Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Hope of Revenge ❯ Past Encounters ( Chapter 5 )

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

"My lord, I bring before you a feast fit for a King," Setsujoku declared as he entered the room with as much grandeur and pomp as he could muster.


Darien swung his long legs over the side of the bed, a smile already etched on his handsome face. "And what is on the menu today?" he asked as he placed the book he had been reading onto the grey cotton covers of his cot.


"Ahh, good sir, this shall tempt you're taste buds for sure," Setsujoku replied, placing the basket of food on the table. "Allow me to present the fine delicacies prepared for your Grace's enjoyment." With a vivid display of courtly presentation, Setsujoku removed the contents of the basket and laid them out on the small wooden table for Darien to see. "I'm sure that something in this array of sumptuous morsels will be to your pleasing."


Darien chucked as he walked to the table, eyeing the coarse bread, the already cold meat, and the flagon of too warm ale. In the center were two apples. "I must admit you've outdone yourself today," the young Prince said.


"Only the finest from Queen Beryl's kitchens," Setsujoku replied as he motioned to a chair. Darien sat down and so did his companion.


"Fresh fruit...Master Setsujoku, you shouldn't have," Darien teased, at which point Setsujoku snatched up both of the apples.


"All right, if you don't want them, I'd be more than happy to take care of them myself."


Darien snorted. "Oh no, really, that's not necessary. I couldn't ask you to make such a sacrifice on your part."


"Oh please, my Lord," the smiling jail keeper said. "It's no trouble at all. I would gladly sacrifice myself in such a way for your Grace."


"Ahh, but I cannot be the bringer of such misfortune upon someone so humble and self-sacrificing."


Setsujoku chuckled as he handed one of the apples back to Darien. "Very well, Prince, I won't deprive you of your own sacrifice."


"I thank you for that," he replied as he laid the shiny red apple beside his plate and reached for a slice of bread.


"So, how do you feel today, youngling?" Setsujoku asking, his raspy voice slicing through the silence of the room.


Darien winced a little as he shifted his shoulder around. "Still a little soar, but nothing I won't get over."


"They let you off easy then," was the answer he got. "I warned you not to get Beryl mad, and that includes her minions as well. They have no mercy for someone who is not one of them."


"I wasn't about to tell them anything. They can do what they want with me," Darien retorted before he took a bite of a hunk of meat.


"I'd say good on you, but I can't," Setsujoku said as he poured himself a mug of warm ale. "I admire your determination, but I pity your arrogance and self confidence."


Darien arched an eyebrow. "Arrogance?"


"Aye, your arrogance," the older man confirmed. "You still believe that you can outwit and out-think Queen Beryl, but you won't be able to. She has too many weapons against you, ones you don't even know about yet. You'll break, one day you'll break."


"Thank you for your vote of confidence," Darien remarked sarcastically, laying his bread back on the chipped plate.


"I'm not trying to be harsh, lad, I'm only keeping it realistic for you. I was once in your position too, headstrong and determined, but with time I learned that it was pointless to fight."

There was a moment of silence as the two men chewed. Darien had been in Beryl's fortress for nearly two weeks already, and each day the man before him had brought him all his meals and taken care of him, to a degree. They could speak with one another fairly comfortably, so there were no terribly long, drawn out silences. Darien was glad for his companionship since it gave him a break from thinking too much about his situation.


Every few days, Darien would find himself taken from his jail cell, for that's what it seemed like, and led to a small room where he was questions about various plans and people of the Silver Alliance. He was promised freedom from punishment if he gave up his former titles, positions, and loyalties in favor of Queen Beryl, but Darien refused. As his reward for refusal he got several beatings, all of which left him in pain and discomfort, though never anything fatally damaging or unbearable.


Finally, Darien swallowed and sighed. He didn't like it when the air between him and his only source of conversation was tense, so he broke the silence by asking,"When did you come here? I mean, how long have you been under Beryl's service?"


Setsujoku chewed for a few more seconds before washing the mouth full down with a swig of ale. "More years than I care to remember. I was Beryl's prisoner and captive for about ten years before I finally entered her service."


"What made you give your allegiance to her?" Darien asked, feeling a twinge of sadness for the man before him. He had reached his breaking point, Beryl had won over him. It must have been hard to submit.


