The Incredible Queen Luna

Chapter 16 Trial

“What the f**k? You must be kidding me!”

“Come on! Seriously?! I should have brought my girlfriend here!”

“Who the hell is she?!!!”

All kinds of astonished or annoyed whispering quickly filled the whole place. Everyone turned their heads and struggled, trying to take a look at this mysterious but lucky white-haired woman.

Though Leona didn’t feel lucky at all. She was as astonished as the others.

Eric raised his head from her chest and looked at her with shocks in his eyes.

Leona quickly assured him, “Don’t worry. I am not going to marry her! I am not going to marry anyone but you. I swear!!” she said, raising her head, searching around, trying to pass the ball to someone else, but it somehow was glued in her hand. She couldn’t get it off.

She frowned annoyedly. The front gate of this huge palace had already opened. Two lines of armed warriors trotted out from it in extraordinarily accordant motions, separating the crowded audience while making a way directly to where Leona was standing.

And then a very old, stooped man in a ancient red silk Chinese outfit came along the way and stopped in front of Leona.

He closed his hands to a fist to show respect to her first, and then said, “Congratulations, Ma'am. You have been chosen by the princess. Please come with me to meet the princess in person.”

Leona pressed her lips. To be honest, she was kind of flattered by the Princess’s favor, but she couldn’t accept the invitation.

“Thank you and the Princess so much, so very very much,” she said with a polite smile, and then explained, “But I can’t marry the Princess. I am sorry. I’ve already…met someone,” she said while locking her eyes with Eric’s worried ones.

The old man frowned.

“Then you shouldn’t have come to the selection tonight in the first place,” he said in a harsh tone, “You have already gotten someone or not, it doesn’t matter. Even if you were already married, coming here tonight means you’ve agreed to divorce once the princess chooses you as her spouse. It’s the rule for all participants.”

Leona frowned, “I never heard there was such a rule!”

“Then it’s your fault, isn’t it?” The old man replied. Both his eyes and his tone became sharp, “You made the mistake; you take the responsibility. No way you can use your ignorance as an excuse to insult our princess and our tradition.”

He then waved his skinny hand in the air. Those armed warriors quickly stepped forward and surrounded Leona with their hands on the handles of their swords.

Leona knitted her brows. She knew it was a threat and it pissed her off.

“What? If I refuse tonight, you are going to make me marry her?!” she asked with coldness in her eyes.

The old man replied without even blinking his eyes.

“No,” he said, “We are going to kill you and use your body as a warning to whoever thinks it can make fun of our tradition.”

Leona clenched her fists. She could fight those warriors, even with Eric in her hands, but it wasn’t a smart move.

She needed the dragon’s help to transform Eric and if she fought, she would have to show everyone who she truly was-the “ill” Wolf Queen. It might cause war between the two kingdoms.

She thought for a while, and then agreed.

“Alright then,” she said with a cold smirk around her lips, “Lead me to your princess. I’d like to talk with her in person.”

The old man then turned sideways and raised his arm to the direction of the Palace’s gate, gesturing for Leona to go first.

Eric growled in front of her chest with both worry and anger. Leona patted his neck to comfort him. She passed the ball to the old man and then strode towards the dragon’s palace while keeping her head high all the time.

After stepping inside the gate, the first thing Leona saw was rows after rows of steps which were made of spotless white stones, ascending rhythmically, leading towards the highest position where a magnificent wooden building was located.

The old man gestured to her again, suggesting she go on to that wooden building.

Leona couldn’t help but frown.

“Seriously?” she asked the old man, turning her head, “That’s like thousands of stairs. How am I supposed to walk up there? I am not a dragon. I can’t fly!”

“Even if you were a dragon, you can’t fly there, Ma'am,” the old man replied with a straight face, and then added, “If you are going to be part of the kingdom, you must walk up those stairs step by step on your own. Each step symbolizes one year of the history of our dragons. It’s a reminder to the power-holder. You must learn how much effort we’ve made to survive until today. Then you will know why you should cherish your people.”

Leona wanted to roll her eyes, but she knew she should show respect even if she was only a tourist.

She let out a slight sigh, preparing to walk up those annoying stairs. Suddenly, Eric struggled in her arms and jumped to the ground, gesturing to follow her as he didn’t want to be her burden.

Leona looked at him and smiled. She was a supreme wolf. She wouldn’t get tired because of those stairs. She just complained because it felt like a waste of time.

No wonder dragons can fly. If they had to walk up and down those annoying stairs every day, how could they get time to do anything else?

She bent over and petted Eric’s neck, and then started to ascend those stairs.

Soon she got away from the noisy crowd outside. The night started getting cold again and the blowing wind got stronger as she got higher, but there were varied and beautiful fireworks rising and blasting into the deep blue sky almost every second. It was an extraordinarily beauteous scene, making Leona feel nice about taking this trudge with her wolf.

