wow. big thanks for all the very positive comments.
*^_^* (and the only reason i really update so fast is b/c i've already written the story, and i'm just putting it in HTML as i go...but yeah)
so i'm thinking there's only gonna be one more chapter after this, but lemme say it's been fun.
oh yeah - and the scene in here with Beryl that's from the manga is what really inspired me to do this whole fic. But anyway...
A week passed, and the atmosphere around the castle, if anything, had grown more tense. In the town and across the countryside, heated disputes had begun to break out; and for two straight days now, dark clouds hand hung, unmoving, on the horizon. Still, within the stone walls, the feeling of foreboding was somehow distant, and Kume felt almost removed from the strife outside.
The sun was just reaching midday when Kume finished watering the garden plants. Though she had seen very little green life in her home underground, she had quickly taken to the work in the prince's rose garden, and now spent several hours a day tending the thorny beauties that dwelt there. A shadow crossed her vision just as Kume was finishing patting the dirt around one of the youngest bushes. She glanced up in surprise to see a flowery, flowing gown of the pure white of stars. Kume looked further up and into the other girl's sparkling, sky-blue eyes, and recognized her almost immediately.
"M'lady," Kume lowered her head.
"Please," the princess Serenity knelt in the dirt. "Stand." She held out a hand.
Kume glanced at her own dirty palm and refused to sully the purity of the other girl's skin, standing by her own strength. Serenity smiled, and stood as well. "That's better." She hesitated, taking a closer look at Kume. "You're the girl from before, aren't you."
Mutely, Kume nodded.
"What is your name?" Serenity asked.
"I am called Kume, your highness."
Serenity laughed lightly. "It is a beautiful name. And I see that you already know who I am. But you needn't refer to me as a princess. I am just Serenity."
Kume stared. The girl truly was like the prince. "But why, m'lady?" she asked. "I am but a servant girl."
"And you seem to be a nice one too," Serenity pointed out. "I was thinking, perhaps, we could be friends."
"Friends?" Kume nearly choked.
Serenity sighed. "Class differences should never be held against people. I can tell already, that you and I are not really so different."
"No, m'lady," Kume lowered her head. "You are someone I will never be." She turned to go. "I will find the prince for you."
"Kume!" Serenity called out before Kume could leave the garden. "I know why you say that. It isn't always easy to go against what you have been taught." She softened her voice. "Believe me, I know that." She paused for a long breath, then continued, "But I also know that we must be true to our hearts. You will write your own story someday, Kume, and it will be an amazing one."
Still facing away from the princess, Kume allowed herself a small smile. "Thank you…Serenity."
Moments after Kume knocked, the door to the prince's chamber was opened, and she was greeted not by black hair and blue eyes, but by silver hair and a grey uniform. The man looked her over for a moment, then turned back inside the room. "Prince Darien. A servant girl is here."
Kume peered inside and saw the prince and the other three generals standing gathered about a table with papers scattered across it. The prince looked up in surprise, and his features relaxed slightly when he saw Kume. "Kume! What is it?"
"M'lord," Kume stammered, unsure if she should reveal his secret in front of his generals. "Um…that is…someone for you."
"Who?" Darien asked, his blue eyes wide open and innocently curious.
A man with long blond hair tied in a pony-tail smirked. "I'll bet it's his princess."
Realizing the possibility, Darien turned back to the servant girl. "Kume?" She nodded. "Well then," Darien shuffled the papers aside.
"Notice how anxious he is," Jadeite teased, with a sideways glance at Kume.
"Never mind me," Darien waved his generals off. "Jadeite and Nephrite, head to town. Make sure the peace is being kept. Zoisite, you will accompany Kunzite to my parents and report to them what we know. I will join you in a short while."
"Yes, sire." And the four generals, hiding smirks, bowed slightly to the prince and went to fulfill their duties. Jadeite reached a hand up to brush Kume's cheek as he passed, but he was gone again soon enough. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"In the garden?"
Kume looked up in surprise to see that the prince was looking down at her anxiously. Slightly embarrassed, she nodded. "Yes, my prince."
"Darien," he corrected automatically. "If you would, please find Beryl. I must talk to her again before this evening."
"Of course, Darien." Kume said with a grin.
"Thank you," Darien grinned back and ruffled her hair with his hand. "I know I can always count on you."
A blush rising to her cheeks, Kume stood against the wall outside his room and watched him go.
