Heart of Silver, Soul of Glass
by Stormlight
Chapter Six
"There is nothing better," sixteen-year-old Serena stated contentedly, "than
lounging around on a balcony with your two very best friends in the world,
feeling the sunlight on your head, and hearing the birds sing, and..."
"...watching several dozen extremely attractive, shirtless men training
directly below you..." Miaka finished with a giggle as she peered between the
marble posts of the balcony railing.
"Oh yes, we mustn’t forget that now," Serena replied slyly as she, too,
peered through the posts. "Mmmmmm...we really must remember to thank Her
Majesty for insisting that we take these spare rooms beside Rei’s chambers.
Who knew that they would be so useful?"
"Oh, will you two stop it?" Rei complained haughtily. "Honestly! Haven’t we
all outgrown these silly, juvenile infatuat...Oh, good grief! Have you seen
the muscles on that one?!"
The two sisters burst into riotous giggles as the princess pressed her face
against the slender stone posts and stared down at the soldiers below them.
"What was that you were saying, Your Highness?" Miaka teased.
"What? Well, I’m a woman, too, you know," the princess sniffed. "Besides…some
of those soldiers are probably the sons of dukes or counts or barons, and
maybe there’s even a prince or two! One can never be too certain, and it
always helps to get as much information as possible on potential husbands,"
she informed them primly.
"Such as how big their muscles are," Miaka told Serena seriously, sending her
into laughter again. She sighed and continued to watch the display below her.
Most of the men she didn’t know...had never seen before, in fact; they were
probably new recruits for the king’s army...but she did catch sight of
Hotohori and Tamahome, both shirtless and gleaming with sweat from their
efforts. They were fighting with swords, throwing playful insults back and
forth at each other, and she sighed appreciatively. "They look so
wonderful," she said, then wrinkled her nose and added playfully, "Too bad
they never smell as good as they look when they’re finished!"
"Yes. It’s always better to admire from afar, elsewise we’d probably pass
out!" Serena quipped. She allowed her eyes to scan over the group again,
until they inadvertently fell upon one certain individual. She froze,
abruptly finding it difficult to force breath past the knot in her throat.
Gleaming black hair fell over a pair of piercing, blue eyes that were fixed
intently on his opponent. He, too, wore no shirt, and the sun gleamed off
smooth, tanned skin that stretched over taught, well-formed muscles, all the
way down to where a pair of light-colored breeches hugged his slender hips
and long legs. The waistband was slung low, due to the weight of sword
scabbard hanging at his hip, and Serena thought her heart might stop then and
there as she frantically tried to stop her imagination from going any
further. H-he’s so…beautiful, she thought in wonder, drinking in every detail
of him. It seemed to have fled her mind that this was her greatest rival she
was staring at so hungrily. It also fled her mind that she had two rather
curious women seated right next to her, and that both had noticed her shell-
shocked expression, and had realized its cause.
Miaka and Rei exchanged sly glances, smirking evilly. "See anything special
down there that’s got your jaw resting in your lap?" Miaka asked teasingly,
rapping on her sister’s head with her knuckles. "Endymion wouldn’t have
anything to do with it, would he?"
That snapped Serena out of her stupor, and she quickly sat up, her cheeks
turning pink. "Don’t be absurd!" she huffed, quickly gaining her composure.
"That idiot has nothing to do at all with…"
"With what?" Rei asked innocently, while Serena shot her a withering glare.
"Nothing," the other girl sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Nothing
at all."
Rei and Miaka exchanged another amused look. "If you say so," Miaka replied.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
Later, when Serena had finished her assigned chores in the castle
kitchen—after Ikuko had died, she and Miaka has insisted on continuing to
work and earn their keep—she walked slowly through the hall leading to her
shared quarters with Miaka. Queen Julietta had indeed been very generous in
giving the two sisters those rooms, the very same ones she had offered them
once before when Ikuko was still alive. This time, however, they had accepted
the offer, not wanting to be alone in the apartment, where the memories of
their mother were still too painful. It had taken a very long time for them
to get over their grief, but they had managed to pull through, although
Serena knew that some of those nights—when she had lain in her bed, staring
blindly into the blackness in absolute terror that she would lose someone
else important to her—had been the darkest of her life.
Rei’s understanding friendship had helped, and of course Miaka had always
been there. As they comforted each other with the thought that their mother
was finally with her beloved Kenji, and that she would want them to be happy
with their lives, their grief did lessen enough to remind them that they were
not alone; that there would always be people to care for them. Even Endymion
had changed, Serena realized. After that horrible night, when he’d held her
so tightly and comforted her…it was a side to him that she had never seen
before, and that she had never seen again. He’d turned from a cold, arrogant,
indifferent prince into the warm, compassionate young man who had grieved
with her, had held her and rocked her and who, at the time and for a time
afterward, had even had seemed to lo…
Serena didn’t let herself finish that thought. There wasn’t any point to
thinking it, after all, because it wasn’t real.
But oh, how I wish it was…
She stopped suddenly in the middle of the hall, blinking in astonishment. Now
where had that come from? She stared at the floor, her brow furrowing
slightly. Was it…true? No…no, it had to be a joke, a cruel trick of the mind.
She couldn’t possibly be wishing that the crown prince of all people would
love her! It was ludicrous! Absolutely insane!
