Chapter Six
Honor’s Disgrace
“Jed?”
He simply seemed to be staring out
into space now, and Serena
approached
him, taking his shoulders in her hands, gently massaging life
back into
him.
Jed shrugged off her touch, still in
awe.
Raye, was she really in his presence
only a few minutes ago?
And now, taken from him…he felt a
punch in his stomach as he
thought of
the evil, defiling her mind, taking her away.
He should have fought harder. It was his duty to fight for her, and
he had let
her down. He had let himself down.
And the worst of it all, seeing her
face when she uttered those last
words. *Don’t you understand? I would die for you!*
She had loved him.
Why hadn’t he seen it earlier?
Perhaps because he was selfish
enough to believe only what he
thought.
He never noticed how her voice
seemed to lace his thoughts, how
her face
seemed to be in the corner of his eye.
It felt like she was still around
him.
He could swear her fragrance was
still in the air.
He looked down into his hands…hands
that had been, only
moments
before, caressing her hair, as she uttered those final words.
*Don’t you understand? I would die for you!*
This couldn’t be happening. Not to the spirited princess he had
been
protecting. No, the evil could not
break her. She was too untamed.
Her whole
spirit could not be chained. She could
not be prevailed upon.
Raye was
strong.
It was Raye who had, in the end,
protected to her last breath.
The girl he had always suspected of
being a fluff had more
substance, more
grit, and more determination than he had ever tried to
imagine,
since first meeting her. The depth of
her soul, her beliefs, and
her feelings
were unfathomable.
And now, she was gone.
Because of him.
*Don’t you understand? I would die for you!*
He threw himself into this
trap. He had deliberately turned his
back on her,
when she was most needy of his help.
This woman, whom he
should have
trusted, because she put so much of her own trust, unfailingly,
in him.
The pain in remembrance. That gaze, as she looked at him,
without a
scold, without regret for having taken the blows for him. The
expression
carried nothing but pain in her eyes.
Pain, and that hot feeling
boiling
inside of her, which he now recognized as love.
She loved him.
She loved him beyond all his
mistakes. She loved him so much
that when
she looked at him she did not look at him with hatred for having
abandoned
her. The guilt, and the anger at
himself, for not trusting her in
the first
place…
He had failed a test of the feelings
he had for her.
When she had deliberately told him
to not go away to find Zoy, he
had felt
anger. When he had seen her come to
save him from his trap, he
felt a fear
for her life, and an anger at her stupidity, as well as a relief to
know that
she had not yet been broken. When he
had seen her fight for
him, and
fall, he felt an anger at himself. And
a confusion for what she
was giving
up, just for him. He, who didn’t
deserve such attentions right
now, after
the way he had acted.
And now, after the fires and battle,
he could only feel an anger for
not trusting
her. He could only feel that emptiness
inside a part of him
that he had
not known existed. It hurt.
It was love.
He loved her.
That look in her eyes, that last
look, before she succumbed told
him that he
couldn’t even begin to understand her feelings. That he
couldn’t
comprehend their depth. That he was
ignorant of all.
And he had let her go, watching her,
with a pain that was now
unsheathed
as LOVE?
*Don’t you understand? I would die for you!*
He had let her go without letting
her know what he felt. She had
left before
he had a chance to show her, or tell her, or even realize it. He
had let her
go, thinking that she’d go to a strange place, without his care,
concern,
regret, and most of all, love.
His eyes were stinging. As he closed them and rubbed them
harshly, he
realized he was crying. He stood up,
and pushed away from
Serena,
looking up at the skies. “I loved
her! Damn it! Why?”
“Why?”
*Why?*
“What has happened to you?” she
cried to the man with the dark
eyes.
“A mere enhancement of character.”
“Character? You look like a ghost!” Raye’s body was now
warm
and
healthy. She felt herself being
cured. But her health was not as
wonderful as
she thought it would be, for she could feel her body being
healed by
dark powers, and every dark power was starting to run through
her, taking
her into the depth of a dark incomprehensible world. “Please,
Zoy, I know
you’re in there. Let me go!”
Zoy laughed. “I don’t think so. Mistress Beryl has many plans for
you, your
highness.”
“What do you want with me?” Raye
cried, feeling her soul shake.
“Oh, your cooperation. Think of it, Raye. Thousands of people,
bowing to
our queen, and if you act right, then you could be in a position
of high
power.”
Raye narrowed her eyes at Zoy, “What
happened to you? What
happened to
Zoy? The man who loved Amy? The man whom Amy
loved?”
Zoy grimaced, and looked away. “That man is no more. That man
had a
weakness, which he could have paid for with his life. But now, this
Zoy is
stronger, more disciplined, even wiser.
Love is a weakness, Your
highness,
remember that, and you will serve Beryl well.”
“I’ll never serve her,” Raye spat.
“Oh yes, you will…” A dark voice
started to take her mind, and
black night
started to take her sight.
Kunz looked at Neph over Jed’s
shaking figure.
Serena stood in a corner.
They both put a hand to Jed’s
shoulders, and tried to console him.
But Jed didn’t want other people to
try to tell him that they
“understood”. They did not know what it was like to let go
of a person,
perhaps
forever, without telling them, or showing them at least once that
they
cared. And they did not know what it
was like, to see those eyes,
staring up
at him in frustration, conveying a message that was
incomprehensible
until it was too late.
He didn’t even know that he loved
her, until that moment!
Those eyes…they haunted his
vision. And he felt the cold and
dark clash into
his heart, stealing away his life.
Serena looked at the two men, and
gestured to them. *I think we
should be
out in the hall right now.*
Kunz and Neph looked at Jed, and
looked at Serena. They nodded,
and sadly
followed.
Jed hadn’t noticed.
He was still seeing her.
Hearing her laugh…
*Jed…* A velvet sound on soft
lips…whispered in the wind…
“Raye…” a whisper which lay on the
wind like silk, but tore into
his heart
like a disease. He should have
realized, he should have known,
but he didn’t,
and in the end, neither did she.
And gently, he heard her slightly
above the wind, clear, true. *I
know.*
He looked up
to see a shadow vanish behind the curtains.
As he
quickly got
up and went around the corner of the balcony, he couldn’t see
anything, or
anyone.
All that remained was an old volume
of Shakespeare’s sonnets,
with a
single wet tear on the leather cover.
Across the gardens, she looked
longingly at him. Her eyes were
dark, but
there was a deep sparkle in their depths…of longing.
So he loved her. She had always known, she had reasoned, but
now…he was
fully aware of his own feelings…
But what could it mean to her now?
There was a sting in her heart, to
know of his feelings, now that
she was gone
from him…but the regret soon vanished, as the feeling of
sadness, the
memory of his warmth, his care, his security fluttered away
with the
night wind. She felt it dying inside her, and tears were falling
through her
like rain. She would never forget her
love for him, she
couldn’t.
*You can…* the dark voice replied.
The foolish sentimentality she had
for this foolish young man
would
disappear, she told herself. After all,
he was foolish enough to just
walk away,
and assume she’d be all right by herself.
Fool. She felt
betrayal.
But then again…she would have never
discovered the true power
of the Black
Flame.
She would never have discovered the
true infinity of powers the
dark kingdom
possessed.
She turned away from her view of
him, and disappeared into the
forest. She told herself that she wouldn’t turn back
from then on, never
again.
