His Accidental Luna

THE CURSED ONE

CHAPTER 8: THE CURSED ONE

DEVONSHIRE KINGDOM

“I heard what happened in the halls.” Augustus Devonshire, the first born of the Kingdom uttered. His orbs staring ahead towards the second born Prince, who had never even glance at him. Behind Augustus, the servants trailed of, 10 of his personal advisor, and maid who tend to his every whims and orders, wantons and favours he may have ask lowered their head. It is to show their respect, and honour towards the Royal blood they are serving.

Unlike Augustus, Tarik had none of those things, but his guard, Duke, which he prefer rather than being followed suit by those wolves.

“From the Queen?” He lowered his hand, which is clutching tightly and carefully holding the bow he had on his palms.

He turned to look at the eldest.

“No.” Augustus shook his head. “But that doesn’t matter whom I had heard it from.” He added.

Nobody daren’t had the guts to interfere when a sudden intensity filled the air. Both of the brothers look tense, and if a clamour ever broke between both of the Royal bloods, it could end up bloody, but the servants knew better. They may not have been born with the same womb, offspring and pup for different mother, yet the two Prince are inseparable. Their bond were same as the blood running on their veins. They look intimidating, and deadly. They have the same cold gaze similar towards the King. Nevertheless, their features is a reminder of the former Queen and the reign of a new Queen in Devonshire.

It was Augustus who first broke the silence.

“What happened?” He sighs.

As the eldest and in line of throne, it was his duty to maintain the peace that the Devonshire are thriving upon.

He is the first born, son of the former Queen chosen by the King. But unfortunate circumstances occurred, his mother died, poisoned by their enemies during the war as she stood side by side with the King. She may not have been his mate, but his father adored her, cherish her and love her as his own. Augustus witnessed him mourn, the longings and the agony he suffered from when she perish, and so he do not keep any grudge on his heart, even when the King found his mate. Because he had never been unfair to his own mother.

Tarik looks away.

“It was hard to explain.” His gaze landed to where his eyes could reach.

It basked towards the capital, the emerald green trees rooted around the Kingdom of Devonshire.

How can he tell his brother that he had found his mate? It would cause uproar and rage, and there’s no assurance that the news wouldn’t be carried towards the father of those women sent here for their tradition. To choose their own queen, whom Tarik had not been against to before, but it’s different....now. Torn between his duties and fate felt like everything remain uncontrolled although he knew he have choices. Yet no choices would make it easy for him. One would put his other half at risk, and the other way route for him to hurt her so bad that the mere thought made his own wolf whimper.

“You can tell me everything that was bothering you, Tarik.” Augustus said behind. “What are brothers for?”

“I’ll do that after I made up my mind.” He briefly replied.

The tightness on their shoulders loosened. Relief flooded in each servant’s face as they almost thought that a fight would break in.

“But let me guess, was it because of the upcoming tradition?” Intrigued, Augustus pry.

Tarik did not speak. He earned no response.

“Because if it has, why don’t you tell it to father—”

But he cut him off.

“There will be a big consequences the moment I turned back from the customs.” He shook his head.

Augustus watched his brother closely.

“May I ask about what change your heart, brother?” He pushed forward his questions.

“It’s hard to tell what it was.” Tarik run his fingers through his hair.

“If you are ready—”

But Augustus didn’t have the time to finish his sentence, when the Queen’s servant suddenly appeared.

“Your majesty.” She show respect for the two brothers before she trained her eyes to where Augustus was. “The Queen is looking for you.”

“Where is she?” Augustus asked.

“On her room, your majesty.” The woman replied.

“Very well then, tell her that I’ll be there in any minute now.” Said Augustus before dismissing the woman back to the Queen’s chamber.

The Queen’s servant bid her farewell.

Before leaving, Augustus glanced to his brother.

“I’ll try to talk to the King.” He said. “And if there’s something I could be any help of, you know where to find me, Tarik.”

He did not wait for his response, but off on his way, Augustus go alongside with his servants. That left Tarik with Duke, who had been watching the exchanges silently.

“So, what do you think?” Asked Tarik.

It was just the two of them on the training grounds.

“The first Prince sounded sincere, but I suggest you think personally your decision the moment you profess that you found your mate already.” Duke isn’t just one of his most trusted guard, but his advisor.

He knew that Tarik found his mate, but to meet her now isn’t as easy as most wolves thrive for.

He’s been there, training him when he is young. Tarik grew under his care and if it wasn’t for his utmost effort, he wouldn’t be able to do the things he is capable of. He hone his strength. He is the one who prepared him at wars. His victory he paid for his utmost effort and his services under the Royal monarch.

“I’ll remember that.” Tarik replied.

He released the bow and loaded it with the new arrows provided for him.

Upon what happened, he decided to ease his temper, the fury he felt and the anger that filled and spread like a wildfire on his system. Guilt ripped his chest apart at the sudden memories of how he acted terribly in front of his mother. He knew the fear he saw on her face, and the mortified expression that far itched on her visage. The lament he couldn’t speak of and so he decided to bring himself at the training grounds to repelled away those wayward thoughts.

He doesn’t know what has been happening. Lately, it feels like his wolf are becoming more temperamental, or perhaps, he’s been provoke by the sudden encounter with their mate and the fact that the hunters slipped from their grasp, when they had the chance to annihilate them?

“Had you gotten any news about those hunters, who penetrated the capital?” Tarik raised his bow, he squinted one of his eyes and focus on his target.

