***
"Helios, I can't stand it any longer," King Endymion said, shaking his head. He was sitting on a chaise in the holy center of the shrine, which was a few miles removed from the palace. It was the only place on the palace grounds where Endymion could risk being visible, as only he and Helios were allowed inside the holy center. Everywhere else had the presence of his youthful bride, who had learned her way around the palace during the past few weeks and had come to the shrine to offer sacrifices to the gods.
"You must, my king," Helios told him righteously. "We discussed this before I went to Apollo and we both know that this is the only way you can have her. It's too late to stop now. What are we supposed to do, send her back to her unloved misery on the Moon?"
Endymion sighed heavily. "Of course not," he said. "It's just that – I yearn for her so much during the day. I don't want to just spend nights – I want to share meals with her, ride with her, take a walk across the grounds with her. Would it really hurt for me to be with her during the day? I would stay invisible."
"No, your highness. Serenity is not privy to the enchantment of Elysian because she is a foreigner. But many of the inhabitants were born here in Elysian, and many of them have magical powers. Someone is bound to see you and call your name. And what if Beryl has spies here? It would get back to her that you are married, and she would attack for revenge."
"Yes, but – she seemed so – so sad! She cried, Helios. I can't stand to watch her cry because of what I'm putting her
through!"
"If you really love her, you will stay away from her during the day,
sire," Helios said sadly.
"Should Beryl find out about her, she will kill Queen Serenity
herself."
Endymion buried his face in his hands, and Helios left respectfully, allowing the man to have his tears in peace.
*****
"Serenity, I have something to tell you."
King Endymion took the shoulders of his wife and turned her towards him. Her blue eyes were so inquisitive, so loving. It made a shockwave of emotional pain go through him. How he wished he could spend his days with his beautiful wife...
He shook his head. No, it was either nights alone or Serenity would not be his at all.
"Yes, Mamoru?"
"A post on the hill saw two figures approaching the spot where you were left. After further investigation, they found out that the two women were your older twin sisters, Trivia and Diana. They came to weep for you, believing you are dead."
Serenity's heart leapt for joy. "Trivia and Diana! I must call them to the palace! We have to send an envoy to gather them. I want to show them how happy I am – and how wrong Apollo was. They have nothing to fear—"
"No, Serenity!" Endymion said, and gently jerked Serenity's head back to face him. "That's what I have to tell you. I just wanted to let you know that they are there for this very reason; you can't allow your sisters to see you."
Serenity's mouth dropped open. "Why not?"
"It's dangerous, Serenity."
"How is letting my own two sisters see me dangerous? They won't do anything to harm me."
"Maybe not, but it is still too dangerous to allow them to come here. It would bring great ruin to us, Serenity."
"How?"
"I cannot explain; you just have to trust me. Do you trust me, Serenity?"
Serenity opened her mouth, but thought better of it and closed it, nodding.
"Then promise me that you will not let your sisters know where you are."
Serenity looked sadly at the bedclothes. "I promise."
"Thank you, Serenity," Endymion said, pulling his wife close. "I promise you, it will work out for
the best in the end."
*****
"More tea, King Endymion?"
"Coffee, please."
The maidservant in the doorway, who approached Endymion and poured his coffee. The same maids who served in the palace also served in the shrine, which spurred Endymion to his question.
"Please tell me – how is she?"
The maidservant looked at Endymion, then lowered her eyes. "Priest Helios instructed all of us not to tell you how Queen Serenity is faring, my lord."
Endymion rolled his eyes.
"Then I will have to go see for myself."
"No, my liege!"
"All right, then. Either you're going to tell me how my wife's health is, or I'm going to see for myself." King Endymion put his hands on his hips. "Which will it be?"
The maidservant sighed and rested the coffee pot on the table in Endymion's sunroom. "She's not well, your highness. She cries all day."
Endymion cursed under his breath and turned away. "Why?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.
"She wishes to see her sisters. She wants to assure them that she is alive and share her fortune with them."
