"Moonfall""
By Meara ~Prologue~
It was amazing, Lucien thought as he watched the baby sleep, how one small sentence can change your entire life. Until just a few months ago, he'd been a man of great importance. Those wishing favors of the crown had sought him out to fawn over him, giving him expensive gifts. He'd had his pick of any of the many beautiful women at court. He held his rightful place at the very center of the Moon Kingdom's court.
"Then you came." Lucien whispered bitterly.
Since that dreadful day when his cousin the Queen had announced her pregnancy, his power and influence had waned. He was no longer third in line for the throne of the Silver Millennium. Lucien had gone from being a potential King to a distant cousin in the time it took for those words to be uttered. He was reduced to a mere hanger-on, a nobody in the very court that had been his entire world.
He hated it - and he hated her.
"This is all your fault." He hissed to the infant. Princess Serenity, unimpressed, continued to sleep on peacefully.
The cold, metal blade of the dagger he produced caught the subdued light and flashed as he lifted it above his head. He'd planned it all out so very carefully. With one, quick, thrust he could solve all of his problems.
Lucien would then escape back into the long forgotten hidden passage that had allowed him to gain entrance into the nursery. No one would even know that he had been here. When the death of the tiny Princess was announced, he would put on an excellent show of grief. Everyone would note his noble demeanor as he took his place among the royal mourners. He would once again be important.
As the blade began its downward arc, he felt his world suddenly explode. Lucien was knocked off his feet and he rolled onto the floor with his unknown assailant. They struggled in the dim light for the dagger only briefly before Lucien was able to use the weapon to dispatch the person who had dared to interfere. The man gave a short gasp as the blade found his heart. He collapsed onto Lucien. With a grunt and a shove, Lucien pushed the body off of himself and onto the nursery floor. It was then that Lucien finally got a good look at the man who had attacked him. The light in the room was subdued, but he recognized that face immediately.
It was the King.
Lucien's heart froze in chest as he the full implications of what had just happened hit him. He had killed the King! Panic filled him as he tried to pull his ornate dagger from the body, but found that it held fast. Trapped in the bone of the King's sternum, it would all too quickly identify Lucien as the murderer. The Queen would see him put to death - a very slow and painful death at that.
Lucien leapt to his feet, wiping the blood from his hands onto his shirt. He looked at the baby. "This is all your fault!" He shouted to her as he fled the room.
Awakened by the noise, the infant Princess began to wail loudly. ".All your fault!"
There was only one chance to fix this mess, Lucien knew. Disregarding the shouts of guards alerted by the baby's crying, he ran into the heart of the palace. The chamber ahead was held sacred by the people of those of the Moon Kingdom and should be entered only by the Queen herself. But Lucien was long past caring about protocol. He bolted the doors of the chamber shut after him and pushed a heavy chair against them for good measure. This done he turned to face the only thing that could save him.
The Ginzuishou hung suspended in the air above a shining pillar. He'd been told since childhood that it was death for any save the Monarch to use the unfathomable, eldritch power, but he had never truly believed it. That was just another fable to add to the prestige of the Queen. He had royal blood in his veins! He could use the ultimate power of the White Moon Kingdom just as well as any monarch!
With the power of the Silver Crystal, he could heal the King and alter his memories of the event. Yes, Lucian thought, he would have the King remember that Lucien had fought off an attacker and saved both the King and that wretched little Princess! Queen Serenity would be so grateful that he would be pushed up in the line of succession again. Then Lucien could bide his time. There were so many things that happened to small children. An opportunity for a fatal "accident" would surely happen in the next few years.
Pleased that his superior mind had concocted a way out of this mess, he approached the Crystal. Just as he had seen Serenity do, he cupped his hands around the shining gem. With great caution, he pulled the Crystal to his breast.
Lucien could hear the guards outside the door shouting at him. The Queen's voice was added to the cacophony and he knew he had to hurry! Raising the jewel over his head, he called the traditional words to activate it.
"Moon Healing Escalation!"
