Chapter Three
Days apart and hurried nights.
-Aida, "Elaborate Lives"
"Is it true?"
Bryn looked up from the brown cloth bag into which she was carefully packing her few treasured belongings. Homemade dolls, blankets Jana had sewn for her, tiny glass figurines of Saturnine dancers given to her by Serena, a necklace of seashells from Adrian. They were all she had, the only proof that she had lived a life other than the one she was about to enter. One in which she had been wanted, where she was not simply an abandoned daughter about to be returned to an indifferent mother like a lost Moon Cat.
She turned to face Adrian, biting the inside of her cheeks in an effort to control the trembling of her chin. Her friend was standing in the doorway. The light from the fireplace splashing across his face didn't hide the paleness of his cheeks or the trepidation in his eyes.
"You're leaving?" he asked doubtfully.
Bryn nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
"Why?" Adrian's voice was dangerously close to a whine.
"Not by choice," she assured him quietly. "I'd stay here forever if I could."
"She's sending you away, isn't she? That means the rumors are true. You're the daughter of King Olorun and Queen Celestia of Athena?" It wasn't a question, even though the rise in Adrian's voice made it sound like one. His eyes were wide as he looked at her. He knew.
Bryn nodded again. She hadn't been aware that there had been rumors. Apparently the silent and watchful black-robed doctors in the king's bedchambers hadn't been so silent after all.
"I don't have a choice," she said again, even more quietly. "I don't want to go. I shall hate it. My mother didn't want me then. Why would she welcome me now?"
"You don't have to go," Adrian said, stepping forward quickly. The reflected firelight shining in his eyes made him look fevered. "You can come back to Earth with me. My father never pays attention to the children running around. He won't notice one more. You can come and live with us in the forest. You can train to be a thief too."
Bryn couldn't help smiling at his enthusiasm. It sounded wonderful and very tempting. A part of her visualized it clearly, the two of them climbing trees in Robert's great Forest, sleeping under the stars by the light of a campfire as the adults danced around them under the moonlight, swimming in the clear waters of the sea Adrian had described so well, sneaking into the Earth palace and harassing the two young princes just because they could. But another part of her, the larger and wiser part, knew the vision was impossible.
She hung her head. "I can't. I'm not a nobody anymore. If I disappear, they'll come looking for me."
Adrian waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that. We can outrun them. They won't know where to look. No one ever finds us. Not once in five hundred years since the first Rogue set up headquarters in the Forest has an outsider gotten in."
"No," Bryn said regretfully. She couldn't think about it, couldn't let him talk about it. She would end up wanting it too much, aching for his life of freedom she would never have. She was leaving no matter what schemes they dreamed up. She would never see Adrian again, let alone the world of Earth he had so often and vividly described to her.
Adrian seemed to realize it too. His eyelids drooped and he was silent for a long moment before digging into the deep pocket of his trousers. When he retrieved something and held it out to her, she obediently lifted her hand. The object flashed silver and red in the firelight. Bryn drew back with a gasp.
"My necklace!"
Adrian looked unexpectedly smug. "My father will be missing this, but you need it more than he does. Your mother might not recognize you without it."
Bryn's fingers ached to touch it, to place the silver chain around her neck where it had always hung, but she forced herself to shake her head. "No. I gave it to you. You'll get in trouble when your father finds it missing."
Adrian tried to force it towards her but she backed away shaking her head.
"I won't take it."
Adrian smiled and placed it back in his pocket. "You're a stubborn girl," he said, giving her a look that made him seem much older than he was. "Okay, I will keep this. But I must give you something in return." He dug further into his pocket with a thoughtful look on his face, tongue slightly protruding from his lips. Finally, his eyes brightened.
"Thank you," Bryn said half-heartedly as he pressed an ugly brown stone into her open palm.
"You really like it?" he asked with shiny eyes, and his look was so hopeful that
Bryn had to smile.
"I love it."
"Good." Adrian smiled and patted his pocket where the Crest of Athena rested. "This is only a loan. I'll find you someday and we'll exchange them back."
Bryn looked at him sadly, her heart wrenching from his childish confidence. She didn't see how he could. Hopping a merchant ship from Earth to the Moon was one matter. Travelling to another part of the galaxy was quite another. It was nearly impossible for a penniless boy from Earth to manage such a journey. But she nodded for his sake. She didn't want to crush his hopes, even though her own were already dead.
"Goodbye, Adrian," she said. She threw her arms around him, her mind knowing very well that she would never see him again. He, Jana, Serena, and all the other people she loved in the Moon Kingdom were as good as lost to her.
0 0 0
Minutes ticked away throughout the day, halting at some moments and rushing forward in others. Soon the hour of her leaving had come. Bryn tried to look brave, but inside she was terrified. As if saying goodbye to Adrian hadn't been bad enough, bidding farewell to Jana was nearly unbearable. She and Jana had held each other for an hour that afternoon, soaking each other's dresses with salty tears. Jana had asked permission to remain behind while Bryn boarded the Star Chariot that would take her to Athena. Her foster mother had said she couldn't bear to see her leave. Bryn had marveled at that, feeling both sad and confused that Jana thought she needed her permission. Jana was the one person she had thought she could count on to love her just the same, but it seemed even she had been shaken by the news that Bryn was an illegitimate princess.
She had seen no sign of Serena or the other princesses all day.
"Come on, child," one of the coachmen said kindly as he took her bag. "We have a schedule to keep."
