Hope the two chapters were enough to satisfy your nerves… I wanna thnk the following for the really great reviews for 9 and 10:
Addicted2LancelotAndTristan,mangadreams,Lady Tristana Rogue, Sakura Ai, Shortie 630, Serena 71, KiwiKol, daisy31, Dark Empress313, serenity287, cosmos serenity, moonlight secrets, St-suki-mystical-dragon, ffgirlmonnie, Natcs, Silver MoonGoddess, roswellachick, LadyKoneko,MoonPrincess6687, Kiwee, AtamaHitoride, InuYashaJunkie.
Okay, even as I write this, I don't know how long I plan on making dis chappy. Short? Long? Time will tell, well my mind will on how much information I wanna divulge to the accumulating masses. Still don't know when the big reveal will take place, jst give me time and it'll come to pass, soon.
Anywayz, enjoy the following merriment of strung up words.
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It was really hard to sleep, really it was. With the sun beating down your face from loose drapes and the air thick with a scent you don't want to bother recognizing, sleep was a difficult task to perform. That and a man triple your size lying right next to you, with his arm draped over you like a tree branch. Yeah, sleep for Serenity had been seldom that morning.
Brushing away her hair from her face, Serenity tried to lift Endymion off her. Easier said then done, it became plain to see as Endymion grumbled in his sleep and tightened his grip on her. The sheets covered them from the waist down so her breasts were on free display. She didn't know if it would matter to her if he were to see them early in the morning. Would it affect her?
"Hmm…" mumbled Endymion, his mouth parting slightly. Serenity, with her face still near his, barely an inch, couldn't fight the urge to lean forward.
His faint breath fanned her nose, tickling her with excitement. Should she do it? Her mind said no, but her heart said yes. Licking her own, she placed a chaste kiss on his warm lips that stayed still. If only she'd had noticed his vaguely-opened eyes staring at her the second she decided to kiss him. Crushing her until she lay above him, he took advantage of her surprise and Frenched her. (A/N Wouldn't that be heavenly?)
"Endy…"her yelp was cut off when he deepened the kiss, instensifiying his growing need for her which was evidently poking her in the thigh.
He brought his arms from her waist and framed her face with his long fingers. Heavily breathing, his vision was obscured by her beauty and her beauty alone. The whole world disappeared when his mind occupied nothing but one thing: Serenity.
A hasty knock sounded at the door. Endymion vehemently cursed under his breath and released Serenity who hid under the covers.
Clothing his lower body with a forgotten sheet from the floor, Endymion answered the door and began to talk rapidly with a man dressed in soldier garb.
Unfortunately for Serenity, with nothing to do except try to understand what they talking about, she was given ample view of Endymion's muscled attributes. With the sheet hanging low on his hips, she was able to see his well-toned torso that gave the very aches between her legs. This also made her think of others things. How many of women had he serviced himself with? Was she merely a vessel for his lust?
"…send one of the high ranks to deal with this. Can't give them the impression that we have…" slivers of their conversation floated to Serenity's ears.
Putting the pieces together, it suddenly hit her like a mallet to the head. Her kingdom had found her! Scrambling from the bed, Serenity quickly put on her discarded dress from the floor and hurried to Endymion's side.
Sensing her next to him, Endymion turned to her and raised his eyebrows in question.
"I'm a bit hungry, if you don't mind," she said in an innocent voice, knowing that after what they did, she wouldn't have any reason to lie to him.
"Go ahead," he consented, moving aside to give her room out the doorway.
Walking lazily in the hallway, Serenity ran with heightened speed once she was out of their line of sight.
Passing maids with startled faces and surprised smiles, Serenity finally was able to get to the front entrance. The doors beckoned to her like music to her eyes. Tears were already sprouting but common sense broke in. She couldn't get out from the front, they'd see her. The only way to get to her men without being spotted was going out from the back, the same door she used when she had tried to escape.
Gliding on the floor with the grace of a refined princess, she walked like she was headed to the gardens; a section inside of the castle made for the enjoyment of visiting guests. With quick glances left and right, Serenity burst out the back door. She didn't have to worry about the kitchen being busy. She knew they were pressed up against a window somewhere peering at the soldiers on the land.
Hiking up her heavy blue dress with her quaking hands, Serenity ran so much that she feared her legs would give way if she did not slow down a bit. But she couldn't. She had to get out of here, had to get out of this Hell her prison guard placed her in.
Within minutes, the soldiers finally came into view. She started to cry with fervor. Thank you Goddess! Wiping away the tears staining her pink cheeks and balling her dress in her fists, Serenity made one last sprint, finally escaping her cage.
"The princess!" yelled one of her men, sitting atop high, mighty horses. They all jumped down and gathered around her. One of them, Gabriel, her best friend, ran forward and brought her into a tight hug.
