The generals had left the tree to talk amongst themselves. They didn't want their words to reach the Prince's ears. Their plots could very well be considered treason.

Darien had climbed down from the tree and slipped his boots back on. When he went back into the castle, he saw Serena lying on her side, curled in a ball. She was asleep as far as he could tell.

He squatted down beside her and examined her ivory features. Her small nose and full lips, her perfect chin and long eyelashes. A hole of guilt was drilled into his heart for using the very darkness that was haunting her dreams against her. He traced the crescent moon that adorned her forehead with his fingertip. The mark of a Moon Goddess.

Serena opened her eyes at his touch. She looked up at him, surprised by how graceful he appeared there above her. And somehow he almost looked like he was dreaming, like he didn't quite believe what he was seeing.

She didn't bother to sit up, or smile, or acknowledge him. She'd lost all respect for him. She was now resorting to acting like he was nothing more to her than -she cringed- her owner.

"Is it so bad here that you must escape to your dreams?"

"I don't have dreams," she said monotonously. "I only have nightmares."

He mentally kicked himself. "I..." he began, but didn't finish. He was about to apologize to a slave. Yet somehow it didn't feel like that. Somehow he did not see her as he saw others in his service. He saw her as the Princess she'd been so many years ago.

She blinked slowly and flipped onto her other side. She was on her knees when he stopped her.

"Please don't leave," he said meekly.

She stopped, but remained facing the other direction. He touched her shoulders gently, turning her so that she would have to look at him.

At that very moment he felt it. He felt his heart leap into his throat and his lips tingle. He felt his muscles ready themselves to lean forward, he could see the image of them kissing in his head. Everything inside him told him hold this angel and never let her go, but his mind held him back. He felt frozen in the moment and couldn't pull himself out of it.

Serena didn't know what was happening exactly. He was just staring at her, his mouth partially open, his body frozen. Something tugged at her heart, something she'd never felt before, and something she hadn't felt in a long time. She shoved it away and resisted the urge to touch his face. She looked down at the floor instead.

The moment was lost.

He shook the thoughts from his mind and stood up. He held his hand out, but she didn't take it. She shoved herself upwards opposite from him. He reached out for her, why he didn't know. Maybe he just wanted the closeness again, a second chance at the moment.

She pulled backwards.

"Don't touch me, please," she said.

He felt his stomach tie itself in knots and every ounce of guilt in his body crawl up his throat. She hated him. His heart stopped beating.

"I'm so sorry," he said, dropping all resistance keeping him from talking to her the way he was. "I didn't mean what I said. I'd never let him take you back."

She looked at him blankly though inside she was shocked that he would say anything like that to her. She bore her soul from her eyes, masking her emotions behind a screen of black. She wouldn't be tricked again, she wouldn't let herself feel. She'd be numb.

"Can I be excused?"

He almost felt like begging. Pleading with her to forgive him, to not look at him like he didn't exist, to act with emotion.

And that's when it hit him.

Never had Diamond tamed this girl to act like a slave, but he had. He'd turned her into an emotionless shell. The fire of free will inside her had gone out, and the entertaining bubble of life was gone. He felt so evil, like he had killed her.

"May I be excused, Your Highness?"

He cringed and looked at her like he'd just been stabbed through the heart. He forgot completely about being a prince, he forgot she was his.

"Don't call me that. Don't act like a slave. Please, Serenity," he grabbed her hand gently before she could pull away. "don't hate me."

Serena was scared. More than scared, plain horrified. She hadn't been talked to like that in forever it seemed. She didn't want to react, didn't want to lose again. Didn't want to cry again. Was he playing mind games with her? Was he sincere? What was that in his eyes that made her hard shell melt?

She didn't want to find out.

She wrenched her hand free and ran for her room. Her door boomed to a shut behind her, the sound hit Darien's ears in waves.

Darien stood where she'd left him. He sunk down to the floor, wondering why he felt like he did. Why did he feel so empty and desolate? Why did he want to kiss her so badly?

Love?

"Prince Endymion?" Nephlite's voice rang out. "Are you okay?"

Darien stood up and straightened out his shirt.

