Revenant Slaves Chapter 4: Chapter 3: Luna

Read chapter 4 of Revenant Slaves by Zee on NovelPedia.

Chapter 3: Luna Luna stepped into the grand hallway, and the sound of conversation thinned. Voices dipped, bodies straightened, and eyes turned before anyone could stop themselves. She slowed for a moment, unsure if she had done something wrong, then continued walking. Luna was delicately built, her presence gentle but unmistakable. Her silver hair was simply drawn back, framing her youthful face with soft symmetry: a small, refined nose, lips naturally curved into a quiet smile, and eyes the color of clear, unnatural silver. She was almost sixteen by the Empire’s calendar. Though she thought of herself as little more than the daughter of House Whiterock, that could not possibly explain the reaction she received from the gathering crowd. Luna walked the long white hall toward the throne-room gates, polished stone reflecting the light with an almost unreal purity. The path split the gathered elites in two, but within her home, they were simply people. She smiled. https://i.ibb.co/8nJCPcK0/69d9d978-053f-45f4-873f-6a031cb71d2e.png Some returned it quickly, almost desperately. Others bowed too deeply. A few turned away. She had been taught that a smile could disarm people, make them feel seen. She did not need to be imposing or cruel. That was the role of her shadow. A wizened old man in polished black armor, olive skin weathered by years of service, hair and beard white as ash. Avraham Darkflame. Once an Inquisitor. Now, her mentor, protector, and the most constant companion she had known since birth. He was simply always there, whether her senses registered him or not. And sometimes, though Luna would never admit it, the feeling was slightly unsettling. Her dress set her apart from the other nobles. Pure silver-white, high-necked and long-sleeved, richly embroidered but modest to the point of severity. No indulgence. It had been her choice, gently encouraged by her mother and Avraham alike. As she passed through the throne-room gates, the room beyond revealed itself. Packed. Heavy with power. If those outside shaped the Empire, the families within decided whether they were permitted to do so. The Fifteen Great Houses. The reactions she received here were more familiar. She moved among them, greeting others with quiet respect, her smile unwavering. Some nobles responded warmly. Others acknowledged her presence with expressions that did not quite reach their eyes. The children were worse. Many who were her age had once spoken to her freely. They had laughed with her, shared meals, whispered secrets. One by one, they had drifted away. Some abruptly. Others with carefully rehearsed politeness. The Whiterock family occupied the most space in the hall. Her family. Too many faces. Too many shared features, disciplined into compliance. She stood out the most among them. Her Lunarian heritage overshadowed her Whiterock blood by a considerable margin. She had many half-siblings. Most did not carry the Whiterock name, as she did. That distinction had been granted at her birth through Lady Luciana Lunaris Whiterock, the legitimate wife of the House patriarch. Only two of her elder brothers shared that honor, and they had earned it through years of service and hardship. She felt their eyes on her as she approached. Avraham had tried explaining why they hated her. She was meant to understand it and use it. They had been raised under constant pressure, starved of affection, forced to prove their worth endlessly. She had not. Ever since she had been old enough to understand, she had tried to make herself smaller around them. Kinder. Useful. She liked to see herself as more like a shield for her siblings. Her actions seemed to infuriate her older brothers and sisters the most. Avraham had taught her what it meant to be a sister, what it meant to be family. She used to wonder why her father had never taught her that, or why none of the other kids were taught that. Looking at her family and that of other children she knew, Avraham’s teachings were