Title: Chronicles of the Moon: Life of the Late Queen Serenity
By: AJ Martinez
Rated: TVPG
Eamil: Goodnight_Spoon@hotmail.com
Disclaimer:
Wow, chapter 7. I've really gotta get going; I'm almost out
of pre-written chapters -_-'.
Anyway, thanks as usual to all who've critiqued this fic or
emailed/AIMed me. Your words are appreciated.
~~
Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that
stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the
loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow
delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these if you but
remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
- James Allen -
~~
Joshua was still inspecting the bracelet with glee when its
original owner came floating through the tent flaps, trailed by a
small slip of a girl. Joshua trotted up to them, feeling cheerful.
"How was your tumble?" he inquired.
The figure nodded vaguely, and Joshua laughed.
"You wasted no time," he laughed, elbowing the figure
obnoxiously. "I trust you were served well?"
Another nod.
Joshua glanced at the slave briefly, but the figure in the
cloak was already on his way to the tent flaps leading away. "Come
again!" Joshua called. When he received no answer, Joshua shrugged
and made his way to a table and chair in the corner of the tent, where
he settled his weight and began to again inspect the bracelet. A
flash of movement caught his eyes, and he looked up to see a pretty
young thing in white dash past him.
"Hey!" he cried, and she whirled. His brow furrowed. She was
not one of his. "Can I help you?"
The girl seemed nervous. "I came," she paused, then continued,
"I came seeking a man-servant, and you seem to have none."
Joshua nodded. "Just our seven studs, and they are not for
sale. Although," he licked chapped lips, "They might be loaned out,
for the right price."
"Of course," the girl replied. She hesitated, then, "Good day,
sir."
"Good day to yourself, miss."
She was already rushing for the exit.
~~
Mea was upset. He would never admit this to anyone, let alone
Beryl, but Luna's presence--or, lack there of, as was now--concerned
him. She was only a child, really. A girl-woman playing hero who had
stepped too far into something that did not concern her, and would now
suffer the consequences. He wished for the umpteenth time that he had
not permitted her to go into that tent, not baited her so
successfully. And he wished most of all that he would not care if she
never emerged from the tent.
But he did care, and that was the problem. That was always
his problem. His emotional priorities were mangled. He either cared
too much for his own good, or not at all, and he could not decide
which he hated more. Beryl shifted next to him, and he looked up to
see two figures standing in front of them. It bothered Mea that they
had gotten so close without him noticing, but there was no time to
consider this now.
It struck him quickly and without the need for thought; that
person in the cloak, that person wearing Luna's cloak, that was not
Luna. She was much too...too...he could not describe it, only that
that was not Luna.
As if to prove his point, the woman they back her hood and
unclasped the cloak to reveal an infant clutched to her. The girl
next to her was grinning, and tears ran down her face. Her eyes were
squinted, and she whispered, "I have not been out of that tent in
three years."
Before Mea could reply he sighted Luna, running at them with a
grin not unlike the slave's.
"I have done it!" she cried. "I have, I have, I have, I have!
I have and you all thought that I could not."
"Indeed," he replied, his voice a lazy drawl.
"Am I in?" Luna asked.
"Three years..." the slave whispered.
"I am free," the mother cried.
"Yes," Mea answered.
"Three years..."
"You court your doom," Beryl said to him, voice low.
"I am free..."
"You invite your death in through the back door, though it
will not leave that way!"
"I am in!"
"Three years..."
~~
He had taken her to his bed again. Serenity had thought that
her claim of being indisposed would spare her a repetition of what she
now considered her humiliation, but it was not to be. Raphael knew
that she was lying, and knew his duties. She knew her duties as well,
but had hoped to ignore them. Try as she might, Serenity could not
bring herself to hate him.
Even now, and she brewed the willchide tea and shivered in her
housecoat, Serenity could not hate him. He was not cruel to her, and
had simply stated two things: he knew that she was lying, and they
both had their duties. She had not fought him, but had waited until
he slept before slipping off into the Women's Gardens and digging
through the dirt until she had unearthed willchide roots. She had not
hated him while she crushed them, or prayed that the Dandelion fluff
would be effective, regardless of the fact that she had not let it
dry in the sun. No, she had not hated him through any of this, only
hated herself.
Serenity knew that she was shirking her duties in one of the
vilest ways possible, but she could not bear the thought of carrying
his child. Her child. Their child. It would seal her into this
marriage forever, and she still had hopes that he would lose interest
in her, or that she would hear a mistake had been made and be freed of
her marriage contract; because that was all it was and ever would be
to her; a contract. She could not pretend to forget her dreams of
living, and fall into the motions of palace life, even though she had
been bred for it.
*If you've taught me anything, Mother,* Serenity thought
wryly, *It is how not to survive and how to brew tea.*
Of course her Queen Mother had not taught her the latter
personally, it was her former personal governess who had taught
Serenity that a Lady was not a Lady unless she drank tea, and a
princess was not a princess unless she was schooled in both the ways
of court and the ways of other planets. And, due to the temporary
goodwill between the Moon and Mars at this time, Serenity had not only
learned to acquire a taste for tea, but to brew and serve it, and to
do so very well.
Serenity poured her tea into a cup and sipped it. At any
minute Raphael could wake up, and she knew that she must not be caught
brewing willchide tea in their wedding chambers, but she could hear
his soft breathing if she strained, and what would he do if he caught
her, anyhow? Accuse her? He would not dare, not if he knew his
politics. And he did, Serenity knew, but that was beside the point.
She had every right to drink tea, and although she did not know
Raphael at all, nothing in his character had suggested paranoia so
strong that he should rouse himself from slumber in the middle of the
night to inspect what it was that his new wife was drinking.
