Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Fairytale Princess ❯ Recounting The Past ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Would I be writing fanfics if I did?

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After finally managing to pry Rini off the princess, she then started telling Serena all about how she was so happy to be going to a banquet and ball. The pair seemed to warm right up to each other.

All of the men watched on as Serena laughed at the little girl's antics. Going over to the now silent minstrels, Serena instructed them to start playing again. When they did Rini and Serena started dancing around.

Suddenly the doors opened to reveal none other than Raye. She looked at the two dancing girls before shaking her head. The other girls quickly appeared behind her. They were all now de-transformed so they looked less intimidating than before.

"What are you doing?" Mina asked almost bouncing up to Serena and Rini.

"Dancing," Rini said hiding behind Serena's legs once again. With a small smile, Serena looks up at the girls.

"Care to join us?" she said. The others look hesitant until Lita almost squealed.

"Of course," she said, with a huge grin. Hearing a cough from nearby, Serena narrowed her eyes slyly.

'Hmm,' she thought, 'Time for some fun.' With that she walked over to the generals and, despite his wary look, grabbed Nephrite's hand. Almost dragging him back over to the girls, she took Lita's hand and pushed them together.

"Well, you'll need a partner then," Serena said watching as the two looked away from the other. As the minstrels once again began playing, Nephrite and Lita just stood there.

Serena let out a big huff before stalking over to the guys and grabbing Endymion. After pulling him back over, despite his also silent protests, she looked at the others.

"Just follow us," she said. When they started dancing, Mina immediately wanted to join in. Grabbing Malachite, they quickly settled in beside Serena and Endymion.

Shyly Zoisite asked Amy to dance, to which she agreed. Slowly they joined the small group, which now included Lita and Nephrite.

As the others danced around the ballroom happily, Raye made it a point to glare at Jadeite. Almost as if to say 'touch me and you die'.

He looked a little disappointed until Endymion made a move to bump into Raye.

She fell forward and Jadeite had no choice but to catch her. Blushing, and mentally vowing to kill the sneaky prince, Raye lifted her head from Jadeite's chest. He offered the most charming smile he could in an attempt to sway her.

Eventually, Raye gave in and joined the dancing. Even Artemis had snared Rini into dancing with him.

"This is fun," Mina called out to Serena. She smiled broadly at the comment.

"Well this is how we dance all time in the village," she replied. A loud slap halted everyone's movements as they looked in the direction the disturbing noise
originated.

Lo and behold, there stood Jadeite with a big red handprint on his cheek. And Raye was right beside him, and if it was possible, the girls were sure there would have been smoke coming from her ears.

Everyone stopped and Endymion just shook his head.

"Leech," Raye hissed at Jadeite. She then stomped from the room. Jadeite quickly raced after her, leaving the rest of the group in his dust.

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An hour later, Serena found herself in the kitchen, trying to decide on what meals should be served at the banquet. She had decided on garlicky bread for the entree, roast beef with potatoes and vegetables for the main course, but dessert was stumping her. She had no idea what everyone would like at the end of their meals.

Someone clearing their throat behind her quickly drew the princess to attention. She turned to find Giana wearing a kind smile.

"Need some help?" the woman asked. Serena was a little unsure but nodded nonetheless. The honey haired woman stepped up beside Serena to look over what she had already decided on. She saw the plates that held samples of different foods, and also the one's the princess had set aside for her final decision.

"So what's the problem?" she asked cheerily.

"I can't decide what should be served for dessert," Serena replied, biting her lip. Giana nodded before looking at the dishes once again. They all looked delicious so what was the little princess so worried about?

"Do you know what Endymion's favourite flavour is, Giana?" Serena asked without thinking. The woman's face darkened considerably before Serena realized what she said. "Oh I'm sorry. I don't know why I asked that. Ugh I am just going to stop talking now," she said. Giana shook her head. Getting into a fight with the princess wouldn't do her any good, besides, she still needed to get some of her blood.

"Its okay, your highness," she assured the girl.

"Please call me Serena," she replied with a kind smile. Giana almost wanted to strangle her. How could Endymion see anything in this stupid, little blonde? She was too nice for her own good. Against her better judgement, she decided to answer her question.

"Chocolate," she said. Serena looked confused for a moment before it sunk in.

