Title: Chronicles of the Moon: Life of the Late Queen Serenity
By: AJ Martinez
Email: goodnight_spoon@hotmail.com
Rated: PG
Length: 8 pages
Started: 1/10/2004 11:45 AM
Finished: 8:08 PM 1/17/2004
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Any characters that you do not
recognize, however, are most likely my creations and I would prefer
that you not use them without first contacting me and working out the
details.
Inspiration struck me last night while freezing my ass off on the way
to the movies, and here's the result!
This chapter is dedicated to my sister, Rocky. (Get well soon!) Also
to all of you who have written or AIMed me, especially Liz C., who
recently discovered that I am, indeed, female. ^_^
~~
Serenity stayed still, frozen with fear. There would be no
excuse for using this escape route, for stumbling into her parents'
chambers late at night.
*They aren't in here, dolt.*
At first it seemed too much to hope for, but the Crystal had
not yet been wrong, and she didn't hear anything. Cautiously, Serenity
crawled out of the crate and into the vast, dark room. Her parents'
chambers were far larger than hers, and, despite fashion and custom,
they shared a room. Everything was decorated in the customary white
marble and alabaster, although it all looked gray in this light.
*Hurry up!* the Crystal cried. *You haven't any idea when they'll
return, and it wouldn't due to be caught.*
Seeing the wisdom in this, Serenity did not argue. She padded
across the room, pausing when she reached the doors to listen for the
footfalls of guards. Hearing nothing, she pressed the door open and
slid through. She had barely taken three steps when a voice called
out, "Hey! You there--halt!"
Serenity began turning to face her aggressor, but the Crystal
cried, *NO! What are you, an idiot? Don't give them a chance to see
your face. Just run!*
The Crystal had barely finished the command when Serenity was
sprinting down the corridors, holding up her myriad skirts to keep
from tripping on them. She turned a corner and was out of the guards'
sight for a moment. Looking this way and that, Serenity recognized
her location, but could not put a name to it. She knew, however, that
should she turn the upcoming corner, she would then be in the corridors
that lead to her own chambers.
Whipping around the last corner, Serenity ran into someone and
fell back, landing on her rear. Her nose began to bleed from the
impact.
"Serenity?"
Serenity looked up, wondering who would dare address her as
such, fearing at the same time that she knew who. When her eyes met
light blue ones she had to close them and swallow. "Prince Raphael."
Raphael seemed as shocked as she, but he still had the state
of mind to extend a hand and pull his wife to her feet. His eyes
roamed over her as she stared defiantly back. Her hair was
disheveled and had dirt and twigs tangled into it, and her nightgown
was torn and smudged with dirt. Of her slippers, he knew not where
they were.
"Is there something that I can do for you, Prince Raphael?"
Serenity curtsied primly.
Raphael tore his eyes away from hers, feeling as though their
lilac would burn him. Reaching into his breast pocket, he retrieved
a white handkerchief and held it out to her. When Serenity made no
move to take it, he extended it farther toward her. "Your nose,
princess, is bleeding."
Abashed, Serenity took the proffered item and held it to her
nose; hardly any blood was left, and she wiped it away quickly,
noticing as she did that his name was embroidered in blue thread in
the corner.
"Actually," Raphael began, picking up where she had left off.
"There is something that you can do for me."
Serenity gave him her full attention, although she wished to
be anywhere but there.
"You can think up a good lie...better than your previous
attempts...because when the king and queen see you, they shall
undoubtedly question your appearance."
"My appearance?" Serenity parroted.
Raphael nodded, and began walking, giving Serenity no choice
but to follow.
"We were to be in the king's study over an hour past." When
Serenity opened her mouth to inquire, Raphael saved her the need. "I
was delivered a message an hour ago to make haste to the king's study,
and when I arrived thirty minutes was spent waiting for you, princess.
I volunteered to go and fetch you, and when I had reached your chambers
I found them empty." Now he stopped walking, for they had reached the
study. "Where were you?"
Serenity opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
"Just as I thought." Raphael began to reach for the door, but
then paused and, licking his thumb, proceeded to rub the dirt off of
Serenity's face.
Humbled, Serenity lowered her head, but Raphael caught her
chin and forced her to meet his eyes.
"Oh no, princess," he said. "Not now. Hold your head up and
face the consequences of your decisions, or don't make them at all."
Before she could reply, Raphael pushed the door open and stood
aside, motioning for her to precede him.