Her thoughts drifted back to that morning, and the events that
had followed. Serenity was still overjoyed to be excepted by Mea,
although Beryl's outlandish words returned to her mind. "You court
your doom," the titian-haired woman had warned. "You invite your death
in through the back door, though it will not leave that way..."
Serenity shivered, and decided that she did not like Beryl,
although Mea seemed to abide her remarks with only passing agitation.
*Mea.*
Ah, yes, Mea. So much to consider, so much to wonder about.
A veritable puzzle, that man, and Serenity had only spoken to him
twice! *Much too solemn,* she decided. *Too solemn indeed, and not a
wonderful conversationalist.* But still, that did not stop her from
hanging on every word that he said, for more than the obvious reasons
of wishing to join their cause.
"Mea's cause, at least," Serenity murmured. She could not
believe that anyone as strange as Beryl could care for any cause but
her own. Serenity knew that it was a cruel thing to think, but still,
she could not help herself.
*Cannot help yourself, indeed,* the Crystal commented, and
Serenity started. She stared at the Crystal, which was lying with the
rest of her discarded clothes in a corner. It gleamed slyly,
acknowledging her gaze.
"What do you want?" Serenity asked, and the Crystal sent the
impression that she should come and fetch it immediately. Serenity
was too stunned to think. The Crystal had always spoken with words
before, but now it could "send" its intentions to her as well? It all
seemed too complicated to comprehend.
A bright gleam spread across the entire Crystal, than it
became dull again. Serenity could take a hint; she hurried over to
the Crystal and picked it up, cradling it in her palms. It was silent.
"Crystal?" she whispered. "Crystal?"
There was no reply.
~~
Serenity adjusted her cloak. Three weeks had passed since she
had last seen Mea at the festival, and not a word from him. But now
she was to meet with Mea again, this time for a "mission". She
glanced at her bureau; there sat the scroll, and the Crystal. The
scroll had appeared on her bed the day before, and Annie claimed
innocence. It bothered Serenity to think that someone might just
sneak into her chambers and place the scroll there, but nothing was
missing, so she let the matter rest. Thank goodness she had found it
and not anyone else, Serenity thought, although no one would be nosy
enough to break the seal and read without her permission. But still...
The scroll bade her visit the Lark's Song the next day,
directly before the midday meal, and from Annie she had learned that
it was a tavern, well liked by the locals, merchants and tourists
alike. Much business was done there, and Annie had commented that
only one type of women would be found there, waitresses included.
Serenity had told her queen-mother that she would be spending
the day in the Women's Gardens, knowing full well that her mother
would be busy today and unable to join her there. Men were not
allowed in this haven, and so that protected her from her husband. In
addition to all this, the Women's Garden's were quite large; it would
be easy for her to say that she had retired to a quiet corner and
embroidered the hours away.
After her run-in with Joshua the slaver, it had occurred to
Serenity that she might have need of coin. Money had never been an
issue for her, as all her needs were taken care of, and she had never
been granted an allowance, so Serenity had had no idea how to go about
asking for money. It had finally come to her that if Joshua would
accept her jewels, so might others, as well. This decided upon,
Serenity had gone through her jewelry boxes, and what now rested in a
pouch at her hip was enough to feed half the city for the winter.
Her outfit that day was a summery one, white and ruffled with
periwinkle butterflies embroidered in clustered all about the skirts.
The sleeves fit her like a second skin, but belled out widely at the
elbow, and the ruffles were so many that they obscured the rest of her
arm, dying down as they reached her manacled wrists. Her choker, of
the finest white gold, had a butterfly etched into it, and Annie had
painted a butterfly, the size of a fingernail, on the side of
Serenity's left eye.
As Serenity surveyed herself in the mirror she imagined that
she looked a great deal like a plain but charming country miss,
although she had no way of knowing that her outfit, while plainer than
what she was used to, would have suited a duchess grandly.
Serenity pulled back the hood and readjusted her hair; it was
tied up, as she had become accustomed to wearing it, with delicate
periwinkle ribbons, which hung to her ears. No, she did not look like
a country miss.
She patted her drawstring pouch, and was reassured by the
feeling of her scroll. She had written it herself; it stated that, as
she was not feeling very lively as of late, her servant girl would be
exercising her mount in the city, and was granted permission to take
leave of the palace grounds whenever she saw fit. Her mother had
agreed to this, and Serenity could not believe her luck.
"Well, Annie," Serenity grinned. "Here I go again."
~~
Serenity reached the Lark's Song and tied her white gelding
out front. Pulling her charcoal cloak from a saddlebag, were she had
stored it once she was far enough from the castle, Serenity arranged
it about herself, pulled the hood low, and entered the tavern. It was
dark and smelled of old ale and cheap perfume.
*Over in the corner,* said the Crystal, and Serenity looked.
There sat Mea, hunched over a mug of ale. The table was set for two,
and Serenity walked over there, forcing herself not to hurry. She
must remain in control; or, as in control as one could be, providing
they knew very little about a situation.
"Greetings, Luna," Mea did not stand, and Serenity sunk into
her seat, eyeing her own tankard of ale suspiciously.
"Greetings," she returned. "How fare you?"
Mea smiled. It was a lazy, white grin, and Serenity found it
suddenly unbearable to look him in the eye. She glanced away quickly,
down into her tankard, and kneaded her drawstring pouch.
"Our mission," he said, clearing his throat in the same
breath, "Is a routine one, which I have chosen for its familiarity.
There are, of course, chances for it to fail and fail miserably, but I
trust that I will be able to handle the situation should there be any
problems; at the very least you will learn something."
Serenity nodded regally.
"Well," Mea reached for his tankard. "Let us drink to our
success and then be on our way."
It was a challenge, and a good one. If Serenity drank then it
would reveal her as too trusting and possibly very stupid to assume
that he would not have poisoned her ale beforehand. If she did not
she was closing her own self out from the circle of trust; she was
blatantly showing mistrust for him, and that was an insult.
