Usual disclaimers apply
Ash
Switched at Birth - Chapter 7
I wish I could tell you that the two of us just stayed on that stone
bench forever, holding and kissing each other. But unfortunately,
all good things must come to an end.
"Serena," I heard someone, who was not Darien, say.
My eyes flew open as I recognized my mother's voice. Pulling away, I
found myself looking into Darien's wide-open eyes. We stared at each
other, not knowing what to do, but both of us knowing that we had to
do _something _. I could feel my cheeks heating up, and I could also
see a light blush staining Darien's handsome face.
Slowly, the two of us stood up and turned to where my mother's voice
was coming from. I nearly died of embarrassment as I came face-to-face
with not only my mother, but also my father, M. Artemis, Mlle Luna,
and Mlle Aino.
I gathered up part of my dancing skirt and dropped into a curtsey.
"Mother, Father," I greeted them politely, as if having people
interrupting my make-out sessions with Darien was a regular occurrence.
In the back of my mind, I realized that that had been happening to us.
Beside me, I saw Darien bow. "Your Majesties," he said.
"I have made a decision," I announced.
"A decision regarding what?" My mother asked.
"A decision regarding marriage," I replied. "And on the condition that
Prince Darien agrees with me."
"What have you decided?" Darien asked me.
"I will marry you, but on my eighteenth birthday, rather than on my
sixteenth birthday," I told him.
Darien smiled at me. "I believe that I can convince my parents to
agree to that."
I turned to my parents. "Would that be acceptable?" I asked them.
My parents huddled into a group with the rest of their entourage and
discussed it. I could hear snatches of their conversation. Something
about already having to reprint invitations and being able to invite
the president of some country.
Darien had taken my hand and was lightly caressing the back of it
with his thumb. I was getting chills from his gentle touch, and I
could tell that Darien was sensing it.
Our eyes met, and I could see the love in his gaze. We smiled at each
other, and he took my other hand. Our fingers intertwined and we moved
closer together. We just stood there, content to be close to each other.
"Serena," my mother called out.
With an effort, I was able to tear my gaze away from Darien's. "Yes,
Mother?"
"We agree with your decision," she replied. "You will marry Prince
Darien on your eighteenth birthday, which is two years and one week
from today. The Festival of Selene will go an as planned."
"Thank you, Mother," I said to her. "Am I still under house arrest?"
She studied the picture that Darien and I made together and smiled
slightly. "No. You will be able to see whomever you desire."
I smiled back. "Thank you."
"We will let you get back to...whatever it was you were doing before
we interrupted you," my father said, stifling a smile.
I blushed and curtseyed. "Thank you, Father."
Father nodded and turned away. My mother and the others followed him.
When they were out of earshot, I rested my forehead against Darien's
chest and moaned. "I'm so embarrassed!"
He patted my shoulder comfortingly. "It's not that bad. It could have
been worse."
"How?" I demanded, not moving my head.
"Well, your parents could have disapproved of me. Or, we could have
been caught doing more than just kissing," Darien responded.
I pulled back and looked at him in shock. "Like what?"
Darien laughed and gave me a quick kiss. "Just what two people do
when they love each other."
"Love?" I whispered. "You love me?"
Darien's expression grew serious. His fingers reached up to stroke
the side of my face. "I have loved you from the first moment that
I laid eyes on you. You are the most wonderful person that I have
ever met. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
My eyes filled with tears at his heartfelt confession. "Oh Darien...I
love you."
I could see the happiness in his eyes. He tilted my chin up and
leaned down to claim my lips with his own.
After a minute, he pulled away reluctantly. "I have to go back to
Outopia soon."
"When?" I asked in a disappointed tone.
"In a few hours," Darien told me. "But I'll be back next week for
your birthday."
"Promise?" I asked.
"I promise," Darien replied, leaning down to kiss me.
"Then you'd better go now," I told him. "The sooner you leave, the
sooner you'll come back."
We held hands and started walking towards the main entrance of the
castle. A thought struck me. "What time is it?" I asked.
Darien looked at his watch. "Almost two-thirty," he replied. "Why?"
"I'm supposed to stay off the main floor right now. It is opened to
the public at this time," I explained.
Darien nodded, understanding. Then he smiled, and I could detect a
mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, we'll give those tourists
something to talk about, then." He tugged on my hand and pulled me
along as he walked to the main floor.
