Chapter 18
Betrayal
Queen Serenity was unusually cheerful that night. For the first time in quite a long while, she had found herself with an evening free of queenly duties. Hardly able to believe her good fortune, Serenity reviewed her agenda in her mind as she sat alone in her chambers. Yes, it was true. There was no business pressing on her, no meetings to attend, and no diplomatic matters that required her attention—at least nothing that could not safely be put off to look at some other day. Indeed, the High Queen was free this night. Serenity smiled at the thought. So long had it been since the last time she had been blessed this way that at first, she was not quite sure what to do with her time. After a moment, though, the answer came to her.
Humming gaily, the High Queen swept from her chambers, and strolled down the hallway to her daughter's. Young Serenity's chamber door was closed, indicating that the princess was indeed within. Queen Serenity rapped gently upon the door with her knuckle.
"Who is there, please?" Young Serenity called from the opposite side of the door.
"It is I, my love," the Queen replied. "Might I come in for a moment?" The princess agreed to her mother's request, and Serenity entered her daughter's chambers.
Before her mother had interrupted, Young Serenity had been seated upon her floor, talking quietly with Luna. Now, as Luna bowed low before the High Queen, Young Serenity smiled warmly.
"What is it you desire, Mother?" she inquired. Serenity returned the princess' smile, extending a hand to her.
"It has been long since last we went walking, my daughter. Would you care to join me in the gardens?" Young Serenity's smile brightened.
"I should be well pleased to," she agreed eagerly, taking her mother's hand and getting to her feet. Serenity beamed at her daughter, and turned to Luna.
"Go to the throne room, dear Luna," said she. "Should anything arise, I am trusting you and Artemis to handle what you are able to without my assistance."
"It shall be done, Your Majesty." Luna replied, and padded out of the room.
Moments later, the Queen and princess had lost themselves deep within the majestic gardens that surrounded the Silver Palace. Serenity breathed deep the fresh, clean scent of the exquisite Lunarian flora surrounding her, quite content to forget everything else. Again, she smiled at her good fortune. She could hardly remember the last time that she had had time enough to go walking with her daughter. Of course, there was always the possibility of something arising on the spur of the moment, but the state of affairs in the Kingdom of the White Moon had been so encouraging as of late, that Serenity quite doubted that anything would come upon them. In any case, she was perfectly confident leaving any such matters in Artemis and Luna's capable hands. Or rather, paws, she thought with a smile. With eight between them, I do not see why my closest advisors should not be able to handle whatever may arise.
"Oh, do look, Mother!" Young Serenity cried excitedly, her voice breaking into the Queen's thoughts. Serenity turned. The princess was pointing towards the sky; her sapphire eyes were alight with awe and wonder. Serenity's gaze followed her daughter's finger, and immediately, a fond smile spread across her pretty face.
Floating there in the eastern sky, bright against the vast darkness surrounding it was a beautiful half-orb, to all appearances no larger than a marble. Blue, brown, and white swirled over its surface in a gloriously hypnotic display.
"Terra looks lovely from here, does it not?" Serenity whispered to her daughter. The princess nodded dazedly, never taking her eyes from that beautiful blue planet that held the moon in its orbit.
"Mother, what is it like on Terra?" Serenity glanced at her daughter, startled by the question.
"Why, I know not, my love," she replied. "You ought to know that I have never set foot upon that planet, for law forbids it." Young Serenity sighed, letting her hand fall to her side.
"Yes, I know," she conceded, "but why does such a law exist at all?"
"Why you know the reason for that, as well." Serenity reminded her. "There was a promise made between Selene and the ruling gods of Terra, and we as mortals are bound to honor it." A look of mourning crossed Young Serenity's face.
"Then, shall I never be allowed to see Terra for myself?" Serenity averted her gaze, unable to look into her daughter's sad blue eyes.
"I fear you will not. Not as long as the blood in your veins is Lunarian. We are the guardians of Terra. We are not meant to play any other role in their lives."
"But, Mother, how can we be guardians to them if we cannot even see them to make certain that all is well?" Serenity laughed.
"We make certain that the Terrans are well, my dear," she informed the girl. "You must know that both I and the rulers of Terra send ambassadors to one another that each might know how the other's Kingdom fares."
"It just seems so silly," the princess remarked as she gazed longingly at the blue planet, "to call ourselves Terra's guardians when we have never seen the planet except from a distance." Serenity smiled sadly, and touched her lips to the golden birthmark on her child's brow.