And yet…
It was absolutely…true.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and swallowed hard. As much as she wished
it otherwise, it was true. She groaned and closed her eyes, letting herself
fall against the wall. "Why me?" she whimpered. "Why do I have to be so
stupid? Why do I have to love someone who will never love me back?" Because,
she realized, she did love him. Deeply. And, she thought ironically, it had
only taken her sixteen years to figure that out. How could she have been so
blind? All that hate and animosity she felt for him suddenly took a
completely different turn. Had that been her way to get the prince’s
attention, by goading him, by making him tease her? At least he did notice
her, even if it was usually annoyance he regarded her with. But he did notice
her, and perhaps that was why she had always continued to taunt him, so that
she could be sure he wouldn’t forget her.
Probably, she realized, it really was dislike she’d felt for him at first;
after all, little girls hardly know what real love is, even if they wonder
about it, as she had often done. It was as she grew up that her emotions had
begun to change. But when? she thought, closing her eyes. When did I first
realize…?
The memory of a certain night—one which she’d long tried to banish—suddenly
rose up in her mind, of the time when she had tried to plant the stuffed
serpent in his room to scare him. Oh, but he’d gotten his sweet revenge on
her for that trick! She remembered all too clearly how it felt to be wrapped
in those warm, strong arms, pressed so intimately against his naked chest as
he’d kissed the breath out of her. She shivered and wrapped her arms around
herself as she leaned against the stone wall, which felt cold against her
suddenly-heated body. So much passion he’d poured into her mouth, as though
he’d been starving to get a taste of her. Of course she had been too young,
then, to really understand what all those feelings were that were swirling
around inside her, and she’d panicked and pulled away. But, she thought
breathlessly, what if…I had stayed?
She was abruptly jerked out of her musings by a warm hand coming to rest on
her shoulder, and she brought startled eyes upward to meet a deep, intense
gaze that seemed tinged with worry. Her own eyes widened slightly in shock.
Endymion! No, not now! Not here! I can’t face him when I’ve been
thinking…thinking about…
"Are you all right?" the crown prince asked her gently, trying to meet her
suddenly-averted gaze. "You seemed deep in thought…a little distressed. Did
something happen?"
She blinked up at him in surprise. "Why do you care?" she bit out, more
harshly than she’d intended.
He stepped back, looking almost hurt, but his hand stayed where it was on her
shoulder. "Of course I care," he replied awkwardly. "When one of my sister’s
friends is in trouble, I…"
"I’m fine," Serena replied coldly, knocking his hand off her shoulder. His
words had cut her. …one of my sister’s friends… Such a cruel thing to say…
Endymion sighed, pushing his fingers through his still-damp hair. He’d
obviously come fresh from the baths, having finished his training awhile ago.
"Why don’t I believe you?" he asked quietly, again meeting her gaze. He
reached out and took her hand—startling her into speechlessness—and led her
down the hallway a bit until he came to a door. He opened it, stepped inside,
and closed it behind them. "Now," he said firmly, turning to regard her
again. His face was stern. "I’m not going to ask you again. What is the
matter?" His tone was just short of a direct order, and even she knew better
than to argue with him when he was in one of his princely moods.
"I was just thinking about the past," she mumbled, crossing her arms and
looking away uneasily. She’d have to be careful about what she said to him,
lest he figure out on his own her suddenly-discovered emotions. How he would
laugh then! Oh, how she wanted to escape, so she could sort through these
thoughts in her mind on her own. "Nothing serious," she added, hoping to
convince him. "Nothing to concern Your Highness about, anyway."
There was a subtle softening of Endymion’s features, a gentle warmth that
entered his dark eyes. "Serenity," he began softly, making her start in
surprise; nobody ever called her Serenity anymore. "Serenity," he began
again, "what good will come of thinking sad thoughts?
Serena barely held back a sudden, bitter laugh. Sad? she thought cynically.
Mildly depressing, maybe, completely hopeless, certainly. But sad? She sighed
softly, then forced a smile to her lips. "Please, stop with the heart-felt
speeches," she told him dryly. "You’re starting to scare me."
He frowned. "Serenity…"
"I really must go, Your Highness," Serena choked out, curtsying rather
stiffly. "Rei’s expecting me shortly, and you can’t keep a princess waiting,
right?" She forced out a little laugh as she stepped to go around him, but
his hand shot out and snagged her arm, pulling her closer to him.
"Serenity," he began again, gazing into her eyes. "There’s something…" He
paused, a look of frustration passing over his features. Slowly, one hand
came up to touch her face, stroking gently over the smooth skin of her cheek,
allowing his thumb to caress her lips ever-so-softly. She began to tremble
inside, holding back a soft whimper at his touch. What was he doing?! Was he
trying to drive her mad?! "There’s something I need…to…"
"Endymion! Are you in here?" Tamahome’s voice suddenly cut in from right
outside the door.
Endymion almost groaned, closing his eyes briefly. When they opened again,
resignation and regret mingled there for a moment before vanishing. "Never
mind," he told her in a low voice. "It…isn’t important." He let her go,
casting a final, regretful look in her direction, before he turned and strode
almost angrily out of the room.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
Miaka watched Serena from the corner of her eye as the two sisters carefully
arranged delicate, china plates and bowls and shining silverware on the linen
tablecloths in the great banquet hall. Serena was being very quiet, which,
for Serena, was very unusual. But whenever Miaka asked her what was wrong,
she would simply smile and shrug and claim that she was perfectly fine. Miaka
wasn’t fooled, of course, but she didn’t press the issue, although she did
resolve to pry the trouble out of her sister later on. As for now…there was
work to be done, and lots of it, for there was to be a banquet that evening,
held in honor of a visiting ruler from a neighboring country.
