Chapter 239 – The Luna Trials Novel by Marissa Gilbert

Filed To Story: The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert

It was supposed to be a light demonstration. Only that she forgot the difference in strength between the royal lycans and simple werewolves. The girl’s eyes widened as she flew down the stairs of the stadium and landed in the dirt at the very bottom.

“What happened?” Gideon came back for some reason at the worst time possible, shocked by the scene before his eyes. He helped the she-wolf to stand up, and she said something to him that Elene couldn’t hear.

A bad feeling rose in the pit of her stomach.

“It was an accident!” The Princess was next to the two of them in seconds and noticed how Gideon clenched his l!ps tightly. As if.. he did not believe her but had to tolerate her. She was-

“l understand” he told her politely and lifted the other girl in his arms. “Don’t worry, Princess Elene. I will take her to the infirmary.”

“I’ll go with you!” she suggested as Penelope gave her the box she was holding back. “l prepared some-“

“No need,” he replied and left without sparing her another glance.

She did not see him talking to that girl anymore, but at the same time, their own conversations were limited to a few brief words required by the royal protocol and nothing more. Kai found her crying once, and she told him about her feelings for the Western King. Her brother got tense but offered her hand in marriage to Gideon nonetheless. However, when a rejection letter came, things between the two kingdoms that were never too friendly only turned for the worse.

There were many other moments with Penelope that she now questioned, and sadly, she realised that she had never had the friend she imagined.

Nevertheless, there was another realisation. Savvy knew all that and never told her during her mourning. She could have used Penelope’s speech to gain points for herself, but she chose to keep this information away so as not to hurt her. Life had peculiar ways of showing her what was really important, and although Pen was her fake friend, she now knew that Savannah was a real one. They would need time to get to know each other better and move on from the Luna Trials, but… there was definitely something good there, something worth exploring.

“Are you sure?” Savannah asked when Elene stretched her hands with her mother’s wedding and coronation ceremony dress. The Lycans always celebrated both events together. “I know what it means to you. I mean, Kai told me-“

“I have never been so sure about anything in my life” Elene nodded with a timid smile, blinking her tears away. “You will look beautiful in this, Savannah, and everyone will recognise it. It’s the Queen’s dress, and now it means that it’s yours.”

She helped Savvy into the dress and pinned it at the back for her, noting that the seamstress would have to make a few urgent adjustments.

Savannah gasped when she saw herself in the mirror. She saw this dress in one of the books she had read during the Luna Trials. They said that each Luna made her own adjustments to it. Initially, she planned to take just a few embellishments from it and add them to the dress of her choice. However, now that she was looking at herself in the mirror, she knew that this dress was the one. There could be no other gown for her in the whole wide world.

Long off-shoulder sleeves and a sculptured corset gave her a regal look, while the pale blue silvery fabric cascaded down to the marble floor, creating a magnificent ball gown. An intricate design of silver sequins and beads was adorning the corset and the skirt, and only when taking a closer look did Savvy realise that the pattern reminded her of the northern mountains and some of the ancient symbols she saw back in the cave and the shrine. It was a masterpiece! A subtle shine emanated from the sequins, making them look like pieces of ice or maybe the crystals from that cave Kai once took her in. It was indeed something a Northern Queen should wear. There was a beautiful North Star brooch at the top of the corset, right in the centre of her ch3st, and Savannah unpinned it, noticing how Elene’s l!ps parted.

“Here” she handed her the brooch. “l want you to have it for when your day comes.”

“Savvy, you don’t have to-” The Princess tried to protest, but it did not work.

“|know l don’t have to, but I want to. It will suit you, Princess of the North,” she smiled and then turned back to the mirror. “Besides, I already have a necklace and a huge shining North Star mark. I think they are statement enough.”

Elene traced her fingers over the cold metal with a smile. It was nice that a part of this dress would still belong to her. Something that was her mother’s would be with her on her big day. If it ever happened, of course. She was about to stop believing in it.

“Oh, there is also the veil!” Elene remembered suddenly and went back to the chest, producing the most gorgeous tulle with silver north stars embroidered all over it.

“It’s gorgeous,” Savvy covered her mouth with her delicate palm and tried not to cry as Elene attached the veil to her hair.

“It’s perfect on you!” the Northern Princess smiled.

“Are you at all nervous? About the whole wedding/coronation thing?”

“No”‘ Savannah did not hesitate with her answer.

How could | be? Kai is the one for me, you know. I love him, and there is not a single bit of doubt in my heart. If anything, l can’t wait to be done with it! The sooner we are married and crowned together, the better.”

Elene smiled at her sister-in-law. It was the perfect response, and she was so happy for them, but a part of her felt a little prickle of pain. Everyone around her was finding their mates and experiencing this huge unconditional love. Everyone but her. Even that white bear traitor Brigit was mated to Aspen and dared to throw this kind of blessing away, but Elene still had no one. It did not seem particularly fair, and she started to get worried that maybe it was her punishment for all her past mistakes? Yes, Penelope was feeding her ideas, but she was the one to follow and act on them. The responsibility was hers. Was she punished for it? Or maybe it was as simple as her mate never existed because she wasn’t worthy in the first place?

“EL” Savannah turned to face her with an understanding smile. “You know, just a few months ago, I was helping Riannon into her coronation dress while my own heart was broken by my first mate. I thought there was no hope for me, and this was it. And then… a couple of months later, I went for the North, thinking that it was the worst thing that could happen to me. I really thought I was sacrificing myself for my people!” She chuckled, and Elene snorted, her eyes watery. “What l am trying to say is life is unpredictable, and you may not know it now, but the experience you had… It was necessary. For something bigger and better. You’ll see.”

“Oh, Savvy,” Elene pulled the other woman into a tight hug, “l always knew I wanted a sister! And finally,

Kai gave me one!”

It was the truth, and for now, it was enough for the Princess of The North.

Savannah thought that some of the northern traditions had to be changed! They couldn’t be serious with all that stuff! Who in their right mind was marrying in the mountains during night-time?

However, she wasn’t going to complain. Not anymore. Not after she lost him and got him back.

“We can still turn and go back home,” Gideon told her as he offered her his hand in the dark cave where only rare crystals were glowing in the darkness. ” Just saying.”

“A bit too late for that, don’t you think?” Savvy giggled, happier than appropriate. In the morning, the war would start, and they would all have to fight. She had no right to be this excited now. None of them had, but dying or losing everyone they cared about made them look at life from a different angle.

“You mean the marks?” Her brother rolled his eyes. “Big deal! l’d whisk you back home in an instant if you give me a signal. So, whenever you are ready, sis.

“I wasn’t talking about the marks, Savvy let out a laugh that echoed through the cave walls, and now he looked at her with an arched brow. “I was talking about your niece or nephew, silly!”

“What did you-” Gideon’s breath hitched, but this was when Zara entered the cave.

“The time has come!” she announced, ignoring her King’s startled face. The aurora has started!”

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