Say Yes
Spring will be coming soon. I can only hope it is as beautiful as the ones I remember back home.
"Prince Endymion told me that we already have rooms prepared, which I cannot help but think odd," My mother looks at me with a peculiar expression. "Considering that our visit to Earth was supposed to be a surprise."
I keep from rolling my eyes, "You know the maids love to gossip,"
My mother sighed and turns toward Luna; she is a black cat with a crescent moon on her forehead, and sitting in my lap, "Arrange for the queen and I to have brunch together at 10 sharp. We need to go over plans for next week's ball, and I'll need to apologize for our early arrival."
Luna left and I leaned back on the couch in the large office my mother and I waited in. However 'early' our arrival was, Queen Ecclypce was always well prepared for quests and very accommodating. I watched my mother stack some sort of paperwork on the glass desk before me and give a disconcerted sigh. It was very unlike herself. I recalled my ladies packing things for our trip, the confusion at my mother's insistence on coming with her for the first time. My mother had been very secretive about all the was going on, though she usually confided in me about all goings on at home. My poor mother seemed tired as of late, so forgive me if my lack of personality throws you off the path of my true identity.
I am Princess Serenity, and my mother is Queen Serenity. We are from the Silver Millenium, with several bodyguards, ladies-in-waiting, and our advisor, Luna. Under normal circumstances we have many the royal guard stationed for our protection and servants to tend our every need. I have never left the comfort of the palace walls, and the pity I hold for my mother's current frazzled state is the only reason I have kept myself in a quiet solemn mood.
Under my friend Ami's approval, I had several books packed for entertainment. Romeo and Juliet was the first I chose on our flight to Earth. Shakespeare wasn't too bad at writing tragedies, but I preferred his comedies. This was also more than a little boring, but I managed to skim through and planned on discussing the ones I read with Ami when she flew in a week from now.
My mother called in our lead guard, Almund, to lead me to my room. I had to wash up from the flight before the king and queen saw me. Sitting in a chair reading for two days could really get you dirty, apparently.
"You'll be having dinner with Prince Endymion tonight, love," my mother said as she met my eyes. Great, at least she was kind enough to forewarn me of the surefire disaster destined to happen with the prince of Earth.
"Thank you mother, I'll see you later," I followed Almund, missing the sad look the queen gave me as we retreated to my chambers.
--
"Its an honor to finally meet you, Princess Serenity," Endymion said as he grabbed my hand and kissed it. I curtsied the best I could, hoping not to fall or that my knees wouldn't crack. I'd finally met him and his mother, King Ellysian had been called away for a meeting somewhere in Europe, but I'm sure he would be as nice as the queen.
She was young, much younger than my mother; I believed the Queen Serenity to be older than time itself, since I could not yet perceive the universe being without her. Her hair was jet black like Endymion's, and had these amazing green eyes, brighter than even Makoto's. She wore a black and gold gown, which made my mother and I's white gowns stick out in the throne room. I always wore white, and took extra care in our traditional hairstyle to keep up with my mother's beauty.
Ecclypce was shorter than my mother, but stood as regally as Queen Serenity despite that. I politely spoke of my room, and showed gratitude for the gifts they had set for me. I presented a gift for her, a Lunarian-forged blade encrusted with many peridots, her birthstone. We had lunch, and I ate Earth fruit for the first time.
I was told that the ball next week will be the largest ever in our solar system, and there are many different species invited. I was to meet the wealthiest, and noblest of the known universe. It was an opportunity to fellowship with the races, and peace would be the top priority during the other guest's visits. It seemed so exciting, and my mother told me that Luna's significant other, Artemis would be arriving to represent the planet Mau.
After our lunch I spent the next several hours picking an outfit for my date. I ignored the butterflies in my stomach, and lifted a string of pearls from a gift box next to my bed.
--
Endymion made polite conversation as we ate a fine meal later that evening. He was nice, handsome, well-mannered, and had the loveliest blue eyes. I smiled and laughed as socially commanded, and wished for a good reason not to like this person. I mean, this prince, who I had the feeling was part of a grander scheme. I liked him, but didn't. He wasn't plain, or obnoxious, just not suitor material for me.
I kept time to the click of the grandfather clock at the end of the huge dining hall we sat in. The windows were tall, and the floors sparkled with a familiar clean like home. Candles glowed romantically at the center of the table. I drank the champagne we were given, and kept from grimacing at the hint of alcohol.
"I'd love to take you around the gardens in the morning..." he rambled on, "Nothing has bloomed yet, but seeing everything before it is born is extraordinary. You know, like you can't believe that something so beautiful could happen overnight?"
