his decree in contrast to Grand Alpha King’s decree, then it was a great chance that his father didn’t have any choice.
The rest of our weeks made us busy. I barely saw His Majesty as I was always with Jack to follow the schedules and the etiquette classes I had to attend.
“It is unusual that you are not escaping this time, General.”
I scoffed as I sipped on my tea, rolling my eyes at Jack as I invited him to have tea at one of the balconies here in the palace. “I wanted to but as a future Luna Queen, I don’t think that job is easy. It is a fresh start for me. I am still grasping the works of Luna Queen.”
Jack nodded. “I see your point, General.”
“Plus, if I am going to be busy, you will be busy as well.” I grinned. “I might as well try to escape from some of my duties when I would be crowned as Luna Queen, no?” I suggested.
Jack shot me a glare. “Don’t you dare, General? You really want me to have a heart attack?”
“My, my. Don’t be silly for a heart attack.” I playfully rolled my eyes. “You managed to survive with me during those months when I became a General, so I think you will survive again.” I winked.
He made a facepalm. “I don’t know what to do with you.”
I laughed. Then I set my eyes straight to the luscious green scenery to my side. “Why don’t you move your family here, Jack? Near the palace.” I turned to him.
“Huh?” He had a surprised expression.
“You should move your family near the palace. I can make a request for His Majesty if you want. I am very sure you’ve been longing to see them. Right?”
“Really, General?” Jack’s eyes sparkled.
“Uh-huh.” I grinned. “I shall seek His Majesty later and ask for his approval.”
“Thank you!” He stood up and kept on bowing his head. “Thank you, General!”
I chuckled as a response and told him that we must finish our tea. I decided to take a stroll around the hallway and sauntered to the antechamber. Making my way to the two-way staircase, I came to meet the enormous painting of the family of Claude.
I focused my eyes on the painting of the former Luna Queen, Beatrice. There was something about her that seemed I had already seen her somewhere. I knew I haven’t met her but I have this sinking inkling that we happened to meet before. I don’t know where.
I turned to the other side of the staircase when I heard footsteps and saw Claude walking downstairs. My heart leaped just by seeing him, making my wolf excited.
“Your Majesty,” Claude said with a shocked tone.
“Your Majesty,” I said, nodding my head at him.
He furrowed his eyebrows as he approached me. “Taking a stroll?” he asked and halted right in front of me.
I smiled. “Hmm. Indeed.” I looked up to the painting again. “You looked so cute here, Your Majesty.” I was referring to his teenage years.
I heard his scoff then chuckled afterward. “Hmm… Must I say thanks then?”
I grinned sheepishly. “Of course.”
“Thanks,” he said sarcastically.
Both of us stayed silent as we focused our attention on the painting. I remained my eyes to Claude’s mother, Luna Queen Beatrice.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
I glanced at Claude who was also looking at the image of her mother. I exhaled and nodded. “She is.” I smiled. “I wish I could have met her.”
“She will love you. Just as Father treats you like his daughter, Mother will treat you the same thing.”
“That’s so sweet of you, Claude.” I returned my gaze to the late Luna Queen Beatrice. “I could have wished that I could have met my mother as well…” Although I am grateful that the late Alpha and Luna from the Dark Soul Pack took me in and treated me like their daughter, I am also curious as to who I was and where I came from.
I jolted when I suddenly felt the warm hand intertwined with mine. I looked up to see Claude having a sympathetic smile.
“I have something to show you.”
I creased my forehead. “What?”
“Come with me.”
Confused, I let myself be tagged by His Majesty. We went upstairs and came to approach one of the chambers. Wait… I am familiar with this chamber.
“Isn’t this the former Luna Queen’s chamber?” I asked as Claude opened the door and both of us entered.
“All the former Luna Queens used this chamber, Rachelle,” Claude stated.
The chamber was so tidy and had been painted with gold and silver. The grandiose design of the columns was fascinating. The chandelier that was hanging in the center of the ceiling awed me.
This was so magnificent! Even the bed was so enormous!
“Some of my Mother’s belongings are still here. But Casey and Iris are going to redecorate this chamber soon so I want you to show you around what’s before and after for this chamber,” Claude explained.
