Hello! Well, some of you may wonder about the strangers'
and Endymion's occupation from the previous two chapters. This chapter
will answer some of the historical events happening on Earth.
Hope you'll enjoy it. ^_~
PLEASE email me and tell me what you think of my story.
Critiques, compliments, suggestions, questions, anything would be fine.
Just drop me a line! My inbox is getting really! lonely!! ^_~
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made
possible by DiC and now Cloverway/Bandai (?).
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com
= thoughts
[ ] = author's note
Rated: PG
Please enjoy!
============================================================================
A Shepherd's Kiss
========================= By Cosmos ==================================
Chapter 7: Intrigue
Two silhouettes faced each other beneath the pale light of the moon. From a
distance, they seemed like two mysterious statues built long ago by the
ancient hands of fate and destiny. Silence enveloped them as the wind
played around them stirring up distant memories and mysterious emotions.
Her long silver tresses flew behind her like silk ribbons waving desolately
in the wind. Her azure eyes never left his face where they first fell
on them. She looked deep into his ocean blues, searching for something
that even she has yet to understand. Her emotions rushed to the surface
like a tidal wave surging upon a deserted beach, uncontrollable and
unpredictable.
She held his gaze like a cup of morning dew holding the first rays of
sunlight. He could sense her enchantment weave itself into his soul and
surround his heart, but he did not fight it. Unlike her, he understood
very well what these emotions were. Without the hatred and anger that
deafened her soul, he could clearly hear the sweet melodies playing in his
heart for her.
Although he understood his emotions, he could not understand hers. His
heart loved her, but his mind questioned her actions. Full of coldness and
sorrow, it seemed that she would never know love, or come to love him. It
pained him to know that perhaps she would never return his love for her.
Would he have to live this all alone with her so close and yet so far?
It appeared that fate has played both hands here. She, imprisoned in her
hatred and, he, in his love. Such a great expanse yawned between them that
it seemed impossible they could ever trek across it to close the rift. But
another hand was still to be dealt.
He was the first to break the heavy silence barricading them. "Perhaps, it
is best to start with an explanation," he whispered in a low alluring
voice.
She did not respond.
He took her silence as an indication to continue, "It was my decision after
I met you at Lady Snafu's ball to free you from her imprisonment. I am
terribly sorry to have you rescued in such an extreme way, but it was best
you did not know about us until we could get you out. You probably would
not have trusted me if I had told you anyway."
"And who *are* you?" Serenity finally spoke with her eyes still holding
his.
He responded with incredible calmness to her cold tone, "It would be best
to answer that question by showing you. Come, it is getting late and there
is quite a distance to cover."
"And where is it that *we* should go?" she asked coldly. "You are right.
I do not trust you; and where did you take Hotaru?"
"Your young friend is safe with my friends. She is waiting for you at
Camp," he replied as he turned and began to walk away, "and that is where
we are heading. You can choose to remain here if you want and risk being
recaptured by Snafu, or you can come with me and risk finding yourself
mingling with commoners. It is your decision."
She ignored his remark. Instead, she stood watching his receding back for
a moment, but realizing that there was not much of a choice at hand, she
decided to put her risk with him. Quickly, she caught up with him.
She followed him in cold silence as he headed toward his black horse gazing
a short distance away from them. The horse was a magnificent sight. The
animal was surprisingly a beautiful representation of its master. Never
before had she beheld such a creature that was so refined yet still
conveyed incredible strength and agility. In addition, the color was
something she had never seen. On the moon, there was not a single horse
that was black. The pale moonlight danced on the horse's smooth dark coat
creating ripples of light as the great animal moved its body.
He quickly went up to his horse and mounted it in one smooth motion.
He glanced down at her with a hand open to lift her up on the saddle with
him, but to his surprise he found her observing the animal with the same
curious light he saw her observe the heavens earlier. Her pale hand gently
ran across the horse's sleek coat as if this was the first time she saw
such an animal.