"Perhaps it is silly, my daughter," the Queen admitted, "but it is the way of the gods. At least we are at peace with Terra. For that we can all be glad." Young Serenity did not reply, but seemed to consider her mother's statement. Absently, she began working one of her customary tails into a silky golden braid.
"Your Majesty!" Artemis' voice ruptured the silence that had fallen upon the pair. Serenity turned, and spotted the bright white cat as he scampered along the path to reach the High Queen. His round blue eyes held a look of anxiety.
"Why, Artemis! Whatever is the matter?" Serenity asked wonderingly as her advisor skidded to a halt, breathless.
"Forgive the disturbance, my Queen," he panted, "but the god Chronos insists upon seeing you."
"Oh, dear!" Serenity moaned. "I was quite enjoying my walk with my daughter. Are you certain it is no matter he could leave with you for the moment?" Artemis shook his head.
"I told him that you were walking, and would not care to be disturbed, and he apologizes, but he informed us that it is really a matter of extreme importance. I fear it really cannot wait." Serenity sighed, and turned to her daughter.
"If it is that important, then I am afraid I must go see what the trouble is," she told the princess apologetically. Although she did appear disappointed by the turn of events, Young Serenity managed a tight-lipped smile.
"Never mind, Mother," she said breezily. "Such is the life of a Queen, after all. I understand." Serenity embraced the girl tenderly, and kissed her brow once more.
"We shall go walking again soon. I promise." Young Serenity smiled her consent, and the High Queen returned to the palace, leaving her daughter to Artemis' care.
"Come, Princess," the royal advisor said, gesturing for her to follow him. "I shall walk you back to the palace." Young Serenity declined his offer.
"No, thank you, dear Artemis," said she. "I think I should like to wander the gardens for just a while longer. Please inform my guardians, and Mother as well, if I have not returned before her meeting with Elder Chronos is adjourned." Artemis shrugged indifferently, knowing that the princess would be perfectly safe on her own.
"As you wish, Your Highness," he said, bowing low before her, and then he too returned to the Silver Palace, leaving the princess alone in the gardens.
It is not necessary to say that Queen Serenity was in a bit of a bad temper as she headed to the throne room to hold audience with Chronos. She had quite been looking forward to spending the evening with her child, and did not like that her plans had to be interrupted even though she knew it was her duty as High Queen to come to her subjects' aide when there was trouble. Somehow, she was finding it very difficult to believe that whatever Chronos wished to speak with her about was anything but a trivial matter. Unfortunately, the moment she entered the throne room, and laid eyes upon the god's face, all her anger fled as any doubt that had been in her mind was erased. Something was indeed terribly wrong.
Of course, Serenity tried to appear unconcerned, to make it seem as if she did not perceive anything special about Chronos' visit.
"Good evening, my elder," she greeted the god, seating herself upon her throne. "I must admit that I did not expect to see you this night." She smiled at him, but he did not smile back.
"Forgive me for intruding upon your evening, my lady," he said, respectfully inclining his head.
"Think nothing of it." Serenity replied. "It is quite alright. I simply was not expecting you to leave the Gates of Time so late in Princess Setsuna's training. Have you any news of—."
"My granddaughter is well enough," the Time God interrupted in a clipped tone. "She is visiting with her mother and father now." Chronos' gaze was hard and unblinking, and he stared so fixedly at the High Queen that her regal aura began to melt.
"I see," she murmured, shifting uncomfortably. Chronos held up his hand, and vehemently shook his head, much to the Queen's dismay.
"Let us not mince words, Serenity," he said, his expression leaving no room for objection. "Lady Saturn is with child."
Time itself seemed to stop in that moment. Serenity could not breathe. The time god's announcement had stolen the breath from her body. With child…Lady Saturn is with child…her numb mind repeated, trying to make sense of the words. Then, as the shock began to subside, the devastating truth of Chronos' words hit her full force. If Lady Saturn were with child, she thought, then that would mean that… Given the seriousness of what Chronos was implying, Serenity's reaction was the last anyone would have expected. Indeed, it is quite possible that not even the High Queen herself could have predicted her response to her elder's news. But expected or not, as the shock and disbelief were giving way to cold understanding, it happened.
Serenity laughed.
"With child?" she chortled. "Is this the Time God's idea of a joke? I am not fooled, Chronos. We both know that such is impossible. Lady Saturn swore to Selene that she would remain unwed and ever virgin so that she might never leave this world of men." Chronos smiled wryly.
"You have often claimed to trust my judgment, Your Majesty," he reminded her. "Why can you not trust me now?" Serenity's blue-violet eyes burned with fury as she stared at the god of time.
"Because," she said wrathfully, "I know that Lady Saturn would never betray Selene! She loves her as much as I do, if not more!"
