The Second Chance Of The Rejected Moon (Celine and Bastian) novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The question hangs in the air inside the barn, and several people begin looking at me cautiously once agam. Now 1 understand perfectly what they really want to know.

They are not worried about money or promises.

They are afraid of being abandoned and exploited again by those who stand above them in the hierarchy.

I hold the sleeping child closer against my chest before answering.

“I’ll do it until I see new roads, a proper school for your pups, a decent public hospital, and repaired homes.” My voice comes out much firmer than I expected. “I’ll do it until you have decent jobs and stop living as the kingdom’s slame.”

The old man does not take his eyes off me.

So I continue.

“And if you want, I can swear it in blood.”

The silence that follows my words is so profound that the only things I can hear are the steady breathing of the sleeping child in my arms and the soft patter of rain beginning to fall against the barn roof.

Even Alaric stops moving. Aymara looks at me in surprise.

Because they all know perfectly well what a blood oath means among wolves.

It is not an empty promise.

It is something that can kill you if you fail to fulfill it.

The old man watches me for several long seconds before slowly shaking his head.

“That won’t be necessary,” he finally says. “We believe you.”

And I can breathe, because for the first time since we arrived, I notice the tension inside the barn easing a little.

Several people begin to relax.

Others even smile.

“Now we can talk about whatever it is you need to know.”

I exhale slowly, feeling a small stab of relief inside my chest before sitting down once more at the old wooden table. The hen comes walking back as if the conversation belongs to her too, and that manages to draw a small smile from me.

“Then let’s start with the most urgent matter,” I reply, adjusting the little boy more comfortably on my lap while looking around the place again. “I want to know exactly what you need most here.”

An hour later, the rain intensifies, pounding against the barn roof so hard that at times it becomes difficult to hear the conversations. The smell of wet earth drifts through the cracks in the wood along with bursts of cold air that make several people pull their coats tighter around themselves.

While I listen to William talk about the village’s problems, one of Bastian’s guards appears at the entrance of the barn, covered by a dark cloak soaked through by the rain.

“Luna Celine.”

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The Second Chance Of The Rejected Moon

I look up at him.

“Yes?”

“The court ladies have taken shelter in the school.”

I nod distractedly while continuing to look over the notes Aymara is writing in her notebook.

The truth is that I care very little whether they are in the school, under a tree, or hiding inside a stable.

But then I remember Bastian’s words.

Learn to use them.

A small smile appears on my lips.

“Perfect.”

The guard looks confused by my answer.

“Perfect?”

“Yes.” I set my cup of hot tea down on the table. “Tell them to make good use of their time.”

“How?”

“Tell them to inspect the entire school and make a detailed list of everything that’s needed. Books, desks, supplies, repairs, broken windows, structural problems, whatever it may be. I want a complete report before we return to the castle. We’re leaving in half an hour, so they’d better hurry.”

The guard blinks several times.

Aymara lowers her head to hide a smile.

William watches me with obvious curiosity.

“You’re going to make them work?”

“Of course,” I answer as though it is the most logical thing in the world. “After all, I didn’t bring them here solely to get their expensive dresses covered in mud.”

Several people inside the barn laugh.

Even the old man ends up smiling for the first time.

“I am beginning to understand why the prince chose you.”

“I’m still trying to understand it myself,” I mutter before looking back at Aymara’s notes.

The laughter that spreads through the barn this time is much more genuine than before.

And thanks to the Moon, the atmosphere no longer feels like a gathering of strangers. It feels like a conversation between people who are beginning to know one another.

Half an hour later, we are ready to leave, but before that I want to stop by the little school to see what the court ladies are doing and find out whether they actually followed my orders.

The rain continues falling heavily as we cross the village once more. Mud sticks to my boots and the cold wind stings my cheeks while I look at the small deteriorated houses scattered along both sides of the road. Some windows are covered with

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old cloth instead of glass, and several chimneys release dark smoke in an attempt to keep some warmth inside homes that are clearly too old to survive another winter.

When we arrive in front of the school, my stomach tightens slightly.

The building is small.

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