Twice Born
By Iset Black
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Chapter 2: Long May She Reign
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The great goddess Selene truly had blessed their joining, bathed in moonlight and under the stars.
The great king of Macedonia, Aemillianus Bel-Sarra-Usur, sat perched upon his throne. The king was a handsome man of middle age with a strong, muscular build and a golden complexion. His hair, just as fair as the princess who stood before him, was shaved close to his head and was adorned by a heavy crown of solid gold. With every movement of his head, the crown glittered from the lighted wall sconces that lined the room. Serenity was mesmerized by the state of it. Not in all her time as princess of the Lunar Kingdom had she seen anything so… substantial. From the clothing she wore to the delicate coronet that lay gracefully on her head, everything about the Lunar Kingdom was small and dainty. It was all a far cry from the bulkiness and gaudiness of the Macedonian king's palace.
Serenity stood before the king, her head bowed in polite greeting. A dress of finely spun silver hung from her thin frame, falling around her in waves of moonlight as she deepened her bow. A robe of deep scarlet was secured around her shoulders by a golden pin in the shape of the lunar crest. Her long silvery tresses were not styled in their usual twin bun style, but rather was secured behind her head in a fashionable chignon. She looked every bit of the future queen she was: dainty, yet with a regal bearing only those of royal blood could possess. Serenity's cheeks flushed as she raised her head and regarded the Macedonian king.
Finally, the king spoke, his words echoing throughout the silent hall. "Welcome, Serenity of Mare Serenitatis. Macedonia welcomes you."
Several people stood to both sides of the king. A woman stood to the left of the king. Her hair, a fiery red, was coiled elegantly atop her head. She wore no tiara or diadem, so she was not of royal blood, Serenity assumed. The woman's sharp golden eyes bore into Serenity. As if by some invisible force, Serenity felt the breath knocked out of her. It was Gaiane, a princess of low birth from the kingdom of Lower Egypt. Gaiane held no titles or importance in her own country and had been born into the Pharaoh's harem by one of his many wives. Such a sad existence, Serenity thought. With no claim to the throne of Egypt and no prospect of marriage, Gaiane's fate had been to be sold off by her father to pay debts owed by Egypt.
Serenity felt her chest tighten as she glanced briefly at Gaiane. Even though she had given the king seven healthy children, she would never be queen. She would never be the principle wife. It would not surprise Serenity if Gaiane would try and have her killed. Serenity was competition and she was well aware of that fact.
To the right of the king stood a familiar figure. The man was dark and dusky, his face handsome and his build strong and solid. Black armor covered every inch of his body, a cloak of silver hung across his shoulders. The man regarded Serenity with a guarded happiness as he took in her image. His deep blue eyes bore down onto her with an obvious hunger. It was his greatest hope that no one else could see that hunger.
"Ah, I see you have noticed my subjects. This-" The king motioned to the left of his throne as he took the fiery woman's hand, "-is the Lady Gaiane of Lower Egypt. She is one of my wives."
"Welcome, daughter of the Moon." Gaiane refused to acknowledge Serenity's kingdom. A flurry of hushed whispers erupted from the court as they watched. By ignoring Serenity's noble blood, Gaiane refused to recognize her as the future principal wife of the king and empress of the Macedonian empire. It was a snub in the highest royal form.
Serenity dipped into a low curtsey, completely ignoring Gaiane's thinly veiled insult. As she slowly rose, Serenity spoke with a powerful voice. "Greetings to you, minor wife of the Macedonian King." It was this greeting that caused a few giggles, hidden behind hands and fans, to erupt from the court. If it was Gaiane's motive to downplay Serenity's regal blood, then certainly two could play at such a petty game.
The king paid no heed to either woman's petty greeting and continued to introduce his subjects. Next, was the man to his right. Rising from his throne, Aemillianus's tall form cast a shadow upon Serenity. As the king turned to his right, he brought his large fist to his chest and gave it a hearty bump. The man smiled at the king and did the same, and then they both turned to face Serenity. The king placed his hand upon the man's shoulder.
"Serenity of Mare Serenitatis – this is Endymion, Master of the Horse and Crown Prince of Elysian."
Serenity was aware of who the darkly handsome man was. Many a night had they stolen kisses and made love under the moonlight. He was also the father of her unborn child. With all the grace she could muster, Serenity again dipped into a deep bow and greeted the king's nobleman.
"We are pleased you have finally joined us at court, Princess." Endymion's words penetrated into Serenity, causing a wave of desire to run over her. She hadn't seen him for a fortnight, yet he never lost his ability to knock her speechless.
"Thank you, Master of the Horse. I am pleased to be here."
With a loud clap of his hands, the king let out a bellowing laugh. "Ah! Wonderful. Now that we are all acquainted, let us feast!"
Instantly the room was filled with many servants bearing heavy trays laden with food. A band struck up in one corner of the hall, filling the large room music. The king sunk back into his throne as many servants approached him with golden trays overflowing with lavishly prepared food. He paid Serenity no more attention now that the formalities of royal greetings were out of the way.
It was at this point that Serenity finally had a moment to take in her surroundings. She was finally no longer the center of attention. That spot had happily been filled by Gaiane, who did her best to attract the king's attention with wine and laughter. Serenity wrinkled her nose in annoyance as she watched Gaiane practically throw herself at the king and clung to his every word with a thirst that could not be quenched.
Serenity loosened her the ties of her cloak and let it slowly fall from her body, a servant was quick to retrieve it before it could fall to the stone floor. Her dress, made of silver lace and silk, was shot with golden threads. The bodice, sewn with many lines of dainty pearls, clung to her bosom and was low-cut enough to reveal her delicate décolletage. Heavy earrings of silver, pearls, and rubies dangled ever so gracefully from her ears. A simple strand of pearls encircled one of her wrists. Atop Serenity's head lay a coronet of diamonds and sapphires. She was the perfect image of Lunar royalty and all of the riches they no longer possessed.
With a sigh, Serenity took a seat at one of the long tables that ran the length of the hall. She bowed her head and closed her eyes. It was almost too much for her to bear. Here she was, practically sold to the Macedonian king to save her Queendom from ruin. It was with this marriage that the kingdom of Mare Serenitatis would be spared conquest by the Macedonian king and his vast armies. Mare Serenitatis would remain a sovereign state ruled by the Great Queen Serenity, yet would be incorporated in the newly emerging empire of the Lunar-Terran Pact.
Queen Serenity would be able to keep her throne, and now Serenity the younger have a throne of her own also. With her marriage to the Macedonian king Aemillianus, Serenity would become the queen of Macedonia, and further, she would become the empress of the Lunar-Terran Empire. Her own mother would become her subject, under her rule. Serenity became sick at that thought. To assume that Queen Serenity was a subject to anyone was sickeningly laughable. Her mother alone held the mystical power of Selene, the goddess of the Moon.
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TBC