Moonstones

What's are Moonstones?

Lunette skipped school the next two days. She'd riffled through her memory as if looking for a library card in an expanse of bookcase drawers but her mind refused to share any information. Irritated and frustrated, she tried to distract herself.

The old hag that guarded the first moonstone said Derward was made from moondrop tears? What was that? Was that what made Derward all shiny and silvery?

Lunette turned towards Derward who was looking out the window sitting like a dog, his tail swinging back and forth. Would he tell her? He had to. If he wouldn't, she'd invoke her right as princess and he would have no power to defy her unless he was ordered to be silent from the king.

"Derward, what are moondrop tears?" Lunette placed her pillow under her chin and wrapped her arms around it.

"Without moondrop tears, the moon would be in dire condition. It is practically the essence of the moon." He turned and faced the princess.

"I will give you a long lesson of science now, since you seem so interested and refuse to do anything else but laze about the day." Lunette groaned at his sassy remark but waved for him to continue.

"Just as the Earth has its own core, the moon has one a well. This core, however, is not buried beneath tons of rock and lava; the moon's core is a perfect sphere of silver blue and can be accessed unlike Earth's.

"The core 'cries' and it's life essence flows throughout the moon like a heartbeat. If a drop of this 'tear' is captured, it can be used almost however the user wants. Moonstones were also created this way which is why I can contain them within me. I am an example of this phenomenon. I was created by the last queen to rule alone. She asked me to protect and guide the future single queen. You are considered to be the next single queen but you are not."

Lunette felt slightly betrayed. "Then why are you my guardian?"

"I am a servant to every queen but will live and die with the new single queen."

"How am I not the next single queen? I have no family eligible to rule or take my place while I live. I do not even have a sibling." Lunette's eyes widened when she noticed Derward flinch. Did she have a sibling or did he not appreciate her shouting?

"You are engaged to Prince Sol. The single queen will rule as a virgin the rest of her days unmarried."

"Then how did my great grandmother have an heir?"

"Her younger sister had a son who had a son. That man became ruler and married your grandmother who begot your father and uncle."

"Now that I think about it," Lunette laid on her back staring at the ceiling, "how are the SUN king and MOON queen going to rule together? We'd have to live apart and not see each other."

"That has been determined in a way I do not know of," Derward leapt off the window sill onto the bed. "Collect the moonstones first and then worry about what follows, yes?"

"I'll try," she promised. Lunette had thought about Sol again and how she'd upset him. Lunette screamed into her pillow hiding her red face of embarrassment.

Derward turned his head to the side. The weight of his large antlers and small body made him tip over. "Oh! Curse this small body!"

Lunette giggled into her pillow to muffle the sound but felt Derward poke her in the arm. "Ow!"

"How dare you laugh at your elder!" Derward puffed out his chest trying to present himself as if he were king.

"Please excuse me," Lunette grinned before frowning. "Can we go moonstone hunting tonight?"

"I thought you would wish to sulk like every other teenage girl feeling self pity."

"No," Lunette felt slightly offended but brushed off the feeling. "I would rather do something distracting."

"Well, at least you will be doing something productive and necessary. Your deadline for contacting the king, your father, is in five days."

"Ugh, I forgot."

"Am I also your calendar?!" Derward huffed, silver emanating as if it were his breath because, as Lunette had just found out, it was.