Serenades of the Desert Rose
Chapter Eight - Home at Long Last
Author Note - I offer this to you for sparing my life. I never intended for this to take this long at ALL. I'm soooo sorry! And I'm sorry this is so short. I promise the next chappy next week.
Disclaimer - I no own, you no sue.
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She swallowed hard. Home. She nodded to herself and forced each step that brought her away from him. She paused a few feet away and turned to look at him. He still stood where she'd left his side.
"Thank you, Malachite." she spoke up before she continued the climb towards the palace. He stood there, like a rock, and said nothing.
It was exactly as she remembered.
"Minako!" a voice screamed. Soon she was surrounded and arms enclosed around her. All of her friends, even her parents! She closed her eyes and tried to smile. Failing that, she looked peaceful.
"Oh, Minako, we thought you were dead!" Rei exclaimed. She surveyed the perfectly pale faces of her friends, and wondered how strange she appeared to them. She suddenly was not sure she could return to life like this.
"I am not." she murmured. She forced a smile, knowing it to look fake, and nodded at her friends. "I am, perhaps... changed." she allowed. Rei looked at her strangely before snagging her arm and leading her away.
"Come on, Minako. You've got to be ready for a long bath. You'll feel more like yourself when you're clean."
Minako allowed herself to be led away. She doubted she would be 'more like herself', but she couldn't tell Rei that.
"The King and Queen will be wanting to hear that you're safe. You'll probably have to report to them right after, so dress appropriately."
Minako nodded. "Of course." She then winced when she realized that 'appropriately' was one of the gowns that she'd grown to dislike since her stay in the desert.
Finally left alone in a private bathing chamber, she looked around. Drawing a cool bath, she quickly climbed out of her clothing. She found no desire to soak once she was clean, so she didn't. She slipped from the bathtub, to find that her desert clothing had been taken away and a thin yellow gown was left for her. She winced, but put it on.
She brushed out her hair and tied it up in an appropriate style. A slight knock at her door called her attentions.
She opened it.
Rei started. "I didn't think you'd be ready yet." she motioned the servant behind her to bring in the tray of food. "I thought you'd be hungry... and might enjoy a snack while in the bath." she smiled, but it was forced. Minako could tell she was concerned.
"I'll enjoy it anyway." she assured. She thanked the servant, who looked startled this, and took the tray herself to a small desk. She motioned for Rei to join her. "Would you like a bite as well?"
The food was one thing that she didn't find too strange. This was some of her favorite food, too. Most of it fresh fruit or chocolate in design, but a loaf of fresh cheese bread as well to lighten the rest.
Contentedly full, she stood. "Am I expected in the royal audience chamber?"
Rei nodded. "You are." she stood. "I'll probably see you at dinner." she paused at the doorway, looked back, but didn't say anything before she left.
Minako smiled sadly to herself. Her best friend had noticed that she was different. She hadn't noticed the heart ache, though. No one would, too, if she had anything to say about it.
She left her room and walked the long halls to the audience chamber. The Queen of the Moon sat in her throne.
She strode to exactly ten steps of the throne and bowed respectively.
"Lady Minako, tell us of your containment." the queen ordered. She opened her mouth, and explained the basics of her time in the desert, excluding much. She found that this was no longer her soveirgn, but King Endymion was.
She felt naked without her sword.
"Thank you, Minako... on a personal note, I'm very glad to see that you've returned to us without incident."
Minako nodded, bowed respectively, but said nothing until she was dismissed.
Besides, she had a young princess to see.
She searched the halls and found the girl in one of the tallest towers. She didn't turn when Minako entered the room.
"Princess?" she spoke softly.
"Did you see him, Minako? Do you know my secrets?" she said after a long moment.
Minako walked to the girl's left side and touched her shoulder. "I did. King Endymion sends his love."
He didn't say that, perhaps, but she knew he did.
Serena's eyes sparkled for a moment, and Minako knew that she shared his love. She hid the light in her eyes, though, and that pained Minako.
"I suppose you're here to tell me to never think of him again? That you've told my mother?" she managed.
Minako shook her head. "I did not, and I will not. I know when it's love, Serenity."
The princess looked at her friend in shock. "Truly?"
"Truly." she agreed, pulling her princess into a hug. "Now, dry your tears, Princess."
"Minako, will you take me to him?"
The Venusian princess winced. "I don't know, Serenity." She paused. "Let me think on it. I just left there... things would be difficult."
Serenity nodded. A chance was better than nothing.
"I have things to see to." she nodded slightly. "May the day fare well for you."
She turned and retreated down the tower.
Now more confused than ever, she walked the halls. The gown felt strange, the halls felt strange. She knew that a late dinner at court was planned, and would take place soon. She was all but required to attend.
'I could probably beg out as being too tired... it's been a long day.' she thought idly but immediately knew that she wouldn't. "The old me would have." she added quietly.
So, with a sigh, she went to her rooms to change for dinner.
