I AM THE LUNA QUEEN

l's

yes again, I almos

mo

hat all of it-the crying women, the silk sheets, the psycho lady in black-had b

en I s

ed my ey

econd now, I'd open my eyes and see my dorm ceiling-the cheap plaster cracks, the

counted to five, a

ll

ets. The same cluster of women sta

haky hand through my hair. "This has go

one of them

t," I snapped, cli

polished floor, the women gasped

forward with her hands out as if I might

t her, incredulous. "What

nces, their faces

o kill yourself...by jumping off the cliff into the ocean..." One of

at her in

ress brushed my legs as I moved, the hem whispering against my skin.

're trying to tell me is that... I-the queen-tr

aids

nce was an

t to be ki

ard carefully, "are you feeling unwell? You've b

stop them. "I don't know what the hell is going on here or if this i

her chest. Another whispered something un

y Queen, no-you almost died. If the King hadn't given yo

ed. "Hi

it were the most normal thing

h turning. "What the hell are you

d, as if my reaction was more shocking t

f. "Nope. Nope. I'm done. I'm leaving. I'm not going to

ors, but before I could take two step

y, wait!" one cried.

"I wake up in a stranger's bed, in this stra

of them looked li

ervously in her apron. "Please, you might have hit your head. Ma

ng out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Th

led with tears. "Pl

n't w

oice cracking. "Please don't leave. You ha

ade me

ce her slowly.

don't know what happened to you, but I know you've been hurt-by the King a

n the roo

d something new in their v

hat are you t

llest excuse to humiliate you, my Queen. She mocks you for your weakness, for

ed. "Wait-so the

looked at

one said quietly. "That

upon him? What does that even mean? Why would anyone force a man to marr

ogether in my mind l

r. The bruises on my

I was in-it was

a fucki

Tonight, my Queen," she said softly, "you'll have to be strong. For

ed, my voice barely

hesit

hed long enough to

demanded

or," she said finally. "Tonight, you will face him. Y

uld feel it echo in my ears.

ar whisper. "He has finally agreed," she said. "After three yea

m went

t me like a

I just stood there, staring at t

epeated, my voice

hey didn't need to. Thei

back, gripping the bedpost like

happening. It c

, a life, friends-a normal existence that didn't invo

night-I was supposed to... sleep with a

o way

whispered. "You're

ur Majesty," she sobbed. "Don't speak like tha

cracked. "He's p

went de

ved. No o

owing silence-was worse than an

nside me tw

d fallen into, but one thing was clear: she had been liv

at nightmar

and tall, even though

p. "Let's pretend this isn't a complete fever dream for a second. You're sayi

maid nodded

t? Smile? Pretend everything's f

whispered, "you

rom my throat. "Oh, I

it, a cold dread po

down, I wasn'

yers or blessings I couldn't understand. T

tbeat, fast and wild, like a tra

y breath and

aid quietly. "This king-

, and that hesitatio

d finally whis

g in the air

ue

oat we

shaky laugh that didn't sound l

sky was gray, heavy with clouds. Somewhere

rapped in another woman's life-but one thing I kn

o let some monst

roken her. But

, my pulse hammerin

de, tearful eyes. "If I'm suppos

ath, my voice dro

to meet a queen he's