CHAPTER 6

A LUNA BY FATE

"Your majesty, I'm afraid nothing can be done.." The priest said, pointing at Ashina. "She is now his bride.."

"That murderer! Pig! Swain! Wretch!" Gonzalo yelled, running down the stairs. He raced to where Ashina was sitting, pulling her roughly to her feet.

"You have failed!" Gonzalo laughed, his eyes glowing with pride. He pushed her to the ground and rubbed his hands together while he spoke. "You want to be my wife? You want to be royalty?"

Ashina looked at Gonzalo with the most confused expression.

The priest and his mother came down to join them.

"Nothing can be done.." The priest said, shaking his head.

"But she is not his mate! She is a slave, how can my son, the prince marry a slave?" Danciana said. "It can't be done! She is from a family of murderers, an outcast!

"Nothing can be done. They are now husband and wife!" At the priest's declaration, Gonzalo and Danciana knew nothing could be done.

Ashina looked around, trying to understand what was going on.

Lupe cried aloud, rolling her body on the floor. The servants did their best to control her but she went out of control.

Gonzalo turned to face his mother. "See why I told you to kill her?" He asked, at the same time thinking of how to un-do the abomination.

Gonzalo studied the humiliation and disappointment on Lupe's parents. They had arrived in their best regalia, with passion to wed off their daughter to him.

His breath choked in his throat when he looked around and saw Lupe, running almost mad. Even though he felt nothing for her, he knew she was already head over heels for him.

Unfortunately, he would do something, if he could.

"Zalo, follow me." Danciana said, giving Ashina an angry glare.

Gonzalo followed his mother. They walked up to the palace throne room.

"Hey.." Chuchin said in a soothing voice. With her blonde curly hair and deliberately casual dress, she always presented the epitome of relaxed confidence.

"What is happening, what did I do again?" Ashina asked, trying to brush off the color from her body.

"We gathered today for the Prince's marriage rites.." Chuchin said.

Ashina interrupted. "So? Why I'm I caught in the middle?"

"He married you!" Chuchin said.

"What? Stop talking nonsense or you will get in trouble.." Ashina replied.

"I am serious. In our tradition whoever the groom empties the color on is his bride..the prince tripped and fell..and the color landed on you.." Chuchin explained.

Ashina scoffed. "Big joke!"

"And our tradition does not permit divorce..you are now the Prince's bride! You are now his Luna!" Chuchin said, wrapping up her summary.  

"No way! I am not accepting any of that! Me marry that.." She looked around then whispered to Chuchin. "That ruthless prince? Never!"

"I think you should be happy." Chuchin responded. "The moon goddess is afterall fighting your battles?"

"I'd prefer to be dead, than marry your prince." Ashina growled. "I am going to wash this stupid color off my body and pretend this madness didn't happen."

"Then you'd be a fool, plus, no amount of chemical will wash off that color from your skin, it'll be there for a few days, it is the symbol of a newly married bride." Chuchin stated.

"Whatever! If it doesn't go off, I'll peel my skin!" Ashina said, irritation filled in her voice. She quickly walked away.

                                       ***

"Mother don't tell me to calm down! This is your fault!" Gonzalo paced round the throne room in anger.

Danciana pulled out Gonzalo's sword, then handed it over to him. "Kill me then!"

Gonzalo looks at his mother, sighing. "Put that away.." He exhaled hard, bringing down his voice. "Put it away mother.."

"Are you sure? But I have made mistake and I must be punished." Danciana insisted.

"Put it away.." Gonzalo repeated.

"Maybe I should use it and slit her throat and give your father the justice he deserves, but what kind of Justice will that be? A two minutes justice? Is that what your father deserves?"

Gonzalo frowned. "What do I do now? That swain can never be my Luna!" Gonzalo yelled. "There has be something I can do to get rid of her!"

"If you raise your voice one more time then I will leave you." Danciana threatened.

"What will you have me do?" Gonzalo looked at his mother.

"I will have you to go out there and tell your subjects you have accepted fate.."

Gonzalo cut her off. "Accepted that wretch you mean? Oh never!"

"Listen to me, just pretend you have accepted her, and dismiss the crowd. It'll only take a matter of days and I will solve this problem." Danciana assured.

