Elysion, Silver Millennium
Lunch was supposed to be unremarkable. Plans were underway for the state dinner the following evening, where important dignitaries from across the kingdom planned on rubbing elbows with one another. Staff busied themselves pulling tables out from storage and polishing silver, creating a parade of sound and movement as they flitted from one room to the next.
Typically, Endymion liked state dinners. The food was good, the company pleasant. But as the event drew closer, he started wishing that a certain someone had made the guestlist. This was for Earth's royalty, not the Moon Kingdom's, so Serenity would be far away from here. As bushels of flowers passed, he thought of her scent. As white silk curtains danced in the swish of movement back and forth, he thought of her dress. Everything seemed to remind him of her in every way possible, and he caught himself daydreaming about kissing her.
Lusting after Serenity was not wise. First, if Queen Serenity was reconsidering the Earth's alliance, loving his enemy would be tortuous. And second, he had only met her for all of 10 minutes. How could a woman he barely knew leave such a lasting impression on his heart?
Exercise would get his mind off things, he reasoned. He and Jadeite practiced sword training in the back courtyard with Nephrite and Zoisite, two of the other Shitennou, using long wooden dummies instead of forged steel. After, they rested under the shade of an oak tree and ate from a picnic basket a maid had dropped off, not so subtly eyeing the bare chested mean as she did so. The weather was warm and the breeze was nice, and the foursome was making plans to go down to the lake and swim when the sky suddenly got a shade darker.
All leapt to their feet. Other than a few wispy white clouds lazily floating in the upper atmosphere, there was nothing in the sky. On the horizon, the normally harshly opaque blue was turning dark grey and a cold wind kicked up in the east. Whatever was happening was strange and unexpected–even the birds had stopped chirping in the tree above.
Endymion examined his surroundings, scanning for clues of a foreign invader or some other malefic force. He even examined the ground, wondering if whatever was causing this clear change in the world might be coming from below. Normally fuzzy, his shadow was incredibly sharp.
"Look!" Nephrite pointed his finger high up in the sky toward the Sun. The burning orb was being swallowed by a large, black circle that had a glowing ring around it. It was moving at an incredible speed, devouring the light from the Sun and turning the whole world dark. As it receded, the four men stood in shock until the very last bit of light was extinguished by the black.
All around, it looked like dusk when moments ago, it had been mid-afternoon. The white ring around the obfuscating object shot out like a halo. With his bare eyes, Endymion looked straight at it, mesmerized by its shape and color, watching each beam of light flick out like roaring flames. A pit formed in the ball of his stomach. Whatever this was, it was not natural.
What sounded like a chime rang, but Endymion couldn't figure out where. And then Endymion felt light headed. Electricity shot down his body and curled around his spine, and he saw something in the light of the sun–a figure, maybe, a silhouette–before his mind went completely blank. He was floating in the sky, hovering over himself now, watching as he and the Shitennou looked up in awe and fear. Inside him, he had a deep, deep understanding, one that left him with dread and resolve.
Just as the black circle had made it night, it moved away and the Sun was shining, possibly brighter than it had before. Endymion was sucked back into himself. The men looked at one another, all shocked and confused, before they heard footsteps behind them.
"It's a solar eclipse," said Kunzite. They all turned to look. The eldest and most senior Shitennou looked unfazed. "The Moon casts a shadow on Earth because of its position in relation to the Sun."
"And is that normal?" Zoisite asked. "I mean, is that supposed to happen?"
"It's rare, but completely normal." Kunzite smiled pleasantly at the sky before craning his head to shoot a teasing glance to the others. "Clearly, you all have never read a book in your life."
"I'd never seen anything like that before," Nephrite chimed in.
"That's because an eclipse like this is rare. It happens only once in a very long while and you have to be in the right spot to see it."
Endymion was skeptical. Maybe Kunzite could explain how the light changed the way it did, but there was something else that happened when the Sun went black. His out of body experience was making his head spin. No science could explain that.
The Shitennou found their places back on the picnic blanket and continued their lunch, each peppering Kunzite about how he came to know of solar eclipses. Endymion sat down too, but he didn't listen as the eldest general spoke. He watched, pretended to be engaged, but all the while he pushed and pulled on the new feeling of discontentment swirling in his soul.
State dinners were his father's excuse to deploy low level espionage on the kingdoms in his court. While he ruled all of Earth, King Endymion's entourage was made up of smaller kingdoms that swore allegiance to him. Usually, if one became restless over one thing or another, all it took was a swift visit from the king to change their attitude.
