Heart of Silver, Soul of Glass
by Stomlight
Chapter 10
Nuriko wasted no time. He dropped his single pack into the water without a
thought and dove after the unconscious prince as he sank beneath the surface,
latching an arm around his neck to keep him floating. "Help me," he
commanded, shoving Endymion at Serena, who immediately dropped her own
belongings to catch him under the arms. Endymion fell heavily into her
embrace, and she grunted as his full weight came against her. His head fell
onto her shoulder, and he moaned softly, breath hot against her neck.
Serena’s heart thudded when her eyes fell upon the ugly, purple-black welt
gracing the side of his head, right at his hairline. A thin trickle of blood
was slowly making its way down his cheek, and she wiped it gently with her
sleeve as best she could, given their awkward positions.
"Endymion?" she whispered. "Endymion, please wake up. Please? We have to get
out of here before we drown." The water was almost past their waists by then,
and time was fast running out.
Endymion moaned again, and his eyes fluttered open, dazed and unfocused. "Wh-
what happened?" he murmured, his speech slightly slurred as he blinked and
winced, raising his head a little before letting it drop again.
"You were hit when the door opened," Serena replied. "Can you stand? Y-you’re
kind of heavy for me to keep supporting you, and the water’s rising." She
smiled a little and attempted a shy joke. "Normally, I...I wouldn’t really mind
holding you like this, but under the circumstances..."
The ghost of a smile touched his lips as she trailed off, and he pressed them
ever-so-softly against her throat before gathering his feet under him and
unsteadily rising. "Dizzy," he grunted, touching his head gingerly.
"I know. I know, Endymion. Don’t worry. I won’t let you go," Serena promised
earnestly, draping his arm around her shoulders and slipping one of her own
around his waist to help support him.
"Hey, Lovebirds! Are you going to come out now, or do you intend to drown
together?" Nuriko called, startling both of them; they had almost forgotten
that he was there. When they looked, all they saw of him was his face hanging
upside-down over the edge of the hole, grinning at them slyly. "Need a
lift?" he asked playfully, lowering an arm to grip Endymion’s hand. Bracing
himself, the minstrel gave a mighty pull and hauled the crown prince up out
of the water, sopping-wet cape and all.
Serena breathed a sigh of relief as she prepared to lift herself out,
although not without a little help from Nuriko; she was too short to reach
the ledge by herself. A sudden noise, like the fierce crackling and popping
of a great, roaring fire, or a hundred twigs all being snapped in half all at
once, froze her in her tracks. She cast a frantic glance over her shoulder
just in time to see the tunnel door burst apart, splintering under the
pressure of the flood as though boulders had been hurled against it. The
water came pouring into the room in a roaring, rushing geyser, hitting Serena
square in the back and knocking her away from Nuriko’s outstretched hand. She
heard him frantically call her name, and then the water closed over her head
and there was nothing but the dull roar of the flood all around her.
Despite the shock of the icy water, she had the presence of mind to keep her
mouth closed and to hold her breath as she found herself being tumbled around
the swirling cataclysm, unable to reach the rapidly-vanishing surface. It was
like she was caught in a whirlpool. She couldn’t seem to find which way was
up, and she very nearly panicked until she remembered Endymion’s pale, sallow
face. Determination flooded her, pushing fear to the back of her mind. She
couldn’t drown! Her prince was hurt, and he needed her. Grimly, she kicked in
what she thought was an upward direction, and shortly found herself at the
surface, although there was barely enough room left for her head to break it.
She took a deep, gasping breath, looking frantically around for the hole in
the ceiling. The room wasn’t that big! Where was it?!
And then she saw Nuriko’s arm appear, and she kicked toward it and reached
out to grip it frantically, holding her breath again as the water completely
filled the room. With a mighty heave, she found herself being yanked onto
semi-dry ground, although that didn’t last long as the water continued to
rise, flooding out of the room to swirl around the kitchen and escape through
the abandoned halls of the manor house. "The whole place is going to flood!"
she gasped, wringing out her hair as best she could.
