The Imperial Moon Senate was called in for an emergency meeting, which was called by the general of the army, second in command only to the king and queen. Knowing, of course, that it was something to do with the war, Serenity thought of every excuse not to go and sent her apologies, but the general insisted that is was for the good of the kingdom...by this, and the thought of her husband, she was compelled to attend.
When the entire Senate was present, queen Serenity entered the room. All of the senators respectfully stood when she walked in the room and placed a closed fist over their hearts until she was seated. They in turn, the senators took their seats as well.
Serenity got a good look at the massive room for the first time. She had only been in it a few times on her own since Eternity had gone to fight. He had taken in her with him to a meeting once when they were newlyweds, but she didn't pay much attention, for she was occupied with her husband's beautiful, pouty lips.
But that was six years ago, back when she was only seventeen years old. Back before her sister had died and her husband had left her to fight. Things were so different now.
Now she noticed the brilliant shine of the white marble floors and the stunning gold moons on the dome ceiling. The senators were sitting in rows of long desks, each wearing a uniform gray suit with red buttons. It was a great honor to be in the Imperial Moon Senate, but of course, there were some bad eggs.
Some were in it for what they should be: the good of the people and the kingdom. But of course there were always the ones who were in it for the fame, the wealth, or the political power. Some even just wanted to be close to the nobility. And then there were the old war heroes like general Tinugio, who now made his way to the speaking platform.
He was the model citizen of the Moon Kingdom. He was a war veteran who came out of retirement to assist in the Great Galaxy War. A good friend to the king, as well as the entire royal family, queen Serenity trusted him with her life, and so attended the meeting because she trusted him when he said it was important.
When he reached the center of the platform, the room fell silent, and he said,
"I come bearing tragic news from the battle field in Sasarion. We just received it this morning."
Queen Serenity could feel a cold chill go through her entire body, sending shakes to her knees. He continued,
"A week prior to today, our military base was discovered by Nemesis. We're not exactly sure what happened, but we believe that is was a suicide mission by a Nemesis spy impersonating a soldier."
He paused and queen Serenity said clearly,
"What was the damage?"
"We lost many men, your highness," general Tinugio responded. "The count in total was as follows: 1053 soldiers."
Queen Serenity turned her head to look at a wall not too far from the throne behind the speaking platform. She regained her composure and then, without thinking, cried out,
"What of the king? Where is my husband?"
She had a desperate tone in her voice.
"The king is safe in another military base that he had moved to three days before this incident."
Queen Serenity gave a sigh of relief.
"However, we do have one civilian death."
Serenity's heart leaped and she held her breath to keep from gasping aloud.
'Oh God...it can't be!' her mind pleaded. 'Please don't let it be...'
He continued,
"A young woman was attacked just outside of Sasarion about three hours before the suicide attack on the base. She was barely alive when we found her. It appeared as if she'd been struck with a large amount of Nemesis energy, and there was evidence that she had put up quite a struggle. She was able to speak for a moment before she died. She told me to take her saddle bag from her stallion, which had been shot dead, and deliver it immediately to the king."
Tears found their way to Serenity's eyes.
"General," she said in a shaky voice. "What was the name of the girl you found?"
"We found identification in her bad. The name was Abigale Confretyiku."
To the queen, the room began to suddenly spin. The first civilian of the Moon Kingdom to die in this God damned war was Abigale...poor, sweet, young Abigale! She had barely lived at all! And she had died at Serenity's hands.
The queen felt faint, but used all of her strength to put on a calm face for the Senate. The last thing her kingdom needed to see was their queen crumbling during a meeting. Luna was right...war brought death, it was a given in any war. She would need to be strong.
She had forgotten all about the general until he asked her if she was all right.
"Oh," she said distantly. "Yes of course, I'm fine. Please continue."
"We found a hidden compartment in the saddle bag the woman was carrying. Inside was a letter from you to the king. I assumed you had sent her and took the letter to the king myself. He wrote a response and insisted that I deliver it to you immediately and in person. I ask permission to approach the throne."