Some of them fought like spoiled children, but when they all got together, draped in their finest gowns and suits, complimented over and over for their diplomacy and benevolence, most grudges were forgotten. Thus, King Endymion vowed to hold a state dinner every season. This dinner: The Summer Festival, where nobility would eat light fare from the sea, sip cocktails in the king's expansive garden and then let off fireworks in celebration.
The fireworks were always the younger Endymion's favorite part. They looked like stars exploding, each fragment so brilliantly bright, the center of each colorful tail was perfectly white.
The morning of the dinner, Endymion was still trying to shake off the feeling he had during the eclipse. His dream of drowning had found him once again last night, but this time a hand plunged in the water to pull him out. Mercifully, he crested the top of the water–the first time he had done so in the many, many months this dream had followed him–but when he got to the surface, it was completely still and devoid of life.
He chalked it up to being paranoid. With the Moon Kingdom up to no good, he was feeling a lot of pressure. And, if he was being honest, he hadn't been eating as much as he should've. But who had pulled him up? Did it have something to do with the eclipse? Instead of worrying, he dressed for the dinner, walked with Jadeite to the outdoor dining area on their large stone patio and took his seat among the ladies and lords of Earth.
For being outside, it was a seriously formal affair. String lights hung from posts, draping down like fireflies above the table. Beautiful violet tablecloths and gold plates sat in front of each person's seat, and bouquets of hydrangeas left a sweet smell swirling in the air. And the food was nothing short of divine: Blackened bass with a dill cream sauce, scalloped potatoes with fresh garlic, asparagus picked fresh from the king's gardens.
Endymion joined the crowd when they moved to dessert in the garden. Sipping on a strong bourbon, he watched as everyone swished around to one another, sipping and laughing without a care in the world. All night, he fought the urge to ask anyone if they had seen the eclipse, too. Oddly, no one brought it up. Surely, someone had seen it. Maybe he needed to ask.
He spotted Duke Dutton, a rancher from the west, chatting with King Nesos, the ruler of Atlantis. Dutton was known for being outside with his ranch hands all day, perhaps he saw something. He stepped in their direction when he bumped into someone he apparently had not seen moments ago.
"I'm sorry," he stammered. Looking up at him was a woman with pulsing red eyes and beautiful red hair. She couldn't have been much older than him, Endymion reasoned, why had he never seen her before? When the two collided, her drink went all over the front of her dress. The prince rushed to grab a napkin, apologizing profusely as he did, but the woman shrugged him off with a smile.
"It's alright, honestly, it's okay," she said sweetly as she blotted out a clear liquid from her bodice. "My apologies for getting in your way."
She had a deep voice and an alluring face. Whereas Serenity had been soft and beautiful, this woman was dark and sensual. Her gown hugged every curve of her body and the purple fabric was scandalously sheer. She was by far the most beautiful woman in this crowd tonight and she knew it.
"No, my apologies," Endymion doubled-down, handing her a handkerchief from his pocket. "Please, let me escort you to get another."
The discussion of the eclipse with Dutton would have to wait, but maybe this was a chance to ask this mysterious woman if she had seen it. She looped her arm in his, smiled sheepishly and the two began walking toward the makeshift bar in the back.
"Champagne, please," she said to the waiter. He poured crisp, sparkling liquid into a flute. Bubbles swam up the side of the glass. Endymion couldn't help but think of his dream. As soon as it was securely in her hand, he led the woman back out toward the garden, plotting how to bring up the eclipse without sounding alarmed.
"I don't think I got your name," he smiled down at the woman. She let out a little laugh and took a seat on a chaise lounge. Endymion sat across.
"Beryl," she said sweetly. "Princess Beryl. And you're Prince Endymion."
"My reputation precedes me." He smiled back at her.
"This is your home, after all." There was a nervous energy about her that she was shoving deep, deep down. Endymion could feel it. And, even more oddly, she said she was a princess but he had never seen her at court before. He had met nearly every lord and lady under the sun. If they were a monarch of any kind, he had at some point been paraded in front of them.
"My apologies, Princess Beryl, but I don't think I've ever seen you here at court."
She laughed slightly and then sighed, casting her gaze into her champagne glass. "This is actually my first time here. But I'm sure you've met my father, King Heliodor."
