His Forbidden Desire

Luna Zadre's POV

As I stepped outside, the chaos hit me like a wave. The castle was in complete disarray. There were people shouting, running, and scrambling to either defend or escape. The air was thick with panic. I felt a chill run down my spine. This was bad, worse than I’d ever imagined.

“Luna!” The chief maid’s voice broke through the noise. I looked up to see her beckoning me. “We must go through the back gate before it’s closed. It’s our only chance.”

I nodded. We made our way through the halls and down the narrow passageways that led to the back. I could hear the sounds of wolves howling against the walls. I knew they were closing in.

The chief maid grabbed my arm again. “Disguise yourself,” she urged, pulling me toward a small room. She quickly handed me a plain, dark cloak. “Hurry, Luna. It’s the only way they won’t recognize you.”

I didn’t argue. I pulled the cloak over my shoulders, covering as much of my face as I could. My heart pounded in my chest as we continued to rush through the corridors.

The door to the back gate was just ahead. But before we could reach it, I heard the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps. I froze, my breath catching in my throat.

“We’re too late,” I whispered, my chest tightening.

“We have to go, Luna. Now!” my maid urged, pulling me towards the door with all her strength.

I glanced back, heart skipping a beat when I saw Sydney. He was being dragged across the courtyard by two guards. His face was pale, his expression filled with disbelief. I could see it clearly; his pride was shattered in an instant.

"Sydney," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. My feet moved as if they had a mind of their own, my gaze locked on him.

His eyes locked with mine, and for a moment, time seemed to slow. His gaze was filled with a mixture of anger, confusion, and something else—regret, maybe? He saw me; I could tell. But there was nothing I could do.

Nothing.

I looked away quickly, forcing my feet to keep moving. My maid tugged harder on my arm, and we both hurried out the door.

“Luna, we can’t help him. We need to leave now,” she said, her voice firm but tinged with fear.

“I know,” I said, my voice hollow.

We ran!

There was nothing I could do to stop it.

We pushed forward, weaving through the trees and down the forest path. The cool night air brushed against my face as I tried to shake off the feeling of panic that threatened to overwhelm me.

We reached the edge of the forest, where a small, run-down building stood. The walls were worn, the windows cracked, but it was shelter. It was a place to hide.

“We can stay here for now,” my maid said, her voice low and tense.

I nodded, not saying anything. The silence between us was thick, filled with the weight of everything that had happened. The castle was no longer a safe haven. Sydney’s betrayal, Cedrica’s departure, and the invasion—it was all too much. And now, I had nothing.

We entered the small building, and my maid quickly locked the door behind us. She led me to a small room at the back, where a bed and a small table sat. The room was dimly lit, the flickering light from a single candle casting shadows on the walls.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, the exhaustion finally catching up to me. My hands trembled as I took out the pouch of jewelry. The only things I had left were these precious pieces, and even now, they felt like nothing.

“Are you alright, Luna?” the chief maid asked, sitting beside me. Her voice was soft with worry in it.

I looked at her, my mind racing. “What now?” I asked, the question heavy in the air.

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap. I could tell she was thinking, weighing the choices. Finally, she spoke.

“We wait,” she said simply.

“Wait?”

“Yes,” she said, nodding. “We wait for the right time to leave. We can’t stay here forever, but for now, it’s safe. We have time.”

I didn’t know if I agreed with her. I didn’t know what the right choice was anymore. Everything had changed in the span of a few hours, and now we were fugitives, hiding in the shadows.