Finally, her mother drug Serena away from the Palace. Serena began crying as she saw the Crescent Moon
Wand glowing in the Queen's hand.
"It has come time for you to grow up, Serena," her mother said. "The world is turning against us and you have to be strong....
"Even if I'm not there."
Her mother turned to face the apparent leader of the three aliens. She raised the wand way over her head and the crystal shone like only the Moon could. Knights that had surrounded her began to fall as dark power flowed over them.
The leader laughed, actually laughed after all the knights had fallen. He drew his sword nonchalantly as he giggled crazily. Serena did not even notice until the sword glimmered past her.
And into her mother's body.
She cried out as she caught her mother, her silver tears falling to the ground. That was the last time her tears had fallen. In the five years she had lived in the new castle, nothing had made her spill her tears again.
The Crescent Moon Wand lay on the ground, still shining an immaculate silver. As Serena cried, her tears added to the light, until no one could lay eyes upon it. Diamond closed his eyes and groped for it, reaching out for the power. When he finally gripped the wand, the light went away.
His smile was a brief one. The crystal was gone.
"Where is it?" he yelled, yanking Serena up by the front of her dress.
She spat on him, laughing in hysterics. He dropped her to the ground, but still she laughed. He kicked her hard in the abdomen before she finally stopped. "It is in me, you fool!" she yelled up at him.
He held his sword to her neck. "Then I shall cut it out of you!"
She held her arms out and lifted her chin up. "Do your worst."
In pure anger he hit her with the blunt side of his sword, knocking her to the ground. The last image before blackness were her mother's soulless eyes, and the very last tears that she had cried.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Is this the slave you spoke of?" the dark-haired man asked. He eyed her up and down, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Diamond said icily. He seemed rather disgusted.
"Well, she certainly isn't worth the price you put on her, even if she used to be royalty."
"Excuse me, but I do have ears!" Serena yelled at the stranger. The mention of her old life stung her eyes and her heart.
The dark-haired man blinked in surprise. "She's not been taught to keep quiet?"
"No," Diamond growled. "She's rather defiant. Comes with the old memories of royalty, I presume."
Serena cocked her head and smiled. "I do not lower myself to your level and I would prefer it if you would not raise yourself to mine."
The stranger circled her, talking as he went. "She's bruised badly, and nothing more than a pale stick. She doesn't look healthy at all."
She stopped smiling. "Who are you exactly and what in this Universe makes you believe you can speak of me like that?"
The stranger laughed. "Have you not informed her she is a slave?"
"I tell her everyday more than once," Diamond said. "I'm afraid she does not listen."
"You did not answer my question!" Serena interrupted.
"Forgive me," the man said chuckling. "I am Prince Endymion of Earth."
"The Earth," she spat. "Could you find no one less worthy, Diamond? Aren't I at least worth a Martian Prince?"
The evil one looked away, annoyed and dreaming of bruising her. A good beating would do her a world of good.
Endymion said nothing of the insult she had laid upon him. Instead he continued circling her like a hawk.
He took in her tattered and dirty dress, her long ratty hair, and green-purple bruises on her porcelain skin.
He stopped directly front of her and leaned in close. Too close.
"You have been beaten many times," he said quietly. "Yet you remain stubborn." He picked up her delicate hand, dirty with smears of coal and mud. "These two fingers have been broken before and there were probably more broken bones along the way. Still you will not lower yourself."
He looked up into her eyes, opening a pathway into his thoughts for a brief moment. She fought to keep from trembling under his gaze. No doubt he was picking through her hopes, dreams, and all of her sadness. She could no longer hold her feelings inside. Being so close to him gave her the temptation to lean forward. Curiosity made her want to taste his lips.
"Your heart is stronger than your mind. It is both a wonderful and terrible thing."
Diamond shifted impatiently and cleared his throat.
"Well, Diamond, she is unhealthy, dirty, and totally defiant," Endymion said, turning away from her. The room felt suddenly colder to Serena.
The evil one smiled wickedly.
"But-" he began, everyone in the room held their breath, "she's very entertaining. I'll pay half of the price you gave her."
"No. Full price or nothing."
"Fine then. One million each in diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, gold, and silver."
Diamond's eyes flared while his queen squealed in excitement.
Serena sat in utter shock, trying to let it all sink in to her skin. She was finally being sold away from here and this awful palace. The terrible three would never touch her again, never beat her or worse. So many of the Moon's allies had come to try and buy her, but could never fulfill the requirements.
The Universal Laws of Slavery were laid as this:
1) Owners must set a price on a slave within two weeks of purchasing that particular slave.
2) All rules of payment may be set by the owner.
3) Should someone want to purchase the slave, meets all the rules of payment, and makes the offer of full price, that offer must be accepted.
4) Any breaking of these laws may result in fines, prison time, or the putting of the offender into slavery.
Diamond's rules for payment were that all precious stones he asked for must be originally from that planet. The only planet that had all these stones was the Earth.
Serena's heart beat faster in excitement. She was close to jumping up and down. After five years she was finally leaving. She joined Endymion on the other side of the room. Now she really did feel like kissing him, though not necessarily on the lips. He chained her hands behind her back, as was expected.
"The payment will arrive in one hour. Until the next time."
Serena was marched from the room. She smiled over her shoulder as she went. A picture of the three on the wall looked down at her and she could not contain herself. She gathered spit in the back of her throat, letting it fly as she passed. It was her last tribute to the three.
Many who had been working outside the palace, and those who had been standing at the gate quieted. All attention turned to her. She walked with her head up to the Earthen capsule and winked at them before climbing in. When the capsule shot off from the ground and disappeared into the sky, the crowds exploded in cheers. Soon everyone knew the Princess had been sold.
There was hope yet.
Author's Note: Yeah, revision goin' well. Thanks for the reviews and comments on the revisi. (That's my new word. I got bored with "revision").
So, anyway, please review!
Until the next time,
Ai No Senshi