"Permission granted."
General Tinugio climbed the small step that lead up to the throne and handed the parchment to queen Serenity. She had never felt so many feelings at once in her entire life. Words from her lover sat in her hands...the anticipation was killing her, but she knew she would have to be patient. This was important business.
"Thank you. Is there any more business to discuss general?"
"No more from me at this time your highness."
One of the more crooked senators, who was called Toneil, spoke out of turn and shouted out with a tone of impatience,
"I motion to end the meeting."
Serenity scowled at him. He was very politically oriented, and pretty much just ran for office for the status of the position. Serenity nor Eternity voted for him, but because the Moon Kingdom ran under a constitutional monarchy, they could not override the decision of the people. Although Serenity was sure that he had skewed the voting somehow, she had no proof.
"We can't end the meeting just yet senator Toneil," she said. "I have something to discuss."
"Well then," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "I repeal my motion then. Please continue, your highness."
Serenity's frown faded to a smile when she focused herself on the topic at hand.
"I am going to bear a child by the end of the spring"
There was a moment of quiet chatter before some of the senators who were close to the family began to cheer. Senator Toneil stood and said over the cheering,
"Why are you so happy? A child is going to mean a great deal of work for the Senate! The king isn't here to betroth it, meaning it is now ::our:: responsibility!"
Queen Serenity continued as if she didn't even hear him.
"With my husband at war it is left up to us to find a suitable spouse for the child. I went to the doctor a few days ago, and the child is a girl, so we must find a prince immediately. I have scheduled a meeting with king Endymion of Earth. He has two sons, a four year old and a three year old. The older one is named James, and the younger is Endymion Jr."
There was a bit of laughter in the room, but it died down quickly.
"We will meet again with king Endymion on the 4th of August at five p.m. I motion that we stand adjourned until that date."
"I second the motion." said one of the older senators.
The queen then said,
"All in favor?"
In unison, all of the senators cried out "I"
"Opposed?"
Silence.
"The senate stands adjourned until said date."
And with that the meeting had been ended.
...Serenity quickly went up to her room and was about to open the letter when a knock came at her door. She opened it to find her new handmaiden.
This girl was even younger than Abigale...Serenity had guessed about fifteen years old. Abigale and the queen had grown up together...she was the same age, 23. The girl curtseyed politely and said,
"Good evening your highness. I am Alice. I have been assigned to assist you from now on."
The young girl walked in slowly, gawking at the sight of the royal bed chamber. She had been tanned by the Sun, obviously a hard worker. She had the richest crimson eyes Serenity had ever seen, and her dark, red hair was tucked underneath a handkerchief she had tied atop her head. There was a slight limp in her walk, but she was a lovely sight to behold. She placed towels in the bathroom and then returned to the bedroom.
"Shall I help you dress for the night, majesty?"
Queen Serenity rolled her eyes slightly and turned to put her hands gently on the girl's shoulders. Serenity noticed Alice jump at her touch.
"Listen to me Alice," she said. "No need for all the formalities. We're going to be seeing a lot of each other. Just relax, I can be your queen and your friend."
After a moment of complete disbelief, Alice smiled and said,
"Never in my life have I met such a kind and compassionate ruler, Madame. I am honored to serve you."
As Alice began removing her corset, Serenity sparked some conversation. She had noticed that Alice was wearing a black rose on a silver chain, which was a way for the servants who were close to Abigale to mourn. Queen Serenity decided it would be too soon to talk about their poor departed friend, but Alice spoke up about it first.
"Were you close to Abby?"
"I grew up with her. When I was a young child, my parents were away, and I felt so lonely. She was sent to bring in soaps for my evening bath. We got to talking, and I ended up finding the friend who would keep me company for my entire childhood. She served at my wedding, and I haven't been without her since that first day we met."
"I'm her younger cousin on her mother's side. We all miss her so much!"
The queen sighed.
