Marrying the Moon Goddess

7. Selene POV

As I turned to face my father, I noticed that he had recently changed into new clothes and had an open shirt on. He must have shifted before running in our direction.

"I am going to repeat myself again, Selene. What does this scenario mean?"

My father gave me a straight look because I could not cause him any more anxiety because he had just gone to my mates to get them to stop disobeying.

"Father, a letter was dropped off for me. It contained clear instructions that if I could give you a more detailed explanation during dinner, it would demonstrate respect for your recent actions rather than ignorance."

After hearing what I had to say, my father straightened his clothes and spoke in a more composed manner.

"All right, but I would like to know what was in that letter, Selene," I said.

If my love story was as romantic as my parents', that would be amazing, but what if it was more like my uncle Enzo's?

I was terrified of becoming like my uncle, made more so by the fact that my father had recently returned from their estate.

I told my father the lie I had one up with without giving it a second thought.

"It was an invitation from a woman merchant who saw me leaving the chapel father. I threw away the letter because I did not want to follow it through."

Only my brothers were able to uncover it out of everyone in this castle. It was also difficult for them to recognize my lies because I hardly ever lied to them. My father answered, staring me in the eyes.

"What was the name of the lady? Was she the one who brought a child with her?

"Yes, father, exactly the same, but the warrior did not let me see her. I heard them both, and the child was speaking to something instead of someone," I said, nodding in response to his questions.

When he exhaled, my uncle spoke, giving me the impression that I had avoided punishment.

"Maybe we should go meet this merchant and see what she asked you to do."

I quickly agreed with his suggestion, almost saving myself from punishment for lying. What was my uncle's grudge against me?

"She did not say anything other than what she asked me to say. My parents told me not to leave the estates without them, or until I get married. I may be young, but I know my own limitations, uncle, and I also hate to aggravate my father. Mother is a mother, so who is to say she will not be alright after learning of this?"

When my brothers practically ran in with their fencing swords, clearly playing against each other—three boys fighting among themselves—Uncle Enzo opened his mouth to speak again, but as they did, the furniture moved, drawing his attention back to them.

I approached my father to give him a hug, completely unaware that Lupe, the current inhabitant, was lying in the doorway on her shoulder with her hands crossed over her chest.

Following his embrace, my father gave me a kiss on the top of my head and we both gasped as we heard Uncle Enzo speak.

"Hey guys, let us go outside. No fighting inside my friend's property. Come on, I will be right there."

I rolled my eyes, thinking how childish it was, and looked up to see my father looking very tired. He spoke more softly, his tone full of love, as he looked down on me. My brothers all burst into a union of agreement.

"My dear daughter, you can unwind in this castle; nobody here is human, and we should not be able to hide your true beauty from us."

He began to revert to his natural state and lose the characteristics of a human body. I knew my father was going through a difficult moment, so I wondered what had happened. He does not usually tell me what they do, and I want to do everything in my power to calm his fears.

"Please let me in, Father. I would like to know something from my husbands, maybe more than just their titles and names. Or would you rather that I find out who they are through rumors?

Clearly sensing that I had cornered him, he put his hand on his face to massage it as we both headed toward Lupe to break up the conversation.

"She sounds a lot like her mother, but she is just as impetuous as you are, Leonidas. We should teach her from you as she suggests; you will get a nice reaction from Lou when she joins us."

From what my mother has told me, Lupe only follows my mother and no one else—not even her partner—so hearing her defend me felt strange. My mother still finds that to be problematic.

Regarding my mother's pleasant reaction upon her return to Earth, what did she mean? What am I missing here?

Despite his tired and irritated appearance, my father mustered the courage to respond to her with the absolute truth.

"Lupe, would you mind taking over? I am tired of thinking about those mutts. Is there anything you could say that would be more appropriate for a woman? Prevent me from tearing off their testicles before they reach their full potential.

I wondered what that might mean after hearing his last comment.

After giving me a firm hug, Lupe moved two steps to stand by my side and my father left us both by ourselves. Following a brief period of unsettling quiet, Lupe moved from next to me to take a position in front of me.

Her eyes were hard and determined to do whatever it took to get the answers, or at least that is what my intuition was telling me. Her expression was tough.

“Selene After hearing everything, I started to wonder, "What has your mother told you about me?"

Her demeanor shifted to one of caution; she was unaware of how my mother had raised me, and I would prove it today. I was not faced.

Speaking with the same tone as my father, I put myself in the same position as my mother when she is had enough.

"Then tell me everything I need to know. My mother teaches me in a way that should be seen and not explained to others. Let us head to the dining hall now; the smell of the food has made me hungry."

After we finished our meal, Lupe glanced inquisitively at me. We entered a bright, airy dining room, and Lupe nodded with a deeply surprised expression.

"Anything you want to say, Lupe? Should I use a different title to guide you instead?

She took a moment to respond, but whatever it was she was going to say, she must have thought it would be useless because her eyes went glassy and I heard the doors lock.

The shift in the atmosphere made me nervous because I knew this woman was not someone I should be tampering with, but I felt compelled to because of her strange behavior.

Mother used to say that Lupe always watched out for her, but she also said that Lupe never hid from her. Since my mother was raised to be the authority and was a Queen at the time, it makes sense that she would not hide from her, just as I was raised to rule after I married my mates.

Lupe glanced at me after finishing her food and spoke in a tone full of authority.

"You have a duty to uphold, daughter of my Queen, and I know the letter was written by a male as I smelled his scent when you held the paper, and it was not my guard Selene, now talk." "You will tell me the truth that was written in that letter or I will beat it out of you."

Fight? Because of what that letter said, she wanted to fight me?

It was obvious that Lupe would be a barrier, so I blinked.