Moonlit Vows Of Vengeance

Chapter 121: The Claiming

Athena pov

"Athena. What was that?"

His hands cradled my face like I might shatter into smoke. I was soaked in sweat, my heart thundering, my limbs trembling with a wild kind of dread I couldn’t name. I could still feel the echo of Caelum’s presence, like frost left after the storm. His voice was still in my ears.

"You’re not safe," I said hoarsely, blinking rapidly to clear my vision. "None of us are."

Kieran’s eyes searched mine. "Did you have another vision?"

"No. A memory... but twisted. Caelum was there. Wearing his face again." I swallowed hard. "Lucas’s."

Kieran’s jaw tightened. His thumbs brushed my temples. "Tell me everything."

I did. Every flicker of the dream, every word Caelum had whispered. The cold malice. The sense of unraveling. The fragments of divine energy cracking like shattered glass.

He was quiet for a long moment. Then he leaned back and pulled the sheet around my shoulders. "Stay here. I need to check something."

I caught his wrist. "What are you thinking?"

"That symbol," he said. "The one glowing on your collarbone before you passed out. I’ve seen it before."

"When?"

"Years ago. In the forbidden archives. It’s not a symbol of power—it’s a seal. A divine restraint."

I sat up straighter, cold settling in my chest. "Someone sealed my power?"

"Not someone," he said. "You might’ve done it. Or the gods did. Maybe even Caelum. But if we can find that scroll, we’ll know for sure."

He left the room and returned barely an hour later, smelling of dust and old paper. His hands were full of relics—scrolls, chipped stone tablets, bindings of faded silver thread.

He spread them across the bed between us, scanning page after page, muttering beneath his breath.

"There." He tapped the edge of a cracked parchment.

My eyes followed the text, written in the divine script I once knew as easily as breath. But now it took me several moments to translate.

The Binding of Essence. A protective curse forged in celestial fire. Used only when a god’s power risks consuming their mortal vessel... or when the cost of awakening could destroy what they love most.

My heart went still.

"It’s locked inside me," I whispered. "My own power. Held down by this."

Kieran nodded slowly. "You sealed yourself."

"But why?"

His fingers brushed the seal etched across my collarbone. "Because to fully unlock it... you’ll have to destroy something precious to you. Something you can’t bear to lose."

I looked away.

His voice was quiet. "What do you think it means?"

"I don’t know," I lied. But part of me did.

Lucas.

Or maybe Lyra. Or this kingdom. Kieran sat back against the headboard. The silence between us was heavy, weighted by memory and prophecy.

"I’m going to fix this," I said at last. "Whatever the cost."

He reached for my hand. "Then I’ll stand beside you. Even if it kills me."

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t.

Because deep inside, I already knew something had to die for this world to live. I just didn’t know what I was willing to bury.

That night, I fell into a dreamless sleep at first. Just darkness.

But then the light cracked open like a wound.

I stood in a white chamber—familiar and cold. The Hall of Ascendants.

It had been centuries since I’d last seen it. The place where gods walked and decided the fates of worlds. My throne was there, tall and silver, untouched since my fall.

But someone else stood at its base.

Lucas.

Except it wasn’t him.

His features twisted slowly into Caelum’s.

"What are you doing in my mind?" I hissed.

"Still so dramatic," he said, voice dripping with cruelty. "You sealed yourself. You locked your own divinity away because you feared what it would cost."

I clenched my fists. "I won’t play your games."

"But you already are." He walked toward me, slow and taunting. "You’ve made your little kingdom, loved your wolves, let yourself hope. But now the bill comes due."

"You won’t win," I said.

He smiled. "Athena. I already have. You just haven’t realized what I took from you yet."

I screamed and lunged at him, blade forming in my hand.

He caught it midair with two fingers.

Powerless.

I fell to my knees, tears of rage slipping down my cheeks.

He knelt beside me, his breath cold against my ear. "When the moment comes... you’ll have to choose. Love or power. Life or throne. You can’t have both."

I stabbed again.

He vanished.

I woke with a choked sob.

Kieran was already kneeling beside the bed. "Athena!"

I clutched the sheets, sweat soaking through the fabric. My body ached with the weight of what I’d seen.

"Kieran..." I whispered.

The next day....

The knock at my door came just as the first gray strands of dawn pulled themselves across the sky. I didn’t answer. I was already awake, sitting at the edge of the bed, staring down at my bare feet.

The knock came again—firm, composed.

"Come in," I said, voice hoarse.

He stepped in, already dressed in dark court attire, sword at his side. His face was unreadable.

"They’ve called an emergency assembly," he said. "The nobles. All of them."

I didn’t move.

"My jaw tensed. I stood slowly, walking toward the window. Outside, the wind pushed clouds across a pale blue sky, painting the light in bruised gold. Below, the banners of the noble houses fluttered in the courtyard, already gathered.

"They’re going to challenge my right to rule," I said.

"They’ll frame it as concern," Kieran said. "But yes. That’s what this is."

I turned to him. "Do you think it was the servant girl who tried to spy on me?"

"No. That one was too easily caught. This was someone closer. Someone with enough influence to stoke rumors without being questioned." noveldrama

I didn’t have to ask what came next. We both knew.

"They want me to step down."

"Or," he said carefully, "choose a mate."

I stared at him, stunned. "That old tradition?"

"They’re claiming it will ’stabilize’ your position. Give you strength in court. And possibly an heir." His voice dripped with disdain.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "So this is what it comes to. I fight gods, bleed on their battlefields, and rebuild this kingdom from ruin—only to be reduced to a vessel for political convenience."

"They’re afraid, Athena," Kieran said, stepping closer. "That makes them foolish. And dangerous."

