MY MIRACLE PRIESTESS LUNA

CHAPTER 5 - OVERWHELMED - ALLY'S POV

As we left the dining hall, my nerves betrayed me, and I gripped my heart with one hand, and the wall with another, as Amery's hand quickly shot out, and grabbed my plate of food before it hit the ground.

"Luna?" Amery reached out to touch me, but quickly withdrew his hand. "Should I get the King?"

"No, please don't." I begged, and hated myself for it. I hated showing weakness in front of a Lycan. "I just need a moment."

I took a few breaths to steady myself, before I stood up again, my mother"s words chanting in my mind.

"Do not let them see you falter." She'd said when I was a child. "Do not let them see you cry, do not let them see you fall, and do not let them see you rise."

"I'm fine now." I said as I pulled my emotions under control. "We can leave."

"Luna, if-"

"Do not call me LUNA!" I said angrily, "I am not your Luna. I am not a Lycan!"

"Do you really hate us so much?" He asked. What a stupid question.

"Hate you?" I asked in disbelief. "If I could, I would burn all of you alive."

Amery looked troubled and upset. "I know the late King was cruel, but Alpha Elijah isn't that way. He freed the witches."

"Not being as cruel as your father doesn't make you kind." I spat, "It just makes you less cruel. He doesn't give a dam about the witches. None of you do. All you care about is keeping us as pets, on the off chance, one of us can be used as a sacrifice to lift your dam curse."

"With all due respect, Luna.. um... Ally." He corrected himself, "But you don't know the King, he is kinder than he shows the world, it's not easy for him. Every day he tries to help his people, and, everyday he fails. He has spent a thousand years hearing pack members complain that they didn't get to shift, the pain of having your Lycan inside of you, trapped and wild, it rips you apart, and the King feels the weight of that. He has spent a thousand years listening the females weeping over the loss of the children they couldn't bring to term and I promise he feels the weight of that too and on top of all of that he has his own pain, the pain of never having children himself, of never having an heir, of never having a mate, and now he has you and I promise you that your rejection is breaking his heart."

"The witches are not the only ones who have suffered." He went on "Please, just get to know him before you judge him. There is a reason you are mates, you belong together."

"I will decide whom I belong with." I told him and took the plate back.

I marched ahead down the hallway, but when I came to a T-intersection I realized I didn't remember the way. I hesitated, I hated asking a Lycan for help, but I turned back to Amery who wasn't paying attention to where he was walking and ran right into me.

"Oh sh*t." He swore and grabbed me around the waist to stop me from falling down.

I acted instinctively and threw up my free hand, causing the wind to shove Amery back against the wall. He hit it and grunted in pain and I realized what I'd done, I'd used my powers on a Lycan.

"I'm sorry." I gasped and looked down at my feet. I gripped the plate of food nervously and waited for him to strike me.

"No, it's my fault." He surprised me by saying, "I wasn't watching where I was going. I didn't mean to frighten you into using your powers, and I apologize for swearing in front of you. The King wouldn't like that. Please forgive me."

What was going on, I was so confused by his response, they really did buy into this delusion that I was the Kings mate, instead of being beaten, I was being apologized too.

I peeked up at Amery, who looked genuinely worried that he'd hurt me. I didn't understand it.

"It's alright." I told him, "I shouldn't have stopped so abruptly, I just...I couldn't remember the way."

"It's this way." He told me and pointed to the right.

"Thank you," I said, and began walking again. This time I noticed Amery moved to my left in order to prevent another collision between us.

We remained silent the whole way back to the King's wing where the guards opened the doors for me. Both men looked at me with interest but said nothing.

"Ally." Amery finally spoke, "The King has asked me to organize a few things for you. A guard and maid, for example. I will return before dinner and introduce you to everyone, but the King wouldn't want you wondering around on your own without protection, so if you do choose to explore the castle, then please ask Robert or Brighten to accompany you."

"I'd be glad to escort you around, Luna." The taller of the two men said happily as he pushed out his chest and stood up straighter.

"Down Brighten." Robert scolded him, "She's the King's. Do you want to lose your head?"

I sighed angrily. That's all I was now, some object the King owned.

"I second that statement." Amery said firmly and both guards shrank back while he turned back towards me. "Take Robert and not Brighten. It might be safer for him. Good day, Ally."

Amery bowed and left me standing in the doorway. I felt awkward just standing there, so I quickly rushed inside and headed for the sanctuary of my new room. As I was walking down the hall I heard the doors close again, and I felt a little safer, but I still wondered if they would come in. So once I was inside my room, I shut my door and looked for a lock, but much to my displeasure, I needed a key to lock it and the key was missing.