They were standing on the private landing port outside the Moon Palace that was used exclusively by the Moon Family and other royalty. Queen Serenity had arranged for one of her own Chariots to take Bryn to her new home. Bryn had heard several cooks gossiping about how kind it was that the queen had taken a personal interest in Bryn's journey and wanted to make sure she arrived at her new home safely. Bryn thought it was more likely that Queen Serenity wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible, and preferred to send her away in one of her own Chariots rather than wait for a private Chariot from Athena or a commercial Coach to arrive.
Other than the few coachmen milling about, Bryn was alone. She shivered and looked at the distant Earth hanging in the sky like a brilliant jewel. She wondered what Adrian was doing. If only they could write to each other…but how could one direct a letter to a secret hideaway in a dark Forest? It was hopeless.
"Come on, child," said the coachman. Bryn stepped forward with a sigh. She lifted a foot to start up the stairs leading to the chariot when she was suddenly stopped by a sharp cry.
"Oh, no, wait! You can't leave yet! Bryn, you have to stop!"
Bryn spun around just in time to glimpse Serena, her cheeks wet and soggy with tears, before the princess of the Moon slammed into her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Serena said through her sobs. "I didn't know you were leaving. I swear I didn't. I heard the maids whispering about it, and I ran as soon as I heard. I've been so sad about what happened to my father…our father…that I didn't pay attention to anything that was going on. I didn't think you'd really have to leave. Bryn, I swear I didn't know!"
"It's okay," Bryn said a little dazedly as Serena's skinny arms wrapped around her neck.
"No, it's not. I've been selfish. I should have been with you this last week. He was your father too."
"It's okay," Bryn said again, smiling now. Serena's arms and little, shaking body were warming her heart. She had thought that Serena had been angry at her like Queen Serenity when she found out who she was. She had never been so relieved to be wrong.
"You'll write," Serena said, pulling back to nod at Bryn vigorously, her blue eyes intense. "Every day. Several times a day."
"I will."
"This doesn't change a thing. We'll always be sisters, always and forever." Serena's thin, white hands tightened on Bryn's shoulders. "Even if we're not together."
From the Chariot, the coachman politely cleared his throat. Bryn pulled away from Serena reluctantly. They held hands for a moment, smiling at each other, and then somehow – Bryn was never quite sure later how it happened – she was seated inside the Chariot looking out the window at the small form of Serena standing on the stone and waving up at her. Bryn pressed her hand against the window, but there was no time for regrets as the Chariot took flight. Serena's white dress grew more distant until she was no more than a speck among many on the surface of the Moon. There was nothing for Bryn to do but lean back against the plush seats and cry. The coachman accompanying her in the cabin respectfully looked away.
Sleep came blissfully for most of the journey. Bryn drifted in and out of dreams, reliving happy hours spent with Adrian and Serena. Whenever the Chariot was jolted suddenly and her eyes flew open, her tears returned with the sudden reminder of where she was and where she was headed. Finally, sleep took a firm hold and Bryn was able to retreat into restful silence. She was still in that deep sleep when a sudden buzzing announced her arrival at Athena. Light filled the Chariot, white and blindingly bright. Bryn winced and buried her head into the purple pillow that had been supporting her for the journey.
She was still half-asleep as she felt arms tugging at her, encouraging her to stand. Bryn rubbed her eyes. The light was so intense it was almost painful. She stumbled forward, relying solely on the guiding hands to lead her. Once she was led down the steps from the Chariot, she was released. Bryn lifted her hands for balance, blinking confusedly. Cautiously, she took a step, but the sudden movement in the unfamiliar gravity made her feel even more disoriented. As Bryn teetered on the spot, strong hands gripped her shoulders. A silvery laugh slid through the light.
"This happens to all first-timers. You'll get used to it. Welcome to Athena, Princess Celestia."
Princess Celestia. Bryn grimaced at the words. She didn't like the title, but she supposed she would have to get used to it.
"Let's get you inside," the warm voice continued. Bryn felt herself being lifted and carried through the brightness. It wasn't long before her feet touched hard stone and the light faded. Bryn blinked against afterimages of brilliant color until her eyes could focus. When they did, she gasped.
The room she stood in was more beautiful and awe-inspiring than anything she had ever seen. The Moon Kingdom was considered to have some of the most impressive architecture in the galaxy, so it was a jolt for her first sight of Athenian decoration to blow away even the grandest ballroom in the Moon Palace. The walls stretched upward taller than the highest spires of the Moon Palace. The ceiling was covered with gleaming chandeliers that made the mosaic of silver, gold, and diamonds covering the ceiling shimmer like flame. The walls were painted with brilliant colors, bringing to life unfamiliar beasts and folktales that Bryn had yet to read, featuring princes and maidens with long hair and elaborate dresses. Along the walls were chairs of a dark wood, upholstered with a rich red fabric. At the far end of the room was a large throne. Gold, of course, and decorated with glittering red stones that reflected light in a way that made them appear to hold living fire at their centers.
What was this place? A ballroom? A meeting hall? For all the over-stimulation, there was a light in the room, a warmness, that the cool marble and crystal decorations in the Moon Palace couldn't match. Bryn was filled with wonder at beholding such beauty. She could do nothing but stare.
"I think it's a bit much, personally," said a voice behind her. Bryn started at the sudden reminder that she was not alone. She spun around and was presented with the tall, laughing woman who had helped her from the Chariot. At Bryn's stunned expression, the woman winked.
