Four

A lady must always avoid unnecessary conversation such as gossiping. Faults you see in another need not to be discussed.

✾

Silas plopped himself into a chair.

He placed his elbow on the table and rested his cheek on his palm. He looked at each and every one of us, still not lingering, just a passing stare. Waiting for us to do something.

He knows we can't speak unless asked. I could feel the rest of the consort's eyes on me, my fingers instinctively gripped one of the silverware, my eyes staring back at my reflection.

"What's your name?"

His voice was enough to send shivers to my spine. I try not to show it but I'm sure the other consorts could smell my fear. He wasn't looking at me when he asked, he was busy placing a table napkin on his lap. I could still feel the tension and I gripped my silverware tighter my knuckles becoming white.

"Amara."

"You were louder a while ago, won't you let me hear your voice some more?" His voice was light, almost teasing.

I bite the inside of my cheek. "My name is Amara."

"I see." He hummed, he tapped his fingers on the table and I lifted my head slowly looking at him. He was staring at the various foods placed on the table and started serving himself.

Everyone else didn't dare raise their head and look at him, they were already chewing on the food on their plates. I still didn't have anything on mine and I don't know if it's right to get food now. "Lady Vita told me you were the substitute of Eleanor."

Substitute. I forgot. I wasn't supposed to be here.

"I was able to check on Eleanor's whole record back at the academe. She had high scores on all subjects, she might have a hard time with her literature ever since we were young, but the rest were magnificent. From what I heard, you were just after everyone else here, seventh, if I remember correctly."

My mouth is sealed shut. I could feel something inside of me clawing to get out. The silverware in my hand shaking from my grip.

"I announced the names from worst to best by the way. Given that new information, I don't understand why you, number seven, would ridicule other consorts. You're no better than them, literally."

If they weren't staring at me then, they definitely are staring at me now.

I could feel my eyes burning.

Silas raised his head and stared at me. Through me. I can't stop my glare but it won't bring me any good so I choose to glare at the wall behind him. I could feel my jaw tightening, my whole body shaking from anger. He stands up holding his plate and slowly approached me. My heart thumping louder the closer he gets.

But then he places the plate in front of me, serving it. To me.

And I found myself at loss of words.

He lowers his head just below my ear, and he speaks, I could feel the hotness of his breath. His voice was softer this time, only intended for me to hear.

"Number seven, I'd appreciate it if you'd prove yourself first before talking down on the other consorts. I'm not fond of those who speak so lowly of others before proving themselves worthy of attention. You want to be the best right?"

I couldn't help myself. "It's not just something I want. I'm going to be the best."

"I'd love to see it," He says louder now, chuckling lightly and returning to his seat, like he didn't just make my confidence and faith in myself drop ten feet below the ground. "For the meantime though, its best you put in mind that it's not all just black and white. You can be all things at once. Katya can both be a kid and a royal consort, as you can both be a royal consort and a future Luna."

Katya looked like she didn't know whether she should blush or faint. I look at the plate he placed in front of me. Three pieces of buttered toast, a strawberry shortcake, a stack of pancakes, and some pecan pie.

"May this be a reminder to all of you, if you are to be a Luna, you are not to just look down on others. A Luna's duty goes past just standing beside me. They're the foundation of the citizens of Cinco."

You could cut the tension in the room with a knife but Silas ignores it completely.

"Eleanor leaving was a surprise even to me, rest assured I have my guards looking for her and this is headed by her brother, Elli. Everyone knows I'm close to the family, so you better believe and trust me that I will do my best to return her to safety."

Silas was looking at me when he said this. I don't know how long he was staring, his expression same as when he first saw me during coronation day. He studies my features for a few seconds, his gaze so intense I had to look away. Not before I feel goosebumps by my neck.

"But since we're all in here, I'd like to discuss the rules and duties you have as a royal consort. I don't want to burst your bubble but I don't believe in the system the academe or the past Alphas have used. I made my own," Silas proclaimed, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "For the time that you are here, this will be your home. Your physical features don't really matter to me, you can eat anything you want, you can cut your hair, and you can even put colors on your nails. I don't care."