Serenity knew nothing of the thoughts that paraded through
Mea's head, but she recognized a challenge. Lifting her tankard she
tipped it to him and then took a long drink, her eyes pinning his and
holding his gaze, staring him down over the rim of her mug.
Mea was suitably impressed. She had not only managed to handle
a high-risk situation, but she had handled it skillfully, like a
diplomat would. There had been the acceptance, the apparent good
will, and the boastful, daring eyes. She had been daring him to do
anything, he realized, but he would let her have that victory,
although she had been daring him for the very beginning. Daring him
not to believe her, daring him not to trust her, daring him all along.
He groaned internally. She'd won the first round.
~~
Mea and Serenity stood outside of a large, five-story
building. It was the orphanage, nestled deep in the heart of the
city. They walked along the side of the building through an alley
until they had reached a back door. A horse drawn, covered wagon
waited, and Serenity thought that she recognized the two browns as
part of Mea's stable, but remained silent as they approached.
The wagon itself was not remarkable. It appeared to be used
for shipping and carting livestock or food, and might have held ten or
fifteen adults, although because it was covered, Serenity could not
tell.
They reached the wagon, and the driver nodded to Mea, ignoring
her completely. Serenity was insulted, but decided not to be bothered
by it; she would certainly have to speak to Mea about this, however.
She would not tolerate such disrespect again.
At that moment a short, compact woman in the orphanages'
livery came slipping from the building's back door. "All is clear,"
she said, and the alleyway came alive as over two dozen children
jumped from the covered wagon.
Serenity looked to Mea, and he smiled.
"The orphanage," he started, "Is run by the coin of tax-
payers, and its occupants are street urchins. The children of slaves
are not chosen to be added to orphanages because of bigotry. Alice,
however," he gestured toward the short women, "was once a slave. She
now works at the orphanage and her help was enlisted to help smuggle
these children in."
"Are they all orphans?" Serenity asked, saddened.
Mea swallowed. "None of them are orphans."
Serenity's head snapped toward him.
"They are being sent here in the hopes that they might live a
normal life. Everyday we relocate slaves to rural areas where they
might set up a life of farming, and make a way for themselves, but
they cannot afford to feed their children. People do not adopt
orphans on any regular basis, and so most of these children will still
be here in five or ten years. By that time they are either old enough
to leave and apprentice somewhere, or their parents have survived long
enough that they may reclaim their offspring.
"There is another reason, however."
Serenity nodded for him to go on.
"The Minister of Local Affairs..."
"Gabriel," Serenity interrupted, before she could stop
herself.
Mea nodded, looking at her strangely. "Yes, Gabriel is his
name." Mea cleared his throat. "He comes once every other month to
check on the upkeep of the orphanage and to possibly take some
children back to the palace with him. Once there they are given jobs
such as stableboys and kitchen maids; but it is a job. After eight
months there they get not only food and board but a small salary which
can then be sent to their parents."
"I understand," Serenity replied.
"Good." Mea nodded. "Then let's get on with it."
The children had already been filed into the building, and
they were now standing in the alley alone. Mea began to walk toward
the door, then stopped when he reached it. Serenity looked at him
expectantly, and then, heaving a sigh, Mea opened the door for her.
~~
Serenity was overheating. She was in the basement of the old
building, a large and bustling area, where laundry was done. Alice
had been given strict orders to acquaint Serenity with her duties for
the day, and to watch her like a hawk, although this last part Mea had
murmured so that Serenity would not hear.
She had.
Gabriel was on his way, and was due within two hours time, if
he did not meander too much in the city. It was imperative that he
adopt slaves, which he would only do if they looked well-fed, clean,
and intelligent. And so long as he knew nothing of their origins.
The children were bathed once a month and on holidays, their
birthday, and when they were ill. But Mea had seven slaves in
particular that he wanted Gabriel to notice, and for that they must be
clean. Three were under the age of ten, and had avoided the Seal
because the brothel where they had been born was a poor one; too poor
to afford Seals for all the slaves. The other four were adolescents
who simply could not find an apprenticeship. One was thirteen, one
eleven, and the other two fourteen.
With the help of Alice and a few other women who had once been
slaves, the seven children had been smuggled into the basement, and
were to be bathed behind curtains of linens. The eight women who
manned the laundry that day were all in on the scheme, and also its
perils. Should the slave-children be found out, the four oldest would
be returned to their masters, and the three youngest would be
auctioned off, the benefits going to the monarchy.
So, with all this fresh in her mind, Serenity had been handed
a sponge and two dirty little girls. They had been stripped naked, as
had the other children, and Serenity had avoided looking at their
wrists and necks, which they bared so innocently, the oldest ones
included. While their clothes were being boiled and scrubbed,
Serenity was to wash these two.
She had never even washed herself.
"I'm Heather," said one of the girls, who looked about six.
"This is Jenna." She pointed to her friend, who looked to be a few
years older.
"What lovely names," Serenity replied, out of habit. When she
did nothing else, Heather dipped a finger into the washtub of hot
water, then jerked it away.
"It's hot."
"Well," Serenity took a breath. "Then shall we make this
swift?"
Jenna nodded. "Yes, please."
When she remained motionless, Heather took the sponge from
Serenity's hands and dipped it into the water, then pulled it out and
began scrubbing her arms.
Serenity was shamed. "I shall do that," she said briskly, and
snatched the sponge from the child.
Forty-three long minutes later all three of them were wet, but
the girls were sparkling clean. Their clothes had been washed and
wrapped in a bundle of cloth, and new dresses had been sewn for them
to wear. The dresses were modest and poor, but not as bad as the rags
that they had been wearing.
