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The Switching of a Princess

Chapter One

by stargirl

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Birds cooed, delicate blossoms flutterering to the ground.

Sunlight spread over the awakening kingdom, beams of yellow light streaking in breathtaking waves through trees and columns, collecting and haloeing around proud marble statues. It flooded past mountounous marble pillars and throughout the Shai' Cathrdrun, the sector of the Lunarian palace renown for its architecture, designed to awe and inspire as it merged and entwined with gardens, gardens so earthereal and revered that all knew of them, yet few had laid eyes on their glory. Vines dotted with pixie like flowers draped over fountains and curved walls, birds' soft morning songs touching the sounds of waterfalls and fountains. The Shai' Cathrdrun stretched endlessly into the sky with grand columns, as if made for the giants of old and making any one who entered feel the size of a silver mouse.

The beauty of the land, the palace, the cathedral silence, all could calm even the most worn and stressed.

"Get out, get out, GET OUT NOW!"

The shrill scream knifed through the morning. Servants and and monarchs alike did not even bother to flinch at the noise for the Princess' fits were common and their ears had grown accustomed to her ravings. They gave their weary sighs and kept to their business.

The princess was a beauty; long golden hair and sparkling eyes that radiated as if features from an angel. Yes, no one could say she was not breathtaking. It was the vainness locked inside her that made people turn away. The coy air in every smooth movement she made. The fire she leashed on anyone who crossed or upset her.

Serenity Roeselyn Peacecraft II was definitely not what the people of the moon had pictured as their savior, but there was absolutely nothing they could do…

* * *

"Hello Mother," the young beauty greeted as she strode into the room, not even sparing a glance to the Queen. Hair, soft and golden, streamed elegantly down from twin buns, swirling around the silky and clinging waves of her lavender dress. Sooty eyelashes drooped lazily over blue orbs as she gazed into the mirror and applied a coat of pink onto beautifully formed lips.

"Serenity, I-"

"Did you find out if Prince Endymion was coming?" she cut her mother off as she whirled around.

The queen sighed in frustration as she shut her eyes. "Yes, he will be there. Now Serenity, when you arrive at Jupiter, please be civil."

"I am always civil," Serenity laughed. "I've surely had enough lessons on it to be able to teach it myself."

"Face it, my daughter. You are rude, outspoken, inconsiderate-"

"I am a princess. What may I ask do you expect?" The corner of Serenity's lips curled in amusement. Not bothering to wait for a reply, she turned on her heels and glided out of the room, delicate chin lifted as proudly as always.

The swift and sure steps resounded within the corridor from clicking high heels. She held back a laugh as servants and council members alike stumbled to get out of her path. She was in quite good spirits. Her dress from Saturn was finally finished and was stunning on her and Endymion would be at the annual ball on Jupiter. Perfect. Her lip twisted in satisfaction as she stopped and reached soft and manicured hands to push open the doors to her chambers. There was much to be done.

* * *

The Lunar's Royal spacecraft was famous for its rich interior and windows, made by a special glass, that were spread far and wide in breathtaking views of the celestial surroundings; Star clusters, pink and purple hued Nebulas, all surrounded by dozens of silver specs shining gloriously in the black satiny cloak. But she took this in with only a dull glance as she shifted in the cushioned seat.

"Must you fidget so?" sighed a voice to her right.

Serenity lounged back in her seat. "I am bored," she let out flatly.

"It has not even been half of an hour."

Serenity's lazy blue eyes drifted over to the woman beside her. As her mother's dear friend and advisor, Luna Delacrea had been sent to accompany her to the Jupitarien Ball. To keep her from making a bad impression for the moon, most likely.

Dark ebony hair fell in long waves over the woman's slim but stately posture, certain waterfalling strands an older gray. Emerald cat eyes that had been so distracted by subtle movements seemed to gleam at the rough textured paper that she scribbled on with a dainty feathered pen.

