Disclaimer: I don't own it.
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Once Upon a Dream
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I peeked from behind the curtain and watched all of the fairies dancing.
"Serenity, get away from there," my mother yelled sharply.
"Sorry mother," I turned from the curtain towards my mother. People had a habit of mistaking us for twins. We looked exactly the same except that my mother had a few more wrinkles, her hair was silver instead of gold, and her eyes were one shade of blue darker than mine were. I curtsied towards my mother and returned to her side. I was wearing a pure white, empire waisted dress. It went to the floor and my gold flats poked out from the bottom just a bit. It was strapless, and I had designs on my exposed chest and shoulders in gold foil. My crown was just a strip of gold that went around my forehead and was almost totally covered by my bangs. My hair was in odangos, the usual style for my royal lineage. It was pretty much two pigtails, but the top part were buns. I only wore them on special occasions, as did my mother, as it was fairly difficult to have our hair stay in the buns, and I usually took them out by the end of the night anyways.
"Are you ready, ladies?" an announcer came in from one of the hallways to ask. My mother looked at me and I nodded.
"Yes, we are ready," my mother told the announcer. He nodded towards the maid holding the curtain pull, and the curtain rose up.
"Presenting her majesty, Queen Ana, Queen of all fairies, and her daughter, Princess Serenity, heiress to the throne," he announced. My mother took my arm and we descended the main staircase. I smiled and waved at my future people. About half way down the staircase, my mother and I parted to opposite sides so that our escorts could bring us to our thrones, on the other side of the room. My mother had her usual escort, and I was expecting Jim, my usual escort, to be there as well, but as I glanced towards the bottom of the staircase, instead of Jim, Mamoru was standing there. Surprise filled my eyes, but I managed to maintain my composure as I made my way down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I took his arm, just as my mother took the arm of his escort, and the fairies parted to let us through.
"Prince Endymion," I looked up at him and nodded.
"Please lady, call my Mamoru," he smiled at me and gave me a smart aleck look. I rolled my eyes and half pulled him along. "What's the hurry?"
"I'm trying to get rid of you," I said sarcastically. He laughed a little.
"Oh, but you're so cute. Those things on top of your head look like meatballs," he said. I pretended to be hurt and elbowed him lightly in the ribs.
"I only wear it like this because I have to," I pouted at him.
"I'm sorry," he patted my hand. As I stepped on to the platform and sat in my throne, Mamoru bowed to me. "Princess, might I have the pleasure of signing your dance card?" he murmured. I nodded and handed it to him. He took it and signed it. When he handed it back to me, I glanced at it and realized that he had signed himself up for every other dance with me, including the first and the last. I looked up as he gave a cheeky grin and winked at me, then whirled away.
Before the dancing could begin, my mother and I had to greet our people. They filed past us, first me, and then my mother. The last person in line was Mamoru once again, holding out his arm for the dance. I sighed and took it, rolling my eyes as I did.
The first dance was the traditional fairien dance. Everybody knew it practically from the time they were born. It was the opening to all the balls. It got boring after a while, but Mamoru was a good dancer, and we held animated conversation throughout the dance, all the while keeping up the proper posture and steps. When the next dance began, Mamoru bowed out and the Lord next on my list stepped forward. He was pleasant enough, but I was surprised to find myself missing Mamoru! Not for long, because he came and collected me when the next song began; the waltz, one of my favorites.
'One, two, three, one, two, three…" I counted to myself silently as we glided around the dance floor. I was so involved in my counting that I didn't realize Mamoru had leaned forward.
"Miss me?" his warm breath tickled my ear. I turned red.
"You wish," I grinned sheepishly. I knew he could see right through it.
"You don't have to deny it, Princess," Mamoru said as he dipped me slightly. I smiled to myself inwardly. It was there and then, in the middle of the dip, that I realized that I was falling for him. My eyes got large, and after he brought me up from the dip, I didn't continue dancing. I clung to him in the middle of the dance floor.
"Usagi, are you ill?" Mamoru whispered hurriedly into my ear, concern evident in his voice.
"I-I think I am," I said.
"Let me return you to your throne then," I pushed his hands away.
"I'm quite capable of taking care of myself," I said, but as I turned from him, my knees buckled with this sudden realization.
"No, I don't think you are. I insist, Princess," he said, half carrying me back to my throne. I nearly fell into it, glad that I had something stable beneath me. I noticed that Mamoru didn't go back out onto the dance floor, but pulled up a stool and sat beside me.
"Prince, you don't have to sit here. Please, don't let me keep you from your fun," I said. He took my hand in his and kissed it.
"My princess, you are my fun," he stated with a lopsided grin. Suddenly, there was a collective gasp from the dance floor, and everybody stopped dancing as one.
A/N: cliffhanger, yay! Yeah, I know, Mamoru is a little corny, but, you get the point, right? Goodness, I hope you do, otherwise you have problems!
Anyways, to clear up some questions that I KNOW will be coming my way: fairies (in my head at least) experience love differently than humans. They actually have physical "symptoms" (dunno if that's the correct term). That's why she was all weak kneed. But it's only until they acknowledge it. Anyways, I hope to get the next chapter out sooner. I've had some personal problems… stupid exes… so leave me reviews to make me feel better!