~~
Mea was on his way to check on Serenity. She was supposedly
in the corner of the basement with her two young charges. Most of the
activity had left the basement, as Gabriel had arrived three minutes
ago and was already looking over the other five children, but the two
with Serenity were still with her.
He rounded a corner and saw Serenity kneeling on the ground
before them. She was handing them something, and as he approached he
saw that it was jewels. She was speaking in a low voice to them, and
although they were nodding attentively, their eyes were on the
diamonds and gold.
Mea knew how they felt.
It was then that Serenity noticed him. "We're just finishing
up here," she called pleasantly.
"Lordship!" Heather cried. "Luna said that we look like
angels." She spun in a circle, and Mea smiled.
"Indeed, you do." He looked to Serenity. "Are we ready now?"
Serenity began to nod, then stopped. She reached down and
tore a strip of fabric from her skirt, then another, and more still.
Beckoning to the girls, she tied the fabric in bows around their
wrists and necks. She smiled at them. "You're both angels," she
whispered, "And don't you let anyone tell you any different."
Mea watched in silence. He had been able to tell that Serenity
was apprehensive about lowering herself to such a level in the
beginning, and had spitefully sniggered to himself that this would be
the last he ever heard from her. But now here she was, giving away
more jewels than he had ever seen in his entire life, and looking
radiant in a soaping wet dress that would have shamed a countess. Her
hair was coming loose, and hung limply, her charcoal cloak discarded
in a heap a few feet away. He was suddenly conscious of his hunched
back as he had never been before, and cleared his throat.
Serenity grinned at him jubilantly. Heather laced her fingers
through Serenity's, startling her with the contact. Serenity was
further shocked, when, after Jenna had taken Mea's right hand, he
extended his left toward her.
Mea didn't know why he had done it. But there was his hand,
outstretched to Serenity, and...no, wait...she was taking it loosely
in her own! He looked away quickly, keeping his eyes straight ahead,
and walked briskly to keep up with their skipping pace.
Serenity kept her eyes on him for the rest of the day. It was
almost evening by the time they were finished, and Gabriel had taken
eleven children--the seven slaves and four others. Jenna and Heather
had charmed him with their hidden wrists, shy manners, and etiquette--
all of which Serenity had quizzed them on while they bathed,
installing new habits which she hoped would be long-lasting.
Now she and Mea were meandering through the orphanage, a good
two or three yards behind the rest of the "team", and not looking or
speaking with each other. Mea broke the lengthy silence.
"I saw what you did for those girls, giving them the jewelry."
He looked her in the eyes. "It was very generous. I wish to thank
you in their behalf."
"Then bump me up."
"Excuse me?"
"I wish to go on real mission," Serenity explained.
Mea was incensed. "This is--was--a 'real mission'. Albeit it
was not dangerous, but what do you expect, Luna? That I would divulge
to you all of our secrets?" he let out a bitter laugh. "Your gift was
generous, very generous indeed, but not enough so that I'd risk the
safety of a large number of people on coin alone. There are lives at
stake here. Can't you see that this is so much bigger than you and I?"
Serenity took a breath. "I have not betrayed your confidence.
I have more coin, more jewelry. Anything else that you could wish for:
horses, land, resources. I have them all and I will share them with
you and the cause, if you will just make me a full member. Take me
along on true missions and do not presume to know every word I'll say
before I speak."
Mea was shaking his head. "You're bluffing, and you know it."
"I am not!" Serenity cried, and the people before them paused
to look back. "I speak the truth--see!" she pulled the drawstring
pouch from inside her cloak, which was draped loosely over her
shoulders, and snatched his hand from his side, emptying the contents
in it. Jewelry, precious stones, and various expensive brick-a-brack
spilled between his fingers and onto the floor. Mea dropped to his
hands and knees, scooping the treasures up into his hands.
"You fool!" he cried, shoving the jewels back at Serenity.
"Anyone around here would kill for what you've got in that pouch, and
you just go dumping it out in an orphanage hallway? At this rate,
you'll get yourself butchered before you get yourself home today, or
at least robbed blind."
"I don't care about being robbed, Mea," Serenity insisted. "I
can assure you that what you have in your hands will never be missed,
and its presence--or lack there of--will go unnoticed. I speak the
truth when I say that I will help you, if only you will work with me."
Mea stared at her from beneath shaggy, overgrown bangs. "Who
are you?"
"Luna."
"You and I both know that that's not true. You're different,
not like what we get around here. You've obviously been sheltered,
never stepped outside your door a day in your life, and here you are,
throwing money about like the Queen of the Moon!"
Serenity couldn't tell if the comparison made her want to
laugh or cry, but Mea wasn't finished.
"Are you the youngest daughter of a duke? You must be high on
the nobility scale, to be able to toss around coin like this..."
"Mea," Serenity looked him straight in the eye. "I am willing
to provide financial support, if you'll only let me in."
Mea looked at he jewels, and in their reflection saw the
large, hollow eyes of beaten, starving children, and the listless
wobble of forgotten people. And he took her money.
~~
Well, whatcha think? Good, bad, stupid?? Email me and tell me!
One more thing...I'm putting on a Viewers Choice Awards for Sailor Moon
fanfiction. If you would like to help out reading, nominate a fic or
author, or would simply like to know more (such as rules and regulations)
please email me. This will all go down in March or April, and the main
discussion on it is in the *Favorites* section of the Sailor Moon Romance
(moonromance.net) discussion board, under "The ASMR Fanfiction Awards 2003".
My screen name there is jellybean.
Also, I'm sure that you've noticed that this fic is formatted differently;
that's because I'm having problems with the computer and I've had to
submit the last chapter from my grandparent's place, where, for some
reason, I cannot format my fics the way that I usually do, in HTML. I
hope that this one loks better than the last.