"Aye, but there’s plenty of room for it to run up here. No enclosed spaces
like below. We’ll be safe enough for the moment," Nuriko assured her. "Help
me lift His Highness, Sweetling. He’s rather out of it at the moment."
Indeed, Endymion was propped against the kitchen wall, half slumped over and
apparently unconscious again. When Serena approached him, however, he stirred
and opened his eyes slowly, their dark pupils so dilated with pain that only
a thin ring of sapphire could be seen. "You’re safe," he slurred, reaching
out a shaking hand to touch her face. "I h-heard Nuriko shout..."
"Don’t worry, I’m okay," she assured him in a whisper, touched by his concern
for her when he was the one so obviously hurt. "I don’t want to go swimming
for a long time, but I’m not injured." She smiled gently and stooped to help
lift him to his feet, and he leaned heavily against her so that she nearly
lost her balance and fell over. Only sheer determination kept her upright.
Nevertheless, she shot Nuriko a grateful smile when the minstrel offered to
support the prince’s other side. Together, they made their way out of the
ruins and into a land that was once more free of rain and clouds. The sun
shone brightly, and the birds singing, and only the soaked ground and the
distant roar of the flooded river gave any sign that there had ever been such
a storm at all.
It was...eerie.
"We n-need to find th’ Ghost," Endymion murmured.
"We need to find a healer!" Serena protested. "You’ve got a head wound,
Endymion! You need to be taken care of!"
"There aren’t any healers around for miles," Nuriko informed them. "You may
as well go back home again. He’ll be better taken care of there, no doubt,
and besides, all your supplies are now laying at the bottom of that room."
After pointing out this obvious fact, the minstrel put two fingers to his
mouth and released an ear-splitting whistle that made Serena wince and
Endymion groan. He shot an apologetic look at the prince, but then a distant
whinny caught his attention as one...no, two...large animals appeared out of
a patch of woodland and began to rapidly approach the ruins. One was coal
black in color, the other snow white. The horses had apparently found decent
shelter from the storm, after all, and looked none the worse for wear as they
approached their owners, neighing softly. Endymion and Nuriko had re-saddled
the horses before the storm hit, so as not to lose any trappings in the
fierce wind, and they still wore them, thankfully. Bad enough for the three
travelers to have lost all of their belongings at the bottom of that
deathtrap. Still, at least they had kept their lives.
With some difficulty, Serena helped Endymion to mount the Ghost, then pulled
herself up behind him, supporting him should he become dizzy from his
concussion. Turning to Nuriko, she asked quietly, "Please, will you come with
us? I might need help if he gets worse, and I’d feel better with some extra
protection along."
"Yes, we all know how incapable you are of taking care of yourself," Endymion
murmured weakly.
She gave him a mock-glare, although in truth she was relieved that he was
well enough to still joke around like that. "I was talking about for you,
Idiot!" she retorted. "You’re the one who got brained with a door!"
"But you nearly drowned," he pointed out, smiling a little.
"The tunnel door burst!"
"Details, details."
Serena huffed. Even when he was barely conscious, he was still obnoxious!
Nuriko chuckled as he listened to this exchange. "You know, I think I’ll take
you up on that offer," he told them cheerfully. "You two are more
entertaining to watch than any of the acting troupes I’ve ever met, and it’s
been awhile since I’ve visited a castle. Perhaps, in fond regard for my part
in saving His Highness’s life, they’ll allow me to sing for my supper?
Although, I think I might enjoy singing for it more if I had the
accompaniment of an angel voice such as yours." He gave Serena a flirtatious
wink.
Serena merely rolled her eyes at him and flicked the Ghost’s reigns. The big
stallion started off at a steady walk, picking his way carefully over the
slippery, muddy ground just as though he knew that his master was injured.
