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."

news like this would be hot topics 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

said that the princess had been kidnapped by rebels among the bears own people. They couldn't deny

why wait twenty years to start a war?" I

their own nation. But whatever the reason for it, the bears want their princess back. They said that if she isn't returned, they would come into

sounded like an invasion, even if their intentions were only to rescue

belief 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

have likely spoken up by now, or had someone speak for her. Bears were powerful. There would

would come forward now if not before, to stop the needless violence and death that a war

filled with grief. They'd taught us something about war at the Academy. They wanted us to be ready to fight, physically and mentally. War was

an entire generation.

lose their children. Children, their parents. Families would be broken apart. Babies would learn to fear the world far sooner than they should be ought

said,

asked, returning to

not just for royals, or even the soldiers, but for every person that will be affected by the war. That is

for so many to be one of my finer qualities. At least to me,

the Queen need to be of stemmer stuff? Able to make the hard choices no matter

didn't want to hope too much, afraid of how my heart my break when it

quiet beside me, and together we looked back to where Elva was now laying down with the wolves. She was resting her head on Night's back, while Silver

wished that I could keep them safe, away from the hardships of

but I jumped. I had forgotten how quickly and quietly he could

Mark?" I asked when

office," Mark said. "He has finished his meeting with his parents and wishes

I said,

take you there," Mark

to disturb her. She was resting so peacefully with the wolves

"Between the wolves and me,