Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.
To the Reader:
Finally, chapter three! I've tried to make it worth the wait. This chapter has required the most effort out of me so far, and hopefully it shows!
To answer the question of whether or not this story is Endymion and Serenity or Serenity and Seiya, well, isn't that part of the fun/drama of reading the story? You just never know! The duel between the two men will continue throughout the entire story, but Serenity's feeling are only for one! Now, which one will it be? Hmmm...
And finally, a HUGE THANK YOU to those that helped me out with the pairings. Very generous. It will help my future writing immensely! Thank you! I would like to especially thank MOON FALCON for a very detailed description of the generals and pairings. And also a big thank you to ANGEL ANTIPORDA whose devotion to this story just blows me away. Thank you!
Start Chapter Three Part One.
She hadn't wanted to marry him...
In the hills of the countryside, green pastures rolled down the sides; sheep were seen with shepherds, children frolicked about. As the church bells tolled, a young lady was seen rushing down the hills, half tumbling, half skipping. Holding onto her bonnet and basket of wild flowers, she ran faster as she reached the flat plains. Church and village were passed as she hurried towards a dainty white washed manor.
The girl smiled as she approached her destination. Taking care to slow down before reaching the white picket fence, she began to hum a little tune. But as she approached, she and the tune came to a stop. There was an unfamiliar looking horse and carriage outside of her home.
As she entered the house, sounds, that did not belong, were heard. Walking past the parlor, she was met with the sight of her father, her mother, and a strange man. It was hard not to look longer at the stranger, for he was a magnificent sight. With ebony hair, a carefully chiseled face, firm jaw line, and nicely toned skin, he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
Molly interrupted her thoughts, as she was seen bustling out of the kitchen, exclaiming, "You're home! Thank goodness! Lady Wellington was very upset that you did not return at the promised hour. Well, never mind that now. Hurry on upstairs and get ready. I need to serve tea in the parlor, but I'll be up as soon as I can to help you."
"Molly, I have no idea..."
"Serenity! There isn't much time! Dinner will be served soon, and your mother wished for you to be in the parlor beforehand. You must go clean up."
"I don't understand. Molly, perhaps if you..."
"Upstairs, Serenity! And quietly!"
In her confusion, Serenity trudged up the narrow staircase to her bedroom. She understood that her mother wished her to meet the strange man, but for what reason? In the past, she had never been allowed to meet any of the men that had come to call on her. They had always been denied entrance by her mother's mutterings of "Too poor." Surely the strange man that she had seen had not passed the test?
Face clean and hair braided, Serenity descended the stairs to enter the small parlor. Her father and the man instantly stood up, both bowing slightly. "Good afternoon," she politely responded as she gave a small curtsey.
Her mother stiffly sat in her chair, sipping her tea, while her father walked forward to embrace her and exclaim, "My darling! We have been waiting for you." Turning towards the dark haired man, he said with pride, "My Lord, I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Miss Serenity Wellington. And Serenity, sweetheart, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Lord Endymion of the Kard."
"Good afternoon, my lord," she said while inclining her head ever so slightly.
"And to you as well," he responded with a frightening grin.
Startled, Serenity could only give a small smile in acknowledgement. However, something did not sit right with her. The man's smile was unsettling.
"Serenity, dear. Lord Endymion was just discussing with us the new excitements in the city now. Were you not, my lord?" Lady Wellington said with an extremely polite smile while eyeing Serenity.
Taking the hint, Serenity sat down promptly as she continued her mother's conversation. "How interesting! I apologize. I did not mean to interrupt."
"Not at all. Such beauty as yours would never be an interruption," he replied smoothly.
Lady Wellington gave a coy smile as she continued, "We are so glad that you were able to call on us this afternoon. It is not very often that we are able to be in the company of such an extraordinary man!"
Lord Endymion gave a fake laugh as he exclaimed with a glint in his eye, "My lady, I am afraid I have given the wrong impression. I am not what you would consider, good company."
"Certainly not!"
