Chapter 9: Sia: Chandelier
"He will make you happy, Luna," he said with a grin that reached both ears. "He is an honorable man. Strong. Loyal." He gave her a playful nudge and laughed heartily.
Luna nodded, eyes carefully cast downward. "I will speak to Mother about the arrangements."
"Of course!" Magnus clapped his hands together, already imagining the celebrations. "Smile, my darling. Someday you will truly grasp that in doing your duty, you can also find happiness."
She forced a small smile, but it barely curled at the corners of her lips. Happiness? She wasn’t even sure she knew what that meant anymore.
*****
Queen Ravena heard the news before Luna could even make it out of the throne room. No one knew how. Probably one of her invisible informants—aka the kitchen maid who doubled as a gossip courier.
By the time Luna reached the royal living quarters, Queen Ravena had already gone into full wedding-planner mode. She was surrounded by wedding magazines. Her eyes sparkled with more energy than a full moon on solstice night.
"My baby is finally getting married!" she shrieked, hugging Luna so hard she nearly cracked a rib. "I need to start working on the guest list."
Luna barely got a word in. Ravena was already listing flowers. ’There would be live music of course.’ She talked so fast Luna’s head spun.
"Mother, I—"
"Hush, darling. This is the most important day of your life, and your skin is not going to glow with that stress line on your forehead."
Luna nodded numbly, heart quietly cracking under the weight of her choices.