Prologue |
Chapter One |
Chapter Two |
Chapter Three |
Chapter Four |
Chapter Five |
Chapter Six |
Chapter Seven |
Chapter Eight |
Chapter Nine |
Chapter Ten |
Chapter Eleven |
Chapter Twelve |
Chapter Thirteen |
Chapter Fourteen |
Chapter Fifteen |
Chapter Sixteen |
Epilogue
The bed was cold. It was the kind of slight chill that was not severe enough to jolt a person from sleep, but instead set in gradually, disturbing slumber and eventually causing the dreamer to tremble with cold. Through a tired haze, Endymion rolled over and reached out for the warmth of his lover's body. His arms found only empty sheets beside him. Rubbing his eyes, the stable hand forced himself into consciousness and sat up, letting the sheets slide down to his waist. It was morning and sunshine was streaming into the hut through the small windows. Blinking blearily, Endymion located Serenity across the room beside his wash basin and the meager mirror that hung above it. She was still undressed, but her hands were busy detangling her waves of hair with her lover's comb. For a moment, Endymion was again struck speechless by her beauty and could do nothing but drink in the flawless curves of her body as she retied her pale hair into its customary balls. As she tucked the last few pins into place, Serenity noticed her beloved's rapt attention in the mirror and could not help but smile. When she was finished, she turned and headed back toward the bed, enjoying a feast for her own eyes as her gaze roamed over the tanned and sculpted chest of her lover. A smirk curved her lips at the sight of Endymion's disheveled hair, and she smoothed it absently with one hand as she leaned over the bed to give him a good-morning kiss. Endymion accepted the token eagerly, the memories of the previous night fresh in his mind, and a brief peck on the lips quickly developed into a passionate kiss that set both lovers' blood singing. Serenity sighed into his mouth, the meeting of their lips bringing back her own memories of the evening they had spent together, but when Endymion reached out to draw her back into bed, she pulled away. "We can't, Endy. I need to go back to the castle," Serenity explained as she headed for her dress, which lay in a heap near the door. "It is still early. There is still time." "What?" Endymion was wide awake now, and he threw the blankets aside and climbed out of bed. "But...but I thought..." "Don't worry." Serenity stepped back to her beloved's side, dress in hand, and smiled reassuringly. She reached out to caress Endymion's face. "I will still go to Earth with you, but we can not exactly sneak into the teleportation chamber in broad daylight, can we?" After he nodded in reluctant agreement, the couple separated to dress themselves, the Princess pulling her gown on over her head and the stable hand tugging his discarded trousers up to his waist. "We only need to make it through one more day," Serenity continued as she adjusted her dress in the mirror. She was fortunate that the light fabric was the expensive sort that resisted creases. "Meet me in the garden tonight, and I will take you into the castle." She turned back to Endymion, who had just finished fastening up his trousers. The lovers shared one more kiss which seemed all too brief, the warmth that melted their lips as soft as ever, both of them relishing the taste of the other. "I love you, Sere," Endymion murmured into her hair as they embraced. "I want to be with you forever." "You will be," the Princess replied, trailing her fingers over her lover's smooth chest. "I will see you tonight." Endymion helped his beloved wrap the rough brown cloak around her body and she pulled the hood up over her crystal tresses. "I love you, Endy," Serenity whispered. "Goodbye." She slipped out the door and into the morning sunshine. The sun had only just risen above the horizon, but the servants in the community were already moving, many of them well into their daily routines. The Princess only passed a handful of people rushing here and there, but fortunately nobody took much notice of the girl in the brown cloak as she hurried out of the servants' community and slipped through the door into her secluded garden. Safe within the Moon Castle walls, Serenity removed the cloak and folded it over her arm as she walked briskly through the gardens. It was early yet; few would be awake in the castle except for guards and attendants. There was still time for Serenity to make it back to her chambers before her absence was discovered. She wasn't sure how she would get back into her rooms without assistance, but she resolved not to worry about that until she reached her balcony, her mind at the moment preoccupied with thoughts of the previous night's adventure and the new journey she would undertake that evening. As it turned out, the Princess did not have to climb back up to her balcony at all. When she turned the last corner of the hedge maze and emerged in the courtyard underneath her balcony, she came face to face with her mother. Queen Serenity was standing just in front of the marble overhang, twisting a familiar length of rope in her elegant hands. "Mother!" the Princess blurted out in surprise. She almost stopped short as her heart began pounding in her chest, but recovered at the last moment and kept her stride casual as she entered the monarch's presence. "Where have you been, Serenity?" the Queen asked smoothly, although her gaze on her daughter's face was intense. "It is not like you to be about this early." "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk in the gardens," the younger woman replied with confidence. She had been prepared for such a question, although she had not expected her mother to be the first to ask it. A cold, sick feeling began to grow in the pit of her stomach. Queen Serenity had found the rope. She suspected something, at the very least. "Alone? And without informing your guards?" The monarch gestured toward the balcony with the coiled rope in her hand. "Not an advisable act for someone of your station, my dear." "I did not want to worry anyone," the Princess explained, summoning all the courage she could muster