This small country, called Elithia, was located on the other side of an
unnamed range of mountains which acted as a border between the two kingdoms.
Very little was known about Elithia, for there were few in Davinshire who
were brave enough to travel there, due to the bandits that lived throughout
the mountains. It had come as a surprise when King Ayurhu sent a messenger to
Davinshire requesting audience with Their Majesties, who immediately
requested a friendly visit. Admittedly, it was most likely that they were as
curious as everyone else as to why a king who had shown such little concern
for his neighbors before should suddenly take such interest now.
It was rumored that Princess Rei had a lot to do with his visit, what with
her being of the age to marry and all, and the gossip was flying among the
servants and townspeople that King Ayurhu had come specifically to ask for
her hand. After all, it would be quite the beneficial match; his small
kingdom would be bound with Davinshire, which would, in turn, increase his
power and exceedingly.
"Serena, what do you think about this king coming to visit?" Miaka asked her
sister curiously as she folded linen napkins and arranged them carefully on
the plates. "Are you anxious to meet him? Rei certainly seems to be."
"Mmm," Serena replied distractedly as she polished a fork, her eyes lidded
and sleepy-looking, clearly not focusing on her task.
Miaka rolled her eyes and gave the younger girl a light smack across the
head. "Wake up, would you? You’ve been off in La-La Land all day!" she
scolded. "And if you keep polishing that fork like that, you’re gonna polish
it into nothing!" She deftly picked the fork from Serena’s hand and put it
back in its place on the long table. "What’s the matter with you?" she asked.
"Are you dreaming about a boy?"
Serena immediately straightened, a bright blush spreading across her face. "I
am not!" she protested hurriedly. "Especially not about him!"
Miaka raised a curious eyebrow. "Him?" she repeated teasingly. "And exactly
which him are we talking about here?"
Serena winced. "Er…never mind," she mumbled, picking up another piece of
silver to begin polishing again. "It’s nothing worth worrying over or
anything."
"Oh?" Miaka smirked. "If that’s true, then why are you polishing the exact
same fork you just finished not thirty seconds ago?" she asked sweetly.
Serena blinked down at the piece of silver in her hand, then sighed, shook
her head, and set it down again with deliberate care. "It…I just…" She
hesitated. "If I tell you something…do you promise not to tell another
soul:?" she questioned softly, staring at her sister pleadingly. "I’ve just
realized something about myself, and I don’t know how to deal with it, and I
could really use some advice…"
Miaka stopped working and faced Serena seriously. "What is it?" she asked.
"I think…" Serena’s voice dropped to a whisper. "I think I’m in love," she
confided. Then, grimacing, she shook her head and added, "No, that isn’t
right. I know I’m in love."
"But, Serena, that’s wonderful!" Miaka gasped, throwing her arms around her
sister’s shoulders. "Why are you acting like it’s the end of the world?"
"Because it is!" Serena wailed, before remembering to keep her voice down.
"Th-the man I love…well…he doesn’t love me back," she continued mournfully.
"Are you sure?" Miaka asked. "Did he tell you that?" Her face brightened.
"Have you told him how you feel?"
"Good grief, no!" Serena choked, her eyes widening. "Are you insane? He’d
keel over from laughing so hard! And…and besides, even if I thought he did
feel something for me—which he doesn’t—it would never work, anyway." She
sighed dramatically and shook her head, setting her long braid to swinging
back and forth over her back. "It would be completely forbidden, you see."
"Forbidden?" Miaka’s brow furrowed. Then, suddenly, understanding dawned in
her eyes, and her expression gentled. "You mean Endymion, don’t you?" she
asked quietly.
Serena sniffled and nodded, eyes fixed on the tablecloth before her. "I know
it’s stupid," she said softly. "I tried so hard to talk myself out of it,
but…but…I just can’t help it!"
Miaka sighed and hugged her sister again. "Rei and I thought for awhile that
there was more to your feelings for His Highness than you ever admitted to,"
she told her. Then, with a small grin, she added, "And we also feel that
there’s a whole lot more to his feelings than what he ever admits to, as
well."
"You’re just saying that," Serena replied sulkily, pouting a little. "The
only thing he sees me as is a court jester when he needs a good laugh."
"Now that’s not true, and you know it," Miaka scolded, smiling at her
sister’s dramatics.
"Well, even so, it’s still impossible. I mean, he’s the crown prince, and I’m
just…well…I’m certainly not a princess," Serena snorted, tossing her hair.
"It’s just…"
"Hopeless," Miaka finished softly, her green eyes suddenly taking on a
strange, melancholy cast. "I understand how you feel, Serena. Believe me."
Serena gave her a long, hard look, before her own blue eyes softened. "You do
know, don’t you?" she replied quietly. "Your feelings for Hotohori…"
Miaka smiled stiffly. "Hotohori is a close friend," she said, unconvincingly.
"That’s all."
Serena thought for a moment. "What about Tamahome?" she asked.