"Forgot about me already, did you? I am most forgettable."
Bryn doubted that. The woman had a curious combination of features and attributes that make her looks fascinating. She was beautiful, yes, but the careless manner in which her long silver hair was pulled back into a loose bun proved she cared nothing of it. It was nearly impossible to judge her age. The woman was tall and, from the curves making appearance beneath the blue overalls and loose white shirt she wore, clearly fully grown. But her features were strangely childlike, and there was a sparkle of mischievous humor in her eyes that would carry the appearance of youth with her no matter how old she became. For all that she was tall, the woman was fine-boned, giving her the appearance of one more delicate than she probably was. Even though her smile was impish, there was also something wise in her expression that hinted she wasn't as innocent and fragile as she looked. Of all the people she had ever met, Bryn thought only Queen Serenity was more naturally blessed.
Bryn knew she should say something, but her mouth had ceased working. Rather than comment on her dumbness, the woman said, "We weren't expecting you so soon, so I apologize for this somewhat informal greeting." The woman's white hands swept down and gestured at her outfit. Bryn noticed that the knees of her overalls were stained with dirt or dust as if she had just been cleaning or working in a garden. The hand the woman held out to her was marred with several rough patches. Unexpectedly, Bryn felt relief as her uneasiness dropped away. This woman was exactly her rank, another kindly servant. She had been expecting to have to put on appearances right away as she was presented to the nobles of the court. It was a relief to not have to pretend she was anybody special.
Of course, it had been silly to assume that Queen Celestia would send anyone important to greet her…or even come herself.
"So are you going to say anything?" the woman questioned in her soft voice with a teasing smile. "You're worrying me."
"Oh! I'm sorry. I just…" Bryn broke off and looked around. She lifted her hands helplessly to indicate how out of place and overwhelmed she felt. The woman raised her eyebrows and then, to Bryn's surprise, rolled her eyes with another peal of her silvery laughter.
"I know what you mean, believe me. I would like nothing better than more modest surrounding, but I am outnumbered."
"I suppose the queen enjoys these lavish surroundings," Bryn said, not able hide the contempt from her voice. Instantly the woman frowned, and Bryn worried that she had said too much, but the troubled frown was soon replaced with a smile.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. Her parents loved showing off their wealth. They remodeled much of the palace when your queen was still a child. I suppose she hasn't had the heart to change it since they died."
"Tell me about her," Bryn said suddenly, and the woman smiled.
"What would you like to know?"
After a pause, Bryn shrugged, her shoulders lifting and falling in a helpless motion. "I don't know. Nothing, I guess. Why would I want to learn about a woman who wants nothing to do with me?"
"Why do you say that?" The woman's gaze had turned serious. The childish sparkle in her eyes was nearly gone.
"She didn't want me. She sent me away." Bryn tried to speak coldly to show that she didn't care, but she wasn't able to stop her eyes from suddenly flooding with tears. She tilted her head to the floor so the woman couldn't see her cry, and blinked quickly, trying to make the tears disappear. The woman's hand appeared in her vision, holding a snow white handkerchief. Bryn took it after a brief hesitation and quickly wiped her eyes before lifting her head. The woman was looking down at her thoughtfully.
"Perhaps she sent you away because she loved you too much and feared for your safety if you stayed. I'm sure she has regretted it every day since. The queen is not so heartless as you think."
Bryn shook her head, unconvinced. "She could have sent for me, but she didn't. That just proves she never loved me."
"Perhaps she was afraid of upsetting your world, the only world you had ever known. Perhaps even then she was thinking about your well-being."
"I doubt it," Bryn said bitterly, and the woman smiled again.
"Perhaps not. You can decide for yourself when you meet her."
"I don't want to meet her," Bryn protested stubbornly. "I want to go home."
"This is your home now, dear. I'm sorry," the woman said wearily.
Bryn glared at the bejeweled throne at the opposite side of the room, imagining an imperious and haughty queen reclining in it. The face she envisioned was very close to Queen Serenity's. "I hate this. I hate everything about it. I don't know the first thing about being a princess. Why couldn't my birth mother have been someone like you?" Bryn's scowl softened a bit as she looked at the woman.
"Indeed, why not?" the woman asked, an amused smile crawling onto her lips. She looked like she was going to say more, but then turned at the sound of footsteps approaching from the hallway. Bryn felt her insides twist and turn, but the elderly man who appeared was just as unthreatening as the woman who stood beside her. He wore a uniform of sorts, a navy blue suit with wine wed trimmings. When he reached them, he gave a deep nod of his head, a pleasant smile upon his lips. Bryn felt her heart thump as she realized that the semi-bow was meant for her.
"Good evening, Your Majesty. I see that you have found your charge."
At first, Bryn thought he was addressing her, partly because she didn't understand but mostly because she didn't want to. As she felt her cheeks start to warm, the woman placed her hands into the giant pockets of her overalls and smiled.
"Yes, Reginald, I have. Isn't she a beauty? She looks just like him."
"More like her mother with that coloring," Reginald said with a wink as he rose. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Princess Celestia. Or do you prefer Bryn?"
The little girl did prefer the latter, but she barely heard him as she stared at the woman beside her in horror. "Y…you're Queen C…Celestia?" she stuttered, her face a flaming crimson. The woman simply smiled in acknowledgement. Bryn felt the blush spread all the way down to her toes. She dropped to her knees before the queen, instinct taking over. She bowed her head, feeling a fine trembling take over her muscles. Above her, Reginald and the queen exchanged a look, ending with him quietly retreating from the room, leaving mother and daughter alone again.
