LUNA: Alpha’s Soulmate from Another World

Luna and Alkrevas walked side by side toward the eastern part of the palace, where the Diamond Hall, the venue for the Imperial Banquet, was located. The sound of heels and shoes meeting the marble floor accompanied their journey.

Luna glanced back, observing the Emperor’s entourage consisting of guards, aides, and servants following faithfully. She turned her gaze forward and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself amidst the opulent atmosphere.

“Are you feeling nervous?” Alkrevas asked as he noticed Luna’s unusual demeanor. His gloved hand lifted and briefly brushed Luna’s cheek. Instantly, Luna felt a gentle tremor through her body. Although the sparks she felt when they touched were not direct skin-to-skin contact, the gesture from Alkrevas elicited a reaction in her, reminding her of the time they had recently spent together in bed.

“Of course. I didn’t know Vasilos had a mad Emperor?” Alkrevas’s brow furrowed in confusion and displeasure at Luna’s response, but he restrained himself from reacting.

Alkrevas didn’t want to ruin the banquet night just because they were arguing. Besides, this was his chance to announce that he had found his soulmate and companion, who would become his Empress to help him rule the empire. He also wanted to show the noble factions that they could no longer undermine or attempt to bring him down by using rumors of him being cursed, which had been circulating among the palace elite, to ruin his reputation.

“You know I’m not from, um, Vasilos. I’m not a noble either. I’m just a commoner. Will they accept me?”

“Why are you asking this all of a sudden? The little mate I’ve seen has never cared about what others say about her. Isn’t that right?” Alkrevas asked with a slightly teasing tone.

Damn! Luna was sure her attitude would eventually have a boomerang effect, and this was one of those moments.

Alkrevas didn’t care at all about how others viewed Luna. He even ignored the whispers of servants about him. He knew all the rumors circulating in the palace about him, but he played dumb. Alkrevas was aware of her thoughts. He was saying all this to make Alkrevas reconsider his decision. It was only too late once they entered the banquet hall.

Alkrevas could withdraw all his plans and return to his chambers, but it seemed that was not going to happen. “Why do you think so? It’s not that I’m indifferent to the rumors, but I don’t want your reputation to…”

“And since when do you care about my reputation?”

“Can’t you feel a bit flattered by my concern?”

“I know you’re saying all this to change my mind, but unfortunately, little mate, I won’t do that.” With that, Alkrevas closed the conversation, and the rest of their walk was filled with silence.

As they entered the eastern part of the palace, the previously quiet atmosphere became lively.

Occasionally, they passed by guests who greeted them. Finally, they reached the entrance of the banquet hall, where two footmen stood in their uniforms. The two men immediately straightened up upon seeing the Emperor’s arrival. Then they opened the large double doors made of the finest wood adorned with beautiful carvings and white paint.

One of them announced loudly, “The Sun of the Vasilos Empire-His Imperial Majesty Alkrevas Rome de Vasilos, and the Emperor’s companion-Miss Luna, are entering the room.”

Luna winced inwardly. Unlike Alkrevas, she didn’t even have a surname in this world. But she dismissed that thought as her feet stepped into the room, where all the guests present immediately knelt on one knee for the men and bowed in respect while spreading their gowns for the women.

Luna’s heart pounded rapidly as she walked down the red carpet. Although her head was held high and she did not bow, giving an impression of confidence, inside, she was beginning to feel anxious. She did not belong to this world; it meant her place was not here but in her world.

Silence enveloped the banquet hall. The classical music that the band had played in the corner of the room abruptly stopped. Only the sound of their footsteps could be heard.

Luna looked at the throne positioned at the end of the carpet. Unlike the Audience Room or Throne Room, where the podium for the throne is relatively high, the podium where the throne was placed was relatively low. Just by climbing three steps, they had reached the throne.

Alkrevas sat on the throne while Luna stood to his left as Beta Savon and Gamma Mathias joined them on the podium. The music resumed, and one by one, nobles and guests, both delegates and officials, approached the podium to pay their respects to Alkrevas.

As Alkrevas engaged in conversation, discussing light topics with each guest, Luna chose to observe the decorations of Diamond Hall. Diamond Hall, described by Judith as the most luxurious and spacious hall in the imperial palace, lived up to its reputation.