Serenity swallowed, and she stood straight, shoulders back,
stomach in, chin up. Then she took that first step into the room, and
then the second and the third, and before she knew it she was sitting
in the throne-like chair that had been brought in for her, and Raphael
was sitting next to her. Her royal parents sat in their thrones in
the study, and also present were David, the Royal Ambassador; Jonathon,
the Prime Minister; Edward, the ancient Royal Advisor; Bernard,
Minister of Courtroom Affairs; Leon, the Captain of the Guard; Michael,
Minister of Internal Affairs; Gabriel, Minister of Local Affairs; and
finally Geoffrey, Minister of livestock, gardening and foodstuffs.
The Queen took one look at her daughter and paled, but the
King, quicker on his feet, pretended not to have noticed and began the
meeting.
"Something wonderful has happened," he said, smiling in
contentment. "As you are all aware, we have had limited contact with
the planets these last centuries, and they had had little interest in
the Moon, claiming that we had nothing to do with them, and should be
qualified together with Earth." Now his smile broadened. "These last
few months, however, we have been negotiating a more peaceful future.
After much compromise and hours of comparing statistics, we have all
reached several agreements.
"The Moon has severed our antiquated arrangements with Earth.
We will still have friendly contact with them, as we have always
enjoyed, but now there will be no mistake as to who has more power and
influence. The Moon will operate on its own and with its own agenda
in mind, not that of Earth.
"Although not technically a planet and smaller than many of our
neighbors, the planets have agreed that this bickering must come to a
stop, and that we must form one untied nation. Negotiations are still
underway, but it looks as though that nation will be under the Moon."
Serenity caught her breath, and remembered a conversation in
this same study that she had overheard months ago, on the day of her
Coming of Age ceremony and celebration. Could these be the same
planets that had been at each others' throats, wary of the Moon's
intrigue and boasting of their might from telecommunication screens,
too frightened to say these words in person?
"We have acknowledged that our galaxy is a small one, and as
technology increases, so do the risks. Already, Mars reports that
their prayers have made known to them hostile forces from other
galaxies already making expeditions into others. Pluto has concurred,
saying that these so-called 'hostile forces' will arrive with our
galaxy as their target." He swallowed and looked at Serenity. "And
that, my daughter, they will arrive within your lifetime."
Serenity felt herself grow cold. How could this be? One
minute there is peace with the planets, and the next it is whisked
away. *Within my lifetime!* Serenity shivered.
"As such, we have begun negotiations to enlist a small, secret
militia of gifted individuals who will devote their life to seeing to
the peace of our galaxy. This group has not yet been selected,
although it will be further discussed next week." Now the king fairly
glowed. "The treaty has been drawn up, and has only to be signed.
That is why the rulers of all nine planets are on their way to the
Moon as we speak."
Out of the corner of her eye, Serenity saw Raphael take in a
quick breath, and realized that she had done the same. She had never
met the royals from the other planets, and little was known about them.
She could not recall a point in time when her royal parents, or,
indeed, any monarch from the Moon, had met in person with any of the
leaders from the planets. And now, to have them all in one place!
This was the stuff that history was made of.
"In exactly nine days there will be a feast to rival all
feasts," the king continued. "The grandest ball that you can imagine.
We shall be hosting it, of course, and first there will be a ceremony.
I imagine that peasants will be gathered all around the palace, and
once the treaty is signed it will be displayed from the Tower."
Serenity knew that her father spoke of an alabaster tower built
into the flawless, pale wall that already surrounded the palace. The
wall itself was thick enough to house many servants, and it went
underground over one hundred feet, and around it, in the dirt, there
were jagged rocks scattered so as to make it harder to break the
palace in case of a raid. Serenity had often wondered if the wall
around the city was so protected.
Memories of her birthday returned, of her Coming of Age party
and, the next day standing on that balcony in that Tower, looking down
to see the entire city beneath her, all gathered to see their new
Crown-Princess. Traditionally the presentation, done by her royal
parents, was to have taken place the actual day of her ceremony, but
she had sneaked off that night and so it had been delayed.
*The entire Moon will be gathered there, I suppose,* Serenity
thought, and was echoed by her father:
"Already, royalty from every corner of the Moon is sending
messengers, hoping to stay in the palace and meet with our new allies.
We shall, of course, take as many as we can hold."
By this point the ministers were all taking notes furiously,
their styluses flying over the paper as they each tallied up the cost
of this ball.
"Others," the king continued, "May make camp outside the palace,
or, if they wish, attempt to rent rooms in the homes of city residents."
Gabriel, Minister of Local Affairs, made a respectful gesture
requesting permission to speak. The king nodded and he said, "Sire, I
think it might be best to advise the citizens not to let any of their
rooms. A few nobles have been known for attempting to cheat peasants
of their wages, and we wouldn't want a skirmish between them and our
people." He did not mention that it would make the Moon look bad in
front of their guests, although that was what was on everyone's minds.
The king nodded thoughtfully, and opened his mouth to speak
when Serenity mimicked Gabriel's gesture. "Serenity?" he said, caught
off guard. Serenity had never taken any interest in politics. "You
wish to speak?"
