I am back in the world of fanfiction. I have a hope that this is MUCH better than my older fics (which I advise everyone to ignore) and that this will get me back into the game.

Pairings: SenshiXShittenou, SerenaXMamoru- main focus on SerenaXEndymion and RayeXJonathan in fic.

This is set in the fictional country of Elysion in medieval Europe. It is set somewhere in the Holy Roman Empire, towards the South. You need no historical knowledge of the Medieval era to read this fic, or a working knowledge of medieval map layout. I am just giving background knowledge in case anyone cares.

Summary: The King of Elysion is in need of a wife, so all the courtiers around the country are sending their daughters to the palace to try and gain his fancy. One girl, Serena Bailey, is determined to beat them all, even though she is merely a commoner. In the middle of this quest for Endymion's heart, there is also a war brewing to the south with a group of barbarians. Can she win Endymion's heart, despite the external turmoil, even if she is pretending to be someone she is not?

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters. I am using the characters to entertain my readers.

The Heart of a King

Prologue

Dear Diary,

I am a little nervous, I'll admit. The castle has become tense and full of vicious harpies, ready to tear my eyes out if given the chance. You see, Diary, what I feared would happen has come to pass, for King Endymion's betrothed has died from fever. The wedding was to take place in three nights, and now there is no bride.

Of course, Diary, you know what is happening now. All of the courtiers are bringing in their young daughters, nieces, sisters, and cousins; all hoping that one of them might catch Endymion's fancy. I have been at the castle for three years now, and watching Endymion has taught me that he is not much concerned for the other women. Yet, as the pressure for him to marry continues to escalate, I can only watch him be seduced from afar.

As you know, Diary, I have been in love with Endymion since I have laid my eyes on him. However, I am just a servant, a girl with no title and no money to my name. I am short and hours in the garden have reddened my face. I am nothing special and nothing worthwhile, yet I want to try and win his affections. I truly believe I could be a good Queen! But, more than that, I feel that I could be a good wife. I would love him wholly, for everything he is. If he were to lose the throne (God forbid!) I would follow him.

But, I fear that I will be overlooked. How could I not be? I have nothing. While there are many girls coming to the castle, there are four girls everyone keeps talking about. Surely one of them will steal away King Endymion. However, they are trying to marry him for the wrong reasons! Their ambitious families are forcing them! They will ruin him!

The first girl (she arrived only this afternoon) is the daughter of Baron and Baroness Middlebrooks. She is beautiful. Amy, that's her name, is sixteen years of age, just like me. Her hair is black, almost blue, cropped short beneath her chin. According to rumors she is more interested in her studies than seducing Endymion, which is good for me because I was lucky to learn how to read and write. If it weren't for Jonathan I might have never learnt!

The second girl scared me half to death when I first encountered her. Well, encountered her indirectly I suppose. She just passed me in the corridor. Lita is the niece of Earl and Countess Kent. She is taller than any woman I have ever seen, and her arms! Oh! She could beat a grown man! Her hair is brown and has the most beautiful natural curls. She is the eldest of the five of us at twenty-two, which is old for a single lady courtier, especially one of her station. However, I think I know why she is single. The castle is bustling with talk of her arriving on horseback, and not sidesaddle. She rode like a man!

The third girl is truly magnificent. She is seventeen years of age, but according to the elder men she is a giggling child. Mina Margaret Allen is the daughter of Marquise and Marchioness Allen, one of the richest families in the country. Her hair is golden and her eyes are blue, and she was educated in both France and Spain. She speaks both French and Spanish fluently, but according to Jonathan she is dumber than a stump. She has the prettiest dresses and the finest jewelry, and Mina loves to wear them. I only wish I had one moment to feel as pretty as she is! My nicest dress is one she would never wear.

The last girl, my greatest threat, is the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Hampshire. Her name is Raye Danielle Juliana Hampshire, the heiress to the richest union in the country (besides Endymion, of course!) and the one with the most intimidating name. When she arrived at the castle in her crimson dress, Jonathan said it was as if God had blessed him with the vision of an angel. I just felt immediate envy. Her hair was as black as midnight, and her eyes, so strange they were, a deep shade of violet. Her skin was as white as newly fallen snow, and her walk was like that of a Queen. She speaks French, Spanish, and Latin (a result of her families inequitable wealth!), fluent in each of the languages. She played the piano for the courtiers at lunch, and she sang for them at dinner!

However, thank goodness there are unfavorable rumors going around! My friend Molly heard her fighting with her father in their rooms, apparently many people heard, and she claimed she did not want Endymion! She said, according to Molly, she "would not be pawned off for spare change". Regrettably, the rumors also included her screaming in pain, which meant her father was not tolerant of his daughter's feelings. I feel for her, but I also don't want her to take away Endymion. Is that selfish of me?

I truly love him. I do.

And I intend on winning him over, even though I have nothing but my heart to offer.

