Three months ago, (two days after the breakup...)
The familiar silhouette of the Avriantya estate emerged through the morning mist like a ghost from another lifetime.
Luna sat motionless on Sally's back, her hands loosely gripping the golden fur as they approached the ornate gates that had once been her prison.
The sight should have stirred something in her—recognition, relief, even dread.
Instead, she felt only that familiar emptiness, as if she were observing someone else's life through a thick pane of glass.
"Luna," Sally's voice rumbled beneath her, careful and hesitant. "Are you certain about this? We could still—"
"No." The word came out flat, final. "This is where I belong."
It was true, wasn't it? Here, among the cold marble and political machinations, where emotions were weapons and attachments were weaknesses. Here, where being numb was an advantage rather than a curse.
Sally's pace slowed as they neared the estate grounds, her wolf instincts clearly picking up something that made her uneasy.
But Luna had already seen them—the glint of armor between the manicured hedges, the deliberate positioning of figures that spoke of military precision rather than casual patrol.
They were waiting for her.
"Lady Luna." Sally's voice carried a warning now. "There are soldiers. Many of them."
Luna nodded once, unsurprised. Of course there were. Victor's death wouldn't have gone unnoticed for long, and she was the obvious suspect. The grieving widow who had mysteriously vanished the same night her husband was brutally murdered.
"Stop here," she instructed, sliding down from Sally's back with practiced grace.
Her feet touched the familiar cobblestones of the estate's entrance courtyard, and immediately the hidden soldiers emerged from their positions like pieces on a chessboard revealing themselves.
Twenty. Maybe twenty-five Imperial guards, their weapons drawn but not yet pointed directly at her. Professional. Disciplined. And at their head...
"Commander Astoria Kelleth." Luna recognized her immediately—a woman with steel-gray hair pulled back in a severe bun, wearing the distinctive red cloak of the Imperial Investigation Corps.
Her reputation preceded her: efficient, ruthless, and utterly incorruptible.
Perfect.
"Princess Luna Avriantya," Commander Kelleth said, her voice carrying the crisp authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed without question. "Or should I say, the late Lady Luna Vasquez? You've been a difficult woman to find."
Luna straightened her shoulders, letting the mask of nobility slide back into place as easily as putting on a familiar gown.
Three years of managing Victor's estate had not dulled her political instincts.
"Commander," she replied with a polite nod. "To what do I owe this... enthusiastic welcome?"
The commander's gray eyes studied her with the intensity of a predator evaluating prey. "You know exactly why we're here. The brutal murder of Lord Victor Vasquez. The complete destruction of his bedroom. The mysterious disappearance of his wife on the very same night."
Around them, the soldiers shifted slightly, hands tightening on their weapons. But Luna kept her expression perfectly neutral, even as Sally growled low in her throat beside her.
"I see." Luna clasped her hands behind her back, tilting her head with the kind of mild curiosity one might show when discussing the weather. "And you believe I'm responsible for my husband's death?"
"The evidence certainly suggests it." Commander Kelleth stepped closer, close enough that Luna could see the calculating intelligence in her eyes. "Servants report hearing arguments. Your sister-in-law, Lady Livina, was found dead alongside him. And you..."
She gestured at Luna's appearance with barely concealed disdain. "You vanish without a trace, only to return dressed like a commoner, accompanied by what appears to be a wolf."
Luna glanced down at her borrowed clothes—the sturdy leather and wool that Lila had procured for her in what felt like another lifetime.
Then she looked back at the commander with that same mild expression.
"These are serious accusations, Commander Kelleth. I trust you have more than circumstantial evidence to support such claims?"
Something flickered in the commander's eyes—surprise, perhaps, at Luna's calm response. Most people, when confronted with murder charges, tended toward panic or indignation.
"Evidence enough," she said curtly. "Luna Avriantya, by the authority of His Imperial Majesty and the Investigation Corps, you are under arrest for the murder of Lord Victor Vasquez and Lady Livina Vasquez. You will be transported to the capital for questioning and trial."
The words should have terrified her. Should have sent ice through her veins and set her heart racing with desperate plans for escape.
Instead, Luna felt... nothing.
"I see," she said again, as if the commander had just informed her of a minor scheduling conflict. "And what of my companion?"
All eyes turned to Sally, who had remained perfectly still despite the obvious tension radiating from her golden form. The soldiers shifted nervously—few had experience dealing with wolves this close to civilization.
"The beast will be dealt with separately," Commander Kelleth replied dismissively.
That was when Luna smiled.
It wasn't a pleasant expression—she could see several soldiers actually flinch at the sight of it. It was the kind of smile that had once made visiting nobles reassess their negotiation strategies.
"Commander," she said, her voice taking on the silk-wrapped steel tone that had served her well in territorial disputes. "I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding."
She stepped forward, just close enough to make the commander aware of the space between them without appearing threatening.
"You see, I've been managing the Avriantya estate for three years. I'm quite familiar with Imperial law, including the specific procedures required for arrests of nobility." Her smile widened slightly. "And I'm afraid you've made several rather embarrassing oversights."
Commander Kelleth's expression didn't change, but Luna caught the slight tightening around her eyes. "Explain."
"Firstly," Luna raised one finger, as if lecturing a particularly slow student, "while Victor Vasquez held the title of Lord through marriage, his death automatically reverts primary authority over this territory to the main Avriantya bloodline. Which would be me."
She gestured gracefully at the estate around them. "You are currently trespassing on Avriantya lands without proper authorization from the territorial authority. Which, again, would be me."
"Secondly," another finger, her voice remaining perfectly conversational, "the Investigation Corps requires either direct Imperial warrant or territorial noble endorsement to make arrests on noble lands. Do you happen to have either?"
The silence stretched for several heartbeats too long.
"And finally," Luna said, her tone growing just a touch colder, "my 'companion' is not a beast, Commander. She is Lady Sally Montclair, a recognized noble of the Northern Territories who has chosen to honor me with her escort. I trust you weren't about to threaten the safety of a visiting dignitary?"
Sally, bless her quick thinking, shifted slightly and inclined her wolf head in what could generously be interpreted as a noble acknowledgment.
Commander Kelleth's jaw clenched almost imperceptibly. "You're suggesting we don't have authority here?"
"I'm not suggesting anything, Commander. I'm stating facts." Luna folded her hands in front of her, the picture of reasonable nobility. "Now, if you'd like to request a formal audience to discuss these matters properly, I'm certain we can arrange something suitable. Perhaps after you've acquired the appropriate documentation?"
The silence that followed was broken only by the voice of a nobleman who stood at a distance with two others, looking on quietly.
Luna would have ignored them, knowing they were most likely the ones who had tried to get rid of her now that Victor was dead by becomibg witness.
In the end, it was expected since she was now a Luna without her Alpha.
The nobleman voiced out while painting his finger.
"Commander, that woman is lying; she must have killed her husband to..."