Eventually, Orion's wife returned to the hall after a couple of hours of waiting. I stayed in my seat staring at the ceiling, noticing some inconsistencies with the structure of the throne room. I was really bored.

The ceiling doesn't line up with the floor properly. The pillars aren't supporting the right areas, and some of them are even designed differently than others. It was like this room was made by somebody with no experience in construction. It was ugly, in a sense. The best-looking part about it was the royal purple layering of the walls. It was the hardest color to procure through normal means, so that's what gives this room fashion points.

It was an ugly room for an ugly man. Orion may have given me food, water, and a chance to be free, but I won't ever forget what he did to my family. He ordered his soldiers to kill for him, and if I succeeded in becoming his soldier, I would never give in to his orders. All lives are worth something.

Anyways, with Orion's wife, Moon, returning to the hall, she immediately began making some food. "Lia, was it?" She asked from behind the counter.

"Yeah, what of it?" I asked her. I didn't want to seem hostile, so I stopped using the angry tone as fast as possible.

"Just wondering, it's good for us to learn each other's names, right? My name is Moon." She responded to me.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Moon. If you don't mind me asking, Orion said you'd cook some food for us while he discussed a mission for me. Are you sure that's okay?" Moon looked up from behind the counter and smiled lightly.

"You can just call me Moon, and yeah, that's okay. Usually, Orion would be the one making the meals, but tonight is my turn. You should taste some of the food he makes! I can't even compete with some of his dishes. I hope you'll be just as satisfied with my food as you would be with Orion's." She told me. I paused for a moment. I cannot even conceive an idea of how Orion scored such a nice girl. It has to be some sort of brainwashing technique, right?

"I'm sure I'll like it. I didn't get much food before Orion recognized me." I explained to Moon. She asked for more details and I filled her in on what Orion wanted from me and how I would be getting food finally.

"That's horrible! I know we treat some of our slaves terribly, but you? You certainly don't deserve that." Moon said. She was mixing something in a pot that smelled amazing... was that beef stew? My mom used to always make that and explained that when I was a kid, I could smell it from a mile away. This time around, it was even more potent.

I wanted to speak up to Moon about how treating any slave badly, or even having slaves in the first place was bad, but ruining my chance at freedom took priority. Standing up for morals silently might've been good for my character, but I didn't care. I want freedom above all else.

"You know, Nathan, Orion's kid with his previous wife, said he saw you in the halls today. I never understand what's going on in that kid's mind, but he is such a good brother to our daughter Aegis. Did you have any siblings back in your village?" Moon asked me. That question, unbeknownst to her, pissed me off beyond belief, but she didn't do anything. Moon was a sweetheart compared to how I saw Orion. This was genuinely an innocent question.

"Yeah, well, sort of. My best friend, Lily, used to be so close to me that people would think we were siblings, but we were split apart when I was captured. I think I had a brother on the way as well." I explained to Moon. She nodded in response, continuing her work in the kitchen. I couldn't tell why, but something was bothering me about this room. Maybe it was the atmosphere she made or the one I fabricated in my mind because of her question, but things were unsettling now... like I was being watched.

"When you obtain freedom from Orion's offer to be one of his soldiers, what will you do with it? Will you return to that village to try and find this Lily girl?" Moon asked me. The feeling got ten times worse... I had a feeling I was being watched from one of the windows.

"If I get my freedom... I don't think I would. Lily is long since gone, and I want to live for the both of us instead of attempting to dig up the past. I think that's what Lily would've wanted." I said, feeling the eyes locked onto me from one of the windows slowly drift away. They were waiting for my answer, weren't they?

"You know, the fact that you said 'if'... that speaks volumes about your character, Lia. You seem confident and humble, and that's the best combination you can have. I'm sure Lily would've appreciated the way you think about your previous friendship with her." Moon ducked under the counter and I looked away, towards the ceiling once more.

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That was odd... I felt like I was locking eyes with somebody through the ceiling...

"Anyways, have you ever had Stew from me before? I'm not sure if Orion gives the leftovers to our slaves or not." She asked me, to which I promptly shook my head.

"I never got anything, at least. Hey... can I ask you a question?" Moon looked up from the big pot, ready to hear the question I wanted to ask.

"The way you talk about slaves like it's a normal thing... it's different from what I used to know in my village. Where did that difference come from? What is your history?" I asked her. She seem flattered that I wanted to know about her past.

