Eclipse (Part 1)

The priests of Lunaria were preparing to go to war. It looked like the High Priest expected this to happen, as he knew exactly what kind of orders he needed to give to his subordinates.

They were preparing two types of troops. The first group consisted of warriors, fighting with swords and spears, riding horses, or marching on foot. The second group was arming themselves with holy scriptures and spells, and… with the blood of the Moon Princess.

The high priest was now frequently visiting her chamber, not drinking her blood, but draining it. He mixed it with wine and ordered many priests to drink it every day. He ordered to hide this wine in a small flask and have it always handy, as if it were some kind of HP or mana potion from a computer game.

Finally, the night before the war had come. Tomorrow morning, they will ride the horses to the border. But tonight, she will finally run away with Elias.

Selena quickly realized she couldn't wait until the next mass to be free anymore. If she were to escape, she had to do it the night before the war.

She discussed this plan with Elias multiple times to ensure everything would end well. He will bring her tea as usual, and she will pretend she is drowsy and tired. Then the high priest will come to take her blood, the door will be left unlocked, and the tower will be empty. She will surprise him and run away from the tower. Even if he starts ringing the bells in the tower to inform others that she is trying to run away, he will be unable to do anything else. People were now preparing to go to war, no one would be thinking about their little saintess running like a cowardly deserter. They will all think she is drugged, anyway.

Selena was now lying in the armchair. She dragged it next to the window, so the moonlight could shine on it and she could take the last moments of its magical energy. She felt extremely tired after each blood drain, but she was able to recover a lot of her magic if she listened to the moon and let its light heal her. With her eyes closed now, she was feeling her silver magic running through her veins.

It looked like she was really close to an awakening now. The life force circulating over her body was now able to merge with her blood. She could feel power growing inside, although she was still not sure how she could wield it.

The lock clicked, and the door opened. Elias came with the usual cup of tea in his hands, which he brought her every night he stepped into this chamber. The high priest usually visited her about half an hour later, when he was sure the drugs had already started working on her.

“Your tea, My Lady,” said Elias, his head bowed.

Selena took the warm cup into her hands.

“Is everything ready?” she asked him before taking a sip of his tea.

“We have two horses waiting downstairs,” he replied. “I pretended I needed them tomorrow, so I could deliver the supplies for the army.”

“Very well,” Selena said.

She was nervous. Her hands holding the cup were shaking. She took another sip of the tea, thinking. The prospects looked really grim.

It will be hard to find the right moment to attack the high priest. They will have only a few minutes to run down and get up on the horse. It has been ages since she rode the horse last. She loved horses as a kid, but as she stepped into adulthood, she had less and less time to care about her hobbies. Her whole life was about pleasing her family, instead.

She was not confident enough that this would go smoothly. And if this plan fails, she will be forced to go to war, where her role will be to be a mobile blood bank. The chances for her survival were low outside of the tower, but they were dropping tremendously once she stepped onto the battlefield. Even if she is lucky enough to survive the war, she won't be fortunate enough to break free from the marriage proposal that awaits her in this world.

There was nothing else she could do. She could just pray to the Moon that her plan will work tonight. She drank the whole tea, putting the cup back into Elias's hands.

“Now, we will wait,” she said solemnly.

“He will be here soon,” Elias whispered, turning his head to the closed door. “He is planning to take your blood for the last time, then he will need you to conserve your energy so you will be able to endure the travels to the border.”

“Yes, I know.”

They both went quiet, awaiting the arrival of the high priest. Selena hoped this would be the last time his dirty mouth would touch her skin. She shook her head, trying to scare away the unpleasant feelings rising in her body. In just a few moments, they will run. Tonight, she will be finally free.

The steps echoed in the silence hanging in the tower. The door had opened, and the high priest stepped inside. He looked at the empty cup in Elias’s hands.

“Had the herbs started working already?” he asked him.

“Yes, Lord High Priest,” Elias bowed. “It should start working any time now.”

Selena was looking at them through the dark veil, smiling. Elias was always bowing before the head priest, so he could hide his true intention, which showed on his face.

“Very well, boy,” the high priest praised him.

Selena bit into her lips. She had to be patient now. One wrong step and he will catch her. She needed to assess the situation carefully and choose the right time for her escape.

The high priest turned his attention to her. “This will be the last drop, I promise, dear saintess,” he said.

Selena looked at him with her drowsy eyes.

He now looked as if he were around twenty-eight, but even though he was now looking considerably younger, she still did not find him attractive. He was slouched and had weak limbs. His blond hair was thin and greasy, and his blue eyes looked too droopy. His breath smelled foul. Even though he bathed frequently, there was always a smell of sweat and rot hanging around him.

Every time she heard him say “dear saintess,” she could feel her stomach turning around, churning. It was probably his attitude and demeanor, which felt repulsive to her. Not mentioning the fact, he was supposed to marry her and bed her. She had to push the urge to vomit every time she remembered that.

She hissed as he cut her with his dagger, deeply. The blood, which was only trickling during previous nights, was now flooding down her arm. It hurt so much, she thought her hand was going to fall off. Gripping it by the elbow, she wanted to squeeze it firmly. But… her fingers felt weak, and she couldn't feel her own arm properly.

Her instincts screamed.

She tried to jump out of the armchair, but her muscles were too heavy. She was unable to move a limb. She did not understand what was happening now. She was sitting right under the moon, which should have given her energy to move, but something was not working.

She was drugged. For real. Right now.

“You are not moving, but I swear I can see you writhing right now,” the high priest smiled at her, as he finished gathering her blood for tonight.

He pulled away the veil so he could study her face. Selena’s dark blue eyes were hazy, her eyelids heavy. She was trying to glare at him, but she was physically unable to do so.

“We can’t have our young lamb run away tonight,” he said.

The understanding dawned on her. She shifted her gaze to Elias, standing behind the high priest, with the empty cup in his hands.

“Y-you…”

She had to force the sound out of her body. It was too hard to do anything. How is it she drank the whole tea and did not realize it was drugged again? Was it because she believed in him?

“Isn’t he a loyal servant?” the high priest praised Elias. “Once you shared your blood with him for the first time, he went straight to me, asking for forgiveness. And I forgave him. After all, his only role was to be there for the Moon Princess, so she could confide in someone. Her sharing willingly the blood was the sign she was ready to open her heart to someone.”

Selena did not say anything. She was just looking at them both, dumbfounded. She lost. She thought she got smarter this time around, but in the end, she was too naïve, too weak. As always. Tears started trickling down her cheeks. She did not change one bit.

“All your efforts are futile, my dear saintess,” the priest said. “You did not think this through. Even if you were able to escape, where would you go?

No matter where you end up, there will always be people trying to extort your power for themselves. Until you have this power, there will be no one in this world, you will be able to trust. That is the burden we powerful ones have to bear.

Now, go to sleep, my dear, as tomorrow we will go to war. And once we win, we will return straight here, so I can make you mine.”