Chapter Two
Princess Serenity stared at her image looking back at her in the mirror. Those eyes held unspeakable weariness and sadness. It felt like an eternity since that day, and at the same time the horror was all too recent. It would be forever embedded in her mind. The sudden attack. The surprising strength of Earth's people. The dark force of hatred that led them. Her dear friends and companions who shielded her from the fight. Her mother's silent strength. They were all lost to her now.
Her despair was mingled with guilt. She had done nothing. She had not fought back. Everyone had been so anxious to wrap her in their protective cocoon and she tormented herself with thoughts of her own acquiescence to what they thought was best for her.
She had wanted to fight with them. What, after all, had she been learning all her life? Her mother had taught her values and strength in peace and to empathize and understand others so that wars such as these would never happen. Her mother had also taught her to use the other strength, of harnessing the power in her into a weapon for the times when peace was not possible. The invasion of the Negaverse was such a time, but she held back. Was it out of fear?
She turned away from her reflection. No. Not fear. It could not have been that. She shook her head to reject the thought, but she still could not deny fear and she could not accept that it was fear. Now she was a bird in a cage, a terrifying cage disguised as a luxurious bedroom dominated with a large four poster bed.
In the midst of the chaos of battle, she had been seized by Beryl and her shadow demons. The shadow demons had tore through the protective barrier that her guardians had erected and Beryl herself had shot devastating dark beams that ripped through the guardians leaving them lifeless on the ground. Beryl had laughed at her horror and she had been instantly taken in a teleportation bubble to this terrifying edifice.
At first the grief over the loss of her friends had immobilized Serenity. She kept seeing their lifeless bodies lying at her feet. Then an even greater blow was dealt to her when she felt the life force of her mother fade away. The essence of the Queen had grown in a surge of incredible power and then just as quickly had shattered and then dimmed into nothingness. How cruel that she could still feel her mother's death from a distance but yet not be there with her. Serenity had not felt so much grief before in all her sheltered life. She had been unable to comprehend the attack upon all those she loved but she was beginning to see true evil for what it was.
Serenity pushed aside the upholstered chair in front of her. She couldn't just sit and wait for someone to help her anymore. All the people she held dear were lost to her and for once in her life she felt that all she truly had left was herself. Now she had to act.
There has to be some way out, she thought to herself but she had searched for days without luck. She would need some miracle to get out. Or maybe just some power. Her mother had always told her she had unimaginable power and with training she would be able to unlock it and control it.
She had spent countless hours studying under the Queen, learning to feel the energy that she could draw from her surroundings for her use. Her mother had warned her to always be in tuned with her environment and its people and to be careful not to draw too much life force from a single individual and kill in by accident. She had always been terrified by that warning and had kept her attempts to small, timid draws which always left her feeling unsure if it was already too much. The Queen had assured her she would be able to judge wisely with practice.
Now there was no more time to practice, she had to get it right. She could try to draw power from here and see if she could use it to get out. She felt a little ashamed at not trying it earlier. She had been so busy feeling defeated that she had not even attempted drawing power to escape before. That was being weak, and no more of that, she thought to herself.
Standing in the centre of the room, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on letting her mind and body become a vessel for the power that she would draw. She needed to carefully amass it into a form of energy she could use to get out.
Serenity thought carefully on how to manipulate the power. She could try to blow a hole in the wall to escape, but that would be too loud and it would have the guards at her doorstep. She needed energy to allow her to teleport to another location. The Queen had often used this energy to enable her to move between places very quickly. It had taken much power and the further the distance, the greater the power needed. The Queen was so powerful she had been able to use this energy to teleport other people and objects too. Serenity had not really had a chance to develop this power as she was mostly restricted to the safety of the palace, but the Queen had explained the concept of it to her.
Princess Serenity decided to try it, it was all she had. Queen Serenity had explained that first power needed to be gathered. Then she would need to search for the place she wanted to teleport to. It was easier if she had already been to that place because she would be able to visualize it and remember the feel of the energy of that location. If she did not know the place, then it was much more difficult and she would need to search among the energy waves to locate it.