"Yet what I say is true," Chronos insisted with stubborn gravity. Even faced with the High Queen's anger, he stood his ground. It was inevitable. Before long, one of them would have to give in to the other. It would not be the god of time. Within moments, the High Queen had become quite like a frightened child.
"Then, Lady Saturn had taken a lover?" she whispered, praying with all her might that it was not, even as she felt all hope slip rapidly away from her. Chronos nodded wordlessly. A wave of ice washed over the Queen, settling in the pit of her stomach. It was true. There was no way to escape it.
"First the princess, Setsuna," she sighed, "and now this. I fear that my faith is shaken."
"As is mine." Chronos said with sincerity. "I always believed my sister was as faithful to Selene as we all are. I see now that it is not true." Serenity could scarcely bear the thought.
"Who?" she managed to ask, "Who sired Lady Saturn's child?" Chronos' jaw tightened involuntarily. This part was extremely difficult to say, but he knew it had to be said. The High Queen had to know. The god drew in a deep breath, bracing himself for her reaction.
"It was my son," he answered. "Lord Hades." For the second time that day, Serenity found herself too numb with shock to draw breath.
"Princess Setsuna's father!" she gasped, appearing even more shaken than before. "O mighty gods! What plague of disloyalty and ingratitude has infected my people?"
"Hold your peace, my Queen." Chronos advised mildly.
"Peace?" Serenity cried. "What peace have I left? None! There can be no peace within my heart with such a crisis facing my kingdom!"
"Now, now." Chronos soothed. "You really must try to calm yourself. You can hardly expect to overcome this crisis in your present state, can you?"
"No. No, I do not suppose I can," the Queen agreed slowly. A slight spasm cut through her, and she gasped. As she pressed her knuckle to her mouth, desperate to quiet herself, Chronos saw tears glistening upon her eyelashes. The spasm had been a sob.
"Oh, my dear Serenity…" Chronos sighed.
"I will banish Pluto and Saturn from the Kingdom of the White Moon," she whispered. "They will no longer be a part of our alliance."
"No." Chronos said firmly. Serenity's blue-violet eyes flew open and fixed themselves upon the Time God, surprise registering on her face.
"What?"
" I said 'no'." Chronos repeated. "You shall do no such thing. We must not let news of this shame fall upon the ears of every one of your subjects!" Serenity could not believe what she was hearing.
"We cannot simply overlook these actions!" she protested. "Lady Saturn betrayed Selene, the divine mother of my bloodline, and the Queen of the Gods of Light!"
"And for that she will be punished. You do not believe your celestial mother would leave Lady Saturn in peace after betraying her promise, do you?" Serenity flushed, feeling a bit foolish. Of course Selene would have to bestow some punishment upon Lady Saturn. None who betrayed a sacred promise to the goddess Selene would be spared the consequences.
"What punishment is facing Lady Saturn?" she asked.
"Mortality." Chronos replied. "She will carry her child, she will labor and give birth to it, and then she will die."
"She will die a mortal death?"
"As mortal a death as you will, my dear Serenity," the god replied. "Morganna will free her soul, and bring it before Lady Pluto for judgment. And I do not doubt that her soul will be placed in the hands of our dark brother, Urien."
"I do not doubt it…" Serenity echoed softly, her heart wrenching at the thought. "And what of Pluto? Hades must also face punishment for his crimes."
"I beg pardon, Majesty, but I am afraid I must disagree."
"What do you mean?" Serenity asked warily.
"I must ask that you leave Pluto in peace."
"Why?" the Queen demanded.
"Because the fault lies not with my son!" Chronos snapped, suddenly angry. "Do not shame him for something that was not his error!"
" 'Not his error'? Why, of course…" Serenity trailed off, suddenly recognizing the god's motives. "Chronos, you are thinking of Princess Setsuna, are you not?" The god of time sighed heavily.
"She is in my thoughts, yes," he admitted. "I do not wish to cause her pain. But I do not lie when I say that the fault is with my sister and not my son." Serenity was skeptical. After all, it took both a man and a woman to conceive a child. Of course, not in every situation were they both consenting. The Queen shuddered at the thought, and eyed Chronos sternly.
"Tell me, elder," she began, "did you learn of this at the Gates of Time?"
"Not exclusively. I first began to suspect that something was amiss just after bringing Setsuna to the Gates. Over the past two years, Hades and Moira have thrice tried to bring a second child into the world. Thrice they have failed." Serenity nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes, I recall that Moira bore a daughter some time ago, but that it was dead even as the midwife took it from her." She shook her head in pity. "Poor thing. Moira was heartbroken."
