Lalala… this story is coming to a wrap soon. Hope y'all enjoy this Cinderella sort of twist and please vote and read and review. Over and out.
Standard disclaimer applies.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW GIRL IN TOWN
CHAPTER 6/ Ordinary
------------------------------
"Seiya…" Serena growled, ready to make a threat, but Seiya looked over her shoulder and called out,
"Darien, why don't you come in fully instead of keeping the door open, it's getting drafty and cold."
Serena whirled her head around hastily. Had Darien overheard everything? What would he say? Did he believe any of it? She certainly still had doubts. Hell, no one in his or her right mind could believe all this.
"Is this true?" Darien asked quietly, walking down the isle down to the two. "Are you really a Princess?"
Serena could have snorted out loud with laughter if the situation wasn't so serious. How was it that he was able to take it better than her?
"I guess it is," she shrugged and looked at Seiya. "Although I'd still like some better proof," she added, glaring at him.
"So what's going to happen now?" Darien curiously questioned her, his eyes never leaving her face. She shrugged again, returning her glare towards Seiya. He smirked.
"Well, Serena's going to leave school. Again. We're going to take a little field trip to Lithuania. The secret heart of Europe."
Darien's eyes were still on her, an inquiring look was directed towards her.
"I-I guess so," she said uncertainly. This was all happening extremely fast for her.
"When?" Darien asked, finally tearing his gaze away from Serena, to her immense relief, and asking the question that was on her mind also.
"This weekend."
"What?" Serena exclaimed, startled. It was way too soon. Her clear blue eyes were wide as she gawked at Seiya. She still hadn't excepted what would soon be her destiny. 'But then again, you're used to moving soon, so this won't exactly be different from the other times,' she sardonically thought. Sighing, she turned her gaze towards Darien. Weird, he seemed to be taking it in faster than her. She inspected him carefully, he, in fact, did seem fine with her apparently being a princess. Shouldn't it be strange for him to find out a regular girl, whom he practically confessed to, turned out to be a princess of some small, basically unknown country? Hell, it was exotic sounding to her, the type of thing you only read in books. Was there something she should know about him?
Promising herself that she would ponder that topic some more, she slowly nodded her head in consent. What would it hurt?
"I'll book a flight for tomorrow morning," Seiya said, taking charge once more. "It will be early, so be prepared to get up early, alright?"
Joy, she got to wake up early on a Saturday. How fun.
"Is Darien coming also?" She asked instead of voicing her sarcastic thoughts. Seiya stared at Serena for a minute before his stare pierced through Darien. It was impossible to know what he was thinking.
"Why not?" Seiya slowly agreed. "Why not."
"So how do you feel about all this?" Darien asked as he scooped a spoonful of ice cream from the split that they were sharing. Serena had decided that after making plans with Seiya, she didn't want to go home and had a craving for some creamy ice cream. Darien had yielded to her pleas for company and went with her. Truthfully, she just wanted some of her questions answered.
"I'm still in shock," she said as she lapped up the cold cream, not noticing that Darien's eyes had darkened considerably. "You seem to take it in pretty well."
He took his gaze away from her mouth and shrugged.
"It's bizarre I know, but I can just- just except it. No questions asked. I believe that what Seiya said was true." He shook his head and swallowed another spoonful. Serena gazed at him in wonder, for the first time noting his tough masculine jaw, his dark mysterious eyes, the jet-black hair, which she had many urges to run her hands through, and his hard cheekbones. He could pass for a prince, she observed. He really did look like he had a touch of royalty in him. Perhaps it was him that should be the found nobility.
Serena sighed and returned to her ice cream, oblivious to his seeking gaze. So much had happened in two days that she just couldn't get used to it.
Taking a chance, she took a deep breath and whispered, "Darien, I'm- I'm really confused." She stared at her ice cream, almost willing it to melt. She was conscious of his movements, but yet she was surprised when he sat down next to her in the booth and placed a finger under her chin. His finger slowly directed her chin up until her stare met his.
"So am I, we'll get through this together." He said, his voice equally as soft. She nodded, not breaking the gaze. She was drowning in his eyes and she felt a blanket of comfort and security wrap around her. Suddenly, it all seemed all right to her. It seemed reasonable that she was a princess, it all fit. Flashbacks of her acting mature at a young age and being polite to others throughout her whole life filled her mind. Suddenly, she didn't mind that things had happened so quickly. Suddenly, it seemed natural.
