Willow explained that Lady Aria was currently in a relationship with Prince Ren, the younger of the two princes. Through this discussion, Luna figured out that she was married to the older of the two princes, Prince Peter. Peter was destined to become the king of Solarea, and Ren was rather jealous of this fact. Both Ren and Aria were schemers looking to gain more power.
The ladies discussed some thoughts on how to repay Aria's "kindness". The next day would be a tea party held by the queen. Luna decided that she should make an appearance to gauge Aria's reaction. Luna still wanted to sniff out the conspiracy. Honestly, she didn't really want to spend time on this, but it will be hard to move about without knowing where her enemies are.
Willow eventually left when she felt assured that her friend was alright. She felt somewhat concerned about this change of character, but at the moment, she was continuing to believe that it was a response to a life altering experience. Luna could sense Willow's questioning gaze, but she had no one else to rely on. She was in a strange land, and her powers were so diminished that she had little else to support her. For now, she would continue to live as Olivia, but without knowing the woman well, she knew that she would be found out at some point.
After the maids all left and she knew she was alone, Luna decided to do a little meditation. She opened a window, and faced the night sky. She closed her eyes. The darkness enveloped her, but she was not afraid. She welcomed it.
The reason she had to send her spirit away from her body was that she was betrayed. Her power was being drained away from her. If she let it continue, then she would be absorbed into another. She was not ready to die, so she did all she could to survive, but she did not fully consider the consequences. What should she do now?
Revenge. It was going to be her driving force. Both to avenge her host body and herself. She would regain all that she lost, and they would all pay. Her anger fueled her. She felt the faint spark in her grow. But she needed the necessary tools if she wanted to gain more strength quickly. A plan was beginning to form in her mind. After she felt like she had meditated for long enough, Luna went to bed.
Luna woke up refreshed. She was ready to watch those faces drop when she made her entrance. Yes, Luna had a flare for the dramatic. She spent a good portion of the morning picking out what she would wear, and for the first time, she took a look at this new face in the mirror.
This new face was still young with a cute round face. She had grey eyes with long, black hair. She was average in height. It could be said that she had a certain charm about her. With Luna's confidence, it did make her look much more dignified.
Luna was more inclined to darker colors, so she decided to wear a dark red dress for the tea party. She wanted to make a statement, and everyone present would know that they could no longer treat her the same. She was now bold and would make herself seen.
Luna made sure to take a long look in the mirror. She was immensely satisfied with the maids' job. She strutted out with her head held high. One of the maids led her to where the tea party was being held. Since Luna took so long to prepare, the event was already in full swing by the time she arrived.
All of the ladies quieted down Luna entered. She smirked, and moved forward. Though she didn't recognize any of these ladies, she was fairly certain that she could identify the queen. All of these women obviously lived in luxury, but who could outshine a queen?
Her eyes were cold as her gaze swept over each lady. She wanted to measure everyone's reactions. Most seemed to be judgmental, but not filled with malice. There might have been a few with envy as well. Overall, it was quite clear that not many liked Princess Olivia, and they seemed very bothered by the fact that she was walking with such poise.
As she reached the head table, she found her target. The queen was dressed in a luscious green gown. The embroidery was meticulous, and the colors were vibrant. Her hair, though greying, was elegantly braided, and it gave her the charm of an older woman. Luna adorned a sweet smile on her face as she approached the queen.
"Your majesty, please forgive my tardiness." Luna greeted as she curtsied.
The queen took notice of her greeting, and she her face showed genuine concern. "My dear, I am relieved to see that you are feeling much better. How do you fare?"
"Thank you for your concern, your majesty." Luna said as she took the seat offered to her. "I am feeling much better after a night's sleep."
She was given a seat opposite the queen, but she noticed not far away were a couple of women who looked to be in shock. They looked to be mother and daughter. Luna assumed the younger one was the Lady Aria she was told about. It seems that perhaps the princess' accident was more of a family affair.
"My dear Lady Aria, you look as though you have seen a ghost." Luna said with a sickeningly sweet tone. "Should we call the court physician for you?"
The blood drained from Aria's face. She took a large gulp of her tea to regain her composure. "Oh, you are too kind, Princess Olivia." Aria seethed through gritted teeth.
This was certainly going to be a fun game at least.