Maiden of Moonlight | Tedros Pendragon

Chapter 2.1

" There are plenty of ways to die, but only love can kill and keep you alive to feel it."

Leo Christopher

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The skin was clear. No bruises or scars. There was no mark to hint that Marya Montague's hand had been mangled harshly all but thirty days ago. The nymph magic had done quite a wonderful job while she lay in a coma that Sophie had placed her under with a dark curse.

Marya woke up from her slumber dazed and confused. The new dean-Evelyn Sader-was kind enough to tell her everything that had happened while out of commission.

It turns out that after she had been knocked unconscious by villainous Sophie, Tristan and Kiko carried the princess back to Good where she would remain in safety. She was away from the chaos between both schools as they fought violently, their looks constantly morphing due to the disobedience of the rules of the Woods. The whole dilemma ended with a kiss between best friends and a heartbroken prince. Next thing everyone knew, boys were forced into the School for Evil as girls were placed into the School for Good. Evelyn Sader greeted the ladies with a smile, and that's when the students discovered the consequence of their actions. Universal rules were broken and the price to pay was notable.

Marya had no clue as to what happened to Tedros and her cousin. The closest she came to contact with her prince was when she glimpsed outside her dorm room window and peered across the bay at the School Master's Tower. There would be a flicker of light and the brunette could swear it was Tedros in the stone structure; his hair aglow in the candlelight. Yet as soon as she perceived him, he would be gone and Marya sometimes believed her mind was playing tricks on her.

A knock snapped the Montague out of her staring, and she looked towards the door from her spot in the bay window to see Yara, a freckled redhead with rippling muscles and piercing blue eyes. She never said a word, only sounds like Stymph-like squawks. Rumours stirred about her, but the girl didn't seem to mind since she never socialised with any of the other students. Marya was her roommate yet she never saw Yara in the evening as they prepared for bed. It was odd, but the brunette paid no mind and assumed she went to bed once Marya was asleep and awoke before everyone else did.

" She wants to see me?" Marya questioned the redhead, only receiving a nod as Yara disappeared from sight to go and do her own thing.

She sighed and made her way to the mirror, where she dusted off her electric blue uniform. Long gone were the blush pink dresses the evergirls used to wear. Now girls donned soft harem pants and a blue corset top with mesh sleeves. Cloud-like slippers accented by gold were the mandatory footwear, and veils were worn over the eyes, held in place by a sparkling headpiece.

Marya verified that her butterfly clip was secured in her chocolate locks that had been cut to her chest before beginning her walk to the dean's office. Once roomed in Purity, the brunette was moved to Valor-the former male dorms-with the new residents of the castle. Everyone had been moved around a bit, so there were certainly some she knew in the tower, like Flavia and Giselle...Although they went slightly wild when given more freedom with their appearance; the former always had the most intricate and bold makeup on her face as the latter now sported a pixie-cut instead of her floor-length waves.

The change allowed for girls on both sides to experiment and to do things they never thought they could. Princesses went crazy in altering their appearance, trying to rebel against the many restrictions bestowed upon them as ladies, and former nevergirls tried makeup and styling their hair instead of uglifying themselves. It was refreshing to see yet unsettling since it meant everything was changing, and change was terrifying.

Marya slowly halted in front of the dean's study-Professor Sader's former office-and knocked, receiving a come in before entering.

" Take a seat, Marya." Evelyn Sader instructed, her back to the girl as she gazed at the landscape in the large window, butterflies fluttering around absentmindedly. " We have much to discuss."

The girl was complacent, remaining quiet as she watched the older brunette take a seat in the leather chair behind the desk, her hands going through some papers as she spoke, " I've noticed you've had trouble adjusting to the transition in schools, and that my dear, is simply unacceptable."

Marya's heart fell to the pit of her stomach as Evelyn continued to flick through some files, paying no mind to the teen's expression.

It had been difficult for the Montague to do well in class after everything, and she certainly did not understand how no one was struggling as she was to adapt to everything. Their lives had been flipped upside down, and no one seemed to have bat an eye!

" You were top of your class last session. Third overall. But that was when Good and Evil were the balance of the Woods. Now it is Girls and Boys who rival each other, and you must accept that." Evelyn told her, glancing up from her task to stare the brunette in the eye. " You are bright, but not focused. Don't think I haven't noticed the longing stares across the bay."

Marya blanched. She never dared look at the dark castle when in public, only in the privacy of her own room. How could Evelyn know?

" I need a strong class captain. I have no candidates that meet my criteria, but you, child, can represent this school with a little work. Therefore, you will have private sessions with me every even day, understood?"

The Montague nodded, a forced tight-lipped smile on her face as Evelyn grinned like a Cheshire cat.

" Splendid." She lilted. " You may go."

Marya wasted no time in getting up and walking out the door, trying her best to ignore the cold chill received from the green-eyed stare that seemed to follow her every move.

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Author's Note

This was more of a filler chapter to transition from the first to second act. My girl Marya is gonna have a rough time these next few chapters 🤭

XOXO