Title: Chronicles of the Moon: Life of the Late Queen Serenity
By: semper_fi
Rated: TVPG
Email: Goodnight_Spoon@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, not mine. Story, mine.
Dedicated to: Guine-chan/Lady Guinevere (Jan. 8th 1984 – Jan. 11th 2003). I miss you, girl. We all do.
This chapter is done in two parts, because my Notepads ran out of room when I moved the fic from Microsoft Word to Nopepad...okay, I'm boring you all now.
Shoutouts: Wanna read a great fic? Try "Ami's Diaries" by Lady Guinevere, "Requiem for a Soldier" by Ai-ko, and "Irony and Daring" by cemberl/December. Those are my all-time faves. Also, anything by Moondreams_16 is really special.
Everything goes right on time
Years of practice and design
Spit and polish 'til it shines
He thinks he'll keep her
~~~
The door was slowly opening, and Serenity jumped to her feet. She scuttled into a corner, and hoped that she would not be noticed.
Cowardice does not become you, came the voice, and Serenity ignored it, too frightened to care.
A man walked in, holding open the door for another, whose back was hunched dramatically. The hunchback took his time walking in, and the first man, whom Serenity now recognized as Le, shut the door silently. Le took a step forward, saw Serenity's face, and started.
"Le?" the hunchback inquired.
"That's not my sister."
The hunchback's head lowered significantly, and Serenity had the feeling that he was sizing her up. He must have found her inadequate, because he then glanced back at Le. "You are sure?"
"She is not my sister, sir."
It was then Serenity realized that Le did not recognize her, and she thanked any and every deity for this. Attempting calm, Serenity got to her feet, and curtsied to the hunchback, who was obviously of higher rank than Le.
"I wish to speak to your commander, please."
The hunchback turned to Le, his back to Serenity, and although she noticed the slight, she did not know that his action indicated that he did not find her enough threat to even keep both eyes on her.
"Le," the hunchback began, "Go to your sister and ensure her safety. On the way there find a guard and send him to fetch Nicolas."
"Yes, sir." Le handed the torch to the hunchback, then rushed off.
The hunchback turned back to Serenity, his face illuminated by the torched. He fastened it into a wall fixture, then regarded her in silence. Serenity stared at his back, and then at his face. It was chiseled, and although she could not see through his shaggy brown hair to his eyes, Serenity guessed that they were brown as well. He seemed to be in his late twenties or early thirties, although his hunched back made him appear very old.
"How did you get here?"
Serenity started. From the tone of his voice, the hunchback had asked her the question more than once.
Serenity attempted to appear calm and in control. "Your guard escorted me here, sir."
The eyes narrowed, and he considered her reply. "How did you gain access to the courtyard?"
"If we are to acquire an understanding of each other, sir…" Serenity trailed off significantly, but when no name followed, she continued, "Then I should think that such a conversation as this would be carried out far better were we both seated and at ease." Believing that she had spoken well, Serenity waited for his answer.
"First off," the hunchback said, his eyebrows quirking slightly, "This is not a conversation. It is an interrogation. You breached our defenses tonight, and now you must suffer the consequences. Should you decide to cooperate—that is, answer all of my questions truthfully and to your fullest ability—you may be treated better, but it is highly unlikely that you will ever leave these confines again. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Serenity started, "That you, sir, are completely in the dark as to my reasons for being here."
"And what might those reasons be?"
"I wish to help."
"Do you," the hunchback drawled, seeming almost amused.
Serenity nodded earnestly. "I consider slavery wrong. Sources," she refused to name Marie, "Have led me to believe that within these walls resides an organization which aids and even rescues slaves. What I have experienced tonight concurs with what I have been told. I would like to join this community, and offer my help in any way that I can."
The hunchback was silent, then replied with, "How did you gain access to the courtyard?"
Serenity's heart sunk. After all that she had said, she had believed that the hunchback would welcome her with open arms, but apparently not. Well, she thought, That's alright. I'm not finished yet. "Sources." She replied. "I gained access through sources…the same people, in fact, who know where I am at this very moment. Should I not return to them by the morrow they will come looking for me, knowing full well who is responsible for my disappearance, and wanting vengeance. They will come in through the same way that I used, and there will be the Devil to pay."
The hunchback considered this for a moment. "You cannot be trusted." He replied. "Not with our secrets. Not with lives."
"Oh?" Serenity asked. "I think that you judge too swiftly. At the very least you should give me a trial time to prove myself. I wish to offer my support, and you cannot afford to refuse my help."
The hunchback knew this, and her brazen words and cocksure attitude agitated him because it was masked in calm and propriety, but just barely. He shifted and what he saw confirmed his suspicions; she was nobility, if not royalty, and quite rich. Just a slip of a girl, really, he thought to himself. Little more than a child playing "hero".
