Title: Bonded By Love

Author: Lisa

Chapter: 3

Rating: G

Author's Notes:

Hi! I'm back, here with chapter 3 of BBL! Gomen nasai for the long delay, but I was having some personal issues...anyway, now I'll be back to my regular writing schedule. Oh, by the way, school's going to be out in a few days! Yay! You know what that means! Expect MANY stories from me very soon. Well, as always, please review and enjoy!

Disclaimers: Sailor Moon and the others don't belong to me, but this story does.

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The question seemed to taunt her in more ways than one, and brought the subject about how she felt toward him out in the open once more. Mouth open to a slight extent, which gave her a cute expression, Serenity found herself sputtering, not really making any sense. "I--" she found herself saying. Her eyes searched his deep blues ones, oh those stormy blue eyes that make her heart race. "I cannot answer," she finished dejectedly and after a moment's pondering as to whether she really did feel something for him. Somehow, her heart almost felt strange, awkward in a way that made her really stop and think. Did she and could she admit that she was feeling something for him? Or should she just ignore it and leave things between them be, and just become good friends? It was not like their newfound bond would work anyway, though she supposed it was better than marrying...Tranquility. Just the thought sent shivers down the princess's back. He was kind in some ways, though harsh and rude in others. Serenity found him to be ignorant, and selfish; not to mention very spoiled. Of course, that just made her disliking of him even greater, which only strengthened her friendship for his brother, Endymion.

Endymion, on the other hand, did not expect her to say yes. Why, her very answer actually made him see reality. He silently wanted to hit himself on the head to awake him from his foolishness. The prince felt ashamed, face slightly flushing with slight embarrassment. But that did not overtake his will to smile at her. A small smile, but a smile nevertheless. 'She is just so...breathtaking.' He found himself thinking, his hand unconsciously stroking hers. Her skin was so soft and delicate against his, making his smile grow larger. It was an absolute delight to spend time with this vibrant angel, he realized. 'What a privilege that Tranquility gets to take her hand in marriage,' he contemplated miserably. 'I do not get a girl like this everyday...' His thoughts ceased when the discreet sound of Serenity clearing her throat was heard.

"Princess, I did not expect for you to say yes," he answered before she could say anything, hand automatically dropping hers. "As a matter of fact, I myself did not know what I was saying." He grinned slightly. "After all, you will soon be my sister," he trailed off, looking away when noticing Serenity's obvious discomfort at the very mentioning of his brother or this sudden marriage. Silence came swiftly after his statement.

"I wonder...why our lives are always directed for us; that we do not get to choose our own paths...or the one we love, and whom we should marry," she said almost inaudibly after a while, and exhaled a breath of the fresh nighttime air. "Perhaps being royalty is not that special as most would predict it to be," she continued, overwhelming the prince with her wisdom. Serenity smiled. "Do you agree?"

"Y...Yes," he answered, dumbfounded. "Of course. It is true, what you spoke, every word," he agreed. "Being royalty has many disadvantages...one of them being marriage. It is such a delicate subject, though our parents probably do not think so, since they decide who we are to marry."

"True."

At that point, Endymion wondered why Serenity was not a goddess, but only a princess. 'Her beauty could most certainly pass for one...and her gracefulness...her gentle, calm manner...' Endymion stopped listing Serenity's good points mentally, knowing the list could go on and on for a long period of time.

A sudden gust of wind blew harshly at them, stopping further conversation between the two. Serenity shivered, feeling small bumps forming on her smooth skin. The thin silk fabric of the dress did not help much in keeping her warm. "Can we..go inside?" she asked timidly.

Endymion chuckled. "You do not need to be so shy around me," he stated. "I will not hurt you like Tranquility did."

"Thank you."

It seemed so quiet around them now, for neither knew what to say to the other. Instead, they chose to walk away from the brisk wind, enjoying the other's presence. Words were not needed then. The full moon was hidden away from the grayish clouds which hung low in the nighttime sky. Small animals were heard scurrying about the small bushes. Serenity was not afraid though, with Endymion by her side, she figured she was in good hands. 'He is just so nice.' She concluded with a small smile. 'If only...' Her thought did not continue, for it was something she did not want to think about...marrying him. 'No,' she mentally stated, determined look crossing her face, 'we do not even know each other.'