"Come, come!" Serenity's father interrupted. "Let us continue this discussion in the dining room. I do believe the table has been set!"
"Of course. Gentlemen, if you would excuse Serenity and I for a moment," Lady Wellington said as she firmly grabbed Serenity's arm the instant the men had left the room. "What is this?" she hissed.
"Mother? I..."
"Serenity Wellington! You will play your part! Now is the time to lay the trap! If all goes well, Lord Endymion of the Kard will be your husband, a wonderful asset to our family."
"I hardly even know him, mother! Besides, I have been promised to Seiya. You and father both agreed that I could..."
"As you have said, that was just a promise. Promises can be broken, Serenity, especially when one man is far greater than the other."
A hurt expression appeared on Serenity's face. "Mother, you couldn't possibly mean that you never meant for me to marry Seiya?"
"Don't be foolish. After all that I have taught you, all that I have made you become, do you think that I would allow you to throw it all away for a shepherd boy?" she hissed.
"You promised..."
"Ladies?" Lord Wellington interrupted as he poked his head through the door opening. "Dinner is served." Examining the scene before him and noticing the look of distress on Serenity's face, he added, "Is everything alright in here?"
Lady Wellington transformed before Serenity's eyes as she became the model wife and lady in answering, "Of course, dear. We'll be right there."
"Very well then."
"Remember Serenity, a pretty, enticing smile for the Lord, along with a few compliments. He already recognizes you as the beauty that you are. Now we only need to show him your sparkling personality. Right, darling?"
"Of course, mother."
Dinner, if recalled by Lord and Lady Wellington, was a delightful affair. Lord Wellington would call Lord Endymion, "a delightful chap!" While Lady Wellington would find him as "a very suitable prospect."
Serenity, on the other hand, was miserable. She tried to "play her part" as her mother had instructed, but found it increasingly difficult as her mother's betrayal replayed itself in her head.
"And what do you think of all of this, Miss Wellington?" Lord Endymion questioned.
Startled from her thoughts she said, "Pardon?"
Lady Wellington gave a discreet frown towards Serenity as Lord Endymion continued pleasantly, "It would seem as if you have your head amongst other things. Perhaps you would care to share?"
"Oh! Not at all, my lord! I was simply savoring the taste of this exquisite piece of meat before me. Absolutely heavenly!" Lady Wellington's frown increased.
"Delicious, yes. However heavenly? Surely too strong of a word to describe a piece of meat," Lord Endymion contradicted.
"Why no, my lord!" Serenity exclaimed as she became caught up into her passion of debating, arguing, whatever one would wish to call it. "This piece of meat may seem like nothing to a king. But surely to a poor peasant it would mean all of the world! To him it would be heavenly! Therefore I cannot possibly deduce a reason why I may not apply the same word to my piece of meat. Yes, I have eaten many things before, but is there anything wrong in enjoying the simple pleasures of life? May I not call it heavenly?"
"Hear, hear!" Lord Wellington cheered joyfully.
"My apologies, Miss Wellington," Lord Endymion said as he slightly bowed his head. "I did not mean to cause offense. It seems that you have found me at fault. I might dare say that I too, have found this piece of meat to be... heavenly," he said with an amused look on his face. "However, I regret that I of all people cannot use this word too freely. Heavenly as it is." The troubling feeling returned to Serenity again as she acknowledged the glint in his eye. What did he mean that he of all people could not use the word heavenly?
Hoping to stop the current topic, Lady Wellington politely asked, "Shall we proceed with dessert then? Hopefully it will not warrant the need for more enchanting remarks." Her tone was clear, however masked it was for Lord Endymion, and Serenity understood the meaning. She had gone too far.
As Lord Endymion left later in the night, his mind was filled with Serenity. Appearances were deceiving. Miss Wellington was a beautiful woman, despite her fragile look. After the conversation at dinner, he knew that she was full of fire -- something that he would enjoy putting out.
The departure of Lord Endymion signaled the commencement of Lady Wellington's diatribe. As always, Lord Wellington seemed to be oblivious of the current mood in the household. "Well, that went well! Jolly good fellow. Jolly good!" he exclaimed happily.