I nodded. "Let’s not keep them waiting."

The Assembly was held in the grand hall, what was left of it. Moonlight filtered down from the broken dome above, casting shadows across the polished stone floor. The noble houses were arranged in a circle around the throne dais, their banners draped behind them like judging eyes.

I walked in beside Kieran. Every conversation died the moment they saw me.

Lord Darius was the first to step forward. Of course he was.

He bowed. "Moon-blessed Lady. We welcome you."

I didn’t bow. "Let’s not pretend this is a welcome."

Murmurs rose, disapproving. But I didn’t flinch.

Darius smiled thinly. "Then allow us to speak plainly."

"Please do," I said, folding my arms.

"There have been... troubling signs. Whispers. Magic fading. Command questioned. Attempts on your life. Some of us—many of us—fear that your reign, however valiant, stands on uncertain ground."

"And what do you propose to fix this?" I asked, already knowing.

"A choice," he said, stepping aside as a younger nobleman stepped forward. "Either step down, and allow a ruling council to lead until another worthy heir is chosen—or bind yourself to a mate who can strengthen your claim, secure your power through alliance and legacy."

The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on.

I let it stretch. Let them squirm in it.

Then I asked, calmly, "And what of the power I’ve already displayed? What of the Binded King? What of the Hollow Crescent’s fall? Was that not enough?"

"Times change," another noble said softly. A woman this time. Lady Renna. Her gaze was careful, but not unkind. "The people are uneasy. Your divinity has been silent. Your strength, they say, has dimmed. They need reassurance."

"They need control," Kieran muttered.

Darius ignored him. My hand curled at my side.

"You serve yourselves," I snapped. "But I see you."

The entire hall tensed.

Lady Renna raised a hand. "This doesn’t need to be war, Athena. We simply want stability.."

"I built this stability," I said. "On my back. With my blood. And now you think to strip me of my title unless I open my legs for politics?"

Kieran stepped forward, hand on his sword. "Enough."

"No," I said, touching his arm. "Let them speak. Let them show their cowardice openly."

Another noble, older and with silver rings lining his fingers, stood slowly. "There are already candidates. Willing ones. From powerful bloodlines. They would not oppose your rule, only share it."

I laughed. The sound was hollow and sharp.

"Let me guess. Lord Darius’s nephew? Or perhaps one of the silver-ringed sons of House Virel?"

The nobles shifted uncomfortably. No one denied it.

"I’m not choosing a mate to legitimize what I already own," I said. "And I will not step down."

Darius looked disappointed. "Then you force our hand."

I stepped up to the center of the dais and raised my voice.

"This kingdom stands because of me.

Lady Renna looked at me, a flicker of sadness in her expression. "Then tell us, Athena. What will you do?"

I let my gaze sweep the hall.

Their fear was real, but so was their desperation. Their demand for me to mate wasn’t just about tradition—it was about anchoring power, about forcing stability where the unknown made them tremble.

And maybe... just maybe... I could use that fear.

"I will give you what you want," I said finally, my voice level and clear.

Murmurs rippled like thunder across the chamber.

Lord Darius stepped forward, triumphant already. "You’ve made the wise choice, then. Shall we begin discussions for—"

"I’m not done," I cut in, silencing him with a single glance.

"I will take a mate," I repeated. "Not because you cornered me. Not because I need validation. But because I choose to, on my own terms. For the good of this realm."

Every eye was locked on me now. Even Kieran turned, confusion flashing in his eyes.

I turned toward the chamber doors. The guards standing there startled as they opened behind them, and figure stepped inside.

He moved slowly, still leaning heavily on his cane, a faint limp in his gait from his battle injuries. But his spine was straight, and his gaze was steady. Regal. Unshaken.

A hush fell.

"I choose him," I said, letting the words land like stone dropped into still water. "Kieran, he will be my mate."

Chaos.

The nobles exploded into shocked whispers. Even Lord Darius was momentarily stunned, his mouth parted, unable to summon a protest.

Kieran stood motionless at first, stunned himself. His brows furrowed as he looked at me across the chamber. But when he realized I meant it, his jaw set, and he walked forward with quiet dignity.

"Athena," he said, pausing only a breath away from me. "Are you certain?"

"I am," I said, loud enough for all to hear. "Because I will not allow them to dictate my life or my power. And because you’ve already fought for me, bled for this kingdom. You are already my shield. Now you will be my partner."

He nodded slowly, then knelt before me, pressing his fist over his heart.

"I accept your bond," he said. "As your mate, your equal, and your sword."

The court couldn’t decide whether to clap or collapse in protest.

Lady Renna’s expression had softened, though the corners of her lips tightened with worry. She understood the choice. Perhaps even respected it.

Lord Darius, however, looked furious.

"This was not the alliance we anticipated," he said coldly.

"No," I said. "Because you were too busy anticipating your own advancement."

I turned to the nobles. "Consider this your answer. If any of you question my strength again, I invite you to try and test it."

Kieran stepped to my side, folding his arms, a smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth. "And you’ll find it hasn’t dimmed nearly as much as you think."

The court went silent again, this time not in defiance but in recognition. I hadn’t lost control. I had seized it in a form they couldn’t challenge without making enemies of the Silver Crescent, the people, and me.

When I left the chamber, Kieran walked beside me. He did not touch me. He didn’t speak. But his presence was quiet reassurance.

Once we were out of earshot, I stopped him in the corridor.

"Did I shock you?" I asked quietly.

His smile was slow, but warm. "You terrify me, Athena. But only in the best way."

"And do you accept the burden that comes with this?" I asked, more seriously now. "This isn’t just a political bond. If we do this, the realm will expect a public joining. A claim."