Serenity began to feel the familiar build up of pressure around her when she gathered energy. The air around her stirred her hair gently as the build up of power created weak currents in the room. Slowly, tendrils of energy swelled around her and began to fill her, but somehow this felt different from the times she had tried it on the Moon. The power gathering within her felt dark, and cold and even the air had begun to permeate with a moldy smell. Serenity jumped with a start as cold fingers of power brushed against her skin to penetrate her. Her feelings of revulsion broke her concentration, dispersing the gathering power back to nothingness.
She shivered. This feeling was definitely not what it had felt like on the Moon. Rubbing her arms to ward off the cold feeling, she began to pace the room. While disconcerting at times, Serenity had never felt such repulsion at the power filling her body before. The power on the Moon had felt light and steady. The power drained from a surrounding often shared the same characteristics and mood of the environment. That was probably why the energy felt so unpleasant here. The energy in this room and from the whole building had a dark and chaotic feel to it and Serenity felt a deeper fear of what laid outside this room.
She stopped her pacing and braced herself to try it again. No matter how creepy the power drain from the room, she needed it to get out. She would just have to try and use it again.
Taking a deep breath, Serenity gently called to the energy again, inviting it to fill her. The air began to build and once again she felt the cold tendrils brush against her skin. She clenched her fists at her side in order to ignore her discomfort and concentrate on letting enough in to harness it into shifting her away from this room.
When the coldness filled her to the point that Serenity thought she could hold no more, she concentrated with all her might to be back on the Moon. The air shifted sharply around her and Serenity felt a sudden disorientation as if the ground had suddenly disappeared from under her feet, only to almost instantly be dropped upon it again.
She fell to the hard floor with a whoosh, the power gone from her with the impact. The coldness began to leave her and Serenity got back on her feet unsteadily. She did it! She had escaped!
Serenity's euphoria disappeared as she got a better look at her surroundings. She was standing in a long hallway that extended without end in front and behind her. The ceiling, from what she could see was extremely high up and stalactites of all sizes hung down from it. Serenity eyes widened in disbelief at the endless line of doors on each side of the hallway.
This was not her beloved home. Why...? Serenity wondered, fighting down the feeling of despair. She looked at the door she stood next to. With a sinking feeling she realized that it was the door of the room she had been held in. Despite all her efforts she had only managed to teleport to the other side of her cage. Serenity leaned against the wall, tired from her efforts. She did not have enough strength to attempt the teleportation again right away.
However, she was still outside the room. She just had to find the exit to this place somehow. Serenity surveyed the long hall. Both directions seemed equally as long and as dark. It would seem that one way was as good as the next.
Picking up the hem of her long, flowing dress so as to not have it dragging on the ground and making noise, Serenity headed down the hall in search of a way out.
***
Endymion fought down his fatigue as he was led by his chains to Beryl again. He had been trying to clear his mind and ease his weariness when the room to his cell had suddenly opened to reveal three mindless guards who could only seem to mumble Queen Beryl when asked any questions. They looked like former guards from his palace, except that their eyes were glazed over and they seemed like mindless slaves. Apparently she wanted his charming company again, he thought with disdain.
She obviously enjoyed having him under her power, he thought with annoyance. He had barely even had time to think in his new cell before he was once again summoned by her. Did she not have anything better to do than to drag him to her presence and gloat?
After walking in what seemed like an endless hallway, they stopped in front of a large ornate door. His chains were unhooked from the holders binding his arms, legs and neck, though the braces were left still fastened so that the chains could easily be hooked back upon them. Endymion took the chance to stretch out his aching limbs while they were free from the weight of the chains. The door slowly opened to reveal a large room which resembled Endymion's personal sitting room in his palace back on Earth.
Endymion could not help staring in confusion at the exact replica. The dark royal blue carpets, the comfortable settee that he lounged in after a hard day was positioned exactly as he had it. The large oak desk in which he sometimes did his paper work on and the small bookshelf where he kept of his favourite books because he was too lazy to walk to his larger library, all were here. Even his coat of arms, one decorating the arch of the door and the other behind the desk were his. The only difference was that this room was windowless like his cell, but scenic paintings of all kinds were cleverly positioned where windows would have been in his room.
The room adjoined another room which should be his bedroom. He looked further down the room and saw that it did indeed adjoin to another room which looked exactly like his bedroom. What in damnation was going on here, he wondered.
