by C. A. Sabol
“Your Highness, the new handmaidens are to be here soon,” Kadrianne reminded her as Chevée came into the room and Yana prepared the princess’ wardrobe. “Let’s hurry, shall we?”
Selene felt the sigh rise up in her chest. It looked like she wouldn’t be able to seek out Etoileon until his practice session that morning; she was glad that it was still considered an important festival week, because the practices started a couple of hours later than usual. She had so much to deal with before she could even think about something as important as seeing her friend. Maybe if she hurried she could catch him.
Selene carefully hid the treasured feather in the large pocket of her cloak. She decided that she would find a safe place to hide it when she had some free time. Right at the moment, she had to deal with getting ready.
IT WAS LESS THAN A half hour later when Selene, now fully dressed in her formal attire and feeling a bit more like her normal self, met with her two new handmaidens.
There was rarely a call for more than three handmaidens for a Princess, or even a Queen. They were not considered by the court to be necessary, even for a royal, because they were more like companions than anything else. However, all that opinion did was show the ignorance of the High Court and the public.
The handmaidens were much more than fancy servants or formally titled friends. They were highly trained in observation and local espionage, as well as the last line of defense for the Princess. Since in the past most had used their handmaidens for information in regards to just keeping up on gossip, the position of being a handmaiden was always much undermined by the rest of court. Had it not been for the oncoming threat of war, Selene thought, she doubted that Dorian would’ve been so quick to agree to let her add more help. As a charge under the King, Selene had not been allowed to choose her handmaidens herself. There was a delicate process to go about when one wished to become eligible for such a close position to the royal family members.
After meeting with Aura, the two handmaidens chosen were Cyerra, Ronal’s not-so-secret girlfriend, and a young woman with kind brown eyes named Rosaria. Rosaria and Cyerra, who even without help or insistence from the Princess to be chosen, had been picked based on their wit, courage, and skill. They would be trained in more defensive weaponry with the new legions of foot soldiers at the palace. Selene gave them both a welcoming smile as she met with them.
“It is nice to meet you,” Selene assured them as she greeted them. “Cyerra, I have heard much about you from your friend.” Selene met Cyerra’s eyes with a kind smile. They both knew she was talking about Ronal. “And Rosaria, I trust that Aura’s judgment of you is accurate. I am looking forward to our time together.”
Cyerra looked familiar, Selene thought. Huh. Wonder why. She knew from Ronal that Cyerra was Aemon’s sister. Maybe that was why she looked so familiar. They were twins, after all. Still, there was a familiar gleam in her blue-gray eyes that Selene knew all too well. Her violet black hair was straight and long, and decorated with tiny island jewels. It was clear despite her time in Diamond City she was an Islander at heart.
Rosaria, on the other hand, was obviously born and raised in the city. She had her brown hair tied up in a fashionable bun, with expensive shoes and only the finest robes available. Selene wondered if like Cyerra, Rosaria had been introduced to her position by a way of a favor. Handmaidens were thought to be the eyes and ears of a Princess, held to be demure and respectable by society. They were to shape the Princess’s views on everything with the truth, or as close to the real truth as they could get. Selene knew with the demand for information increasing, she had to watch herself when it came to saying anything in front of anyone, even her closest friends.
Kadrianne and Yana both started to instruct their coworkers with the rules of how things went as Chevée started to hand them the necessary supplies, robes, and insignia they were to carry with them at all times.
Selene felt herself grow bored as the hour dragged on.
Eventually, she stole a quick glance at the clock. It was nearly seven, and by the looks of it, dawn was approaching fast. Soon the Fighters’ practice would begin. She could not wait any longer to see Etoileon and apologize. There was a rhythmic beat in her heart that had her absolutely driven to go to him. “Excuse me,” she butted into Yana’s speech, starting to walk away as she interrupted. “The extra help will be nice for Kadrianne, Yana, and Chevée, as well as the company. Cyerra, Rosaria ... welcome to the Palace. I’ll leave Yana to brief you in on what to do. Kadrianne is the senior Handmaiden and represents me in my absence.” Selene knew that this was one time she had to choose herself over her duty. Even the disapproving look she was getting from Kadrianne and the shocked look she was getting from Yana could not halt her. They knew her well enough to know where she was going. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
Before any of those around her could get in the way, stop her, or convince her otherwise, Selene dropped all she was doing and hurried off to find her friend.