"That she was." Chronos agreed. "Sadly, that was not the end of her pain. She and Hades conceived again."
"And Moira miscarried that child." Serenity finished grimly. "Again it broke her spirits. I remember that, as well. She was so distraught that I feared it would destroy her. But gods be praised she recovered."
"Yes, she recovered. Since then, she and Hades have once more tried to conceive, but to no avail. Pray tell, Serenity, upon whom did you place the blame when Moira could not bear a healthy child?" The question startled Serenity.
"Why, upon no one!" she answered. "Rather, I feared Moira was terribly ill!"
"Ah, but there was one to be blamed," Chronos said, "and that was my sister goddess, Lady Saturn. She had plans to place her influence upon my son, that he might come willingly to her bed." Serenity felt a bit of bile wedge in her throat, but she forced it down, willing herself not to vomit. There were far more dignified ways of expressing her disgust, she was positive.
"I cannot believe she would do such a thing," she whispered, her voice quivering.
"Nor could I." Chronos agreed. "But Selene herself told me of Lady Saturn's shame." Serenity felt despair descend upon her like a dark cloud. There was no disputing Selene's word.
"Did she truly tell you that Lady Saturn had been planning to seduce Lord Hades?" she whimpered, still unwilling to believe it was true.
"No. What Selene told me was that Lady Saturn was carrying my only son's child. I learned the nature of their love affair at the Gates of Time. Lady Saturn had long been planning to lure Hades to her bed. She had been lusting after him for years, and two years ago, just before I brought Setsuna to the Gates, she made up her mind that she would have him. That is why Moira could not bear a healthy child. When a god makes up his mind to seduce a mortal who has already been given to another, that mortal will never be able to conceive by his or her true love."
"Never?"
"Not until the god's child is born," he replied.
"And Setsuna knows nothing of this?"
"No, and I plan to keep it that way." Chronos answered firmly.
"Setsuna is—was—a Sailor Soldier." Serenity pointed out, choosing her words carefully. "Pain is no stranger to her."
"That does not mean I will not strive to protect her from it whenever I can." Chronos said sharply. "That is not my only reason for wishing to keep this a secret, either. Lady Moira is yet loyal to you. You know very well that it is her loyalty that is most important to you, for she is of the royal line, and my son is not. Pluto's people love you well, Serenity. If the planet were banished from your protection because their King was seduced, it would anger them, and quite possibly spark a war. I beg it of you, Serenity. Banish Saturn if you will, but leave Pluto in peace."
"Saturn's people might also become angry if I banish that planet, even if it was their Queen who betrayed Selene. That could also turn to war. By your reasoning, I could banish no planet." Chronos sighed. The High Queen could be a very stubborn woman when it suited her.
"Do you truly wish to know what I would suggest, Majesty?"
"I do," she agreed eagerly. "I am quite at a loss, elder."
"I would advise you to employ the power of the Silver Crystal," he told her. "You know that it can do anything you wish it to, so call upon it to help you now. Banish the memories of his love affair with Lady Saturn from my son's head. Place the people of Saturn into a deep slumber, one that will last for many years. Tell only lesser Queen's of Lady Saturn's shame, and then banish her from your own thoughts, for after that it is out of your hands. The gods will see to the rest. When the people of Saturn awaken from their slumber, they will remember nothing of you or Lady Saturn. They will be a simple people, serving no one save the gods."
"I am not certain that is the best solution." Serenity said doubtfully.
"What better could their be?" Chronos argued. "Do you not see? This way, none is the wiser."
"Except for you and I." Serenity pointed out. "You and I will know the truth."
"Does that matter? At least no one will be hurt." Serenity had to admit that was an attractive prospect.
"All right, elder," she agreed at last. "I will take your advice." Suddenly, horrible thought made her insides go cold. Her fear must have been reflected upon her face, for Chronos looked at her in alarm.
"Majesty? What is the trouble?"
"Elder," she began in a trembling voice, "if I place Saturn's people into such a slumber as you spoke of, and Lady Saturn dies after giving birth to her child, there will be none to care for it after it has left her womb. Will not the child die?" Chronos nodded grimly.
"Yes, Serenity," he said, "Lady Saturn's child will die. And that will be a blessing unto this Kingdom."
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All right. Um…yeah. Please don't hate me. Please don't throw tomatoes at me. Please no threatening email. Please, everyone who reads this chapter, review. And please continue to support my story. PLEASE!!! Oh yeah, and I promise I'm only gonna use that Young Serenity crap when the princess and the Queen are together. Bye bye 4 now.