"This animal is known as a horse," he replied with a teasing smile.
Her cold blue eyes quickly snapped to his in response. In the glare he
could see…a smile?
"I know very well what this creature is," she replied apathetically.
"Oh?" he continued to tease, "For a moment, I thought you didn't."
She ignored his remark and grabbed his hand to heave herself onto his horse
behind him, but instead he drew her up to sit in front. Her sudden change
in position was unexpected and her body stiffened in response. She could
feel his muscular arms wrap itself around her to grab at the reins. The
strange mixture of emotions boiled to the surface of her soul once again.
Her brows knitted together in confusion. There is something about this
man, she thought in bewilderment of his affect on her, that makes me
feel so strange. Be alert, Serenity. It is dangerous when your guard
could so easily be dismantled.
He could feel her slender form beneath the thin fabric of her dull brown
uniform. She felt so small, so delicate within his arms like a fine
porcelain figure. Her silver hair cascaded down the sides like rivulets
of silver water from a heavenly fountain. For a moment, he felt drugged
by her essence, so elegant…so beautiful…and so spirited. But her stiff
posture and the coldness that seeped from her soul soon broke the warm
enchantment that momentarily captured him. It brought him back to reality
and the knowledge that she was still far from his reach.
With silence expanding between them, they rode off into the night. She
kept her face forward and her attention focused on the distant horizon.
She refused to yield to her heart's desire to look back at the handsome
face that was so close behind her. Throughout the entire ride, the warmth
of his body and the incredible closeness of his presence were never far
from the surface of her mind.
After a few hours of simply darkness and stillness, the heavy atmosphere
hanging over them soon made both their souls weary and tired. They both
knew that this could not last much longer. Someone must break this silent
barrier between them…at least for the time being.
This time it was she who crossed the obstruction.
"So where is this place you call Camp?" she asked.
"Just over the horizon," he replied, "about a day's ride, but with the
extra cargo, I'll say two."
"Tell me," her soft voice caressed his ears, "why did you save me?"
He smiled behind her realizing that she would eventually ask that question.
"It didn't appear quite suitable for a princess to be imprisoned in such a
horrid place," he replied with unnecessary eloquence.
"So you saved me because of the *unsuitable* circumstance of my position?"
she asked incredulously. "You risked your neck for such a simple reason?
You are a greater fool than I thought."
He chuckled quietly as he responded, "Actually, I risked three others'
necks for such a simple reason."
Upon the mentioning of her other three captors, she questioned, "And who
were they?"
"You will soon see."
"Is this how you answer any questions asked of you, Renegade?"
"And is this how you show your thanks by calling your savior a renegade?"
he asked slightly annoyed by the name being used again. "I have already
told you my name is Endymion, or have you forgotten?"
"I remember very well what your name is…Renegade," she whispered back in a
strange tone. "Beside, it was not you who *risked your neck*, remember?"
He cocked an inquisitive brow at her, clearly amused by her stubborn spirit
but confused as well.
"You are not just any ordinary Earth shepherd are you?" she continued.
"Someone is sharp," he remarked sarcastically.
"Is there nothing I say that does not amuse you?" she said observing the
tone of his voice.
"That would depend," he whispered to her, "on what you are saying."
She fell silent as his roundabout way of answering her questions clearly
upset her. Nevertheless, this skill of his greatly intrigued her. It
would be vastly beneficial if she could somehow learn such a skill of
communication.
"I heard your three friends remark about a surprise attack," Serenity said
slowly, testing his reaction to her comment. Receiving no response in body
position, she continued, "and that you are hunted for some kind of a
reward. Might there be a possibility of explaining all this to me, or is
this something I would have to wait and see also?"
She waited for his response, but all she received was silence.
For a moment, she feared she made the wrong mistake of inquiring too
deeply into his affairs and that of Earth's, but his deep voice soon
erased that fear.
