March 5, Spring, year 21
… I can't… believe it. But it hurts too much to be a dream…
Even though Skye could move around during the daytime in the village, Claire still found herself waiting until nightfall to go and see him at the Pond. It was an ingrained habit now, and it added… a bit of mischievous glee to be sneaking out so late to see him.
Her heart was pounding, and her fingers played nervously with the Blue Feather in her pocket. Tonight, she had decided to bite the bullet and ask. Lauren's pep talk had helped with that, and the seamstress had almost immediately started making sketches for the dress Claire would wear.
"Nice to know that someone has faith," she whispered, starting up the path. "I hope my nerves don't fail me this time…"
She'd been trying to imagine how he could react. Would he be happy? Would they kiss? A blush crossed her cheeks and her heart felt like it was jumping into her throat as she rounded the outcropping of earth.
A few second later… it plummeted into her stomach.
Skye had been communicating with his mother's messengers from the Moon for about an hour now, trading the usual updates on his life and the life of the king. The more he did this, the more he decided that the emotionlessness of his people was unnerving.
"Young Prince, a moment…" the messenger held up one pale hand as Skye turned to go, conversation at an end. "Her Ladyship wishes to present to you her bride of choice."
Skye growled a little, under his breath, but training held and he waited as a soft, pearl-white glow began forming on the face of the pond. It took him only a few seconds to realize that—like the messenger—the 'bride' was going to come out over the Goddess's Pond.
Hopefully she wouldn't land in it… though that would definitely be amusing. Not to mention it would ruin her dignity.
But no, the woman who appeared out of the mist of teleportation hovered neatly above the pool, before moving to the earth itself.
She was stunning, even by the standards of his people, Skye noted. Her silver hair was bound back elaborately in many tiny braids, all twisted around one another to form a complex hairstyle that he was willing to bet had taken hours to fix.
Had he not known what to look for, he likely never would have noticed the minimal make-up that brought out her yellow-green eyes, or highlighted the curve of her cheekbones.
Her robes were pale pastel, a rainbow of them in seven layers, that only just hinted at a splendidly curvaceous form, one that even Claire's cousin Muffy would envy.
In short, she looked to be the perfect woman. She sank into a low curtsy at Skye's feet.
"This unworthy one has been chosen by the Queen of the Serenity Palace to be wife to her son," she whispered. "I will serve you as you will Prince Sora."
"…go home," Skye replied. "While I understand my mother's good intentions, I have someone here that I am more inclined to stay with."
"But Prince!" the messenger protested. "The Queen herself has ordered the pair of you wed, even though you remain here until your father's demise, may it take many centuries more."
"Please tender my regrets to my mother," he replied, a touch more forcefully, "but there is someone here that I will not leave unless there be no other choice."
He knelt down to lift the girl's chin, and gave her a faint smile.
"Sorry you came all this way for nothing Lady Hikari Kagayaki. But I will not wed you."
Tears filled her cat-green eyes, and before Skye could react, she threw herself at him, and kissed him desperately. He realized dimly as she did so that she had removed the robe that blocked all feelings…
"She is your wife my Prince. Your Lady Mother sends her blessings to you both, and hopes you will now return to your rightful place."
And it was here that Claire rounded the corner.
Blue eyes went wide in shock and pain as she saw Skye and this unknown—but obviously—Moon girl engaged in what looked to be a passionate kiss. The words of the messenger had been just barely heard, but they pierced like daggers. The Blue Feather dropped out of her limp fingers, and she whipped around as tears started to slide down her face.
Skye caught a flash of blond and roughly pushed Hikari away, getting to his feet. The Lady tried to get up as well, her eyes filling with a mix of passion and glee. The Messenger had taken note of Claire, and lifted his chin slightly, derisively at the fact that a lowly mortal could be good enough for the Prince of Serenity Palace.
Said Prince hurried to where he had seen the brilliant hair, but when he reached the turning point, Claire was nowhere to be found. Instead, the moonlight highlighted the Blue Feather lying rumpled on the ground.
"Oh no…" Skye crouched to pick up the feather, twirling it in his fingers. "Claire..?"
He turned on both the messenger and Lady Hikari, a dangerous fire in his eyes. Both took a nervous step back.
"I do not appreciate being manipulated and used in such a manner," he said coldly. "Tell my mother this, I will remain on the human world until my father's death, and if she tries such a stunt again I will remain here permanently. Take Lady Kagayaki back to the moon, I will not wed her, nor will I allow her to work against something that I have put much effort into creating."
"P-prince Sora..?"
"Go," he snapped. "Do not show your faces to me again for a full month!"
He turned his back on them both, and stalked away from the pond, fury mixing with worry. Claire had heard and seen something… probably the things he hadn't wanted her to see.
How was he going to fix this?
Claire had run all the way down to the beach, before collapsing in a broken-hearted heap near the closed up Snack-shack, and sobbing until she could barely breathe.
The messengers words kept echoing in her mind, an awful truth that she couldn't deny, couldn't change. Skye was married… and his wife was much more beautiful than she could ever hope to be.
So she just curled up into a ball on the sand and cried until she could cry no more.
She had been too late.
It was almost dawn by the time she managed to get back enough energy to walk home. She didn't know whether to be glad or more upset that there was no sign of Skye, and flinched a little. Even thinking his name hurt.
Lauren looked up at her as she plodded into the room, her look of hope turning to one of worry at Claire's tearstained face and pain-filled eyes. Without a word the older woman opened her arms and the farmer fell into them, fresh tears bubbling up from some depth she hadn't known existed.
Lauren didn't ask any questions, just held the blonde until she cried herself to sleep. Guilt niggled at the seamstress as she put Claire to bed, for pushing her to propose to Skye without finding out if he had a wife already, of the People.
Sadly she put away the designs of what she'd wanted to use as Claire's wedding dress and sat back down on the couch, deep blue eyes bright with her own unshed tears.
"I'm sorry Claire. I'm so sorry…"