to prevent the rising fear from showing in her eyes. "It is nice to be alone on occasion; having guardians around all the time can become tiresome. I don't know how you can stand it, Mother." She chuckled lightly, but her mother did not smile. The odds of Princess Serenity getting out of this situation were shrinking by the second, as if being evaporated by the heat of her mother's stare. Suddenly, she realized how alone the two of them were at that moment. There were no guards and even the Queen's ever-present cloud of attendants was noticeably absent. The entire situation was uncomfortably alien. "You were wise enough to go in disguise, I see." Before the Princess could react, her mother's hand had darted forward and whisked Endymion's cloak out of her arms. The Queen unfurled the garment and examined it in the light, and her daughter could not prevent a slight blush from rising in her cheeks. The hooded cloak was anything but fit for a Princess. It was obviously old and worn, made of a cheap rough fabric that even had a few small holes. "Not from your wardrobe, certainly," Queen Serenity commented with a sideways glance at her daughter. "Where did you get this?" The barely-restrained panic was now so extreme that the Princess felt about to vomit. The gardens were deathly still, and quiet, too quiet. For the first time in months, they were alone outside the Crystal Tower's sanctuary. Everything about it felt dreadfully wrong. If Queen Serenity did not already know the secret - and her daughter could not imagine how she might have found out - then there was something very serious afoot. "Mother, what is wrong?" Princess Serenity asked, unable to stop her voice from shaking. "What is this?" "This," the Queen replied, dropping the ragged cloth on the ground, "is a chance for you to be honest with me. Tell me the truth, Serenity," she insisted, staring into her daughter's eyes. "I am not lying," the Princess replied boldly. "I only went for a walk. Why is that such a serious matter?" The lavender-haired woman's fists clenched at her sides. "Very well, then." Her words were bitter with frustration. "Serenity, where is your engagement pendant?" Had Princess Serenity expected this question she could easily have provided a believable excuse for the jewelry's absence, but it caught her completely off-guard. Her hand automatically flew to her empty throat, and her eyes widened as she gasped in realization. She had been in such a hurry that morning that she had completely forgotten to locate the blue stone on its filigree chain, which she had tossed aside so carelessly the night before. It was still in Endymion's hut. In that brief moment of weakness, Queen Serenity saw it all. Her suspicions confirmed, she reached out, grabbed her daughter by the arm and yanked her bodily toward the doors beneath the Princess' balcony. The stable hand's brown cloak was left lying on the ground outside. "How did you know?" "In my kingdom, Serenity, very little goes on that I do not know about." The ruler of the Moon sat down beside her daughter on the couch. They were alone in the grand office beyond the conference room. All of the attendants waited outside even though it violated all rules of sense and security. "I am the Queen. It is my business to have eyes and ears everywhere." Princess Serenity was silent, staring down at her hands in her lap as she baked under her mother's gaze. She could think of only one reasonable explanation: Sailor Venus. After everything that had passed between them, the blonde soldier had still chosen her loyalty to the Queen over her friendship with the Princess. The crystal-haired woman waited for her mother to speak, but the monarch just watched her quietly, setting the responsibility of the next move on her daughter. The Princess tried to remain silent but she could feel the older woman's eyes on her, waiting patiently, endlessly. The steadfast gaze burned into her, compelling her to speak, to choose a path and set the tone. "I love him," Princess Serenity said bravely, raising her head but still staring straight ahead. "You can't." "But I do!" Now the Princess turned to face the lavender-haired monarch, her eyes blazing. All the frustration, all the anger that had driven her to choose to abandon her homeland came rushing back into the young woman's memory, and the urge to rebel became too strong to suppress. "He is my soul, Mother. He completes me and makes me whole. I am nothing without him and he is all I want, all I need." The Queen sighed and averted her eyes from her daughter's face. "I thought I had taught you better than this, Serenity," she muttered. "We are royalty. Our choices, our hearts, must be limited for the good of our people." "I have had enough!" The Princess jumped to her feet, glaring down at the woman on the couch. "How can you do this to me, Mother? How can you expect me to choose a life chained to a heartless Prince, who cares only for my title, over a man who loves me as a woman?" Why was her mother so quiet? Princess Serenity had expected anger, an outburst of fury; she was prepared to be yelled at...but the Queen seemed more disappointed than angry, and when she looked up at her daughter her eyes were sad, almost pitiful. "The situation on Earth is not good, Serenity," the serene ruler admitted in a soft voice. "We offer our guidance and our help, but the people of Earth still reject and mistrust us. They have great potential, but don't understand that it may be dangerous for them to continue their evolution without supervision." Her eyes were calm and clear, and she remained seated as she spoke, leaving the position of dominance to her daughter. The Princess was finding it difficult to remain angry. She had never seen her mother look so vulnerable before. "The people of Earth need us to shepherd them," Queen Serenity explained, "but they will not trust us while our worlds remain separated. We need this marriage to Prince Endymion, Serenity." Gathering her last shreds of resolve, the Princess managed one last biting comment. "I am your daughter," she hissed. "How can you choose politics over the happiness of your child?" Before she