Keeping Time

Chapter 4: Lux - 1912

The ring was rusted and silver colored. It's diamond surfaced at the middle, supported by a mess of entangled vines. It had been a few months since Adam gave her this ring during the annual New Year's Night concert by the Highland Society of New South Wales at Town Hall after the Sydney Harmonic Choral Society performed. Everyone gasped at the scene as Adam knelt down, kissed Lux's hand and asked her to marry him. Lux was too happy to notice the ring but now it stares back and seemingly taunts her. "You are going to get married" it snickers. She twirled the ring around her finger absentmindedly.

A lot changed since Lux and Adam had their brush with the Time Queen and her Time Traveling Agency. Lux's father Captain Otra moved to Australia to expand his flying steamship trade business inherited from his father-in-law and to connect with some estranged and rather wealthy family members from Lux's mother's side. Lux's Uncle Robert and His Wife Aunt Grace received the benefits of the initial trading from Lux's grandfather. They took the profits and began a mining company with Aunt Katie, Aunt Geraldine, Uncle Todd and Uncle Dean. It took off and the siblings gained many benefits. Captain Wentworth did not want to speak to them because he felt they did not respect his wife's death and that they were partially responsible for the pressure his wife felt to learn the business from her father, Lux's grandfather. However, Captain Otra wanted the best for his daughter when he found out Adam planned on proposing to his daughter. The only thing to do was to move to Australia, reconnect with his late wife's family and grow his trading business with their support. Adam did not want to go back to his time period of World War 2 but instead became part of Lux's family here in Victorian New South Wales, Australia. They spent their past year gazing at each other and giggling at each other's jokes as they paraded around in the public gardens. Eventually, they fell in love with each other. Now she plays the waiting bride. It's 1910 and tomorrow, she will get married.

Her father and her wealthy uncle paid for the wedding at a hotel called the Grand Windsor. The resort had four big buildings of pure white with big bay windows, balconies, a pool and a lake. Lux felt like a princess when she arrived. It was impossibly romantic to walk in. She sat in the lobby with her cousins Emily and Alice while her Aunt Grace discussed the formalities to the Wedding Planner. Aunt Grace mentioned that the hotel must throw a grand buffet for the bride and groom as well as that a full orchestra is a requirement to make a statement in society about Adam and Lux's marriage. Lux rolled her eyes listening to the whole ordeal. She didn't want to make a big statement. Back when she visited New York in 2015 to stop the Vampire Queen, such things were ridiculous and unimportant.

Tonight was the rehearsal dinner. Lux would have to be dressed and prepared to go meet Adam and her wealthy family. Lux sighed happily. Nervous jitters ran down her arms. She took the dress she would wear tonight for the Rehearsal Dinner from her closet - a blue dress - holding it out in front of the mirror to see how it shaped her body. The dress matched her light blonde hair and made her look like a sea mermaid. She put it down on the bed and prepared herself by showering, makeup, hair and getting ready for the night ahead.

She still had an hour to go, however. Why not try on her dress? She put on the lace wedding gown. She put her arms around her body, imagining what it would feel like when Adam held her in his arms. Then she stood out on the balcony to look at the roaring waves, wondering how she could be so lucky to find such a wonderful man to love. Tomorrow night, she would oh in Adam's arms.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," said Lux.

The door opened and Adam entered, staring at her with sympathy, embarrassment, and shock.

Lux covered her body instantly.

It embarrassed her for Adam to know she tried on the dress, thinking of him.

"Adam!" she exclaimed. "You know it is bad luck to see the bride the night before her wedding."

"You look so beautiful," he said, sitting down on her bed. "I'm sorry for this. Would you sit down, please? I have something to tell you."

Lux sat down with Adam on her bed.

"Before the Vampire Queen took me, I lost my friend. Her name was Maoko. She was more than my friend. We were lovers. I thought she was killed."

"Adam. I'm glad you told me. Now we can move forward."

"She was taken" he continued, "By an amazing spaceship city. The likes of which anyone could imagine. I expected thousands lived there. I couldn't' believe that I couldn't stop them from taking her. I was so distraught and now that I heard she is alive..."

"... You want to go find her."

"You didn't let me fin..."

"If you harbored feelings for her all this time" shrilled Lux, her voice rising an octave higher.

"Lu..." protested Adam.

The door flung open.

"We're here!" shouted Showa. Behind her, Myst smiled meekly.

"Your wedding dress!" exclaimed Showa. She ran up to hug Lux. "You look so beautiful."

"Sorry to interrupt your wedding," said Myst, sitting down next to Lux.

"Are you ready for a vacation?"

Lux stared at Adam, confused.

"The Time Queen has sent us on a mission to find Maoko" he said.

Adam looked sympathetic.

"They found me in the hallway. We had talked about how to best break the news to you" said Adam.

"I did think that you guys would come back," said Lux to Myst and Showa. "I was ready for another adventure. Things have felt so stiff around here with the wedding coming up and having since been back in the Victorian Era. I just wasn't ready for it to happen tonight."

Myst put her arm around Lux's shoulder.

"Queen Reina said that the future has been altered. The Vampire Queen's ship sent a signal out into space attracting aliens to Planet Earth. The queen and her sister's timeline have been altered so that their past selves are on a trajectory to run into their future selves - creating a vacuum that will suck in the space-time continuum. We have to go now or everything, even this wedding, will be gone in a few days."

Lux sighed.

"I understand."

Myst and Showa helped them pack. They dressed and then the group headed to 1940's Indonesia.