Luna's features were sharp, her cheeks as always seeming to be hallowed with fatigue but holding a forced strain. Serenity's mother had once told her that Luna had not always kept to herself, that the woman was once very gentle and full of joy. The queen's voice had become soft and longing as she told of her friend sixteen years before. How that when Serenity and Persaphone were born, she had bustled around them like she was their grandmother. "It was strange…" her mother had murmured. "I had always thought that she was more attached to 'you,' but when Persaphone was murdered… She was so devastated… and has never been quite the same again."

Serenity had only flipped her hair with disinterest until her mother left her room. She had always given Luna a hard time, ever since she was a child. Very few times had she felt regret for torturing the woman and even fewer times had they decently talked to one another. She rolled her eyes. Surely it wasn't such a loss. Unfortunately though, the woman was her only companion besides the pilots and operators of the ship and few gaurds. "So, how's your Arti doing?" she said in a casual tone.

Luna looked up to the slanted silver wall in front of them, agitation marring her features. "Please refrain from calling Artimas that. It is disrespectful, Serenity. Not that I expect you to care." She muttered the last phrase as returned to her work.

Serenity rolled her eyes. "I am sorry," she said, trying to keep the mocking touch at bay, "How is 'Artimas' doing?"

Emerald eyes and a slender hand stopped. She had not expected the princess to make means for a conversation. "Artimas is fine." She kept her eyes onto her hands, waiting to see if Serenity would pursue any further...

"He and my father are returning from Celtic in a few days --- correct?"

"That is correct." Luna laid down her pen, giving in. "According to your father when he contacted us the other day, the Celtians have agreed to help, should there be an attack."

"Like I care about that," Serenity snorted.

Luna's eyes narrowed. "You should. We have been walking on eggshells for almost three millenniums and it is only growing. According to the eye of Lunaria, it will not be long until the Dark Kingdom decide to arise."

Serenity rolled her eyes. "You obssess over it way to much, dear Luna."

Luna stared at the golden girl next to her, eyes old and weary. The girl wasn't worth it. It was hard enough still being tormented by a night so long ago, and knowing that the one hope of the kingdom might truly be lost, but here… the princess who everyone believed to be their saviour, was not only a fake, but didn't even give a batting worry to the matter. Luna's lids drooped as she looked back to the letter she was writing, the scripted words blurred in her vision. Could everything truly be lost?

* * *

Deep in the creases of the universe, past twisted giant stone walls of a dark monstrous kingdom, a woman smiled. A smile that very much matched her surroundings. She let out a cool breath through blood red lips that contrasted to her pale demonish skin and laughed in her throat.

"Queen Beryl," a voice addressed her, echoing off the black and curving walls.

She turned, her long fingernails sifting idly through her auburn locks. "Gareth. You bring me good news?" she sung softly, looking past the soldier.

"Yes, your magesty. We have a warrior there waiting, and the princess will arrive within the hour."

"Wonderful," Beryl murmured. "Wonderful…" She turned away from the man in dismissal, crimson eyes gleaming in the dark.

* * *

Serenity rolled her eyes for the hundredth time that day; a still proud figure among prancing peacocks of the ball, lazily sipping at the stinging and sweet wine.

Jupiter was a horrid place. With due reluctance, she had to approve of the giant palace that rivaled the hight of her own, but heavens, it was a savage place outside! Everything overgrown, you could hardly walk anywhere. And the weather! She had to grit her teeth at the disturbing sounds of thunder that were constant in the distance and still easily heard over the commotion and lilting string orchestra inside.

Worst of all, it was dull.

Annoyed, she turned around, setting her wine glass on a servants tray as she walked toward the group of four princesses; Princess Lita Graiel of the savage Jupiter, Amiee K'linra of the dreary Mercury, Rei Deshield of the desert-like Mars, and Mina Aroura of, actually, Venus was quite pleasant. Goddess, she really was bored to go to measures such as these. Cracking on a smile, she faced the four. "Hello. Marvelous ball Lita. I'm so sorry that my mother could not come."

The princess Lita looked up at her with blank green eyes before nodding with a polite smile as the other three murmured their subdued greetings as well.