“Serena…”
“Your highness,” Serena
curtsied. She tried to remain formal,
but
Merlyn
wouldn’t let her.
Merlyn stepped from behind her desk
to hold the girl in her arms.
Raye’s
cherished friend, Merlyn’s own daughter by mind and spirit. She
ate the girl
up with devouring eyes, worriedly taking in Serena’s pallor,
her
turbulent, sad eyes, and her thin lips, which were in a line of
determination. How much of her own ward existed in this
girl? Oh, Raye
had become
her daughter, in the years she had raised her.
“I’ve missed
you.”
“I’ve missed you too…” Serena said,
slowly, taking in the warmth
of another
human being. “And…”
“Raye…oh my sweet darling little
girl…” Merlyn sobbed.
“I love her too…and Your Highness,
we’ll get her back. I swear
it,” Serena
promised into Merlyn’s long hair, as tears started to jewel it
lightly with
clear beads of saline liquid.
“She…was never mine, you know…she’s
not even my blood,
but…oh, how I
loved her!”
Serena gently placed her head on the
Queen’s shoulder, as they
stood for a
moment in an embrace of security.
Merlyn stood back in the
embrace. “Darien’s been taking it
badly.
When he
heard that you were back, well…Serena, why won’t you see
him? He needs you…so much…”
“I can’t…” Serena murmured, looking
out the window. *Not
when he’s
going to marry my friend.*
“Why can’t you? It’s tearing him apart, Serena.”
“Duty. I can’t.” Serena remained adamant.
“Duty? As a guard, maybe not; but as a friend, as someone…even
more dear to
him than a friend, it is your duty to see him, to be there for
him,
especially when he needs you.”
Inside, she was cringing with
pain. But she held herself up. Her
knees were
trembling, but she locked them as she heard her heart
pounding in
her head. She wanted to shake her head
of all these thoughts.
These
ghosts. She had to banish them from her
mind. She clenched her
fist, until
she felt nails biting harshly into her skin.
“I can’t see him. It’s a
duty to
myself,” Serena coldly replied.
Merlyn frowned, and took Serena’s
shoulders, gently massaging
the tense,
stiff muscles. They stiffened more, and
Serena walked away
from
Merlyn’s hands. “Duty to yourself, what
are you talking about?”
“I just can’t see him,” Serena
turned to Merlyn, showing Merlyn
her
eyes. Her begging eyes, wide eyes. Haunted eyes. She had tried to
mask
everything…but Merlyn could see them: honest, clear, blue, true.
“You love
him. Why won’t you see him?” the queen
asked, her
own eyes
begging.
“Because I love him…” Serena replied
steely. Her resolve was
threatening
to crumble, so quickly from the actions of this woman she had
admired so
much but now feared for the keen perception she possessed.
“Merlyn, I’ve
come on a mission. This mission is
going to change many
things, and
will depend heavily upon duty and honor.
You have to respect
it as I tell
you.”
Darien stared at the walls of his
sister’s room, taking in the scents,
and taking
in her whole soul.
He could feel it lingering about.
He wasn’t even supposed to care so
much about her; she wasn’t
even his
sister.
But not everyone knew that.
He loved her. The laugh, the special way she used to tease
him,
and let him
tease her. Her romantic antics. Her smile.
Her hugs,
whenever he
needed support. Her generous
heart. Her support. Her
strength.
She was gone now.
He couldn’t imagine it. How could she be?
He still felt, that at this moment,
she’d burst into the room, tell one
of those silly
fairy tales, and tease him about Serena.
His heart clenched. Where was Raye? Where was she now?
She could be…
She could be…
No!
He had to believe that she was still alive, fighting somewhere.
*Fight, Raye…*
“So, you think a marriage is the most
logical union?” Merlyn
asked,
skeptically. Her eyes revealed her
upset heart, although her
composure
was serene.
Serena’s
throat hurt. She was holding back
frustrated screams.
Her eyes
stung. Her face was pale. Serena hated herself for this, but
ploughed on,
with the speech she had prepared and rehearsed so many
times
before.
“Why not? By uniting the kingdoms, the families could be
together,
and we could protect each other. Selene
once told me that the
courts of
many of the planets in their systems married noble blood of the
moons of
their system. It keeps strength and
unity.”
Merlyn sighed. “But, Serena…well, Darien-”
“Darien has always known the demands
of the crown. Hasn’t he
always
preached the necessity of duty?” she smiled, sadly. “He must
understand
that this is for the best…”
“And what about you?”
She turned to Merlyn, and
sighed. “Duty before Self.”
“Do you know that there was never a
time when you two weren’t
destined for
each other? That there was never a time
when hehe didn’t
love you,
even unwittingly?” Merlyn asked her.
Serena turned away. She didn’t want to hear this. It was never
meant to be
this way. She should never have heard
these words. But they
were
false…she told herself. This was his
mother. The only person who
truly knew
how Darien felt was Darien, and she was NOT going to stay
around to
find out. “It’s not so. Not important. Not now. He just thinks
it. It’ll heal.
Such things aren’t carved in destiny…there…is no
destiny…”
she stumbled on, helplessly. “Mina will
be a good wife. She’s
easier to
get along with.” She tried again to rationalize, starting to pace.
“He doesn’t need a companion,
Serena. He needs a soul mate.
Someone that
understands the deepest parts of him, and respects him. He
doesn’t need
conversation topics; he needs that kind of communication
where an
eyelock is just enough. I just don’t
see how I can do this to my
son!”
“But what else can you do,
Merlyn? With all the recent attacks, I
strongly
advise you to think this through. By
going to the moon, you have
the services
of the Guards on the Moon, and…”
“And you can protect us as well…”
Merlyn looked at Serena,
knowing
fully that this was the reason.
“I just want him alive,” Serena
whispered.
“Yes, but is it enough?” Merlyn
asked, softly.
Serena’s tears were now stinging her
eyes, and finally spilled over.
“Yes, it
is.” She tried to say, but choked on the words. “This was my idea,
Merlyn. Don’t think you can convince me not to
follow through. Feelings
mean nothing
now. It’s only practicality. Please, don’t think as a mother
right now;
the kingdom needs its queen.”
She came into the room silently, her
golden hair drifting at her
shoulders. She felt the sleepy distress in the air…She
could have felt it
from the
moon. She already had.
He was sleeping in his sister’s
bed. Her blue eyes filled with tears
as she saw
his thin, worn face, worn from stress and sleeplessness. His
eyes were pinned
closed, mouth scrunched into scowl.
There was a
canyon of
worry at his forehead, tossed among ruffled hair.
She approached the bed.
He was still the most beautiful
thing she had ever seen.
She gently touched her cold hand to
his warm forehead, and
smoothed the
hair back, caressing the worry away, as she heard him gently
sigh…
“Serena…” he groaned.
She jumped back.
He simply turned from his side onto
his back, showing full face
into
moonlight. Serena caught her breath in a
painful silent gasp for air.
She knelt down by the bed. His silhouette contrasted the pale
moon behind
the windows, far away, and yet…she could feel it
constricting
her lungs, heart, her whole being.
*Why?*
She looked at him again, and reached
out once more to touch his
cheeks, and
traced the paths of dried salt, paved from his eyes. The jaw
was still
firm, and decided, clenched.
“Goodbye.”
She gently got up, and dared to
touch her soft her fingers to her
lips,
pressing them softly to his lips, tucking a velvet pouch in his hand,
before she
vanished into the darkness once more.
