weave11.txtWelcome everyone to Chapter 11 of the story, "Weaving a Romance" -- 
by me, Ali!  After taking a very very long vacation I am now back 
and in business, updating my web page with all the latest and 
writing chapters as fast as I can think of them.
     This chapter is a continuation of the dinner...to recap, Serena 
and Darien are in love with each other but are hiding their feelings 
in front of Serena's court, mother, and her betrothed, Bruce, and 
his mother.  The "bathroom scene" was a genius idea by my friend 
Misty...I can't believe I didn't think of it myself.  Not quite sure 
what I am talking about?  Just keep reading!
     PG for language.
     E-mail SlrUnico@aol.com to comment.




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"Weaving a Romance"
CHAPTER 11: Secret Get Away...Almost
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"...and of course you would THINK that a stallion WOULD be a better 
choice, but you know Darien old boy, I am beginning to wonder if 
maybe --"
     Darien nodded a little and continued to look interested.  It 
was a talent of sorts that most royalties picked up along the way -- 
looking very much involved in a conversation when they were really 
bored out of their minds.
     But naturally Bruce wasn't bored.  His near-death experience 
hadn't seemed to have sobered him in the least.  No, he was having 
the time of his life comparing this thoroughbred to that 
thoroughbred and so forth.  In fact he was actually carrying on a 
one-sided conversation that didn't require Darien's help at all.  
There was a strange glint of excitement and passion in his eyes.  Of 
course, riding horses was probably one of the national pastimes on 
Lerence.
     "...but for jumping, well, I really don't know which I would...
what would you choose?"
     There were some flaws in Darien's technique though.  These 
flaws became evident when he was asked to somehow participate in the 
conversation he really hadn't been paying attention to at all.  
"Actually...well," he floundered.  "Which would you choose?"
     Bruce stared at him blankly.
     "I'm interested in your opinion," Darien helped.
     "Oh!  Well, of course...I suppose if I had to choose..."
     Darien tuned out again and met Serena's eyes briefly across 
the table.  At what price romance, he thought to himself as he took 
a sip of water.  The severe price of boredom.


Serena avoided Darien's gaze for as long as she could, but she could 
not help feeling somewhat responsible for the situation that he was 
in.  After all, he had just been trying to divert attention away 
from her and the little accident with her foot.  I've made him wait 
long enough, Serena thought.  Added to which I want to be free to 
speak with him so much.  I want to be alone with him.
     That was when she came up with a very sneaky plan.
     Serena waited until she happened to catch Darien's eye.  The 
moment she did she stood up and announced that she needed to be 
excused to go to powder her nose.  The queen Serenity smiled at her 
daughter and allowed her to leave.
     Bruce immediately leapt out of his own chair to help Serena 
from her place at the table.  Somehow Serena managed to pay 
attention to her fiancee and to thank him at the same time as 
slightly nodding to Darien.  If he got the message -- and she was 
pretty sure that he did, if he wanted what she wanted -- then he 
would find some way to leave the dining table also and follow her.
     So Serena left the room.