“Princess!” Kadrianne looked over and met Yana’s gaze with an incredulous look when Selene continued to hurry down the hallway. “What in the world do you suppose her problem is lately?”
Yana shook her head sadly. “I think she’s in love.”
The two of them sighed and turned to face their newest acquaintances. The Princess might be able to skip out of a job without qualms, but they were not. As Yana filled Cyerra and Rosaria in on their tasks, Kadrianne looked back at where the Princess had disappeared. She felt a shiver run down her spine as fear crept in. Something was not right.
THE SUN WAS STILL NOT entirely up when Selene made it to the hallway near the practice room.
There were no students there just yet, but she knew it wouldn’t be long. Master Norio was just coming down the stairs.
She smiled warmly at the old man, and bowed respectfully in the way he’d trained her. “Master,” she greeted him.
“Your Highness,” he welcomed her. She was the only one who ever saw a smile on his face constantly. Even the King was usually on the receiving end of a cold stare. “For what do I owe this pleasure?” It was a pleasure for him indeed. In all his years of training students, never had one managed to capture his respect so much as the Princess. She felt more to him like a daughter than a student. Of course, the feeling was never mentioned, as it was considered untraditional, but it went without saying that he had a strong liking for this girl.
Selene laughed. “That’s enough of that, Master,” she giggled. “You know you can drop the wise formality act on me. I’m not fooled by it. I know you do not like it anyway.”
He winked at her. “You insult me, Princess,” he grinned, making his old face all wrinkled and creased. When Selene cocked an eyebrow, Master Norio just relaxed. “My, you are a perceptive one.”
She nodded, and then got right to the point. “Master, the reason I came down here today was to –“
“To see if Etoileon was here,” he filled in. When she raised her eyebrows, he bowed his head to apologize respectfully for interrupting her. “You are not the only perceptive one, My Lady.”
“I can see.”
“He is doing quite well, as you undoubtedly know. As long as he is with you, he can afford to miss today, if that is your wish ... but remember, Selene, we are in a state of war now.”
Selene’s eyes twinkled in appreciation. She folded her hands together and bowed in thanks. “I am grateful for your kindness, Master. Thank you.”
“Here he comes now, actually,” Master Norio indicated, nodding his head to gesture to Etoileon’s arrival. She turned and looked in the direction. Suddenly she had a hard time thinking.
Norio caught her expression and smiled thoughtfully. It was good to see such tender feelings could exist, with war no doubt on the way. He quietly slipped away as the two of them caught sight of each other.
She didn’t move as Etoileon walked toward her. Her eyes caught and held his as he made his way to her. He stopped the respectable distance away
from her, but his eyes never left hers. He was relieved to see that she was up and around again. Yesterday had been horrible for him.
There were more students coming in behind Etoileon. They all passed them in the hallway with a glance or two before seeming to dismiss the usual sight of them together. Despite the distractions, Etoileon’s eyes never left hers. Rumors were sure to fly as soon as the other boys reached the locker room.
They were soon alone, standing in the hallway in silence a moment later.
Finally, Etoileon decided to try to say something. His gaze fell to the floor in embarrassment and uncertainty. It was then that Selene caught sight of the dark circles under his eyes. He must not have gotten a lot of sleep last night, Selene thought. Etoileon briefly looked back up at her and said, “Uh ... It’s good to see you’re all right this morning, Your Highness. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get to class.”
