"For Serenity's Sake"
By: Isis @}->--
isis@moonkingdom.com
Rated: G
Disclaimers: Please do not copy.
AN: Pay special attention to the details in here. I mad up this
castle on my own… and I think my imagination deserves an extra
hot-fudge sundae for this one!! …BTW I live in Kansas so the
descriptions of seasons are based on that reality. Dedicated to
those on their way to new beginnings. Keep your faith and your
heart… and know that you are never alone. "With hands folded,
you always have a hand to hold." - Carolyn Weber
Chapter 3
@}->--
Serenity had woken the next morning, painfully aware that the trip
to her home's guardian planet was indeed not a dream. Upon
leaving the ballroom she had found the arms of her friends
necessary to even mount the two sets of stairs to her chamber. She
had managed to ungracefully trip up the marble steps twice in the
same walk, nearly placing her face on the floor and bringing down
both of her caretakers with her.
Indeed, sleep had not even been a relief for her. She had tossed
absently in the strange bed, weighted by that invisible cloak that
not even frightful fatigue could drive off. The princess felt worse
for wear by the time Minerva entered her chamber to rouse her to
the morning's freshness.
The maid stood shocked over the tousled bedding and the matched
frame lying as dead weight upon it. She fussed over her
continually through the morning preparations and fretted that the
girl would wither away and finally comatose herself. But Serenity
would not allow herself to be plucked back into bed and charged
with attempting sleep again.
She threw open the inner shutterings and called for a window that
would actually open for her. Finding none, she had flaunted her
maid and made off for the door in the corner of her sitting room
away from her main chamber's entrance. Opening this, she rushed
into the tiny hall of four doors. The one across from her entered
into her mother's chamber, the double doors left of her opened into
the main hallway that all of their rooms exited from, and the other
set was solid glass opening out onto the floor's balcony.
The new rays of the sun shown brightly and small colors still
remained of sunrise in the Eastern sky. Clouds cascaded in swirls
around but none threatened rain again. Serenity was stopped from
rushing out onto the balcony proper by her, slightly winded, maid.
"Heavens child!" she chided. "Do you naturally wish to run about
half naked and barely woken?"
She blushed pink a moment as she took time to consider that she
was clad only in her night slip and her unplaced appearance had
not yet been calmed by a bath. Had she lost all her sense, or
merely the good of it? "Forgive me, I suppose I am only excited,"
she excused herself.
"I dare say so," Minerva smiled back at her. "But come, let us get
you ready for a… more suitable public reception," she teased.
For as downtrodden as she was, Serenity found her natural
curiosity over-power her again as the day began. She playfully
picked out a light dress for the day's events and began splashing at
Minerva for trying to hurry her out of the bath. With the maid's
help she dressed quickly and tied her hair into its usual design.
The long blond waves were split down the center and combed to
the sides. They were then gathered and wrapped so that two small
balls of gold gracefully stood on top of her head. The rest of the
tresses were left to hang and curled at the ends so that they would
remain separated.
Serenity stood before her dressing mirror as Minerva fussed about
the bedroom in search of this or that, or tidying up, all the while
complaining of being too old to be charged with such a mistress.
The princess merely shrugged it off as a personal offence she could
retaliate for later.
She turned instead to hurrying the elder woman out and showing
her down to the chapel for her morning prayers before her fast
could be broken. As they exited her inner chamber they found her
four guardians assembled with a couple of other servants who were
busy rearranging the flowers on her mantle piece. Only then did
she notice their pale pink blossoms. Pink roses; joy and happiness.
She paused to smell them as the group turned to leave. Such
lovely things… Serenity followed the others with her head held a
slight touch higher.
Her prayers were rushed but full, as she had managed already to
miss the morning Mass, yet the princess found herself eager to start
the day, and found it wearing quickly. Most of the castle was busy
about their day by the time she and her company found their way
to the earlier-risen royalty. Having eaten, the three senior rulers
resigned themselves to wait on the youngsters. A full feast was
placed out in front of Serenity's court and she found that her
appetite was the only thing not affected, or perhaps exaggerated,
by her situation.
Conversation was light and the younger girls were soon given
leave to what their day would hold. All of it passed inside a
mingling blur as she never bothered to sort one memory from
another.
Minerva met the group again as they existed the small dinning hall
they had taken breakfast in and guided them out onto the second
floor landing. The group of girls looked out in admiration of the
site before them. The huge courtyard that centered inside the
castle walls was created in a labyrinth of green plants, ornate trees,
and every color of blossom. The second floor brought them out to
a huge balcony that surrounded seemingly the entire yard.