Serenity could only manage a small smile in response as her father left her and her mother alone, heading towards his study room. "What were you doing tonight?" Lady Wellington hissed. The hands that could delicately pull silk threads shook with fury.
"Mother, I did not mean to. It just happened! After he made the comment about..."
"Lord Endymion can make any comment he wants, Serenity! You, on the other hand, must learn to stop those outbursts of yours," she said softly with much severity. She slowly calmed down as she began to list what Serenity was and was not supposed to do. "Ladies of your stature do not go about talking foolishness when a man of his stature says something that you find offensive, or not parallel to your opinion. Ladies of your stature are well bred. They are quiet and submissive. You have much to learn Serenity. I had thought that I had taught you enough, but tonight proved me wrong. I have failed in the most important task of motherhood. Ladies of our stature may not cuddle our children and play with them, but we do know how to raise our daughters to become what we are. Perfection in every man's eyes. For that is the dream for ladies of our stature. We are to be the perfect wife, the perfect mother, the perfect daughter-in-law, the perfect LADY - in men's eyes."
Serenity had had enough. She did not care for ladies of her stature and was tired of hearing the same list almost everyday. With a hint of sarcasm in her voice, she asked, "And what of women's eyes, mother? Must I also be perfect in theirs?"
Her mother visibly stiffened and quietly said, "You will never be perfect in any woman's eyes. Never." Then suddenly, as if startled from a trance, Lady Wellington continued, "I have much to teach you, Serenity. It is time to shape you into the perfect wife. Lord Endymion must have the best of everything after all! What you did tonight was unacceptable. We will have to make certain such horrendous flaws do not slip again. Am I not right, Serenity?"
"Yes, mother." Silently, Serenity was outraged. She did not wish to play the part of the submissive wife. She wanted to be herself. Serenity gave a little sigh, as she knew that Seiya would have never wanted her to change. After all he had known her as a child, and that was whom he had fallen in love with.
It had already been three years since he had left to become a soldier, and she understood why her mother might feel worried that she would not wed. Secretly, she was concerned too. There were very few letters from Seiya, and the correspondence that did arrive was strange Seiya spoke of things that he expected her to know and understand. It was as if there were letters missing. But it was not possible if she was the one that collected the mail everyday and brought it to her father's desk. Yet, she wondered... The last letter from Seiya had been a year ago. It had been so very long.
"Serenity? Serenity Wellington, are you listening to what I am saying?"
"Yes, mother."
"Good, then you agree that we shall begin tomorrow morning."
Not wanting to be caught with not listening, Serenity was left with no other choice but to nod in agreement.
The next morning Serenity awoke early, in hopes of talking to her father before her mother had awaken. She loved her father with all her heart. And sometimes she did not understand how he could have possibly married her mother. Her father was such a gentle, kind, understanding, and compassionate man. In short, he was everything that her mother was not.
"Good morning, father," she said as she entered the breakfast room.
Putting down his newspaper, he exclaimed, "Ah! There's my angel, looking beautiful as always. Some coffee?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Good morning, Miss Serenity," Molly said as she entered with Serenity's breakfast.
"Good morning, Molly."
"Molly! You wouldn't mind bringing in more cream would you?" Lord Wellington asked.
"But of course, my lord. One moment," she said as she left the room.
Lord Wellington smiled joyfully as he commented, "A good girl, she is. Now, was there something you wanted, Serenity? It's unusual for you to wake up this early."
Serenity gave a small smile. Her father was so oblivious to her mother's moods, and yet so perceptive to what she wished. "Lord Endymion, father."
"Yes?"
"Mother said he was here to marry me?"
"It seems so. I don't see any other reason why a great lord like him would travel down into the countryside," he responded carlessly as he placed some of the cream that Molly had brought into his coffee.
"But father, Seiya..."
"Serenity, perhaps we need to have a little chat," he interrupted, his mood going from his typical cheerful demeanor to one of outright seriousness.
