The Line of Serenity
Part 3 - Revenge
Queen Solana Serenity sat in her private study off the bed chamber on
an oversized, silk upholstered chair, while a hand maiden brushed out
her long, flowing, silver hair. The young ladies maid twisted up
thick sections of hair on each side of Solana's head to form the
round buns of the royal hairstyle. When she was done, two long
silver tails fell from the buns, and the Queen was ready to begin
her morning.
"Thank you, Alexis," Solana said, "You may go now." The maid quickly
bowed and left the room. Solana rose slowly from her chair. It was
getting harder every day just to move about normally. She was well
along in her pregnancy, and all was going well.
"Just one more month." she said aloud, as she struggled into her
official gown. It still fit well enough. The high waistline left
ample room for her expanding abdomen, but it was a chore getting her
ungainly body into the long, heavy dress.
"Orion!" she called. Her husband was in the bed chamber. "Come
and help me zip this dress!"
King Orion Coronis laughed out loud at the sight of his very pregnant
wife trying to reach around and zip her gown. He came up behind her
and pulled the zipper up swiftly.
"There," he said, still chuckling, "If you get any bigger, we'll have
to add on to the palace."
"Oh you!" she grinned and swatted him lightly. "Although, I hate to
say it, I think you may be right. I must be having triplets!"
"No, just one very healthy prince."
"Or, princess..."
They walked together, teasing each other lightly, down to the
receivingroom to await their guests. The Silver Alliance Council was
having it's regular meeting at the Moon Palace because of Solana's
condition. The Queen of Mars was the first to arrive.
"Solana!" she came over and hugged her friend. "How much longer?
A month?"
"Yes, thank goodness! I don't think I could take much more than that!
How is your little princess? Rei, isn't it?" Solana inquired.
"She's fine. A spirited little thing, she keeps me up all hours!
You'd better appreciate the rest your getting now, because it will be
all over soon."
This kind of exchange was heard over and over, as the rest of the
members arrived. At last, all the Council members where accounted
for and they made their way into the conference room.
"This meeting of the Silver Alliance Council is called to order."
Orion said. "Please state your title and planet."
"King Mercurius and Queen Amilee of Mercury"
"King Aeneas of Venus. My wife was ill and unable to make the
journey."
"King Ares and Queen Rhea of Mars."
"King Juno and Queen Minerva of Jupiter"
"King Cronos of Saturn. My wife was also ill."
"Queen Antianara of Uranus"
"King Oceanus of Neptune"
"King Coronis and Queen Serenity of the Moon. All are present and
accounted for, so the meeting will now begin. Please read the
minutes of our last meeting, King Mercurius...."
The morning passed by as the Council discussed all the relevant
business of the Silver Alliance. When they broke, it was close to
lunch time, and they went back to the receiving room for refreshments.
The men retired into Orion's study to discuss more manly things, but
in truth, they mostly talked about their wives and children-to-be.
The women huddled together and talked of pregnancies and childbirth.
Minerva announced she was expecting and Rhea gave them advice on
newborns.
"Rei has the sign." Rhea interrupted softly. "It was visible as soon
as she was born."
"Rhea..." Solana began.
"No, Solana, we made a vow. Besides, Sailorpluto was quite adamant
about this. She is my daughter, she will be proud of her position as
Royal Senshi. Ares and I have discussed this at length, and both of
us are convinced that these children will truly save the Alliance
someday. You know, we both possess the gift of psychic sight, and we
have used our skills to help make our decision. She will be sent to
train." Rhea finished with tears in her eyes.
"Do you all feel this way?" questioned Solana.
They all nodded.
"But, I feel like I am taking your children away! How can I do that
when I don't have to give anything up as well?"
"Because it must be this way." Rhea said simply.
They all cried together for what they would give up, and what they
would gain by doing so.
Two weeks passed since the Council meeting, and Solana had
secluded herself to the residence wing of the palace. She found it
so difficult to get up and down the stairs, that she decided to just
stay close to her bed chamber. She had ample time to think about
what the other Queens had said to her about sending their children
away to train. She resigned herself to the idea that they were doing
this because they felt is best, not because they had been order to.