Looking up, the princess noticed that the first five floors had the
same design only on diminishing scales. Each balcony of the
floors above them was shallower than the one below so that it gave
it an inverted pyramid effect, and each floor was allowed access to
the others by way of a few grand stairways of granite interspaced.
Creeping vines and ivy grew along the balconies and around their
pillars. Potted plants lay sheltered but revealed to those that would
walk among them. A heavy sent of nature's perfume permeated
the air, and the fog of happy bliss settled heavily.
"Your escorts should be out here somewhere, Princess," Minerva
interrupted her dreamings. "I am sure that I heard them return
nearly an hour ago."
Serenity nodded and let the maid-woman waltz them around the
garden's edge. A bit farther and they came across the group of five
Earth warriors, suited again in light armor, settled against the
railing and watching the gardens as well. Being of a curious eye,
she had always known that she could sense a great deal of another
by the simple art of knowing what to look for.
The high general Kunzite stood out as very well suited for his title.
He stood straight and tall, watching their advance and missing
nothing with those perfect crystal eyes of his. But Kunzite was
again clothed by the blue and while cape and his temper seemed
respondent of those muted colors as well.
Nephrite also stood straight and watched with a more curious,
warm eye as the group approached. He seemed the type to want to
know a person rather than know of them. He had an emotional feel
that made him appeal to others as a levelheaded confidant. Again,
he matched his post perfectly.
General Zoicite leaned lightly against the stone railing and
continued in his conversation with Jadeite. Even with an added
distraction he looked over the group seemingly unconcerned but
with quick, sharp movements that hinted at a swift nature.
Serenity saw him as the one no enemy would suspect of much,
which would suit this soldier perfectly. He was more shadow than
man.
Jadeite was an even stranger character. He lounged calmly, and
completely unconcerned against the railing, watching the gardens
instead of the girls. He held a wistful smile on his lips without fail
as he pretended uninterest in the group of young women nearing
his countenance. His movements were slow and calculated as well
as nonchalant, giving him the air of perfection un-worked for. A
natural warrior or womanizer, she did not know.
The whole group of them appeared to coincide well enough, and
indeed, if they were to guard a planet of this size and importance
they had best to love each other rather than simply work together.
Of course, their figurehead was a man to be reckoned with should
they overstep their stations.
Her destined stood also, straight but with his arms crossed in front
of him and his stance at ease. He too was somehow wrapped with
his two guardians in their talk but had soon left the conversation
upon seeing them. His eyes were warm and welcoming of the
group as he quietly looked them over; possibly doing the same
scrutiny of them as she was of his armament. Intelligence seeped
from his mannerisms and there was a worldly air to the effortless
way he held himself. His presence was simply commanding.
And bent within those eyes of a commander, very few things
escaped his scrutiny. The five young princesses intrigued him to
no avail. He had wondered at such a young start to his near-bride,
yet now realized more as to what her life held for her.
Never alone, she seemed to worship the attention. The center was
certainly her rightful place among her friends and colleges alike.
An excellent ingredient for a future ruler. Yet, she was of constant
cheer, fully trusting of others, and open beyond the realm it would
be safe for a monarch. Yet… that was nearly her best defense.
That and the other four women that strode step for step with her.
The lead commander Lady Mina, of Venus was a beautiful blond
whose hair fell past her waist. Blue eyes, open and inviting, held
just enough sparkle that they were genuine in both flirtation and
protection. She seemed one to welcome a challenge and scoffed at
being anything but in first place.
Serenity's other side was accompanied by the taller, more
athletically able, Lady Lita. The Jupiterian held her mid-back
length brown hair folded out of her way by simple way of a
ponytail design. Practical but probably quick minded, she watched
the group of men as they approached. She held a warm smile to
her lips, yet a glare to her green eyes as though she were not as
trusting of every appearance. She was a bit shifty, probably giving
away an acute readiness for action.
To the side of her, and a bit behind walked the other two young
women, the first being the Lady Rei of Mars. Thigh length black
hair shimmered straight and unrestrained. Her violate eyes were
watchful and shaded, her face giving away nothing of her thoughts,
yet the slightly stiff set of her jaw seemed to work as they treaded
forward. She was regale and pristine, yet there was something to
her movements that suggested a razor wit or fired temper, or
both… as would be fitting of her Martian heritage.