could break under her mother's regretful stare, Serenity turned on her heel and rushed out of the room, flinging the door open so hard that it nearly struck the opposite wall. The Sailor Soldiers were waiting in the conference room. Princess Serenity pushed through them without a second glance at any of their faces, but the four warriors surrounded her anyway, accompanying the heir to the Moon out of the room and into the corridor beyond. Alone in her office, Queen Serenity rose from the couch and strode over to the large windows behind her desk. Outside, the sun was shining on the main courtyard of the gardens, sparkling on the fountain that sat at the foot of the stairs below. She and her daughter had often watched the Earth rise from there. "How, indeed?" the Queen murmured to the glass. "Manipulating my own daughter with tailored words... What am I coming to?" Princess Serenity stormed through the corridors of the Moon Castle, trembling half from anger and half from fear. She was discovered. The game was over. Her mother knew about her secret romance. What was going to happen to her now? Certainly, she would be punished severely, although she could not begin to guess what the method might be. Serenity had always been forbidden even to associate with the opposite sex, let alone carry on an intimate relationship. Not only that, but she had violated the promises that had been made to the Royal Family of Earth. The consequences were sure to be dire. Her mother was merely biding her time, most likely only acting sympathetic to regain Serenity's trust. "Serenity?" Sailor Venus asked timidly from her place at the Princess' elbow. The sound of the soldier's voice reminded Serenity of where she had placed the blame for all that was about to happen to her. Venus, the nosy gossip. Serenity stopped short and turned on her. "How could you?" she snapped accusingly. "I trusted you, Venus! You're supposed to be my guardian and my friend, and you sided with my mother!" Fury kept the tears away as the Princess continued her tirade, the other soldiers looking on in shock. "What happened to letting me make my own choice?" she demanded, staring the stricken blonde in the face. "Was all that kindness a lie?" "I didn't-" "No more lies," Serenity hissed. "I do not want to hear it. You betrayed me, Venus." Whirling around, the furious young woman pushed through her other guardians and continued down the corridor toward her chambers. She had thought she at least had a friend in Sailor Venus. Without her, who was there? In her anger, she did not notice Sailor Mars hanging her head, her face flushed with guilt and shame. The Princess had not gone far when her guardian soldiers once again caught up to her, surrounding Serenity in their customary square. She tried to walk faster but there was no escaping them. "Our apologies, Princess," Sailor Jupiter said quietly, "but we have been ordered to accompany you at all times from now on." Ah, so here it began. Serenity had violated her mother's trust and had lost the privilege of solitary time. She wondered what other consequences would follow. By the time she reached her chambers, however, the Princess was consumed by an entirely different kind of fear. The guards opened her doors and the Sailor Soldiers allowed Serenity to go to her bedchamber alone, but they left the dividing curtain open so they could keep an eye on the distraught young woman as she flung herself down on her bed. It was all over. She would never have an opportunity to run away now. Queen Serenity would have guards watching over her daughter day and night to make sure the forbidden romance did not continue. The Princess was now truly a prisoner and would likely remain so until it was too late for her to abandon her duties. Worse yet, she had no means of telling Endymion what had happened. He would be waiting for her that night and she could not go to him. Endymion. With no status or family to protect his freedom, Serenity's lover was the one in greatest danger. Did her mother know who he was? Venus had seen the stable hand at Serenity's balcony. Had she seen clearly enough to be able to recognize him? Even if not, the Queen would certainly increase security around the castle. Endymion would be caught and most likely charged with treason. Nothing less than exile or imprisonment awaited him, and at worst, execution. The Princess grabbed the wash basin off its stand beside her bed and vomited violently as images of her beloved's death filled her mind. The wave of intense nausea continued even when her stomach was empty, and the sounds of Serenity's choked dry gagging quickly brought Sailor Mercury to the steps of her bedchamber. "Leave me," Princess Serenity moaned, abandoning the soiled basin on the floor and curling into a trembling ball on her bed. "He'll be dead and nothing else will matter after that. He is my heart and soul and by loving him I've killed him. I've killed him. I've killed him." Wracking sobs burst forth from Serenity's chest, filling the entire room with her misery. Why hadn't she realized earlier that Endymion's punishment would be the most dire? She would never have gone to him the previous night had she known it mean certain death for her lover. Helpless in the face of Serenity's pain, Sailor Mercury turned away and looked at her fellow soldiers with an expression stricken with emotional agony. Out of all the possible explanations for the Princess' behavior, the blue-haired scholar had never imagined a secret love might be to blame. She had always believed Serenity's dedication to the Moon Kingdom was greater than that. Mercury had done her best to support the Queen's agenda in her tutoring sessions. Now that it was too late, the soldier had no idea how to comfort the heartbroken young woman. Her eyes fell on Sailor Venus, who was sitting in a chair with her head bowed and tears running down her cheeks, a mirror to Serenity's suffering. "You knew?" Sailor Mercury asked the leader of the Sailor Soldiers, unable to prevent an accusing tone from creeping into her voice. Sailor Venus nodded silently. "How could you keep something like this from us?" Jupiter