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."

the day to day life of anyone I knew about back in my regular

Queen back then denied any wrongdoing." Susie continued. "They said that the princess had been kidnapped by rebels among the bears

them, why wait twenty years to start a war?"

Susie admitted. "There might be more going on behind the scenes in 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 our

an invasion, even if their

killed the princess. Even if they hadn't, surely her bear would have manifested by now, given how long

different. She would have likely spoken up by now, or

still alive, she would come forward now if not before, to stop the needless violence

my thoughts were 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 brutal.

an entire generation.

lose their children. Children, their parents. Families would be broken apart. Babies would learn

Susie said,

asked, returning to

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

sad kind of smile. I never really considered feeling so much for so many to be one of my finer qualities. At least to me,

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

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

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

wished that I could keep them safe, away from

Piper," Mark said, suddenly appearing beside us. Susie smiled at him, but I jumped. I had forgotten how quickly and quietly

I asked when

for you in his personal office," Mark said. "He has finished his meeting with

course," I

you there," Mark

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

on her," Susie said. "Between the wolves and me, I think she's