VII

Jadeite watched Endymion take off in a hurry, a hurry to be away from the precious bundle now in Jadeite's arms? He shook his head and turned towards the house. Along the way he saw Crystal and Damon walking in the same direction. Crystal shyly beckoned him to slow and so he did.

Damon's curiosity landed on the sleeping princess. "And where did you find that?" He gestured towards Serenity.

"Our King and crew brought her here sleeping."

Damon's first reaction was that she was single and available. But Jadeite's next words dampened it, but didn't all together extinguish the desire now created by seeing her face. "She is the wife of our king and future queen."

"Does she have a name? Or shall we call her future queen then queen?" Crystal asked with a raised brow and Damon could have kissed her for her curiosity. She wasn't too dissimilar from the brothers.

"Her name is Serenity. For now, I believe it would be appropriate to call her Princess Serenity."

"So she is a princess?" Damon wondered out loud.

"Her father is the king we've been fighting for the last year."

"She's the barbarian's princess?" Damon and Crystal both asked in shock.

"That she is." Jadeite hesitated. "But it is incorrect to call them Barbarians, they just aren't as technically advanced as we are but they're far from barbarians."

"We call whomever we go to war that name; it isn't due to one culture." Crystal covered smoothly.

"I know, but she is the Russo-Hu princess, I believe they now just call it Russia because it's been unifying under one ruler."

"But hasn't gotten there yet?"

"No." Jadeite agreed and went through the door Damon just opened for him.

Mina was just coming out of the kitchen pulling along a scullery maid by the ear. "Now you listen to me little lady! I will not tolerate any more of these antics, what has got your head so high up in the sky that you keep burning the toast and then dropping you so low that you think you're an utter failure?"

"A boy." She whispered in reply.

"A BOY?" Mina shrieked. "Who?" She wanted in on all of the gossip and then caught herself when she noticed the crowd gathered there. "Oh, go along Sally, I'll talk to you later." She straightened herself out in front of such important company. "Jadeite, who do you have in you're arms?" She asked disapproving; she loved Rei like a sister.

"The new wife of someone you hold in high esteem."

"You're not legally allowed to marry two women at once." Mina frowned.

"Not me, you dope, Endymion!"

"Endymion's here?" She wailed, and ran to check a mirror and was about to leave to greet her King, when his words sunk in. "Wife? Malachite didn't tell me Endymion got married! But he told you?" She glared at the bane in her life and Jadeite shrugged sheepishly, he was always playing tricks on her and she him, they got along fabulously. They were more like brother and sister than any other non-related people could be, and while Malachite loved Mina, he got a little short tempered with Jadeite, even if he was his prince.

Endymion enjoyed all four of them when they got together or when Malachite was getting fed up with Jadeite or when the two decided to join forces and harass poor Zoicite or Rei. Any combination of his friends and comrades, he enjoyed immensely. Those he held dear at least, the rest, one foot out of line and they'd be punished. It did give some weight to Sapphire's claim of favoritism, but that was what a King was allowed to do.

Serenity let out a slight protest in her sleep because of the movement and Jadeite adjusted her so she was more comfortable. "Endymion said to get her a room."

"And you two? What do you want?"

"We're hungry, it's dinner time." Crystal answered for the both of them.

"Oh." Mina hadn't thought of this. "Dinner's going to be a little delayed for the dignitaries, I have more soldiers to feed and once that's done, I can start with ours. Endymion was a little behind schedule and now he's off doing who knows what, so once I talk to him, we shall have a better time table of when to eat."

Serenity was brought up to her room and she was in there for all of a half hour when she woke up and was a little panicked at the change in environment but calmed instantly when she realized she was alone and figured out where she must be from all she over heard.

She made her way downstairs and saw several soldiers standing around and talking to each other, but they seemed a lot more relaxed and didn't even noticed her besides to nod when they locked gazes then went back to their conversation. The men had relaxed considerably with good food and good company. She was very attractive, yes, but their interests lay elsewhere.

Serenity stepped outside, she had no idea where she was or what way to go home, so she didn't even bother thinking of trying it, she'd only end up killing herself or worse.

That's when she heard cheering.