demanded, leaning forward in her seat to glare at the orange-suited soldier. "Did you think it was unimportant?" "It was Serenity's decision to make," Venus replied, her eyes snapping open in defiance. "It is her life that will be affected by this arranged marriage." "How can you say that?" Mercury exclaimed, stepping toward the blonde soldier. "Serenity's marriage to Prince Endymion is critical to relations with the Earth and the continued safety of the Moon Kingdom, especially under present circumstances." "And those are?" Sailor Jupiter stood up with a pointed glance at the blue-suited soldier standing at the foot of the stairs. "I don't believe you've filled us in on the threats the Moon is facing, Mercury. Or perhaps I'm the only one not permitted to share in secrets around here," the brunette added bitterly, glaring at each of her fellow soldiers in turn. "Look, if the royal house asks us to keep a secret, we must," Venus cut in, coming to Sailor Mercury's defense. "That didn't stop you for long," Jupiter retorted. "How long did you feign secrecy before you told Queen Serenity what her daughter was doing?" "I didn't!" Sailor Venus protested, standing up to the brunette's towering form. "I told no one, not my closest friends nor the Queen. No one. I don't know how she found out." Throughout all of this Sailor Mars was sitting silently in her chair, listening to the choked wailing of the young woman in the bedroom and growing more and more disgusted. Surely, Princess Serenity had known this would happen. Mars had expected some sadness and tears when the romantic fantasy came to an end, but the woman was crying like her heart had been torn out. It was a shameful overreaction. Sailor Mars jumped to her feet, pushed through the other three soldiers, and strode up the handful of stairs to the Princess' bedchamber. Serenity looked up through eyes clouded with tears as the soldier of fire stopped beside her bed, her gloved hands on her hips. "Stop that this instant, you stupid child," Mars hissed through clenched teeth. "You are the Princess of the Moon. You are more than some love affair with a servant." Serenity stared up at the seething soldier with wide, shocked eyes, her arms trembling around her pillow. "Mars-" "I did it," the violet-haired woman interrupted. "I told the Queen about your foolish tryst and I am glad I did. To think you would jeopardize an entire system of planets for the whims of your heart! How could you abandon your people, Serenity? How could you shame your family name so?" "I love him," the Princess proclaimed, sitting up on the bed as tears dripped from her chin. "We are meant to be together, Mars. I am nothing without him." Sailor Mars lifted her arm and drew her hand back- -only to have it caught at the wrist in Jupiter's iron grip. Mars whipped her head around to glare at the tall brunette who was suddenly standing behind her, but Jupiter did not relent. "Although I agree with you, Mars," Jupiter said coldly, without a glance at the trembling woman cringing on the bed, "she is the Princess. No matter how deserving of it she may be, we may not strike her." "Enough!" The four Sailor Soldiers turned around to see Luna striding into the room, her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed in disapproval. She crossed directly to the bedchamber, her skirts rippling around her thighs, her waves of dark hair following like a storm cloud. "Such shameful behavior," Luna scolded, her anger directed solely at the Sailor Soldiers as she moved between them and the Princess. "Get out of here, all of you." Venus drew herself up. "The Queen has ordered us to keep watch-" "I will be with her," the Mauan advisor cut in. The soldiers hesitated, uncertain. "What, do you think I'll help her escape?" Luna sputtered, irritated. "I am the Queen's right hand! Ridiculous," she muttered. "Here, two of you on the balcony and two outside the door if it worries you so." Reluctantly, the soldiers complied. Mars and Jupiter went out on Serenity's balcony, closing the door behind them, while Sailor Mercury followed Venus out the front doors. When they were alone, Luna sat down on the edge of the Princess' bed and gave her a sad smile. "You really love him, don't you, Moonbeam?" the dark-haired woman asked gently. Serenity lay down again and turned her face away from Luna without a reply. "I am sorry you have to endure all this," Luna sighed, reaching out a hand to caress the Princess' back. "You may not believe this, but I know something of the pain of hidden romance. As ambassadors, it would be inappropriate for Artemis and I to become a couple, however we may feel about each other." In fact, it was the Queen who generously made it possible for the Mauans to have romantic meetings in private, but Luna did not mention this aloud. Serenity turned her head back toward Luna, and the sight of the Princess' tear-streaked face nearly broke the woman's heart. Clearly this was no rebellious game. It was true love. "Talk to your mother, Moonbeam," Luna pleaded, bending over the distraught young woman. "She may be able to help you. I know she'll understand." "Understand? Mother?" the Princess scoffed bitterly. "Mother is a cold-hearted woman who cares only for her kingdom. What could she know about love?" At this, Luna's face tightened, and she frowned at Serenity, her hand tensing on the Princess' back. "Do not presume so," she scolded in a dangerous voice. "Queen Serenity understands more than you think. Do you truly believe she lives without a lover by choice? That you are the first of the royal line to know love and sacrifice?" Now Serenity rolled over and sat up, looking at the Mauan curiously. Her mother had certainly reacted to the news of the secret romance with more pity than anger, but Luna couldn't mean... "Why do you think the Queen forbade you to associate with boys, even as a child?" Luna asked. "She wished to spare you from the pain that she herself suffered. The pain of forbidden love." Shocked beyond comparison, Princess Serenity could not even speak. She could only stare numbly, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, as Luna settled herself more