The news of king Eternity's death spread quickly throughout the castle that night. Though Alice kept her silence, some of the soldiers had been talking, the servants were all devastated, and so sparked the talking.
"Dumped like an animal in some hole in the ground." one of the male stable keepers sobbed. "To think, the king of the Moon has fallen. I would love to get my hands on the bastards! Poor queen Serenity."
Many wept for the unborn princess as well. The other stable keeper agreed and said,
"Yes, our poor queen. Especially now, with the little princess on the way. This is a time when a woman needs her husband the most. My Paulina wouldn't have survived childbirth without me. And can you imagine growing up without a father? I can't even bear the thought of leaving my babies without me to provide for them."
Those who worried for the queen started making her gifts at once. But those who could not make or buy a gift for the queen offered the most beautiful gift they had to offer: their prayers.
Alice walked into the kitchen to find all of the kitchen servants had decided to spend the rest of the night and morning praying for their lost king, as well as the other soldiers. They didn't stop until it was five o' clock in the morning, when they were forced to continue their duties.
General Tinugio wouldn't make the official announcement until the morning, but everyone who found out before the announcement, whether it be a servant, a noble, or a peasant in the village, all agreed that it was the longest night they had ever lived to see.
Tinugio sat in an armchair next to the queen's bed. He watched her sleep. Every once in a while she would start sobbing in her sleep, and he would hold her hand until she was in a deep sleep again. At about three o' clock, Alice called Tinugio over to the door.
"Sir, why don't you go and get some sleep." she said. "I will tend to her."
"Miss, I'm sorry, but I must stay against your request. The king always told me if something should happen to him, I was to take care of Serenity. And now something has happened to him. Eternity would not want me to leave her."
Alice nodded solemnly as she stared at the sleeping queen.
"Then I shall leave you. I'll be right down the hall if you need me. Please do not hesitate to call upon me."
And she closed the door...leaving them...alone.
Serenity's back was facing the door as she laid sleeping on her right side. She opened her eyes as the door clicked closed.
"Eternity?" she called out as she sat up and turned around.
When she saw that it was general Tinugio, she fell back on to the bed, despair gripping her senses. He went to the chair next to her bed as the tears began again.
"Oh Dario, I miss him so much."
The use of his first name made Tinugio's heart leap within him. He pushed the feeling aside and took her hand.
"I miss him also, majesty."
"Please do not be so formal. You were his best man at our wedding for God's sake. You can call me Serenity." After a moment of silence, she asked in a soft voice, "Are you going to be all right Dario?"
"I will Serenity. It's just going to take some getting used to. I think that is the same for all of us."
"God almighty," she said, her voice getting louder. "We have a baby on the way. What am I going to do? The kingdom will expect me to be alone the rest of my life. I really don't think I can handle sleeping alone forever."
"Someday happiness will find you again."
"Promise me you won't leave us tonight?"
"Us?"
"The baby and I. We would love it if you'd stay."
She took his hand and gripped it tightly. Just as she was drifting to sleep, Tinugio tried to get up, but Serenity pulled him down on to the bed.
"Please don't go Eternity." she said in a groggy voice.
He sighed. Dario Tinugio suddenly saw the queen in a different light. The radiance that Eternity had fallen in love with was all of the sudden overwhelmingly bright.
'Eternity, my good friend,' Dario thought. 'What the hell are you up to?'
Serenity pulled him, causing him to lay in bed next to her.
"Promise you'll always be there to hold me?"
He couldn't say no to her. And at that moment, he swore to all powers listening that he'd never let her be alone again.
"I will always be with you, dearest Serenity."
...When Serenity's eyes fluttered open the next morning, there was a pair of strong arms around her. She was afraid to look. Could it be that last night was all a bad dream? Could it be that her husband was lying next her?
She turned her head despite the cries inside that told her not to. Her heart sank as she saw that it was Dario. At first she just put her head down, but then she looked again.
His face was glowing in a new way this morning. His black hair fell delicately over the pillow. His boots were thrown to the floor, and her heart was, for just a moment, calmed.
'What is this?'
Serenity slid gently out of bed as morning sickness took over. She rushed to the bathroom where she regurgitated.
Dario woke up missing one queen Serenity. Panic took over. Where was she? She had been through so much, what if she did something to herself? He called out,
"Serenity!"
