THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
Chapter 1
"Your highness, it is a girl."
King Rodrick smiled at the thought of his new child. The monarch walked to the door that separated him from his wife and newborn daughter.
"Your highness, there is something else." The lady-in-waiting lowered her head.
"What it is woman?"
"Her highness -- her highness, Queen Nehelenia. It was a difficult birth."
"What exactly are you trying to tell me?" The monarch furrowed his brow.
"The queen is gone your highness. She passed shortly after the princess was born."
King Rodrick's faced dropped. His wife was gone. They had married when she was 15 and he 20. That was ten years ago. Rodrick loved Nehelenia more than anything else in his world. How could he live without her?
"Your majesty?" The lady-in-waiting cautiously probed. "The child, she needs you." The woman opened the door to let the king into the birthing room.
Rodrick walked into the room. He saw his wife in the middle of a mahogany four-post bed. Queen Nehelenia's body had been shrouded in a sheer white cloth. A single tear fell from Rodrick's amber eyes.
"My daughter. Where is my daughter?" Rodrick resolved that he would live the rest of his days for the part of Nehelenia that still lived. The handmaid brought the infant to meet her father. Rodrick looked at the child, who had her mother's midnight black hair and his amber eyes. At this moment, the monarch wept without reservation.
"Oh Nehelenia, what shall I do without you?"
The newborn babe lifted her hand and touched Rodrick's cheek. The stunned man looked down at her daughter.
"You shall be called Nehelenia, in honor of your mother."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Nehelenia, where are you? Queen Serenity is expecting us for the Princess' birthday." Rodrick continued his search for his errant five year old.
"Papa, I'm right here." Nehelenia emerged from behind her father's throne. The young girl was excited to be going to the Moon Kingdom. Nehelenia always enjoyed the time she spent with Princess Serenity. She and Serenity were born a mere two months apart, with Nehelenia being the older.
The physical relationship of the two princesses was analogous to that of their kingdoms. Light and dark. Night and day. Two halves of the same whole. Princess Serenity was of a fair complexion with luxurious silvery blond hair. Her eyes were as blue as the orb that she watched every night. Nehelenia had olive skin, which complemented her silky raven locks. Her eyes shone the color of the sun that her kingdom was denied.
"Daddy, when do we leave? I miss Cousin Serenity." Even though there was no blood shared by the two moon princesses, they were daughter of the same moon.
"We leave now. That is why I was looking for you. Dyanera has put your things in the transport. She is waiting for us there."
Dyanera was the one who helped delivered young Nehelenia. It was she who witnessed the Queen's last moments. Only Dyanera could tell the princess of the joy and pride that beamed from her mother's eyes as she passed away. Since then, Dyanera was young Nehelenia's guardian and King Rodrick's consort.
Princess Nehelenia and King Rodrick arrived at the carriage. Dyanera bowed to the king and his daughter.
"Shall we go?" Dyanera asked Rodrick.
Rodrick nodded. He lifted Nehelenia into the carriage. Rodrick closed the door and three representatives of the New Moon left for the light side of the Moon.
Chapter 1
"Your highness, it is a girl."
King Rodrick smiled at the thought of his new child. The monarch walked to the door that separated him from his wife and newborn daughter.
"Your highness, there is something else." The lady-in-waiting lowered her head.
"What it is woman?"
"Her highness -- her highness, Queen Nehelenia. It was a difficult birth."
"What exactly are you trying to tell me?" The monarch furrowed his brow.
"The queen is gone your highness. She passed shortly after the princess was born."
King Rodrick's faced dropped. His wife was gone. They had married when she was 15 and he 20. That was ten years ago. Rodrick loved Nehelenia more than anything else in his world. How could he live without her?
"Your majesty?" The lady-in-waiting cautiously probed. "The child, she needs you." The woman opened the door to let the king into the birthing room.
Rodrick walked into the room. He saw his wife in the middle of a mahogany four-post bed. Queen Nehelenia's body had been shrouded in a sheer white cloth. A single tear fell from Rodrick's amber eyes.
"My daughter. Where is my daughter?" Rodrick resolved that he would live the rest of his days for the part of Nehelenia that still lived. The handmaid brought the infant to meet her father. Rodrick looked at the child, who had her mother's midnight black hair and his amber eyes. At this moment, the monarch wept without reservation.
"Oh Nehelenia, what shall I do without you?"
The newborn babe lifted her hand and touched Rodrick's cheek. The stunned man looked down at her daughter.
"You shall be called Nehelenia, in honor of your mother."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Nehelenia, where are you? Queen Serenity is expecting us for the Princess' birthday." Rodrick continued his search for his errant five year old.
"Papa, I'm right here." Nehelenia emerged from behind her father's throne. The young girl was excited to be going to the Moon Kingdom. Nehelenia always enjoyed the time she spent with Princess Serenity. She and Serenity were born a mere two months apart, with Nehelenia being the older.
The physical relationship of the two princesses was analogous to that of their kingdoms. Light and dark. Night and day. Two halves of the same whole. Princess Serenity was of a fair complexion with luxurious silvery blond hair. Her eyes were as blue as the orb that she watched every night. Nehelenia had olive skin, which complemented her silky raven locks. Her eyes shone the color of the sun that her kingdom was denied.
"Daddy, when do we leave? I miss Cousin Serenity." Even though there was no blood shared by the two moon princesses, they were daughter of the same moon.
"We leave now. That is why I was looking for you. Dyanera has put your things in the transport. She is waiting for us there."
Dyanera was the one who helped delivered young Nehelenia. It was she who witnessed the Queen's last moments. Only Dyanera could tell the princess of the joy and pride that beamed from her mother's eyes as she passed away. Since then, Dyanera was young Nehelenia's guardian and King Rodrick's consort.
Princess Nehelenia and King Rodrick arrived at the carriage. Dyanera bowed to the king and his daughter.
"Shall we go?" Dyanera asked Rodrick.
Rodrick nodded. He lifted Nehelenia into the carriage. Rodrick closed the door and three representatives of the New Moon left for the light side of the Moon.