"Endymion, I hope you like it. I redecorated it to your taste," purred Beryl waving the guards out in dismissal. The guards silently exited leaving the Prince alone with the Beryl. Endymion eyed Beryl with suspicion.
The voluptuous Queen sauntered over to Endymion and curled her arms around him like a serpent slithering around its prey.
"Do not be so unyielding Prince, I had your favourite dishes prepared, by your very own chef I might add," she said sliding over to a small trolley that held various covered dishes. She lifted the covers to let the delicious smells tempt him. Endymion's stomach growled at the sight and the smell of the food which reminded him that he had not eaten for days. He tried to suppress it the best he could but his stomach betrayed his hunger.
"Come," she said leading him to the settee. She eased him down on the comfortable cushions and then positioned herself on his lap, a gleam of predatory satisfaction in her eyes. Despite himself, Endymion felt somewhat transfixed by her.
"How about dessert first," she said softly, selecting a large piece of rich milk chocolate. She brought it to his mouth with a confident smile. He sat rigid on the seat as she teased him with the morsel of chocolate. Tracing his lips lightly with the sweet substance, she slowly eased the melting piece of chocolate into his mouth.
Damn witch is trying to take advantage of my hunger. I am not going to be that easy though, thought Endymion, trying not to give into this powerful urge to eat. It was difficult though as he had a great weakness for chocolate. It would seem that his chef back home had revealed the Prince's secret love to her, and who knew what else.
"You do not have to fight me, darling Prince. I am only offering you all that you want, do not resist. You and I make the perfect pair; I have prepared everything as you would wish it. Here," she said picking up a small bowl of soup preparing to feed him. "I shall first satisfy your need for food.and then I can satisfy your other 'needs' after," she said suggestively.
Endymion felt his hunger vanish as his disgust overwhelmed him. He roughly pushed her off his lap and stood up.
Beryl screamed as the hot, scalding soup spilled over her chest burning her. Her complexion turned a dangerous, dark purple as her anger gathered like a storm cloud over her. With a shriek of rage, she sent a blast of energy at him sending him crashing into a small table with an ornate oil lamp.
"Guards!" she growled, "Take this insolent man out of my sight!"
Guards instantly materialized outside of the door which was already opened to let them in. Chains were quickly hooked back into place on the holders around his arms and legs and the guards held him fast with them.
Beryl got back on her feet unsteadily and marched up to his struggling form. Raising her fist, she slapped him hard on his left cheek, the blow forceful enough to knock him and the guards holding him back a step.
"You are a fool! I offer you unlimited power but you throw it back at me. No one treats Queen Beryl in this manner, do you hear me," she said, her rage boiling over.
"Just because my chef is easily taken in by you, does not mean I will be," Endymion sneered.
Beryl screamed again with rage. "Out! Take him away," she ordered the guards. The mindless guards led a willing Prince out with them.
***
Serenity wandered down the hall hoping to find an indication of an exit somewhere. So far, she had not encountered another living soul. It seemed that this part of the castle was unguarded. Small grey glowing globes attached on solid iron scones were the only source of light in the hall. Along the way, she had tried to open some of the doors but they seemed to be all magically sealed. The doors lacked doorknobs and key holes and each seemed identical to the next. When she tried to listen at the doors, there had been no sound leaving her to wonder what was behind them.
She continued down the hall that she had started walking along. Now that she was out of her sealed room, Serenity began to consider the possibility that she was not the only prisoner in this place. What if there had been other survivors from the Moon. Her despair had prevented her from thinking about it before, but there had been moments when she thought she sensed a faint echo of the life force of her friends. There had been a whisper of Venus' essence. Was it possible that they had survived somehow and were prisoners in this castle as well?
If that was so, she had to get them out somehow. It was what they would do for her if they could. Serenity closed her eyes and tried to call out to them in her mind. She opened her thoughts to them, calling for them to answer her. She tried to keep out the swirl of chaotic energy that seem to want to invade her consciousness while still leaving her mind open to receive her friends.
The darkness began to overwhelm her again and she quickly closed her mind, but not before sensing an answer to her call. It felt like it had been from Mars. It had to have been. Of her four companions, the priestess of fire had always had the strongest mental power.
Serenity picked up her skirts and hurried her pace. It was in the direction she was going, and above somewhere. She silently ran further down the hall and saw something different on the left from the endless doors she had been seeing. It was a large archway with stairs leading up and down.
