Author's Notes:
I have a brand new story! It just hit me all of a sudden and I thought it was decent so I decided to put it up for all to see. Below is a summary, although I do hope that you will continue to read on!
Brief Summary:
A battle had been raging between the Earth and the rest of the inner planets for centuries and all had succumbed beneath its might except for the moon. They continued to fight in hopes of gaining the freedom of their loyal subjects and friends; but alas, they too, fell to the strength of the Earth Kingdom and all hope died with their freedom. They were transported to Earth to serve as slaves, among other prospects. Now, nearly three hundred years later Endymion is the Prince of Earth and it is nearly time for him to claim his throne. However, before he could claim his rights he must pick a woman to consummate his rule. He decided to pick a slave, Serenity, so as to avenge the death of his parents nearly twenty years before. When she puts up a fight, he finds himself pursuing her even more and somewhere along the way he feared he had lost his heart. Will Serenity be able to change his barbaric ways and reunite the universe or will things fall apart in a disastrous manner?
Disclaimer:
I do not own Sailor Moon…so sad…
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Chapter One
"Why does it have to be so fucking hot?" groaned a bedraggled looking Lita, as she continued to plow the ground. Beads of sweat decorated the grimy faces of all the slaves and the stench was enough to gag someone to no end. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and continued to work before she was whipped by the guards, for the second time that day. Earlier she had punched a guard in the nose for daring to lay a hand on her ass and although she gained much satisfaction from it, it did not last long.
Mina shook her head, "The fiery infernos of hell will do that to you."
Lita muffled a chuckle as they continued to work in silence. The heat was absolutely miserable today; and with the lack of water being served, slaves were passing out left and right, which gained them a beating, and this small group of women were making it their goal to go unnoticed by the guards. For as long as they could remember this was the life they had known. Waking up before the sun touched the sky and going to bed only after it had left the sky. Ami sighed heavily as she continued to rake the ground, her bare arms shaking with the strain.
Serenity took notice of her friend's struggle. "Are you alright, Ami?" ,she whispered, her large cerulean eyes gleaming with concern. Ami looked up at her and nodded her head with a meek smile. Serenity returned the affectionate look and looked at the others. Each of them, she saw, looked a horrible mess. They hadn't been allowed to wash their hair in days so mud and straw were tangled up in their messy strands and dirt was caked on their skin so thickly it would be a miracle if they got all of it off in five scrubbings. She pushed several strands of her silvery mess behind her ear and began to once again aimlessly tend to the hopelessly dry ground.
"It's not like anything useful is going to grow out of this damned shit hole. Look. It's all dust!" Rei spat, her violet eyes piercing the ground like it was the very devil.
Lita nodded in agreement. "You're quite right. There hasn't been any rain here for years…"
"Centuries to be correct." Ami piped in. Everyone looked at her, curiosity on how she would know that glinting in their eyes. However, none seemed too surprised that she did because Ami always seemed to know everything. The blue haired mistress cleared her throat and began again, "The Earth has been in a drought for nearly three hundred years. It is said once the Earth conquered the Moon that the water was slowly starting to evaporate and there hasn't been rain since. That's why, supposedly, there is such a water shortage. Only the royals are allowed to use the water at their disposal."
The girls all stood quiet, pondering the new information just given to them. "Well I would say the Earth Kingdom deserved this great misfortune but seeing as how my ass is stuck here then it's not so great." Lita cursed. No one really knew where they came from all they knew was that their fates were all entwined with one another and for some reason all seemed to be secretly drawn to Serenity. Lita had questioned this emotion several times trying to figure out why she felt the need to protect the youngest one in the group so fiercely. She finally decided that it was because Serenity was such a caring person and always put others before herself, and there were very few, if any, still like her in today's world.
"Now, Lita. It is not very nice to wish such a horrible thing upon people." Serenity scolded lightly.
"Why do you always defend them, Sere? We're slaves, remember?" Mina muttered, giving her friend a 'what are you thinking?!' kind of look.
"We may be slaves and they may be royals. None of us can help the station that fate brought us into. It is not right to curse them, just because they are higher up the latter so to speak, and for all we know they could all be really nice." ,her angelic voice seemed to relax them all but Rei just couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer.