There was a kiss.
An angel?
Serena?
He could have sworn that while he
slept in his sister’s room,
dreaming
about Serena, he had felt her gently touch his brow, and bid him
farewell.
When he woke, there was a ghost of
honey on his lips. Serena.
In his hand, he held a velvet pouch;
inside, he found his
handkerchiefs,
each stitched with his royal emblem.
He jumped up to look about the room
for her, but he not only could
see no one,
but he felt it…the lingering Serena scent…and the cold air of
aloneness. He looked at the pouch, and wrinkled it in a
tight grasp, and
turned to
the moon, angrily, staring at his competitor.
His breathing was heavy as he
continued to simply stare. His heart
pounded, and
his muscles ached. But he did not
quiver as he muttered a
curse to the
skies, and turned away, to stalk through the palace.
“She’s already gone?”
“Darien, she’s one of Mina’s
guards. She has to protect her. You
must
understand that,” Neph tried to explain.
Neph felt Darien’s anger.
He tried to
understand. But he was divided between
the happiness of his
prince, whom
he had grown to care for as well as protect, and Serena, the
girl who had
always deserved to find a heart that beat as passionate a
rhythm as
her own. They were perfection
together. And apart, they
were…
Broken. He looked at Darien.
His face was in his hands.
A few hours ago, she was in the
palace. He hadn’t even known.
He wasn’t
even aware that Serena had saved Jed at the last minute. Before
he only knew
grief. Now, he knew pain, and
anger. *She couldn’t even
see me?*
“She’s worried about her court…”
Neph tried to explain, reaching
for reasons.
*Yes, it’s always duty, isn’t it?*
Darien turned to the window, not
knowing that his friend could see
the emotion,
and hurt, so obvious in his eyes. He
then turned back, and
quietly
looked at them. “Why did she come
here?”
He needed to know the reason. Why had she come, to only
disappear
once more into the mess of obscurities?
What was happening?
Why hadn’t
she come to see him? Why hadn’t he
found her now, kissed
her, and
made her promise never to leave him again?
Stares were bantered back and forth
between Kunz and Neph as
they tried
to decide what to tell Darien. While
the queen was secretive
about
Serena’s mission, they had both acquired information from a
trembling,
pale Serena. However, it was not set
yet, nor would it be until
Merlyn told her
son herself, and the voyage to the moon was made.
Jed was somewhere about the gardens,
uttering sad verse that
sounded
suspiciously of Shakespeare. He was
cold and very much like
Lady Amy
was. Only he looked worse, contrasting
with his seemingly
eternally
charming sparkle from before.
Kunz was torn. He wanted to be with Mina, to protect her from
true danger,
but what if Beryl caused him to attack her next time?
However, the
need to see her, to see those understanding eyes, and feel
that warm,
comforting gaze…He looked out the window.
She wouldn’t be
his to
protect, would she? She’d be Darien’s.
Looking at Darien’s shadowed,
distressed eyes, Kunz could not
find the
heart to tell him that Serena had come to promise him to someone
else.
Why did duty have to go before
self? Neph shook his head.
“Mother?”
Merlyn turned from the endless wall
of books in the candlelit
library to
her son, who begged her for answers, just with the look in his
eyes.
“Darien…” she walked to her son, and
held him close for a
moment,
savoring the feel of another person’s warmth.
Her child, in her
arms. Her other child was out there…She held
Darien tighter, who
returned her
hug.
Mother and son had not had a moment
alone together since Raye’s
disappearance. And now, days later, the grief came.
Overcome by tears, Merlyn heaved
with sobs, clinging to her son.
“Oh my
child, my child…” she said, gently caressing his hair, looking at
the way his
ears curved, the small hint of a scar at the corner of his lip
where a girl
had punched him years before. She dived
into his eyes, and
sought to
know every corner of her son’s enigmatic mind.
She fought to
understand,
to accept as she simply traced his jaw shape.
Darien could
feel her trying
to find Raye within him.
She didn’t look like either of them,
but Raye possessed a part of
his soul,
and at this moment, his mother found it, as she snatched it,
holding it
close. “I miss her so much!”
Merlyn had not seen how much she
love Raye until that moment
when Serena
came back with the news that Raye had been taken to the
dark
side. Her pure, romantic daughter,
caught in the intricate web of
darkness…
Would she be able to find her way out?
Darien simply held his mother, as he
tried to accept it, but he
couldn’t. “She’ll fight, mother.”
“Yes, she will…” Merlyn
sniffed. “Darien, I’m so happy you are
still
here. I don’t know what I would have
done without you.”
“Serena helped you through some,
didn’t she?”
Merlyn felt that desperation in his
voice. The anxiety. “Yes,
Serena was
here to help me through this…”
“It was lucky that she was there in
the nick of time to save Jed. At
least he is
still safe, and with us.”
“Yes…” Merlyn trailed off,
remembering Serena’s proposal.
“Why did she come, mother?” he
pushed himself back in her
embrace to
look into her now guilty eyes.
Merlyn played with his sleeve, and
mumbled. “She came to
propose
something to me, and as of yet, I do not want to discuss it. There
are still
some things to consider.”
“What is it?”
“A plan; her plan to protect the
kingdoms.”
“What is it?” he demanded again.
“Darien, I have to decide this
first.”
“I’m your heir. If this decision will affect the kingdom, I
want to
know. Why don’t you want to tell me?”
*Because it’d break your
heart.* “I still have to think this
through.”
“No!” Darien looked at her,
frustration in his eyes. “Everything’s
been tossed
out of my hands. My sister just
vanished. The force that took
her stole
one of my best friends. The other three
are mourning. My
kingdom’s
out of order. My mother’s starting to
decide things by herself.
Most
importantly, the love of my life just came by without even looking at
me.”
“She couldn’t!” Merlyn cried out. “She can’t. It’d hurt her
too
much.”
“What do you mean? I love her.
She’s now a whole dimension
away, on
that moon. What am I going to do to
hurt her that hasn’t hurt me
already? What am I going to do to hurt her when
seeing pain in her eyes
torments me
more than the slowest death?”
“Don’t you see? She came here to give you away!” Merlyn
cried.
“She came to
propose you to marry Minalle!”
Hurt.
The slashing of his heart, as he
felt it fall from himself, to his feet.
This girl he had loved, so blindly,
had just grabbed his heart, and
cast it
away.
What was he doing? Why had he even thought that she’d even be
human enough
to fall in love?
That vulnerable girl, who was scared
of the future… Where was
she? That girl.
So distant, so vague a memory.
And now, he was left
alone, with
a shattered heart, and broken mind.
What was he going to do now?
How he had fought this stupid
emotion, only to be spurned. Why
him? He had fought so hard in life to distance
from the girls that
wandered
into his life. And Serena Kingston,
form the first moment, gave
him the very
reason why: the girl was impossible.
She was everything he
did not want
to love. She was everything he ever
wanted, gone wrong.
From that
first moment, when her fist connected with his lip, he’d seen her
with
ridicule, with a sneer. When had he
fallen in love with her?
It was in that moment, when her
angry, passionate eyes shot him
down, as her
elegant hands curled up into a hammering fist at his lip.
He loved her from the moment he saw
her.