I placed the plate of food down on one of the bedside tables and looked around the room. Everything was far too extravagant for me, I touched the soft quilt on the bed again as I walked around it to the door, but upon opening it I discovered it was a small walk in closet, so I took some of the hangers and hung up the dresses the King"s sister had given me earlier before I picked up my old gray school dress and jacket, should I keep them?

I decided to fold them both up and placed them on a shelf in the closet just in case, if I was going to leave here. I would leave the other clothing.

Once my clothes were away, I looked around the room once more. I felt like I was out of place, I didn't belong in such a room, I didn't belong in a castle with people bowing to me, I wondered if I ran away how far I'd get before the King"s guards caught me and dragged me back here.

I found myself wandering over to the balcony doors and pushed back the curtain, allowing a bright stream of light to fill the room. I pushed the door open and walked outside. It was a cool day and I wound my arms around my body and heated my hands to keep myself warm.

The balcony wasn't very big but still had room for a table and several chairs on one side and a long lounge chair on the other, a very pretty railing surrounded the balcony and I reached out to touch one of the engravings of a flower.

I hadn't realized how high up we were until I looked out over the balcony and I shrank back a little. I didn't care for heights, and I could see one of the huge walls that cut off the inner circle with the second one. There was no way I'd get there before being caught.

As I wondered back inside, I thought about my friends, what they would be thinking right now. Would they hate me now that I was here while they were left in that horrible place? Would they forget about me? Will I ever see them again? The King had suggested bringing them here, but I didn't know if I could face them after everything that'd happened.

I felt so alone, something I should have been used to by now, but somehow it felt like a new wound, somehow it felt as though I had lost everything I'd ever known all over again, and I was being forced into a new life I didn't chose.

I felt a crushing despair and my stomach churned as tears pricked my eyes. I quickly rushed over to a bin near the fire and threw up my small breakfast I'd eaten this morning and I kept throwing up until I had nothing left to throw up.

Once I had stopped dry wrenching, I lent back against the wall and pulled my legs up before I wept into my knees. I didn't want to be here with all these Lycan's, I didn't want to be the King's mate, I didn't want to leave my only friends, I didn't want to be a Queen and I didn't want the King to find out my secret, goddess only knew what he'd do to me if he found out what I was keeping from him, from everyone.

I didn't know how long I sat on the floor, but the light began to dim and the smell of my sick had filled the room, so I reopened the balcony doors to let fresh air come inside, but I noticed the sun was low, I had been sitting still for a few hours without realizing it, and it was now nearly sunset.

I had to clean the bin before anyone found out I'd been sick, but luck was never on my side. When I left my bedroom holding the bin in search for the bathroom, I found the King walking down the hall with a girl a little older than myself.

I froze in fear at being caught, but there was also a twinge of jealousy, a feeling I'd never experienced, what was he doing with some girl, was he sleeping with her, I hated myself for caring, I didn't want him, I wouldn't let myself want him.

"Ally?" Elijah said in confusion, "What are you doing with your bin?"

I blushed and panicked. Would he be mad that I'd thrown up in one of his bins?

"I'm sorry'" I said quickly and stepped back away from him, "I didn't mean to. I didn't know where the bathroom was, and I felt sick. I didn't mean to throw up in the bin, but there was no other."

"Ally, it's alright." He hushed me quickly and reached out for the bin, but I shrank back.

I couldn't help but remember my first few days at the school. I'd been sick in the beginning there too, and I was beaten for being sick on a rug and forced to wash every rug in the school before I was allowed to eat again.

"You are not in trouble." He said gently, "Please give me the bin."

I shook my head, "I should clean it." I told him, "I just-"

"Ally, this is Anita." Eli interrupted me again, "She will be your maid. She can clean the bin for you. Please give it to me."

Again I ignored him as I looked over at the girl.

Anita had pale white skin and light blondish red hair that was curled around her face, she was a little shorter then myself and I could tell at first glance that she was a witch. Although she wasn't powerful, I didn't sense any real power coming from her.

"I don't want or need a maid." I told him, "I won't participate in enslaving witches."

Elijah took another step towards me, "I do not keep slaves. Every witch that works for me does so of their own free will and they are paid the same amount I pay the Lycans, but if you do not want her, then I will dismiss her, but please know that she has children to feed, so if you want them to starve, then-"

"No, it's fine." I said quickly. I knew what it was to starve, no child should have to go through it, I suspected he knew that would sway me, but it still worked. "She can stay."

