Sorry I haven't written anything in a while. With graduation two months away, I had things to wrap up. Good news though: I got into Ramapo College! It's in Mahwah, New Jersey for those not from around here.
Anyway, even though now all of my free time will be focused on finding a perfect prom dress and shoes, I have to keep writing cuz I want to end this story on a good note and not leave it hanging in cyber space…
This is not gonna be da last chapter. In fact, I don't know if it'll end with the 15th or 16th or whatever chapter. I wanna finish this story telling the true story I started out to tell. So hopefully, I'll be able to stretch it out that far.
On another note, I was sooo shocked when I signed on and saw ALL the reviews I got, in ONE DAY. I wanna thnk all those who took the time to review it, even though I had ended it with a sucky cliffhanger. True fans.
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Her bottom lip quivered with unease. Nothing had ever made her come down here, come to a room that had been dug deep into the palace that it took at least an hour just to find the door.
With the key resting on the palm of her hand, the reluctant Queen pushed the carved metal into the keyhole and turned it. There was a click sound then silence. She couldn't bring herself to open the door. Its brass knob had become dull over the years, collecting dust and grime. Tarnished with black, it was a wonder she was able to see it, even with the oil lamp she hung on the wall.
Sighing with defeat, she walked forth, swinging the door and stepping in. It was dark so she brought the lamp with her. The floor boards beneath her feet creaked and groaned. Walking a bit more and then she stopped. She knew by memory where to go. Had it embedded in her mind by her father who thought his only heir should see what the world fought for. Putting the lamp on the floor, she thrust her hands before her until her fingers found it. Its cool surface grazed her skin like ice.
She had no time to admire it, for she knew just how beautiful the thing was. Oh, how she had longed for it ages ago when she first caught a glimpse of it when it came into the palace. Knowing it would soon come into her possession when she became queen, she could hardly hold her excitement. She knew what its purpose was, but that was never in her mind. It was the physical lure it had for her.
The Goddess's own plaything. That's what made it even more sought after; the Goddess had owned it before one of her children left it on the earth; left for any human to take into their own custody.
Time was dwindling and the baby was due for a feeding so she quickly pocketed it and left, the door closed possibly for the last time. She had failed her parents, her kingdom.
Finally getting to the final door, she stepped out and locked it with the same key. The whole palace was quiet; nothing seemed real anymore.
Walking back to the main room where the rest had assembled from Maya and Gabriel's house, the Queen entered, her heart heavy.
"Well? Where is it?" asked the narcissistic King. She couldn't believe he was even more powerful than before. He was granted the right to be crowned King when Nikil's mourning period, a minimum of 5 years in his lands, had ended.
"I've got it, you crude excuse of a man," she spat in anger as she saw his hand outstretched for it.
"Then what's keeping you?" the question hung in the air as she looked Maya who had fallen asleep in Gabriel's arms on the couch. The king's soldiers kept their eyes and swords on the sleeping mother.
"Don't think it'll be the last time I'll see this. In fact, I estimate that it won't be in your possession very long," she said gloatingly.
His face burned at her words and his hand went automatically to the hilt of his sword. Taking it out with a flourish, he waved it at her, waiting for to make the first move.
"Hand it over now, Your Highness," he growled, advancing to her.
Liam went to her side and took his sword out as well.
"Still your feet, You Highness. Unless permitted, no one is allowed near Her Highness," he said, pushing the tiny Queen behind him.
"Then, I ask permission to take what the good Queen offers," the angered king said in a tense voice.
"Your Highness?" Liam asked, turning to her.
The King's blood boiled at seeing the soldier regard the Queen, his Queen, with a loving tone.
"It's alright, Liam," she uttered, placing a hand on the man's arm. When he smiled back at her, the king grew even more incensed.
"Can we get this over with?" barked the red-faced man who turned his head away from the intimate exchange.
"Hold your bloody nerves, you damned brute!" Gabriel sneered who had stood up, placing Maya's head on a cushion.