"No," he responded quietly, "now that it is brought up, it is best you
that know."
The tone of his voice was so sad that Serenity regretted she had asked
about something that would bring him such pain.
"Almost two months ago, while our small group of scouts were out gathering
intelligence on a suspected Green army recruitment camp, they were suddenly
attacked." He fell silent for a moment as if the memory was too painful
for him to continue. She could hear him sigh mournfully behind her like a
soft whisper of the wind.
Soon he continued, "It was a hopeless battle from the beginning, as all
ambushes are. They were outnumbered ten to one. There was nothing we
could do to save them because the news of their attack reached Camp late
after their defeat. They were simply too far for reinforcement to arrive
in time. When we did arrive…the battle was long over. It was a
complete …no one survived." He paused for a moment before adding, "I had
lost my greatest friend in that attack."
"I'm sorry," she whispered sincerely. "I shouldn't have asked you
about that."
"No, you had the right to know. Now that you are going to be staying with
us, you should be aware of what you are heading into."
I will not remain with you for very long, Endymion, she thought.
"Who are you *really*, Endymion?" she asked, the coldness in her tone
lessened.
He immediately noticed this and the fact that she called him by his name
gave him hope he never thought he could feel. It was a small change, but a
change nonetheless, and Endymion embraced it with all his strength. It
gave him assurance that there may be a possibility he could win her.
Perhaps there was a heart beneath all that ice after all.
"Are you starting to call me by my name now?" he asked teasingly.
"Perhaps," she replied emotionlessly. "You still haven't answered my
question yet."
"Did I not say that you'll have to wait until we arrive at Camp to get
that answer?"
She huffed in annoyance.
"Alright, *Princess*," he said, "don't get your hair in a tangle. I'll
tell you. My occupation as a shepherd is simply a disguise for the real
plan. The three that rescued you, and many others located at Camp and at
other points around the kingdom, are part of the Earth Rebellion Army, or
Era as we all call our mission."
"Rebellion? Against who or what are you fighting?"
"The Earth Kingdom, who else?"
"Against your own Kingdom? But why?"
"When you arrive at Camp, you will see. King Darius, the king of Earth,
is a tyrant, Serenity. He oppresses the poor people of Earth to a point
that rebellion is necessary for survival. He hoards everything within his
grasp, leaving the citizens with neither a home nor a piece of gold to
live on. But worst off, he enforces them to enlist into his army so that
he could send them to their deaths in petty wars that his personal greed
creates. How could anyone allow this to continue? There must be a stop to
his reign of terror, and Era is the only hope the people of this Kingdom
have, Serenity."
He paused for a moment to allow his words to sink in, then he continued in
a low whisper, "So now you know about the affairs of this *renegade*
kingdom, Serenity. There is more to Earth than what simple rumors make
it to be."
She did not respond.
He smiled silently behind her. Now that she knew the truth of the events
occurring here, she would think twice before making preconceived
assumptions; but it pained him the same to have to do this to her. Her
blind pride would one day be her downfall. And he did not want that. He
would rather have her hate him than to lose her by letting her become those
mindless gentry that occupy her world. He wanted her to become what he saw
in her eyes on that night long ago. He knew that was the real Serenity
he saw.
A solemn voice broke into his thoughts. "Are you part of this rebellion?
This Era?" she asked quietly.
"I am," he responded. "To be precise, I lead them."
"You mean to tell me that you are these rebels' leader?! You are their
commanding officer?!"
Her surprised tone shocked him for a moment. Did she not believe that he
was capable of holding such a position? He wanted to know what she thought
of him, if she truly did scorn him so much.
One of his hands released the rein and turned her face so that she would
look straight into his eyes. His action surprised her as he saw her wide
sky-blue eyes gaze back at him in utter shock. She did not know how to
react to such an unexpected occurrence. Instead her body remained stiff
with anxiety and distress, while her eyes gazed deeply into his. He
lowered his face until it was so close to hers that she could feel his
warm breath on her numb lips.
