Moonbound: The Rogue's Second Chance-Chapter 91 - NINETY-ONE - D-DAY (I)

Serena had gone back to sleep a few minutes after Darius had left. The sunlight spilled in through her open windows, and the sounds of birds woke her up.

A soft stretch had her back arching like a cat’s, arms reaching toward the ceiling before flopping to her sides again. Her head lolled forward, then back, a sleepy rhythm to her movement as she scratched at her scalp and let her feet find the cool floor. She pulled her nightgown over herself and yawned.

Leaning on the windowsill, Serena watched the activity outside: a patrol shifted at the gates, a pair of couriers passed by with scrolls clutched tightly, and somewhere in the courtyard, the clang of training swords echoed faintly.

Serena rubbed her eyes to help them adjust to the light. A few seconds passed, her lips parted slightly, and then she smiled.

Darius had spent the night with her. To be honest, she could not remember half of what he told her the night before, but she did remember the kiss he gave her early in the morning.

A giggle escaped her lips and she groaned. Serena held onto the stone ledge, bent herself over, and sighed.

"Get it together," she muttered to herself.

Then, as if the embarrassment hit her all at once, she sprang up and slapped her open palm over her face, groaning louder. Still, she smiled. Her chest felt light. Serena leaned over the windowsill, placing her chin on her hand as she watched the patrols.

The guards were more than when she had first started living in the castle, small changes that told her that soon everything would be uptight. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

A gnawing feeling in her chest remained. Today was the gathering ceremony that Darius had organised to formally introduce her to Ironshade.

She turned from the window and leaned against it, bracing herself with her palms. Her eyes fluttered shut, briefly, as though she could hold the moment still.

The speech she’d written, scratched out and rewritten at least five times was tucked away in the drawer beside the invitation Darius had made sure was delivered by hand.

Serena twisted a loc of her hair around her index finger. She was not looking at anything in particular in the room, her vision blurred slightly. It was D-day, the first of many.

She walked to the bed and flopped onto it. She put her hand to her chest and closed her eyes. Her heart beat faster than she would like; there was a knotting in her stomach. Serena wanted to jump up and pace around the room, yet at the same time, she wanted to lock herself in her wardrobe.

Her mind drifted to the few times she had to give speeches in Silverstone. They were very few. Cullen, in the first place, disliked too much attention on him, and it never bothered Serena. And as a senior healer in her pack, she had not had that much time to spare toward pack politics.

Serena opened her eyes and inspected her hair. It was clean, as it usually was. What she told Darius a few hours earlier was the truth, she had never done anything like this, and she could not imagine doing anything like this.

A knock on the door, and she rose. She had an idea of who it could be, a staff member come to drop off her breakfast. It was better to eat in the comfort of her room rather than walk all the way to one of the dining areas.

Serena opened the door and smiled at the young girl. The girl had downcast eyes, and she gripped the tray too tightly.

"Thank you," Serena said gently, stepping forward to take the tray from her.

"You are very much welcome, your Excellency," the girl replied in a rush, her voice barely above a whisper, before turning on her heel and scurrying down the hallway, nearly tripping on her own feet.

Serena watched her go for a moment, then closed the door softly behind her. She walked back into the room and set the tray down on the desk with care, the china clinking softly. Pulling back the linen cover, she uncovered a slab of roasted meat, its surface glistening with spices and oils, but it was the gleam of a single green apple sitting beside it that caught her eye.

A smile graced Serena’s lips. She sat at the edge of the bed, grabbing the apple.She turned it over, inspecting it like a precious gem. No doubt this was Darius’s doing. She smiled and shook her head. Her cart full of apples seemed to be yet another myth.

The apple disappeared in about two minutes. She crunched through it eagerly, the sweet tang bright against her tongue. When she finished, only the browned core remained. Serena stared at the untouched meat for a moment. Her appetite had vanished. Her stomach was filled with nerves, not hunger.

Still, Serena made herself eat. She chewed methodically, washing it down with cool water, knowing full well the kind of toll an empty stomach could take, especially on a day like this.

Serena wondered if she would see Anna and Jack at the gathering. Maybe Emmett would be there if she were lucky. She had not laid her eyes on the old man, not since she saved him. She looked at her hands, she would like to speak to him soon.

"Now would be a wonderful time to be given advice," Serena thought in a teasing voice.

"I have nothing to say to you. You know whose child you are. Do away with your fright and excel," Feyra replied in an amused tone.

You know whose child you are.

Serena nodded and smiled inwardly. Her mother was a resilient woman who fought through her chronic pain and raised her and her older brother. Her father was a strong man with exceptional values, an odd one, but he was indispensable. These were the people she had come from.

She expelled a breath and straightened her spine. "Thank you," she said aloud.

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

Serena rose and crossed the room. When she opened the door, it was Livia. Without a word, she stepped aside, allowing the woman to enter.