Queen of the Moon

Part 17: Dark Wedding

Once the Darkseas had left us alone, all that was left to do was plan the wedding. Took a few months to plan and we were fully into summer on the day of our wedding. We aimed for an outdoor wedding on the grounds of the palace complete with flower garlands everywhere. All the nobles from the 12 kingdoms had come out. I got the most beautiful gown that was very difficult to walk in and was draped in the most expensive royal jewelry. As I came out to walk through the crowd and say my vows to Andrew, and he looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world, there was nothing that could ever top that moment. I passed my bouquet to my lady in waiting, Rachel, took Andrews hands, gazed into his eyes and the Royal Officiator had just begun to ask my father if he approved this wedding, when I heard the sound of an arrow piercing the air.

Instinctively I looked over to hear a startled scream, see one of the wedding guests drop to the ground, a royal, the lord of Waning Gibbous. And then arrows started raining out of the sky. Absolute Panic. People getting shot left and right. Scrambled running. The few knights that were suited up, rushed to block and shield, me, the queen and the king while everyone else was left to fend for themselves. Andrew crouched with me underneath two knights who were blocking me, still holding one of my hands as we saw a battalion of knights coming through the trees.

"Get the queen and princess to safety!" yelled my father.

"Andrew!" I shouted as one of the knights was tugging at me to take me away.

"I love you," he said, grabbing a sword from one of the knights and running towards the danger and not away. I was pulled by both of my arms back into the palace.

"FUUUUCK!" I screamed as I was swept into the darkness of the corridors. I knew without a doubt this was the Darkseas doing. Why couldn't they just let this go? Let me go. And our stupid selves, we thought this whole thing was over, we let out guard down. Perfect time for them to attack, I felt so stupid. How could I for a second think that I deserved happiness, that I could just have a nice simple marriage with the man that I loved?

We rushed out to the stables and got onto horses and on the trail away from the palace as quickly as possible. The horses raced through the woods for at least an hour and then when we were certain we weren't being followed we slowed to a moderate pace.

"Where should we take her?" the knights I was with were Sir Kevin and Sir Timothy. They were both knights I'd trusted and friends of my brother. They were always quick to protect me or have my back during any sense of danger.

"Take me to Black Moon," I said, I knew the trail too, from where we were headed, we could get there in 2 days.

"My farms a few hours West. We could stay there and wait for instructions," said Sir Kevin.

"Is that smart or safe?" I asked, too close to the palace, if the battalion over came us, they would come heading out here to the farms to pillage the land.

"The best thing to do is to keep heading north as far away from the palace as possible," I said.

"And what if Lord Andrew falls, do you think the remaining nobles of black moon will protect you?" he asked.

"We're talking too far in advance, if the Darkseas overcome all of the moon lands..." I said.

"Which is why we should stay nearby and roll with the punches," said Sir Kevin and they were so convinced they were right, so I had to go along. Besides I was still in my very stiff, expensive and beautiful wedding dress. A change of clothes would be nice.

We got to the farm by sunset. Kevin's family was very nice, I saw that he had two sisters, one who'd let me borrow their clothes. I'd never worn peasant threads but found it to be very light and easy to wear and move around in. I never realized before how uncomfortable being a princess was. I hated this sitting down to have a meal and make conversation with this family, playing nice, when my home and kingdom was possibly being ravaged by the Darkseas at this point, a sitting duck. Being a lady, I couldn't grab my sword and join in I had to hide on someone's farm. How were the men I loved, faring?