“I see…” I couldn’t help myself being so astonished in this chamber.
But something was bothering me… I felt like something was trying to reconnect with me.
I roamed my eyes around and tried to seek that thing which has been calling my attention. I furrowed my eyebrows, settling at the small painting hanging on the wall. Wait…
I mindlessly approached it as my eyes were fixated on that painting. The painting has a lavender field in the background and a woman wearing a flowy white dress. A huge moon was being seen on the horizon. Her back was facing here as her silver hair was being flown perhaps from the breeze swaying her hair.
“Who owns this painting?” I asked, turning at Claude who was facing the vanity mirror with a sad expression.
He turned his head, smiling. “Mother owned that. She painted it.” Claude approached me.
“She’s a very talented painter.” All the strokes and lines of the painting were enough to be so fascinating. The details of the painting would make you feel like this place looked like heaven.
“Very,” Claude agreed. “Though she told us before that she once saw the moon goddess and brought her to this place.”
Gasping, I turned at Claude, surprised. “S-She was? She saw the moon goddess?” I asked, and couldn’t contain how shocked I was.
Claude nodded, smiling. “Yes. In her eyes, this was what she saw. This is how she saw the moon goddess in her white dress in the lavender field,” he added.
My heart leaped for no reason as I returned my attention to the painting. “This painting has been calling me ever since we arrived here…” I couldn’t help saying what was on my mind.
“What do you mean, Rachelle?”
“I-I am not sure. It’s just that…” I paused and reached for that painting.
In a blink of an eye, my surroundings suddenly changed to a different one. Like I was being transported to the lavender field from the painting.
“W-What am I doing here?” I asked, panting, eyes widened.
Panicking, I roamed my eyes around in which the only thing I saw was a lavender field. How did I come here? Was I in the palace earlier?
“Claude?” My lips started quivering as I couldn’t find any people around me. “W-Where’s everyone?”
“Greetings, Rachelle.”
A godly female voice came to echo behind me. Shocked by that voice, I immediately turned around to see a woman in a white dress who was standing a few miles away from me. The same woman I saw in the painting but her back was the only thing painted on it. Her face was covered with a blinding light which I couldn’t even know what she looked like.
“It has been a while,” she said, waving her hand.
I creased my forehead. “Um… Have I known you before?” I asked, confused. Have I met her before?
She giggled but didn’t answer my question.
“Are you the… moon goddess?” I asked, quite hesitant. I just remembered that Claude said that her mother, Beatrice, saw the moon goddess and brought her to this place. She also has the same white dress painted from the painting.
“Indeed,” she said in her godly voice and nodded. She started sauntering the way as she spread her arms a little, feeling the lavender in her fingertips. “I see that you have finally found your mate… Beatrice’s son, Claudian.”
Did she know Claude? I want to smack myself. Of course, she is the moon goddess, Rachelle! She knew everyone!
I didn’t answer her. I didn’t know what to even say to her… the moon goddess.
Wait… If she knew everyone, by any chance, she knew my parents?
“D-Do you know my parents? My birth parents?” I asked.
She stopped walking as she was a few inches away from me. I watched as her silky silver hair was being flown by the gentle wind, tilting her head a little. When I blinked, I gasped when she was right in front of me.
I blinked as her face was covered with blinding light almost blinded me. I was about to step back when she touched my cheek.
“Soon. You will meet them. You will know what is so special about you and your wolf along with Claudian and his wolf.”
“What? W-What do you mean?”
“We will meet again. Until then, complete your mate bond with him before you will go to the war…”
Her voice started fading as she slowly stepped backward. I tried to reach her but to no avail, I couldn’t get a hold of her.
“Wait! Wait! Moon goddess, wait!”
I shut my eyes open, got up, and gasped for breath.
“Oh god, Rachelle! You’re awake!” I was surprised when I felt the sudden hug from Claude.
“Claude…?” I questioned, roaming my eyes around the chamber, shocked. “I-I’m back?!” I asked, exclaimed.
“What?” Claude broke our hug and held my shoulders. His forehead was creasing. “What do you mean?”
Panting, I turned my head to Claude who looked so bewildered right now. “I… I have met our moon goddess.”