Cruel Revenge

The darkness was all she could see. She tried to find her way through the void.

"Lyra." She heard her name.

She turned, "Dad, is that you?"

"Lyra run!" She heard the same voice again.

"Dad, is that you?! Dad!" She called out to confirm if it was truly her dad's voice she heard.

"Lyra!" She heard her name again.

She quickly sprang up from the bed, gasping for breath and looking blindly around until her eyes settled on Imogen, who stood over her, with concern and worry etched on her face. 

"Are you okay?" Imogen asked her.

"What happened?" 

"I don't know, I came in and found you trash-talking in your sleep".

"Oh!" She sighed as Imogen went to open the curtains. 

She came back to sit on the edge of the bed. "I was worried because you never ever sleep well".

Lyra gave her a small smile "I am fine, don't worry".

"If you say so, remember you promised me that we were going to spend some time together. You have always been so busy that you never have time for me". Imogen said, stretching her body on the bed.

"Yeah! I can't wait to have some free time alone with my sister". She replied, reaching out to pull Imogen's cheeks.

Just then, a maid entered and bowed, "Good morning, Luna Lyra. The elders are asking for you in the council room".

Imogen groaned, "See, another meeting. Why can't they just stay off and give you a break?"

Lyra slapped her hands lightly. "Imogen! They are our elders".

"But they don't allow you to have time for yourself".

"It's okay, I will be right back". Lyra said, turning to the maid, "Tell them I will join them soon".

The maid nodded and bowed out of the room. She got off her bed and hurried into the bathroom.

"Does this mean you won't be with me today?"

"Of course, I will. The meeting should be short". Lyra answered from the shower.

"But you don't even know what they want to talk about" Imogen asked, standing up from the bed.

"Whatever it is, it definitely won't be long, I promise you, my dear sister".

"You always do this, but you never fulfill it". Imogen grumbled under her breath, leaving the room in irritation.

"Imogen?" When she received no reply, Lyra shook her head and continued her shower. 

She would calm down, she thought. "I can always make the apple pie she has always loved, to apologize for not spending time with her".

After some minutes, she was dressed and went on her way to the council room. As the Luna of the Solstice, she was required to dress regally at all times and that was exactly how she looked in her white dress dyed with pink round the edges, her brown hair was plaited to the side with little pink flower pins on it. That was obviously just a disguise as she ran down the corridors of the mansion. She waved to some women who bowed as she sped past them. Bursting into the room breathing in pants, she greeted the elders.

"I am so sorry for being late".

But none of them returned her greetings, as the tension on their faces was evident. 

Only Elder Alan gave her a little smile in return. They stood up and waited for her to sit before taking their seats.

"You ran here, didn't you?" Elder Karena, a strict-looking woman in her late fifties and hair tied up in a tight bun, asked her. 

"No, I didn't, I just walked faster than usual". Lyra replied, with a mischievous smile on her face. Karena may look strict, but deep inside her, she was a big sweet soul.

The only elder she was scared of out of all eight of them, was the elder Alfred and that was because she had seen him fight. He was seated opposite her on the long table dressed in a three-piece black suit, his crown of black hair streaked with strands of white was slicked back, giving him the finished look of the boss of a huge company, which he was anyway.

"Why are you all looking so tense? Why did you call me here"?