Among the other grand halls in the palace, Diamond Hall was the only one entirely decorated in gold. From the wall carvings to the large chandelier hanging from the ceiling and even the flower vases or other objects filling the hall, everything was adorned in gold. Additionally, the roof of the hall featured paintings depicting the early history of the imperial family, done by a renowned artist from the Oceania Kingdom. Imperial flags decorated the wall areas, and a plaque bearing the imperial crest adorned the central part of the hall where the throne was situated.

Despite this, Diamond Hall was rarely used, reserved only for major imperial events, and otherwise kept closed. However, not this time; for some reason, Alkrevas had chosen Diamond Hall for the Moon Flower Festival banquet, an event that could have been held in another hall. Judith’s description of Diamond Hall proved to be accurate.

The hall was dominated by gold and white. Although the gold decor was dazzling, it was less excessive than Luna had feared. Flowers adorned various corners, and there was a buffet with the finest food and drink available. Luna scanned the room, trying her best to ignore the gazes of the guests directed at her.

Luna had never been into any other rooms. From her experience in Diamond Hall, she became curious about the luxury of the Throne Room and the Hall of the Imperial Family, where portraits of past emperors and their families were displayed. She regretted declining to enter these crucial rooms during her tour and instead focused on memorizing the palace’s exit routes.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a clearing of the throat.

Suddenly, Luna blinked and directed her brown eyes down to the podium, specifically to a man in his sixties accompanied by a woman of the same age and a younger woman. “Marquis Ian Cirillo of the House of Cirillo greets His Majesty the Emperor, the sun and owner of the empire. May Selene always bless and protect His Majesty.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“May Selene bless you, Marquis Cirillo.” Luna heard Alkrevas’s response, and for some reason, she felt that Alkrevas’s response seemed half-hearted or somewhat disinterested.

However, she said nothing and continued to watch the man she knew as Ian Cirillo. The greetings continued with the Marquis’s wife-Dorothy-and lastly, the Marquis’s only daughter-Amelia. The conversation then began, and Luna paid close attention to Amelia, as, for some reason, since the beginning, she had noticed the young woman glancing at Alkrevas with an interested look that was quickly hidden by lowering her head.

“Who is the woman accompanying you, Your Majesty?” Luna blinked at the question. Immediately, she gave a sweet smile and introduced herself politely.

She was slightly taken aback when she noticed Marquis Cirillo giving her a sharp, hateful look. “She is a beautiful woman, but unfortunately, she is from commoner stock and does not deserve to be by your side.”

“Retract your statement, Marquis,” Alkrevas growled softly.

“The woman you look down upon is the imperial consort-to-be.”

“So the rumors I heard are true, Your Majesty?”

Luna saw Alkrevas tighten his grip on the armrest of the throne. “Don’t make me banish you, Cirillo.”

“You cannot do that, Your Majesty. The Noble Faction will be furious if you embarrass me in front of the delegates. You still need our support to remain on the throne.”

Luna’s eyes widened in shock. Was Marquis Cirillo openly threatening Alkrevas? Why was the man so bold? But as quickly as the question arose, so did the answer in her mind. Marquis Cirillo believed he had power and was confident that Alkrevas would do nothing.

Luna only knew a little about the Vasilos Empire’s politics. Still, one thing was sure: if the noble faction chose to withdraw their support, Alkrevas’s position would be shaken. Not to say it would collapse, but the faction would do everything to overthrow Alkrevas. It wasn’t the first time such things happened, even in her world.

Alkrevas had absolute power and dominance as an Alpha, but that was all. As she recalled from Ghea’s words, werewolves indeed dominated Vasilos, but there were still other races residing in Vasilos, including mortal beings, and Alpha Command only instilled obedience, not loyalty, like the werewolves. An Alpha’s effect would be useless for other species; it might have a significant impact on humans because they were the weakest species here, but not on others.

“I will remember that, Marquis.”

After the Marquis family turned away, Alkrevas sighed heavily and raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. “He thinks I won’t do anything. I could kill him anytime.”

“However, the Noble Faction cannot be underestimated, Alpha.” Beta Savon responded.

“Indeed, the imperial faction has power, but you also need the noble faction. After all, many of the common people rely on the nobles for their livelihood, which impacts the economy, and we still need Cirillo to guard the Vasilos borders.” Luna mentally agreed with Beta Savon’s words.

Still, for some reason, she guessed that Alkrevas’s thin patience might snap and cause him to do something about Marquis Cirillo.

“Where is Sigmund?”

“He’s making sure there are no shortages at the event.”

“That aide of mine never stops working,” Alkrevas commented wearily. The greetings continued until no more guests approached. Alkrevas breathed a sigh of relief.

…