With his eyes still imprisoning her in its challenging and alluring gaze,
he whispered, "Don't you believe I could be their leader?"
For a moment she did not reply. His incredible closeness momentarily
placed her mind into a frantic whirl and her heart in a pounding frenzy.
What is happening to me? she thought in dismay at the incredible
power this man has over her. But her pride and spirit soon overcame her
fear as she thought, I cannot let this…this shepherd defeat me so
easily. I will not be conquered by simple appearance and charm. No
buster, you have more on your hands than you think.
Her eyes gradually hardened into a resistive challenge as she regained
control of her emotions. She responded in a frosty whisper with a dash
of sarcasm, "Not at all."
Her strong defiant spirit amazed him. His tactic of placing her off guard
with his charm did not appear to work against this beautiful Princess. Of
the many other girls he played this strategy with to gain information, she
was the only one that could resist his greatest weapon. A smile of
admiration soon lit up his handsome face.
He whispered to her in an amusing tone, "Then I'll just have to prove to
you my capabilities now wouldn't I?"
He leaned closer with his head inclined toward her luscious lips. He
watched with amusement when he saw her eyes widened in fear as she realized
what he was attempting to do. At the last possible minute, he suddenly
dropped from her view. She gazed at the empty air in front of her in
confusion. "What? Hey, where did the guy go?"
"Are you talking to yourself now Princess?" he called from below.
She looked down, with surprise reflecting brightly in her eyes, to see him
busily removing bundles of wool-woven blankets from the horse.
"What are you doing?" she asked bewildered by his strange actions.
"Preparing for bed, what else? We're making camp here tonight.
Tomorrow we'll start early."
"What?" she asked in surprise, "Here? But…but we are in the middle of a
forest!"
"And your point is?"
"Is it not safe?"
"Look Princess," he said as he continued to unroll his blanket, "there
is no place you can truly call safe. There is danger wherever you go, no
matter whether you are located in an enclosed comfortable bedroom or in
the open wilderness. If danger is after you, it will find you. The best
thing you can do is be prepared for it and defend yourself. Now,
personally, I'd prefer the open wilderness with its wild beasts than a
castle with its many characters."
"Why is that?" she asked curiously.
"Because in the wilderness, you know who your enemies are. In a social
arena it is much more difficult to tell," he replied in a solemn voice
as he tucked himself in to sleep. "I suggest you do the same, Serenity."
She watched his slumbering form from the height of the horse's back. His
response was very surprising, one of which she had never before heard
spoken by any man. It appeared that he carried a secret pain deep within
his heart, one of which no one knew. She could sense that inner turmoil
reach the surface of his voice once in a while. She continued to observe
his dark form with greater interest as his strange personality intrigued
her like no other man.
When she finally got off the horse and prepared her own bed not far from
him, she heard him move slightly then a soft whisper, like the sound of a
breeze whistling through tall blades of grass, reached her ears.
"Welcome to the Earth Kingdom, Princess Serenity," he whispered.
[I've noticed that ASMR had some server trouble (at least I think that's
what it was) this Sunday (Jul-23-00). If this happens again then you can
go to any of the following links below to get the newest chapter...
URL: http://www.crosswinds.net/~ladycosmos/
URL: http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/portalsms/main.html
The first URL gets updated every Saturday and the second gets updated usually
within a week or two. By the way, Lady Cosmos is not me. ^_^ Just thought
I tell you all before confusion sets in. ^_^
Also, thanks to all that have been so patiently following this story.
As I said I will always! get a new chapter out every week. ^_~
Chapter eight coming next week! "Heart of a Kingdom"
...this chapter will set an interesting twist to the story ^_~ and bring
some actions (finally) into the chapters thereafter. Oh yeah! Almost
forgot to mention...all the identities of the three strangers will be
revealed in Chapter eight ^_^;]
===========================================
Copyright (c) 2000, Cosmos.
and Endymion's occupation from the previous two chapters. This chapter
will answer some of the historical events happening on Earth.