I munch on my toast, I don't like it here. Something is still clawing inside me and I don't like it. I'm feeling anxious as it is. I look at the others under my lashes and see their attention to Silas. I notice Mariana peeking at me from time to time. So I glared at her. She quickly looked away, pale.

"You wouldn't have any etiquette training here, I'm sure half of your life was already dedicated to that back at the academe. Here on out you would be tasked to duties more on the political aspect of your future role as Luna. Each one of you helping me with the laws and the rules. You'd also be doing charity work and scouting areas around Cinco."

I look at him this time. Confusion on my face. We're not allowed to go outside.

The ravages would kill us, and he knows that.

"There are a lot of places around Cinco that's stricken with poverty, each one of you will be assigned an area and by the end of three months I would check who accomplished the most. I won't announce your arrival, I won't send guards with you, you're to make a name on your own and earn the people's trust. Am I understood?"

"That's a suicide mission and you know it." It wasn't me who said it, it was Tarryn. Her eyes almost looked like flames, Mariana tightly clutching her sleeve now, pulling her down. Any minute, she's going to pounce. She did it before, when she didn't agree with one of the consorts back at the academe, who says she won't do it now?

Holly slowly raised her hand, "Silas, I agree with Tarryn. I don't think any of us are capable of surviving out on our own. We rarely go out back at the academe. I'm not sure we can do it."

"She's right," Katya mumbled, her fingers twirling the tips of her hair. "I'm scared."

Suzanne didn't say anything. She is nodding though. I'm guessing the bread she's chewing makes it hard to talk. She wasn't even finished chewing but she's already looking all around the table for the next thing she's going to put inside her mouth.

Silas stared at me, resting his face on one of his palms again, probably waiting for me to talk. I don't. He already made me shut up with his number seven comment, I don't want to make any more mistakes and make him single me out more. So I just stared back at him. He raised one of his eyebrows and smirked.

I frowned. What's so funny?

"It hurts me that you royal consorts look down on me," Silas grabbed his coffee cup and drank it slowly. With his eyes closed, he savored the taste, almost looking as if he's fighting sleep even though it's already in the middle of the day.

"Of course, I wouldn't let you go alone without proper weapons and training. Let me repeat myself, you won't have any etiquette training. You will have proper training for weapons, poisons, and martial arts. I want my Luna to be someone who can stand on her own, I want a partner not a shadow."

My eyes widen. I can't even imagine quiet Mariana or little Katya holding a weapon.

"You'll also be practicing in both human and wolf form."

If mouths dropping had a sound, this would be it. That and the sound of a plate dropping. I look at Suzanne and see her hand in the air a plate full of pastries unceremoniously spilled down just below it. We were given a chance to shift, but shifting for battling is solely for males with Alpha blood.

What is Silas doing?

"Any more comments?"

It was me this time. "This is all new to us. In those three months, what if we fail?"

He simply smiled, as if he was waiting for a question from me all this time. "Royal Consorts were picked since you were the best of the best. I'm sure that each of you will be able to do your duties even before the three months are over. I don't think those that were picked by Lady Vita would fail."

Silas wiped his mouth with a napkin, his eyes on me. "I'm not sure about those who volunteered though."

I hear a silverware breaking and Silas' eyes go down to my hands. I felt the fork snap without even having to look. He smiled at what he saw, like he actually smiled. His eyes brightening, his mouth showing a set of pearly white teeth. "Interesting."

That was the last thing he said before he stood up and left, leaving all of us here mouths open wide. Shocked beyond our core.

"He's crazy," Suzanne said, her voice soft, I guess we were back to using our Consort's voice now. She wasn't looking at me, she was looking at the plate she just dropped. She slowly picked it up and grabbed a piece of bread. "He wants to kill us, that's it."

Tarryn stood up abruptly and slammed her fist on the table. Her chair falling to the floor with a large thud. Mariana looking at her with worry, pulling her sleeves yet again. Tarryn paid her no mind, her nostrils flaring. She chuckled humorlessly. "He's a freaking lunatic that's what he is. Do you know how hard it is to be recognized without guards? How will we survive? That freaking dog."

