Feel free to e-mail me your constructive criticism and praise. I appreciate your suggestions on how to better my writing.

This story is a revised version of "Princess Serenity's Revenge" and will hopefully be much better. This is a fan fiction about Serenity/Usagi and Endymion/Mamoru.

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is copyright (c) 1992 Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation. English Language Adaptation copyright (c) 1995 DiC Entertainment.


The Beginning of Forever: Chapter 6
Charlyne
charlyne_o@hotmail.com
Chapter Rating: PG


Adjusting her half-mask, Serenity eyed herself critically in the mirror. Her flowing white gown was shot through with threads of silver and the sleeves left her shoulders bare. A silver-linked chain rested lightly on the tilt of her hips.

Not too bad, Serenity thought, her lips turning upwards in a smile. Although she did not have much to smile about these days, she felt a certainty within her that Endymion would be present at the ball.

Frowning slightly, Serenity's mind drifted to the eminent widening of her waistline and the questions it would bring. She calculated that she had perhaps one or two more months before the changes in her body became evident. Her sickness had come nearly a month after she and Endy had made love and another month had passed since then. Thankfully, the sickness no longer bothered her each morning.

Checking her appearance one last time, Serenity left her room. Voices echoed throughout the palace, greetings and friendly bantering being called from one guest to the other as they arrived. Her shoes tapping lightly on the floor, Serenity hurried her pace. Her parents did not see being late as an option.

Stopping in front of the opened ballroom doors, Serenity took a deep breath and stepped inside. A liveried servant stood at the entrance to call out newcomers as they entered.

"Her Highness, Supreme Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom," the herald announced, his distinguished voice rising over the din in the ballroom. His livery was white and silver, a symbol that marked him a servant of the House of Serenity, the Royal House of the Moon.

Serenity graced the man with a soft smile and descended the five steps into the throng of royalty and dignitaries from places throughout the universe. The soft murmur of voices died down until silence reined over the room. The crowd seemed to part like the Red Sea as Serenity made her way toward her parents, who were seated on a dais on the right side of the room. On the left side, refreshments and delicacies were lined up on tables. At the far end, an orchestra sat tuning up their instruments. The middle of the cavernous room was left open for dancing.

Serenity approached her mother and father, then stopped and curtsied low. Her silver hair streamed around her like rays of moonlight, the long ribbons trailing gracefully from two buns perched on either side of her head in the traditional style.

"Good evening, Mother. Good evening, Father," Serenity said, her voice a whisper of sound. She rose from her curtsy and took her seat next to them.

Queen Serenity bestowed a bright smile on her only child. Beside her, she could feel her husband shift, then felt the comforting warmth of his hand as it covered hers. Leaning closer to her husband, Serenity whispered, "What do you think our daughter will do when she finds out this is to be her engagement ball?"

Chander squeezed his wife's hand lightly. "She'll accept it," he announced, sounding much more confident than he felt. "She needs a husband to curb her impulsive ways. This is the quickest way to rid her of her silly infatuation with that earth prince." His face hardened for a moment, but then relaxed once more as he noticed his daughter's betrothed making his way toward the dais.

As Seiya approached the King and Queen of the Moon, he could not keep himself from staring at Princess Serenity. Goddess, she was a vision! And she's to be mine, he thought smugly. She was a beautiful trophy for any man to claim and he would thank the Goddess each night that her parents had chosen him out of all of the many suitors vying for the princess's hand.

"Your Majesties," Seiya said respectfully, bowing low to Queen Serenity and King Chander. Next, he turned his attention to the princess. "Princess Serenity, it is nice to finally meet you," he commented, bowing over her hand and kissing her knuckles lightly.

Serenity smiled tightly and gently disengaged her hand from his. "It is also nice to meet you, Prince Seiya. I have heard much of your world, Cygni, and its negotiations to join the Council," she said politely.

Seiya grinned; it seemed that Princess Serenity was not only beautiful but intelligent also. "Yes, my father sent me here to speak with Queen Serenity and King Chander as an emissary for our world. We are only a small planet within a very small solar system and in order to dissuade enemy planets we felt it would be smart to join the Silver Alliance Council," he replied.

Serenity nodded her head in understanding. She tended to dislike balls, as they were merely used as an excuse to get the royalty and nobles of other planets together for political reasons. The talk was mostly boring and one could nearly feel the cross currents of plots circulating around them.

Surreptitiously, Serenity examined Seiya. He was a handsome man, tall and dark like her love, Endymion, but the similarities ended there. Where Endymion truly loved her, Seiya only wanted her for his political gains. Endymion treated her like a woman--a woman with thoughts, feelings, and emotions, like any other--while Seiya would treat her like a trophy, a pretty princess to guide on his arm who would keep quiet and do as she was told.

Sighing, Serenity looked over at her parents. Their heads were bent together like two conspirators hatching a plot and it gave Serena a distinctly uneasy feeling.

The sound of a throat clearing brought Serenity's attention back to Seiya. He was looking at her expectantly, as if waiting for an answer to a question. Blinking, Serena tried to remember what he had said, but to no avail. With another sigh, Serenity raised her chin and gave Seiya one of her most haughty looks. "Yes?" she asked.

"I asked if you would like to dance with me, Princess," Seiya repeated. He gestured to the half-full floor of dancing couples and held out his hand for her to take.

Thoughts flying quickly through her head, Serenity glanced around for her friends, hoping that they would come to her rescue. She spotted Mina flirting with a hapless young lord who looked as if he was already besotted with the beautiful Venusian princess. There would be no help from that quarter. Raye, dressed in a flame-red gown, was chatting with a group of men, all of whom seemed entranced by her exotic beauty. There would be no help from the fiery Martian princess. Both Lita and Amy seemed to have disappeared, or perhaps had not shown up yet.

With a silent sigh of defeat, Serenity lightly placed her hand in Seiya's and let him lead her out onto the dance floor. He swept her into a waltz, his form perfect and his feet fleet. They danced silently for a moment, much to Serenity's pleasure, before Seiya spoke quietly.

"I'm very happy that you will become my wife," he whispered.

Serenity hid her frown with monumental effort. This Seiya, he is so cocky. He assumes that because I consent to dance with him that I have already chosen him to be my husband, she thought angrily. Deep inside, Serenity could feel the empty hole within herself. Half of her soul was missing and she knew that Seiya could not fill that void. She needed Endymion.

As the music came to a close, Seiya escorted Serenity back to the dais and lightly kissed her hand once again. "I believe it is time that we made the announcement, Your Majesties," Seiya said to the Queen and King.

Serenity's brow wrinkled in confusion. What announcement was Seiya speaking of? She had not heard that this ball had had any purpose other than celebrating the full Terran Eclipse. "What announcement?" Serena asked, speaking her thoughts aloud.

"Why, the announcement of our engagement, of course. This is what this ball is for," Seiya replied.

"Our...engagement?" Serenity repeated, her tone disbelieving. She looked to her mother and father for their denial but only got a pair of confident, yet slightly guilty looks in return.

"Mother...Father...you didn't!" Serenity said, her voice filled with hurt. "I can't believe you would do this to me!" Tears filled her eyes as their betrayal hit her full force. "I will not marry this man!" she shouted. "I will not!"

Turning on her heel, Princess Serenity swiftly left the ballroom and ran upstairs to her room. The door slammed shut behind her.

In the ballroom, the absolute silence that had gripped the room after Serenity's outburst was broken by whispers, which grew into loud conversation. Unseen by the crowd, a shadow that had been lounging in a dark corner slipped from the room and headed upstairs toward the princess's chamber.