Hypocritical Lovers

Chapter 1: Already Betrothed

Her eyes glazed as she watched out over the white granite balcony where she sat, up into the stars and to that recently explored blue planet in the sky. She couldn't help but admire the glow that emanated from its peaceful atmosphere, giving the small planet a much deceiving calm surface.

"Lucky Earthlings..." Serenity whispered, dazed by the beauty above her.

"Your Highness?" A silhouette called out from the shadows that peered out from the room's entrance.

"Don't just stand there. Come in."

"Her Royal Highness, Selenity, wishes to have a word with to you Princess. Once you prepare, come down to the main halls. Your mother will meet you for supper down in the throne room." With that the shady figure departed.

Her breath came out in a overly dramatic sigh, even to her own ears. Not to content with having to leave her thoughts behind, she stood up and gracefully made her way over to the wall length looking glass across the room. Putting a hand under her bangs, she could feel a slight headache coming on. She trailed her gaze lightly over her reflection, just to make sure she was decent enough to join her mother but that's when she noticed, to her eternal dismay, that she had a small but sneaky suspicion growing inside. Or at least, she had an idea of what her mother's sudden request of her presence was all about.

Some might say that any respectable young lady her age, of four and twenty, was becoming to old for marriage. That is, if she were any other young lady. Being the Princess of Luness and next in line to inherit the throne, gave her responsibilities no other young lady had. For one, it practically made her marriageable at any age.

Giving herself another once over in the looking glass, she straightened the folds between her gown skirts and made her way down to meet her mother. At least now she felt a little more prepared to meet a questionable, if not imaginary on her part, future.

Serenity tried to look as passive as possible as she strolled into the grand throne room. Her long golden hair, put up in a uniquely royal lunar style, dragged behind her as she went. Milky white skin topped off with rosy pink cheeks and plump glossy lips made her an almost replica of her mother. Though her silhouette was outlined by an off the shoulder navy blue gown, which brought out the deep blue in her eyes and clung to her in a wondrous way. Although still young, her mother wasn't as revealing and her hair was a touch more silver than Serenity's. She was known across the universe as beautiful with an innocence and purity of a child, something that Serenity hated being compared too.

She took her seat beside her mother at the head of the table, a giggling maid coming up behind her to place a tiara upon her head. The young maid flashed Serenity a knowing smile before bowing and leaving mother and daughter alone.

"Daughter, I'm glad you could make it." Her mother said, her tone soft though it hid a slight hint of laughter.

Her mother was much like her in many ways, especially at Serenity's age, young and reckless. Using a gift of beauty and power to play with every heart in the kingdom. Though, where her mother was an obedient child when young, Serenity always seemed to get her way and sometimes she even went as far as to defy her mother.

"Mother, what is it you wish of me? Luna came by my rooms to inform me that you would like to have a word. Anything important?" Glancing at her mother, she tilted her head sideways a bit, a concerned look on her face.

Selenity gave her her best reassuring smile before speaking. "Yes daughter, everything in its due time, for now eat your supper before it gets cold."

We ate our portions relatively slow and although she had said she wanted to chat, her mother didn't really seem in the mood to have a conversation. In silence they finished up their last rations and moved towards her mother's parlor for a more private after supper tea.

"Mother, what's gotten into you? Why are you acting so strange? You can tell me, you know." Serenity asked without quite sitting down on the parlor chair.

"No, my daughter it is I, that is will be here for you." She mumbled cryptically, though more to herself. The tone she had used sent a tiny shiver down Serenity's spine. Shivers of anticipation of coming bad news, she just knew it. The queen hesitated before looking at her daughter's puzzled expression.

