The next installment…hopefully not too much longer now! . Thank you for the reviews! They've kept me going!

Night came early to the sky, and it was two hours after dark that the group arrived in a small town with an inn. At the head of the group, Endymion did not wait for the others before he passed his horse off to a stable boy and strode from the meager stable to the inn's front door. The wooden door met his gloved hand with warmth that surprised his cold, covered flesh. He twisted the icy doorknob with his right hand and swung the door open with his left. Loud, jovial voices crashed around his ears as he entered the inn's sitting area. The room was large and warm, with a ceiling lower than most that had become blackened by long years of fireplace smoke. Strong ale and sweetened mead wafted to his nose, inviting him further into the communal area. A few patrons raised their eyes at him, one man nodded to him before returning to his cup, but none of their eyes lingered long. The atmosphere relaxed Endymion's tense stomach. There was nothing to worry him here.

"Well, aren't you just a breath of fresh air." Endymion turned to his left and looked down on the short serving girl who addressed him. She balanced a large, flat tray on her hip and grinned up at him with a sincere smile. "A bit cold for my tastes, but I'm sure we can do something to warm yeh up. A summer breeze is always a bit more inviting than a winter kiss, don'cha think? Help yehrself to a table and I'll send one of my girls over to see to yehr needs. Will yeh be eating here tonight?"

Endymion offered her a lopsided grin. "If you think it'll get the frost off me, I'd be more than willing to sit down to a nice warm meal. I have friends with me who'll probably want the same."

"Well, now yeh just tell me how many of yeh there are and I'll get something started for yeh."

Endymion opened his mouth with five on the tip of his tongue but then recalled his speech. "There's seven of us, but two of my group would be better off eating in their bedroom. I don't suppose that you have some vacancies?"

"For seven?" We've two rooms of a fair size if yeh don't mind bunking up."

Endymion entertained the idea of bedding down with Serenity. The thought was appealing on a physical level, but having to cope with her probable conversation and yelling made him blanch. The idea shriveled in his mind along with his sexual interest in her. "Two would be fine, if that's what's available."

"I'll have two dinners sent up to one of the rooms. Let's see here," she paused and seemed to be mentally calculating something, "the rooms'll be in two and seven. They're right next to each other."

"Two and seven beside each other?" Endymion arched an eyebrow at her playfully. The serving woman laughed.

"My sons liked to play tricks on our patrons when they was little. We never got to fixing them numbers all back again. Adds character to the place anyhow."

Endymion smirked. "I'm sure it does." He winked at the woman and excused himself. He felt better about confronting Serenity now that he had experienced an enjoyable conversation with someone other than himself, and figured that any protests Serenity made would be better voiced away from such a large body of people. He slipped out the door again and shuddered when the cold hit him and seeped into his bones again. Kunzite eased himself down from the driver's seat and motioned for Endymion to open the door with an annoyed wave of his hand. Endymion straightened his shoulders, strode forward, and threw the door to the carriage open.

Endymion peered into the dark carriage. Bright blue eyes shone out from wide white eyes. "You!" Serenity seemed torn between lunging at Endymion and forcing herself farther into the corner of the carriage. Endymion did not give her the opportunity to find courage.

"We've arrived at an inn. I've arranged rooms and meals for us. You and Ami can go up to room," he frowned momentarily. Which room was to receive the meals? He improvised, "number seven. Your meals should arrive shortly."

"Rooms? Meals? Are you insane? You had better turn this whole thing around before—before." Serenity's mouth moved without sound; Endymion entertained the idea that she was simply screaming at him at pitches too high for his ears to pick up.

"Before?" He ventured to bait her just a little but found the impact explosive. Serenity lunged out of the carriage's cabin and hit Endymion square in the chest. Her once milk-rose face had blotched red and white, her mouth twisted into a yowl. He had not expected her to throw herself at him with such force and struggled hard to maintain his balance. A small, balled fist hit the left side of his face and eradicated the precarious stability Endymion had mustered. The two fell hard onto the ice-covered road, small rocks and pebbles trying to pierce through the clothes and cloak on Endymion's back. The rest of the group backed away while the two fought on the ice and snow.