Finally, he cast a quiet gaze over the Mercurian, Lady Ami. Short
cut blue hair represented the style of her home world, as did the
deep blue eyes. She seemed very calm and certain of herself, yet
polite and perhaps a bit shy. Yet the way in which she measured
each person of his group in their own way implied a great attention
to details. It was rumored that she was highly intellectual, and he
wondered if that would account for the lamblike quality of this
fighter.
All in all, he decided looking back to see Serenity stop before
them, they seemed very good in their guise of pretty faces,
enveloping very powerful loyalty.
Minerva, however, was the first to offer speech, and it was only in
a way to excuse them for their tardiness. "I am sorry, Prince, I
should have had them here earlier," she said without bow or curtsy.
Yet, Serenity saw a slight smile on Endymion's lips when she
referred to him as "prince" instead of his given name. Formalities
were simply lost with this woman.
"No need to worry over it, we had anticipated that we would be the
ones tardy this morning." The five young men turned to regard her
court openly now and she stood resigned to anything that her
prince might have planned for the day. And indeed he formally
bowed to her and asked her, and her court's, hand in leading them
about the palace. She accepted greedily, wondering at the sights
around her. Any physical handicaps were ignored for the time,
though she fought to keep pace with the man who had taken her
arm to guide them.
The castle was as limitless as her own imagination would have
been were she told to construct it by thought. When she asked how
all of this was done, the simple reply was that it was never done.
To that very day construction was still being brought upon the
monstrous citadel.
Their tour consisted mostly with the wing that housed their
sleeping quarters since they were more familiar with those
surroundings. The rest was laid out in much the same fashion.
Four "grand hallways" stood around the square of the building's
foundation. East hall, west sitting room, south east dinning hall,
everything was directional due to the immense nature of the palace
and the human nature to get lost within it.
It was when the group had taken a near full circle of it that they
found themselves in the North hall, decorated much like the first
one that they had walked into the day before, except for the ceiling
paintings. Serenity had noted all along that many of the murals
were not of former rulers or noblemen, but of scenery and
wilderness, landscapes of beauty… only not the same ones. "Can
you tell me the difference for the ceiling paintings?" she asked
curiously, gazing stilling at the plaster six floors above her
insignificant frame.
"I was wondering the same," Ami said simply from beside her.
The intellectual of the group would of course be drawn to this sort
of challenge as well.
There was a quiet chuckle from her side as Endymion looked up as
well. She realized, too late as usual, that she must look an idiot
standing with her head thrown back in abandoned admiration for
colored plaster. No wonder it was unadvised of her to wear any
sort of crown, how would she keep it on her head!
"Actually the whole of the murals are done much the same way.
Lady Saraswati first thought of the directional idea long ago and it
has been adopted by nearly everyone in the family line. You see,
in this region on Earth we experience many and varied seasonal
changes brought on by weather and wind patterns. So, each
direction seems to resemble a different season. Four directions,
four seasons and four different types of paintings. North is
associated most closely with winter, that is why white is the
prominent color and the landscapes are barren."
Indeed the coloring was done mostly in whites and muted blues
and purples. Hushed colors swirled over small hills and valleys
leaving them empty but rich just the same.
"East comes with the newness of day, so it is a symbol for spring.
That is why greens and browns and other colors are added to the
Grand Hall's design. South is for summer and golden harvests and
ripened fruits. West is for fall, with all of its oranges and reds just
as in the sun-set."
In spite of herself, Serenity giggled at the description. She had
never known a season change, or nearly any of the colors that he
had babbled of so quickly. This truly was a wondrous land, one
that she felt in her heart she would grow to love. "Might I ask a
naive question?" she said quietly as the group continued on and
she was once again on the arm of her betrothed.
"Anything you would, dear princess," he smiled at her.
She returned it whole-heartedly and motioned back to encompass
the hall, "Which season are we in now?"
He chuckled a bit at her and smiled again, "Which do you think?"
She had been hoping for a simple answer but she felt up to this
challenge. She pursed her lips out in thought and was rewarded
with another laugh from her side. "I do believe that I shall have to
think on that one a bit more."
"Take your time then, they do not change that quickly."
"Well," she cooed, "perhaps I need more time outside in order to
recognize the color schemes that you have been talking about. I
should be able to recognize it, correct?"
"Only if you have been paying attention," he chided.
It was true that she had been fighting yawns for a good part of the
day, and even during lunch that afternoon she had been pressed not
to call attention to herself. It was not only her weakened state but
also the time change that she was simply not use to. Not only had
she lost five hours somewhere, her body was also tended more to
the varied twenty-two hour days of the Moon, rather than a
constant twenty-four. Now she appeared to be the doting princess,
unable to keep her head from a pillow, as well as an oaf. Oh
people of Earth, what will you say?