She came out of her musings and stared up at Darien, her eyes were wide and filled with innocence.
"Wow," she said quietly. "Damn, I can't believe it, and yet I do." She shook her head and he managed a small grin as he hesitantly reached for her hand.
"I do believe," he stated, "that we are no ordinary people. And no ordinary things will ever happen to us, because we will no longer be ordinary."
Serena quietly slipped the key in the doorknob and slowly turned it, trying not to make any noises. Stealthily, she slipped into her house and slid off her shoes, tiptoeing around the hall.
"I was wondering when you'd be home." Serena winced and froze. She walked backwards to the door, which she had passed by without some thought that led into the living room. Her mother was calmly sitting in a cushioned chair with a book, a dim light brighten the pages considerably in the dark room. She paused at the door and flipped on the light switch before she skeptically sauntered up to her mother.
"Are you mad?"
"Should I be?"
"I wouldn't know." As guilty as Serena was, she hated those 'should-I-be' questions. Pointless and annoying. It wasn't up to her to make the decision!
"Seiya came today."
"What?" Her heartbeat rose. What was he doing here? "Why?"
"To inform me."
"To inform you what you've been hiding from me along, you mean." Serena bit out, and regretted it the moment she saw her mother's hurt expression.
"Serena, sweetie, please understand. I didn't want you to grow up like I did. Sure, being royalty seems glamorous, but it's not. Honey, it involves pain and very little sleep, and a lot of selfless acts. I wanted you to live a normal life like a regular child, I wanted to live a normal life." She sighed and set her book aside on the floor and motioned for her daughter to take the chair across from her.
"But we aren't living a 'normal' life," Serena said pointedly and glanced up as she continued. "Me moving about and not staying in the same school for more than a year, is not what I call normal. Me not having friends because I don't stay in the same place isn't normal." Her voice started to rise and Ilene leaned forward as she placed a hand on Serena's knee.
"Please understand that I wanted you to live the life, which I thought was the better life, the life that I never got to-"
"Exactly! You're living through me!" Serena burst out, "This isn't for the good of me, it's because you want to." She lowered her voice. "Do you think that's fair Mom?"
Her mom leaned back in her chair, silently thinking while looking at her daughter.
"You're so beautiful. So kind and giving. You've put up with a lot for at least 15 years and haven't complained. I've often wondered what would have happened if I had gone back. If you had become a princess, how things would have turned out." She turned to look out of the large window facing the garden. "Perhaps you're right, maybe I have been a bit selfish."
Serena stared at her mother. No, her mother wasn't selfish; she had wanted what she thought was best. Serena couldn't blame her, if she were in her mother's shoes, she might have done the same. She stood up.
"No Mother, you did the right thing. I can't say that all that traveling hasn't been an experience. As for wondering how I'd be as a princess, you never know."
Ilene looked away from the window sharply.
"What do you mean?"
"Seiya didn't tell you?" When Ilene should her head curiously, Serena went on: "I'm going Lithuania this weekend."
"What!" Her mother stood up violently. "I never agreed. You will not. You cannot."
"Excuse me! I want to go see if I'm able to live the life I was meant to! The life you ran away from!"
"You don't understand," her mother said with a hint of urgency in her voice. "It's dangerous there! People steal, bribe policemen, and do horrible things! It's not safe for a young lady like you to go there!"
"So? People steal and do horrible things everywhere! And I'm going with Seiya!" Serena cried back furiously.
"That's not enough. He's only one man!"
"I'm also going with Darien." Her mother calmed down slightly and Serena took a couple deep breaths, her voice horse from yelling.
"Who is he?"
"Darien? A close friend of mine. He's tall, muscular, works out. Has dark black hair and blue eyes." 'And I've fallen for him.'
"Go to your room." Ilene said curtly. "I'll think about it."
"Fine!" Serena snorted, "But I can't say that your decision will change my mind." She stormed out of the room in a huff and her stomping footsteps were heard on the stairs.
Serena lay on her bed staring at her plain white ceiling. She'd have to repaint it someday, if she decided to stay here. It was weird, but now that she had talked to her mom, she believed that she was the princess. Suddenly, Serena squealed and grabbed her pillow, kicking her legs up high in the air. She was a princess! And now all she needed was a prince and her country.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So…. What'd y'all think? Please, please review! I'm begging with all my heart. It'd mean a lot to me. This story is almost done. Only two or so more chapters. Aren't you proud though, I didn't really end it with a cliffhanger!