Nuriko grinned and followed along, whistling a merry tune as the three of
them began their journey back to Castle Rosewood.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
Miaka dried the last platter and stored it in the spacious china closet,
being sure to lock the doors securely behind her. She suppressed a huge yawn
as she hung up her apron and glanced out the window. She was only vaguely
surprised to see faint light dawning in the eastern sky, realizing that she’d
spent yet another night cleaning up after some banquet held in King Ayurhu’s
honor. With all the honorary banquets they’d been holding lately, she thought
grumpily, it was amazing that she was able to get any sleep at all! Frankly,
she was starting to wish that the blasted king would pack his things and go
back to his own kingdom and stay there!
She hid another yawn and stepped into the courtyard, feeling the need for
some fresh air after slaving over the vats of dirty dishes for hours at a
time. She took a lantern with her, albeit reluctantly. She knew she looked a
sight. Her hair clung in messy tendrils to her damp, overheated skin. Well-
mended work clothes were wrinkled and stained with water and dirt, and her
hands were raw and sore from the continual dunking they received in the hot
water. No need to add scrapes and bruises to her image by stumbling around in
the dark like a ninny. Still, she was very glad that everyone was asleep,
especially Hotohori. Sure, he’d seen her in this state before, but now
that…now that there was more to their friendship than mere liking, she wanted
more than anything to be worthy of the young prince. A relationship with him,
she was well aware, would be difficult enough to begin as it was.
"Miaka!"
Startled out of her thoughts, the girl turned quickly and, after a cautious
glance around, finally laid eyes on the source of the sharp hiss that had
been directed at her. She could just barely make out three figures stumbling
toward her in the dim light; two of them seemed to be dragging the third
between them. Frowning, she held the light up higher, wondering if some
servants were sneaking back after spending the night in a tavern. They
certainly appeared to be drunk, what with the way they kept weaving from side
to side, with their burden slung like dead weight between them.
"Miaka, a little help here?!" one of the characters hissed, and Miaka’s eyes
widened in shock as she finally recognized her sister’s voice.
"Serena! When did you get back?" she gasped, hurrying forward to better light
their way.
"Just now," Serena grunted. "We ran into a little trouble."
Miaka was horrified to see that it was Endymion who was slung so haphazardly
between Serena and another person whom, at first glance, she took to be a
girl. But then the stranger shifted so that his low shirt-front gaped open,
and she realized with faint embarrassment that it was really a young man who
staggered slightly beneath the weight of the crown prince. "What happened?"
she asked, eyeing the bandages around Endymion’s head, and the glazed,
feverish look in his eyes.
"I’ll tell you later...after we get Endymion to the healers’ apartments. I’ve
sent a guard ahead to wake Mitsukake and Luna and to inform Their Majesties
that their son has returned."
Miaka nodded and hurried beside them along the path to Mitsukake’s quarters.
By the time they got there, a small crowd had gathered, most of which
consisted of the royal family. "What happened? Will he be okay? Are you okay,
Serena?" Rei cried when she saw them approach.
"We’ll all be fine," Serena replied tiredly. "We just got caught in an
unexpected flood, is all, and His Highness ended up getting hit in the head
when we tried to escape. He caught a chill on the way back, though, so he’s
feverish. But he should be okay." I hope, she added silently, fighting back
the sick feeling of worry.
"I’m sure he’ll be fine with some hot tea and plenty of rest," Mitsukake said
soothingly as he and Nuriko (who had yet to be introduced to anyone) carried
the prince into the room. Tamahome, who had been hanging back in the shadows,
brushed past with barely a word and not even a glance in Miaka’s direction,
following the men inside. Serena raised a curious eyebrow at her sister, who
shook her head sadly and mouthed "later." Then her expression became
concerned as she took in Serena’s rather bedraggled appearance.
"Don’t look at me like that! I’m not going to drop dead at your feet," the
younger girl teased. "I just need about a week’s worth of sleep to recover,
is all."
"You aren’t going anywhere until you let Luna give you a thorough check-up,"
Rei cut in, using her best I’m-the-princess-so-you-have-to-do-what-I-say-now
tone of voice.
"But, Rei..." Serena whined.