I smiled and nodded. He had a way with words I can honestly say is unlike any other man's, and a distinguished grace in the way he held his fork and wine glass. This man was perfect. Our evening together was nice, and after our meal we strolled out to the front of the castle and watched as a golden angel fountain lit up as the sun set.
"I like Earth," I commented as silence fell over us.
"I'm glad," he held my hand and led me to sit at the edge of the fountain, "I don't believe you've never been outside your home before, though I'll agree that is the safest place for you in more than one way."
He smiled at me, and my heart began to beat rapidly. Were we to share a first kiss? My first kiss at age fifteen, and with someone I'd just met? This was only our first date and I felt a sting of fear. Tonight was too good to be true, and as he sat at my side and leaned in to me, my heart went numb. Suddenly, a feeling of cold alleviation washed over me and I felt wonderful relief. My white gown floated around me, and my body trembled with adrenaline.
"Princess!" I heard Endymion shout as a burst of oxygen rushed at me, "Someone help, the princess has fallen into the fountain!"
--
"I messed it up," I mumbled as Luna dried my hair. I snatched the towel from her hands as she giggled at me. The back of my pink nightgown soaking wet though I'd been dried thoroughly. It was rare to have her in human form, so I enjoyed it while I could. She patted my head and I pounced at her with a bear hug.
"I was wondering what happened to our darling Serenity," she laughed, and we toppled over onto my bed, "You've been so quiet and weird lately!"
"He tried to kiss me!" I moaned and we sat up, I rolled my eyes around at the room. Luna offered to stay with me after my swimming accident, and we had a room so extravagant Minako would be bleeding envy at the gifts strewn about for me from the royal family. My bed was something they called a California king, and I loved the pink color the maids had picked. I grabbed a silk-covered pillow and hugged it.
Luna reached the hairbrush on the lamp table next to the bed and attacked my long, tangled tresses. As she brushed I thought of how he had come at me, and I was afraid that I was part of his plan as soon as I sent him a letter with mother's decision to drop in for some unexpected secret plan of hers. My mother had helped set it up, and the possibility of marriage was probably inevitable.
"That boy, moving so fast! Of course you got scared, you're still a child!" Luna scoffed, "And you're no idiot, I don't know what your mother is thinking, fixing you up with the prince of Earth!"
"So you didn't know?" I asked, glancing at the dark-haired beauty. She threw the brush across the room, and the crystal handle broke as it hit the opposite wall.
"No! It must be a plot for an alliance, as if some papers can't be signed, they need to throw you into the lion's den!"
The double doors burst in, and Almund looked incredibly heroic with his sword drawn.
"Is everyone alright!? I heard a crash and came quickly!" His eyes darted around suspiciously.
Luna and I laughed at the poor fellow, assuring him we were fine. He left, a bit disgruntled, and the two of us slid under the covers.
"Don't worry silly goose, I'm on your side." she whispered, "Now tell me what was going on with you! Do you like him at all?"
I sighed, shrugging.
"I don't know, I mean, I just met him in person, and we've only been writing letters for a few months. He's cute, and sweet, but I feel like something's missing here." I said, watching Luna's forehead wrinkle.
I still remember her words from that night.
"Well, when you're in love, he'll say yes."
"To what?"
"To what's important,"
--
I endured the next morning with an unimaginable awkwardness between Endymion and I. We wandered the gardens, and spoke little. I was so embarassed by what had happened the night before that I was afraid of making another mistake, and so I stepped carefully, and didn't take his hand when offered.
We said a quiet good bye, and four more days passed before I saw him again. But before I get to that, I must mention the meeting I had with my mother. She sent for me the day after my swimming accident, and had a stern look on her face the entire time. I wanted her to hug me and give motherly advice, but she didn't. Luna sat on her desk, frowning. I stood before the two, and balled my hands into fists.
"Ecclypce and I have come upon an arrangement for you and Endymion, which is miraculous considering the childish games you continuously use against me." she started.
"Yeah, we're going to be married, right?" I asked, and she looked at me in surprise. "You're the queen first,"
I turned on my heel and left, blinking back tears at the hurt I felt. It was a while until I realized that I was so angry my whole body shook. I ran to my room, and threw my dress off, and tossed the earrings my mother had given me as a birthday gift the year before out the window. The queen ordered me to return to her office, but I refused and stayed locked in my room for two days. I didn't eat, sleep, and cried so long my eyes got red and puffy. The second day I gave myself a fever, and only let Luna in to take care of me.
I curtsied for Endymion after I was nursed back to health.
"I went on a hunting trip with my guardian, Kunzite, we went after boars. Have you ever had pork?" he had asked me when we again met. By now I had become a little depressed, realizing that I was failing at my duty as princess. The ball was tomorrow night, and we stood awaiting the arrival of the royal families of the Silver Alliance. My friends Ami, Minako, Rei, and Makoto were going to be with me, and I looked forward to seeing them.
