Wood itself is a very difficult thing to retain it as original form for the long time. When is dry, is getting lighter colour, when wet is become darker, so when you apply something, that must make the wood become darker, usually they will use lacquer, but that still will make wood become darker.

If you really like that original colour, maybe you can think of give up veneer and using High Pressure Laminate with that colour. Anyway, still not sure what you going to do for that veneer.