The Abandoned Luna's Journey to Power Chapter 332: My Mother's Old Friend

Cindy's POV:

When it snowed in the kingdom, it felt like the whole world was being buried under freezing white.

Even though the High Court was on break because of the upcoming Moon Goddess Festival, Adam wasn't any less busy.

As the former grand marshal of the Southreach Army, and now a prince trusted by King Ryken, the king put him in charge of security. He was working along with Baron Kazek to handle all the patrols and guards in the Royal Court during the festival.

Werewolves were wild by nature. During the Moon Goddess Festival, a grand celebration held under the full moon, hot-headed young Alphas often ended up fighting when their pheromones clashed. The pressure on security was high.

Since Adam was busy, I spent my days at the Rose Palace, drinking tea and hanging out with the Queen.

Ever since we teamed up to get that 200,000 gold back and totally embarrassed Princess Margaret, the Queen's attitude toward me had completely changed.

She no longer acted like a strict mother-in-law. Instead, she seemed to rely on me, almost blindly.

The fireplace in Rose Palace burned so warmly that the room felt a little stuffy.

I held a fancy cup, listening to Princess Raya ramble on about the new sword moves she'd learned. Meanwhile, the Queen sat next to us with a frown and sighed, looking genuinely worried.

"Mother, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" I set down my cup and asked softly.

The Queen shook her head and pushed away a pastry she hadn't even touched. She sounded really sad. "It's not me. It's my cousin, Sephiria. I got word last night that she's seriously ill."

"Sephiria?" I searched the name in my memory. Then a gentle, graceful figure came to mind.

Sephiria used to be Prince Niall's wife and the Luna of his territory.

But more importantly, she was my mother's best friend back in the day.

When I was little, she used to hold me all the time, calming my restless young wolf spirit with her sweet, flower-scented Omega pheromones.

In my memory, she was a very kind person. It was just a shame she married that playboy Prince Niall, and her marriage wasn't a happy one.

"Sephiria?" I sat up straight and asked with concern. "She's sick? How did it happen so fast? Is it bad?"

"She's always been frail. And these past few years... life hasn't been easy for her." The Queen looked at me with a complicated expression. "Cindy, Adam's swamped, and I can't leave the palace. I want to ask you a favor. Could you head out east to Niall's territory and check in on her at Coldmoon Monastery for me? She used to adore you. If you visit, it might make her feel a little better."

"Coldmoon Monastery?" Princess Raya stopped her sword practice and looked over with wide, curious eyes. "Mother, why doesn't she come to the palace to recover? Why go to a monastery? It's cold and lonely there. They don't even have a decent cook."

The Queen's eyes flickered. She forced a smile and gently ruffled Raya's head. "You're too young to understand. She's at the monastery for peace and quiet to recover. Plus, being there lets the Moon Goddess's holy light help her get better faster."

Princess Raya just said "oh," not really getting it, and ran off to play.

But I could hear the flaw in that explanation.

I frowned slightly.

Niall's territory wasn't far from the Royal Court. If you hurried, a carriage could get there in one or two days.

Sephiria was the Queen's cousin and the former Luna of a prince. If she was gravely sick, bringing her back to the Royal Court for treatment or asking Rupert to help would be more reliable than praying in a remote monastery.

Monasteries were usually where noblewomen were sent to repent for mistakes, not a luxury spot for healing. There had to be more to the story.

"Don't worry, Mother," I said, not exposing her weak excuse. "She was my mother's close friend. No matter what, I should visit her. I'll get ready and leave today. I'll be back in a week at the latest, before the Moon Goddess Festival."

"Wonderful! Thank you, Cindy," the Queen said with relief. "Don't worry about Astra; leave him here with me. I'll watch him and won't let anyone bully him."

I left Astra in the Queen's care and took my leave in a hurry.