"Perhaps you would like to walk through the gardens tonight after
dinner is served? I think you might find it much different from
your own."
She giggled at the thought and looked up at him happily. "I was
wondering when you were going to finally arrive at that, dear
prince."
Evening came quickly and by the time the two courts were
released from the dinning-hall and excused for the night, the sun
was in its day's death throws near the horizon. There was promise
of a colorful sunset and Endymion was anxious for the chance to
speak with his betrothed. He escorted her from the hall and was
surprised that she promptly dismissed her guardian court to their
own free time as she was "in capable hands." A comment that he
decided did not settle well with a few of the more over-protective,
but he took no offence from their measured glances. As it were,
they too found something to occupy their time as his guardians
took the chance to make suggestions of their own to the girls. All
in all, he believed this to be an excellent opportunity for all
included.
The gardens were cool and becoming ever deepening in the
shadow of the disappearing sun. There were still several that
ventured out on this evening to observe the plants and weather, but
few came within much of speaking distance in the immense
expanse of green.
His young bride-to-be had seemed increasingly tired and frail as
the day wore on, yet there was something inside of her that did not
allow for her to humbly bow out of the festivities. Minerva had, of
course, told him more than once that the girl must not have slept a
bit the night before, and more over, blamed him for being so
inconsiderate as to ask her out the morning after a most dreadful
experience. How he became a scapegoat for every touch of ill that
would chance upon this princess, he did not know, but it seemed
his trusted maid had become more than fond of her.
Again Serenity seemed weary but energized at the same time. Her
walk was slow and meditative as they made their way around the
gardens, but her eyes were feasting in the colors of the plants. She
seemed so very tranquil here in nature, so relaxed in his presence,
so unlike what he had expected.
"I am not sure that I will ever get use to the differences between
our worlds," she murmured quietly, talking more to the bushes she
was brushing her hand against than to him. "Yet, I am so very
happy that I have gotten that chance."
He smiled down at her as she walked along, still lost in thought.
She was truly a beautifully spirited girl. He had held his fears
before of what might become of a soul forced into such an
arrangement, yet as he carefully watched her he became aware that
this was not an average soul, and indeed, could never be hardened
or grudged towards anyone. Serenity… the name of her heart.
She slightly tugged on his arm, which had hers wrapped through it,
to pull him to a stop. She looked curiously at a flowering plant
next to the cobblestone path. Looking back she glanced at him a
moment as if to ask if he would stop her, but he simply watched
her as she turned back to the flower and released his arm.
Carefully she inspected it before she gathered her long gown
around her and knelt down close to it.
Endymion was a bit shocked to see a royal princess down on her
knees in the middle of a garden, or at all for that mater, but she
remained watchful of the flower a second longer before gently
reaching out to touch it.
Again she glanced back up to him for reassurance that she would
not be cautioned away from her actions before sliding a delicate
finger over the petals of the graceful flower. The plant's only
response to her touch was to sway a bit on its tender stock.
Serenity smiled brightly at the little pale blossom in front of her
and continued to fondle it gently.
Endymion watched her a moment before quietly interrupting her
murmured giggles. "It is called a lily."
She giggled more loudly this time and gave the bloom one more
pat before rising herself to her feet again. "It is beautiful," she said
quietly. Looking up at him again she noticed him smiling openly
at her and mistook it as an awkwardness. She glanced down
quickly, her face falling from its happy glow to one of a blushed
mortification. "I am sorry…"
"No reason to be," he interjected quickly. Instead he took her hand
again and motioned her to follow. "In truth, I think there is
something that you should like to see." With a secretive smile he
led her ahead on the path farther to a branch that led off of the
main way. Here he turned and let her go ahead of him into the
grotto snuggled into a mass of bushes and trees so that it was
separated from the outside gardens.
He was rewarded by a slight gasp as she entered the sanctuary and
he simply let her lead as she would around the portico. Its pillars
supported a walkway that stretched across the expanse of the
gardens, but it sheltered this grove of orchids perfectly. There was
bragged to be a hundred different types of orchids in this veranda,
and the landscapers would place this nook as highly on their lists
as the enchanted rose gardens that were the pride of all the green-
thumbed servants.
A simple pond was constructed at the end of the stoned walkway
that served to up-hold the more water dwelling plants. The trees
and bushes were climbed over with the epiphyte types of the
highly adaptable flora and the rest of the soil was also given over
to the normal rooted ones.