Several seconds passed before the queen let out a sigh. Bryn winced, waiting to be scolded for her thoughtless words, but the queen's tone was more light-hearted than she had expected. "Oh, please get up. I can't stand such displays. I won't allow my subjects to do more than a slight inclination of the head, and I certainly won't accept more from my daughter. We try to be equals here…as equal as we can. Goodness, what have those people of the Moon been drilling into your head all these years?"
Bryn slowly lifted her head from the floor, but the flame in her cheeks would not lighten. She felt like crying. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I said!"
"Yes, you did," Queen Celestia said pleasantly. "And I'm glad. I won't have any daughter of mine unable to speak her mind. Now, why don't you stand and give your poor mother a hug?"
She smiled and her voice was light, but there was something in her eyes almost like fear. It was the fear that washed away Bryn's remaining apprehension. She lifted herself from the floor very slowly, but once she was standing, one look into her mother's smiling face was all it took for her to rush into the open arms and burst into tears. Happy tears, this time. She was so relieved at her mother's acceptance of her that all her worries came pouring out through her tear ducts.
Why had she not noticed the similarities between them? Queen Celestia's eyes were exactly the same shape and shade of light blue as her own. Her skin had the same dewy paleness. And her hair…why, only the combination of the queen's pure silver and King Olorun's gold could have created the shimmering, pale blonde that Bryn so loved.
"Why? Why didn't you come for me?"
Queen Celestia pulled away slightly, and Bryn say how her pale blue eyes, eerily like her own, were shining with several different emotions. "Because I was a coward. I was a fool to listen to bad advice. I don't mean that as an excuse. Sending you away was no fault but my own. At the time I thought it was best. The political climate of the time was…delicate. I didn't know how you would be received, and I didn't want to risk any harm coming to you. Now, my people have had seven years to get used to my somewhat unorthodox ways, and the news that I have a secret love child didn't shock anyone. But back then I felt I had to send you away, as much as it pained me. You don't know, my daughter, how often I thought about storming over to the Moon Kingdom to take you back. But I didn't want to upset your life. I didn't know if you'd want me. And I admit I was afraid to face Aur…King Olorun and Queen Serenity. But what's past is past. We're together now, and I hope you will allow me to make up for lost time."
There was no hesitation in Bryn's reply. "Of course! I like you as you are. I thought you'd be another Queen Serenity, all serious and sullen. She wouldn't dare dress as you do or do any work. She turned up her nose at the servants. Me in particular."
Queen Celestia lips curved slightly in memory, but her look was somewhat sad. "She wasn't always like that. I hope you didn't take it personally. It's me she hates, not you." She paused and then her smile grew broader as she wrapped Bryn into an even stronger hug. "Oh, I don't know what you have endured, my daughter, but I hope we can put the past behind us and start anew. No regrets."
"No regrets," Bryn echoed thoughtfully. "King Olorun said something like that."
Queen Celestia's light eyes darkened. "Said. I heard the news."
"You loved him."
"Yes," the young queen breathed, her sigh escaping almost involuntarily. "Oh, how quickly the years pass. It seems only yesterday when I was last with him." She closed her eyes and smiled slightly. "When I left him, I knew it would be forever, but I didn't fight it. It was the way it had to be. It was a good match with Queen Serenity politically. A lot of lives were depending on continued peace. How could we put our selfish hearts above that? Especially after all the lives that had been lost in the war with the Darkness. There were more important things than our personal bliss."
Bryn didn't answer immediately, for she knew little about love, but she understood responsibility well. "He loved you," she said hesitantly. "While he was dying, he told me that he's always loved you."
Queen Celestia's shiny eyes opened. She gave a trembling laugh. "Did he? That sounds like him. If only he had given up, but…I'm glad."
"Queen Serenity didn't like it."
Queen Celestia shook her head slowly. "No, I suppose she wouldn't. Well, my daughter, enough of the past. Why don't we head upstairs so I can show you your room? We should both clean up if we are to look presentable for the others tonight."
"Others?" Bryn asked nervously, clutching her mother's hand.
The queen laughed as she looked down at her. "Yes, others. Don't look so nervous, darling. I've just planned a small dinner party with the other royal families so you can meet the princesses. I know you will like them. Come along."
0 0 0
Queen Celestia was mistaken. Bryn did not like the other princesses at all, and after her first evening with them she was quite certain she never would. The moment she stepped back into the grand hall that night, she felt out of place and gauche. Everything about her outfit, from the delicate silver tiara crowning her head, to the white dress, more silken and expensive than anything she had ever touched, felt wrong. At her throat was a necklace of the same red gem that adorned the golden throne – firestones, Queen Celestia had explained, a unique jewel of Athena, one that had been abundantly worn by their family. Bryn agreed that they were beautiful, but she felt they were too flashy for her. Still, she hadn't wanted to displease her mother, so she had stood quietly looking at herself in the mirror while the necklace was fastened around her throat. She hadn't recognized the girl who stared back, and it made her nervous.
If the kings and queens from the seven planets surrounding Athena noticed her anxiety, they didn't show it. They greeted her warmly from the start, but the eight little girls crowded together in a group, adorned with all their jewels and finery, could sense her vulnerability. Bryn didn't like the smiles some of them wore, or the way their eyes narrowed, like hunting birds sensing prey. Bryn could see them sizing her up just as openly as she did them. Even the girls with the kindlier expressions were looking apprehensive.
