Hullooo. This is my short entry for the rare pair week. The topic was travel.
I should let you know that when I actually participate in a daily challenge (as in I actually write it that day and not earlier or start it but don't post until months later), I have only written it that day and have not beta'd it. So please be aware that this may be filled with errors...the style and voice may change, but this challenge is suppose to be fun. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Don't forget to send a review! Review = Love.
Serenity is 15 years old, turning 16.
Couple: Princess Serenity and Kunzite
Time Period: Silver Millennium
Summary: Princess Serenity goes to earth on a dare and meets one of Earth's guard.
"A Dare To Earth"
'["]'
['["]']
"Turn around slowly," he commanded. The hooded figure, like a ballerina on pointe, rotated gracefully. The experienced swordsman placed the blunt of his blade inside her hood and swiftly threw it back. Tiny silver strands danced in the wind, winking starlight. If her hair had not clearly indicated her identity, the soft glowing moon symbol on her head did.
Reluctantly, the man sheathed his weapon. Although he knew of the Moon Princess, he had never seen her. However, he'd heard descriptions of her: silver hair and metallic blue eyes. Terran's were barred from traveling to the Moon, Uranus, and Saturn. And in kind, those citizens were prohibited from coming to Earth.
Yet here she was, princess of the Moon on Terran soil.
"You are trespassing Princess." He watched as her throat bobbed nervously; a peak of red moved at the end of her sleeve. The girl bit at her lower lip.
"What is in your hand." Kunzite had never had the type of tenor to crescendo his voice to indicate a sentence. Instead, his questions sounded more like demands.
The carmine came out incrementally, petal after petal, before revealing the perfect rose.
"Is that what you came for?"
She nodded, her eyes still focused on the ground; she reminded him of a child.
"To take a rose from the palace gardens is a punishable offense." Her gaze flickered up quickly, wide in fright.
"It was a dare!" she announced. "Mars dared me to pick a rose from the Terran Queen's garden."
The white haired general took hold of his dagger and took her flower wielding hand. "The hand that picks the flower is now forfeit." His gloved hand moved so quickly, Serenity had no time to protest. She could only cry as she felt the pressure slash against her skin. "Tell me, was this dare worth your hand?"
Serenity's vision blurred, the grey of his uniform, the white of his hair, muddled. The general studied the pristine blade. "It seems" he stated monotonously, "I drew the wrong side of my blade."
Serenity blinked profusely, the water gathering on her eyelashes splashed little droplets. She placed her hand in front of her, still gripping the flower; needing to confirm that her limb was still there.
"You shouldn't play into such games princess."
"Is it true?" she asked suddenly. "About the punishment?"
"Yes."
"Does everyone know this?"
"They do."
"Oh that-that-that," -her fists tightened- "scrit!"
Once the word escaped her mouth, she froze in absolute horror. Her hands flew to her mouth. Kunzite couldn't keep the chuckle from emerging.
"Even ethereal princess' curse."
Serenity shook her head, even more silver locks escaped her robe.
"I did no such thing," she denied.
"And they enjoy untruths."
"Okay." Her shoulders sagged in defeat. "But Mars deserves it does she not?" she implored. "She knew my hand could be cut off! And she still dared me to take one!"
"I doubt Mars believed you would."
"Well there!" -she said rather superiorly, folding her arms- "I did! She thinks I would never break a rule." The princess smiled ruefully and the general could not help but mirror it.
"And you have proved her wrong." His long blond hair moved ever so slightly as he agreed to her haughty statement.
"Yes. I can be very dangerous." She bounced on the tip of her toes happily. Then, abruptly, she stopped; her smile fell. "I did not even ask your name."
"And I did not give it," he comforted. Her lips lifted ever so slightly, relieved he had excused her rudeness. "I am Kunzite."
"I am Serenity."
"That I know, Princess."
"Serenity."
"Princess Serenity," he corrected.
"Serenity."
"Alright" - he paused- "Serenity." His declaration of defeat had her bouncing on her feet once again.
Her smile was infectious and the usually reserved man found himself smiling back at her.
"Are you a garden guard?" The silver haired princess asked.
"A…garden guard?"
"Yes," she brushed her chin with the soft petals of the rose. "You... go about the garden... guarding it." Her assumption was rather adorable. He shook his head twice. "Then what are you doing?"
"I am guarding the perimeter of the palace."