"Indeed...everyone does miss her."
Before they both broke into tears, Alice said,
"Forgive me for being forward your highness, but is it true that we will soon have a princess?"
Serenity laughed.
"News certainly travels fast, doesn't it?"
"It does indeed your highness."
"It's very true, and I'm very pregnant."
Alice laughed and helped Serenity lace up the back of her white nightgown. Serenity led Alice to the bed and pulled out her wedding photos.
"There has never been a more beautiful bride, queen Serenity."
"We had such a good time. Everyone was telling me that you can't have fun at your own wedding, but I am living proof to the contrary."
"Well, with such an honorable man as king Eternity, what is there that can go wrong? And as lovely as you both are, this princess will be quite the sight to behold. Why I just know that people from all over will come to see her. Oh your highness, Abby would have loved to see her. Have you thought of a name yet?"
"Eternity and I always thought that we would carry on the name of the Moon and call a daughter, should we have one, Serenity II."
Alice sighed.
"It will surely be wonderful!"
After a few moments of silence, Alice excused herself, saying she had a lot of work to do, and Serenity was left to her thoughts and the letter unopened on her desk. She opened it as quickly as she could without ripping it to shreds and read to herself,
Dearest Serenity,
A baby? My prayers have been answered! I cannot wait to come
home to you and our child! I also have news my love. I will be
coming home within the next few weeks. Nemesis has
surrendered, and we will be signing a peace treaty.
I know it seems strange, but you can't question reality,
and after all, what is a world without just a bit of trust?
They tell me that the child will be a princess, if she is
even half as radiant as her mother, we will certainly have the
most beautiful princess in the entire galaxy! I trust you to pick
her future husband no later than next week, I leave it
completely in your capable hands. I believe in you,
and I cannot wait to hold you in my arms again! God
bless you my darling Serenity, and our little joy!
All My Love,
Eternity
The words made queen Serenity's heart jump for joy! She found herself staring at the words, I BELIEVE IN YOU, for what seemed like forever. Nobody had ever believed in her to do anything before Eternity. Everyone had always seen her as a klutz, and everyone always joked about the little queen who was better friends with the servants than she was with the nobility.
Now she truly felt like a woman.
'I can't wait for him to return to me,' she thought. ''My heart is aching for him!'
...A week had passed with no word from anyone, and things were normal...until that day, when the news reached general Tinugio's ears. He put his head down and mumbled curses at God. He was given the order to inform the queen.
He had a sorrowful ride to the palace, and when he reached his destination, he requested an immediate audience with queen Serenity. She met him in the office near the royal bedchamber. Tinugio noticed that her pregnancy was beginning to show a bit, only bringing a heavier weight to his already heavy heart.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "I know that look. What has happened?"
The general looked at the ground.
"We've lost a great deal of men your highness."
Queen Serenity once again felt that cold, gripping fear.
"How many did we lose?"
"The count was 600 men, 300 nurses, and 7 children."
A tear trailed down the cheek of the queen.
"Children? How barbaric! How did this happen?"
"It was definitely a Nemesis attack. They tricked us into believing they were going to sign a peace treaty to knock us off guard, and indeed they did."
"You mean there was never any treaty?" Serenity asked in a mounting panic.
"No, I'm afraid not. We found a grave while we were traveling, and the dirt was freshly packed, so we took a look. It had a stone which said upon it, 'Here lie the damned of the Imperial Moon Army.' We immediately dug it up, but there were no coffins of any kind. It was a mass grave with all the people thrown into it."
A tear fell down Tinugio's face, causing Serenity to dig her nails into the desk. And then he spoke the words she so feared.
"Among them was king Eternity."
Serenity fell back in her chair and screamed. General Tinugio cried with her and let her scream and curse, he thought it was best to let her vent it all.
Serenity's mind was going a million miles a second. It couldn't be...tragedy like this couldn't possibly plague her. She was a twenty-three year old widow? What about their baby? What about her? What happened to happily ever after? How could she explain the absence of her daughter's father?
