****************************************************************************
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Author's Note:
Hello all who have waited patiently and those who have happened upon this for the first time. Here is the next installment--it is still not done, but soon! "Soon" may be awhile, though, depending on your reference and expectations. *grins* Still need something for the summary--IDEAS, PLEASE! Hope you guys enjoy this, don't forget to review.
Hey!!! Hey!!! Hey!!! Any TEKKEN fans out there? Check out the story "Sleepwake." It's not finished, but it's a great work in progress! DEFINETELY one of the BEST TEKKEN FICS out there!
Well, enjoy my pitiful story, and don't forget to review! That's what makes me get these chapters out there!
Enjoy!
**************************************************************************** **********
Serenity threw herself onto her bed, sobs shaking her entire body as emotions tumbled through her head. It had gone so wrong, so dreadfully wrong! She was not meant to have any feelings outside of contempt for him! When had it all gone so very, very wrong?! He was leaving today, and she was meant to be happy to finally be rid of him! But instead. . .instead she was on her bed crying over him. She had wanted him to kiss her, to hold her, to. . . .
"No!" she threw a pillow up against the wall. It could have been perfect. . .so perfect--just like him. Serenity could try to deny it all that she wanted, but she did like Endymion. . .a lot. He hurled her towards levels of emotion so high that she was afraid to faint from the mere experience. But he was. . .he was Endymion Shields. Endymion Shields, a soldier and heartless man. . .right?
"Right?!"
Serenity muffled a scream in her pillow; a headache threatening to override her senses lingered behind her eyes. A muffled knock sounded at her door, and Serenity sat up and wiped at the tears in her eyes. Had he actually come back?
A head of blue hair silenced any further hope of Endymion returning, and Serenity fell back onto the bed. "Serenity?"
"I am in here, Ami-chan."
Ami came immediately to her bedside when she caught sight of Serenity hugging her pillow. "Serenity, what's wrong?"
Serenity peeked out from beneath her feather pillow and briefly considered telling Ami. She decided against it. "I'm just tired, Ami- chan."
"I have something that might cheer you up," Ami smiled as she pulled the pillow from Serenity's face and replaced it with a brown package.
"No!" Serenity cried out as she sat up and unraveled the thin twine that bound it. "No! No! No!"
"Serenity?" Ami cast a baffled look at her friend.
"Why does he do this to me, Ami-chan?!" she shrieked before falling back against her bed's duvet, cradling the remnants of the brown package to her chest.
"Why does who do what? What are you talking about, Serenity?" Ami snatched up the note that had fallen from the package, the contents of which Ami had not seen. She began to read it aloud:
"Odango-atama: please accept my apologies. I should not have done what I attempted to do. Perhaps we can once again find a peace? Or will I be waiting for the sky to fall? --Endymion"
Ami sat back. "He knows about the sky. . .did you tell him?"
"No," Serenity groans. "He has befriended a great many generals, though. And he knows your father. Perhaps they have conversed."
Ami paused for a moment before challenging Serenity. "I think that this is a sign, Serenity."
"A what?"
"A sign," Ami grinned.
"I'm not following you, Ami-chan."
"Well," Ami began, "what was it that he attempted to do?"
Serenity's eyes widened in horror. "We were talking, and I gave him back the shirt--a shirt which he returned to me!-- andwemighthavegottenalittlecloseandbeenabouttokissandwewouldhaveifihadn'tkne edhiminthegroin."
"Excuse me?" Ami asked, completely lost.
"He gave me another rose."
"A what?"
"A rose," Serenity held up the flower; it was even more beautiful than the last and in full bloom.
Ami's eyes swelled. "I've never seen anything like it! It's. . .it's so amazing, Serenity," Ami suddenly became very serious. "Is he courting you?"
Serenity snorted in forced loathing. "Endymion is a soldier. His definition of courting would be to take me to bed, take my virginity, and leave. . . . If I was lucky, he'd give me a pat on the back."
"Serenity!"
"What?!"
Ami caught sight of the crazed emotion behind Serenity's eyes and simply shook her head with a smile. "Nothing. I still think it's a sign."
"We're back to the sky thing?"
"Of course! We never left it!" Ami cried out exasperated. "Think about it, Serenity. I just told you the story. Now he references it. . .maybe there's something more to it."
"No, Ami-chan."
"But, maybe--"
"No, Ami-chan."
They lapsed into a silence. Serenity picked at invisible tuffs of dirt on her bedsheet, and Ami simply rested her chin on a fist.
"Hey, when you leave Avenroi, can I go with you?"
"No--what?"
