Greetings minna-san! Please read and review! Thanks to all my supporters
out there and hope you enjoy this short chapter.. yeah, short. Sorry about
that, got a bloody case of work and family squashed together. Do forgive
me. ^_^
The Rose Prince: Chapter Four
Ami for her part, was as befuddled as the rest of the princesses but she held her tongue, expecting Sere to explain in due time.
"Ames!" Sere squealed with unconcealed delight and ran to her and hugged her fiercely. Ami, on the other hand was desperately trying to detach the princess from her; it was slightly difficult to breathe with the force that Sere exerted in her hugs. Luckily for her, Sere released her not a moment too soon.
"Sere, it's good to see that you are alright," Ami said and discreetly made a waving motion at the dignified Rei who surprisingly made her way quickly over to Sere, and then gave a shallow bow.
"I am sorry for teasing you. It was not my intention to make you cry," Rei said with enough sincerity to show the truth in her statement and was rewarded with one of Sere's infamously bright and charming smiles---the kind that said she knew something that you didn't but that was all good and fine because you didn't need to.
"It's okay. I know Mama would never lie to me," Sere replied, as though this explained everything. And it might have, had the others known how much Sere's world revolved around the Queen. What they didn't know though, they gathered for themselves eventually and all smiled. For perhaps the first time, Sere noticed the tall brunette next to Ami. Her eyes were so green that Sere was certain they would match the finest emeralds anywhere and here hair was the same chestnut brown that Sere knew hailed from Woodlands. Was this another princess? As though reading her thoughts, Ami gestured politely to Makoto.
"Sere, this is Princess Makoto. Makoto, this is Princess Serenity or Sere," Ami introduced them and they exchanged curtsies----well, Sere curtsied and Makoto bowed deeply.
"Hi there. This place is so big. I can't believe you live here!" exclaimed Makoto. Sere cocked her head to one side, silvery hair falling over her shoulders as she did, in confusion.
"But, don't you have your own palace?" Sere asked. Makoto grinned and her eyes sparkled.
"Well, sort of. Our palace is the Faerie Woodlands north of here," she replied casually and Sere's eyes grew to an abnormal size and her eyebrows were raised in admiration and disbelief all at once.
"You're a faerie?" she cried excitedly; she had never met one of the magic folk of the north who were apart of so many of her bedtime stories. Before now, she had thought them to be myths, but here was one of their kin and Sere was in an innocent awe that is so genuine and beautiful in a child of light.
"Yup. My father was an elf and my mother was a faerie. My dad's the one who gave me the height and this," she paused and lifted some stray strands of her thick hair and then continued, "but I got my eyes from mum. She died when I was three, so my dad took me to his kingdom and has raised me there for four years. You should visit sometime. I can show you all the best trees to climb!" Once Makoto had finished saying all that, Sere was very much past the stage of awe----now she was in the stage of utter worship. She quite nearly jumped on Makoto in her glee.
"Oh I'd love to! I'll ask Mama! I wanna go see it soon. When are you leaving?" Sere said this all in one hurried breath and by the time Makoto and the others had sorted it out, they all smiled at her.
"Truthfully, I don't know. We just got here, so not for some time I guess." This was admitted and Sere frowned fiercely, tugging on her right streamer of hair thoughtfully.
"Phooey. I thought maybe we could go tomorrow," she pouted and the others laughed good-naturedly at her avid determination. Though the same age, the other girls felt an odd kinship with the girl, almost as though she was younger and they were her older sisters. Such anomalies were people like Sere. It seemed without even trying perhaps, that she had taken them into her hearts and as a result, so had they taken her into their own.
"Perhaps not so soon darling," came a notoriously composed and elegant voice and all the girls turned to see the slender form of Queen Serenity nearing them. Makoto for her part, as well as Rei, was new and both princesses dropped into immediate curtsies---well, sort of. Makoto of course, bowed with her elfin grace and Rei curtsied with her practiced charm. Wonderment was behind the exquisite eyes of the Queen; were all these girls really only seven? It might have made her sad to see them so cultured, and schooled, so young if they had not obviously taken other joys in life.