"Thank you for coming. Please let me introduce my daughter, Bryn," Queen Celestia said proudly. Her words were met with a round of applause. At what? Bryn had done nothing worth praise. Were they amazed at the transformation from a servant girl into a princess? Bryn doubted it. She was sure she looked as ridiculous as she felt. Surely all they would see was a commoner playing dress-up.
If they did, they were too polite to comment. A stately dark-haired couple wearing long yellow robes of exquisite silk stepped forward. "Welcome, my dear," said the woman kindly. She held out hands that Bryn reluctantly took. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Queen Vayu of Anteros. This is my husband, King Indra" – the dark haired man at the queen's side nodded– "and my daughter over there is Princess Vayu, but I'm sure she will want you to call her Lydia."
Bryn glanced at the girl Queen Vayu pointed at, and saw that she was one of the few girls who looked curious rather than contemptuous. She looked very much like her mother with dark hair, brown skin, and olive green eyes. The smile she turned on Bryn was genuine, much to the chagrin of several of her companions who nudged her and scowled.
Queen Vayu began listing off the names of the other royalty, but Bryn was only interested in the princesses, the girls who would be her companions. Like Lydia, not all of the girls seemed openly hostile. Princess Charis of Metis, better known as Juliana or Julie, had violet hair and a sweet smile. Her dark-haired shadow, Princess Lakshmi of Demeter, introduced as Anna, also smiled, but her brown eyes were somewhat wary.
Another girl, Sera, Princess An of Urania had a very warm look in her blue eyes, but her twin sister Alisia, Princess Mara, had eyes as hard and cold as ice. Two other girls wore similar unfriendly looks, the fire-haired Princess Inanna/Giselle from Hestia and the angelic-looking Princess Aurora/Adira from Pandia. Bryn was somewhat taken aback by their looks of open hatred.
The last girl wore neither an expression of contempt nor a look of welcome. She seemed to hold herself back from judgment as she watched Bryn with a thoughtful look in her dark blue eyes. The dark-skinned girl was introduced as Ciah, Princess Amrita of Astrea.
When the introductions were finished, Queen Celestia gave Bryn a little push. "Why don't you and the girls run off and get acquainted before dinner?" she suggested. Bryn felt her blood freeze. Getting acquainted with "the girls," especially Giselle, Alisia, and Adira, was about the last thing she wanted to do. For her mother's sake she managed a rigid nod and followed the beckoning princesses out of the great hall and into a smaller connecting room with plush red chairs and a fireplace. The door shut behind them and Bryn spun around nervously, looking at the panel of faces that gazed at her. These princesses, she sensed, were not going to be as welcoming as Mina, Raye, Amy, and Lita had been. The ticking from a giant clock on the wall grated on her already fragile nerves.
Giselle spoke first. She was smiling, but it was not a friendly smile. She shook her red hair over her shoulders with a precocious toss of her head. "I hope you don't think that wearing that dress and those jewels means you're one of us."
So much for the welcome mat. Bryn held back her scowl as the violet-eyed Adira nodded vigorously, agreeing with her friend. "Yes. Why don't you go run to the kitchens? I'm sure you'll be more comfortable around your kind." The two girls laughed, joined loudly by Alisia. Even Ciah cracked a smile. The other four, Bryn was relieved to see, did not.
"Isn't it cute?" Adira continued with a smirk. "Cover up a servant girl with shiny paint and she almost sparkles like a princess. Who knew?"
"Yes," Alisia said, ignoring the warning look from her sister Sera. "Adorable. But I wonder how long it will last?"
"I think you look beautiful," Julie said with a kind smile. Bryn shot a grateful look in her direction.
"Is this your mother's?" Alisia asked as she touched the firestone necklace around Bryn's neck.
Bryn nodded jerkily. "Mine now. She gave it to me."
"How sweet," said Giselle with a twist to her mouth.
Adira raised an eyebrow. "Were they given to you? Or did you steal them? Forgive me for asking, but I can see how a poor little wretch like yourself would be tempted by such a treasure. This necklace is priceless, you know. None but the highest of families could even think to wear them. Why you, with so little dignity–"
"Why don't you shut up, Adira?" Lydia interrupted, her green eyes hard. "She's showing more dignity than you right now. She knows not to insult people."
Bryn, whose lips had parted in preparation for a few harsh words of her own, shut her mouth abruptly. She knew she was going to have to prove herself eventually, but it was hardly the time or place. She liked the way Lydia's eyes were travelling over protectively, as if inspecting a little kitten she meant to defend. Why let her know that inside Bryn was just as dirty a little fighter as the rest of them? In time, she would show them, but she would do it her way.
Bryn's lips fought to hold back her smile as she bowed her head in a display of meekness and listened patiently to more taunts from Adira, Giselle, and Alisia. In time, she would show them.
0 0 0
Despite the smug thoughts of revenge that carried her through the rest of the dinner party, Bryn found herself growing increasingly depressed as she lay in bed that night. The hour was late, ticking on towards morning, and Bryn could not sleep. She and her mother had stayed up long after the guests had left, talking and laughing together as they started the process of getting to know each other. Bryn had found her feelings growing warmer and warmer towards her mother throughout the evening. It wouldn't be long before they passed irretrievably into love. Despite her happiness, once Queen Celestia kissed her forehead tenderly and left her for the night, Bryn felt the oppressive darkness and stillness of the surrounding space as she faced her new room alone.