Hope you'll enjoy it. ^_~
PLEASE email me and tell me what you think of my story.
Critiques, compliments, suggestions, questions, anything would be fine.
Just drop me a line! My inbox is getting really! lonely!! ^_~
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made
possible by DiC and now Cloverway/Bandai (?).
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com
= thoughts
[ ] = author's note
Rated: PG
Please enjoy!
============================================================================
A Shepherd's Kiss
========================= By Cosmos ==================================
Chapter 7: Intrigue
Two silhouettes faced each other beneath the pale light of the moon. From a
distance, they seemed like two mysterious statues built long ago by the
ancient hands of fate and destiny. Silence enveloped them as the wind
played around them stirring up distant memories and mysterious emotions.
Her long silver tresses flew behind her like silk ribbons waving desolately
in the wind. Her azure eyes never left his face where they first fell
on them. She looked deep into his ocean blues, searching for something
that even she has yet to understand. Her emotions rushed to the surface
like a tidal wave surging upon a deserted beach, uncontrollable and
unpredictable.
She held his gaze like a cup of morning dew holding the first rays of
sunlight. He could sense her enchantment weave itself into his soul and
surround his heart, but he did not fight it. Unlike her, he understood
very well what these emotions were. Without the hatred and anger that
deafened her soul, he could clearly hear the sweet melodies playing in his
heart for her.
Although he understood his emotions, he could not understand hers. His
heart loved her, but his mind questioned her actions. Full of coldness and
sorrow, it seemed that she would never know love, or come to love him. It
pained him to know that perhaps she would never return his love for her.
Would he have to live this all alone with her so close and yet so far?
It appeared that fate has played both hands here. She, imprisoned in her
hatred and, he, in his love. Such a great expanse yawned between them that
it seemed impossible they could ever trek across it to close the rift. But
another hand was still to be dealt.
He was the first to break the heavy silence barricading them. "Perhaps, it
is best to start with an explanation," he whispered in a low alluring
voice.
She did not respond.
He took her silence as an indication to continue, "It was my decision after
I met you at Lady Snafu's ball to free you from her imprisonment. I am
terribly sorry to have you rescued in such an extreme way, but it was best
you did not know about us until we could get you out. You probably would
not have trusted me if I had told you anyway."
"And who *are* you?" Serenity finally spoke with her eyes still holding
his.
He responded with incredible calmness to her cold tone, "It would be best
to answer that question by showing you. Come, it is getting late and there
is quite a distance to cover."
"And where is it that *we* should go?" she asked coldly. "You are right.
I do not trust you; and where did you take Hotaru?"
"Your young friend is safe with my friends. She is waiting for you at
Camp," he replied as he turned and began to walk away, "and that is where
we are heading. You can choose to remain here if you want and risk being
recaptured by Snafu, or you can come with me and risk finding yourself
mingling with commoners. It is your decision."
She ignored his remark. Instead, she stood watching his receding back for
a moment, but realizing that there was not much of a choice at hand, she
decided to put her risk with him. Quickly, she caught up with him.
She followed him in cold silence as he headed toward his black horse gazing
a short distance away from them. The horse was a magnificent sight. The
animal was surprisingly a beautiful representation of its master. Never
before had she beheld such a creature that was so refined yet still
conveyed incredible strength and agility. In addition, the color was
something she had never seen. On the moon, there was not a single horse
that was black. The pale moonlight danced on the horse's smooth dark coat
creating ripples of light as the great animal moved its body.
He quickly went up to his horse and mounted it in one smooth motion.
He glanced down at her with a hand open to lift her up on the saddle with
him, but to his surprise he found her observing the animal with the same
curious light he saw her observe the heavens earlier. Her pale hand gently
ran across the horse's sleek coat as if this was the first time she saw
such an animal.