"Wonderful." Elijah smiled. I hated that I thought he was handsome when he smiled. The girls at the school hadn't lied when they spoke of his attraction. Elijah was very handsome. "Now, would you please pass me the bin."

I felt guilty for making someone else clean up my sick, but I finally handed over the bin to the King, who turned to Anita.

"Please clean the bin and then return it to the Luna's room." He ordered her, "You can start properly tomorrow morning."

"Yes your majesty, thank you." She bowed and left us alone.

"Are you feeling better?" Elijah asked me with concern, "Should I fetch my sister to check you over again?"

"I'm alright now, thank you."

"Come with me." He reached out his hand, but I hugged my hands around myself, and he quickly lowered his hand.

Elijah began to walk down the hallway, he pointed to the room. I suspected as his. "This is my room." He told me, "You can go in there whenever you wish, and you may use the bathroom in there but there is also a bathroom here."

He opened the door to the left of my bedroom and walked inside, so I followed after him quietly.

"I'm sorry I put you in a room without a private bathroom, but I wanted you to be in the bedroom closest to mine." He told me as I looked around the bathroom, my eyes landed on a strange object in a rectangular glass box. What is that? "But this bathroom will be set up with everything you need."

"Thank you." I said as I wandered over to the object. Next to it sat a large porcelain tub, one much grander than the one I was used to at the school. "What is this?"

Elijah frowned in confusion as he walked over to me. "You've never seen a shower before?"

"No." I shook my head, "What's a shower?"

"How did you bathe at the school?"

"In the tub." I pointed to the bathtub.

"Well, this is a shower, it's like a bath, but you stand up in it." He told me as he reached for a handle and turned it, I gasped in surprise and, without realizing it, I'd grabbed the sleeve of Elijah's shirt.

"It's like a waterfall." I said in awe.

"You like waterfalls?"

"I do." I answered as I reached out my hand into the stream of falling water, but I jumped when the water hit my hand. "It's hot."

"Of course." Elijah said as he turned the handle again to stop the water. "You didn't have hot water at the school?"

"No." I answered, and then I realized I was still holding him and I quickly let him go and stepped back.

"So, how did you bathe?"

"I would warm the water with my powers." I told him as I looked around. I'd never seen a bathroom with a toilet in the same room. "I would do it for the others as well, but I would often get punished for using my powers without permission."

"I see." Eli nodded and looked me over as if he pitied me. "Punished how?"

I shrugged and looked over at the double sink and mirror. "Sometimes it was a beating. Sometimes mother would make me bathe outside in the pond at night, she would hold her hand in the water to make sure I didn't warm it."

Elijah growled, and I spun around and stepped back. "No, please Ally, don't be afraid." He said quickly, "I'm not angry at you. I was angry about how you were treated. You didn't do anything wrong."

He reached out to touch me, but I cringed. "I wish you wouldn't do that." He said and very slowly placed his warm hand under my chin and lifted my face, so we were looking into each other's eyes. "I would never strike you, not ever, no matter what you do or say I will never raise a hand to you in anger, I promise."

"Men always promise that." I pulled away and quickly lowered my gaze. It was harder to hate him when I looked into his gorgeous green eyes. "And they always lie and break that promise."

"Not me, not this man." He said firmly, "I will never hurt you."

"We'll see." I whispered under my breath, but he heard me and stepped back, his face distraught.

"Did you manage to eat anything?" He changed the subject and began to walk towards the bathroom door.

"No." I shook my head.

"I wish you'd try to eat during the day." He said softly, "I don't want you hungry. You should never have been starved the way you were. But things are different now. I will make sure you are taken care of properly."

"I don't need anyone to take care of me."

"And yet I will do it anyway." He commented and lead the way back to my bedroom. "Please shower and change for dinner. We will go down in an hour."

"Do I have to?" I asked, "I don't want to go."

"I understand that being around so many Lycan's is frightening for you, but I swear you will never be harmed while I am by your side." He told me, "And I want you to eat something, please Ally. I will be patient and let you fight me on something. But when it comes to your safety or health, I will not tolerate arguments. Everything I do if for your benefit. Now go change."

I watched Elijah turn and walk into his bedroom. I didn't know how to react. No one had ever cared about my health, not since my mother left, I hated that I felt a rush of affection towards him. He was trying to manipulate me. He wanted me to rely on him and I would not allow myself to rely on anyone. I would never trust anyone like that ever again.

I gave a huff and went back into my bedroom and walked over to the closet. I picked the first dress my hand touched, a maroon dress with long sleeves and a high cut neckline, but as I was walking back to the bathroom I ran into Anita returning with my bin.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said quickly when we nearly ran into each other.