My, it must be terrible to be so tall, Serenity thought with pity as she looked at the brown haired princess. Oh well. "Oh Lita, how can you possibly stand all this thundering?" she asked with a giggle. "It's atrocious."

The girl blinked, Serenity aknowledging the slight tightening of her lips. "You get use to it. I rather enjoy it myself."

"Well, I don't think I could ever get use to it." She turned to the mouse like Aimee K'linra. The slight girl with short dark blue hair looked so soft and frail. Poor thing. "What about your planet, K'linra? I heard that it rains all the time there! Doesn't that blue dreary atmosphere get depressing?"

K'linra looked quite struck, blue eyes glazed over. The sight was quite adoring, really. Serenity quirked her head, trying to catch the girl's quiet voice.

"It's… It's because of the atmospheric forcefield around our planet. It's given a reaction to the weathering. It never thunders or anything though. I've studied it for quite some time, it's really a unique aspect of Mercury…"

Serenity laughed. "Unique isn't quite how I would put it. But really, dear, you musn't study so much. It isn't right. It creates social outcasts."

The girl was looking down now. Really, all she did was give some friendly advice. She glanced towards the tight expression of Aroura and fisted hands at her sides. "I must say Aoroura, that is a marvelous dress! I could _never_ wear yellow, but it just suits you so well." She smiled with wide blue eyes.

The girl visably gritted her teeth, but didn't respond.

The marsian princess was looking quite fiery as well. Serenity smiled.

Little Aimee spoke up, gaze somewhere in the crowd. "Lita look, Nephlite is here," she smiled.

Serenity watched the tall girl sharply turn her head, eyes softening.

She rose an eyebrow with a glance at the man in the crowd who waved with a smile at Lita. Cute, but not a chance. She turned to Lita. "Don't tell me the rumors are true?" she exclaimed. "A _gaurd_?"

"What about it?" Lita stepped forward, but Serenity just tilted her head, still managing to look superior.

"It's disgusting, really, Princess Lita. How can your father possibly approve? Isn't it embarrassing?"

Rei looked away with fisted hands. It was Mina who clutched Lita's arm, preventing the girl from lunging at Serenity. Not that she actually would try anything, Serenity mused.

"Lita, it's not worth it," the blonde murmured.

Serenity raised a slim brow at the taller girl.

Mina continued with a soft voice. "Why don't you go and meet Nephlite? Bring him some of those trumpets from that new recipe you made."

Lita had seemed to calm down but Serenity shook her head and laughed. "It's true that you cook as well?"

"What about me cooking?" Lita ground out.

Serenity shrugged dantily. "It is Ludicrous for a Princess to do such a thing. It's just well… pathetic. Really, I personally don't eat anything that isn't from my personal cook. Lec'rendo, he's a genius..." Serenity's eyes began to stray to a man in the crowd, her voice trailing. She turned back to the four princesses. "As much as I would love to stay and chat, I must excuse myself."

He finally arrived. Maybe this wouldn't be so boring afterall. Serenity grinned inwardly, gleaming eyes latching onto the man. His ebony hair fell in silky and dangerous waves over those equisite blue eyes. Firm mouth, tall, and a well-built body under royal clothes. The Earth Prince. The grin spread to her lips.

"Endymion!" she greeted sulkily, sweeping in front of him. "I didn't realize you were coming."

He blinked at her with a cool expression, finally giving a curt bow. "Princess."

"It's so loud in here. Can we not go into a quieter room?" she requested with innocent gestures and wide eyes.

She watched his jaw stiffen, but kept her face the same, biting her cushiony pink lip. He nodded, letting her lay her arms over his and walk with him into one of the enormous and dark corridors. She sighed. "Everythings so damp and gothic here."

"It's a style used by the anchients of their race. It's part of their culture," Endymion said without emotion.

She sighed. Time to work her magic. "Endymion…" she let her voice trail off as she moved in front of him. Her hand crept up his chest, and without waiting, she stepped up on her toes and started kissing him, purposely slow and rythmic.

