Glossary
Pauldron: part of a suit of armor; covers the shoulders
Fauld: located below the breastplate, it protects the lower abdominal area
(Source: Google/Wikipedia; Google Images)
VI
Serenity gently placed her hand on her mother's cloaked shoulder. "How do you feel?"
The queen looked upon her daughter and gave her a tired but gentle smile. Her hand, the one that did not grasp her staff, freed itself from the folds of the thick white cape she wore and clasped her daughter's. "I am fine, my love." The matriarch casted her pretty, matronly stare over the throne room once more. Below them, on either side of a plush white carpet, stood the other Moon nobles behind the arrangement of soldiers and trumpeters. All were dressed in white, and their whispers were in anticipation of the awaiting procession. Queen Serenity's eyes did not deign to make contact with the worrisome elders, but rather at the white walls and pillars, marble busts, and the gold-framed, colorful portraits of past rulers that led to the platform where they stood above all. "Are you nervous about what you have been asked to do?"
Serenity looked upon the crown that sat on her mother's head, the platinum-and-bejeweled ornament and its diamond-encrusted image of the upturned moon crescent. Luna, her mother's most favorite handmaiden, had styled her buns to appear smaller that morning to accommodate the crown's size. She loved the way her mother's silver hair fell down in loose waves.
The princess gave a smile she knew was shaky and unsure. "I believe so."
"I know you are," her mother's fingers brushed her hair away from her birthmark and readjusted her own seldom-worn crown with its gold-plated crescent and leaf-and-rose-shaped moldings, "and you will do magnificently."
The queen pulled away suddenly. Her chest contracted for a moment, and her hand covered her mouth. Serenity waited for the familiar sounds of coughing…or the more familiar sight of her trying not to do so. Despite the physicians' declaration of her becoming well with time, her recovery had been slow. She had remained bedridden for weeks and it had taken time for the color in her cheeks to return. Of course her enervated condition had not deterred the elders from appearing and requesting private audience through Artemis, Luna's husband and her mother's personal scribe, or when refused, correspondences signed by her hand.
Serenity's fears never alleviated, but she held her tongue; it was not her place to criticize her mother's advisors.
Although still not fully well, the queen had insisted that enough of her strength had returned in time for this event: the arrival of delegates from Earth for what was being called the Satellite-Orbital Alliance talks, the first of its kind between the Moon and the mysterious, self-isolated blue planet that peeked above the rose garden.
And Serenity had volunteered to have an important role in this encounter: to stand and address the visitors on her mother's behalf.
There were so many things she had heard of the Earth's people through her lessons as of late: it was a land of feudal kingdoms and oligarchies; the multifaceted appearances, landmarks, and customs of those lands varied between very old or very young; different ideals ruled the land and they motivated people in individual ways—even children could achieve their self-realized goals.
Serenity was unsure of what to expect; Earth was beyond her comprehension: opposite and enigmatic and inspiring. Surely its people were the same…
What if she did something wrong? Or said the wrong thing? What if—
The touch of her mother's hand broke her thoughts. "Prepare yourself, my love; they have arrived." And as if to prove her mother right, the sound of the trumpeters resounded in the palace. The nobles began to silence themselves, assuming the roles of living statues; the soldiers raised and crossed their swords, and the musicians prepared themselves for their cue.
She stepped away from her mother, clasping her hands together. A smile graced her lips as she found her senshi in the crowd, all dressed in white for the occasion with bright smiles, nods of approval, and a wink of luck from Jupiter.
She drew in a deep breath to calm her nerves.
The people they had been waiting for stepped into the room, the would-be sounds of their shoes absorbed into the thick, plush carpet and drowned by the sounds of the instruments. They were different and mysterious; no one person looked too alike to the others. And they had adorned themselves in outfits with fabrics that showed intricate designs she had never seen before and…color. Bright, bold, unhindered color that at that moment, she wished she herself could wear…
Some of them stared in awe at the room's magnitude, at the sweeping arcs the crossed swords made as they were separated. However, four of them, dressed alike in gray uniforms with various adornments and badges, stared straightforward as if unbothered by the crowd and unimpressed by the splendor around them.
And led by them all was the prince of Earth.
