I swear, I do not know where the time goes between updates! It just seems to fly by...
Chapter 24
"Serena, stand still!" Serenity gently chastised her daughter as Serena fidgeted with the gloves she held.
Today was Serena's wedding day and her mother was just making sure all was ready.
Serena looked incredible, every inch a princess. Her white off-the-shoulder-dress clung to her body with delicate frills surrounding her shoulders. The bodice was embroidered with intricate beadwork trailing down into a full skirt that was plain until it reached several layers of gentle frills at the bottom. The train was a long cascade of flowing, frilled silk that spread behind her like a white waterfall.
Serenity fixed a delicate tiara to Serena's hair, the tiara attached to a long, sheer veil. Her hair, for the first time in her life, was in the traditional double buns of Lunarian Royalty. Slipping the last hair-pin into place, the Queen stepped back to look at her daughter.
"You look beautiful." She said with a smile, her heart filled with warmth. She forced back happy tears. "I spent so many years mourning. I never thought I would see such a joyous day. It is a dream come true."
Serena took her mother's hand in her own. "For me as well. To have gained so much - I have never been happier."
Serena had spent much time with Serenity over the past few days, while Endymion recovered. Though they had much to learn about each other, it was becoming clear that they also had much in common.
They had shared the story of their pasts, Serena explaining how she had been raised in an orphanage and brought to the palace when she had been of working age, Serenity telling of the attack and the rebuilding of the Moon Kingdom. She also spoke of Tamashi, Serena's father who had died before she was born.
"He would have loved you." She'd said a little wistfully. "He told me once how he'd love to settle down and have a family. If only he'd known I was pregnant, maybe things would have been different. We were only together six months, but I knew he was the one."
Serena had hugged her mother before replying.
"If there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is not to ask 'What if." It gets you nowhere and only makes you miserable." She'd smiled. "I do not think my father would want that."
Serenity had looked sadly at her daughter.
"You have his eyes." She'd said softly. I see much of him in you."
"Then he is not really gone." Serena had replied. "I know how much it must have hurt to lose him - I wanted to die when I thought I'd lost Endymion - but part of him lives on in me."
Serena found herself truly admiring her mother's strength. She was not sure she would have survived without Endymion.
The Moon Queen had smiled.
"You are wise, my daughter. Someday you will be a wonderful mother.
Serena had taken a deep breath before speaking. There was still one thing she hadn't told her mother.
"I am glad you think so." She'd said slowly. "Because someday will arrive in seven months time."
Serenity's eyes had widened impossibly.
"You - are pregnant?" She'd all but whispered.
Serena nodded. "It is the real reason I ran away." She'd admitted. Previously she had said only that she was scared of the way she felt about Endymion. She looked to her mother, waiting for her reaction.
It had come in the form of an almost bone-crushing hug.
"Serena, this is wonderful news! Endymion must be delighted!"
"He was." She'd said. "Once he recovered from the shock!" She'd smiled softly at her mother then. "I hope that you will visit often and perhaps do some of the things you were denied with me.
Tears had formed in the Moon Queen's eyes.
"I would like that. She'd said. "I would like that very much. Thank you, my daughter."
"What happened wasn't your fault." Serena had told her gently. "Do not blame yourself, I do not blame you. I am simply glad that my parents aren't dead or abandoned me, as I had always believed. But that is the past; let us look now to the future."
"I agree." The Queen had replied. "The past is over and the future is bright."
Endymion paced the length of his room repeatedly, taking the occasional long breath. He was extremely nervous, not about getting married, but about the multitude of things that could go wrong. Given resent events, his feelings were understandable.
"Endymion, you mast calm down!" Gaia laughed. "Everything will be well!"
The prince stopped long enough to glare at his mother.
"I will believe it when I see it." He replied curtly and resumed his pacing.
Gaia shot a look at the only other occupant of the room, Kunzite. The chief of his guard was to serve as his best man and it was not proving to be an easy job.
"Your mother is right, everything will be fine." He said. "But if you do not relax you'll ruin your own wedding."
"Yes, yes." Endymion said, not listening. "Do you have the rings?"
"Of course I do!" Kunzite replied irritably. "By the Gods, you will be the death of me!" He muttered. "Again." For Kunzite had also fallen the day the Negaverse attacked.
"I brought you back." The prince retorted, not ceasing his pacing. "Stop complaining."
Kunzite threw his hands in the air, then reached out and grabbed Endymion's arm.
"Come on, let's go. The sooner we get you married the better!" He dragged Endymion out the door, ignoring the cries of protest. The truth was he also wanted to see the two happily married.
Not to mention that he might get a chance to ask the princess of Venus to dance later.
"We'll see you there Serena!" Maggie and Jessica waved as they rode off in their carriage. Bridesmaids both, they would arrive at the chapel first so as to assist her when she arrived.
Serena smiled, remembering their delight when she'd asked them.
Just then her own carriage drew up and she took a deep breath.
"Nervous, Princess?" said a deep voice behind her, making her jump.
"My name is Serena, Nephlite." She replied without turning round. "Not Princess."
"But you are a princess." He said. "By blood no less."
She shook her head. "I will never get used to that.
He smiled. "Yes you will, in time." He extended his hand and helped her into the carriage.
She sat, her long dress billowing around her and smiled back. "Maybe I will. But I will never forget my past." She paused. "I really appreciate you agreeing to give me away Nephlite. Especially as we don't know each other all that well."
"It is my pleasure." He told her. "Endymion is a dear friend and I am honoured to be entrusted with the task of delivering the one he holds most dear to his side."
Serena blushed, causing Nephlite to laugh lightly. "Let's be off, shall we?" He asked. She nodded and he gave a signal to the driver. The carriage pulled away slowly, heading down the path to where destiny was waiting.
