Chapter 28

                                    

                                          
            Luna watched as Wren looked at her and she could see that she was debating telling her. From the look on Sebastian's face she had told him when she was coming into camp with him and Luna was still confused on how they knew each other.
"I am one of his, of King Waylyn maids. I didn't do the cleaning part, I...I was one of his dolls." She said through gritted teeth. Luna cursed. She was one of his concubines. Now that she knew that he enslaved women like this made her even more determined to take him off the throne. "What did you do, how did you get away?" she asked. This girl couldn't be but a year or two older than Luna herself. Wren looked at her and Luna motioned for her to sit next to the fire. Sebastian made the pretense of guarding around their campsite to give them freedom to talk.
"You don't know what horrors that we had to endure while being part of his "household." It was more like being in a prison... I was only sixteen when I was brought to him; I was intended for his son... Prince Kalon but then the prince disappeared. I thought it was my fault so I punished myself..." Wren pushed her hair back from her neck and showed Luna and Sebastian a black mark that was branded into her neck. "What does this mark mean?" Luna asked. "This one is the number of years I had to be in service and my age that I started. The other one is called a Devil's mark. It just means that anyone that the king says can use me." at this she bowed her head. 
"Do you know Lorcan? She asked, looking at them after a minute of silence. "Yeah, when I first came to the palace to become Aryn's handmaid he was the one that brought me to the king. What about him?" "He is my brother." she said. Luna looked at her with a confused expression. "Lorcan is your brother?" "Yeah, what makes that so shocking?" Wren asked and raised an eyebrow at her.Luna shook her head. "Well, you two look nothing alike." she said. Wren smiled. "That is because I am a shifter. I am able to alter my appearance by will, it only applies to my hair and eyes, but it is enough to get me lost in a crowd if I need it." Wren said. Luna looked at her. "So, that is why you and Lorcan look nothing alike." Luna said, remembering her friend. Wren nodded. "Yeah, when mum found out what I was she said that I could either stay the way I was or I could change. I thought that it would be fun so I changed." 
"Lorcan has black hair and green eyes, but you have red hair and green eyes." "You really think that I would want to look like my brother?" she asked and Luna shrugged. "I guess not." she said. "What do you want to do now?" Sebastian said and Luna had forgotten that he was there for a moment. "Seb, should we stay here or should we go on and see who else we can find?" Luna asked and he looked at her and then at Wren. "We found one, maybe in her town or city we will find others." Sebastian shrugged. "Whatever you decide, lets just get a move on. I don't think that we should stay in the same place for a long period of time." Luna looked at Wren. "We should pack and get everything ready to go." she said and Wren nodded. "I'll help then we can get to the city together." she said and Sebastian nodded. "That is nice of you, but what about your family, won't they be worried about where you have gone to?" "I have my own form of transport." she said and putting her fingers to her lips she let out a shrill whistle and a large white stallion galloped into view. "This is Alcen." she said and Luna nodded. "Go ahead and start packing up the tent and we will start on the little things." she said and Sebastian shrugged. "Alright, whatever you say." he said but he didn't go about what she said without sending Wren a glare as she started putting things into bags. "What is your city called?" Luna asked as she brushed her blond silver hair out of her face and tied it behind her head so that it didn't get in the way. "My city is called Tethoris and it is a place that I think that you will be able to see yourself staying for a while, if you let yourself be lost in the magic." Wren said and after a bit they were done packing everything on the horses and all three were mounted and Luna nodded at Wren to lead the way. *******
 "How far do you think that we will get today?" Luna asked and Wren looked at her. "The city isn't too far and we would expect nothing less of you staying for a gathering or something of that nature." Wren said without looking back. "Is your city the next closest?" Sebastian asked and Wren only nodded. She was concentrating on finding the right path. "You will like it there, it is not so different then the highest city, isn't that where you two are from?" Luna nodded. "Yeah, we are working our way out from the city so that the king doesn't get any ideas and try and stop us." Wren nodded. "How did you manage him letting you get out of the city, we've been told that the king keeps a very hard eye on all of the citizens of the high city." "Well, he thinks that I am taking care of my family, I told him that Sebastian would have to come with me and we have been sending letters, so that no one is openly worried about where we are and if we are coming back. That way we have time to gather people." Wren looked at her and smiled. "That is good, if he thinks that you are home then he won't send someone to come and find us, meaning that we will have more time and be ready when it is time to take the throne." she said and Sebastian rode up next to him where he was riding in the back. "And it will be more of a surprise when we do come. Hey, Wren, is that the city up ahead?" he asked and Luna looked forward to where he was now pointing. 
A city sat in front of them, well, it looked like a small kingdom of its own. Tethoris was surrounded with a large iron wall all of the way around it and two iron gates, that Luna suspected at one time had been white were now a dull gray. Wren led the way up to the city gates and flashed a blue gem that was tied around her neck at the guards and they opened the gates for them. As they passed through the gates Luna saw that it was much larger then it looked from the outside. Wren looked at them. "Welcome to Tethoris." she said with a grin and they watched as the iron gates closed behind them.