He…
He was tall and youthful-looking, somewhat older than herself, but younger than his companions. His cloak was black but lined with red velvet. His suit of armor was also black, and embellished with a silver pauldron and matching fauld that held moldings of a snarling wolf poised for attack…a sheathed sword hung at his left side. He wore a crown, wrought with gold and adorned with dark stones; it made the fringe of his thick black hair brush against his eyebrows. His nose was aristocratic, his lips full, and his skin healthy from days spent in the sun.
And then there were his eyes, as blue as the waters of the planet from which he came…
She felt her heart skip a beat and butterflies flutter in her stomach.
He and his envoy reached the foot of the platform. And while the men knelt behind him, he hesitated and then came to the decision not to move. His eyes never broke their gaze towards her.
The trumpeting stopped and all was still…except her heart, for now it was beating in a way it never had before.Without thinking, she started to step down from the platform's stairs. Again and again, until she stood on equal ground with him. She simply…stared; and he stared at her with wonder.
Was it the same for him? Did he see her, her white dress with the gold thread and pearl-embroidered bodice, her crown? Or could he see her? Did he feel…drawn to her, swept up by her? Hot and nervous and excited too?
The silence in the crowd was slowly giving its way to concern, but it was the sound of her mother's throat clearing that finally animated her. She bowed and straightened up once more, her face burning with embarrassment. "I am…I am…Princess Serenity. I stand as the daughter of Her Royal Majesty Queen Serenity I, the sole sovereign of the Moon Kingdom's Silver Millennium and blessed guardian of the Silver Millennium Crystal." She sighed in relief that she had said her introduction correctly. "Welcome."
He bowed. "…I am Prince Endymion, heir and the future ruler and protector of the planet Earth." His voice was deep and rich. She could have listened to it for hours. "I stand for its royal family and for its people, wide and varied they are. I thank you and the people of the Moon for your hospitality and hope that this delegation brings about a stronger unity of our two worlds."
And then he smiled at her, the right side of his mouth curving higher than the left.
She could not break her gaze away from him, even as the other delegates introduced themselves, their voices echoing off the walls.
"…I hope so as well, Prince Endymion," she whispered.
She hoped he had heard her.
'It is the concern of the representatives of Parliament, speakers for the people of the Moon Kingdom in this year of its Restoration, to address the matter involving the ascension of its citizen Serena Tsukino—'
Serena looked up from the paper in her hands and into the eyes the elders of the Moon and Prince Diamond. They had all been sitting in the leather chairs and waiting for her to enter the private room for her lessons, and now, after reading the letter and seeing their eyes trained on her, she felt it was like an interrogation.
The young girl let her eyes fall back to the letter. "What does this…mean?"
"What it means is," Diamond started from his place on her left, overlooking the words on the page."the validity of who you as the princess is being questioned as suspicious by Parliament."
Her brow furrowed. "But—why? How?!" It had only been a few days since that morning they had all visited that grand, aged building. She had spent the entire day in the white clothing Luna had picked out that morning and standing by Diamond's side, chatting with those politicians and eating at the luncheon held in her honor. She couldn't wrap her mind on how so many of them could write and sign something like this. She scanned it once more. "What…what do they mean by my lineage?"
The elders looked at one another, but Diamond spoke again. "In the immediate events after the coronation, we sent a formal request to the Office of Public Records to investigate your genealogy. We thought of it as a way to better understand your sudden…emergence."
"Please understand why you were not told," one particularly bulbous and red-cheeked elder said. "Everything that happened…what you did…was so sudden!"
"Yes: the intention was simply to investigate the bloodlines of your parents to better form an understanding for the reasons behind your appearance. The results arrived the evening of your visit to Parliament."
Serena's hand rested in her lap and gripped the letter. "What were the results?"
"…The office determined your parents' ancestors are decidedly Moon-born, but specific results were inconclusive. Both branches of your family's tree predates the creation of the office itself; some individuals remain unidentified. And while the Moon's royalty is eons old, there is no retained documentation that showcases validity or falsehood."
"I hope you can understand what this means," Aglecta said from her seat. She was dressed in a collared sheath dress and her face was ghastly with her dark makeup. "Because we are unsure of any trace of royal blood, Parliament now believes that your ascension is no longer the sole concern of the palace, but theirs as well."
"As if they have the right," another elder groused to a chorus of agreeing, disgruntled murmurs.
"In any case," Aglecta continued over the din, annoyed that she was being interrupted even as the others agreed with her, "it is now believed that we are trying to influence politics by seating a child on the throne."