It was still difficult for her to accept, but accept it she did.
She waited impatiently for Orion to come back to the palace. He had
gone out to one of the smaller villages several miles away to
investigate some alleged insurgencies against the Moon Kingdom.
He had been gone for three days now.
There had been no sign of any insurgencies. The small village where
the problem had been reported from was quiet and peaceful. The
King and his scouting party made their way to the an area just
outside the village where the people had said they witnessed peculiar
goings on.
"Over here, your Majesty!" One of the soldiers called.
"What is it?" Orion replied.
'It' was a scorched place on the ground. The remains of several
thick candles formed a rough circle around the burned area.
"Looks like some type of magic, your Majesty."
"Yes, it seems so." Orion had seen magic before. The Ginzuishou his
wife controlled was one of the most powerful magical item in the
universe. There were many lower level wizards scattered about the
villages of the Moon. But, for some reason, this place felt wrong
somehow. The scent was different. It teased his senses with
familiarity. With a jolt, he realized when and where he had sensed
this kind of magic before.
"Metallia!" he spat.
"But sire, the Dark Kingdom has been gone from here for many
years." said the confused soldier.
"You're right, of course" Orion sighed deeply. He would never forget
the pain Solana had suffered at the hands of that evil witch. He
bent down and touched the charred ground. The dark energy that
seeped up his fingers and into his body was invisible to all, but he
felt it enter him. A trap! he thought. Orion fought will all his
willpower to keep the evil power from taking over his mind. His
silent struggle continued as more and more of the black tendrils
swept into his very soul. When it was over, no one had noticed
anything amiss. If any of the soldiers had looked closely at their
King, they would have seen that his violet eyes had darkened and lost
all semblance of kindness.
Orion entered the palace well after nightfall. Everything was quiet
and still as he made his way up to his bed chamber. Solana lay on
the bed, sleeping peacefully. Her face lit from within by the glow
of pregnancy. Orion approached softly, so not to awaken her. His
now dark eyes glittered with hatred for the slumbering queen.
Metallia's spirit delighted in what she had accomplished. With an
iron grip on his mind, she order him to kill her. Orion pulled his
scabbard from his hip, and held it over Solana. The blade flashed
in the lunar light. As his arm began it's downward stroke that would
end his wife's life, Orion's own soul surged against Metallia's
power. He cried out with the intensity of his inner struggle.
Solana awoke to the sight of her husband towering above her with a
blade in his hand. His eyes rolled wildly as he fought Metallia's
evil. Solana screamed his name, but terror and lack of agility kept
her rooted to her spot on the bed. With a final horrific cry, Orion
plunged the scabbard into his own heart. Solana shrieked over and
over, unable to stop. Metallia's spirit left Orion's body and
hovered thickly in the air.
"I will have my revenge on the line of Serenity!" it hissed wickedly.
"I will kill you all!" The spirit vanished into the blackness of
the night. Soldiers rushed into the bed chamber and found a grisly
sight. Their King was dead, his own jeweled scabbard protruding from
his heart. Their Queen lay on the bed, screaming hysterically and
clutching her swollen stomach. She was taken to the infirmary, and
he to the morgue.
The palace physician entered the room solemnly. "Your Majesty..."
he began. "You are in labor. The stress of the...incident... has
caused it."
Solana had finally stopped screaming, and now cried silently. She was
grief stricken at the thought of having their baby without Orion, but
she knew it would happen whether she was ready for it or not. She
cleared her throat and spoke in a hoarse whisper. "Do what you must
to prepare. I understand."
The doctor nodded and organized his supplies. Solana wept through
the labor pains, but pushed strongly when she was told. Just before
dawn, exhausted and emotionally drained, Solana gave birth to a baby
girl, a princess for the moon. She held the tiny baby while huge
crystal tears ran down her cheeks.
"Usagi Serenity." she said quietly. "You will not know this pain
that I have lived through. You will be happy even if I have to give
my life to make certain of it." Solana made her vow and began to sob
again, crying the last of her tears so her daughter would never know
of the tragedy in Solana's life.