Ami readjusted herself on the bed. "Well, I think that I need to leave here," she hesitated and tried to gauge Serenity's reaction before continuing, "and if your father does follow through with your marriage arrangements, I think that I'd like to accompany you--wherever you may go."
Serenity's face was bleak at the mention of marriage. Her father had not brought the subject up ever since their last encounter. . . . Had he already decided her fate for her? The thought chilled her to the core of her body. Serenity slammed the thoughts out of her mind and concentrated on Ami again. "I still don't understand, Ami-chan. Why would you want to go with me?"
Ami traced her finger over the bed and dropped her eye contact with Serenity. "Well. . .I just thought that it might be nice to try out life again with someone who knows me and cares about me, someone who's my friend. I-I ate the apple, Serenity. I do want to. . .continue with life's experiences."
"I thought you would," Serenity confided lightly. "What does your father think, though? I always presumed that he would have you stay with him. He depends upon your assistance rather heavily, don't you think?"
"I think he would understand," Ami chimed, some cheer returning to her airy voice. "And I would then have a safety-net, of sorts. I would always have someone there to push me forward. Besides, I couldn't simply abide and lose you!"
Serenity came closer to Ami and rested her blonde-silver head on the other woman's shoulder. "Are you sure, Ami-chan?"
"Of course I'm sure!" Ami clucked. "I've had some time to think about this. And I think that this is the right decision for me to make."
"I won't be leaving for awhile, Ami-chan."
"Sooner than you think, though, Serenity," Ami's tone was sad, regretful.
Serenity removed her head from Ami's shoulder and pulled her long, cream legs to her chest, the thick skirts of her dress trying to push her legs back onto the floor. "I know."
Ami cringed at her friend's hushed tone; Serenity sounded defeated. "Um, Serenity? Would you come with me to inform my father of my decision? It would do your spirit good to get out of your house."
"And go to a tavern? I presume that is where your father is?"
"But of course, Serenity," Ami laughed with delight; she and Serenity had often sought out her father in the taverns when they were younger. "Where else would he find such a hospitable a reception?"
Serenity did not join the blue-haired woman's laughter, but tipped her head to signify that she would accompany Ami to the tavern. She needed to get Endymion off of her mind, anyway.
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"At every bloody tavern, Endymion!" Jedeite snapped as a third serving woman slide onto Endymion's lap and whispered deviating promises into his ear. She left as the women before her had--with a look of crushed rejection painfully etched into every crease of her dusted cheeks and in the corners of her slowly watering eyes. Endymion turned them down easily, without heed to the sting of his words.
"This is a regular occurrence?" Gizbourne, Ami's father and the commander of the northern army, asked, his voice seeping with amusement.
"Far too regular," a male-Zoicite intoned bleakly. "Although he normally does not refrain from taking them as he has tonight."
"Got something on your mind do you?" Gizbourne muttered over a thick mug of bitter ale.
Zoicite could not help but intervene in the conversation again. "A certain child, actually."
"Child?!" Gizbourne was clearly disturbed by the prospect.
"She is not a child! She is sixteen!" Endymion snapped angrily. "And she has nothing to do with my present disposition. You, on the other hand, Zoicite, may not be so clear of the charge."
Gizbourne stroked the tips of his graying mustache. "Sixteen? I have a daughter who is that age. I know that she's smart enough not to fall for you, though. Why not take a wench for yourself? Whatever is disturbing you now will surely be irrelevant once they start to work their charms on you."
Jedeite raised cast a warning glance at Endymion and found that it was received. "I would recommend against such behavior, if you will pardon my intervention."
"Why do you say that?" Nephrite droned between mouthfuls of steaming chicken.
Kunzite slammed a fist into Nephrite's knee beneath the table, and the chicken that Nephrite had happily been munching on lodged itself in his throat. While Nephrite choked, Kunzite calmly picked up where Jedeite had left off. "We have other things to do that do not involve the serving women, Endymion. I think that it would be wise to finish our business here and--"
"Kei! Kei! Come over here!" Gizbourne's voice rang out over the bustling tavern, a sonorous boom that made all other conversation a murmur in comparison.
Endymion watched with disinterest as a slender woman with long, blonde hair and large dark blue eyes sauntered over to the table. She stopped beside Gizbourne and placed a blood-flushed hand on her hip. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lip as she looked down upon the aged commander. "You called me, Gizbourne?"
"Not for myself, I'm most regretful to say, Kei," Gizbourne's voice had softened considerably. "Take care of my soldier for me. His name's Endymion, and you don't have to go gently on him."
Kei made a soft, forged moan before straddling Endymion's lap and pulling him out of his seat. Endymion considered pushing her away, but hesitated. Kei's hair was nearly as long as Serenity's, although it lacked the same shimmer and blonde-silver highlights, and her eyes were darker, but still blue. Her hands--as they wrapped around the bare skin on his neck and traced the line where his dark, ebony hair began to grow--were kind of like Serenity's. . .maybe. . .maybe, just a little. . . ?