"It is such an insult!"…"It's as if they forget that we allowed for their formulation."…"What do you expect? Their leaders have changed so much over the last century. Personally, I had more respect for—"
"Apologies for my intrusion," a voice suddenly rang out. Serena's head turned to stare at its source: Luna. Her handmaiden had stepped away from her place along the stark-white wall and was now inching her way closer to the table. The elders looked either astounded or appalled, like they had forgotten she was there or had never seen her before. "But when the request was sent, we made it clear that the results were to remain confidential. Is there any indication as to how the results were given to Parliament's members?" Seeing no interruptions, she continued. "It is not like Parliament to question us or the decisions involving the royal family. And our influence on their policies are minimal and indirect at best. For a document to directly address the Moon palace and yourselves in regard to this matter… Why would they feel it be necessary—"
"You forget yourself and your place, Luna! Have you lost the ability to hold your tongue?" Aglecta asked. "It is arduous enough to handle this matter, but who are you to bring yourself into this conversation? Have you, in your speculations, even considered the ramifications that would take place if we pushed the matter? That doing so may cause a rift with Parliament?! That though we carry on the legacy of the royal family, it would be foolish to be combatant!" The last words the elder of the Moon yelled bounced against the walls.
Diamond walked the few steps towards the woman and bent towards her ear to whisper, but Serena still heard him say, "…it may be best if you exit the room."
Luna nodded her head. "…I…offer my sincerest apologies, esteemed elders…Your Royal Highness. Excuse me." The raven-haired woman's heels clicked across the marble floor and Serena heard the door be opened and shut once more.
Silence settled in the room, and once again, the interrogation refocused on the teenager.
"Please," Diamond urged, "finish reading."
Serena read the rest of the legal jargon twice before coming up for air. Her gaze focused on the elderly faces before her. "They want me to prove myself…"
"I cannot say that is their intent with certainty. …If I may be so bold," he addressed the other occupants, "it may be best to be proactive in certain capacities, particularly in the opportunity they are creating in requests for our most well-kept documents. I do not think it would be wise for them to learn more information about the crystal."
Everyone nodded their heads.
Aglecta puffed up once more, "And to continue in your grooming, you will be meeting with me more frequently for our—"
"I beg your pardon wholeheartedly," Diamond interrupted, raising his hand to give the woman pause, "but it is important to convene more formally to address the letter and form the language of the response. This is my opinion, but I believe that due to this matter, it is best to limit the lessons to every other day for the moment."
Aglecta rose out of her chair. "The whole reason this proposal has come into being is based on the power this girl exhibited—power unwitnessed from her since! Do you think if she showed that power, or the crystal itself, Parliament would even think—"
"We ourselves know of her power, and although they pretend, Parliament is aware of it as well. In our specific role, it is important to remember that our priorities may shift at any time. And for now," Diamond's voice momentarily hardened, "our priority should be to address these dissenters. Surely, given the importance of this matter, you can agree." Diamond's purple eyes met the elder's and held their beady gaze.
Silence fell on the meeting room for a second time as many of the elders' jaws dropped in surprise. Even Serena looked on nervously. Aglecta was definitely going to be mad.
"…I move this meeting be adjourned." Without waiting for additional consent, she made the move herself; her heels practically stomped cracks in the floor as she left.
One by one, like ducklings trailing after their mother, the others did the same.
Now it was just the prince and Serena.
Diamond sighed. For the first time since he had entered the room, he moved from the teenager's side and sat at the edge of the table, facing her. He took his time opening the buttons of his suit jacket and taking off his cufflinks. They made clattering sounds upon resting on the table.
His purple eyes gazed at her. "…Are you worried?" He asked softly.
Her eyes traveled back to the paper that sat in her lap. She only shrugged in response.
The royal gently freed the letter from her grasp and placed it on the table. He leaned forward and smiled. "There should be no doubts about you, who you are, and the power you possess. But what you are capable of and have shown has not been seen in a long time; it may be natural for there to be doubters from the outside… Just know that I believe in you."
"…Thank you…"
She watched as the prince reached forward and clasped her hand—
A strange shock, like a jolt of electricity, passed through their touch. Serena jumped back at the stinging feeling, the legs of her chair scraping the floor. Her head throbbed harder than it ever had. Her eyes clenched tight and the hand that did not press against her forehead pushed against the air between them, like she was defending herself from attack. Her eyes grew wide; her fingertips felt numb.