The beauty was not evident. At least, the beauty of her face
wasn’t. But he admitted, that first instant, when he
looked at her, the
passion, the
excitement, the whole aura of raw LIFE in her, intrigued him.
He had been
relieved that his mother had sent her away, but when word
got out she
was coming back, his heart had clenched, and he had walked
the halls
apprehensively, hoping to see and avoid her at the same time.
And then he had seen her…
And then he opened his eyes, and
heart to her…
And she had just tossed that back in
his face.
What kind of person was Serena
Kingston, who’d heartlessly
spurned his
feelings?
*But then again,* his heart did
whisper, *she never really spurned
you. You never offered her anything.*
*BUT SHE KNEW ME!*
*She was doing what was best.*
The battle threw his mind in
havoc. He just had to see her.
But there was a vise around him,
whispering the word, “duty…”
“I’ve decided that the engagement is
a good idea.”
Merlyn turned to Darien. Her hair glinted a light silver at her
temples, and
her eyes were light and ghostly. Her
face looked worn, and
stress had
taken color and health from her. Darien
felt revulsion; not
towards his
mother, but at the force that had taken his mother. He looked
out the
window, imagining Raye, who was somewhere out there. Who
knew? Would she end being one of Beryl’s
pawns? Like Zoy? Zoy
couldn’t
really be evil, could he?
Darien had been silent these past
days, and Merlyn did not force
him to
divulge any of his thoughts. He needed
time.
And now…
Was she happy that he had decided
the safest way, for his
kingdom? Or was she disappointed that he wasn’t going
to fight for the
girl he
loved? For happiness? He’d be all right with Mina, but, really,
when it
mattered, Darien needed the spirit, vivacity, contrariness of
Serena.
Disappointment. The sting in her eyes. Oh, her beautiful son, her
only child
left, now giving himself to duty. She
felt anger at the world, for
taking her
two children away.
Darien couldn’t face her, because
out of the corner of his eye, she
looked just
as he thought she would when he told her.
The calm,
diplomatic
exterior, showing relief in his choice, but her eyes, a glittering
mess, begging
him to be true to himself.
But Serena didn’t want him, did
she? And his duty, wasn’t it
always a
rule of propriety that he had to marry for his kingdom, and not
for himself?
Never in his life did he have to
face the decision of propriety
against his
own wishes. He’d always believed his
goals and propriety
went hand in
hand. Now, at this moment, when acting
like a prince would
take away
every single cell in his heart, he couldn’t decide.
He never realized being prince would
be so dreadful a decision.
He never
regretted it more than he did now.
And if he knew that Serena loved
him…
But she didn’t. She had arranged the match herself. Again, the
image of her
golden hair, gently caressing her beautiful ivory face…the
expressive
ocean eyes…they faded, into a dark sadness as his heart started
to
pound. He shook his head, and looked at
his mother.
“When do we
make it known?”
“So, he’s going to wed the moon
princess,” Kunz asked placidly.
His voice
was smooth, cool; a contradiction to the turmoil and distress he
felt within.
Mina. Beautiful, delightful Mina.
A person whom he’d come to
admire, and
respect. The thought of seeing her with
his prince…he knew
strategically,
it would be an excellent match. The
powers of two
kingdoms,
united in one alliance, secured with matrimony…
But inside, he couldn’t see Mina
with Darien. Throughout the
whole time
he had seen Darien being pushed to Mina, and Mina being
pushed to
Darien, he’d always reminded himself that Mina would never let
such a union
occur, simply for the reason that she didn’t love Darien.
Also, she
was always…so…so not Darien’s type.
He’d always felt a protectiveness
for the golden-haired beauty
from the
moon. She’d touched a part of him that
was rarely evident.
She’d moved
him to think beyond the levels that he was accustomed to.
To hear that
this sweet, idealistic young woman was about to marry for
anything
less than love bothered him.
It worried him. Would she live to her honor, and do the right
thing?
However much he…cared…for her, it
did not matter now, did it?
What
mattered was the match. The inexorable
match. She HAD to go
through with
this. He had always hoped that she
would somehow not have
to face the realities
of life this way…but now, when faced, he hoped that
she would
realize that in such a world, trying to find love was as useless.
He pounded his fist on his desk, not
being about to concentrate as
Neph
continued to polish his boots.
“Yeah, it’s true. Darien agreed just yesterday afternoon. I can’t
say he looks
the part, though.”
“I don’t think anyone’s really happy
right now,” Kunz sighed.
“What about…” Neph began, then
paused. “Forget it.”
Kunz looked up at his friend. “What about me?” he asked, as if
reading
Neph’s mind. “What ABOUT me?”
“Well, I thought maybe you and Mina
were, you know…” Neph
trailed
off. At the darkening of Kunz’s eye he
paused, then proceeded to
babble. “Well, I know it’s your business, but…well…”
he said
awkwardly.
“There’s nothing between me and the
moon princess…” Kunz said
firmly,
looking back at his papers, fighting to concentrate. “Nothing,” he
whispered,
as he felt emotions flood through, ripping apart that word.
“Nothing.”
The hours seemed longer now.
Maybe because they were so sad.
Amy sighed as she looked up from her
sketchbook, giving a
cursory
glance to the royal gardens of the Moon Crystal Palace. Even the
plants
seemed to bow in sadness.
The air was blue. It was heavy, and it reflected on everyone’s
face.
She took a knife from her bag, and
sharpened her pencil.
Mina was somewhere in the palace, in
mourning.
It had not been easy when Queen
Serenity told her daughter of her
engagement
to the prince of Earth.
Mina had lost her voice, having been
smothered in distress and
sadness. She was silent, and yet, her mournful cries
echoed throughout
the palace.
It wasn’t that Darien was a
jerk. It was just that Mina didn’t love
Darien.
And Amy was almost certain that she
loved Kunz.
But Kunz, as well as Mina, did not
have a say in this matter. It
was matter
of existence, of peace, and of politics.
The cards had to be
dealt this
way.
The dark lead of her pencil gently
shaped an eye, narrowed, and
reflecting nothingness.
When the ambassador from Earth
communicated the prince’s wish
to marry the
princess, the news didn’t really fare well with anyone. It was
a relief to
Serenity, of course, because now both courts were protected.
Serena was speechless. She was emotionless. She was lifeless.
When she
heard of Darien’s wishes, she lost her color, her vivacity, her
everything. In the thin smile she carried, she had tried
to convince the
court that
she was all right with the arrangement, that she was perfectly
satisfied.
But she did not succeed in fooling
anyone.
Amy knew that this idea was Serena’s
in the first place, that it was
the best way
to fight Beryl and Metalia. And for
this, Serena must have
been
relieved to hear the prince agreed to this plan.
But she also knew that the woman’s
heart, not the diplomat’s, nor
the
protector’s, was beating in fury. How
could he betray her? After
everything
they had suffered together…
Amy sighed. But at least they knew they’d all be safe,
and they’d
all be
together, if not together in the whole sense.
Zoy was still out there…and to know
that he had deliberately tried
to kill his
friend, her friend…that he had taken away her princess of Earth,
or rather
Mars…Amy was furious, sad, disappointed and happy at the
same time.
Happy only that he was alive. But after that, fury had taken over
most of her
emotions. *Zoy, how COULD you?*
As she finished her sketch, she
looked down mournfully the
emotionless,
stoic man she had so carefully shaped onto paper, and angrily
tore the
sheet out, and ripped it up, letting the scraps drift into the wind,
away from
her.
