Storms Upon the Heart
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Chapter Eight
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Serenity waved frantically, watching the carriage with Motoki and Makato drive off. She turned from the road with a soft smile, and noticed her mother standing with Endymion and the Hershim royals nor afar off.

She walked up to them, noticing how quiet they all were. She blinked several times. "Is…everything alright?"

Cassandra patted the girl's arm gently. "Everything's fine, dear. It's been quite the day, that's all. And, there is so much to do in the next several days. We leave in the morning for Hershim. Are you ready to go?"

Serenity nodded. "I am." She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Endymion, who stared back at her with intensity flaring in his deep eyes. She blushed and looked away from him.

Melodine turned and began going into the palace. "Well, I am not ready, unfortunately. I must go see about what to bring for the trip."

Serenity blinked. "Mother? You're…you're coming?"

Melodine turned and glanced at her daughter with a grin. "If you had been present at breakfast this morning, you would have known that, my daughter."

Serenity's face turned a soft shade of pink. She cleared her throat and mumbled a goodbye, fleeing into the gardens, her skirts flying behind her.

Endymion watched her go soulfully, his eyes gazing out at her.

Dermius took Cassandra's arm. "Well, Endymion, if you need us, we'll be resting." He glanced at his son. "I think you need to have a talk with the princess."

Endymion glanced at his father. "I know…"

Melodine smiled. "It won't be as difficult as it seems. You already know she loves you."

Endymion nodded, glancing in the direction of the gardens. "I know…"

Cassandra reached over and pecked his cheek. "Go along now, Endymion. You can do this."

Endymion nodded. "I know…"

The royals glanced at each other and retreated into the palace.

Endymion walked slowly into the gardens, wandering around in the different flowerbeds. He walked into the rose garden, noticing Serenity sitting on a stone bench, her legs folded beneath her and her skirts flowing out around her. She sat with a rose in her hand, gently twirling it between her fingertips. She looked up when she heard him approach, and a blush began to cover her face. She looked down at the rose, trying to focus on it.

"You haven't given me a moment to talk to you, Serenity." He whispered, sitting beside her on the bench.

She bit her lip, and kept looking at the red rose. "You've acted strangely since this afternoon, Endymion. I've….been afraid that you're angry with me…for saying what I did about Setsuna."

"I was pleased with what you said."

She blinked and looked at him. He was staring at her. She blushed. "You were? Then why have you been giving me such an odd gaze all day?"

He laughed and leaned over, brushing his hand over the side of her face. "I didn't know that looking at my beloved meant that I was angry at her."

She looked down at the ground, the rose falling from her grasp. "Don't play tricks, Endymion."

"I'm not."

She held her gaze on the stone ground. "You have to be."

"Serenity…I'm not. I've been trying to find the chance to tell you all day." He moved to sit closer to her, nudging her face to look at his. "Serenity?"

Tears had sprung into her eyes. They moved slowly down her face. "I don't want to hear this, Endymion. You've told me time and time again that--"

He suddenly pressed his lips to hers to silence her. Pulling away, he gently wiped the tears away from her eyes. "I've been trying to fight it, Serenity…but I can't." He kissed her forehead gently. "I tried not to love you…because I didn't want to hurt you….and I was afraid of being hurt again myself." He sighed, looking down into her tear filled eyes. "Serenity…you may not believe me right now when I say this, but…I love you."

She stared at him for several long moments. Her eyes searched through his; her hands held his gently. She shook slightly, bringing one hand up to trace along his jaw line. "Do you really love me…truly? Wholly? Without any regard at all to the past and to Setsuna or…"

He laughed, kissing her again to silence her.

When he pulled away from her, he gazed into her face and smiled. "I love only you, Sere."

She bit her lip. "Endymion…I'm not sure I can…really believe it right now."

"I know." He brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed it. "It's alright…just give me the chance to prove it to you."

She looked away from him and out at the rosebushes around her. Standing, she held still onto his hand and pulled him to stand at the bushes with her. She gazed down at a delicate white rosebush, touching the petals of one of the flowers softly. "Endy…"

"Hmm?" He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her and laid his head on her shoulder.

She sighed unhappily. "I need your help…if you can…"

"Yes…?"

"Well…for years, I've been trying to pick one of these white roses. They're so beautiful…more beautiful than any other flower in Fellotinhan, or the entire world, in my opinion. This is the only bush of white roses in Fellotinhan, too. Every time I try to pick one, though…I always get caught on the thorns, and it hurts a lot. Minako can always pick them…but she'll never pick one for me, she likes to hold them over my head and will never let me hold hers. I always have to settle for the red ones." She turned and pointed to several red rosebushes nearby. She turned in Endymion's arms and pouted up at him. "Could you please see if you can get one for me? I'd love to have one to put in my hair tomorrow…for when we leave."

He grinned at her. "Of course. But if I get caught on a thorn, too…you're going to have to kiss it and make it better."

She giggled and blushed. "Of course." She pulled away from him slightly, and watched him lean over and reach into the bush, snapping one of the flowers. She gasped happily when he broke off the thorns and placed the rose in her grasp.

She squealed happily and brushed the petals softly against her face, inhaling the sweet scent. "Thank you so much."

He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist again and leaned close to her, kissing down the side of her face. "Anything for you."

She blushed. "It's nearing dinnertime."

"We're most likely late for dinner by now, sweetheart."

"Should we go in?"

"No…I don't want to right now. We can have dinner later tonight. Just the two of us."

She blushed again, feeling his lips traveling down her neck. "Just…the two of us?"