When she was able to speak, she said,
"He was supposed to be coming home this week. How could this have happened?"
"I'm so sorry Serenity."
After another moment, an unfamiliar tone gripped her voice,
"I want to see those sons of bitches die! ALL OF THEM!"
She continued to sob. The letter her husband had written sat upon the same space in which her tears were falling. The tears met the parchment and left dramatic stains.
After an hour of continuous sobbing on her desk, Tinugio helped Serenity to the bedroom. He put her down on the bed and turned her wedding picture slightly away, but she protested and made him turn it back.
"If this is the only way to see his perfect face, then let me have it!"
Her pleading only made him feel weaker. Tinugio summoned the new handmaiden and took her outside the bedroom before he would permit her entrance to tend the queen.
"Is her majesty all right?" Alice asked with concern.
"Listen here miss, what I tell you now you must tell no one. Do you swear it?"
"I swear on my life, sir."
"Good...for the entire galaxy will know soon enough. Are you ready? Brace yourself."
Alice nodded nervously as Tinugio said,
"King Eternity has died."
A gasp met a slight scream as Alice's knees went weak. Her limp became even worse as she straightened herself up and walked into the bedchamber of the now widowed queen.
"Is there anything that you want, Serenity?"
It was the first time that Alice felt comfortable using the queen's name without any formalities. The queen gripped to Alice's arm.
"Just stay the night with me. I don't want to be alone. And please summon Luna immediately."
Alice did as told and then changed herself into a nightgown that the queen told her to put on. It was big on her, particularly in the area of the chest, but she didn't care. She would do whatever the queen told her to do.
Luna ran into the room.
"Serenity what is it?"
Between sobs, Serenity said,
"Come to me Luna."
The cat jumped up on the bed as Serenity's tears fell against her black fur.
"What's wrong, darling Serenity? What has happened?"
With this the queen embraced Luna a bit tighter.
"The Moon has just fallen from the sky, Luna." she said. "The world has ended!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, what do you think? I NEED TO KNOW! ^_^ Feel free to e-mail me at NeoTori7688@aol.com and to give me plenty of reviews. I love hearing from you. Thank you so much!
~*Tori*~
When the entire Senate was present, queen Serenity entered the room. All of the senators respectfully stood when she walked in the room and placed a closed fist over their hearts until she was seated. They in turn, the senators took their seats as well.
Serenity got a good look at the massive room for the first time. She had only been in it a few times on her own since Eternity had gone to fight. He had taken in her with him to a meeting once when they were newlyweds, but she didn't pay much attention, for she was occupied with her husband's beautiful, pouty lips.
But that was six years ago, back when she was only seventeen years old. Back before her sister had died and her husband had left her to fight. Things were so different now.
Now she noticed the brilliant shine of the white marble floors and the stunning gold moons on the dome ceiling. The senators were sitting in rows of long desks, each wearing a uniform gray suit with red buttons. It was a great honor to be in the Imperial Moon Senate, but of course, there were some bad eggs.
Some were in it for what they should be: the good of the people and the kingdom. But of course there were always the ones who were in it for the fame, the wealth, or the political power. Some even just wanted to be close to the nobility. And then there were the old war heroes like general Tinugio, who now made his way to the speaking platform.
He was the model citizen of the Moon Kingdom. He was a war veteran who came out of retirement to assist in the Great Galaxy War. A good friend to the king, as well as the entire royal family, queen Serenity trusted him with her life, and so attended the meeting because she trusted him when he said it was important.
When he reached the center of the platform, the room fell silent, and he said,
"I come bearing tragic news from the battle field in Sasarion. We just received it this morning."
Queen Serenity could feel a cold chill go through her entire body, sending shakes to her knees. He continued,
"A week prior to today, our military base was discovered by Nemesis. We're not exactly sure what happened, but we believe that is was a suicide mission by a Nemesis spy impersonating a soldier."
