The Moon's Decree

Luna was hiding in her office bathroom, sitting on the floor with her back against the cold tile wall, trying to remember how to breathe. The fancy gray silk dress was bunched around her knees, probably getting wrinkled beyond repair. She'd been stress-sweating through the entire council meeting, and now her expensive mascara was making her eyes itch.

"Luna?" Maya's voice came through the door. "I brought reinforcements. Mrs. Chen's stress-baking again."

"The door's unlocked," Luna managed, wiping her nose on her sleeve like a child. So much for royal dignity.

Maya slipped in, took one look at Luna on the floor, and promptly sat down next to her, designer cookies and all. "Want to tell me why you're having a panic attack in the bathroom? I mean, aside from the obvious trauma of Lord Bennett's existence."

Luna let out a wet laugh. "Did you see his face when I suggested reviewing staff wages? I thought his eyebrows were going to fly right off his face." She grabbed a cookie, not caring about the crumbs falling on her dress. "I used to serve him coffee every morning. Extra hot, two sugars, in the blue cup because he said the white ones made the coffee taste wrong. And today he looked at me like I was something he'd scraped off his shoe."

"Yeah, well, I may have accidentally spilled coffee in his lap after you left." Maya bumped her shoulder. "Oops."

"Maya! You didn't!"

"Worth it. Even if Mrs. Chen made me clean the entire kitchen as punishment." She studied Luna's face. "But that's not why you're really hiding in here, is it?"

Luna touched Sarah's necklace, a habit she'd developed over the past few days. "I can feel him, Maya. All the time. Every emotion, every reaction. During the meeting, when Lord Bennett was being particularly awful, Alexander got so angry I thought I was going to throw up. And now..." She pressed a hand to her chest. "Now he's worried and frustrated and trying to hide it, but it feels like heartburn in my chest."

A sharp knock made them both jump. Victoria's voice came through the door: "Luna? We have a situation."

"Unless someone's actively dying, I'm not coming out," Luna called back.

There was a pause, then to their shock, Victoria opened the door and joined them on the bathroom floor, her perfectly pressed suit be damned.

"The Queen Mother's here," she said, stealing a cookie. "And she's on the warpath."

Luna's stomach lurched. "Oh god." She scrambled to her feet, then had to grab the sink as a wave of dizziness hit her. "I'm going to throw up."

"No, you're not." Victoria's voice was firm but kind as she helped steady Luna. "You're going to breathe, let me fix your makeup, and then we're going to change your dress because this one makes you look like you're attending a funeral."

"It's designer," Luna protested weakly.

"It's depressing." Victoria was already heading to the closet. "And it shows sweat stains."

Before they could decide on a new dress, Luna felt Alexander's emotions spike through their bond – anger, protectiveness, and underneath it all, a deep, old hurt that made her chest ache.

"He needs me," she said, already moving toward the door.

"Luna, wait!" Victoria called after her. "Your makeup—"

But Luna was already running, her fancy heels clicking on the marble floors. She found them in Alexander's study, the tension so thick it felt hard to breathe.

The Queen Mother was exactly what Luna had expected and feared – tall, elegant, and looking at her son like he was a particularly disappointing investment. But what caught Luna off guard was the slight tremor in the older woman's perfectly manicured hands, the way her accent got more pronounced with emotion.

"—completely irresponsible," she was saying, but Luna could hear the fear under the anger. "The nobles will never accept—"

"The Moon Goddess chose her," Alexander's voice cracked slightly on the words. Luna saw his hands were white-knuckled on the desk edge.

"Don't be dramatic." The Queen Mother's voice wavered. "These things can be... managed discreetly. There are ways to break mate bonds—"

"Stop." Luna hadn't meant to speak, but seeing Alexander's pain – feeling it like it was her own – broke something in her. "Please, just... stop."

They both turned to look at her. Luna knew she must be a sight – mascara smeared, dress wrinkled, stress-sweat staining the silk. But Alexander's eyes softened when he saw her, and she felt his relief wash through their bond.

"You dare interrupt—" the Queen Mother started, but Luna cut her off.

"Yes." Her voice shook but held. "Yes, I dare. Because right now you're hurting him – hurting us both – and I won't stand here and watch it happen."

"You think because you wear fine dresses now, you're one of us?" The Queen Mother's laugh was brittle. "I can still see the servant in every move you make."

"Mother," Alexander growled, but Luna caught something in the older woman's voice – something that sounded almost like fear.

"You're right," Luna said quietly. "I am common. Yesterday I stress-ate cookies on my bathroom floor. This morning I forgot how to walk in heels and almost fell down the stairs. I have no idea which fork to use at fancy dinners, and sometimes when I'm nervous, I hide snacks in my pockets." She took a shaky breath. "But I also know what it means to serve others. To care. To put someone else's needs before your own pride."

She felt Alexander move to stand beside her, close enough that their shoulders touched.

"Sarah would have loved her," he said softly, and his mother flinched like she'd been slapped.

For a moment, the Queen Mother's perfect mask cracked. Luna saw grief in the lines around her mouth, fear in the way she clutched her designer purse. Then the mask slammed back into place.

"We'll see," she said coldly, and swept from the room.

Luna's legs gave out. She would have hit the floor if Alexander hadn't caught her, pulling her close enough that she could feel his heart hammering against her cheek.

"I'm sorry," they both said at once, then laughed shakily.

"She's always been like that," he murmured into her hair. "Even when we were kids. Sarah used to say she loved us the only way she knew how – from a safe distance."

"Is that what you want?" Luna asked, her voice muffled against his shirt. "A proper queen who loves from a safe distance?"

Alexander pulled back just enough to look at her. His eyes were red-rimmed, his tie crooked. "No," he said roughly. "I want you. Bathroom breakdowns, cookie crumbs, and all."

His phone buzzed – another crisis, another meeting. But before they pulled apart, he pressed his lips to her forehead in a kiss that felt like a promise.

Luna touched the spot where his lips had been, feeling warmth spread through their bond. For the first time, she thought maybe they were both ready to admit what was growing between them – messy and imperfect and real.