"This animal is known as a horse," he replied with a teasing smile.
Her cold blue eyes quickly snapped to his in response. In the glare he
could see…a smile?
"I know very well what this creature is," she replied apathetically.
"Oh?" he continued to tease, "For a moment, I thought you didn't."
She ignored his remark and grabbed his hand to heave herself onto his horse
behind him, but instead he drew her up to sit in front. Her sudden change
in position was unexpected and her body stiffened in response. She could
feel his muscular arms wrap itself around her to grab at the reins. The
strange mixture of emotions boiled to the surface of her soul once again.
Her brows knitted together in confusion. There is something about this
man, she thought in bewilderment of his affect on her, that makes me
feel so strange. Be alert, Serenity. It is dangerous when your guard
could so easily be dismantled.
He could feel her slender form beneath the thin fabric of her dull brown
uniform. She felt so small, so delicate within his arms like a fine
porcelain figure. Her silver hair cascaded down the sides like rivulets
of silver water from a heavenly fountain. For a moment, he felt drugged
by her essence, so elegant…so beautiful…and so spirited. But her stiff
posture and the coldness that seeped from her soul soon broke the warm
enchantment that momentarily captured him. It brought him back to reality
and the knowledge that she was still far from his reach.
With silence expanding between them, they rode off into the night. She
kept her face forward and her attention focused on the distant horizon.
She refused to yield to her heart's desire to look back at the handsome
face that was so close behind her. Throughout the entire ride, the warmth
of his body and the incredible closeness of his presence were never far
from the surface of her mind.
After a few hours of simply darkness and stillness, the heavy atmosphere
hanging over them soon made both their souls weary and tired. They both
knew that this could not last much longer. Someone must break this silent
barrier between them…at least for the time being.
This time it was she who crossed the obstruction.
"So where is this place you call Camp?" she asked.
"Just over the horizon," he replied, "about a day's ride, but with the
extra cargo, I'll say two."
"Tell me," her soft voice caressed his ears, "why did you save me?"
He smiled behind her realizing that she would eventually ask that question.
"It didn't appear quite suitable for a princess to be imprisoned in such a
horrid place," he replied with unnecessary eloquence.
"So you saved me because of the *unsuitable* circumstance of my position?"
she asked incredulously. "You risked your neck for such a simple reason?
You are a greater fool than I thought."
He chuckled quietly as he responded, "Actually, I risked three others'
necks for such a simple reason."
Upon the mentioning of her other three captors, she questioned, "And who
were they?"
"You will soon see."
"Is this how you answer any questions asked of you, Renegade?"
"And is this how you show your thanks by calling your savior a renegade?"
he asked slightly annoyed by the name being used again. "I have already
told you my name is Endymion, or have you forgotten?"
"I remember very well what your name is…Renegade," she whispered back in a
strange tone. "Beside, it was not you who *risked your neck*, remember?"
He cocked an inquisitive brow at her, clearly amused by her stubborn spirit
but confused as well.
"You are not just any ordinary Earth shepherd are you?" she continued.
"Someone is sharp," he remarked sarcastically.
"Is there nothing I say that does not amuse you?" she said observing the
tone of his voice.
"That would depend," he whispered to her, "on what you are saying."
She fell silent as his roundabout way of answering her questions clearly
upset her. Nevertheless, this skill of his greatly intrigued her. It
would be vastly beneficial if she could somehow learn such a skill of
communication.
"I heard your three friends remark about a surprise attack," Serenity said
slowly, testing his reaction to her comment. Receiving no response in body
position, she continued, "and that you are hunted for some kind of a
reward. Might there be a possibility of explaining all this to me, or is
this something I would have to wait and see also?"
She waited for his response, but all she received was silence.
For a moment, she feared she made the wrong mistake of inquiring too
deeply into his affairs and that of Earth's, but his deep voice soon
erased that fear.
"No," he responded quietly, "now that it is brought up, it is best you
that know."