comfortably on the edge of the bed and began to explain. "As you know, the founding of the Moon Kingdom was not without struggle," the older woman said, idly arranging the folds of her yellow dress around her legs. "Early on, there was a raid on the Queen's settlement and a lowly private in her army helped Serenity to escape into the wilderness. As they made their way to safety, they fell in love." Luna smiled a distant smile as she recalled the story. "It was a romance straight from fireside tales. When the Queen asked what reward he wished for his valor, he requested a kiss." "What happened to him?" the Princess asked in a trembling voice, afraid to hear the answer. "The Queen was building a society based on the respect and reverence earned by noble blood," Luna sighed, her gaze focused on her lap. "Her advisors warned her that marrying a common soldier would undermine all that she was trying to create. She tried to make it work, but, for the stability of the new kingdom, the relationship had to end. Heartbroken without her, Serenity's lover killed himself." The Princess gasped in horror and clasped her hands over her mouth as a deep wave of pity for her mother consumed her. She could not imagine how devastated she would be if Endymion took his own life, nor did she want to. Tears welled up in her wide eyes, stinging as her vision became clouded with them. "Why?" she blurted out in a choked voice. "Why didn't she stay with him?" Luna turned her head and stared at the Princess intently, her gaze boring into Serenity's swimming eyes. "This system was a region consumed by war," the Mauan reminded her. "Hundreds of lives were being lost every day, many of them on Earth, where the barely-sentient beings that would someday become humans were being caught in the crossfire. Compared to that, what was one love affair?" Serenity shuddered under Luna's serious stare. "Could it happen again?" she asked weakly. "If...if the throne stood empty?" "I would like to say that the planetary kingdoms have grown beyond those old rivalries," Luna sighed, "but it is most likely that the peace would not last long. Your burden is light compared to your mother's, Serenity, but it is still a necessary one. After her lover's death, the Queen had to continue on through her loss without batting an eye, through her grief and loneliness, for the sake of millions of people. It is that pain that she wished to protect you from." Princess Serenity collapsed against her pillows again, pressing her hands to her head. "But it's too late," she muttered. "Is it?" Luna asked softly. "There is never a point of no return. You always have a choice, even in matters of the heart." The sun was shining, a gentle breeze was blowing, and Endymion could not have been happier. He had the most precious of all things: a love that would never die. It gave his heart wings despite the heavy crates of horseshoes and nails he was hauling around. The stable hand worked through the entire morning in a cloud of bliss so thick that he took no notice of the black stallions' new habit of willingly lifting their hooves for him to shoe. Throughout the day, the other servants seemed especially jolly around Endymion, shooting him knowing smiles or mischievous smirks, but he did not think twice about it until Miss Amaris caught him by the arm as he made his way to the midday meal. "Look, son," she said gruffly, leaning toward him, "I'm glad you've finally found someone, we all are, but...we don't need to hear it personally, you know?" Endymion froze as solid as a block of ice. She knew. Miss Amaris knew. How had his secret been revealed? Had someone seen the Princess among the huts and started a gossip chain? Had Prien let it slip to someone? He opened his mouth, but even his racing mind could not find a word to say. "Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of, my boy," the portly woman assured him with a hearty slap on the back, misreading Endymion's reaction. "I'm sure she's worth it, whoever she is. Just...try to have a little more control next time, eh? The walls are thin, you know, and there are some things that knee-high stable boys don't need to be hearing quite yet, especially in the dead of the night," she added with a brief wink. Nearby, a pair of women giggled as they passed. The young man exhaled heavily; it was not as he had feared. His fellow servants did not know the identity of his beloved. However... Endymion blushed beet-red as he realized what Miss Amaris was talking about. In the heat of their passion, the lovers had given no thought to the travel of sound. The matron of the stables patted the Earth-child's burning cheek with a plump hand. "I'll be expecting an invitation to the wedding," she chuckled brightly before turning away and continuing down the path to the dining hall. Endymion followed, but more slowly, hoping the red would be gone from his face before he got there. Despite his embarrassment, his heart was warmed by the obvious fellowship among the servants. There were sly grins and giggles all around, but nobody teased him outright. Poor and lowly though they were, the servants' community really was a family of sorts. Endymion smiled fondly as he thought back on all the memories he had made there, both happy and sad. The work could be hard, but they were all good people with caring hearts, and they supported each other through any difficult times. He would miss them, all the friends whose faces he was used to seeing each day, and the shining glory of the Moon Kingdom. This place was the only home he had ever known and, as restrictive as it was, he loved it. Yet, Endymion loved Serenity more. If fleeing to a backward planet was the only way he and the Princess could be together, he would gladly do so. Still, as he ate his lunch of bread, fruit, and cheese at a table with a dozen men and women who had been his lifelong companions, Endymion found it hard to focus on the bliss of his love affair. He ate slowly and silently, quietly absorbing the conversations and laughter surrounding him. From the most trivial joke to the most serious advice from one servant to another, Endymion was acutely aware