He paused and queen Serenity said clearly,
"What was the damage?"
"We lost many men, your highness," general Tinugio responded. "The count in total was as follows: 1053 soldiers."
Queen Serenity turned her head to look at a wall not too far from the throne behind the speaking platform. She regained her composure and then, without thinking, cried out,
"What of the king? Where is my husband?"
She had a desperate tone in her voice.
"The king is safe in another military base that he had moved to three days before this incident."
Queen Serenity gave a sigh of relief.
"However, we do have one civilian death."
Serenity's heart leaped and she held her breath to keep from gasping aloud.
'Oh God...it can't be!' her mind pleaded. 'Please don't let it be...'
He continued,
"A young woman was attacked just outside of Sasarion about three hours before the suicide attack on the base. She was barely alive when we found her. It appeared as if she'd been struck with a large amount of Nemesis energy, and there was evidence that she had put up quite a struggle. She was able to speak for a moment before she died. She told me to take her saddle bag from her stallion, which had been shot dead, and deliver it immediately to the king."
Tears found their way to Serenity's eyes.
"General," she said in a shaky voice. "What was the name of the girl you found?"
"We found identification in her bad. The name was Abigale Confretyiku."
To the queen, the room began to suddenly spin. The first civilian of the Moon Kingdom to die in this God damned war was Abigale...poor, sweet, young Abigale! She had barely lived at all! And she had died at Serenity's hands.
The queen felt faint, but used all of her strength to put on a calm face for the Senate. The last thing her kingdom needed to see was their queen crumbling during a meeting. Luna was right...war brought death, it was a given in any war. She would need to be strong.
She had forgotten all about the general until he asked her if she was all right.
"Oh," she said distantly. "Yes of course, I'm fine. Please continue."
"We found a hidden compartment in the saddle bag the woman was carrying. Inside was a letter from you to the king. I assumed you had sent her and took the letter to the king myself. He wrote a response and insisted that I deliver it to you immediately and in person. I ask permission to approach the throne."
"Permission granted."
General Tinugio climbed the small step that lead up to the throne and handed the parchment to queen Serenity. She had never felt so many feelings at once in her entire life. Words from her lover sat in her hands...the anticipation was killing her, but she knew she would have to be patient. This was important business.
"Thank you. Is there any more business to discuss general?"
"No more from me at this time your highness."
One of the more crooked senators, who was called Toneil, spoke out of turn and shouted out with a tone of impatience,
"I motion to end the meeting."
Serenity scowled at him. He was very politically oriented, and pretty much just ran for office for the status of the position. Serenity nor Eternity voted for him, but because the Moon Kingdom ran under a constitutional monarchy, they could not override the decision of the people. Although Serenity was sure that he had skewed the voting somehow, she had no proof.
"We can't end the meeting just yet senator Toneil," she said. "I have something to discuss."
"Well then," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "I repeal my motion then. Please continue, your highness."
Serenity's frown faded to a smile when she focused herself on the topic at hand.
"I am going to bear a child by the end of the spring"
There was a moment of quiet chatter before some of the senators who were close to the family began to cheer. Senator Toneil stood and said over the cheering,
"Why are you so happy? A child is going to mean a great deal of work for the Senate! The king isn't here to betroth it, meaning it is now ::our:: responsibility!"
Queen Serenity continued as if she didn't even hear him.
"With my husband at war it is left up to us to find a suitable spouse for the child. I went to the doctor a few days ago, and the child is a girl, so we must find a prince immediately. I have scheduled a meeting with king Endymion of Earth. He has two sons, a four year old and a three year old. The older one is named James, and the younger is Endymion Jr."
There was a bit of laughter in the room, but it died down quickly.
"We will meet again with king Endymion on the 4th of August at five p.m. I motion that we stand adjourned until that date."
"I second the motion." said one of the older senators.
The queen then said,
"All in favor?"
In unison, all of the senators cried out "I"
"Opposed?"
Silence.