"Mama!" Sere cried and launched herself at her mother, hugging her, around the legs of course because that was as tall as Sere was at the time.
"Serenity, dear, these princesses are all here for your upcoming Name Day. Princess Mina will also be here for the celebration and I see that you have already befriended the others here. They will be with you in your daily lessons from this day on, all of them, and soon be living in rooms near your own quarters. I expect you to be both cordial and your normal lovely self around them. You are responsible for them and in time will come to lead them as you are The Princess," she paused and Sere might have pointed out that they were ALL princesses but the Queen continued hurriedly as though she guessed her daughter's action, "Is that understood?" The Queen said this with all the importance of knighting someone and Sere, forgetting about her point, swelled with all the pride a seven year-old princess could muster---and it was quite a bit. Rei later commented on how she looked like a blowfish she had once seen; this in result had transitioned into a decidedly brutal thumb war, in which to Rei's dismay, Sere was victorious.
"Yes Mama," was her simple answer and the Queen knew she could hold her daughter to it at any time and she would come through. That was just the way Sere was. Then the Queen motioned for all the girls to follow her; according to some adult-world related notion of time, Mina was about to arrive and they should all be there to greet her as she was the last one. And so they all followed, Makoto with her long strides that were slowed to keep the composed pace that kept her behind the Queen, Rei with a charmed slip to her walk which made her the epitome of grace, Ames or Ami with her quiet dignity, and of course Sere with her expectant and joyous hop-skip which could be nothing other than jaunty---or as jaunty as she could be.
None saw the shadow that followed them; nor did they feel the ocean hued eyes watching them longingly, to join them, knowing all too well he could not. Except for one of them.
Sere felt eyes. There was no other way to explain it. She felt eyes, on her! Using her peripheral vision, Sere saw a shadow as she exited the garden, a shadow with ocean eyes. As if on cue, a rose scented wind whirled around them and she knew; it was him. He was still there. Not wanting to make him feel left out, Sere turned completely and waved to him, for him to follow. At first, the others did not seem to notice. Sere waved continuously until the Prince stepped out tentatively and he winced as he did so, as if he were not accustomed to being in the light so much.
Grinning, Sere held out her hands to him and he walked to her, his eyes locked onto hers, not leaving them, as though he was afraid if he broke the shared gaze that he would be whisked back to where he came from, to There. And he did not want to go back There just yet. He wanted to stay Here with her, with her. So it was without extra glances to see where foot and hand went, he walked until he calmly and easily clasped hands with her and it felt as if two pieces were then put together.
"I wanted to stay," Endy started, unsure. "I wanted you to come," Sere smiled and led him to the group whom were just a slight bit ahead of the two, enough for Rei to notice. The Fire Princess turned to see Sere talking and walking in time with someone, someone who was not there. She also appeared to have something in her hand, perhaps another hand, but again, it was not there.
All Rei could see was air. Sere was holding air and talking to it and walking with it. Shaking her head, Rei was caught, dumbstruck. What was Princess Serenity doing? This caught the attention of Makoto whose reaction was much the same. And then there was Ami who remained outwardly composed and inwardly felt a swirl of confusion as they all thought the same thing Rei had been: what was she doing with the air? Queen Serenity only smiled. It was obvious to her that Serenity was playing a child's game and she watched her joyous daughter as she walked towards them, discussing everything with the Nothing beside her, which is what they did not see.
Sere paled as she saw her new friends and mother looking at her oddly. It was a questioning look. And then she realized: Oh, I did not introduce them yet. That must be it. But it wasn't what they didn't know so much as what they could not see.
They could not see Endymion.
But Sere did not realize that.
"Mama, Makoto, Rei, Ami, this is Endymion, the Prince of the Roses," Sere smiled and let go of the Nothing that was in her hand---supposedly another hand---and gestured at the defined air beside her. Their responses were varied.
"Sere what are you doing?" Ami asked, politely of course.