Endymion's decision to push Kei away from his solidified when the thoughts and comparisons between Kei and Serenity would not cease; Serenity was far superior to Kei, and even if she would never be his, he could not be with another woman until he had, at least, cleared his mind. Kei, however, had different ideas. She had sensed Endymion's hesitation and resolved to remove it entirely. Forcing her mouth over his soft lips, Kei dragged him into a booth at the back of the tavern. . .and never gave the dark-haired prince a chance to object.
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The tavern was the only building whose lights remained on by the time Ami and Serenity rode into the town. Serenity had failed to inform Lord Tsuniko of her trip with Ami, and she fully expected a lecture--if not lashings--upon her return. For now, however, her concern was a distant cry, and she turned all of her energy to avoiding the groping hands and suggestive calls that flooded close to both Ami and Serenity as they searched the tavern for Gizbourne. Most of the male portion of town had slithered into the warm building, and the air was rich with the stench of their sweat and 'poison.' Serenity had always felt awkward and self- conscious in the presence of people--especially these people--and the new looks she received did nothing to dissuade her fear and apprehension.
"Father!" Ami called out over the crowds, her voice lost amongst the strong, baritone voices, but her eager wave seen.
"Ami! What are you doing here?! How many times do I have to tell you not to come in here?!" Gizbourne shouted back, his reception was warm, despite his scolding words. He motioned for both Ami and Serenity to come forward. The two young woman shimmied through the constantly moving crowd and came to stand next to the table. Serenity bowed to Gizbourne and the others at the table before recognizing Gizbourne's table guests.
Jedeite's face was the only one to drop at the sight of Serenity. Even if Endymion did not admit his feelings for her, he knew that something was between the two seeming rivals. He caught Kunzite's eyes and realized that he was not alone in his thought. Serenity greeted them with her brilliant smile and glowing eyes, completely oblivious to the two entangled bodies to the back of the tavern.
"I did not expect to see you so soon after your departure, generals," Serenity bowed again, her hands clasped lightly infront of her out of respect for them. "It is a pleasure to be in your company again. . . . Endymion is not with you?"
Zoicite jumped to be the first to speak, her intentions towards Serenity good; she did enjoy what she saw of Serenity and had no wish to hurt her. "He is busy at the moment. What brings you to the tavern? For what you have said to Endymion before, you think very little of the place."
"Oh, that was my doing. Father, could I speak with you?"
Gizbourne grunted before he downed the rest of the ale and nodded for Ami to continue. The blue-haired woman crouched low so she would be heard without others eavesdropping. Serenity scuffed her feet and began to look around the tavern. Jedeite quickly put a stop to her wandering eyes and drew her attention to himself.
"Would you like anything to drink? They have some non-alcoholic drinks. Nephrite is having an apple cider, actually. He isn't one for poison."
Nephrite snorted. "And you blame me?"
"No, of course not," Jedeite said before turning back to Serenity.
She shook her head roughly, one of her hair's tails falling over her shoulder. "No, but thank you for offering. I do not think that Ami and I will be staying for so long as to enjoy a drink of anything."
MEANWHILE. . . .
Endymion pushed Kei into his body, forcing her to push harder into him as he moved beneath her. She straddled his lap, her face hidden beneath her long blonde hair. Endymion could almost trick himself into believing that he could be fooled into thinking that Kei was Serenity. However, whenever her rough, straw-strands brushed up against his skin, or she muttered or moaned, he knew that he could not even consider her as Serenity--in any form. But he tried. He tried to make her Serenity. He tried to enjoy what she was doing to him. . .for him.
Even her lips were jagged and chapped from the innumerable other men she had given herself to. Her tongue was thick and sloppy as it worked its way around his own soft mouth, and her body presented unnaturally lumps were others had been too harsh with her.
She was not Serenity.
She could never be Serenity.
And he could never have Serenity.
So it made sense that Kei and Endymion have these few moments where both of them--in their differing states of rejection--could experience some form of pleasure, even if it was together.
Right?
Endymion's cold, blue eyes clenched tightly against Kei's tempting rhythm as she mashed her body against his. He felt himself push her away. Kei let him; she thought that he had a want for a new position. When she saw Endymion's eyes, however, she knew differently. Endymion swiped his ebony hair from his face and with a withering glance, dismissed Kei. The woman left Endymion alone, not wanting a fight or dispute in any form, and went to Gizbourne to receive her pay. Endymion's ice eyes followed Kei's movements as he buttoned his shirt. His fingers froze midway and refused to restart or finish.
