Helios. The very name sent shivers up Serenity's spine and made her face hot. She hadn't seen him since she was twelve. She had been young and unaware then. Now at the age of seventeen Serenity was tall and willowy, she looked much like her mother at that age with the exception of her pink hair. She was also more knowledgeable, her training as a Sailor Senshi was completed, though she hadn't been appointed the leader of her own Senshi yet since peace was prevailing. Serenity had also had a few small romances of her own, though few of them lasted long; the court men didn't suit her wild spirit. Helios had always been in the back of her mind, a heart beat that she felt every now and then. But today her father, king of the earth, was meeting with Helios and had promised his daughter she could come.
Serenity looked at herself in a long gold-edged mirror. She was pretty enough, her mother was gorgeous and every one said that she looked just like the queen. Serenity had tried on several different dresses that morning, but had decided on her best white dress, the one that had been her mother's when she was a princess. Suddenly, a little gray cat came running up to the princess, her bells tinkling delicately.
"Small Lady, please hurry. You are supposed to be in the throne room at the moment. His majesty is about to leave and Queen Serenity wants to send you off." The little cat jumped on her mistress's shoulder and mewed softly to emphasize her words.
"Thank you Diana. I was just straightening my dress. Lets hurry shall we?" Serenity lifted the hem of her dress so that she might walk faster without tripping.
When she got to the throne room, Neo-Queen Serenity was sitting in her throne and King Endymion was bent over the arm of the chair, giving his wife a passionate good-bye kiss before he left. Small Lady waited politely for her parents to notice her. It had always been like this. Her parents loved and cared for her incredibly. She had never been in want of anything, especially attention and love. But Serenity had always known that there was little else in her beautiful mama's eyes except for King Endymion.
While Serenity was lost in thought, Endymion and his queen had finished their personal moment and the king had turned around. "What would be on your mind little princess?" he asked smiling. "Are you ready to go into Earth now?"
Serenity nodded and then Neo-Queen Serenity spoke. "I wanted to give this to you darling." The Queen slowly opened her outstretched hand to reveal a little pink brooch encrusted with gems. "It's your very own brooch. If trouble should arise during your stay at the Earth temple you have the will to fight it. I want you to always have that will. Safe guard this brooch and your heart Small Lady." Serenity embraced her mother and then took her father's hand as they summoned the power to teleport to the center of the Earth.
Two beautiful shrine maidens in gauzy dresses with their hair in odango came to meet the royal travelers. "Welcome Your Majesty. Welcome Princess Serenity. Helios waits in the main hall. Follow us."
Endymion held up his hand to stop the two maidens. "Actually just take my daughter in. I'll get myself settled in our chambers and I'll rest a while. I imagine Small Lady had some things to talk with Helios about." The maidens nodded in approval and led a blushing Princess off.
Serenity was in a daze. She hardly heard the huge doors swing shut as the shrine maidens left. All she saw was Helios. He had grown tall, lanky, lightly muscled. His lavender-white hair was still it's wavy self, flopping into Helios's eyes like a horse's forelock. He looked up and his eyes wandered over Serenity's body before meeting her maroon eyes. "Small Lady?" he gasped, shocked at her presence. Serenity nodded and smiled.
"Five years Helios. Last time I saw you I was twelve and you were fourteen. Too wise for fourteen." Serenity let her hands meet Helios's, her fingers intertwined with his.
"You brought me back to life and I realized what love was. I knew you had a separate life to lead. Why would you want me?" Helios dropped the princess's hands and turned his face away. "Are you back to torment me?"
"Torment you?" asked Serenity, hurt.
"I have thought about you more than you would care to know in these past five years. I knew you loved me and I loved you. Why didn't you fulfill the promise sooner?"
"I don't know. I always remembered you. I just never was able to come. I guess I was afraid you wouldn't love me anymore. We were so young! I never guessed it would last."
"But it has?" Helios turned only his eyes up to Serenity, and they were deep with hope. Serenity nodded and rested her hand on Helios's shoulder. "May I have the honor of kissing you Small Lady?" Serenity was taken aback. It had happened once in a dream. A dream that Helios had made real. Helios took her pause as a yes and gently kissed his love on the lips. Serenity blushed and blinked when they broke the kiss.
"I feel a little faint. I'm…I'm going to go lay down for a while. You probably want to see my father anyways." Serenity put her hand to her head, feeling foolish. She got dizzy from one little kiss. There had been other kisses before. And what if her love for Helios was the remnant of a childhood delusion? What if her papa didn't approve? But Serenity didn't care anymore.