Serenity milled around the edges of this stretch and returned to him
again, eyes shining. "Are these all of the same flower?"
He nodded and sat down on a small bench placed next to the
supporting pillars so that he could watch the princess wonder about
in the deepening twilight. Beneath the sheltering walkway the
light slipped out of focus much faster and the pair was forced to
part earlier than Serenity would have liked, but they soon found
themselves centered within the rose gardens and the rows upon
rows of climbing, growing, and dwarfed bushes covered over with
every color capable to plants.
Again Serenity was a bit overwhelmed by the flowers' reception to
her and she soon gave up her insistent wonderings to seat herself
on a stone bench to watch the fleeting rays of purpled light. "I
never thought of such things' existence," she muttered again. "On
the Moon, the flowers grow and hold their blooms perfectly, but
they do not match the color or splendor of these."
She sat in near awe for a while as Endymion milled about in search
of one perfect rose. Choosing one, he carefully severed it from its
bush and hid it behind his back before bowing and presenting it to
his destined with all flourish he could manage without removing
his straight face. She accepted it gratefully and beamed a perfect
smile back to him.
He sat beside her and watched while the sun was finally sunk
under the attack of night as the piercing stars made their way to the
front lines once again. The deep purple-blue of the coming night
sent them into shadows and yet the two sat, still waiting for the
final end of this star's performance.
It was then that Serenity sat up with an exclamation that nearly had
Endymion's sword drawn in defense. "Is that…" He tilted his
head up to face the same point in the sky that had taken the
princess' surprise. And understood why she could not finish her
sentence.
"Yes," he said softly, wondering which types of emotions could be
ranging through the woman beside him upon seeing her home for
the first time, away from it.
There was a slight sigh as she continued to gaze at the ever-
brightening crescent set high in the darkening sky. He waited a
moment as she stilly gazed lovingly at the small slip of sphere. He
silently took guard of her as her reverie stole her heart with her
attention attached.
"Is it always so small?" she creaked out.
"No," he reassured. "This is close to the smallest it seems. Its
conversion from dark to full and back again takes it a month over."
"As the phases of Earth do…" she added to herself. "I had never
known what we must look like to those below. …It seems so small
in comparison to the vision of this world from it. Is that not odd?"
"Our worlds are not of comparable size, though I do remember
what you mean."
She bowed her head a bit to the rose that she still held clutched
within her folded hands in an attitude of prayer. For what,
Endymion could not know, but he wished nothing but the best for
their outcome.
When she turned her face heavenward again there was the slight
glimmer of tears piled at the corners of her beautiful topaz-blue
eyes.
There was nothing that he could do but slip a hand behind her back
and lend her the use of some of his own support. She gratefully
smiled up at him once more and pushed the tears away with the
back of her hand. "I am sorry, I should not be so emotional over
such silly things."
"There is nothing silly about your home, Princess."
She nodded again, "You have always seemed so understanding of
me through all of this. I truly thank you, Prince Endymion."
"No need to thank me in the least, Princess." He tipped her chin
up a bit to look at him. "I have not been able to imagine what all
of this is like to you."
She smiled a bit at the reference and seemed to shrug off the
overwhelming emotions from only seconds before. Her eyes
brightened a bit in the last traces of post-sunset light, showing an
inner light more potent than any sun. "Minerva has told me that
you blame much of this on yourself."
"Does she?" he questioned suspiciously. "You should never
believe all that that old woman tells you," he mumbled propping
his arm on the back of the bench they sat upon and leaned his chin
on the back of his hand.
He was rewarded with a small giggle from her as she continued.
"She has appeared honest thus far." They both snickered a bit at
the comment before she released her eyes from him and turned
back to the rose in her hand. "I do not hold you accountable for
any of these circumstances. If destiny has chosen us for each other
then we remain at its mercy. How could you think of it
differently?"
He paused a minute to take in the deep blue of the night gardens.
"I was expecting this, Princess." She looked at him curiously but
he did not return her gaze yet. "Not this match at all, but a match
nonetheless. In truth, I have been expecting it since a time before I
reached manhood. I have always known this to be my fate and I
have been faithful to that future foresaw." He turned to look at her
fully now, "But you had no reason to expect this. As yet you are
too young to have worried over a marriage."
"Yes… I do suppose that you are right. Worry was centered on
my marriage very rarely before the announcement." There was a
small pause before she continued. "Yet, that still does not give you
leave to think of yourself as wronging me in some way by being
part of this arrangement."