"Hmm, chocolate," Suddenly a smile spread over her face as she snapped her fingers. "Chocolate mud cake! How about that, Giana?" she asked, turning to the other woman. She just smiled and nodded.

"Sounds great," she said. Serena then added that to the menu she had been drawing up. Giana inwardly cursed. How was she supposed to get some of her blood without seeming suspicious? It was then she noticed the knife sitting just to the right of the blonde girl. She had obviously been using it to sample the foods for there was a fork right beside it. An idea began forming in her mind.

"I shall take these to be cleaned for you your highness," she said picking the utensils up. Serena was so absorbed in her writing that she just nodded. Giana smirk as she turned, deliberately dragging the knife along the princess's porcelain skin. She hissed in pain and jumped back from the knife.

"Oh, I apologise your highness. I didn't mean to cut you," she said, pretending to be scared of being punished. Serena just shook her head.

"It's okay. It was only an accident. I'll go find Amy and see if she can fix this up," she said gesturing to the cut. She then bowed her head, grabbed the papers and left the kitchen.

Giana smirked once she was out of sight. She pulled a vile from her pocket, which had once held perfume, and allowed three drops of crimson to fall into it. She then placed the lid on and put it back into her pocket. She had the blood and the little princess was none the wiser. Tonight, she would take back Endymion forever.

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Artemis was sitting alone in the library when Endymion payed him a visit. He bowed deeply and gestured for the young prince to take a seat. He had an idea of why the prince wanted to talk to him but he kept his mouth shut.

"So you are the one who looked after Serena when she disappeared?" he asked. Artemis nodded but didn't speak. Endymion was silent for a moment before asking another question.

"What happened to her?" he asked quietly. Artemis shook his head and placed down the book he had been reading.

"I don't know exactly but from what we have deciphered, the Queens convoy was attacked as they returned to the Moon. This I'm sure you already knew," he said.

At Endymion's nod he continued. "She said that one of the men took Serenity from her arms and disappeared. They searched for days but no sign of the little princess was ever found," he replied.

The Earth had known that Queen Selena had been attacked but no-one had ever informed them that her daughter had been stolen. They hadn't even been informed she had a daughter. When he finally came from his thoughts, Endymion realised Artemis was speaking again.

"I found her in the forests, surrounded by the bodies of three men. They were sliced up beyond recognition though. So, with no knowledge of who she was, I took her in. I raised her and taught her how to read and write but I never thought she could be a princess," he paused for a moment as if in thought before continuing. "But now that I think about it, I believe she will be a perfect princess. She may be little rough around the edges but her heart is beyond compare," he said with a kind smile.

Endymion could tell that he loved Serena very much. He spoke with a tone and pride only a father could accomplish. Another thought crossed his mind and, before he could stop himself, he asked.

"Do you know of Celeste?" this question surprised Artemis. Celeste only appeared when Serenity was in danger so what could this man have done to warrant such anger that she would lash out? He appeared to care about Serena so he couldn't be that bad.

"That I do. If I may ask, young prince, how do you know of Celeste?" Artemis asked, looking the man directly in the eyes. Endymion met his gaze fearlessly as he answered.

"The girls wanted to test Serena and it got a little too out of hand," he said. He recounted how Mina had bound the princess and Amy had slapped her. He then told the older man of how Celeste had overpowered the entire group, but refused to harm him.

"Ah, yes. Her soul mark," Artemis mused. "I must say, when I first discovered it, I doubted its authentication. Everyone knows of the rarity of such a bond so to see someone I knew as an orphan with a mark like that, I was gobsmacked to say the least," he replied. Endymion nodded. "Do you have a mark?" Artemis added slyly.

He wasn't blind. He had seen the way his daughter and the prince before him acted together. If his theory was correct, Serena and Endymion were meant for each other. And their attraction was no coincidence.

Slowly Endymion nodded again. He then proceeded to pull down the collar of his shirt. There, over where Artemis could only assume his heart would be, was a clear as day crescent moon. It easily stood out against the tanned skin of his chest. And it almost seemed to be glowing too.

"I thought so," he said. Endymion replaced his shirt.

"I didn't believe in any of that sort of stuff. Well at least not until mine appeared," he said. Artemis looked thoughtful before speaking again.