Above, that was where the call had been from, she was sure of it. She hurried up the stairs, her haste making her incautious. She focused on the memory of Mars' faint call and used it as a homing beacon to find her beloved friend.
The upper floor looked even darker than the floor below, although Serenity could see that it was also more elaborately decorated with carvings and murals. This hallway seemed smaller than the previous one and there were significantly less doors. She kept walking in the direction where she felt Mars' call.
Suddenly, she heard several footsteps, and the sound of chains dragging. The sound came from another alcove with more stairs that just led up. They were coming down the stairs! There had to be at least five guards and whatever else with scraping chains. In a panic, Serenity ran to the nearest doors but they were all sealed. The footsteps were coming closer and she knew they would be able to see her as soon as they stepped from the alcove.
A brighter gleam of light caught her attention in her frantic search for a hiding place. It was a dimly lit bedroom. Not having the time to consider the safety of her hiding place, Serenity scurried into the room and ducked under the bed.
She quickly pulled in the long train of her dress which seemed endless at this moment. It was not the first time she cursed the flowing gown that she wore which prevented her from doing anything too strenuous. This time, however, it could be her death if she was caught because of it peeping out from under the bed.
She stilled her breathing the best she could to hide and wait until it was safe.
***
Prince Endymion let the guards lead him back to his room. For once he was willing to go with them since it meant leaving that witch's presence. He was repulsed by her vain attempts at seduction and vulgar charms. The door to his room was already magically unsealed to allow the guards to take him back in. They efficiently hooked his long chains back on the holders on the wall. The long chains trailing to the floor would still allow him to move around the room, but their length made them damn heavy.
The guards left as silently as they came and the door was magically replaced, effectively sealing him within. Endymion sighed and moved towards the bed. After all that, he needed some sleep.
A glimmer of white on the ground caught his eye as he approached his bed.
What the hell? Endymion could see what looked like fine silver strands of hair coming from underneath the bed. He pulled back the covering from the bed and peered under to find himself staring into startled crystal blue eyes and a beautiful face framed by silver hair.
Princess Serenity stared at her image looking back at her in the mirror. Those eyes held unspeakable weariness and sadness. It felt like an eternity since that day, and at the same time the horror was all too recent. It would be forever embedded in her mind. The sudden attack. The surprising strength of Earth's people. The dark force of hatred that led them. Her dear friends and companions who shielded her from the fight. Her mother's silent strength. They were all lost to her now.
Her despair was mingled with guilt. She had done nothing. She had not fought back. Everyone had been so anxious to wrap her in their protective cocoon and she tormented herself with thoughts of her own acquiescence to what they thought was best for her.
She had wanted to fight with them. What, after all, had she been learning all her life? Her mother had taught her values and strength in peace and to empathize and understand others so that wars such as these would never happen. Her mother had also taught her to use the other strength, of harnessing the power in her into a weapon for the times when peace was not possible. The invasion of the Negaverse was such a time, but she held back. Was it out of fear?
She turned away from her reflection. No. Not fear. It could not have been that. She shook her head to reject the thought, but she still could not deny fear and she could not accept that it was fear. Now she was a bird in a cage, a terrifying cage disguised as a luxurious bedroom dominated with a large four poster bed.
In the midst of the chaos of battle, she had been seized by Beryl and her shadow demons. The shadow demons had tore through the protective barrier that her guardians had erected and Beryl herself had shot devastating dark beams that ripped through the guardians leaving them lifeless on the ground. Beryl had laughed at her horror and she had been instantly taken in a teleportation bubble to this terrifying edifice.
At first the grief over the loss of her friends had immobilized Serenity. She kept seeing their lifeless bodies lying at her feet. Then an even greater blow was dealt to her when she felt the life force of her mother fade away. The essence of the Queen had grown in a surge of incredible power and then just as quickly had shattered and then dimmed into nothingness. How cruel that she could still feel her mother's death from a distance but yet not be there with her. Serenity had not felt so much grief before in all her sheltered life. She had been unable to comprehend the attack upon all those she loved but she was beginning to see true evil for what it was.
