By - DreamHeart
Chapter 4: Yet to Come
The next morning Raye and the rest of the court headed towards Rini's room.
As the guard reached to open the door for them, Raye stopped. "Are you all sure that you can handle this? If not, go back to the throne room and wait for us. I promise that we will think no less of you."
A silent nod was their reply.
"Then let's get on with it," Raye whispered as she walked into the room.
They found Serenity lying on Rini's bed . . . playing with her only child's pink-silver hair. Her once white satin dress was now red with blood.
Lita approached her tentatively and offered Serenity her hand. "Serena, please, come here. It's not good for you to stay here."
"Ladies, aren't you going to say to hello to Rini?" Serenity asked airily. She returned her gaze to her daughter and continued in the same airy tone, "She just got home a few minutes ago from her slumber party with Diana. She stayed up all night playing games, so she's a little tuckered out. So, I'm going to have Luna bring her some breakfast and then she's taking a nice long nap. Aren't you, sweetie?"
Mina bit her lip to fight back her tears. She walked over and sat down on the bed. "Sere," she murmured, "look at Rini. She didn't spend the night at Mars last night with Diana. Look at her, Sere, please. She can't hear you anymore, she can't hear us anymore . . . she's dead. Whether we want to believe it or not . . . she's in a better place, so please . . . it's time to go."
Serenity looked at her friend blankly and then at Raye. Her eyes silently asked Raye, is it really true?
Raye's violet eyes locked with her friend's tearful sapphire eyes and slowly nodded. She offered her hand . . . and this time Serenity took it.
"Is she going to be ok?" Amy mumbled to Mina.
"We can only hope," Mina whispered.
Silently Raye led Serenity towards the door. Once they neared the doorway, Serenity began to whimper and struggle to get back to her daughter. It took all four women to force her to leave.
Raye and Serenity led the way to the throne room, but Amy hung back to speak to the guard.
"Could you please get word to Luna that the little princess is to be prepared for burial? And that this room is to be cleaned, please?" Amy requested.
"It shall be done, milady," the guard answered as he bowed. Then he left to find Luna.
In the throne room, Serenity sat mute in her throne rocking back and forth slightly in her chair while Mina struggled to tend to her wounds.
"Serena, I know this is difficult but you can't do this to yourself. It wasn't your fault. There was no way you could've known . . . nothing that you could've done. As hard as it may be . . . it's time to let go," Mina cooed as she knelt beside her friend. Then with a pair of tweezers she tried to get the shards of the glass bowl out of Serenity's arms and legs. But the moment the tweezers touched her, Serenity would move violently in the opposite direction to avoid them. "Shh. Please stay still. I need to get the shards of glass out of you, so these nasty cuts can heal."
Just then Amy walked in. "Sere," Amy sighed, "will you consent to Rini's burial?"
At this Serenity began to rock uncontrollably and whimper.
"I guess we can take that for a no," Lita answered.
"We're not going to be able to talk to her like this . . . but someone could get through to her," Raye thought out loud.
"Who?" Amy wondered.
"Endymion."
"Do you really think that is wise?"
"Do we have any other choice? Look at her. She calmed down a hell of a lot once we mentioned his name." Mina chimed in.
Lita glanced at Serenity and found that she was, indeed, no longer trembling and was now allowing Mina to remove the glass from her wounds. "She's right. Luna!"
"Yes, your highness," Luna answered.
"Please inform Artemis that he is to bring Endymion here."
Luna's eyes filled with fear, "Are you sure?" she stammered.
"Yes."
"Then it shall be done." With that Luna curtsied and left.
Endymion was curled up in a ball on the cold concrete floor in a corner of the cell. His once serene midnight blue eyes were bloodshot. His once strong and gentle hands were now bloody from clawing at the stone walls and concrete floor.
He had tried all night to escape from his cell. Clawing at the walls and floor had proved fruitless and left his fingers and knuckles torn and bloody, so he decided to try another alternative. At first he tried hurling his magical roses at the icy door, hoping against hope that they would be able to break Serenity's seal. After trying for a couple of hours he decided to try one last time . . . and in this moment of anger and frustration his powers grew, allowing him to throw three purple blades of energy at it. Unfortunately for him the blades just simply bounced off and came hurdling themselves at him. One ripped through his plaid green pajama shirt, another ripped through the leg of his matching pajama pants, and the last blade was harmlessly hit the wall and was absorbed. But the other blades weren't as merciful; one left a deep gash in his right side, while the other left a deep gash in his left leg barely missing his artery.
It was this worn and tattered king that Artemis found. His eyes were huge as his stared at his king huddled in the corner through the icy door. "Endymion?"
But he received no response. The heap that was King Endymion just merely shifted and turned to face the wall.
"Endymion," Artemis tried again, "it's Serenity. She needs you."
At that Endymion grunted and slowly sat up in his corner. "Why would she need me? I'm a murderer, right? She doesn't need me. She doesn't need me. She needs Rini."
