***
"How horrible!" Serenity exclaimed, her hand covering her mouth. "Engaged to be married, and your fiancé died!" She had to admit that her situation was better than poor Ami's; at least her husband was still alive. "But it was just a dream! How did you know for sure that he was dead?"
"I tried to kill myself," Ami said sadly, her eyes still cast on the ground. "I couldn't bear to live without my beloved! When I went to the harbor, I saw Zoisite's body washing up to the shores. I ran and leapt into the water, not swimming, but allowing myself to be swallowed by the waters.
"Suddenly, however, the waters split away from me, and I was glowing with a bright blue light!" She smiled a little, her expression still melancholy. "Mercury blessed me with control over the waters. But too late. My beloved was gone.
"Staying in Thessaly – the kingdom I was supposed to rule with my beloved – was too painful, so I traveled this far. Just to travel...maybe to find repose in Elysian."
Serenity sighed.
Ami cast her gaze to the waters separating the seeds. "It's almost finished," she commented.
Serenity turned to the waters. Indeed, the initial pile of seeds was very tiny, and the mounds of separated seeds were great.
"I'd better leave before Beryl returns and realizes what happened," Ami said, smiling as she stood and dusted off her skirts. "It was pleasing to make your acquaintance, Queen Serenity. I wish you luck in your future endeavors."
Serenity stood and threw her arms around the young girl. Upon taking her hold, she felt a mysterious warmth course through her body. "Thank you so much, Ami," she said, her voice taking on the quality of sob. "I could have never done this without you."
Ami squeezed her shoulders, nodding. "It was my pleasure, my queen," she said, mounting her mule, continuing on in the way she was going.
Serenity turned towards Ami. After thinking a bit, she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled in her direction.
"I am Serenity – only Serenity, not any pretentious title to such a great friend!"
*****
"Endymion, do not despair so. Serenity wouldn't want you to lose all hope."
"What hope do I have?" Endymion threw his hands up, turning away from the priest. "Beryl has us both imprisoned, both by brute force and magical means. She is probably tormenting my beloved – if she hasn't killed her yet. All is lost – all because of my stupid desires!" He buried his face in his hands. "Why couldn't I have listened to you and not given into my want?"
"It wasn't just desire that led you to Serenity," Helios said, laying a pale hand on the king's shoulder. "You love her. Deeply. I feel it coming from you. And surely Serenity can feel it too – as long as you keep loving her. She'll be able to withstand it. She has strength in that heart of hers. Keep faith in her...I sensed another power deep within, too..."
Endymion looked to his priest. "What...kind?"
The priest shook his head. "That I don't know. But it's definitely stronger than Beryl's. If she discovers it within herself, she may be able to conquer Beryl and save us all – you, me, and your four generals trapped by Beryl's brainwashing."
*****
Beryl groaned, her chin in her hand, her lovely features marred by a frown on her face. Seven neat piles of seeds sat behind a very complacent princess, with her hands folded in her lap.
With a scowl, Beryl turned back to the princess. "I don't know how you pulled this stunt, but hear me now: your work is by no means over," she snarled.
Serenity's eyes widened with shock. "B-b-but you said if I finished this task, I could see Endymion!"
Beryl waved her hand. "I did not," she said. "I said that if you wanted to see him again, you would sort them. I never said that by this work you would. Your work is not over yet:; you have much to learn in the lines of service!"
"Please!" cried Serenity, stepping towards the queen. "Allow me to see my beloved husband!"
The appellation only infuratied Beryl. Hot jealousy coursed through her body. With mounting anger, she hurled a dry piece of bread at the princess. "You deserve less than what the lowest dog deserves! Eat this to sustain yourself; sleep in the fields. Tomorrow morning I will appear to give you your second task!"
She disappeared in a whirlwind of black flames curling around her.
Serenity looked at the crusty bread in her hands. A tear wet the crust. Her shoulders shaking, the queen collapsed in a fit of sobs to the earth below.
*****
"Her beloved husband!" Beryl hurled the glass of wine she held in her hands at the wall, the wine spattering the wall and the glass flying everywhere. "How dare she address what's mine in that manner!"
Her fist tightened as visions danced through her mind – visions of the miserable little moon princess holding her man, clutching him to her, kissing the lips and body that Beryl had not yet touched with her own. Tears of fury, jealousy, and despair rolled down her cheeks.
She'd been in love with Endymion since she first saw him when he and his father arrived to negotiate with her father. Being her father's only heir to the kingdom, she was present during all discussion. She'd loved not only his divine form but his dual nature – the ability to switch between fiery and argumentative to sweet and diplomatic. He'd always been civilized but cold towards her.
She'd endeavored to win his heart – dressing in her finest garments and showing him how intelligent and crafty she could be. A perfect match to his political strategy.
But like herself, his heart had been stolen on first sight – but not by her. By that miserable little moon princess.
Beryl threw herself down to her bed, the tears coming with full force. She could hardly believe she was crying, but she couldn't help it – her love for Endymion was strong. She desired him, wanted him, coveted him. He was hers.
