Chapter Two: At the Palace
Selenity flung herself against her bedroom door, closing it with a slam. She tried to slow her breathing and wipe some of the dust out of her hair.
She knew that evil lurked everywhere, but on the Moon Palace's very streets! When the tramp had started to follow her, shadowing her for purposes immediately obvious, she had been frightened. But training as a Sailor Senshi never failed her, though how he had seen through her disguise was another mystery.
But then.
She had thought one good knockdown would deal with someone like that. It hadn't, but someone had warned her.
She pursed her soft lips and tried to remember who.
A raven-haired man with eyes as deep and dark as the night sky walked into her mind. Her heart beat more than slightly faster. That was right. He had warned her of her adversary and his attack.
Had saved her life, probably.
A yell broke through her daydream. "Selenity! Hey, meatballs, are you sleeping in there?"
Rei, Selenity thought affectionately. She smiled as she opened the door and her dark-haired friend walked in.
Rei sized her up, eyeing the muddy brown cloak and dusty hair. "You've been out in the streets again."
Selenity blushed, then straightened. "And what if I have? It'll be my city someday, and the best way to rule over it is to learn of its people. My people."
Rei grinned. "Just thought I'd let you know the entourage from Earth will be here in about ten minutes."
Panic seized Selenity. "Ten minutes?! Oh, damn it! I'm not even half-way ready!"
"Better get so." Rei said, looking at her friend in obvious amusement. "And, Selenity-please, please, please do not go out in that cloak, okay?"
Despite her predicament, Selenity grinned. "All right, Rei. I'll wear something that my mother won't kill me for."
Rei winked, then left her.
Selenity sighed, then hurried over to her wardrobe closet to sort through her dresses.
* * *
Endymion sighed impatiently. Libidia and one of her ladies-in-waiting were chattering non-stop beside him. He wished he could just turn down the volume on her squeaky voice just so he could stop and think a moment.
The image of the cloaked figure kept flitting back into his mind. Something about him was bothering him. The person had seemed normal enough, aside from the fact he had flipped someone over his shoulder with some very cool moves. But his mind kept jogging at it, kept showing the lock of silver hair and burning eyes.
Just when all the pieces had almost come together in his mind-
"Endy, honey! It's time! We're about to be announced to the most powerful woman in the galaxy!" Libidia screeched, sinking her nails into his arm.
Endymion gave her a tight smile. "By all means, let us proceed." Inwardly he cursed. He had almost had the answer.
A page blew a horn loudly. Endymion jumped, then glanced around self- consciously.
"Presenting Her Majesty, Ruler of the Solar System, Queen Serenity!" A herald announced loudly.
Endymion clapped with all the other members in his party as two curtains opposite them were pulled apart.
A tall, thin, and richly curved woman stepped out and smiled graciously. Endymion blinked at her lavender hair that was pulled back into an unusual style-two buns with long pigtails coming down from them-but chose not to comment. The Queen was very pretty, certainly, but years of wisdom and experience had turned her face from radiant beauty to serene intelligence.
"That's her?" Libidia asked from beside him. "I thought she was supposed to be lovely. She's not that-"
"Libidia, honey, SHUT UP!" Endymion hissed before smiling at Serenity. "Your Majesty." He lowered himself into a bow.
Serenity inclined her head. "Prince Endymion of Earth. I'm pleased to finally meet you at last. Your father's unfortunate death is a tragic loss to all the planets. We grieve with you."
Endymion nodded his thanks.
A side door suddenly banged loudly open. Someone-a girl-stumbled in. "Oh drat it." She muttered. "Mum? Mum, have they arrived yet? I wanted to ask-" She stuttered to a halt and stared around at the entourage. "Well, I guess they are here." She said, after a moment's pause.
For a second, Endymion wondered if his heart had stopped beating. This girl was gorgeous. Silver hair was pulled back into the same style as her mother's, and tumbled all the way to her knees. The girl's body was slender but amply curved, and her skin was the color of pale peach blossoms. Her eyes, however, were what held him rigid-they were a smoky gray, a piercing silver that he felt was stripping his skin away even as she looked at him.
The Queen sighed. "Prince Endymion, Lady Libidia-may I present my daughter, Selenity?"
Selenity curtsied slightly, wobbling a bit as she did so. The frank gaze of the young man opposite her was both embarrassing and aggravating. She wished he wouldn't ogle at her like she was some kind of a unique toy. There was no mistaking Libidia, that prissy bitch. She obviously still thought she was top Princess in the galaxy.
As she came up from the curtsy, her eyes locked onto the man's eyes. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Dark locks of hair were framed about his face in a tousled manner. His body was tanned and muscular. Those eyes, whose gaze had previously aggravated her, now froze her in place with their sea-deep blue.