I think that's all...
semper_fi
By: AJ Martinez
Rated: TVPG
Eamil: Goodnight_Spoon@hotmail.com
Disclaimer:
Wow, chapter 7. I've really gotta get going; I'm almost out
of pre-written chapters -_-'.
Anyway, thanks as usual to all who've critiqued this fic or
emailed/AIMed me. Your words are appreciated.
~~
Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that
stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the
loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow
delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these if you but
remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
- James Allen -
~~
Joshua was still inspecting the bracelet with glee when its
original owner came floating through the tent flaps, trailed by a
small slip of a girl. Joshua trotted up to them, feeling cheerful.
"How was your tumble?" he inquired.
The figure nodded vaguely, and Joshua laughed.
"You wasted no time," he laughed, elbowing the figure
obnoxiously. "I trust you were served well?"
Another nod.
Joshua glanced at the slave briefly, but the figure in the
cloak was already on his way to the tent flaps leading away. "Come
again!" Joshua called. When he received no answer, Joshua shrugged
and made his way to a table and chair in the corner of the tent, where
he settled his weight and began to again inspect the bracelet. A
flash of movement caught his eyes, and he looked up to see a pretty
young thing in white dash past him.
"Hey!" he cried, and she whirled. His brow furrowed. She was
not one of his. "Can I help you?"
The girl seemed nervous. "I came," she paused, then continued,
"I came seeking a man-servant, and you seem to have none."
Joshua nodded. "Just our seven studs, and they are not for
sale. Although," he licked chapped lips, "They might be loaned out,
for the right price."
"Of course," the girl replied. She hesitated, then, "Good day,
sir."
"Good day to yourself, miss."
She was already rushing for the exit.
~~
Mea was upset. He would never admit this to anyone, let alone
Beryl, but Luna's presence--or, lack there of, as was now--concerned
him. She was only a child, really. A girl-woman playing hero who had
stepped too far into something that did not concern her, and would now
suffer the consequences. He wished for the umpteenth time that he had
not permitted her to go into that tent, not baited her so
successfully. And he wished most of all that he would not care if she
never emerged from the tent.
But he did care, and that was the problem. That was always
his problem. His emotional priorities were mangled. He either cared
too much for his own good, or not at all, and he could not decide
which he hated more. Beryl shifted next to him, and he looked up to
see two figures standing in front of them. It bothered Mea that they
had gotten so close without him noticing, but there was no time to
consider this now.
It struck him quickly and without the need for thought; that
person in the cloak, that person wearing Luna's cloak, that was not
Luna. She was much too...too...he could not describe it, only that
that was not Luna.
As if to prove his point, the woman they back her hood and
unclasped the cloak to reveal an infant clutched to her. The girl
next to her was grinning, and tears ran down her face. Her eyes were
squinted, and she whispered, "I have not been out of that tent in
three years."
Before Mea could reply he sighted Luna, running at them with a
grin not unlike the slave's.
"I have done it!" she cried. "I have, I have, I have, I have!
I have and you all thought that I could not."
"Indeed," he replied, his voice a lazy drawl.
"Am I in?" Luna asked.
"Three years..." the slave whispered.
"I am free," the mother cried.
"Yes," Mea answered.
"Three years..."
"You court your doom," Beryl said to him, voice low.
"I am free..."
"You invite your death in through the back door, though it
will not leave that way!"
"I am in!"
"Three years..."
~~
He had taken her to his bed again. Serenity had thought that
her claim of being indisposed would spare her a repetition of what she
now considered her humiliation, but it was not to be. Raphael knew
that she was lying, and knew his duties. She knew her duties as well,
but had hoped to ignore them. Try as she might, Serenity could not
bring herself to hate him.
Even now, and she brewed the willchide tea and shivered in her
housecoat, Serenity could not hate him. He was not cruel to her, and
had simply stated two things: he knew that she was lying, and they
both had their duties. She had not fought him, but had waited until
he slept before slipping off into the Women's Gardens and digging
through the dirt until she had unearthed willchide roots. She had not
hated him while she crushed them, or prayed that the Dandelion fluff
would be effective, regardless of the fact that she had not let it
dry in the sun. No, she had not hated him through any of this, only
hated herself.
Serenity knew that she was shirking her duties in one of the
vilest ways possible, but she could not bear the thought of carrying
his child. Her child. Their child. It would seal her into this
marriage forever, and she still had hopes that he would lose interest
in her, or that she would hear a mistake had been made and be freed of
her marriage contract; because that was all it was and ever would be
to her; a contract. She could not pretend to forget her dreams of
living, and fall into the motions of palace life, even though she had
been bred for it.
*If you've taught me anything, Mother,* Serenity thought
wryly, *It is how not to survive and how to brew tea.*
Of course her Queen Mother had not taught her the latter
personally, it was her former personal governess who had taught
Serenity that a Lady was not a Lady unless she drank tea, and a
princess was not a princess unless she was schooled in both the ways
of court and the ways of other planets. And, due to the temporary
goodwill between the Moon and Mars at this time, Serenity had not only
learned to acquire a taste for tea, but to brew and serve it, and to
do so very well.
Serenity poured her tea into a cup and sipped it. At any
minute Raphael could wake up, and she knew that she must not be caught
brewing willchide tea in their wedding chambers, but she could hear
his soft breathing if she strained, and what would he do if he caught
her, anyhow? Accuse her? He would not dare, not if he knew his
politics. And he did, Serenity knew, but that was beside the point.
She had every right to drink tea, and although she did not know
Raphael at all, nothing in his character had suggested paranoia so
strong that he should rouse himself from slumber in the middle of the
night to inspect what it was that his new wife was drinking.
