Give Up!

Aida went back to her room. Her face was stern that the maid feared coming near her. A cold aura emitted from her as she closed the door to her chamber loudly. 

As she sat in her couch at the balcony basked in the sun. The warm sunlight caressed her body causing her anger to dissipate a lot. 

She pressed her lips in dissatisfaction. Orson's new wife was far below her expectation. If not for her statue as the princess, she would order her grandson to divorce her. The weight a Luna should carry was far above a submissive and a shy person.

'Maybe you are misjudging her,' her wolf, Lune, sounded.

'When did I ever misjudge someone?' Aida retorted, closing the mind-link between her and her wolf.

She wanted to be alone to decide what she would next and wanted no one's intervention. 

Her idea was soon blown off as the door to her chamber opened. Knowing who entered, she looked away at the scenery outside.

"Why did you come?" she asked without glancing at her mate.

She heard him sigh. "Aren't you a bit overreacting? It had been over a month. When are you going to talk to me?" he said, taking a seat opposite her.

"Overreacting? I am not allowed even to do that? Since you take your decision to marry Orson off without me knowing! Me, his grandmother!" Aida snapped at the man who was looking at her. His face was cold as ever.

"You were the one who suggested to wed Orson again, weren't you?"

"Yes. And I was searching for someone suitable but you went to the vampire kingdom and took a decision yourself and I was the last to know! I forget to ask, did you met your ex-fiancé? How is she? Did you talk to her?"

"You are wondering so much Aida."

"I am telling the truth. Did you not break off your engagement back then because of me? If not for the mate bond and my appearance, you would have wedded Sophie long ago. Is she still in your heart? That's why you gave them your grandson as compensation—"

"Enough!" Ferdinand said. His voice was filled with commanding authority. Aida stopped talking. Her face turned red from anger.

In their decades of marriage, he never used his alpha voice on her. Even when she shouted at him when she first heard about Orson's marriage. But when she mentioned his past lover, he snapped at her.

Flame of jealousy burned within her chest. She sucked in a deep breath to calm the turmoil she felt. Her heart ached as if someone stabbing her.

"Calm down," Ferdinand stepped closer, holding her hand. She tried shaking his hands off, but she couldn't. "It was all in the past. I had met her and exchanged greetings. That's all. If anything happen, you will feel it anyway."

"Is she still beautiful like in the past?" she asked, trying to decipher his emotions but all what she saw was clear black eyes like a bottomless black hole. She frowned as it was always like this. Even with the mate bond, she failed to grasp his feelings most of the time.

"Can you treat Lucette with politeness?" he asked.

"You came here to defend that vampire?" she said, taking her hands from his.

Ferdinand sighed and returned to his place. "The princess did nothing wrong. She had a hard time since she was found not a longer. Try to show her the basics and don't be hard on her."

"She isn't fit," she replied. Her answer was firm.

"She will learn as time goes," he retorted opposing her words. Aida clenched her fists. "Maybe she will exceed your expectations. I can see the determination in her eyes. She isn't pretentious little missy, she must have a hard life and that will help her a lot."

Aida opened her eyes, surprised by his words. Ferdinand rarely complimented anyone, so she must have something she didn't see.

"I will try," she said annoyed by him. 

"Try hard since it is our last resort," he said, getting up. "I need to go."

"What do you mean 'it's our last resort' did anything bad happen?" she hurried to him, stopping him from leaving her hanging.

***

Lucette opened her eyes when she heard a knock on her door. She rubbed her eyes and got up sleepily. 

"Luna, the lunch is ready," the maid from the morning said.

Lucette nodded and closed the door. She passed by the mirror, and her eyes widened. Her hair was like those in cartoons when a bomb exploded in their faces. A big red mark was on her right cheek left by the pillow. No wonder the maid gaped when she saw her.

As she headed down, she ate lunch alone. No one was around as they had different work to do. Bored from doing nothing, she roamed around the castle, receiving all kinds of stares. Disdain, hatred and fear.

'It's hard to cope with the situation here. I want to go home.' 

Lucette walked up the stairs to go to her room. The new home was nothing but a shackle to remind her of her incompetence. 

The feeling of being unfit for this place was taking over her. She thought of the queen's words, and the idea of giving up popped into her mind. 

What will happen when I give up?

Maybe she would go to a safe place, where she would live peacefully. And maybe she would fail again to start a new life and would run away too.

Engrossed in her thoughts, she bumped into someone. "Sorry," she apologized. Seeing a familiar face, she gasped. "You... Lea."

"Luna Lucette. I am glad you still remember me," she said, smiling warmly.

Lucette's eyes stung. She stepped over and hugged the woman. Seeing Lea reminded her of Hannah. She missed home a lot.

"Did anything happen?" Lea asked.

Lucette distanced herself. Her cheeks felt burned. "I was emotional," she responded, putting her hands to cover her red cheeks.

"Let's talk together," she said, taking her to her room.

As they sat. "Tell me," Lead asked, her eyes glowing with expectation.

Lucette sighed. Why does she have the feeling that she left Hannah there and found a new one here? 

"I miss home," she replied.

"That is not the reason. Is it?" 

"I feel like I don't belong here," Lucette said, lowering her head. 

The fear of being stuck with the maid label intensified. She had done nothing in her life. She wanted to make her life better than before. But as she looked at herself, she knew her ability was far below the norm.

"I will narrate a common story that was known for centuries. There was once an omega werewolf. You know what an omega is, right?" 

Lucette nodded. "The lower rank in the hierarchy."

"He was weak but his will and cleverness were beyond reach. He wanted to be an alpha which is an impossible thing. He tried to strengthen his body. He worked hard for years but never gave up.

He tried challenging the alpha for the first time but was beaten badly. His pack members tried convincing him to drop the idea and live like the others. They said all the omegas were happy to do their role, and he had to do the same. He was on the verge of giving up, but someone believed in him. He continued to pursue his goal until he succeeded."

Lucette listened carefully. The tiny courage hidden in her chest rose. She would never go back to where she was. She had started anew for a long time. When she left the palace, she vowed to achieve something and would never give the idea up.

"There must be someone who believed in you somehow. Just pursue what you want."

She nodded and said, "Thank you." 

"I have something to do. I had to retreat," Lea said, getting up. After seeing Lea off, she headed toward the queen's chamber. 

"You seem to have an answer," Queen Aida said.

"YES!"