End Chapter 24
Chapter 24
"Serena, stand still!" Serenity gently chastised her daughter as Serena fidgeted with the gloves she held.
Today was Serena's wedding day and her mother was just making sure all was ready.
Serena looked incredible, every inch a princess. Her white off-the-shoulder-dress clung to her body with delicate frills surrounding her shoulders. The bodice was embroidered with intricate beadwork trailing down into a full skirt that was plain until it reached several layers of gentle frills at the bottom. The train was a long cascade of flowing, frilled silk that spread behind her like a white waterfall.
Serenity fixed a delicate tiara to Serena's hair, the tiara attached to a long, sheer veil. Her hair, for the first time in her life, was in the traditional double buns of Lunarian Royalty. Slipping the last hair-pin into place, the Queen stepped back to look at her daughter.
"You look beautiful." She said with a smile, her heart filled with warmth. She forced back happy tears. "I spent so many years mourning. I never thought I would see such a joyous day. It is a dream come true."
Serena took her mother's hand in her own. "For me as well. To have gained so much - I have never been happier."
Serena had spent much time with Serenity over the past few days, while Endymion recovered. Though they had much to learn about each other, it was becoming clear that they also had much in common.
They had shared the story of their pasts, Serena explaining how she had been raised in an orphanage and brought to the palace when she had been of working age, Serenity telling of the attack and the rebuilding of the Moon Kingdom. She also spoke of Tamashi, Serena's father who had died before she was born.
"He would have loved you." She'd said a little wistfully. "He told me once how he'd love to settle down and have a family. If only he'd known I was pregnant, maybe things would have been different. We were only together six months, but I knew he was the one."
Serena had hugged her mother before replying.
"If there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is not to ask 'What if." It gets you nowhere and only makes you miserable." She'd smiled. "I do not think my father would want that."
Serenity had looked sadly at her daughter.
"You have his eyes." She'd said softly. I see much of him in you."
"Then he is not really gone." Serena had replied. "I know how much it must have hurt to lose him - I wanted to die when I thought I'd lost Endymion - but part of him lives on in me."
Serena found herself truly admiring her mother's strength. She was not sure she would have survived without Endymion.
The Moon Queen had smiled.
"You are wise, my daughter. Someday you will be a wonderful mother.
Serena had taken a deep breath before speaking. There was still one thing she hadn't told her mother.
"I am glad you think so." She'd said slowly. "Because someday will arrive in seven months time."
Serenity's eyes had widened impossibly.
"You - are pregnant?" She'd all but whispered.
Serena nodded. "It is the real reason I ran away." She'd admitted. Previously she had said only that she was scared of the way she felt about Endymion. She looked to her mother, waiting for her reaction.
It had come in the form of an almost bone-crushing hug.
"Serena, this is wonderful news! Endymion must be delighted!"
"He was." She'd said. "Once he recovered from the shock!" She'd smiled softly at her mother then. "I hope that you will visit often and perhaps do some of the things you were denied with me.
Tears had formed in the Moon Queen's eyes.
"I would like that. She'd said. "I would like that very much. Thank you, my daughter."
"What happened wasn't your fault." Serena had told her gently. "Do not blame yourself, I do not blame you. I am simply glad that my parents aren't dead or abandoned me, as I had always believed. But that is the past; let us look now to the future."
"I agree." The Queen had replied. "The past is over and the future is bright."
Endymion paced the length of his room repeatedly, taking the occasional long breath. He was extremely nervous, not about getting married, but about the multitude of things that could go wrong. Given resent events, his feelings were understandable.
"Endymion, you mast calm down!" Gaia laughed. "Everything will be well!"
The prince stopped long enough to glare at his mother.
"I will believe it when I see it." He replied curtly and resumed his pacing.
Gaia shot a look at the only other occupant of the room, Kunzite. The chief of his guard was to serve as his best man and it was not proving to be an easy job.
"Your mother is right, everything will be fine." He said. "But if you do not relax you'll ruin your own wedding."
"Yes, yes." Endymion said, not listening. "Do you have the rings?"
"Of course I do!" Kunzite replied irritably. "By the Gods, you will be the death of me!" He muttered. "Again." For Kunzite had also fallen the day the Negaverse attacked.
"I brought you back." The prince retorted, not ceasing his pacing. "Stop complaining."
Kunzite threw his hands in the air, then reached out and grabbed Endymion's arm.
"Come on, let's go. The sooner we get you married the better!" He dragged Endymion out the door, ignoring the cries of protest. The truth was he also wanted to see the two happily married.
Not to mention that he might get a chance to ask the princess of Venus to dance later.
"We'll see you there Serena!" Maggie and Jessica waved as they rode off in their carriage. Bridesmaids both, they would arrive at the chapel first so as to assist her when she arrived.
Serena smiled, remembering their delight when she'd asked them.
Just then her own carriage drew up and she took a deep breath.
"Nervous, Princess?" said a deep voice behind her, making her jump.
"My name is Serena, Nephlite." She replied without turning round. "Not Princess."
"But you are a princess." He said. "By blood no less."
She shook her head. "I will never get used to that.
He smiled. "Yes you will, in time." He extended his hand and helped her into the carriage.
She sat, her long dress billowing around her and smiled back. "Maybe I will. But I will never forget my past." She paused. "I really appreciate you agreeing to give me away Nephlite. Especially as we don't know each other all that well."
"It is my pleasure." He told her. "Endymion is a dear friend and I am honoured to be entrusted with the task of delivering the one he holds most dear to his side."
Serena blushed, causing Nephlite to laugh lightly. "Let's be off, shall we?" He asked. She nodded and he gave a signal to the driver. The carriage pulled away slowly, heading down the path to where destiny was waiting.
End Chapter 24