"As you may very well know, I have been away for some time due to Council matters. When we held this last Planetarium Council meeting, the heads of each royally housed kingdom across the Milky way came to an agreement about our current wars with the Negaverse galaxy…"

"Mother, that's great news!" Serenity couldn't help but interrupt, the overwhelming feeling of joy could be heard in her voice. It was about time that her future council got a hand on the situation, she thought. This war had been bad, she could admitted to that, but how bad could it still be if her mother looked so worried. Why was it that she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that things were about to get worse. She turned to her mother slowly who was still sitting on the love seat across her. Her silver eyes were glossy and it looked as if she was trying very hard to hold in tears.

"Serenity, please take a seat beside me, I have to tell you something of great importance." Her mother signaled for her to take a seat next to her, her eyes never breaking from mine. "My dear daughter, it pains me a great deal to have to say this to you... I know how free spirited you are and I know that you cannot help but be the way you are, but you also know that as future leader of the Planetarium council you have laws to also abide by….. That is why I must inform you that you will wed and very soon."

Serenity was stunned to the core by the news. She had had an inkling that this particular chat was going to head down this particular path but she would have never thought that it would be her actual upcoming nuptials. In all aspects of her life she had been allowed to do as she had pleased, without much thought to what those around would say. Her mother never noticed her nightly parleys with the palace guards or future kings of other realms. The queen knew of her daughter's flirtatious side but Serenity had always been careful to keep her royal reputation intact. Her little affairs had gone unnoticed. Yet, marriage would stop all that, it would bond her for eternity to a husband. She couldn't… wouldn't bow to any man. Her freedom was of high importance in any suitable marriage proposal.

'Why now, why me?' Raced through her mind.

"Mother why? Why now?" As much as she thought she was prepared for this, she wasn't. She had so many questions, yet she couldn't build up the strength to speak. All Serenity could do was stare into the nothingness in front of her. She had to try and be strong for the torturous months that most undoubtedly laid ahead for her.

"My darling, I am dearly sorry that this has to be. If you would let me explain maybe you would understand the reasons behind my decision to wed you off." Serenity felt herself nod her head just so that her mother would continue and maybe she could make some sort of sense from this mess.

"I will assume you've heard that all of your scientist are going off their rocket with this blue ball of mass in the sky. Research has been conducted several times and every time we discover something even more fascinating than what was found in the last study. They've named the planet Terra. It's one of the reasons why these wars have not stopped. It is like no other, it is full of life, untamed with unnumbered amount of possibilities. It has riches, the cleanest waters and it's uninhabited. But as always, there's a problem. The Negaverse also wants it. The council contacted the current ruler of the planet that neighbor's the closest to Terra, Earth. The king and his generals accepted with some conditions, though we came to a mutual agreement. They will in exchange for their part join the council and become one of us. Providing us with different types of provisions and soldiers, soldiers that could help with our efforts…. But in return the oldest daughters from the inner planets in the council will be given in wedlock to the four Generals and their king."

She stopped so that Serenity could process this new information and when she did, Serenity silently signaled with her head to continue. At the moments words failed her, for more than one reason.

"You know that Neptune and Saturn's daughters are too young to wed and Pluto's only heir is the Keeper of Time, she cannot be wed. That only leaves you and the other inner Planet Princesses. I'm sorry it had to come to this, I just wish that one day you can forgive me..."

Her mother could hardly finish what she wanted to say, her last words pushed out in a rush as she got up from the seat, tears in her eyes.

"I have arranged a ball so that you and the other princesses can meet your intendeds."

A/N: Thanks for reading. I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I enjoy writing them. A few changes I want to note: Changed the title, formerly Eternal Seduction. I felt the former name didn't go well with the story so I came up with this one. Let me know what you think. Anyway as I was saying, I've also gone back through the chapter making a few minor tweaks to the story. Not much just a few changes in the POV's because I've been getting a lot of comments about that, so I'm trying to please my readers. Remember to review and make any comments that you feel would improve the story. Any other comments are also welcomed. :)

Disclaimer: Sailor moon nor any of her little companions belong to me, for that matter neither does her world. Due credit where it is due and it's not me. Though I did write this story so the efforts mine. Yay me!