"No, please Luna, it's my fault. I should have knocked first."

"Please don't call me Luna." I said quickly, "My name is Ally."

Anita looked surprised and delighted by my comment, but she shook her head. "I'm sorry Luna, but it wouldn't be proper, and the King would be mad."

"What if you just use my name while we are alone and that stupid title when others are around?"

"Um... alright." She smiled and looked around me. "Where should I put the bin?"

"Oh," I said and stepped back, "It can go anywhere, I don't mind, thank you for cleaning it. I know it's kind of gross."

"I don't mind." She shrugged, "I have three children, trust me, I've cleaned worst."

"So have I." I said quietly.

"Ally," She said as she placed the bin on the ground, "Is there anything in your room I'm not allowed to touch?"

I shook my head. "None of this is mine, I don't care." I told her, but then I remembered my stone in my pocket. "Actually, there is something," I pulled out my stone and her eyes widened. She knew exactly what this was. All witches would. "I usually have it on me. But I sometimes do accidentally leave it in my pockets. If you find it in my clothing please put it on the bedside table."

"Of course I will." She nodded and looked at me sadly, "Who did you loose?"

I looked at the stone and then back at Anita. "Everyone." I told her before leaving the room.

I went into the bathroom and shut the door, again I couldn't find a key to lock it. The King must never use these rooms. I would have to ask him for the keys.

I opened several doors in the vanity and tall closet until I found a large white towel which I pulled out and sat on the shelf next to the shower.

I couldn't help the thrill of excitement filling me as I turned on the warm water of the shower. I slowly put my hand under the water again, but it was too hot, and I gasped and pulled my hand back. I looked at the handle and moved it around until the water was warm but not scolding, and I stepped into the steam of water.

I closed my eyes and let the water soak through my long hair and over my skin, warming me. I hadn't realized how cold I was until I was finally warming up. As I opened my eyes, I noticed the water running into the drain was slightly brown. I was dirtier than I'd realized, so I picked up the sponge and bar of soap and washed myself clean. We were only given one bar of soap every month, and it had to last us until our next one.

Once I was clean and smelling a lot nicer, I reluctantly turned off the water and stepped out on the stone floor, which felt colder than earlier, thanks to my hot shower heating my feet. I wound the towel around my body and walked over to the mirror.

I still felt as if I could be dreaming. Any moment the rug would be pulled out from beneath me and I would wake up in my cot alone and cold, I promised myself if that ever happened I would run away, I wouldn't stay there a moment longer than I had to.

I half dried my hair and ran the brush through it, leaving it damp and wavy before pulling on the dress and that's when it dawned on me. I couldn't do up the back. My school dresses didn't have buttons or lace, you would just slip it over your head and go about your day, but the dresses Amelia had given me were much more elaborate. You had to weave a ribbon through the back to close it.

I pulled the dress off and wove the ribbon to the top before pulling the dress back on, but when I tried to reach behind myself to tie the ribbon, I still couldn't get it. I gave an annoyed huff and walked out of the bathroom to find Elijah leaning patiently against the wall with one of his legs up.

"Are you ready?" He asked and pushed off of the wall.

I blushed and looked down. I hated asking him for help. "Actually," I said quietly, "I can't... the dress, I couldn't do up the back. I've never had a dress I had to tie off, and I couldn't reach it."

Elijah smiled and stepped forward. "I don't mind helping you." He said quickly, "Please turn around."

I took a breath and nodded before I slowly turned my back on him, I tensed as Eli gently moved my hair over one of my shoulders before he began pulling on the ribbon.

"Is this too tight?"

"No." I shook my head and I felt him tie it off, I tensed again as his hand ran down my back a little bit before he pulled away and cleared his throat.

"You're perfect." He commented, "Shall we?"

I nodded again and went to walk down the hall, but Eli gently held my arm. "Where are your shoes?"

I hated wearing shoes. "Do I have to wear them?"

"Won't you get cold?"

"No."

Elijah looked like he wanted to argue, but finally he gave in. "If you are sure you won't get cold, then that's okay, and you look very pretty in that color." He added and walked past me.

I hated that my heart fluttered at his compliment and I hated myself even more when I found myself looking over his body as we walked to the dining room. He was dressed in black pants and a loose dark blue cotton shirt that fell open slightly at the top while his sleeves had been pushed up, his own hair had been left damp like mind, and he smelt far too nice. No one should smell like that.

I shook my head and pushed away those thoughts. I don't want him, he is not my mate, I will run away the first chance I get. I repeated this mantra all the way to the dining hall.