Here we go again! This chapter is one of my favourites, so I really hope you enjoy it!
Sorry about the paragraphing in this chapter, I couldn't figure out where to split the scenes, so they're a bit long.
Maid for You - Chapter 18
Footsteps echoed along the white marble halls as the young woman strode purposefully towards her destination. Long blonde hair flowed behind her, neatly tied back with a red bow. It was obvious to all who saw her that she was a leader, one more used to giving orders than receiving them, a soldier of high rank.
Reaching a set of high white doors, she knocked briskly. "Come." Came the gentle summons from within. She opened the door and stepped into the private chambers of the Moon's queen, Serenity. The Queen smiled warmly as she entered. "Sailor Venus." She greeted the young woman. "What news for me today?" Venus held out the golden envelope in her hand.
"We have had a message from earth. Prince Endymion is to be married and you have been invited to attend." She paused before continuing. "Shall I send the standard rejection your majesty?" The Moon Queen did not reply, she had become lost in thought. Prince Endymion was the only child of the King and Queen of Earth, this would be a very special occasion. She knew it was only proper that she attend, even though earth was not a member of the Silver Millennium. After all, there was no hostility between the two planets, Earth had simply preferred to retain full independence. In fact, she had once been good friends with Queen Gaia.
"So long ago." She murmured. She turned back to Venus. "Who is his bride?" She asked the young woman. Venus smiled slightly.
"A most unusual one your majesty, she is his maid!" Queen Serenity was surprised to say the least.
"A love match." She said thoughtfully. "He's lucky. I would have expected him to have an arranged marriage." She suspected Queen Gaia had used her charms on King Sol so that Endymion could marry the one he loved. She wondered how the girl was coping with the fiery-tempered king. Still, it was a joyous time for the King and Queen, indeed for the whole planet. The marriage of the only heir was a big occasion. "Is it right for me to begrudge them their happiness because mine was taken from me?" She wondered. She turned her head to the window and saw the blue planet hanging in the sky. Soft white clouds covered part of the globe, giving it a mottled effect. She remembered the last time she had been there, almost twenty years ago. It had been Endymion's official presentation. It had been a wonderful day and she remembered well the joy of the King and Queen. She sighed.
"Your majesty?" Venus gently called the Queen back to the present. The Queen jumped, so lost in her memories was she, that she had forgotten that Venus was there.
"Yes?" She replied, somewhat absently.
"Shall I send the rejection?" Venus asked again. Serenity took a deep breath. She had made her decision and as hard as it would be, she knew it was right.
"No." She replied. "Send a reply stating that I will be delighted to attend." Venus was stunned. In all the time she had been serving Queen Serenity, she had never known her to leave the Moon. In fact, she knew that the queen had not left the Moon since the death of her daughter.
"Are you sure your majesty?" She asked incredulously.
"Yes." Serenity replied. "And you and the others shall accompany me." her tone broached no argument. Venus bowed.
"Very well, you majesty. I shall go and make ready for the trip." With a final bow she lest, leaving the Moon Queen alone. Serenity turned once more to the vision of Earth. She stared at it for a long time, gathering her courage. This would be her first off-planet trip in over fifteen years.
King Sol, Queen Gaia, Prince Endymion and Serena were once more seated in one of the large meeting rooms with paperwork and coffee. The task this time was to pick out the menus for the wedding dinner. Serena was frustrated, she had never even heard of most of the dishes being suggested so was unable to contribute to the discussion. She was glad when there came a knock on the door. "Come in!" Gaia called. The door opened and Jessica stepped in. In her hand was a golden tray bearing a silver envelope. She smiled at Serena then approached the Queen.
"This just arrived from the Moon your majesty." She said, holding out the tray.
"Thank you." Gaia replied, taking the envelope. Jessica curtsied and quickly left. When the door had closed, Gaia opened the envelope and read the message within.
"Heavens above!" She cried out. "Queen Serenity has accepted the invitation!" Sol gasped.
"She has?! That's wonderful!" He replied. Endymion and Serena both agreed. Gaia smiled.
"Oh, it will be wonderful to see Serenity again. We were close friends once." The queens eyes sparkled with the memories.
"I wonder what made her decide to leave the Moon?" Sol thought aloud.
"I don't know," Gaia said "But we must do all we can to make her welcome. I am sure this will not be easy for her."
Gaia's heart went out to her old friend. To lose a child was her terrible thing and her own recent scare with Endymion had only served to reinforce that feeling. She would never forget the day the doctor had given him only a slim chance of survival. He had been lucky. The Moon Princess had not.
