Chapter two - Confusion and Introductions
Princess Serenity woke up in confusion and pain, not recognising her surroundings. What had happened to her? The last thing she remembered, she'd been in the forest she'd teleported to in her search for the dark-haired prince she'd been watching on the viewscreens at the Moon Palace. She blushed slightly, remembering his handsome face and the things the sight of the handsome prince did to her senses. Turning her head slightly, she noticed she was in a sparsely appointed room, from the smell of it, a healer's quarters. Then it all came to her. She began to scream, remembering the bandit leader, seeing again his hands roaming her body and remembering the beating he'd inflicted on her. A blonde haired woman rose from her seat by the window and came to check on her.
"How do you feel," the woman said to her with some concern.
"Where am I, who are you...what's going on?" Serenity began to panic and tried to sit up. The woman pushed her gently back onto the bed and she began to cry in confusion and pain.
"No, it's ok, you're with friends here," the woman tried to comfort the girl who was beginning to cry in earnest. She went to the door and spoke to someone there before coming back and sitting at her side.
Serenity was more confused than ever. She didn't know where she was and nobody was telling her anything. She didn't know what had happened to her apart from being taken by the bandits and beaten when she had denied them their intent to have their way with her. She wished she'd never come down to Earth to find the prince who'd invaded her dreams, her every waking hour with his handsome face, regal bearing and kindness in his eyes.
She stopped her crying and began to look at her surroundings once again, carefully avoiding looking at the woman beside her when she noticed her own injuries. Suddenly the door opened and the very man she'd come to see was striding towards her, caring and concern written across his features. She blushed again and lowered her head.
What was he doing here? she thought. She thought she couldn't get more confused than she already was but here was the proof that she was wrong. She looked up in surprise when he knelt down beside her bed and took one of her tiny hands in his.
"Are you all right? We were so worried about you. Do you need anything? Are you in any pain?" Prince Endymion was starting to babble in his confusion. He had been right - she did clean up quite pretty. In fact, more than pretty; he thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his life. One look from her amazingly blue eyes had completely thrown him. He took her hand in his and began to caress it slowly. The poor girl looked so out of it, his heart went out to her.
Serenity looked at the man in confusion.
"Just who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?" She looked like she was going to cry again.
Endymion blushed in embarrassment. He'd forgotten she wouldn't know where she was or who he was.
"I am Prince Endymion and you're in the palace infirmary," he said gently. "My Guards and I found you being attacked by that...that...," his words failed him as his eyes flashed once again with anger.
She put her hand on his arm and smiled at him. His breath caught. By all that was holy, she was so beautiful. He wanted to kiss her, to put his arms around her and never let go. He swallowed nervously and continued.
"We took care of those animals and brought you back to the palace - he'd beaten you pretty badly and we were so worried...." his words failed him and his midnight blue eyes grew clouded with pain. "Two of my Guards were injured in the fighting as well," he said, gesturing to the woman who sat across from him. Serenity noticed for the first time that her arm was in a sling.
The woman nodded at her. "I am Lady Zoicite, the fourth of Prince Endymion's Guards." she told the girl.
Serenity looked at Zoicite with surprise, looked away again and he caught sight of tears in her eyes. In a small voice she thanked him for saving her.
"I must go now, my mother will be worrying about me. I do thank you for saving my life, it could have been at the expense of your own or those of your Guards," she said with sorrow.
She didn't want to leave him, not now that she'd seen him up close and knew what a kind man he was. She also knew however that she had no choice. Her mother would be worried about her, she had been missing for too long she knew.
"At least please tell me your name and where you're staying. We'll see you to your door and make sure you get home safely. It's the least we can do for you," Endymion couldn't believe she wanted to leave him so soon and wanted to make her stay.
Serenity looked at the young man in sorrow. "My name is Serenity. My home is far from here and I'm afraid I can't let you put yourself out any more than you have done for me." She suddenly realised she didn't have any clothes on. Tears fell from her eyes again. "I don't have any clothes. That...person, he ripped my dress off me...." she couldn't continue. She put her head in her hands and began to cry silently in pain and fear.
Endymion's arms went around the girl in an attempt to comfort her. His own eyes began to mist over at her tears. She pulled away from him in sudden fear. He understood - she didn't know him and she'd just been through a very traumatic event. He'd moved too fast for her. If only she would stay, he would make it up to her and show her not all men were out to harm any girl who crossed his path.
Serenity felt cold as he took his arms from her and went to the door. He turned around and gave her comforting smile. "I'll see to your clothes m'lady," he said to her gently and left the room.
Zoicite patted her hand gently. Serenity dried her tears with the handkerchief Zoicite provided for her. "You'll be just fine here, m'lady, Endymion is the most kind man I've ever met apart from..." she broke off with a blush and lowered her eyes in embarrassment.
Serenity looked at her closely. She smiled and put a hand over Zoicite's. She had a feeling that there was something bothering the kind woman at her side. "It's ok Lady Zoicite. If you need to talk about it..." her voice trailed off. Then she mentally scolded herself. Of course she wouldn't talk about to a perfect stranger Serenity thought to herself with derision. Zoicite looked at her gratefully.
"I've never had anyone I could talk to about this sort of thing. The majority of the Royal Guards are men and they would most likely laugh," Zoicite told the young princess. "The truth is, I am in love with Lord Kunzite, who is the leader of Prince Endymion's personal Guard. I just don't know how he feels about me. We're all close, I'd hate to ruin our perfectly good relationship on something so silly..." she whispered to Serenity, a blush beginning to creep over her face at the mere mention of Kunzite's name.