Serenity's angelic, crystalline eyes stared at him in a crushed confusion. Endymion's heart felt like it would rupture beneath the agonizing anguish and contrition that now weighed upon it heavily. How long had she been watching him? How long had she been standing amongst the crowds in the tavern watching him with Kei? Endymion's entire world felt as though it would combust and fade into a indiscernible black mass that could not actually exist in the pain and suffering of his devastated emotions.
Endymion stood, and Serenity took a step backwards. Her quick withdraw attracted the attention of the generals and Gizbourne. Time seemed to freeze between the moment when Zoicite cursed beneath her breath and the moment when Serenity turned from Endymion and ran from the tavern. In that frozen moment in time, only the two of them existed. Endymion's tall form. . .his dark, enraptured, blue-eyed gaze nearly hidden by his dark ebony hair stole into Serenity's innocent heart and twisted her sweet soul into a form of unrecognizable torment without the intention of harming her. But how could it not? How could he not hurt her after what she had witnessed?
Endymion soaked up her innocent, angelic form in that frozen moment and realized that the extent to which he harmed her by his actions. But it made no sense. When--in the short time that they had been 'forced' into each other's presence--had he suddenly been given control over so much of Serenity's emotional well-being; when had he come to dominate her heart in such a way as to now hold sway over her spirit and soul?
And when did his heart decide to betray him and give its entire self to her?? It all seemed to happen without his acceptance or knowledge. Now he was helpless to watch her anguished cerulean eyes reflect the pain he had ignorantly inflicted on her.
In that one moment, the suffocating guilt was unbearable. Endymion wanted nothing more than to betray his instincts that still insisted that he continue to ignore the saddened angel and comfort her. . .hold her. . .protect her. . .
. . .kiss the tears that had frozen in her inculpable eyes from her rose- milk cheeks when the moment ended and they finally fell.
He reached out to her, in that moment, and touched her, although neither one had physically moved. Something inside of him clicked and flooded with a joy so great tears rushed to his warming blue eyes. Serenity felt the bond establish itself inside of her as well; however, she could not share his joy. Slamming the bond into the deepest interludes of her mind, Serenity released herself from the frozen moment and ran.
Stunned at having been slammed out by Serenity so efficiently, Endymion took a moment to recover before he moved to charge after her. A thick grip slammed him in the stomach just as the muscular soldier was charging past Gizbourne's table. He collapsed on the ground, breath strained in his lungs.
"Leave her alone, Endymion," Jedeite growled dangerously. The general's eyes were alight with near-anger and definite authority. Endymion struggled to stand up and continue pursuing Serenity, but a strong fist slammed into his back, forcing him back to the floor. The strike was unquestionably Zoicite's, only she would be as careless and forceful with her blows.
"Don't, Endymion," Zoicite said. "She deserves better than you. Let her go. It is better that she learnt this way."
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Serenity fell upon the snow outside and fought back the sobs that racked her body. Her delicate, lily hands tore at her cloak, seeking out its internal pocket. She withdrew the rose that Endymion had given her and began to tear it into small shreds of rapidly withering greenery. Punching the dying rose into the unforgiving snow, she ripped the dried petals from the same pocket and slammed them into a similar grave. The cut on her hand had reopened again, but for once, Serenity paid it no heed. She dashed towards her horse and shortly after took off for Avenroi, entrusting her horse to guide her way for tears clouded any hope of legible vision.
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THREE WEEKS LATER:
Three weeks passed before Serenity was forced into another social gathering where she saw people not of the Avenroi household. Endymion had made no attempt to contact her--for which she was grateful. Ever since the evening in the tavern, Serenity had felt strangely connected to him, a sensation she would nearly kill to relieve herself of. Her father summoned her out of the library one afternoon when the first signs of the fast approaching winter had begun to show. Serenity was tired and worn-out--emotionally exhausted from her last experience with Endymion--so when she was introduced to her father's guests, she took it harder than she normally would have.
Lord Tsuniko sat next to two men of similar age and build. When Serenity entered the room, she found that Columbia was already happily chattering away at the two gentlemen. Her father raised a graying eyebrow and motioned towards the men beside him. "My lords, this is my other daughter, Serenity Tsuniko of Avenroi. Serenity, this is Lord Liu Chai and Lord Toshio Yiio. They have both traveled a great distance in hopes of finding a wife in either you or Columbia."
Serenity's world began to tilt and dance at strange and crazy angles. She thought she heard her father say something that sounded like ". . .future husband. . ." but over the whirl and screams in her mind, she could not be sure. She was certain, however, that Columbia squealed a moment before Serenity crumpled to the hard floor.