"No buts! This is an order, Serenity!" Hotohori added firmly before the girl
could say anything more.
Serena grumbled as she allowed Luna to lead her into another room, where she
was then given a thorough examination (not to mention a thorough grilling)
and proclaimed fit to leave. "See? I told you I was okay," she complained,
adjusting her clothes as she stepped outside again, shooting Hotohori and Rei
a sulky glare.
Queen Julietta exited the apartment and came toward Serena, giving the girl a
gentle smile. "I’m told that you had quite the adventure," she stated
quietly. "I’m relieved that you came through it safely. Tell me, my dear, did
you find what you were looking for?"
Serena hesitated, then nodded slightly. "Yes, Your Majesty. I believe I
did," she replied quietly. "Thank you for asking."
"Everyone has the right to know where they come from," Julietta replied
kindly. "I hope all the trouble you went through was worth it in the end."
"Oh, it was, Your Majesty," Serena assured her. "Even with the...exciting
parts, I’m glad Endymion dragged me out there."
Julietta regarded her with twinkling eyes. "It seems that my son has grown
quite fond of you, Serenity," she told her, watching with amusement as the
girl began to blush. "It isn’t every day he takes time to help someone to
discover their pasts."
"Well...er...that is...I mean...we’ve known each other since like forever, so
I guess it’s only natural that he...um...wanted to do that for me," Serena
stammered, blushing profusely.
"Of course," Julietta replied with a soft laugh. "Dear friends always help
each other."
"Erm...yeah, I guess so," Serena mumbled, looking rather flustered. Then,
apparently only remembering something (and anxious to change the subject),
she added hurriedly, "Your Majesty, is Nuriko being taken care of? He found
us just before the storm hit, and without him, we might’ve been worse off
than we were. He’s been a great help getting Endymion back here, too. I was
hoping that...perhaps he could have a room to stay in for awhile? He’s a
minstrel, you see, and he said he’d be willing to perform in payment..."
Queen Julietta smiled. "Say no more, my dear," she replied. "If Nuriko has
indeed been the hero you claim he is, then it is only fitting that he be
given a home at Castle Rosewood for awhile. I will have a servant fetch him
after a room is prepared."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Serena said, relieved. "I’m sure he’ll appreciate
it, and so do I, because Nuriko is really very nice and all, and he can play
the flute really well..." She trailed off, blushing when she realized that
she was babbling. Her exhaustion was catching up with her, it seemed. But the
queen merely smiled and patted Serena’s cheek in a motherly fashion, before
lifting the hem of her velvet robe and bidding her a goodnight. Then, she and
King Reagan, after leaving an order to move Endymion to his own rooms as soon
as he awoke, retired to their chambers for the reminder of the night.
Serena yawned again as she stumbled into the apartment to check up on
Endymion. She knew she needed to sleep, as well, but she wanted to make sure
that the crown prince was resting peacefully before she did so. His eyes
opened as soon as she walked into the small room, as though he’d sensed her
presence, and he gave her a tired smile. "You look a little more lucid than
before," she whispered, not wanting to cause any more pain in his head by
being too loud.
"Mitsukake’s tea...as nasty as it tastes...is powerful stuff," he replied
humorously. "I’m feeling much better, although I’m under firm orders from
Mits to sleep here for the remainder of the night." He grimaced and shifted,
clearly unhappy with the rather firm mattress he was laying on.
Serena rolled her eyes. "I’m sure you’ll forgive him, Oh Royal Highness, for
not giving you a softer bed. Not all of us are lucky enough to sleep on a
feather mattress every night like you do!" she sniffed.
Endymion shot her a sly grin. "And you would know, wouldn’t you?" he
murmured. "You were in my bed once before, after all..."
Serena flushed beet-red, much to his amusement. "Are you ever gonna forget
about that?" she hissed.
He pretended to think for a moment. "Mmmm...No."
She scowled. "You’re such a jester..."
He smiled charmingly at her. "And you love me for it," he teased.
