Another Chance for the Luna Queen

Ella POV

The atmosphere in the king's home was tense. Servants and guards moved briskly through the halls, their expressions unreadable but their urgency undeniable.

The entire building was bracing itself for what was about to unfold-the king's official statement on the arrests, the fallout of the investigation, the shift in the kingdom's balance of power.

But first, there was a meeting to be had.

Alexander and I were led into the king's private study, where he stood at the window, his hands clasped behind his back. His posture was rigid, his gaze distant as he stared out at the city below.

He turned when we entered, his face unreadable.. "I don't have much time," he said, his voice tired. "I need to finalize my speech before the press conference."

"This won't take long," Alexander assured him.

The king nodded and moved to sit behind his desk, gesturing for us to do the same. “I assume you're here because of the things Amanda's been saying?" he asked, steepling his fingers together.

"No," I said plainly. "We're here because of Diana."

His brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't speak right away Alexander and I exchanged a glance before I pushed forward.

"She's been meeting with you a lot lately," I said carefully. More than seems normal for a woman of her status."

The king exhaled, rubbing his temple. "Yes, she has. Alexander, I assumed that was on your request."

Alexander's jaw tensed. "Why would I ask her to do that?"

The king frowned. "She said you wanted her to handle things-said the details of the crimes were too upsetting for you and Ella."

I stiffened. "That was a lie."

The words were sharp, cutting through the room like a blade. The king's frown deepened as he studied us, realization dawning behind his eyes.

Alexander leaned forward. "We don't know why she's doing this yet, but we're concerned that she may have her own motives."

"Are you making an accusation against your mother?" the king asked, his eyebrows arched in surprise.

"No," Alexander answered quickly. "It's nothing like that. I just worry that she's overstepping. She can be.... overbearing."

"I've noticed that," the king said bluntly. "If that's the case, I'll make sure that I address any further concerns about the investigation to you. I have to tell you, I'm not pleased to learn she's been wasting my time."

"We only found out about the meetings a few days ago when Elizabeth mentioned them," I explained. "I promise, we would have put an end to it sooner if we'd known."

The king sat back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "And yet, you're not telling me everything," he noted, his voice quieter now, more thoughtful.

I hesitated. He wasn't wrong. We hadn't told him about Diana's involvement with Amanda yet-about the tangled

web she had been spinning behind the scenes. But we couldn't risk exposing too much without proof.

Instead, I pivoted. "What about Archer?"noveldrama

>>

The king's expression darkened slightly, though not with anger. More like exhaustion. "Amanda has implicated him, he admitted. "Some of what she's said suggests that Archer may have had a hand in planning some of these attacks." My stomach twisted.

“But,” the king continued, “given her current state of mind, it's hard to trust anything she says outright. She's been erratic, paranoid. Sometimes she contradicts herself in the same breath."

"Are you still investigating him?" I asked.

He nodded. "We are. But now that he's officially announced his candidacy in the election, it complicates things. Every move we make will be scrutinized."

I glanced at Alexander, who had gone silent beside me. His face was unreadable, but I could see the tension in his posture.