"You! You did this to me! I remember now! That letter you got at the ball. You're the one Queen Beryl wants! Not me! What am I doing here!" She continued to thrash out irrationally, and Endymion was grateful that most of her blows missed. He grabbed for her hands while trying his best to keep his face protected.

"You're here," Endymion hissed, "because I saved your life."

"They wouldn't have hurt me! They know I'm not a witch!"

Endymion noted her hesitation through her whole body. He took advantage of her insecurity and grappled for her wrists, locking them behind her back. His left hand closed over both of her petite wrists tightly and held her in place, leaving his right hand free to further restrain her should she require it. She continued to struggle against him but now seemed more aware of exactly where they were and how she had unwittingly positioned herself. Endymion did not allow her to renew her attack on him before he responded to her. "Serenity, you would have died. We found you in the snow, Jedeite and I. You weren't breathing. We had to take you back to our cabin and get you warm again." He propped himself up on his right elbow but did not release her hands. "When they came for you there, they were set on burning you. I decided to take you with us."

Serenity's entire body stilled. Snow. What had happened? Why had she been in the snow? Her wings. She quickly looked back but saw that the feathery appendages had left her. How much had she forgotten? "Why was I in the snow?"

Endymion forced himself into a more upright position, and Serenity slid from his tense abdomen to his lap. He flushed with warmth in spite of the cold that had been slithering in from the ground to his bones. He stilled his hips from rotating upwards. He focused on her wet eyes and her sadness dispelled the heat. "We don't know. There was blood and you had no breath."

"Did you"

"Jedeite returned air to you. I"

"Perhaps we can go inside. I'm sure that Serenity must have many other questions for you. We might as well be warm," Jedeite interrupted.

Endymion reluctantly nodded upon seeing that Serenity intended to cooperate for the time being. He released her wrists, and she quickly removed herself from his lap, flushing when she realized just how she had straddled him. Ami rushed over and took hold of Serenity's arm. Endymion followed behind them, begrudging Ami for her quick act of support.

Again the warm tavern washed over Endymion with a promise of comfort. The serving woman who had first greeted him now rushed towards the group with a big smile. "I was beginning to worry that yer were only teasing me, good sir. Now yer all come inside and get warmed up. No sense in standing by the door where the chill can get yer. I have yehr table all set up just over this way. I hope yer all hungry. Got some hot food waiting."

Zoicite gave the woman a bright grin. "Sounds wonderful."

"And who was wantin' theirs in the room? It's up in seven. I've got the key just here."

Nephrite took the key from the woman's proffered hand. "Thank you."

"If yer need anything else, yer just call one of my girls to help yer." The woman gave them one last wink before she sauntered off in the opposite direction. Kunzite, Zoicite, and Nephrite immediately moved in on the table that held their meals. Jedeite managed to grab the key from Nephrite and delayed with Endymion, Serenity, and Ami.

"So," Jedeite said.

Endymion frowned at Jedeite and directed his attention to Serenity. "Would you take your dinner with me upstairs?"

"Just us?" she asked. Her face lost its colour then flushed.

Endymion nodded and marveled at Serenity's innocence. "We have a bit to talk about."

Jedeite shifted and turned to Endymion with a warning glare. "Endymion, perhaps"

"Jedeite, if you will please take Ami to the table to eat. I'm sure she's quite hungry by now and could use some good food." He put his hand on the small of Serenity's back and maneuvered her towards the stairs. "This way, Serenity."