"You know Princess," his deep voice broke into her thoughts, "we should not be spending too much time together." Serenity looked up with widened eyes. Did Endymion not like her company? What had she done?

"Wh–why?" she managed to ask, and the prince, sensing that she had gotten the wrong impression of what he said, shook his head.

"I did not mean that I do not like spending time with you," he stated, "it is just that...well, the main purpose for your visit was for you to get to know my brother better..." Endymion needed to say no more. The princess smiled weakly.

"I understand–though I would rather prefer getting to know you better..."

"Oh?" The dark-haired prince felt a blush creep on his cheeks when hearing those words being uttered from her mouth. Sucking in a deep breath, he grinned. "I am glad to know that we are getting along."

Serenity was quiet before answering, "I am too."

"Perhaps I can have the pleasure of escorting you around the palace tomorrow?"

Serenity's heart skipped a beat. Had her ears deceived her–or did she get to spend more time with him tomorrow? She flushed bright red. "I would love to," was her reply.

An hour later, Serenity opened the door to her room and stepped inside. Leaning against the wood door, she sighed loudly, hand coming up to rub her forehead. Her heartbeat was still somewhat irregular, and her cheeks were pink from blushing so much. Nonetheless, Serenity would have it no other way. Serenity exhaled another breath and sat down on her bed. Endymion had refused her invitation to come inside her room, to her utter disappointment; he was too much of a gentleman. 'Well, at least he is a total opposite of Tranquility...'

A light knock was heard on the door, and Serenity, slightly startled, called out, "Who is it?"

"Serenity, it is I, Tranquility," the prince on the other side answered. The Moon Princess threw her hands up in exasperation. Now why did he have to come? What could he possible have to say? She really did not feel like talking with him right now, but remembering to be polite, she gave permission for him to enter.

Second later, Tranquility stood at the doorway, eyes taking in the sight of his betrothed. "You are pretty," he said, which was meant to be a compliment on his part. Serenity, on the other hand, felt slightly offended. Did not he know how to compliment a lady? 'Apparently not,' she thought bitterly, but forced a fake smile on her face.

"Thank you," she muttered through almost clenched teeth.

Tranquility dismissed her tense behavior, and took a seat beside on the bed without asking. He grinned boyishly, making Serenity cringe in disgust inside. "What, may I ask, did you and Endymion do in the gardens for so long?" was the first thing he inquired.

Serenity gave him a look. 'My goodness, he sure knows how to invade my privacy!'

"Serenity?"

"Oh, we just..talked."

"Talked?" He was unconvinced.

What was this questioning thing Tranquility was doing? Whatever he was trying to get out of Serenity, it did not work. "Yes, we talked, and if you do not mind, I do not want to talk about it."

He raised an eyebrow, and answered, "Alright, if that is what you want."

'What more do I have to say to him?' she looked down at her feet, and felt herself grow red when seeing Tranquility staring at her intensely.

"When is the wedding date," she asked, eyes not daring to meet his, and instead settled on a painting hung on the wall to the opposite of her room. The painting was simply a picturesque scene of a beautiful day outside, and Serenity found a sense of calmness from looking at it.

"Six days from today," answered Tranquility, "if I remember correctly."

"Oh." Serenity was disappointed. 'So soon?' she wondered.

Silence filled the room, and the young princess began playing with a loose strand of fabric on her dress. She half-faked a yawn and remarked, "I am tired now, Prince."

Tranquility looked out the opened window. The stars were shining brightly in the moonlit sky, and every now and then, a light breeze blew in, gently fluttering the lacy curtains. Serenity stood up and made a gesture for Tranquility to leave. "I bid you goodnight, Tranquility," she whispered. The prince only nodded, and kissed her on the cheek before leaving.

"Goodnight."

He did not see how she shivered when feeling his lips against her skin, nor how she wiped her cheek as soon as his back was turned...

Serenity pulled her hair out of the buns she usually kept them in, the royal hairstyle of the moon, watching as a golden mass of blonde streamed down her back and hung beneath her ankles. She gave her hair a few light brushes with a brush to smooth any knots that might have formed. Then changing into a satin nightgown the Moon Princess found in a drawer, she slipped under the warm covers. Serenity played with a strand of her hair and turned to lie on her side, finding it hard to fall asleep.

