by Sailor Earth
*Chapter Two - The Masked One*
Moon, Moon Princess
In the day time, the fragrant flowers
In the evening, the twinkling stars
In that world which nobody knows
Wearing a pair of white shoes
Crossing over the white Moon bridge
There lives a princess
Who dreams of a sweet kiss
translated from Princess Moon
In the light of the morning, I dismissed the night's encounter as nothing but a strange dream. The castle walls were smooth and white, seemingly impossible to climb. However, I was puzzled to find that the pendant from Dimando was missing. I didn't care - I didn't want his gifts anyway - but I knew he would be angry.
I showered, and dressed in a simple pale blue cotton dress, which gathered under my bust, then fell loosely to my ankles. The staps were thin, and there was a small bow where each strap join the dress. I slipped on a pair of white satin shoes, then I descended the stairs to the kitchen, where Dimando and Mama were enjoying their breakfast with Saffir, the Sheriff and personal adviser to Dimando. I like Saffir about as much as I like Dimando - in other words, not a lot. He is a slippery character, whom Dimando appointed as Sheriff only after Papa left. I am convinced that they are plotting something, but I haven't figured out what yet.
As I sat down at the table, Cooan, one of our four maids, passed me a slice of toast. Our other 3 maids are called Beruche, Karabaras and Petz, and are Catzi's sisters.
"Where is the pendant? Do you not like, sweetie?!" crooned Dimando.
"No...it's not that...I just don't know what happened to it," I told him, "I put it on my windowsill last night. When I woke up, it was gone. I'm sorry...maybe a magpie took it..." I concluded lamely.
"More like the Masked One!" muttered Saffir.
"Who's the Masked One?" I asked, suddenly interested.
"No one knows his true identity," explained Dimando, "But he has been sneaking around our kingdom for a while now, with his band of warriors to help, robbing from the rich, and giving to the poor!"
"It's a discrace, Serenity, and I plan to stop him!" Saffir added. My blood boiled. "Is that IT?!" I cried, "You two are the real disgraces! If you looked after my Father's people better, this Masked One, whoever he is, would not have to resort to such desperate measures!"
"Insolent child!" Dimando's voice rose, "This is MY Kingdom, MY people!"
"Leave her alone, Dimando!" chided Mama, "She didn't mean to anger you." Poor Mama, she hates arguements. She doesn't like Dimando very much either, but would rather keep quiet because she thinks confrontation will just make him even worse. I stood up and left the room. I ran out over the little white bridge, and into the Palace gardens, and lay down under the blossoms trees near the path. I cried a few tears, more from frustration than sadness.
"Where are you, Papa?" I whispered. Even now, I still half expected him to appear and tell me that everything would be OK. I would fling my arms around him, and bury my face in broad chest, and tell him how much I missed him, and then he would promise never to disappear ever again. But he didn't appear. How long had it been since he'd left? Two years, and the worst two years of my young life.
I heard the clatter of hooves pulling a coach a little way down the path. I looked up, and what happened next seemed so quick, it's just a blur in mind now. Two cats, one black and one white, ran across the path, startling the horse. He reared up throwing the coach towards where I was laying on the grass. Convinced I was about to be squashed, my natural reflex was to close my eyes and cower under it's shadow. However, it never fell on me. Just at the last second someone pulled me up , and whisked me behind the trees.
I heard an almighty crash, and then several shrieks of "Damn you, stupid horse!" I recognised the voice immediately. It was Countess Esmerodo, a vain woman with long, wavy puke-green hair, who love for Dimando was bordering on pysco-obsessive. He couldn't stand the woman, and with good reason, her laugh was enough to deafen a person for life. Well, maybe not quite, but you get my drift...
I opened my eyes to see who my rescuer was, and guess what? It was the same masked figure who I had seen in my window the night before. I recognised the aroma of roses around him, and I have to say up-close, he was just the most completely gorgeous man I had ever seen in my life. His dark hair fell over his forehead, slighty covering his white mask. He had lovely smooth skin, that I just wanted to reach out and touch, and his frame was tall and slim, but I could still feel his muscles as he held me close to him.
"Are you...are you the Masked One?" I asked him.
"Yes, some call me that. I am Tuxedo Kamen, mysterious knight, friend of the poor, and rescuer of beautiful maidens. And may I asked why you were crying, Madmoiselle?"
"Because I feel so useless...wait! Why were you watching me, anyway?"
"I wasn't, I was looking around the gardens when you appeared, so I hid. It was extremely lucky I was here, though, you could have been killed," then after hearing another shriek from Esmerodo, he added, "Shane she wasn't, though. Who is she, anyway?"
"Countess Esmerodo. She's here to see my uncle, Dimando."
"Ah yes, the infamous Dimando...what I wouldn't give to lay my hands around his neck..."
"I'm sure he'd say the same about you." I warned Tuxedo Kamen.
"I bet he would. Of course, he'd be no match for the great Tuxedo Kamen!" He smiled confidently.
"Look, thanks for saving me, but I really should go now...I gotta make sure Esmerodo's OK..." I pulled away from him and headed back towards the Palace.
"See ya around, Serenity!" he called after me.
"Yeah...hang on! How do you know my name?"
"I know a lot more about you than you think." he told me. And with that he was gone. I stood for a few seconds, mystified, and a little shaken by the strange encounter, then hurried away back to palace.