Claiming His Luna

Maria’s POVProperty of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“It has been almost six years, Maria; do come back, I beg you,” my younger brother pleaded.

“You know I can’t, Diego,” I responded, sighing.

“Papà has already forgiven you, even if he doesn’t express it. He would be delighted to see you again,” I could sense the desperation in his voice, even through the phone.

I scoffed. “Forgiveness isn’t his forte, you know that,” I reminded him.

My father possessed various traits, unfortunately, mercy was not among them. I had wronged him gravely, not only turning my back on them but also on my birthright, which included the leadership of our entire pack. Perhaps I had been selfish in choosing myself.

“He loves you, you know that,” my younger brother insisted. Maybe he did, I thought, but when I began to assert myself and express my thoughts, his fatherly love seemed to evaporate.

“Diego, I will always be with you even if I’m not physically present. However, I can’t return home,” I said sadly. Not now. I am not prepared to face them yet, for I am consumed with shame.

“I beg you,” a tear fell when my brother uttered those words. It pained me to hear him like this. I knew I was being unfair, burdening him, and leaving him alone with responsibilities that were meant to be mine. I had abandoned him shortly after our mother’s death.

“I’m so proud of the man you have become, Diego, even though I am not physically with you or Papà,” I sobbed.

I fled when I was just fifteen. My father was the Alpha of one of the most prominent packs in Eastern Finland. As the eldest daughter, I was destined to inherit the throne, the pack, and his legacy, even after my brother was born. The crown still passed to me.

Yet, I was uncertain of my desires and who I wanted to be in this life. I knew deep down that leadership was not my calling. I lacked the qualities of a good leader.

I acknowledge that I am a coward for running away. But it was for the better. I escaped the palace and all my guards that night, although it was no easy feat. I was young and naive, raised inside the castle, knowing nothing of the outside world.

Everyone outside was harsh and unforgiving, but I adapted. I worked as a servant, serving under various masters before I found myself at the MoonStone mansion.

I spent a great deal of time uncovering the roots of my mother’s heritage. She was foreign, not a native Finn and her accent suggested British origins. It led me to discover that she hailed from the West, and her original pack was none other than the MoonStone pack. Thus, I decided on a journey to reach this place, seeking a connection with my mother’s legacy.

However, fate had a cruel twist in store for me. The pack I had hoped would become my new family proved to be far from welcoming or kind. Instead of being embraced, I was thrust into the role of a servant, subject to the torment and abuse of the Alpha’s daughter, a despicable woman named Vienna.

Despite the hardships, I refused to complain or resist. Outside my father’s cage, I learned invaluable lessons. I emerged from my sheltered life, no longer shielded from the harsh realities of the world. I discovered how to stand on my own, to hide my own identity, and to think independently.

“I will return, don’t worry,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat as I made that promise.

“I will come back, not now, but soon. Prepare a cup of tea, will you,” I added, laughing through my tears as I recalled the fond memories of our tea parties from our youth.

Being only three years older than my brother, we had always been close. After our mother’s tragic accident, my father’s protectiveness and paranoia escalated. The most agonising aspect of leaving was not disappointing my father or the people of my pack but the realisation that my disappearance left my brother alone.

Diego had always been the composed one, the intelligent decision-maker, the heir our father deserved, and the leader our packs should admire. In contrast, I was impulsive, opinionated, and stubborn. Yet, despite my disappearance, Diego did not harbour hatred towards me. Instead, he checked up on me regularly, expressing concern for my safety and well-being and pleading for my return. I couldn’t understand what I had done to deserve such kindness from him.

While my father dispatched men across the globe in search of me, it was Diego who made a secret move to find me and obtain my contact information. Only two years had passed since we resumed communication, limited to phone calls.

In this new life I had crafted, no one, not even my closest friend Cercei, knew my true identity. I cherished Cercei and her mother, trusting them with my life, yet revealing the truth to anyone would mean risking my hard-won freedom.

I have endured true hell to secure this hard-won freedom. I’ve endured suffering and toiled relentlessly, and I can’t afford to lose it now. If my father were to discover my whereabouts, he would surely force me back home against my will.

I admit the apparent foolishness of my decision to choose to be a servant over the life of a princess, subjecting myself to mistreatment in a mansion that does not belong to us rather than enjoying the comforts of our own castle. But I have my reasons. I can’t bear the weight of rulership that destiny has given me. The crushing pressure and overwhelming responsibility are too much to bear. I have chosen this path of suffering, preferring to endure it alone, with only myself to bear the burden. I have accepted this life, and I am willing to stay in this personal hell rather than drag others into my plight.

“I will wait for you, eldest sister,” he whispered, and those words pierced my heart, igniting an unstoppable flow of tears.

I ended the call with a heavy heart and gazed at Diego’s unregistered number on my phone.

I promise you, Diego, I will return soon. I will make amends for all the years I have been absent from your side. I will share with you all that I have learned, and I will show you the woman I have become and how far I have grown in my struggles. We will be together again, but that day is not near yet.

For now, I must remain by Cercei’s side. She needs me now more than ever, as she is entangled in a war, not just with Monsieur but also against herself.

When the time is right, and everything aligns here, I will return, even if my father vehemently pushes me away. I will embrace the responsibility I once rejected, for it is an integral part of who I am.

And so, this is the real truth about me. I am determined to continue on this path until the moment comes when I can return, and perhaps, by then, the pieces of my destiny will finally fall into place.