Betrayal
Queen Serenity was unusually cheerful that night. For the first time in quite a long while, she had found herself with an evening free of queenly duties. Hardly able to believe her good fortune, Serenity reviewed her agenda in her mind as she sat alone in her chambers. Yes, it was true. There was no business pressing on her, no meetings to attend, and no diplomatic matters that required her attention—at least nothing that could not safely be put off to look at some other day. Indeed, the High Queen was free this night. Serenity smiled at the thought. So long had it been since the last time she had been blessed this way that at first, she was not quite sure what to do with her time. After a moment, though, the answer came to her.
Humming gaily, the High Queen swept from her chambers, and strolled down the hallway to her daughter's. Young Serenity's chamber door was closed, indicating that the princess was indeed within. Queen Serenity rapped gently upon the door with her knuckle.
"Who is there, please?" Young Serenity called from the opposite side of the door.
"It is I, my love," the Queen replied. "Might I come in for a moment?" The princess agreed to her mother's request, and Serenity entered her daughter's chambers.
Before her mother had interrupted, Young Serenity had been seated upon her floor, talking quietly with Luna. Now, as Luna bowed low before the High Queen, Young Serenity smiled warmly.
"What is it you desire, Mother?" she inquired. Serenity returned the princess' smile, extending a hand to her.
"It has been long since last we went walking, my daughter. Would you care to join me in the gardens?" Young Serenity's smile brightened.
"I should be well pleased to," she agreed eagerly, taking her mother's hand and getting to her feet. Serenity beamed at her daughter, and turned to Luna.
"Go to the throne room, dear Luna," said she. "Should anything arise, I am trusting you and Artemis to handle what you are able to without my assistance."
"It shall be done, Your Majesty." Luna replied, and padded out of the room.
Moments later, the Queen and princess had lost themselves deep within the majestic gardens that surrounded the Silver Palace. Serenity breathed deep the fresh, clean scent of the exquisite Lunarian flora surrounding her, quite content to forget everything else. Again, she smiled at her good fortune. She could hardly remember the last time that she had had time enough to go walking with her daughter. Of course, there was always the possibility of something arising on the spur of the moment, but the state of affairs in the Kingdom of the White Moon had been so encouraging as of late, that Serenity quite doubted that anything would come upon them. In any case, she was perfectly confident leaving any such matters in Artemis and Luna's capable hands. Or rather, paws, she thought with a smile. With eight between them, I do not see why my closest advisors should not be able to handle whatever may arise.
"Oh, do look, Mother!" Young Serenity cried excitedly, her voice breaking into the Queen's thoughts. Serenity turned. The princess was pointing towards the sky; her sapphire eyes were alight with awe and wonder. Serenity's gaze followed her daughter's finger, and immediately, a fond smile spread across her pretty face.
Floating there in the eastern sky, bright against the vast darkness surrounding it was a beautiful half-orb, to all appearances no larger than a marble. Blue, brown, and white swirled over its surface in a gloriously hypnotic display.
"Terra looks lovely from here, does it not?" Serenity whispered to her daughter. The princess nodded dazedly, never taking her eyes from that beautiful blue planet that held the moon in its orbit.
"Mother, what is it like on Terra?" Serenity glanced at her daughter, startled by the question.
"Why, I know not, my love," she replied. "You ought to know that I have never set foot upon that planet, for law forbids it." Young Serenity sighed, letting her hand fall to her side.
"Yes, I know," she conceded, "but why does such a law exist at all?"
"Why you know the reason for that, as well." Serenity reminded her. "There was a promise made between Selene and the ruling gods of Terra, and we as mortals are bound to honor it." A look of mourning crossed Young Serenity's face.
"Then, shall I never be allowed to see Terra for myself?" Serenity averted her gaze, unable to look into her daughter's sad blue eyes.
"I fear you will not. Not as long as the blood in your veins is Lunarian. We are the guardians of Terra. We are not meant to play any other role in their lives."
"But, Mother, how can we be guardians to them if we cannot even see them to make certain that all is well?" Serenity laughed.
"We make certain that the Terrans are well, my dear," she informed the girl. "You must know that both I and the rulers of Terra send ambassadors to one another that each might know how the other's Kingdom fares."
"It just seems so silly," the princess remarked as she gazed longingly at the blue planet, "to call ourselves Terra's guardians when we have never seen the planet except from a distance." Serenity smiled sadly, and touched her lips to the golden birthmark on her child's brow.
"Perhaps it is silly, my daughter," the Queen admitted, "but it is the way of the gods. At least we are at peace with Terra. For that we can all be glad." Young Serenity did not reply, but seemed to consider her mother's statement. Absently, she began working one of her customary tails into a silky golden braid.