Princess Serenity woke up in confusion and pain, not recognising her surroundings. What had happened to her? The last thing she remembered, she'd been in the forest she'd teleported to in her search for the dark-haired prince she'd been watching on the viewscreens at the Moon Palace. She blushed slightly, remembering his handsome face and the things the sight of the handsome prince did to her senses. Turning her head slightly, she noticed she was in a sparsely appointed room, from the smell of it, a healer's quarters. Then it all came to her. She began to scream, remembering the bandit leader, seeing again his hands roaming her body and remembering the beating he'd inflicted on her. A blonde haired woman rose from her seat by the window and came to check on her.
"How do you feel," the woman said to her with some concern.
"Where am I, who are you...what's going on?" Serenity began to panic and tried to sit up. The woman pushed her gently back onto the bed and she began to cry in confusion and pain.
"No, it's ok, you're with friends here," the woman tried to comfort the girl who was beginning to cry in earnest. She went to the door and spoke to someone there before coming back and sitting at her side.
Serenity was more confused than ever. She didn't know where she was and nobody was telling her anything. She didn't know what had happened to her apart from being taken by the bandits and beaten when she had denied them their intent to have their way with her. She wished she'd never come down to Earth to find the prince who'd invaded her dreams, her every waking hour with his handsome face, regal bearing and kindness in his eyes.
She stopped her crying and began to look at her surroundings once again, carefully avoiding looking at the woman beside her when she noticed her own injuries. Suddenly the door opened and the very man she'd come to see was striding towards her, caring and concern written across his features. She blushed again and lowered her head.
What was he doing here? she thought. She thought she couldn't get more confused than she already was but here was the proof that she was wrong. She looked up in surprise when he knelt down beside her bed and took one of her tiny hands in his.
"Are you all right? We were so worried about you. Do you need anything? Are you in any pain?" Prince Endymion was starting to babble in his confusion. He had been right - she did clean up quite pretty. In fact, more than pretty; he thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his life. One look from her amazingly blue eyes had completely thrown him. He took her hand in his and began to caress it slowly. The poor girl looked so out of it, his heart went out to her.
Serenity looked at the man in confusion.
"Just who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?" She looked like she was going to cry again.
Endymion blushed in embarrassment. He'd forgotten she wouldn't know where she was or who he was.
"I am Prince Endymion and you're in the palace infirmary," he said gently. "My Guards and I found you being attacked by that...that...," his words failed him as his eyes flashed once again with anger.
She put her hand on his arm and smiled at him. His breath caught. By all that was holy, she was so beautiful. He wanted to kiss her, to put his arms around her and never let go. He swallowed nervously and continued.
"We took care of those animals and brought you back to the palace - he'd beaten you pretty badly and we were so worried...." his words failed him and his midnight blue eyes grew clouded with pain. "Two of my Guards were injured in the fighting as well," he said, gesturing to the woman who sat across from him. Serenity noticed for the first time that her arm was in a sling.
The woman nodded at her. "I am Lady Zoicite, the fourth of Prince Endymion's Guards." she told the girl.
Serenity looked at Zoicite with surprise, looked away again and he caught sight of tears in her eyes. In a small voice she thanked him for saving her.
"I must go now, my mother will be worrying about me. I do thank you for saving my life, it could have been at the expense of your own or those of your Guards," she said with sorrow.
She didn't want to leave him, not now that she'd seen him up close and knew what a kind man he was. She also knew however that she had no choice. Her mother would be worried about her, she had been missing for too long she knew.
"At least please tell me your name and where you're staying. We'll see you to your door and make sure you get home safely. It's the least we can do for you," Endymion couldn't believe she wanted to leave him so soon and wanted to make her stay.
Serenity looked at the young man in sorrow. "My name is Serenity. My home is far from here and I'm afraid I can't let you put yourself out any more than you have done for me." She suddenly realised she didn't have any clothes on. Tears fell from her eyes again. "I don't have any clothes. That...person, he ripped my dress off me...." she couldn't continue. She put her head in her hands and began to cry silently in pain and fear.
Endymion's arms went around the girl in an attempt to comfort her. His own eyes began to mist over at her tears. She pulled away from him in sudden fear. He understood - she didn't know him and she'd just been through a very traumatic event. He'd moved too fast for her. If only she would stay, he would make it up to her and show her not all men were out to harm any girl who crossed his path.
Serenity felt cold as he took his arms from her and went to the door. He turned around and gave her comforting smile. "I'll see to your clothes m'lady," he said to her gently and left the room.
Zoicite patted her hand gently. Serenity dried her tears with the handkerchief Zoicite provided for her. "You'll be just fine here, m'lady, Endymion is the most kind man I've ever met apart from..." she broke off with a blush and lowered her eyes in embarrassment.
Serenity looked at her closely. She smiled and put a hand over Zoicite's. She had a feeling that there was something bothering the kind woman at her side. "It's ok Lady Zoicite. If you need to talk about it..." her voice trailed off. Then she mentally scolded herself. Of course she wouldn't talk about to a perfect stranger Serenity thought to herself with derision. Zoicite looked at her gratefully.
"I've never had anyone I could talk to about this sort of thing. The majority of the Royal Guards are men and they would most likely laugh," Zoicite told the young princess. "The truth is, I am in love with Lord Kunzite, who is the leader of Prince Endymion's personal Guard. I just don't know how he feels about me. We're all close, I'd hate to ruin our perfectly good relationship on something so silly..." she whispered to Serenity, a blush beginning to creep over her face at the mere mention of Kunzite's name.