Miaka blinked. "What about him?"
"You’re still seeing him, aren’t you?" Serena asked. "You went into town with
him just the other day. He really cares about you, you know."
Miaka sighed softly. "Yes, I know," she replied, picking up a knife to begin
polishing it absently. "Tamahome is a wonderful man, and I care for him very
much, but…"
"But you don’t love him," Serena finished quietly.
Miaka’s smile was bitter. "Now who’s the fool?" she asked. "Did you know he
asked me to marry him?"
"What?" Serena was so startled that she dropped the plate she was holding.
Luckily, it landed on a pile of napkins on the table, rather than the marble
floor. "When was this?!" she cried. "You never told me!"
"I never told anyone," Miaka replied with a wry smile. "I didn’t
want…Hotohori to find out about it. It was just the other week, actually,
when Tamahome took me on a picnic." She fidgeted nervously. "He looked so
hopeful when he asked, so shy, like a little boy asking for something he
knows he probably can’t have. I know it would be the smart thing to do! I
know he loves me, but…"
"Did you tell him yes?" Serena asked.
Miaka shook her head. "But I couldn’t tell him no, either," she replied in a
whisper. "Oh, I just couldn’t break his heart like that, Serena!" Her eyes
filled with earnest tears. "And really, I’d be stupid to turn down his offer,
wouldn’t I? He wants to take care of me, and I’m seventeen! I’m practically
a spinster! Who else is going to ask me?" She swallowed. "I could learn to
really love him," she added, as though talking to herself. "I know I could.
It would be so easy to love Tamahome. I mean…I do love him, you know. I
just…it isn’t that kind of love. But maybe that doesn’t matter. Maybe I’ll
just…need to give it some time."
Serena threw her arms around her sister’s shoulders. "Oh, Miaka, I’m so
sorry! I feel horrible now! I’ve been so involved in my own problems that I
didn’t even realize what you were going through!" She stood back and shook
her head. "Don’t marry Tamahome if you don’t think you love him, Miaka," she
added earnestly. "If you don’t love him now, you’ll never love him the way
married couples should love each other, and it’d just make the both of you
miserable in the end."
"But I don’t want to hurt him," Miaka protested. "He doesn’t deserve that!"
"But what happens when he wakes up one day and realizes that you don’t really
love him, anyway?" Serena asked gently. "Wouldn’t you be breaking his heart
then? It would be so much worse, especially if you had a family by then."
Miaka’s shoulders slumped. "I…I guess you’re right," she whispered. "It
wouldn’t be right to do that to him. But how can I tell him? What excuse do I
give?"
"Tell him you’re in love with someone else," Serena replied simply.
Miaka’s eyes flew wide. "Oh, I couldn’t do that! What if he guessed it was
Hotohori? He’d think me a fool for turning him down for a hopeless dream!"
"Miaka." Serena kept her voice gentle, although she looked a little amused.
"Maybe you don’t realize…but your feelings for Hotohori aren’t exactly well-
hidden, at least to myself and Rei. It’s more than a little obvious that you
love him."
Now it was Miaka’s turn to blush. "You don’t think he’s guessed it, too, do
you?" she squeaked. "I tried so hard to hide my feelings."
Serena’s smile was sad as she shook her head. "Don’t worry," she replied. "I
think the only one who hasn’t noticed your feelings is Hotohori himself."
Upon seeing Miaka’s half relieved/half dismayed expression, she added
hastily, "but you can’t really blame him for that! He is a man, after all,
and as a general rule, all men are dense like that. Even princes." This
evoked a laugh from Miaka, and, mutually deciding to end the discussion for
the moment, the two girls continued on with their work.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
King Ayurhu arrived at Rosewood Castle with a scandalously small entourage of
courtiers and soldiers. While this greatly relieved the household
servants—after all, the less people there were, the less extra work there was
to be done—there were several who had to question the wisdom of a king
traveling with so few guards through the dangerous mountain passes. If that
wasn’t a tempting target for the local bandits, nothing was.
Rei, however, had quite a different tale to tell when she met Serena and
Miaka (who had not attended the banquet) in the royal gardens the next
morning to pour out every detail of her meeting with the king. "He’s so
gallant and handsome," she sighed, staring dreamily up at the canopy of an
oak tree from her sprawled position on the grass beneath it. "He came with
only four guards to protect him! He’s very strong and brave, to go through
those awful mountains with so little protection. Why, the last time my
brothers ventured anywhere near the mountains, they had at least six guards
each!"
"It was a hunting party," Endymion, who was sitting nearby and simply
relaxing—a rare treat for him these days—immediately defended himself.
"Hunting parties are always large, so it’s easier to carry all the meat we
get. You know that!"
"Details, details!" Rei purred, waving a hand in his direction as though to
shoo him away. Endymion rolled his eyes at her and leaned back against the
trunk of the tree he rested under.
"What’re you doing here, anyway?" Serena couldn’t help but ask the crown
prince snidely. "Shouldn’t you be out torturing the guards or something?"
Referring to the strenuous exercises she’d often witnessed him putting the
soldiers through in the mornings while training.
"And shouldn’t you be brushing out the fireplaces or polishing my boots or
something, servant?" he retorted easily, not bothering to open his eyes to
look at her.
