Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Decided Bride ❯ The Arrival ( Chapter 22 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Chapter 22 ~ The Arrival

"You have to put them higher." Serenity said as Luna put the bun in place on Mina's head. She heard Luna sigh, but the bun did go higher.

Serenity couldn't stop fidgeting all morning. She didn't eat much at breakfast, and lunch was now about two hours away. That's when they would arrive. They were supposed to arrive at one o'clock and then they would have a late lunch in the gardens. Everyone would then go back to the palace and prepare for that evenings masked ball.

Serenity fingered the delicate fabric of her gown that was on her bed where she was sitting. The seamstress had brought it only an hour before. "I don't mind going as you to the ball if I can wear that!" Mina said as soon as she had seen the gown. Serenity smiled, almost tempted to let Mina have her way. She knew her mother would never forgive her though.

"There!" came Luna's satisfied voice. Serenity looked over to Mina and smiled. Perfect.

Mina got up form the seat in front of Serenity's vanity desk. Ami was stretched on the small sofa and Rei was leaning against the doorframe of the balcony. Mina went over to the closet and got out the dress she was supposed to wear for the arrival of the Earthlings.

Serenity took her place in front of the vanity so that Luna would do her hair up as well. Her hair fell around her like a golden cascade as Luna began brushing it.

Mina finished changing with Ami's help and plopped herself onto Serenity's bed. The door burst open and Lita rushed in, breathing heavily as though she had just been running. "They're (gasp) here (wheeze)!" she managed to get out.

Everyone in the room went still and there was a stony silence. Luna was the first to speak. "My, they're early. I suppose Selenity will need me. Rei could you finish up for me?" She handed Rei the pins she had in her hand. "I'll see you ladies later." With those words, she left.

Serenity stared at Lita through the mirror. "What do you mean they're here. They weren't supposed to arrive for two more hours!" she said, panic showing in her voice.

Lita came over and kneeled beside her, crossing her arms onto Serenity's lap. "They arrived early so that they could have time to settle in and rest before lunch. The formal ceremony will still be held at lunch in the garden. But they're here!"

Serenity could feel herself shiver involuntarily as Rei continued pinning her hair up. "D-did you see them?" she asked.

Lita giggled. "No. I only heard that they were here. The Queen greeted them. She didn't seem surprised that they were early and was ready for them."

Ami giggled. "She's been ready for them for the past two days," the blue haired girl commented.

Mina nodded and giggled too. Serenity felt her heart pounding in her chest. He was here. On the moon. In the palace. Right this very minute!

Lita stood up. "I need to go and have a bath, I'm all sweaty. I'll see you all at the welcoming ceremony!" she said cheerfully and bounded out of the room.

Ami stood up. "I should be going too. My sisters and I are supposed to give a performance tonight at the ball, and we wanted to go over a few of the steps."

Rei was just finishing Serenity's hair. "I swear Luna woke me up way too early this morning. I need to have a nap," she said. Both she and Ami exited the room, leaving only Serenity and Mina.

Serenity sat still, looking blankly into the mirror. Mina got off the bed and came over to Serenity, wrapping her arms around her friends shoulders. "I finally have you alone so we can talk," she said.

Serenity nodded her head and turned in the chair to face Mina who was kneeling on the floor. She already knew what was coming, she knew that Mina could sense each time her heart broke. "You can still refuse him," Mina said, almost pleadingly.

Serenity sighed. "I know I can. But I won't." Serenity knew that Mina would not give up easily.

"Please Usagi, reconsider. I can feel the love that you have toward Darien, you know that! The other girls don't know, but I do, and it's breaking my own heart to see you so miserable."

Serenity looked into Mina's begging eyes. She was about to speak but the Venetian princess stopped her. "Even my mom can sense your love Usagi! She told me to talk to you, to let you know that love should not be cast aside so swiftly." Serenity wasn't even surprised with this bit of news. Mina's mother, Venus, was a powerful ruler. She could sense any trace of love in anyone, and always worked to preserve it.

Serenity closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. "Mina please, I already promised that I would meet him before I gave mama a final answer. I'll meet him tonight, so we'll see what happens then."

Mina didn't look too convinced. She looked like she wanted to say more, but they were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door.

"Come in," Serenity called.

The door opened and Artemis walked in. "My Ladies," he said as he swept them a quick bow. "The Queen wishes to see you two." Mina and Serenity looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and followed Artemis out of the room in the direction of the Queen's quarters.


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"You will be sitting far enough away from Endymion that he won't have a chance to study you too closely this way," Selenity said after she had finished telling Mina and Serenity how the seating would be arranged at the lunch.

