The dawn broke with a crimson hue spilling across the sky, painting the kingdom in colors too bright and too cheerful for the sorrow chained to the ancient tree in the palace courtyard. Liora stirred weakly as the first rays of sunlight fell across her swollen belly, her half torn gown clinging to her shivering body. Every movement brought a stab of pain. Her wrists and ankles were raw from the coarse ropes, her lips cracked from thirst.
But the day had only just begun, and its cruelty was waiting.
Vanya's voice rang out across the courtyard like a bell, sharp and commanding. "Bring the children!" she ordered the guards, her gown flowing behind her as she strode into the center of the courtyard. Her hair shimmered in the morning light, her beauty unmarred by grief or guilt. If anything, she looked radiant with triumph.
Moments later, a group of young ones from the pack came scampering into the courtyard. Boys and girls, some barely old enough to shift, others entering their adolescence, all gathered with eager curiosity. Their laughter bubbled in the air, innocent and cruel at once, for they were children obeying their Luna.
"Today," Vanya announced, standing tall before them, "we teach a lesson. This woman" she pointed with venom at the one tied to the tree…"is no Luna. She is a deceiver, a thief of titles, a disgrace to this pack. And you, my sweet ones, will be the hands of the Moon Goddess delivering justice."
The children glanced at each other uncertainly until Vanya clapped her hands. Servants hurried forward carrying baskets filled with rotten eggs, their stench drifting across the courtyard, thick and sour. The children's hesitation faded into curiosity, then mischief, as they picked up the eggs, their small fingers curling around the filth.
Liora lifted her head, her matted hair falling over her face. When she saw the baskets, her heart sank. "Please…" she croaked, her voice barely audible. But no one listened.
The first egg flew.
It struck her shoulder and burst with a wet smack, the slimy contents oozing down her arm. The children squealed in delight. Another followed, hitting her squarely on the chest, then another on her swollen belly. Liora gasped, doubling slightly as yolk and shells dripped down her gown.
Soon the air was filled with the sound of laughter and splattering eggs. They hurled them at her face, her hair, her stomach, each throw punctuated by shrieks of excitement. The rotten stench wrapped around her like a curse.
Liora's tears mingled with the yolk, streaming down her cheeks as her lips trembled. She tried to turn her face away, but another egg struck her temple, the fragments of shell scraping her skin.
Her sobs echoed in the courtyard, but no one came to stop it.
From the balcony above, Vanya watched with a satisfied smile, her arms folded elegantly across her chest. To her, this was justice, the humiliation fitting for the woman who had dared to claim her place, her Alpha, her child, her title.
"Throw harder!" Vanya called down, her voice carrying like a whip. "Do not pity her. She does not deserve your pity. She killed the heir."
The children obeyed, their throws more vicious, more daring. Liora flinched with every impact, her body trembling from exhaustion and despair. She had fought rogues for these very children, saved their homes, their families. Now, at Vanya's command, they pelted her as though she were an enemy. Not even one said no.
At last, when the baskets were empty and the courtyard reeked of sour yolk and broken shells, Vanya lifted her hand. "Enough. You have done well. Remember this lesson: traitors and impostors will always be brought low. Now, run along."
The children scattered, still giggling, their shoes leaving trails of egg shells behind them. The courtyard fell into silence, broken only by Liora's soft, broken sobs.
Vanya descended the steps with deliberate grace, her gown whispering against the stone. She stopped before Liora, tilting her chin up with two fingers, smearing yolk across her own hand but not caring.
"Look at you," Vanya sneered. "The mighty savior of the kingdom, reduced to nothing more than a pitiful sight. Did you truly think Gonzalo would ever choose you? Did you truly think the pack would worship you as their Luna? Foolish girl."
Liora tried to speak, but her voice broke into sobs.
Vanya released her chin with disgust, wiping her fingers on Liora's torn gown. "Stay here, tied to your shame. Perhaps the Moon Goddess will take pity on you. I will not."
She turned and left, her laughter cold, echoing against the stone walls as she disappeared into the palace.
***
The day dragged on, every hour stretching like an eternity. The sun beat down, drying the yolk on Liora's skin into a crust that cracked when she moved. Flies buzzed around her, attracted by the stench, landing on her hair, her cheeks, even her swollen belly. She shook her head weakly, but they returned, relentless.
Her stomach cramped from hunger, her throat burned with thirst, but her body was too weak to cry out anymore. She leaned her head back against the tree, staring at the sky through tear blurred eyes.
Where are you, Gonzalo? she thought desperately. Why haven't you come for me? Surely you must know what they've done… surely you wouldn't let this happen.
As the sun set and shadows crept over the courtyard, Liora slipped in and out of consciousness. The cold of the night replaced the heat of day, her body shivering uncontrollably.
Then, soft footsteps approached.
"Elira…" Liora whispered hoarsely as the young servant girl emerged from the shadows.
Elira carried a small bundle, and her eyes were swollen with tears. She glanced around nervously before kneeling at Liora's side. From her bundle she pulled out a flask of water and a piece of bread.
"Here," Elira whispered urgently, pressing the flask to Liora's cracked lips. "Drink, quickly, before anyone sees."
The water was life itself. Liora gulped greedily, choking on the first mouthful, then drinking again until Elira gently pulled it back. "Slowly… slowly."
The bread was rough and stale, but to Liora it tasted like a feast. She chewed weakly, tears streaming down her face.
"Elira…" she managed, her voice raspy. "Where is he? Where is Alpha Gonzalo? Why… why hasn't he come?"
Elira froze. The truth burned in her throat — that Gonzalo was not at war, that he was in his chambers with Vanya, laughing, loving. But she could not bring herself to say it. Liora's eyes, though swollen and filled with pain, still held a fragile hope.
"He is in battle," Elira lied softly. "With a rogue pack. He cannot leave until it is finished. But soon… soon he will return for you."
Liora's lips trembled, but she nodded weakly, her hope flickering like a dying flame refusing to go out. "Yes… he will return. He must…"
Elira's tears fell freely now. She brushed them away quickly, glancing back toward the palace. "I must go before someone sees. Hold on, my lady. Hold on for him."
She squeezed Liora's hand once before darting into the shadows, leaving Liora alone once more.
The courtyard was silent again, save for the rustle of leaves in the night wind. Liora leaned her head back, her eyes closing.