The moon shone brightly as Serenity slept peacefully. It carefully guarded its princess, not for one second leaving her in the darkness. It kept her company. That night, Serenity's mind started replaying what happened previously that day. After making a desperate attempt to convince her mother to not have her come to Earth, which failed, Serenity had met her fiancee, who had nowhere near gentlemanly manners. The day proved to be one of the most bizarre and complicated days of the young princess's life! Of course, that was not all bad. Meeting and being with Endymion had made her day better. Why, Serenity doubted she had blushed more times anywhere than she did today! Serenity, even though in her sleeping state, hoped that things between Endymion and her would work out...but what did that mean?

"Endymion," was the one word that came from her mouth as she tossed and turned all throughout the night. Now...was Endymion just a friend to her...someone who was fun to be with...right?

Serenity arouse that morning still feeling groggy, yet the events that transpired last night were still fresh in her mind. She still clearly remembered that awkward conversation she shared with her betrothed, and how she called out Endymion's name numerous times. Her heart fluttered when mentioning his name. 'Why am I like this?' Shaking her head, Serenity rubbed her sleep-filled eyes slowly, and slid out of the silk covers. Cold air from the open window, the window she had forgotten to close last might, blew at her pale skin, and she looked at her reflection in the small oval shaped mirror resting beside her night stand. The blonde shivered, then remembered the warmth Endymion gave off when they made contact. Instantly, a blush rose to her cheeks and she covered her face with her hands, as if to hid from reality. 'Get control over yourself,' she commanded mentally, 'you cannot go blushing every time you think of him!'

In the mirror, she saw a girl. Not a princess, not a soon-to-be wife. Just an innocent little fifteen, soon to be sixteen, year-old girl who needed to know who she really was..and her place in life. Since the day Serenity was born, everything was decided for her, what to wear, what to attend to, what to do. Never had she once chosen anything fro herself, and that upset the princess...deeply. "Who am I really?" she whispered to the girl staring back at her in the reflection. She was wearing a pink sleep-gown with a touch of white in it, her hair flowing down to her ankles in a massive tangle of golden blonde. Seeing that her hair was a mess, Serenity left her thoughts to go to the bathroom, combing her hair until it was as smooth as silk once more. She sighed contentedly as she did so, and hummed a soft tune, one that was well-known in the Moon Kingdom.

A silent knock at the door, and the whispers behind it startled the unsuspecting princess, and she rushed to put her dress on. Serenity's royal dress was all washed and clean now, probably by one of the maids. "Serenity?" a quiet voice said and Serenity smiled happily, opening the door quickly. She knew the voice well; it belonged to no one other than her friend and fellow senshi, Ami.

"Hello everyone," she greeted with a grin and the four girls came in, taking a seat on the floor since there were not enough chairs, and Serenity didn't want to sit on the only chair in the room; it would make her feel bad. The princess was always one to never take advantage of being royalty. Besides, she did not want to miss out on anything.

"So, how is everything going?" Minako asked, throwing back her long hair tied by a red bow, a grin plastered on her excited face as well, "with Tranquility I mean," she added just to make sure Serenity understood, and sighed at being asked the question. The senshi got the picture immediately.

"Things are not well between you two, are they?" Rei asked, and Serenity simply shook her head, not wanting to get into any gruesome details.

"What makes you say that?" she replied nervously, and received a look from the girls. They were not convinced. "No," she answered finally, "it is not."

"I am truly sorry to hear of this, Serenity." Makoto said, her green eyes filled with concern, and Serenity once again smiled at her good friend. Makoto was a good friend; they all were. Not that Serenity ever took their friendship for granted, but right then and there, she felt utterly blessed to have such wonderful friends. They always supported and stood behind her no matter what.

"It is not your fault, and it is not Mother's fault either."

There was silence in the group, and Serenity strived to change the subject.

"Are you all happy here?" Receiving silent yet enthusiastic nods from all four of them, Serenity knew that they were having a much better time than she was. "Good."

"You should see all the cute guys here," Minako stated with a huge grin.

