Title: Kingdom of Treason
Disclaimer: I don't own anything about Sailor Moon
Authors Notes: I'm so glad you guys like this story so much. Thank you so much for all the reviews. So this chapter is mostly about Serenity. I haven't really touched on her whereabouts for a few chapters now so it's her turn for some lime light.
Just to clarify for those of you who might be a little confused. A small amount of time has passed since the last chapter. Not like months or anything, but a couple of days. Enjoy!
Serenity felt the room around her spin dizzily as she groggily came into consciousness. The first thing she truly comprehended was the pain shooting through her shoulders. She tried to pull her arms forward, but something was keeping them securely behind her.
She opened her eyes to stare at the dusty wood floor.
She couldn't remember what happened.
Her whole body was still and she could hardly see anything in the dimness of the room.
In what seemed like years, she managed to turn around so that she could completely looked around her, taking in the small dank room she had been put in. By who she didn't know, but she was afraid in that moment.
The last thing she could remember was traveling into the country with Raye. They had made their way smoothly, not stopping until they were completely out of the city. And then...............nothing.
Something had gone wrong. Where was Raye? Where was Amy?
Panic set in and she could hardly breath. She was tied up and alone in a room for god knows how long, and she had no memory of coming here at all.
And where was Endymion? Did he know of her abduction? Had he heard from her at all? Did her receive her letters? Was he safe?
She tried to push herself up, but in her current position she couldn't. All she could do was roll around on the floor.
Serenity tried taking deep breaths. This wasn't the right time to panic. She had to be strong. If Raye was in the same situation she would need help. And Amy. What if Amy was somewhere here. The quiet girl seemed so delicate. Serenity was afraid of what might happen to her.
She tried to breath deeply. Panicking wouldn't solve anything.
When she felt that she was calm enough, she concentrated on the bindings around her wrist. It scratched and pulled, so she deduced that they must be rope. Rope could be dealt with.
It was agonizingly slow work, but she twisted and turned her wrists, making the rope looser and looser. She felt her skin give way and start to bleed, but she tried her best to ignore it and not make any sounds. For all she knew someone could be just outside the room, waiting for her to make a move. So she didn't. She silently worked at her bindings until finally, after her muscles had nearly given out, she pulled her hands free.
She sat up and quickly untied her feet and then made her way painfully and wobbly towards the door.
She pressed her ear against the door, but she couldn't hear anything.
She pushed it open slowly, hearing no other sound at all.
When she realized that nobody was guarding her, she quickly stepped out into the rest of the gloomy and dirty house. She shivered in the shadowy coldness and listened for any other noise. Either the house was to big and sound didn't carry through it, or she was completely alone here. Abandoned by her captives.
She searched the house from top to bottom, but found nobody.
She was alone.
Serenity sat shakily on the front stoop of the manor looking out at the expanse of bare land in front of her. There was nothing. It was nearly a desert and the sun hung high in the sky, beating down mercilessly on her.
Despite how hard she tried not to be, she was afraid. There was no way she could wonder into the desert without even a direction. She didn't know which way the city was and she didn't know how far away she was. She had never been anywhere except the palace and the ladies house.
Blinking back tears, she stood to look around the outside of the house. It was large, but it had nothing to hide. From the look of the place, she guessed it had been abandoned years ago and never thought about again. Who would want to live in such a desolate place?
So she just sat on the front step trying to figure out what to do.
For hours it seemed she sat there.
It was hopeless.
She felt the tears wander aimlessly down her face. She had been left here to die, and she would die in a few days either from hunger, thirst or heat. She would never again see Endymion or her friends. She would never get to see Mina and laugh about how their lives hard started so bad, but then ended so well. That dream was lost. She would die, and Mina would soon follow. Lord Byron would break her.
This is where her life would end.
Serenity went completely silent when she thought she heard a sound.
There was not even a breeze to protect her from the sun.
She looked back out over the desert.
Had she heard something?
Slowly, it was if someone were clapping.
She stood up and shielded her eyes as she looked through the bright white sun. There was something out there. When she saw it, no more than a spec in the distance, she almost lept in the air with joy. She immediately ran out as quickly as she could to try and cut them off.
It was a man on a horse, riding quickly through the desert as if the evil itself were behind him. She waved her arms in the air, screaming as loud as she could.
When he spotted her he stopped so suddenly his horse reared up and nearly fell.
He jumped off the horse and walked towards her.
"What are you doing here miss?" He asked.