"Your Majesty!" Artemis' voice ruptured the silence that had fallen upon the pair. Serenity turned, and spotted the bright white cat as he scampered along the path to reach the High Queen. His round blue eyes held a look of anxiety.
"Why, Artemis! Whatever is the matter?" Serenity asked wonderingly as her advisor skidded to a halt, breathless.
"Forgive the disturbance, my Queen," he panted, "but the god Chronos insists upon seeing you."
"Oh, dear!" Serenity moaned. "I was quite enjoying my walk with my daughter. Are you certain it is no matter he could leave with you for the moment?" Artemis shook his head.
"I told him that you were walking, and would not care to be disturbed, and he apologizes, but he informed us that it is really a matter of extreme importance. I fear it really cannot wait." Serenity sighed, and turned to her daughter.
"If it is that important, then I am afraid I must go see what the trouble is," she told the princess apologetically. Although she did appear disappointed by the turn of events, Young Serenity managed a tight-lipped smile.
"Never mind, Mother," she said breezily. "Such is the life of a Queen, after all. I understand." Serenity embraced the girl tenderly, and kissed her brow once more.
"We shall go walking again soon. I promise." Young Serenity smiled her consent, and the High Queen returned to the palace, leaving her daughter to Artemis' care.
"Come, Princess," the royal advisor said, gesturing for her to follow him. "I shall walk you back to the palace." Young Serenity declined his offer.
"No, thank you, dear Artemis," said she. "I think I should like to wander the gardens for just a while longer. Please inform my guardians, and Mother as well, if I have not returned before her meeting with Elder Chronos is adjourned." Artemis shrugged indifferently, knowing that the princess would be perfectly safe on her own.
"As you wish, Your Highness," he said, bowing low before her, and then he too returned to the Silver Palace, leaving the princess alone in the gardens.
It is not necessary to say that Queen Serenity was in a bit of a bad temper as she headed to the throne room to hold audience with Chronos. She had quite been looking forward to spending the evening with her child, and did not like that her plans had to be interrupted even though she knew it was her duty as High Queen to come to her subjects' aide when there was trouble. Somehow, she was finding it very difficult to believe that whatever Chronos wished to speak with her about was anything but a trivial matter. Unfortunately, the moment she entered the throne room, and laid eyes upon the god's face, all her anger fled as any doubt that had been in her mind was erased. Something was indeed terribly wrong.
Of course, Serenity tried to appear unconcerned, to make it seem as if she did not perceive anything special about Chronos' visit.
"Good evening, my elder," she greeted the god, seating herself upon her throne. "I must admit that I did not expect to see you this night." She smiled at him, but he did not smile back.
"Forgive me for intruding upon your evening, my lady," he said, respectfully inclining his head.
"Think nothing of it." Serenity replied. "It is quite alright. I simply was not expecting you to leave the Gates of Time so late in Princess Setsuna's training. Have you any news of—."
"My granddaughter is well enough," the Time God interrupted in a clipped tone. "She is visiting with her mother and father now." Chronos' gaze was hard and unblinking, and he stared so fixedly at the High Queen that her regal aura began to melt.
"I see," she murmured, shifting uncomfortably. Chronos held up his hand, and vehemently shook his head, much to the Queen's dismay.
"Let us not mince words, Serenity," he said, his expression leaving no room for objection. "Lady Saturn is with child."
Time itself seemed to stop in that moment. Serenity could not breathe. The time god's announcement had stolen the breath from her body. With child…Lady Saturn is with child…her numb mind repeated, trying to make sense of the words. Then, as the shock began to subside, the devastating truth of Chronos' words hit her full force. If Lady Saturn were with child, she thought, then that would mean that… Given the seriousness of what Chronos was implying, Serenity's reaction was the last anyone would have expected. Indeed, it is quite possible that not even the High Queen herself could have predicted her response to her elder's news. But expected or not, as the shock and disbelief were giving way to cold understanding, it happened.
Serenity laughed.
"With child?" she chortled. "Is this the Time God's idea of a joke? I am not fooled, Chronos. We both know that such is impossible. Lady Saturn swore to Selene that she would remain unwed and ever virgin so that she might never leave this world of men." Chronos smiled wryly.
"You have often claimed to trust my judgment, Your Majesty," he reminded her. "Why can you not trust me now?" Serenity's blue-violet eyes burned with fury as she stared at the god of time.
"Because," she said wrathfully, "I know that Lady Saturn would never betray Selene! She loves her as much as I do, if not more!"