He's the man on the street, she suddenly realized. The one who saved me.
Nervously she broke their eye-contact. If he recognized her, she was in trouble. Princesses weren't supposed to go out and mingle among commoners.
Endymion felt a twinge of annoyance when the beautiful princess broke their eye link. He had seen a flash of fright in her eyes before she turned away. It puzzled him.
As her mother began to congratulate Libidia on her betrothal, Selenity felt the man's-he had to be the prince of Earth-eyes on her. Studying her. She didn't like it. Trying to fake nonchalance, she brushed a lock of silver hair out of her face.
Endymion suddenly focused on her hair. Silver. How many silver haired people did you meet every day?
"You!" He said, louder than he meant to. "You're the person from the street!"
Silence fell as everyone's eyes turned on her. Selenity felt her cheeks go bright red. "Damn it." She muttered.
"Selenity!" Her mother sighed in exasperation. "Were you out in the city again?"
Selenity didn't reply. She just glared at Endymion angrily. Tattletale. Why'd he have to go and ruin her fun time?
Endymion saw the anger in her smoky eyes. It made him lose his breath for a moment. Then, a smirk formed at the corners of his mouth. So, she had been planning to hide that from her mother. Sly vixen.
As her mother began admonishing her, and Libidia and her lady-in-waiting began hissing remarks at each other, he let his eyes rove boldly over her. Her saw her eyes widen, then narrow in undisguised rage.
Selenity felt trapped. That bastard. How dare he treat her like a doll? Like a work of art? Angrily, she bared her teeth at him and growled softly.
Endymion only grinned wider. It was rather amusing that this woman who had nearly killed a man minutes before was now being yelled at by her mother. He gave her a satisfied look.
Selenity bit back a cry of anger.
A vase across the hall suddenly pick itself up and hurdled through the air at
Endymion. He drew his sword and sliced it in half just in time.
"Selenity!" Her mother scolded as Earth's people stared at her, wide-eyed. "No psychic powers to harm or alarm our guests!" She wagged a finger at her daughter.
Selenity growled, then turned around and dramatically exited through the same door she had come.
Queen Serenity sighed. "Please pardon her." She said to the buzzing Earth group. "She's so feisty nowadays, don't know what's gotten into her."
As the Earth royals surrounded the Queen with questions, someone slipped away from the group, and headed up the same staircase that Princess Selenity had gone.
Selenity flung herself against her bedroom door, closing it with a slam. She tried to slow her breathing and wipe some of the dust out of her hair.
She knew that evil lurked everywhere, but on the Moon Palace's very streets! When the tramp had started to follow her, shadowing her for purposes immediately obvious, she had been frightened. But training as a Sailor Senshi never failed her, though how he had seen through her disguise was another mystery.
But then.
She had thought one good knockdown would deal with someone like that. It hadn't, but someone had warned her.
She pursed her soft lips and tried to remember who.
A raven-haired man with eyes as deep and dark as the night sky walked into her mind. Her heart beat more than slightly faster. That was right. He had warned her of her adversary and his attack.
Had saved her life, probably.
A yell broke through her daydream. "Selenity! Hey, meatballs, are you sleeping in there?"
Rei, Selenity thought affectionately. She smiled as she opened the door and her dark-haired friend walked in.
Rei sized her up, eyeing the muddy brown cloak and dusty hair. "You've been out in the streets again."
Selenity blushed, then straightened. "And what if I have? It'll be my city someday, and the best way to rule over it is to learn of its people. My people."
Rei grinned. "Just thought I'd let you know the entourage from Earth will be here in about ten minutes."
Panic seized Selenity. "Ten minutes?! Oh, damn it! I'm not even half-way ready!"
"Better get so." Rei said, looking at her friend in obvious amusement. "And, Selenity-please, please, please do not go out in that cloak, okay?"
Despite her predicament, Selenity grinned. "All right, Rei. I'll wear something that my mother won't kill me for."
Rei winked, then left her.
Selenity sighed, then hurried over to her wardrobe closet to sort through her dresses.
* * *
Endymion sighed impatiently. Libidia and one of her ladies-in-waiting were chattering non-stop beside him. He wished he could just turn down the volume on her squeaky voice just so he could stop and think a moment.
The image of the cloaked figure kept flitting back into his mind. Something about him was bothering him. The person had seemed normal enough, aside from the fact he had flipped someone over his shoulder with some very cool moves. But his mind kept jogging at it, kept showing the lock of silver hair and burning eyes.
Just when all the pieces had almost come together in his mind-
"Endy, honey! It's time! We're about to be announced to the most powerful woman in the galaxy!" Libidia screeched, sinking her nails into his arm.
