Okay I know this was a long waiting for this chapter! But unfortunately my Beta Reader and me we were both very busy with life… However I did not forget about this story of course! Thank you all for your great reviews! Really without them I won't be able to write! Many thanks all!

Cambria-Aire : I am so happy you have so many question marks about the story! I mean good ones that make you want to read more! All will be hopefully answered later ;)

SerentiyMoonGodness, sm-fan-27, mayilu : thank you!

Sarinea : aw thank you so much! I was soo very worried writing that merging part... I wasn't sure I could make it clear and still in the style of Helios!

Deadly Aura, sabina21, nickybluejess, CharmedSerenity3, UnwrittenOpus, midnight blue08, jupiter2005 : mmm well I can say Helios had a plan with this, and it is working very well ;)

tryntee13: oh yeah I have missed your reviews! Thanks again a lot for your nice words! Endymion's reaction will be exactly what Helios "planned" for.

Jenbunny : Thank you soo much! I am trying my best and I am very happy you like this story so much! And I am very happy you like my Helios character as I have never wrote about him before.

TrisChiba : Actually I have to tell you I never cared much about Helios in the anime or in any of my storied but he just fits so well here!

JiaRayne : Oh my gosh! I am very touched! Keep me posted with your Feedbacks! The more feedbacks I get the more I want to write!

skittlezzify, sexy Seren, VAlvr04 : here you go!

Chapter 10

Serenity watched him with careful eyes, trying to read the depths of his. Was he angry? She wondered, but then realized quickly it was a stupid question. Of course he was. She came here, unannounced, when there were so many more serious issues going on. The battle, the soldiers, the engagement ball. She should never have come. He needed to focus a hundred percent on the battle with the rebels. He certainly didn't need distraction and an additional burden in a camp. They stood, facing each other in a pregnant silent. She imagined the reunion so many times in the last two days since their... passionate parting… but this was definitely not what she had thought it would be. Neither of them moved or spoke. She was too nervous to say anything, and he didn't seem to want to speak either. Serenity wanted to be anywhere else then there at that moment, facing his hard blue eyes. They were staring into each other's eyes for a very long time, when finally, his deep sigh interrupted her agony.

Endymion closed his eyes briefly, and then sat down on one of the chairs without a word. Serenity watched him carefully, waiting for him to say something. She was determined to wait until he broke the silence. Pressing her lips together nervously, her eyes fell from his face… and that was when she saw it... deep red blood leaking from a wound and coloring the arm of his shirt red. Her eyes widened at the sight. His shirt was torn and there was a huge wound on his arm. How she could have missed it until now? And that was a LOT of blood on the arm of his shirt!

"You're hurt!" she shouted, in fear and panic forgetting about her earlier promise about not breaking the silence immediately.

Endymion glanced at his arm, frowning as if just realizing again that he had been injured in battle. Yeah, the wound was big, but he survived much worse than this before. On the battlefield, wounds like his were like scratches. None would make a big fuss about it and he would certainly not. He glanced up at the young woman to tell her that, but he blinked in surprise in the next moment. She was already by his side, her sweet face only inches from his. The face that showed up more and more often in his dreams… If he would just lean a bit to the right...

"It needs to be cleaned." She stated suddenly, her worried blue eyes fixed on the wound seriously, a deep frown appearing on her forehead.

"It's not a big deal." Endymion said, his eyes fixed on her. He found it difficult to stay angry with her and God knows he was very pissed a few minutes ago at finding her in the camp. Deep inside, he knew it was Helios' fault for bringing her here, but his tensed nerves were too much on edge. However, instead of being angry, he found his mind wandering to dangerous areas, stating facts like how white and soft her skin looked like as she kneeled so close to him.

"Yes, it is a big deal! It is a large wound! And it looks deep too. Where can I find antibiotics?" She asked her face all businesslike as she glanced up at him.

Endymion raised one eyebrow in surprise. He opened his mouth to assure her it was really just a small wound, but he changed his mind before the words had left his mouth. Partly because he could see on her face that she wouldn't accept any excuses and partly because of a much more selfish reason.

"Well?" Serenity asked impatiently... which was against the basics of what she had learned about lady-like behavior, but honestly... she felt like kicking every rule and mannerism right at that moment. He was wounded, and no matter what he said, the wound needed to be cleaned!

"It's in the first aid tent, Zoisite is in charge there. But others need it more then me, like I said." Endymion answered, amused yet again about the young woman. It seemed, even though he spent a few days away from the Palace, it was still quite easy to make the little Princess forget about her stupid mask. Not like it was the first day he got to know her. And he had to admit, the more he discovered about her, the more he found her irresistible. When she opened her mouth to protest, he hushed her quickly. "You can find some water over there next to the bed if you really want to clean it, which is not necessary."

