And here is chapter 9, which has been released at the 
exact same time as chapter 8!  10 will follow shortly, 
I hope!  Many thanks to those who have waited so long 
and have been e-mailing me their terrific compliments 
and comments on how the story has turned out so far.  
The best is yet to come, complications, romance, 
danger, thrills and chills...romance...romance...did 
I mention, romance?  As you all should have figured 
out by now, something big is going to happen to hurt 
both Serena and Darien.  But what?  I had hoped the 
answer might come sooner than it looks like it will 
be coming.  I might post a preview scene of a MUCH 
later chapter on my fan fiction web page, which you 
can see at:
http://members.aol.com/jlcavazos/index.html

It's nothing big, but all of my stories will be posted 
there the MOMENT they are completed!  There are also 
links, pictures, fun stuff, and other information.
     E-mail SlrUnico@aol.com to comment!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Weaving a Romance"
CHAPTER 9: An Unsettling Invitation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
     Serena didn't even bother to try to muffle her 
screams.  Darien...and her...having to be with all those 
people acting as if, as if, as if they had no feelings 
for each other!!!  It would be impossible, just the 
sight of him made her feel weak at the knees...made her 
heart quiver so....
     "Damnit."  She was not used to cursing, and was as 
careful as Amy using swear words, but it made her feel 
better to say something obscene.  Cautiously, she let 
loose another long string of vulgarity that she had heard 
Lita use on several occasions.  It had not worked the 
same magic, but she did feel sort of, well, rebellious.  
If only she could be the same about relationships....
     A good move had been telling her mother that she 
would take care of the inviting of Darien to the dinner.  
Of course her first thought had been, why invite him?  
If he didn't show up, then there would be no need to put 
on an act.  It would also be a lot less stressful.
     But a better solution would be to extend the 
invitation first and then let Darien come up with a plan.  
Yes...that was what she would do...  Satisfied, Serena 
picked up her skirts and left the room.  Her destination?  
The virtu-com room.


"Darien?"
     Darien turned to see Malachite at the door of his 
bedroom.  "Hm?"
     "There's a call on the virtu-com for you."
     "Know who it is?"
     "Nah, I told one of the servants I would bring the 
message."
     "Wonder who....?"
     "Well wouldn't we all like to know?" Malachite 
muttered, walking back down the hall.  Darien sighed and 
lifted himself out of the arm chair to head down to the 
room where the virtu-com was kept.
     The virtu-com was a rather new invention designed by 
some Mercurian several years ago.  It acted as an intercom, 
but could transmit both the words and the image of the 
person sending the message through space and at the same 
time as transmitted.  The picture was as clear as could 
be, and the words even clearer.  Virtu-coms were only 
available to the planets' palaces...the Earth had received 
there's as a special gift from King Orion on Darien's 
father's birthday the year before, and provided a necessary 
link to the rest of the galaxy.
     The moment Darien stepped into the room on Malachite's 
heels, he froze.  "Serena."
     "Huh?" asked Malachite.
     "Prince Darien," the image of Serena spoke.  Her 
words were icy, and businesslike, but her eyes were dancing 
with happiness and hidden meanings.  "I am most pleased to 
speak to you again."
     "It's all right, Princess," Darien said.  "We can be 
frank with one another, no one of great importance is in 
the room...."
     "<cough>"
     "Besides Malachite."
     "Thanks."
     Serena blew a whisp of hair out of her eyes and tried 
to look bored.  "Ya de ya de ya de ya...Mother wanted me to 
invite you and your parents to a banquet tonight so you can 
meet my fiancee and Estelle, er, Queen Estelle."
     Darien's eyes widened, and he was glad that Malachite 
was standing behind him where he could not see the expression 
that this statement from Serena had drawn.  "You mean, ah, 
with your parents and my parents and your court and Bruce 
and his mother, and...everyone?"
     "Yes."
     "Everyone."
     "Yes."
     "And Bruce."
     "Yes."
     Oh Christ, Darien thought.  He knew immediately even 
without diagramming the look in Serena's eyes that this 
would mean trouble, and possibly torture.  He was having a 
hard enough time pretending to hate her in front of 
Malachite -- it would be harder in front of that large 
assembly of people.  Even Bruce.
     Bruce.  Would Serena have to be romantic towards the 
prince of Lerence?  Darien was sure he wouldn't be able 
to take that.  Just thinking about sitting with a bunch of 
people who all thought that Serena's heart really belonged 
to her betrothed made him so jealous he felt ready to 
explode.
     Serena was now asking him something with her eyes.  
They flickered back and forth, and were obviously confused.  
Would he be able to accept?  Should he accept?  Would 
they be able to pull off the act if he did?  She was 
waiting for an answer though, and so was Malachite.  
"Just give her an answer already, Darien," the general 
muttered in a barely audible voice.  "It won't kill you 
to spend one evening with her."
     "All right, highness," Darien said in as cool a tone 
as possible.  "You can expect us there.  I'll get the 
word to Mother and Father as soon as possible."
     "Wonderful," Serena answered dully.  "Just peachy."  
She waved good-bye as the screen went blank.


