Dear all! Thank you for reading and following this story! Extra thanks to those who are leaving reviews! Thank you and enjoy this next chapter!
the online dreamer: I am so excited to read what you think after this chapter! I hope you will enjoy it!
Starbrellaaa: Besides Kunzite, Jedite is my other favorite from the Generlas! I really like to write is character! And Queen Selenity is always written as wise and calm and knowing everything. But I think she is not always that perfect ;-)
PinkOdangos: Yes well maybe at this point it is not even that important who the spay is, but to what it leads! I love also a bit change or deepen the personality of Queen Selenity. She can not be always perfect and supportive but still remain good in a way? Well let's see!
Chapter 18 - The Weight of Crowns
Queen Selenity's gaze remained steady, her composure unwavering as she waited for an answer. Serenity, however, lifted her chin, her hands folding in front of her as she met her mother's gaze with quiet defiance.
"Why is one of Earth's generals so eager to protect you, Serenity?" Queen Selenity repeated, her voice soft but edged with an authority that could not be ignored.
Instead of answering, Serenity tilted her head slightly. "Why did you come to Eryndor yourself, Mother?" she countered, her voice even, her expression unreadable.
Queen Selenity arched an elegant brow, taking in her daughter's response with cool patience. "You were sent here as my representative," she said, her tone smooth, measured. "And yet, it seems matters have become… more complex than I was first led to believe."
There was a pause—one heavy with meaning—before she added, "When complexities arise, I find it best to seek clarity with my own eyes. Now, answer my question."
Serenity inhaled slowly, as if measuring her next move. "I am the Moon Princess. Is it so strange that a trusted general might offer his assistance when I am away from my kingdom?"
Queen Selenity's lips pressed together, the flicker of exasperation in her eyes betraying her calm exterior. "Do not play these games with me, Serenity." She took a graceful step forward, her presence filling the space. "You cannot avoid this question forever."
Serenity tensed, hesitating, but she did not break her gaze. It was only when her mother exhaled, her expression softening into something laced with an emotion Serenity rarely saw—concern—that she knew the conversation had shifted.
"Then let me speak," Queen Selenity continued, her voice quieter now, but no less firm. "Let me tell you what I have come to understand."
Serenity remained silent, her fingers tightening against the fabric of her gown as her mother took a measured breath before beginning.
"I was surprised when Prince Endymion arrived on the Moon," Queen Selenity began. "He came without warning. No formal request for audience, no diplomatic envoy. Yet he stood before me, determined to involve himself in matters that had nothing to do with Earth."
Her silver eyes held Serenity's, searching for something. "At first, I assumed it was politics. That he was acting out of some strategic maneuver. But he was not there as a ruler. He did not come to make alliances or demands. He came to protect. To search. To find answers to questions that should not have concerned him."
Serenity's heart thudded painfully in her chest, but she did not look away.
"At first, I could not understand what he was doing there. How he even knew of the situation. He should not have been aware of any of it. And yet, there he was, asking questions, investigating, speaking with my advisors as though he had every right to be there. I asked myself why. Why would the Prince of Earth, who has no formal ties to the Moon, be so invested?"
She took a slow step forward, her voice growing softer, more deliberate. "I had no answer until I learned that before arriving on the Moon, he had been here. In Eryndor. Where you are."
Serenity swallowed, forcing herself to remain still as her mother continued.
"I watched him," Queen Selenity continued quietly. "His persistence. His refusal to back down even when our court made it clear he was overstepping. There was no benefit to Earth in his actions. No gain. And yet, he would not stop."
She took a slow step forward, her voice softening, becoming almost reflective. "I wondered who he was fighting for. Because it was not his people, nor his kingdom."
Her gaze narrowed, and Serenity felt the weight of her mother's insight like a stone pressing against her chest.
"And then I thought of you," Queen Selenity murmured. "You, who had spent time on Eryndor. You, who had vanished from the Moon more than once with vague excuses and careful omissions. I searched the records, Serenity. I traced your movements. And there were… gaps."