Mina was not talking to anyone.
After all, they didn’t talk to her
about this stupid matter in the first
place. And now, without her consent, she was
engaged to Darien.
And when had she agreed to do this?
Serena was somewhere, moping about,
but then again, what was
worried
about? She wasn’t engaged to someone
she didn’t love!
Sure, Serena had been her friend
since childhood, but she had
never seen
Serena do such a stupid thing as to engage her friend to
someone
else!
Wasn’t it so obvious she didn’t want
to get married? At least, not
to Darien?
She loved her friend, but right
now…she clenched her fist until the
knuckles
turned white. She pounded her fist into
the pillow as she swore
under her
breath.
If Serena hadn’t been in such a
hurry to protect, she would have
stopped to
realize that Mina would not agree to this!
Her ex-friend was now somewhere in
the palace, perhaps planning
away another
part of HER life!
The palace was under siege.
The ironic thing was, Beryl smiled,
she hadn’t done anything to
cause it.
Slowly the minds of each person
isolated itself, and if Beryl played
her cards
right, she’d come out victorious.
The blonde, Serena, was it? Who started the whole complicated
mess…She was
a tough woman; but still, she was prey to her feelings,
which she
thought she hid so well.
But Beryl had known
differently. She had seen Serena,
sleepless
and
frustrated at nights, unborn tears slowly forcing themselves in the
form of
strenuous, exhausting exercise.
The moon princess was slowly easing
her way into Beryl’s
clutches,
and totally unaware of it! The anger
she felt was such an easy
start to the
depths of darkness, and Beryl gently cultivated the seed of
rebellion in
the moon princess. Soon enough…
The blue-haired one was
useless. But at least she was useless
to
Serenity’s
flank as well. Emotionless,
soulless. There was no anger in her
to prey
on. Her spirit was lost when Beryl had
taken the man she loved
away. Beryl smiled triumphantly. Yes, that had been quite a success…
And the Earth princess! What luck!
Having this young woman, of
so much fire
under her command. Granted, she was so
difficult to
manage; the
girl had a fire the size of her planet.
The passion would be
excellent in
combat, but only if it were tamed. So
far, Beryl had only been
able to
leash some of the fire. But soon
enough, even the brightest flames
would be
extinguished.
Ah, yes…Life was excellent. Soon…
The shadows, lurking in her mind as
she tried to fight through, to
find a
voice.
What was there to say, though?
It was her fault that he had been
taken. Over and over, she could
see those eyes,
telling her the message he had been trying to tell her this
whole past
lifetime; they were meant to be.
But now, he was gone…
And he had fought, for Beryl.
Threatened the life of Raye.
Amy’s storm of thoughts locked her
in struggle. The happiness of
knowing he
was alive, though she had felt it the whole time. But the
physical
proof…
And the anger. How could he attack Raye? Take her?
Amy’s
face
paled. What would she have done? She would have left Raye, she
knew it,
just as Jed it. No, she didn’t blame
Jed at all. She didn’t blame
anyone but
herself.
If she had only been stronger during
that battle, to stand up to
Beryl…
He’d still be with her.
And that gap in her heart would not
be so empty. Right now, it
ached.
Somewhere in the wind, though…she
could still hear his
laugh…his
good laugh…and a small plea:*Fight for it.*
Her hair was silk in the night
satin, as Artemis caught his breath.
Her eyes
reflected the sad night, as she turned at the sound of whispering
cloth. “Artemis…”
Did she know how much of him was
hers? That voice, musing,
caressing
his ear, was all he wanted to hear right now.
“I—“
“How—“
They both stopped, each waiting for
the other to finish their
sentence. Luna’s heart was pounding. Something in the air tonight…
Artemis settled on the balcony rail
with her, taking in the scent of
the night,
the velvety perfume of Luna’s presence.
“I was saying that we
hadn’t seen
each other lately…”
“Well, you know, with the entrance
of the new princess and her
court…” Luna
trailed off, looking up at Artemis.
“What’s going to
happen?” She
could feel cold; chilling, terrorizing cold…
He put his hands on her arms, and
lightly brushed up and down,
warming her,
as he took her into his embrace. “I
don’t know…” he kissed
her
forehead.
“Artemis…this isn’t…”
“Shh…just this moment.”
The hugging shadows on the other
side of the courtyard made her
heart sing
in mournful cries.
When was the last time she had been
held like that?
Serenity’s eyes welled up with
tears, as she slid her finger under
her collar
to take out a gold chain. Hanging from
it, a pendant, of the
purest
mooncrystal glimmered.
“Terrence…” she bit her lip, turning
away from the eyes of the
stars, back
into the loneliness of her room. *I
don’t know how much
longer I can
live like this…*
“Are you sure you can do this?”
Merlyn asked her son, half-
wishing, and
half-dreading he’d reply no.
“Yes,” Darien said, stiffly,
emotionlessly.
*What has happened to you?*
But instead of asking her question
aloud, she turned to his three
guards, and
nodded, as the walked out of the palace, ready to intercept
their escort
to the Moon Kingdom.
She had wanted to go, but she
couldn’t.
Serenity wanted her to go; she
knew. But she couldn’t. No, she
couldn’t see
him.
Serena quietly stared out the window
of her room, watching for his
figure at
the horizon.
She’d sent Luna instead, who went
silently, without questions.
Perhaps because she had already
known the answers.
And where was Mina? Still hiding in her room?
Serena felt a helpless anger. At her friend, who did not want to
marry her
prince and let things be. Who didn’t
understand. At her prince,
who agreed
to the match. At herself, for
recommending the idea. At her
enemy, who
caused so much pain in the first place.
Lately, she had cursed her
fate. Why did SHE have to be the
moonlight
maiden? Why couldn’t she have just
stayed at home, and
gotten
married, and lived a happy life? If
this was her destiny, she didn’t
wish for it
anymore.
She had never felt this before. The need to right her duty. The
emptiness. In her years of striving to be the castle
guard, what had kept
her
complete? Because now, she was so
empty.
She had NEVER felt this way before. She felt anger at herself for
even daring
to consider the possibilities…
Crimson lips were drawn in a thin
line, as violent eyes flashed in
darkness.
In the shadows, she watched him, as
he looked around, mournfully,
angrily.
She smiled slyly. It would be soon enough.
She’d get to him, use his feelings
for her to destroy him, and his
liege.
Deep inside, a well of heat rose,
and struggled to break through the
ice in her
mind. NOOOO!
She shook her head, as she tried to
balance herself again. What
was
happening to her? She turned to the
woman at her side, scowling.
“Why are you
just letting them leave?”
“Patience…” Beryl whispered to her
newest and most eager
minion. “Soon, you will have them in your hands…”
The woman tossed her black hair back
and laughed, as the tones of
passionate
evil burned through the air.
He thought he heard her laugh.
But it wasn’t.
Not that evil, low, shriek of the
night.
Jed turned once more to Luna
Dimiantya, and her partner, Artemis
Trelyme. The two were unfeeling, coarse, and simply
stood.
Were all Lunarians like this?
Jed shifted uncomfortably on his
feet. She was OUT there! He
could feel
it!
And now, he was just going to leave?
He’d assured himself that Beryl,
bringing HER along, would
follow them
to the moon, and there, he’d be able to take his lady love back
again.
He had to, or else he was lost.