As luck would have it, Darien's parents were unable to 
attend.  Queen Celia did not feel well, and her husband 
was called away for matters of state in the Northern 
Asian provinces.  A match point in Serena and Darien's 
favor, it would be two less people they would have to 
"perform" for.  So it was Darien alone that arrived in 
the private beam on the lawns of the Moon Kingdom palace 
grounds.
     Queen Serenity was there to meet him herself.  No 
sooner had he closed the doors and the driver left to 
the garages in the back of the castle, then she kissed 
him on both cheeks in welcome.  "Prince Darien, it is so 
wonderful to have you here again.  I'm just sorry your 
parents couldn't make it here tonight.  I was so hoping 
to have them meet Queen Estelle and her son, Prince Bruce."
     Darien nodded and forced a smile as he bowed to her.  
"Majesty, I am most honored to have been invited to this 
royal function.  I also make abject apologies on behalf 
of my mother and father.  Really though, Majesty, you 
didn't have to come out to meet me, I could have found 
my own way --"
     "Nonsense, Darien, I wouldn't have dreamed of it."  
Serenity frowned.  "Actually, Serena was supposed to come 
out to greet you herself, but she is, er, detained."
     "I see."  Serena, he thought to himself.  "No doubt 
still getting ready."
     "She's guilty as charged.  But please, the night 
air is rather chilly.  Let us go inside.  The court is 
waiting to meet you."
     Thrills and chills, thought Darien sarcastically 
through the winning smile on his face.  "All right.  
Lead the way, Majesty."


The dining room looked as lovely as it had ever been, 
and the smells of food coming from the kitchen directly 
off to the right were heavenly.  Everything was running 
smoothly.  Well, as smoothly as could be expected.  There 
had been several minor traumas earlier.  Princess Lita 
had to be physically removed from the kitchen where she 
made numerous attempts to help in the cooking.  A delegate 
had called from Venus to let the queen know that Princess 
Mina would be late in arriving due to "feminine problems".  
Princess Amy was nearly late coming in also, because the 
airways between Mercury and the Moon were closed for 
maintenance.  And the flowers in the main centerpiece of 
the table had to be changed four times because Queen 
Estelle was allergic to the pollen.
     And of course, after Serenity had another talk with 
Serena about how to behave with Prince Darien, the princess 
did not shrink from reminding the entire castle on separate 
occasions how upset she was with the whole Earth prince 
coming to dinner ordeal.
     Queen Serenity had managed to get all of these wrinkles 
straightened out in record time, and as she escorted Darien 
into the dining room she felt confident that as long as her 
daughter could act maturely, everything would be all right.
     When she arrived with the prince, Amy, Lita, Raye and 
Estelle and Bruce were already seated at the table.  But 
of course, all rose when Darien and the queen entered.  
"Prince Darien," Serenity prompted, "I am very happy to 
introduce to you tonight not only the members of Princess 
Serena's court, but also Queen Estelle and Prince Bruce 
from the planet Lerence in the Chatenier galaxy."
     Darien nodded briefly.  "Chatenier, I have heard of 
it."
     "That's ChatenIEr," corrected Estelle with a frown 
as she curtsied.  "And very pleased to make your acquaintance, 
highness."
     Serenity returned Darien's puzzled look with a tight 
smile of her own.  Perhaps it would be a long evening after all.




Okay, so we ended rather abruptly...  Now you can proceed to 
Chapter 10!  Yay!
     By the way, does anyone even remember Angeline?  Of 
Togodia?  In case some of you don't remember, she made her 
debut several chapters ago as the self-described REAL fiancee 
of Prince Bruce.  Supposedly he asked her to marry him 
a while before his parents reminded him of his betrothal, 
which he had either never been told of or had forgotten 
in his love for Princess Angeline.  Anyway, while she 
was on vacation he never wrote her, then when she returned 
she found a letter from him explaining the betrothal to 
Princess Serena and begging her forgiveness.
     Of course Angeline is not the type of person who 
would take this laying down, and last we heard she was 
on her way to stop the wedding.
     But will she make it in time?  How does she fit into 
everything?  The answer will come in a later chapter.
     E-mail SlrUnico@aol.com to comment PLEASE!  And 
remember the address of my poor little old fan fiction 
page: http://members.aol.com/jlcavazos/index.html

~~~Ali~~~