Chapter Twenty-Six
LadyPrin
Disclaimer Applies.
It was the day of the wedding.
The ballroom had been fully repaired yesterday evening, leaving just enough time to decorate it in a rush of activity.
White flowers of many kinds were hung all over the railings of the upper balconies that overlooked the dance floor. Their stems were entwined with silver, light blue, and white ribbons that hung down past the balconies in curtains.
Seats were placed in rows of five on each side of the red carpet that was unrolled to form the isle that Serena would walk down.
It was planned that Serena would walk down the staircase from the second floor, walk across the carpet, and would come to stand at the alter beside Alan.
Queen Serenity would perform the ceremony and join the couple together.
Serena was in her room with the inner Scouts, making sure the last minute adjustments to her wedding gown was done.
She wore a big fluffy long underskirt of white cotton lace, the finest lace on the Moon and Earth. Over the lace skirt was a long skirt of silk that shone white or silver depending upon Serena's movement.
Pearls and diamonds were strung all around her skirt in elaborate swags. A big deep silver sash tied around her V shaped waist to form a big bow at the back, it's tales streaming gracefully down her skirt to the floor.
She wore dangly earrings of three diamonds each, a necklace of pearls, and her crescent moon symbol showed dimly on her forehead.
A big veil was being set into place on her head between her Odangos by Mina and Lita. Rei and Ami were curling her hair that streamed down from her Odangos.
They kept glancing worried looks at each other the entire time they were touching her up. Serena was not unaware of their tension, or glances.
Rei handed Serena her bouquet of white roses just as Queen Serenity walked into the room.
"They're ready." Serenity stated quietly.
Mina, Rei, Lita, and Ami all looked anxiously at Serena before leaving the room to take up their stations as bridesmaids.
"You look beautiful dear." Serenity commended her daughter, though she had a note of sadness in her voice.
Serenity didn't know of the plans that Serena, Alan, Ann, Rei, Ami, Lita, and Mina had set into motion that morning. Serena had kept a tight reign on the Crystal so that it wouldn't let the information slip to her.
"Thank you mother!" Serena said graciously.
"You don't seem so, upset about the wedding as you were a couple days ago." Serenity said with a questioning tone.
"Well, for one thing, I've gotten to actually know Alan. For another thing, I know in my heart everything will be all right in the end." Serena answered as she hitched up her skirt slightly and walked out of the room with Serenity behind her.
"I'm glad to hear that." Serenity stated as they met up with the Serena's bridesmaids at the top of the staircase, still out of sight from the people below.
Her bridesmaids also included Amora, Michelle, Hotaru, and Setsuna.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Serena muttered as she handed her bouquet to Mina for a moment.
Then she placed both her hands across her heart, and then slowly opened her arms wide.
The Impearium Silver Crystal itself blossomed on her chest in the form of a crystal flower broach. It sparkled all the colors of the planets and more.
Her mother smiled approvingly as Mina handed her bouquet back.
'If you're planning on not getting married today, why all the fancy touches?' Rei asked through their mind link, quietly so as not to let Serenity hear her.
'It was planned that Alan's father would be here an hour ago, but it seems he's running late. Just because I'm planning on not having to go through with the wedding, doesn't mean that I won't be going through with it. We made plans just in case we did have to say 'I do', you know that, but for all I know I could die this afternoon, married or not, and I would terrible regret not taking the opportunity to shine my best for Endymion.' Serena answered.
'Oh, okay.' Rei muttered understandingly.
The music started playing as Serenity took her daughter's hand.
They waited together on that landing, as two little flower girls walked down the stairs sprinkling red rose petals onto the carpet from their baskets.
Then the bridesmaids followed.
Then Serenity leads Serena by the hand down the staircase.
Serena felt a slight tug on the long part of her veil and looked back.
Luna and Artemis the cats had each taken the end of the veil that were dragging behind Serena on the floor and were walking proudly behind her, the pure white ribbons around their necks sparkling.
"Oh, mother!" Serena cried as she realized that her short front veil wasn't over her face yet.
Serenity and Serena paused long enough for Serenity to pull the short front part of the veil down over Serena's face and then they continued down the staircase.