Serenity pushed aside the upholstered chair in front of her. She couldn't just sit and wait for someone to help her anymore. All the people she held dear were lost to her and for once in her life she felt that all she truly had left was herself. Now she had to act.
There has to be some way out, she thought to herself but she had searched for days without luck. She would need some miracle to get out. Or maybe just some power. Her mother had always told her she had unimaginable power and with training she would be able to unlock it and control it.
She had spent countless hours studying under the Queen, learning to feel the energy that she could draw from her surroundings for her use. Her mother had warned her to always be in tuned with her environment and its people and to be careful not to draw too much life force from a single individual and kill in by accident. She had always been terrified by that warning and had kept her attempts to small, timid draws which always left her feeling unsure if it was already too much. The Queen had assured her she would be able to judge wisely with practice.
Now there was no more time to practice, she had to get it right. She could try to draw power from here and see if she could use it to get out. She felt a little ashamed at not trying it earlier. She had been so busy feeling defeated that she had not even attempted drawing power to escape before. That was being weak, and no more of that, she thought to herself.
Standing in the centre of the room, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on letting her mind and body become a vessel for the power that she would draw. She needed to carefully amass it into a form of energy she could use to get out.
Serenity thought carefully on how to manipulate the power. She could try to blow a hole in the wall to escape, but that would be too loud and it would have the guards at her doorstep. She needed energy to allow her to teleport to another location. The Queen had often used this energy to enable her to move between places very quickly. It had taken much power and the further the distance, the greater the power needed. The Queen was so powerful she had been able to use this energy to teleport other people and objects too. Serenity had not really had a chance to develop this power as she was mostly restricted to the safety of the palace, but the Queen had explained the concept of it to her.
Princess Serenity decided to try it, it was all she had. Queen Serenity had explained that first power needed to be gathered. Then she would need to search for the place she wanted to teleport to. It was easier if she had already been to that place because she would be able to visualize it and remember the feel of the energy of that location. If she did not know the place, then it was much more difficult and she would need to search among the energy waves to locate it.
Serenity began to feel the familiar build up of pressure around her when she gathered energy. The air around her stirred her hair gently as the build up of power created weak currents in the room. Slowly, tendrils of energy swelled around her and began to fill her, but somehow this felt different from the times she had tried it on the Moon. The power gathering within her felt dark, and cold and even the air had begun to permeate with a moldy smell. Serenity jumped with a start as cold fingers of power brushed against her skin to penetrate her. Her feelings of revulsion broke her concentration, dispersing the gathering power back to nothingness.
She shivered. This feeling was definitely not what it had felt like on the Moon. Rubbing her arms to ward off the cold feeling, she began to pace the room. While disconcerting at times, Serenity had never felt such repulsion at the power filling her body before. The power on the Moon had felt light and steady. The power drained from a surrounding often shared the same characteristics and mood of the environment. That was probably why the energy felt so unpleasant here. The energy in this room and from the whole building had a dark and chaotic feel to it and Serenity felt a deeper fear of what laid outside this room.
She stopped her pacing and braced herself to try it again. No matter how creepy the power drain from the room, she needed it to get out. She would just have to try and use it again.
Taking a deep breath, Serenity gently called to the energy again, inviting it to fill her. The air began to build and once again she felt the cold tendrils brush against her skin. She clenched her fists at her side in order to ignore her discomfort and concentrate on letting enough in to harness it into shifting her away from this room.
When the coldness filled her to the point that Serenity thought she could hold no more, she concentrated with all her might to be back on the Moon. The air shifted sharply around her and Serenity felt a sudden disorientation as if the ground had suddenly disappeared from under her feet, only to almost instantly be dropped upon it again.
She fell to the hard floor with a whoosh, the power gone from her with the impact. The coldness began to leave her and Serenity got back on her feet unsteadily. She did it! She had escaped!
Serenity's euphoria disappeared as she got a better look at her surroundings. She was standing in a long hallway that extended without end in front and behind her. The ceiling, from what she could see was extremely high up and stalactites of all sizes hung down from it. Serenity eyes widened in disbelief at the endless line of doors on each side of the hallway.
This was not her beloved home. Why...? Serenity wondered, fighting down the feeling of despair. She looked at the door she stood next to. With a sinking feeling she realized that it was the door of the room she had been held in. Despite all her efforts she had only managed to teleport to the other side of her cage. Serenity leaned against the wall, tired from her efforts. She did not have enough strength to attempt the teleportation again right away.
