The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven-Chapter 585: Preparing for the Ball

[Meredith].

Minutes passed before Draven finally moved.

His gaze lifted from the floor and settled on me, sharp but strangely calm. "Transfer the recordings to my phone," he said.

I nodded immediately and did exactly that. My hands were steady as I sent every file over, even though my heart was not. When I handed his phone back to him, he took it without a word.

After another pause, he spoke again. "I will visit her tomorrow."

I looked at him, searching his face, then nodded. I thought it was a good idea—necessary, even. But I could not let him go unprepared.

"You will need to find a reason to send the caregiver away," I reminded him carefully. "If she overhears anything, she will report it to your father. And that could make things much worse for your mother."

He acknowledged it with a brief nod. "I know."

Not long after, there was a knock at the door. Azul entered quietly and set our dinner down before leaving. The food smelled warm and rich, but neither of us reacted much to it.

We ate in complete silence.

I watched Draven from the corner of my eye as he ate mechanically, his movements controlled, his expression unreadable, and wondered what thoughts were forming behind that calm exterior. And more importantly, when he would decide to act.

Because I knew one thing for certain. Draven would not let this go.

And as I sat there beside him, chewing food I could barely taste, I could not help but wonder how long it would take before his anger turned into something far more dangerous.

---

The next morning, Draven and I went for our usual secret run. This time, we completed two full laps before stopping.

What surprised me wasn’t the extra distance; it was Draven’s mood. He seemed lighter and focused. Almost... calm. When we returned and shifted back, he even left the house with his father for a meeting with the Council of Elders.

I had not expected that.

After everything that had happened, I thought he would avoid Randall for at least a few more days. But watching him walk away beside his father, composed and unreadable, I realized something else was happening instead.

He was planning. And honestly, I did not want to know what was forming in his head. As long as he was not spiralling out of control, as long as he was steady, that was enough for me.

After breakfast, I invited my five maidservants—Azul, Kira, Deidra, Cora, and Arya—up to my bedroom.

Tomorrow was the Queen’s ball. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

They helped me sort through gowns, fabrics, and accessories until we finally settled on everything: the outfit, the jewellery, the exact shade of lipstick, and even the hairstyle—soft, deliberate curls.

By the time they were done and dismissed, exhaustion hit me all at once. So, I intended to take a short nap, but ended up sleeping until evening.

I woke to the unmistakable presence of another in the room. When I opened my eyes, Draven was here.

I pushed myself up slightly, surprised. "When did you get back?"

"It’s been a while," he replied calmly.

I studied his face, searching for signs, then asked the question I had been holding back. "Did you go to see your mother?"

He nodded. "I went straight there after the meetings."

He gave nothing else away.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly.

Draven moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed. He took my hand, pressed a kiss to it, and held it there for a moment.

"Yes," he said. "And... thank you. For standing by me these past two days."

Instantly, warmth spread through my chest at his words.

Then he continued in a steady voice. "I will deal with my father later. I have decided—I’m still becoming King."

Relief washed over me so suddenly that I nearly laughed. Instead, I squeezed his hand gently and spoke softly to him.

He kissed the back of my hand again before asking, "Queen Loraina’s ball is tomorrow, right?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

A thought slipped out before I could stop it. "I still don’t understand why Queen Loraina would host such an elaborate ball when her husband is so ill."

Draven was quiet for a moment, then said, "Anyone who has touched power rarely wants to let it go. If they aren’t careful, power makes people destructive, greedy, and shortsighted."

He paused before adding, "In her case, she might simply be finding it hard to part with being Queen. This could be her way of holding onto it one last time."

I nodded slowly. As long as there was no malicious intent behind the ball, I supposed it was acceptable.

"I will come pick you up afterwards," Draven said.

I smiled at him, totally appreciating his thoughtful gesture. "Thank you."

---

By 4:30 pm, my room was already alive with movement.

Azul, Kira, Deidra, Cora, and Arya swept in together, exactly on schedule. We had chosen everything yesterday, so there were no surprises today, only execution.

I stepped out of my house dress and into the gown they lifted for me. The deep purple fabric slid into place smoothly, the colour echoing my lilac eyes just as we intended.

No adjustments were needed beyond the usual final smoothing and tightening. It fit perfectly because we had made sure it would.

Deidra took charge of my hair immediately. I sat while she worked, sectioning my silver strands and curling them into soft, controlled waves, just enough movement to frame my face and fall naturally over my shoulders.

While she worked, the others handled the rest with practised ease.

The jewellery pieces were minimal and deliberate. The makeup was clean, balanced, and enhancing rather than masking. The lipstick was the exact shade we had agreed on, and Kira applied it without hesitation.

No one asked questions. No one second-guessed anything. So, in less than an hour, it was done.

I stood before the mirror and took in the final result. Calm. Composed. Intentional. Exactly how I needed to look tonight.

"You are perfect, Luna!" Deidra said, stepping back.

More compliments came from the others as well, so I nodded and thanked them.

They bowed and filed out, leaving the room quiet again as I took one steady breath.