"You are a perimeter guard," she stated confidently. No, he was not a perimeter guard. He was one of the Heavenly Kings. To be called a guard was far from accurate.
"I am."
"You perimeter guard every night?" He liked how curious she sounded, like a babe who had not yet experienced the world. In fact, in many ways, the princess was a child in the universe, closely sheltered from the evils within.
"I perimeter guard," using her turn of phrase caused the left corner of his mouth to twitch quickly in amusement, "every night," he confirmed. "You should go. If any of the other guards found you-"
"You are not the only perimeter guard? How many does the palace need?"
"There is only one who scouts the perimeter, but there are many guards around the palace, as I am sure you have on the Moon. Guards who stay close to the palace to keep you safe." Serenity nodded in understanding. "Although they may not be near the gardens, it is possible that someone could see you. And if that were to happen, you would be taken and charged."
"Will you not take me in?" Her perfect face tilted to the right in genuine wonder.
"Do you want to be taken in?" Serenity shook her head. "Then you should go home."
"If I come down again…and you were to find me again. Will you take me in?"
"Serenity, you ask very childish questions."
The girl turned red, her brows furrowing. Sensing her rising anger he added, "No, I suppose I will not."
"I cannot wait to show Mars my prize!" The princess exclaimed. Kunzite smiled once more, amazed at how easily her attention shifted. "She will be sorry she ever thought me a coward." Her silvery eyes looked to Kunzite's waiting.
"She will," the general affirmed. "Now go."
Reaching into her robe, she pushed on her teleporting device and was gone from his sight.
Kunzite thought that would be the last time he'd ever see the Moon Princess. But, curiously, he found her again. She wore a different colored robe, but the shimmering fabric alerted the general of its owner. No one aside from royalty would be able to afford such a luxury. This time she held five berries in her hand.
"Serenity, taking fruit from the gardens is-"
"Is it my hand?"
"No," he tried to keep himself from smiling. "It is the tongue."
"The tongue?" She stuck out the pink extremity, and spoke in a gargle of slurs, "Thigh they thake thuth thun?
"You sacrifice your taste by eating a berry from here."
"Buth thigh thithn earth thi."
"You can put your tongue back in your mouth Serenity."
"But, I didn't eat them…" she blushed, "I was going to when I went back to Venus. I picked one for each of my senshi, see?"
Kunzite sighed. "You really are a criminal."
"Yes," she nodded proudly.
"And what did Mars say when you presented her the rose?"
"Her eyes almost came out of her face!" she described excitedly. However, just as fast as her squeal of delight came, it was gone. "But then she thought I had someone else come down. So I am here to prove it was me."
"They are waiting for you" he supplied, "on Venus I presume."
"Yes!"
Kunzite shook his head and she disappeared once again.
There came a third time as well. He found her swaying back and forth just outside the forest. Despite his exasperated sigh, he smiled.
"Serenity," he called from behind her. The princess turned to face him. "Lunarians are still restricted from coming to Earth," he chided.
"But…" she paused. Her mouth danced a little, mirroring the thought process in her head. "I am here to help you guard the perimeter," she announced finally.
"Serenity, what is it that you have in your hand?"
Her shoulders dipped. She was found out. She extended her hand, presenting a branch from a fir tree.
"Is this another one of your dares?" he asked, his brow rising.
"Will you be angry if I say yes?" When he didn't respond she looked down shamefully. "Yes." She toed the ground guiltily. "Will you have to cut out my tongue?"
"No," the man let out a soft sigh. "To covet a fragrance of a bloom, bush, or tree from the gardens means..." His gloved finger pressed softly against the tip of her nose. Although the touch was brief, Serenity felt as if he set her on fire; even her cheeks were pained from the rush of blood. "Go now," he chastised.
"But…" she rocked on the heels of her foot. "If I leave, you will have to walk around all alone."
Kunzite nodded once. "That is my role."
"Then" -she smiled broadly- "it is my role to keep you company." The rest of the night Kunzite walked, listening to Serenity. She filled him with stories of the Moon, of her senshi and her overprotective mother. And he strolled beside her in felicity.
The fourth night came and then the fifth night. And before Kunzite was even aware, she'd been visiting him for more than a month. On the fourty-fifth day she was strangely silent. Her eyes never strayed past his chest and she continuously wrung her fingers.
"Serenity?" He stopped and waited for her to turn. "Is something a matter?"
