It was bright night with the moon spreading its light all over the earth. Everywhere was bright and clear as if it was day so it was easier for people to move around and go about their work without bumping into things or people in front of them.

The owl sat noisily on the oak tree in the middle of the small bush at the back of the huge building in the pack. It kept crying and disturbing the peace of the surrounding but no one seemed to pay any attention to it because it was the least of their concerns at the moment. The prince will be getting married the next day!

Servants on white and sky blue robes paraded the compound as they tried to set everything in place so there would not be any mistake the following day during the ceremony.

“How is the preparations going?” a woman dressed in all white silk asked. Her hair was packed into a straight fall with few of it braided across the back of her head to hold the flowing one firm. Several golden ornaments were hanging on the hair to signify that she was a person of high status. Her lips were brimming red as the light shone on her full lips covered with lipstick.

The man standing slightly behind her on the balcony of one of the houses in the pack responded with a small bow, “Everything is going as it should be. We just have to move the bride to the waiting room”. She turned to face him slightly “You didn’t forget what I told you right?”, and he replied speedily “I would never forget that my queen, it is going just as you have instructed” with another bow making her smirk in satisfaction.

She stared into the bright night and remarked “Everything must be perfect, just like I want it to be”. He hesitated a bit while waiting for her to enjoy the ambience of the night before informing her of her next schedule “It is time for your night bath, you should head there”. She closed her eyes to inhale the air briefly before turning sharply and went down the building to have the said bath.

****

Lucia had been staring at the bright sky with the moon right in front of her and her happiness knew no bound. She had been engaged to the prince for close to five years and they had come a long way together even though they fought more than they should.

She grew up with him in the pack and they did everything together but they didn’t know they would end up together because they had always been more of enemies than friends. She could remember the time he placed a spider in her shoes even when he was aware that they scare her to death, she also got her revenge by making him pass through a sea of ants in the night because he was not aware of their presence.

She chuckled as she remembered all their silly moments as they grew up. They had found out that they were each other’s mate five years ago at the picking ceremony.

The picking ceremony is a tradition in the Twilight Pack that holds every three years. The wolves in the range of fifteen to twenty years would be qualified to participate and there they would find their mates with their marks. The high priest would sprinkle the water from the moon altar at the shrine on them and also apply it on their foreheads.

They would have to shift and the hum around themselves till they find the one whose mark lights up when they touch them. That particular year, everyone had found their mates leaving them behind as they refused to move near each other because they had a huge fight the previous day.

Everyone was eager and anxious at the same time because if their marks didn’t light up then that means they are not compatible and will have to wait for another three years. They stood far away from each other and held a staring contest instead of moving closer to see if their energy would mix and their marks would light up.

“You should move closer” Lucia’s mother, Anna shouted from the crowd but she was so stubborn that she couldn’t be the first to make a move.

Lucia was known for her extreme stubbornness, she always wanted to win in every arguments and situations so there was no doubt that she would be arrogant in this situation too.

Everyone watched them in silence as they were left to their decisions. The prince was assured in his heart that there was no way Lucia would be his mate so he just summoned up the courage and ran to touch her. Everyone stopped talking and it was as if time stopped, she was surprised at the sudden charge at her that she couldn’t even resist or avoid his touch if she wanted to.

Everyone blinked in anticipation to see what would happen and held their breaths as nothing happened.

“I knew it would never be you!” the prince shouted with joy and laughed, he danced around the hall with a triumph smile on his face but the laugh soon left his face as the signal popped up on their foreheads brightly.

“How could this be?” the prince muttered in shock and went still, the sight in front of him was astonishing and surprising to him, it was not what he expected. Their lights were extremely brighter and shiner than every other person who had chosen their mates that night.

“Shit!” Lucia released a loud and deep growl before biting into her lips in anger as she realized what was going on.

She ran out of the hall and went into hiding in the storage shed where she almost cried her eyes out. She refused to leave the shed for days and took her ground that unless the decision was revoked, she would not eat or come out. She was left there to do as she wished because it was not a decision made by anyone but the moon goddess.

After fainting and was on the sick bed for close to ten days, she gradually came to terms with it and accepted her fate. Over the five years, they have tried to overcome their differences and became the best of friends. They love each other so much that they are now inseparable and they couldn’t wait to officially get married to start their own lives together and afresh.

“I can’t believe I will be getting tomorrow” Lucia leapt for joy as she closed the curtain with a giggle.

“You need to get ready” One of the oldest maidservant called to her and she was jolted back to reality. She closed the curtain and walked back to the middle of the room where the maidservants were waiting for her.

“Is it time to go to the waiting room already?” she asked staring at them, her heart rate increasing with the tremendous amount of happiness mixed with anxiety circulating in her system. The maidservant bowed and answered “Yes, you have to prepare and go to the waiting room before the clock strikes midnight”, she nodded with nervousness and headed for the door.

She was led to the wooden bathing tub where the maidservant poured in the dew water that has been collected for the past three days into the hot water in the tub. She sprinkled grounded rose flower powder in. The maidservant proceeded to scrub her body with a liquid she scooped from a wooden container for a while “This is a soap made from Chamomile powder and it will soothe your skin so you don’t get tensed” She told her and rinsed it off and brought out another small bowl nearer.

