"Do you want to have your fate read by the Moon?" Tamara said, "... is what is written here."
Princess Carrie, after carefully making Keagan lie down on a cloth on the side, stood up. "The Moon Oracle is known to read anyone's fate, including the future Alpha King and Luna."
Asher and Gavin had gone outside to collect the plants as Princess Carrie had described that could be used to treat Keagan. Apparently, based on the color on the skin, Princess Carrie had identified it as a poison that could put someone to sleep for many days and could even be weeks or months if not treated immediately. If they wanted to reach the other side of the mountain and be able to head to South before the next sun rose, they would need to cure Keagan quickly.
While trying to look for shelter, they found the shrine of the Moon Oracle. From his memory, Gavin remembered the shrine that resembled one of the paintings in the Alpha King's main court. It was a painting where the Alpha King and his Luna, the Queen, were at the center of the shrine, praying before the Moon Goddess.
As what the prophecy had foretold, they received the blessing as such the Moon gave a blinding light when they prayed at the center of the shrine. It was an indication that the Moon approved of the two new rulers of Moon Valley.
According to the world's tradition, if two new rulers came to the shrine, something similar would occur if they would pray together at the center. This went with the idea of either with full intention or not when the two individuals climbed to the top. For the people to witness the light emitted down to the top of the mountain was surely an enthralling moment and unforgettable experience. This very incident especially strengthened the fact about werewolves, particularly the new rulers, who were powerful and prophesied to lead the nation.
Such traditions and customs, however, were now placed at the back of people's heads as they were too eager to find shelter for their poisoned companion.
"Whether it is fate or the truth about the people who entered her shrine, do you believe the Moon Oracle can tell?" Princess Carrie said, facing the other woman in the group. "The direction of this forest... You know about it, too, don't you?"
Tamara looked at Princess Carrie, face not changing as she responded. "The princess is right. I know the ins and outs of this forest."
Princess Carrie's eyes stayed on Tamara, no hints of any humor can be found on her face as the moon outside shone, its full and bright white light illuminating Princess Carrie's face. "Then you must have known what happened to Gavin and I earlier, too."
Tamara stared at the woman before her. Almost as if she couldn't continue looking, she looked down. "Yes... I have seen you two entering the fox's cave."
She immediately told the princess, "But it wasn't me, princess. I wasn't the one who placed those barriers and I also didn't know about those two hunters. I... I was only doing what I have been told to do."
Thinking back on how Tamara had been following after her even back in the academy, Princess Carrie sighed. She already had thought of the person that could be behind Tamara's stalking behavior but for what reason, Princess Carrie didn't know. Although at first she felt suffocated as she always felt eyes looking at her from afar, it had already reached a point that it happened multiple times she no longer had the desire to confront the said person. Even when she was following Gavin and his men, she already knew Keagan and Tamara were following after her too.
Unaware of their motives, she had personally taken them and told Gavin she was with them to not further complicate the situation. Now that there were cases of betraying even the Second Prince, however, Princess Carrie couldn't simply let it go.
"I know people have their own fates in this world," Princess Carrie said. "But I hope you would choose what you think is right for you and not what other people think is right for you. This world is already too full of lies and deceptions. Fate is already being dictated upon us. The least we people can do is to take and face that fate with pride and dignity."
Tamara stood there, eyes looking at the woman who was shone upon by the moonlight through the windows of the shrine. Visible cracks from the windows made the light seeped through each, making the view more enthralling than it should have been. For a minute, Tamara was frozen in place, unable to speak and move.
If there was another person who had seen the light coming from the moon directly hitting the top of the shrine, it would be a person who had been waiting by a tree branch.
Looking directly at the light, the person couldn't help but slowly remove their hood, white short hair coming out as it began to dance with the wind. "The next Luna is..."
Words whispered under the person's breath, the hood began to move further down and revealed a young, handsome face of a man. Green eyes glowed through the dark forest that was illuminated slightly due to the emitting light from the moon.
"...Princess of Moon Valley."
With one fisted hand and the other quickly pulling his hood once again, the man covered his face as he began to jump from tree to tree, swiftly running through the wind as if he was connected to it. Sprinting through the deepest parts of the forest, the man floated like magic, his green, emerald eyes continued to glow like rare gems - shining and beautiful for anyone to see.