Temptations of the Past
Chapter One
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Valentine's Day
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Serena sat on her bed staring at the wall, her thoughts on the past when she had first met Darien. She wasn't thinking about here in the present but back when she had originally met him. She fingered the necklace he had given her so long ago and sighed as her thoughts drifted back....
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Atlantis - 412 B.C
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Princess Serena Marine Serenity sat on the window ledge in her palace bedroom five stories above the ground, and stared down at the warriors below who seemed to be training in the tiltyard. She could make out the figures of Litana and Rasha as they drilled the soldiers. One woman's inky black hair was a stark contrast to the lighter auburn of the other woman's.
Beyond the tiltyard lay a vast ocean that stretched a beautiful blue green as far as the eye could see but she knew that somewhere on the other side of it other people lived there and she yearned to meet them. Serena had been told that she had almost as much thirst for knowledge as her friend, Amia who was also one of her guards and inner court. It was known that both Rasha and Minora were off-landers from other countries on Earth. Rasha's mother was best friends with Queen Selene of Atlantis and so Rasha had become part of Serena's court as well. It was rare for off-landers to be allowed within the watery gates of her home.In fact, in all her reading and research she had never heard of any offlanders having come to Atlantis except for Rasha and Minora and their parents.
Serena watched the soldiers train for a few more minutes before she stood and walked along the ledge that was a pathway around the palace. Serena's gauzy white and silver sarong flapped in a light breeze around her legs as she moved around the side of the palace and toward the pond at the back. The pond was thought to be bottomless and the surface was smooth and unmarred by ripples.
Serena untied the see-through sarong from around her lithe body to reveal the blue swimsuit underneath. She gazed down and saw Amia sitting under a tree with her sketchbook on her lap. Serena smiled, and then paused for a moment in diving position before she sprang from the ledge that was five stories above the pond. She seemed to float in the sky for a moment before she hit the water in perfect formation and relished the cool embrace.
Amia - or Ami as most called her - noticed a shadow cross the sun's rays and looked up in time to see her princess and best friend jump from one of the Higher levels of the palace. A scream caught in her throat as she saw her friend suspended in the air before Serena's slender body sliced through the surface of the pond without making a splash. Ami waited breathlessly for Serena's blonde blue-streaked hair to appear above the still water. Fear and anger darkened her features when the top of Serena's head and her eyes finally appeared.
Ami narrowed her eyes even though it was well-known that Serena's swimming abilities were only rivaled by Ami's and Michi's. Ami's heart still pounded in her throat, however, which is why she roared at the floating princess.
"Serena, of all the dumb and idiotic things to do, this rivals them all!"
Ami sputtered trying to think of other things to yell at her friend when she realized that Serena was laughing from the pond, which just caused Ami to become even angrier.
Serena realized that Ami was truly livid and sighed as she pulled herself from the water and settled next to Ami's stiff form. She was about to apologize when Greg and Andrew - two of the high guards - ran passed the pond. In all of her 19 years Serena had never seen the studious Greg look as worried as he did, and Serena stopped him as he before he could pass them.
"Greg, why are you and Andrew in such a rush? What has happened?"
Greg, whose dark green hair framed the most gorgeous golden eyes Serena had ever seen, glanced at his princess and frowned.
"Ami, escort Princess Serena into the palace. Off-landers are entering Atlantis," he said. He then rejoined Andrew and the two men hurried toward the throne room.
Ami stood up and helped Serena to her feet as she worried over what Greg had said.
Serena, on the other hand, felt a thrill course through her at the idea of off-landers in Atlantis and wondered if any of them were men. She decided then that she would have to meet these off-landers while she had the chance, but she knew Ami and the other girls would never leave her alone. She had to be devious. So instead of rushing off after Andrew and Greg, Serena followed Ami toward her room.
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End for Now
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Chapter One
-------------
Valentine's Day
-------------
Serena sat on her bed staring at the wall, her thoughts on the past when she had first met Darien. She wasn't thinking about here in the present but back when she had originally met him. She fingered the necklace he had given her so long ago and sighed as her thoughts drifted back....
-------------
Atlantis - 412 B.C
-------------
Princess Serena Marine Serenity sat on the window ledge in her palace bedroom five stories above the ground, and stared down at the warriors below who seemed to be training in the tiltyard. She could make out the figures of Litana and Rasha as they drilled the soldiers. One woman's inky black hair was a stark contrast to the lighter auburn of the other woman's.
Beyond the tiltyard lay a vast ocean that stretched a beautiful blue green as far as the eye could see but she knew that somewhere on the other side of it other people lived there and she yearned to meet them. Serena had been told that she had almost as much thirst for knowledge as her friend, Amia who was also one of her guards and inner court. It was known that both Rasha and Minora were off-landers from other countries on Earth. Rasha's mother was best friends with Queen Selene of Atlantis and so Rasha had become part of Serena's court as well. It was rare for off-landers to be allowed within the watery gates of her home.In fact, in all her reading and research she had never heard of any offlanders having come to Atlantis except for Rasha and Minora and their parents.
Serena watched the soldiers train for a few more minutes before she stood and walked along the ledge that was a pathway around the palace. Serena's gauzy white and silver sarong flapped in a light breeze around her legs as she moved around the side of the palace and toward the pond at the back. The pond was thought to be bottomless and the surface was smooth and unmarred by ripples.
Serena untied the see-through sarong from around her lithe body to reveal the blue swimsuit underneath. She gazed down and saw Amia sitting under a tree with her sketchbook on her lap. Serena smiled, and then paused for a moment in diving position before she sprang from the ledge that was five stories above the pond. She seemed to float in the sky for a moment before she hit the water in perfect formation and relished the cool embrace.
Amia - or Ami as most called her - noticed a shadow cross the sun's rays and looked up in time to see her princess and best friend jump from one of the Higher levels of the palace. A scream caught in her throat as she saw her friend suspended in the air before Serena's slender body sliced through the surface of the pond without making a splash. Ami waited breathlessly for Serena's blonde blue-streaked hair to appear above the still water. Fear and anger darkened her features when the top of Serena's head and her eyes finally appeared.
Ami narrowed her eyes even though it was well-known that Serena's swimming abilities were only rivaled by Ami's and Michi's. Ami's heart still pounded in her throat, however, which is why she roared at the floating princess.
"Serena, of all the dumb and idiotic things to do, this rivals them all!"
Ami sputtered trying to think of other things to yell at her friend when she realized that Serena was laughing from the pond, which just caused Ami to become even angrier.
Serena realized that Ami was truly livid and sighed as she pulled herself from the water and settled next to Ami's stiff form. She was about to apologize when Greg and Andrew - two of the high guards - ran passed the pond. In all of her 19 years Serena had never seen the studious Greg look as worried as he did, and Serena stopped him as he before he could pass them.
"Greg, why are you and Andrew in such a rush? What has happened?"
Greg, whose dark green hair framed the most gorgeous golden eyes Serena had ever seen, glanced at his princess and frowned.
"Ami, escort Princess Serena into the palace. Off-landers are entering Atlantis," he said. He then rejoined Andrew and the two men hurried toward the throne room.
Ami stood up and helped Serena to her feet as she worried over what Greg had said.
Serena, on the other hand, felt a thrill course through her at the idea of off-landers in Atlantis and wondered if any of them were men. She decided then that she would have to meet these off-landers while she had the chance, but she knew Ami and the other girls would never leave her alone. She had to be devious. So instead of rushing off after Andrew and Greg, Serena followed Ami toward her room.
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End for Now
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