However, she was still outside the room. She just had to find the exit to this place somehow. Serenity surveyed the long hall. Both directions seemed equally as long and as dark. It would seem that one way was as good as the next.
Picking up the hem of her long, flowing dress so as to not have it dragging on the ground and making noise, Serenity headed down the hall in search of a way out.
***
Endymion fought down his fatigue as he was led by his chains to Beryl again. He had been trying to clear his mind and ease his weariness when the room to his cell had suddenly opened to reveal three mindless guards who could only seem to mumble Queen Beryl when asked any questions. They looked like former guards from his palace, except that their eyes were glazed over and they seemed like mindless slaves. Apparently she wanted his charming company again, he thought with disdain.
She obviously enjoyed having him under her power, he thought with annoyance. He had barely even had time to think in his new cell before he was once again summoned by her. Did she not have anything better to do than to drag him to her presence and gloat?
After walking in what seemed like an endless hallway, they stopped in front of a large ornate door. His chains were unhooked from the holders binding his arms, legs and neck, though the braces were left still fastened so that the chains could easily be hooked back upon them. Endymion took the chance to stretch out his aching limbs while they were free from the weight of the chains. The door slowly opened to reveal a large room which resembled Endymion's personal sitting room in his palace back on Earth.
Endymion could not help staring in confusion at the exact replica. The dark royal blue carpets, the comfortable settee that he lounged in after a hard day was positioned exactly as he had it. The large oak desk in which he sometimes did his paper work on and the small bookshelf where he kept of his favourite books because he was too lazy to walk to his larger library, all were here. Even his coat of arms, one decorating the arch of the door and the other behind the desk were his. The only difference was that this room was windowless like his cell, but scenic paintings of all kinds were cleverly positioned where windows would have been in his room.
The room adjoined another room which should be his bedroom. He looked further down the room and saw that it did indeed adjoin to another room which looked exactly like his bedroom. What in damnation was going on here, he wondered.
"Endymion, I hope you like it. I redecorated it to your taste," purred Beryl waving the guards out in dismissal. The guards silently exited leaving the Prince alone with the Beryl. Endymion eyed Beryl with suspicion.
The voluptuous Queen sauntered over to Endymion and curled her arms around him like a serpent slithering around its prey.
"Do not be so unyielding Prince, I had your favourite dishes prepared, by your very own chef I might add," she said sliding over to a small trolley that held various covered dishes. She lifted the covers to let the delicious smells tempt him. Endymion's stomach growled at the sight and the smell of the food which reminded him that he had not eaten for days. He tried to suppress it the best he could but his stomach betrayed his hunger.
"Come," she said leading him to the settee. She eased him down on the comfortable cushions and then positioned herself on his lap, a gleam of predatory satisfaction in her eyes. Despite himself, Endymion felt somewhat transfixed by her.
"How about dessert first," she said softly, selecting a large piece of rich milk chocolate. She brought it to his mouth with a confident smile. He sat rigid on the seat as she teased him with the morsel of chocolate. Tracing his lips lightly with the sweet substance, she slowly eased the melting piece of chocolate into his mouth.
Damn witch is trying to take advantage of my hunger. I am not going to be that easy though, thought Endymion, trying not to give into this powerful urge to eat. It was difficult though as he had a great weakness for chocolate. It would seem that his chef back home had revealed the Prince's secret love to her, and who knew what else.
"You do not have to fight me, darling Prince. I am only offering you all that you want, do not resist. You and I make the perfect pair; I have prepared everything as you would wish it. Here," she said picking up a small bowl of soup preparing to feed him. "I shall first satisfy your need for food.and then I can satisfy your other 'needs' after," she said suggestively.
Endymion felt his hunger vanish as his disgust overwhelmed him. He roughly pushed her off his lap and stood up.
Beryl screamed as the hot, scalding soup spilled over her chest burning her. Her complexion turned a dangerous, dark purple as her anger gathered like a storm cloud over her. With a shriek of rage, she sent a blast of energy at him sending him crashing into a small table with an ornate oil lamp.
"Guards!" she growled, "Take this insolent man out of my sight!"