"Yet what I say is true," Chronos insisted with stubborn gravity. Even faced with the High Queen's anger, he stood his ground. It was inevitable. Before long, one of them would have to give in to the other. It would not be the god of time. Within moments, the High Queen had become quite like a frightened child.
"Then, Lady Saturn had taken a lover?" she whispered, praying with all her might that it was not, even as she felt all hope slip rapidly away from her. Chronos nodded wordlessly. A wave of ice washed over the Queen, settling in the pit of her stomach. It was true. There was no way to escape it.
"First the princess, Setsuna," she sighed, "and now this. I fear that my faith is shaken."
"As is mine." Chronos said with sincerity. "I always believed my sister was as faithful to Selene as we all are. I see now that it is not true." Serenity could scarcely bear the thought.
"Who?" she managed to ask, "Who sired Lady Saturn's child?" Chronos' jaw tightened involuntarily. This part was extremely difficult to say, but he knew it had to be said. The High Queen had to know. The god drew in a deep breath, bracing himself for her reaction.
"It was my son," he answered. "Lord Hades." For the second time that day, Serenity found herself too numb with shock to draw breath.
"Princess Setsuna's father!" she gasped, appearing even more shaken than before. "O mighty gods! What plague of disloyalty and ingratitude has infected my people?"
"Hold your peace, my Queen." Chronos advised mildly.
"Peace?" Serenity cried. "What peace have I left? None! There can be no peace within my heart with such a crisis facing my kingdom!"
"Now, now." Chronos soothed. "You really must try to calm yourself. You can hardly expect to overcome this crisis in your present state, can you?"
"No. No, I do not suppose I can," the Queen agreed slowly. A slight spasm cut through her, and she gasped. As she pressed her knuckle to her mouth, desperate to quiet herself, Chronos saw tears glistening upon her eyelashes. The spasm had been a sob.
"Oh, my dear Serenity…" Chronos sighed.
"I will banish Pluto and Saturn from the Kingdom of the White Moon," she whispered. "They will no longer be a part of our alliance."
"No." Chronos said firmly. Serenity's blue-violet eyes flew open and fixed themselves upon the Time God, surprise registering on her face.
"What?"
" I said 'no'." Chronos repeated. "You shall do no such thing. We must not let news of this shame fall upon the ears of every one of your subjects!" Serenity could not believe what she was hearing.
"We cannot simply overlook these actions!" she protested. "Lady Saturn betrayed Selene, the divine mother of my bloodline, and the Queen of the Gods of Light!"
"And for that she will be punished. You do not believe your celestial mother would leave Lady Saturn in peace after betraying her promise, do you?" Serenity flushed, feeling a bit foolish. Of course Selene would have to bestow some punishment upon Lady Saturn. None who betrayed a sacred promise to the goddess Selene would be spared the consequences.
"What punishment is facing Lady Saturn?" she asked.
"Mortality." Chronos replied. "She will carry her child, she will labor and give birth to it, and then she will die."
"She will die a mortal death?"
"As mortal a death as you will, my dear Serenity," the god replied. "Morganna will free her soul, and bring it before Lady Pluto for judgment. And I do not doubt that her soul will be placed in the hands of our dark brother, Urien."
"I do not doubt it…" Serenity echoed softly, her heart wrenching at the thought. "And what of Pluto? Hades must also face punishment for his crimes."
"I beg pardon, Majesty, but I am afraid I must disagree."
"What do you mean?" Serenity asked warily.
"I must ask that you leave Pluto in peace."
"Why?" the Queen demanded.
"Because the fault lies not with my son!" Chronos snapped, suddenly angry. "Do not shame him for something that was not his error!"
" 'Not his error'? Why, of course…" Serenity trailed off, suddenly recognizing the god's motives. "Chronos, you are thinking of Princess Setsuna, are you not?" The god of time sighed heavily.
"She is in my thoughts, yes," he admitted. "I do not wish to cause her pain. But I do not lie when I say that the fault is with my sister and not my son." Serenity was skeptical. After all, it took both a man and a woman to conceive a child. Of course, not in every situation were they both consenting. The Queen shuddered at the thought, and eyed Chronos sternly.
"Tell me, elder," she began, "did you learn of this at the Gates of Time?"
"Not exclusively. I first began to suspect that something was amiss just after bringing Setsuna to the Gates. Over the past two years, Hades and Moira have thrice tried to bring a second child into the world. Thrice they have failed." Serenity nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes, I recall that Moira bore a daughter some time ago, but that it was dead even as the midwife took it from her." She shook her head in pity. "Poor thing. Moira was heartbroken."