“Let us begin our journey…” Luna
simply stated, looking at the
prince,
smothering the anger out of her pale, clear eyes. *If you only
knew how
much you’ve made my friend suffer…*
But as she looked at the sad, yet
determined look on the prince’s
face, she
could tell the hurt was not limited to Serena, nor was the blame
restricted
to him.
Luna’s black marble staff, with the
crystal ball at the top, crossed
with
Artemis’s white one, with its own crystal ball. A glow of light…
Luna led the way.
The others followed. Artemis skirted from behind.
Darien turned once more back to the
kingdom, which he would
only be
ruling from a distance now.
Would it be safe without immediate
ruling? Would it be safe
under the
chancellor’s care?
The moon was not too much a distance
away, and it would still be
relatively
easy to defend his kingdom from it…but still…
Darien once again turned back forward,
as he saw the black-haired,
blue-eyed
Lunarian woman look at him with disappointment, and turn
away.
“They’ve arrived!” A maid excitedly
squealed as the trumpets
flourished
the arrival of the Terran kingdom to the Lunarians. Servants
rushed up
and down the halls, the girls all searching for that one glimpse
of the
handsome prince their princess would marry.
Serena was hiding in her room, with
the silk drapes pulled shut.
She was
still sitting right at the window seat, just a curtain away from
Darien. Her heart pounded, as her hand fought her
heart in a struggle to
tear the
curtain open, to see him, to just see that he was safe, and alive.
But she wouldn’t.
She’d known he was here. She had sensed it the moment he had
set his foot
on her kingdom.
How would she get through the next
months, years? Her life?
Her LIFE?
The ground vanished. Her heart stopped. She was giving up the
happiness of
the rest of her life so that he could do his duty…so that she
could do
hers…but…YES! Of course it was worth
it! She retorted to
herself. It was worth it…after all, the kingdoms
would be safe. But
would her
heart? YES. It would. She tried to
convince herself, by saying
it over and
over in her mind. She was doing this
out of concern for the
kingdom, and
love…after all, it was better that he was alive, and that she
could
protect him…even if it meant that they’d be eternally separated
from one
another.
Serena walked away from the window
as she started to hear the
graceful
greetings of Queen Serenity.
She was…different.
But then again, so was he. Why wasn’t everything ever the same?
Was it
really just a few months ago that they were all in the Terran palace,
dancing and
laughing?
Mina looked so sick now. As if she had not slept, had not eaten.
Jed could
only feel fury at Serena for doing this to Mina. She looked as
bad as Kunz
did, and as he peeked at his friend, who was avoiding her
eyes, turned
away from her direction, back to her, he felt an urge to slap
his colleague. How could he be so insensitive?
Mina was no longer his sister, but
he was still protective of her. It
didn’t
matter that she was a princess from another planet, for all he cared
about was
the fact that this woman was as much a sister as he had ever
had, and
that he loved her.
He knew Serena was suffering; he was
not blind to his own liege’s
pain. Darien was mute, cold. It was if he had lost his life sometime in
the
last few
days.
He looked heartbroken, and Jed felt
anger again for Serena.
But then again, Darien had chosen
this, so it was not entirely
Serena’s
doing…
Serenity greeted them formally, as
Jed looked at his surroundings.
Everything
was elegantly pristine. So ordered, and
so beautiful…the
architecture…of
glass domes, of glass pillars, or marble and diamond
floors. The spires of the castle towers, he had read
before, were out of
pure clear
mooncrystal, and tipped with glimmering star gold. The bricks
were out of
moondust marble, and sparkled with small grains of diamond
melded in.
And Mina was oblivious to it
all. Jed could see pain in her blue
eyes. Mina was dressed so formally in a white silk
toga, edged with gold
threads. Her blond hair was pulled up in the royal
style, and crowned with
golden
roses.
She didn’t look happy here, although
she was surrounded by
heaven,
although she was with her true mother.
Her guards, Amy and Lita, stood by
her side. Amy looking warily
at the
prince, and Lita, focused only on Neph, hiding her joy at seeing him
safe and
here. Serena was missing.
It was fitting, but totally unlike
her. She was never a coward.
But then again, had she ever been in
love?
Jed was almost positive that she had
fallen for Darien, now. With
all the
hints that Merlyn had whispered, and all the gossip about a
mysterious
golden locket Darien carried with him at all times…Serena, the
most
heartless one of them all…in love?
“Welcome to the moon.”
“Thank you for meeting me on such
short notice,” Serenity
gestured a seat
opposite her desk to Merlyn.
Merlyn took the seat, and looked
across. “Your concern?”
Both knew that they wanted to speak
out against the ceremony, but
both knew
the importance of this engagement…this alliance.
Serenity began carefully, wondering
how she was going to suggest
this, when
she didn’t really approve of the idea.
“As you know, it would
be very
beneficial to have the ceremony as soon as possible…”
Merlyn merely nodded, her protest
locked in her throat. She
WOULDN’T
speak out against this.
Serenity bit her tongue. She had seen her daughter, furious at
everyone for
even suggesting she marry for anything less than love. But
she had also
seen her ward mandate the only way to protect the kingdoms.
It was the
most horrible station she could put her daughter in, and Serenity
felt her
heart sink every time she thought about it.
*What kind of mother am I?*
Serena had pleaded, begged not to be
present in the ceremony of
the prince’s
arrival, and she was still protesting to her presence at the
engagement
ceremony, as well as the wedding.
Serenity wanted to feel furious at
Serena. It would be the easiest
alternative. But Serena was so…level-minded. This was the only
way…unless
Serena herself got married…but she was only a Terran in her
own eyes,
never a Lunarian, as Serenity wanted her to think herself as.
No, Serena
said, in order for there to be an alliance, the prince of Earth
must marry a
Lunarian.
“In the tradition of the Lunar, an
engagement ceremony takes place
on the night
of the Full Earth, and the full Earth afterwards, the wedding
occurs.”
“When’s the next full Earth?”
“One week from now…” Serenity began.
Merlyn winced, drawing in a quick
breath. “And the one after?”
“Thirty days after that night.”
They couldn’t afford thirty
days. Merlyn felt her heart pound as
she sealed
her son’s happiness in a bottle to throw away.
“Then the
engagement
ceremony will occur in one week.”
Serenity merely nodded, as she felt
her daughter’s heart breaking.
One week?
No, too soon! Mina panicked as she struggled to bring
herself to a
rational
level.
But anger so quickly came over.
There was so much logic to the
alliance, and yet…it still made no
sense!
Mina felt her life closing in on
her. When was the last time she
had ever
been able to breathe? To feel whatever
she wished? To love
whomever she
wished? What happened? Hadn’t she always wanted to
see her
family? Didn’t she trust Serena to make
things right? Serena was
always
right, wasn’t she?
NO!
This time, she was wrong. Serena
knew nothing of the
matters of
the heart. Serena had let rules and
regulations get in the way of
the true
rule of life; love. Mina had to do
something! She had to buy
herself some
time! She had one week to come up with
something, and
then she had
thirty days to dispel all notions of the marriage.
“I can’t do this.”
She paced as she walked next to the
leader of the Four.
Kunz looked at the beautiful young
princess at his side, and
felt…what he
wanted to feel. Nothing.
He felt NOTHING. He told himself again.
Mina continued to pace, trying to
make him see it her way.
But he wouldn’t.