Her thoughts drifted back to that morning, and the events that
had followed. Serenity was still overjoyed to be excepted by Mea,
although Beryl's outlandish words returned to her mind. "You court
your doom," the titian-haired woman had warned. "You invite your death
in through the back door, though it will not leave that way..."
Serenity shivered, and decided that she did not like Beryl,
although Mea seemed to abide her remarks with only passing agitation.
*Mea.*
Ah, yes, Mea. So much to consider, so much to wonder about.
A veritable puzzle, that man, and Serenity had only spoken to him
twice! *Much too solemn,* she decided. *Too solemn indeed, and not a
wonderful conversationalist.* But still, that did not stop her from
hanging on every word that he said, for more than the obvious reasons
of wishing to join their cause.
"Mea's cause, at least," Serenity murmured. She could not
believe that anyone as strange as Beryl could care for any cause but
her own. Serenity knew that it was a cruel thing to think, but still,
she could not help herself.
*Cannot help yourself, indeed,* the Crystal commented, and
Serenity started. She stared at the Crystal, which was lying with the
rest of her discarded clothes in a corner. It gleamed slyly,
acknowledging her gaze.
"What do you want?" Serenity asked, and the Crystal sent the
impression that she should come and fetch it immediately. Serenity
was too stunned to think. The Crystal had always spoken with words
before, but now it could "send" its intentions to her as well? It all
seemed too complicated to comprehend.
A bright gleam spread across the entire Crystal, than it
became dull again. Serenity could take a hint; she hurried over to
the Crystal and picked it up, cradling it in her palms. It was silent.
"Crystal?" she whispered. "Crystal?"
There was no reply.
~~
Serenity adjusted her cloak. Three weeks had passed since she
had last seen Mea at the festival, and not a word from him. But now
she was to meet with Mea again, this time for a "mission". She
glanced at her bureau; there sat the scroll, and the Crystal. The
scroll had appeared on her bed the day before, and Annie claimed
innocence. It bothered Serenity to think that someone might just
sneak into her chambers and place the scroll there, but nothing was
missing, so she let the matter rest. Thank goodness she had found it
and not anyone else, Serenity thought, although no one would be nosy
enough to break the seal and read without her permission. But still...
The scroll bade her visit the Lark's Song the next day,
directly before the midday meal, and from Annie she had learned that
it was a tavern, well liked by the locals, merchants and tourists
alike. Much business was done there, and Annie had commented that
only one type of women would be found there, waitresses included.
Serenity had told her queen-mother that she would be spending
the day in the Women's Gardens, knowing full well that her mother
would be busy today and unable to join her there. Men were not
allowed in this haven, and so that protected her from her husband. In
addition to all this, the Women's Garden's were quite large; it would
be easy for her to say that she had retired to a quiet corner and
embroidered the hours away.
After her run-in with Joshua the slaver, it had occurred to
Serenity that she might have need of coin. Money had never been an
issue for her, as all her needs were taken care of, and she had never
been granted an allowance, so Serenity had had no idea how to go about
asking for money. It had finally come to her that if Joshua would
accept her jewels, so might others, as well. This decided upon,
Serenity had gone through her jewelry boxes, and what now rested in a
pouch at her hip was enough to feed half the city for the winter.
Her outfit that day was a summery one, white and ruffled with
periwinkle butterflies embroidered in clustered all about the skirts.
The sleeves fit her like a second skin, but belled out widely at the
elbow, and the ruffles were so many that they obscured the rest of her
arm, dying down as they reached her manacled wrists. Her choker, of
the finest white gold, had a butterfly etched into it, and Annie had
painted a butterfly, the size of a fingernail, on the side of
Serenity's left eye.
As Serenity surveyed herself in the mirror she imagined that
she looked a great deal like a plain but charming country miss,
although she had no way of knowing that her outfit, while plainer than
what she was used to, would have suited a duchess grandly.
Serenity pulled back the hood and readjusted her hair; it was
tied up, as she had become accustomed to wearing it, with delicate
periwinkle ribbons, which hung to her ears. No, she did not look like
a country miss.
She patted her drawstring pouch, and was reassured by the
feeling of her scroll. She had written it herself; it stated that, as
she was not feeling very lively as of late, her servant girl would be
exercising her mount in the city, and was granted permission to take
leave of the palace grounds whenever she saw fit. Her mother had
agreed to this, and Serenity could not believe her luck.
"Well, Annie," Serenity grinned. "Here I go again."
~~
Serenity reached the Lark's Song and tied her white gelding
out front. Pulling her charcoal cloak from a saddlebag, were she had
stored it once she was far enough from the castle, Serenity arranged
it about herself, pulled the hood low, and entered the tavern. It was
dark and smelled of old ale and cheap perfume.
*Over in the corner,* said the Crystal, and Serenity looked.
There sat Mea, hunched over a mug of ale. The table was set for two,
and Serenity walked over there, forcing herself not to hurry. She
must remain in control; or, as in control as one could be, providing
they knew very little about a situation.
"Greetings, Luna," Mea did not stand, and Serenity sunk into
her seat, eyeing her own tankard of ale suspiciously.
"Greetings," she returned. "How fare you?"
Mea smiled. It was a lazy, white grin, and Serenity found it
suddenly unbearable to look him in the eye. She glanced away quickly,
down into her tankard, and kneaded her drawstring pouch.
"Our mission," he said, clearing his throat in the same
breath, "Is a routine one, which I have chosen for its familiarity.
There are, of course, chances for it to fail and fail miserably, but I
trust that I will be able to handle the situation should there be any
problems; at the very least you will learn something."
Serenity nodded regally.
"Well," Mea reached for his tankard. "Let us drink to our
success and then be on our way."
It was a challenge, and a good one. If Serenity drank then it
would reveal her as too trusting and possibly very stupid to assume
that he would not have poisoned her ale beforehand. If she did not
she was closing her own self out from the circle of trust; she was
blatantly showing mistrust for him, and that was an insult.