"Yes, father, I do," Serenity replied. She had been thinking
while the Minister of Local Affairs had been talking, and a solution
had formed in her mind. "Supposing," she said, addressing the table,
"Small plaques were made for those villagers willing to let their rooms.
They could say something like, 'This household and those in and
belonging to it are under the protection of king and country.' It
might be hung above their door and cold have the king's signet seal on
it. That would certainly stay the hand of many nobles, and additional
guards could be situated throughout the city."
A few of the ministers looked at each other, surprised by this
bout of insight. They had always thought Serenity a delightful girl,
certainly obedient, beautiful and well-trained, and her intelligence
was a given, considering her tutors, but they had not counted on her
using her knowledge to help the kingdom. Although women were not
especially oppressed on the Moon, men usually did all the talking.
In his throne, her father was thinking the same thing. A nudge
from the queen made him realize that he had paused too long, and the
king cleared his throat. He could see no flaw in her reasoning. "A
wonderful idea, Serenity," he commended. "One that shall be carried
out."
The ministers scribbled.
Warmed by the compliment and the achievement, Serenity beamed.
She felt as though she was actually helping her planet now.
"Our first guests should be arriving within a few days," the
king continued, but Serenity was barely listening, still on cloud nine.
Raphael watched his wife, and, despite himself, felt proud.
~~
The next morning, amidst the commotion of servants preparing
for the ball, Serenity managed to find out where the blueprints for
the dungeons were located, and had been horrified to hear that they
were kept in the bed chambers of Captain of the Guard Leon. This would
never do. She would have to go to Mea and tell him that she had been
unable to get them.
This bothered Serenity as few things had. She had always been
a perfectionist, but this went further than this. The thought of
returning to the cathedral empty-handed embarrassed her, and she felt
as though she had let down the Cause.
*And Mea,* the Crystal snickered. *Wouldn't want to cast an
unfavorable light on yourself in his presence, now would we, Princess?*
Serenity ignored the Crystal as she would her way through the
camps outside the palace walls. The Peace Ball, as it had been dubbed,
had just been announced that morning, but already the servants of
nearby nobility had all been sent to request rooms and make camps for
themselves outside the walls. By the king's decree, no noble of the
Moon would be permitted to house their servants or slaves inside the
palace, as space was limited. Should they still wish for their own
attendants, they may house them outside the palace walls.
She was on her way to the cathedral now, decked out in her long
charcoal cloak with her hair tucked beneath the hood. She had sneaked
out by making herself a note to give to the guards and pretending to
be a servant; the escape route would no longer be an option in a few
hours, as more and more tents were being set up, and that was what she
needed to see Mea about.
As she walked through the city, Serenity enjoyed the sights and
the smells. Everywhere she looked, merchants were setting up their
shops and eyeing each other evilly, willing to kill for the best, most
prime spots to set up their wares. Guards stood or walked everywhere,
watching the comings and goings of the peasants with an apathy that
was born of familiarity.
When she reached the cathedral, Mea had set a man out to wait
for her, and she was greeted warmly and shown inside. She was lead up
a winding staircase and then let into a large chamber on one of the
upper floors that she recognized from when they were planning the raid.
Mea was already there, and he was sitting in a chair at the head of
the table. Taking the only other unoccupied seat, Serenity settled
into then came right out and said what was on her mind.
"I have bad news."
Mea's expression remained blank, and when she said nothing
more, he prompted, "How so?"
"I was unable to obtain the blueprints." Serenity waited a
moment, then continued. "They are kept in the Captain of the Guard's
chambers, but I know not where those are or how I would gain entrance
to them." When Mea still said nothing, Serenity became uncomfortable.
"What would you have me do?"
"Get those blueprints."
Serenity at first believed that she had misunderstood him, but
when Mea said nothing more, she became angry. "I've tried," Serenity
said through gritted teeth. "I've tried, but I am not about to break
into that man's chambers and attempt to steal them out from under his
nose. In the first place, he would notice when they went missing and
raise security, and secondly..."
"Secondly," Mea said, "We can't get into the dungeons without
them. I'm not about to risk more men sneaking into a nest of guards
without knowing the way out."
Serenity could see the wisdom in this, but she was still upset.
"Do you not have men situated throughout the palace as spies?" at Mea's
nod, she continued, "Could you not, then, have one get the blueprints?"
Mea shook his head. "He would be killed if caught in Leon's
chambers. You would only be reprimanded."
Serenity slumped in her chair. "I don't even know where his
chambers are."
"He has two. One in the palace on the fourth floor and another
in the barracks, with the rest of the soldiers."
Serenity looked up. "You know all this; do you know where he
keeps the blueprints?"