Endymion gave her a tight smile. "By all means, let us proceed." Inwardly he cursed. He had almost had the answer.
A page blew a horn loudly. Endymion jumped, then glanced around self- consciously.
"Presenting Her Majesty, Ruler of the Solar System, Queen Serenity!" A herald announced loudly.
Endymion clapped with all the other members in his party as two curtains opposite them were pulled apart.
A tall, thin, and richly curved woman stepped out and smiled graciously. Endymion blinked at her lavender hair that was pulled back into an unusual style-two buns with long pigtails coming down from them-but chose not to comment. The Queen was very pretty, certainly, but years of wisdom and experience had turned her face from radiant beauty to serene intelligence.
"That's her?" Libidia asked from beside him. "I thought she was supposed to be lovely. She's not that-"
"Libidia, honey, SHUT UP!" Endymion hissed before smiling at Serenity. "Your Majesty." He lowered himself into a bow.
Serenity inclined her head. "Prince Endymion of Earth. I'm pleased to finally meet you at last. Your father's unfortunate death is a tragic loss to all the planets. We grieve with you."
Endymion nodded his thanks.
A side door suddenly banged loudly open. Someone-a girl-stumbled in. "Oh drat it." She muttered. "Mum? Mum, have they arrived yet? I wanted to ask-" She stuttered to a halt and stared around at the entourage. "Well, I guess they are here." She said, after a moment's pause.
For a second, Endymion wondered if his heart had stopped beating. This girl was gorgeous. Silver hair was pulled back into the same style as her mother's, and tumbled all the way to her knees. The girl's body was slender but amply curved, and her skin was the color of pale peach blossoms. Her eyes, however, were what held him rigid-they were a smoky gray, a piercing silver that he felt was stripping his skin away even as she looked at him.
The Queen sighed. "Prince Endymion, Lady Libidia-may I present my daughter, Selenity?"
Selenity curtsied slightly, wobbling a bit as she did so. The frank gaze of the young man opposite her was both embarrassing and aggravating. She wished he wouldn't ogle at her like she was some kind of a unique toy. There was no mistaking Libidia, that prissy bitch. She obviously still thought she was top Princess in the galaxy.
As she came up from the curtsy, her eyes locked onto the man's eyes. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Dark locks of hair were framed about his face in a tousled manner. His body was tanned and muscular. Those eyes, whose gaze had previously aggravated her, now froze her in place with their sea-deep blue.
He's the man on the street, she suddenly realized. The one who saved me.
Nervously she broke their eye-contact. If he recognized her, she was in trouble. Princesses weren't supposed to go out and mingle among commoners.
Endymion felt a twinge of annoyance when the beautiful princess broke their eye link. He had seen a flash of fright in her eyes before she turned away. It puzzled him.
As her mother began to congratulate Libidia on her betrothal, Selenity felt the man's-he had to be the prince of Earth-eyes on her. Studying her. She didn't like it. Trying to fake nonchalance, she brushed a lock of silver hair out of her face.
Endymion suddenly focused on her hair. Silver. How many silver haired people did you meet every day?
"You!" He said, louder than he meant to. "You're the person from the street!"
Silence fell as everyone's eyes turned on her. Selenity felt her cheeks go bright red. "Damn it." She muttered.
"Selenity!" Her mother sighed in exasperation. "Were you out in the city again?"
Selenity didn't reply. She just glared at Endymion angrily. Tattletale. Why'd he have to go and ruin her fun time?
Endymion saw the anger in her smoky eyes. It made him lose his breath for a moment. Then, a smirk formed at the corners of his mouth. So, she had been planning to hide that from her mother. Sly vixen.
As her mother began admonishing her, and Libidia and her lady-in-waiting began hissing remarks at each other, he let his eyes rove boldly over her. Her saw her eyes widen, then narrow in undisguised rage.
Selenity felt trapped. That bastard. How dare he treat her like a doll? Like a work of art? Angrily, she bared her teeth at him and growled softly.
Endymion only grinned wider. It was rather amusing that this woman who had nearly killed a man minutes before was now being yelled at by her mother. He gave her a satisfied look.
Selenity bit back a cry of anger.
A vase across the hall suddenly pick itself up and hurdled through the air at
Endymion. He drew his sword and sliced it in half just in time.
"Selenity!" Her mother scolded as Earth's people stared at her, wide-eyed. "No psychic powers to harm or alarm our guests!" She wagged a finger at her daughter.
Selenity growled, then turned around and dramatically exited through the same door she had come.
Queen Serenity sighed. "Please pardon her." She said to the buzzing Earth group. "She's so feisty nowadays, don't know what's gotten into her."
As the Earth royals surrounded the Queen with questions, someone slipped away from the group, and headed up the same staircase that Princess Selenity had gone.