He responded like a statue, not that she minded much. He would warm up to her sooner or later. But then he stepped back, slipping away from her arms. "Endymion," she admonished softly. "Tell me, do you not think me beautiful?" She waited for a moment, tongue slipping across the back of her lip.

She knew very well what he was looking at. She was the most beautiful across the celestial's, the vision of her even rivaling her mother's. She had always been told as much, not that she needed to be told. It was in their very eyes. He was staring at the golden strands of hair that swept to the sides of her head in jeweled buns, sweeping like dual gold waterfalls to the ground, at her soft porcelin skin, at her crystal eyes that peered from a rim of black lashes… at the softly clinging gown that swept across her slim curvous body. Yes, she knew what he was looking at. A smile began forming on her lips as he looked back to her eyes.

"No."

Her mouth dropped, eyes instantly changed into blue fireballs as he walked away. She gritted her pearly white teeth. "And yet you are marrying me," she taunted to his back. "Sooner or later, we will be together. So why act like you are repulsed by me?"

His head had tilted slightly to the right as she spoke, but now returned straight a head, his boots sounding emptily in the corridors until dissappearing in the distance.

A gruff screach left Serenity's lips as she whirled around, staring daggers into the darkness that was barely touched by the dim torches. This place made her disgusted. Her brow furrowed, trim nails digging into her palms as she raged through the corridor. She was going home NOW. Luna could stay in the wretched place. Where the hell was the guard that led them from the spacecraft? Her eyes darkened at the thought of going through that savage forrest again.

She whipped around the corner.

A scream locked in her throat as a figure raised a glinting knife.

* * *

Luna's hand trembled furiously against her mouth. Her stomach gurgled at the twisted and mutilated body of a once beautiful and proud princess. Once entrancing eyes now held a glazed look that they never had before, frozen in time as they stared to the inky ceiling of the corridor.

Her body went limp against one of the three Lunarian gaurds that had come with them. "Awaiting your orders," the man said softly.

She sighed, turning her head away to gather her thoughs. Her voice shook. "Do---do not tell anyone… yet, understand? No one is… to know… until I speak with Artimas."

The gaurds went silently to work, wrapping the body with a trained blankness.

Luna leaned against the wall, face lifted to the fathomless ceiling. Her pulse beat noticibly on the crevice of her neck, throughout her rushing blood, in her head. Oh Selene…

On the spacecraft, sitting in the front chair, her whole body was wracked with trembles. She squeezed her eyes, trying to fight the image. "Oh, Persaphone," she murmured softly to herself. The girl hadn't even known.

Truly vain and rotten, but still only seventeen… Only seventeen.

Luna's eyes burned, her arms crossed, slender fingers clawing at her sides.

A steady line of beeps dotted the air before a click and a voice. "Luna."

Her weary head shot instantly to the screen before her, eyes softening with tears. There was an image of a tall beauitufl man with long silver hair. "Oh Artimas," she cried.

His brow furrowed. "Luna, what's wrong?"

A sob escaped her throat. "She's dead!"

Artimas's crimson eyes widened, voice sharp. "What? Who? One of the princesses?

"No! Persaphone!" She ducked her head, ashamed at her outburst. "Oh Artimas, what are we to do? I---I told the guards to be quiet, but what are we to do?"

She looked up with pleading hazel eyes… only to find his face scrunched in confusion. "Don't tell me you didn't understand what I just said!"

Artimas shook his head with a thoughtful expression. "No… it's just that. Luna, Serenity---Persaphone----is HERE, on the moon. She was found in the garden an hour ago. The gaurds assumed that she had one of the Jupiter shuttles bring her home."

"What?" Luna gasped. Her eyes blurred, unseeing as her pulse quickend. But.. she saw. She saw Persaphone… blood streaking her… her body. Persaphone was dead… so how could it be possible?

"What?" Luna gasped. Her eyes blurred, unseeing as her pulse

quickend. But.. she saw. She saw Persaphone... blood streaking

her... her body.

Persaphone was dead... so how could it…

...be possible?

………………..How?

* * *