Chapter 236 The Royal Mating Is Off

Elara was still in bed. She hadn’t fallen asleep until dawn after spending the entire moonfall staring at the ceiling.

Four days before the royal mating.

Her fingers tightened around the blanket. She had loved Bernard with everything she had, and she had never doubted he loved her too. But he had shut her out when it came to his mother. That was the part she couldn’t get past.

“Elara,” the High Luna called.

She blinked, rolled onto her back, and rubbed at her swollen eyes before looking at the wall clock.

9:33 a.m.

“Moonrise, my High Luna,” she replied, forcing her voice to sound normal.

“When did you get back? And why did you switch off your device? Emma has been trying to reach you.”

“I got back at dawn.”

“Then why did you switch off your device?”

Elara looked at the device on the bedside table without reaching for it.

“I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

The High Luna was quiet for a moment.

“Your sibling called me too. He said he wants to talk to you.”

She folded her arms tightly across her chest.

“I don’t want to talk to him!”

“What? Elara, what is going on?”

“I’m calling the royal mating off. I’m not interested anymore.”

The High Luna stepped closer and reached for her shoulder, gently turning her around. Elara resisted for a second before finally facing her.

“What happened?” she asked softly.

“Nothing, Mother.”

“You don’t like him anymore?” Luna Alexandra asked.

Elara pressed her lips together and looked away.

“Elara, I know this is about the Crowe family. Your father and I were going to tell you everything after the mating.”

“Why?” Elara asked, turning back to face her.

“Their story is… long, Silverheart.”

She let out a bitter laugh and shook her head.

“I don’t care anymore. Tell them to hang up their boots. The game is over.”

The High Luna’s lips curved into a small smile, as if she thought Elara was only speaking out of anger.

Just then, the bedchamber door flew open without a knock.

Emma rushed inside, breathing hard.

“Oh, thank the Goddess. You’re alright.”

She quickly lowered her head.

“Moonrise, my High Luna.”

“May the Moon watch over you and your pack, my Queen Luna, Princess of Greendor,” the High Luna said, placing a hand over her heart before bowing her head. “How have you been?”

“I’m fine, my High Luna.” Emma barely looked at her before her eyes locked on Elara. “Bernard came back to the estate at dawn, after we’d already gone to bed. We kept asking him what was wrong, but he wouldn’t say a word. Goddess, Elara… he scared the hell out of us. None of us slept after that. We thought something terrible had happened. When we couldn’t reach you because your device was off, we got in the car and came straight here.” She stepped closer. “What happened?”

Elara lifted her chin.

“I’m calling the royal mating off.”

Emma’s eyes flew open.

“What? Elara!” She grabbed her arm. “What happened? Wh… what did he do?”

“Maelis told him who she was two winters ago.” Elara pulled her arm free. “He never told me. Two winters, Emma. He kept it from me.” She shook her head. “I don’t trust Bernard anymore.”

“Who is Maelis?” the High Luna asked.

“His birth mother,” Emma answered.

The High Luna blinked.

“Oh…”

Emma turned back to Elara.

“Wait… he knew Maelis was his birth mother and never told you?”

Elara gave a single nod.

“Maybe… maybe they hadn’t done a DNA test yet,” the High Luna said carefully. “Had they?”

Emma stared at her.

“Two winters, my High Luna. Come on. He was dead wrong. Please don’t make excuses for him.”

The High Luna let out a quiet sigh.

“Brandon didn’t tell you he was the heir apparent to the throne either, yet you didn’t call the royal mating off.”

Emma shook her head.

“He tried to tell me who he was, but I wouldn’t listen. That was on me.” She looked at the high Luna. “This is different. Bernard was wrong.”

She searched her face. “How did you find out? Through social media?” she asked.

“I was heading to bed when I heard them talking. He was telling her to leave because she’d broken their agreement.”

“Where is Maelis now?”

“She went back to her house.”

The High Luna frowned.

“I would think Bernard would be happy. Why isn’t he?”

“That’s not the point, Mother.” Elara threw her hands up. “I don’t care whether he’s happy or not. He lied to me. He told me she was a widow who needed a job.”

The High Luna’s device rang.

“Excuse me.”

She answered it.

“Mother, where are you?” Brandon’s voice came through.

“We’re in Elara’s chamber. Where are you?”

“I’m in Father’s duty chamber. Is my Queen Luna there too?” Brandon asked.

“Yes. Do you want to speak with her?”

“No. I just wanted to make sure. Tell Elara the king wants to see her. Now.”

The call ended.

The High Luna lowered the device and looked at Elara.

“You heard him, Silverheart.”