"And that's the problem, sire. She's beginning to drive herself crazy with guilt. She's a wreck. Her eyes are vacant and she rocks uncontrollably back and forth. If she speaks at all she asks for Rini or tells the court that Rini is simply with Setsuna or on Mars with Diana."
Endymion buried his face in his hands for a moment and then ran them through his midnight black hair. "Why me?"
"Because she loves you. She's your wife, no one else knows her as well as you do, except maybe Queen Raye. But she's cut herself off from the rest of the world and Raye thinks that this is the best and only way to reach her."
"What do you think Artemis?" Endymion asked his long time advisor and friend with pleading eyes.
"I think for the well being of the Queen this must be done. I'm sorry Endymion, but this is my job. Please understand that."
Endymion nodded and took a deep breath. For Serenity, be strong. "Then let's go."
As they waited, Lita decided that it was time to get Serenity out of her blood soaked satin dress. Thus in an instant Serenity was surrounded by lightning bolts, and a moment later was dressed in a white silk nightgown.
"Much better," Lita beamed.
"Was that supposed to make her calmer?" Amy inquired icily.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't think that nearly shocking Serenity with all of your lightning bolts is the best thing for her."
"And that . . ." Lita began.
"That's enough both of you!" Raye seethed. "You both can see that Serenity is still in a very fragile state of mind . . . and your bickering will only make her worse."
A midst this fighting Serenity once again began to tremble and whimper uncontrollably. Mina tried to comfort her, but was unable to calm her friend.
Just then, Artemis led Endymion into the room bound in s hackles and chains at his throat, wrists, and ankles.
"Queen Raye, I turn the prisoner over to you. Will you take full responsibility for him?" Artemis asked stiffly.
"I do," Raye replied, "please remove his chains."
"As you wish."
Artemis snapped his fingers and magically the shackles disappeared.
"Leave us," Raye demanded.
"Of course, milady," Artemis answered, and left.
After Artemis had left, Endymion rushed towards Serenity, but was stopped by Mina and Lita.
"Before I will let you near her, you must assure us that you will not harm her. You are after all the only suspect in the death of the princess," Lita demanded. Where did he get those wounds? Were they there last night? Could Rini have done that trying to fend him off?
"And I warn you that if you do . . . you shall feel our wrath, trial or no trial," Mina seethed. Endymion may be our friend, but everything concerning Rini's death is just a little too fishy for my taste. How could anyone but Endymion stop Serenity from sensing that Rini was in danger? But then again how could he kill his own child? I couldn't protect this family last night but I will protect Serenity NOW!
"I swear to you that I shall not harm her," Endymion sighed.
Mina looked over to Raye with doubt still shining in her crystal blue eyes. Yet to her dismay, Raye nodded leaving her no choice but to step aside.
Endymion approached his beloved wife and knelt before her.
"Sere, it's ok. I'm here now. It's me Dare . . . Darien . . . Endymion."
No response.
Endymion gathered his wife into his arms and cooed, "Everything is going to be ok." Then as he began to gently stroke her cheek, he directed his attention back to the court and demanded, "How long has she been this way?"
"As far as we know . . . this morning, when we found her in Rini's room," Amy answered, as he stared into Serenity's distant sapphire blue eyes
"We thought that seeing you would make her better," Lita chimed in. "It seemed to work when we mentioned your name earlier."
"Sere, can you hear me?" Endymion pleaded. "Baby, please answer me."
Slowly Serenity nodded her head.
"Thank God. Serena, this isn't healthy. I love you, Sere." Endymion hugged her tight to his chest. "Nothing's going to happen to me . . . . I'm not leaving you. I'm not leaving you, I swear. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Serenity murmured.
"Sere, do you want anything to eat?"
"I want Rini. Bring her to me."
"Serena, I'm sorry . . . but I . . . I can't do that . . . "
"I want to see our little girl."
"Stop it, Serenity." Endymion pulled her away from the comfort of is chest and forced her to look into his eyes. "Rini is dead. Look at me, Serena. She's dead." His eyes began to water. "There is nothing that you or I can do about. She's gone. I don't know why. But I know that there's no sense in torturing yourself."
"She's my baby . . . I have all this power and I didn't know, Darien. I still don't know who hurt my baby. What kind of mother am I? I'm not fit to rule my kingdom," Serenity cried into Endymion's arms.
"Yes, you are . . . you were the best mother in the entire universe and she loved you a lot."
"Really?"
"She wouldn't want you to be like this, Sere . . . she loved you so much. So, you have to let her go . . . ." Endymion choked a bit and then clearing his throat added, "She has to be buried."
Serenity nodded her head and through her tears looked at Amy, "Tell them that Princess Serenity the third shall be buried at the next full moon."
Noticing the wounds on is his wife's arms, Endymion added, "And then hurry back to tend to her wounds please."
"As you wish," Amy replied.