"No," Mea said, shaking his head and causing his mop of tangles
to fly about his face. "I had no idea that he kept them until you
told me so."
Serenity sighed. "And we must have them?"
"Yes."
Irritated, Serenity began to stand, then stopped. "You will
want to send some men back with me to the palace, and send with them
a tent." At Mea's inquiring look, she explained. "Tents are being set
up around the palace walls in anticipation of the Peace Ball, and
without the escape route in my chambers we have no way of entrance
into the palace. We cannot, however, use it with the eyes of nobility
watching us, and so a tent must be set over it to disguise our comings
and goings."
Pleased with her reasoning, Mea nodded. "You shall have your
men."
Serenity stood, and was about to take her leave when something
occurred to her. "Has a date been set?"
Mea paused. "Not in stone. The day of the Peace Ball is being
considered, though."
Serenity felt herself grow cold. "What?"
"It makes the most sense," Mea explained, feeling unnecessarily
guilty. It wasn't as though he were doing this on purpose, to cut her
out. At least he didn't think he was.
"I'll be preoccupied on that day!" Serenity cried. "Surely
you understand that. There will be guests to entertain, dignitaries
to welcome..."
"If you can't spare the time..."
"It isn't like that!" Serenity interrupted, not believing her
ears. *After all I've done for them, he still tries to cheat me...*
She took a breath and regained her calm. Drawing herself to her full
height, Serenity glared down at Mea. "This is unacceptable, and you
know it as well as I do. I have sacrificed for the Cause, stolen from
and deceived my own family. My reputation, my marriage, my traditions..."
"Well I'm sorry if the right thing to do is so miserable for
you," Mea shot back, standing up. "I'm sorry if our suffering has
inconvenienced you, princess, but..."
"But what?" Serenity cut him off, but she would not raise her
voice again or grovel. It was beneath her. "Now that I try to 'do
the right thing' you're going to make it hard for me every step of the
way? What means more to you, *Lordship*--your damnable pride, or your
people?"
Mea opened his mouth to speak, but Serenity was quicker.
"Because I shan't offer my aid again if all I get in return is
your arrogance."
Mea let out his breath through his nostrils, teeth clenched,
and took his seat. "Fine," he said after a moment. "Let's talk."
Not allowing herself to prematurely celebrate this minor
victory, Serenity remained standing, although it was rude. "There is
no other day that would be better suited for the mission?"
"None. The comings and goings leading up to that day will
greatly endanger any plans of breaking in that we might have, and if
caught there is a much higher chance that we will be killed on the
spot or made an example of, as an attempt to 'save face' in front of
the visiting rulers."
Serenity was silent, knowing this was true.
"They've already been in the dungeons a few weeks," Mea
continued. "From what I've heard of Lunarian strategy, they are being
kept alive for torture purposes, being interrogated and worn down day
by day. Already, too much time has passed since their capture. We
need to move."
Serenity was barely listening. She knew all this already, had
come to the same conclusions on her own. She knew that it made the
most sense to make their move on the day of the Peace Ball. *But how
could I manage?*
*You could always fake another illness,* the Crystal suggested.
It hung loosely around her neck, and sometimes Serenity swore she
could feel it pulsing in time with her heart.
*No,* Serenity thought back. *That would never work again.*
And then Serenity got an idea. A wonderful, terrible,
treacherous idea. At the same time that her mind and heart were
screaming *No!*, her lips were asking Mea, "Have you any potions, a
tasteless liquid that, when consumed, causes a person to fall into a
slumber?"
Mea looked at her strangely. "Yes," he replied after a moment.
"What need have you for it?"
"That," Serenity said, "is no concern of yours." When she saw
the look on Mea's face, the princess added, "Trust me."
~~
Oohh, another cliff-hanger. Sort of.
Not sure when the next installment will be out...I'm hoping to
start work on it shortly, but we all know how these things work. I
shouldn't have even touched it this weekend...we were given two extra
days off of school to study for our exams, but then I was struck with
inspiration and spent all this time at the keyboard and now it's
Saturday and I still can't remember what a carboxyl group is suppose
to look like or all of my Spanish vocabulary... _
Oh, by the way, I recently got mah website up! The address is
http://www.geocities.com/ajluvs2bannoying and it has my writing and
art, an image gallery of me and my friends/family, quizzes, and various
sub-pages about my views on things and that kinda shtuff. It's
basically my shrine to me. :P
You know the email, but you can AIM me at AJluvs2Bannoying or
check me out on the ASMR Discussion Board (at moonromance.net) under
the sn AJ Martinez. I also have a livejournal (they're free now, but
I have a paid account because I'm cool like that) and my sn there is
LadieAJ.
So ya know, critique, review, contact me, whatever. Many blessings!
