Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

If the name and planet thing is confusing you, please check the read-me/prologue.

Heroes of Eternity

Chapter 3

Serena shook her groggy head and immediately suppressed her terrifying fear as all she saw was total blackness. After a moment of letting her eyes adjust, she noticed that what she thought was total blackness was not. Moonlight filtered through and around the edges of a black curtain hung over a barred window. Under the crack of a door, pale yellow light shined like a blinking, friendly eye.

She immediately shook off her paralysis and jumped toward the door. Despite her frantic tugging, it remained resolutely closed. She screamed, hoping it would at least draw some kind of life-form to her. The silence and stillness that surrounded her made her feel as if she was the last person left on the Earth.

"Silence!" crackled a voice from the other side of the door.

Though it was an order from an angry voice, Serena was still somewhat reassured that at least nothing catastrophic had happened and she was now left alone. She bit her lip and paced the room, her white nightgown swaying with her movements. Her immediate fear was coming back now, but not from the darkness. It sprung from the knowledge that she had been kidnapped.

Left with nothing to do, she wandered to the window and looked out. The Moon shined down on her, illuminating the crescent moon on her forehead and reminding her of her ancestry. A slow and quiet breeze wafted over her upturned face and she breathed it in deeply.

The sound of voices down below her shattered her temporary peace. She started and shook as she listened.

"Did you see the princess of Crystal Tokyo? She's only fifteen and already she's making my dick hard. Imagine what she'll look like when she gets older! If she makes any trouble, I'll be tempted to teach her a lesson."

She shuddered at the crude language and the other man laughed. She could only imagine at what offensive gesture he had done.

Frightened further, she drew back from the window and looked around the room. In a corner stood something that could have passed for a bed fifty years ago. It seemed unsanitary, but there was nothing she could do about it. After what she had heard, she had no desire to make trouble. A small table stood next to it.

A jingle of keys and the door swung open.

The man that strode in was breathtaking. His midnight black hair held deep rooted cobalt highlights that only shined in the right light. Royal blue sapphire eyes that were like deep sea ocean pools locked with hers. He looked her over and she suddenly wished that she were dressed in her most beautiful clothing, just for him. Just a glance at him was enough to make her shudder her longing for him. His body was sleek, like a panther's, and his hands were long and supple. He was dressed from head to toe in unrelieved black.

"Darius, don't scare her."

He moved to the side, allowing another man to enter. This one was not nearly so striking. He held only a soft, normal kind of handsome, not the dangerously sexy appearance of…Darius.

"What do you want with me?"

The question was prompted by fear and she had no real expectation that it would be answered. To her surprise, it was.

"You're to be married to our liege."

"I'm…what?!"

Anger flared through her. She was not only a princess, but a woman who had her own right to choose who she was to marry!

"I'm sorry for the poor accommodations, but it was rather hastily put together. You'll be moved to better quarters as soon as they can be finished."

"I will not marry him!"

"You say so now. I would highly suggest you wait until you meet him," the man said reasonably. "And please don't try to escape."

Again her fear stifled any other emotion and she whispered, "Or what? You'll…"

"No one will lay a single hand on you," he assured her, "especially not for harm."

"How can I be sure?"

"I will personally flay the man alive who attempts to." He saw she remained unconvinced. "If you would prefer it, I can assign you a guard of your own choosing."

"You would…allow me that?"

"Of course. You may have as many days as you wish to make your decision. Or if you would prefer, I may choose our best man for you."

"I'll choose myself, thank you."

"Very good, milady. Come, Darius. I'm afraid we must leave. Please do rest some, Your Highness."

The man left the room, but suddenly Darius lurched forward and whispered in her ear, "Do not fret; as long as I am here no one will harm you. I will get you back to your mother without any marriage ceremony whatsoever. In two hours, ask the guard to bring you Darius so that you might relay your message of protection to him. I'll come and we can talk then. I'm sure you have many questions."

He was gone then. Serena debated about doing as he had said, but she knew that she had no allies here and if he truly was on her side, it was best to keep him that way. She knew nothing of why she had been kidnapped, or even where she was.

There was no way to mark the time except by an internal watch, so when she guessed two hours were up, she called out and did as he had instructed.

Within five minutes, Darius was there. He shut the door firmly behind her and asked her to sit.

"First off, I'm sure you're asking yourself if you can trust me. I am part of an elite, secret group for Crystal Tokyo that targets terrorist or destructive groups that would harm our Golden Millennium. We learned of these men nearly three years ago and have been working to infiltrate them since. We've never been able to succeed until now, when I was able to get into their ranks. Apparently the leader here, their liege, fancies himself the reincarnation of King Endymion. He maintains that he is Endymion and therefore he is entitled to the throne."

"But…but if he married me…since I am a descendent of King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity as well…he'd be marrying…a cousin!"

"Or even a sister," Darius agreed. "We have no way of telling if his accounts of his heritage are true or not. Either way, I doubt that he is any way related to Endymion, but he believes it wholeheartedly and that makes him dangerous."

"I don't understand what he gains by marrying me."

Darius sat beside her. "He's been married at least three other times and every wife he's ever had has ended up dead not months later. I don't understand why. He's looking for something in the women that he's married, and I don't know what it is. Obviously he figures that if he marries you, you'll have what he's looking for."

"But…why marry me? I still don't understand it," she exclaimed, frustrated. "If it was just for claiming the throne, he doesn't need me if he's maintaining he is a direct descendent from Endymion's line."