Diamond's eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes looked angry. He delicately touched his skin. And then he stood, standing over her as he straightened his suit. "I will leave you to your thoughts now." He placed his numb hand over his heart and then swiftly stepped away.
And then there was only her. Sitting under the peaceful image of Princess Serenity, forever the pillar of strength…without a care in the world…
"I believe you have proven yourself well in the esteemed elders' opinion, Your Royal Highness."
The princess startled at the smooth and cool voice in her ear; she almost made Mercury spill her drink. Whirling around to find its source, she came face-to-face with Diamond.
He placed his hand over his chest and bowed his head. "My apologies, princess. I did not mean to startle you."
She stepped back to more fully face him. "I take no offense. I may still be excited from the introductions." Of course, right after Aglecta reveled in her opportunity to be in the spotlight and pretended to be friendly and genuine with her words of welcome and the evening opened to more relaxed conversations, Serenity had stayed to watch the guards help her mother. The queen was to return to her bedroom for rest, but encouraged her daughter to go into the crowd and meet the delegates. And the princess had tried to do so, greatly pulled by the need to see him, to hear his voice once more…
She had found Mercury instead and had been spotted by Diamond in turn.
Silence fell between the three. The longer the nobleman stood before them in that suit of his that was unlike the others' with its distinctive designs along its lapels, the more she realized that he had been more visible as of late. From the position of his seat during dinners in the banquet hall, to her walks about the palace grounds, to even moments of leisure in the drawing room, Diamond had been everyw—
"It is wonderful to see that Her Royal Majesty is recovering well."
"Yes," Mercury said.
"Yes," Serenity agreed stiffly. "Thank you."
"I am especially happy to have seen her on the throne. It was a wonderful ceremony with her presence…To be frank, I am surprised that the prince was so articulate in his introduction."
"Oh?" Her senshi asked.
"Yes. Historically, we of the Moon have had few encounters with Earth's people, but my wait staff is full of tales about them. Their history is not as peaceful as it has been of late."
"I would say that that is nothing too unheard of… All planets have experienced war at one time or another. I know my own planet has." Mercury placed her empty glass unto an awaiting servant's tray.
"Yes, but with the many varied people on that planet, Earth's conflicts occur at a higher, more frequent rate. It is almost incomparable to your planet's number or even the conflicts we of the Moon have experienced—at least our people learned how to resolve issues quickly and diplomatically. From what I have heard, it seems those of Earth almost relish in the idea of conflict itself. It is almost barbaric."
The princess found that she could no longer remain silent. "It may be true they have experienced great strife amongst themselves, but no one relishes in conflict or war. The prince, the people of Earth…I think their being here proves that they desire peace and understanding as we do ourselves. It's admirable that they have found common ground with one another. We should not pretend to be so judgmental of that fact, especially given our history you speak of."
There were suddenly excited, surprised whispers all about her. Her pale blue eyes shifted in a million directions and it dawned on her that she had not been as quiet as she thought. And as if The Fates knew of her greatest desire, she suddenly realized that among her listeners was the prince himself looking upon her with his blue eyes.
She turned back to her verbal adversary with pink cheeks.
Diamond placed his hand over his heart and bowed to her, a simple gesture as always, but she could see his expression had stiffened. "My apologizes to you, Your Royal Highness. I did not mean to upset you and ask for your forgiveness if my words caused…offense on this night. Excuse me."
Both she and Mercury watched him leave.
"…Princess," Serenity looked at the bewildered face of her close friend and guardian, "you have never addressed any of the other royals in that way. Ever."
"I know…I just…I was just… He is—the Prince of Earth is, he is a good person."
"You have only just seen and briefly spoken to the prince." Mercury's words were gentle as always, but showed that she did not understand the princess' behavior or reasoning. "You cannot truly be sure of his inner nature from one ecounter."
"I know." But as she watched him walk towards her and felt her heart speed up, she knew that she had never been so sure of anything in her life.
A/N: Sorry for the hiatus.
So, this is the second instance of the romance between Serenity and Endymion being told from the former's perspective. It's also the first time that amongst all the other dynamics in the story, both Serenity and Serena have had personal encounters with Prince Diamond. Not only that, but one of the senshi spoke! Mercury ftw!
R&R