King Heliodor had a small kingdom in the north. An odd man, he only came to state dinners when explicitly requested. He was grotesque to look at, had an even crueler demeanor and his people were known for practicing witchcraft, which on its own was not against the law, but was somewhat unusual. If used for dark purposes, it meant death, and that interpretation had been vague under some rulers. Enough people hung for magic to fall out of favor.
Heliodor knew that and kept close tabs on his people at all times. Which wasn't hard to do, really. Heliodor's land was covered in ice and was so close to the planet's pole, in the winter months night lasted nearly all day long. The people there were strong and stubborn, and rarely did any newcomers find their way in. This kept his population small, and most importantly, devoted to him.
"I didn't realize he had a daughter," Endymion said without thinking.
She chuckled. "Neither did he!"
She took a swig from her glass and sighed. She was far too beautiful to be any offspring of his. Where did she come from?
"I suspect there's a tale behind that statement." He tried pressing as politely as he could. Realistically, all he needed to do was demand an answer out of her–he did outrank her, after all–but that wasn't Endymion's style. Besides, talking to her was intriguing.
"There is a tale, but one much too long and boring to tell you now." She shifted in her seat to relax. "So why don't you tell me something instead?"
Endymion was beginning to like the girls he met as of late. Serenity, albeit part of the Moon Kingdom, was like a beam of sunlight. And now he was meeting with Beryl, who reminded him of smoke swirling in the darkness.
"What do you want to talk about?" Endymion asked cheekily. Beryl cocked her head.
"You look like you haven't gotten much sleep."
Something jolted within him. His adrenaline spiked and he felt his heart quicken. How did she know he hadn't slept? Were the dreams taking that much of a toll on him? A mixture of embarrassment, shame and shock flooded him.
"Don't look so surprised," she quickly teased, reading the horror dance across Endymion's face. "You don't actually look it. I'm sure you've heard my people are sorcerers, yes?"
He nodded his head hesitantly. Was this some sort of trap? "I have heard that, yes."
"I–like my mother–am a sorceress. And I specialize in helping people's health." She analyzed his face as he eyed her cautiously. "Everything is above board, I swear. It's healing magic and it was practiced a very long time ago. With that power comes the ability to sense ailments a mile away, and when you bumped into me it was like crashing into a wall–figuratively speaking."
She reached into the folds of her gown and shoved her hand into a hidden pocket. When she withdrew her hand, she had a black leather satchel tied together by thick string. Out she pulled a small vial of purple colored liquid, popped open the cap and gave it a long smell. Endymion leaned in.
"It's lavender," she said, putting the vial closer to him. He inhaled and indeed the lavender scent was sweet and heavy. "Rub this on your neck before bed and you will be met with peaceful dreams."
She placed the vial in his hand and closed his fingers around it. Her hands were so, so soft.
"How do I know you're not trying to poison me?" Endymion asked, half-joking.
She shifted in her seat again, this time casting her gaze right to his. Her shoulders sloped and she leaned in over her lap. Their faces were inches apart.
"Why would I want to kill someone as handsome as you?" She purred, her lips so close to Endymion's ear it sent electricity down his spine. "I think I have better use for you alive."
She leaned back, gathered her skirt and stood. She swallowed the remainder of her drink in one gulp, winked and Endymion and walked back toward the garden.
"Sweet dreams, my dear prince."
Endymion's head was spinning.
Endymion carefully dotted the lavender concoction on his neck as he lay in bed. When it touched his skin, it didn't feel poisonous. Not that he expected it to. Beryl seemed genuine, and she was right, he had heard about the magic her people practiced. It only made sense that among them was a healer.
Dreams didn't find him until he was deep, deep in sleep, and this night was so different. Hours passed, unbeknownst to him, and he was met with nothing but black. He fell asleep to the sweet scent and before he knew it, he was transported to his dream dimension.
Even in his dreams, he knew to brace himself for the cold water. His muscles tensed as he awaited to rush and then the desperate swim to find air. Instead, when he opened his eyes, he was lying in a meadow dotted with wildflowers. He sat up and watched as the blades of grass gently swung back and forth. The sky was perfectly blue and the sun was warm and welcoming.
All night he waited for the dream to turn. Perhaps the eclipse would come in his dream, he thought. But it remained peaceful and sunny, and he laid there soaking it all in. Somewhere in the distance a voice called to him, but he was too tired to hear who it was.