Serenity knew nothing of the thoughts that paraded through
Mea's head, but she recognized a challenge. Lifting her tankard she
tipped it to him and then took a long drink, her eyes pinning his and
holding his gaze, staring him down over the rim of her mug.
Mea was suitably impressed. She had not only managed to handle
a high-risk situation, but she had handled it skillfully, like a
diplomat would. There had been the acceptance, the apparent good
will, and the boastful, daring eyes. She had been daring him to do
anything, he realized, but he would let her have that victory,
although she had been daring him for the very beginning. Daring him
not to believe her, daring him not to trust her, daring him all along.
He groaned internally. She'd won the first round.
~~
Mea and Serenity stood outside of a large, five-story
building. It was the orphanage, nestled deep in the heart of the
city. They walked along the side of the building through an alley
until they had reached a back door. A horse drawn, covered wagon
waited, and Serenity thought that she recognized the two browns as
part of Mea's stable, but remained silent as they approached.
The wagon itself was not remarkable. It appeared to be used
for shipping and carting livestock or food, and might have held ten or
fifteen adults, although because it was covered, Serenity could not
tell.
They reached the wagon, and the driver nodded to Mea, ignoring
her completely. Serenity was insulted, but decided not to be bothered
by it; she would certainly have to speak to Mea about this, however.
She would not tolerate such disrespect again.
At that moment a short, compact woman in the orphanages'
livery came slipping from the building's back door. "All is clear,"
she said, and the alleyway came alive as over two dozen children
jumped from the covered wagon.
Serenity looked to Mea, and he smiled.
"The orphanage," he started, "Is run by the coin of tax-
payers, and its occupants are street urchins. The children of slaves
are not chosen to be added to orphanages because of bigotry. Alice,
however," he gestured toward the short women, "was once a slave. She
now works at the orphanage and her help was enlisted to help smuggle
these children in."
"Are they all orphans?" Serenity asked, saddened.
Mea swallowed. "None of them are orphans."
Serenity's head snapped toward him.
"They are being sent here in the hopes that they might live a
normal life. Everyday we relocate slaves to rural areas where they
might set up a life of farming, and make a way for themselves, but
they cannot afford to feed their children. People do not adopt
orphans on any regular basis, and so most of these children will still
be here in five or ten years. By that time they are either old enough
to leave and apprentice somewhere, or their parents have survived long
enough that they may reclaim their offspring.
"There is another reason, however."
Serenity nodded for him to go on.
"The Minister of Local Affairs..."
"Gabriel," Serenity interrupted, before she could stop
herself.
Mea nodded, looking at her strangely. "Yes, Gabriel is his
name." Mea cleared his throat. "He comes once every other month to
check on the upkeep of the orphanage and to possibly take some
children back to the palace with him. Once there they are given jobs
such as stableboys and kitchen maids; but it is a job. After eight
months there they get not only food and board but a small salary which
can then be sent to their parents."
"I understand," Serenity replied.
"Good." Mea nodded. "Then let's get on with it."
The children had already been filed into the building, and
they were now standing in the alley alone. Mea began to walk toward
the door, then stopped when he reached it. Serenity looked at him
expectantly, and then, heaving a sigh, Mea opened the door for her.
~~
Serenity was overheating. She was in the basement of the old
building, a large and bustling area, where laundry was done. Alice
had been given strict orders to acquaint Serenity with her duties for
the day, and to watch her like a hawk, although this last part Mea had
murmured so that Serenity would not hear.
She had.
Gabriel was on his way, and was due within two hours time, if
he did not meander too much in the city. It was imperative that he
adopt slaves, which he would only do if they looked well-fed, clean,
and intelligent. And so long as he knew nothing of their origins.
The children were bathed once a month and on holidays, their
birthday, and when they were ill. But Mea had seven slaves in
particular that he wanted Gabriel to notice, and for that they must be
clean. Three were under the age of ten, and had avoided the Seal
because the brothel where they had been born was a poor one; too poor
to afford Seals for all the slaves. The other four were adolescents
who simply could not find an apprenticeship. One was thirteen, one
eleven, and the other two fourteen.
With the help of Alice and a few other women who had once been
slaves, the seven children had been smuggled into the basement, and
were to be bathed behind curtains of linens. The eight women who
manned the laundry that day were all in on the scheme, and also its
perils. Should the slave-children be found out, the four oldest would
be returned to their masters, and the three youngest would be
auctioned off, the benefits going to the monarchy.
So, with all this fresh in her mind, Serenity had been handed
a sponge and two dirty little girls. They had been stripped naked, as
had the other children, and Serenity had avoided looking at their
wrists and necks, which they bared so innocently, the oldest ones
included. While their clothes were being boiled and scrubbed,
Serenity was to wash these two.
She had never even washed herself.
"I'm Heather," said one of the girls, who looked about six.
"This is Jenna." She pointed to her friend, who looked to be a few
years older.
"What lovely names," Serenity replied, out of habit. When she
did nothing else, Heather dipped a finger into the washtub of hot
water, then jerked it away.
"It's hot."
"Well," Serenity took a breath. "Then shall we make this
swift?"
Jenna nodded. "Yes, please."
When she remained motionless, Heather took the sponge from
Serenity's hands and dipped it into the water, then pulled it out and
began scrubbing her arms.
Serenity was shamed. "I shall do that," she said briskly, and
snatched the sponge from the child.
Forty-three long minutes later all three of them were wet, but
the girls were sparkling clean. Their clothes had been washed and
wrapped in a bundle of cloth, and new dresses had been sewn for them
to wear. The dresses were modest and poor, but not as bad as the rags
that they had been wearing.