"Well if they're so nice then why aren't they down here plowing their suck ass land? Hmm Sere? Got an answer to that?" Rei grumbled, her hands tightening on the wooden handle.
"You know as well as I do that it would be very improper for them to do just that. As I said earlier, we each have our stations. It would not be proper for the Prince himself to come plow the land as it would not be proper for any one of us to take his place as Queen. We just have to accept that things are the way they are and although we may wish to change them quite fervently, we can't. So we must accept what fate has dealt us and make the best of it." Serenity nodded her head firmly, believing she stated her point quite well.
The four other girls stared at her silently for what seemed forever before Lita spoke up. "That may be true, but I wouldn't mind sitting my ass on a throne for the day and bossing all the 'nose-pointed-stick-up-their-asses' around all day. It would serve them right. Give them whippings every two damn minutes and just see how they like THAT!" Everyone couldn't help but giggle at their friend's outburst and all silently thought how true it was.
Mina covered her mouth with her dirty hand to keep from laughing from the visual of Lita as Queen for the Day. The image was quite comical and then something else came to the front of her mind and she quickly glanced towards Rei, an evil glint in her eyes.
"So Rei…been up to the palace lately?" the blond asked, trying to keep a straight and serious demeanor.
Rei glared at her ferociously, "Shut the hell up, Mina. You know very well that I have not. And why do you care anyways?"
"Ooooh, no reason really...was just curious if you had seen your lover around…" Mina cackled. Rei stared her down, the thought of killing her friend actually crossing her mind, but then her eyes quickly slid over to where the guard was standing and she forgot it completely.
"He's not my lover. And I would appreciate it if you would stop referring to that incorrigible ass as a lover in general. He loves no one but himself. Arrogant bastard." She mumbled under her breath as she angrily began to hit the ground with her plow.
The girls all looked at their friend, smiles stretched as far as they could go. They all knew that Rei secretly loved Jadeite, one of the Prince's generals. For the past seven months Rei had been sneaking off to the palace to see him. No one really knew what they did at these secret rendezvous but all guessed the same thing. However, recently Rei had not been acting as she had been. She had grown more irritable and in some cases depressed. No one dared asked her what was wrong, until today.
"What happened, Rei?" Serenity asked quietly, inching closer to her friend so the guard wouldn't be able to hear her.
Rei looked up at her friend, her eyes filled with so much forlorn and despair that Serenity could literally feel her heart shattering into millions of pieces. "Did you two have a fight?" she asked, somberly.
The raven haired goddess stood silent for a moment until she sighed heavily and nodded her head. "He proposed…"
This was something none of them had been expecting and the girls nearly collapsed on the ground from this new revelation. Fortunately, their tools in their hands gave them enough support to keep them standing.
"HE WHAT?!" Lita shouted in a harsh whisper.
Rei looked away, her eyes beginning to feel with tears. "He proposed…and I said no…"
"Why in the name of all that's holy did you refuse him?!" Mina said, her eyes practically bulging out of her head.
"You don't understand…" Rei choked.
Ami nodded and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's okay Rei…you don't have to tell us anymore if you don't wish to."
Rei smiled and shook her head, "No, it's okay…I would have had to eventually told you anyways…he proposed several weeks ago…"
"That would make sense…" Lita started.
"…as to why you've been a total bitch." Mina finished.
Lita glared at the ditzy blond and shook her head, "That's not what I was going to say you dipshit."
Mina hesitantly chuckled and took a step towards Serenity, as if going to use her as a shield. No one in their right mind would hurt Serenity. It was true. In fact, none of the guards had laid a single hand on her for some reason, but they didn't have to. Serenity was one to bottle up everything inside and torment herself to no end when she felt she had done something to dishonor her friends or herself. Serenity ignored the two squabbling girls to her left and returned her focus to Rei once more.
"I think I understand why you said no…"
Rei looked up at her eagerly, "You do?"
Serenity nodded, "I believe you told him no for several different reasons. The first I believe is because you know that he is in a higher station than you and that things wouldn't work out. Am I right so far?" she paused briefly to see Rei nod her head, "Okay, by now I'm sure he told you that he would do anything for you and would even runaway with you, but you told him no because that could be very dangerous for not only you but us as well…because they know we're close don't they." She paused once more and watched Rei's astonished face, "The last I believe is you told him no because you love him."