"We were searching for you for ages!" he said to her ear. She did not mind all the attention for once in her life. This was actually the only time it mattered.
"Oh God!" sobbed Serenity, breaking down at the sight of her men. Gripping Gabriel to her, they turned to face the high ranks that had been trying to convince her men that the princess was not in their hold.
"Theft in the highest degree!" screamed the top soldier from her set. Brandishing his sword, he walked forward and started to yell obscenities and the legal offences they were going to face.
As Serenity drunk in the sight of her salvation clamoring around her, swords at the ready, she noticed an angered prince stalking to the front of his high ranks and staring straight at her. She looked away and brought Gabriel closer to her, who in turn softly pushed her face to his chest.
Endymion couldn't believe what was happening! How had that little bitch gotten out of his grasp? He was going to punish his guards for their incompetence. Fueling with rage, Endymion watched as Serenity nuzzled a man of tall height and wide of girth. She was his, how dare she betray him like this!
"Why are you on my lands?" bellowed the very pissed off prince. He looked tried and mad at the same time. Clothed in breeches and a riding tunic, his face tried to hide what his presence showed. He was helpless in stopping what was happening.
"You kidnapped Her Highness. Do you really think you have the gall to question why we are here?" Gabriel spoke of now where. His eyes went straight to his then hers. Averting her eyes somewhere else, she tried to ignore the intensity she was shooting at her.
"And how did you find out this tidbit of information?" Endymion calmly asked.
"From one of your maids. I guess you don't pay them enough to keep their loyalty to their sovereign," mocked Gabriel.
"What! Who, that mangy Maya?"
"That's right," someone said confidently.
"What?" I asked in surprise.
Gabriel turned to me and smiled.
"Bring her forth," he said, stilling looking at her.
"Yes, sir," there was some movement until one soldier gently brought before her a cowering Maya, tears down her face.
"I-I couldn't face myself if I didn't help when I knew I could," her face shone with happiness as Serenity finally getting out of the castle.
"Oh, Maya you don't know how happy I am that you did this for me. But how were you able to?" stepping away from Gabriel, Serenity pulled the tiny, crying girl into her arms.
"Do you remember when I wasn't well that one day?" Maya asked her.
"Yes, that was long time ago, right?"
"Yeah. That was my first attempt. As you know, none of us are allowed off the grounds especially me since I'm here as a debt paid. I was able to give a letter to a local mason to give to your kingdom. Unfortunately, I had been followed and taken back to the castle where I was beaten until I promised to keep my word not to try it ever again and not to make any mention of it to you. The letter, I guess, made it to you men. But, parts of it had been burned by the prince's soldier, thinking a fire would destroy the letter," she stopped, taking a deep breath before finishing.
"I knew the letter would make it to your people, even in its decimated state, but it would not be enough to find you. So, this morning, I was able to venture out, promising a guard an hour of frolic out in the woods. Knocking him out with a stone and swiping the key to the gate, I ran toward your country until I met up with the soldiers who had been riding nearby on their way home from another country," Maya ended her account and wiped away the wet from her face.
"Oh, you are so brave to have done this. I'll forever be indebted to you," hugging her again, Serenity walked her away from the prince and kept her close to her.
"You worthless piece of low-born filth," spat Endymion, who had been hearing the whole thing in disgust.
"Shut up! You have no right to speak to her like this!" Serenity had finally found her backbone and yelled at him.
"Why you little-"
"Watch your tongue, Your Highness," said Gabriel, jumping forward and producing his sword to rest right under Endymion's chin.
"Get your men off my lands and keep your fucking princess. The bitch has been useless; she could do no worse to your kingdom,"
"I'm going to ignore that little comment and leave as you say. But we are taking the maid with us," Gabriel said with a air of finality.
"Keep the bitch, she's given me enough trouble to last a lifetime," he spat once more before turning around toward his castle. Not knowing what else to do, the high ranks followed their defected prince back to his domain, knowing his wrath would soon begin and quite possibly be never ending.
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Life went back to normal. With a year behind them, the incident had left nothing but a deep dent in the fear of her people. Never was she allowed to be alone unless a guard was around her. They even had guards have rooms in the same hallway of Serenity.
Maya acclimated well, being back in her own country where her relatives welcomed her with zeal. Thinking her to be dead like her father had turned out to be, they gave up hope of ever getting her back. Daughter to a merchant, Maya found the family business to still be thriving without her gambling father. Her mother had remarried and with it, produced many children.
With daily visits to Serenity, Maya soon became a close friend to the princess and an admirer of Gabriel.
