Chapter eight so enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own any sailor moon characters, only the ones created by my own imagination.

Chapter Eight

Serena sat nervously at her vanity mirror on the upcoming Wednesday that was to be her wedding day to the handsome Prince Diamond of Neptune. Mina had told her earlier that someone would be coming to escort her down to the room where they were holding the ceremony and so far no one had come. Serena nervously played with her veil that covered her beautiful facial features and she admired the work that Lita had done on her earlier. Lita had curled Serena's golden mane and pinned it securely to her head. Lita had then added Serena's veil. Serena had dressed next in an exquisitely designed ivory wedding gown decorated with lace and embroidery made of the finest silks and satins. She had delicate ivory shoes and a small bouquet of white lilies. Serena looked lovely but she kept checking her reflection in the vanity mirror making sure that she looked perfect. She smiled and then a slight knock interrupted her thoughts. She looked towards the door expectantly and she called for the knocker to enter. Serena was surprised yet absurdly happy to see her mother walk in, looking regal and quite graceful and Serena was about to rise, when her mother stopped her.

Queen Serenity walked up to her daughter and stopped in front of her, looking at her beautiful daughter. She reached out a slender hand she cupped her daughter's cheek and just looked at her.

"Oh my God, you look so beautiful, Serena," Serenity said tenderly with her voice slightly breaking.

Serena blushed.

"Thank you Mother."

Tears began falling from the queen's eyes as she continued to look at her daughter.

"Diamond will absolutely fall in love with you once he sees you."

Serena looked away then and was surprised when she felt her mother bring her face back to hers and she was shocked to see that a tear had coursed it's way down the queen's face.

"Mother...," Serena began.

"Please, Serena, understand that this is for the best. I swear to you that you will be happy. Relationships like these take time but believe me when I say that you will not regret marrying Diamond. He will take good care of you, I'll make sure of it."

"Mother, you don't have to promise anything," Serena said sweetly as Serenity smiled, "I hate to admit it, but I trust your judgement and I have began to feel something for Diamond and I think he feels something too."

"That's wonderful, darling. I'm so happy and I'm very proud of you. I love you so much, Serena and your father would have been so proud of his beautiful daughter."

Serena sniffed a little then.

"Mother, I love you," she rushed into her mother's arms and hugged her tight.

Her mother held onto her just as tightly and then let go.

"There now, we don't want to ruin all this hard work," she said, brushing off an imaginary lint.

However, a knock at the door ceased her ministrations.

"Come in," her mother said and Leon walked in looking extremely regal and professional.

Leon was the captain of the Moon Kingdom's army and he had served along side Serena's father. Leon was in his late forties now and his black hair held tints of grey. He was extremely tall and powerful and he was still quite handsome now.

"I have come to escort the princess to the ceremony, your majesty," he said politely as he bowed.

"Thank you Leon," Serenity said sweetly as she looked tenderly at Leon, "but can you give me a few more minutes with my daughter?"

"Of course, your majesty," Leon answered as he went out of the door and closed it silently behind him.

Serena watched her mother as she addressed Leon and she could not help but notice the look that Serenity gave Leon. The look led Serena to believe that something was going on between her mother and Leon but then her thoughts were interrupted.

"Serena," Serenity said as she handed her daughter a white satin handkerchief that was wrapped into a bundle and tied with beautiful silver ribbon.

Serena looked at the package and gasped as she unwrapped it, carefully undoing the ribbon. Inside was a beautiful silver hairclip that held a large diamond on it encrusted with smaller gems. Serena examined the hairpiece carefully and Serena noticed that there were tears in her mother's eyes.

"It's beautiful mother," Serena gasped.

"I know," Serenity answered as tears still fell from her eyes, "and now it's yours."

"Really?"

Serenity elegantly nodded her.

"What's the matter, Mother?" Serena asked worriedly as she noticed the tears.

"There's nothing wrong sweetheart," Serenity answered as she smiled untruthfully at her daughter, "it's just this hairpiece is very special to me. My mother gave it to me on my wedding day and she said that this hairpiece was handed down from female generation to female generation, since the very beginnings of our kingdom. This hairpiece has been worn by every single princess of the Moon Kingdom on her wedding day and I too wore it on my wedding day nearly seventeen years ago and now it is your turn my daughter."

Serena watched her mother as she said this speech and then Serenity gripped her daughter's hands in her own tightly.

"I love you very much Serena and I don't ever want to see you get hurt."

"Mother, you made the decision for Diamond and myself to marry and I trust your judgement with my life. I admit that I wasn't thrilled with you making the decision for me at first but as I met Diamond and spent time with him, I have grown to like him very much. He is loving, kind and very handsome and I thank you mother for your impeccable decision-making."

"I am sure that he will love you very much Serena."

"I am sure also Mother."

The two women embraced tightly then and tears flowed freely from both of their eyes. However, their loving embrace was interrupted then with a knock on the door and it was Leon again.

"I'm very sorry, your majesty, but the Neptunian Royalty is becoming very impatient."

Serenity wiped her eyes then and she held her daughter's hand in her own. She handed Serena's hand to Leon then and Leon took it importantly.

"You look after her for me Leon, okay," she said sincerely as she looked at her daughter with emotion in her eyes, "I love you very much, my beautiful precious daughter."

"I love you," Serena replied as she looked at her mother for one last time before she left her room on Leon's arm.

Serenity's tears flowed faster after her daughter left the room and then she collapsed onto the bed within the room. She cried almost hysterically and then she cried out.

"How could I do it to her? How could I do it to my own daughter?"