Serenity was out of breath. "I need to get back to the city," she said as quickly as she could. "Do you know which direction it's in?"
He looked at her like she was crazy. "You're a long way from the city miss, and besides, no one is allowed in. I'm afraid you would get there just to be sent away."
"What?" She asked startled. "Why isn't anyone being allowed in?"
"Where have you been?" He asked a little annoyed. "The King has charged the Prince with treason, and the Army has been ordered to surround the City. Four other men were involved, and they're all being hunted down as we speak. There was a civilian uprising and hundreds of people died."
Serenity felt her heart beating almost painfully in her chest.
"I'm heading to a little town not more than five miles away. You are welcome to come and find some food and shelter, but I would not recommend going back to the city."
She could only nod in shock.
He seemed to take that as an affirmative and placed her hastily on his horse before riding quickly again towards his little town. Dust stung her eyes and wind whipped through her hair, but she wasn't able to come out of her shock until she was being put back on the ground nearly an hour later.
"Do you have any money?" He asked.
Serenity looked at him blankly, and then tried to reach for her little purse. Of course it was gone, she already knew that. But the gesture seemed to answer the question for the man in front of her and he sighed.
"Were you robbed?"
She shook her head. "I don't remember."
"Well you can't stay with me. You'll have to find someone else for charity," he said as he moved away from her.
"Wait!" she said suddenly. "I need you to tell me more about what's happening in the city."
He looked at her curiously. "Why?"
"Because," she said and then stopped. "I just……I'm curious I suppose."
"I haven't got time for curiosity. I'm getting my family out of here before this war hits us. Goodbye miss."
Serenity tried to stop him, but he pushed her away and took his horse quickly with him out of sight.
She looked around in panic. What now?
There weren't many stores open in this little town. It seemed as if it had already been abandoned by the majority of it's inhabitants, but there was a little pub at the end of the street with people sitting in the window. She made her way there quickly and walked in.
They all looked at her, mostly men. For a moment she thought she had made a mistake, but she couldn't think about her nerves right now. Endymion needed her help. She sat at the bar and tried to smooth out her dirty dress. There was nobody serving. Every once in awhile a man would walk behind the bar and get a drink, and then go back and sit down. Each time a different man.
She realized that the owner wasn't there.
She quickly made her way behind the bar and poured herself a glass of water. There was also some hard jerky in a little tin, and she grabbed as much as she could before deciding she would need the whole tin and then sat back in her place. Once again everyone was looking at her.
But nobody approached her.
She looked around, meeting the eyes of each one of them before sighing and summoning up her courage.
"Does anyone here have news of the city?" She asked.
At first they all looked at her like she was crazy, but then finally one man stood up and walked towards her.
"Why would you want to know?" He asked.
"I'm from the city," she answered softly. "I'm trying to get home but nobody is allowed in."
He sat down next to her. "You'll not be allowed back in for quite some time. Better start thinking about your other options."
"I have no other options," she said.
He smiled at her. "I could give you other options."
At first she was truly clueless to what he had just said, but when it sank in she shuddered. "I'm not interested in other options sir, but I am interested in hearing what's been happening in the city. If you don't know, then perhaps I should go and find someone who does."
"Well aren't you a treat," he said still smiling. "Alright, I can tell you about the city where our great King has single handedly turned his entire Kingdom against himself and is as we speak searching to kill his brother who the world loves."
"So Endy……I mean, the Prince isn't dead?"
"Not yet, but unless he keeps himself hidden, he will be. The King has put a price on his head and the amount it would make most men turn on him. It's a Kings ransoms to be sure, but he's got a lot of pull that Prince. The King stopped his attempt to take over the palace and set guards all around, stopping another attack. He's locked up his personal adviser and the Queen is being kept in his personal bed chamber until she produces on heir."
Serenity felt a cold chill run through her.
"But the King isn't really winning. If the Prince reveals himself the army will follow him and turn on the King, but so far he hasn't yet done so. In fact, almost everyone will turn on the King if he reveals himself and there is a good chance they will win."
"Why won't he reveal himself?"
The man shrugged. "That's what nearly everyone is asking themselves. The common theory is that he was wounded and is near death, but there is no proof to support that. Others say he's afraid, but there are just as many people saying that it's impossible for that man to be afraid."
Serenity tried to stop her shaking, but she couldn't. She had to get back to the city, there was no way around that.
"Is there no one here going to the city?" She asked.