She opened the bathroom door. Her odangos had been freed, and though outside the rain was pouring, she was as radiant as a brand new sunrise.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh...I'm so sorry, your majesty. I thought you..."
When he didn't finish his sentence, Serenity cocked an eyebrow.
"I think we are both severely lacking peace of mind, Dario."
"Yes majesty, I agree."
She giggled, and Dario's breath suddenly ran short.
"I told you not to call me that. Serenity will do just fine."
It was, of course, the first smile he'd seen on her within the last twenty-four hours, but it faded fast. Serenity turned to look out the circular windows of the balcony doors. She desperately tried to push away the creeping memories of her first kiss, but to no avail.
...It was raining that day too. Eternity pushed back his blonde hair, which was now soaking wet. They had been frolicking in the gardens when it began to pour. They stood under the arched entranceway to one of the dozens of covered marble terraces. Serenity leaned on the wall, and Eternity softly traced with his finger the crescent moon on her forehead. She giggled as he cupped her face in his strong hands. He pushed away a dripping piece of silver hair. Eternity then whispered in her ear,
"You have managed to capture my heart. I love you, Serenity."
It was then that he asked her hand in marriage. When she answered with an enthusiastic yes, he picked her up and twirled her around, lightning flashing. And he set her down, his lips pressing against hers...
A crash of thunder brought Serenity back from her thoughts, as well as Tinugio's voice.
"Are you all right? Would you like me to fetch you some tea?"
"No thank you, Dario." she said in a weak voice.
She was once again on the brink of tears.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I think I just want to be alone right now. But, I do want you to know that I appreciate your help last night."
"It's my honor Serenity. And if you need help tonight, don't hesitate to call."
Serenity gave him a half smile before he left the room. She then looked out the window again.
The silence of the room left only the pounding rain. Serenity began to breathe heavily, the thunder shocked her every time it rang out. She gasped when a big crash came and ran forward to throw open the balcony doors.
She ran out on to the balcony, and fell to her knees. She threw her head back to catch some of the rain on her overheated frame.
His face flashed through her head. Her lips were hungry and there was no one to feed them. When she could take it no more, she just began to scream,
"Eternity! Come home!"
WOOT That's the next chapter. Come on people! Please give me some response! My e-mail address is NeoTori7688aol.com and I would love some reviews. I love feedback. It helps me to improve. Thanks!
Tori
"Dumped like an animal in some hole in the ground." one of the male stable keepers sobbed. "To think, the king of the Moon has fallen. I would love to get my hands on the bastards! Poor queen Serenity."
Many wept for the unborn princess as well. The other stable keeper agreed and said,
"Yes, our poor queen. Especially now, with the little princess on the way. This is a time when a woman needs her husband the most. My Paulina wouldn't have survived childbirth without me. And can you imagine growing up without a father? I can't even bear the thought of leaving my babies without me to provide for them."
Those who worried for the queen started making her gifts at once. But those who could not make or buy a gift for the queen offered the most beautiful gift they had to offer: their prayers.
Alice walked into the kitchen to find all of the kitchen servants had decided to spend the rest of the night and morning praying for their lost king, as well as the other soldiers. They didn't stop until it was five o' clock in the morning, when they were forced to continue their duties.
General Tinugio wouldn't make the official announcement until the morning, but everyone who found out before the announcement, whether it be a servant, a noble, or a peasant in the village, all agreed that it was the longest night they had ever lived to see.
Tinugio sat in an armchair next to the queen's bed. He watched her sleep. Every once in a while she would start sobbing in her sleep, and he would hold her hand until she was in a deep sleep again. At about three o' clock, Alice called Tinugio over to the door.
"Sir, why don't you go and get some sleep." she said. "I will tend to her."
"Miss, I'm sorry, but I must stay against your request. The king always told me if something should happen to him, I was to take care of Serenity. And now something has happened to him. Eternity would not want me to leave her."
Alice nodded solemnly as she stared at the sleeping queen.
"Then I shall leave you. I'll be right down the hall if you need me. Please do not hesitate to call upon me."
And she closed the door...leaving them...alone.
Serenity's back was facing the door as she laid sleeping on her right side. She opened her eyes as the door clicked closed.
"Eternity?" she called out as she sat up and turned around.
When she saw that it was general Tinugio, she fell back on to the bed, despair gripping her senses. He went to the chair next to her bed as the tears began again.
"Oh Dario, I miss him so much."
The use of his first name made Tinugio's heart leap within him. He pushed the feeling aside and took her hand.