Serenity felt the urge to roll her eyes, but that really would have been unladylike, so she fought back her instincts and rushed to the small table next to the bed. Quickly, she found the small bowl and the water next to it in a jug. Pouring it into the bowl, she checked its temperature quickly with her finger. It was ice cold. Making a face, she sighed disappointedly, but knowing it was her best chance, she grabbed a rag that seemed at least somewhat clean from the other side of the small bed and she was back kneeling next to Endymion in a few seconds.

She studied the wound carefully for a moment. Probing around its edge, her shaking fingers barely touching Endymion's arms. She leaned back a bit, frowning in embarrassment. Biting her lower lip, a small blush appeared on her cheeks. She needed better access.

Endymion watched her amused. Her discomfort was obvious. He knew it perfectly well that with his shirt so bloody and dirty, it was impossible to examine the wound properly. He felt an urge to end her agony, but against all his instincts, he stayed still and quiet. Sooner or later, she would have to ask him to take off his shirt and he would be damned if he did it without her asking for it.

After a few silent moments, Serenity pressed her lips together and started to probe around his wound again, pulling his shirt apart at the gap as much as she could. It was no use… She could feel Endymion's eyes on her as she watered the rag but never lifted it to the wound. Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore his intense stare.

"It is a big wound... I need better access..." She said. When there was no answer from the man in front of her, she cleared her throat. "Please take off your shirt." She added calmly, her eyes never leaving his wound while she talked. Endymion smirked openly. She was so busy avoiding his eyes; she couldn't see the amusement in them. Without a word, he did as she said. Now he was sitting half naked in the chair, his eyes fixed on her while she stared at his wound on his arm. He couldn't help the smug grin on his face when the blush on her sweet cheeks became a deeper red. He waited patiently for her to say something.

Slowly and carefully, Serenity put the rag into the water again and finally started to clean the wound and its surroundings. She was paying extra attention to the fact that she was not touching him anywhere else. And she had a quite good control of her fingers, but her wandering eyes were a way different case. She couldn't help but steal a glance or two at his bright shoulder... and muscular chest...

Endymion watched the young Princess cleaning his wound, his eyes following the soft movement of her delicate fingers. That it bothered him sitting there, half naked in front of this temptation, bearing her soft and gentle touches on his arms was an understatement. He didn't miss the small glances she was throwing at his body, making him even more restless and aware of her beauty, and the fact that he was sitting only inches away from his soon-to-be-fiancée. He could feel his breathing getting shorter and faster and the way too familiar feeling of being aroused filled his body. He swore inwardly at himself. He realized immediately the signs his body was sending him. Signs that usually did not bothered him as much as they did at the moment. He grabbed on the arm of his chair strongly to fight back his instinct, but his control over himself was as thin as the gossamer of a spider and just as easily lost. As he felt his body vibrating with need yet again, he clenched his teeth. It was ridiculous really... sitting there half naked next to the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, his body pulsing with need and still he was holding back. She was going to be his wife... what mattered a few days anyway. He closed his eyes blocking the sight of her long blonde hair, white skin and full lips from his mind... she was sensitive and shy... just starting to open up, he couldn't allow himself to ruin everything. It didn't matter what his whole body ached for. And God knows he never suffered from need this much before. Memories of their first and last kiss filled his mind mixing with his very much alive fantasy. He took a ragged breath only to swear again. Her sweet scent filled his nostrils fanning the fire in him even more.

"It needs antibiotics. I cleaned the wound as much as I could but there was a lot of dirt in it. It needs to be cleaned properly." Serenity said, finally breaking the silence and standing up completely clue-less about what she was doing with him.

Endymion blinked a few times. He was so busy with his own thoughts that he hadn't realized she had already finished cleaning the wound on his arms.

"I am sorry if I caused you any pain." She added sadly, glancing at his hands gripping the arm of the chair so hard that they turned white.

Endymion eased on his hold on the chair very carefully, still unsure if his control over his body was strong enough. The fact that Serenity stood up and was not as close to his body helped a lot, he had to admit.

Serenity blushed furiously. She could feel his eyes on her all the time she was cleaning his wound. And now looking into his almost black eyes made her suddenly feel very …hot... inside and outside too. Not quite understanding the sudden changes in her body, she bit on her lower lip, embarrassed. She needed to get farther away from him to calm down. Turning around, she made her way to the entrance of the tent. But she hadn't taken more then five steps when strong arms gripped her waist from behind, spinning her around.

"Where do you think you're going?" Endymion hissed; his voice oddly husky, his eyes alive with fire. Serenity easily noticed the anger in his eyes, but there was something else in the depths of them too. Something dangerous but exciting as well, making her heart to start a mad race inside her chest.

"For antibiotic? I will be back in a few minutes." Serenity answered, frowning.