AJ
By: AJ Martinez
Email: goodnight_spoon@hotmail.com
Rated: PG
Length: 8 pages
Started: 1/10/2004 11:45 AM
Finished: 8:08 PM 1/17/2004
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Any characters that you do not
recognize, however, are most likely my creations and I would prefer
that you not use them without first contacting me and working out the
details.
Inspiration struck me last night while freezing my ass off on the way
to the movies, and here's the result!
This chapter is dedicated to my sister, Rocky. (Get well soon!) Also
to all of you who have written or AIMed me, especially Liz C., who
recently discovered that I am, indeed, female. ^_^
~~
Serenity stayed still, frozen with fear. There would be no
excuse for using this escape route, for stumbling into her parents'
chambers late at night.
*They aren't in here, dolt.*
At first it seemed too much to hope for, but the Crystal had
not yet been wrong, and she didn't hear anything. Cautiously, Serenity
crawled out of the crate and into the vast, dark room. Her parents'
chambers were far larger than hers, and, despite fashion and custom,
they shared a room. Everything was decorated in the customary white
marble and alabaster, although it all looked gray in this light.
*Hurry up!* the Crystal cried. *You haven't any idea when they'll
return, and it wouldn't due to be caught.*
Seeing the wisdom in this, Serenity did not argue. She padded
across the room, pausing when she reached the doors to listen for the
footfalls of guards. Hearing nothing, she pressed the door open and
slid through. She had barely taken three steps when a voice called
out, "Hey! You there--halt!"
Serenity began turning to face her aggressor, but the Crystal
cried, *NO! What are you, an idiot? Don't give them a chance to see
your face. Just run!*
The Crystal had barely finished the command when Serenity was
sprinting down the corridors, holding up her myriad skirts to keep
from tripping on them. She turned a corner and was out of the guards'
sight for a moment. Looking this way and that, Serenity recognized
her location, but could not put a name to it. She knew, however, that
should she turn the upcoming corner, she would then be in the corridors
that lead to her own chambers.
Whipping around the last corner, Serenity ran into someone and
fell back, landing on her rear. Her nose began to bleed from the
impact.
"Serenity?"
Serenity looked up, wondering who would dare address her as
such, fearing at the same time that she knew who. When her eyes met
light blue ones she had to close them and swallow. "Prince Raphael."
Raphael seemed as shocked as she, but he still had the state
of mind to extend a hand and pull his wife to her feet. His eyes
roamed over her as she stared defiantly back. Her hair was
disheveled and had dirt and twigs tangled into it, and her nightgown
was torn and smudged with dirt. Of her slippers, he knew not where
they were.
"Is there something that I can do for you, Prince Raphael?"
Serenity curtsied primly.
Raphael tore his eyes away from hers, feeling as though their
lilac would burn him. Reaching into his breast pocket, he retrieved
a white handkerchief and held it out to her. When Serenity made no
move to take it, he extended it farther toward her. "Your nose,
princess, is bleeding."
Abashed, Serenity took the proffered item and held it to her
nose; hardly any blood was left, and she wiped it away quickly,
noticing as she did that his name was embroidered in blue thread in
the corner.
"Actually," Raphael began, picking up where she had left off.
"There is something that you can do for me."
Serenity gave him her full attention, although she wished to
be anywhere but there.
"You can think up a good lie...better than your previous
attempts...because when the king and queen see you, they shall
undoubtedly question your appearance."
"My appearance?" Serenity parroted.
Raphael nodded, and began walking, giving Serenity no choice
but to follow.
"We were to be in the king's study over an hour past." When
Serenity opened her mouth to inquire, Raphael saved her the need. "I
was delivered a message an hour ago to make haste to the king's study,
and when I arrived thirty minutes was spent waiting for you, princess.
I volunteered to go and fetch you, and when I had reached your chambers
I found them empty." Now he stopped walking, for they had reached the
study. "Where were you?"
Serenity opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
"Just as I thought." Raphael began to reach for the door, but
then paused and, licking his thumb, proceeded to rub the dirt off of
Serenity's face.
Humbled, Serenity lowered her head, but Raphael caught her
chin and forced her to meet his eyes.
"Oh no, princess," he said. "Not now. Hold your head up and
face the consequences of your decisions, or don't make them at all."
Before she could reply, Raphael pushed the door open and stood
aside, motioning for her to precede him.
Serenity swallowed, and she stood straight, shoulders back,
stomach in, chin up. Then she took that first step into the room, and
then the second and the third, and before she knew it she was sitting
in the throne-like chair that had been brought in for her, and Raphael
was sitting next to her. Her royal parents sat in their thrones in
the study, and also present were David, the Royal Ambassador; Jonathon,
the Prime Minister; Edward, the ancient Royal Advisor; Bernard,
Minister of Courtroom Affairs; Leon, the Captain of the Guard; Michael,
Minister of Internal Affairs; Gabriel, Minister of Local Affairs; and
finally Geoffrey, Minister of livestock, gardening and foodstuffs.
