The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0600

"Oh." Susie's eyes widened. "I suppose you wouldn't have known." She hung her head a little. "Tensions with the Bear People have more or less exploded. Mark says more and more soldiers are being sent to the northern border. War seems imminent."

I didn't want to believe that. "Surely there's something to be done to keep the peace?"

*The Bear People have made demands but those demands are impossible to fulfill."

"What are they?" I asked.

Before us, out on the lawn, Elva sat on the grass with the two wolves, Night and Silver, in sitting in front of her. They were all looking so intently at each other, it was like they were having a conversation. I wondered what they were saying.

Focusing on that was less heartbreaking than thinking of the reality of war.

*They want their princess back," Susie said. She made it sound like I should know what she's talking about.

My brow drew together. "We have their princess?"

Susie tilted her head. "You don't know the story of the lost bear princess?"

I shook my head.

Susie hummed thoughtfully. She tapped her chin with a finger. "Oh. It was something like twenty years ago, I suppose. One of their princesses was stolen away as an infant and believed to be brought across the border into werewolf territory."

I couldn't believe my ears. A stolen princess? "Why haven't I heard of this?"

"I'm not sure," Susie said. "Though I imagine the royals wanted to keep a lid on the whole thing. I don't remember ever seeing anything about it on television. It was only ever discussed in gossip groups. I remember my mom talking about it sometimes."

among royalty, but not bothered with by commoners. A missing foreign princess did not affect the day to day life of anyone I knew about back in my regular life. And

any wrongdoing." Susie continued. "They said that the princess had been kidnapped by rebels among the bears own people. They couldn't deny that the princess

why wait twenty years

it, the bears want their princess back. They said that if she isn't returned, they would come into our country

werewolf kingdom without permission sounded like an invasion,

among the nobles that the bear rebels likely killed the princess. Even if they hadn't, surely her bear would have manifested by now, given how long it's

understand that she's different. She would have likely spoken up by

come forward now if not before,

Academy. They wanted us to be ready to fight,

an entire generation.

Families would be broken apart. Babies would learn to fear

Susie said, looking at

I asked, returning to the

just for royals, or even the soldiers, but for every person that will be

really considered feeling so much for so many to

need to be of stemmer stuff? Able to make the hard choices no matter who it hurt? So

too much, afraid of how my heart my break when it all inevitably came crashing down

was now laying down with the wolves. She was resting her head on Night's back, while Silver was resting her head on

could keep them safe, away from the hardships of

suddenly appearing beside us. Susie smiled at him, but I jumped. I had forgotten how quickly

asked when I recovered

Nicholas is waiting for you in his personal office," Mark said. "He has finished

I

you

Let me get Elva." I hated to disturb her. She

keep an eye on her," Susie said. "Between the wolves and me, I