Title: Masquerade

Author: Lisa

Chapter: 13

Rating: PG

Author's Notes: Happy New Year everyone! Thank you so much to my reviewers for the last chapter. Your encouragement is giving me the final burst of momentum to wrap this little story of mine up! To Mianngu, thanks so much for such a heartfelt note! And I am thrilled that you caught my nod to the title. I always try to throw in a few nuances and plays on words in each chapter, which for me helps tie the chapters together into the overarching theme (I was an English literature major, in case it wasn't obvious), and it's always a pleasure to see others appreciate it! But enough of my rambling, onto the story. :)

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

Endymion ran appreciative hands across the smooth, glistening back of the midnight stallion that was to bear his weight for the afternoon, regarding the magnificent animal standing statute-still before him with silent admiration. His ocean-blue eyes met the creature's own dark orbs, and drew strange comfort from its vacant gaze, as vast and endless as a black hole. That soon prompted a longing to once again ride his own horse, his unfailing and most trustworthy partner both on and off the battlefield.

Endymion sighed and shook his head to rid himself of any lingering homesickness before securing the saddle on the obedient creature and mounting him with one well-practiced movement. A stable-boy hovered nervously by the prince's side as adjusted himself on the seat, and his reassuring smile (in his mind at least) only seemed to frighten the servant even more. Not the most auspicious start for an afternoon ride, Endymion thought, as his smile slipped away at the first opportunity. But what choice had he, given that he was already saddled and had deferred Prince Marcus' invitation to ride twice already? He tugged gently on the reins and offered a nod to the stable-boy, who immediately jumped off to the side as the stallion took off in a slow trot, no doubt relieved to have fulfilled his duties for the time being.

It was not long before the Earth Prince caught up with the others, owing to the steady strides of his horse (he would give credit where it was due—the animal was well-trained). A quick survey of the group of about ten men revealed some familiar faces, some he swore he had never laid eyes on prior to this afternoon. Detriek, he noted silently, was not among the group, and Endymion felt his grip loosen ever so lightly on the reins. His day of reckoning with Detriek would come, must come, if this mirthless game were to end the way he desperately hoped it would, of that he had no doubt…yet not this afternoon, not while pairs of eyes were presently locked on him like a predator on easy prey. And for that, Endymion considered himself thankful to whichever sister-fate was pulling the strings of his destiny.

"Gentlemen, my apologies for keeping you waiting," Endymion called out as soon as he was safely within earshot. "Some urgent matters of business required my immediate attention." Of course, the "urgent matters of business" involved catching a certain moon princess in a fortuitously deserted hallway after lunch had concluded and kissing her senseless while she feigned protest in fear that they would be caught, but he could spare the others that particular detail. He had needed some good luck before throwing himself to a pack of bloodthirsty wolves, so to speak.

Marcus offered the Earth Prince an outwardly inviting smile. "Nonsense, Prince Endymion. We had just gathered here moments prior to your arrival. No delay at all. Shall we? For the afternoon is too perfect for us to waste in trivialities."

"Of course, Prince Marcus." Endymion's own smile tightened until his lips almost formed a straight line. He could not ignore the subtle jab, the muted undermining of the sincerity of his apology for being late. Though, could he blame the other prince, or any of the other suitors for that matter, who currently regarded him with a strange mixture of polite welcoming, guarded curiosity, and even outward annoyance?

For it had become painfully obvious to anyone who possessed the gift of sight over the past week on whom Serenity's admiring gaze fell at the first opportunity, as admirably as she fought to hide it. Ultimately, it was the slight flush in her cheeks, the sudden quickening of her breath, the slightly distracted nature of her speech, and the uncontainable glint in her eye whenever Endymion was near that gave her away. Try as she might, the carefully fabricated façade that had never failed the princess before was becoming increasingly transparent to anyone who cared to look. Serenity was clearly besotted, enamored, captivated…however one wished to describe a woman in love (or perhaps it was lust, pondered her suitors with no small touch of jealousy).

Since Endymion's uncharacteristic behavior at breakfast and Serenity's equally puzzling actions later that evening on the dance floor, the pair had naturally become the topic of gossip and speculation. The couple, for their part, had not done anything to dispel the rumors that travelled the halls of the palace at alarming speed. And overnight, Endymion found himself under the microscope of the other men's scrutiny; whenever he entered the room or joined in on a conversation, he was almost sure that he had been the topic at hand, judging from the sudden hush or awkward glances with which he was received. Yet again, what choice had they? For Serenity had to make her choice at the end, and it would only fuel further uproar from her suitors if they felt truly blindsided, or worse still, deceived by the entire, painstakingly elaborate ordeal.

Such was the backdrop to the afternoon ride that Endymion had felt compelled by decorum to accept. Endymion was not the least bit surprised, then, when the conversation essentially came to a startling halt as he set off with the group. He instead focused his attention to the land around him, taking in the sight of the area his beloved held most dear, breathtaking in its simplicity when compared to the grandeur of the moon palace. After a good quarter hour of quiet, one of the men that Endymion had not been previously introduced to could finally bear the silence no longer.

"Prince Endymion, I hope you will not take offense to what I am about to say," he started, and Endymion felt his hands immediately tense over the reins, bracing for impact.