The Queen took one look at her daughter and paled, but the
King, quicker on his feet, pretended not to have noticed and began the
meeting.
"Something wonderful has happened," he said, smiling in
contentment. "As you are all aware, we have had limited contact with
the planets these last centuries, and they had had little interest in
the Moon, claiming that we had nothing to do with them, and should be
qualified together with Earth." Now his smile broadened. "These last
few months, however, we have been negotiating a more peaceful future.
After much compromise and hours of comparing statistics, we have all
reached several agreements.
"The Moon has severed our antiquated arrangements with Earth.
We will still have friendly contact with them, as we have always
enjoyed, but now there will be no mistake as to who has more power and
influence. The Moon will operate on its own and with its own agenda
in mind, not that of Earth.
"Although not technically a planet and smaller than many of our
neighbors, the planets have agreed that this bickering must come to a
stop, and that we must form one untied nation. Negotiations are still
underway, but it looks as though that nation will be under the Moon."
Serenity caught her breath, and remembered a conversation in
this same study that she had overheard months ago, on the day of her
Coming of Age ceremony and celebration. Could these be the same
planets that had been at each others' throats, wary of the Moon's
intrigue and boasting of their might from telecommunication screens,
too frightened to say these words in person?
"We have acknowledged that our galaxy is a small one, and as
technology increases, so do the risks. Already, Mars reports that
their prayers have made known to them hostile forces from other
galaxies already making expeditions into others. Pluto has concurred,
saying that these so-called 'hostile forces' will arrive with our
galaxy as their target." He swallowed and looked at Serenity. "And
that, my daughter, they will arrive within your lifetime."
Serenity felt herself grow cold. How could this be? One
minute there is peace with the planets, and the next it is whisked
away. *Within my lifetime!* Serenity shivered.
"As such, we have begun negotiations to enlist a small, secret
militia of gifted individuals who will devote their life to seeing to
the peace of our galaxy. This group has not yet been selected,
although it will be further discussed next week." Now the king fairly
glowed. "The treaty has been drawn up, and has only to be signed.
That is why the rulers of all nine planets are on their way to the
Moon as we speak."
Out of the corner of her eye, Serenity saw Raphael take in a
quick breath, and realized that she had done the same. She had never
met the royals from the other planets, and little was known about them.
She could not recall a point in time when her royal parents, or,
indeed, any monarch from the Moon, had met in person with any of the
leaders from the planets. And now, to have them all in one place!
This was the stuff that history was made of.
"In exactly nine days there will be a feast to rival all
feasts," the king continued. "The grandest ball that you can imagine.
We shall be hosting it, of course, and first there will be a ceremony.
I imagine that peasants will be gathered all around the palace, and
once the treaty is signed it will be displayed from the Tower."
Serenity knew that her father spoke of an alabaster tower built
into the flawless, pale wall that already surrounded the palace. The
wall itself was thick enough to house many servants, and it went
underground over one hundred feet, and around it, in the dirt, there
were jagged rocks scattered so as to make it harder to break the
palace in case of a raid. Serenity had often wondered if the wall
around the city was so protected.
Memories of her birthday returned, of her Coming of Age party
and, the next day standing on that balcony in that Tower, looking down
to see the entire city beneath her, all gathered to see their new
Crown-Princess. Traditionally the presentation, done by her royal
parents, was to have taken place the actual day of her ceremony, but
she had sneaked off that night and so it had been delayed.
*The entire Moon will be gathered there, I suppose,* Serenity
thought, and was echoed by her father:
"Already, royalty from every corner of the Moon is sending
messengers, hoping to stay in the palace and meet with our new allies.
We shall, of course, take as many as we can hold."
By this point the ministers were all taking notes furiously,
their styluses flying over the paper as they each tallied up the cost
of this ball.
"Others," the king continued, "May make camp outside the palace,
or, if they wish, attempt to rent rooms in the homes of city residents."
Gabriel, Minister of Local Affairs, made a respectful gesture
requesting permission to speak. The king nodded and he said, "Sire, I
think it might be best to advise the citizens not to let any of their
rooms. A few nobles have been known for attempting to cheat peasants
of their wages, and we wouldn't want a skirmish between them and our
people." He did not mention that it would make the Moon look bad in
front of their guests, although that was what was on everyone's minds.
The king nodded thoughtfully, and opened his mouth to speak
when Serenity mimicked Gabriel's gesture. "Serenity?" he said, caught
off guard. Serenity had never taken any interest in politics. "You
wish to speak?"