She looked back over her shoulder to find Ami, but Endymion increased his speed, and consequently hers, which forced her to watch where they were going. The stairs disappeared beneath her slippered feet and she wondered briefly where they had come from, where any of the clothes she now wore had come from. Serenity adjusted quickly to the darker hallway and continued to move as Endymion chose. He stopped her in front of a wooden door with a metal number seven screwed into the frame. He reached around Serenity and unlocked the door, moved her inside, and locked it behind him again. He turned to face her slowly. She had already made her way to the small table in the room. Endymion smirked at her swollen eyes.

"Ahhh…I'm so hungry! I didn't even notice!" She sat down and began to spoon soup into her mouth. The first spoonful of the vegetable broth burned her mouth and she quickly spat it back out into the bowl and reached for the nearest glass. She quickly downed the frothy liquid.

"Too hot for you?" Endymion teased. He moved with a cat's grace to the second chair and seated himself. He frowned as Serenity nodded, her face still covered by the large mug. "I don't know that you should drink that so quickly. It's probably going to make you sick."

Serenity's eyes narrowed and she quickly finished off the drink. "Don't be silly. It's just raspberry juice." She approached the soup with her spoon again and was careful to blow on the liquid she scooped up before depositing it in her mouth. "Ahhh…it's all so good! I'm so hungry!"

Endymion just raised an eyebrow at the young woman and watched her shovel some bread into her gaping mouth after the soup. She inhaled her food. "Perhaps you should slow down a bit," he suggested.

Serenity glared at him. He smirked at her. "Pay attention to your own meal," she said. Her tone was almost teasing, but he took her to be sincere in her proposal. "More juice."

Endymion sighed and poured her another cup of the raspberry juice. He set the jug on the table and tried out a spoonful of his own soup. The broth was hot, but not so hot that he would spit back like Serenity had done. He bared the burns on the top of his mouth and looked around the room to hide his watering eyes. The room was modestly furnished. There was a bed that would fit one comfortably and two snuggly in the far right corner opposite from the room. A small three-drawer wood dresser stood beside the bed, low enough to be a bedside table, and beside it stood a wash-stand. There was a chair in need of new upholstery by the bedroom window a few feet from the small table where he and Serenity sat. On the wall above the bed there hung a single painting of a horse galloping across a desert. A simple room.

Endymion returned his attention to Serenity and frowned at her as she slopped more juice into her glass. "You're going to give yourself a stomach ache, drinking something so sweet."

She muttered something beneath her breath and returned the jug to the table after filling her glass; Endymion presumed it to be something uncomplimentary. He tore a piece of bread away from the small loaf on the table and dipped it in his soup, bringing it absently to his mouth as he watched Serenity drink the remains of her own. She smacked her lips together and rested a hand on her stomach. "That was delicious! Are you going to eat all that?"

Endymion raised a midnight eyebrow. "I am. Have some more bread."

"So," Serenity said between mouthfuls, "we need to talk. I don't remember what happened. I don't know why I was in the snow. I don't know why you brought me here. Please tell me everything you know."

Endymion's appetite clenched and hid somewhere in his stomach where he could no longer feel it. "I would like to"

"Endymion?" Serenity interrupted.

He cocked his head a little to the right. "Yes?"

Serenity's face flushed. "Thank you for…for helping me, even if I didn't want your assistance. I think I owe you my life. I hope that we can have a civilized conversation now."

He nodded slowly, as though considering her words. "Thank you. I'd like to keep this discussion civil, as well. It was not easy, to save you, that is. I had to" he hesitated, but then plunged forward, "I have told them that I was taking you as my wife. It was the only way that they'd let you go." Not entirely a lie, but not a full truth.

Serenity's lips slowly dropped away from each other until Endymion could see down her pink throat. Her eyes were swollen with disbelief, as though she had so much to take in of the world that she could not possibly absorb it all but tried to do so anyway. "You—what?"