that this was one of the last times he would experience a gathering like this. He and Serenity were headed for a life of secrecy and exile, far from anything or anyone they had ever known. "Last night not all you hoped it would be, Endou?" Prien asked from across the table, seeing his friend's gloomy expression. Endymion could not help but smile at the memory. "It was everything, my friend. Everything and more," he replied. "Thank you," he added sincerely. "I'm always glad to help two hearts come together," Prien commented with a mischievous smirk. "Why so glum, then?" he asked, taking another bite of his fruit. Endymion sighed and stared down at his plate. He did not want to leave his best friend forever without any explanation, but he did not dare tell Prien the truth. Prien was a romantic, but he was still Lunarian, and Serenity was his Princess. Endymion could not be certain how the blond man would react to his friend's plan to take the future Queen away forever. Fortunately, at least for the moment, Endymion was saved from the decision by a growing commotion around him. Dishes were being gathered and servants were getting to their feet. The lunch break was over. "Serenity? May I come in?" The Princess rolled over on her bed to see Sailor Venus standing in the doorway, the chiffon curtain pushed aside with one hand. It was her turn to keep watch over Serenity from the sitting room; Jupiter was outside the front door to the Princess' chambers and Mercury and Mars were standing guard on the balcony. Seeing Venus' saddened face, Serenity sat up and nodded for the soldier to enter. "I am sorry I accused you of betrayal, Venus," the Princess blurted out as the soldier sat down on the edge of her bed. "I was upset, and frightened, and-" "Do not worry yourself," Venus said kindly, giving her Princess a small smile. "You have plenty of other concerns." "Yes." Serenity fell silent for a moment as the cage fell around her again. She was surrounded by soldiers and doomed to be forced into a lonely life enslaved to the people of the Moon. Her head jerked up, a last desperate hope shining in her eyes. "Will you help me again?" "I can not." Sailor Venus hung her head. "I, too, have duties I can not escape, no matter how badly I might wish to." Turning away, Serenity flung her body back down on the bed, despair turning her disappointment into bitterness. After all they had shared, Venus was still a willing participant in the imprisonment of her Princess. How could the soldier who claimed to be her friend sit idly by while Serenity suffered? Venus had made it possible for her to experience the ultimate pleasure with her beloved, only to assist in taking it away. Serenity thought of Prien, who had done all he could to secure his friend's happiness. Why couldn't she have a friend like that? "A message, then," the Princess mumbled into her pillow. "I have to tell him what happened. I have to warn him. Can you help me to-" Serenity stopped short as she heard the main doors of her chambers open and several pairs of feet walked inside without a word. Dreading who she would see, the Princess bolted upright on her bed and tried in vain to calm her pounding heart. She stiffened and her breath caught in her throat as her mother stepped into view, the curtain held aside by one of her attendants. Sailor Venus immediately got to her feet and bowed to Queen Serenity. The Lunarian ruler stood stiff and stern, resolute, a pillar of unshakeable authority. "Serenity, come with me, please." For a moment, the Princess considered refusing to have anything to do with the woman who was controlling her life, but as she looked at her mother, all she could think about were the secrets Luna had shared with her earlier. She now knew that even the powerful Queen of the Moon was no stranger to the pain of forbidden love. Indeed, she had suffered an agony and loss greater than any her daughter had so far endured. Despite Queen Serenity's cold, neutral demeanor, the Princess knew there was an aching heart hidden beneath by necessity, and she pitied her mother as much as the monarch pitied her. Luna and Artemis met the Queen and Princess at the enormous marble double doors that were the front entrance to the Moon Castle. This gate was very seldom used by the castle's inhabitants, and most often only stood open for ceremonial occasions when it was more seemly for guests to enter through the most impressive foyer. Princess Serenity herself had passed through these doors less times than she could count on one hand. Accompanied by her mother's usual entourage as well as the Sailor Soldiers, Serenity's mind was running wild wondering where they were headed in such a crowd. With the main entrance involved it had to be some sort of public appearance. Did the Queen intend to shame her daughter in front of the entire Moon? To the Princess' relief, no large assembly greeted the group as they passed through the lines of guards at the doorway and stepped out onto the grand marble staircase. There were quite a few servants rushing about, however, and at the base of the stairs the Queen's royal coach was waiting. It was a large contraption, all white with accents of silver and sparkling crystals set into every joint. The bottom half of the carriage was a wide oval bowl, large enough for four passengers to ride comfortably, and four stout posts held the rectangular roof aloft overhead. All four walls could be enclosed by curtains that hung from the edges of the roof, but the chiffon drapes had been drawn aside and tied to the support posts so the passengers would be seen clearly. Two of the black stallions had been hitched to the front of the coach. At the sight of the horses, the Princess automatically looked around for her lover, but work-animal hands like Endymion were too lowly to prepare Queen Serenity's carriage. The Princess looked at her mother curiously as they descended the stairs, surrounded by a cloud of activity. She had never ridden in the royal coach before. "We are going out into the city, Serenity," the Queen informed her. "It is time for you to meet your future subjects." Into the city! Princess Serenity's