Eric wasn’t as strong as her. He kind of panted halfway, but he tried to hide it and tried very hard to follow her closely. Leona noticed it anyway. She stopped in the middle of the stairs, panting, pretending she was tired too, and sat on the cold stone step to take a break.

Eric stopped following her, but he chose to stay two steps lower than her to take a rest. He sat there with his back to her without turning his head or making any sounds. Leona then knew he was still mad at her.

She literally broke his heart by blurting out that stupid question.

Leona knew she should apologize, but it just wasn’t the right time. She wanted to have a talk with him while looking into his eyes in his human form.

Only in that way, she might be able to be honest with him and herself. Somehow, ever since she was brought back to life, she just couldn’t be straight with her heart.

She sighed, looking at the illuminated dragon city which was now underneath her.

They rested for about 10 minutes before resuming ascending those stairs. After another exhausting 40 minutes, Leona finally met that old man again in front of that magnificent wooden building at the top of those stairs. He didn’t walk up along with her, but flew instead.

Leona blamed him with her eyes. The old man just shrugged his shoulders, “You can’t expect me to walk along those stairs along with you, young lady. I am too old for that. Besides, it’s you who are going to marry the princess.”

“I am not marrying her!” Leona wanted to say, but knew it would only cause unnecessary arguments.

She suppressed her desire to say anything, and then followed the old man to go inside the huge wooden building.

There were no guards outside, and to her surprise, nobody was inside either.

The building was obviously where the dragon Alpha greeted her guests. The magnificent golden throne which was carved with ferocious dragons was placed inside it, facing the door.

But the whole place was empty. Only several dim candles were burning quietly at the corners. Not even a maid could be seen in it.

Leona asked no questions and the old man didn’t explain.

They walked past the throne to its back, and then went out from the back door of the building.

The moment she went outside, Leona was stunned by what she saw. An even more magnificent wooden palace was floating in front of her at about 100 yards away in the air. And underneath it, below her feet, was a huge garden filled with all kinds of flowers and trees, and even rivers and lakes.

She looked at the palace attentively, trying to figure out if it was really floating in the air like clouds, or if there was something underneath it to support it.

Only she found nothing and felt nothing. The whole palace looked like a complete mystery.

She couldn’t help but turn her head and ask the old man, “Is it really floating in the air? How did you do that?”

The old man shrugged his shoulders again, “You will get all the answers you need after you and the princess’s wedding.”

Leona rolled her eyes, but again, she said nothing.

The old man then gestured to her to that floating palace, suggesting she keep walking.

“You need to get to the palace, Ma’am,” he said, “the princess is waiting.”

Leona knitted her brows. She was currently standing on the platform behind that wooden building. In front of her, between the platform and that floating palace, there was a 100-yard distance and nothing.

The old man was literally asking her to walk in the air. She felt a little annoyed.

“In case you haven’t noticed yet,” she said, looking at the old dragon, “I can’t fly as you do.”

“It’s alright, you don’t need to fly,” the old man grinned, “The princess had opened a special passage for you. You can walk through the air to the palace, unless you are afraid to do so.”

Leona lifted up her brows. That’s an interesting challenge. She turned and walked to the edge of the platform, preparing to try whatever tricks those dragons playing here. But Eric wouldn’t let her. He tugged her pants with his teeth, asking her to stop. And then, before Leona could lower her head to look at him and ask him what it was about, Eric had already walked up to the thin air himself.

He put one of his forepaws to the transparent air in front of him to test if there was anything invisible existing first. After feeling something solid that might be able to support his weight, he moved his other forepaw into the air too, and then his hinds, and started to walk in the thin air like there was solid ground underneath him.

Only there wasn’t any. And the little creature just couldn’t help but shake in the middle of nowhere.

He kept his head high, eyes looking to the front, legs moving difficultly towards the floating palace, trying the best he could to close that extremely dangerous distance as quickly and bravely as he could.

Leona looked at him, knowing he wasn’t playing hero here but trying to protect her. He was afraid those dragons might have set up some trap to hurt her, so he took the trial for her. He was fulfilling the promise he made 11 years ago.

That night, when they first met beside that fountain, he said he would protect her with his life.

Leona felt her heart shatter. She didn’t know why she hurt him by not trusting him.

She blinked away the tears in her eyes and then stepped into the thin air herself to catch up with him.

She then bent over and lifted up the little creature to tug him in front of her chest.

“I love you, Eric. I truly do. I am sorry for saying that. I am so sorry,” she apologized to him.

The little wolf let out a string of soft groans from its throat, placing his head on her shoulder. Leona knew he forgave her. She smiled, and then kissed his neck before resuming moving forward to the princess’s palace.

As much as she hated Austin and Felix, she knew her little wolf was different. And she knew from now on she would have to learn from the beginning to make this relationship work. But she wasn’t worried. She knew Eric would teach her how to trust again. And she knew they would have a happy future together.

The wolf purred softly in her ear. Leona knew he was asking to shift back to be with her.

She smiled, and then quickened her steps and reached the princess’s palace.