Her hands shook as she undid the clasp. Only Damien knew she had lost the original heirloom necklace Angie had given her, and at this moment, she was very grateful to have a replica of it. Not knowing where to put the necklace, she placed it on the ground next to her feet.
King Hendrix drank deeply from his goblet before he spoke again, “I have some news that will come as a surprise to you. But with everything that has happened, it has become necessary for you to know. Nina is no longer in our midst. To my knowledge, she has passed from this life. She was your real mother, which makes you a unicorn.”
Luna stumbled backwards in utter disbelief.Nina’s my mother.She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to quiet the sob that threatened to escape. Her birth mother had lived at the palace this whole time, and the king knew. Who else did? Who else had lied to her? Her family? Tears pricked at her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away before they could roll down her cheeks.
“Nina performed certain tasks, as well as the protection ceremony. Now that she is gone, you will train to perform the same tasks that she did, starting immediately.” He spoke with boredom, seemingly annoyedthat he had to explain this all to her. “The necklace you have been wearing contains a special substance that interrupts the flow of magic. According to my experts, now that you aren’t wearing the necklace it is only a matter of time until you begin your first transformation.”
Fear took hold of Luna, chilling her to the core. She wasn’t going to transform; she’d already undergone her first transformation, and she had no idea how to kick-start it. How was she going to explain that? She stole a steadying breath before she asked, “What if I don’t transform?”
“If you refuse, then you are against me and my kingdom. I believe you have already tasted what life would be like in the dungeons.”
She better figure out how to transform and do so quickly. As the thought entered her mind, defiance followed. She didn’t want to be a unicorn, and she most certainly did not want to live a life continuously transforming and sacrificing herself for this kingdom like Nina. Maybe that made her selfish, but she didn’t care. “Who else knows my true identity?” she demanded.
The king’s eyes narrowed on her. “Only a select handful and no one else needs to know.” He leaned forward on his throne. “It can be our secret, and you can continue to be a lady of the court. I’ll even give you a special title to explain why you reside in the palace now.”
Knowing she couldn’t deny the king, she politely nodded along. The information was like an invisible blow to the head, leaving her reeling internally while she remained outwardly immobile. The king spoke nonchalantly, as if they were merely discussing the weather. It was hard to digest all of his words. Deciding that it would be best to be ignorant and agreeable, she asked, “When should I expect to transform?”
King Hendrix sat up a little straighter, the question seemingly sobering him. “You should already feel something. Do you not?”
“No, Your Majesty,” she said with a shake of her head. “I don’t.”
He twiddled his thumbs together, and time seemed to pass incredibly slowly, especially under his scrutinizing gaze. Luna tried her best not to fidget, and instead, focused on counting her breaths.
In and out.
One.
In and out.
Two.
Three.
This continued until she couldn’t remember if she was on number two hundred and three or three hundred and two.
“I see no point in watching her wait,” Prince Kieran told his father, who only sighed in agreement.
“Maybe some isolation in your room will do you some good. Send word when you transform.”
Luna bent down to grab her necklace, but the king’s booming voice interrupted her, stopping her mid-action. “You can leave that there.”
She nodded, rising to stand before she scurried out as fast as she could politely do so.
Clyde was waiting outside of the throne room to escort her. She didn’t say anything to him; didn’t even look at him as she hurried down the hall to her new room. Numbness spread from her head to her heart, down through her legs. She could feel herself mentally breaking, not only from the truth bomb the king had detonated, but everything else she was going through and trying to process. It was all too much: Being a unicorn. Finding out who her birth mother was. And then, finding out her mother was dead. Her foolish mistake of introducing Damien to Clyde. She knew Clyde was loyal to the king. She should’ve known better than to trust him. She should’ve been more careful. Now, her whole life was upside down, and she couldn’t even go to her family for help.
She stumbled over her own feet and fell, hitting her knees hard on the ground. The pain made her cry out. The moment she let out a sound, sobs took over until she was crying so hysterically she couldn’t breathe.
“Are you okay?” Clyde’s voice was low, hesitant, and his hand rested lightly on her shoulder.
His touch burned and she flinched away. “Don’t pretend to care,” she spat through her tears, her voice raw and jagged.
He didn’t respond, didn’t defend himself. Instead, he simply bent down and scooped her up. She was too drained to resist, too shattered to protest. His grip was steady but gentle as he carried her against his chest through the halls.
When they reached her suite, he pushed the door open with his shoulder and stepped inside. He crossed to the bed and carefully lowered her onto it. It was harder than her bed at home, but it was far better than the dungeon floor. She curled into herself, wrapping her arms around her knees.
Clyde lingered for a moment, standing over her, clearly wanting to say something.
After some time, he finally did. “I hate to see you cry.” The admission sounded genuine, like his heart was breaking alongside hers.