It took virtually all of Darien's strength NOT to follow Serena as 
she walked away from him, either with his eyes or body.  But he had 
gotten the message.
     "So Darien, old boy --" Bruce began.
     If he calls me old boy one more time... Darien thought through 
pursed lips.
     "Back to our little debate over the stallion..."
     "Actually," Darien interrupted, holding up a hand, "I'm finding 
it a little hard to concentrate, erm..."  He looked pointedly -- 
warily -- at the spicy and exotic dishes on the table and then in 
pity at Lita.  "My stomach is a little bit, um, well...could I just 
please go get some air, majesty?"  He directed the plea at Serenity, 
and was sure to put a little sickness and shame at asking such a 
thing into his eyes and his voice.
     Lita apologized, flushed, though not at all crushed that the 
prince might think that way about her dish.  Indeed, she was having 
a little trouble digesting the creations she had so carefully 
researched herself.
     Serenity nodded her excuse and then turned back to a 
conversation that she, Estelle and Princess Amy of Mercury were 
having.
     Darien thanked no one in particular, agreed with Bruce's 
suggestion that once he come back they continue their discussion of 
the finer points of riding, and speedily left the room.  The things 
I do for love these days, the prince thought with a little smile to 
himself...thinking what lay in wait on the other side of the door....
     When Darien stepped outside he was surprised at how dark 
everything seemed.  "It's black as midnight out here," he muttered, 
turning down one of the corridors in search of Serena.  "You'd think 
that the lights had all been --"
     At that moment two things happened at once.  One, Darien 
realized with a start that the hall lights HAD been cut off.  And 
two, he was submerged in a deep and beautiful kiss.
     Even though taken by surprise, Darien warmed up gladly to the 
emotion, and held Serena in his arms with a tenderness yet as if she 
were his reward for going so long just inches away from her without 
touching or speaking to her, without looking at her eyes just to see 
the love there.
     When they broke the kiss, each was breathless.  "How did you 
get out of there?" Serena asked, her arms still twined about his 
neck.
     "I told them very plainly that the food had made me a little 
ill," Darien answered with a devilish grin.
     "Poor Lita!" Serena laughed.
     "She didn't look so great herself after that second helping," 
Darien added.
     "I'm glad you got my message," she offered unnecessarily.
     "It didn't take a rocket scientist.  I could read your eyes."
     "I knew you'd be able to."
     "How much longer do you think we'll be able to last out here 
without someone growing suspicious?"
     "I wish all night," Serena sighed, pressing her head against 
his shoulder.  "I don't care anymore anyway.  Let them come, in all 
their numbers, wielding forks and spoons, I don't want to go back 
to pretending I care nothing.  Even though I am a pretty good 
actress...."
     "Oh you're so modest," teased Darien.
     "Better than you!" Serena joked back.  She pulled back 
abruptly.  "And I SWEAR, Darien, that little trick you pulled with 
your foot was NOT very funny, especially from my point of view!"  
To prove a point she reached down to her foot and pulled off her 
silk slipper, waving it in the air.  "My slipper almost came off, 
and I would have had to bend down to get it, and you could have 
gotten us both caught.
     "Who, me?" Darien asked huskily, drawing her back to him.  
"I'm sorry, princess, that must have been some other madly in love 
with you man you are speaking of...even though I must say he has 
some sense of romance..."  He stopped.  "You can't tell me you 
didn't get turned on..."
     Serena blushed madly, but didn't miss a beat.  "I'll show you 
turned on," she whispered, standing on her toes to reach up to kiss 
him again.
     And then the door to the dining hall opened, flooding the 
hallway and the couple embracing in it with light.