"What are you doing?" I hissed. "I'm going to get in trouble!"
"No you won't" Darien replied easily. "I'm going to tell M. Artemis
where we are going."
"You're going to _what _?" I asked.
Darien stopped in front of M. Artemis. He bowed before us. "Your
Highnesses, what can I do for you?"
"Princess Serena is going to escort me out of the palace," Darien
replied. "I am leaving through the main entrance."
M. Artemis nodded. "Please come back soon," he said.
Darien nodded and started toward the main floor again. We had almost
reached the stairs when we heard M. Artemis calling faintly for us to
stop.
"Hurry up," Darien whispered, increasing his pace. I almost had to run
to keep up.
We descended down the stairs in a regal fashion. I had my arm looped
through Darien's.
I could tell that the visitors noticed us. A hush had spread through
the crowds and an occasional whisper could be heard here and there.
"Is that really them?"
"Of course not! Why would they be here at this time?"
"They look good together."
"It sure looks like them."
I had to fight down a giggle. Darien and I walked through the crowd,
which had parted to let us through, to the main doors. When we arrived,
he took my hands in his, and brought them to his lips.
"Until next week, my lovely fiancee," he said softly.
I beamed at him. "I love you." I replied.
Darien smiled and leaned down to kiss me. As my eyes drifted shut, I was
aware of several people taking pictures of us, and some longing sighs
could be heard. When he pulled away, the room burst into applause. Darien
and I smiled and waved to the crowd. He bowed to me and then left for the
airport.
"Your Highness," M. Artemis said sternly.
I faced him with an innocent expression. "Yes?" I asked.
He tried to maintain a firm expression, but I could see a faint smile
playing around the edges of his mouth. "You know that you are not supposed
to be down here at this hour," he informed me.
I nodded meekly. "I am sorry," I said in an apologetic tone.
He took my elbow and steered me back to the upper level. When we reached the
top of the stairs, he turned to me and simply reminded me that there were
tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays form one to three.
I was amazed. Not a word was said about our public display of affection. I
found out later that my announcement that I would still marry Darien was a
cause for much celebration. I heard that there was alcohol involved, but
that's just an unsubstantiated rumor.
Ash
Switched at Birth - Chapter 7
I wish I could tell you that the two of us just stayed on that stone
bench forever, holding and kissing each other. But unfortunately,
all good things must come to an end.
"Serena," I heard someone, who was not Darien, say.
My eyes flew open as I recognized my mother's voice. Pulling away, I
found myself looking into Darien's wide-open eyes. We stared at each
other, not knowing what to do, but both of us knowing that we had to
do _something _. I could feel my cheeks heating up, and I could also
see a light blush staining Darien's handsome face.
Slowly, the two of us stood up and turned to where my mother's voice
was coming from. I nearly died of embarrassment as I came face-to-face
with not only my mother, but also my father, M. Artemis, Mlle Luna,
and Mlle Aino.
I gathered up part of my dancing skirt and dropped into a curtsey.
"Mother, Father," I greeted them politely, as if having people
interrupting my make-out sessions with Darien was a regular occurrence.
In the back of my mind, I realized that that had been happening to us.
Beside me, I saw Darien bow. "Your Majesties," he said.
"I have made a decision," I announced.
"A decision regarding what?" My mother asked.
"A decision regarding marriage," I replied. "And on the condition that
Prince Darien agrees with me."
"What have you decided?" Darien asked me.
"I will marry you, but on my eighteenth birthday, rather than on my
sixteenth birthday," I told him.
Darien smiled at me. "I believe that I can convince my parents to
agree to that."
I turned to my parents. "Would that be acceptable?" I asked them.
My parents huddled into a group with the rest of their entourage and
discussed it. I could hear snatches of their conversation. Something
about already having to reprint invitations and being able to invite
the president of some country.
Darien had taken my hand and was lightly caressing the back of it
with his thumb. I was getting chills from his gentle touch, and I
could tell that Darien was sensing it.
Our eyes met, and I could see the love in his gaze. We smiled at each
other, and he took my other hand. Our fingers intertwined and we moved
closer together. We just stood there, content to be close to each other.
"Serena," my mother called out.
With an effort, I was able to tear my gaze away from Darien's. "Yes,
Mother?"
