The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven-Chapter 651: Wanda’s End (I)

[Third Person].

Wanda walked through the palace corridor with long, irritated strides as she headed towards the banquet hall

Just then, a sharp sound—a buzz—hummed beside her ear.

She jerked her head to the side almost immediately. "A bee?" she muttered, swatting irritably at the air.

The insect darted away just before her hand could reach it.

"Get away from me," she hissed. But the moment she focused on it, the tiny creature shimmered strangely. Before her very eyes, the bee changed shape.

Its body stretched, and its wings widened. And in the next blink, a butterfly fluttered lazily in front of her.

Wanda froze. Her brows furrowed deeply. "I clearly saw a bee," she murmured under her breath. "So how did it become a butterfly?"

The butterfly hovered closer to her face, its wings beating gently. Then suddenly, it shifted again. Feathers appeared, and its body expanded. Then, a small green bird burst into the air with a cheerful chirp.

Wanda’s mouth parted slightly. "What the—?"

The bird darted down the hallway. For a moment, Wanda simply stared after it, her mind racing. Did she just imagine that?

No. She had seen it clearly. Almost immediately, curiosity quickly replaced her confusion.

"What kind of creature are you?" she muttered. Without thinking further, she followed it.

The green bird fluttered ahead, always just out of reach. Sometimes it slowed enough for her to almost catch it, then it would dart away again.

Occasionally, it would vanish for a moment and reappear as something else. A butterfly, a fly, or a bee.

Once, the bee even zipped close enough to sting her lightly.

"Ah—!" Wanda slapped her arm and glared furiously at the buzzing insect. "You filthy thing!" She quickened her pace. "Just wait until I get my hands on you."

Her irritation only fueled her determination to catch it.

The strange creature continued leading her through increasingly quieter sections of the palace. Hallways where few servants walked, and corridors that were dim and rarely used.

Each time Wanda slowed, the creature would change again, catching her eye and drawing her forward. Her attention stayed fully on the strange thing fluttering ahead. So much so that she overlooked something important.

She had already left the palace.

The night air brushed her skin. Palace warriors stationed outside watched her pass by, yet none of them stopped her. None questioned her. It was as if their minds were elsewhere, completely unaware.

Meanwhile, the green bird continued its teasing flight ahead. At times, it swooped low, almost letting Wanda grab it. At other times, it turned into a bee again, darting past her ear just to irritate her further.

"You irritating pest," Wanda muttered angrily. "Once I catch you, I swear I will crush you into dust."

Finally, the creature veered toward a stone structure standing a short distance from the palace. The royal armoury.

Then the bird shot forward with sudden speed and slipped through the open doorway.

Wanda hurried after it. As soon as she entered, she stopped sharply. The creature was gone. Instead, someone else was standing there. Meredith.

The Queen stood in the centre of the armoury, her expression calm and unreadable. Weapons lined the walls around her.

Wanda blinked, her confusion deepening. "Where did that thing go?" she muttered under her breath.

Before she could think further, Meredith spoke. "You left the banquet early." Her voice was quiet and controlled.

Wanda recovered quickly, folding her arms as a smirk crept onto her lips. "And you didn’t?" she scoffed. "Shouldn’t the Queen be enjoying her celebration right now?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Her gaze slid across Meredith mockingly. "So, what are you doing here?"

Meredith let out a faint scoff. The sound carried a cold edge. "This moment," she said calmly, "will be the last time you speak so boldly."

Wanda frowned slightly. "What are you talking about—"

Just then, the armoury door opened again, and five armed warriors entered the room. Their weapons gleamed under the lamplight.

Wanda stiffened instantly. Her instincts flared as her body tensed while she shifted into a defensive stance. Then, her gaze snapped back to Meredith.

"What are you trying to do?" she demanded sharply.

One of the warriors stepped forward. "Is that how you address the Queen?" His voice rang with authority.

Meredith lifted a hand slightly, and the warrior immediately stepped back again.

Wanda’s eyes flickered between them nervously now. But Meredith remained completely calm. She gestured casually toward the weapon racks lining the walls.

"Choose a weapon."

Wanda stared at her. "What?"

"You have one minute," Meredith continued coolly. "Choose whatever you wish for attack and defense."

Her gaze hardened slightly. "After that, you cannot claim I did not give you a choice."

For several seconds, Wanda simply stood there, trying to process what she was hearing. Then realization began to dawn.

Her eyes widened. "You..." she snapped, pointing accusingly. "Are you trying to make me fight your royal warriors to death?"

Her voice rose sharply with disbelief. But Meredith’s expression didn’t change at all.

Wanda’s accusation hung in the air, sharp and uncertain, but Meredith showed no reaction. Instead, she turned slightly toward the warriors.

"As soon as one minute is up," she instructed calmly, "it does not matter whether this fellow here has chosen a weapon or not."

Her gaze briefly flicked toward Wanda before returning to the warriors. "You will escort her to the training ground."

The warriors immediately saluted. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Meredith then looked at Wanda once more. Her voice was calm and cold when she spoke. "Your opponent is me."

For the first time since entering the armoury, Wanda’s eyes widened.

"So, choose your weapons wisely." Then, Meredith turned toward the door. As she walked past Wanda, she muttered under her breath just loud enough for her to hear. "It’s not like it would make any difference."

Then she left the armoury, and the door closed behind her.

For a moment, Wanda stood frozen. Shock flickered across her face. Then slowly, that shock hardened into anger.

"So, it’s you," she muttered as her lips curled slightly.

Though she still didn’t understand why Meredith had suddenly decided to confront her like this, the challenge ignited the warrior inside her.

If the Queen wanted a fight, she would have one.

Wanda turned toward the weapon racks lining the armoury walls. Her eyes scanned the choices quickly. Within seconds, she selected her weapons.

The warriors watched silently as she prepared herself. Then one of them gestured toward the door.

"Move."

They escorted her out of the armoury and through the palace grounds.

The night air had grown cooler, the palace lights casting long shadows across the stone courtyard. Soon they reached the training ground.

Meredith was already there. She stood near the centre of the open field, still in her elegant gown. Her long silver hair flowed behind her like moonlight.

A servant stood beside her, respectfully holding a sheathed sword.