Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Kathy had to hand it to life, it had a unique way of dumping bombs on her. First, it was her birthmark, then her power, now there was an assassin after her. Did life deem her so special that it had to give her so much attention?

She stared at everyone as they tried to come up with a solution. She had nothing to contribute. And they expected her to rule Lunae, that would be the joke of a century.

”What about the hounds?” One of the trackers proposed. The two trackers had returned earlier with nothing. The intruder disappeared without a trace.

”That could work. We could place hounds on every entrance and exit of Lunae. The hounds are familiar with the scent of Lunae subjects, they would know if the intruder returns to the kingdom,” Gabriel suggested.

”Also we can tighten the security. Instead of four, there should be eight guards at each station and twelve at each colony's border. The orb should be enhanced too,” Hala instructed.

Everyone but Kathy nodded in approval. She had no idea what they were talking about.

”And if the assassin is a citizen of Lunae? That's also a possibility, ” Triton added.

”The Prince has a point. For now, we will tighten the security of the Luna Princess. There must be two of the finest guards with her at all times.

”Release the hounds immediately. The magicians should enhance the orb. Talk to every General in charge of each colony, I want the guards doubled, ” Hala ordered.

Kathy couldn't help but admire her mother at that moment, she looked so regal and fierce that everyone couldn't help but follow her every command.

”I want a word with the General. The rest of you are dismissed,” Hala announced.

The soldiers bowed and left the throne room.

Hala then turned to Kathy. ”Triton will introduce you to the rest of the family and show you around. I will be with you in a while.”

After Hala and Gabriel left, Triton introduced Kathy to the rest of the blue-eyed people. Finally, she could stop calling them that.

First, she met his soul-bound, Miah. Miah was a beautiful female with red hair. She had blue eyes like other royals but didn't have black hair, probably because she wasn't born into the royal family. Then she met Elara's children, Nila and Zena. Unlike their mother, she could sense no malice from them. Nila was a Siren. She had white hair like her mother with the sweetest voice Kathy had ever heard. Zena was a tracker. She had black hair and blue eyes too. Zena had an athletic physique but she was quite small. She was quiet while Nila was a chatterbox.

Her father, Aerial had no siblings. He was born into a family of warriors and she had no relations with him. Then she met Kale. Kale was her mother's cousin, a councilman. She didn't get the chance to really get a good look at him or even talk to him, he just stared at her and left.

”Do not take his behavior to heart. Councilman Kale has always been quite unusual,” Miah told her.

Unusual indeed, she thought.

”You should let us dress you in the Lunae way. You have to look at the part of the Luna Princess, ” Nila said.

Kathy noticed that women only wore huge dresses like in medieval times with a lot of jewelry. The men wore leather pants, fur coats, and buttonless shirts.

”I won't be here for long, I have to get back to mum, ” Kathy replied.

”Luna Princess, I'd suggest you do not let Nila dress you. She gets too excited about clothes.”

Kathy could see why Miah said that Nila gets excited about clothes, her style was over the top. She had on a tight blue knee-length lace dress with sparkles that had a slit on both sides of her thighs.

Nila pouted. ”What is wrong with my style?”

”Do you want me to explain?” Zena asked her sister. Nila hurriedly shook her head.

”We should show you around the castle since you will be here for a while, ” Miah suggested.

Kathy nodded. Even if she wanted to go back to earth, there would be no harm in getting a tour of the castle. The girls took her around the castle, accompanied by two guards. They showed her what would have been her room if she grew up in Lunae. The room was painted in a deep purple color. Small fairy lanterns decorated what looked like a queen-sized bed but in reality, was an enormous heap of fur and sheets. There was a huge trunk of clothes by the side and a table full of shoes.

”Luna Hala decorates this room every year. She puts on new clothes according to how much she thinks you aged. Since both of us are of the same age, she used my measurements for your clothes, ” Nila said.

Kathy opened the trunk to see numerous dresses in different colors. The table contained shoes all in her size.

”Wow! She sure knows how to pick them. They all look beautiful, ” Kathy commended and the girls smiled.

Nila squealed. ”Try one out.”

Kathy nodded and began to take off her clothes. The girls gasped and turned around instantly.

”What is wrong?” Kathy quizzed. They were all girls in the room and she didn't see anything wrong with undressing in front of them.

”It is wrong for another to behold the uncovered body of the embodiment of the moon, Luna Princess, ” Zena explained.