"When did it appear?" he questioned. Endymion thought it over for a moment before answering.

"When I was twelve," he said. "That was the first time I came to the moon. And the last," he added regretfully. Artemis thought back. If Endymion was twelve that meant Serena would have only been ten. He remembered that she had started glowing for no reason. It only lasted a moment before it died down. If Artemis hadn't been paying close attention he would have sworn it never happened in the first place.

"What day did it first appear?" he asked.

"I believe it was the day that eclipse took place," Endymion said. He remembered watching the eclipse from his room in this very castle. Artemis almost fell off his chair. Sure he had suspected it but now there was proof. Their soul marks had appeared on the same day. It must have been since they were suddenly on the same planet and in close proximity.

"The strange thing was though, it disappeared when I left," Endymion added. No-one had believed him when he told them of his mark, since he had no proof.

Artemis remained silent. Endymion obviously had it now so that meant being on the moon, and near Serena once again, must have brought it back.

"And it reappeared when you came to the moon again," Artemis surmised. Endymion shook his head.

"It reappeared when I uh..." he trailed off, not exactly sure how to tell Artemis. The older man raised an eyebrow.

"When I, what?" he coaxed. Endymion sighed in defeat. No use hiding it.

"When I kissed Serenity," he finished. An almost invisible smile appeared on Artemis's face as he listened.

"Well I must say I am happy to know Serena is destined for you rather than some sleazebag," he said. "You have my blessing," Artemis added. A smile broke out over Endymion's features.

"Thank you," he said bowing respectfully. He was just about to leave when Artemis called him back.

"I only have two words of advice, young prince. One, do not let Serena know I told you all this. She doesn't like others talking about the past. And two, do not, I repeat, do not piss Celeste off. From what you have told me I can tell you only this. She is powerful and I have a feeling it stems far deeper than that which you have already seen," Artemis told him.

Endymion looked at him suspiciously. He seemed to know something beyond what he was letting on. But brushing it aside, he left the library. Now he needed to find Serena and tell her the good news.

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After Amy had finished cleaning her cut, Serena asked the blue haired girl about her friend, Zoisite. She had noticed that each of the girls had become cosy with one of Endymion's generals, and now she had a chance to confirm it.

"So how are you two getting along?" the princess asked.

"Who?" the princess asked, looking at Serena with a confused look. Serena just rolled her cornflower blue eyes.

"Zoisite of course," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, very well. He enjoys reading too and is a brilliant scholar," she replied. Serena rolled her eyes yet again as Amy blushed.

"Come on Amy. I know you two have been getting friendly," she said with a wink. Amy's blush just got deeper. "Fine, well what about the other girls? Any luck for them?" Before Amy could answer the door burst open and in walked Raye, Lita and Mina.

"You should know better than to gossip about people behind their back Serena," Mina said in mock anger. Serena just scoffed.

"And what about you telling the girls about my little soul mark," she retorted. Mina promptly silenced herself. Serena let out a laugh at her friend. She obviously hadn't been aware that she knew.

"You knew about that?" she said quietly. Serena nodded.

"None of you are any good at acting if I do say so myself," she said, fixing each of the girls with a glare. They each seemed to shy away. Well all except Lita. She just plonked down beside the two girls and began babbling away.

"Well if you must know I am rather fond of Lord Nephrite myself," Lita said, never being one to pass up the chance to gossip, and hoping to divert attention from the previous topic.

"Why does that not surprise me? I knew you two would go well together. Nephrite doesn't seem like the type of man to be attracted to petite, dainty little women," Serena laughed. Lita soon joined her in her laughing.

"Well I like Malachite," Mina said in a huff.

"Tell us something we don't know Mina," Raye said sarcastically.

"Well what about you and Jadeite, Raye? Huh?" Mina said patronizingly. Raye blushed but scowled at the same time.

"How could I possibly be interested in a leech like him? He grabbed my butt while we were dancing today," she fumed. Serena looked surprised. She didn't pin Jadeite as that kind of guy.

"Doesn't stop you from liking him though. We've all seen the way you blush when he says something sweet," Lita added. Raye glared at her but the blush on her face said it all.

