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This wasn't the first time she found herself locked in her room, staring out the window. A storm was brewing she could tell from the sky and the wind. It was bound to snow, something that she adored to watch. Leftover snow from the storm last week still covers the ground of the kingdom and the trees of the surrounding forest. The snow had been a surprise, ruining many of the crops being grown.
She leans against the window sill, fogging up the window with every breath. Her attention was drawn quickly to the reflection that stares back at her with a blank expression. Her hatred for the reflection was unlike any other. A large cut sits under her right eye, just on her cheekbone, red and fresh, just had stopped bleeding. A knock on the door fills the room, making her turn her eyes from the reflection to the door as it unlocks.
Her mother enters the room, hands folded properly in front of her and a calm smile on her face. She's in this new dress, blue as the sky with different symbols sewn onto it. "I would have expected you to be dressed by now as that's what I asked before leaving you in your room. Your father is waiting Luna." She says, stepping further into the room. The door's closed behind her and the faintest locking can be heard from the other side.
Luna scoffs, turning away from her mother and looking back to the window. Snow was starting to fall, gracing the every graying sky with its presence. She smiles at the sight, watching them fall before her mother clears her throat, a reminder that she's still waiting for her. "I don't care." She finally voices, turning her head and eyeing up her mother before looking at the dress that was laid out on the bed.
It was new and nothing compared to what she was wearing now. The dress was white as snow, matching her eyes almost perfectly, just by looking at it she knew it was going to be a hassle. "You're going to change one way or another. This disrespectful behavior that you've started having is unacceptable, your father has made that very clear to you." Her mother eyes the cut on Luna's cheek, making the girl hold her head up a little higher.
She crosses her arms, glaring at her mother before looking to the dress, she much preferred the gear she was wearing now. A dinner party was not something that she could see herself being at, rather she'd be more pleased to be training. "If I refuse?" She cocks her head to the side, holding her mother's stare.
"I'll be sending your father then." Her mother turns on her heel towards the door. While her mother doesn't scare her Luna's father terrifies her.
Out of fear she huffs. "Fine." Her mother stops before the door. "I'll change." The smile on her mother's face makes her stomach turn as she removes a layer of the armor she's in. With a triumphant smirk on her face, her mother leaves the room, telling the guards to send Luna down when she's done. She strips down, fixing her armor on the stand before getting into the dress.
The dress hugged her tight, constricting her of air for a moment before she grew used to it. Her heels click on the stone floor as she walks to the door, holding her head high once more. It was demeaning, having to knock on her own door to be let out of her room. The door opens to show off her faithful knight, Arthur. "I'm ready." She simply says, allowing him to lead her through the halls and to the main room where the rest of her family was. Many people were already in the room, seated at separate tables in the room.
All eyes fell to her as she walks to the table, whispers about her as she takes her seat beside her twin at the end. Conversations resume once she's settled, though it was clear that she was uncomfortable from her shifting in the seat. "You look nice." Her brother stifles a laugh. Some times she really did wonder how they were twins.
She shakes her head, leaning against the table and looking at the blond. "I feel like a doll." She groans, her brother patting her back with a sigh. "Much rather be training with Arthur." She glances at the knight standing not too far from her.
"Can't blame you. This oughta be mightly boring." He agrees, glancing around the room. "Just don't piss father off and we'll be alright. Got it?" The pair glance at their father who sits on the opposite side of the table, between their older sister and mother. His stare meets them for a moment the pair straighten up rather quickly.
The gathering passes much like that, peaceful until the dances started, which lead to her brother being dragged out by a fair maiden dressed in red. "May I have this dance?" A boy asks, standing just across her at the table. Luna eyes her up before her mother agrees for her and there was no getting out of it then. "Thank you for having us, your grace." The boy says as they dance with the rest to the song being played.
She'd gotten lost in her thoughts for a moment, just nodding to whatever he had said to her. What had brought her out of it was when his hands moved from her waist to her butt, giving it a squeeze so small that no one could have noticed. She reals back quick, breaking formation and staring at the boy with wide eyes filled with anger. Eyes were on the two of them when she slaps him across the face, prompting her brother to pull her away before she was to beat up the boy.
He moves her a good distance despite her struggle against her. "Stop." He whispers, pulling back to look her in the eye. His blue eyes were all she could look at. "He's mad." Is all he says, leading her back to her seat and away from the boy. The night ended soon after that, leaving only her and her family in the room.
Her father rises from the table, eyes full of fury as he looks to his youngest daughter. "Leave us." He commands, watching as everyone quickly leaves the room, everyone but him and his daughter. Luna holds her head high, watching her father approacher her like a lion to its dinner. "What was that?"
"I'm sorry sir but-"
He slaps her across the face, knocking her off her feet. "What in the name of the Gods was that? A young man offers you a dance and you slap him like he's an animal!" He yells, standing just before her fallen form. "Go to your room." He growls. "I'll deal with you later." He turns around, waiting to hear her leave. "Now!"
Luna doesn't hesitate to get up and rush to her room, passing her brother. He follows her, just making it into her room when she goes to slam the door. "I'm leaving." She tells him, already tearing off the dress. Her brother covers his eyes, staring at the floor as she moves about. "I'm dead if I don't." She insists before he can try and talk to her. "You can look."
Her brother looks up to see her in her gear as she had been earlier in the day. "I know." He stops her, looking at the cut that had started bleeding again from the slap. "He's the devil." He says, moving to help her pack. "I'll help you leave." He insists, passing her things that she'll need.
"If he finds out you helped me." She trails off, stopping him by grabbing his hands.
Her brother simply smiles, pressing a kiss to her head. "It'll be worth it for you." He tells her, fishing something from his pocket. "Take this and never forget me okay Lunala?" She almost laughs when he uses her full name. He hands her a necklace, a silver chain with stars hanging from it. "I had it made for your birthday but you won't be here to celebrate it so. Here." She turns, allowing him to put it on her.
"I could never forget you." She tells him, pulling on her black cloak and pulling up the mask, covering her nack and the lower half of her face. "Lead the way, my brother."
Luna left the kingdom in the dead of night, riding through the snowstorm that had settled overhead. She was never going to forget about her brother. But the kingdom was going to forget about her, her father was going to see to that.
