Chapter 2: Fading memories
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"This is really high up!" Bunny cried as Endymion lifted her onto the horse.
"He is tall, isn't he?" Endymion beamed in pride at his horse. Then, in one swift movement, he was seated in front of her. "Now, put your arms around my waist." Endymion instructed. Bunny complied and fastened her arms around him. He lightly kicked his horse and off they went.
"He's really fast!" Bunny commented.
"Storm is the best horse in the whole kingdom. He's been breed since birth to be the strongest horse so that he can serve me. After all, the Crown Prince of Earth must have the best!" Endymion commented. Bunny gaped at him.
"You're the Crown Prince of Earth?" Bunny asked in amazement.
"Yes." Came Endymion's simple reply.
"Oh my." Bunny whispered. Endymion chuckled.
"It's not big deal. I don't want you using titles around me, either. I hate them. Just call me Endymion. After all, I can't have my own little sister calling me such things." Endymion told her.
"Little sister?" Bunny repeated, her head slightly to the side.
"Well, I'm going to be taking care of you now, sort of like a big brother. So that makes you my little sister." Endymion told her.
"I've never had a brother before. Only sisters." Bunny said.
"How old are you, Bunny?" Endymion asked.
"I'll be fifteen in a week, if you have those around here. Why?" Bunny replied.
"I didn't think you were that much younger then I. I'm nineteen." Endymion said. He shrugged. "But that means that you'll have at least a year to be taught to act like a princess."
"Why would I want to do that?"
"Well, since you're going to be living with us and since I won't stand for you being a servant, you should be taught to act like a proper princess before you're 16. By then you'll be able to attend all of the proper balls to show you off to suitors. I'll have you married off to the best man ever and you'll have the best life." Endymion said.
"Really? Will you do all of that for me?" Bunny asked, excited.
"Of course. You're my little sister, after all." He said with a grin. She smiled and enjoyed the rest of the ride to wherever he was taking her. To her surprise, they came to a group of four men.
"Endymion! Where have you been?" Kunzite spat as soon as he saw his prince. Endymion got off Storm and easily lifted Bunny off, setting her on the ground next to him.
"No where." Came his simple reply.
"Who is this girl?" Zoicite asked, looking at Bunny.
"My sister." Endymion said.
"Endymion, you're an only child and have been for years. Now who is she?" Nephrite asked.
"She's abandoned so I've decided to adopt her as my sister. She'll be fifteen in a week." Endymion replied with the information she had given him earlier.
"Abandoned? Only babies and small children get abandoned. She's practically a woman. Who abandoned her? Her husband or family?" Kunzite asked, eyeing her.
"Husband? I'm much too young for that!" Bunny said, extremely surprised that they would think she was old enough to be married. "My oldest sister, who's 23, isn't even married yet!"
"She must be from far away then. Peasants at her age should be at least engaged. Only royalty doesn't even start showing off suitors until they're 16." Kunzite said.
"Where are you from, ma'am?" Jaedite asked politely, giving her a charming smile that comforted her.
"My kingdom is sacred and unknown to most. And to answer your earlier question, my family abandoned me, if you could call it that. But I did nothing to deserve it." Bunny defended for herself.
"Is it wise to bring her to your parents, Endymion? Unless she's ready to play 50 questions, then she shouldn't dare approach them. They'll ask her every detail about her 'sacred kingdom'." Nephrite said, Zoicite nodding.
"They won't ask her any questions if I don't let them. Besides, Mother will love to have her around. You know how bad she yearns for a daughter. Bunny can be her daughter that she can primp and prime and such like she's been trying to do for me for years." Endymion replied.
"Is that her name? Bunny?" Jaedite smiled at the name. "It's very cute."
"It's not my real name but I like it more. Endymion thinks it suits me." She looked up at him with a smile. That's when he noticed something different about her.
"Have your eyes always been that color?" Endymion asked.
"What color?" Bunny replied.
"They're not so gray anymore. They're almost blue, actually." Endymion said. She smiled.
"That's wonderful!" She squealed.
"Listen, we better return soon. You weren't supposed to be gone for as long as you are." Kunzite said, getting onto his horse. The other three followed and Endymion lifted Bunny right back onto Storm's back, getting on it himself right after. They rode off and arrived at the large castle at near dark.
"Endymion! I was so worried about you! You were gone for so long!" Queen Gaia cried, running towards them when they arrived. Her beauty was incredible for a mother of a nineteen year old prince. Her hair to her waist, soft and brown, her eyes a brilliant shade of green, and her body slim and young. She showed hardly any signs of being a mother, although there were some very slight wrinkles on her face that could only be seen if you looked hard enough.
"I'm sorry Mother." Endymion got off Storm and kissed his mothers cheek. The generals got off their horses, Jadeite helping Bunny of Storm. A few stable hands came forward and took the horses away. Bunny stood amongst the men, looking at her surroundings.
"Who is this?" Gaia asked, the men parting. Gaia approached her and Bunny looked at her, hardly afraid. She had encountered many royal people in her life and wasn't at all intimidated. And besides, she had Endymion to protect her like he told his generals.
"Her name is Bunny, Mother. She has no home so we will be taking her in now." Endymion said, coming up from behind her.
"She's absolutely filthy." Gaia remarked.
"I was being held prisoner, your Grace." Bunny replied. Endymion looked at her but no question came from his lips.
"What was your crime?" Gaia asked.
"I was completely innocent. Blood was spilled but not on my account." Bunny replied.
"Oh?" Gaia looked at her with interest.
"I was blamed for leading evil into my kingdom." Bunny said.