"Yes, father, I do," Serenity replied. She had been thinking
while the Minister of Local Affairs had been talking, and a solution
had formed in her mind. "Supposing," she said, addressing the table,
"Small plaques were made for those villagers willing to let their rooms.
They could say something like, 'This household and those in and
belonging to it are under the protection of king and country.' It
might be hung above their door and cold have the king's signet seal on
it. That would certainly stay the hand of many nobles, and additional
guards could be situated throughout the city."
A few of the ministers looked at each other, surprised by this
bout of insight. They had always thought Serenity a delightful girl,
certainly obedient, beautiful and well-trained, and her intelligence
was a given, considering her tutors, but they had not counted on her
using her knowledge to help the kingdom. Although women were not
especially oppressed on the Moon, men usually did all the talking.
In his throne, her father was thinking the same thing. A nudge
from the queen made him realize that he had paused too long, and the
king cleared his throat. He could see no flaw in her reasoning. "A
wonderful idea, Serenity," he commended. "One that shall be carried
out."
The ministers scribbled.
Warmed by the compliment and the achievement, Serenity beamed.
She felt as though she was actually helping her planet now.
"Our first guests should be arriving within a few days," the
king continued, but Serenity was barely listening, still on cloud nine.
Raphael watched his wife, and, despite himself, felt proud.
~~
The next morning, amidst the commotion of servants preparing
for the ball, Serenity managed to find out where the blueprints for
the dungeons were located, and had been horrified to hear that they
were kept in the bed chambers of Captain of the Guard Leon. This would
never do. She would have to go to Mea and tell him that she had been
unable to get them.
This bothered Serenity as few things had. She had always been
a perfectionist, but this went further than this. The thought of
returning to the cathedral empty-handed embarrassed her, and she felt
as though she had let down the Cause.
*And Mea,* the Crystal snickered. *Wouldn't want to cast an
unfavorable light on yourself in his presence, now would we, Princess?*
Serenity ignored the Crystal as she would her way through the
camps outside the palace walls. The Peace Ball, as it had been dubbed,
had just been announced that morning, but already the servants of
nearby nobility had all been sent to request rooms and make camps for
themselves outside the walls. By the king's decree, no noble of the
Moon would be permitted to house their servants or slaves inside the
palace, as space was limited. Should they still wish for their own
attendants, they may house them outside the palace walls.
She was on her way to the cathedral now, decked out in her long
charcoal cloak with her hair tucked beneath the hood. She had sneaked
out by making herself a note to give to the guards and pretending to
be a servant; the escape route would no longer be an option in a few
hours, as more and more tents were being set up, and that was what she
needed to see Mea about.
As she walked through the city, Serenity enjoyed the sights and
the smells. Everywhere she looked, merchants were setting up their
shops and eyeing each other evilly, willing to kill for the best, most
prime spots to set up their wares. Guards stood or walked everywhere,
watching the comings and goings of the peasants with an apathy that
was born of familiarity.
When she reached the cathedral, Mea had set a man out to wait
for her, and she was greeted warmly and shown inside. She was lead up
a winding staircase and then let into a large chamber on one of the
upper floors that she recognized from when they were planning the raid.
Mea was already there, and he was sitting in a chair at the head of
the table. Taking the only other unoccupied seat, Serenity settled
into then came right out and said what was on her mind.
"I have bad news."
Mea's expression remained blank, and when she said nothing
more, he prompted, "How so?"
"I was unable to obtain the blueprints." Serenity waited a
moment, then continued. "They are kept in the Captain of the Guard's
chambers, but I know not where those are or how I would gain entrance
to them." When Mea still said nothing, Serenity became uncomfortable.
"What would you have me do?"
"Get those blueprints."
Serenity at first believed that she had misunderstood him, but
when Mea said nothing more, she became angry. "I've tried," Serenity
said through gritted teeth. "I've tried, but I am not about to break
into that man's chambers and attempt to steal them out from under his
nose. In the first place, he would notice when they went missing and
raise security, and secondly..."
"Secondly," Mea said, "We can't get into the dungeons without
them. I'm not about to risk more men sneaking into a nest of guards
without knowing the way out."
Serenity could see the wisdom in this, but she was still upset.
"Do you not have men situated throughout the palace as spies?" at Mea's
nod, she continued, "Could you not, then, have one get the blueprints?"
Mea shook his head. "He would be killed if caught in Leon's
chambers. You would only be reprimanded."
Serenity slumped in her chair. "I don't even know where his
chambers are."
"He has two. One in the palace on the fourth floor and another
in the barracks, with the rest of the soldiers."
Serenity looked up. "You know all this; do you know where he
keeps the blueprints?"