"Not just direct descendant, but is Endymion." His eyebrows drew together. "That's the part I don't understand either. Maybe he's just glossing over that thought in his mind and is looking for Serenity, Endymion's soulmate to make his stand for the throne firmer. Maybe he thinks you're it. I just don't know."

A shuffling outside must have alerted Darius to something because he turned to her sharply. "Since Shark offered you the chance of a man for protection, tomorrow call him and say you wish to have Darius as your protector. I am going to get you out of her, Your Highness."

The loyalty shined out his eyes like the sun and he bowed over her hand, as he kneeled on one knee. "I promise you, Princess Serenity, that I shall release you and bring you home, on my life if need be."

For no reason she could fathom, a blush spread across her cheeks. As the Crown Princess, she was entitled to be called "Serenity", but she had never been deemed old enough for it until this point. And this man who hid in the shadows to protect her kingdom was making his vow of fealty on a dirty floor and calling her "Serenity".

"I shall."

Standing up, he gave her a wink and left the room. Left with no alternative, Serena fell into a fitful sleep.

She awoke not exactly refreshed or happy, but at least somewhat less scared now that she knew she had an ally with her in this horrid place.

A knock on the door and keys jingling. Three men entered, Darius, Shark, and another man that screamed "hired help". The third set down a tray on the small table and left again without saying a word.

"You're breakfast, Your Highness. I came to tell you that we have finished your quarters and acquired some gowns for you, if you so wish."

Due to the fact that all she had was a nightgown, Serena was inclined to take him up on the offer of clothing. Well, since Shark was here, she had might as well move the plan into action.

"Sir, I have decided on a guard of my choosing."

"Please do not call me sir, milady. Shark will be fine. And who shall your guard be?"

She pointed at Darius and Shark's eyebrow rose. "You have impeccable taste, milady. He is the best warrior we have aside from our liege. Might I ask what prompted you to pick Darius?"

"Well…I asked him to come see me last night so that I could talk about…who was a decent guard for me," she lied, wanting to bite her lip. She had never been a very good liar. "I finally decided after all that he had told me that he would be best instead."

"Darius is very modest in his abilities, so you must have great intuition. An excellent fit for our liege." He nodded once more. "If you would follow me, I shall take you to your new quarters."

The somewhat long journey was accomplished in total silence. Serena wanted to fidget in worry, but she held herself as calmly as she could and hoped for some of the peace that was passed down from the line of Serenity that had been instilled in their bloodstreams from the Ginzuishou. Serena herself had never had that inner peace in great amount, and it was quite sporadic at times, but right now she really needed it.

"Milady," Shark murmured as he opened the door for her.

If her old room had been sparse, this one was over-stuffed. Couches and chairs of the squishiest cushions were littered around the room and beautiful, deep blue curtains shifted in the light breeze coming from outside. She glimpsed bars on the outside of both windows. Small tables littered themselves in easy reach around the room and soft, plush rugs nearly covered the sea blue carpeting. A large wardrobe was set against the back wall, made of beautifully worked iron. She guessed that was where the dresses were. But the most telling and huge piece of furniture in the room was the bed. It looked to be the size of a king and would dwarf her small body. Thick and soft sheets deep blue sheets winked at her and such a dark cobalt colored comforter was laid across them, so deep that it looked almost black. Feather pillows winked at her playfully and dark sapphire curtains hung from the rods of the canopy above it.

"I do hope you like it," Shark told her as he closed the door behind her. She heard it lock. Out of curiosity, she pressed her ear to the wood to hear the conversation just outside it.

"…then I can't stop her, but you keep your hands off of her. She is to marry our liege unspoiled, and if I catch you in her bed, I will not only cut off your manhood, I'll burn your hands to unrecognizable stubs and shatter your legs."

She could hear the disapproval and affront in Darius' voice as he answered back, "May I point out that she is the High Crown Princess Serenity XIII of Crystal Tokyo? Would you dare accuse me of dishonoring her like that?"

"No, you have too much loyalty to our liege for that. I'm just giving you fair warning. Even libidos and lust can overcome good common sense and loyalty, especially when she is as beautiful as she is."

"When she asked that I guard her, I made her a vow that I would not touch her if she did not wish me to and I will hold to that promise."

"Well, if you know what's good for you, even if she wishes it, you won't."

There was the sound of stomping feet away from the door. Darius muttered, as if to himself, "That has got to be the most…disgusting conversation I've ever had in my life. I'd die of embarrassment if anyone knew about it, especially Princess Serenity."

Again, there were the sounds of footfalls going away from the locked door. Serena drew away and sat down on the edge of the bed, wondering what kind of man this "liege" was. Why would he kidnap her, if he believed himself to be the reincarnated Endymion?

She had no answers. Even Darius said he had no answers. So if he had no answers, then how could she find out without ending up in the man's, this liege's, bed? With a sigh, she stood and inspected the clothing in the wardrobe. But her thoughts didn't stop circling the same track as before .Would Darius tell her if he ever found out something new?

Firmly she shook her head. No, she couldn't second-guess her only ally. She had to believe in him…because if she didn't, she had nothing.

End Chapter 3

I know I haven't updated in a long time, but I hadn't known when I wanted to stop the chapter. It's a good idea I didn't put it up earlier, because I added about three more pages when I decided I wanted to keep going.

Thanks for reading so far!