Endymion stared at the floor, chin in hand, thinking deeply.
"Please, your highness," the maid pleaded, "do not try to devise a way to acquiesce to her wishes."
"If her sisters cannot comfort her, who will?" Endymion asked, angry at himself. "I certainly can't. She cannot even see me!"
The maid lowered her eyes again.
"Leave me in peace," Endymion said, waving his hand at the maidservant. "I need time to think."
****
"Serenity, are you all right?"
Serenity nodded, keeping her eyes away from Endymion lest he look into them and find she was lying. But the king knew his young wife, and he knew right away that Serenity was not being truthful about her feelings.
"You are still grieved about your sisters."
Caught, she nodded, smiling wryly. "I only want to let them know I'm alive," she pleaded, "and share a day with them. One more day."
"I do hate to see you so miserable." The king sighed.
"Please, Mamoru? Please can they come here? Just for a day. It won't be long, I promise. I won't tell them anything secret, I promise...I just want to see them. I haven't seen anybody in many weeks; all the servants here are invisible. Let me see another human!"
That barb pained Mamoru, and he turned away from his wife. "Fine. I will let you see them."
Serenity squealed with happiness, throwing her arms around her husband's neck and kissing his cheek. Through the weeks she had learned to gauge her size against his and approximate where his body parts would be. "Thank you, thank you, Mamoru!"
"You are seeking your own destruction."
"How can seeing my sisters amount to destruction?" Serenity said
airily. She was only happy that he had
acquiesced to her desire.
"Listen, Serenity," Endymion said. "I've given you my promise that you will see your sisters. Now give me a promise in return."
"I did," Serenity protested. "I won't tell them anything you don't want me to tell, and—"
"No, Serenity," Endymion said, taking his wife's shoulders in his hands again. "Listen. No matter what your sisters say to you, no matter how much they coax and cajole, you must not let them – or anyone else – convince you to try and see me."
Serenity's eyebrows knit together. "Why would they do that?"
"Just listen, Serenity! Why or how or when does not matter. All that matters is the answer. Do not let them persuade you to try and see me. If you try, I won't be able to see you ever again. We will be separated forever."
Serentiy clutched him close. "I would never want that. I love you so much; I couldn't bear to be separated from you any more than we already are! I only want to see my sisters."
Endymion sighed heavily. "It will be," he said. "Tomorrow morning at seven o'clock, when your sisters come to mourn on the high hill, two pegasi will bring them to the palace. You will then be able to spend the day with them. The pegasi will bring them back to to the hill before the sun sets."
"Thank you so much, Mamoru," Serenity said, laughing with joy.
Endymion nodded; he couldn't help but smile at his beautiful wife's exuberance. "Just remember what you promised, Serenity," he warned.
*****
The morning dawned clear and bright on the Moon. Two lone figures, dressed in black robes with heavy black veils covering their faces, trudged up a rocky hill to reach the rock where their beloved younger sister had been whisked away by a fierce serpent-god.
When they reached the summit, however, they didn't see the usual sight – sparse grass and the large rock Serenity had been perched on when they last saw her. Instead, two magnificent white horses, each with wings on their back, were positioned on the high hill. One had a golden horn on its head.
Trivia and Diana's eyes widened, and the girls lifted their veils, turned to exchange glances with one another, then turned back to the pegasi standing before them. The golden-horned one took a few slow steps towards them.
~Sisters of our dear queen.~
Now the two young queens opened their mouths in wonder. They pulled closer together, falling to their
knees. It must be some sort of sign
from the gods...
Diana was the courageous one, and so she raised her eyes from the ground to the
golden-horned pegasus. "Your...queen?"
she asked, furrowing her brow.
~Climb onto our backs. You shall know all soon,~ the golden-horned pegasus replied. ~My name is Helios. I will take you to your sister's palace.~
"Serenity's alive?!"
"Where is she?!"
~Take flight with us,~ the pegasus said, nodding at the two women. ~You will know all soon.~