"Can't you have some sense of honor and see how hard it is for Her Highness to give this up? Especially since it rightly belongs to her kingdom?" he shotat him with ire.
"Enough of this foolish weeping, just hand it over," he moved toward her, his hand trying to reach what would soon be his.
"Fine, here you repulsive man," whispered the young Queen, setting it on the King's open palm. The light in the room was bright enough for all the room to gaze upon the beauty that many kingdoms fought for.
The stone, carved by the Goddess's lover in a style that took centuries to make, glinted brilliantly on their faces. Its mix of blood red and an effervesce hue colored the diamond. The thick gold band held the stone together with four other smaller stones that circled the big one. Each one a different color, each one representing the first four children the Goddess had when given the ring.
All together, it was the size of one's eye. The magic that the ring held kept its owner far from harm when worn, something the Queen should've done when her parents died. Something her father had advised her to do if they had ever perished. Too wrapped up in her grief, she had forgotten to mete out her father's last request.
The King's eyes glowed with lust as he slipped the ring on his middle finger. A flow of power surged through him, darkening his eyes and healing the old wounds and aches from battles that flawed his body.
Another thing the Queen did not want to admit to herself was not the physical power the ring gave, but the control it gave to the owner.
"I hope you realize what this means," he said to her, his eyes watching the emotions that played on her face.
"Yes," she answered reluctantly. The bearer of the ring was given the right to govern four of the most powerful kingdoms, Nuwell, Wodlend, Bleckmead, and her very own country, Vaneri. Though the royals had control of their own, the bearer's trumped theirs if wanted.
"So, what does the King request with this newfound command?" asked Gabriel, watching as the soldiers stepped away from his sleeping wife and back to their ruler.
"I request that the Queen of Vaneri become my wife, thus fitting the role of Queen of her lands and mine," he said with the airs of a snobbish nobleman.
"Never! Your control does not extend to the subject of marriage," Liam snarled but the Queen held his arm, stilling him from doing anything drastic. She herself was stunned. She couldn't believe it. Why would he try to get her back when he knew she'd never love him, never be loyal to him?
"It does if I change the Laws of Peace," retorted the King, citing the treaty, the only treaty, all the kingdoms followed.
"Bastard, she is already betrothed," Gabriel scowled.
Finally, something in her favor! Though this was kept secret, her kingdom had set up a husband for her. But only as a backup. On the off chance she did not find a suitable husband, not that the other one wasn't, she would then wed the one chosen for her. His identity was unknown to her, but she knew he was a sort of Duke from lands far away. This satisfied her and everyone else. As long as he was fitting enough, her quest would not end in failure.
"To whom?" this surprised the King. He had followed the news of her search, knowing that she would find no fruit to her labor. Her stubborn and picky nature would keep her from saying yes to any man.
"A man who's honor outnumbers your army. So you see, no matter how much you change the treaty, you can't break the bonds of betrothals," boasted Liam who had the Queen in a half hug; this infuriated the King.
"Make sure of this, I, King Endymion of Madiri will marry Queen Serenity of Vaneri before the full moon glows its face upon the earth," he thundered, signaled for his men and then left.
The room was quiet again. Maya had woken up and heard everything. Gabriel kept his eyes downcast and Liam hugged her closer, knowing she'd cry.
The next full moon was in fours days.
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Notice how I said neither of their names until the end? Yeah, it was this thing I wanted to try out. I think I did fairly well.
Just to clear things up: No Serenity can't be pregnant because it's been a while since they last had sex so, if my biology is right, it's impossible for her to be pregnant now. Not that I'm ruling that out (winkwink).
Plz try to hold on to ur flames on the subject of you-know-what, cuz well, i tried... i mean, you have to admit, i built the suspense of it very good, had you guessing on what it really was. Many thought it to be her hand in marriage and while a ring sounds stupid, it's the power that the owner gets that I'll exploit on, not on the ring itself.
Hoped you likey, me did, me really did. Don't worry, I'll make da next one a little longer then this one………….hopefully…………….. (hehe)