"Gaia?" Sol tried to get his wife's attention.
"Sorry dear." She apologised, letting go of the memories. "I was just thinking about Serenity - both of them." Serena was confused.
"Both of them?" She queried.
"Yes." Gaia nodded. "On the Moon it's traditional for the first born daughter to bear the name Serenity. So when Queen Serenity had her daughter, she was also named Serenity." Serena frowned.
"How confusing." Gaia laughed.
"I expect they're used to it! But it's one of the reasons we don't do it on Earth." Serena was silent for a moment before asking a question.
"Didn't Queen Serenity have any other children?" Gaia shook her head.
"No. The Princess' father was a soldier from another Solar System. They didn't know each other very long and she never got the chance to tell him of her pregnancy, he was killed in a battle near his home system shortly after leaving the moon. Serenity was devastated when she found out. I was too - he was a good man who was already planning to leave his planet so that he might marry her. Still, Serenity was getting her life back together nicely when her daughter was killed. The Princess' death sent her into a deep depression. I hope her acceptance of the invitation is a sign that she is finally starting to live again." Serena silently absorbed all that she had been told. When she spoke, it was with great sympathy.
"The poor woman. To lose her child and her beloved - That's my worst nightmare." Then she smiled. "But I promise I'll do my very best to make her happy and welcome!" Behind her, Endymion laughed.
"I'm sure you will!" He said. "You can brighten anyone's life!" Serena blushed.
"I just hope I don't lose my nerve around all that royalty and nobility!" She laughed nervously. Endymion grinned.
"Don't worry about it!" He grinned. "You'll easily make friends!" Queen Gaia nodded her agreement.
"Actually, I think you'll get on well with Serenity's guardians. They're coming with the Queen and they're all around your age. They're the princesses of Mercury, Mars Jupiter and Venus. It will do you good to get to know them." Serena's eyes were wide.
"Me and four princesses?!" She gasped. The mere thought was terrifying!
"It will be fine." Endymion assured her. "I've never met them, but I've heard they're all very nice. Princess Venus is Queen Serenity's second cousin." Serena was surprised. She hadn't known that Venus and the Moon were connected by blood.
"Does that mean Venus has a claim on the Moon?" She asked.
"Yes." Sol said. "In fact, if Serenity does not have an heir by the time she dies, the princess of Venus will take the throne and her brother will rule Venus in her stead. I believe that Queen Serenity is already preparing Venus for that role."
Serena offered the others a weak smile. "At least it won't be dull!" The others laughed.
"But it will be full of empty stomachs if we don't get these menus sorted out." Sol said, reminding them of the reason for the meeting. Gaia glanced at the clock.
"Oh!" She cried out. "Serena, you have a dress fitting in ten minutes, we have to go!" She turned to her husband and son. "I'm sure the two of you are perfectly capable of deciding on a menu or two." Then, without further ado, she ushered Serena out of the door.
Sol turned to Endymion, who shrugged. "It could be worse." The prince said with a wry grin. "They could have us picking out the flowers!" Sol sighed.
"That would probably be less complicated! How are we ever going to pick something that everyone will like?!" He looked hopelessly at the menu suggestions before him. Endymion picked up a handful of menus.
"Have a good selection and hire some extra chefs! It's our only hope!" Father and son both began to laugh.
Sol stopped laughing and looked at his only son. "You've grown so fast. In a few short weeks you will be married and I will be just an aging King." Endymion placed his hand on his fathers shoulder.
"You've never been 'just' a king, father. I know this is still something of a shock for you, but this is right and I'm glad you've accepted it now."
"Yes." The king said quietly. "I was displeased at first, but I can see how much you love each other. I can put aside my own wishes. Besides, loath as I am to admit it, she is a lovely girl." He smiled. "But that remains our secret!" Endymion's eyes gleamed with laughter and happiness.
"Of course father. I will not tell a soul!" He grinned and Sol shook his head. Serena would know of this before the day was out, he was sure. He decided to move the conversation on.
"Are you nervous?" He asked his son.
"A little." Endymion admitted. "Not about getting married, because I know that's right, but about the day itself. There are so many things that can go wrong, so much I have to remember."
"Try not to worry too much." Sol said kindly. "It is your day, let me do the worrying!" Endymion moved forward and hugged the King.
"Thank you father." He gazed dreamily at the door that Serena had left through.
"It's not long now." He murmured. "Then we'll be together forever! I can hardly wait!"