"Yes," Rei agreed excitedly, her dark eyes flashing with happiness, "all the guards and generals on the moon are too tense." That comment made everyone laugh.

"And the chefs here are wonderful!" Makoto added her two cents. The Princess of Jupiter always did have a thing for cooking; a hobby, or perhaps even a passion, you could call it.

"And the library is great too." Now, at that remark, everyone began to stare at the blue-haired senshi of Mercury. "Well, I like the library," Ami argued with a small blush, "it is fun to read in peace and quiet."

"Sure, Ami," Serenity said with a playful shove at Ami, eyes sparkling. And changing the subject, she happily stated, "Endymion said he will show me around today!"

The room grew quiet. "Endymion?" Ami was the first to inquire the question that was on everyone's mind. "You mean, Prince Endymion, Tranquility's younger brother?"

"Yes."

Minako tilted her head sideways, and flashed Serenity one of her priceless smiles. "Well, that is nice of him!"

And once again, bubbly conversation filled the room again...

It was time for breakfast before the girls knew it, and the five of them piled out of Serenity's bedroom in a hurry, eager to get some food. Taking a seat, Serenity began to eat quietly while at the same time take a few small glances at Endymion, who was sitting at the far end of the table. Tranquility was seated across from her, and was presently eating with his head down. Serenity realized that everyone was quieter than usual, but did not make any comments about it.

Queen Serenity looked close at her daughter, seeing the quick glances she shot toward Endymion. 'Serenity...' she thought sadly. Was her daughter falling for Endymion...when she was supposed to marry his older brother?

When breakfast was over, Serenity took to her room before anyone could object. "I am tired," was her excuse. On her way to her room, she saw Endymion walking past her room, and called out to him. Endymion turned around to face her, smiling.

"Princess," he started to say, "it would be my guess that you had a good night's rest."

"Yes," Serenity said, walking toward him.

"Ready for that tour I promised you today...or are you too tired?"

A small laugh, like the sound of ringing bells, reached Endymion's ears. "I was only making an excuse to leave early..."

The princess took his outstretched hand shyly...

"And here is the ballroom, where our ball and your wedding will be held, I presume," he commented as they passed a fairly large room to the left of the hallway. The Moon Princess tried her best to give Endymion her full attention, thought could not help but get lost in her thoughts once in a while. 'This place is beautiful,' she contemplated, 'but I have to live the rest of my life here...' She looked at the beautiful decorations in the room, and the servants running about, fixing this and straightening that to make the ball tonight seemingly perfect. Endymion, seeing that his golden-haired angel was deep in thought, clearly his throat distinctly to get her attention. Patting her hand a bit so that she would look up at him, he whispered, "Ready to see the rest of the palace?"

Serenity stared deeply into his blue eyes, getting lost in those blue depths, as endless as the sea. "Yes..." she murmured, now oblivious to the frantic servants rushing about. For all she was concerned, time could stand still right now. Yes, just in that tranquil moment, where they could stare into each other's eyes forever...

She flushed bright red and walked on, enjoying every moment of this tour around her future home. Why she had to come and live here, Serenity could never understand. Why could not she still live on the moon, her true home? But Serenity dared not to ask her mother concerning that. A conclusion Serenity came up with was that once she was married, she would become the Princess of Earth, so therefore she would have to live here on Earth.

"Here is the library," was all that Endymion said when they reached the rather huge library. "It has all sorts of books." Seeing Serenity's eyes go wide, the dark-haired prince asked, "Is your library on the moon smaller than this?"

"Uh...I suppose it is, yes," replied Serenity, "but that was not what made my eyes widen."

"Oh?" Endymion was surprised. "Then what was the cause?"

His eyes followed the length of her finger. There, he saw four girls sitting around a study table, each reading a book. He chuckled. "Are those your sailor senshi?"

The Moon Princess turned around. "How did you know?"

"Just a guess..."

Serenity gave her attention to the sight of her friends reading once more, and each apparently engaged into their books. She imagined Ami to be reading a thick book on something she never even heard of, while Makoto might fully enjoy a book with cooking, or something like that. Rei, Serenity was not sure of, but Minako, she was almost positive she was reading a romance novel. After all, she was the senshi of love and beauty.

