Princess Serena gazed at herself in the mirror. She had on a white flowing gown with a golden hemline. Her hair was in its usual style, up in two buns on top of, although somewhat to the sides, of her head. The telltale sign of her royalty shone brightly as it caught in the light. The crescent moon was something that she loved and hated at the same time. She loved it, for if it weren't for her royalty she would not have all of the privilege that she had now. She would not have her dear friends, her Royal Court, if it weren't for that crescent moon. Of course, with privilege, there came responsibilities. One of those responsibilities was marriage. Although she was only fourteen, she was to meet her future husband tonight. He was a young man of nineteen, from the Earth. His name was Darien Endymion, the Prince of the Earth. She had never met this man, and she feared what he would be like. In her heart, Princess Serena knew that her mother would never betroth her to someone who was cruel in any manner, but she still resented her mother for it. This is one of the times that Princess Serena hated that accursed crescent moon on her forehead. A knocking on the door interrupted her thoughts. Princess Serena turned around and faced the door. "Who is it," she demanded.
"It is me, Sere." The voice sounded somewhat unsure.
Serenity recognized it immediately. It was Queen Serenity, her mother. "Come in, Mama."
The doorknob turned slowly and Queen Serenity peeked in, and then entered. "I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me."
Princess Serena smiled at her mother. "Don't worry, mama. No matter what happens, I will cherish talking to you always." Even if Serenity hated what her mother was doing, she could never go more than two hours without talking to her mom, or saying how much she loved her.
The tension in her mother's face eased greatly. "I thought you were mad at me, honey."
Serenity smiled at her mom playfully. "Me, mad at you? Never!"
The Queen embraced her daughter firmly and then looked at her. "You look so beautiful, sweetheart." She gently kissed her daughter's forehead and felt an aching in her chest. Her little girl was growing up so quickly.
"Is it time?" The Princess's voice seemed absolutely somber.
Queen Serenity smiled at her daughter. "Cheer up, honey. It isn't as if you're about to eat your last supper. I know how hard arranged marriages can be. Your father and I were an arranged marriage, in fact."
"But, I thought you were madly in love with Papa?"
"Oh, I was, sweetheart. I loved your father more than anything in the world, once I got to know him." A faint smile crossed the Queen's lips as she thought of her late husband, King Astrologis. Oh, how she missed him.
"I wish that I had gotten to know him."
"So do I, sweetheart. But now, it's time for you to go to the dining room. Prince Endymion will be there shortly."
"I'm scared, Mama." Serenity hardly ever acted as young as she was, but now was one of those times.
"Oh, honey. Everything's going to work out fine. I've met the Prince, and he is a fine young man." She gave her daughter a hug. "Now, are you ready to go?"
Princess Serena nodded lightly and smiled weakly at her beloved mother. "I suppose I can give him a chance."
"That's right, Serena. And if you don't like him, we'll give him the boot."
Princess Serena giggled and walked out of the room boldly, ready to meet the person that she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with.
Queen Serenity knew that her daughter was frightened out of her mind, but that was understandable. She had been equally as frightened when she and Astrologis had been wed. Queen Serenity was giving her daughter more than most would give their children. She was giving her a chance to fall in love with the person she was to be wed to before the wedding vows were said. That was more than either she or her late husband was given. Although her daughter was not being given the chance to court men as frivolously as some of the other young ladies in the courts, or meet her future husband on her own, Queen Serenity was sure that her daughter would be very happy with Prince Darien Endymion of the planet Earth. They, of course, would not be wed until Serena's eighteenth year, which gave them four years to get to know one another.
"It is me, Sere." The voice sounded somewhat unsure.
Serenity recognized it immediately. It was Queen Serenity, her mother. "Come in, Mama."
The doorknob turned slowly and Queen Serenity peeked in, and then entered. "I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me."
Princess Serena smiled at her mother. "Don't worry, mama. No matter what happens, I will cherish talking to you always." Even if Serenity hated what her mother was doing, she could never go more than two hours without talking to her mom, or saying how much she loved her.
The tension in her mother's face eased greatly. "I thought you were mad at me, honey."
Serenity smiled at her mom playfully. "Me, mad at you? Never!"
The Queen embraced her daughter firmly and then looked at her. "You look so beautiful, sweetheart." She gently kissed her daughter's forehead and felt an aching in her chest. Her little girl was growing up so quickly.
"Is it time?" The Princess's voice seemed absolutely somber.
Queen Serenity smiled at her daughter. "Cheer up, honey. It isn't as if you're about to eat your last supper. I know how hard arranged marriages can be. Your father and I were an arranged marriage, in fact."
"But, I thought you were madly in love with Papa?"
"Oh, I was, sweetheart. I loved your father more than anything in the world, once I got to know him." A faint smile crossed the Queen's lips as she thought of her late husband, King Astrologis. Oh, how she missed him.
"I wish that I had gotten to know him."
"So do I, sweetheart. But now, it's time for you to go to the dining room. Prince Endymion will be there shortly."
"I'm scared, Mama." Serenity hardly ever acted as young as she was, but now was one of those times.
"Oh, honey. Everything's going to work out fine. I've met the Prince, and he is a fine young man." She gave her daughter a hug. "Now, are you ready to go?"
Princess Serena nodded lightly and smiled weakly at her beloved mother. "I suppose I can give him a chance."
"That's right, Serena. And if you don't like him, we'll give him the boot."
Princess Serena giggled and walked out of the room boldly, ready to meet the person that she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with.
Queen Serenity knew that her daughter was frightened out of her mind, but that was understandable. She had been equally as frightened when she and Astrologis had been wed. Queen Serenity was giving her daughter more than most would give their children. She was giving her a chance to fall in love with the person she was to be wed to before the wedding vows were said. That was more than either she or her late husband was given. Although her daughter was not being given the chance to court men as frivolously as some of the other young ladies in the courts, or meet her future husband on her own, Queen Serenity was sure that her daughter would be very happy with Prince Darien Endymion of the planet Earth. They, of course, would not be wed until Serena's eighteenth year, which gave them four years to get to know one another.