"All hail Luna Ava!" Nolan's voice thundered across the clearing. He stood at the end of the line, tall and proud.
In perfect unison, the troop responded. "LUNA AVA!" they chorused, before bowing low, their heads tilted in reverence.
Ava's heart swelled so quickly it ached. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her eyes betrayed her first—the tears welling so fast they blurred the lines of their uniforms. She swallowed back a sob and stepped forward, her spine straightening as if an invisible crown had been placed on her head. She walked down the aisle they created for her, her feet almost gliding. Her dress brushed gently across the dusty stone path as if kissing it in gratitude. She didn't look left or right. She looked ahead.
At the end of the line, she paused beside him, her chest tight with emotions she hadn't yet named.
"You could've warned me," she whispered to him.
He just smirked in response.
