The Second Chance Of The Rejected Moon (Celine and Bastian) novel Chapter 40

Chapter 40

I do not spend even a second looking at them. I turn around when I hear the Victorius siblings approaching and smile at them warmly.

Aymara gives the ladies a look full of contempt before linking her arm through mine again as we leave the castle together. Behind us come Alaric and the guards while the complaints begin to sound at our backs, but neither of us bothers to lopk behind.

We are doing well. Very well.

The enormous main doors open in front of us and I have to make an almost painful effort not to burst out laughing right there. Outside, six black SUVS belonging to Bastian’s personal guard are waiting for us and, just like on the first day I arrived in the kingdom, two rows of Gamma warriors slightly lower their heads as I pass by.

But that is not the best part.

The best part is parked behind the vehicles.

An old school bus.

I blink several times, trying to contain my laughter as I stare at the worn paint, the mud-covered tires, and the poor vehicle’s ancient appearance that makes it seem miraculous that it still works.

Goddess.

Bastian is a damned bastard.

The complaints behind me immediately grow louder. Aymara bites her lip trying not to laugh as well, and Alaric outright looks away because he is on the verge of losing his composure.

We climb into the middle SUV when the Beta opens the door for us and takes the driver’s seat. The other warriors quickly settle into the remaining vehicles long before the ladies manage to understand that they will not be traveling with us.

They are going to travel in the battered school bus.

The moment the SUV begins moving, Aymara finally bursts into laughter and this time even Alaric cannot hide his smile.

“I think Bastian truly outdid himself with that wrecked bus,” Aymara says, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “I’m sure they feel humiliated right now.”

I try to look back from my seat, but I still see no sign of the bus following us.

“Well… they’re probably debating whether to get on the bus or go back using their own vehicles.”

That only makes Aymara laugh even harder. Alaric finally lets out a resigned breath while shaking his head.

“I don’t understand why the two of you seem surprised,” he mutters as he finally accelerates onto the main road. “This is exactly the kind of stupidity I expected from Bastian.”

And I think it is starting to rub off on me a little too much.

“I’m not surprised. I knew Bastian would do something to annoy the court. He always does.”

I only hope those harpies decide to return to the castle or to their homes and stay where they belong.

Far away from me.

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“They won’t.” Alaric says as if he can read my mind while one of his hands remains relaxed on the steering wheel. “They want to stay close to you. The court of ladies and nobles works like a group of parasites feeding off the king and, in this case, you will be the future queen.”

I slightly frown as I watch the landscape moving beyond the window. The trees begin to grow less dense and the snow piled along the sides of the road gradually disappears beneath layers of wet earth and dark mud.

I still do not completely understand how something so absurd works.

“The court ladies exist to make sure you are comfortable and well taken care of,” Aymara continues explaining. “They are responsible for your personal assistance, your companionship, and they basically become ticks attached to you all the time. But they do not do it for free. The benefits are enormous, Celine. They gain status, power, and influence through their closeness to you and then use all of it for their own convenience.”

I make a small face of disgust.

“I don’t want to give them anything. I don’t even want them near me, but Bastian said I have to tolerate them and learn how to handle them. He also told me I can give them tasks that make them uncomfortable.”

“And he’s right,” Alaric replies, turning the wheel as the road begins to narrow. “In ancient times, the ladies truly took care of everything. The clothing, the meals, the jewelry, the entertainment, absolutely everything. But we don’t live like that anymore. Now they only pretend to be useful while trying to benefit from everything related to you. They’ll request clothes you would never wear, ridiculously expensive shoes, unnecessary jewelry, absurd coats, and when you reject something… they’ll fight among themselves to keep it.”

I blink in surprise.

“They don’t return them?”

Aymara lets out a soft laugh beside me and adjusts the black jacket she is wearing.

“Of course not.”

Goddess.

Now I understand much better why Bastian seemed to enjoy the idea of sending them to get covered in mud in the south of the kingdom.

“I noticed that the leader of the ladies is Arlet Black.”

The atmosphere inside the SUV changes a little after I mention her name. Aymara’s smile disappears and Alaric loses part of the relaxed humor he had maintained throughout the trip.

“Be careful with that woman,” the Beta warns. “She is one of the most influential she-wolves among the noble families of the kingdom and she is also the mother of the young man whose head Bastian almost ripped off.”

That explains far too many things.

“She never had a good relationship with either Queen Amelie or our mother,” he continues. “Arlet is ambitious, cruel, and quite intelligent. That image of understanding and sweetness is nothing more than a mask. That’s why Aymara will try to keep her away from you and will personally handle many things that the ladies would normally do.”

I nod slowly while absorbing all the information. This is not simply about keeping them away. I have to learn how to manage them, keep them occupied, and prevent them from getting too close.

I am going to make them work.

The landscape continues changing as we move forward. The smooth roads disappear and the ride becomes rougher when the tires pass through mud, rocks, and uneven ground. On both sides of the road, enormous fields covered with crops begin

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