She blinked, opened her mouth to retort, discovered that she had none, and
closed it again with a snap, turning on her heel and striding out the door
with a muttered goodnight. Endymion watched her go, smiling to himself. He
shook his head at her antics, then winced at the pain that action caused him
and decided that some more sleep was definitely in order.
Serena, for her part, finally managed to escape to her bed. The royal family
had all taken to their beds, and no doubt Miaka had taken to hers, as well,
so now it was her turn. Finally. What was Miaka doing up this time of night,
anyway? Serena wondered as she stripped out of her filthy clothes and stepped
into the steaming bath that someone...most likely her sister...had
thoughtfully prepared for her. It looked like Miaka had just finished washing
dishes or something. Was that king still here? Didn’t anyone care how much
extra work he made for the servants? She didn’t like seeing her big sister
overworked like that (even though she did volunteer for the job), and she
resolved to ask Rei to speak to her father about it first chance she got.
Finished with her bath, Serena dried off and wrapped herself in a white
velvet robe, standing on her balcony to let the cool, morning air...It was
definitely morning by then; the sun was beginning to rise...dry her hair. The
soothing motion of running her comb through the soft, knee-length strands
relaxed her, and she stood with her eyes half-shut, listening to the first
nightingale that awoke to sing its praises to the dawning sun.
She had just turned to go back into her chamber when she realized that she
was being watched. Startled, her eyes flew open and instinctively rose until
they fell upon another small balcony only two stories above and to the left
of her. Standing on this balcony was one of the most beautiful specimens of
masculinity that she’d ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on...and that
included Endymion. Longish, golden hair that rivaled her own in brightness
blew gently in the soft wind, framing a sculpted face that could only have
been created from one of the Greek gods of legend. The thin, black silken
robe he wore did nothing to hide the well-contoured lines and muscles of his
tall, lean body. Even from that distance, she could see the brilliant,
intense blue of his eyes...eyes that were fixed directly upon her own in a
searching, almost fierce, gaze. Realizing that she was staring, she bit her
lip and fought back a blush, jerking her eyes away from his. But she could
still feel that gaze on her, studying her as a bird of prey studies its next
victim, and she shuddered beneath the power of it. There was something about
that gaze that she didn’t like. Something...
Abruptly, the feeling was gone, and she jerked her eyes back to the balcony,
only to find that the man had disappeared, and the doors had been shut. That
was King Ayurhu, she realized, blinking rapidly. That’s the man Rei wants to
marry so badly?
A strange sense of premonition suddenly overcame her, almost dizzying in its
intensity, and she reached out to grip the banister to steady herself.
Uneasily, her eyes wandered back to the empty balcony, and another shiver
rippled up her spine. Suddenly feeling very cold, Serena gripped the comb
tightly and stepped into her chambers, shutting and locking the doors behind
her before finally falling into her bed for some well-earned sleep.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
She found herself being very rudely awakened by two flying...creatures...that
landed directly into the middle of her bed...and therefore directly onto
her...with two distinct, ear-splitting shrieks. She let loose with her own
shriek of terror and sat bolt-upright, prepared to beat the snot out of the
two monsters who had dared to attack her. What she saw instead was a pair of
laughing girls, who lay there with chins propped in hands and glowing,
devilish eyes fixed innocently on her.
"So..." Rei purred. "Are you going to tell us all the intimate details, or do
we have to force them out of you the hard way?"
"We’re not above torture, you know," Miaka added teasingly.
Serena glared at them, then promptly hurled her pillow at their faces.
"OUT!" she bellowed as her so-called "friends" squealed and scrambled off the
bed.
"I understand everything now!" Rei exclaimed as she followed a laughing Miaka
out the door. "My dear brother finally went insane, abandoned Serena, and
brought home a dragon, instead!" She managed to get the door shut just in
time to block the head-long flight of a book that the "dragon" had furiously
hurled at her head.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
Miaka grinned when a grumpy Serena arrived at the kitchens a half hour later
in search of food. "Sleep well?" she asked teasingly, to which her sister
replied by making a face at her.