"Well, I never owned slaves growing up, I was a hard worker on this Isle, so I guess you could say I was the slave. When I married Orion, he convinced me that slave is just a term used to describe workers who work for the greater good. Workers to Orion are those who get paid to buy material things, while slaves work for the greater good. I don't see the word as derogatory as you might, but it's not as if I don't understand where that conflict in your mind is coming from. Did you believe you were a slave in your village or a worker?" Moonlight asked me. What angered me about what she said was that none of it was considered wrong... I guess.

"I was a civilian. You could call those civilians slaves if you so wished, but I think the term 'slave' is way too mean to call people who are tortured." I explained back to her. Keeping a monotone voice while explaining was the hardest thing I've ever done.

"I guess so. I'm lucky enough to where Orion won't let me see the slaves myself, he doesn't want my purity to be disturbed, so I go out to the fields every day, take care of the animals, and then come home to cook for my family, while Orion does everything else. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, he'll cook for me if he gets off of his work early." She explained.

Thinking about Moon's stance was interesting. She was sheltered from Orion's heinous acts, she probably couldn't even fight, could she? She wouldn't even be considered a soldier nor a slave... she was something completely different. She was oblivious to the things Orion did here at his base, yet she believed in him with all of her heart. That was even more infuriating than anything else she's said.

"Ah! You're home!" Moon said, running from behind the counter to go kiss Orion as he walked in the door. Orion didn't have any of his guards with him and looked at me right after greeting his wife.

"So nice to see you again Lia! Well, are you ready to have some dinner with us? Nathan is staying at his friend's house and Aegis is with our babysitter, Ellen. More for us!" Orion sat down at the table right beside me and picked up some utensils, handing them out to me. He prepared for dinner like a normal family would... what the hell was this?

"How was work today?" Moon asked Orion. She seemed to be sprinkling something into the stew as a final touch.

"Good, nothing out of the ordinary. I solved some conflicts in town, made sure a well worked with running water and helped build the coliseum out in the distance. A pretty standard day for me." Orion finished his explanation when Moon hauled the pot of stew over to the table.

I waited to be served my bowl as Moon grabbed two from a tray and gave us each an equal serving. Giving me food from the same pot as Orion, it definitely wasn't poisoned.

"Ah, before we eat, Lia. Moon and I usually say a prayer. You're welcome to join us if you'd like, but I ask that you please wait to eat until we're done." Orion said. I nodded. Moon and Orion joined their hands together and tilted their heads down. I joined them, without joining my hands of course.

I prayed to see a future where I could be free. I prayed to figure out Lily's fate... and I prayed to figure out what the hell was going on here. Orion and Moon are... normal. Like Orion's crimes never mattered. Was I overreacting?

If I slide away from the relentless hatred I had for Orion after two years of being captured, he never interacted with me in any way directly. He never beat me, and the worst thing he had done to me made me pick up glass with my teeth. I could never forget that, but that just happened today! How was he so fine with forgetting it and treating me like a human now? There had to be something I was missing. Something in this puzzle I didn't realize.

"Alright. Let's begin!" Orion said, taking the first bite. I watched him swallow it before I took mine. Then... the dinner proceeded as it would've in my old village.

"Ah yes! About your first mission, Lia. Are you aware of the White Stones that exist?" Orion asked me. I nodded, continuing to eat at a pace that didn't make me seem desperate.

"Well, as you know, two were here earlier today. Talion and Zeal. Zeal had mentioned something about another White Stone waking up on this Isle, which would effectively ruin everything we've been working so hard to build. The sacrifices of the lives in your village would mean nothing if he gets away with nothing." Orion told me. I paused like a deer in the headlights. I looked at the spoon in my hand, deflecting any hateful things I wanted to say to his face. Arguing would get me nowhere. I just had to hear him out... hang in there...

"I understand. Then, is my mission to bring him to you?" I asked Orion. He shook his head, shoving another bite of food into his mouth.

"Your mission is to kill him. Stop him from ruining this Isle, and I'll appoint you to be my fifth in command. Killing a high-value target like a White Stone is no joke... are you up for the task?" Orion asked me. I took another bite, swallowed it, and turned towards him.

"Of course, I'll do it. I have to prove myself to you some way." I told him.

And with that, I was stuck with Dante to go on my new missions. To kill the White Stone.