The Forgotten Luna (Adessa)

LADESSA.

"This is your room from now on, Adessa." The King's voice came from behind me.

I slowly turned around to curtsy before him.

"Good morning, Father." I almost said, "My King," and I was glad I was able to catch myself as I wanted to make a good impression.

He nodded but remained in his spot while I continued to smile warmly at him.

"This room is for me?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied before he motioned with one hand. "Come here."

One man approached him and handed him a beautiful crown encrusted with clusters of small gemstones. It was sparkling, and just looking at it made my heart thud loudly.

"This is a ceremony that should be witnessed by our people, but allow me to be selfish and have this moment alone with you. I will give you a grand coronation the moment you settle with a mate."

I bit my bottom lip. I almost got teary-eyed with his words, but the last part made me worry again.

"Kneel down, Princess Adessa. Remember that the only time you will kneel before me is whenever I put a crown on your head or bless you for whatever reason that may arise."

My heart kept thudding loudly.

I have two options: either refuse the crown and run away or accept my royal fate.

I chose the latter.

I lowered onto my knees, but I kept my head straight, not blinking as the King placed the crown onto my head. I thought it was heavy, but I didn't feel any pressure at all. Instead, it clung to my hair and head as if it belonged there.

"By the power vested in me by the Kingdom of Absalom, I declare and confirm you, Princess Adessa, as the youngest Royal of our Kingdom. You are given an irrevocable absolution for all the crimes you committed as long as you remain part of the Royal family." My eyes closed as I kept the tears at bay.

He knew.

He knew I didn't want this life, and he was using my crimes to bond me to his throne.

"You may stand now."

"Thank you, Father," I mumbled as I opened my eyes and rose to my feet.

Our eyes locked, and I could see his eyes shining, but his expression remained stoic. "This Kingdom is also yours, Adessa. You have nothing to fear."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I simply nodded my head and smiled.

"Did you have a good sleep?" He diverted to a different topic.

"I did. The room I was in last night was more than enough. But this bedroom might be over the top, Father."

He shook his head, and his expression remained poker. "This was already 20 years late. So maybe this is not enough for all the things we missed."

"We missed a lot, and yet you're giving me away..." I didn't hide the pain in my voice.

"It seems someone had already discussed the Royal Games with you." He glanced at Danielle.

I expected her to drop her gaze, but she remained looking straight ahead, a few feet away from us. I should ask her to teach me how not to get rattled by the King or any of the royalties. "She confirmed details I already knew, Father."

"I see. You have nothing to be afraid of. If no one can pass the test, you will remain unmated. But we will not stop until we find a suitable mate for you."

"Will you let me know what kind of test..."

"No." He cut me off right away. He placed his hands on his back and began walking. "Follow me. I will show you around your suite."

"Danielle can do that, Father. You don't have to." I uttered those words, nearly sprinting to keep up with his big strides.

"I want to do this. Let me. It's the only thing I can do for you." The words were spoken softly, and as much as I didn't want to entertain the emotions, I couldn't deny they did caress a part of my soul. "Of course. I would love that, too." I replied. I kept doubling my steps to keep up with him.

"A princess doesn't run and is never in a hurry." He said out of nowhere.

My eyes widened as I slowed down, but I kept my mouth shut.

"As a princess, people will always wait for you, no matter what. So, never run unless you're running for your life. Never run after any males. They should be the ones running after you and proving their worth." I swallowed at the last part.

Father pushed a door open within the suite, revealing a massive walk-in closet. Many clothes and shoes were already lined up and ready for use. I could tell they were my sizes.

Did they prepare this overnight while I was sleeping?

"Unlike the regular packs, where the

firstborn son is the automatic heir to the territory, the Royals have a different rule. Any of the King's

offspring could become the nextne

King." He spoke as he turned to face me. "Or Queen. Thus, the Royal Game was born, giving any Royal Princess a fair chance to rule the Kingdom with her mate or husband."

Goosebumps rose from my skin as he continued speaking.

"It also means that in this scenario, the Royal Princes, your brothers, are already at an advantage because they were born and trained with the skills of royalty. Thus, a King will only want the best-the strongest, the smartest, and the most capable son-in-law. The man you will marry, Adessa, will also be a candidate for my position-a candidate as the future King of Absalom."

The goosebumps heightened, and I felt my stomach churning.

Father began walking out of the walk-in closet and toward another door.

"But what if I don't love the man that will win the Royal Games? Does my feeling not count?" I asked as I followed him.

This time, I didn't hurry and was way behind him.

He stopped walking and turned around. "Love has no room for the Royals, Princess Adessa. We are here to serve the people and make sure the whole Absalom is thriving."

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading and for all the gems! Please keep them coming.00

To those reading my other series (Alpha Blood Circle), Amber and Zach's story HEART OF A TRUE LUNA is now launched on Goodnovel/Buenovela and on REAM.

For those

who want to read Jenny

and Sebastian's story (from the Black Shadow Pack Series), it is currently serialized on REAM,

together with HEART OF A TRUE LUNA Follow me on my so cia Is to get more details.