“One of the wolves whom we sent to hunt them said that some witnesses had saw them taking the route towards the north borders, your majesty.” Said Duke. “We assumed that they are heading to their base, and so if we are not mistaken, we would be able to caught the others.”

“Is that so?” Tarik firmly hold the bow he released the arrows and turned his head to whipped across and meet Duke’s orbs. “So what are you planning to do?”

“You decide, your majesty.” Duke bow his head. “What do you want us to do?”

Tarik didn’t know, but somewhere on his heart, embedded within, a voice whispered, confounded whether it was his wolf or not, his eyes flashed red for a moment that nobody notice before it suddenly came back to its natural colour.

“Kill them.” The verdict came affront. It was full of authority, the wantons to shed blood of those whom he thought should perish bore those words.

He hold his head. Tarik blinked his eyes, wondering.

‘What just happened?’ He thought.

Fully unaware at the chains, the darkness, which is slowly easing towards his heart, filling his chest and waiting for the right moment to pounce.

“Not yet.” It laughs.

“Are you alright, your majesty?” Duke quickly came at his aid.

Tarik raised his hand.

“I am alright.” He frowns.

Has his head had been playing some tricks on him? Tarik shook his head. Oddly, he can feel that he wasn’t imagining some things, but he couldn’t point out what just took place and so he shrugged it off.

What the pair didn’t know about was a woman watching them on her mirror, which reflected what has been taking place beyond the Kingdom.

It was an enchanted mirror that allowed them to watch and see things.

“It’s starting.” She whispered softly, worried eyes which reminded one of the sunset setting to where it was supposed to the moment that the day finally come into an end. She have a silky hair, soft features and almost a perfectly sculpted visage that nobody compares from. Ethereal as she simply sit to where she was, despite of the frown cease on her forehead. Worried lines that does not even lessen the beautiful face that one would have ever seen.

Behind her were standing three maidens who had been summoned.

“What is starting, Luna?” One of them pry, curious at what causing her fears.

“The chaos.” The woman who’s been called Luna uttered.

“But you can stop it, right?” She asked.

“There are things in the realm that is beyond of my control.” She mournfully said.

“What do you see?” It was another maiden.

“Bloodshed—” Tears streamed on Luna’s Cheek. “I can feel agony, and I can smell burning flesh. The ground would drink of the same blood bask from the dead.”

“Luna!” The trio in synch quickly rushed to her sides when she fell. Her legs wobbled, the prophesy she saw long ago is coming to life. The blood moon, where the curse borne is starting to breakthrough from the chain, where it has been imprisoned for ages.

“But you can do anything about it, right? You are the goddess, Luna.” The last maiden suggested. Even she looks scared, anxious as they knew what the chaos she’s been talking about.

They witness the destruction it brought. They knew what it cost them only to sealed the curse.

“I am getting weaker, and if Zaphyr—” She heaved a deep sigh. “—if she interfere, the peace we maintain to balance would get destroy.”

Luna was the moon goddess who guides every being she had created. She watched them to where the doors of the Gods was. Mother of the wolves, and maintaining the balance among the other two Gods who created the vampires and witches. They had made them to live, but they never interfered towards the fate that has been weave as it was forbidden, unless some circumstances had force them to, and the appearance of Zaphyr, the Goddess of war who has been sealed would mean a catastrophic event that would cost more than what they had offered long before.

The awakening of the darkness lulled on its slumber and chained until then—they knew what it would made them paid for.

“Raja—” Luna gaze at the maiden she calls. “—I wanted you to travel across the realms and warned the Reinsworth Kingdom.”

The Reinsworth were the otherworldly creatures known as Vampires. They were the one who stood by their sides during the war against the dark ages that took almost the life of their people.

“Bring my message to their god.” Luna added.

Raja nodded before she disappeared.

“Runa.” She turned towards the other maiden. “I wanted you to bring the same message to the witches of the North, the Motherland Salem and tell them to prepare.”

“I will do as what you wish for, Luna.” Runa bow her head, same as with Raja she vanished.

“And you—” Luna eyed the last maiden. “—would you look after the wolf I would told you to, Rika?”

“I will always be grateful for whatever duties you are going to give me, Luna.” Rika lowered her head to show her respect.

“Thank you, but it won’t be easy, Rika.” Her visage suddenly turned firm, serious orbs which studied the maiden kneeling on her level. “I wanted you to guard the wolf destined for the Prince.”

“Who Luna?” Rika asked, curious.

“It was Luna, but he goes with the name Devon.” She replied.

The same wolf who has been named after her.

“But why would I look after her, when I should of watch the Prince instead?” Rika could not help nor suppress herself to keep her questions at bay.

“Because the curse could endanger both of them. It is equal to deception, whoever was connected to the Prince would likely to be more at risk than him.” She turn to look at the mirror, reflecting the movement of Tarik, the second born Prince of the Devonshire Kingdom. “—And by means of deception, it could pour the darkness towards the other pair the moment that it had gotten the chance to do so.”

Upon hearing what she said, Luna bow her head.

“I will do any means to stop that from happening, Luna.” She ought.

“I believe in you, Rika.” Luna smiled.

Right before the last maiden disappeared and so she was left alone. The enthusiasm on her face vanish, she knew, no matter how much they tried to stop the curse, it would happen. The fate weaved the events, it foretold the upcoming of the storm they had been preparing four ages.

However this time, Luna knew what end they would meet.

@cycy