Part 3 - Revenge
Queen Solana Serenity sat in her private study off the bed chamber on
an oversized, silk upholstered chair, while a hand maiden brushed out
her long, flowing, silver hair. The young ladies maid twisted up
thick sections of hair on each side of Solana's head to form the
round buns of the royal hairstyle. When she was done, two long
silver tails fell from the buns, and the Queen was ready to begin
her morning.
"Thank you, Alexis," Solana said, "You may go now." The maid quickly
bowed and left the room. Solana rose slowly from her chair. It was
getting harder every day just to move about normally. She was well
along in her pregnancy, and all was going well.
"Just one more month." she said aloud, as she struggled into her
official gown. It still fit well enough. The high waistline left
ample room for her expanding abdomen, but it was a chore getting her
ungainly body into the long, heavy dress.
"Orion!" she called. Her husband was in the bed chamber. "Come
and help me zip this dress!"
King Orion Coronis laughed out loud at the sight of his very pregnant
wife trying to reach around and zip her gown. He came up behind her
and pulled the zipper up swiftly.
"There," he said, still chuckling, "If you get any bigger, we'll have
to add on to the palace."
"Oh you!" she grinned and swatted him lightly. "Although, I hate to
say it, I think you may be right. I must be having triplets!"
"No, just one very healthy prince."
"Or, princess..."
They walked together, teasing each other lightly, down to the
receivingroom to await their guests. The Silver Alliance Council was
having it's regular meeting at the Moon Palace because of Solana's
condition. The Queen of Mars was the first to arrive.
"Solana!" she came over and hugged her friend. "How much longer?
A month?"
"Yes, thank goodness! I don't think I could take much more than that!
How is your little princess? Rei, isn't it?" Solana inquired.
"She's fine. A spirited little thing, she keeps me up all hours!
You'd better appreciate the rest your getting now, because it will be
all over soon."
This kind of exchange was heard over and over, as the rest of the
members arrived. At last, all the Council members where accounted
for and they made their way into the conference room.
"This meeting of the Silver Alliance Council is called to order."
Orion said. "Please state your title and planet."
"King Mercurius and Queen Amilee of Mercury"
"King Aeneas of Venus. My wife was ill and unable to make the
journey."
"King Ares and Queen Rhea of Mars."
"King Juno and Queen Minerva of Jupiter"
"King Cronos of Saturn. My wife was also ill."
"Queen Antianara of Uranus"
"King Oceanus of Neptune"
"King Coronis and Queen Serenity of the Moon. All are present and
accounted for, so the meeting will now begin. Please read the
minutes of our last meeting, King Mercurius...."
The morning passed by as the Council discussed all the relevant
business of the Silver Alliance. When they broke, it was close to
lunch time, and they went back to the receiving room for refreshments.
The men retired into Orion's study to discuss more manly things, but
in truth, they mostly talked about their wives and children-to-be.
The women huddled together and talked of pregnancies and childbirth.
Minerva announced she was expecting and Rhea gave them advice on
newborns.
"Rei has the sign." Rhea interrupted softly. "It was visible as soon
as she was born."
"Rhea..." Solana began.
"No, Solana, we made a vow. Besides, Sailorpluto was quite adamant
about this. She is my daughter, she will be proud of her position as
Royal Senshi. Ares and I have discussed this at length, and both of
us are convinced that these children will truly save the Alliance
someday. You know, we both possess the gift of psychic sight, and we
have used our skills to help make our decision. She will be sent to
train." Rhea finished with tears in her eyes.
"Do you all feel this way?" questioned Solana.
They all nodded.
"But, I feel like I am taking your children away! How can I do that
when I don't have to give anything up as well?"
"Because it must be this way." Rhea said simply.
They all cried together for what they would give up, and what they
would gain by doing so.
Two weeks passed since the Council meeting, and Solana had
secluded herself to the residence wing of the palace. She found it
so difficult to get up and down the stairs, that she decided to just
stay close to her bed chamber. She had ample time to think about
what the other Queens had said to her about sending their children
away to train. She resigned herself to the idea that they were doing
this because they felt is best, not because they had been order to.