"No," I said as a huge, silver ship came into sight over the horizon. I shielded my eyes from the setting sun, and as I smiled for the first time in a while, the silver ship erupted in orange light. I didn't know the sunset was so vivid, or the sun so large. Earth was so different, and bright. It wasn't like the Moon, where everything was cool and dull compared to this. I stepped forward and the next thing I knew the ground was shaking. People were screaming, Endymion grabbed me, and I was looking into his stormy blue eyes. They were mesmerizing, and he pulled me towards the castle, where the crowd and the families that had already arrived ran from the setting sun.
"Serenity!" Endymion shouted over the noise, "Snap out of it! The ship was attacked, you need to get to safety!"
My body moved, but my head didn't, I was stuck there. The memory of the erupting light, the fire bursting from the ship my friends were on was burned into my memory.
I couldn't forget it if I wanted to. The sun didn't set that night, it exploded.
--
"Serenity, everything is being postponed." the queen said to me that night. No one was getting any sleep, the castle was in an uproar about the attack, soldiers had been sent out into the battlefield. The queen held a syringe in front of my face.
"You should go to sleep, you don't need to see any of this." she grabbed my arm. I saw Ecclypce and Endymion running out of the throne room before everything went black.
The queen, my mother, wasn't just protecting me from the harsh reality of death, but hiding the truth from me.
When I awoke, I was in my room, daylight streamed from the windows, I heard birds chirping from far off. I sat up, looking at the white robe I wore. I felt my body, finding it intact, trying to remember what was going on. My head hurt, everything was fuzzy. I crossed the room to the window, and gasped as I saw roses in full bloom. I remembered my ill-fated date with Endymion, him speaking of the roses blooming in the spring. I had gotten sick, the queen was acting strange, my friends were dead.
They were dead.
I screamed and fell to the floor. Endymion flew to my side, and as I looked into those stormy blue eyes he told me that I'd been in a coma. The roses were going to die soon, summer was almost over. Rebellious earthlings had attacked the kingdom, led by a queen named Beryl. Some of the nobles were killed that night, and Ecclypce had entered the room. They helped me back to the bed, and his mother told me of her suspicions of the queen. My mother's strange behavior, I confirmed that her personality was different. I asked to see her anyway, I wanted my mom.
"Sweetie..." Ecclypce cried, tears filled her eyes. "Your mother..."
I didn't think it was possible to lose any more than I had. But when I was told my mother was killed that night, the world stopped turning.
--
A year passed. I became Queen Serenity of the Silver Millenium. I was called 'Your Majesty'. I didn't wear white anymore, it was too childish and naive, and kept the traditional hairstyle in respect for the queen. Luna introduced Artemis to me, and I named him an advisor and gave them my blessing. I was busy, being queen was hard work, and I began to resent my mother for dying and leaving me all alone. My sixteenth birthday passed, and I refused to hold a party. Queen Beryl disappeared from the gossip and news, though I knew she was not defeated and may attack Earth again. Endymion and I still wrote to eachother, and Ecclypce had sent proposals to have a treaty signed between us and some other race. Luna told me it was a good idea, Artemis thought they were too barbaric to associate with. I didn't care, and signed the papers needed to invite them to my palace in a few months.
My mood lightened slightly, for Endymion and his parents were coming to the Moon for the treaty. I still hadn't had my first kiss, and decided that now was a good time to have Endymion court me again. I'd try hard not to mess everything up again, and show him that I was a woman ready to be married, since there weren't many unwed queens.
"I have to look perfect for Endymion," I told Luna one day, concluding that my appearance was unsatisfactory. She gave me a weird look, and I begged her to help me.
I lost any baby fat I had the year before, my heart-shaped face thinner than before. My blue eyes were dull, and didn't sparkle the same way they used to. I was ridiculously short, my bosom too small, and hair too long. After picking out every malformity Luna laughed at me, saying I was more beautiful than even the queen was. I didn't have to be taller, my hair shinier, she said I just needed to be myself.
An impossibility, of course, since Serenity had gone into hiding. I was a shell, a determined shell. I would make Endymion love me, no matter what. I needed him. I needed the satisfaction of proving that someone could love me. The queen, my mother, didn't. Luna couldn't love me the way she loved Artemis, or her baby when she gave me news of her being pregnant. So I was going to make the prince of Earth fall harder for me than a rock.
The day for his arrival came, and I donned one of my finest black gowns, and sat in my throne room alone. I held a long, thin sword in one hand, and used my other to tilt a crown back on my head.
The doors at the end of the hall opened, and I readied myself to fall.
--