The room was too fancy for her taste. She preferred a small cot like the one she slept on in her room at the Moon Palace to the enormous canopy bed that surrounded her. Every time she moved, she felt she would sink into the feather-light mattress and suffocate. There were no windows in the room, for unlike the Moon where it was always night, on Athena she was faced with eternal daylight. Even though the room turned out to be more modest than Princess Serenity's chambers had been, Bryn didn't think she would ever get used to it. Luxury wasn't her style.
Bryn twisted and turned under the sheets, trying to get comfortable. She wondered what Serena was doing, if she was thinking about her. More importantly, she wondered if she would ever see her again. Not likely as long as Queen Serenity's opinions stayed the same. She would never forgive Queen Celestia, nor allow her daughter anywhere near Bryn. Serena, like Adrian, would become just another ghost from her past, fading into the night.
Agitated, Bryn rolled over and pulled the silk sheets over her head. After another minute of restless shifting, she sat up. The bed was too comfortable, that was the problem. She couldn't sleep on it. Sighing, Bryn pulled the soft blankets off the bed and threw them onto the floor. She hopped off the bed and collapsed into the pile of silky fabric. She breathed out a sigh of contentment as she felt the hard floor beneath her back. Much better.
Her eyes shut and she was starting to finally drift into sleep when a soft noise woke her. Bryn's eyes popped open as she listened. It was the suddenness in the quiet that caught her attention. At the Moon Palace, Bryn had learned to sleep through all kinds of nightly sounds that penetrated too easily through the paper-thin walls. The various cries in the night, from children up late whispering and giggling, to elderly servants tending their aching bones, to sounds of love giving premature education to her seven-year-old ears, Bryn had learned to block them all out. To hear a cry break through the quiet of the Athenian palace at such an hour was surprising.
Bryn sat up and listened. Someone was out there sobbing in the darkness. Something about the sound, the desperation, the loneliness, caught her attention and grabbed hold. She felt an ache seep inside her as the other person's pain mingled with her own depression. Before she realized what she was doing, she had stood and slipped the silken red robe from the chair beside her bed over her nightdress. Bryn walked to the entrance of her room and pushed open the door.
The hallway was dark from the lack of windows, but a distant lamp gave enough light for Bryn to see. She softly padded down the hallway towards the sound of the crying, pausing occasionally and listening for a better idea of where it was coming from. Finally, she stopped before a door, certain that she had found the room. Her hand paused on the handle, wondering if she dared to walk in on a stranger. Just then, another sob rang out and her mind gave way to her heart. She twisted the handle and entered.
The room was pitch black. Bryn had to push the door open all the way before light from the distant lamp reached the figure huddled on the bed. Even as she drew near, she could not make him out well. Shadows covered his face as if forever imprinted upon his features. As she reached the center of the room, the figure started violently. Bryn froze. She looked at the bed uneasily, unsure what to do. The crying had stopped, but a glance at the huddled form told her that he was shaking. He was afraid of her.
Someone must have hurt him to make him so afraid of even a small girl. Who? What had happened to him, and why was he shut away in such a small, dark room?
"Don't worry," she told him quickly, trying to soothe his worries. "I'm not here to hurt you. My name is Bryn. Who are you?"
A slight gasp was her only answer. Feeling dismayed at how little progress she was making, Bryn took a step closer. Just as she did, she stepped into a small patch of light. The boy's erratic breathing hushed. Bryn stopped moving and waited. She could see his eyes gleaming at her in the darkness as he looked her over.
"You're Queen Celestia's daughter," he said finally. Bryn smiled a little. At least she didn't have to explain herself.
"Why are you crying?"
In response, he jerked again and turned away, but not before Bryn could see his face more clearly. He had shoulder-length black hair and strange golden eyes. He was older than she had thought, a young teenager, although small and skinny for his age. She guessed him to be about thirteen, fifteen at the most. Although the bony angles in his face made his looks somewhat awkward, she could see that in a few years he would be quite handsome.
Turned away from her, he was still crying, crying with the quiet desperation of the hopeless. It was the same cry Bryn had felt in her heart when she had learned she was being banished from the Moon Kingdom. Flooded with sympathy, Bryn leapt forward and flung her arms around him.
"No, shh, don't cry," she whispered as she buried her small face into his shoulder. "I'm here. You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you." As soon as she touched him, the boy drew himself inward and stiffened. He held himself like that, rigid and silent for nearly a minute as she held him. Gradually the tension in his muscles softened. His arms fastened around her, and he hugged her back tightly, as if she was the sole anchor keeping from sinking into a pit.
"You're okay," she murmured again, stroking the back of his head. "Please don't be sad. I'm here for you."
Her heart went out to the boy, shaking and alone in the darkness. She didn't know who he was or why he was sad, but she decided that from then on it was going to be her mission to make him happy, to get him to smile. What was the point of all her new-found happiness if she wasn't able to share it? Her heart lightened with the prospect of a promise that she was determined to keep.
But Bryn didn't know what she was getting into when she made her silent vows. How could she have known that had she never opened that door and shown him a glimpse of light, of life, she could have saved him in a better way than her presence ever could? But because she had opened that door, he saw the light. And he saw her.
But she knew nothing of this as she held him. Whatever he needed, she would give. She promised herself that, not knowing that someday he would make her break her vow.
0 0 0
"His name is Lord Ahriman," Queen Celestia calmly explained the next morning at breakfast. "I call him Ahriman or Ahri. Lord seems a little premature, don't you think? But he has a right to the title, and he insists upon it."
