The Castle Under The Moon

Chapter Eight

1890

It is the day of Luna's coronation. The now eighteen year old is riddled with anxiety the moment she opens her eyes that morning.

"It's not that bad." Asher tells her as he unbuttons half the buttons on his shirt and then just decides to slip it off over his head.

Since Asher knew that Luna was nervous he snuck her out of the castle so that Luna could get out of her head and enjoy herself.

Luna glances over at the young man that stood, shirtless, next to her.

His dirty blond hair was still shoulder length and he still had the same bright green eyes and tan skin that he has always had. The rest of his appearance had changed drastically, since the day he had shifted.

Asher was now around six-five and was coated in a layer of muscle, his biceps were close to being the same size as Luna's head.

Though he was still, possibly more, beautiful, Luna was pretty sure that that would never change.

"You're not the one who is going to rule this entire world." Luna deadpans, catching his shirt with her face when he throws it at her.

"Yeah, but I will be taking over Gheorgie's spot, though he will never let me be Alpha, as the first in command. So I will be right by your side." He tells her before he jumps into the cool water, splashing Luna.

"How sweet." Luna grounds out, looking down at her dark green dress that now had water splatters coating it.

"Always." He tells her, a gorgeous, award winning grin, on his face.

Before she could fret over the damp dress, Asher begins to act like he was drowning, making Luna giggle.

"Help me Luna, I'm drowning!" He gasps out, head dipping below the water before he pulls himself up, water gushing out of his mouth.

"Asher, I'm too old to be jumping into this water in just my underclothes." Luna tells him, looking around the small watering hole that was dug into the side of a mountain, ignoring his gurgling.

A few years after moving here, the two of them were allowed to roam the castle grounds. One day, Asher had told Luna that while he was out hunting he had found a beautiful place to swim.

They both began sneaking out to the small watering hole that was just across the woods from the castle.

One time they went, Gheorgie had decided that they were too old to be alone with one another so he sent a guard to watch after them. The guard followed them all the way to the watering hole.

Both children were surprised when Gheorgie walked up, a frown on his face.

Asher was the one who got in the most trouble. Once they were back home, he was told that so many things could have gone wrong and since Luna's leg was crooked they needed to stay on the grounds because Asher wouldn't be able to protect the both of them if need be.

It took a while but soon Luna had softened Gheorgie and the two of them were allowed back to the swimming hole but they always had a guard with them, just in case, until Gheorgie thought Asher was strong enough to protect the both of them.

"Please." Asher pleads, water filling his opened mouth as he sinks below the water, hands around his neck.

With one last look around the secluded place, Luna began to undress, down to her underclothes, and then slipped Asher's button down shirt over her head.

Without buttoning the shirt up completely Luna walks onto a small ledge that was low enough to have some water on it, she sits down and moves her legs in the water.

Luna rolls her eyes when Asher bursts through the water, taking deep breaths with a smile on his face.

"You're an idiot. You could have drowned." She tells him and then smacks his shoulder when he swims close enough for her to do so.

"Not when Luna, The Goddess of the Moon, is here to save me!" He shouts as he sits beside her on the ledge.

"Hush!" She whisper shouts, hitting him in the arm with all of her strength.

"I'm just speaking the truth!" The last word came out a little more high pitched and breathy as Luna punches him in the throat, fully aware that she hadn't harmed him in any way.

"Watch what you say, thief, I will hold your life in my hands after tonight." She says, bringing her hands up between them, pretending Asher was being held in them. She then meets his eyes and crushes her hands together, a wicked grin on her face.

"There is no need for that." Asher gulps, still looking at the spot her hands were at mere seconds ago.

"Then shut up and swim for me." Luna demands, leaning back on her hands.

Luna tries to hide her giggles when Asher does just that. He falls to the side, landing into the water, and begins to swim around the watering hole, pretending to have a tail.

Asher flips his blond hair over his shoulder with his hand and pouts his lips, trying to make them look bigger than they actually were.

"Does Luna want to come swim with me?" He asks, slowly swimming closer to her.

"No, she does not."  Luna says, watching him as she uses her hands and feet to back herself up on the smooth rock.

"I think she does." Asher growls, grabbing her right foot and pulling her back down the smooth rock. When she was close enough he grabs onto her waist and pulls her into the water with him, making sure she was paddling before letting her go.

"Asher! Gheorgie is going to kill me!" She shouts as she swims back to the ledge.

"Blah Blah Blah, you know he is only going to be mad at me." Asher states, swimming to the ledge and pushing himself up and over it with his arms.

"Show off." Luna grumbles as she tries to do the same thing he did. It takes her ten times longer and she didn't look as attractive as Asher when he did it.

Asher chuckles as he grabs His shoes from the ground when he sees that Luna is laying on her back, catching her breath.

"You're just mad because you aren't as strong or as beautiful as me." Asher says, watching his bicep as he flexes.

Luna stands up and slowly makes her way to him, a small smile on her face.

"I will never be mad because of that, I will have way more power than you ever will after tonight." She pats his flexed bicep and walks away from him, leaving her things on the ground, making him pick them up for her.

"You're so mean." He pouts, dropping his arm. He grumbles when he bends down to pick up her shoes and dress.

"You secretly love it." Luna states as he rushes to catch up with her.

"No." he mumbles, causing Luna to laugh as she leans over and hugs him from the side, leaving her arm around his waist.

"I love you." She tells him.

"I love you, too." He sighs, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

**** Authors Note ****
When is your birthday?