End Chapter 18
Sorry about the paragraphing in this chapter, I couldn't figure out where to split the scenes, so they're a bit long.
Maid for You - Chapter 18
Footsteps echoed along the white marble halls as the young woman strode purposefully towards her destination. Long blonde hair flowed behind her, neatly tied back with a red bow. It was obvious to all who saw her that she was a leader, one more used to giving orders than receiving them, a soldier of high rank.
Reaching a set of high white doors, she knocked briskly. "Come." Came the gentle summons from within. She opened the door and stepped into the private chambers of the Moon's queen, Serenity. The Queen smiled warmly as she entered. "Sailor Venus." She greeted the young woman. "What news for me today?" Venus held out the golden envelope in her hand.
"We have had a message from earth. Prince Endymion is to be married and you have been invited to attend." She paused before continuing. "Shall I send the standard rejection your majesty?" The Moon Queen did not reply, she had become lost in thought. Prince Endymion was the only child of the King and Queen of Earth, this would be a very special occasion. She knew it was only proper that she attend, even though earth was not a member of the Silver Millennium. After all, there was no hostility between the two planets, Earth had simply preferred to retain full independence. In fact, she had once been good friends with Queen Gaia.
"So long ago." She murmured. She turned back to Venus. "Who is his bride?" She asked the young woman. Venus smiled slightly.
"A most unusual one your majesty, she is his maid!" Queen Serenity was surprised to say the least.
"A love match." She said thoughtfully. "He's lucky. I would have expected him to have an arranged marriage." She suspected Queen Gaia had used her charms on King Sol so that Endymion could marry the one he loved. She wondered how the girl was coping with the fiery-tempered king. Still, it was a joyous time for the King and Queen, indeed for the whole planet. The marriage of the only heir was a big occasion. "Is it right for me to begrudge them their happiness because mine was taken from me?" She wondered. She turned her head to the window and saw the blue planet hanging in the sky. Soft white clouds covered part of the globe, giving it a mottled effect. She remembered the last time she had been there, almost twenty years ago. It had been Endymion's official presentation. It had been a wonderful day and she remembered well the joy of the King and Queen. She sighed.
"Your majesty?" Venus gently called the Queen back to the present. The Queen jumped, so lost in her memories was she, that she had forgotten that Venus was there.
"Yes?" She replied, somewhat absently.
"Shall I send the rejection?" Venus asked again. Serenity took a deep breath. She had made her decision and as hard as it would be, she knew it was right.
"No." She replied. "Send a reply stating that I will be delighted to attend." Venus was stunned. In all the time she had been serving Queen Serenity, she had never known her to leave the Moon. In fact, she knew that the queen had not left the Moon since the death of her daughter.
"Are you sure your majesty?" She asked incredulously.
"Yes." Serenity replied. "And you and the others shall accompany me." her tone broached no argument. Venus bowed.
"Very well, you majesty. I shall go and make ready for the trip." With a final bow she lest, leaving the Moon Queen alone. Serenity turned once more to the vision of Earth. She stared at it for a long time, gathering her courage. This would be her first off-planet trip in over fifteen years.
King Sol, Queen Gaia, Prince Endymion and Serena were once more seated in one of the large meeting rooms with paperwork and coffee. The task this time was to pick out the menus for the wedding dinner. Serena was frustrated, she had never even heard of most of the dishes being suggested so was unable to contribute to the discussion. She was glad when there came a knock on the door. "Come in!" Gaia called. The door opened and Jessica stepped in. In her hand was a golden tray bearing a silver envelope. She smiled at Serena then approached the Queen.
"This just arrived from the Moon your majesty." She said, holding out the tray.
"Thank you." Gaia replied, taking the envelope. Jessica curtsied and quickly left. When the door had closed, Gaia opened the envelope and read the message within.
"Heavens above!" She cried out. "Queen Serenity has accepted the invitation!" Sol gasped.
"She has?! That's wonderful!" He replied. Endymion and Serena both agreed. Gaia smiled.
"Oh, it will be wonderful to see Serenity again. We were close friends once." The queens eyes sparkled with the memories.
"I wonder what made her decide to leave the Moon?" Sol thought aloud.
"I don't know," Gaia said "But we must do all we can to make her welcome. I am sure this will not be easy for her."
Gaia's heart went out to her old friend. To lose a child was her terrible thing and her own recent scare with Endymion had only served to reinforce that feeling. She would never forget the day the doctor had given him only a slim chance of survival. He had been lucky. The Moon Princess had not.