Bryn glared at her mother across the table. Dearly as she admired the woman, she was also furious. "Why are you keeping him in that small, dark room? Why wasn't he at the celebration last night? You say he's in your protection, so why do you treat him so horribly?"
Queen Celestia's expression barely altered as she said, "He's in that room because he prefers it to others I have offered him, and I didn't invite him last night because I knew he wouldn't come if I did. He never does. He isn't taken with social events. He isn't taken with much, actually, except maybe you."
"Me?" Bryn blushed a little at the smug cat smile her mother bestowed on her. "What do you mean?"
The queen shrugged and buttered a roll. "I visited him earlier, as I do every morning, and he could speak of nothing but you. He smiled as he spoke, even though it was a weak smile. I haven't seen him smile in years, you know, not since he was a small boy."
Bryn's face still felt hot. "Well, I'm glad. But that doesn't excuse your treatment of him."
Queen Celestia bit her roll with a thoughtful expression. "And what do I do to him that is so horrible?"
"You keep him locked in that room like a prisoner!"
"He holds the keys to his own cell," Queen Celestia responded calmly, raising a silver eyebrow. "It's up to him to emerge from the darkness. Don't antagonize me, Bryn, before you know the whole story. I have tried for years to get him to accept my love, and I will continue trying until he opens up. My colleagues have always criticized me for keeping him. They think that he should have been banished along with the others of the Darkness, but I continue to hold onto my faith in him. If only he could let go of his heritage, what he feels has been taken away from him, he would be happy. I know he would."
"The Darkness? Him?" Bryn stared at her mother, stunned. Stories of members of the Darkness and the war that had banished them into another dimension had already become legend in the Moon Kingdom. They were known monsters, demons, heartless. She couldn't equate the stories of the devils she had heard about with the crying boy she had met the previous night. It made no sense.
Queen Celestia took another bite of her roll and smiled at her daughter. "I think you will be good for him. You've never known the Darkness as I have and do not bear the same prejudices that I still have to fight against. Although I love the boy, there is a bit of apprehension in me that lingers. I know he can feel it when he looks at me. He needs someone like you who has no association with that time, someone full of life and innocent."
"I'm not so innocent," Bryn said stubbornly. Queen Celestia smiled and took a long drink from her golden goblet of fruit juice.
"By the way, how did you get along with the girls last night?"
Bryn's throat suddenly felt dry. "I like them very much."
Queen Celestia's eyes sparkled at her across the table. "You little liar," she said pleasantly. Bryn stared at her in disbelief. Was there anything that escaped her?
Before she could reply, a golden streak bounded into the room and landed on her lap. Bryn almost shrieked in surprise, but her mother's laughter stopped her cry.
"Surya, there you are. I was wondering what happened to you. Didn't you see fit to attend our gathering last night?"
Bryn felt herself pale when the golden blob started to talk. "I would have, Majesty, but I had business to attend to.""
The queen's lips twitched. "Business as in you saw a cute cercaphor wandering in the gardens and went after her?"
"Maybe," the blob answered with equal humor and lifted a paw to lick. Bryn looked at him warily. The creature resembled a Moon Cat except for strange tufts of fur around his head and neck.
"Bryn, this is Surya, my cercaphor," Queen Celestia introduced. The little head turned slightly to blink at Bryn with red eyes.
"Charmed, I'm sure," he said lazily and returned to his business. Without another word, he hopped off her lap and dashed from the room, calling out, "Fun to talk, but must run. Sylvia, er…business awaits." With that, he disappeared.
Queen Celestia looked after him with a grin. "I should get him neutered. But I admit it is delightful to have so many little Suryas running around. Now, as I was saying, the girls really aren't as bad as they seem."
Bryn snorted, and her mother tried to hide her smile as she continued. "Really, they're not. They're spoiled, yes, as we all are growing up around here, but I think you'll find you like them when you get to know them."
"Not Adira and Giselle," Bryn said heatedly. "They're…" Here, she repeated a word Jana used when she thought Bryn wasn't listening. The word wasn't suitable for a little girl to say, especially to a queen, but her mother's lips were twitching into a smile.
"I suggest showing them the real you. Don't hold back anything. Then you can decide if they are worth your liking."
Bryn stared at her mother for another instant before breaking into a wide smile.
"Thank you, mother," she said happily, her mind already forming a plan.
0 0 0
"What is it now, you little wretch?"
Giselle's voice was surprisingly haughty for an eight year old. Bryn lifted her head to meet her eyes before looking quickly back at the ground. The other girls were gathered around Giselle, either formed in a tight row beside her or lingering further back, looking around the stable to avoid Bryn's eyes. Sera's lips were set in a tight frown, and Julie rocked back and forth on her feet, chewing on her lower lip. Adira and Alisia stood with Giselle, smirking. Lydia was standing off to the side and also smiling, which was a surprise. Lydia had thus far been the only one to openly defend Bryn, but apparently she had decided to side with her friends after all.
For nearly a week the torment had been constant but sneaky. Bryn doubted the adults knew what was going on. Mostly it was whispers in groups and peals of laughter with snide glances over at Bryn to let her know, if there was any doubt, that she was the subject. There were comments meant to lower Bryn's level, to suggest she would fit in better with the servant children. At a private luncheon for the princesses, Adira had knocked over her fruit juice and demanded that Bryn clean it up, since she had so much experience.