Silver light filled the chamber, overwhelming his senses. He was first aware of a dull, burning sensation in his hands. It quickly ran down his arms and into his chest as the pain exploded into an inferno of searing agony. He screamed aloud as silver fire erupted out of his eyes and mouth.
The door shattered open, but Lucien was long past worrying about even the Queen's wrath. As Serenity, grieving queen of the Moon Kingdom entered the chamber, she saw Lucien burning with the cold fires of of the Ginzuishou. He stumbled toward her and Serenity protectively cradled the tiny Crown Princess in her arms.
Falling before the Queen, Lucien shrieked in agony as his body was consumed. Just before his brain was burned to ash, he looked at the infant Princess. Lucien managed to scream out his final words.
"This is all your fault, damn you! All your fault!"
Serenity, Queen of the Moon Kingdom, called the Ginzuishou to her. She then watched with pitiless eyes as what was left of Lucien burned to dust. Within moments all that was left of him was small pile of cinders that stained the white floor of the sacred chamber. With great deliberation, Serenity took one step forward and spit on the ashes.
Serenity reached out with a single hand and the great power of the White Moon Kingdom came to float above he cupped hand. She whispered softly to it and the small pile of ash was blown away by a mystic breeze.
Serenity, turned to face those who waited just beyond the door the sacred chamber. That Lucian has always been unduly ambitious was something the Queen knew all too well. His vanity has never allowed him to accept the fact that the Crown of the Silver Millennium was passed only from mother to daughter. She knew she should pity him but found that emotion beyond her at the moment.
"Because of his treason, let the name Lucian name be stricken from every record with this realm. It will not be spoken aloud while I am Queen."
Serenity turned and left to grieve for her husband, their only child within the shelter of her arms.
The man who in life had savored his royal station and craved attention, was consigned to oblivion by Serenity. All references to him were removed from every record kept by the Silver Millennium. And Lucien's name was never again spoken within the halls of the great palace.
But Lucien was not the type to go quietly into hell.
By Meara ~Prologue~
It was amazing, Lucien thought as he watched the baby sleep, how one small sentence can change your entire life. Until just a few months ago, he'd been a man of great importance. Those wishing favors of the crown had sought him out to fawn over him, giving him expensive gifts. He'd had his pick of any of the many beautiful women at court. He held his rightful place at the very center of the Moon Kingdom's court.
"Then you came." Lucien whispered bitterly.
Since that dreadful day when his cousin the Queen had announced her pregnancy, his power and influence had waned. He was no longer third in line for the throne of the Silver Millennium. Lucien had gone from being a potential King to a distant cousin in the time it took for those words to be uttered. He was reduced to a mere hanger-on, a nobody in the very court that had been his entire world.
He hated it - and he hated her.
"This is all your fault." He hissed to the infant. Princess Serenity, unimpressed, continued to sleep on peacefully.
The cold, metal blade of the dagger he produced caught the subdued light and flashed as he lifted it above his head. He'd planned it all out so very carefully. With one, quick, thrust he could solve all of his problems.
Lucien would then escape back into the long forgotten hidden passage that had allowed him to gain entrance into the nursery. No one would even know that he had been here. When the death of the tiny Princess was announced, he would put on an excellent show of grief. Everyone would note his noble demeanor as he took his place among the royal mourners. He would once again be important.
As the blade began its downward arc, he felt his world suddenly explode. Lucien was knocked off his feet and he rolled onto the floor with his unknown assailant. They struggled in the dim light for the dagger only briefly before Lucien was able to use the weapon to dispatch the person who had dared to interfere. The man gave a short gasp as the blade found his heart. He collapsed onto Lucien. With a grunt and a shove, Lucien pushed the body off of himself and onto the nursery floor. It was then that Lucien finally got a good look at the man who had attacked him. The light in the room was subdued, but he recognized that face immediately.
It was the King.