The tiring tour had taken half a day, and by the time the twosome reached Serenity bedchambers, the sun was high in the sky, making that spring day as hot as ever. A few small clouds lingered, but mostly, the blue sky was clear. Serenity stifled a yawn, and gave Endymion a bright smile.

"Thank you," she said, "for the tour. I greatly enjoyed it."

"I did too, Princess."

Endymion sighed mentally. Should he ask her to go to the town with him the day after tomorrow? Would she agree to such a thing? Not to mention, his parents did tell him to not spend so much time with Serenity... 'No. I want to be with her!' Temporarily dismissing his parents' words, he ran a hand through his dark black hair. "How would you like to go into the town with me the day after tomorrow?"

"Really?"

Endymion nearly shouted for joy when seeing the happy expression on her face.

"Can I take that as a yes?"

"Of course!"

Chuckling, he gently bowed and planting a small kiss on her hand, bid her farewell..for now. There was still the ball to look forward to tonight...

After spending the rest of the afternoon picking out a ball gown and getting ready for the ball, Serenity was downright exhausted. "Whew!" She sat down heavily on her bed, and grinned at her friends who were also wearing stunning dresses. Of course, Serenity's dress was the most gorgeous of them all. Snowy white with a pinkish color to it and along with several beautiful embroideries to its fabric design, the dress complimented Serenity perfectly. The dress fitted her like a second skin, and brought out the color of her blue eyes. Applying a bit more make up and making sure her hair was at neat as can, the princess was satisfied with her appearance.

"You look beautiful, Sere," Makoto breathed, giving her friend a loose embrace, "just like a real princess. You will be the most beautiful princess there, no doubt." That left Serenity to only give her friend a playful shove.

"You all look wonderful!" she exclaimed happily. "Now, let us just get this over with tonight."

She stood by her mother nervously by the entrance to the ballroom, the senshi right behind the two. "Mother," she whispered, "why must there by so many people attending tonight?"

Queen Serenity laughed and simply answered, "That is the way all balls are like."

"Yes, but ours were never this crowded." Crowded indeed. The room was full of people, lords and ladies, princes and princesses, kings and queens. Smooth music played, and overhead, the beautiful glass chandelier sparkled like diamonds.

"May I present, our esteemed guests, Queen Serenity, Princess Serenity, and their court!" the announcer's voice boomed. The music suddenly stopped, and all eyes, as Serenity had predicated and dreaded, were on them. She tried to look dignified like her mother did, not the least bit nervous, or so it seemed, but she could not do it. The whole ballroom was silent before whispers were heard amongst the people. Serenity felt the people's eyes on her, watching her every move. Then, clapping was heard and the music once again filled the room.

Before long everything had returned to normal, and the princess relaxed a bit. She had spotted Tranquility earlier, dancing with someone, enjoying himself. 'Well, at least he is having fun,' she mentally said, 'I am not having fun at all.' Instead of dancing like everyone else, Serenity amused herself by standing by the refreshment table and sharing an interesting conversation with a woman named Lady Guinevere.

"You traveled two days just to come here tonight?" Serenity found that hard to believe. "But why?"

"Oh, I enjoy attending balls," she replied cheerfully."Why are you not dancing, Princess?"

"I do not feel like it."

Serenity looked around, trying to find a certain prince in particular. Endymion was nowhere to be seen! Finally, she spotted him dancing with a girl, a princess, probably. The Moon Princess felt a twinge of jealousy seeing how closely he held her, and how his hand rested on her waist. 'Stop!' she shouted, 'you cannot think like this!'

She managed to avert her gaze from Endymion and his dancing partner, and took a cup of punch. Drinking the cool liquid helped calm Serenity's steadfast heart a bit.

"Princess, would you do me the honor of having this dance?"

She looked up, and stared into dark brown eyes. The young man was wearing a suit of armor, and a cape hung loosely over it. Most of the men here tonight wore that attire, Serenity realized. Knowing that it would be extremely rude to refuse, she nodded, and smiled weakly. Taking his outstretched hand, they walked onto the smooth marble dance floor.

Serenity had nothing to say to him, and in turn, he had nothing to say to her. Instead, they danced in complete silence, the princess silently wishing that she had refused to dance with him. It did not feel...right somehow. After with seemed like an eternity, the dance ended, and he bowed lowly to her. Serenity did a polite curtsey, and watched as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Thank you for the dance," was all she could say before the young man walked away to dance with another. 'I did not even get a name from him...'

