The Hidden Luna Queen 2

Maeve POV

It was like I was trapped in a nightmare.

Sarah was not in confinement. She was not locked up on Moonstone grounds like Father had sworn she would be to Xaden. She was not supposed to be anywhere near me and yet here she was, less than twenty feet away and looking as real as the ground beneath me and the air that halted in my throat.

I did not want to see her ever again. And I thought she felt the same way. She frowned. "You didn't seriously just freeze on me, did you?"

"What are you doing here...?"

"What, this is the greeting I get from my own big sister?" She dared to look affronted, feigning innocence. "How rude. And here I was, daring to worry about you these last couple of days, all alone in that big, shiny, old palace."

That was a lie if I ever heard one. I kept my guard up. I could not trust Sarah as far as I could throw her.

"I... I wasn't aware you thought of me like that," I stammered.

"That hurts, Maeve. There's nothing wrong with a little bit of sisterly rivalry."

'Sisterly rivalry? Is that what she calls the hell she put me through?

Disgruntled, I turned my focus to the rest of her body. Nothing about her appearance indicated that she had ever been confined-her hair was nicely curled against her shoulders, her skin was nice and clean and free of any dark undereye circles, and she wore one of her favorite pink dresses. Not only that, but she had a couple of shopping bags in hand as I did, all from her usual boutiques.

This was just like another day in the capital for her.

"You're out shopping?" I asked in disbelief.

Sarah grinned. "Isn't it great?" she beamed. "Father didn't have the heart to keep me locked up at home all that time, and once he saw how sad it made Mother and I, he let me go. He even said I could visit the capital to make myself feel better!"

I was stunned, feeling nauseous and bitter.

Of course, all it took was some tears from his precious daughter and she could gallivant however she desired, even after embarrassing him in public as she did. Even so much as talking back would have earned me a night in solitary confinement.

All of a sudden, Sarah exploded with laughter.

I regarded her warily. "What's so funny?"

"Look at that dull thing you're wearing," she exclaimed, gesturing to my outfit with a sneer. "That's no better than what you wore in Moonstone all those years-no respectable woman of status would dare to be caught wearing something so plain in public. So... even after all that trouble you caused at my birthday party, you really did end up Prince Xaden's servant, after all."

I wasn't sure if she meant to lower my spirits or if she genuinely believed what she said.

"You know, I would feel sorry," Sarah drawled, "but I think this is a good way for you to atone for your wrongdoings." "What happened was not my fault."

Contempt sprawled across her face, hidden behind a polite smile. "You can think what you want. It doesn't make it any less true."

I bristled with frustration. Talking with her did not do me any favors, nor had it ever.

"Father is going to be disappointed," she continued, sounding falsely downhearted. "He was so sure you were going to become Prince Xaden's Luna, so he thought to move all your things at home into a much nicer room." She shrugged casually. "I guess I'll have to tell him it was all for naught."

I had enough. "I am no one's servant," I said firmly, but shook where I stood. "Not for you or anyone else."

With an exaggerated look of bafflement, Sarah made a show of peering around the square. "Well, I certainly don't see the Alpha Prince anywhere. I thought that after that whole display, he'd be stuck to your side like glue." "He has important things to do," I insisted, wanting to defend Xaden.

"Yes, find as many excuses as you want," she said, trying to appear sad for me, and I felt mild doubt start to creep in. "But it looks like you were tossed away like-" "I'm all done, Miss Maeve."

Maggie's sudden interruption was the greatest blessing I could have asked for in that moment. I turned to greet her, thankful for her presence.

Approaching with a basket full of produce and a few hunks of wrapped meat, she stared curiously at Sarah. "Do you know this woman?" Maggie asked me.

I bit my lip. "She..."

Sarah looked astonished. "Unbelievable," she scoffed with a grin. "He even assigned you a babysitter to ensure you don't run away?"

I flinched. I didn't want to believe her... I didn't. I couldn't.

"You have some nerve, young lady!" Maggie scolded, ppalled by my sister's behavior, tucking me behind her short frame. I was so relieved I had someone on my side-it helped me realize Sarah's way of treating me was cruel, unusual, and something I should not stand for. "How dare you address Prince Xaden's Luna in such a manner!"

The haughty look on Sarah's face fell. "What did she call you...?"

Maggie stood tall and proud. "Miss Maeve is our Luna," she repeated.

"You... you don't know what you're saying," Sarah retorted, quiet and conflicted.

"For your information, I have had the pleasure of serving His Royal Highness for over a decade. I can read that man like the back of my hand. I know when something genuinely takes his interest or if it's nothing more than just a passing fancy."

In light of Sarah's stunned silence, Maggie continued to speak.

"He treasures Miss Maeve more than anything else in the world," she praised with the passion of the gospels. "He wants only the best for her, whether it be clothes, food, or treatment. And you'd best pray that the Moon Goddess protects the poor soul who dares to hurt her in any way."

I couldn't read the look on Sarah's face. I got the sense that that only meant trouble further down the line.

And, just like at her party, I was swarmed with guilt that I couldn't justify.

Maggie gently grabbed my arm to usher me away. "Let's go, Miss Maeve," she said firmly. "We have better places to be."

The last thing I saw as I tersely departed the market with Maggie was my sister, a lost look in her dazed eyes and her bags of clothes fallen in heaps on the ground.