"How may I convince that hard-hearted man to forget his love for that stupid moon girl?" She sniffled, sitting up. "If I tell him she's dead, he'll blame me and will never love me. But if he knows she is still alive, he won't stop hoping for her. I'll always be second-best – second to a pale moon princess!"
She punched the bedpost. "How could he choose her over me? The only way to rid his mind of her would be to control his soul—"
Beryl stopped in her tracks as she considered that thought. "Control his soul...that's the ticket," she said. "Those four – the four generals – I control their souls, and thus their thought. Of course the same could be done to Endymion. And what better way but by the way I took the souls of his generals?"
The queen thought better of it, and shook her head. "Tantalizing as that is, I don't want to control his soul. I want him to love me purely."
She sighed deeply. "This dilemma will take time to solve. Time...and plenty of observation."
*****
"Tiger Eye, look across the fields! See who's coming!"
Tiger Eye shook his head and looked at Hawk Eye, his fellow guard. Then he turned to the meadows before him.
A huge army in black was advancing upon them.
"The Erebese!" The two guards exchanged shocked glances. "Endymion must be hurt! They can see the palace – and us!"
The two moved to run inside the palace and warn the staff.
"Halt!" cried a hard, stately voice. The four black stallions in front of the army quickened, advancing upon the two frightened guards.
"Halt this!" Hawk Eye thrust forth a hand, a thin stream of fire emanating from it.
The rider in front held a hand up. A pink flash burst from his hand, and the fire dissolved before it did any damange.
The two guards looked at each other in alarm.
"Open the palace doors," said the effeminate general, "and let us in, boys."
*****
"So," said Beryl, clasping her hands together in mirth, "this is the magnificent Golden Palace."
Endymion shot a haggard look at Beryl. He had dark circles under his eyes – he'd unable to sleep for days, and his infection flared up and died at intervals. Right now, he felt sicker than he'd ever felt – Beryl was invading his sanctuary, the only place he'd been able to keep from her for years.
"And I have a beautiful little moon princess to thank for all this."
Beryl turned to gauge Endymion's reaction. His face faltered a bit, but there was no signs of anger, just despair. And a slight quality of longing in his eyes. She'd resorted to bashing the princess's character and blaming the king's hardship upon her, but any mention of her only lighted a fire in Endymion's eyes, reminding him that she was still alive.
"Call for your head maidservants," she ordered him.
Endymion turned away from her, scowling. A jolt of pain caused him to cry out.
He sighed heavily. "Ceres, Juno, Pallas, Vesta!"
Loud shrieks came from down the hallway. "King Endymion, Queen Serenity! You've returned!"
As they rushed into the foyer, they saw that it was not as they expected it to be. Four different reactions ensued. Ceres' eyes fell to the ground; Pallas buried her face in her hands and broke into sobs. Vesta narrowed her eyes at the dark queen. Juno balled her hands into fists.
"King Endymion, yes, but not Serenity, I fear," the queen said. "Endymion's brought a bit of company, quite unannounced, I'm afraid, but that's okay: this magnificent palace seems big enough to hold a few servants I've brought along." She smiled brightly. "Get rooms ready for about 100 guards and servants."
"You're not our queen; we don't take any orders from you!" Juno shouted at Beryl. "Our queen is Serenity – Endymion's true love!"
"Insolent!" Beryl raised her hand, fully intending to throw a fatal force of black magic at the dissenter.
"Beryl, please, no!" Endymion said, lumbering forward in the path of her hand. Beryl quickly lowered her hand; she had no desire to kill Endymion. "Don't hurt any of them, please, I beg you."
The girls stared at their king. They'd never seen him so worn-down. Juno gasped, most of all touched by the king's self-sacrificing spirit.
"I'll make sure they follow your orders."
"See to it!"
Endymion turned to the four girls. "You have to do what she says – she's not afraid to hurt or kill any one of you," she says. "Follow any orders she gives you, or one of her ranking servants. Please. For your sakes. I couldn't bear to lose any one of you," he added, with a sheepish little smile.
Ceres crossed her arms, trying to supress the small smile springing to her own lips.
"Fine," Vesta said, pressing her lips together and crossing her own arms. A gathering of servants had begun to form in the main hall, trailed by trains of magic in all different colors of the rainbow. She turned to them, switching to speak in the tongue of her country. "Staff, we have guests," she said, spitting the word guests as if it were bitter wormwood. "Prepare the king's room and extra room for one hundred." She shot a look at Queen Beryl. "Make that one hundred one."
"No, just one hundred," Beryl said, smiling. "Endymion has invited me to have the use of his bedroom, haven't you, my king?" She gestured maliciously towards the multitude of servants that had gathered in the hall.
Endymion sighed, staring at the floor.
"Yes," he mumbled through clenched teeth.
Beryl raised her eyes triumphantly to the service.
Vesta narrowed her eyes angrily at the queen, and turned to direct the service to do her bidding.