There was a whirlwind of thoughts weighing on Luna's mind. She had wanted to forget the evening and all that had happened, but the choices thrust upon her by her mother had pushed those events back into focus.
Luna got up. The choice was an illusion as far as she was concerned: marry Horus, or leave to explore the universe with Avraham. As much as she was angry at the old goat, she would take him over Horus. She might as well throw a wrench into her father's plans, even if she died. She hoped they would suffer for it.
She doubted they would.
Instead of going out to meet her mother, Luna decided she needed a bath. It was as much to enjoy a little creature comfort she was soon about to abandon as to cleanse herself of the stench of her ordeal. She could not stay long enough in the bathtub to accomplish either goal.
Before dressing, Luna forced herself to look at her bruised and battered body in its entirety. A reminder of what she was running from, she traced the bruise on her neck before dropping her arms. Her hands were balled into fists.
She then spent an hour trying on all her different outfits, selecting the ones that seemed most practical and comfortable. She settled on a thick turtleneck with baggy trousers.
Next, she started packing, collecting anything she could stuff into a camping bag. As she took out the non-essential gear from the back, she thought about the outings Avraham had forced on her ever since she was a kid. He had always ensured that at least one of her siblings was brought along on these excursions.
'Good content, probably,' Luna thought, wondering if she would ever get over this part of their relationship. Was he actually nice and protective of her, or was that all an act as well?
She had no other choice but to rely on him, so for now, Luna tried to stifle that train of thought.
Deciding she had delayed enough, she walked to the door and swiped her hand sideways, prompting it to slide open. She was taken aback by what she saw on the other side. She had expected to see her mother and, at most, Avraham standing outside.
Instead, she was greeted by a small group of people, besides her mother and Avraham. She was surprised to see some of her siblings gathered there as well. She knew all their names—Albert, Mayers, Frank, Sofia, Rose, Nunally, and Leo—all younger than her. Even more surprisingly, her elder sister Abigail, closest in age to her and the one Luna had felt was most competitive against her, was there too.
These were the kids with whom she had had the most success over the past couple of years. There were one or two surprises, but she had twenty other half-siblings and had spent equal effort on all of them. Still, she was not expecting even one of them to show up.
'I hope these guys will be all right,'
They were in various states of rest outside her room, being served directly by the head maid. The stern woman even unnerved the Whiterock children. For her to be doing the basic work herself, without assistance from other servants, was unusual.
Her arrival stilled all their activities, and they all stood at attention, looking toward Luna.
"Umm… hello, everyone. I wasn't expecting you all here."
None of them spoke. Her mother stepped forward instead.
"Have you come to a decision, Luna?"
"Yes, I have, Mother." She pointed to the bag hanging by her side. Luna met her mother's gaze unflinchingly. She was scared, but she needed her mother to know she wasn't backing down.
Lady Luciana stifled a sob. A single tear traced down her cheek, but she moved forward before Luna could notice it and hugged her. She cried silently into her daughter's hair while holding her tightly.
Not letting her sadness seep into her voice, Luciana simply said, "Good."
As they broke the hug, Lady Luciana stepped back and nodded to the rest. It seemed her siblings had been waiting for that signal. All of them, except Abigail, immediately rushed forward, embracing whatever part of her they could reach, encircling her in hugs from all sides.
Some of them were crying. Others tried to speak at the same time.
"We were so scared."
"We're really sorry, Luna."
"We've been waiting ever since to see you."
Luna recoiled. The physical contact was too much. Abigail gently guided her siblings back.
Abigail stepped aside, and for a second, it seemed she might cry too. She smiled and nodded at Luna.
Luna was overcome with emotion, on the verge of tears herself.
"Sorry… thank you, thank you, everyone."
Then the head maid, Leyla, stepped forward. "My Lady," she said, "I speak on behalf of the servants of the Whiterock household. You stood up for us at great personal cost. We hope to prove worthy of your efforts and remain indebted to you."
Luna nodded, seeming at a loss for words.
The elderly maid gracefully retreated to the back of the room.
Luna's siblings wore expressions of shock and grief. Seeing their faces, Luna wanted to grab them all in a bear hug again, but she did not want to recoil. She would not taint their last moments with her. Instead, she went ahead and kissed each of them on the head, one by one, until she reached Abigail.
"Thank you for coming. Take care of them, please."
"Yeah, you stay alive out there. I'll be your decoy. Funny, I always dreamed of being the high and mighty Silver Princess." Abigail smiled slightly.
Luna smiled back and stepped away from her and the rest.
Lady Luciana coughed lightly, and at once her siblings broke off from her. They each bid their farewells and cleared the hallway until only Avraham and Luciana were left with Luna.
"Will you be requiring further services, my Lady?" Leyla asked.
"No, Leyla, you may leave as well," Luciana replied.
Once they were alone, Luna finally turned to stare at Avraham. She still had mixed feelings about her mentor.
'Is he really not going to say anything?'
She decided to stare him down, willing him to break his stoic silence.
The old man averted his gaze.
"Carry my bag for me?" Luna asked pointedly.
Avraham nodded and extended his hand forward. Luna hung her bag straps over Avraham's hand.
"Did I do well, Master Avraham?" Luna asked, suddenly feeling sheepish. She hated herself for wanting it, but deep down, she wanted Avraham's acknowledgment at least.
Avraham looked back at Luna. "Yes, Luna, you've made your mother proud."
"And you?" Luna asked meekly.
"I am grateful to have had the opportunity of tutoring you, Luna," Avraham said. Luna saw his age for the first time in the way his expressions shifted. It was like a crack in his stoic facade.
She had wanted it to crack for a long while, but the implications of it actually happening were frightening. He had always been her unmovable rock. There really were no constants.
"I hope you can forgive the deceit."
"I can try," Luna said honestly.
Luna turned back to her mother. "It seems this is goodbye, Mother."
She wiped away the fresh tears from her mother's face. She had to give it to her. Even as fresh tears ran down her cheeks, her mother remained the picture of poise and dignity.
"Take care, Luna. Go with Avraham now. I have to make preparations to hide your tracks here. I hope to see you again, in this life or the next," Lady Luciana replied.
"The next?" Luna asked.
"Indeed. I think having only one life, such a bleak one at that, would be quite a waste, don't you think?"
"Then to this life and the next, Mother. Please take care of my younger siblings, especially Aria. I doubt she'll even remember me, though." Luna hugged her tightly one last time.
She was about to turn when she called out, "Oh, wait, one last thing while I have you both together."
Both Luciana and Avraham turned to look at her curiously. "Am I by any chance really Avraham's daughter? I won't judge you both in the slightest. I would actually be glad for it, and it makes greater sense with how everything went down."
Avraham's expression turned grim, while Lady Luciana chuckled uncharacteristically for her measured self.
"No," they replied in unison.