”Oh, but I don't see anything wrong with that, and please call me Kathy, ” Kathy told them.

”We would remain in this position until you finish dressing up.”

Kathy took out a blue dress. It was simple yet elegant. She put it on and it fit her perfectly. It was a little tight around her breasts and hips but she loved it. She picked a shoe that matched her dress.

”I’m done, ” she announced and the girls turned back around.

”Oh my moon! It looks wonderful on you, ” Nila exclaimed and the girls nodded in approval. She could feel that they were genuinely excited and that made her like them even more.

Kathy stared at her reflection in the huge wall mirror. She liked what she saw. The dress hugged her in all the right places, highlighting her curves.

”Your mother should see you wearing the dress she had the royal seamstress make for you, ” Miah said. Kathy then remembered her mum. She had to go back to earth, April was probably worried sick about her.

”Zena, tell Luna that I want to see her.”

Zena nodded and her eyes turned hazy. It stayed that way for seconds then turned back to its normal blue color. So that was the mind bond.

”She is in the council room. We will meet her there.”

The girls left Kathy's room and walked to the council room on the ground floor. The air was thick with tension when they got there, Kathy could feel it so much that it smothered her.

”What is wrong? I feel so much tension in the air,” Kathy said.

”The assassin struck again.” Hala sighed. Kathy could see how stressed she was. Kathy sat on one of the chairs next to Triton.

”Did anyone get hurt?”

”The attack was at the outskirts of the kingdom. The common people living there were attacked. A witness said that it came like a dark cloud under the moonlight. Then darkness covered the area. Another person said that a shadow attacked them. Thankfully no one died, just a few wounded people, ” Triton explained.

”How does one person manage to get in and out of Lunae without being caught?” Hala asked.

”Shadow magic is the only way, Luna, ” Gabriel stated.

”Did the person leave a trace? Assassins always leave a clue behind, ” Kathy told them.

”He or she burned the symbol of a Phoenix into the ground. It was the only thing they left behind,”

Gabriel said.

”That explains nothing. We've still got nothing,” Aerial mumbled running his hand through his long hair. Kathy wanted to braid his hair.

Kathy thought of Luna Celeste. She was called the Phoenix.

”It could be related to the last gifted Luna. She was called Phoenix, right?”

They all nodded, seeing where she was going with that.

”We can check possible enemies of hers, and people who hated her. All of the shadow magicians that lived in Lunae shouldn't be ruled out, one of them might be involved, ” Kathy concluded and they all nodded. All except councilman Kale. Her mother had an impressed look on her face.

”The assassin only appeared after the Luna Princess came to Lunae. It attacked the first day she left the palace. She may be the one they are after. The assassin could be an enemy of hers. She is putting the whole of Lunae in danger, ” Kale spat. His words had an underlying tone of chastising.

”What are you trying to say, councilman?” Hala asked, leaning forward on her seat and glaring slightly at him.

”She brought the assassin to Lunae. Everything was perfect until she came.”

Kathy could feel the venom in every word councilman Kale spoke. He hated her and she could feel it. Unlike Elara, his hatred could be felt from miles away.

”Watch your words, councilman,” Aerial hissed.

”The assassin burned the symbol of a Phoenix into the ground. My daughter is not the Phoenix,” Hala calmly said.

”Even so, it came after she entered the kingdom. Worst of all, her element is fire. It's only a matter of time before the darkness consumes her.” Kale kept on speaking without pausing, upsetting Kathy even more. The worst part was that she could feel the resentment from him.

Kathy retreated into her seat. With his piercing blue eyes on her, she felt attacked. Was she endangering them by staying?

”That’s enough, councilman! You've said enough. Mind your words or I will ask you to leave. You've upset my daughter enough. Anymore harsh word from you and I will walk you out, cousin or not, ” Hala said sternly.

Councilman Kale was taken aback by Hala's sudden anger. He shut up immediately. The rest of the councilmen had wary looks on their faces.

Gabriel cleared his throat and said, ”Luna, the Generals ask to meet with you.”

”I will meet with them in the middle of tomorrow's moon, ” Hala replied.

Gabriel nodded, and his eyes turned hazy. Kathy felt sudden anger coming from him.

”What is wrong, Gabriel?” she asked.

Everyone but Triton stared at her as she called him Gabriel. She didn't pay attention to them but kept her eyes on Gabriel.

”There has been another attack on the middle west colony.”