He sighed slightly, "Indeed, it was not able to accomplish
anything. I had been holding out hope that this could be postponed
for some time. Even that is too much to ask of the Fates."
A pause stretched on between them for length enough that he was
about to suggest that they reenter the palace when the quite was
broken for him. "Endymion?"
"Yes." In the darkness he could see her seated beside him mostly
from memory, yet he could see that she was not looking at him.
"When you said that you were faithful to your fate…"
Endymion found it an odd subject but he waited for her to finish
her question.
"…does that mean that you have looked for no one that you would
rather to be wedded with?"
Every subtle suggestion inside of that question floated through his
mind as he started to plot through which she was really hinting at
and which she was not. In the end he had no more of an answer
than he had during the first second he heard it. "I am not sure that
I understand you, Princess."
She turned more fully to watch him, and the only thing he could
see of her was her eyes, lit in a dimmer outline. "I am sorry, it is
not a question for this time. Forgive me," she mumbled, again
playing with her rose.
"No, please, tell me what you mean." He placed a hand over hers
to stop her from her distraction.
"I only wonder that in your years you had not found one that you
would wish to take to the alter, rather than being resigned to
having your match chosen for you."
Apparently he had not misheard her after all. Thinking a moment
he responded the only way he could, "I… I have not searched for
one."
It seemed too much of a simple answer to Serenity, for she only
watched him and waited for a continuation.
Being taken off guard was not the prince's strong suit, and indeed
he was at a loss for words once in his life. "…" He could simply
find no way to explain to her his life's station. Taking a deep
breath he tried again, "Princess—"
"Serenity, please."
"—Serenity… What was I about to say?" he wondered out loud.
There was a slight chuckle from beside him as he searched for his
train of thought again before realizing that he had none to begin
with, and she knew it.
"I am sorry. I did not mean to fluster you," she muttered humbly.
He only sighed and rose to his feet. "I never thought I was
flusterable."
"Endymion?"
He chuckled at himself hopelessly and paced a bit before standing
before her. "I suppose it does seem odd to you, but I simply did
not seek out a woman for my bride, Serenity. And none happened
to find me along the way. That was never a care for me."
"I suppose, that could be natural for you. I am sorry, it does seem
odd to me."
Sitting back down again he looked at her, "And am I interrupting
any your own dreams?"
"Oh no," she interjected, "Nothing of the sort." She swatted at a
lock of her hair and fiddled with her rose yet again. "Indeed, I find
myself flattered at this matching."
There was such a soft note to her voice that Endymion wondered
again at the humility of this child. The heir to the Solar System,
and she was flattered to be rushed into a loveless marriage to a
man she knew nothing of aside from whatever kinds of "barbarian"
stories that her councils would have told. She truly was an
uncharacteristic soul.
"You were wanton of love, were you not?"
She did not seem prepared for the jump in conversation as she
started. "What do you mean?"
He smiled quietly. "You grew up with your mother's exploits
foremost in your heart. You knew the ideal of marriage for love."
She sighed warmly, "Yes, I grew to believe the story, and the
philosophy," she added. "I suppose there was always part of me
that thought I too would be one to fall in love with one alone and
be of strength enough to refuse any other suitors. Hum…" she
breathed, "Actually, I know myself to be not nearly that strong, but
no matter the short-lived-ness of their union, it still seems right to
me."
"Indeed, it is the galaxy's love story."
"Yes," she mumbled looking again to the crescent above them. "I
wonder what Father would have said to all of this."
"Forgive me, Serenity, I never meant to cause you this."
"No, it is all right. I could not mind in the least. My father is
seemingly never mentioned anymore, and I was still too small,
when Death took him, to remember. I have only Mother's
memories that I can steal from her. That, and the paragraph worth
of history written of the 'shortest-lived king'."
"How easily we forget those not with us long."
"Hum," she sighed again, "I do not know, I think he is still with
me." There was a slight giggle from her once more. "Actually, I
do think he would approve of a man willing to care for me though
he does not know me fully yet."
"Always, Princess," he turned somber as he peered into the
darkness, looking for the outline of his future. "I may not offer
you a great love story, but I will promise you my faithfulness…
and my care."
@}->--_____________
"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting
and autumn a mosaic of them all." - Stanley Horowitz
"Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly and without
law, and must be plucked where it is found, and enjoyed for the
brief hour of its duration." - D. H. Lawrence
(
geocities.com/element_sprite)