"What kingdom is this?" Gaia asked. Bunny was about to answer but suddenly found herself unable to do so. Instead, she fainted, falling onto Gaia, who struggled to keep her balance. Endymion quickly came around from behind his mother and took Bunny into his arms bridal style. "Oh my, what happened to her?"
"I'm not sure. We should take her inside." Endymion said. He took her inside the castle and up to an empty room that was used for guests, lying her on the soft bed. He sat there for hours, worried over the younger girl. But his worry didn't go without company. His mother sat with him, watching the girl as well. When he father found out, he joined them as well. When Bunny finally did wake the next evening, she was surprised to see so many people standing around the room.
"What happened to me?" She asked, rising.
"You fainted, dear." Gaia said kindly. Bunny looked at the queen and her son, who were sitting on the bed. Across from her stood another man whom she had never seen before. He face was handsome and serious, his eyes a deep blue and his hair a dark blue, just like Endymion. Endymion followed her gaze.
"This is my father, King Terran." Endymion said. Bunny nodded her head to him and he did it in return.
"Are you feeling well?" Terran asked.
"I'm not sure. Something seems like something is missing," Bunny said, turning her head to the window next to her, "although I'm unsure what."
"That's weird." Endymion said. She turned to him and sighed.
"Maybe we should contact your parents. Endymion told us what happened but I'm sure that someone in your family must still care about you. He mentioned that you have sisters. What are their names?" Gaia asked. Bunny looked at her.
"Sisters?" Bunny said. "I can't remember having any sisters. In fact, I can't remember having parents. I don't even have a memory of anyone before Endymion found me."
"That's odd. You can't remember anything?" Terran asked.
"Not at all." Bunny told him.
"In that case, we must take her in! If she can't even remember the names of her family members, she couldn't possibly survive out in the world." Gaia said, turning to her husband.
"Gaia, she can't replace our lost daughter." Terran said with pity in his eyes.
"I'm not trying to replace her, Terran. I'm trying to give this girl a good chance in life. She'll remain in mine and Endymion's full care if you think she might be a burden. Besides, Endymion already expressed to us how attached he's become to her, and I feel that I have as well. Please Terran." Gaia pleaded. Terran sighed and nodded. She got up and hugged him in thanks.
"Well, I suppose she'll need a better room then this one if she's going to be nobility." Endymion said.
"But this one is fine!" Bunny said.
"Nonsense! This isn't a fitful room for you." Gaia said. Before she knew it, Bunny was shoved into a beautiful room. Gaia took her into her own and picked her out a bunch of gowns that she used to own as a young girl to put in Bunny's wardrobe. They were all beautiful and seemed hardly worn.
"Thank you so much, your Grace. I'm in your eternal debt for what you are doing for me." Bunny said as she and Gaia sat in her room, Gaia putting the dresses in the wardrobe.
"Please Bunny, call me Gaia. And you haven't got a reason to be in debt to me. I feel that I should be in debt to you." Gaia said.
"How so?" Bunny asked.
"I lost a daughter of my own several years ago just when she was born. Ever since then I've wanted another one to love just as much as I would have loved her. I do love Endymion dearly but every woman can't help but want a daughter to just be a woman with." Gaia turned and looked at the young girl sitting on her new, large bed. "I thought it was so strange that Endymion was drawn to you to quickly but somehow, I find that I am as well. Something about you makes me so very fond of you." She gave her a gentle smile.
"Thank you." Bunny replied.
"Well, you best take a bath before coming down to dinner, dear. I'll lay a dress out for you on your bed." Gaia said. Bunny nodded and some servants drew her a bath, Bunny scrubbing all of the dirt from her.
"Where is that dress at?" Bunny asked herself, coming out of the washing room with a towel around her body. She quickly located the dress on her bed. It was beautiful but simple. It was light blue with long sleeves, a scooped neck, and high waist. She braided her wet, long hair and put some slippers on.
"My, you look lovely." Gaia commented when Bunny entered the Great Hall. She blushed as she sat down across from Endymion.
"Thank you." Came her meek reply.
"What did I tell you, Bunny? Only the best for you." Endymion said with a grin. His generals were all around the table and nodded in approval.
While they ate, Bunny was completely fascinated by the conversations passed between everyone. She found everyone so interesting, although the look on Endymion's face told her thought otherwise. At this she smiled.
"It's getting late. We're going to retire." Gaia announced. Terran got up and pulled out her chair, the two walking over to their son and bidding him and the others a good night before leaving.
"Sleep? Already?" Bunny said aloud. The men laughed.
"I suppose she has had a lot of sleep as of late." Zoicite commented, smiling at the younger girl.
"It won't do us much harm to spend some time with her tonight. After all, we should get her acquainted to her new home." Nephrite added. Endymion offered her his arm and she accepted it with a slight blush. Jaedite and Zoicite stood next to Bunny while Kunzite and Nephrite stood next to Endymion.
For nearly two hours they showed her around the castle and grounds, Bunny completely in love with the moonlit garden. She sat there for around fifteen minutes gushing over the beauty of the flowers, although most were closed because of the lack of sunlight. But when she finally did grow tired, the men happily escorted her to her bedroom and left her to get some rest, claiming that she needed to be on a normal sleeping schedule and not ever going to bed too late or sleeping in.
-End of chapter!!!
I hope you all liked it! I'm going to keep on writing for a while because I have so many ideas!!! So I think I might be getting this next chapter out soon! And incase you didn't catch it, when Bunny fainted she forgot everything that happened to her before she meet Endymion. So, like her family, her memory was erased. Get it? I hope you do! Please review!!!!!
-Serenity