It was a very slow walk up to the alter.
Serena didn't mind, nor did any of the other conspirators. The longer it took to walk her up there, the better. It meant that Alan's father had more time to get here, hopefully with whatever it was that he would bring with him that would give Alan the go ahead he needed.
Alan hadn't told any of them, not even Ann what it was he was waiting for. He just said that one of his fathers honor guards would bring what he needed.
As Serena walked to the alter she saw that all the Scouts were seated on the right side, front row. All be Rei, who was Serena's maid of honor, who stood up by the alter a little behind where Serena would stand.
Sammy was all dressed up and standing a little behind Alan. He bore the cushion that bore the rings. Sammy looked partially happy and excited at being able to attend such a grand ceremony, and sad because Serena didn't want to marry Alan.
'Don't worry, Sammy. Everything's going to be all right, and I have a special gift to give you after all this is over.' Serena said to herself.
Serena looked to the left side of the isle.
In the front row seats sat Nephrite, Kunzite, Jedite, Zoisite, Endymion and Andrew. Andrew had a red haired woman with him, and from the way he was holding her, she must have been his wife.
The other Generals kept glancing over at the inner Scouts, and vice versa.
Endymion didn't look up for a while, but eventually he couldn't resist.
He glanced up at Serena, and couldn't look away.
Serena stood up proudly, determined to shine just for him, and shine she did.
In Endymion's eyes she radiated light, and looked like an angel. She took his breath away, and he was so captured in the moment that the sorrow he had previously felt at not being the one that Serena was walking to, didn't have room to live.
The walk to the alter came to an end all too soon.
Queen Serenity let go of Serena's hand and went to stand just a little in front of them.
She proceeded to say the words that would join Alan and Serena together.
Alan talked really slowly when it came time for him to repeat his vows.
Serena knew he was stalling, she knew he was nervous for she could feel the sweat of his hand that held hers soak through their gloves.
She squeezed his hand gently, and he relaxed some.
Then the doors to the entrance flew open.
"I'm sorry I'm late!" The Old King of the planet Showma proclaimed as he quickly hurried to seat that the inner scouts had left empty for him in the front row on the right side of the isle.
He had two honor guards who stood one on either side of the alter.
"You're just in time to hear their vows, you're Highness." Serenity told him softly.
"Good, good! Carry on then, never mind me." He puffed as he settled his fairly round self into the chair.
Alan was staring at the honor guard standing on Serena's side of the alter.
That guard nodded to his own hand, which was hanging by his side, but closed around a rolled up scroll of parchment.
With a puff it was gone from his hand.
Alan opened his own right hand, and the parchment appeared it in.
He and Serena turned around to face Serenity, touching shoulders so that the Old King couldn't see Alan reading the parchment.
Before he unrolled the parchment he muttered to the Queen.
"Just keep on saying the words, my lady."
Queen Serenity looked at him briefly, and then proceeded to have Serena repeat her vows.
Alan read the parchment and a satisfied smile settled on his lips.
He glanced at Serena and Serena nodded encouragingly to him.
They both turned around to face the crowd and Serenity stopped talking.
Everyone became alert.
"I have just received news that I have been officially proclaimed on my home planet by my father as the new King of the Showma planet and Galaxy. My first proclamation as King is this: the wedding is off." Alan stated.
Everyone was startled by this news.
The Generals and Endymion glanced over at the inner Scouts to find them smiling triumphantly at each other.
The Scouts caught them looking, and gave them a look that read as a defiant what?
The men raised eyebrows in union.
"Yes, I have officially announced that I am retiring and you are to be King, but that only goes into effect after you've married the Moon Princess." The Old King informed him with surprise.
"I have here a piece of parchment. On it is written every word that you said to the people in your proclamation. Yes, it does say I'm not to be King until I'm married, but it does not say I have to marry the Moon Princess." Alan informed him.
He raised his left hand, pulled off his glove and showed them the shinning gold ring.
"Married I am, but not to the Moon Princess." Alan announced.
He then looked down the isle as a woman clothed in a light pink dress, with a hat that hid most of her face walked down the red carpet.
Alan took her hand as he helped her up the steps to the alter.