Next Chapter: Helios must decide wether to side his loyalty with his love or his king. Or has he already broken one oath enough to grant him leave of his temple? Angsts abound in Chapter II: One Promise To Break!
Serenity looked at herself in a long gold-edged mirror. She was pretty enough, her mother was gorgeous and every one said that she looked just like the queen. Serenity had tried on several different dresses that morning, but had decided on her best white dress, the one that had been her mother's when she was a princess. Suddenly, a little gray cat came running up to the princess, her bells tinkling delicately.
"Small Lady, please hurry. You are supposed to be in the throne room at the moment. His majesty is about to leave and Queen Serenity wants to send you off." The little cat jumped on her mistress's shoulder and mewed softly to emphasize her words.
"Thank you Diana. I was just straightening my dress. Lets hurry shall we?" Serenity lifted the hem of her dress so that she might walk faster without tripping.
When she got to the throne room, Neo-Queen Serenity was sitting in her throne and King Endymion was bent over the arm of the chair, giving his wife a passionate good-bye kiss before he left. Small Lady waited politely for her parents to notice her. It had always been like this. Her parents loved and cared for her incredibly. She had never been in want of anything, especially attention and love. But Serenity had always known that there was little else in her beautiful mama's eyes except for King Endymion.
While Serenity was lost in thought, Endymion and his queen had finished their personal moment and the king had turned around. "What would be on your mind little princess?" he asked smiling. "Are you ready to go into Earth now?"
Serenity nodded and then Neo-Queen Serenity spoke. "I wanted to give this to you darling." The Queen slowly opened her outstretched hand to reveal a little pink brooch encrusted with gems. "It's your very own brooch. If trouble should arise during your stay at the Earth temple you have the will to fight it. I want you to always have that will. Safe guard this brooch and your heart Small Lady." Serenity embraced her mother and then took her father's hand as they summoned the power to teleport to the center of the Earth.
Two beautiful shrine maidens in gauzy dresses with their hair in odango came to meet the royal travelers. "Welcome Your Majesty. Welcome Princess Serenity. Helios waits in the main hall. Follow us."
Endymion held up his hand to stop the two maidens. "Actually just take my daughter in. I'll get myself settled in our chambers and I'll rest a while. I imagine Small Lady had some things to talk with Helios about." The maidens nodded in approval and led a blushing Princess off.
Serenity was in a daze. She hardly heard the huge doors swing shut as the shrine maidens left. All she saw was Helios. He had grown tall, lanky, lightly muscled. His lavender-white hair was still it's wavy self, flopping into Helios's eyes like a horse's forelock. He looked up and his eyes wandered over Serenity's body before meeting her maroon eyes. "Small Lady?" he gasped, shocked at her presence. Serenity nodded and smiled.
"Five years Helios. Last time I saw you I was twelve and you were fourteen. Too wise for fourteen." Serenity let her hands meet Helios's, her fingers intertwined with his.
"You brought me back to life and I realized what love was. I knew you had a separate life to lead. Why would you want me?" Helios dropped the princess's hands and turned his face away. "Are you back to torment me?"
"Torment you?" asked Serenity, hurt.
"I have thought about you more than you would care to know in these past five years. I knew you loved me and I loved you. Why didn't you fulfill the promise sooner?"
"I don't know. I always remembered you. I just never was able to come. I guess I was afraid you wouldn't love me anymore. We were so young! I never guessed it would last."
"But it has?" Helios turned only his eyes up to Serenity, and they were deep with hope. Serenity nodded and rested her hand on Helios's shoulder. "May I have the honor of kissing you Small Lady?" Serenity was taken aback. It had happened once in a dream. A dream that Helios had made real. Helios took her pause as a yes and gently kissed his love on the lips. Serenity blushed and blinked when they broke the kiss.
"I feel a little faint. I'm…I'm going to go lay down for a while. You probably want to see my father anyways." Serenity put her hand to her head, feeling foolish. She got dizzy from one little kiss. There had been other kisses before. And what if her love for Helios was the remnant of a childhood delusion? What if her papa didn't approve? But Serenity didn't care anymore.
Next Chapter: Helios must decide wether to side his loyalty with his love or his king. Or has he already broken one oath enough to grant him leave of his temple? Angsts abound in Chapter II: One Promise To Break!