Beginning of the End

Four

The next six months passed by just as peacefully as the last Century before the Royal wedding, and no one coulda been more thankful than Serenity. It made being married to a man she barely knew that much easier to bear, especially when so many Changes were made as a result of that marriage.

        First and foremost was getting said husband well and truly integrated into the Moon Queendom, which started the very Day after their wedding. After all, he was used to running his own Kingdom, not to mention said Kingdom being–well, a Kingdom. That meant he was used to things being done in a more patriarchal sense, simply 'cuz that was how his parents'd run their civilization well prior to his Birth. But that was the very opposite of how things were done on the Moon and within their civilization, who put more emphasis on the feminine side of Nature.

        Secondly was simply dodging Apollo when it came to the intimate side of their marriage, 'cuz she was determined that she wasn't gonna be just another conquest on his part. Even though he swore he didn't view her as such, the Moon Princess still got the feeling that he wasn't being truthful with her. Maybe that was due to all the flirting he seemed to do, both with herself and with every other woman he happened upon.

        But the Moon King, Moon Queen, and even the Palace staff were quick to realize that something wasn't quite right. Not only did their Princess seem to rebuff even the slightest advance that went beyond her husband kissing the back of her hand when he greeted her, but the Sun King disappeared for a full week every month. Like clockwork, he'd head off to parts unknown, and it was well known that even the Queendom's commoners were starting to suspect that he was being less than faithful. However, the Princess' lack of a reaction when a maid dared mention it to her was more surprising than the fact that he may be having an affair.

        "Why should I care what he does, Mother?" she huffed, marking the page of the book she'd been interrupted from with a small scrap of parchment.

        "He's your husband, daughter!" Kuutar seethed, proving what a temper she also possessed when she felt like it.

        "Merely in statement, and naught more," the Moon Princess told her, rolling her eyes.

        "It's been six months!" she snapped. "Six months since your wedding, and you should be closeta delivering an heir by now!"

        "I'll be damned to the Dark Moon, if I'm to be yet another of his sexual conquests!" Serenity spat, surging up from the Love seat she'd been curled up on.

        The Moon Queen's eyes widened since her daughter was never that forward with her–or her father, for that matter.

        "He's an incorrigible flirt, but at least he's respectful about it," she told her. "He may not hide his flirting from the rest of the Court and staff, but he at least hides it from me–which's what he and I agreed on."

        "What're you talking about?" Kuutar queried, not quite sure what she meant.

        Leveling a hard look on her mother, the Moon Princess finally opened up about the conversation she'd been asked to step out for the Day they'd been introduced. She hadn't felt the need to share it with anyone till now, 'cuz she considered it no one's business but hers and her husband's. But it seemed that her mother wasn't gonna lay off anytime soon, so she was somewhat forced into finally Enlightening her.

        After getting through that part, Serenity heaved a sigh as she ran her fingers through as much of her ankle-length hair as she could. Over the last six months, she'd become more and more convinced that the Sun King was hiding something from all of them, and it didn't necessarily involve his sex Life.