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Author's Note:
Hello all who have waited patiently and those who have happened upon this for the first time. Here is the next installment--it is still not done, but soon! "Soon" may be awhile, though, depending on your reference and expectations. *grins* Still need something for the summary--IDEAS, PLEASE! Hope you guys enjoy this, don't forget to review.
Hey!!! Hey!!! Hey!!! Any TEKKEN fans out there? Check out the story "Sleepwake." It's not finished, but it's a great work in progress! DEFINETELY one of the BEST TEKKEN FICS out there!
Well, enjoy my pitiful story, and don't forget to review! That's what makes me get these chapters out there!
Enjoy!
**************************************************************************** **********
Serenity threw herself onto her bed, sobs shaking her entire body as emotions tumbled through her head. It had gone so wrong, so dreadfully wrong! She was not meant to have any feelings outside of contempt for him! When had it all gone so very, very wrong?! He was leaving today, and she was meant to be happy to finally be rid of him! But instead. . .instead she was on her bed crying over him. She had wanted him to kiss her, to hold her, to. . . .
"No!" she threw a pillow up against the wall. It could have been perfect. . .so perfect--just like him. Serenity could try to deny it all that she wanted, but she did like Endymion. . .a lot. He hurled her towards levels of emotion so high that she was afraid to faint from the mere experience. But he was. . .he was Endymion Shields. Endymion Shields, a soldier and heartless man. . .right?
"Right?!"
Serenity muffled a scream in her pillow; a headache threatening to override her senses lingered behind her eyes. A muffled knock sounded at her door, and Serenity sat up and wiped at the tears in her eyes. Had he actually come back?
A head of blue hair silenced any further hope of Endymion returning, and Serenity fell back onto the bed. "Serenity?"
"I am in here, Ami-chan."
Ami came immediately to her bedside when she caught sight of Serenity hugging her pillow. "Serenity, what's wrong?"
Serenity peeked out from beneath her feather pillow and briefly considered telling Ami. She decided against it. "I'm just tired, Ami- chan."
"I have something that might cheer you up," Ami smiled as she pulled the pillow from Serenity's face and replaced it with a brown package.
"No!" Serenity cried out as she sat up and unraveled the thin twine that bound it. "No! No! No!"
"Serenity?" Ami cast a baffled look at her friend.
"Why does he do this to me, Ami-chan?!" she shrieked before falling back against her bed's duvet, cradling the remnants of the brown package to her chest.
"Why does who do what? What are you talking about, Serenity?" Ami snatched up the note that had fallen from the package, the contents of which Ami had not seen. She began to read it aloud:
"Odango-atama: please accept my apologies. I should not have done what I attempted to do. Perhaps we can once again find a peace? Or will I be waiting for the sky to fall? --Endymion"
Ami sat back. "He knows about the sky. . .did you tell him?"
"No," Serenity groans. "He has befriended a great many generals, though. And he knows your father. Perhaps they have conversed."
Ami paused for a moment before challenging Serenity. "I think that this is a sign, Serenity."
"A what?"
"A sign," Ami grinned.
"I'm not following you, Ami-chan."
"Well," Ami began, "what was it that he attempted to do?"
Serenity's eyes widened in horror. "We were talking, and I gave him back the shirt--a shirt which he returned to me!-- andwemighthavegottenalittlecloseandbeenabouttokissandwewouldhaveifihadn'tkne edhiminthegroin."
"Excuse me?" Ami asked, completely lost.
"He gave me another rose."
"A what?"
"A rose," Serenity held up the flower; it was even more beautiful than the last and in full bloom.
Ami's eyes swelled. "I've never seen anything like it! It's. . .it's so amazing, Serenity," Ami suddenly became very serious. "Is he courting you?"
Serenity snorted in forced loathing. "Endymion is a soldier. His definition of courting would be to take me to bed, take my virginity, and leave. . . . If I was lucky, he'd give me a pat on the back."
"Serenity!"
"What?!"
Ami caught sight of the crazed emotion behind Serenity's eyes and simply shook her head with a smile. "Nothing. I still think it's a sign."
"We're back to the sky thing?"
"Of course! We never left it!" Ami cried out exasperated. "Think about it, Serenity. I just told you the story. Now he references it. . .maybe there's something more to it."
"No, Ami-chan."
"But, maybe--"
"No, Ami-chan."
They lapsed into a silence. Serenity picked at invisible tuffs of dirt on her bedsheet, and Ami simply rested her chin on a fist.
"Hey, when you leave Avenroi, can I go with you?"
"No--what?"
Ami readjusted herself on the bed. "Well, I think that I need to leave here," she hesitated and tried to gauge Serenity's reaction before continuing, "and if your father does follow through with your marriage arrangements, I think that I'd like to accompany you--wherever you may go."