Serenity's throat tightened. She should have known. Her mother always noticed everything, even what wasn't there.
"Gaps," Queen Selenity repeated, her voice sharper now. "And the pieces began to fit together. Your disappearances. His sudden, unexplained involvement. His urgency."
Her next words were low, but they rang through the room like a bell.
"I realized he was not searching for truth. He was searching for you."
Serenity's breath shuddered out of her, though she tried to hold it steady. Her mother had not seen them together. She had not needed to. She had found the truth all the same.
Queen Selenity took one final step forward, close enough now that Serenity could hear the faint shift of her gown against the polished marble.
"I have always seen more than you think, Serenity," she said softly. "And I see now what has been hidden from me."
The silence that followed was crushing. Serenity's pulse roared in her ears, but Liora's words whispered through the storm in her mind.
A mother's heart belongs to her child.
She lifted her chin, her voice steady, even as everything inside her trembled.
"You're right," Serenity said. "Endymion and I have known each other for some time. And we love each other."
Queen Selenity's eyes widened just slightly. Surprise flickered across her regal features before being swiftly masked by something more measured—concern.
"This is madness," she said, shaking her head. "This is dangerous, Serenity."
Serenity blinked, startled by the sharpness of her mother's tone. "Dangerous?" she echoed, her voice rising slightly.
Queen Selenity's expression hardened, though her voice remained controlled. "You are the Moon Princess. He is the Prince of Earth. If not enemies, your kingdoms are not yet allies. Do you have any idea what will happen if this comes to light?"
Serenity's breath caught. "So you would have me walk away?"
"I would have you think about the consequences!" her mother shot back, her voice laced with urgency. "This is not a storybook romance, Serenity. This is real, and it could cost you everything."
Serenity's heart pounded in her chest, but she lifted her chin. "There is nothing—no kingdom, no war, no law—that could keep us apart."
Queen Selenity's expression darkened, not with anger, but with something deeper—fear. "Then you are a fool."
Serenity flinched as if struck. It wasn't the word that stung, but the voice that spoke it—the same voice that had once soothed her childhood fears, had whispered stories of the Moon's ancient wisdom, had taught her strength and grace. Now it cut her down as if she were still a child who understood nothing of love or sacrifice.
Her chest ached, and for a moment, she was that small girl again, sitting at her mother's feet, listening to tales of duty and destiny. But this was no story. And her mother's fear was not born from myths or ancient warnings—it was real, sharp as a blade drawn in battle.
"Mother…" Serenity's voice was hoarse, thick with the weight of everything unspoken between them.
But Queen Selenity's gaze did not soften. If anything, it grew heavier with sorrow. "Do you think love will protect you from the weight of kingdoms?" she whispered, and Serenity heard it then—the faintest tremor. "I have seen love turned to ash when duty called it treason. I have watched hearts break beneath the weight of crowns."
The words settled over them like a shroud, and for one aching heartbeat, Serenity saw not just her Queen, but her mother—the woman who had carried the weight of a kingdom for longer than Serenity had been alive, who had made choices no mother should be asked to make.
But Serenity could not—would not—make the same choice.
"There is nothing—no kingdom, no war, no law—that could keep us apart," she said again, though her voice trembled with the force of it.
Queen Selenity's jaw tightened. "You will end this," she said quietly but with iron certainty. "Before it destroys you both."
Serenity stood frozen. Her hands trembled at her sides, but she lifted her chin. "No," she whispered, her voice shaking but resolute. "You can't make me."
Her mother's breath hitched, and for the briefest moment, Serenity saw pain crack through her composure. But Selenity schooled her expression swiftly and stood taller.
"I can," she said. "And I will."
The words struck Serenity like a physical blow. But rather than shatter, she hardened.