"Mmhmm…" He kissed up her neck to meet her lips. Pecking her lips softly, he pulled away and took her hand, leading her down the path. "I think you're more interested in that rose than me at the moment, though. Would you rather have dinner with the rose?"

She giggled and leaned against him, squeezing his hand. "Well, with you and the rose."

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Alright, then…but try not to pay so much attention to the rose. I'm desperate for attention from you."

She rolled her eyes and pulled away from him, walking ahead. "Oh, really?" They came to the palace entrance and walked inside together. She turned and started to head toward the staircase that led to her room, but he reached out and spun her into his arms again.

"Yes, really." He whispered, kissing her lips softly. "Where are you going?"

She pouted. "Just up to my room…"

"I thought we were going to have dinner?"

"We are." She chirped. "I just thought we could have dinner brought up to us…" She twirled the rose in her hand, bringing it up and brushing it under Endymion's chin.

He scrunched his nose, making her giggle. Grabbing her hand with the rose, and pulling it away from his face, he laughed. "Stop with the rose!"

"I'm just happy to finally have one, Endy!" She laughed. She turned and fled up the staircase.

He rolled his eyes in merriment at her, and followed.

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Serenity ran a hairbrush through her hair softly, gazing into the mirror at the man slumbering behind her. She giggled and left the vanity, walking to window and pulling the curtains open. The sun shined in, leaving beams across the bed.

The sleeping man groaned and turned over, grabbing a pillow to block out the sunlight. Serenity giggled and went to the bed, sitting down beside him. She pulled the pillow away from his face and watched him trying to squeeze his eyes shut. She laughed and kissed his eyelids softly. "Endy, for goodness sakes, wake up…I've been up for at least an hour now." She whispered, kissing his face gently.

He reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to lie beside him, a squeal escaping her lips. He opened his eyes and gazed into hers. "Then come back to bed with me."

She laughed and kissed him. "But Endy…you would think you'd be excited to get up today. You get to go home."

"I don't care…" He mumbled, closing his eyes. "I'd rather sleep in with you beside me."

She shook her head and sat up, laying his head in her lap and raking her fingers through his unruly hair. "Well…I hate to break it to you, darling, but daylight is here, and…you really need to wake up." She ran her hand down his face, smiling at him. "Are we going to be like this every morning of our lives? Trying to wake each other with such reluctance?"

"I've got no problems with it…" He murmured, turning slightly so his lips caught her hand.

She giggled and pulled her hand away from his face. "Come on, Endy…you really need to get up!"

"No…"

"I won't let you kiss me once today if you don't."

"I can catch you in my arms at any given moment to kiss you. I don't need your permission."

"I won't let you make love to me tonight. You do need my permission for that."

"Not necessarily, but I wouldn't without it. I suppose I can go one night without it. It's been two nights in a row now."

"Get up, for goodness sakes!"

"Sere, can't you just let me sleep one more hour? Come back to bed with me…"

"Darling, I would love to, but we really cannot miss breakfast with our parents two days in a row. They'll suspect!"

"They already know, my love." He laughed, turning and leaning his face against her stomach. "Anyone with any sense would know."

She rolled her eyes and unceremoniously pushed his head off her lap. "Well, if you don't get up in the next five minutes, I will ignore you for this entire day. I will, I swear it!"

"Sere…" He sat up groggily, leaning over and trying to grab her around the waist.

"Don't you "Sere" me!" She jumped off the bed quickly, out of his reach. "We'll sleep late tomorrow."

He rolled his eyes and sourly began to get up. "Of course we will tomorrow. There aren't any schedules in Hershim like there are here. We don't have a set time for breakfast." He rose out of the bed and sighed, turning and looking at her. "I'm up, Serenity. Are you happy now?"

She blushed, looking at him, and nodded quickly, turning and fleeing into the washroom.

He raised an eyebrow in confusion, before realization dawned on him and he laughed. "That girl…" He laughed softly and grabbed a robe, pulling it around him.

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Endymion followed behind Serenity with a grin on his face as she made a final sweep of the Fellotinhan gardens. The rose from the day before was tied into her hair, and the white dress she was wearing made it seem even brighter.

"Did I embarrass you this morning, my love?"

She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. "Endymion, be quiet."

"You're still shy around me, though, Sere!"

"Hush!"

He grinned and caught up with her. He kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry, Sere…"

She pouted and stopped walking, turning and looking at him. "I can't help that I'm still a little…shy." She crossed her arms and blushed deeply, staring down at the ground.

He laughed and kissed her forehead. "It's alright…you'll forget it in time."

She pouted and turned again. "Well…I guess it's time to go."

He nodded and took her hand in his. "It is. Sere, you'll visit here often."

She nodded. "I know…but it's the final day that it's my home." She turned and looked up into his eyes. "From now on…anywhere that you are is where my home is."

Endymion smiled softly. "I don't think that I could ever be home without you, Sere."

She blushed and let him lead her out of the garden. Her mother, Dermius, and Cassandra were already boarding their carriage.

Endymion led her to a separate carriage and helped her up. He was about to climb in himself when a soft tug came on his cape.

Serenity glanced out of the carriage and grinned.

Minako looked up at the two with a pout. "Do I have to ride with the boring old people?"

Serenity giggled. "Endy, can she come with us?"

Endymion looked at Serenity and laughed slightly. "Alright, alright. You can ride with us, Minako."

Minako squealed happily and bounded into the carriage, plopping down beside Serenity. "This'll be fun!"

Endymion rolled his eyes and sat across from them. "Yes…fun."

Serenity laughed and blew him a kiss before turning to Minako, who was pulling out games from her carry satchel.

Endymion smiled and leaned back into the seat.

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End Chapter Eight