Setsujoku chuckled throatily. "I simply didn't have the strength in me to fight anymore. I lost focus of what had been important to me before, and everything in my mind clouded over. It was a matter of survival partially, and partially Beryl's forgetfulness. For years she forgot about me and eventually decided I should be of some use to her if I was living here. I didn't do anyone any harm, and I was no longer trying to escape."


"Why didn't she just kill you then?" Darien asked, puzzled by the Queen's show of uncharacteristic mercy.


There was another long pause before Setsujoku spoke. "You know, that was one thing I could never figure out," he stated softly. "Maybe it's because of my skill with the sword," he added proudly, tapping his blade gently. "I got into very few scuffles where I was given a weapon, or where I took one by force, and no one here could best me with the sword. Maybe she wishes to use that skill someday to her advantage."


Darien nodded. "Maybe, but that doesn't seem like Beryl. Why haven't you tried to escape since then? After all, you're not watched anymore if you're not her prisoner."


"I told you one before, I am loyal to Queen Beryl. Besides, where would I go if I did escape? An old man alone in the universe wouldn't get far, especially in these times of war."


"You could go back home, wherever you came from."


Setsujoku's head fell and he seemed to be staring at his plate. Darien couldn't tell for sure because of the hood that always shielded the upper half of his face. "No, I couldn't," was all Setsujoku finally said.


"But why--" anything further Darien had to say was interrupted by the rattling of keys in the lock, followed by the creak of the opening door. A burly guard with tarnished armor walked in, his sword gleaming in the torchlight coming from the hallway. His black hair was slicked back and pulled into a short ponytail near the base of his neck.


"Prince Endymion," she said smoothly with a wide, toothy grin. "Her Ladyship wishes to have a word with you." His words dripped with a deadly sarcasm, politeness that was too sugary and fake. His deep voice echoed in the small chamber, giving Darien an eerie, claustrophobic feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't show any emotion though as he wiped his mouth with a coarse napkin.


"And what does the Queen wish to discuss?" he asked with equally sarcastic formality.


"I am but a humble servant of the Queen, Prince. She does not tell me such things," the guard replied, his eyes glittering with lies and deception. Oh, Darien knew very well that the tank standing before him knew why the Queen wished to see him.


"May I finish my dinner first or is the Queen so desperate to see me that my meal has to wait?"


"The illustrious Queen Beryl does not like to be kept waiting," Setsujoku said from his seat. "It's best if you go now."


"Smart words, Setsujoku. Mind that you remember them," the guard replied with a level of disgust in his voice. He looked down at the servant with harshness and annoyance, as if the cloaked jailer was nothing more than scum on the bottom of his boots.


"Oh aye, I'll remember them, you don't need to worry about me. I'd worry more about yourself than those around you," Setsujoku replied as he wiped his mouth.


"And I would keep my mouth shut if I were you, old man, or you might find yourself in an uncomfortable situation," the guard snapped, lifting his blade into the air in Setsujoku's direction.


"Point that thing elsewhere, boy," Setsujoku said calmly, not even flinching. "Otherwise the Prince here will find out how you got that first scar on your chin."


The guard rubbed his chin gently as he lowered his sword slightly. "Pure luck, old man, pure luck. If I could I would teach you real swordsmanship."


"Oh aye, sure you would, if you weren't so afraid of Queen Beryl," Setsujoku taunted.


"You fear her as much as I do, as much as anyone," the guard barked.


"I don't know if I agree with you on that. Our friend here doesn't seem to fear her all that much," Setsujoku replied calmly, shifting his head in Darien's direction.


"That will change soon," the guard replied, putting his grin back in place. "If you'll be so kind as to follow me, your highness, I'll escort you to the Queen's chambers."


Darien placed one hand on the rough wooden table and stood from his seat. "I suppose I have no other choice," he muttered as he walked to the door that the guard was holding open. The guard grabbed Darien's injured shoulder and pushed him ahead, causing the young prince to wince in pain.


"Oh, I'm sorry, Prince, I had forgotten that you were injured today," he drawled out. Darien gritted his teeth but said nothing as he straitened his back, staring the guard strait in the eyes and allowing his displeasure to emanate from his eyes.


"I'm sure you did," Setsujoku called after them, "and you, sir, would look wonderful in that pink silk dressing gown you've been dying to buy the past three months."