"I don't believe I have previously had the privilege of an introduction, prince…?" Endymion regarded the man, with shoulder length blonde hair and gray eyes, with what he hoped was friendly interest. Endymion was momentarily taken aback by the man's uncanny resemblance to a younger version of his General. Or perhaps his longing for Earth had now begun to cloud his perception.

"Lord, actually," the man responded curtly. "Lord Avery."

"Lord Avery," Endymion repeated patiently, "if you wish to say something to me, then I of course welcome the open dialogue."

"Very well. Then I will speak candidly. Some of the other suitors and I have been discussing your rather...sudden, if I may, interest in Princess Serenity. For it has not gone unnoticed that you had somehow managed to secure a last minute invitation to the betrothal ceremonies, after years of absolutely no contact with the moon kingdom. After your father, and yourself, have made it abundantly clear that joining the Silver Alliance was…beneath you in some way. For why else would you avoid it so?" The lord paused there, as if goading Endymion to response in defense. He was sorely disappointed, however, in the stony mask which now greeted him, with the re-appearance of the infamous Ice Prince that was the constant subject of others' derision (for how else could they treat something they did not understand, perhaps even feared, loathe they were to admit it?). He pushed on with his speech, fully aware that he now had the attention of every man in their party.

"And now the princess…she…" Here Avery paused once more and was unable to tamp down the heat that crept into his cheeks. "That is….well, what I mean to say is, what is it that you are truly after now, Prince? Political gain? Have you grown restless already and now seek a new conquest, mere months after your alleged great victory in securing the Endymion line of rule on Earth? Or is it assurance that even a woman such as she would..." He cleared his throat. "Our sources tell us that your General has been mounting quite an impressive campaign to garner support from your most influential lords should your bid for the princess' hand be successful. But for what gain…for you to go completely against past precedent, to spit in the face of your father's legacy…well, you must see how remarkable it is to us, seeing you here."

Avery (and indeed, all the men present, if Avery were their spokesman) had unmasked himself completely then, and Endymion saw it all—the naked insecurity, the active disdain toward the outsider that he and his kingdom were to these men—who sat on their horses and turned their noses up toward someone like him, who refused to join the chorus and disappear into the monotony of the royal order within the system. He, who only knew victories won through too much bloodshed, he the emotionless Ice Prince whose mind was only capable of a single objective. The group had come to a complete halt and now sought shade from the blistering mid-afternoon sun under a patch of trees.

"Am I mistaken, my lord," the Earth Prince began quietly at last, "in my assumption that each and every one of you here with me today, and each other man currently residing in the moon palace for that matter, does not count political advantage among one of the, admittedly myriad, reasons for seeking Ser—the princess' hand? If she were a mere maid, for example, free of all pretense, privilege, and unthinkable extravagance, would you still look her way?" Suddenly the gazes of the others were more interested in the scenery than glaring accusingly at Endymion. "For I arguably have the least to gain, and too much to lose—my kingdom's very independence—if Princess Serenity were to choose me. So forgive me, Lord Avery, if I may be so blunt to say that I disagree that your motives are entirely pure, and mine entirely improper."

Marcus was the next to speak, having seen that his friend was momentarily rendered speechless at Endymion's response. "Then why, if not for political gain? Why subject yourself to a process that you clearly disdain, why subject your people to the inevitable turmoil in the event that she chooses you?"

"It is simple really," Endymion said lightly, his voice barely discernible. Yet the force of his next words made the same impact as they hit the warm air as if he had shouted them to the heavens at the top of his lungs until his voice grew hoarse.

"I love her."

A moment of stunned silence followed his declaration. Then the other men pounced, having grown weary of circling their prey for too long.

"What do you know of love?" A man that Endymion didn't know—and didn't ever care to know at that point—sneered at him. "You, who have waged wars and would slice enemies into two without a second's hesitation, who trample women's hearts without a semblance of remorse. And even if you were capable, how could you declare yourself in love, given the limited interactions you have had with her?"

"I should ask the same of you," the Earth Prince returned smoothly, not letting some nameless prince or lord or whoever he was the pleasure of unleashing the rage that currently spread through his veins like unchecked wildfire. "For have not your interactions with her only been limited to stiff dances in the ballroom, to forced conversations over dinner?"

"You…" The man's face was quickly turning a peculiar shade of purple, somewhere in between the color of a violet and a ripe plum.

Endymion fought valiantly against his baser impulses to mention just how well he knew the princess, how well he cherished her every gasp in his ear in those sweet, sweet moments that were entirely their own, when she laid bare all her deepest secrets and surrendered herself to him completely. She was his, and he was hers, and the rest simply faded into the darkness.

"I don't wish to quarrel with you, sir," Endymion said and raised his hand in a conciliatory gesture. "That was never my intention. But when my own intentions toward Princess Serenity are questioned…please know this. I love her. If you do not believe any other word that has left my lips this afternoon, know and trust I would never subject myself, my General, my people to this…this…" Endymion sighed and ran a quick hand through his already mussed hair in a rare show of frustration. "I love her, and if she will have me, if the moon kingdom, the Silver Alliance will have me, then I swear upon my life that I will do everything in my power to be worthy of her and of the position by her side."

Endymion tugged on the reins and began his ride back to the palace alone.

Sorry for the slightly short chapter! I was going to continue but then felt that this scene deserved its own chapter. For better or worse, then, that means there might be a couple more chapters to this story than I anticipated, but bear with me! Please drop me a review—I would love to hear from you! Happy New Year again!

This story was written and posted January 2018.