Ever since Serena had left to go to the bathroom and Darien had 
followed her, Raye had grown very sick to her stomach as well.  I 
hate it when I have to eat something that does not agree with me, 
the princess of Mars thought, angrily shooting a look at Lita.  If 
I eat something bad then I feel rotten for the rest of the dinner, 
and I can't possibly make conversation with anyone else if I don't 
feel good!  And if I'm quiet the entire rest of the dinner, then I 
look antisocial.  It's a lose-lose situation that is ALL Lita's 
fault.  See if I ever eat anything of hers again.
     So Raye was forced to stand up from her place and ask if she, 
too, could be excused.  This prompted Mina, who didn't feel ill -- 
she was just bored out of her mind.  If all Bruce wanted to talk 
about was horses, then she wasn't eager to get into a conversation 
with him...it had been her sad experience to discover that most 
good-looking men WERE boring.  And the things that Amy and the two 
queens were discussing were not very attractive subjects either.
     "Wait, Raye, I'll go with you," Mina said, getting to her feet 
hastily, excusing herself without waiting for a response from 
Serenity, and walking after her friend to the door.
     "Are you sick, too?" Raye asked quietly, her hand positioned 
on the doorknob.
     "No, just bored out of my mind.  Had to get away."
     "Oh well."  Sighing, Raye opened up the door and stepped into 
the dark hallway.
     Then both the princesses caught sight of something which caused 
both of them to forget their pains and widen their eyes.
     Several feet down the hall to the right, Serena and Darien were 
standing very close together.  For a split second it seemed that 
both of them were staring at the princesses in terror, but then they 
were back staring at each other, suddenly inches more apart than 
they had been, and Serena was hitting Darien with her slipper, which 
oddly enough she was holding clenched in her fist.
     "...and it's ALWAYS been 'ladies first' since the dawn of time!"
Serena was screaming.  "I just KNEW people on Earth had NO MANNERS 
whatsoever!  You are a disgrace to your planet!"
     "Christ, princess!" Darien argued, holding his hands up to 
shield his body from the blows of her little shoe.  "I already 
apologized!  Maybe if you had been watching where you were going..."
     "Being a lady EXCUSES me from watching!" Serena shrieked, and 
continued to whack at Darien's head with the slipper.  "You have 
made me mad so many times this evening, I wish you would just stop!"
     "I don't believe I'm hearing this!  I didn't even want to come!"
     Mina and Raye had been staring openmouthed at this display in 
total shock, and only after Darien's statement did Mina think to 
slam the door so that the people in the dining room would not be 
able to hear.
     In the meantime, Raye hitched up her skirts, and marched over 
to the nearest hall lamp.  She lit the burner so much that the hall 
was illuminated with a soft glow, and then wasted not a moment in 
wrenching the slipper from Serena's hand.  
     Serena turned to her friend as if seeing her for the first 
time.  "I hate him!" she declared, resisting when Raye tried to 
hold her arms down at her sides.  "I *hate* him, you won't believe 
what he just did!!"
     "Serena, calm down!" Raye retorted, throwing the slipper to the 
ground.  "I don't know what's going on, and I don't care what's 
going on.  But you have to stop this insane arguing you are always 
doing with Darien!"  She turned to the prince angrily.  "You too.  
You're older, and more responsible, and more mature!"
     "You can say that again," Darien muttered darkly.
     "Now just a minute!" Serena squealed.  "Raye, whose side are 
you on!?"
     "The side of the people that are in favor of going to the 
bathroom!" she exploded, holding her stomach with her hands.  As 
much as she needed to relieve herself, she felt a moral obligation 
of some sort to Serenity to clear up any trouble between her 
daughter and the prince of the Earth as quickly as possible.  And 
without letting the rest of the dinner party know that something 
was up.  "Just apologize."
     "Why should you care?" Darien asked.  "If we argue it should 
make no difference to you.  No one is stopping you from going off 
on your merry little way."
    "Don't talk that way to my friend!!" Serena exclaimed.
    "Please, Serena, I can take up for myself!" Raye groaned.  
"Look, normally it would not make any difference to me, highness.  
But I couldn't -- with a clear conscience -- leave the two of you 
out here alone for someone else to see who would not take it as 
kindly as I am now.  So go ahead, we are waiting...make amends."
     Serena snatched her slipper up from the ground, put it back 
onto her foot and muttered something under her breath.
     "I accept your apology, highness," Darien said with an 
exaggerated bow.
     "That was not an apology!" Serena informed him.  "It was a rude 
comment!!"
     "Well, then --" he began angrily.
     Raye opened her mouth to protest all of this again, when a 
voice spoke:
     "Oh let them!"
     Everyone turned.  Mina was clapping her hands in excitement.  
"I'm having fun!"
     Raye's jaw dropped.  "What?"
     "It was so boring back there."  Mina gestured toward the closed 
doors that led to the dining hall.  "It was really between listening 
to the queen's discussion with Amy about some kind of tower type 
thing they are building on Mercury, (as if Orion doesn't have enough 
tower things) or paying attention to that drab lecture on horses and 
the proper breeding of them that Bruce was having.  So if they want 
to fight I don't mind watching them."
     "Oh wonderful!" the princess of Mars exclaimed, throwing her 
hands up in the air.  "I'm trying to teach a lesson in maturity and 
if it was up to you you'd be selling tickets to the main event -- 
watching Serena and the prince tear out each other's throats!"
     "That's harsh, Raye," Mina objected.  "I mean, *I* wouldn't 
sell the tickets MYSELF.  I could have people do that for me."
     "Forget it," Darien muttered.  "I don't need an audience."
     "Me neither," Serena quipped, as if taking a que.
     Raye watched in astonishment as the two of them walked back 
into the dining hall and shut the door behind them.
     Mina shrugged.  "See?  It all worked out."
     Raye sighed, grabbed her friend's hand, and marched off to the 
bathroom.






~ End Chapter 11 ~
Stay tuned for new chapters in the coming weeks!  Remember you can
see them all first at http://members.aol.com/jlcavazos/index.html
the moment they are first completed, "Weaving a Romance" as well as 
my other series.  Stop by any time!
     Coming events:
     * Darien confides to one of his generals
     * a visit to the Kingdom of the Planet Earth
     * a fortune teller on Venus foresees darker times for the two
young people.
     * AND...the traumatic turn-of-events.
     E-mail SlrUnico@aol.com to comment!
~~~Ali~~~