"The senate stands adjourned until said date."
And with that the meeting had been ended.
...Serenity quickly went up to her room and was about to open the letter when a knock came at her door. She opened it to find her new handmaiden.
This girl was even younger than Abigale...Serenity had guessed about fifteen years old. Abigale and the queen had grown up together...she was the same age, 23. The girl curtseyed politely and said,
"Good evening your highness. I am Alice. I have been assigned to assist you from now on."
The young girl walked in slowly, gawking at the sight of the royal bed chamber. She had been tanned by the Sun, obviously a hard worker. She had the richest crimson eyes Serenity had ever seen, and her dark, red hair was tucked underneath a handkerchief she had tied atop her head. There was a slight limp in her walk, but she was a lovely sight to behold. She placed towels in the bathroom and then returned to the bedroom.
"Shall I help you dress for the night, majesty?"
Queen Serenity rolled her eyes slightly and turned to put her hands gently on the girl's shoulders. Serenity noticed Alice jump at her touch.
"Listen to me Alice," she said. "No need for all the formalities. We're going to be seeing a lot of each other. Just relax, I can be your queen and your friend."
After a moment of complete disbelief, Alice smiled and said,
"Never in my life have I met such a kind and compassionate ruler, Madame. I am honored to serve you."
As Alice began removing her corset, Serenity sparked some conversation. She had noticed that Alice was wearing a black rose on a silver chain, which was a way for the servants who were close to Abigale to mourn. Queen Serenity decided it would be too soon to talk about their poor departed friend, but Alice spoke up about it first.
"Were you close to Abby?"
"I grew up with her. When I was a young child, my parents were away, and I felt so lonely. She was sent to bring in soaps for my evening bath. We got to talking, and I ended up finding the friend who would keep me company for my entire childhood. She served at my wedding, and I haven't been without her since that first day we met."
"I'm her younger cousin on her mother's side. We all miss her so much!"
The queen sighed.
"Indeed...everyone does miss her."
Before they both broke into tears, Alice said,
"Forgive me for being forward your highness, but is it true that we will soon have a princess?"
Serenity laughed.
"News certainly travels fast, doesn't it?"
"It does indeed your highness."
"It's very true, and I'm very pregnant."
Alice laughed and helped Serenity lace up the back of her white nightgown. Serenity led Alice to the bed and pulled out her wedding photos.
"There has never been a more beautiful bride, queen Serenity."
"We had such a good time. Everyone was telling me that you can't have fun at your own wedding, but I am living proof to the contrary."
"Well, with such an honorable man as king Eternity, what is there that can go wrong? And as lovely as you both are, this princess will be quite the sight to behold. Why I just know that people from all over will come to see her. Oh your highness, Abby would have loved to see her. Have you thought of a name yet?"
"Eternity and I always thought that we would carry on the name of the Moon and call a daughter, should we have one, Serenity II."
Alice sighed.
"It will surely be wonderful!"
After a few moments of silence, Alice excused herself, saying she had a lot of work to do, and Serenity was left to her thoughts and the letter unopened on her desk. She opened it as quickly as she could without ripping it to shreds and read to herself,
Dearest Serenity,
A baby? My prayers have been answered! I cannot wait to come
home to you and our child! I also have news my love. I will be
coming home within the next few weeks. Nemesis has
surrendered, and we will be signing a peace treaty.
I know it seems strange, but you can't question reality,
and after all, what is a world without just a bit of trust?
They tell me that the child will be a princess, if she is
even half as radiant as her mother, we will certainly have the
most beautiful princess in the entire galaxy! I trust you to pick
her future husband no later than next week, I leave it
completely in your capable hands. I believe in you,
and I cannot wait to hold you in my arms again! God
bless you my darling Serenity, and our little joy!
All My Love,
Eternity
The words made queen Serenity's heart jump for joy! She found herself staring at the words, I BELIEVE IN YOU, for what seemed like forever. Nobody had ever believed in her to do anything before Eternity. Everyone had always seen her as a klutz, and everyone always joked about the little queen who was better friends with the servants than she was with the nobility.