Guards instantly materialized outside of the door which was already opened to let them in. Chains were quickly hooked back into place on the holders around his arms and legs and the guards held him fast with them.
Beryl got back on her feet unsteadily and marched up to his struggling form. Raising her fist, she slapped him hard on his left cheek, the blow forceful enough to knock him and the guards holding him back a step.
"You are a fool! I offer you unlimited power but you throw it back at me. No one treats Queen Beryl in this manner, do you hear me," she said, her rage boiling over.
"Just because my chef is easily taken in by you, does not mean I will be," Endymion sneered.
Beryl screamed again with rage. "Out! Take him away," she ordered the guards. The mindless guards led a willing Prince out with them.
***
Serenity wandered down the hall hoping to find an indication of an exit somewhere. So far, she had not encountered another living soul. It seemed that this part of the castle was unguarded. Small grey glowing globes attached on solid iron scones were the only source of light in the hall. Along the way, she had tried to open some of the doors but they seemed to be all magically sealed. The doors lacked doorknobs and key holes and each seemed identical to the next. When she tried to listen at the doors, there had been no sound leaving her to wonder what was behind them.
She continued down the hall that she had started walking along. Now that she was out of her sealed room, Serenity began to consider the possibility that she was not the only prisoner in this place. What if there had been other survivors from the Moon. Her despair had prevented her from thinking about it before, but there had been moments when she thought she sensed a faint echo of the life force of her friends. There had been a whisper of Venus' essence. Was it possible that they had survived somehow and were prisoners in this castle as well?
If that was so, she had to get them out somehow. It was what they would do for her if they could. Serenity closed her eyes and tried to call out to them in her mind. She opened her thoughts to them, calling for them to answer her. She tried to keep out the swirl of chaotic energy that seem to want to invade her consciousness while still leaving her mind open to receive her friends.
The darkness began to overwhelm her again and she quickly closed her mind, but not before sensing an answer to her call. It felt like it had been from Mars. It had to have been. Of her four companions, the priestess of fire had always had the strongest mental power.
Serenity picked up her skirts and hurried her pace. It was in the direction she was going, and above somewhere. She silently ran further down the hall and saw something different on the left from the endless doors she had been seeing. It was a large archway with stairs leading up and down.
Above, that was where the call had been from, she was sure of it. She hurried up the stairs, her haste making her incautious. She focused on the memory of Mars' faint call and used it as a homing beacon to find her beloved friend.
The upper floor looked even darker than the floor below, although Serenity could see that it was also more elaborately decorated with carvings and murals. This hallway seemed smaller than the previous one and there were significantly less doors. She kept walking in the direction where she felt Mars' call.
Suddenly, she heard several footsteps, and the sound of chains dragging. The sound came from another alcove with more stairs that just led up. They were coming down the stairs! There had to be at least five guards and whatever else with scraping chains. In a panic, Serenity ran to the nearest doors but they were all sealed. The footsteps were coming closer and she knew they would be able to see her as soon as they stepped from the alcove.
A brighter gleam of light caught her attention in her frantic search for a hiding place. It was a dimly lit bedroom. Not having the time to consider the safety of her hiding place, Serenity scurried into the room and ducked under the bed.
She quickly pulled in the long train of her dress which seemed endless at this moment. It was not the first time she cursed the flowing gown that she wore which prevented her from doing anything too strenuous. This time, however, it could be her death if she was caught because of it peeping out from under the bed.
She stilled her breathing the best she could to hide and wait until it was safe.
***
Prince Endymion let the guards lead him back to his room. For once he was willing to go with them since it meant leaving that witch's presence. He was repulsed by her vain attempts at seduction and vulgar charms. The door to his room was already magically unsealed to allow the guards to take him back in. They efficiently hooked his long chains back on the holders on the wall. The long chains trailing to the floor would still allow him to move around the room, but their length made them damn heavy.
The guards left as silently as they came and the door was magically replaced, effectively sealing him within. Endymion sighed and moved towards the bed. After all that, he needed some sleep.
A glimmer of white on the ground caught his eye as he approached his bed.
What the hell? Endymion could see what looked like fine silver strands of hair coming from underneath the bed. He pulled back the covering from the bed and peered under to find himself staring into startled crystal blue eyes and a beautiful face framed by silver hair.