"Fresh air getting to you Odango?" Rei whispered conspiratorially only to be whapped by Sere playfully who gave the negative.
"Are you feeling well?" Makoto asked, putting a hand to her shorter friend's forehead.
"Is this a friend of yours dear? This from the Queen who received in turn, a number, three to be exact, of curious stares. Was the Queen in on a secret? Did they miss something? Sere on the other hand, was relieved. Although, why her friends were teasing her so, it confused her; she smiled lovingly at her Mama. She always knew everything.
"Yes Mama. He's the Prince of the Roses! His name is Endymion like all the legends say!" Sere cried his title with a joyous happy tone that lit her face and the Queen smiled benevolently at her only daughter. It was a game, surely. And as a good mother, she would play along.
"A pleasure to meet you Prince Endymion," the Queen curtsied and the other girls followed suite, still confused but following their Queen as expected.
"Now then dear, please come along. We'll be late to Mina's arrival if we tarry much longer," the Queen said, and Sere, slightly chastened, once more took hold of the Nothing, which was really Endy's hand, and followed once more, a foot behind all the others.
"Sere." Sere turned to face Endymion whose face was an odd mixture of unreadable expression and fear. Fear?
"What's wrong Endymion?" she asked, concerned, her eyes swirling with affectionate worry and her small head cocking to one side even as they walked.
"They can't see me." His reply was brief and simple and very, very true.
"But Mama saw you," Sere insisted.
"She was pretending. She thought it was a game." Sere shook her head vehemently.
"But then, why?" she asked simply.
"Because she loves you." This answer, also terse, left her speechless for a moment.
"Why can I see you Endy?" she asked, using the shortened version of his name to suit to friendlier terms. There was much she did not know about her friend, but she knew as a boy of legend he must have secrets and maybe, this was part of one.
"I don't know. I am not as young as I look. I think it's every twenty years for one or something. Maybe that's backwards. But this legend has existed for a long time you know? Hundreds of years," he emphasized, unconsciously taking a tighter hold on Sere's hand who squeezed back in response, reassurance.
"I had forgotten. You look not much older than I," she stated, innocently running a hand over his face, as if to make sure he was not a phantom, and she was not making believe so well as to fool herself too.
"I look ten, but I have been alive for I think, two centuries. I know a lot." he paused.
"Don't worry. If there are problems, you tell them to me. We are like the roses I planted today. Newly planted, but with help from each other, we can grow. It does not matter how long you have been alone, so long as now you are not." She said this innocently, unaware of the fact that to many, this was an enlightening statement. It was intellectual beyond her years but perchance it was because she spoke from the heart that intellectualism did not play a role anyway.
Sere noticed they were behind and also saw that the group ahead had stopped. Trumpets blared.
Mina was here.
Sere, squeezing his hand once more, smiled.
"Don't worry. You have all your life to tell me about all you know. I know a lot too, as a princess. I have too. I know a lot more than most people my age." She said this with no boasting sense, but more factual and so sweet that you could not hold it against her. After all, she was right. Cultured beyond her years, articulate, intelligent, she was more like a pre-teen princess than a child. And she was child, not teen.
Perhaps this is what made the relationship between Prince of the Flora and Princess of the Moonlight flourish so easily, like a new rose in a spring rain. Soon though, they would come across thorns; they had already touched on them that day. But that was far from their minds as Sere ran to catch up with the others, having promised to meet her new friend in the garden later that night.
After all she had her duties and could not disappoint her Mama. She loved her too much and Endymion knew that, letting his only friend in two centuries, go back to her world, and knowing he could not follow, knowing she did not know that.
It was better that way. Wasn't it?
At that moment though, Sere was already next to her mother, properly poised and on looking as a girl their age with light blond hair, pale blue eyes and a bright glow about her---which might have been excitement--- gracefully exited a grand carriage.
Mina was here.
End Chapter Four.