Now she truly felt like a woman.
'I can't wait for him to return to me,' she thought. ''My heart is aching for him!'
...A week had passed with no word from anyone, and things were normal...until that day, when the news reached general Tinugio's ears. He put his head down and mumbled curses at God. He was given the order to inform the queen.
He had a sorrowful ride to the palace, and when he reached his destination, he requested an immediate audience with queen Serenity. She met him in the office near the royal bedchamber. Tinugio noticed that her pregnancy was beginning to show a bit, only bringing a heavier weight to his already heavy heart.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "I know that look. What has happened?"
The general looked at the ground.
"We've lost a great deal of men your highness."
Queen Serenity once again felt that cold, gripping fear.
"How many did we lose?"
"The count was 600 men, 300 nurses, and 7 children."
A tear trailed down the cheek of the queen.
"Children? How barbaric! How did this happen?"
"It was definitely a Nemesis attack. They tricked us into believing they were going to sign a peace treaty to knock us off guard, and indeed they did."
"You mean there was never any treaty?" Serenity asked in a mounting panic.
"No, I'm afraid not. We found a grave while we were traveling, and the dirt was freshly packed, so we took a look. It had a stone which said upon it, 'Here lie the damned of the Imperial Moon Army.' We immediately dug it up, but there were no coffins of any kind. It was a mass grave with all the people thrown into it."
A tear fell down Tinugio's face, causing Serenity to dig her nails into the desk. And then he spoke the words she so feared.
"Among them was king Eternity."
Serenity fell back in her chair and screamed. General Tinugio cried with her and let her scream and curse, he thought it was best to let her vent it all.
Serenity's mind was going a million miles a second. It couldn't be...tragedy like this couldn't possibly plague her. She was a twenty-three year old widow? What about their baby? What about her? What happened to happily ever after? How could she explain the absence of her daughter's father?
When she was able to speak, she said,
"He was supposed to be coming home this week. How could this have happened?"
"I'm so sorry Serenity."
After another moment, an unfamiliar tone gripped her voice,
"I want to see those sons of bitches die! ALL OF THEM!"
She continued to sob. The letter her husband had written sat upon the same space in which her tears were falling. The tears met the parchment and left dramatic stains.
After an hour of continuous sobbing on her desk, Tinugio helped Serenity to the bedroom. He put her down on the bed and turned her wedding picture slightly away, but she protested and made him turn it back.
"If this is the only way to see his perfect face, then let me have it!"
Her pleading only made him feel weaker. Tinugio summoned the new handmaiden and took her outside the bedroom before he would permit her entrance to tend the queen.
"Is her majesty all right?" Alice asked with concern.
"Listen here miss, what I tell you now you must tell no one. Do you swear it?"
"I swear on my life, sir."
"Good...for the entire galaxy will know soon enough. Are you ready? Brace yourself."
Alice nodded nervously as Tinugio said,
"King Eternity has died."
A gasp met a slight scream as Alice's knees went weak. Her limp became even worse as she straightened herself up and walked into the bedchamber of the now widowed queen.
"Is there anything that you want, Serenity?"
It was the first time that Alice felt comfortable using the queen's name without any formalities. The queen gripped to Alice's arm.
"Just stay the night with me. I don't want to be alone. And please summon Luna immediately."
Alice did as told and then changed herself into a nightgown that the queen told her to put on. It was big on her, particularly in the area of the chest, but she didn't care. She would do whatever the queen told her to do.
Luna ran into the room.
"Serenity what is it?"
Between sobs, Serenity said,
"Come to me Luna."
The cat jumped up on the bed as Serenity's tears fell against her black fur.
"What's wrong, darling Serenity? What has happened?"
With this the queen embraced Luna a bit tighter.
"The Moon has just fallen from the sky, Luna." she said. "The world has ended!"
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~*Tori*~