Serena winced and looked away. That one hurt. It was true, of course, but it
didn’t make it any less painful. Or maybe it was so painful because it was
true. Must he constantly remind me that I have no place as anything more than
a simple servant in his life? she wondered sadly, looking at her hands folded
in her lap.
Endymion, expecting to hear one of Serena’s razor-witted comebacks, was
therefore rather surprised when he didn’t. Opening one eye, he chanced a
quick peek at her, only to see her sitting with her hands folded in her lap,
staring blindly down at them with a most peculiar expression on her face. She
looked almost…miserable. He blinked. What had caused such a melancholy air to
settle over her so suddenly?
Just as he opened his mouth to question her, she abruptly rose to her
feet—never mind the fact that Rei was still gushing on about the many charms
of King Ayurhu—and strode away from the group. Rei abruptly stopped talking,
blinking in surprise at Serena’s sudden departure, before turning, along with
Miaka, to fix her brother with a what-did-you-do-to-her-now sort of glare.
Endymion sighed and rolled his eyes. "I’m going, I’m going," he grumbled,
rising to his feet to start after the girl. Feh. Silly women, getting upset
over any little thing… He hadn’t even done anything this time!
He caught up with her in the stables a good while later, muttering to himself
in annoyance. It was almost impossible to find Serena when she didn’t want to
be found, he’d quickly come to realize, and it had taken a bit of questioning
to discover her whereabouts. Of course the maids he questioned were curious
as to what the crown prince could possibly want with one of their own, but
naturally they weren’t brave enough to ask. Endymion sighed and shook his
head wryly. No doubt the tongues would be wagging tonight.
He found Serena easily once he entered the stables. She had pulled up a
rickety-looking stool before one of the horse stalls—his own charger’s, he
realized in surprise—and was softly stroking the horse’s nose and neck and
murmuring softly. The snow-white stallion, called the Ghost for his coloring,
was in absolute bliss as he heaved a contented sigh and closed his eyes,
laying his ears back in ecstasy at the gentle treatment which his real owner
would never have spared him. Endymion didn’t know whether to feel amused at
the animal’s almost human-like expression, or annoyed because of the fact
that Serena was turning a proud, fighting war horse into a kitten. "So, how
long has this little love affair been going on?" he drawled, crossing his
arms and leaning against an empty stall.
The effect was immediate. Serena shrieked in surprise, jerking backward so
fast that it caused the stool to tip over, spilling her over it in a flurry
of petticoats and a muffled, painful yelp. The Ghost, startled out of his
trance-like state, reared up with a scream and bucked at the walls of the
stall in agitation before settling again. Endymion ignored his prized
stallion in his concern over Serena’s tumble, rushing to her side in a panic.
A fall like that…the way she’d landed, backwards…she could’ve broken
something! Hopefully not her neck…
Unfortunately for him, Serena had not broken anything, and that included her
vocal chords. "You cretin!" she shrieked, struggling to right herself. "You
utter imbecile! What are you trying to do?! Break my neck and give me a
stroke all at the same time?!" She struggled to her feet, rather rumpled and
dirty, but none the worse for wear. She stood straight and tried to look as
dignified as she could, no easy task to accomplish when one has been laying
with her skirts up over her head, no doubt giving a culprit a good view of
her unmentionables. She turned to face the intruder fully, mouth open and
ready to give him another piece of her mind, but the words froze in her
throat when she realized just who it was she’d been insulting so viciously.
"Y-your H-highness," she stammered, her face flushing darkly as mortification
overcame her. Not at what she had said to him—heaven only knew that he
deserved it!—but more at the fact that it was he who had been witness to such
a display of gracelessness that one might expect from a newborn calf! Not to
mention that glimpse under her skirts!
She turned away from him in utter humiliation, hands flying up to cover her
burning cheeks, trying desperately to hold back the flood of tears that
waited to burst free from her eyes. She would not cry in front of him! She
would not give him that ultimate triumph! "D-did you want something, Your
Highness?" she questioned, putting as much ice into her tone as possible. As
her back was turned, she didn’t see him wince.
"Are you all right, Serenity?" he asked softly, well aware of the
embarrassment she was facing. He was rather facing that same embarrassment,
for an entirely different reason. The sight of those long, shapely, slender
legs, covered by her silken stockings, had done something to him that he
would’ve rather not thought about at the moment. Luckily, not all her
petticoats had gone up completely, but they’d gone up far enough to leave
little to his imagination. He almost regretted that he’d not glimpsed more,
but then he mentally smacked himself for having thoughts like those, and
focused on the task at hand.
"I’m fine," Serena was answering him stiffly, clearly wanting him to go away.
"Nothing’s injured." Besides my pride, she added silently, grimacing. What a
wonderful court jester she would have made! No wonder she could never gain
his admiration and respect, with unseemly displays like that!
"Nevertheless," Endymion was saying seriously, "let me make sure you’re okay.
A fall like that could have serious repercussions later on if not attended to
right away." Before she could protest, he’d moved up behind her and was
laying a hand against her shoulder, using the other to push aside her thick,
knee-length plait of hair. Then she barely managed to hold in a gasp of shock
when she felt that same hand pressing gently against her back, its heat
searing her through the thin layers of fabric that covered her flesh.
"Wh-what are you doing?" she squeaked, panicking a little. His hand on her
back, stroking and kneading gently and carefully, was doing amazing things to
her self-control. Those fingers were firm, but gentle, as they sought for
hidden injuries along her back, and a trembling began deep within her,
despite all efforts to ignore his touch.