"No thanks to you," Serena grumped. "What’s for breakfast?"
Miaka raised an eyebrow. "Breakfast was hours ago. Now it’s nearly dinner
time. And we’re having roast pork."
"Think anyone’ll mind if I snitch a few slices?" Serena asked hopefully.
Miaka smirked. "As long as you don’t snitch the whole pig," she teased.
Serena gracefully declined to reply, busying herself with loading a plate
full of food. "I feel like I haven’t eaten in a week!" she exclaimed, before
taking a large bite of meat and closing her eyes in rapture. "Oh, this is so
good! I’d almost forgotten what real food tasted like!"
Miaka laughed. "Come on, Little Sister. You weren’t away that long! And
speaking of which...now maybe you can tell me exactly what went on out there?
I dunno. Maybe I was just imagining things...but you seemed to be awfully
worried about Endymion when you got back last night," she said slyly.
"Anything you care to tell me?"
"Yes. For one thing, it was this morning that we got back," Serena replied,
deliberately teasing her sister, who smacked her in the arm. "Of course I’m
worried about Endymion, you dolt! He’s the crown prince! Anything happens to
him, and it’s me they’ll be burning at the stake for it!" she sniffed.
"Don’t be so melodramatic," Miaka exclaimed with a laugh. "Nobody would blame
you for what happened! In fact, you and that Nuriko person...Where did you
find him, anyhow?...are something of local heroes now, for getting Endymion
back in one piece."
"Nuriko found us, and he helped us out. He’s a minstrel," Serena informed
her. "There’s nothing heroic about what we did." Then her expression became
sly. "I don’t think he has a wife or a lover or anything like that. Maybe you
two could..."
"Don’t even think about it!" Miaka retorted. "I’m sure he’s very nice and
all...but I don’t think he’s my type. Besides," she added under her breath,
"I don’t think Hotohori would appreciate me going off with some strange
minstrel..."
"Oh, is that so?" Serena turned to regard her sister with a gleam in her
eyes. "It looks like I’m not the only one with news to share!"
Miaka tried her best to look innocent, but she knew it was a lost cause.
Serena would keep begging and prying until she gave in out of sheer
annoyance. She was much like Miaka in that respect. "Fine," the older girl
sighed, deciding to bargain her down. "I’ll share my little secret if you’ll
share yours, deal?"
Serena thought for a moment, then grinned and nodded. "Deal. Now start
talking!"
"You are sworn to secrecy about this," Miaka warned her, before she began to
relate the event that had taken place in the gardens.
Serena listened with wide eyes, her expression growing more and more
delighted, and when Miaka had finished, attempting to keep the blush from her
face, her sister threw her arms around her neck and exclaimed, "Oh, Miaka!
That’s so wonderful! I’m sorry about Tamahome, but...I mean...Hotohori really
loves you?"
"Hush!" Miaka scolded, bonking her on the head. "It isn’t like many people
know about it, and it isn’t like this is really a good thing or anything..."
"How can this not be good?" Serena demanded. "A secret love affair between a
prince and a peasant! It’s just like a fairy tale!" She sighed dramatically
and placed her hands over her heart.
Miaka shifted uncomfortably. "I-I’m a little worried, Serena," she confessed
softly. "I love Hotohori with all my heart, and I know he loves me...but what
happens if his parents find out? I don’t imagine they’ll be very pleased with
it. Even Her Majesty has to see the folly of this whole thing..."
"Love will overcome all obstacles! I just know it!" Serena replied, hugging
her sister gently. "For now, just enjoy it while it lasts! Isn’t it exciting
though? Secret rendezvous with a forbidden lover...stolen kisses under the
moonlight..." She sighed dreamily. "It’s so...romantic!" Hearts were
practically dancing in her eyes, and Miaka had to grin at her sister’s
enthusiasm, although she worried faintly about her ability to keep the
secret. If the wrong people should find out...