"Gaia?" Sol tried to get his wife's attention.
"Sorry dear." She apologised, letting go of the memories. "I was just thinking about Serenity - both of them." Serena was confused.
"Both of them?" She queried.
"Yes." Gaia nodded. "On the Moon it's traditional for the first born daughter to bear the name Serenity. So when Queen Serenity had her daughter, she was also named Serenity." Serena frowned.
"How confusing." Gaia laughed.
"I expect they're used to it! But it's one of the reasons we don't do it on Earth." Serena was silent for a moment before asking a question.
"Didn't Queen Serenity have any other children?" Gaia shook her head.
"No. The Princess' father was a soldier from another Solar System. They didn't know each other very long and she never got the chance to tell him of her pregnancy, he was killed in a battle near his home system shortly after leaving the moon. Serenity was devastated when she found out. I was too - he was a good man who was already planning to leave his planet so that he might marry her. Still, Serenity was getting her life back together nicely when her daughter was killed. The Princess' death sent her into a deep depression. I hope her acceptance of the invitation is a sign that she is finally starting to live again." Serena silently absorbed all that she had been told. When she spoke, it was with great sympathy.
"The poor woman. To lose her child and her beloved - That's my worst nightmare." Then she smiled. "But I promise I'll do my very best to make her happy and welcome!" Behind her, Endymion laughed.
"I'm sure you will!" He said. "You can brighten anyone's life!" Serena blushed.
"I just hope I don't lose my nerve around all that royalty and nobility!" She laughed nervously. Endymion grinned.
"Don't worry about it!" He grinned. "You'll easily make friends!" Queen Gaia nodded her agreement.
"Actually, I think you'll get on well with Serenity's guardians. They're coming with the Queen and they're all around your age. They're the princesses of Mercury, Mars Jupiter and Venus. It will do you good to get to know them." Serena's eyes were wide.
"Me and four princesses?!" She gasped. The mere thought was terrifying!
"It will be fine." Endymion assured her. "I've never met them, but I've heard they're all very nice. Princess Venus is Queen Serenity's second cousin." Serena was surprised. She hadn't known that Venus and the Moon were connected by blood.
"Does that mean Venus has a claim on the Moon?" She asked.
"Yes." Sol said. "In fact, if Serenity does not have an heir by the time she dies, the princess of Venus will take the throne and her brother will rule Venus in her stead. I believe that Queen Serenity is already preparing Venus for that role."
Serena offered the others a weak smile. "At least it won't be dull!" The others laughed.
"But it will be full of empty stomachs if we don't get these menus sorted out." Sol said, reminding them of the reason for the meeting. Gaia glanced at the clock.
"Oh!" She cried out. "Serena, you have a dress fitting in ten minutes, we have to go!" She turned to her husband and son. "I'm sure the two of you are perfectly capable of deciding on a menu or two." Then, without further ado, she ushered Serena out of the door.
Sol turned to Endymion, who shrugged. "It could be worse." The prince said with a wry grin. "They could have us picking out the flowers!" Sol sighed.
"That would probably be less complicated! How are we ever going to pick something that everyone will like?!" He looked hopelessly at the menu suggestions before him. Endymion picked up a handful of menus.
"Have a good selection and hire some extra chefs! It's our only hope!" Father and son both began to laugh.
Sol stopped laughing and looked at his only son. "You've grown so fast. In a few short weeks you will be married and I will be just an aging King." Endymion placed his hand on his fathers shoulder.
"You've never been 'just' a king, father. I know this is still something of a shock for you, but this is right and I'm glad you've accepted it now."
"Yes." The king said quietly. "I was displeased at first, but I can see how much you love each other. I can put aside my own wishes. Besides, loath as I am to admit it, she is a lovely girl." He smiled. "But that remains our secret!" Endymion's eyes gleamed with laughter and happiness.
"Of course father. I will not tell a soul!" He grinned and Sol shook his head. Serena would know of this before the day was out, he was sure. He decided to move the conversation on.
"Are you nervous?" He asked his son.
"A little." Endymion admitted. "Not about getting married, because I know that's right, but about the day itself. There are so many things that can go wrong, so much I have to remember."
"Try not to worry too much." Sol said kindly. "It is your day, let me do the worrying!" Endymion moved forward and hugged the King.
"Thank you father." He gazed dreamily at the door that Serena had left through.
"It's not long now." He murmured. "Then we'll be together forever! I can hardly wait!"
End Chapter 18