Yes, I know, short, but please review and I shall try and make the next one a few pages longer, ok? ^_^ -Many thanks for those who have already reviewed and continue to read my work. -Many thanks to those who will read it. ^_^ And I'm out,
Kaji
E-mail: Kajihikage@adelphia.net
The Rose Prince: Chapter Four
Ami for her part, was as befuddled as the rest of the princesses but she held her tongue, expecting Sere to explain in due time.
"Ames!" Sere squealed with unconcealed delight and ran to her and hugged her fiercely. Ami, on the other hand was desperately trying to detach the princess from her; it was slightly difficult to breathe with the force that Sere exerted in her hugs. Luckily for her, Sere released her not a moment too soon.
"Sere, it's good to see that you are alright," Ami said and discreetly made a waving motion at the dignified Rei who surprisingly made her way quickly over to Sere, and then gave a shallow bow.
"I am sorry for teasing you. It was not my intention to make you cry," Rei said with enough sincerity to show the truth in her statement and was rewarded with one of Sere's infamously bright and charming smiles---the kind that said she knew something that you didn't but that was all good and fine because you didn't need to.
"It's okay. I know Mama would never lie to me," Sere replied, as though this explained everything. And it might have, had the others known how much Sere's world revolved around the Queen. What they didn't know though, they gathered for themselves eventually and all smiled. For perhaps the first time, Sere noticed the tall brunette next to Ami. Her eyes were so green that Sere was certain they would match the finest emeralds anywhere and here hair was the same chestnut brown that Sere knew hailed from Woodlands. Was this another princess? As though reading her thoughts, Ami gestured politely to Makoto.
"Sere, this is Princess Makoto. Makoto, this is Princess Serenity or Sere," Ami introduced them and they exchanged curtsies----well, Sere curtsied and Makoto bowed deeply.
"Hi there. This place is so big. I can't believe you live here!" exclaimed Makoto. Sere cocked her head to one side, silvery hair falling over her shoulders as she did, in confusion.
"But, don't you have your own palace?" Sere asked. Makoto grinned and her eyes sparkled.
"Well, sort of. Our palace is the Faerie Woodlands north of here," she replied casually and Sere's eyes grew to an abnormal size and her eyebrows were raised in admiration and disbelief all at once.
"You're a faerie?" she cried excitedly; she had never met one of the magic folk of the north who were apart of so many of her bedtime stories. Before now, she had thought them to be myths, but here was one of their kin and Sere was in an innocent awe that is so genuine and beautiful in a child of light.
"Yup. My father was an elf and my mother was a faerie. My dad's the one who gave me the height and this," she paused and lifted some stray strands of her thick hair and then continued, "but I got my eyes from mum. She died when I was three, so my dad took me to his kingdom and has raised me there for four years. You should visit sometime. I can show you all the best trees to climb!" Once Makoto had finished saying all that, Sere was very much past the stage of awe----now she was in the stage of utter worship. She quite nearly jumped on Makoto in her glee.
"Oh I'd love to! I'll ask Mama! I wanna go see it soon. When are you leaving?" Sere said this all in one hurried breath and by the time Makoto and the others had sorted it out, they all smiled at her.
"Truthfully, I don't know. We just got here, so not for some time I guess." This was admitted and Sere frowned fiercely, tugging on her right streamer of hair thoughtfully.
"Phooey. I thought maybe we could go tomorrow," she pouted and the others laughed good-naturedly at her avid determination. Though the same age, the other girls felt an odd kinship with the girl, almost as though she was younger and they were her older sisters. Such anomalies were people like Sere. It seemed without even trying perhaps, that she had taken them into her hearts and as a result, so had they taken her into their own.
"Perhaps not so soon darling," came a notoriously composed and elegant voice and all the girls turned to see the slender form of Queen Serenity nearing them. Makoto for her part, as well as Rei, was new and both princesses dropped into immediate curtsies---well, sort of. Makoto of course, bowed with her elfin grace and Rei curtsied with her practiced charm. Wonderment was behind the exquisite eyes of the Queen; were all these girls really only seven? It might have made her sad to see them so cultured, and schooled, so young if they had not obviously taken other joys in life.