But she wasn't, another part of his mind screamed. She was quite obviously not a child, not with her long legs, tapered waist and flaring hips. As for her breasts, he could not tell in this light, but shadows and contours hinted that they were a bit above average but not excessive.
And her eyes!
Not only were they lilac, but proud, determined, and far too confident. She was certain that he would agree with anything that she spurted out, he realized. Far too used to getting her own way, he surmised. But who is she?
Serenity's clothes were dirtied from her slither through the badger-hole tunnel, and her hair had become matted with sweat, but it was very long, he could tell, and very pale. The Lady Tranquility? He wondered, but then discounted that from the rumors he had heard about that certain heiress.
Serenity, meanwhile, was tired of waiting. "What say you, sir?"
The hunchback bored his eyes into hers. "You are never to come here again without direct permission. You will leave with me a token to prove your sincerity, something of value that we could sell should you not return to claim it. There will be a carnival in the city for the next few days, and you will attend at your convenience. We shall be there, waiting for you. You are free to leave, and shall be watched to ensure your silence is kept regarding these whereabouts. Do you understand?"
Serenity nodded. "I believe I do." She paused, then, "And what shall I refer to you as?"
The hunchback was incredulous. "You wish to know my name."
"I do."
"Slaves," he said bitterly, "Are not given names."
Serenity sensed that this was a touchy subject, but refused to be cowed into silence and submission, as well as to refer to him as a nonentity. "Surely you must have given yourself one. What are you called around the cathedral?"
The hunchback stiffened imperceptibly. He had been hoping that she did not know exactly what their cover residence was, but she apparently did. "I am called Lordship," he said.
"And by those who are not your inferiors or subjects?"
He could not believe her gall. "Slaves are not given names," he repeated. "Call me what you like, within reason."
Serenity looked him over. He reminded her of a puppy she had once kept as a child. It also had long shaggy hair and dark eyes. Her mother had discovered it in her chambers and had it taken away. Serenity had named the creature Mea, "mine"; her five year-old voice mangling the Latin accent so that it came out as me-uh, instead of may-uh. She still thought of the puppy often, and it was decided.
"I shall call you Mea."
She looked like a queen bestowing an honor upon him, and Lordship, newly dubbed "Mea", wondered yet again who she truly was.
"Your token?" he reminded, extending a hand.
Serenity hesitated, not able to think of any. Her veil had snagged on a branch and been removed, and the one covering her head had been forsaken back at the palace after the ceremony was finished with. She was not wearing any jewelry other than her bracelets and choker…but, no—she was wearing the Empyrean Silver Crystal.
To Hell with his marriage gift, anyway, she thought crazily. I'll be reclaiming it, regardless.
Serenity pulled the necklace off from around her neck, and saw the look on Mea's face as she handed it to him. Now more than ever he questioned his decision to let her on trial. She really is just a rich girl with some compassion, he realized, but was already reaching for the Silver Crystal to seal their bargain, hoping to God that she would be forbidden from the fair grounds and therefore forfeit the necklace.
"I wish for a horse."
Serenity's voice startled him from his thoughts.
"What?"
"I wish," she repeated, "For a horse—preferably your best. As a means to return home, and then to ensure the return of my Crystal." Serenity was already missing the Crystal, but she would not admit this.
Meanwhile, Mea was seething with affront and admiration. She was a smart one, he had to admit, and realized that he had better relent if he wished for her good will when she left his cathedral.
"Very well. You shall be granted your boon. Tell…"
There was a knocking at the door, and Mea stopped talking. He pulled the door open, and a huge man walked inside.
"You wished to see me, sir?"
"Yes," Mea replied, straining to look the red-haired giant in the eye. "But it can wait until you've equipped the Lady with a horse of her choice from the stables." When the guard continued to stand there, gaping slightly, Mea raised his brows impatiently. "Now, Nicolas."
Nicolas took a breath, then nodded curtly. "Yes, sir." He turned to Serenity, "Follow me, please, ma'am."
Serenity nodded regally, then waited impatiently for Nicolas to open the door for her. Mea noticed this, and hiding a smile, nodded to Nicolas, who, frowning, flung the door open, nearly catching the Moon Princess with it. She turned to him, eyebrow raised, and Nicolas inclined his head none too sarcastically. Serenity sauntered through, her gait bespeaking calm and control, just as it should, considering the lessons she had been forced to bear on the subject. Nicolas followed rigidly, suppressing the urge to turn and glare at his Lordship.
As for Mea, he planned to shadow them and see just how Serenity acted when removed from his presence—he also wanted to judge Nicolas's behavior toward her, and her choice in horses. But even as he ticked off the minutes, waiting until they had reached the end of the hallway, Mea had the sneaking suspicion that he would never fully understand the Moon Princess.
I hope that you liked that, and part 2 should be out the same week (hopefully). I love getting email, though, so if you'd like to be my editor or if you'd like to share your thoughts, you know my email address!
Ja!
AJ