Serenity's face was bleak at the mention of marriage. Her father had not brought the subject up ever since their last encounter. . . . Had he already decided her fate for her? The thought chilled her to the core of her body. Serenity slammed the thoughts out of her mind and concentrated on Ami again. "I still don't understand, Ami-chan. Why would you want to go with me?"
Ami traced her finger over the bed and dropped her eye contact with Serenity. "Well. . .I just thought that it might be nice to try out life again with someone who knows me and cares about me, someone who's my friend. I-I ate the apple, Serenity. I do want to. . .continue with life's experiences."
"I thought you would," Serenity confided lightly. "What does your father think, though? I always presumed that he would have you stay with him. He depends upon your assistance rather heavily, don't you think?"
"I think he would understand," Ami chimed, some cheer returning to her airy voice. "And I would then have a safety-net, of sorts. I would always have someone there to push me forward. Besides, I couldn't simply abide and lose you!"
Serenity came closer to Ami and rested her blonde-silver head on the other woman's shoulder. "Are you sure, Ami-chan?"
"Of course I'm sure!" Ami clucked. "I've had some time to think about this. And I think that this is the right decision for me to make."
"I won't be leaving for awhile, Ami-chan."
"Sooner than you think, though, Serenity," Ami's tone was sad, regretful.
Serenity removed her head from Ami's shoulder and pulled her long, cream legs to her chest, the thick skirts of her dress trying to push her legs back onto the floor. "I know."
Ami cringed at her friend's hushed tone; Serenity sounded defeated. "Um, Serenity? Would you come with me to inform my father of my decision? It would do your spirit good to get out of your house."
"And go to a tavern? I presume that is where your father is?"
"But of course, Serenity," Ami laughed with delight; she and Serenity had often sought out her father in the taverns when they were younger. "Where else would he find such a hospitable a reception?"
Serenity did not join the blue-haired woman's laughter, but tipped her head to signify that she would accompany Ami to the tavern. She needed to get Endymion off of her mind, anyway.
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"At every bloody tavern, Endymion!" Jedeite snapped as a third serving woman slide onto Endymion's lap and whispered deviating promises into his ear. She left as the women before her had--with a look of crushed rejection painfully etched into every crease of her dusted cheeks and in the corners of her slowly watering eyes. Endymion turned them down easily, without heed to the sting of his words.
"This is a regular occurrence?" Gizbourne, Ami's father and the commander of the northern army, asked, his voice seeping with amusement.
"Far too regular," a male-Zoicite intoned bleakly. "Although he normally does not refrain from taking them as he has tonight."
"Got something on your mind do you?" Gizbourne muttered over a thick mug of bitter ale.
Zoicite could not help but intervene in the conversation again. "A certain child, actually."
"Child?!" Gizbourne was clearly disturbed by the prospect.
"She is not a child! She is sixteen!" Endymion snapped angrily. "And she has nothing to do with my present disposition. You, on the other hand, Zoicite, may not be so clear of the charge."
Gizbourne stroked the tips of his graying mustache. "Sixteen? I have a daughter who is that age. I know that she's smart enough not to fall for you, though. Why not take a wench for yourself? Whatever is disturbing you now will surely be irrelevant once they start to work their charms on you."
Jedeite raised cast a warning glance at Endymion and found that it was received. "I would recommend against such behavior, if you will pardon my intervention."
"Why do you say that?" Nephrite droned between mouthfuls of steaming chicken.
Kunzite slammed a fist into Nephrite's knee beneath the table, and the chicken that Nephrite had happily been munching on lodged itself in his throat. While Nephrite choked, Kunzite calmly picked up where Jedeite had left off. "We have other things to do that do not involve the serving women, Endymion. I think that it would be wise to finish our business here and--"
"Kei! Kei! Come over here!" Gizbourne's voice rang out over the bustling tavern, a sonorous boom that made all other conversation a murmur in comparison.
Endymion watched with disinterest as a slender woman with long, blonde hair and large dark blue eyes sauntered over to the table. She stopped beside Gizbourne and placed a blood-flushed hand on her hip. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lip as she looked down upon the aged commander. "You called me, Gizbourne?"
"Not for myself, I'm most regretful to say, Kei," Gizbourne's voice had softened considerably. "Take care of my soldier for me. His name's Endymion, and you don't have to go gently on him."
Kei made a soft, forged moan before straddling Endymion's lap and pulling him out of his seat. Endymion considered pushing her away, but hesitated. Kei's hair was nearly as long as Serenity's, although it lacked the same shimmer and blonde-silver highlights, and her eyes were darker, but still blue. Her hands--as they wrapped around the bare skin on his neck and traced the line where his dark, ebony hair began to grow--were kind of like Serenity's. . .maybe. . .maybe, just a little. . . ?