"No, I don't think I am," he said. He marched away then, knowing that telling his generals what he was feeling could only end badly. He locked everything up inside and prayed he'd know what to do later.

Because he didn't know anything now.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Serena ripped the sheet down and looked up at the black and white sketch. It was realistic, it was proportional...

It was hers.

It was a picture of a Moon Goddess, the crescent moon upon her forehead, her hair in the traditional way. The Goddess stood in the light of the full Moon, her face upwards. Broken chains clung to her wrists, roses through the shattered links.

She was sinking down onto her bed, tears began to form, when her world began to shift. Fate stepped in at that moment in the form of the Generals. Her door splintered as they slammed it open. They marched in, seizing her arms, then they saw the drawing.

"You dare ruin our walls?!" Nephlite yelled. His boot connected with her rib cage, cracking something Serena knew. Immediate pain flooded her body, white hot pain danced before her eyes. Jadeite's bony hand dug deep into her arm, while Malachite held her no more loosely. No one stopped Nephlite now. He slapped her so hard the steely taste of blood filled her mouth.

"You wench you'll never see the light of day again."

Serena looked up at him sadly and his gigantic boot came swinging at her knees. They gave, and she landed on the caps with a loud smack. She wouldn't cry and couldn't cry. But she did something she'd never done before.

She screamed.

It was long and loud and high. All the anger she had held inside burst from her throat, and all the despair in her heart escaped. It echoed and bounced until the entire castle had heard it. Until everyone knew she was sick of being hurt, sick of being scared, sick of not knowing what stone would be cast at her next. It was to let everyone know she wasn't going to be a prisoner forever. Or maybe it was because this time someone would care when they heard her.

The prince appeared in her doorway seconds after she'd ran out of air, and resorted to tears. Nephlite's fist was in the air, in his mind he saw it hit the back of her head, and knock her to the floor. But no, the Prince stopped him.

"Let her go!" he ordered and they reluctantly did so. Serena felt the pressure on her arms release itself and she tried, but couldn't keep herself up. She fell forwards into the open arms of Darien. He scooped her up, surprised at how light she was. He was careful not to touch her bruises, though dodging them was hard. He gave his Generals a hard stare, and left the room with the slave in his arms. His generals followed him, faces pinched in anger.

"You don't have to do this," she whispered into his chest. His life leaked into hers, warmth filled her limbs, strength gathering within her center. She now knew this was the safety she'd been looking for the past five years. She felt invincible in his arms.

"Yes," he said quietly. "Yes I do."

She kept her face in his chest, and her arms around his neck. Never let me go, she begged in her thoughts. Don't hurt me again.

When he stopped walking, after Serena had fallen deep into the rhythm of his heartbeat, he set her down in a plush bed. Still she gripped his neck. She wouldn't give this up.

He took her hands off of his shirt reluctantly, and held them while he said, "Don't worry, Serenity. I won't leave you for long."

She looked into his eyes and saw his emotions grow. God, she thought, it almost looks like he...

He loves me.

Darien turned away from her and ushered his generals outside. He closed the door behind him meaninglessly for she could still hear his angry voice.

"What gives you the right to beat her like that?" Darien demanded.

"She ruined the walls, your Highness."

"The walls?! You broke her ribs for a wall?"

Malachite stepped forward. "We hadn't come to beat her, merely to arrest her for treason."

Darien was so angry and his voice was so loud Serena jumped.

"You are never to touch her again! Do you hear me?"

"Yes, your Highness," they said almost too soft for Serena to hear.

"Then get away from here," he said. She heard four pairs of boots clomp away. The door opened and her prince came back in. He sat beside her and took her cold hand in his warm one.

"Don't say anything," she said before he could open his mouth. "Just be here."

He nodded and intertwined his fingers with hers. He watched as slowly she became still, drifting off into sleep. He studied her face, realizing that his dream was quite correct. There should be wings across her back. Her face was that of an angel's.

And when he was sure she was asleep, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss, like that of a butterfly's on her forehead. She didn't even stir, but his heart beat faster.

This is when he finally admitted to himself what he'd known all along.

He loved her.