Rei stood there in utter shock staring at her insightful friend. Lita and Mina had finally stopped bickering to listen to Serenity but both were confused. "What do you mean she said no because she loved him?" they asked in unison.
Serenity turned her gaze to look upon them, "What I'm saying is she told him no because she really, honestly, with all of her heart love him, and because of this love she does not wish to harm him in any way…which in this case would mean his reputation. He would be shunned from the Royal Guards and have nothing left. He would be as destitute as all of us and she simply does not wish this life on him."
Mina and Lita nodded slowly, their hands on their chins thinking about everything. "You know Sere are you sure you're a slave? Cause I'd bet my ass you could pass for one of those uppity persons in the palace." Lita teased, as she gently elbowed her friend in the ribs. Serenity laughed earnestly and that's when she caught the attention of the guard. He stared at her long and hard and she cleared her throat, signaling the others to continue working.
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"Where's Endymion?" Jadeite asked of Zoisite as he casually strolled into the room. His blond hair slightly swishing in the wind, as his emerald gaze swept the room diligently. Zoisite looked up from the current book that was cracked open in his lap. "I think he's in his study. Is there a certain reason as to why you wish to speak with him? I heard from Nephrite that the Prince is in an altogether nasty mood today."
Jadeite hesitated at this new bit of information but then casually took a seat next to his friend and reclined. "Oh nothing really…"
"Mmhmm…" Zoisite murmured amusedly under his breath as his eyes once again fell to the current page he was on.
Jadeite eyed him curiously, a blond brow arched. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh give it a rest Jed, we all know about your raven haired mistress." Zoisite laughed, flipping the page as he did so. "We also know that you proposed to her and she refused you…"
Jadeite nearly fell out of his seat. "And how the devil do you know that?"
"Word gets around extremely fast Jed. You should know that as one of the Prince's royal guards nothing is kept secret in this land. Servants talk and occasionally so does a…slave…"
Jadeite scowled, "What do you mean slave?"
Zoisite closed the book giving up all hope that he was ever going to get enough peace to even finish a chapter. He set it on the small table between them and looked his friend straight in the eyes. "A guard today stationed near a group of women overheard a conversation. They were talking about a certain lover of one of the girls and a certain female who sounded very much like an aristocrat supposedly defended her and your honor at the same time. Imagine that. A slave who actually cares."
"And…do you know what was exactly mentioned?" he inquired, trying not to get his hopes up too high.
"Well they mentioned the proposal and how she refused you. Two of the girls seemed near faint when she said it. And the woman who seemed to be aristocratic told her she understood why she refused and continued to give reasons and apparently they were all correct by the look on the dark haired girl's face."
Jadeite inched to the very edge of his seat, his hands clasped before him. "And would you by chance know of these reasons that were stated?"
Zoisite rolled his eyes in disgust, in his opinion there was no woman out there who deserved to be linked with the male race. No one ever seemed to care about literature or any type of conversation that dealt with some inch of intelligence involved, except for the guards and the Prince of course. "Jed, you really need to drop this. Endymion will not let you marry her. She's a SLAAAVE." He iterated, trying to make him understand the importance of this.
"Just give me the damn reasons Zoi!" Jadeite practically shouted. He cleared his head and muttered a near silent apology before asking Zoisite to continue. He waited a moment longer before beginning.
"There were three main reasons I believe. One, she knew it wouldn't work out…smart girl if you tell me…"
"Zooooi…"
"Right, of course, well the second one was that she did not want to put any of her friends in danger…and the final one was because she loves you. Very much as to how I was told. She doesn't wish for you to be ignored by high society because of her."
"That's all?" Jadeite asked in disbelief.
"Apparently." Zoisite finished looking at his friend, and the hope that seemed to instantaneously skyrocket in his eyes. He shook his head and stood from his seat, looking down at his friend in the process.
"Do you truly intend to ask Endymion his permission for this act of insanity?" He queried.
Jadeite nodded, "I love her, Zoi. She's…different. She's not like the other slaves. I feel like there's something more about her but I just don't know what it is."
"I see…well…I guess I shall accompany you to the Prince's study then…no sense in you going to the lion's den alone."