None of it really bothered Bryn until she had woken up one morning to find that her closet had been broken into the previous night. Many of the new dresses Queen Celestia had lovingly given her were scattered on the floor, ripped or splattered with paint. Hanging in place of the dresses were several different servant uniforms. That was when Bryn had decided her silent observing had gone on long enough. Something had to be done.
She had left a note outside Giselle's door that morning, politely asking if she and the others would meet her privately in the stables. And then she had gone there herself to wait until they finally showed up, nearly an hour after the time she had requested.
"Well?" Giselle said again. Bryn took a faltering step backwards, her lip trembling convincingly.
"I…I…I…I…"
"Speak up. We don't have all day to listen to your stuttering," said Alisia.
Bryn swallowed and blinked. "I…I don't want you to be mean to me anymore. P…please. I know I'm nothing compared to you, and I know how hard it is to tolerate someone like me. But we don't need to fight. I'd like to be your friend. I won't be in the way if you just let me hang around you. I don't even need to speak unless you let me."
How they could be taken in by that proved their arrogance. Lydia continued to smile, but the others either looked confused or smug. Giselle looked the most pleased.
"How sweet. What do you think, girls? Should we let her in? I've never heard a more touching plea."
"Give it up, Giselle," Ciah said unexpectedly. The look she turned on the fire-haired princess was ugly.
"Don't tell me you're siding with her!"
"What is this battle even about?" Ciah asked. She was one of the oldest of the group at ten, and also the most sensible. "You're feeling threatened by nothing!"
Nothing? Bryn thought. We'll see about that.
"I want to make peace," Bryn said in a trembling voice. "Come shake my hand, and we can be friends."
"Friends?" Giselle snorted but then she shut her mouth abruptly. Slowly, her mouth twitched into a smile. Bryn could see that she was planning something nasty.
"Okay," Giselle agreed with a little shrug, only her eyes betraying her intentions. She started moving forward and the others followed her like obedient dogs, all except Lydia who hung back and shot Bryn a knowing grin. Bryn's eyes widened for a second before she allowed a tiny smile back. Lydia knew, but she wasn't going to say anything. Lydia was on her side!
Bryn watched as the group stepped forward, her heart beating with anticipation. Giselle was in the lead, so it was she who actually triggered the incident. Earlier that morning, Bryn had asked several stable boys to help her stretch a small, clear cord across the length of the room. When Princess Inanna walked into the cord, it pulled on a series of buckets on the ceiling, causing them to tip over. Within seconds, the princesses minus Lydia were covered in the brown goo that poured out, a mixture of Phoenix droppings, milk, and the mush that was fed to the fire stallions.
Bryn's laughter was soon drowned out by disgusted screams and moans from the girls. "You sneak!" Adira shrieked as she looked at herself in horror. "Do you have any idea how much this dress is worth?"
Bryn stopped laughing, but her smile would not break. "Yes, and I'd dirty a thousand more like it to do it again. The looks on your faces when it hit you…" Her smile widened when the girls froze in their frantic methods of brushing themselves off to stare at her in horror.
Bryn waited for a few pleasurable seconds before looking directly at Giselle. "I love your new perfume. Finally something that suits you."
Giselle was red with rage, but she did not speak.
Lydia was laughing openly in the background. Still reeling with shock at Bryn's apparent change of personality, the girls turned on her. "You were in on this!" Alisia accused, trying to squeeze the brown goo from her hair.
"Me? Of course not. I just have certain advantages."
"Damn you and your psychic ability! You could have warned us!"
"I thought there was a lesson to be learned," Lydia said calmly. "You shouldn't have judged her without knowing her. It doesn't matter where she came from. I saw that we were going to be good friends immediately when we met." She crossed the room to stand next to Bryn and draped an arm around her shoulders. Bryn gave her a searching look before smiling and looking back at the other girls with raised eyebrowa.
"Queen Celestia isn't going to be happy about this mess you've made," Adira said angrily. Bryn shrugged.
"She isn't going to find out, because you are all going to clean it up."
"Us?" Adira looked horrified.
"Yes. I think it'll be good for you. Maybe it'll build some character. You clearly need some."
"Why you…" Adira started but she was cut off with Sera's sweet laughter.
"She got us. You have to admit she got us."
"But…"
"Come on, Adira," little Julie said. "Let's clean up before anyone sees."
"Yes," Ciah agreed. "And then after that each of us is going to bow down, kiss Princess Celestia's feet, and apologize."
"I'm not kissing anything," Giselle muttered darkly.
Bryn rushed towards her and raised her fist at Giselle's brown-streaked face threateningly. "You can kiss my fist if you don't. Here's the thing, and I'm only going to say it once, so you better listen. I don't like you. I don't care about being your friend, and I never wanted to be here. So if you're worried that I'm going to make a power play for leadership in your little gang or whatever you have going on here, forget it. I'm not interested. We're both here, and that's not going to change. Just stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours."
The princess from Hestia turned almost purple with rage. Just when Bryn thought she was going to start screaming or crying, she relaxed and a little laugh escaped her throat. "I was wrong. I misjudged you," Giselle said, seeming to surprise herself.
"Better remember that," Bryn said.
Giselle hesitated a moment before taking Bryn's hand in hers. Carefully, almost ceremoniously, she bent and quickly kissed the back of her hand. "Welcome home, Princess Celestia," she said. When she lifted her head, her green eyes were sparkling with sincerity.
Bryn smiled back, and thus began her life as Princess of Athena.