She softly rubbed the substance in it between her palms before applying it slowly, gently and thoroughly on her skin, “This is an oil made from the rosemary flower and it will aid the circulation of your blood” and then washed it off her body.

The third container was opened and she took out a hard substance this time around “This is a soap made from the root of soap weed yucca and it is to make your skin soft and silky” she explained and Lucia sighed before blurting out “You really brought different kinds”. She was getting tired of all the batch after batch products she didn’t ask for that they kept explaining to her but the maidservant ignored her and just carried on with her work.

She finally finished her long bath and was clothed in a pink robe without putting on anything underneath. The robe was tightened at the waist and her hair was packed into a big towel to dry it off. The maidservant motioned to her “You should follow me” and led the way.

They came out of the bath house and walked to the right corner of the palace. They walked deeper for close to three minutes before they got to the front of the house that was sitting in the midst of three huge trees. With a faint voice, the maidservant announced to her “We are now at the waiting room”.

She looked around and saw the owl crying earlier on one of the trees, she was terrified at the voice of the owl and how eerie the environment looked. The atmosphere was a bit uncomfortable for her and she could not contain the thoughts of only her having to sleep in the house alone. “So this is the waiting room that we always hear of” she muttered as the maidservant instructed “You should go in after knocking three times”.

She staggered in shock as she tried to step back but the maids behind her held her in place, and she queried “I will be going in alone? You won’t go with me?”. The maidservant turned and explained to her “Only the bride can go in. You will stay here till morning when you will be picked up to get dressed for the ceremony”. She wanted to protest but they pushed her to the front of the room before departing.

She had heard stories of the waiting room as the place where every lady who gets married to the princes always stay the night prior to their wedding. It was rumored that a spirit wolf known as the guardian wolf always come visiting and grant them a wish of whatever they want to happen during their reign as the Luna.

She walked there with her wobbling legs due to fear, she kept looking back to see if the maidservants would come back but nothing of such seems to happen so she just sighed and knocked three times as the maidservant had instructed her before opening the door to go in.

She entered the house with the hugely lit lantern the maidservant had given unto her before leaving and saw that a small bed at the corner of the room. There was nothing in the room except the bed and a blanket to cover herself up. “It’s just like every ordinary room, I guess I got scared for nothing” she mumbled with a relieved breathe and placed the lantern on the floor beside the bed.

She stared at the roof thinking about how the next day would be and her life would turn out after the wedding. She was not sure if she was capable enough to take on the princess role since she was still young, the look on the queen’s face was always scary to her no matter how many times she try to assure herself that all will be well. She was drown in the sea of worries that she lost track of time and finally drifted to sleep.

It was around midnight when she heard a strange noise in front of the house, a huge wind came rushing through the environment and she heard the soft knock on the door.

Her eyes flew open in fear and she tried hard not to make a noise but she also remembered the spirit wolf that was said would always come to visit. She contemplated for a bit, if she should open the door or not. She was torn between just gluing herself to the bed till the spirit wolf would disappear or just face it.

After pondering over it for a while, she summoned up the courage and walked to the door to meet the spirit wolf, she wouldn’t want it to backfire in the future so she has to face it now. She slowly opened the door and a huge light shone through the entrance before it covered the entire room, blinding her vision so much that she could not see anything.

***

Finally, the wedding morning rolled in and the prince was woken up from his short sleep. He could not sleep early from the excitement of getting married the next day so he barely had enough sleep.

“You need to get ready” his servant announced and he bounced off the bed with joy, he hopped around the room showing a lot of dance steps in excitement before walking to the door. “What of Lucia? Is she ready? How did she look like? I know she will be extremely beautiful and I can’t wait to see her” he blabbered on with curiosity written all over his face as he walked to the bath house.

He finished his bath and was putting on his robe when he heard people whispering outside, he wondered what was happening to make the atmosphere tense and disorganized and was curious to get the news so he tapped the servant next to him “Find out what is happening” he instructed and the servant quickly bowed before rushing out to carry out his command immediately.

He fixed his robe and waited patiently with his hands in akimbo for his servant to bring the feedback of whatever was happening. The servant rushed in after five minutes with a worried look and panic footsteps. He stared at him with a raised eyebrow “What is wrong? What is going on that is making you hesitate to talk?”

The servant began “My Prince, the thing is” and stopped making him raise his brows higher to hear what he had to say but he paused again which was starting to annoy him. “The thing is what? Can’t you say what you want to say? What is happening outside?” he growled at him suddenly and the servant shuddered in fear

The servant finally summoned up the courage and announced “The thing is, the bride is missing”, everywhere went still for several seconds at this revelation.

He could not fathom or comprehend the news that was just delivered to him. Why would Lucia be missing? Why would she suddenly be found wanting from the waiting room? It was a question he couldn’t wrap his head around. Several emotions ranging from confusion, fear and anger mixed up within him in the span of just a minute, he was not sure how to take the news because his colorful day just went dim in front of him.

He queried with a shaky tone “What are you talking about? Why would she be missing? Have you checked everywhere? She might have come out by herself” and the servant shook his head before responding with a low voice “Everywhere is being searched but she’s nowhere to be found”. He stormed out before they could blink their eyes and they rushed to follow him immediately.

before they could blink their eyes and they rushed to follow him immediately.