"That she was." Chronos agreed. "Sadly, that was not the end of her pain. She and Hades conceived again."
"And Moira miscarried that child." Serenity finished grimly. "Again it broke her spirits. I remember that, as well. She was so distraught that I feared it would destroy her. But gods be praised she recovered."
"Yes, she recovered. Since then, she and Hades have once more tried to conceive, but to no avail. Pray tell, Serenity, upon whom did you place the blame when Moira could not bear a healthy child?" The question startled Serenity.
"Why, upon no one!" she answered. "Rather, I feared Moira was terribly ill!"
"Ah, but there was one to be blamed," Chronos said, "and that was my sister goddess, Lady Saturn. She had plans to place her influence upon my son, that he might come willingly to her bed." Serenity felt a bit of bile wedge in her throat, but she forced it down, willing herself not to vomit. There were far more dignified ways of expressing her disgust, she was positive.
"I cannot believe she would do such a thing," she whispered, her voice quivering.
"Nor could I." Chronos agreed. "But Selene herself told me of Lady Saturn's shame." Serenity felt despair descend upon her like a dark cloud. There was no disputing Selene's word.
"Did she truly tell you that Lady Saturn had been planning to seduce Lord Hades?" she whimpered, still unwilling to believe it was true.
"No. What Selene told me was that Lady Saturn was carrying my only son's child. I learned the nature of their love affair at the Gates of Time. Lady Saturn had long been planning to lure Hades to her bed. She had been lusting after him for years, and two years ago, just before I brought Setsuna to the Gates, she made up her mind that she would have him. That is why Moira could not bear a healthy child. When a god makes up his mind to seduce a mortal who has already been given to another, that mortal will never be able to conceive by his or her true love."
"Never?"
"Not until the god's child is born," he replied.
"And Setsuna knows nothing of this?"
"No, and I plan to keep it that way." Chronos answered firmly.
"Setsuna is—was—a Sailor Soldier." Serenity pointed out, choosing her words carefully. "Pain is no stranger to her."
"That does not mean I will not strive to protect her from it whenever I can." Chronos said sharply. "That is not my only reason for wishing to keep this a secret, either. Lady Moira is yet loyal to you. You know very well that it is her loyalty that is most important to you, for she is of the royal line, and my son is not. Pluto's people love you well, Serenity. If the planet were banished from your protection because their King was seduced, it would anger them, and quite possibly spark a war. I beg it of you, Serenity. Banish Saturn if you will, but leave Pluto in peace."
"Saturn's people might also become angry if I banish that planet, even if it was their Queen who betrayed Selene. That could also turn to war. By your reasoning, I could banish no planet." Chronos sighed. The High Queen could be a very stubborn woman when it suited her.
"Do you truly wish to know what I would suggest, Majesty?"
"I do," she agreed eagerly. "I am quite at a loss, elder."
"I would advise you to employ the power of the Silver Crystal," he told her. "You know that it can do anything you wish it to, so call upon it to help you now. Banish the memories of his love affair with Lady Saturn from my son's head. Place the people of Saturn into a deep slumber, one that will last for many years. Tell only lesser Queen's of Lady Saturn's shame, and then banish her from your own thoughts, for after that it is out of your hands. The gods will see to the rest. When the people of Saturn awaken from their slumber, they will remember nothing of you or Lady Saturn. They will be a simple people, serving no one save the gods."
"I am not certain that is the best solution." Serenity said doubtfully.
"What better could their be?" Chronos argued. "Do you not see? This way, none is the wiser."
"Except for you and I." Serenity pointed out. "You and I will know the truth."
"Does that matter? At least no one will be hurt." Serenity had to admit that was an attractive prospect.
"All right, elder," she agreed at last. "I will take your advice." Suddenly, horrible thought made her insides go cold. Her fear must have been reflected upon her face, for Chronos looked at her in alarm.
"Majesty? What is the trouble?"
"Elder," she began in a trembling voice, "if I place Saturn's people into such a slumber as you spoke of, and Lady Saturn dies after giving birth to her child, there will be none to care for it after it has left her womb. Will not the child die?" Chronos nodded grimly.
"Yes, Serenity," he said, "Lady Saturn's child will die. And that will be a blessing unto this Kingdom."
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All right. Um…yeah. Please don't hate me. Please don't throw tomatoes at me. Please no threatening email. Please, everyone who reads this chapter, review. And please continue to support my story. PLEASE!!! Oh yeah, and I promise I'm only gonna use that Young Serenity crap when the princess and the Queen are together. Bye bye 4 now.