"I’m simply trying to determine whether you injured anything," the crown
prince explained calmly as he continued his explorations. "Do you feel any
pain along your spine? Any numbness?" He didn’t seem to be at all aware of
what he was doing to her. Hmmph. Typical, thick-witted male…
"I said I’m fine!" she snapped, feeling as though she would lose control of
herself at any moment, and either run away or turn and throw herself into his
arms. Neither one was an option, of course. "What will people say if they see
us like this?!" Her eyes widened in horror. Oh, the scandal it would cause!
Not that she would necessarily mind being thought of as a possible lover of
the crown prince, but rumors like that could ruin his family name. She
wouldn’t want to destroy Rei’s chances with the oh-so-wonderful King What’s-
his-name, and to hear that the crown prince may or may not be having an
affair with a common servant would no doubt send the king packing in disgust.
Endymion, however, didn’t appear to be half as worried over Rei’s future as
Serena was, because he ignored her panicked outburst and continued with his
gentle ministrations until he was thoroughly satisfied that she was
completely unharmed. "There now," he told her as he stepped back. "That
wasn’t too painful, was it?"
She opened her mouth to retort, found she had none, and shut it again in
befuddlement, looking away from him as she tried to ignore the heat still
burning in her cheeks. Endymion regarded her curiously, well aware that her
pride was still stinging. "You can’t still be embarrassed for falling off
that stool," he told her, attempting to take her mind off her embarrassment.
"I’ve seen worse klutz attacks than that before. Like that time you fell into
the river. Remember?"
She turned instantly, eyes blazing righteously. "You pushed me in! And as I
recall, we both ended up in the river that day, thank-you-very-much!" she
snapped, before noticing the teasing light in his eye and realizing that he
was merely trying to bait her. She huffed and crossed her arms, scowling. "I
was only eight at the time, too, and that’s a little different than the
situation now," she grumbled. "Anyway…was there something in particular you
wanted, or were you simply trying to scare the life out of me? If that’s the
case, you’ve succeeded, so you can be on your way now."
Endymion cocked his head to one side. "I sought you out because I noticed you
seemed a little upset over something," he began carefully, "and I was curious
as to what it was, or if there’s anything I can do to help. Did I say
something to upset you?"
She blinked at him, clearly surprised at the concern in his tone. "I-it’s
nothing," she stammered. "Really, you don’t have to worry about me." She
turned back to the Ghost again, who was still looking a little agitated, and
began to stroke his neck to calm him.
Endymion thought for a moment, before an idea touched him. "Are you upset
because you and Miaka weren’t allowed to attend the banquet last night?" he
asked. "I know you both are usually allowed to dine with us, but with the
visiting king, my parents wanted to be sure to leave him with a good
impression, and I don’t think allowing servants to take their meals with us
would…"
"I could care less about the stupid banquet!" Serena suddenly exploded,
startling the Ghost again. He flattened his ears and backed away from her in
displeasure, and she sighed and tried to coax him back. When he refused to
obey, she frowned and stalked away from the stall, toward the entrance of the
stables. She seemed to have forgotten that Endymion was there. The crown
prince frowned, as well, and started after her, gripping her arm before she
could escape the building.
"You certainly seem to be upset about something, and I won’t allow you to
leave until you tell me what it is," he told her sternly. "I, as your prince,
command it!"
She bristled and glared at him. "Well, please excuse your humble servant,
Your Highness," she snapped, "but I really don’t believe you have the right
to demand that I tell you anything about me!"
He frowned. "Serenity…"
"Quit calling me that!" she cried, yanking her arm away from him. "Serenity
is a name for a lady of the court, and I’m not a courtier! I might’ve been,
once, but that was taken away from me! I’m just a servant, and I’ll always be
a servant! Nothing will ever change that!" And with that, she burst into
tears, turned, and fled the stables, leaving a completely bewildered Endymion
to wonder what in the world had gone wrong.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
Serena was awakened quite rudely by an insistent knocking on her chamber
doors. She cracked an eye open, noticing that it was still dark outside, with
only the barest tint of gray on the horizon to announce the coming dawn. The
knocking started up again, and she scowled and tumbled out of her bed,
shivering as her bare feet hit the cool, stone floor. "Somebody had better be
dead!" she growled as she stumbled for the door and yanked it open. She
blinked in surprise when she found herself looking right up into Endymion’s
dark sapphire gaze, and for a moment could do nothing but stare at him, her
mind still too muzzy with sleep to react, or even to wonder why in the world
the crown prince would be standing outside her chambers in the middle of the
night.
After a moment of utter silence, Endymion’s probing gaze dropped, and a raven
eyebrow arched as it fixed on a certain area with poorly-veiled interest. She
blinked and frowned, looking down at herself to see what was so entertaining
to him, and abruptly realized that she was dressed in only her silken
nightdress. Her rather thin silken nightdress, which had a very low, wide-
scooped neckline that left little to the imagination. To make things worse,
the silk was a lovely, although somewhat revealing, shade of pale cream. Rei
had once given it to her to tease her, knowing that Serena wouldn’t actually
wear something so risqué. What the princess didn’t know was that on warm,
rather humid nights like this one, Serena did wear it, since it kept her
cool. Now, though, she was starting to regret her decision as she let out an
"Eep!" of dismay and slammed the door in Endymion’s face, her heart pounding
and the blood rushing into her cheeks. "What do you want?!" she yelled
through the door.