Endymion's decision to push Kei away from his solidified when the thoughts and comparisons between Kei and Serenity would not cease; Serenity was far superior to Kei, and even if she would never be his, he could not be with another woman until he had, at least, cleared his mind. Kei, however, had different ideas. She had sensed Endymion's hesitation and resolved to remove it entirely. Forcing her mouth over his soft lips, Kei dragged him into a booth at the back of the tavern. . .and never gave the dark-haired prince a chance to object.
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The tavern was the only building whose lights remained on by the time Ami and Serenity rode into the town. Serenity had failed to inform Lord Tsuniko of her trip with Ami, and she fully expected a lecture--if not lashings--upon her return. For now, however, her concern was a distant cry, and she turned all of her energy to avoiding the groping hands and suggestive calls that flooded close to both Ami and Serenity as they searched the tavern for Gizbourne. Most of the male portion of town had slithered into the warm building, and the air was rich with the stench of their sweat and 'poison.' Serenity had always felt awkward and self- conscious in the presence of people--especially these people--and the new looks she received did nothing to dissuade her fear and apprehension.
"Father!" Ami called out over the crowds, her voice lost amongst the strong, baritone voices, but her eager wave seen.
"Ami! What are you doing here?! How many times do I have to tell you not to come in here?!" Gizbourne shouted back, his reception was warm, despite his scolding words. He motioned for both Ami and Serenity to come forward. The two young woman shimmied through the constantly moving crowd and came to stand next to the table. Serenity bowed to Gizbourne and the others at the table before recognizing Gizbourne's table guests.
Jedeite's face was the only one to drop at the sight of Serenity. Even if Endymion did not admit his feelings for her, he knew that something was between the two seeming rivals. He caught Kunzite's eyes and realized that he was not alone in his thought. Serenity greeted them with her brilliant smile and glowing eyes, completely oblivious to the two entangled bodies to the back of the tavern.
"I did not expect to see you so soon after your departure, generals," Serenity bowed again, her hands clasped lightly infront of her out of respect for them. "It is a pleasure to be in your company again. . . . Endymion is not with you?"
Zoicite jumped to be the first to speak, her intentions towards Serenity good; she did enjoy what she saw of Serenity and had no wish to hurt her. "He is busy at the moment. What brings you to the tavern? For what you have said to Endymion before, you think very little of the place."
"Oh, that was my doing. Father, could I speak with you?"
Gizbourne grunted before he downed the rest of the ale and nodded for Ami to continue. The blue-haired woman crouched low so she would be heard without others eavesdropping. Serenity scuffed her feet and began to look around the tavern. Jedeite quickly put a stop to her wandering eyes and drew her attention to himself.
"Would you like anything to drink? They have some non-alcoholic drinks. Nephrite is having an apple cider, actually. He isn't one for poison."
Nephrite snorted. "And you blame me?"
"No, of course not," Jedeite said before turning back to Serenity.
She shook her head roughly, one of her hair's tails falling over her shoulder. "No, but thank you for offering. I do not think that Ami and I will be staying for so long as to enjoy a drink of anything."
MEANWHILE. . . .
Endymion pushed Kei into his body, forcing her to push harder into him as he moved beneath her. She straddled his lap, her face hidden beneath her long blonde hair. Endymion could almost trick himself into believing that he could be fooled into thinking that Kei was Serenity. However, whenever her rough, straw-strands brushed up against his skin, or she muttered or moaned, he knew that he could not even consider her as Serenity--in any form. But he tried. He tried to make her Serenity. He tried to enjoy what she was doing to him. . .for him.
Even her lips were jagged and chapped from the innumerable other men she had given herself to. Her tongue was thick and sloppy as it worked its way around his own soft mouth, and her body presented unnaturally lumps were others had been too harsh with her.
She was not Serenity.
She could never be Serenity.
And he could never have Serenity.
So it made sense that Kei and Endymion have these few moments where both of them--in their differing states of rejection--could experience some form of pleasure, even if it was together.
Right?
Endymion's cold, blue eyes clenched tightly against Kei's tempting rhythm as she mashed her body against his. He felt himself push her away. Kei let him; she thought that he had a want for a new position. When she saw Endymion's eyes, however, she knew differently. Endymion swiped his ebony hair from his face and with a withering glance, dismissed Kei. The woman left Endymion alone, not wanting a fight or dispute in any form, and went to Gizbourne to receive her pay. Endymion's ice eyes followed Kei's movements as he buttoned his shirt. His fingers froze midway and refused to restart or finish.