-Serena

Serena sighed as she tucked her diary under her mattress. Her heart ached in pain, thinking about her beloved Endymion being married to these rich girls scurrying about the castle. She could be a good wife; she knew it. Lord knew she could clean and take care of the ill. Serena had been there when Endymion's betrothed, the late Lady Beryl, died of fever. It had been heartbreaking, and that was possibly the only moment in Endymion's presence that she did not think of him. She had cried over her body, waiting for the breath of life to fall from Beryl's lips. It never came.

Now, he seemed confused and withdrawn. He had not loved Beryl, she knew that for she had heard him say it, and Beryl knew it, but they were close friends. That was one thing Serena could stand in their union, knowing that they were friends, if nothing else. Beryl would not have taken advantage of her King. She could have slept at night if they married. If Endymion married anyone else, she was not so sure.

The door opened suddenly, stirring her from her state of thought. It was her cousin, Jonathan Bailey, holding a burlap sack. He was a scholar in the castle, instructing the courtier's children in arithmetic and language. It was not a prestigious occupation, but it was work. Jonathan got to do what he loved; teaching, and he got to watch over her as she scrubbed the stone floors. He is a handsome man, twenty-eight years old, and underneath his cover of indifference is a man who longs for someone to enjoy his passion for knowledge and justice as he. Jonathan is a good friend of Endymion, one of his advisors even, but he never took a title even when offered. It is not about the money, he always told me, but about the greater good.

"Serena, what are you doing?"

She blushed. "Having a moment of reflection is all-"

"You're sulking in your unrequited love for Endymion again, aren't you?" Jonathan sighed, sarcasm dripping from his tongue and ran a hand through his hair. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Nothing. I will get over it and move along." Serena smoothed out her skirt. "Besides, I have nothing endearing or have worth. I am destined for loneliness, I'm afraid."

Jonathan walked over to his cousin and placed both hands on her shoulders. "While that I might be true, you cannot give up. Sitting in here and pining away will not a promising wife make."

Serena lightly hit Jonathan on the shoulder. He was really the only thing she had to hold on to. That and the dwindling hope Endymion might notice her. Jonathan had been twelve when Serena was born, and at the age of three she was taken in by Jonathan's father, Mr. Bailey, after her parents died of plague. Jonathan had taught Serena how to read and write during her early years, and was actually the one who encouraged that she kept a journal for practice. It had turned into a way of coping for Serena, a way to try and parse out her true feelings as she grew up in a harsh world. However, now was not the time for reminiscing. She had to appease her cousin.

"Oh, come along! You know I have no chance."

Jonathan smiled and bent down to open the sack her brought along with him. "You're right. As Serena Bailey you have absolutely no chance."

"Gee, thanks Jonathan for the unrelenting support."

"He can't marry a commoner, especially one that works in his palace. The public would be furious, not to mention the nobles." Jonathan pulled something white out of the sack. It looked like fabric. "But, as Serenity Socha, you have as much of a chance as anyone!"

"Wait, who?"

"That is going to be you tonight at the masquerade. No one will know. Just say you are from one of those countries to the east, like Poland. I think only I could see through the fib, considering no one else has been there." He smiled and unrolled the fabric bundle. "And you will be wearing a mask."

"Jonathan! Are you mad? There is no way this will work. I cannot marry him in one night!"

"But it only takes a moment to capture a man's heart."

He smiled and kept holding the fabric, which was truly a dress, a beautiful one. It was all white, golden trim lining the bust and waist. It was nothing like Mina's dresses, but it was much better than anything she had. Serena took the dress from his hands and held it to her chest. Perhaps this would work. Maybe she could win Endymion fair and square. She had a lot of catching up to do, she had no education and that would set her back. How could she compete with multi-lingual, fully literate members of the aristocracy?

"I have no money and no education, Jonathan. This is hopeless. Raye Hampshire knows twenty languages and can sing like a bloody siren!" She rolled her eyes and collapsed on her bed, sarcasm was unlike her. "There is no way we can pull this act. If I go to the masquerade as some lady of Poland, wherever that is, I will be expected to stay and play games with the other nobles and I just can't do that! I don't know the first thing about their lifestyle!"

"Yes, you do! You have been around nobles non-stop for the past three years!" Jonathan sat beside her on the bed. "As for the education, I think you forget I am a scholar. I have been plotting this since Endymion told me about the ball!"

"Right, but I am no student."

"Not yet, at any rate." Jonathan grabbed her hands. "I'm tired of seeing you unhappy. Please, just give this a shot. If you can make him weak in the knee's tonight, I swear that I will teach you the ways of a lady. You will be just as worthy as those other ladies, and certainly more worthy than Lady Hampshire."

Perhaps Jonathan was right. Maybe she could do this. She could beat the four girls who stood in her path, she could win Endymion over even Raye, and she could change her life forever. This was her one and only shot. Serena Bailey, a servant in the richest house in all the country, would win the heart of the King.

"Alright. I'll do it."

End of Prologue