A gasp, it was Katya. "Tarryn, language."

"I'm sure he means well, at least he's actually looking at us. We're not just baby makers to him." Holly mumbled, wiping her mouth with a napkin. She then peered at Suzanne and glared. "Will you stop? How can you be eating at a time like this?"

Suzanne scoffed, "It's my right to eat. It would be a waste to ignore this feast."

"Unlike you, I find it hard to eat when everyone else is starving."

With that final comment, Holly stood up her grace very evident. She reminds me so much of Eleanor that it makes me sick. If what Silas said was true, that his announcements were worst to best, Holly would come second. And since Eleanor's no longer here – it means she's the number one person who could be our Luna.

I always knew it would be like this. This contest was really just between Holly and Eleanor.

She looked at each of us for one final time and bowed, leaving all of us inside the dining room. Suzanne rolled her eyes chewing on her bread, "What crawled up her butt and died?"

It was Tarryn who stood up next, she didn't even look at us before hurrying outside the room. Mariana looking back at us, bowing slightly and following her like a shadow. I never understood why Mariana followed her, she was never treated like a friend. Albeit, she wasn't treated as an enemy either but are alliances helpful in times like this?

I haven't eaten yet so I obviously wasn't leaving. I started picking up the toast and chewing. The taste bursting in my mouth, when was the last time I tasted butter? Suzanne didn't look like she was leaving the table any time soon. And Katya was still drinking a cup of hot cocoa from her mug.

I wonder if Tarryn and Mariana had eaten already. Then I think back to Holly, ever since stepping into this place, did she splurge with her meals? Did she eat until she felt bloated? Or did she only eat the same amount that was rationed back at the academe? Did she only drink water? Was she still counting calories?

I understand her sentiment. That it was unfair to eat so lavishly when there are people outside the gates scavenging garbage cans to look for their next meal.

Realistically though, if we choose not to eat these, it won't feed the mouths outside the gates. It won't make them full. We would only be wasting more food. And we can't focus on the task at hand with an empty stomach.

Holly's optimistic, but now is not the time for that.

"I was last." Katya mumbled, her hands rubbing her shoulders for warmth. "It should have been you in my place, Amara. Maybe Eleanor would have stayed if it was you who was here first."

I was about to agree but then I remember Silas' words.

There's a reason she was ahead of me. Whatever it was I have to find out. Their strengths and weaknesses, the more I'm knowledgeable about that, the more likely I get to outshine each and every one of them. "Don't sell yourself short."

"I guess the Alpha got into your head huh," Suzanne leaned against her chair and patted her tummy. Though I'm sure she was bloated, with our genetically engineered metabolism, I'm sure the fat she just consumed won't immediately make any difference. She let out a small burp, and laughed. "Ah to live as a consort, everyone wants to be us."

"He's not Alpha yet." I announce. It's the truth.

He won't be. Until he chooses one of us.

"I don't know what's beyond the academe and the palace gates. Silas' just being a dreamer. You can't change what already is, he should have just followed the past rules. We should just be tested with what we were taught," Katya said sounding a little older than she is. "Why change what isn't broken in the first place?"

"I saw what was outside once," Suzanne said, she finally stopped eating and was just leaning back against her chair. Her eyes on the place where Silas was moments ago.

"Whatever you're thinking it's much, much worse.” Suzanne closed her eyes, titling her head backwards. “I accompanied Lady Vita when she picked up garments for one of the dresses I've broken. The dresses were just too small for someone like me. So I had one that was tailor-made to accommodate my size. She told me not to look outside the carriage but I didn't listen.”

Suzanne opens her eyes and stares at both of us long and hard. “There were werewolves lying on the pavement, I don't think they were breathing. They were frail, and skinny. The healthier wolves were looting from them."

The laws are great. This doesn't mean they're no more suffering but I don't say it, because I just might be wrong. Majority of the people at Cinco are doing well, deaths have lessened, and women are seen at a brighter light. There are no more unnecessary brawls over power and packs and land.

Everything is in order here at Cinco.

What's a few people starving to a whole lot more people living?