"There is no one anywhere going to the city," the man laughed. "Most have fled into other kingdoms and will probably not return. That is what you should be thinking of doing."
It was obviously hopeless. Nobody would take her to the city and she wouldn't be able to get in on her own. If she did, the King would surely use her to get to Endymion.
What had gone so wrong? He had never completely confided in her as to what he was doing, but now it seemed the reason for that was even more complicated than she had imagined. What had happened while he was at war?
Suddenly a thought occurred to her. "Where is the city the King was recently warring against?"
He looked at her oddly. "A few miles north. Probably a days ride at least. Why?"
"Thank you," she said jumping off the chair and ran quickly out of the pub. She heard the disappointed cry of the man, but she didn't stop. She clutched her tin of jerky under her arm and made her way through the small town until she came upon an abandoned horse.
She could not at that moment believe her luck when she saw that it was saddled, but then she realized that it wasn't abandoned at all, it was waiting for its master to return for it. She quickly climbed on top, hiking up her skirts so that she could sit like a man would, and then kicked it into motion.
She had never really ridden a horse before, and the sensation was jarring to say the least. Within minutes she felt pain start shooting through her back and legs. But she couldn't stop. She pushed forward, heading north. The horse seemed to know the direction she wanted, and she hardly needed to guide it at all. The sun was setting behind her, and she would run through the night if she had to.
After awhile the motion of the horse became easier for her to handle, and she was able to move with it so that it didn't hurt her so much. In fact, after awhile she was able to ride almost comfortably.
When the horse tired, she let it walk. While it walked, she sat cross legged on its back in order to stretch her legs a little and they made their way slowly towards the city.
The sun had set, and the darkness surrounded them. Every little noise spooked her, but she was relaxed at the horses easy canter. When it was rested, they ran.
By the time the sun was rising above them, she could see the walls of the city in front of her, looming and beautiful. Its walls were draped in beautiful clothes everywhere, obviously not yet taken over by the King. She sighed in relief.
When she got to the gate, she wasn't sure what to say.
"What business to you have here?" a guard asked.
Serenity found that she had no voice, so she had to cough before answering. "I wish to speak to your King," she said softly.
"We have no King, we are run by council," he said.
She looked at him blankly. "Alright, then I wish to speak to your council."
"What business have you with them?"
Serenity suddenly felt a wave of anger surge through her. "Look, I have a message from the Prince Endymion and I need to speak to them right away. It's a matter of great urgency and every second we stand here waiting, more people are dying."
For a moment they stood there, looking at each other. But finally, one of the guards opened the doors.
"Prince Endymion has a special relationship with our council and news of his safety would be greatly appreciated," he said as he helped her off her horse.
Serenity nearly fell to her knees when she hit the earth and the guard quickly grabbed her.
"Are you alright?"
She nodded quickly, trying to steady herself. "I haven't had much experience on a horse," she admitted to him. "I'm afraid I am not used to the after affects."
He nodded. "I will assist you inside," he said.
To her great relief, Serenity found that she was lead directly into their own palace and into a waiting area. The guard left her, and a servant brought her some water to drink. She sat there, impatiently waiting for someone to call for her.
The colors around her were beautiful, but they were dark. The city she had lived her whole life was always clothed with beautiful reds and oranges, bright as the sun and happy as the spring flowers. This palace had dark purples and blacks.
"My lady?"
Serenity looked at a man who stood tall and silent in the doorway.
"We are ready to see you now."
She stood up quickly and followed him into a room where half a dozen men sat together waiting for her. The motioned for her to sit, and she found herself on a fluffy silk cushion on the floor. She tried to be as graceful as possible, but she knew she must look a disaster.
"We are informed that you have news of the Prince," a man said.
"Well, that's not entirely true," she said honestly. When they started to murmur, she spoke loudly to get their attention. "I'm sorry for the deception, but when I tell you my story I am sure you will see why it is necessary." She took a deep breath. "What seems like forever ago, I was presented to the Prince as a gift of companionship from his brother……."
She really hadn't expected to be cut off at that moment, but when she was she could only stare at the man in shock.
"You're the lady Serenity?" a man asked in shock.
"Ah…." She fumbled. "Yes, that is my name."
They were murmuring to one another again.
"Rumor has spread about you and your seemingly singular captivation of the princes attentions."
"What?" She said surprised.
"We put some of our spies within you city walls when the prince came to us, and we heard of your affect on him."
Serenity shook her head. "Alright, fine, but my reason for coming to you is to ask you to help him?"