Serenity's angelic, crystalline eyes stared at him in a crushed confusion. Endymion's heart felt like it would rupture beneath the agonizing anguish and contrition that now weighed upon it heavily. How long had she been watching him? How long had she been standing amongst the crowds in the tavern watching him with Kei? Endymion's entire world felt as though it would combust and fade into a indiscernible black mass that could not actually exist in the pain and suffering of his devastated emotions.
Endymion stood, and Serenity took a step backwards. Her quick withdraw attracted the attention of the generals and Gizbourne. Time seemed to freeze between the moment when Zoicite cursed beneath her breath and the moment when Serenity turned from Endymion and ran from the tavern. In that frozen moment in time, only the two of them existed. Endymion's tall form. . .his dark, enraptured, blue-eyed gaze nearly hidden by his dark ebony hair stole into Serenity's innocent heart and twisted her sweet soul into a form of unrecognizable torment without the intention of harming her. But how could it not? How could he not hurt her after what she had witnessed?
Endymion soaked up her innocent, angelic form in that frozen moment and realized that the extent to which he harmed her by his actions. But it made no sense. When--in the short time that they had been 'forced' into each other's presence--had he suddenly been given control over so much of Serenity's emotional well-being; when had he come to dominate her heart in such a way as to now hold sway over her spirit and soul?
And when did his heart decide to betray him and give its entire self to her?? It all seemed to happen without his acceptance or knowledge. Now he was helpless to watch her anguished cerulean eyes reflect the pain he had ignorantly inflicted on her.
In that one moment, the suffocating guilt was unbearable. Endymion wanted nothing more than to betray his instincts that still insisted that he continue to ignore the saddened angel and comfort her. . .hold her. . .protect her. . .
. . .kiss the tears that had frozen in her inculpable eyes from her rose- milk cheeks when the moment ended and they finally fell.
He reached out to her, in that moment, and touched her, although neither one had physically moved. Something inside of him clicked and flooded with a joy so great tears rushed to his warming blue eyes. Serenity felt the bond establish itself inside of her as well; however, she could not share his joy. Slamming the bond into the deepest interludes of her mind, Serenity released herself from the frozen moment and ran.
Stunned at having been slammed out by Serenity so efficiently, Endymion took a moment to recover before he moved to charge after her. A thick grip slammed him in the stomach just as the muscular soldier was charging past Gizbourne's table. He collapsed on the ground, breath strained in his lungs.
"Leave her alone, Endymion," Jedeite growled dangerously. The general's eyes were alight with near-anger and definite authority. Endymion struggled to stand up and continue pursuing Serenity, but a strong fist slammed into his back, forcing him back to the floor. The strike was unquestionably Zoicite's, only she would be as careless and forceful with her blows.
"Don't, Endymion," Zoicite said. "She deserves better than you. Let her go. It is better that she learnt this way."
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Serenity fell upon the snow outside and fought back the sobs that racked her body. Her delicate, lily hands tore at her cloak, seeking out its internal pocket. She withdrew the rose that Endymion had given her and began to tear it into small shreds of rapidly withering greenery. Punching the dying rose into the unforgiving snow, she ripped the dried petals from the same pocket and slammed them into a similar grave. The cut on her hand had reopened again, but for once, Serenity paid it no heed. She dashed towards her horse and shortly after took off for Avenroi, entrusting her horse to guide her way for tears clouded any hope of legible vision.
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THREE WEEKS LATER:
Three weeks passed before Serenity was forced into another social gathering where she saw people not of the Avenroi household. Endymion had made no attempt to contact her--for which she was grateful. Ever since the evening in the tavern, Serenity had felt strangely connected to him, a sensation she would nearly kill to relieve herself of. Her father summoned her out of the library one afternoon when the first signs of the fast approaching winter had begun to show. Serenity was tired and worn-out--emotionally exhausted from her last experience with Endymion--so when she was introduced to her father's guests, she took it harder than she normally would have.
Lord Tsuniko sat next to two men of similar age and build. When Serenity entered the room, she found that Columbia was already happily chattering away at the two gentlemen. Her father raised a graying eyebrow and motioned towards the men beside him. "My lords, this is my other daughter, Serenity Tsuniko of Avenroi. Serenity, this is Lord Liu Chai and Lord Toshio Yiio. They have both traveled a great distance in hopes of finding a wife in either you or Columbia."
Serenity's world began to tilt and dance at strange and crazy angles. She thought she heard her father say something that sounded like ". . .future husband. . ." but over the whirl and screams in her mind, she could not be sure. She was certain, however, that Columbia squealed a moment before Serenity crumpled to the hard floor.
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