She kept her face hidden by the rim of the hat as Alan continued.
"This is my wife. We were married only this morning, with five witnesses to our union. The witnesses are Princess Serena, Princess Mars, Princess Mercury, Princess Jupiter, and Princess Venus. Princess Serena performed the ceremony herself, and our union is officially binding by the blood we used to sign the marriage certificate. We were joined just after you left the Showma planet, so you had already made the proclamation to the people." Alan stated firmly, confidently.
"And who is this woman you claim as your wife?" The Old King cried in outrage as he leaped from his seat.
The Moon Guards tensed and kept a watchful eye on him.
"You don't recognize her father?" Alan asked in mock surprise. "I should think that one would mark such a, memorable, event such as when you gave away my true love to Queen Beryl herself."
Ann removed her hat and glared at the Old King.
The Old King looked at her with surprise showing in his every feature.
Then his face quickly changed to rage, and then to fear as he realized that he could no longer hope to control the throne.
"I'm sure you didn't realize that with Ann in her hands, Beryl would try to kill me before I married. I know for a fact that you wanted me to live. Long enough to be officially married and return with my new bride to Showma, but after that I know you wouldn't give a planet's ring about me, or my bride." Alan continued.
The Old King made an attempt to save his own skin by calling upon his blood ties to Alan, but it was far too late for that.
"You never were much of a King, and you were never really a father." Alan told him. "I'm not going to think twice about having you thrown into the dungeons to await your execution. I can assure you that I'll never lose sleep over it. But wait. We're not on Showma, and these aren't my dungeons. Princess?" Alan turned to Serenity who threw back her veil and smiled at him. "Would you do the honors?" Alan asked.
"Of course." Serenity looked at the Old King, stood up straight, and clasped her hands together in front of her. "Moon Guards, arrest this man and throw him in the dungeon to await extradition to his home planet for trial and punishment. The charges are as follows: treason, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and defacing private property. For it was he who gave Beryl the means to get here and destroy the ballroom of the Silver Millennium Moon Palace."
The Guards started walking toward the Old King as Serena stated the charges, but the King made as if to ready an energy ball.
Lita stood up behind him, pinched a certain place on his neck before he could turn around, held it for three seconds, and then let go as he slumped to the ground unconscious.
As the Guards dragged the Old King out of the ballroom, Lita sat gracefully back down in her seat, smoothed out her emerald green dress, and glanced once in Nephrite's direction.
Nephrite was staring at her with wide eyes.
"I'm in love." Nephrite stated in confirmation as he continued to stare.
Jedite leaned over and whispered to him.
"If you ever do marry her, don't ever get into a fight with her. Or you'll end up just like him."
"Or worse." Kunzite added.
"Or worse." Jedite agreed.
"I know she has the ability to kill me, but I'm still in love." Nephrite stated firmly as he leaned back in his seat, a silly grin on his face.
Serena than addressed the room of people.
"I'm sorry everyone. I know you came here to see a wedding, but this wedding is not going to take place." She started. "But you may still see a wedding."
Serena turned to Alan and Ann.
"This morning when you were secretly married, I promised that when this was all over I'd give you the big wedding you two so richly deserve. Would now be a good time for that? We don't want to waste the cake now do we?" Serena asked.
Alan and Ann glanced at each other and then with smiles agreed that now would be the best time to renew their vows.
Serena touched the Impearium Silver Crystal on her chest and it enveloped her in pure white light.
She twirled around once, and the big part of her silo wet that was her wedding gown vanished.
Ann was enveloped in the same white light.
When the lights vanished, Serena was back in her own Princess outfit while Ann wore her wedding gown.
Serena handed her bouquet over to Ann, urged her mother to continue, and stepped down from the alter to the now unoccupied seat that the Old King had just vacated.
She sat down gracefully as her mother glanced down at her.
"You sneaky little blue moon monkey." Queen Serenity said playfully.
Serena turned to the inner Scouts.
"Did you hear that? We're sneaky little blue moon monkeys!" Serena said jokingly to them.
It surprised them all when Ami made a monkey noise before blushing a deep red.
Then everybody around the room had to smother giggles.
It was quiet a few minutes before Queen Serenity could start the ceremony again.