It was still difficult for her to accept, but accept it she did.
She waited impatiently for Orion to come back to the palace. He had
gone out to one of the smaller villages several miles away to
investigate some alleged insurgencies against the Moon Kingdom.
He had been gone for three days now.
There had been no sign of any insurgencies. The small village where
the problem had been reported from was quiet and peaceful. The
King and his scouting party made their way to the an area just
outside the village where the people had said they witnessed peculiar
goings on.
"Over here, your Majesty!" One of the soldiers called.
"What is it?" Orion replied.
'It' was a scorched place on the ground. The remains of several
thick candles formed a rough circle around the burned area.
"Looks like some type of magic, your Majesty."
"Yes, it seems so." Orion had seen magic before. The Ginzuishou his
wife controlled was one of the most powerful magical item in the
universe. There were many lower level wizards scattered about the
villages of the Moon. But, for some reason, this place felt wrong
somehow. The scent was different. It teased his senses with
familiarity. With a jolt, he realized when and where he had sensed
this kind of magic before.
"Metallia!" he spat.
"But sire, the Dark Kingdom has been gone from here for many
years." said the confused soldier.
"You're right, of course" Orion sighed deeply. He would never forget
the pain Solana had suffered at the hands of that evil witch. He
bent down and touched the charred ground. The dark energy that
seeped up his fingers and into his body was invisible to all, but he
felt it enter him. A trap! he thought. Orion fought will all his
willpower to keep the evil power from taking over his mind. His
silent struggle continued as more and more of the black tendrils
swept into his very soul. When it was over, no one had noticed
anything amiss. If any of the soldiers had looked closely at their
King, they would have seen that his violet eyes had darkened and lost
all semblance of kindness.
Orion entered the palace well after nightfall. Everything was quiet
and still as he made his way up to his bed chamber. Solana lay on
the bed, sleeping peacefully. Her face lit from within by the glow
of pregnancy. Orion approached softly, so not to awaken her. His
now dark eyes glittered with hatred for the slumbering queen.
Metallia's spirit delighted in what she had accomplished. With an
iron grip on his mind, she order him to kill her. Orion pulled his
scabbard from his hip, and held it over Solana. The blade flashed
in the lunar light. As his arm began it's downward stroke that would
end his wife's life, Orion's own soul surged against Metallia's
power. He cried out with the intensity of his inner struggle.
Solana awoke to the sight of her husband towering above her with a
blade in his hand. His eyes rolled wildly as he fought Metallia's
evil. Solana screamed his name, but terror and lack of agility kept
her rooted to her spot on the bed. With a final horrific cry, Orion
plunged the scabbard into his own heart. Solana shrieked over and
over, unable to stop. Metallia's spirit left Orion's body and
hovered thickly in the air.
"I will have my revenge on the line of Serenity!" it hissed wickedly.
"I will kill you all!" The spirit vanished into the blackness of
the night. Soldiers rushed into the bed chamber and found a grisly
sight. Their King was dead, his own jeweled scabbard protruding from
his heart. Their Queen lay on the bed, screaming hysterically and
clutching her swollen stomach. She was taken to the infirmary, and
he to the morgue.
The palace physician entered the room solemnly. "Your Majesty..."
he began. "You are in labor. The stress of the...incident... has
caused it."
Solana had finally stopped screaming, and now cried silently. She was
grief stricken at the thought of having their baby without Orion, but
she knew it would happen whether she was ready for it or not. She
cleared her throat and spoke in a hoarse whisper. "Do what you must
to prepare. I understand."
The doctor nodded and organized his supplies. Solana wept through
the labor pains, but pushed strongly when she was told. Just before
dawn, exhausted and emotionally drained, Solana gave birth to a baby
girl, a princess for the moon. She held the tiny baby while huge
crystal tears ran down her cheeks.
"Usagi Serenity." she said quietly. "You will not know this pain
that I have lived through. You will be happy even if I have to give
my life to make certain of it." Solana made her vow and began to sob
again, crying the last of her tears so her daughter would never know
of the tragedy in Solana's life.