After failing to find the chief-of-staff in her room, Kume went looking for Beryl around the palace grounds. After searching most of the inner castle, Kume began circling the outer corridors. "Beryl!" She shouted, suddenly spotting the woman facing away from her, standing partially hidden by a large column. Beryl didn't hear Kume; her attention was instead fixed on a scene to Kume's right. Kume glanced over and found herself looking into the rose garden.
Serenity, hands clasped together, stood next to Endymion's chest, gazing up into his eyes. One of his hands was wrapped lightly around her, his fingers barely resting on her shoulder, touching her tenderly as though he were afraid to break her. They spoke in soft voices, muffled by the wind around them; and in their eyes passed words of love that only their hearts could understand.
Kume watched the scene for a while, sadly, though without tears. Darien's heart was not hers to take. And whether or not it was a matter of her place in society, she had the prince's friendship, and that would be enough to keep her strong. I would not give that up for the world.
After a time, Kume drew her eyes away from the loving couple and returned her mind to the reason for her errand. Beryl. The other woman seemed to still be entranced by the prince and princess, and as Kume drew closer, she could tell that the other woman's face was stained with tears.
Kume was just about to call out her name again when Beryl opened her mouth to speak.
"Endymion." The name came out in a harsh, cracking whisper.
"Endymion." Beryl spoke a little louder and stronger, though not enough to be heard by anyone but Kume. Her presence was still invisible to all but Kume.
"Only you, Endymion," Beryl spoke as the tears started to come again. "I only wanted you." Then she flung her arms around the cold marbled pillar and wept silently to herself. Wrapped in their own love, Endymion and Serenity were oblivious to both Beryl's tears and the watchful eyes of Kume, hidden in the surrounding shadows.
Kume left Beryl to cry. She could always relay the prince's message later; there was no rush for that. Thinking solemnly on what she had witnessed, Kume didn't hear the light footsteps approaching behind her.
"You there!"
Kume jumped at the unfamiliar voice and looked back over her shoulder. A girl with long flowing blond hair stood there in the strangest clothing that Kume had ever seen. A tight white shirt framed her upper body before turning into a short, bright orange skirt that ruffled about her upper leg. The white fabric was gathered in around the shoulders, and a triangular band of orange collared the white top. And a blue bow stood out boldly across the front of her outfit. She pointed a gloved finger at Kume, and walked over, lowering her hand. "You are a servant here, are you not?"
Kume stared for a long moment, then remembered her place and bowed. "I am, m'lady."
"Then tell me," the strange girl's voice wasn't quite so bold and demanding now, "I am looking for another girl who is a stranger here. She has long silver hair and wears a fancy white gown. She does not belong here."
She means the Princess Serenity, Kume realized as she raised her head. But should I tell the truth? Perhaps Darien would not want her found out. "I could not say," Kume answered. "If there is such a girl here."
"I see," the newcomer looked disappointed. "Then I will let you go. But find me immediately if you do see such a person."
Without reply, Kume bowed and left, walking quickly down the hall. That girl is obnoxious. She may be a lady, but she is not one that I serve. I must tell the prince. With a glance back to make sure the stranger had gone, Kume took a sharp turn and hurried off in the direction of the rose garden.
"Prince!"
Serenity and Darien looked up in surprise, and at the same moment, another cry rang out:
"Princess!"
Kume froze in surprise and watched as the girl with the strange outfit ran quickly up to the two lovers. Darien immediately put an arm in front of Serenity. The princess looked startled for a moment, then relaxed slightly, and looked down with a red face. "Venus."
Seeing that there was no immediate danger, Darien dropped his guard and moved away so that the strange girl, apparently named after a nearby planet, could approach the princess.
"You're here again?!" Venus gestured in frustration. "We have to go home! You know you are not allowed here. Especially not with him!"
"You just don't get it, Venus," Serenity made a face at the new girl. "Because you've never fallen in love with anyone before. You don't understand my feelings!"
"Princess!" Venus glowered at the girl, speaking through gritted teeth.
Serenity drew back against Darien who wrapped his arms around her. "I love him, Venus. And no one can change my heart now." Venus was speechless.
"I won't let my love be dictated," Serenity spoke firmly. "By you, my mother, or anyone." Here she looked over to where Kume stood, still unsure of what to do, and smiled. "I'm writing my own story now."
Then, she turned to Darien, drawing her hand along his face, and raised her mouth to his lips, kissing him with an expression of eternal happiness. Serenity drew away moments later, and with only a last look into Darien's startled eyes, turned and ran off, dress fluttering behind her.
"Serenity," Venus whispered sadly, more to herself. "You don't know anything."