"Mama!" Sere cried and launched herself at her mother, hugging her, around the legs of course because that was as tall as Sere was at the time.
"Serenity, dear, these princesses are all here for your upcoming Name Day. Princess Mina will also be here for the celebration and I see that you have already befriended the others here. They will be with you in your daily lessons from this day on, all of them, and soon be living in rooms near your own quarters. I expect you to be both cordial and your normal lovely self around them. You are responsible for them and in time will come to lead them as you are The Princess," she paused and Sere might have pointed out that they were ALL princesses but the Queen continued hurriedly as though she guessed her daughter's action, "Is that understood?" The Queen said this with all the importance of knighting someone and Sere, forgetting about her point, swelled with all the pride a seven year-old princess could muster---and it was quite a bit. Rei later commented on how she looked like a blowfish she had once seen; this in result had transitioned into a decidedly brutal thumb war, in which to Rei's dismay, Sere was victorious.
"Yes Mama," was her simple answer and the Queen knew she could hold her daughter to it at any time and she would come through. That was just the way Sere was. Then the Queen motioned for all the girls to follow her; according to some adult-world related notion of time, Mina was about to arrive and they should all be there to greet her as she was the last one. And so they all followed, Makoto with her long strides that were slowed to keep the composed pace that kept her behind the Queen, Rei with a charmed slip to her walk which made her the epitome of grace, Ames or Ami with her quiet dignity, and of course Sere with her expectant and joyous hop-skip which could be nothing other than jaunty---or as jaunty as she could be.
None saw the shadow that followed them; nor did they feel the ocean hued eyes watching them longingly, to join them, knowing all too well he could not. Except for one of them.
Sere felt eyes. There was no other way to explain it. She felt eyes, on her! Using her peripheral vision, Sere saw a shadow as she exited the garden, a shadow with ocean eyes. As if on cue, a rose scented wind whirled around them and she knew; it was him. He was still there. Not wanting to make him feel left out, Sere turned completely and waved to him, for him to follow. At first, the others did not seem to notice. Sere waved continuously until the Prince stepped out tentatively and he winced as he did so, as if he were not accustomed to being in the light so much.
Grinning, Sere held out her hands to him and he walked to her, his eyes locked onto hers, not leaving them, as though he was afraid if he broke the shared gaze that he would be whisked back to where he came from, to There. And he did not want to go back There just yet. He wanted to stay Here with her, with her. So it was without extra glances to see where foot and hand went, he walked until he calmly and easily clasped hands with her and it felt as if two pieces were then put together.
"I wanted to stay," Endy started, unsure. "I wanted you to come," Sere smiled and led him to the group whom were just a slight bit ahead of the two, enough for Rei to notice. The Fire Princess turned to see Sere talking and walking in time with someone, someone who was not there. She also appeared to have something in her hand, perhaps another hand, but again, it was not there.
All Rei could see was air. Sere was holding air and talking to it and walking with it. Shaking her head, Rei was caught, dumbstruck. What was Princess Serenity doing? This caught the attention of Makoto whose reaction was much the same. And then there was Ami who remained outwardly composed and inwardly felt a swirl of confusion as they all thought the same thing Rei had been: what was she doing with the air? Queen Serenity only smiled. It was obvious to her that Serenity was playing a child's game and she watched her joyous daughter as she walked towards them, discussing everything with the Nothing beside her, which is what they did not see.
Sere paled as she saw her new friends and mother looking at her oddly. It was a questioning look. And then she realized: Oh, I did not introduce them yet. That must be it. But it wasn't what they didn't know so much as what they could not see.
They could not see Endymion.
But Sere did not realize that.
"Mama, Makoto, Rei, Ami, this is Endymion, the Prince of the Roses," Sere smiled and let go of the Nothing that was in her hand---supposedly another hand---and gestured at the defined air beside her. Their responses were varied.
"Sere what are you doing?" Ami asked, politely of course.
"Fresh air getting to you Odango?" Rei whispered conspiratorially only to be whapped by Sere playfully who gave the negative.
