Storms Upon the Heart
Chapter Seventeen
Endymion looked around the chapel nervously, noticing how it was filling up fast. Motoki, who stood beside him, nudged him in the ribs. Endymion turned and gave him an evil look.
Motoki shrugged. "I had to do something to bring you down to planet Earth again. You look like you've forgotten what gravity is."
Endymion laughed, straightening the military buttons on his suit for the fiftieth time in five minutes. "I can't help it… it's just hard to believe that this day is finally here. Especially after the last few days."
Motoki grinned. "You know she would have come around eventually."
Endymion snorted. "No, Motoki, she was… furious."
Motoki shrugged, and turned to look out at the filling room. "Well, most everyone's here."
Endymion glanced out again. He looked up and down the aisles, seeing many familiar faces. He saw Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru all sitting together on the fifth row of the right side, the bride's side. Many queens and kings from surrounding nations were attending, as well as friends and family of the bride and groom.
Dermius was sitting on the very first row, and Endymion rolled his eyes when he saw that he was talking to a king from a neighboring nation, no doubt about politics.
Endymion leaned over to Motoki. "He's retiring today and yet he still can't give it up."
Motoki chuckled. "To think, ten years ago we were both staring at our fathers and saying we would never be them. But…we are."
Endymion smiled slightly. "Unfortunately, we are."
The minister came out from the front door and walked to the podium. He gave a nod to Endymion and Motoki. "They're ready."
Endymion nodded back, nervousness hitting him like a harsh wind.
The organist began the wedding march, and the flower girl came out with her basket of flowers.
Endymion and Motoki both blinked. "How in the hell did Serenity manage that!" Endymion whispered at Motoki, who shrugged helplessly.
Minako, in a billowing pink dress and a glimmering white bow in her bright hair, practically skipped down the aisle, throwing white rose petals everywhere. A few landed in an elderly queen's hair.
Minako squeaked and ran back to her, plucking them out. "Sorry!" She said, and rushed down the rest of the way, dumping the flower petals out.
Both men at the front gave her a funny look, and she rolled her eyes and went to stand in her place.
Following her, the mothers' were ushered out to their seats, on the arms of Kunzite and Nephrite. They showed the queens to their seats, across from one another, and then joined Endymion at the front.
Next, the bridesmaids, Ami and Rei, clad in the same pink dress as Minako's, were ushered down the aisle, on the arms or Zoicite and Jaedite, respectively. They smiled graciously at the crowd, and when they reached the altar, Rei gave Endymion a wink. He rolled his eyes.
The girls stood in their places, and the men joined the other generals on the other side.
Makato, the maid of honor, came out in a lighter pink dress than the other girls' had worn, and she walked very slowly down the aisle, and after a while, her mother began to roll her eyes. Cassandra leaned over to her husband. "It's like she's regretting that her own wedding's over! Good gods, someone hurry her up before Serenity turns eighty!"
Dermius chuckled and patted his wife's hand.
Finally, Makato took her place, smiling across happily at her husband, who gave her a wink back.
Then, in a vision of white, Serenity came through the doors, and the entire crowd stood and turned to gaze at her. Her dress, a simple empire-waisted gown trimmed in glimmering gems (obviously real diamonds, for her mother would have no less on the girl) billowed past her small form to the floor, reaching nearly ten feet behind her. A veil covered her entire face, shielding Endymion from seeing her. His breath caught, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed that he couldn't see her eyes.
She walked slowly, her heart beating in her chest so loudly that she thought everyone could hear it. She clutched the white rose bouquet she carried close to her heart, looking at her future husband with love shining in her eyes. She walked past her good friends Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru, and turned her head to give them a wink. They grinned back, Setsuna winking at the girl. She continued down the aisle, and when she reached her mother's seat, she turned and lifted her veil, kissing the elderly woman on the cheek.
Melodine took her daughter's hand. "If only your father were here…"
"He is. Just… not with us physically." Serenity whispered back, squeezing her hand. Melodine lifted the veil over her daughter's face, and the girl turned and reached the altar, and when she was close enough, Endymion could see through the veil, and his face broke out into a smile, and he stepped down a step to take his bride's arm. The rest of the wedding party stepped back as the minister came forward.
"Dearly beloved…" He began, looking out at the crowd. "We are gathered here today to bring these two young ones together in the eternal bonds of marriage and love. They both have said they have waited long enough, and have asked for a short ceremony, and they have written their own vows. So I will let them give them now. Serenity, please." He nodded to the girl, who smiled and handed her bouquet to Makato. She turned and faced Endymion and lifted the veil over her face.
"Before I met you, I hated you." She laughed slightly. "Well, because I knew you were my future, and I didn't like the thoughts of having it decided for me. But then, I met you, and… even though it seemed so… unreal… I fell in love. It was amazing, except that… you didn't love me." Her eyes glazed over. "I was torn, really… you were just a vision, the man I was going to marry, and yet… I wasn't going to have your love, the one thing I wished for more than anything else." She smiled up at him, squeezing his hands. She thought to herself how faint he looked, the weakest she had ever seen him. "But I loved you anyways, and I waited. I waited for you to give me your heart… and for some reason, one day, you did. You came to me and finally, in my heart I held your heart… and I know that I am the luckiest girl in the world… not because I'm a princess, not because I'm about to become queen… but because I'm loved. Because I love, and I'm loved back by a wonderful man who I know is my soul mate. Endymion, I love you." She smiled softly, knowing that she had lowered her voice at the end for a reason. Only Endymion needed to hear those words, no one else.