Lucien's heart froze in chest as he the full implications of what had just happened hit him. He had killed the King! Panic filled him as he tried to pull his ornate dagger from the body, but found that it held fast. Trapped in the bone of the King's sternum, it would all too quickly identify Lucien as the murderer. The Queen would see him put to death - a very slow and painful death at that.
Lucien leapt to his feet, wiping the blood from his hands onto his shirt. He looked at the baby. "This is all your fault!" He shouted to her as he fled the room.
Awakened by the noise, the infant Princess began to wail loudly. ".All your fault!"
There was only one chance to fix this mess, Lucien knew. Disregarding the shouts of guards alerted by the baby's crying, he ran into the heart of the palace. The chamber ahead was held sacred by the people of those of the Moon Kingdom and should be entered only by the Queen herself. But Lucien was long past caring about protocol. He bolted the doors of the chamber shut after him and pushed a heavy chair against them for good measure. This done he turned to face the only thing that could save him.
The Ginzuishou hung suspended in the air above a shining pillar. He'd been told since childhood that it was death for any save the Monarch to use the unfathomable, eldritch power, but he had never truly believed it. That was just another fable to add to the prestige of the Queen. He had royal blood in his veins! He could use the ultimate power of the White Moon Kingdom just as well as any monarch!
With the power of the Silver Crystal, he could heal the King and alter his memories of the event. Yes, Lucian thought, he would have the King remember that Lucien had fought off an attacker and saved both the King and that wretched little Princess! Queen Serenity would be so grateful that he would be pushed up in the line of succession again. Then Lucien could bide his time. There were so many things that happened to small children. An opportunity for a fatal "accident" would surely happen in the next few years.
Pleased that his superior mind had concocted a way out of this mess, he approached the Crystal. Just as he had seen Serenity do, he cupped his hands around the shining gem. With great caution, he pulled the Crystal to his breast.
Lucien could hear the guards outside the door shouting at him. The Queen's voice was added to the cacophony and he knew he had to hurry! Raising the jewel over his head, he called the traditional words to activate it.
"Moon Healing Escalation!"
Silver light filled the chamber, overwhelming his senses. He was first aware of a dull, burning sensation in his hands. It quickly ran down his arms and into his chest as the pain exploded into an inferno of searing agony. He screamed aloud as silver fire erupted out of his eyes and mouth.
The door shattered open, but Lucien was long past worrying about even the Queen's wrath. As Serenity, grieving queen of the Moon Kingdom entered the chamber, she saw Lucien burning with the cold fires of of the Ginzuishou. He stumbled toward her and Serenity protectively cradled the tiny Crown Princess in her arms.
Falling before the Queen, Lucien shrieked in agony as his body was consumed. Just before his brain was burned to ash, he looked at the infant Princess. Lucien managed to scream out his final words.
"This is all your fault, damn you! All your fault!"
Serenity, Queen of the Moon Kingdom, called the Ginzuishou to her. She then watched with pitiless eyes as what was left of Lucien burned to dust. Within moments all that was left of him was small pile of cinders that stained the white floor of the sacred chamber. With great deliberation, Serenity took one step forward and spit on the ashes.
Serenity reached out with a single hand and the great power of the White Moon Kingdom came to float above he cupped hand. She whispered softly to it and the small pile of ash was blown away by a mystic breeze.
Serenity, turned to face those who waited just beyond the door the sacred chamber. That Lucian has always been unduly ambitious was something the Queen knew all too well. His vanity has never allowed him to accept the fact that the Crown of the Silver Millennium was passed only from mother to daughter. She knew she should pity him but found that emotion beyond her at the moment.
"Because of his treason, let the name Lucian name be stricken from every record with this realm. It will not be spoken aloud while I am Queen."
Serenity turned and left to grieve for her husband, their only child within the shelter of her arms.
The man who in life had savored his royal station and craved attention, was consigned to oblivion by Serenity. All references to him were removed from every record kept by the Silver Millennium. And Lucien's name was never again spoken within the halls of the great palace.
But Lucien was not the type to go quietly into hell.