"We've been waiting on word from him to move. If he asks it of us, we will help him."
"You'll sit here and do nothing unless he asks? He's in danger and probably can't get away."
The looked at her in surprise.
"You are very bold," a man said.
"That doesn't change the truth of my opinion," she said stubbornly. "The army is awaiting command from Endymion and he's not anywhere to be found. He's either dead, wounded or lost. Action needs to be taken, and I know that you have the strength to aid him."
"And you want us to go out and meet his Kings army?"
"No, I……" what did she want? She knew nothing of war and politics; she didn't know what the next step was. "Honestly I don't know what the next step is, but I know that is has to happen quickly. Time cannot be wasted. Perhaps if someone could find a way to take me into the city, then I could find him and deliver a message."
They looked at each other for awhile, seeming to silently communicate.
She wasn't sure what to say. Were they waiting for something else?
"You will stay here," a man said. "We will see how useful you will be to us in the future and in return we will speak of aiding your prince."
She just stared at him.
"Does that appeal to you?" He asked.
Serenity nodded. "If I stay here, you'll take action?"
"We'll speak of it, yes," a man said.
Serenity hated the idea of staying here, but if they were going to help Endymion, then it would be worth it. She would just have to find another way to get to the city. She had already come so far, she was sure she could find a way out of the city. There was no reason why they would keep her against her will. It was probably just a precaution.
"Alright, if you agree to help him, I'll stay here."
"Your desire to help him is admirable," a man said. "But passion does not always lead you on the right path."
She looked at him angrily. "I am not some love sick girl that wants to save her lover," she said harshly. "I believe that the King has become corrupted and no longer is in his right mind to rule. He will kill hundreds of thousands of people without reason and there will never be peace. But Endymion has the ability to change all of that, and although I know a part of him doesn't want the responsibility, he will take it on and turn the Kingdom around so that nobody will ever have to fear again. I believe that what I'm fighting for is peace, and that will lead me on the right path every time."
"Well said my lady," the man said bowing his head to her.
"Go now and rest," a man said. "We will take action within the day, you may be sure of it. Until your prince comes to collect you, you will be safe and welcome here. Our servants will show you to your room, and you will be a companion to one of our eldest daughters."
She nodded, feeling her anger fade again into exhaustion. "Thank you," she said softly.
Her legs and back were stiff when she stood up, and a servant had to help her walk to the door and to her room. The whole way she thought about the room of men she had just spoken to, and something about it unnerved her. They would sit together and talk, and agree on action. No one man would command any of them. It was almost unthinkable. How did they get anything done?
"This is to be your room," the servant said as the entered a very richly decorated bedroom.
Serenity looked around, startled at the luxury of it. It was a room fit for a princess.
"A bath will be drawn for you in a moment," he continued. "The council has asked that you spend as much time as you need resting before joining them again. They will keep you informed of their decisions."
Serenity nodded.
"The Lady Lita will be with your shortly."
"Who?" She asked confused.
"She is the eldest daughter of the council."
"Oh," Serenity said softly. "I am to be her companion?"
"Yes, she is one of the only ladies of her age in the palace and would like a friend I am sure. Do not be intimidated by her height, she is very gentle."
Serenity didn't want to stay here. She needed to go back to the city and find Endymion and make sure he was alright. She didn't want to meet new friends and sit around pretending to be ladies once again when everything was happening. The King had put a price on his head and that meant every greedy man would be looking for him ready to kill.
She was scared for him and her heart continued to flutter anxiously in her chest.
Another servant came in and prepared a bath for her, setting aside a beautiful silk black robe for her to wear afterward. Serenity quickly stripped off her clothes and the servant took them to get cleaned, and then she slipped into the steaming hot water.
She moaned in pleasure as the hot water instantly began soothing her aching body. The long ride on the horse had left her legs stiff and bruised, and the scrapes along her wrists stung. The water was scented and milky with some sort of oil and it felt beautiful against her. She hadn't really realized how dirty she felt until she once again knew what it was like to be clean.
She stayed in the bath for a full couple of minutes without moving.
When the door opened she was half way to sleep.
"Don't be alarmed, I'm not here to hurt you," a woman said as she walked into the room.
Serenity covered herself with her hands, realizing that the milky white water did that for her already.
The woman was beautiful. Serenity gazed up at her in awe, thinking that she had never seen a more beautiful woman in all her life. She was taller than most men, and had slightly curled deep brown hair that fell in smooth waves around her. Her green eyes dazzled like emeralds and her skin was perfectly colored.