"Father..."
Lord Wellington put his hand up. "No interruptions, Serenity. I did not wish to bring it up, for it is not something that a woman should be concerned with, but money has been an issue. And it seems as if Lord Endymion will be the solution. Now I know you had your heart set on marrying Seiya, Serenity. And I myself don't find anything wrong with that boy. It's just that it has been three years. You are twenty years old. I'm not very young anymore and I need to make sure all my daughters are married."
"Father, please..."
"You know I would never force you into anything. I certainly didn't have to do that with your older sister, who seemed very glad to marry that baron. But I need for you to understand the situation we are in. It is very hard to marry off your younger sister, when you have not married. Seiya does not seem to be coming back. It's been one year since you've heard from him and..."
"But he said he would come back!"
"And he will. But it may be ten years from now. And I'll be much too old, nevertheless, without any source of income by then. Serenity, I love you. But being in a family requires some sacrifices. This marriage will benefit our family greatly. It will help your younger sister. She is already sixteen. It is almost her time to marry as well. Do you understand what I am asking of you, Serenity?" His eyes peered into hers. Blue met blue.
She loved her father with all her heart, and for that reason, and that reason only, was she willing to make the sacrifice. "Yes, father, I understand."
"Sere!" cried a voice from the stairs. "Mother wants you!"
Before Serenity got up to answer her younger sister's call, her father placed his hand on top of hers. "I know how hard this will be for you, Serenity. But have strength. Lord knows that's the only thing that keeps me going some days." Serenity was startled by her father's confession. She had always thought that he was a very joyful man.
Before she could think further into it, her sister interrupted again. "Serenity! Mother called you!" she said, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.
"Yes, I know. I'm going." Serenity left the room to answer her mother's call.
"Good morning, father!" Faith exclaimed.
"Good morning, sweet pea," he smiled affectionately. However, deep within, Lord Wellington had the feeling of remorse. Soon his two favorite daughters would be leaving him. In reality, the need for money was great. But he understood the need for love, the love that both his younger daughters craved for. The three of them were alike in that way. They wished for love rather than money. His wife on the other hand... well, she had trained his eldest daughter, Grace, well. Perhaps, too well. Their need for money was critical, as his wife constantly badgered. Unfortunately, the requirement for it was his fault, and his fault alone. He desperately wished that he did not have to subject his two dearest daughters to loveless marriages. However, he was too weak to conquer his strongest weakness, his most horrible flaw. And now, his two daughters would pay. Lord Wellington sighed.
Upstairs in her mother's room, Serenity listened as her mother told her what she needed to do to ensure a proposal from Lord Endymion. "You must understand, dear. Men are like puppets. You only need to pull a few strings and they're yours. Now, when you meet Lord Endymion today, you need to give enchanting smiles. Act as if you're shy, but still have a hint of coyness. He will be intrigued. Yes, if all goes well, you will most certainly gain a proposal from him. Perhaps by the end of the day!" And off Lady Wellington went, discussing about what arrangements were needed for the wedding.
Later in the day, Lord Endymion came to call on Serenity as promised. To Serenity, he looked even more dashing this morning, perhaps a bit too much. "A stroll, Miss Wellington?" he politely asked.
"Oh! But of course she would love one! Serenity has been in the house all day, and she loves the outdoors!" exclaimed Lady Wellington.
"Indeed," Lord Endymion commented as he gave a grin that sent chills down Serenity's spine. She did not want to go on a stroll with him; yet, one minute later, she found herself strolling next to him as they left her home. She was wary. There was something very dangerous about him, something that she did not like.
"Do you come this way often, Lord Endymion?" Serenity asked, acting as if she was unaware of his intentions.
"Very rarely, and only when something extremely special calls for it," he replied with a long, lazy grin. "And please, do call my Endymion. That is what my friends call me."
"I'm sorry, but I would think that we have not spent enough time together to be called friends, my lord."
"Yes, but I hope that we would in the future."
