The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

5. Friend of Foe?

laugh. “Yes, my brother and the northern king aren’t on best terms with each other.”“I am surprised that he didn’t just marry you,” Astrid said and immediately covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, sorry… It’s just… Everyone heard that king Kai asked for your hand in marriage before…”“I guess he changed his mind,” Savannah was getting slightly tired from all this. The werewolf girl seemed nice, but she had things to do and decisions to make. “Anyway, I need to go.”“Of course!” Luckily Astrid was understandable. “I will see you at the dinner tonight.”“Probably not,” the princess confessed. “It was a long road and I just want to have some rest.”“Got you. Then tomorrow’s Welcoming Party?”“Yes, I will definitely be going there.”They waved each other goodbye and went in the opposite directions. Astrid seemed nice, but Savvy wasn’t too naïve to make conclusions based on her first impression. She knew better than that. Zara was already sorting her things in her room, and the western princess whistled when she saw how small and modest her room was. Minimalistic wasn’t even the word for it. Just a bed, a desk, a wardrobe and a little bathroom.“I am going to file an official complaint,” her assistant pursed her lips. “This is outrageous! Your room is just like mine and Kyle’s! It’s so disrespectful!”“You will do no such thing!” Savvy carefully sniffed around, ensuring that there were no other surprises in the room. Fortunatley, it seemed clean. Her lycan senses did not find anything suspicious.“But…” Kyle wanted to say something when she motioned for him to stop and switched on the mind link.“From now on, everything we need to say about this place can only be said via the link,” she informed her friends. “Everyone will be looking at us, watching our every step. And I have already made a few mistakes.”“Yet it sounds like you have a plan,” Kyle smirked and sat on the fluffy rug on the floor, letting the girls have the bed and the only chair.“I think I do,” Savannah sighed. “It’s obvious that marrying the prick is out of the question after everything they have done. Not to mention that he isn’t a fan of the idea himself.”“As***ole,” Zara made a rumbling sound.“Yes, but that’s a good thing,” the princess grinned and plopped onto the bed, stretching her body for the first time today. “That means that when I am done here, I am free. And this is much better than I hoped for on our way to the North. However, before I can leave, there are two problems to tackle. The first one is obvious; we still need that alliance. Even after everything. The threat is too big, and it will be much easier with the North on our side. But at the same time, I need to save my kingdom’s face. It shouldn’t look like he gave us the alliance as an apology for not marrying me. And I absolutely cannot lose the Trials and leave without the alliance confirmed in writing.”“So, where does that leave us?” Kyle furrowed his brows.“That leaves us with the one and only option. I need to win this thing,” she announced, and both of her friends’ mouths parted.“But…” Zara mumbled.“Yeah, I know,” Savvy giggled and