'What are you doing here Cathania?' I asked, not sure how long she had been there or how much she had overheard.
'Is that really necessary?' she asked, her eyes narrowed at me, her lips pressed tightly together.
'I did not ask you to come up. What if Millicent had seen you?' I asked exasperated.
'I waited for you like you asked but you wouldn't come to see me and it was getting late, and I was becoming impatient, you couldn't even sent someone with a message for me. I thought it was odd and came through the secret passageway you showed me to see you but you were not in your room', she said, her chest heaving. 'I heard raised voices and thought I'd investigate, only to hear what I never thought I'd hear you say. You mean you have been deceiving me all this while?
You actually love Millicent and have been lying to me? she asked and I could see the pain in her eyes.
'You misunderstand me, Cathania. It is not what you think!' I said, trying to placate her.
'What else have you been keeping away from me?' she asked, her eyes very red. 'You have been mating her right under my nose and use the same filthy hands on me?'
'I was trying to arrange something', I said, not exactly sure what even I meant by that.
Christopher who had been listening quietly to this laughed. 'I need to leave the room for you, love birds. You need the privacy!' he said and I was sure he was going after Millicent and though I had a pressing issue here with Cathania, I was still so furious with him that I would have barred his way if I could. But as it is, I left him to go undisturbed while I continued my explanation to Cathania.
'Are you not ashamed? You are fighting with your own twin over a common maid?' she spat.
'She is not a common maid!' I shouted at her. I had not intended to say that but the way she referred to Millicent as an ordinary maid, a woman I was going to make my Luna irked me.
Cathania was staring at me as though I had lost it, much the same way Christopher had looked at me, earlier.
'You have really fallen in love with her haven't you?' she asked in a whisper.
I looked at her and didn't know what to say. How was it possible that I still had feelings for Cathania and was falling in love with Millicent?
'I still love you Cathania', I said, trying to understand my feelings. 'I don't know what I feel for Millicent just yet but all I know is that I am no longer bitter towards her. And you know what she is helping us with!'
'Oh, rubbish!' she screamed. 'That is what you are using as an excuse to keep deceiving me?' she laughed in self mockery. 'You think I am still a child who you can keep deceiving with false promises? Say you want her to be your Luna permanently but don't have to courage to come out plain with it!'
'Cathania, watch your words! I am still your Alpha. How dare you imply that I am a coward?' I asked, looking at her in anger.
'Then be bold and take what you want and stop hiding behind silly excuses!' she screamed at me. I was sure, Millicent would hear her if she was anywhere around and I prayed she wasn't. I drew her inside and shut the door.
'Okay then, I love Millicent and want her to be my real Luna. How dare you question my actions. I am the Alpha and can do whatever I please. I do not owe you nor anyone else for that matter, any explanations. Are you satisfied now?' I asked angrily.
She burst into tears and seeing her crying so heart brokenly, I went to her and pulled her into my arms, wondering how I was going to get myself disentangled from all these problems and dilemma.
'It is going to be alright', I said.
'But you just said...'
'Forget what I just said, you preempted me. I said it in anger to hurt you because you hurt my pride when you implied that I was a coward who did not know what he was doing nor what he wanted', I explained. 'But it's okay, now. You know I cannot bear to see you cry'.
'What about what you said about Millicent? Do you really love her? Tell me the truth!' she insisted. I did not want any argument nor another bout of weeping so I said what I knew she wanted to hear.
'Like I said earlier, I do not feel as angry towards her like I did in the past. I am also sorry for deceiving her into helping me preserve my throne. But that's that. What I feel might just be gratitude or just likeness. It is not something you should be bothered about!'
'Thank you so much', she said and placed her arms round my neck, kissing me. I kissed her back, thinking to end this so she could be gone already but she had other things in mind.
'You know, your brother is really wise. He left because he knew we are love birds who needed privacy to explore each other', she said. 'Let's not disappoint him. Let us use this privacy judiciously'.
This was not what I had in mind but as I stood up, to lock the door, I saw Millicent standing at the door. I stopped short, shocked. Did someone jinx me today? Because the day was fast turning into a disaster. It just wasn't my day at all. How long had Millicent been there? What had she heard? Oh goodness! And why had I not been able to smell her? I had been so sure that she was with Christopher. What do I tell her now? This day seem to be turning out to be a day for explanations.
Before I could speak, she slammed the door was ran off.
This day was definitely not my day at all, I repeated to myself, shaking my head in perplexity.