"Anyway," she began, eager to change the subject, "now it’s your turn to
share a secret! So...what is it? Did Endymion confess his undying love to you
on your trip? Did he kiss you? Did you...?"
Serena blinked at her, giving her a curious look, even as a faint hint of
pink crept gently into her cheeks. "Whoever said my secret was about
Endymion?" she asked innocently.
"Serena..." Miaka growled warningly.
Her sister gave her a wide, beguiling smile. "This is the secret I have to
share!" she chirped, pulling on a chain hidden beneath the bodice of her
dress. After a few careful tugs, a pendant appeared in her hand, and she
proudly held it out for Miaka to see. "Isn’t it beautiful?" she exclaimed. "I
found it in a tunnel that led from a hidden room beneath the ruins of the
manor. I think my real mother had escaped the manor through it, and Nuriko
and Endymion say it was used at one time to smuggle slaves out of the
kingdom, before slavery was outlawed. I think this pendant belonged to
Selene, and she must have dropped it when she was fleeing for her life! It
still needs some polishing; I haven’t had time to clean it yet..."
Miaka gave her a dirty look. "That’s your big secret?" she huffed. "All that
for a pendant?"
Serena looked wounded. "Well, it’s a big secret to me. Not even Endymion
knows I found the pendant. Besides, knowing him, if he knew about it he’d
find some way to destroy it...like he did with my father’s journal," she
sniffed.
"You found a journal?" Miaka asked excitedly.
Serena winced. "Well, sort of. You see...Endymion grabbed me and it fell out
of my hand and landed and since it was so old it just kinda went...poof.
Nothing but dust. It didn’t help that the wind took what few pages remained
and scattered them all over creation. There was no way to get it back after
that." She sighed sadly as Miaka hugged her, then shrugged. "Oh well. No
sense crying over spilt milk," she added wisely. "I’m going to go check on
our esteemed crown prince and make sure he didn’t die overnight or
something."
Miaka laughed. "Oh, I suppose I should warn you to be sure you stay out of
King Ayurhu’s way. I got word from the scullery maids that he’s in a bit of a
mood today. Even Rei’s been avoiding him!"
Serena paused. "Have you met him yet?" she asked slowly, her brow furrowing.
Miaka shrugged. "I’ve seen him once or twice, although I haven’t met him, met
him. Why?" she replied.
Serena shrugged. "I saw him on the balcony this morning...his rooms are close
to ours, apparently...and he was staring at me. He gave me the oddest
feeling," she replied thoughtfully. "It was only for a few moments...and you
know I’m not one to judge people...but I don’t...I really don’t think I trust
him."
"You don’t even know him," Miaka pointed out.
"I know. That’s what makes it so odd. But...his eyes are so...empty. It’s
like there’s nothing there, and the way he kept staring at me..." She trailed
off with a shudder. "I don’t trust him, Miaka. What does he want with Rei?"
"To marry her, apparently. You know that," Miaka replied, frowning at her
sister’s unusual behavior. Serena was right; it wasn’t like her to judge
people by appearance alone, but it seemed she had seen something beyond the
physical; something that nobody else had noticed. Serena was not a genius by
anyone’s standards, it was true, but she had the uncanny ability to sense a
person’s heart, which was a gift most normal people didn’t possess, or simply
didn’t use. But then...Serena wasn’t normal by anyone’s standards, either.
Miaka smiled slightly at the thought, before letting it fade again. From the
way her sister talked, it almost made it seem like this King Ayurhu didn’t
have a heart. But that was ridiculous, of course. Everyone had a heart,
although some were darker than others. "Look," she began in an attempt to
soothe her sister. "Keep an eye on him, all right, and I’ll do the same
thing. If he does anything that could endanger Rei or anyone else in this
castle, then we’ll go to Their Majesties and express our concerns."
"Thank you, Miaka," Serena replied quietly. "It may be nothing...I could have
been imagining things, but I appreciate your support, and for not thinking
I’m crazy."