She took a slow step back, her pulse thundering in her ears. Then another. Her mother said nothing, only watched. Serenity's breath caught in her throat. This was the moment. The choice. She could stand here and beg for understanding that would not come, or she could turn toward what waited for her beyond this room.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "I love him," she choked out, shaking her head. "And I won't—can't—give him up."
Her mother's face was a mask of conflicted emotions, but her resolve did not waver. Before her mother could say another word, she turned on her heel and ran.
She fled from the room, ignoring the sound of her mother calling after her, ignoring the sting in her chest as she burst into the corridor, her vision blurred with tears.
-0-0-0-0
King Roderic, Queen Liora, and General Jedite sat in the royal lounge, the tension between them thick as they waited. None spoke, but the air was charged with restless energy. Jedite drummed his fingers against the armrest of his chair, his patience wearing thinner with each passing second. His loyalty to Endymion warred with his respect for diplomacy. He had never been a man to sit idly by while something important was unfolding behind closed doors.
Finally, he let out an audible sigh, leaning forward. "This is taking too long," he said bluntly. "With all due respect, Your Majesties, how much longer do we wait? If this conversation isn't going well—"
Before he could finish, the doors to the chamber burst open, and all three of them turned just in time to see Serenity rushing out, tears glistening in her eyes. She moved with a frantic urgency, as if she couldn't bear to stay a moment longer. The sight of her in such distress made Jedite stand abruptly, instinct driving him to go after her.
"Princess—!" he started, already taking a step forward, but Liora's hand shot out, stopping him with a firm touch.
Jedite turned to her in frustration. "With all due respect, Your Majesty, she's upset. Whatever happened in there—"
"—is serious," Liora finished for him, her expression unreadable but composed. "And because it is serious, you need to inform Prince Endymion immediately. He should not hear of this secondhand or too late."
Jedite clenched his jaw, clearly torn. He glanced toward the corridor Serenity had fled through, then back at the queen. He knew Liora was right—Endymion needed to know. But something about leaving Serenity alone at this moment did not sit right with him.
Queen Liora, sensing the general's hesitation, stepped forward. "Rodric will go after her," she said decisively.
Jedite and Roderic both looked at Liora in surprise, but it was Roderic who voiced their shared thought. "With all due respect, Liora, wouldn't it be better for you to go? She is a young woman, and she might take comfort in speaking with another woman about this."
Liora, ever the strategist, gave a soft but knowing smile. "Serenity has had a difficult conversation with her mother. The last thing she needs is another woman's perspective shadowing over it. What she needs right now is steadiness, calmness, and perhaps, a different kind of understanding. That is where you come in, my love. You have a way of bringing clarity when emotions cloud judgment."
Roderic hesitated only a moment longer before nodding. "Very well. I will find her."
As he rose and followed Serenity's path, his strides long and purposeful, a quiet thought flickered through his mind. He had watched Serenity move through these halls with grace and purpose, had seen her carry herself with the dignity of a princess and the quiet strength of a future queen. But this—this was the first time he had seen her run as if the ground beneath her feet had given way. And it made his chest ache.
With that, their course was set. Jedite departed swiftly to contact Endymion, his figure vanishing down another corridor, his mind already racing through what he would say.
And Liora turned her attention back to the chamber where Queen Selenity still remained.
There was still one conversation left to have—and Liora suspected it would not be an easy one.
With measured steps, Liora entered, finding the Queen of the Moon standing near the window, gazing out at the garden below. The regal composure she had maintained during the meeting was still present, but there was something different now—a deep, weary sadness clinging to her shoulders like an unseen weight.
"You sent your daughter away in tears," Liora said softly, closing the door behind her.
Selenity did not turn, but her fingers curled slightly against the windowsill. "I know."
Liora stepped closer. "You are torn."
Finally, Selenity turned to face her, her eyes shining with sorrow. "I love her," she admitted, her voice nearly breaking. "More than anything. But this—this is impossible. She is the Princess of the Moon. She was born to rule, to lead, to uphold the sacred traditions of our kingdom. And Endymion—he is the Prince of Earth. His world is… tumultuous. Their history, their way of ruling, it is nothing like ours. If this continues, if they bind themselves together, it will lead only to hardship."
