Prince Darien was sitting on a straw cot in one of the dankest dungeons that he had ever been in. Of course, this was the only dungeon that he had ever been in, but that was beside the point. All he could think about was Pricilla was actually Princess Serena, and how much of a fool she probably thought him to be. The more he thought of what happened, the angrier he got. She had deliberately deceived him, and for what purpose? Was it supposed to be a field test? Was it just fun for her? And how could her mother think that he would actually kidnap her? She had held countless interviews with him before he could even meet the princess. Of course, the only reason he really did it was because of his parents, but still, he answered all of her questions truthfully, and he was always forthcoming with her. Right now, he was being treated about as good as a worm. Darien was lost in his thoughts, so he didn't hear it when the head guard came in. "Get on your feet, right now," he ordered gruffly.
Darien looked at the disrespectful guard defiantly, but he rose to his feet as he was commanded to do. "Why are you doing this to me," Darien demanded.
The guard gave Darien such an evil look that he thought that he would shrivel up and die right there. "You kidnapped the princess, there is no other reason that we need!"
"You don't understand! I didn't kidnap her!"
"Just shut up," the guard commanded. He then quickly coiled his arm back and punched Darien directly on the eye, flinging him backward onto the cot.
Darien grabbed his assaulted eye as a reflex. It felt like it would explode! "Goddess, man, did you have to do that," Darien exclaimed, shocked.
He didn't get a reply. The guard simply grabbed Darien's arm and forced him up. "The queen wants to see you, boy." Darien was half-dragged, half-pushed to the throne room, which was where Queen Serenity was. The ruffian of a guard basically threw Darien into the throne room face-first, and then looked at the queen. "If he gives you any trouble, just give me a shout Majesty."
Queen Serenity turned to the guard and nodded. "Thank you very much, Astrologis." The guard nodded and walked out of the throne room, closing the door behind him. The queen turned around and looked at Darien, her eyes icy. "I cannot believe you would do such a thing, Darien Endymion." Her voice was a mixture of distrust, hate, anger, and disappointment.
"Your Majesty, I…"
Queen Serenity cut him off. "Silence, Darien! You do not know how much trouble you are in! Speaking will just make your punishment even more severe."
Darien opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut quickly when he saw the look that Queen Serenity was giving him.
"You will stay here. I will be back shortly. Do not try to escape, for the guards will most likely kill you on site. To say you are not well liked at the moment is quite an understatement. Do you understand?"
Darien nodded and clenched his jaw. If he ever got his hands on that scheming Princess Serena he'd… well, he'd do something! Because of her, he was in deep trouble with Queen Serenity, and he would definitely have a black eye before the night was through. Darien touched his eye and flinched. Yes, he would most definitely have a quite a shiner.

Princess Serena was sitting on the edge of her bed, chastising herself for her stupidity the previous night. Why did she even agree to leave the moon? She should have known that Darien would get into trouble! "You are such a ditz, Serena," she said to herself. Darien probably hated her right now. She knew that she would hate herself if she were him. Serena almost hit the ceiling when she heard someone knock on the door, because she was so deep in her thoughts. Serena held onto her chest, as if keeping her pounding heart in her rib cage. "Come in," she said through the door.
Her mother came into her room and walked over to the bed, and sat down. "Oh, sweetheart, I was afraid I would never see you again!" Queen Serenity wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her close.
"I'm so sorry I worried you, Mama." Serena hugged her mother in return.
"Don't apologize. I'm the one who's sorry. I had no idea that Darien was like that. He seemed so decent when I spoke to him before you met."
"It wasn't his fault at all, Mama. I tricked him into believing I wasn't who I am."
Queen Serenity made a scoffing sound. "How could he be so stupid as to believe something like that? Don't try to protect him, darling."
"I'm not trying to protect him, I'm telling you the truth. I disguised myself so that he wouldn't recognize me! Look at my hair, Mama. The crescent moon is hidden by a braid."
Serenity raised one of her delicate silver eyebrows and looked at her daughter's hairstyle, and it was as Serena had said. "Why would you do that? Do you know how worried you had everyone up here?"
"I'm so sorry, Mama. I had no intention of going off of the Moon. It just sort of happened. I disguised myself because… I don't know… because I was scared of meeting Darien, I suppose. I'm so sorry, Mama." Tears threatened to fall from Serena's eyes as she realized the true severity of what she had done.
Queen Serenity looked at her daughter for a few moments. "Go to the garden and wait for Darien there. I believe you owe him an apology." Serena nodded and walked out of her room, and started to the gardens, dreading what harsh words Darien might have to say to her.

Darien had been standing at the window, looking at his home from the throne room, where he was being kept. His eye was swelling shut from the punch that the thug of a guard had thrown at him. Darien Endymion, how could you have been so stupid? You idiot! He chided himself silently. Hopefully Serenity would set things strait, so he wouldn't have to spend the night in that horrid dungeon. One of the large, wooden doors opened and Darien turned around and stiffened. When he saw it was Queen Serenity he bowed to her deeply. "Your Majesty."
The queen approached Darien and bowed her head lightly to him. He looked at her questioningly, and saw an apologetic look in her pale, blue-colored eyes. "I am sorry for accusing you wrongfully, Prince Endymion. There is someone waiting for you in the gardens."
"Princess Serena?" Queen Serenity just nodded, so Darien bowed to her again and walked through the impressive halls of the Moon Palace, to the garden where he and Serena had first met, and surely enough there she was. Darien approached her and cleared his throat, announcing his presence.
Serenity's back straitened as if there were a steel rod in it, and she turned around. "Prince Darien! Hello…"
"Hello Princess Serenity." Darien's voice sounded harsh and cold, and Serenity winced from it.
"I…I didn't mean for it to go that far, Prince Endymion…" Serena said uncertainly.
"Well, it did. And I unintentionally caused the queen much fear because of your lies!"
Serena's cerulean eyes began shimmering with tears. He would never give her a chance now, she thought. "I-I'm sorry…" she stuttered uncertainly and then looked down.
Darien's anger instantly flooded away when he saw how vulnerable she could be. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her slim, petite body. "Think nothing of it." He smiled. "At least we had fun, right?"
Serena cuddled into Darien's arms slightly and nodded. "And some fears were put to rest, as well."
Darien smiled and kissed the top of her head lightly. "Yes, they were."
Princess Serena looked up into Darien's stormy, gray-blue eyes and smiled, she then pulled his head down and kissed him softly. Darien gasped slightly from her straitforward move, but began kissing her back. Slowly, the kiss was broken, and both parties smiled dreamily. Darien broke the magical silence by speaking. "Let's never hide anything from one another again, okay Serena?"
Serena just nodded, her heart soaring from this new feeling that was filling her heart. Could it be love? And, could that shimmer in Darien's eyes be a growing affection for her? Princess Serenity could only hope.