"No. no." But her answer was too quick. The general was familiar with such suspicious behavior. The small tells of an enemy soldier or traitorous Terran. With Serenity though, he didn't worry about ulterior motives or possible lies; for the simple reason that Serenity couldn't lie to save her life. "Okay," she confessed. "I am here because" -she began fidgeting more- "because"
"Do you need help?" He stepped forward, shortening the distance between them. Worry struck him, was she in danger?
Serenity took a small step forward, closing the small distance and lifted herself onto the balls of her feet. Her lips pressed against his briefly, and she lowered herself back down.
It took a moment for the general to get over the shock. It was reasonable though, the Moon Princess had kissed him, that would throw anyone off kilter.
"Is this" -his eyes wandered between hers- "another dare?"
"No." Her reply was so soft he barely heard her. Kunzite's nod was almost imperceptible, but it was enough for Serenity to see that he'd heard her. With his right hand, he took her left and led them to a nearby oak bench.
"It was my first," she confessed, her cheeks rosy in the moonlight.
"I can tell." The smile that donned his face only grew larger when she began fiddling with the hem of her robe. The red glow was made even more prominent at his blunt observation. "I am flattered" -he touched the apple of her cheek with his soft cotton glove- "that you would choose me."
When she tilted her head, her gaze fluttering to meet his, Kunzite thought he'd never seen anything so vulnerable. Her doe eyes, a silvery blue lake, hid nothing. She bared everything in one look, one open and honest look.
"Why do you love me?" He heard himself ask.
"You are kind."
The laughter that erupted from Kunzite made the princess frown. "There are many things that people would call me princess, but kind is not one of them."
"You are kind...and strong... and when you smile at me" -her nervousness made itself known through the increasing ache in her cheeks- "I feel" -she placed a hand on her heart. It was difficult to describe the way she felt when he smiled. Only that it made her feel cold and hot at the same time. Unable to form the words properly, Serenity took his left hand in hers, her palms slightly sticky from the anxious perspiration, and placed it on her chest.
"My heart, can you feel it?" His arctic eyes traveled up from the swell of her breasts to the blue of her eyes.
"I can."
She placed her other hand over his, keeping his palm trapped against her skin. She leaned forward, and once again, pressed her lips against his; the momentary touch a signal of her inexperience.
"Serenity." Kunzite spoke quietly. "I am not someone who is deserving." She was an embodiment of chastity and purity. And the white haired general was anything but.
"Everyone is deserving of love."
"Yes. But not everyone is deserving of your affections and love."
"But it's not everyone" -she argued adamantly- "It's just you."
He took his hand from her chest and unsheathed it from it protection.
"My hands," he turned his palm up, the callouses and scars now completely visible to her. "These hands," he emphasized "have done very evil things. Things that you will one day learn about and be abhorred of." His arctic gaze traveled up to her face, she was focused on the hardened skin. She tilted her head left then right, as if what he'd said would suddenly show itself. "I cannot hold your love with them. They are too tainted to hold something so precious and invaluable." Serenity finally looked at Kunzite, her eyes already watering at his refusal. Now filled to the brim, the tears finally fell, they trailed down her cheeks. "Do not cry" -he whispered to her. "I am not deserving of your tears either." She could not speak, the heartbreak clogged her throat and warned her if she should speak, a shrill sob would follow.
"I cannot accept your love. But…I want to give you mine." The declaration caused the princess to gasp. "If you will accept it."
Taking the dagger he'd once pretended to cut her with, he pushed the stone that adorned the hilt until it fell off.
"This," he held up the crystal, "is my namesake. A kunzite crystal. Inside" -he told her- "is a wish that I make tonight and the love I freely give you."
"Kunzite, I l-"
"One day" he interrupted "a man who is worthy of your love will come."
"You are worthy," her tears had returned. "I lo-"
Kunzite rested his gloved hand on her lips.
"And you will give him all your love, and you his." Taking the love he offered, she held the jewel to her chest. "For now, I apologize. You must make due with my unworthy heart. But it is yours, has been yours, and it will continue to be, always." Then he stood. With the utmost grace he kissed her forehead and prayed he would not lose his strength to walk away.
So after I finished this I realized...omg this is just like Victoria and Lord Melbourne. I didn't even mean for it to end like this. I was actually going to have them kiss. But it didn't work. Of course, like you all probably know...I'm die hard UsaxMamo. So the end goes...Endymion sees Serenity, it's love at first sight for him. Serenity eventually falls in love with him too.