"No," Mea said, shaking his head and causing his mop of tangles
to fly about his face. "I had no idea that he kept them until you
told me so."
Serenity sighed. "And we must have them?"
"Yes."
Irritated, Serenity began to stand, then stopped. "You will
want to send some men back with me to the palace, and send with them
a tent." At Mea's inquiring look, she explained. "Tents are being set
up around the palace walls in anticipation of the Peace Ball, and
without the escape route in my chambers we have no way of entrance
into the palace. We cannot, however, use it with the eyes of nobility
watching us, and so a tent must be set over it to disguise our comings
and goings."
Pleased with her reasoning, Mea nodded. "You shall have your
men."
Serenity stood, and was about to take her leave when something
occurred to her. "Has a date been set?"
Mea paused. "Not in stone. The day of the Peace Ball is being
considered, though."
Serenity felt herself grow cold. "What?"
"It makes the most sense," Mea explained, feeling unnecessarily
guilty. It wasn't as though he were doing this on purpose, to cut her
out. At least he didn't think he was.
"I'll be preoccupied on that day!" Serenity cried. "Surely
you understand that. There will be guests to entertain, dignitaries
to welcome..."
"If you can't spare the time..."
"It isn't like that!" Serenity interrupted, not believing her
ears. *After all I've done for them, he still tries to cheat me...*
She took a breath and regained her calm. Drawing herself to her full
height, Serenity glared down at Mea. "This is unacceptable, and you
know it as well as I do. I have sacrificed for the Cause, stolen from
and deceived my own family. My reputation, my marriage, my traditions..."
"Well I'm sorry if the right thing to do is so miserable for
you," Mea shot back, standing up. "I'm sorry if our suffering has
inconvenienced you, princess, but..."
"But what?" Serenity cut him off, but she would not raise her
voice again or grovel. It was beneath her. "Now that I try to 'do
the right thing' you're going to make it hard for me every step of the
way? What means more to you, *Lordship*--your damnable pride, or your
people?"
Mea opened his mouth to speak, but Serenity was quicker.
"Because I shan't offer my aid again if all I get in return is
your arrogance."
Mea let out his breath through his nostrils, teeth clenched,
and took his seat. "Fine," he said after a moment. "Let's talk."
Not allowing herself to prematurely celebrate this minor
victory, Serenity remained standing, although it was rude. "There is
no other day that would be better suited for the mission?"
"None. The comings and goings leading up to that day will
greatly endanger any plans of breaking in that we might have, and if
caught there is a much higher chance that we will be killed on the
spot or made an example of, as an attempt to 'save face' in front of
the visiting rulers."
Serenity was silent, knowing this was true.
"They've already been in the dungeons a few weeks," Mea
continued. "From what I've heard of Lunarian strategy, they are being
kept alive for torture purposes, being interrogated and worn down day
by day. Already, too much time has passed since their capture. We
need to move."
Serenity was barely listening. She knew all this already, had
come to the same conclusions on her own. She knew that it made the
most sense to make their move on the day of the Peace Ball. *But how
could I manage?*
*You could always fake another illness,* the Crystal suggested.
It hung loosely around her neck, and sometimes Serenity swore she
could feel it pulsing in time with her heart.
*No,* Serenity thought back. *That would never work again.*
And then Serenity got an idea. A wonderful, terrible,
treacherous idea. At the same time that her mind and heart were
screaming *No!*, her lips were asking Mea, "Have you any potions, a
tasteless liquid that, when consumed, causes a person to fall into a
slumber?"
Mea looked at her strangely. "Yes," he replied after a moment.
"What need have you for it?"
"That," Serenity said, "is no concern of yours." When she saw
the look on Mea's face, the princess added, "Trust me."
~~
Oohh, another cliff-hanger. Sort of.
Not sure when the next installment will be out...I'm hoping to
start work on it shortly, but we all know how these things work. I
shouldn't have even touched it this weekend...we were given two extra
days off of school to study for our exams, but then I was struck with
inspiration and spent all this time at the keyboard and now it's
Saturday and I still can't remember what a carboxyl group is suppose
to look like or all of my Spanish vocabulary... _
Oh, by the way, I recently got mah website up! The address is
http://www.geocities.com/ajluvs2bannoying and it has my writing and
art, an image gallery of me and my friends/family, quizzes, and various
sub-pages about my views on things and that kinda shtuff. It's
basically my shrine to me. :P
You know the email, but you can AIM me at AJluvs2Bannoying or
check me out on the ASMR Discussion Board (at moonromance.net) under
the sn AJ Martinez. I also have a livejournal (they're free now, but
I have a paid account because I'm cool like that) and my sn there is
LadieAJ.
So ya know, critique, review, contact me, whatever. Many blessings!
AJ