heart skipped a beat, and she nearly stopped short in the middle of the staircase. Although she had lived her entire life on a hill overlooking the metropolis where most of the Moon's population lived, she had never entered the heart of the city. The highest of the nobility lived on the edges of the castle grounds, and that was the closest Serenity had ever been to the lives of the common people. Shaking with anxiety, the Princess waited on trembling legs as her mother stepped lightly up into the carriage before she allowed the footmen to assist her as she placed her feet on the small steps at the coach's door for the first time. The seats of the carriage were thickly cushioned, but the comfort did little to calm Princess Serenity's nerves. Luna climbed up behind her and the two of them shared the seat across from the Queen, who took the forward-facing seat alone for the journey. All but one of the Queen's usual attendants would be left behind, their roles served by the footmen who climbed onto various ledges on all sides of the coach. Artemis took his place on the driver's seat at the front and the four Sailor Soldiers prepared to walk alongside them, two on either side of the carriage. Any observer would know at first glance that this vehicle held the ruler of the Moon. With a shout from Artemis, they were moving. There was a sharp jerk as the horses stepped forward, and then the carriage was rolling down the wide marble avenue that led away from the Moon Castle. The ride was relatively smooth, but the coach did rock and wobble a bit. Princess Serenity found herself wishing for the control and uniform movement of riding on horseback. The guards who were on duty opened the gates in the outer wall and in moments, they were outside. The Princess could not help but twist around in her rear-facing seat to watch the city roll by. They passed through the High Quarter first, an area she knew fairly well from fancy dinner parties and balls held by noble families that were favored by the Queen. Elegantly-dressed lords and ladies stopped to bow to the carriage as it passed, although there were few of them about on foot. Carriages and carts of all sizes stopped to let the royal coach through. The High Quarter was small and filled with estates that, while dwarfed by the Moon Castle and its expansive grounds, were quite large. They had passed into the Upper Quarter within minutes, the home of the prosperous middle class. Here, a visit from the Queen was quite rare. Children stared and pointed as the white carriage rolled by and quite a few adults did as well. The serene ruler of it all smiled and waved indulgently to her subjects, who immediately reacted with excited whispers to one another. This area of the city was crowded and busy, and the royal coach had to slow its pace several times to avoid collisions even though the masses automatically drew back from the stern Sailor Soldiers. Princess Serenity looked around obediently, certain that these were the subjects her mother had wished her to meet. The people were dressed in meager clothes ranging from the sort her beloved wore to the fine tailoring of the lesser nobility. Had Serenity not fallen in love with a stable hand, she would have thought them poor, but these people seemed better off than the servants who worked behind the scenes in the Moon Castle. The Upper Quarter was alive with activity, from merchants doing business openly on street corners to people rushing in and out of shops. Most of them were Lunarian, but the Princess noticed quite a few immigrants from other planets and even a handful of rosier faces from Earth. "I understand, Mother," she said slowly, sitting more properly in her seat as the bustle of the city began to tire her. "The Moon is a hub of commerce and trade in the Silver Alliance and it could not exist without its Queen. All of these people would lose their livelihood if..." "Our journey has not ended yet, my dear," Queen Serenity said softly, looking at her daughter with calm eyes. "It is not these people who need us most." As the Princess opened her mouth to ask for an explanation, she was interrupted by a sharp jolt as the carriage rolled over a small hole in the road. Luna leaned over the edge of the coach and called up to Artemis to slow down. "New paving stones," the Queen dictated when Luna had resettled herself. The dark-haired woman nodded as she pulled out a tablet and began making a list. "Missing lamp crystals, again," the ruler added, still as calm as ever. "They're lighting a few shanties, I'd wager," Luna muttered as she added the item to the list. "Desperate people will seize any opportunity," Queen Serenity murmured, gazing out at the world surrounding the elegant coach. "I do not begrudge them that." The Princess had not spoken since the sudden change in the smoothness of the road, unable to tear her eyes away from the poverty of the Lower Quarter. The buildings here were crowded close together and in various states of repair. Some lots were merely hollow ruins filled with makeshift shacks and tents. The road beneath them was rough, and the carriage advanced slowly among people dressed in little more than rags with everything they owned tied to their backs. Even Endymion, lowliest of the Moon Castle servants, enjoyed a life far richer than this. Shouts rang out throughout the Lower Quarter as the carriage and its high-bred escort rolled into view, followed by an increasing storm of footsteps filling the streets. The four Sailor Soldiers instinctively drew closer to the carriage and Princess Serenity jumped, startled, as Luna's hand firmly gripped her wrist protectively. "Calm yourselves," the Queen admonished them all. "We have nothing to fear from my people." And people there were. They surrounded the coach on both sides, entreating hands reaching out toward the serene ruler seated on the cushions within. This crowd was of every race, and there were more Earth faces among them than anywhere else in the city. They were dirty and loud and rowdy, and the Princess automatically recoiled against the comforting familiarity of Luna's body, but her mother showed no fear. In fact, she reached