Both girls nodded their heads. "I'll try to talk as little as possible," Mina said.

Selenity nodded. "Yes, that would be best. I don't know how attentive Endymion is." She then looked at her daughter who was wearing the garb of a gardeners daughter. She frowned a little. "Are you sure you want Mina to stand in, my dear?"

Serenity nodded. She was not ready to face him yet.

The Queen nodded. "Very well. You will be yourself, however, at tonight's ball," Selenity stated.

Serenity nodded her head. "Yes mama, I will. I promise."

The Queen sighed as she gave her daughter a hug. She pulled back and turned her attention to Mina, who had an affectionate smile on her face due to the tender scene she had just witnessed. The Queen smiled at her. "We should go get ready," She said to Mina, who nodded in agreement. The Queen then turned back to Serenity. "Make sure you stay out of plain sight," she warned.

Serenity smiled, gave her mother a quick hug, and took her leave.


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It was one o'clock. Serenity was standing on one of the high walls overlooking the huge courtyard where the welcoming was to take place. No one else was up on the walls, and she was far enough that no one in the courtyard would notice her.

There was a gate that led into the courtyard, and Queen Selenity stood at the opposite side of the courtyard facing the gate with Mina at her side. Mina was flanked by the other Senshi, and a good part of the court filled the courtyard. A carpet led from the gate to where Selenity stood.

Serenity watched in anticipation. Every nerve was on the edge and she felt like she was going to explode. The first clear notes of the trumpets filled the air so suddenly that it made Serenity jump a bit. She clung to one of the pillars as she watched the Earthlings start to round the corner and come through the arch.


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Mina felt her heart start pounding as soon as the procession started to round the corner. At first guards came through, and a chamberlain, but behind him she could clearly see the King and Queen of Earth. The Queen was a beautiful woman, with striking thick black hair, light blue eyes, and a confident posture. The king himself still looked young and strong beside his Queen as the two made their way to Selenity and Mina. Mina noticed Malachite walking next to the king, and she also noticed a few other men around the royals wearing the same type of suites as Malachite, so she assumed that they too were Generals of earth.

She could see someone walking directly behind the king and queen, but she could not yet see him. The trumpets stopped as soon as the group reached Selenity and Mina, and the loud sound was replaced with the gentle notes of the harp.

"The Moon welcomes you," Selenity said in a loud clear voice, as the King of Earth bowed and kissed Selenity's hand.

"The moon does us honour by granting us the permission to visit," came the Kings loud rich voice.

The Queen of the Earth embraced Selenity, and Mina hear her whisper to Selenity. "It has been too long my friend."

Mina smiled. Selenity the looked to her. "May I introduce my daughter Serenity, Princess of the Moon."

Mina now saw both sets of royal eyes turn to her. The king and queen had smiles on their faces. "She is as beautiful as rumours have said." Mina heard Queens sweet voice say. "May we introduce our son, Endymion, Prince and Heir of Earth and all her territories."

The two royals stepped aside to allow a tall, lean man with dark, slicked back hair to come through. Mina's breath caught in her throat.


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Serenity watched, mesmerized, as he leaned down to kiss Mina's hand. Her heart was pounding in her ears.

From the distance, he looked like Darien!


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He straitened up and stepped back, allowing his parents to take center stage again. Mina could not tear her eyes from him.

The King began to speak again. "My queen, may we introduce the Generals of Earth. You have already met Malachite," Malachite gave a bow, and then returned his attention back to Mina, obviously noticing something odd about her. "These other are Zoisite and Nephlite…."

Mina didn't really hear much more of what they said. Her focus was on the man standing behind the King and Queen of the Earth.


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Serenity didn't even notice her hands trembling as she watched the scene. He couldn’t be Darien, could he? A million thoughts were racing through her head. What if that was Darien? Then I would be the happiest woman alive, she though to herself.

But how could that be possible? Then she thought of herself, and how Darien had gotten to know her. She felt an odd hope rising in her chest, one that she could not suppress. Now even her knees were shaking. She gripped the column even tighter to keep from falling. Could it be possible that the man she loved was Endymion?

"Quite a spectacle, isn't it?" Serenity felt the world crumble around her as soon as she heard those words murmured next to her ear. Her eyes grew wide as she turned, and looked up into the midnight blue eyes of the speaker. Once again, after so many times, her heart shattered.

"Darien…." she whispered, all hope now gone, as a single tear slid down her cheek, giving the most silent cry of grief in history.

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~Disclaimer~
I do not own the rights to Sailormoon or any of the characters. That honour belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, and I am simply a lowly author who can use her characters for my plots.