LUNAFEY

CHAPTER 27

"She cooked really well?" Cedric asked, chuckling. "Just another reason to kick her out," he said with a scoff.

"Well, I started forgetting too," Angus began, sharing his own experience. "When I remembered a little, the first thing I thought of was the Winter Gate to get Luna out. But the gate was already corrupted."

"How was she able to do that?" Cedric asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

Araminti folded her arms across her chest, her expression stern. "The real question is, how was she able to get into your castle, Richer? No one has ever been able to breach its security."
"Beats me," Cedric responded.

"You need to step up, Angus," Fey Belmont said, shaking his head. "Being outsmarted by a little witch is no blessing, brother."

I wondered what he meant by "step up."

"Well," Cedric said, getting up, his expression already intense. "Angus is at his best, so..."

But Belmont cut him off, "You call this his best? You surprise me, brother." He stood up as well, slowly, "Got to go," he said, heading towards the grand staircase. "Tell me all the details, Araminti. I've got other matters to attend to back south," he added wearily.

"Where are you going, Bel? Aren't you coming to the council?" Cedric asked.

Belmont only waved his right hand as he ascended the stairs. "We have a meeting, remember?" Araminti called after him, but he was already disappearing from view. She sighed. "That idiot. I wonder why I bother with him."Cedric said, His frustration evident in his voice
"You know he doesn't ever come to these things," Araminti replied. "Let it go, Richer. It's a miracle he's even here."

Cedric sighed and sat down again. "We need to go. We leave for the North tonight, and we can have this meeting there," he said, then glanced towards me. "Luna, a word please."

He got up, and I followed him towards the fireplace, curious about what he wanted to discuss.
"Umm, I'm sorry I hid my true identity from you," Cedric said, his expression apologetic.

"I would've run away if you had told me the first time," I replied shyly.

Cedric chuckled, running his hand through his hair – a familiar gesture when he's at a loss for words. "I understand completely."

I smiled, feeling a sense of relief. "I'm happy you came back.", "Yeah I'm glad I'm back", Cedric responded.

I turned my eyes away from him, and that's when I noticed Araminti getting up and heading towards the grand staircase. She was met by Belmont, who had reappeared unexpectedly.

"Hey," she said, taken aback by his sudden return.

Cedric started moving towards them, and I followed. "Didn't find what you were looking for?" Araminti asked.

Belmont responded dryly, "Yeah."

He raised his right hand, like a child, and said, "Fey, I couldn't find the folklore collections." He paused, waiting for a response.

Cedric ignored him, "Let's go, Luna. Let's get ready, pack what we can. We're leaving tonight."
We passed by Belmont, Araminti, and the others, their eyes following our trail as I quickly followed behind Cedric.

"Fey!" Belmont called out, but Cedric just passed him without a word.

I didn't understand these brothers - did they hate each other, or was there something more complex about their relationship?

As we headed up the stairs, Belmont trailed behind us, climbing slowly. Araminti followed, her arms folded across her chest, while Angus and Bay brought up the rear.

We arrived at Cedric's room, and the sight of it was grand. We walked through the large, double doors and were greeted by the aroma of fresh tea and lavender.

The room was elegantly furnished, with a large maroon bed situated at the far end. To the left, a small black settee was nestled against the wall. Directly opposite the bed, a single chair faced the settee, with a coffee table in between. The pair was positioned by the window, framing the view outside.

The room's color scheme was predominantly black and maroon, creating a sophisticated ambiance. Behind the chair, a doorway led to a separate area, while another doorway stood at the right-hand side of Cedric's bed, another room?, I wondered.

Cedric motioned for me to follow him through the doorway on the left. We entered a moderately sized room, meticulously organized with clothes arranged in different compartments. I was lost in the sight of Cedric's impeccable storage space.

"Here," he said, tossing me a black woolen jacket. "It gets cold up North."

He continued, "I don't have any female gloves, but you can use one of mine until I get you a pair." He finished with a warm smile.

I nodded, appreciative of his thoughtfulness.
"Fey," I heard from behind me, and I almost jumped. Belmont gently pulled me to the side as he stood beside Cedric, his arms folded.

"Yes, Bastien?" Cedric said, not turning to look.

"Don't you have matters to attend to up south?" he asked, busying himself with packing his clothes into a bag.

"I said..." Belmont paused, "you really don't want me taking any books?"

He sounded puzzled, and Cedric's response was dismissive. "Ah, is that anything new?"

Cedric's tone turned sarcastic. "Damn, I don't even want you using my Winter Gate," Cedric said, his hands waving in emphasis.

"Then how the hell am I supposed to get here?" Belmont asked, weakly.

Cedric turned back to his packing, his tone firm. "Uh, Make your own gate outside the castle. And who said you could come here?".

"Well, where am I supposed to get books from?" Belmont asked.

Cedric snapped, "Buy them. Or you might as well get them made for you."

Belmont retorted, "Why should I, when you have them – and three copies of the same books to start with?"

Cedric squeezed his forehead, exasperated. "You leave snow everywhere when you come. I don't like that."

Belmont shrugged. "Well, I can't help that. It happens all the time. Besides, Angus gets it cleaned."

Araminti shook her head and sighed. "Angus!"

Cedric shot Belmont a look. "Umm, Master Richer, I don't mind cleaning up his mess," Angus said slowly.

Cedric interrupted, "He's my right-hand man, not yours."

Suddenly, Cedric turned to me. "Luna, how did she get over there?" He dragged me to his side, his eyes scanning the room.

"That's enough, both of you," Araminti finally intervened.

"I don't care what you do, just leave," Cedric told Belmont.

"Just tell me where the books are, and I'm gone," Belmont said, turning to leave.

"What books specifically?" Angus asked him.

"Folklore kind," Belmont responded.

"Oh, they're in Luna's chamber," Angus answered matter-of-factly.
Everyone turned to him, surprised by the revelation.

"Luna's chamber?" Cedric asked,

"Yeah, remember? You moved them there because you don't read them anymore," Angus replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.

As Belmont left the room, Cedric's expression turned stern. "Where are you going? Don't tell me you're brazen enough to enter a lady's room without her permission."

Cedric whispered under his breath, "He rubs me the wrong way."