Months after coming home, Serenity was finally able to have her coronation, becoming Queen of Vaneri. Soon, responsibilities came upon her like a boulder. With the title of Queen, came the job of securing a diligent army. Making sure drafts were up-to-date. Taxes were paid and the treasury was well efficient but not resulting in her country going to bed hungry. Then there was the matter of a husband. Serenity decided on keeping that last on her country's agenda.
Now 26, Serenity was well eligible for marriage. Suitors would come, yes, but none satisfied her and didn't seem fitting enough to become King. No, there was none she could see with the role. King was one thing, and husband was another. Who would be able to help rule her country with a strong conviction but sympathy for those lost in their ways.
"I have an idea," spoke up Maya as they were in Serenity's sitting room, embroidering pink and blue booties (A/N just in case you didn't know, booties are those sock thingys that babies wear) for Maya's first baby. Seven months pregnant with Gabriel's baby, Serenity had given up her best friend as husband to Maya last year.
It seemed everyone around her was getting married. Was Fate mocking her or? Or pushing her to continue looking? Serenity had begun to lose hope. Unless men started falling from the sky, finding the right man would be next to impossible.
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With the baby nestled in the crook of Maya's arm, Serenity placed a cold compress on the new mother's forehead.
"How are you feeling?" Serenity whispered, not wanting to wake the slumbering baby.
Maya's bedroom was dark, save for a few candles lighting the walls with a low glow.
"Fine. What about Gabriel?"
"The same, though I doubt he'll stop bragging about his new son 'til daybreak. But don't worry, the men will have in a drunken stupor celebrating in no time," bending down to lay a kiss on Maya's cheek, Serenity exited the room, softly closing the door behind her.
The second she left the room, her guard, Liam escorted her down to the main room.
"How are things, Liam?" Serenity said out of now where, making small talk with her guard who had since day one, protected her.
"Nothing different these days, You Highness. Though you must be tired playing midwife for Maya," he smiled, remembering the screaming emitting from Maya, who had refused to have the mid wife from kicking Serenity out from the room. She needed to have her friend be there if something were to happen.
"Yeah, well, it's all over now so we can have that chess rematch," she grinned evilly.
"Race you?" he asked.
"Too slow!" shrieked Serenity who had ran without waiting for him to finish.
In the end, Liam had gained speed and got in front of her. When she finally got to the room, Liam dashed to her side, raising a protective arm before her.
"What's going on?" she asked in bewilderment. The room was filled with a flushed Gabriel near the door, which was inches away from Serenity, and her soldiers who had crowded in, their hands at they swords. Turning her head she saw the cause of their distress.
With a great number of soldiers though not outnumbering hers, stood Endymion. Dressed in battle garb with a bejeweled sword steady in his hand.
"Hello Serenity, nice to see you again," he said in a condescending tone, enough to irritate her, enough to make her stab him with the dagger hidden in her dress. She never went anyway with out her dagger.
"To what do I owe this honor?" Serenity asked in mock politeness.
"No need for formalities, Queen Serenity. I've only come to talk about a treaty between our lands," he touted, smirked in a weird way.
"Oh, really? Like the ones before worked so well," again she mocked, not caring about the red tinge rushing on his face.
"Don't worry, this will work, I'm sure of it," he smirked again, like he knew a secret.
Nodded his head at someone, there was a shuffle. Then came a scream. Maya!
"Let me go!" Maya screamed as a soldier brought her to the room. Thankfully, her baby was not with them.
"No!" Serenity screeched at him.
"Don't worry, one of your nurses has the baby. It's Maya we came for. That is unless, you want to give me something to take her place," he drawled. That bastard!
"I'm going to kill you, very slowly," whispered Serenity as tears ran down her face.
Endymion's heart broke a little at seeing her cry for her defeat. Nonetheless, he had a job to do.
"Well?"
"Fine, I'll trade you," she said in a undertone, her face focused on Maya who was standing still, knowing full well what Serenity was going to give up to Endymion.
"Serenity, no. Don't give it to him," reasoned Maya.
"I have to," Serenity could never forgive herself if she sacrificed Maya.
"I'm paying off my debt to you, Maya," she said sardonically. Smiling at her, Serenity faced Endymion, a glare plastered on her face.
"I'm waiting," he said triumphantly.
"You cold bastard, using a woman to accomplish your deed," she spat at him.
"Yes, and there's nothing you can do about it," he laughed lightly, knowing just how much she'd grow angry. He also knew that he now lost Serenity forever.
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Hehehehehehehehehehe, not the kind of morning after u were expecting, rite? Well, I had to do this since there was no other way that Serenity would give up that thing I kept on talking about. Obviously, u'll find out wat it is in the next chappy.
Remember, like I said before, if u don't like the "thing" after its reveal, I'm okay with it. Just tell me if u guys liked the story as a whole. Oh and the subject of Serenity needing a husband with be brought up again in the next chapter, I don't know how but it will be...
K, luv u lots :)