Darien heard the guard growl something under his breath before slamming the door to the jail cell behind him. "Lock him in there if you like," he said to the two guards standing on either side of the door. They didn't move but snickered under their breaths.


The hallways were long and dim, with only a few smoky torches illuminating the way. It wasn't as if they were in a cave though, far from it. Everything was very dry and clean, but also cold and uninviting. The stone walls led them by many doors, before Darien felt himself jerked back roughly by the same shoulder as before. "We're here," the guard snapped as he stood before the set of double doors.


Darien brushed the hand off his shoulder, but it only came back with a tighter grip. The guard used the hilt of his sword to bang on the iron doors three times before they swung open soundlessly. Two minions had opened them from the inside, and now permitted entry to the guard and his hostage.


Darien found himself being roughly led into the room. There was a round table with a dark colored tablecloth and a feast fit for any Queen. She sat on one side, her chair turned toward a blazing hearth next to her. Her red hair was accentuated by the glow of the dancing flames, her eyes sparkling with the same heat and fire as was before her. She turned her head and stared at the two men who had just entered. Darien felt a firm pressure on his shoulder and was suddenly forced to fall to his knees, his bones hitting the stone floor with a crack. He winced and bowed his head to inspect the damage, though he wouldn't be able to see any if it was there.


"Your Majesty, Queen Beryl, I have brought the prisoner, Prince Endymion, as your grace requested."


"You may leave us," she said, her clear words filling the room. Darien looked up at her and found her staring at him with a cool gaze. He shivered.


"Does your grace trust him to be left alone with him?" the guard asked hesitantly.


Beryl's cold gaze shifted from Darien to the guard. "Do you think I would have told you to leave us alone if I didn't?" she snapped, her posture and dominance daring him to argue with her.


"No, your Grace, my apologies," he muttered. He gave Darien one last painful squeeze on the shoulder before removing his grip and walking out of the room. The doors shut behind him with a click and Darien heard the two minions skitter somewhere out of sight.


Queen Beryl brought her gaze back to him as she gestured to the chair opposite from her. "Please, Prince Endymion, have a seat."


Darien stood from his kneeling position and walked over to the chair, pulling it from the table and sitting down in its soft cushions. "Your ladyship wished to speak with me," he stated in a monotone voice.


"I merely wished for you to accompany me for dinner," she replied, turning her chair so she was facing the table.


The food looked sumptuous and smelled heavenly, far better than anything Darien had eaten since his arrival. Saliva was already gathering in his mouth at the sight before him. "I thank you for your kind offer, but I have already had my dinner tonight," he replied.


Beryl snorted. "And I'm sure that it was enough and tasted far better than all of this," she said sarcastically as she waved her hand across the table.


"It was to my satisfaction," Darien replied.


"Then have some wine at least, accompany me in a drink," she purred, gesturing to the cup before him as she picked up her own golden goblet. "Or do you plan on refusing all of my orders tonight?"


Darien arched an eyebrow, amused by the display. "If it is within my power and will," he replied cheekily, enjoying the way her face and hand froze as she was about to take a sip. His eyes taunted her as she placed the goblet back on the lacquered table. He expected her to get irritated, but rather, she smiled and reached for a bunch of grapes.


"You're very amusing, Endymion," she said as she popped one of the juicy pieces of fruit into her mouth. "That quality prompts me to be very direct and open with you, and I hope you will feel the same way about me."


Darien stared at her with a slightly puzzled look, but shrugged it off. "What is it that you wished to discuss with me?"


"My, I thought after so many years you would be willing to speak with me on a friendly basis," she said, sounding offended.


"Considering the recent developments between yourself and the Silver Alliance, even you cannot claim that there hasn't been friction and that there isn't possibility for more."


"You're right about that, but I was hoping that we would be able to enjoy a civil conversation for once."


"It seems that I have little choice but to comply," Darien retorted. "I'm not exactly free to come and go as I please."


"A mere precaution to make sure you don't run away before we have had a chance to chat," Beryl explained, though the truth of the words was nowhere to be seen.


"You can't blame me for wanting to go back to my home, people, and wife."


Beryl's smile dropped. "Your people and planet I can understand, but your wife?" she snorted. "That milk maid of a girl is not someone whom I would have expected for you to choose as a wife."


