Serenity was not stupid, she had noticed the iciness between her daughter and Prince Elios the entire night, and she had a feeling that Gwen knew why they had acted that way.
"Gwen?" She questioned the girl.
"Yes, Auntie?" Gwen replied. Serenity glanced toward Elios, who was off brooding in the corner of the room. "Do you know what is wrong with your mother and Prince Elios?" Gwen recounted what she'd seen to Serenity, who glared at Endymoin when she was done. "You told me that you would give Selenity his letters months ago, Endymoin, now look what you've done! And to top it off, Elios thinks that Selenity has gone off and been with someone else! Go straighten things out with Elios and I'll tuck Gwen in and give Selenity the letters myself."
Elios glanced upward and saw King Endymoin walking toward him. "My liege." He bowed slightly, and Endymoin gestured for him to stand. "Elios, I'm afraid that there might have been a misunderstanding between you and my daughter with regards to Gwenyth." The anger once again took over, and he turned away from his king. "What do you mean? I understand my lord; she fell for..." Endymoin cut him off. "Gwenyth appeared in Selenity's courtyard a few days after your last visit. She had no memory of whom she was, and only spoke Lunarian. Gwenyth is Selenity's adoptive daughter, Elios, she was never unfaithful." Elios' jaw dropped as his anger was replaced with guilt. "My liege, whatever do you...?"
"I saw you kiss her the day you left. That was not a friendly kiss either, and I was disinclined to let you go without killing you. I gave you the liberty of living then, but if you deny the fact that you love my daughter, I'll be forced to kill you." He winced. "I suppose that I ought to apologize... you intercepted my letters then?" Endymoin nodded. "Serenity is dealing with that as we speak. If you break Selenity's heart, I'll break your neck, so you'd better know what you're doing when you talk to her."
Selenity returned from tucking Gwen in to find her mother in her room with a folder in her grasp. "Selenity, I'm afraid your father and I have kept something from you, though I've told him to tell you... here." Neo Queen Serenity handed her the folder, and she opened it to find a pile of letters from Elios, the first having been dated the same day that she had found Gwen. "How could you? How could he?" Serenity shook her head. "I only found the file six months ago, and when I told your father to give it to you, I never asked him whether he had or had not." Selenity pulled out all of the letters and handed her mother the file. "Please go." She then began to read the top letter.
Dearest Maiden,
Forgive me for leaving you so abruptly without explaining. I've been in love with you since the day I met you. At first, it was just as a brother loves a sister, then a childish infatuation, but soon, it grew to be something more, and I handled that the best way I knew how; I showed you who I was, and I kissed you. You cannot imagine how long I wanted to do the same but just didn't know when the right time was. Perhaps I was right in believing that you could feel the same way, perhaps I was wrong, but I sincerely hope that it wasn't the latter. I fear that I've wanted to kiss you again ever since the moment my lips left yours, and I await the time when I can fulfill that wish.
Yours,
Elios
Her hand flew to her mouth as her tears began to flow anew down her already tear-stained cheeks. "I meant every word, you know, I still do." Selenity looked up into Elios' eyes and, without a thought, threw her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, I love you, I always have, and I always will!" She listened to his heartbeat as it began to speed, but he maintained his calm demeanor even as his arms folded around her waist. "I'm sorry for doubting you, Maiden, I didn't think of the other possibilities. Gwen is too old to be your daughter." Selenity sighed. "What do we do now?" He lifted her up slightly and captured her lips. Selenity wrapped her legs around his waist and held herself up by placing her hands on his shoulders. All at once, the bed was beneath her, and she laced her fingers through his hair as he began an assault down her throat and across her collarbone.
Gwen opened Selenity's door at around six in the morning, peeked inside, closed the door quietly, and ran down the hall. "Auntie!"
Elios woke and realized with a jolt that Selenity was curled against him, and that it was the morning. He didn't have the heart to wake her, but instead slid off the bed and left the room. Almost immediately, King Endymoin pulled him up by his collar and slammed him against the wall. "You better not have done anything more than kiss Selenity, or I'll have you thrown in the dungeons, prince or no!" He shook his head, and turned at the sound of Selenity's voice.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Selenity asked in annoyance. "Now you know why I filed the letters, Selenity, because I didn't want something to happen that you weren't ready for!" Elios sighed in relief as his feet touched the floor. "Yes, and look where that got you! Nothing happened, you can call in Amy to scan me if you want!" Gwen wandered into view, and Selenity swiftly dropped to her knees, forgetting them for the moment. "Hi sweetie, did you have a good night's sleep?" Gwen nodded, and Selenity picked her up. "Why are you wearing the same thing as last night?" Selenity laughed. "I fell asleep like this, now come on, let's get you ready for breakfast. Excuse me, Elios, I'll see you at breakfast, I've things to do, and very little time to do them." She shifted Gwen to one side and kissed him gently. "Of course." They left, and Elios shook his head. "It was Serenity's idea to have Selenity take care of Gwen, and I don't think anyone regrets it. Now back to... just stay out of her room!"