There was a moment of silence, and then his clearly-amused voice replied,
"Well, to begin with, I’d like to actually see who it is I’m talking to. It’s
rather rude to slam the door in the crown prince’s face, don’t you think?"
There came a disgruntled snort. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I’d assumed that
the crown prince was too busy ogling to take much notice of what I did!" came
the biting reply.
Endymion, to her outrage, merely chuckled in reply. "Next time, perhaps you
might want to put on a shawl if you don’t want me to admire the view," he
purred, and was pleased to note the sudden silence on the other side of the
door. "Now," he continued calmly, glad that the wood between them hid the
smug grin on his face, "I’ve come to request that you dress yourself and come
join me in the stables."
"Why?" she asked suspiciously, and he could almost see her eyes narrowing at
his odd request.
"Because we’re going for a ride," he replied easily. "So, my advice is to
wear something you’re comfortable riding in. It will be a rather long trip."
"And what if I don’t feel like going?" she shot back, and he wondered at the
hint of panic he heard in her tone.
"This isn’t really an option, Serena," he told her seriously. "This is an
order from your liege. I’ll expect you in half an hour in the stables,
dressed to ride."
"But I don’t know how to ride!" she protested weakly.
He raised an eyebrow. Now that was an untruth. He’d seen her ride before,
with Miaka and his sister, and she was just as good as the other two girls at
handling a horse. But he decided to ignore the lie and simply replied, "I’ll
choose a gentle horse for you."
A moment’s hesitation. Then, "And if I don’t show up?"
Her voice sounded innocent enough, but he detected the note of challenge
hidden beneath the playful words, and sighed, well aware that she was testing
his patience as she had done so often in the past. "Then," he replied with a
sly smile, "I guess I’ll be forced to come in there and fetch you myself." He
paused a moment, then continued in a low, intimate tone, "I’ll even dress
you, if you’re going to be stubborn about it…which is something, I admit,
that I would enjoy greatly."
He laughed softly at her outraged sputtering, before turning on his heel and
striding away, boots clicking sharply on the stone floor. She would come. It
would probably take her more than half an hour, but if she knew what was good
for her, she’d show up. He had to wonder, however, if she would really be
rash enough to ignore his orders. It would be quite interesting, he decided,
as a small smile tugged at his lips. The crown prince did not, after all,
make empty threats.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
It was exactly a half an hour later when a very angry Serena stomped into the
stables, making it abundantly clear that she did not appreciate being roused
from her sleep by an arrogant prince at such an unholy hour of the morning.
What was he, after all? A prince or a barbarian? One simply did not go around
threatening innocent, unsuspecting maidens such as herself and dragging them
away to who-knew-where on some crazy whim! It was simply indecent! All this
she managed to convey with a few muttered exclamations and several choice
phrases she’d picked up here and there by the stable boys, most of which were
not suitable to repeat in polite society. Endymion merely listened to her
ranting, quite amused, as she stood before him with arms crossed and an
expression of absolute displeasure pasted to her face. However, she was, he
was pleased to note, dressed properly in slightly-worn trousers and a tunic,
with her long hair plaited neatly down her back and a pair of good leather
riding boots on her feet.
"Wonderful!" he exclaimed cheerfully as he finished clinching the saddle to
his charger and checked the trappings to make sure they were tight. He threw
two leather saddlebags over the Ghost’s rump and fastened them tight, then
swung himself gracefully into the saddle and looked down at Serena, who was
watching him with a somewhat blank expression on her face. Smiling down at
her, he held out a hand. "Tally up?" he said expectantly.
She blinked at him, clearly not understanding what he meant. "Where’s my
horse?" she asked suspiciously.
"Your horse?" he repeated innocently. A sly grin touched his face as he
leaned toward her, locking her in his gaze. "Did you not tell me you didn’t
know how to ride?" he purred.
She gulped. "Didn’t you say you’d choose a gentle horse for me?" she shot
back, not missing a beat. She had a sudden sinking as she realized what he
was up to.
"I did say that," he replied calmly, "and there is not a calmer horse than
the Ghost here when bearing ladies on his back. He knows how to behave like a
true gentleman."
"Unlike his owner," Serena muttered under her breath, trying to keep the
flush she felt creeping into her cheeks at bay.
Endymion smiled. "Well, are you going to climb up, or do I need to climb down
and fetch you up myself?"
"We’ll both be too heavy!" she protested.
"No heavier than I when I’m wearing my armor, which I’m not at the moment, so
it won’t put a strain on the Ghost. He’s a very strong beast. Champion stock,
I might add. Only the best for a prince, after all."
She rolled her eyes. "I’ll saddle my own horse then," she muttered, turning
toward another stall. But before she could take a step, a strong, warm arm
was wrapping itself around her waist, and in the next moment she found
herself being lifted from the ground and deposited in front of Endymion on
the stallion. She squeaked in surprise and gripped the prince’s arms tightly
to keep her balance, before turning to shoot a black glare at his grinning
face. "You have some nerve!" she sputtered.
"Swing your leg over the side," he instructed, completely ignoring her.