"There is absolutely nothing wrong with Serenity. She is not a milk maid of any sort, even if you may think so, and she is more of a woman than I could have ever hoped to have."


Beryl snorted again. "She has bewitched you, that much I can see. What makes her better than anyone else though? Why did you accept her, but refuse me?"


Darien sighed. Yes, the past was rearing its ugly head once again. "My Lady, when you came with your proposal, I didn't know you. I asked for time which you granted, but only for a short while before becoming impatient. The more I learned of the Dark Kingdom from my father and mother, the more I didn't not want to be a part of it."


"I don't even want to begin to imagine what distorted facts they told you," she hissed. "Are you so quick to believe everything you are told and not investigate for yourself?"


"I did do my own investigating, and the oppression that your ladyship brings was not something I wished to have inflicted upon my people. Do not forget, my parents were there at the battle between the Negaverse and them so many years ago. Many of Earth's cities were destroyed by the armies of Queen Aminiha, your lady mother."

"Do I look like my mother, Prince Endymion? Before your union with that minx of the Moon, I did not lay a finger against the Earth and her people. If you had become allied with me, the Earth would never have had to suffer through this war."


"Yes, and you would have had easier access to the Moon."


"Of course. They did me a great injustice and I only wish to claim back their debt."


"You know my standing on this issue. War is war, and what happens in times of war cannot be blamed on the participants. It is a matter of killing or being killed, nothing more."


"There is more," Beryl snapped. "Much, much more. I saw the pain that the Moon Queen brought to my mother, the anguish she put her through, the lies and deceit she used, how she stole and denied, forced and seduced. There are greater issues than you know, Prince Endymion."


Darien didn't like the tension that was rising. "Tell me, why did you wish for me to take your hand if I was part of the Alliance that brought such pain to your mother?" he asked.


"You would have been a great King," Beryl said smoothly, finally taking a sip from her goblet. "The ruler of the Negavere as well as the galaxy you now inhabit. Together, we could have conquered it all with ease."


"But you won't conquer it yourself?" Darien asked, trying to see if he could maker her reveal something.


Beryl simply smiled coldly. "Do not make such assumptions, Prince Endymion, it does not befit you. I can conquer your galaxy with or without you by my side, but it is your choice if you will be there or not."


"Are you armies so powerful that you can bring down all the members of the Silver Alliance?" he asked.


"I have power enough, as well as plans that are already in action. That is all you need to know." She smiled and slid the rim of her goblet across her lips. "Now, the question is, are you still going to stubbornly cling to an Alliance that has no chance of victory, or will you see the light and make a wise choice to join the more powerful and favorable side?"


"I will not abandon that which I love," Darien stated clearly, his strong voice resonating off the walls of the large chamber.


"You are a fool then," Beryl snapped and clapped her hands. The two minions that had opened the doors earlier scurried back into the room. "Please inform Prince Endymion's escort that he is ready to leave." The two creatures opened the heavy iron doors and skittered out of the room. Within moments the Tank came back in and bowed.


Endymion stood from his seat and walked over to the burly guard. He then turned and gave a deep bow to the Queen. "My Lady, it has been a pleasure," he said cooly, allowing the sarcasm to permeate the room. Beryl only arched her eyebrow but said nothing as Darien found himself being pushed out the door roughly.


Beryl sighed as soon as the great doors had been shut and she was left alone. Her slender fingers reached up and rubbed her forehead. As a little girl she had pitied her mother, and now she understood the pain more than ever.


I ran excitedly to mothers room, clutching my hands to my chest. I knew she would be proud of me as I burst through the door and glanced around for her. The door to her balcony was open and the curtains fluttered in the gently breeze. I skipped all the way to the door and walked out. She was standing there, tall and proud, holding a letter in her hands. Her wavy red hair, usually worn down and loosely tied back, was pulled up into a tight knot on her head. Her loose robes flowed around her with the light wind.

I approached her. "Mama! Look!" I cried as my hair whipped at my face. I held out my hands, a small ball of dark energy in my palms, not big, but full of power. The biggest one I had made.

Mama dropped down to one knee and looked at her me, her eyes glimmering with the light of the setting sun. "That's very good sweetheart. Very good," she murmured, and I couldn't help but smile. "You're going to be able to do this on a larger scale very soon."

I looked at mama quizzically. "Why?"