The respectful thing to do was to wait until she stepped out of his way to let him pass by. When she didn’t move, he said nothing. He didn’t want to cause her any more pain. She’d been so angry that she’d fainted from it. This morning she still didn’t look right. Selene was known for her royal glow; this morning she was so pale and light he thought she was feeling sick. Maybe I should quit, if all I’m going to do is fail in protecting her, he thought. When he looked up at her again, to see that she still hadn’t moved, he breathed in deeply and stepped around her. He had barely moved two steps from his original position when her hand shot out and took his.
“Wait,” she said.
“Why?” His question had been instinctive; he knew he was not one to question her but he could not seem to help it.
“Because I want you to come with me today ... right now,” she replied in a soft voice. When it was obvious that he was still hesitant, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Please ... will you stay with me?”
Her hand was warm and her offer was tempting. Still, he sighed and said nothing else as he turned around and began to walk with her through the palace hall.
They said nothing for a while. Etoileon watched as the last of the decorations were taken down, and the new, less formal ones were put up. Nearly every week there was another ball, another party, another celebration being held at the palace—the Lunar Storms were no doubt to be celebrated until the end of this week, but the big opening Festival night was over. The smaller rooms could be cleaned of their celebratory dressings. But the people couldn’t seem to get enough of the moonshine, the food, or the esteemed company. Any cause to party was good enough for them, and an accompanying sky show was all the more reason to break out the decorations and costumes and party materials.
Eventually, the palace decorators disappeared from view and the two of them were left all alone.
Their footsteps made a soft echo on the palace floors as they wandered around. It was in the hallway of gardens that Selene turned to face him and slowed down in her stride. “Etoileon ... I’m sorry about what I said,” she apologized. “I mean it. I was so afraid that I was ... I was scared that I was going to lose you. I was angry, I think, that you hadn’t come to warn me, that I thought you were just going to let me go so easily.” She looked down at the floor. “I know that I haven’t been completely honest with you in the past. There are some secrets that I haven’t shared that should be shared. You mean so much to me, Etoileon.” Her cheeks were starting to turn a slight shade of pink. Looking back up at him, she smiled warmly and added, “I want you to know that out of all the people in this world, you are probably the only one I would cry on.”
Etoileon said nothing for a moment. He could not hold a grudge against her, not if his life depended on it. Her words were true, and they were touching. He suddenly felt compelled to be completely honest with her for the first time since he’d met her. “I’m sorry, too. Selene, I haven’t been any more honest than you. There are some things I should say that I don’t. There are also some times when I ... I should act on how I feel regardless of what the King says.” He looked down and scratched the back of his head nervously.
“I love that I can be honest with you,” Selene admitted. “Being a Princess is not easy. I told you that before. I mean it now, too. When I first met you, you saw me as a person before anything else. People around here, even Dorian sometimes, rarely recall that. I am supposed to be a standard for people to look up to. I’m on a pedestal and I understand that. But I don’t want to be up there, and truthfully I shouldn’t. I want to be normal ... well, actually, I want to be seen as normal. I feel so trapped.”
“It’s not easy being your protector either,” Etoileon offered. “The Fighters are easily discouraged from liking me too much. You’re right about being honest. I like it that I can be honest with you, too. And I would be scared if you suddenly weren’t there at all.” He moved a bit closer to her and continued. “I like being here. I like being around you. I don’t regret becoming your protector in the least. I do regret making you feel sad.”
“Etoileon ... ” Selene sighed as she came to a stop. He followed her in manner and turned to look at her. “Obviously, there will be days, I think, where we will be angry again at each other. But please know that I would never hate you. I’ll never forget the kindness and help that you’ve given me.”
“I don’t want that to happen again,” Etoileon stated solemnly. “I like you too much to even think of causing you pain.” His statements were followed by a silence. Both of them looked away for the moment.
She suddenly sneaked a peek at her friend. She suddenly wondered if maybe ... he was certainly talking like he cared for her. What if he did? It was then that she decided it was time. She had to tell him, no matter what.
