The Warrior Luna

KEANA’S POV. I don't know about others, but there is nothing sweeter than turning 18. I finally get to make life decisions on my own without anyone telling me what to do. I sat in my room, on my bed, and I was brushing my long brown hair. My parents labeled me as their rebellious child because I was always opposing their orders, but they could not do anything about it because I was their only child. I was so excited about turning 18 because I could finally move out and be on my own. I would party and do everything I wasn't allowed to. I was lost in my thoughts when my room door opened and my maid, Marose, walked in. I hated her because she was always trying to make me do everything my parents wanted me to do. “Have you gone stark raving mad? Why did you enter my room without knocking? “I’m sorry, but your mother asked me to come get you ready; you are going to your husband’s house tonight. “Husband’s house? What are you talking about? I stared in confusion. I didn't know what was happening. I thought I was being pranked, but she knew better than to mess with me. “Your betrothed, Liam Aurthur, your parents are marrying you off to him. “What? There is no way on earth I will marry that good-for-nothing arrogant prince; he is a psychopath and narcissist. “But he is your mate. “One more word from you, and I will feed your remains to the birds of the air. You better stop saying rubbish. Everyone says I was proud and arrogant, but I wasn't as arrogant as Liam, the son of King Arthur and grandson of the greatest and most famous wine-presser, Alexander Albert. Liam was the cutest guy in Oakwood, and he was the controller of the south region of his kingdom. My father’s kingdom was just a small fraction compared to King Arthur’s kingdom, but we paid homage to them because they protected us from external armies that tried to invade our kingdom. But King Arthur threatened to withhold his sovereignty, if I refused to marry his son Liam. I stood up from my bed and went to my parent's room to rant, but as I got closer to their room, I could hear them speaking with fear. For the first time since I was born, I saw fear in my father’s eyes. His eyes were red, and as he tried to speak to my mom, it was as if he were chewing through a mouthful of lemons. “We are going to be dead by midnight if King Arthur withdraws his armies; our enemies will feast on us. “Let us negotiate with him; we can give him our farmlands, or better yet, give out our slaves and servants to him. “I have tried and all to no avail; he still stands on his ground; he wants his son to marry Keana. “But Keana only turned 18 today; she knows nothing about marriage, she doesn't even know how to shift, and she is still trying to get used to her powers. What are we going to do now? “I am worried about the council; what should I tell them? They will be in my chambers at any moment; they want to know what my plans were and if I will agree to King Arthur’s bidding or allow their families to die like common men. At that point, I walked into the room. They didn't notice that I was standing by the door. I walked in and they ended the discussion so I wouldn't hear what they were talking about. “Mum? Dad? I didn't know I was betrothed to Prince Liam. When were you guys going to tell me? “My precious. My mom tried to move closer to me but I moved backwards, preventing her from touching my face. “We were going to tell you at dinner today, you weren't supposed to find out like this. Tears rolled down my face because I knew my life was going to take a new turn. Marrying into that family was like living in a lion's den; they were known for their cold demeanor. I wasn't ready to live like a prisoner. “I am not ready to get married; I just turned 18. This is not what I want. “When you get older, you will understand why we are doing this, but this is our only chance for now; you cannot turn down their proposal. My mom tried to touch my cheek, but her hands were shaky. I could sense fear, and at that point, I still didn't understand the gravity of what was to come; I was still ignorant. “There has to be another way, Mum. I cannot marry Liam; he is not good for me. “Listen, we do not have time; please do this for me and your father; our lives are in your hands. If you do not show your face in Oakwood in the next hour, they will withhold their support, and you know what that means. I ran away and locked myself in my room and cried for hours, I haven’t met Liam before but I have heard bad reports about him, my mum was on my door knocking for hours, I finally came out with a straight face. “You have no idea what you have done, Keana. My mother spoke with tears in her eyes, I was about to speak when I heard a loud noise from downstairs. My parents and I rushed downstairs, and we saw that they had invaded our kingdom. At that point, I couldn't figure out which kingdom was fighting ours; there was no time to figure it out. “Keana, go to the secret room; do not come out until I tell you to do so. If you do not hear from me before the night falls, follow the tunnel and go to Oakwood; King Arthur will protect you. I wanted to stay and fight, but my father pushed me inside before I could say another word. I was so scared, so I went into the secret room my father created for me when I turned ten. He did that in case there was an attack on his kingdom, and I would be safe since I was his only child. I was in the secret room until late at night, and when I didn't hear any sound, I came out, and my heart broke down into a million pieces when I saw my parents lying in the pool of their blood. No one survived the attack, so I fell beside them and cried my eyes out. My birthday turned into a bloodbath. I couldn't forgive myself for what happened to my parents. I should have gone to Oakwood when my parents asked me to, but now they are gone.