"It must be hard having a bundle of curiosity for a princess."
All three people who remained turned to see the newcomers. "Kunzite!" the prince looked at his general in surprise. The white-haired man approached the blushing Venus, a rather playful smile on his face. Zoisite stood quietly in the background, though a smile danced across his lips as well. Venus stared into Kunzite's eyes for a long moment, then tore herself away, hurrying in the direction of the princess.
"What was that?!" Darien demanded. Kunzite looked away.
Zoisite walked forward, teasingly. "Let's just say you're not the only one who wants to break the interplanetary barrier." Kunzite shot the younger general a dark look and stormed off.
Looking slightly overwhelmed, the prince took a seat on a nearby bench, then glanced up and seemed to notice Kume for the first time. "Did you find Beryl yet?"
Kume shook her head, looking out of the corner of her eye and the now deserted walkway around the garden. "Not yet."
"Zoisite," Darien commanded tiredly. "Go bring her."
"Yes, my lord." And with a brief bow, Zoisite was gone.
"It's so hard sometimes."
"What?" Just about to leave, Kume stopped and looked back at the prince. He was staring listlessly at a rose he at plucked and was now holding between two fingers.
"I love her so much," Darien whispered, partly to himself. "And even when I get to see her, the time is so short. We must keep it a secret, but it is so hard." In sudden frustration, he threw the rose on the ground and covered it with his boot. "I know she is the one for me, but no one seems to understand. I don't want to lose her." He let himself fall back to sit on a nearby bench and buried his face in his hands. "Serenity!"
Without saying a word, Kume moved to stand next to the prince, and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time. Darien - keeping his silent tears to himself, and Kume - silently comforting him. After a while, Darien's eyes dried, and he looked up at Kume, taking her hand from his shoulder and resting it between his palms. "Thank you, Kume. You have always been true to me."
"Anything for my prince," she whispered back.
"Your Highness!" The call came suddenly. "Prince Endymion!" Kume and the prince both looked up as Akito rushed into the yard. "I…" he trailed off, stopping in his tracks as he saw Kume's hand held tightly in the Prince's grasp. He swallowed hard, trying to check his surprise.
"Yes?" Darien asked anxiously, standing up and letting go of Kume's hand. "What is your message?"
"My prince," Akito swallowed again. "A riot has broken out in the streets. The crowd is growing violent, and they are not far from the castle gate."
Immediately, a sharper edge came on to Darien's eyes, and he spoke with distinct authority. "Have the doors been shut?"
"They have, Prince," Akito assured him. "The order just went out from your father."
"And what of the generals I sent out?" Darien demanded.
"No news," Akito reported.
"Thank you," the prince inclined his head and Akito bowed in respect. "Both of you." He shot a quick glance at Kume who bowed also, then he hurried off, his dark cape swirling behind him.
"Kume?" Akito turned to the younger girl once the prince was out of sight. "What was that?"
"Nothing." She shook her head, and walked off before he could ask any more.
"I saw that."
"Huh?!" Kume jumped once again. Apparently, people enjoyed speaking up just when she least expected it. That had been happening to her quite a bit lately.
Beryl walked out from the shadows. Her hardened expression was quite different from the tearful one she had worn earlier that day. "You care for him as I do," Beryl realized.
"Perhaps I do," Kume met Beryl's eyes evenly.
The older girl's expression suddenly changed to wistful. "Though neither of us will have him. He is already too far gone." Kume nodded silently, then stopped as Beryl spun about to face her, a hard light in her eyes. "Why did you protect them?"
"What?"
"When that annoying wench Venus came! You could have revealed them immediately and gotten rid of the princess sooner. You could have saved the prince from her."
"No," Kume shook her head. "Only made him even more miserable. They love each other, Beryl. We have to accept that."
"Well," Beryl scowled down at the girl before her. "How disappointing. You won't even fight to defend your feelings. You truly are pathetic."
"No," Kume said calmly. "Not me. You, Beryl, are a sorry sight. He will never love either of us like he loves her. I am going to continue to serve him, no matter what happens or where his heart it. They love each other too deeply. I won't take that away. I can't. You shouldn't try to either, Beryl."
Beryl stared at the girl for a long moment, then turned in a self-righteous manner, "Well! I won't stand to be weak like this. I will fight for the one I love." She looked back at her shoulder at Kume. "Standing up for what you believe in will get you killed someday soon," Beryl spoke. "That is not a threat, but an honest warning. The time for your decision is coming soon." Then, Beryl turned and left.
don't own sailor moon. don't argue.