~~
Mea was on his way to check on Serenity. She was supposedly
in the corner of the basement with her two young charges. Most of the
activity had left the basement, as Gabriel had arrived three minutes
ago and was already looking over the other five children, but the two
with Serenity were still with her.
He rounded a corner and saw Serenity kneeling on the ground
before them. She was handing them something, and as he approached he
saw that it was jewels. She was speaking in a low voice to them, and
although they were nodding attentively, their eyes were on the
diamonds and gold.
Mea knew how they felt.
It was then that Serenity noticed him. "We're just finishing
up here," she called pleasantly.
"Lordship!" Heather cried. "Luna said that we look like
angels." She spun in a circle, and Mea smiled.
"Indeed, you do." He looked to Serenity. "Are we ready now?"
Serenity began to nod, then stopped. She reached down and
tore a strip of fabric from her skirt, then another, and more still.
Beckoning to the girls, she tied the fabric in bows around their
wrists and necks. She smiled at them. "You're both angels," she
whispered, "And don't you let anyone tell you any different."
Mea watched in silence. He had been able to tell that Serenity
was apprehensive about lowering herself to such a level in the
beginning, and had spitefully sniggered to himself that this would be
the last he ever heard from her. But now here she was, giving away
more jewels than he had ever seen in his entire life, and looking
radiant in a soaping wet dress that would have shamed a countess. Her
hair was coming loose, and hung limply, her charcoal cloak discarded
in a heap a few feet away. He was suddenly conscious of his hunched
back as he had never been before, and cleared his throat.
Serenity grinned at him jubilantly. Heather laced her fingers
through Serenity's, startling her with the contact. Serenity was
further shocked, when, after Jenna had taken Mea's right hand, he
extended his left toward her.
Mea didn't know why he had done it. But there was his hand,
outstretched to Serenity, and...no, wait...she was taking it loosely
in her own! He looked away quickly, keeping his eyes straight ahead,
and walked briskly to keep up with their skipping pace.
Serenity kept her eyes on him for the rest of the day. It was
almost evening by the time they were finished, and Gabriel had taken
eleven children--the seven slaves and four others. Jenna and Heather
had charmed him with their hidden wrists, shy manners, and etiquette--
all of which Serenity had quizzed them on while they bathed,
installing new habits which she hoped would be long-lasting.
Now she and Mea were meandering through the orphanage, a good
two or three yards behind the rest of the "team", and not looking or
speaking with each other. Mea broke the lengthy silence.
"I saw what you did for those girls, giving them the jewelry."
He looked her in the eyes. "It was very generous. I wish to thank
you in their behalf."
"Then bump me up."
"Excuse me?"
"I wish to go on real mission," Serenity explained.
Mea was incensed. "This is--was--a 'real mission'. Albeit it
was not dangerous, but what do you expect, Luna? That I would divulge
to you all of our secrets?" he let out a bitter laugh. "Your gift was
generous, very generous indeed, but not enough so that I'd risk the
safety of a large number of people on coin alone. There are lives at
stake here. Can't you see that this is so much bigger than you and I?"
Serenity took a breath. "I have not betrayed your confidence.
I have more coin, more jewelry. Anything else that you could wish for:
horses, land, resources. I have them all and I will share them with
you and the cause, if you will just make me a full member. Take me
along on true missions and do not presume to know every word I'll say
before I speak."
Mea was shaking his head. "You're bluffing, and you know it."
"I am not!" Serenity cried, and the people before them paused
to look back. "I speak the truth--see!" she pulled the drawstring
pouch from inside her cloak, which was draped loosely over her
shoulders, and snatched his hand from his side, emptying the contents
in it. Jewelry, precious stones, and various expensive brick-a-brack
spilled between his fingers and onto the floor. Mea dropped to his
hands and knees, scooping the treasures up into his hands.
"You fool!" he cried, shoving the jewels back at Serenity.
"Anyone around here would kill for what you've got in that pouch, and
you just go dumping it out in an orphanage hallway? At this rate,
you'll get yourself butchered before you get yourself home today, or
at least robbed blind."
"I don't care about being robbed, Mea," Serenity insisted. "I
can assure you that what you have in your hands will never be missed,
and its presence--or lack there of--will go unnoticed. I speak the
truth when I say that I will help you, if only you will work with me."
Mea stared at her from beneath shaggy, overgrown bangs. "Who
are you?"
"Luna."
"You and I both know that that's not true. You're different,
not like what we get around here. You've obviously been sheltered,
never stepped outside your door a day in your life, and here you are,
throwing money about like the Queen of the Moon!"
Serenity couldn't tell if the comparison made her want to
laugh or cry, but Mea wasn't finished.
"Are you the youngest daughter of a duke? You must be high on
the nobility scale, to be able to toss around coin like this..."
"Mea," Serenity looked him straight in the eye. "I am willing
to provide financial support, if you'll only let me in."
Mea looked at he jewels, and in their reflection saw the
large, hollow eyes of beaten, starving children, and the listless
wobble of forgotten people. And he took her money.
~~
Well, whatcha think? Good, bad, stupid?? Email me and tell me!
One more thing...I'm putting on a Viewers Choice Awards for Sailor Moon
fanfiction. If you would like to help out reading, nominate a fic or
author, or would simply like to know more (such as rules and regulations)
please email me. This will all go down in March or April, and the main
discussion on it is in the *Favorites* section of the Sailor Moon Romance
(moonromance.net) discussion board, under "The ASMR Fanfiction Awards 2003".
My screen name there is jellybean.
Also, I'm sure that you've noticed that this fic is formatted differently;
that's because I'm having problems with the computer and I've had to
submit the last chapter from my grandparent's place, where, for some
reason, I cannot format my fics the way that I usually do, in HTML. I
hope that this one loks better than the last.
I think that's all...
semper_fi