The tone of his voice was so sad that Serenity regretted she had asked
about something that would bring him such pain.
"Almost two months ago, while our small group of scouts were out gathering
intelligence on a suspected Green army recruitment camp, they were suddenly
attacked." He fell silent for a moment as if the memory was too painful
for him to continue. She could hear him sigh mournfully behind her like a
soft whisper of the wind.
Soon he continued, "It was a hopeless battle from the beginning, as all
ambushes are. They were outnumbered ten to one. There was nothing we
could do to save them because the news of their attack reached Camp late
after their defeat. They were simply too far for reinforcement to arrive
in time. When we did arrive…the battle was long over. It was a
complete …no one survived." He paused for a moment before adding, "I had
lost my greatest friend in that attack."
"I'm sorry," she whispered sincerely. "I shouldn't have asked you
about that."
"No, you had the right to know. Now that you are going to be staying with
us, you should be aware of what you are heading into."
I will not remain with you for very long, Endymion, she thought.
"Who are you *really*, Endymion?" she asked, the coldness in her tone
lessened.
He immediately noticed this and the fact that she called him by his name
gave him hope he never thought he could feel. It was a small change, but a
change nonetheless, and Endymion embraced it with all his strength. It
gave him assurance that there may be a possibility he could win her.
Perhaps there was a heart beneath all that ice after all.
"Are you starting to call me by my name now?" he asked teasingly.
"Perhaps," she replied emotionlessly. "You still haven't answered my
question yet."
"Did I not say that you'll have to wait until we arrive at Camp to get
that answer?"
She huffed in annoyance.
"Alright, *Princess*," he said, "don't get your hair in a tangle. I'll
tell you. My occupation as a shepherd is simply a disguise for the real
plan. The three that rescued you, and many others located at Camp and at
other points around the kingdom, are part of the Earth Rebellion Army, or
Era as we all call our mission."
"Rebellion? Against who or what are you fighting?"
"The Earth Kingdom, who else?"
"Against your own Kingdom? But why?"
"When you arrive at Camp, you will see. King Darius, the king of Earth,
is a tyrant, Serenity. He oppresses the poor people of Earth to a point
that rebellion is necessary for survival. He hoards everything within his
grasp, leaving the citizens with neither a home nor a piece of gold to
live on. But worst off, he enforces them to enlist into his army so that
he could send them to their deaths in petty wars that his personal greed
creates. How could anyone allow this to continue? There must be a stop to
his reign of terror, and Era is the only hope the people of this Kingdom
have, Serenity."
He paused for a moment to allow his words to sink in, then he continued in
a low whisper, "So now you know about the affairs of this *renegade*
kingdom, Serenity. There is more to Earth than what simple rumors make
it to be."
She did not respond.
He smiled silently behind her. Now that she knew the truth of the events
occurring here, she would think twice before making preconceived
assumptions; but it pained him the same to have to do this to her. Her
blind pride would one day be her downfall. And he did not want that. He
would rather have her hate him than to lose her by letting her become those
mindless gentry that occupy her world. He wanted her to become what he saw
in her eyes on that night long ago. He knew that was the real Serenity
he saw.
A solemn voice broke into his thoughts. "Are you part of this rebellion?
This Era?" she asked quietly.
"I am," he responded. "To be precise, I lead them."
"You mean to tell me that you are these rebels' leader?! You are their
commanding officer?!"
Her surprised tone shocked him for a moment. Did she not believe that he
was capable of holding such a position? He wanted to know what she thought
of him, if she truly did scorn him so much.
One of his hands released the rein and turned her face so that she would
look straight into his eyes. His action surprised her as he saw her wide
sky-blue eyes gaze back at him in utter shock. She did not know how to
react to such an unexpected occurrence. Instead her body remained stiff
with anxiety and distress, while her eyes gazed deeply into his. He
lowered his face until it was so close to hers that she could feel his
warm breath on her numb lips.
