Betrothed

"Lady Moon, we rely on you," spoke a young lady from the crowd.

"You shouldn't," Moon muttered as her eyes roamed around the crowd.

"You are our key to savior, the one who can save us all," said an old woman with a walking aid.

"Save you all from what exactly?" asked Moon. She had always been curious about why they needed her to save them. She's just a young lady who was birthed nineteen years ago in this land. " I ask this question every time, but no one ever answers, nor even my parents. What am I saving this Empire from?"

"You will know sooner," the old woman replied

"I will know sooner? When will that sooner arrive? Tell me?" inquired Moon as she flared up. She was getting pissed, she shouldn't lose her temper but it couldn't be helped, she was already losing it.

"You will know soon. You are already performing your duties by saving us from Lady Aetos. Though her matter isn't grave like the one we are expecting you to save us all from, it is something," said Madame Chips with a bow

"I think everyone should go home," said Lord Damascus, and when the people saw him, they didn't say anything and left after a bow.

"Accept all our presents," said Madame Chips before leaving

Lord Damascus escorted Moon into the house with her parents trailing behind. They both looked at each other and gave a nod.

"Lead Lord Damascus to the drawing room, Moon. We will be there in a jiffy," spoke Clovis before she looked at a maid and said, "Offer our guests some afternoon snacks and tea"

"Yes, My Lady," spoke the maid with a bow before she walked away

Neil held Clovis by her wrist and lead her into their bedroom.

"It's high time we told her about it," spoke Neil with teary eyes

"I know. We should tell her about it after dinner tonight," said Clovis as she wiped the tears from Neil's face

"You shouldn't cry or I will also," uttered Clovis before hugging Neil.

"I hope she understands," mumbled Neil softly as he placed a kiss on his wife's side head.

"I hope so. If she doesn't, then it's going to be up to the CASKETS to make her," said Clovis.

The CASKETS were the 'They' that the Dandelions had been referring to. They consisted of three Ladies and two Lords. The name, CASKETS was creepy that whosoever hears of it shuddered.

The five members of CASKETS were the ones who were in charge of taking Moon to the palace. They were the ones who were going to make sure she gets marked by the prince and stays with him until the time comes for them to part, and only death could do them part.

They were going to make sure that she was a fit princess for the prince.

Nineteen years ago, when Moon was conceived on the day of the Red Moon, the CASKETS had been the ones who told every member of the Ashbourne Empire that she was going to be their savior.

She was going to be the one to save them all and save the cursed Prince. Each of them was to never speak of what they were to be saved from and also, they weren't to speak about her betrothal to the prince.

They had the opportunity to do other things like worshipping her, praising her, and all.

***

In the drawing-room, Lord Damascus sat beside Moon and held her hands in his. He smiled at her and muttered, "I can help find out about what we are going to be saved from by you."

"If only it was that easy. Generations from mine and a few before don't know about it. All the elders are keeping it all to themselves. They all just lead all the young shall grow and the young have grown to worship me with them," uttered Moon. " I don't have a special ability to use at all."

"You don't have to have a special ability before you can save anyone, Moon. You saved Lady Agatha from the clutches of Jemima without a special ability," mumbled Lord Damascus.

Moon took her hands away from Otis' when she heard the light sound of footsteps.

"You should probably sit at the other side," said Moon and Lord Damascus narrowed his eyes.

"You shouldn't speak to a lady who isn't with her chaperone," uttered Moon as she raised her head high and shooed Otis away.

Otis laughed before he stood to his feet and sat at the opposite side. He knew Aunt Clovis would tear him into shreds if she sees him beside Moon and holding her hands.

She didn't care much about that before because it was Otis but after he met Moon at the lake and every opinion of hers changed, he knew it was the result of her mother's scoldings.

He hopes she wouldn't question how they had sat in the carriage, because earlier that morning when he offered to take Moon to the Academy, she had told him to give space when sitting beside her daughter.

"Otis, my darling," called Clovis as soon as she entered the drawing room.

"Aunt Clovis, how was your day?" inquired Otis like the perfect gentleman he is.

"Splendid," replied Clovis with a smile before she sat beside her daughter.

"Papa, is everything alright?" asked Moon when she noticed her father's odd behavior. In the morning period, he was so bubbly but now, he seemed somehow...

Neil looked at his wife and his daughter before he nodded his head.

Before the Dandelion couple had come out of their room to the drawing room, Clovis had tried to make her husband smile a bit.

"I remember correctly when we spotted the Raven yesterday, I had been the one scared and all, but today looks like the table changed," mumbled Clovis with a light laugh but her efforts didn't even make the man smile.

Back in the drawing room, they all discussed what had transpired at the Academy earlier. They talked before Clovis looked out of the window and said, "Otis, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"I can't, Aunt Clovis," uttered Otis before he stood to his feet and the Dandelions did the same. "I promised to have dinner with Seraphina and you know you, she gets mad when one doesn't fulfill his/her wish."

"She promised to visit me, but didn't," mumbled Moon

"She told me to tell you to come to visit her instead," said Otis

When Otis left, Clovis had told Moon that they had something to tell her during dinner.

After taking a shower, Moon got out of her room and walked to the dining section, she saw her parents looking stoic. She suddenly became aware of what they had to say.

"Moon," called Clovis after Moon took her sit.

"We have to tell you something," muttered Neil with his head lowered.

"You are betrothed," spoke Clovis