"Gwen?" She questioned the girl.
"Yes, Auntie?" Gwen replied. Serenity glanced toward Elios, who was off brooding in the corner of the room. "Do you know what is wrong with your mother and Prince Elios?" Gwen recounted what she'd seen to Serenity, who glared at Endymoin when she was done. "You told me that you would give Selenity his letters months ago, Endymoin, now look what you've done! And to top it off, Elios thinks that Selenity has gone off and been with someone else! Go straighten things out with Elios and I'll tuck Gwen in and give Selenity the letters myself."
Elios glanced upward and saw King Endymoin walking toward him. "My liege." He bowed slightly, and Endymoin gestured for him to stand. "Elios, I'm afraid that there might have been a misunderstanding between you and my daughter with regards to Gwenyth." The anger once again took over, and he turned away from his king. "What do you mean? I understand my lord; she fell for..." Endymoin cut him off. "Gwenyth appeared in Selenity's courtyard a few days after your last visit. She had no memory of whom she was, and only spoke Lunarian. Gwenyth is Selenity's adoptive daughter, Elios, she was never unfaithful." Elios' jaw dropped as his anger was replaced with guilt. "My liege, whatever do you...?"
"I saw you kiss her the day you left. That was not a friendly kiss either, and I was disinclined to let you go without killing you. I gave you the liberty of living then, but if you deny the fact that you love my daughter, I'll be forced to kill you." He winced. "I suppose that I ought to apologize... you intercepted my letters then?" Endymoin nodded. "Serenity is dealing with that as we speak. If you break Selenity's heart, I'll break your neck, so you'd better know what you're doing when you talk to her."
Selenity returned from tucking Gwen in to find her mother in her room with a folder in her grasp. "Selenity, I'm afraid your father and I have kept something from you, though I've told him to tell you... here." Neo Queen Serenity handed her the folder, and she opened it to find a pile of letters from Elios, the first having been dated the same day that she had found Gwen. "How could you? How could he?" Serenity shook her head. "I only found the file six months ago, and when I told your father to give it to you, I never asked him whether he had or had not." Selenity pulled out all of the letters and handed her mother the file. "Please go." She then began to read the top letter.
Dearest Maiden,
Forgive me for leaving you so abruptly without explaining. I've been in love with you since the day I met you. At first, it was just as a brother loves a sister, then a childish infatuation, but soon, it grew to be something more, and I handled that the best way I knew how; I showed you who I was, and I kissed you. You cannot imagine how long I wanted to do the same but just didn't know when the right time was. Perhaps I was right in believing that you could feel the same way, perhaps I was wrong, but I sincerely hope that it wasn't the latter. I fear that I've wanted to kiss you again ever since the moment my lips left yours, and I await the time when I can fulfill that wish.
Yours,
Elios
Her hand flew to her mouth as her tears began to flow anew down her already tear-stained cheeks. "I meant every word, you know, I still do." Selenity looked up into Elios' eyes and, without a thought, threw her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, I love you, I always have, and I always will!" She listened to his heartbeat as it began to speed, but he maintained his calm demeanor even as his arms folded around her waist. "I'm sorry for doubting you, Maiden, I didn't think of the other possibilities. Gwen is too old to be your daughter." Selenity sighed. "What do we do now?" He lifted her up slightly and captured her lips. Selenity wrapped her legs around his waist and held herself up by placing her hands on his shoulders. All at once, the bed was beneath her, and she laced her fingers through his hair as he began an assault down her throat and across her collarbone.
Gwen opened Selenity's door at around six in the morning, peeked inside, closed the door quietly, and ran down the hall. "Auntie!"
Elios woke and realized with a jolt that Selenity was curled against him, and that it was the morning. He didn't have the heart to wake her, but instead slid off the bed and left the room. Almost immediately, King Endymoin pulled him up by his collar and slammed him against the wall. "You better not have done anything more than kiss Selenity, or I'll have you thrown in the dungeons, prince or no!" He shook his head, and turned at the sound of Selenity's voice.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Selenity asked in annoyance. "Now you know why I filed the letters, Selenity, because I didn't want something to happen that you weren't ready for!" Elios sighed in relief as his feet touched the floor. "Yes, and look where that got you! Nothing happened, you can call in Amy to scan me if you want!" Gwen wandered into view, and Selenity swiftly dropped to her knees, forgetting them for the moment. "Hi sweetie, did you have a good night's sleep?" Gwen nodded, and Selenity picked her up. "Why are you wearing the same thing as last night?" Selenity laughed. "I fell asleep like this, now come on, let's get you ready for breakfast. Excuse me, Elios, I'll see you at breakfast, I've things to do, and very little time to do them." She shifted Gwen to one side and kissed him gently. "Of course." They left, and Elios shook his head. "It was Serenity's idea to have Selenity take care of Gwen, and I don't think anyone regrets it. Now back to... just stay out of her room!"