"I never said I didn’t think you were crazy," Miaka teased, patting her on
the head. "But what else are big sisters for?" Serena shot her a dirty look
and whacked her over the head, then shoved her empty plate into Miaka’s hands
and skipped out of the kitchen before her sister came to her senses enough to
demand that she wash it herself.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
Serena studied her pendant as she walked slowly toward the stairs that led up
to Endymion’s chambers, admiring the way the lamplight glimmered off the dull
surface. She would really need to remember to polish and clean it. The
dunking in the water during the flood had removed most of the built-up grime,
but it was still rather tarnished. "Where did you get this, Mama? Did it come
from your past?" she asked softly as she fingered the golden rose.
She hadn’t even realized that anyone else was in the hall with her, until a
large hand flashed into her line of view and roughly wrested the pendant from
her grasp. She gasped as she felt herself being yanked forward, the chain
digging into her neck sharply, and raised dumbfounded eyes to meet the
intense, burning gaze of non other than King Ayurhu. "Y-your Majesty!" she
croaked, struggling to break his grip on the chain. "Let...let go! Y-you’re
hurting me..."
"Where did you get this?" he demanded in a deep, rich, enigmatic voice that
trailed like warm honey over her flesh and sent an icy chill down her spine.
He didn’t even acknowledge her plea; simply stared at her with those cold
eyes of his as he waited for her answer.
Serena, in the meantime, was fast going from startled to terrified. "I f-
found it," she choked out, twisting to break away and only succeeding in
strangling herself. "I-it was in the river..." Well, it wasn’t a complete
lie, and what business of it was his where she found it, anyway?! "L-let
go!" she demanded again, yanking harder on the chain. She didn’t want to
think about the bruises that were probably being left behind.
"Is something wrong here?" a sudden voice called out, startling both of them.
King Ayurhu jerked back, taken by surprise, and Serena felt the chain snap.
Suddenly, the painful pressure was gone from her neck, and she stumbled
back, gasping, her hand flying to her chafed throat. The guard who had spoken
approached them cautiously, his eyes taking in the scene suspiciously. "Do
you need help, Sire?" he asked uncertainly.
Serena gasped in outrage. Of all the cowardly...of course he wouldn’t dare
accuse the king! Pick on the poor victim instead, to save his own hide! she
thought furiously.
"There is no trouble here," King Ayurhu was stating coldly. "Be on your way."
The guard hesitated, and the king turned to berate him further, anger
twisting the handsome features for the barest of moments before the calm mask
slipped back into place. Seeing her chance, Serena used the distraction to
snatch the pendant out of his hand and bolt down the hallway, ignoring the
shout of the guard behind her, and King Ayurhu’s command to leave her alone.
She ran blindly until she was certain she wasn’t being followed, then ducked
into an empty room to catch her breath. That was too close, she thought. She
held up the pendant and studied it, noticing how her hand shook. In fact, her
entire body was trembling with fear. "What was it about this thing that set
him off like that?" she whispered to herself. He had seemed to...recognize
it, somehow, and she’d seen the disbelief in his eyes when she’d told her
little story. But how would he know what it was, or where it had come from?
"I think I’d definitely better keep my eye on that man," she muttered as she
tucked the pendant into her pocket. Her neck burned as she bent her head, and
she winced slightly, reminding herself to visit Mitsukake later. She paused,
however, as a thought occurred to her. Or maybe she shouldn’t go, since he’d
no doubt ask questions about how she’d acquired such injuries, and she wasn’t
sure she had any answers. At least, none that would be believable, anyway. It
seemed that everyone but herself had been taken in by the charming king, if
all the gossip she’d been hearing lately was any indication. So handsome, so
charming... She snorted. So psychotic. It was doubtful she would find much
support to rally against the princess’s suitor, although she certainly
intended on warning Rei about the man. After all, what kind of best friend
would she be to let her marry that beast? She clasped the pendant in her hand
and frowned again as she remembered the king’s frightening reaction,
suppressing yet another shiver.
A definite beast, she thought uneasily.
To be continued...
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