"Okay so maybe he isn't that bad," she admitted begrudgingly. Serena smiled and Mina squealed.

"Well it's about time. I could just tell you'd fall head over heels for him," Mina exclaimed. Everyone raised an eyebrow at this.

"Oh, yeah? And how exactly did you know?" Serena asked.

"I am the Scout, not to mention princess, of love. I think I would know when people are destined for each other," she huffed. Everyone, Amy included, rolled their eyes.

"So how about you and Prince Endymion, Serena? What's the deal there?" Lita asked slyly. Serena suddenly blushed darker than any of the other girls. She fiddled with her hands as she avoided their gazes.

"We're close," she admitted. The other girls just rolled their eyes.

"Serena, close is Amy and Zoisite. You and Endymion look like you're practically married," Lita said. That didn't help Serena's blush lighten. All the girls suddenly burst out laughing at their princess's expense.

A knock at the door quickly halted their jest fest as Amy moved to see who was there. She opened the doors to find Endymion standing there. A slight blush was coating his cheeks too and the girls could only assume he had heard their last statement. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"I need to speak with Serenity," he said. Serena wasted no time in standing and moving to the door. Mina and Lita sent out a few "you go girl," calls that had Serena embarrassed beyond belief. The pair closed the door behind them and began walking down the hall.

"Sorry about them," Serena said after a while. Endymion just laughed. "We were talking about them and the generals when progression of conversation led them to you and me..."

"And that's when the whole already married idea came up," he finished for her. Serena gaped at him before punching him in the shoulder.

"You were listening?!" she exclaimed. Endymion just shrugged.

"Only a little," he said slyly. Serena just scowled. As they walked around a corner, Endymion took Serena's hand and pulled her to him. "Besides, I kind of like that idea," he whispered in her ear. Serena felt her blush return full force before she turned her head away in an attempt to hide it. He let her go and they continued out into the gardens.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about something, Serena," Endymion said as they sat down on a bench. "About the banquet tomorrow night, I have to take Giana." Serena nodded for him to continue. "It's just that's the reason she's here and I'd feel bad about leaving her out of it. Especially since I agreed to take her
before we arrived."

"It's fine Endymion. I wouldn't want her left out either," she replied.

"And..." Endymion continued, drawing Serena's attention again. When she turned to look at him Endymion suddenly felt his confidence wavering. "I wanted to know if, when this whole banquet thing is over, you'd like to come back and see the Earth... with me," he asked.

Serena just nodded and hugged Endymion. He wrapped his arms around her waist and was surprised when the princess began laughing. He poked her sides again and she giggled.

Serena soon found herself lying on the bench while Endymion ran his hands quickly up and down her sides. She could barely breathe with the amount of laughing she was doing. She had screwed her eyes shut as she tried to stop her laughing. When his hands suddenly stopped, Serena opened an eye to find him looking at her. She fidgeted slightly under the intensity of his gaze.

"What?" she asked nervously. He shook his head.

"Nothing. I just never thought I'd ever meet someone as beautiful as you Serena," he said truthfully. The blonde princess could feel her blush returning yet again.

"Even when you're laughing like a hyena you're still the most beautiful woman I've ever met," he added. Serena just rolled her eyes.

"I do not laugh like a hyena," she protested. Endymion just laughed at this. Glancing over, Endymion noticed that the sun was just about to set. Before he could think twice, he leant down and captured Serena's lips with his. She was shocked for a moment before eagerly responding. They stayed like that for a few moments before Endymion pulled away.

"What was that for?" Serena asked, trying to once again regain her breath.

"There's a legend on Earth that if two people kiss at the exact moment the sun slips below the horizon, they'll be together forever," he said, blushing. Now he wasn't sure what had possessed him to do that. He always thought it was a stupid legend anyway. When he looked back down, Serena was smiling with her eyes beginning to water. Next thing he knew, Endymion was being engulfed in a bone crushing hug.

"That's so sweet," she said into his chest. Endymion just placed his arms around her too. He had always thought it was a stupid legend but now he couldn't help but hope it was true. Right then and there, the young Earth prince vowed that come hell or high water, he would do everything in his power to stay with the blonde beauty currently encased in his arms.

Too bad someone else has other ideas. Ideas that would come to pass in just a few short hours.

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