Serenity was having a hard time concentrating on walking as Endymion circled his arm around hers and began a tantalizing massage with his thumb on the back of her hand. "My lord..." she stuttered and stopped. A most curious sensation began to rise in the lower part of her stomach as she sensed the closeness of Endymion's body. The effects he had on her were stunning, and all they were doing was holding hands!
Acting oblivious to the entire situation, Endymion innocently asked, "Is everything alright, Miss Wellington?"
"Uh... yes, yes," she replied hurridly. The most horrible thoughts were arising in her mind as she imagined his long fingers massaging places other than her hand. A blush began to slowly spot on her face.
"You looked flushed. Perhaps we should sit down?"
Serenity wanted to rage. He knew perfectly well what he was doing to her senses, and yet he acted as if she was too weak to complete a stroll! Putting on a calm demeanor, she answered, "No, strolling is fine. The weather is very lovely today."
Endymion wanted to laugh aloud. The weather? She wanted to talk about the weather? "Yes. Beautiful clouds."
"They are, aren't they? It would make a lovely painting."
"You would make a lovely painting, Miss Wellington."
"My lord!"
"Please, call me Endymion. And I state nothing but the truth."
"I don't believe this is a proper topic, Endymion," she said, stressing his name. She withdrew her hand from his, as she walked towards a bench underneath a large oak tree.
Following, he replied, "And what would be a good topic? The weather, perhaps?" His eyes were filled with humor. "Serenity..."
She turned her head sharply to look up at him. "I never gave you permission to call me that! I do not believe we are familiar enough."
"Is that so?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow. Pulling her up from the bench, he leaned towards her, with his mouth only a fraction away from hers and whispered, "Perhaps I can change that."
And then it began. What started out as a seemingly chaste kiss, deepened, as Serenity struggled against his tight embrace. His lips seemed to melt against hers as he explored her mouth, parting it gently with his tongue. And suddenly, Serenity was no longer fighting. Desiring more, her hands came up to press against his chest. She moaned as Endymion began light butterfly kisses on her neck. Serenity's senses were filled with Endymion. And then as quickly as it had begun, it ended. Little wet droplets were felt against both of their necks. Serenity was back in reality, and she did not want to be kissed, especially by Endymion! She weakly pushed against him, but he held tight, knowing that she may have mentally rejected the kiss, but physically she was still clinging to him as her knees had gone weak and deep breaths were being taken to calm her racing heart.
"Well, we're pretty close now, don't you think?" he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Oh! How dare you! You had no right!" Serenity was furious. He had taken advantage of her, right under the open sky where anyone could have seen. "You are a despicable man!" Using all of her energy, she pushed away from him and turned to leave, but was stopped by Endymion's hand on her wrist. Glaring, she cried, "Let go! Don't touch me."
"Are you sure? You seemed to enjoy the touching a few moments ago," he said with his terrifying grin.
"This is ridiculous!"
"Indeed. Kissing under an oak tree while it rains. Who would have ever thought of such an idea!" he mocked. "I guess the clouds weren't that beautiful," he laughed as he referred to their previous topic on weather. "Next time we'll have to make sure the clouds aren't as gray, or perhaps we'll kiss in a bedroom. Much more to enjoy there, don't you think?"
Serenity fumed. The man was intolerable! With fury, she said, "Do not come calling on me again, Lord Endymion. I have no wish to ever seeing you again!" The rain was falling harder as Serenity turned and pulled her arm out of his grasp, running all the way back home.
Endymion laughed loudly. He knew that she was only in turmoil over her own emotions; he had felt her response as her body had pressed against his. Miss Wellington, as he had witnessed the night before, was full of fire -- something he enjoyed playing with. His plans? Kindling the fire, and watching it burn.
----------
"Marriage is essential, even for the Lord of the Dark."
"I understand."
"Then you will do what I bid of you."
"I will obey your orders, Red One."
End Chapter Three Part One.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Praises? DO let me know! Post a review!
AN: For some reason fanfiction is not allowing me to write my email address, does anyone know what to do?