Five minutes passed, and the Moon Princess watched as the senshi found partners to dance with. And oh, how happy they seemed! Minako especially, Serenity noted. She was dancing with a tall man, and had blonde hair down past his shoulders. He seemed nice, and Minako was clearly enjoying his presence. Serenity smiled, happy for her friend.

"May I have this dance? You promised me one, remember?" a deep voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she blushed instantly. Serenity knew that voice...Endymion. Taking his hand instantly, she was swept onto the dance floor. They slowly waltzed around the room. Serenity looked down at the ground and silently prayed to not step on his feet or trip.

"Princess, look at me," commanded Endymion in a gentle tone of voice. She forced herself to tear her gaze from her feet and look up at him. Serenity smiled gently, enjoying the feeling of Endymion's arms around her. She felt safe and secure.

"Prince..."

The dance ended to their disappointment and Serenity slowly stepped out of Endymion's arms. "Excuse me, but I need some air." Endymion followed her to the balcony and they just stood there, quietly gazing at the moon and stars. Serenity drew in a breath of fresh nighttime air.

"Mmm...it is beautiful out here."

"Yes, it is."

"Serenity, there you are!" Tranquility came over and grabbed Serenity's hands. "I have been searching all over for you!" He gave his brother a look, but did not say anything. "Come on," he said, slightly tilting his head toward the room, "dance with me." Annoyed that Tranquility had destroyed such a serene moment, she exhaled a breath of air.

"Alright."

The young man watched as they left together. 'Endymion, get it together!' That little voice in the back of his head yelled at the dark-haired prince. 'She is your soon-to-be sister for goodness sake!' Endymion cringed at the thought, yet still had that yearning feeling for the princess.

"Oh Serenity..."

She felt remarkably uncomfortable dancing in Tranquility's arms, contrary to the way she felt when Endymion held her. As they danced, the prince tried to start a decent conversation, asking her several questions about life on the moon and such, however Serenity mostly responded with short answers. That agitated the prince partially, for the Moon Princess could see it in his dark blue eyes. Tranquility looked like his brother, Serenity contemplated. They both had those striking dark blue eyes, pitch-black hair, and a deep voice. Then again, they were completely different in terms of manners and such goes.

In the middle of their dance, Serenity, as a result of having been spun around several times, felt dizzy. The food and drinks she had at the refreshment table churned in her stomach. "Prince, I do not feel well," she said, and quickly removed herself from his arms. "I am sorry." And she ran off again, only to join Endymion on the balcony.

Queen Serenity was concerned with her daughter's behavior. Their first day here, Serenity had a good start with Endymion, and now, it seemed that they were connected with each other more than ever! How ironic was this? The Moon Queen shook her head, and whispered to Queen Gaia, "My daughter seems to be getting to know more than with her fiancee."

Queen Gaia, having also witnessed this, sighed. She watched Tranquility walk angrily away from the center of the ballroom, and glance over at her. "I was hoping this would not happen."

"We just have to get them to be together."

"Yes, that seems like the only way. Tranquility is not having good luck with Serenity."

"Serenity..." His eyes narrowed, and became cold. Watching his betrothed being so happy with his younger brother angered the stubborn prince. "I have gone out of my way to be the gentleman you want, but still, that is not good enough for you, is it?" Tranquility's tone of voice was harsh. "Well then, Princess, I will not be nice to you any longer. Get ready, for starting now, I will show you just what I am like..." Hatred, pure hatred, formed for Serenity then and there as Tranquility vowed to make Serenity's life a living nightmare...

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*sighs* Whew! That was a *long* chapter! As you can see, I combined some of chapter 4 to this because I have plans for that chapter...and made this into my longest chapter yet! This story has gone through *major* changes, as you can see, if you've read the original version. ^_^ Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed! I'm sort of in a busy week right now. Final exams are coming up. Please review or send me an e-mail at LisaZUMstories@aol.com or Lisafics@sailormoon.com. I would really appreciate it! Well, ja ne!

This story written and posted May, 2001, edited/rewritten March 2002.