"You were planning to waltz outside this tent just like that? You heard nothing of what I said before? There are dozens of men outside! Dozens of soldiers who have not touched a woman for months! They would die for a woman right now!" He didn't mean to shout at her, but he couldn't help himself. The thought of them or anyone else touching her made his barely existing control to snap.

"I'm sorry." Serenity apologized quickly, staring into the dark blue eyes and biting her lower lip in worry. How could she forget that...? She was so busy trying to get away from him that she would have walked out and only Selene knows what could have happened. Glancing up into his almost black eyes, her breath caught in her throat. He was so tense and his eyes were so wild it made her body tremble with an unknown emotion.

Suddenly, a deep growl tore from the lips of the man in front of her and before she could react, his lips crushed hers. It was not a soft kiss like their first kiss was a few days ago. That had been soft and gentle, almost shy, while this was demanding and filled with passion. She opened her mouth in surprise and that was the only clue Endymion needed. His tongue entered her mouth, demanding. At the same time, his arms wrapped around her small body, pulling her so close to him that she could feel every inch of his body and the rapid beat of his heart under her hand on his bare chest. Her mind shut down the next second, giving in to this incredible feeling and kissing him back with all her mind. She forgot about everything, where they were, what they were doing and to what it most likely lead… Even if she wanted to, she simply couldn't control her body or thoughts. All that mattered was to get closer to him at the moment.

Endymion growled when she started to kiss him back, her small fingers running through his hair while her right hand was resting on his bare chest. This was heaven. At this moment, he cared not for the battle or for the kingdom. All that mattered was the angel in his arms. She filled his senses so completely that there was no place for anything else. He didn't even remember when he took a breath last; was it seconds or hours ago? He was too lost in lust, passion, and the way Serenity's body pushed against him; she was too far lost too. Pulling her small delicate body even closer to his, he earned a soft moan from her. That was the final blow, undoing all his reserves.

Parting from her lips to finally take a big breath, he continued kissing her face and neck. Placing a soft but sensitive kiss on her neck right below her left ear, he earned a gasp and moan from her. Smirking, he had come to realize he loved that sound escaping her full lips. Taking her into his arms, he kept kissing the sensitive spot he found while carrying her to his bed. Carefully laying her down, he continued his attack against her neck and shoulders. Joining her in the bed, he could feel every part of her sweet body making him go crazy with lust. Serenity kept moaning and gasping, her back bowing up, her chest pushing against his. His fingers run up and down over her whole body while his lips wandered back to the sensitive spot below her ear. Serenity gasped out loudly, twisting and turning beneath him, trying to get closer and closer to him until a deep growl burst out from somewhere very deep inside of him; a growl that Endymion knew very well. If they went any further, there wouldn't be any turning back…

Endymion froze in the moment his body pushed against hers in a too familiar movement. Reality came back to him, waking him up from his passion covered mind. What was he doing? Ravishing her like he was barbaric man. He had to stop. NOW. Pushing himself up on his elbows, still leaning over her body, he made the mistake of looking at her face. Her lips were flushed and swollen, her hair dissolved, the top of her dress open so he could see the top of her perfect breasts. He growled in madness and agony. Slowly her eyes opened and that was what undid him yet again. Her light blue eyes filled with passion. He captured her lips into a demanding kiss again. The hell with everything, he could read the desire in her eyes and recognize the desire in his body.

"Endymion? Can we come in?"

They both froze immediately. Kunzite's voice woke them up from the passion they were sharing. Endymion, with a strength he didn't know he had; fighting the battle against his and her desire, tore away from her standing up to create some kind of space between them. His hair and clothes were a mess and so was hers. Slowly she seemed to awaken from her dreamlike state, realizing what had happened a few moments before and a deep blush colored her face tomato red. But her eyes stayed unchanged, filled with awoken passion as she started into his dark eyes. Endymion couldn't help but lean down to kiss her lips softly one last time. He wanted to kiss her quickly but her playful arms found their way into his hair again.

Endymion chuckled softly. "The Generals are waiting in front of the tent." He said, tearing away from her lips. Serenity stared at him with clouded eyes. Softly, his fingers started to button up her dress, his eyes fixed on her skin. He had to close his eyes and fight for control with all his strength while she ached against his hand, her eyes closed and her minded fogged by passion. She had no idea what she was doing. Endymion only wished he could have been as clueless.

"You are too much of a temptation" he said, scolding but with a smug smile on his lips. "Come." He held out his hand for her when, slowly, she seemed to awake from her dazzled mind. Serenity took his hand hesitantly. Pulling her to her feet, he smoothed her dress. "I can't help with your hair." He admitted smiling.