"Are you feeling well?" Makoto asked, putting a hand to her shorter friend's forehead.
"Is this a friend of yours dear? This from the Queen who received in turn, a number, three to be exact, of curious stares. Was the Queen in on a secret? Did they miss something? Sere on the other hand, was relieved. Although, why her friends were teasing her so, it confused her; she smiled lovingly at her Mama. She always knew everything.
"Yes Mama. He's the Prince of the Roses! His name is Endymion like all the legends say!" Sere cried his title with a joyous happy tone that lit her face and the Queen smiled benevolently at her only daughter. It was a game, surely. And as a good mother, she would play along.
"A pleasure to meet you Prince Endymion," the Queen curtsied and the other girls followed suite, still confused but following their Queen as expected.
"Now then dear, please come along. We'll be late to Mina's arrival if we tarry much longer," the Queen said, and Sere, slightly chastened, once more took hold of the Nothing, which was really Endy's hand, and followed once more, a foot behind all the others.
"Sere." Sere turned to face Endymion whose face was an odd mixture of unreadable expression and fear. Fear?
"What's wrong Endymion?" she asked, concerned, her eyes swirling with affectionate worry and her small head cocking to one side even as they walked.
"They can't see me." His reply was brief and simple and very, very true.
"But Mama saw you," Sere insisted.
"She was pretending. She thought it was a game." Sere shook her head vehemently.
"But then, why?" she asked simply.
"Because she loves you." This answer, also terse, left her speechless for a moment.
"Why can I see you Endy?" she asked, using the shortened version of his name to suit to friendlier terms. There was much she did not know about her friend, but she knew as a boy of legend he must have secrets and maybe, this was part of one.
"I don't know. I am not as young as I look. I think it's every twenty years for one or something. Maybe that's backwards. But this legend has existed for a long time you know? Hundreds of years," he emphasized, unconsciously taking a tighter hold on Sere's hand who squeezed back in response, reassurance.
"I had forgotten. You look not much older than I," she stated, innocently running a hand over his face, as if to make sure he was not a phantom, and she was not making believe so well as to fool herself too.
"I look ten, but I have been alive for I think, two centuries. I know a lot." he paused.
"Don't worry. If there are problems, you tell them to me. We are like the roses I planted today. Newly planted, but with help from each other, we can grow. It does not matter how long you have been alone, so long as now you are not." She said this innocently, unaware of the fact that to many, this was an enlightening statement. It was intellectual beyond her years but perchance it was because she spoke from the heart that intellectualism did not play a role anyway.
Sere noticed they were behind and also saw that the group ahead had stopped. Trumpets blared.
Mina was here.
Sere, squeezing his hand once more, smiled.
"Don't worry. You have all your life to tell me about all you know. I know a lot too, as a princess. I have too. I know a lot more than most people my age." She said this with no boasting sense, but more factual and so sweet that you could not hold it against her. After all, she was right. Cultured beyond her years, articulate, intelligent, she was more like a pre-teen princess than a child. And she was child, not teen.
Perhaps this is what made the relationship between Prince of the Flora and Princess of the Moonlight flourish so easily, like a new rose in a spring rain. Soon though, they would come across thorns; they had already touched on them that day. But that was far from their minds as Sere ran to catch up with the others, having promised to meet her new friend in the garden later that night.
After all she had her duties and could not disappoint her Mama. She loved her too much and Endymion knew that, letting his only friend in two centuries, go back to her world, and knowing he could not follow, knowing she did not know that.
It was better that way. Wasn't it?
At that moment though, Sere was already next to her mother, properly poised and on looking as a girl their age with light blond hair, pale blue eyes and a bright glow about her---which might have been excitement--- gracefully exited a grand carriage.
Mina was here.
End Chapter Four.
Yes, I know, short, but please review and I shall try and make the next one a few pages longer, ok? ^_^ -Many thanks for those who have already reviewed and continue to read my work. -Many thanks to those who will read it. ^_^ And I'm out,
Kaji
E-mail: Kajihikage@adelphia.net