“Etoileon, I –“
“Selene –“
Both of them had tried to say something at the same time, and now both of them were red and laughing from it. Selene could feel the tension in her heart lift as she laughed. Etoileon felt a sense of relaxation as he looked up at her once again. He thought it was a nice feeling, considering the rapid beating of his heart. Etoileon was nervous, and for good reason. He wanted to tell her something important.
“Go ahead, Princess,” he gestured a mock bow as he smiled up at her. “Your Royal Majesty.”
Selene giggled again. “That’s Dorian’s title, not mine,” she responded.
“Oh. Well, Your Highness then,” he corrected himself. “What is it that you want to say, Selene?”
She always liked the sound of her name coming from him. The seriousness came back on her face, her smile replaced by an intent look. His kindness was not making this easy for her. She might’ve even run away, if her legs had not suddenly refused to work properly. “Etoileon ... ” her voice was low and sounded awkward even to her. Selene tried to look up at him and all she could do was blush. Resolve pushed past the embarrassment a moment later. She had to do this. She had to. Catching his eyes with hers, she tried to continue.
But there was a look on his face that mystified her; she could see every speck of silver in his eyes, faintly glittering in the first light of sunrise. His black hair was unruly and hardly tamed. It struck her all at once how unbelievably handsome he was. Her eyes traveled down from his eyes to settle on his mouth. She hardly noticed that she was leaning towards him.
He was having trouble breathing all of a sudden. She was so close to him. His mind was suddenly screaming at him to stop her, telling him to break off from this at once. But his heart wasn’t listening. And his heart was finally admitting that he had wanted this a long time ago. He felt himself take her hands in his and pull her up closer to him. Leaning down, his eyes briefly met hers before they closed, and his lips pressed against hers in a soft and gentle kiss.
For a brief moment in time, the world seemed to stand still. The two of them clung to one another, their hands holding tightly to one another, as the sweet tenderness of their first kiss washed over them. It was a foreign act and somewhat awkward for the two of them, but for some reason, it was familiar to th
em, almost like a lost dream that they’d suddenly stumbled upon. Selene could feel the warmth of his breath against her mouth as her body stilled. She could feel quickened pace of her heart, and the rush of emotions running through her, yet she could not find it in herself to move apart from him.
Etoileon slowly backed away, his eyes opening just as hers fluttered open. He could see that the familiar blue eyes he’d come to love were glazed over, as though the kiss had left her thoughts in jumbled mess. The clarity pierced through seconds later, moving up to meet his. The corners of her mouth curved into a smile, and Etoileon could’ve sworn that the earth itself had moved by the tremendous force of his joy in that moment.
In fact, the ground beneath his feet almost seemed to rumble at the thought of it. Unusual, Etoileon thought, but the princess interrupted any further thinking when she took a step back from him.
She had not noticed the disruptions. Her face was slightly red as his hands dropped hers. Selene was certain that the time had come to tell him. She could feel her rapid heartbeat and the knots twisting in her stomach as she tried to summon her courage. Oh, why is it so hard to say? Her thoughts were muddled as she lost her composure. She shyly looked up at him, and finally spoke. Her voice was barely audible. “ ... Etoileon, I lo-“
A small explosion in the distance cut off her words.
Etoileon looked around. He’d heard the explosion, and felt the force of it. Dread trickled down his back. That rumbling seconds earlier was no illusion. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.
A much louder explosion rocked through the palace walls, this time accompanied by a blast that seemed to crash through the room. A foreboding silence followed before Etoileon could sense another one coming on. Looking at the shocked surprise on Selene’s face as she wildly looked about, he grabbed her arm. “Your Highness, move!”
She was stunned more or less into a paralyzed state as shouting could suddenly be heard through the corridors. Guards were ordered to take their positions. Maids were to hurry to the downstairs area. Fighters were to report to their trainers for instructions. Everything was in a panic, and Selene found herself floored. It was only due to Etoileon’s swift action that she was able to start running.