"I miss him also, majesty."
"Please do not be so formal. You were his best man at our wedding for God's sake. You can call me Serenity." After a moment of silence, she asked in a soft voice, "Are you going to be all right Dario?"
"I will Serenity. It's just going to take some getting used to. I think that is the same for all of us."
"God almighty," she said, her voice getting louder. "We have a baby on the way. What am I going to do? The kingdom will expect me to be alone the rest of my life. I really don't think I can handle sleeping alone forever."
"Someday happiness will find you again."
"Promise me you won't leave us tonight?"
"Us?"
"The baby and I. We would love it if you'd stay."
She took his hand and gripped it tightly. Just as she was drifting to sleep, Tinugio tried to get up, but Serenity pulled him down on to the bed.
"Please don't go Eternity." she said in a groggy voice.
He sighed. Dario Tinugio suddenly saw the queen in a different light. The radiance that Eternity had fallen in love with was all of the sudden overwhelmingly bright.
'Eternity, my good friend,' Dario thought. 'What the hell are you up to?'
Serenity pulled him, causing him to lay in bed next to her.
"Promise you'll always be there to hold me?"
He couldn't say no to her. And at that moment, he swore to all powers listening that he'd never let her be alone again.
"I will always be with you, dearest Serenity."
...When Serenity's eyes fluttered open the next morning, there was a pair of strong arms around her. She was afraid to look. Could it be that last night was all a bad dream? Could it be that her husband was lying next her?
She turned her head despite the cries inside that told her not to. Her heart sank as she saw that it was Dario. At first she just put her head down, but then she looked again.
His face was glowing in a new way this morning. His black hair fell delicately over the pillow. His boots were thrown to the floor, and her heart was, for just a moment, calmed.
'What is this?'
Serenity slid gently out of bed as morning sickness took over. She rushed to the bathroom where she regurgitated.
Dario woke up missing one queen Serenity. Panic took over. Where was she? She had been through so much, what if she did something to herself? He called out,
"Serenity!"
She opened the bathroom door. Her odangos had been freed, and though outside the rain was pouring, she was as radiant as a brand new sunrise.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh...I'm so sorry, your majesty. I thought you..."
When he didn't finish his sentence, Serenity cocked an eyebrow.
"I think we are both severely lacking peace of mind, Dario."
"Yes majesty, I agree."
She giggled, and Dario's breath suddenly ran short.
"I told you not to call me that. Serenity will do just fine."
It was, of course, the first smile he'd seen on her within the last twenty-four hours, but it faded fast. Serenity turned to look out the circular windows of the balcony doors. She desperately tried to push away the creeping memories of her first kiss, but to no avail.
...It was raining that day too. Eternity pushed back his blonde hair, which was now soaking wet. They had been frolicking in the gardens when it began to pour. They stood under the arched entranceway to one of the dozens of covered marble terraces. Serenity leaned on the wall, and Eternity softly traced with his finger the crescent moon on her forehead. She giggled as he cupped her face in his strong hands. He pushed away a dripping piece of silver hair. Eternity then whispered in her ear,
"You have managed to capture my heart. I love you, Serenity."
It was then that he asked her hand in marriage. When she answered with an enthusiastic yes, he picked her up and twirled her around, lightning flashing. And he set her down, his lips pressing against hers...
A crash of thunder brought Serenity back from her thoughts, as well as Tinugio's voice.
"Are you all right? Would you like me to fetch you some tea?"
"No thank you, Dario." she said in a weak voice.
She was once again on the brink of tears.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I think I just want to be alone right now. But, I do want you to know that I appreciate your help last night."
"It's my honor Serenity. And if you need help tonight, don't hesitate to call."
Serenity gave him a half smile before he left the room. She then looked out the window again.
The silence of the room left only the pounding rain. Serenity began to breathe heavily, the thunder shocked her every time it rang out. She gasped when a big crash came and ran forward to throw open the balcony doors.
She ran out on to the balcony, and fell to her knees. She threw her head back to catch some of the rain on her overheated frame.
His face flashed through her head. Her lips were hungry and there was no one to feed them. When she could take it no more, she just began to scream,
"Eternity! Come home!"
WOOT That's the next chapter. Come on people! Please give me some response! My e-mail address is NeoTori7688aol.com and I would love some reviews. I love feedback. It helps me to improve. Thanks!
Tori