"How do you intend to solve it?" Gonzalo asked curiously.

"I will consult the deities of Poldark myself..I will intercede on your behalf. Something must be done! But first, give me time and follow all my instructions."

Gonzalo nodded attentively.

"Follow me." Danciana led him downstairs to address the situation.

"Good citizens of Poldark! As you all know, fate has decided to play a very tricky game on me today. But as a true and brave leader, I accept the challenge. I accept the slave girl as my bride, as we know, it is an abomination for couples to divorce, I will not be the first in my generation to commit an abomination in the land and bring upon us, curses."

"Long live the prince! Long live the prince!!" The crowd yelled in joy and excitement. They admired his respect for the customs and traditions of their land. The first alpha prince in their history to marry a slave.

Danciana moved to Ashina, whispering in her ears. "You better behave or else..you know what will follow." She smiled at the villagers, waving at them.

Princess Lupe stood afar glaring at Gonzalo with tears in her eyes. Her family dragged her out of the scene, furious. Her father swore to pay back Gonzalo in his own coin for humiliating him and his subjects.

                                         ***

Ashina sat in the storage room, weeping. She couldn't believe her uncle would sleep on her. She instantly stopped crying when she heard footsteps approach the storage room.

Gonzalo stood by the door, spitting on the floor. "Stench of poverty and misery.."

"Being your bride is the worst torture anyone can give to me.." Ashina said, looking directly into his eyes. Fearless, the worse had happened for all she knew.

"You think I accept you as my Luna? You think this is fate?" Gonzalo chuckled. "Now let me tell you all fate has in store for, misery, poverty and all the worse.. you think I will let you close? Infectious Swain!"

"Then don't waste time talking, annul the marriage! I challenge you to annul the marriage!" Ashina spat, her voice filled with hate and anger.

"Watch and see." Gonzalo grinned, ignoring the fact she talked back at him in a provocative manner.

"Please I'm begging you.. hence you don't want this, I have an idea..a plan.." Ashina said.

Gonzalo looked at her curiously. "What plan?"

"We both could plan for my escape, your mother doesn't have to know..you secretly set me free and also break free from this bondage.." Ashina looked at him, hopeful. "Please.."

"What a nice plan but no! I'm smarter than falling for your little trick. There's no way I'm letting you go off, free.. you are my servant, forever! Don't worry, I'll fix this marriage thing. Imagine, I, Gonzalo Hemming, married to.. Ashina Diego, daughter of a murderous outcast." Gonzalo laughed as he strode out of the storage room.

                                                 ***

The next day, Danciana woke Ashina up with a bucket of cold dirty water, used in showering the pigs.

"Because of yesterday's mistake you are feeling like a princess? Get yourself out of this smelly den and attend to my needs!"

Ashina sprang to her feets, rubbing her eyes. The smell of the water was awful, she squeezed her face, spitting and trying to use a hand towel to clean her lips.

"Greetings your majesty, I am very sorry. I."

Danciana raised a hand, indicating she wasn't interested in her explanations. "You are a slave, yesterday was a mistake and we are trying to correct that mistake, so, make sure to stay in your place."

"Yes your majesty." Ashina replied.

"Now, get out!"

Ashina ran from the storage room and started off her day, scrubbing and mopping the palace floors. She went to scrub Morgan's bedroom.

"How do you feel?" Morgan asked.

Ashina shrugged, scrubbing the floors. "Does it matter?"

"Congratulations by the way." Morgan smiled.

"Please don't mock me.." Ashina said, hopelessly. "Not you at least."

"If I were you, I'll make good use of this blessing.." Morgan said. "I will take advantage of the situation."

"I just want to leave this town and return to my life. I have a perfect life in the big city I come from..I miss my life." Ashina said. She continued her duty then proceeded to mop the palace hall. The Alpha Prince was in the hall, striking a conversation with a guest. Ashina bent to go about her chores, but stopped to look up at the Prince's guest.

The voice was familiar! She glared at the guest, he was an old man. She glared at him closely and carefully, waiting for him to speak. The moment the old man spoke, she identified the voice, it was her uncle!