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Chapter Eight - Home at Long Last
Author Note - I offer this to you for sparing my life. I never intended for this to take this long at ALL. I'm soooo sorry! And I'm sorry this is so short. I promise the next chappy next week.
Disclaimer - I no own, you no sue.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
She swallowed hard. Home. She nodded to herself and forced each step that brought her away from him. She paused a few feet away and turned to look at him. He still stood where she'd left his side.
"Thank you, Malachite." she spoke up before she continued the climb towards the palace. He stood there, like a rock, and said nothing.
It was exactly as she remembered.
"Minako!" a voice screamed. Soon she was surrounded and arms enclosed around her. All of her friends, even her parents! She closed her eyes and tried to smile. Failing that, she looked peaceful.
"Oh, Minako, we thought you were dead!" Rei exclaimed. She surveyed the perfectly pale faces of her friends, and wondered how strange she appeared to them. She suddenly was not sure she could return to life like this.
"I am not." she murmured. She forced a smile, knowing it to look fake, and nodded at her friends. "I am, perhaps... changed." she allowed. Rei looked at her strangely before snagging her arm and leading her away.
"Come on, Minako. You've got to be ready for a long bath. You'll feel more like yourself when you're clean."
Minako allowed herself to be led away. She doubted she would be 'more like herself', but she couldn't tell Rei that.
"The King and Queen will be wanting to hear that you're safe. You'll probably have to report to them right after, so dress appropriately."
Minako nodded. "Of course." She then winced when she realized that 'appropriately' was one of the gowns that she'd grown to dislike since her stay in the desert.
Finally left alone in a private bathing chamber, she looked around. Drawing a cool bath, she quickly climbed out of her clothing. She found no desire to soak once she was clean, so she didn't. She slipped from the bathtub, to find that her desert clothing had been taken away and a thin yellow gown was left for her. She winced, but put it on.
She brushed out her hair and tied it up in an appropriate style. A slight knock at her door called her attentions.
She opened it.
Rei started. "I didn't think you'd be ready yet." she motioned the servant behind her to bring in the tray of food. "I thought you'd be hungry... and might enjoy a snack while in the bath." she smiled, but it was forced. Minako could tell she was concerned.
"I'll enjoy it anyway." she assured. She thanked the servant, who looked startled this, and took the tray herself to a small desk. She motioned for Rei to join her. "Would you like a bite as well?"
The food was one thing that she didn't find too strange. This was some of her favorite food, too. Most of it fresh fruit or chocolate in design, but a loaf of fresh cheese bread as well to lighten the rest.
Contentedly full, she stood. "Am I expected in the royal audience chamber?"
Rei nodded. "You are." she stood. "I'll probably see you at dinner." she paused at the doorway, looked back, but didn't say anything before she left.
Minako smiled sadly to herself. Her best friend had noticed that she was different. She hadn't noticed the heart ache, though. No one would, too, if she had anything to say about it.
She left her room and walked the long halls to the audience chamber. The Queen of the Moon sat in her throne.
She strode to exactly ten steps of the throne and bowed respectively.
"Lady Minako, tell us of your containment." the queen ordered. She opened her mouth, and explained the basics of her time in the desert, excluding much. She found that this was no longer her soveirgn, but King Endymion was.
She felt naked without her sword.
"Thank you, Minako... on a personal note, I'm very glad to see that you've returned to us without incident."
Minako nodded, bowed respectively, but said nothing until she was dismissed.
Besides, she had a young princess to see.
She searched the halls and found the girl in one of the tallest towers. She didn't turn when Minako entered the room.
"Princess?" she spoke softly.
"Did you see him, Minako? Do you know my secrets?" she said after a long moment.
Minako walked to the girl's left side and touched her shoulder. "I did. King Endymion sends his love."
He didn't say that, perhaps, but she knew he did.
Serena's eyes sparkled for a moment, and Minako knew that she shared his love. She hid the light in her eyes, though, and that pained Minako.
"I suppose you're here to tell me to never think of him again? That you've told my mother?" she managed.
Minako shook her head. "I did not, and I will not. I know when it's love, Serenity."
The princess looked at her friend in shock. "Truly?"
"Truly." she agreed, pulling her princess into a hug. "Now, dry your tears, Princess."
"Minako, will you take me to him?"
The Venusian princess winced. "I don't know, Serenity." She paused. "Let me think on it. I just left there... things would be difficult."
Serenity nodded. A chance was better than nothing.
"I have things to see to." she nodded slightly. "May the day fare well for you."
She turned and retreated down the tower.
Now more confused than ever, she walked the halls. The gown felt strange, the halls felt strange. She knew that a late dinner at court was planned, and would take place soon. She was all but required to attend.
'I could probably beg out as being too tired... it's been a long day.' she thought idly but immediately knew that she wouldn't. "The old me would have." she added quietly.
So, with a sigh, she went to her rooms to change for dinner.
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