“I’ll see them later.” Elara lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Right now, I want to be left alone.”

Emma folded her arms.

“How long?”

“Two winters.”

“Elara!” Emma threw her hands into the air. “That’s not fair!”

“No, it isn’t.” Elara shook her head. “First, he kept the truth from me. For two winters, he knew about Maelis and never said a word. I even accused her of having feelings for Bernard because I didn’t know the truth. Second, his father’s family went ahead and sponsored the royal matebond without even speaking to my family first.”

The High Luna gave a small sigh.

“Elara, that’s on us. They asked to meet with both of you, but we told them to wait until after the royal mating.”

Emma stepped closer.

“Elara, Bernard isn’t going to survive this, and you know it.”

She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she let out a slow breath.

“I’ll see them.” She paused. “But he shouldn’t expect much from me. I don’t trust him anymore.”

A faint smile crossed Emma’s face.

“Thank you, Silverheart. Are you coming now?”

Elara shook her head.

“No. I need two hours.”

“Alright. We’ll be waiting.”

The High Luna and Emma left the chamber.

Elara stretched out on the bed, pulled the covers over herself, and closed her eyes.

Emma waited until the door clicked shut before turning to the High Luna. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Their eyes lingered on the hallway leading to Elara’s chamber, as if expecting the door to open again.

Together , they entered the king’s duty chamber. Emma crossed the chamber and sat beside Brandon. She rested her head on his shoulder without a word. Brandon turned to her, pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, and laced his fingers through hers, holding her hand as they both sat in silence.

“Do you think she’ll even hear him out?” Emma asked at last.

Brandon leaned one shoulder against the wall and let out a slow breath. “I don’t know.”

Emma’s gaze stayed on the empty doorway. “She wouldn’t even look at him.” She shook her head. “I’ve never seen Elara shut anyone out like that.”

“Neither have I.”

She rubbed her forehead and looked down for a second before meeting his eyes again. “Why didn’t Bernard just tell her the truth?”

“He thought he could handle it.”

Emma let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

“Well… he couldn’t.”

Brandon lowered his gaze and nodded slowly.

“No,” he said softly. “He couldn’t.”

Silence settled over the chamber again. Outside, faint footsteps echoed through the corridor before fading away.

Emma drew in a slow breath. “Do you think this is really over?”

“I hope not.”

She studied his face for a moment. “That’s not an answer.”

Brandon looked away, his jaw tightening. After a long pause, he said quietly, “I honestly don’t know.”

Emma sank onto the edge of the chair, her shoulders slumping. “They love each other.”

“They do.”

“Then why does it feel like we’re standing here watching everything fall apart?”

Brandon laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“Because love isn’t always the thing that breaks people,” he said softly. “Sometimes it’s the secrets they keep from each other.”

Emma stared at their joined hands before lifting her eyes to the door once more.

“Just like you hid that you were the Moon Prince from me.”

“I never lied to you. I just never told you who I really was.”

Emma looked at him, hurt flickering across her face.

“Maybe you didn’t lie with your words,” she said quietly, “but keeping something that important from me felt like a lie.”

Brandon held her gaze for a long moment before lowering his eyes. “Maybe it does feel that way to you,” he said quietly. “I’m not asking you to pretend it didn’t hurt. I’m only saying I never wanted to deceive you. I wanted to tell you, but every time I tried, the moment never felt right. Then it became harder and harder to say. That was my mistake, and I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just want them to stop hurting each other.”

Brandon followed her gaze, his expression heavy.

“So do I.”

A few minutes later, Brandon led Emma deeper into the gardens until they reached an old stone wall hidden beneath winters of climbing vines. Time had weathered the stones, and moss clung to the cracks as though nature itself had been guarding the place.

Emma looked around curiously. “Why did we stop?”

Instead of answering, Brandon stepped toward the wall and pulled the vines aside. His fingers found a loose stone buried beneath them, and he pressed it firmly. A low rumble echoed beneath their feet as part of the wall slowly shifted, revealing a narrow passage beyond.

Emma stared at the opening in surprise.

“There’s a tunnel behind the wall?”

Brandon smiled faintly. “There used to be.”

She frowned, confused.

“What do you mean?”

He walked to the entrance and rested his hand against the cold stone.

His expression suddenly changed.

“That’s impossible.”

She stepped closer. “What is it?”

Brandon didn’t answer.

He walked into the narrow passage, and she followed close behind.

The air was damp and heavy with the scent of earth.

Then Brandon stopped.

Fresh footprints marked the dusty floor, leading deeper into the tunnel.

His jaw tightened.

“This passage has been used recently.”