Stubborn, foolish man!
“Don’t you see? It goes against everything!”
“Except sanity,” he completed for
her.
She turned to him, angrily. “What are you talking about?”
“Honor, Mina. Have a little honor. Sure in the beginning, I was a
little
doubtful of this whole thing, but you are royalty, Minalle. A
princess,
who has many subjects to consider.” It
was as he had told
himself from
the moment that he started the journey here.
She was
royalty, and
she had duties. She had her family
honor to uphold.
Mina lost her fire and stopped,
speechless.
“Sure, I guess you do have a claim
to love whoever you want,
but…”
“But what, Kunz?”
He felt something inside of him fall
apart. How could she be so
insensitive? Thinking that she was so…
Anger. His pale face warmed.
“But you have a duty, your
highness.”
“Duty? I’d give it up in a second.”
“But you can’t.” he persisted coldly.
“I really thought you would
understand.” She scoffed at herself.
“I do understand. I understand the situation, and you would
too, if
you’d only
open your eyes and see outside or your conceited self!” he
stormed
away.
“You are a disgrace, Mina. To your whole family, to my
friendship,
and to yourself.”
“You do realize that you have to see
him eventually.”
“Yes, but not now.”
“I’ve never said this to you before,
but I’m going to say it now.
Serena, you have
to be the biggest fool there ever was!
You have to
confront
this one. You’ve never been afraid of
anything!” Amy scolded.
Luna quietly entered the room. “What’s going on?”
Mina stood in front of the window,
angered and cool. Lita sat
exasperated
by Serena, and Amy was pacing the floor.
“We’re trying to
convince her
to go to the engagement ceremony, but she’s determined not
to see
HIM. Of course, she’s not really saying
that; she’s just saying that
she feels
ill.”
There was no question that Serena
was trying to avoid Prince
Darien, and
Luna sighed. “Serena will be at the
engagement ceremony.”
Serena merely remained silent, but
in her, a steel resolution was
already
formed to stay away from the ceremony.
*Six more days…* the three words
permeated throughout the
minds of all
who sat in the room.
It seemed impossible that she give
up her life for the goodness of
her country.
She had adamantly pushed her belief
in love, believing it to be the
strongest
force of all humankind, to equal the elements of the Earth, such
as ice and
fire and wind.
But it had disappointed her.
Mina felt nothing but
bitterness. A fool’s trap. It was designed to
snag, and to
strangle and to devastate. There was no
other way to describe
it.
The sickening pain. She needed to talk to him, only to know what
he thought
of this…Kunz always knew. Kunz always
understood. But
when she
talked to him last…couldn’t he understand?
No, the cold man was always
preaching honor, duty, and that crap.
He was too busy
upholding his stupid idiotic morals.
Foolish, foolish
man. She thought he was worthy of her trust. She thought he was worthy
of…
No, forget it. He was too busy thinking himself above
everything.
And he was protecting his prince.
Her future husband.
Husband? Bonded for life with a man she didn’t love? NO!!!!!
Mina had
waited all her life to fall in love with the man who would win
her heart,
and protect her, understand her, love her.
And she had not
found him
yet.
Instead, she was marrying a
stranger! Darien was a stranger!
How could her mother agree to this?
“How could you agree to this,
Serenity?” Prima asked, slightly
angry,
across the communication column. “You
defy the logic of love and
chose
foolishly!”
Serenity frowned. “Prima, you’re only saying this because you
believe in
true love. It’s true: Mina doesn’t love
Darien, but with time…”
“I would NEVER allow my daughter to
marry a man she didn’t
love!” Prima
scolded.
Serenity froze. “Even if it meant the end of your daughter?”
Prima’s angered, heated face faded
into a pallor of ice. “If my
daughter
were to enter a loveless lock for the rest of her life, it IS her end.”
Speechless, Serenity could not
distinguish the feelings of her older
sister. “She can’t just give up her throne. She has a responsibility to the
kingdom! She can’t just give it up for…”
“For a foolish little fancy?” Prima
completed quietly. “Because
she can’t
fall in love with the right man?”
Serenity felt tears. The right man. A feeling of the past welled up
inside her.
The wedding day, when Prima stood in
white silk, smiling falsely,
as she
prepared to marry Terrence…
Only to refuse her crown, and force
her sister Serenity to marry…
And Prima, she had left, disowned by
her family, only loved and
acknowledged
still by Serenity. Eventually, she
redeemed herself by
falling in
love and marrying the king of Venus, but to their last breath,
Serenity’s
parents…
And Serenity had eventually, fallen
in love with her husband,
despite the
circumstances.
But of course, that wasn’t always
the story. And Prima felt guilty.
Prima had,
in her struggle to go follow her heart, had put another in an
awkward
position.
Oh, what was to happen?
“You’ll ruin her life,” Prima
stated, coldly.
“There will be no life if they don’t
get married,” a calm, cold voice
interrupted
the room.
Serenity turned, and Prima
started. “Serenity? Who is it?”
“It’s my ward, Serena Kingston.”
Serena approached the column,
looking at the beautiful image of
Primavera,
the queen of the Venusians. “If they
don’t marry, do you
know how
many lives are at stake? Do you know
how many people, who
would have
been in love, will die, never to meet their loved one, ever?
Your
majesty, one heart sacrificed is little compared to others!” she
turned, and
ran out of the room, tears cutting through her voice.
Primavera stood silent. At length, she said quietly. “It is true, at
the time of
my marriage, and I did not have to worry about the fate of any
others…except…”
Prima looked right at Serenity’s
eyes, and though they were
separated by
the extensive length of space, Serenity felt no less penetration
in her
stare.
“Mina…she has no sibling…Serenity…”
“Yes?”
“Did you hate me when I forced you to
marry Terrence? I know,
that I have
been hypocritical…but…I just couldn’t, and you…”
“I was young, immature…I did not
know what love was going to
be…but
Prima…I loved him…I loved him so, and he loved me, and we
are forever
grateful to you…though…”
“Though you did not at first agree…”
“Yes…”
Prima was silent. “It was fortunate you DID fall in love…”
“Yes…”
“And, Mina…will she?”
“I don’t know.”
Silence.
“Your ward. Serena…” she lifted an eyebrow.
“Yes, she loves him.”
Prima’s eyes flamed. “And she can’t marry him?”
“She’s of Terran blood. Not of our descent, and therefore declared
the marriage
would be a sham if…”
Prima nodded silently. They looked at each other in silence.
Serenity
then quietly returned to the first question of the conversation.
“So will you
come to the engagement ceremony?”
Primavera looked at her sister, and
sighed. “Yes, I will.”
Amy sat straight and looked at
herself carefully in the mirror, did
she look all
right? Nerves. Pounding from head to toe. Would She like
her? She got up and started to pace.
Back…forth…back…forth…
A crinkle of worry marred her smooth
face.
Back…forth…back…forth…
“Amy!”
The door was thrown open, and a
gasping Serena signaled out of
breath what Amy
had been waiting for all afternoon. Amy
nodded quietly,
and found
her feet could not move.
Serena looked at her. “Go for it.”
Amy pushed her feet mentally, and
took an awkward step, and then
another…until
she was running to the palace gate, to greet her mother.
Lita looked around her to hear Amy’s
soft pattering footsteps
approach
her. Amy stopped next to her, and they
smiled nervously to each
other.