With his eyes still imprisoning her in its challenging and alluring gaze,
he whispered, "Don't you believe I could be their leader?"
For a moment she did not reply. His incredible closeness momentarily
placed her mind into a frantic whirl and her heart in a pounding frenzy.
What is happening to me? she thought in dismay at the incredible
power this man has over her. But her pride and spirit soon overcame her
fear as she thought, I cannot let this…this shepherd defeat me so
easily. I will not be conquered by simple appearance and charm. No
buster, you have more on your hands than you think.
Her eyes gradually hardened into a resistive challenge as she regained
control of her emotions. She responded in a frosty whisper with a dash
of sarcasm, "Not at all."
Her strong defiant spirit amazed him. His tactic of placing her off guard
with his charm did not appear to work against this beautiful Princess. Of
the many other girls he played this strategy with to gain information, she
was the only one that could resist his greatest weapon. A smile of
admiration soon lit up his handsome face.
He whispered to her in an amusing tone, "Then I'll just have to prove to
you my capabilities now wouldn't I?"
He leaned closer with his head inclined toward her luscious lips. He
watched with amusement when he saw her eyes widened in fear as she realized
what he was attempting to do. At the last possible minute, he suddenly
dropped from her view. She gazed at the empty air in front of her in
confusion. "What? Hey, where did the guy go?"
"Are you talking to yourself now Princess?" he called from below.
She looked down, with surprise reflecting brightly in her eyes, to see him
busily removing bundles of wool-woven blankets from the horse.
"What are you doing?" she asked bewildered by his strange actions.
"Preparing for bed, what else? We're making camp here tonight.
Tomorrow we'll start early."
"What?" she asked in surprise, "Here? But…but we are in the middle of a
forest!"
"And your point is?"
"Is it not safe?"
"Look Princess," he said as he continued to unroll his blanket, "there
is no place you can truly call safe. There is danger wherever you go, no
matter whether you are located in an enclosed comfortable bedroom or in
the open wilderness. If danger is after you, it will find you. The best
thing you can do is be prepared for it and defend yourself. Now,
personally, I'd prefer the open wilderness with its wild beasts than a
castle with its many characters."
"Why is that?" she asked curiously.
"Because in the wilderness, you know who your enemies are. In a social
arena it is much more difficult to tell," he replied in a solemn voice
as he tucked himself in to sleep. "I suggest you do the same, Serenity."
She watched his slumbering form from the height of the horse's back. His
response was very surprising, one of which she had never before heard
spoken by any man. It appeared that he carried a secret pain deep within
his heart, one of which no one knew. She could sense that inner turmoil
reach the surface of his voice once in a while. She continued to observe
his dark form with greater interest as his strange personality intrigued
her like no other man.
When she finally got off the horse and prepared her own bed not far from
him, she heard him move slightly then a soft whisper, like the sound of a
breeze whistling through tall blades of grass, reached her ears.
"Welcome to the Earth Kingdom, Princess Serenity," he whispered.
[I've noticed that ASMR had some server trouble (at least I think that's
what it was) this Sunday (Jul-23-00). If this happens again then you can
go to any of the following links below to get the newest chapter...
URL: http://www.crosswinds.net/~ladycosmos/
URL: http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/portalsms/main.html
The first URL gets updated every Saturday and the second gets updated usually
within a week or two. By the way, Lady Cosmos is not me. ^_^ Just thought
I tell you all before confusion sets in. ^_^
Also, thanks to all that have been so patiently following this story.
As I said I will always! get a new chapter out every week. ^_~
Chapter eight coming next week! "Heart of a Kingdom"
...this chapter will set an interesting twist to the story ^_~ and bring
some actions (finally) into the chapters thereafter. Oh yeah! Almost
forgot to mention...all the identities of the three strangers will be
revealed in Chapter eight ^_^;]
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Copyright (c) 2000, Cosmos.