Meet the Luna

*Ainslee*

The king’s announcement knocks the air out of me. I’m still trying to process exactly what he’s telling me when I turn to look at Rafe. His expression isn’t as revealing as normal. I can’t tell if he was aware of this or if it is news to him as well.

If I had to wager, I would say he knows, and he has known for some time. Perhaps since I shouted at him in the street. That would explain why he was kind to me. He must think he can get something out of me.

I turn back to the king, and with the biggest smile I can muster plastered on my face, I say, “I appreciate your hospitality, Your Highness.” Then, I pick my fork up again, take the knife next to my plate, and begin to cut my meat. As I do so, it’s a struggle not to saw through it the way I want to, like an animal. Like this is Rafe’s heart I’m tearing into, but then, I’m not convinced he has one.

Next, the king asks about the culling. I try not to listen. He isn’t speaking to me, only to his lieutenants. I focus on eating. Despite the thoughts swimming in my mind, I am famished, and this steak is delicious. I will eat the whole thing, and if miss snooty britches across the table wants to imply that I am fat again, she can do so to her heart’s content. I was offended on behalf of my starving townsfolk back home, but not for myself because I most certainly have skipped a meal or two. Hundreds of them.

“Ten is a lot,” the king is saying when I tune back in to the conversation. “We shall have to see if your strategy is successful, Rafe.”

“I’ve already heard back from the mayor of Moonfalls, and he is eternally grateful for the change in the rules,” Rafe tells the king. “This will go a long way to mending the rift that transpired there recently.”

“Yes, I heard about that.” The king shakes his head.

I know that Lucia’s father was recently made mayor, but I don’t know the details. I hope they will say more, but they don’t.

Kris chimes in. “It’s guaranteed that the mayor of Beotown will not be pleased to have seven troublemakers back.”

“Troublemakers?” King Axel asks. “Why did he send us only troublemakers?”

“I’m sure not all of the delegates were troublemakers, but these seven are,” Kris explains.

A snort leaves my nose before I can hold it back, and now everyone is looking at me. I feel Rafe’s foot nudge mine beneath the table and almost grimace as I have on shoes that expose my feet, and it hurt, whether he intended it to or not. I ignore the pain and try to pretend I didn’t just make a sound. I shouldn’t have.

“What is it?” The king doesn’t let it slip. “You know these people?”

“I do. It’s just… Mayor Black selected people from families he didn’t like, for the most part. That’s all.”

“You’re saying that he rigged the selection process?” The king sets his goblet down and stares at me. “That’s a major offense. Do you have any evidence?”

“I… uh…” I begin to stammer. What evidence do I have? Only the word of all twenty of the people who were with me on that transport vehicle. But that’s not enough evidence for the king.

“We are already looking into it,” Rafe says dismissively.

Zeke adds, “We’ve also recently received a tip that the mayor and others are holding back the blood donations that are being collected. I’ll be investigating that as well.”

“What?” The king’s eyes widen beneath his graying eyebrows. “Why in the world would they do that?”

I wonder if Nelson has passed the information he collected from his family member to Zeke somehow. Was that what they were speaking about outside of the chapel?

I know why the Blacks aren’t turning in all of the blood they’ve harvested, but I keep my mouth shut. Zeke assures the king that he’ll get to the bottom of it just as Kris says, “I don’t believe any of that. The prince and his second advisor are starting a witch hunt, Your Majesty, simply because they don’t like the family in charge.”

“That’s preposterous, Kris. I only met the Blacks a couple of weeks ago. I have no reason to go after them. When I see a potential issue, it’s my duty to look into it,” Rafe says, sounding more amused than irritated, though I see the tell-tale squint under his left eye that says he’s actually the latter.

“You have all the reason in the world to get rid of them sitting right next to you.” Kris’s eyes cut through me as I turn to meet his heavy gaze. “You’ve been infatuated with that girl since the moment you met her.”

The table goes silent, and I hold my breath, not at all believing what Kris has just said. It’s the second most ridiculous thing I’ve heard all night, right behind the idea that I am somehow a Luna.

Riley speaks first. “Is that true?” Her eyes are the same size as my dinner plate, and I realize then what I suspected earlier. She has feelings for Rafe. Maybe she’s even going to marry him. He seems indifferent to her, but I don’t know the situation at all, so I keep my eyes down.

“Kris, Ainslee is here for the reason I explained to you earlier. She is a politically important ally. That’s all.” Now, Rafe’s tone is a mixture between boredom and annoyance. I even believe what he’s just said, even though I have no idea how any of that could be true.

“That’s not true—”

Kris is cut off by the king. “That’s enough. We will not be discussing such matters at dinner.” He can clearly see that his daughter is upset, and he doesn’t like it. “Zeke, I want to hear about the information you collect as soon as possible. If it’s true these people have been holding back donations, I need to know it. If there’s evidence that they’re not holding fair selections for delegates to the cullings, I want to know that as well.”

“Of course, Sir.”

Then, the king turns his attention to Jerim. “Any word on the deaths amongst the feeders?”

I’m glad I didn’t have any food in my mouth because I would’ve choked. What’s this? Once again, I look to Rafe who refuses to meet my eyes. I turn to Zeke who has recently told me that feeders are well taken care of here.

“No, not yet, sir.” Jerim, who has been very quiet all evening looks at me. “We’ve lost two in the last few days. I’m still working on causation.”

“Figure it out. If I’m not getting the right amounts of blood from the villages, and our feeders are dropping like flies, I won’t be able to feed my people,” he reminds the doctor. “We don’t want to end up like Tormentia where everyone runs around nilly willy killing everyone they damn well please.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will figure it out.” Jerim glances in my direction again but says nothing, and I decide despite having a significant amount of steak left on my plate I am done. I would really like to go back to my room now, but I suppose it’s not as simple as asking to be dismissed.

Everyone else seems mostly finished now, too, so it isn’t too long before the king announces he is finished and rises from the table. Once he is gone, the others are allowed to peel off.

I would give almost anything in the world for Zeke to be the one to walk me back to my room, but he tells me goodnight, as do Jerim and Sophia. Riley and Kris glare at me as they walk off, and now I am alone with Rafe save some butlers and maids.

“Shall we?” He stands and gestures for me to walk toward the door, but he doesn’t offer me his arm this time, and I’m grateful because the only way I want to touch him is by ramming my fist into his jaw.

It’s a long walk from the dining room back to my room, and all the while, I’m trying to figure out how to ask him the question that’s on the tip of my tongue, but I also don’t want to fight with him right now. I’m still processing everything, and it seems like all we do is fight. He is the prince, after all.

And what am I?

More than I thought I was, apparently.

When we reach my room, Zoey is inside waiting for me. I am grateful. Her presence may be the only thing that keeps me from calling the prince an asshole again.

I enter the room, but he stays on the other side of the threshold. I let out a sigh and ask him, “How long have you known?”

Rafe raises his eyebrows and steps into my bedroom.