Liora listened carefully before speaking. "And yet, they love each other. I have seen it, felt it. Their devotion is as deep as the seas, unwavering even in the face of adversity. That kind of love does not come often."
"Love is not enough when entire kingdoms are at stake," Selenity replied, shaking her head. "I have seen what happens when a ruler allows love to dictate decisions over duty. It can lead to ruin."
Liora studied her, sensing the burden of a ruler who had been forced to make difficult choices all her life. "Perhaps. But sometimes, duty and love are not meant to be at odds. Sometimes, they are meant to be intertwined."
Selenity looked away, silent for a long moment. When she finally spoke, her voice was strained. "I want to believe that. But I do not know how."
Selenity's gaze returned to Liora, sharper now. "You knew," she said quietly. It was not an accusation—merely an acknowledgment of fact.
Liora met her gaze without flinching. "I came to understand it. Not immediately… but soon enough."
Selenity's expression did not shift, though something faint—weariness, perhaps—passed through her silver eyes. "I suppose it was impossible not to," she murmured. "For anyone watching closely."
Liora inclined her head, her voice low. "I watched. I listened. And in time, I saw what they tried to keep hidden."
There was a silence between them, heavy but not uncomfortable.
"And yet," Selenity said, more to herself than to Liora, "you welcomed her here when she asked to stay."
"I did," Liora replied. "Because she needed space. Time." A pause. "And I believed that you might find clarity as well… if you chose to see it."
For a long moment, Selenity said nothing. Then she exhaled, slow and quiet. "I do not know if I can," she admitted.
"Then let me help you," Liora said softly.
Selenity frowned, uncertainty flickering in her silver eyes. "What do you mean?"
Her tone wasn't suspicious, but wary. A queen who had heard promises before—and knew what they could cost.
Liora's expression remained serene, though there was a quiet weight behind her words. "I have Pluto's blood in my lineage," she began slowly. "Distant. Faint. It grants me no mastery over time, no command of doors or destinies." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "But sometimes, there are echoes. A whisper of what might be. Possibilities shaped by choice."
Selenity's breath caught, though she remained still. "You can show me the future?"
There was skepticism there, but something else too—a flicker of longing.
"No," Liora said gently, shaking her head. "Not the future. Only glimpses of what could be. Potential paths. Shadows shaped by decisions yet to be made." Her gaze held steady. "Nothing is certain. Nothing is promised. But sometimes seeing the shape of things helps us understand what we're truly choosing."
For a long moment, Selenity was silent. She stepped away from the window and took a slow, measured breath.
"You would do this for me?" she asked quietly.
Her voice was softer now, but the weight of it lingered.
Liora offered a faint, reassuring smile. "I would do this for Serenity. For her happiness. And, perhaps, for yours."
Selenity stood motionless, her hands still at her sides. For a heartbeat, Liora thought she might refuse.
"I swore I would guide her," Selenity murmured at last. "Not stand in her way."
Her lips thinned. "And yet I fear I am doing both."
"You are doing what you were taught to do," Liora replied. "Protecting your kingdom… and your daughter. Sometimes the two can feel at odds."
Another pause. Then Selenity gave a slow, reluctant nod.
"Very well," she said. "Let us see."
Liora inclined her head, and with a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, she closed her eyes and reached for the sliver of power that lay deep within her. It wasn't much. A spark. A faint connection to something ancient, something vast. She could not control it—but sometimes, it answered.
The air shifted, thickening with an almost imperceptible hum. Slowly, the light in the room dimmed as shadows stirred and coalesced before them, forming visions. Not of what would be—but of what might.
And as the first images began to take shape, Queen Selenity held her breath.
Preparing herself for the truths—beautiful or terrible—that she was about to witness.