"We agree with your decision," she replied. "You will marry Prince
Darien on your eighteenth birthday, which is two years and one week
from today. The Festival of Selene will go an as planned."
"Thank you, Mother," I said to her. "Am I still under house arrest?"
She studied the picture that Darien and I made together and smiled
slightly. "No. You will be able to see whomever you desire."
I smiled back. "Thank you."
"We will let you get back to...whatever it was you were doing before
we interrupted you," my father said, stifling a smile.
I blushed and curtseyed. "Thank you, Father."
Father nodded and turned away. My mother and the others followed him.
When they were out of earshot, I rested my forehead against Darien's
chest and moaned. "I'm so embarrassed!"
He patted my shoulder comfortingly. "It's not that bad. It could have
been worse."
"How?" I demanded, not moving my head.
"Well, your parents could have disapproved of me. Or, we could have
been caught doing more than just kissing," Darien responded.
I pulled back and looked at him in shock. "Like what?"
Darien laughed and gave me a quick kiss. "Just what two people do
when they love each other."
"Love?" I whispered. "You love me?"
Darien's expression grew serious. His fingers reached up to stroke
the side of my face. "I have loved you from the first moment that
I laid eyes on you. You are the most wonderful person that I have
ever met. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
My eyes filled with tears at his heartfelt confession. "Oh Darien...I
love you."
I could see the happiness in his eyes. He tilted my chin up and
leaned down to claim my lips with his own.
After a minute, he pulled away reluctantly. "I have to go back to
Outopia soon."
"When?" I asked in a disappointed tone.
"In a few hours," Darien told me. "But I'll be back next week for
your birthday."
"Promise?" I asked.
"I promise," Darien replied, leaning down to kiss me.
"Then you'd better go now," I told him. "The sooner you leave, the
sooner you'll come back."
We held hands and started walking towards the main entrance of the
castle. A thought struck me. "What time is it?" I asked.
Darien looked at his watch. "Almost two-thirty," he replied. "Why?"
"I'm supposed to stay off the main floor right now. It is opened to
the public at this time," I explained.
Darien nodded, understanding. Then he smiled, and I could detect a
mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, we'll give those tourists
something to talk about, then." He tugged on my hand and pulled me
along as he walked to the main floor.
"What are you doing?" I hissed. "I'm going to get in trouble!"
"No you won't" Darien replied easily. "I'm going to tell M. Artemis
where we are going."
"You're going to _what _?" I asked.
Darien stopped in front of M. Artemis. He bowed before us. "Your
Highnesses, what can I do for you?"
"Princess Serena is going to escort me out of the palace," Darien
replied. "I am leaving through the main entrance."
M. Artemis nodded. "Please come back soon," he said.
Darien nodded and started toward the main floor again. We had almost
reached the stairs when we heard M. Artemis calling faintly for us to
stop.
"Hurry up," Darien whispered, increasing his pace. I almost had to run
to keep up.
We descended down the stairs in a regal fashion. I had my arm looped
through Darien's.
I could tell that the visitors noticed us. A hush had spread through
the crowds and an occasional whisper could be heard here and there.
"Is that really them?"
"Of course not! Why would they be here at this time?"
"They look good together."
"It sure looks like them."
I had to fight down a giggle. Darien and I walked through the crowd,
which had parted to let us through, to the main doors. When we arrived,
he took my hands in his, and brought them to his lips.
"Until next week, my lovely fiancee," he said softly.
I beamed at him. "I love you." I replied.
Darien smiled and leaned down to kiss me. As my eyes drifted shut, I was
aware of several people taking pictures of us, and some longing sighs
could be heard. When he pulled away, the room burst into applause. Darien
and I smiled and waved to the crowd. He bowed to me and then left for the
airport.
"Your Highness," M. Artemis said sternly.
I faced him with an innocent expression. "Yes?" I asked.
He tried to maintain a firm expression, but I could see a faint smile
playing around the edges of his mouth. "You know that you are not supposed
to be down here at this hour," he informed me.
I nodded meekly. "I am sorry," I said in an apologetic tone.
He took my elbow and steered me back to the upper level. When we reached the
top of the stairs, he turned to me and simply reminded me that there were
tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays form one to three.
I was amazed. Not a word was said about our public display of affection. I
found out later that my announcement that I would still marry Darien was a
cause for much celebration. I heard that there was alcohol involved, but
that's just an unsubstantiated rumor.