"I am Lita," she said smiling. "I know I should have waited until you were done, but I was so excited that you were the same age as me that I simply couldn't sit still. It is such a bother to be stuck in the middle like I am, but now I have you to show around. They said you weren't very good with horses. I can teach you. I raise my own out in the palace stables and I know everything about riding. We can also adventure through the city and I'll show you all the local color. You'll not have a moment to worry about your prince, I promise I'll distract you."
Serenity couldn't help but smile at the woman in front of her. "You seem very excited," she said softly.
"I know, I'm to forward and I encroach on ones person space," she said making a face. "I have been told that most of my life, but why sit in the shadows when you can play in the sun? I've never been good at playing my role in life, I want adventure to much."
Serenity sighed and put her head back against the tub. "I've already had to much adventure in my life."
Lita smiled and sat down beside her. "Will you tell me?"
"If it would please you," she said automatically.
"Oh none of that," Lita said waving her hand. "While you are here you're not a servant, you are our honored guest. You must do exactly what you want to do and nothing more."
Serenity felt herself relax even more. Something about Lita made her completely comfortable, like she was safe and protected with her around. She knew that she wouldn't be able to just sit around and please Lita when so much was happening, but for now she might entertain her.
"I was an orphan at birth, and I was taken in by the lady. She runs a school in the middle of the city that trains slaves for pleasure…….." and she told her the whole story from start to finish, without missing a single detail. It was the first time she had told the story in its entirety and she could hardly believe that it was her own life. "I really don't know what happened. All I know is that I have to help him, and I won't rest until I know he's safe."
Lita was leaning against the side of the tub in rapt attention. Her green eyes glittered excitedly and a smile lingered on her beautiful face. "To have experienced all you have seen and done," she said breathlessly. "I would not think it possible to do so much in one lifetime."
"And yet I have done nothing compared to Endymion," she said closing her eyes. "Before I had ever met him, he had already lead the Kings army to countless victories. He had grown up in the palace, meeting foreign dignitaries and conversing with all sorts of noble and esteemed people. He had seen his father rule and die, and then his brother take the throne only to destroy the Kingdom. He betrayed the King, fighting for the freedom of the city, wanting nothing more than peace. And now he is in hiding, probably wounded and very likely already dead."
Lita smiled softly. "You really do love him, don't you?"
"It is not my place to love him," she answered.
"Yes, but you do none the less."
Serenity didn't answer. She did love him. She was tired of denying it to herself.
"You stayed with him when he gave you reason to leave. You protected him at your own cost even though he asked you not to. You have come all this way to try and help him when any other woman might simply find a new life and settle down again."
"Lita, I cannot admit what I might feel for him. I am made only to provide pleasure and anything more would prove me unworthy of him."
"That really is a load of crap," Lita said rolling her eyes.
"No it's not," she argued. "It's how I was raised and it's what I believe is true. He's a prince and he couldn't love me in return, even if he wanted to. To love him is already a mistake, to admit to it would seal my fate and I wouldn't be able to make him happy. That has always been my only goal."
Lita sighed, nodding softly. "I suppose in some twisted sense you're right."
"I know what I am," Serenity said softly. "As much as you may treat me differently, I am a servant."
"Well, I for one will never treat you like one. As far as I'm concerned, you're here as Prince Endymion's companion and I will make sure that you enjoy your stay. But first you really should sleep. In the morning, you and I will find some way to amuse ourselves. I will have one of the servants bring you dinner tonight in your room so that you will not have to get up. Now get out of that bath before you prune up."
Serenity looked at her hands and smiled at the wrinkled state they were in. She felt completely relaxed. Lita helped wrap her in the silk robe that was waiting for her, and the soft material floated delicately around her.
And then she crawled into the large bed, pulling the covers up all around her while Lita left to make arrangements. She fell asleep almost instantly, and she dreamed of Endymion. She dreamed of the first time she had been with him, and she dreamed of the first time he had taken control and pleased her. She dreamed of his blue eyes, looking at her in happiness and his beautiful smile as he finally opened up to her. His tanned skin moved smoothly over toned muscles when he moved, and she could almost trace the line of his strong jaw.
When she woke up the sun had set and darkness surrounded her, and she felt alone for the first time in a very long time. She realized that he wasn't sleeping beside her and he wasn't standing just outside the room or in his study. He wasn't anywhere near her.
For the first time, she cried.
End of Chapter 10!
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