Serenity was too much overwhelmed with her emotions to talk, but quickly undid the buns on her head, letting her hair cascade down her back freely. Endymion groaned again, turning away from her, his fists clenched at his side. At the sound, Serenity looked up at him and an unknown feeling filled her heart... was this called woman-proud? And what was she doing really? That was anything BUT princess-like! What would her mother say! But... no matter how much she tried... and no matter how much she knew she should feel ashamed, she did not. She could still see Endymion's eyes filled with lust and she could still feel his touch on her causing her body to tremble again as she finally remade her hair with shaking fingers. When she finally glanced up at the young Prince, he already put his shirt on once again.

Turning around, he threw one last glance at her checking if she was appropriately dressed. It was honestly scary how possessive he felt over her and, for God's sake, she was not his yet! In any way. Shaking the troubled thoughts out of his mind, his eyes ran up and down on her body, and, finding the sight acceptable, he nodded for Serenity to sit down on the bed and, clearing his throat, called out for his friends.

"Come in."

The four Generals entered his tent at once. Kunzite looked a bit disturbed, Endymion noticed, frowning, something must have happened recently, but as his friend did not say anything, Endymion figured it was either not a big issue or a personal matter. Zoisite raised an eyebrow questioningly, sharing a glance with Nephrite, while Jedite grinned like an idiot.

"Are we bothering the wrong time?" he asked, smirking.

"No." Endymion answered shortly, as if closing the conversation before it could start.

"Really? Because you answered awfully late, and your dear fiancée seems to be embarrassed." Jedite continued, missing the dangerous glint in Endymion's eyes.

"Drop the topic Jedite." Endymion hissed, his voice full with warning, his eyes narrowed.

"Touché." Jedite said, pouting but respecting the wish of his friend, but not before he grinned at the furiously blushing girl knowingly.

"You know what, don't even look at her if you don't want to find yourself face to face with my sword." Endymion growled his nerves on edge without his friend's provocative comments anyway. Jedite held up his hands in response, the stupid grin never leaving his face.

Zoisite shook his head and cleared her throat to break the tense moment.

"You wanted to go over the map?" He said, directing everyone's attention to the upcoming battle.

"I found out a very interesting thing from one of our spies." Nephrite added as the men gathered around the map lying on the desk and started to talk about strategy and advances.

Serenity listened for a while, but most of the time they were talking about things she didn't know about at all. Especially since her mother never let her listen in or study about battles. It was no issue for her as it was not the job of a Queen to handle this kind of situation. That was what her mother used to say. Now, she tried to follow the conversation as much as she could but it was no use. After more then two hours, when the men were still discussing about the battle ahead of them, Serenity's eyes started to feel heavy and soon enough she found herself falling asleep.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

After three long hours of planning, Endymion sent his men to get some sleep and be ready for the battle the day after. It was one long discussion, but a very useful one. If things went as planned tomorrow, at this time they could be on their way home. Sighing, he closed his eyes tiredly. The next day could not come soon enough. Finally, turning around a small and gentle smile found its way to his tired face. There she was, one sleeping beauty lying on his bed, sleeping peacefully. Walking up to the bed, he brushed the blonde strands from her face, staring at her in silence for a long moment. It was a mistake of Helios to bring her here. What was he thinking? The Priest tended to think Endymion was unbeatable, that he could fight back the whole world and his confidence in him was encouraging, really, but not now, not in this situation. The little angel sleeping so peacefully now had no clue how much danger she was in. She was the Moon Princess and the future Queen of the Earth. Any enemy who were more intelligent then a snail would use an opportunity like this. Kidnapping her or…or killing her would not just be a major blow to the Moon Kingdom, but to Earth as well. That was something he could not allow. That kind of thought made him gritting his teeth in anger. Standing there above her sleeping form, he swore on the names of all the Gods he knew that none would touch her without facing his fury as long as he breathed… for the sake of the Earth kingdom. A tiny voice in his head whispered it was not the only reason behind his protectiveness, but he decided to ignore it. He did not have the time to understand the oddly possessive feeling in his heart when it came to the Princess.

Taking off his boots and his blooded shirt, he gathered her into his arms, lying down next to her in the bed. Serenity mumbled her protest unconsciously in her sleep when he moved her gently, but once he hushed her she seemed to calm down. In the next moment, she snuggled up against him, dropping her arms around his chest. Endymion laid there in silence, listening to her steady and his somewhat erratic heartbeat, before wrapping one strong arm around her small waist and taking one calming breath, breathing in her sweet scent. For the sake of the Kingdom… that is all… he thought before closing his eyes, preparing for a long fight for sleep to come to him. Surprisingly in less then two minutes, the dark haired Prince was deep asleep, holding the small woman close to him unconsciously.

And that was it for this chapter! I hope you guys liked it! This chapter was more dedicated for Endy and Sere then the story line but I guess this was needed ;) Just to keep your attention, the next chapter will have some exciting scenes as well as a new clue about an enemy ;) As always, let me know what you think!