He smiled back, and the minister nodded at him. He cleared his throat, and laughed nervously. "You and both know that this is awkward for me. You put me in a council, a meeting, a board room, and I can talk for hours without a blush… but then you come around and suddenly I find myself the most nervous man in the world." He grinned. "I guess it's because I've thought that I don't deserve you, and I just keep thinking that if I make one mistake, someone will say they made a mistake, that you aren't meant for me, and that I have to give you back. I know that if I had to do that, I wouldn't be able to… I would fight till my very last breath to keep you as mine, because…" He paused and blushed, and Serenity grinned. "Because I love you. Because I may… I may not be the most humble man, and I know I can be… brutish, but I do love you, and I will until the very end of time, and after that. I know I don't deserve you, but… I have never been so thankful to have something than I am of having you." He smiled softly. "I love you." He whispered.
The minister went on with the ceremony, while Endymion and Serenity just stood and stared at each other. "The rings, please."
Motoki handed them to the minister, who gave one to Endymion.
"Endymion, place this ring on Serenity's finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed.'"
Endymion shakily took the ring and reached out for Serenity's hand again. He slipped the ring on and smiled at the perfect fit. "With this ring, I thee wed."
Serenity, taking the other ring from the minister, did the same for Endymion. "With this ring, I thee wed."
The minister smiled. "With that thought in mind, I pronounce you man and wife, king and queen. Endymion, you may kiss your bride."
Endymion grinned at Serenity, who grinned back. He grabbed her around the waist and swung her into the air, her squealing happily. Bringing her lips to his, they met in a searing kiss, and the entire room stood and gave them a round of applause.
Minako jumped up and down and began throwing petals around.
Rei turned and gave the girl a look. "Where did you get those petals? I thought you used all yours!"
"I brought a back-up!" Minako pointed behind a screen where she had piled three baskets of petals.
Rei rolled her eyes. "Hand them here, I want to throw too!"
Minako giggled and passed the baskets around to the other bridesmaids, who happily tossed them around, especially at the new king and queen.
Noting that the ceremony wasn't finished, they ceased with the throwing of their petals when Dermius and Cassandra stood and made their way to stand in front of Endymion and Serenity.
Cassandra walked forward and placed a glittering diamond tiara on Serenity's head. She stepped back and smiled at the girl. "I give my crown to you, as the new queen of Hershim. Serve my people well, child."
Serenity nodded. "I will."
Dermius came forward and looked at his son sternly. "You've earned this, Endymion."
"Yes, Father." Endymion said, raising an eyebrow.
"You're a good man. Undoubtedly a good choice for king."
"Yes… Father?"
"I only have one piece of advice for you before I give you this."
"That… is?"
"The queen is always right."
Endymion rolled his eyes.
Serenity jabbed him in the ribs.
He choked. "Right. She's always right."
Dermius nodded and placed the crown on his head. "Then I give you this with the assurance that you and Serenity will rule well."
Serenity looked at Endymion and grinned. "I'm always right."
Endymion rolled his eyes and leaned down, kissing her again. "Yes, love… I get it, I get it."
She giggled.
That night, as they stood on a balcony in their hideaway honeymoon spot, a palace hidden in the mountains for vacations by royals, Serenity turned to Endymion and pecked his cheek.
Endymion gave her an odd look and wrapped his arms together around her. "Why only that?"
"You just look cute standing there, and a real… kiss just looked too much for the moment."
He raised his eyebrow. "You're funny sometimes."
She giggled. "Yes, I know. It's hard to believe we're married."
"Not really. We knew it would happen sometime."
"Mmm, that we did."
She stood quietly in his arms for several minutes, simply looking up at the moon.
Then, she turned and snuggled into his arms. "Do you regret anything, love?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, meeting me, falling in love with me…"
He gave her another look. "Of course I don't. Without you I wouldn't really know what it is to love."
She sighed happily. "Good… I was just checking."
"You just like to hear me say I love you."
"Ah… that too."
He laughed. "I love you."
"Again, please."
"I love you… I love you so much that if I could, I would write it in the sky."
"Hm… maybe there will be a way that you can do that someday."
"You let me know when, and I'll be up there writing."
"It's a date." She leaned up and kissed his lips.
"Ah, finally, a real kiss." He kissed her back, and grinned, lifting her up into his arms. Turning, he walked into their room with her in his arms. Reaching behind, Serenity pulled the curtains over the balcony doors, blocking out the world.
The End
Ta-da! It's finished! Hope you all enjoyed it, and please do leave a review if you read it and liked it… I love feedback on what I'm writing. As you can tell, my updates were spaced out, and especially lately, as I've been working so much. I'm still working on Secret Cupid, and then I'll be starting a new story about Makato… I promise you, if you like twists, you will love this story. Of course, and if you love Mako-chan, you'll really love it. Lol… adios, mis amigos!