Chapter 3: Encouragement
"So…Um…King Endymion" Serenity says towards Endymion's father with a smile. Hiroto turns and looks at Serenity with piercing eyes but she keeps on beaming. "What do you and Mamo do in your spare time?" Serenity asks before putting food into her mouth. Hiroto frowns and coughs.
"Why do you ask?" he asks her and she smiles after she swallows.
"Answer mine and I'll answer you. It's called a compromise… right Ami?" She asks while turning to the blue princess who flushes.
"Yes Usagi." She squeaks and Usagi grin.
"Uh…It's very busy all the time here on earth. There's barely anytime here to anything to personal desire" he says and Usagi raises her eyebrow.
"So…when you do get time off. What do you do?" she asks him and Endymion swears right now, he would kick her but he resists it.
"Uhh. I watch him train with Kunzite and the boys" Lie. "And when he was younger we used to go riding" Hiroto Lies and she beams. "Now Usagi, Why do you ask?" he asks her curiously and Endymion is surprised that Serenity has managed to charm her cold hearted father.
"Well Mamo and I we're talking about our lives earlier. He mentioned that you never even spend any time with him and I was a bit upset. You're a father. You should be spending as much time with him as possible. Like my mother and I for example. Every second she had free was spend either lecturing me to stop interrupting the kitchen staff or was watching me play tag with the girls." She says but then realises Endymion's hard gaze on her. "He just said he barely sees you outside the study and your quarters, and that you only call to him when necessary. Nothing too major" she says and she grins at him, who looks at his father and then her with a relaxed position, but still tense.
"Oh…" is all Hiroto says and she frowns before throwing a soft smile. "If you would like" he clears his throat. "I could go for a ride with Endymion and you tomorrow at noon?" he says and serenity beams.
"That would be lovely. Wouldn't it Mamo?" She asks Endymion who nods.
"Uh…yes" he says and she beams before resuming a conversation with Makoto and Nephrite. Once dinner is over, Hiroto leaves first before serenity leaves with her guardians. The next day, Endymion doesn't see serenity until near to noon. She wears a light blue dress and her hair is out of the two buns, and shorter than before.
"Hello" she says and he chuckles.
"I Guess you we're right about sleeping in so late" he teases and she smiles "Did you cut your hair?" he asks her and she blushes.
"Uhh, yes. I thought it would be better. My hair grows quickly anyway. It's for all lunarians" she says and Endymion smiles before running his hand through her hair. "And I always tripped over it anyway" she says and he smiles as he pulls her towards the stables where his father waits for them.
"What took you so long?" he asks curiously and Serenity blushes.
"I…Uh…Got lost…Mamo found me and yeah" she says and Hiroto grins. A first for him.
"It's a big place anyway, ready?" Hiroto asks and Serenity nods and holds Endymion's hand. Serenity sees the horses and stops.
"What…are…they?" she asks him and he laughs.
"Horses, love. Don't worry they're friendly" he says and she frowns before smiling and walking up to the white horse and petting their mane. She then grins before turning towards Endymion. "You'll be riding with me. we don't want any accidents to happen" he says and she nods before he lifts her up onto the horse.
"Do they have a name?" she asks them and he grins.
"The white on is called Maiko while the black on is called Chika." He says as he jumps up onto the Maiko. Hiroto follows and jumps onto Chika before he takes off towards a path. Maiko starts moving and Serenity freaks out before wrapping her arms around Endymion's body. He chuckles as he follows his father towards the Village. Serenity eventually loosens her grip around his body and swings her legs over the side of the horse where she looks around with a grin.
"Where are we headed?" she asks and Hiroto grins.
"The village. I hope we come across Beryl, I need to chat with her" Hiroto says and Endymion frowns, remembering his encounters with Beryl.
"Who's Beryl?" Serenity asks and Endymion frowns, remembering what his father thinks about her.
"Beryl is close to royalty on earth, just underneath us. She's lovely and sweet, and she understands what it means to be royal. She's also very beautiful, not as beautiful as you though" Hiroto comments, making Serenity blush. "If it weren't for the childhood betrothing, I might have asked her to marry Endymion" he says and she frowns.
"But you wouldn't have done it without his consent…right?" she asks him but Hiroto frowns.
"I would've asked, but she would've been good for earth and she seems to take a particular liking to my son, but who wouldn't" he says and Endymion frowns.
"Father, I wouldn't have let her marry me. Her particular liking for me is unrequited. I have never felt the same for her. It's just power, wealth and a long lasting plan to get into my pants" he says and Hiroto frowns.
"I don't believe that" He says and then Serenity gasps.
"Usako?" Endymion asks her as she jumps off of Maiko and runs into the village and smiles. Endymion hadn't seen her this happy until now. "Usako?" he asks her and she grins as she walks up to Endymion and holds his hand with a grin so happy that he would've gotten down and kissed her immediately, but he resisted it.
"It's so beautiful here" she says and Endymion grins as she stops to talk to some people that were just below him, Beryl's family. "Hello, I'm Serenity" she says and he frowns. She must want people to know her a Serenity instead of Usagi here.
"Hello Serenity, I'm Emiko" Beryl's mother says and he frowns. "And this is my husband, Fumihiro. And this is our daughter, Beryl" Emiko says and serenity grins.
"Hello Serenity" Beryl says as she smile politely to his fiancé. Surprisingly. "Hello Endymion" she says and he nods to her coldly before looking away. "You must be Endymion's Fiancé" she says and Serenity nods.
"Yeah, I am. It was a surprise at first but Mam- Endymion always keeps me in check. He's really kind and loving. Oh and smart" she says and Endymion frowns knowing where this conversation was going.
"He really is, isn't he?" she asks her and Serenity beams.
"Usako, we should be going now" he says and Serenity frowns at his protectiveness.
"I'm fine Mamo" she says with a frown and he chuckles.
"I want you to meet some other people" he says and she nods before smiling and waving to Beryl's family. "Usako, you need to understand that the people below us aren't usually nice. Just keep that in check. But knowing you, they will probably be extremely kind to you. You just manage to charm everyone" he says and she frowns.
"Not everyone" she mumbles with a sad face and he frowns. "Oh look more people! Let's go and prove your little theory wrong" she says and he frowns.
"Bad idea to prove me wrong Usako" he says with a laugh as he jumps of Maiko and pulls her along with the reigns.