out toward the masses in return. "My Queen, the nights are cold, and my mother has no blanket..." "My shop is failing..." "Our roof leaks and we have no more mortar..." "My children have no shoes..." The elegant ruler of the Moon Kingdom gave each pleading voice a few coins from a sack that sat beside her in the coach, caring not for soiling her own delicate flesh as the citizens gripped her supple hands in gratitude. Each entreaty got a smile and a coin or a word in response. "The east well is dry, my Queen," one man called out from the crowd. The monarch nodded and gestured to indicate that she had heard. "Have some technicians sent down," she instructed Luna, who added the task to her growing list. "My baby is ill," cried a woman in a tattered dress running beside the carriage with a listless infant in her arms. "It's three days to see the healers. Please, my Queen, just touch her, heal her!" she begged. Princess Serenity leaned forward curiously as her mother reached out to caress the child's pale cheek. She had never heard of the royal line possessing any supernatural powers beyond the ability to use the Silver Crystal. "Your child will recover," the Queen told the woman, who thanked her profusely and fell back, satisfied. Catching her own daughter's questioning eyes, the monarch brought her head back inside the carriage for a moment. "Later, I will pray to the Crystal Tower for the babe's health," she explained in a low voice. "Luna, see that any available healers are dispatched to the Lower Quarter. I see more sick than usual today." Looking at the Princess again, the lavender-haired woman's eyes narrowed. "That reminds me; the Silver Crystal's been acting strangely since your morning of prayer, Serenity. Did anything unusual happen when you communicated with the Crystal Tower?" The Princess was saved from answering by a fresh wave of citizens clamoring for her mother's attention. Princess Serenity sat back heavily in her seat, her pulse racing. Had that one misdirected prayer been enough to influence the Crystal Tower's behavior? The entire Moon Kingdom depended on the Silver Crystal to exist. What if her traitorous heart had somehow damaged the precious magic her mother controlled? Her hands trembled against her dress, but Luna was too busy making notes to notice. "I could easily dispatch servants or officials to perform this duty," Queen Serenity announced, jolting her daughter out of her thoughts, "but I prefer to show a personal interest in my subjects. What other world, what other kingdom, would give these people even a second glance?" She leaned over the polished-silver edge of the carriage to hand a coin to a small girl clutching a tattered rag doll. "Even magic has its limits," the monarch sighed. "No matter how crowded the city gets, I cannot expand its borders. There will never be steady work for every citizen on the Moon, yet they keep coming, fleeing their native planets for a place where their ruler cares about them. Despite their poverty, they are happier here." Now that her initial revulsion had worn off, Princess Serenity noticed that the crowd around the royal coach was relatively small and the people did not push or fight or impede the carriage's progress. For every pleading beggar, there were five equally pitiable citizens standing at a respectful distance, smiling and waving at Queen Serenity's entourage. Once the supplicants received a response from their monarch, they immediately backed away to allow others forward, always with a contented smile. Their lives were not easy, but they still loved their ruler and believed she would do everything in her power to help them. Soon, Artemis turned the carriage around, and the citizens of the Moon cheered their Queen all the way out of the Lower Quarter. Princess Serenity sat quietly as they rolled back toward the Moon Castle, her cheeks wet with tears. She had not known there were so many people in her mother's kingdom who still needed help so desperately. "It is not only a matter of politics, my dear," Queen Serenity told her daughter with a sad smile and a serious tone. "For thousands, it is a matter of life and death. The Moon is a beacon of hope for those who would starve in the streets on other planets. Those were the faces of the people who will be destroyed if you do not rule after me, Serenity. Do you understand?" "Yes," the Princess whispered. If she left the Moon, there would be no one else to take care of those people. There would be no home, no place of safety for them. How could she have been so selfish? She could not choose one stable hand over thousands of equally deserving innocents, no matter how true their love for each other. "Then you know what you must do," Queen Serenity prompted. "Yes," her daughter replied, her voice breaking. "I will marry Prince Endymion and become Queen." The words made perfect sense in her mind, but they tasted like acid in her mouth, burning her heart with despair. Fresh tears poured out of the corners of her eyes despite her efforts to be strong. Her mother reached across the space between them to take the Princess' hands in hers. "The choices of royalty are never easy," the Queen said gently, squeezing her daughter's trembling fingers as Luna wrapped an arm around the crystal-haired girl. "That you are able to make the right decision proves you will be a wise and just ruler, my dear." The Princess struggled to swallow the rest of her sorrow, nearly choking. "When were you to see him again?" her mother asked. "Tonight," the young woman answered in a strangled voice, wiping the tears from her face. The Queen straightened up in her seat as the carriage rolled through the gates and back onto the castle grounds. "Although you may not think so, Serenity, I do believe there are situations in life that everyone has the right to handle themselves." She reached out and tenderly wiped a stray tear from her daughter's cheek. "Tonight you may go to your lover, tell him it is finished, and bid him farewell. Then you will return to the castle, your birthright, and your fiance." Princess Serenity nodded wretchedly as her broken heart bled freely into her chest. |