Endymion pushed himself away from the table and began to pace across the wood floor. "They were going to kill you, and the messenger told me that I needed to get a wife and go to Taeus, and you were there, and it was clear that your village wasn't going to take you back, and so I thought that if I just took you with us, you'd live, and then if you were my wife, I'd have an excuse to take you, and I know that this is probably a shock for you to absorb, but it's the best thing I could do, so now we're going to Taeus, and we're supposed to be married, but I'm not sure when, I"

"Married?" Serenity's slack face quietly drew itself together and before it had finished its composition, Endymion knew that he would be staring into her determined, angry face in a matter of moments. "YOU IDIOT! I AM NEVER, EVER, EVER GOING TO MARRY YOU!"

Endymion had not time to dodge the soup-bowl-turned-projectile and it shattered on his hip. She had impressive aim for someone who remained seated. He cringed and moved at a snail's pace towards Serenity, not wanting to startle her into throwing more objects. A second item, the remainder of the bread loaf, smacked the centre of his chest. His temper flared. "I've done you a favour, odango! Your father was already going to marry you off! Or do you not remember?" He sneered at her, his eyes midnight and angry. "Ha. Marry you off. As I said before, no one would marry someone as ridiculous as you, odango-atama! Be grateful that I am giving you an opportunity to warm my bed. You'll be a bad wife, but I'm willing to put up with you."

"Willing to put up with me!" she shrieked. "I can't stand you! I hate you! I will never warm your bed! I am not a whore, unlike every other woman you've ever been with! Money couldn't motivate me to be with you! I refuse!" Her face began to show red splotches over her usually rose-milk cheeks. She gripped the table with both her hands.

Endymion met her antagonism with his own. "I wasn't planning on paying you! No one would pay you! And you ARE going to be my wife!"

"You don't even like me!" she howled. She pushed herself away from the table and stood up. Her eyes snapped on Endymion but then lost their focus and swam around the room. "I" She stuck her arms out to either side, her movements staggered and abrupt. "I don't feel so good."

Endymion opened his mouth to reply but the words stuck to his tongue. Serenity crumpled to the floor and landed on her bottom, her head bobbing. Endymion strode to the table and drank from his untouched glass. His eyes inflated. "You said it was juice!" he yelled.

"Raspberry," Serenity corrected.

"This is ale, odango!"

She frowned. "Ale."

"As in alcohol," he elaborated. He fought the smile off his face. This shouldn't be funny, but it was. The rush she had gotten when she stood up…it was priceless to see her sitting on the floor.

She screamed. "You got me drunk!"

"Me? I warned you, odango-atama. It was you who decided to go and drink so much."

"AMI-CHAN!" Serenity screeched. Endymion sighed. They had not actually talked through anything.

"Odango, I know that you don't want to marry me, but you're going to have to, okay?"

"No," was the childish retort. She sounded sulky. Endymion felt inside of his overcoat to find the wooden box the messenger had given him. He withdrew it and opened it. A simple ring with a thin gold band and a single black diamond sat in the velvety inside. Endymion removed it from the case and crouched next to Serenity.

"Give me your hand."

Serenity's blue eyes narrowed. "No."

Endymion snatched her hand from her lap and unfolded her fist. "Just wear this and think about it."

"Think about what?" She snapped. "Your proposal? You never even asked me."

He forced the ring onto her left ring finger. "I don't intend to. This is hardly a choice." He held her hand. "Don't you ever take this off."

Serenity immediately tried to remove the ring, but her fingers fumbled and slipped over her new possession. "I won't"

"Serenity!" came a cry from outside of the locked door. The doorknob jingled as someone tried to force their way in. "Serenity!"

"Ami-chan!" Serenity's eyes filled with tears. "Ami! He made me drunk!"

Endymion cringed as the door flew open under Jedeite's persistent pressure and the blue-haired girl threw herself into the room.

"Serenity! Are you okay?" Already her arms encircled her friend and held her in a reassuring embrace.

"He made me drunk, Ami!" Serenity moaned.

"Oh?" Jedeite said to Endymion. Endymion growled at Jedeite and stalked past the general. The older man had been right. What had he been thinking?