Trial of the Ring

Chapter Three: Promise

Uranus ran after Neptune calling her name.

“Neptune! Neptune I'm sorry! Wait please! Neptune!”

Uranus sped up and quickly caught Neptune by the hand.

“Neptune stop please.”

Neptune tried to keep going but was unable to break free of Uranus strong grip. She turned around and was face to face with the tall blonde. The light from the Earth reflected off the tears that were still running down her face. Her eyes looked desperate and wanting. She breathed heavily for it was hard to out run the Emperor of the wind.

“Uranus! Let go of me!” Neptune said with the most intense look than Uranus had ever seen. Uranus released her and Neptune ran back into the palace. Uranus dropped to the grass moist from the night dew, pounded it with her fists, and with tears streaming from her eyes, desperately screamed Neptune’s name into the night air.  For the first time, she let every emotion pour out off her. She glared at into distant horizon.  Her breathing was heavy and erratic. With every breath more and more tears fell.  Her confusion, her pain, her torment.  She held these things back.  She never let anyone know, not even Neptune, that she felt these things. She was supposed to be strong.

Uranus looked up and saw a figure standing in the window of one of the palace bedrooms. The figure turned around, went inside and turned off the light. From the height and shape she knew it was the Queen. Had the Queen seen them?  Had she heard their conversation?  Had she seen her breakdown?  She stood up and walked back to the palace. She walked up the grand staircase towards the bedrooms. She paused at the room that was reserved for she and Neptune, placed her hand on the handle and gently turned it trying to not make any noise. She was surprised to find that it was unlocked. Surely Neptune would lock her out.

She entered the room and quietly called to Neptune, but there was no reply. She walked over to the window and saw Neptune's figure off in the distance. Uranus stared at the mystical vision and beauty of her scorned lover.  She was staring up at the Earth from the cherry tree orchard.  A soft breeze was blowing through her sea-green hair and her body was half-silhouetted from the pale blue light of the Earth.  Uranus looked at her and thought of ways to apologize to her and tell her why she hadn't said anything. No known language could describe the agony she felt when they were apart or the shear joy of being in her arms.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“You know that Neptune doesn't want to marry you for your wealth, or your power. She wants to marry you because it says to others that you are her lover, her wife, her soul mate.” The Queen said sitting herself down in the window seat.

Uranus knelt down and laid her head in her Queen's lap. Queen Serenity ran her fingers through the young emperors hair like the tender mother she was.

“Your fears are genuine.  But the balance of this universe will not be thrown off by your joining.  It will be strengthened by it. You're right about one thing though. The Crystal doesn't have the power to bind two people together, but love can. The two of you have one of the strongest bonds I've ever seen. She'll forgive you. But you mustn't hide your feelings from her anymore. She already believes that you truly love her, but it wouldn't hurt to for you to show her.”

“So I should ask her to marry me?” Uranus sniffled.

“That's up to you my dear.” The Queen lifted Uranus’ head and looked into her tear-filled eyes.

“Just remember why you're doing it. Don't do it to please her because you think it’s what she wants.  And don’t declare it to prove something to others. Love doesn't need declarations like that, it needs actions.”

“Thank you.”

Uranus stood up and ran out of the room. Hopefully Neptune would still be in the same place. She'd look for all night if she had to, but would prefer not to. She ran towards the cherry tree orchard where she had last seen her. Pale Earthlight streamed through the trees giving everything a bluish glow and a gentle breeze blew through the orchard. She checked row after row, till she got to the last one, but Neptune was nowhere to be found.

As Uranus walked out of the orchard she heard footsteps behind her.

“Neptune…”She paused and turned around.  “Please come out.”

She emerged from behind a row of sapling trees. Neptune looked up at Uranus face. She could see trails of tears and her reflection in the young girl's blue-green eyes. She saw the same emotions on Uranus' face that she felt in her own heart.

“Uranus.” She said in a tearful desperate voice.

Uranus stared deep into the eyes of her lover. She could feel Neptune reading her thoughts. Everything was in her eyes. She fell to her knees weeping and begged for forgiveness. Her arms wrapped around Neptune's legs. The great and strong Emperor had broken.  Neptune realized that she was the one thing that Uranus could not be without. The reason Uranus said nothing, was because she lacked the words.

Neptune understood that the flirting, the occasional indiscretion, they meant nothing to Uranus. She was only one who had, and always would have her heart. Their bond was indestructible. Neptune knelt down and took her lovers hands. She kissed them gently and pulled the still sobbing Emperor into her chest.

“I should never have doubted you, my girl. My lovely, lovely girl.”

She moved Uranus' head up to hers.

“Neptune?”

“Yes?”

“I promise I will love you for the rest of my life and beyond.”

“And I you.”

Uranus threw her arms around Neptune, after a few minutes she sighed deeply as she regained her composure. They smiled and stared each other.

“Let's go back to the pond.” Neptune said.

“Okay.”

They walked back to the gazebo in the middle of the pond. Sitting in the same positions, Neptune once again wished on a shooting star, but this time she left no secret to the message.

“I wish to be with you forever.”

Neptune turned around and stared up at her lover. Uranus lowered her head and kissed the aqua-haired goddess and the two proceeded to make love under a blanket of shooting stars.