"There, like that. Now, we can be off. Don’t worry, I’ve told your sister
you’ll be gone for the day, so…"
"You did what?!" Serena screeched. "Oh, wonderful! Well, I’ll never hear the
end of it now! She’ll be harassing me forever to find out where I went." She
paused, then added suspiciously, "Just where are we going, anyway?"
He chuckled. "You’ll see soon enough," he replied. "Just sit still and be
patient. And trust me when I say that you’ll enjoy yourself."
Seeing as she had no other choice—his arms on either side of her did not
allow for enough room to escape her predicament without falling off and
possibly killing herself—Serena settled with her back against his chest and
tried her best to ignore the pleasant sensation of warm, velvet-clad arms
surrounding her as they rode out of the stable and through the castle
grounds.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
It was now well into morning, and the sun had risen above the mountains in
the distance, casting its light across the valley, chasing away pale morning
shadows and glimmering on the water of the river the two traveler’s rode
beside. Serena held back a jaw-cracking yawn as she shifted in her seat,
trying to hide the fact that she was uncomfortable. She might’ve been a
decent rider, but she’d never ridden for such a long period of time before,
and it didn’t seem as though they were going to stop anytime soon. Her
backside was going numb, and her legs were starting to get stiff. Still,
she’d be blamed if she admitted that she needed a break when Endymion didn’t
seem to be bothered at all!
"We’ll ride on past the next village, then stop for a rest," his voice
suddenly rumbled in her ear, making her jump slightly in surprise. She
frowned irritably. Blast the man, always reading her mind like that! How did
he do that, anyway? She grunted a reply and shifted again, trying to ease the
tingling in her legs. "Unless, of course, you’re ready to stop now," Endymion
added mischievously, noting her unease.
She stiffened slightly. "I’m perfectly fine, thank you," she replied
haughtily, earning another smile from him. He flicked the reigns, and the
Ghost tossed his head and abruptly quickened his pace. Serena, unprepared for
the sudden movement, lost her balance and was thrown back, hard against his
chest. His arms immediately tightened around her to keep her from sliding off
the saddle, and she suddenly found herself in a most interesting position.
"Er…sorry," she mumbled, straightening up again, feeling the heat burning in
her cheeks.
Endymion merely smiled, and they continued on in silence.
~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@
By midday, Serena was starting to wonder if they’d ever reach their
destination, wherever it might be. They’d taken a short rest beside the river
to water the horse and to eat a light meal, and after that they continued on,
always following the river, through villages and past nearby towns; Serena
had now seen more of the kingdom of Davinshire than she’d ever seen before.
She had no idea that the country was so big! And to think…one day Endymion
will rule over it all, she thought in wonder, turning to regard him
thoughtfully. How must he feel at times, knowing that he was destined to be
the ruler of an entire country? Did he ever feel scared of his
responsibilities? No, she decided quickly. Not him. Endymion isn’t the type
of man to be afraid of anything.
The crown prince sensed her gaze upon him and glanced down at her, smiling
slightly, and she quickly turned away, embarrassed to be caught staring. It
was then she realized that they were nearing what must have been, at one
time, a prosperous, sprawling manor. There wasn’t much left of it now,
however. The house—which was really more of a small castle than a mere
house—was nothing but a crumbling ruin of stone walls and charred wood. The
courtyard was littered with rubble, and weeds and clinging vines covered
every surface with green. The gardens surrounding the house had grown wild,
although patches of blackened earth—the remains of some great fire—could
still be glimpsed through the tangle of vines and shrubbery. Serena looked
around in wonder. There was a wild, tragic beauty about this place. Such an
air of hopelessness hung over everything in a kind of chill aura. Some great
tragedy had befallen the owners of this manor at some point in time. A past
war, perhaps? Or thieves? She wondered if anyone had survived to tell the
tale.
The Ghost slowed to a halt as Endymion reigned him in, and stamped polished
hooves on the stone with sharp clacks. "We’re here," the crown prince
announced, sliding off the horse’s back.
Serena’s brow furrowed in confusion as she, too, slid from the saddle, barely
catching herself when her legs almost didn’t support her. "And where exactly
is here?" she demanded. "You mean this is it? You forced me to ride the whole
way out into the middle of nowhere…just to show me some old ruins?" She
didn’t know whether to hit him or to steal his horse and ride back to the
castle without him. Either one was a pleasant prospect to her at the moment.
"This isn’t just some old ruin, Serenity," Endymion was telling her
seriously, turning to look into her eyes. There was something in his tone
that suggested there was more to the story than he was letting on, and she
regarded him suspiciously in return.
"It isn’t?" she questioned. Then, attempting to keep her temper in check, she
added, "Just where exactly are we, Endymion?"
"We’re at the remains of what was once the manor of Willow Glen," he replied
calmly, his gaze searching hers for any sign of recognition.
She tilted her head to one side curiously, pursing her lips. "Willow Glen…"
she repeated. Shaking her head, she added hesitantly, "The name…seems
familiar to me…"
"This is where it started, Serenity," he told her, moving closer to her and
laying a hand on her shoulder. She blinked up at him, before a faint light of
recognition began to dawn in her wide eyes.
"This…is…" she whispered, her face paling slightly.
"Yes," he replied softly, nodding his head. "This was once your home,
Serenity. Willow Glen was where you were born."
(
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