Oh, Lita hoped she liked her.
The whole idea of having her mother
come had kept her distracted
for days on
end. She refused to see Neph
altogether, being so sick with
nervousness. Setting her teeth, and curling her long,
elegant fingers into a
fist, she
closed her eyes, and counted to ten, breathing in and out slowly,
trying to
breath out the tension in her body.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, and let
her mind slowly focus on
where she
was. Calm, she closed her eyes again,
only to open them,
startled,
when Amy let out a gasp beside her and started to run. Lita
opened her
eyes quickly, to see Amy running quickly to a woman that
could only
be Amy’s mother.
And next to Amy’s mother, nervous,
and happy, was Lita’s own
mother who
approached her as Lita approached Her.
Staning only a few
feet apart,
her mother softy said, “Hello, my Beautiful girl…”
Lita felt tears. Her mother thought she was beautiful! She felt her
mother’s
hand caress her cheek, slowly, to make sure she was real, and
immediately,
Lita threw herself in her mother’s arms, and cried joyfully.
A pale face was watching them with
glowing, lonely blue eyes.
She had done
her best to avoid him, and hid in her room.
But as she saw
person after
person meet with people they loved, and find happiness, she
felt more
discontent.
She was happy for them, but…
She missed her own mother…
Serenity had been a comfort, but
lately, Mina needed her more.
Serenity
spent hours with her daughter, assuring her of the necessity of the
match, that
her marriage was very important.
Serenity didn’t pretend with Mina
that she loved Darien.
And Serenity didn’t pretend with
Serena that she didn’t love
Darien.
Serenity was saddened by Serena’s
apparent…cowardice? She
wanted
Serena to confront him. But she
couldn’t.
Not until he was engaged, at
least…only in four days. And soon,
he’d be
married.
Married? Lost to her, forever?
Always to feel this emptiness, this
ache? She wanted to know; did he love her?
But…no! It would hurt her. It
would go beyond hurt. It would
devastate
and demolish her whole sense of will if Darien told her he loved
her, that
hers was not the only heart being demolished in the process.
If he loved her…
IF he loved her…
Serena laughed bitingly to
herself. Darien didn’t love her,
though.
He didn’t love, right?
She tried to believe.
For a moment, she did.
She closed her eyes, as a tear
tricked quietly down her cheek.
Prima watched the events with a
distance, physically, and
emotionally. To see her friends find their children
again, when she had
yet to discover
if her daughter was still alive on that planet, so far
below…she
was lost among millions of people…
Prima shuddered as her sister
approached her. Silently, they
hugged, and
Prima introduced her to a pale woman at her side. “This is
Minalle…”
Prima smiled weakly. “My daughter’s name was Minalle, you
know…it’s a
very beautiful name, isn’t it?”
“It means Love in some ancient
Venusian language, I believe…”
Mina said,
softly, almost bitterly.
Prima looked to Serenity. *What have you done? Can I allow
this?*
Aware of her sister’s scrutiny,
Serenity continued quietly, trying to
keep
moving. “My ward Serena will not be
joining us. She feels ill…”
she said,
looking quietly to the man who must have been the prince of
Earth. Prima would feel her heart breaking from the
sheer tragedy of the
situation.
“Come meet the Terran Royal Court…”
she brought Prima to the
young man
with dark hair and soulless, dark midnight blue eyes…
She walked silently through the
hall.
It was all right, she told herself
in her mind.
She longed for a walk outdoors. She hadn’t taken one
since…since…well…
Forget about dwelling on wrong
things.
She hurried away. She’d go to Cloud Way, where she could sort
things out.
Mina didn’t’ love him. He didn’t love Mina. Maybe in the future,
they’d
eventually fall in love…after all, they hadn’t fallen in love with
anyone
yet…but…
It would KILL her to see him fall in
love with Mina. To see
him…no. She shuddered. Never. She wanted to wish
him happiness in
his
marriage, but how could she? She hated
herself for having this debate.
She ought to
have already been decided. She
suggested the whole stupid
thing. She had to follow it through.
Even if she did love him. But what if…
*DON’T PLAY THAT GAME, KINGSTON…*
she reprimanded
herself,
while sitting at a spot that overlooked what she thought was
Polaris. *He never loved you. He was never yours to lose.*
“So when were you planning to talk?”
She jumped. Her whole feeling drained, and all that was
left was a
sinking
feeling and cold blood in her veins.
Eyes widened, she turned
slowly,
carefully, trying to keep herself calm.
“I don’t see anything that we need
to discuss…” she answered him,
coldly,
avoiding his gaze.
Oh, she was so beautiful! Darien sighed, settling next to her. He
wanted
to…take her in his arms, just hold her, to make sure she was real.
She was
always so beautiful, but…she looked ill, and worn, and somehow
more mature,
and saddened. No, though he had
anticipated the meeting,
he had not
wanted it to be under these circumstances.
He just wanted to
make her
look at him, to know the truth…
But what if he found the truth not to his
liking? Or if he found the
truth to his
liking? That would be worse…
Silent, he sat by her.
She remained silent by him. She yearned to ask him why he
wished to
marry Mina, but she guessed that she already knew; duty.
Bitterly,
she thought he was beyond that stage, she was disappointed in
him…but,
ironically, she had wanted him to accept because his duty
demanded
it. All she knew now was the pounding
of her heart, counting
off the
wasted time they were spending together.
At another time, she would have
appreciated this time with him.
But now, she
hated it. She hated him. How could he?
*Double standards…* she reprimanded
herself. But with the
increasing
time they sat there, the more angered she felt, and her cheeks
flushed red
until she finally faced him.
When their eyes met everything in
the air exploded. Fire met Fire
and
locked. She felt her anger grow, and
she saw a sudden surge of fire in
the gleam of
his eye. She stood up, not breaking the
eyelock. He stood up
as well,
matching her, breath for breath.
Her match, in every way conceivable.
“How could you?” she blurted out.
“How could I? How could YOU? Do you think you can control
the fate of
the universe? Do you think you can just
push people together
and expect
the whole world to be all right ever after?
Just because you
saved a few
lives does not put you in charge of them!”
Serena was stunned into
silence. “You have some nerve, for a
pompous
bastard who CHOSE to enter an engagement, ready to control
others. What are you demanding of me? What more could you want?
You WANTED
this!” *You NEEDED this!* she
completed.
“You have no idea what I want. You don’t know me!”
She did know him. She knew he was tearing up inside, but she
refused to
let that affect her. *Now, the
zinger. Go in for the kill. Just
say it, and let
him hate you. DO IT YOU
WEAKLING!!!!!!!!*
“I know a cold-blooded man who
doesn’t care either way, as long
as he can
stay in a position of power. He rules
his kingdom with
indifference,
and doesn’t really care for anyone, or anything. I know you
like a
book. It’s less than a few pages
long! The cold-hearted prick that I
set my poor
mistress up with would appreciate his opportunity. This is
your chance
to prove yourself for all your worth, even if you are a zero.
DON’T BLOW
IT!”
“Don’t tell me what to do! You’re only the HELP!” he sneered,
bitingly. He felt the need to hurt her, as much as she
was hurting him.
The help. The sting was threatening her eyes, but she would not
cry. Not over him. “When you get married, I’ll be more than the “help”.
I’m going to
be the one to keep this together.
Remember that!”
Serena pushed herself up, and walked
away, not turning back once.