She looked into my eyes then with an intensity and determination that almost frightened me, and picked up the ball of dark energy, twirling it in her fingers. "We have to go and punish some people who have hurt mommy," she said coldly.

I stared at her mother, and slowly nodded my head. I suddenly knew what her she meant. For weeks she had been worried about Prince Kinotsu, the man who had captured her heart. Rumors had been floating around the castle that there was a possibility the prince would reject her. It must have happened.

Queen Beryl sighed as she leaned her head back and stroked the pendant at her throat. That had been her mother's battle, her war, her pain. Beryl's pain came much later.

I watched in anticipation. Mother had finally captured the Moon Queen, that wench who had seduced Prince Kinotsu away from mother. Now was the moment of revenge. I smiled in glee. The said Prince Kinotsu, now King of the Moon, was engaged in a battle with the Lord Mars, while the whore stood in the center of the room with that sniveling daughter of hers.

Mother chuckled. I could see her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Selenity, no!" Kinotsu cried out as mother unleashed a dark beam of energy, sending it strait at Selenity and Serenity. I glanced at Lord Mars and Kinotsu. At that moment, Mars loosened his grip on Kino, who he had been holding in a death grip, completely at his mercy. I watched in surprise as Kinotsu bolted and ran for his family.

Everyone, myself included, could only watch in horror as the dark beam hurtled towards Selenity. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her whimpering child. I watched the whole thing, heard her cry out the name."Kino," and heard him calling her name in return.

Suddenly, everything went quiet, and Selenity's eyes snapped open. She opened them just in time to see Kino wrap his arms around her and their daughter in an attempt to shield them from the oncoming energy. He really thought he could help them, that he could shield them from my mothers intentions.

Then he was gone. Mothers bolt of dark energy had hit him in the back.

"The fool," I heard mother snap, but then heard her chuckle. "No matter I suppose-"

Anything further mother had to say was cut off by the sound of a child's wail. Selenity stood there, trembling, obviously shattered over the fact that Kinotsu was no longer there.

I stared as a bright glow pulsated from the crystal at her chest. Everything went silent as Serenity stopped screaming. Tears streamed down Selenity's face as the Imperium Silver Crystal began to hover before her, awakened from its dormant sleep. I stared at the glowing stone, completely riveted, but then a sense of fear and foreboding hit me. I looked to mother, and fear filtered across her beautiful face. I looked back to Selenity as a beam of brilliant white light shot from the crystal.

"You will pay," was all Selenity said, quietly and gently, as the light made contact mother, my mother, mama. She didn't even have the opportunity to utter a sound. As the beam hit her, all the guards in the room disintegrated into nothing. Tears filled my eyes and I felt my heart break into a million pieces in my chest. How could the whore do that? Not mother! I opened my mouth and screamed as agony poured from the shards of my broken heard into my blood, causing it to pound through my veins with relentless anguish. I let my scream continue, until I felt my wrists being pushed behind back. I didn't know what was going on, what was happening. All that filled my mind was the sight of mother being hit with that bright light, and dying.

I stopped screaming and brought my eyes up to glare at the Moon whore."You will pay for this," I shrieked at her. "You and your daughter will pay for killing my mother!" as soon as I said those words, I saw nothing but darkness as I blacked out.


Queen Beryl let out a sigh as she straitened her head and stared at the array of food before her. That had been such a long time ago, but her determination was as strong as ever to gain revenge.

Lifting herself from her ornate chair, Beryl went to prepare for bed.

A/N: Hopefully some of you recognized some of those flashbacks. Hopefully this was worth the wait, I had fun writing it. --Anja.



Chapte 6

The sun was already setting but it was still to early to retire. Queen Beryl found herself on her balcony, waiting for yet another person to come and speak with her, even though all she wanted at the moment was some peace and time to herself. Such was not the luxury though, and so she waited for that knock on the door.


She had been in a bitter mood all day, mostly due to the conversation she had had with Prince Endymion the evening before.


"You called for me, my Lady?"

Chapter 6~In the Queen's Chamber
-Some of Beryl's plotting revealed
-planning to kidnap generals.
-talk about Setsuj. And his upcoming training.
-include flashbacks from when Beryl met Selenity first time, and when mom died.

Chapter 7~
-Darien and Setsuj. Talk again, Darien getting trust of Setsuj.
-Jaedite captured and brought to Darien