Wow! I know it's been a while since I've updated but thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing. It means a lot! It was fun to write this chapter, I hope you all enjoy it!

My Knight In Shining Armor

Chapter 7 - Something's Coming

Serenity was studying the homework Miss Haruna had given her, Pyramus and Thisbē. Amy was trying to help her, but Serenity just didn't understand it.

"What don't you understand about it? It's simple; there was a feud between the two houses, you understand that?" Amy tried to clarify.

"Yes, I understand that. It's not that I don't understand it, I just don't agree with it. I understand true love and everything, but why would someone kill themselves because their lover was dead? I understand Thisbē was heartbroken by Pyramus's death but he wouldn't want her to just give up on life. He would want her to live and be happy," Serenity said.

"All I'm asking is for you to understand it. You don't have to agree with it in order to understand it," Amy pointed out.

"Then I shouldn't be forced to read it, because quite frankly this isn't the 'greatest love story.' It's more like the 'built up love story.' The greatest love story isn't a couple who gives up because of one obstacle, it's the couple that fights to be together no matter the consequences," Serenity explained.

"You seem to have very strong feelings about this, almost as if you've gone through it," Amy noticed.

"Amy, I've never even been in love. I just think true love is when you love someone enough you can't bear to think about life without them."

"You have such a positive outlook on it. You don't think you'll ever love Diamond?"

"No. I wish could, but nothing is there. It's really hard and confusing. Especially with Endymion being here."

"You really like him?" Amy asked her.

"I - I think so. I don't really know very much about him...but he's so sweet, and he actually listens to me, and he's handsome" Serenity explained, a smile forming on her lips.

"Get to know him. You shouldn't deny yourself that privilege. Follow your heart, Serenity. There isn't anyone in this universe that knows how to do that better than you."

Serenity hid out in her room after dinner. There were so many things going on, and she just needed some time to get away from it all. From Larissa's wedding to her father tightening security around the palace, Serenity was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. Apparently, something happened with one of the servants and her father didn't want to take any chances. Serenity didn't want to be around to witness his madness, so she stayed in her room.

Unwillingly, she was reading the story of Pyramus and Thisbē again. Her cat, Luna, crawled onto the bed next to her.

"The book isn't bad, Serenity. It's a classic work of literature," Luna said, noticing the look of disgust on Serenity's face.

"It just doesn't make sense to me. I wouldn't kill myself for the man I love. He, whoever that may be, would want me to be happy," she said. A faraway look appeared in Serenity's eyes as she imagined her future with her husband.

"We aren't talking about Diamond, are we?" Luna asked. Serenity didn't respond, so she took that as her chance to play cards. "We are talking about Endymion," Mina told Luna about the vibes she got from Serenity and Endymion earlier in the day.

"Yes we are. We'll fall in lo- LUNA! No! It won't be him, it can't be him," Serenity said, realizing that Luna was playing with her mind.

"You like him," Luna said casually.

"What? No I don't."

"Denial is the indicator."

"No it isn't."

"Serenity, it's ok to admi-"

"Luna, I do not like Endymion! He's my bodyguard; my friend. I don't think of him in that way."

"Whatever you say, Serenity."

There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Serenity decided to continue the original topic. "Anyway, this book is really bad. I don't see how Amy can read it for fun," she said.

"It's a classic, that's why. You're the only girl who isn't in love with it," Luna stated plainly.

"Well, why should I be? I just don't agree with a couple killing themselves just because of one bad break. They should just be together and get over it. It can't be that hard."

"You have much to learn, Serenity."

"I suppose you're right. I don't think I'll ever experience falling in love," Serenity sighed, falling back onto her pillows.

"Yes you will. You just need to meet the right person. Don't force love though, that's just b-"

Luna was cut off by a knock on her door.

"People need to leave me alone, I'm hiding in here for a reason," she told Luna in annoyance before getting up to open her door.

She opened the door expecting to see Beryl or her sister, but instead she was met with Endymion's deep blue eyes and charming smile. Her jaw dropped and her thoughts went to her appearance. Her hair was pulled back and she was wearing one of her less-striking outfits.

"Um, hi," Serenity said, embarrassed.

"Hello, Serenity. You weren't about to go to bed, were you?" he asked.

"N-No I wasn't, I was reading a book," she told him, mentally slapping herself for being unable to talk normally.

"You've seemed disoriented these past couple of days, so I was wondering if you would like to take a trip into the village with me?"

Serenity stared up at him and blinked a few times before his question arrived to her mind. "I'd love to come! Give me a couple minutes," she said excitedly.

"I'll meet you at the gate," he said with a smile before starting to walk away.

"No, come inside," she grabbed his hand and pulled him into her room. "I'll only be a minute." The frazzled Princess hurried to her bathroom with Luna at her heels.

Endymion sat down on a bench at the end of her bed. He noticed multiple easels with paintings and drawings on them. They varied from landscapes to paintings of the Earth. He got up and looked at them, tracing his fingers along the intricate details and swoops of the artwork.

Serenity walked out of her bedroom in a blue dress and flats.

"I told you it wouldn't take long," she said as she approached him.

"Did you draw these?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of the artwork.

"Yes, but I only do it for fun. I know they aren't very good, but it's a good way to pass the time," she replied, suddenly becoming very interested with the pattern on her dress.

"These are incredible. The most famous pieces of art in the kingdom aren't half as good as this," he said, looking at her.

She looked up at him and found herself locked in his gaze. The two of them stared at each other for a while before the sound of Luna clearing her throat broke them apart.

"Are you ready?" Endymion asked, running his fingers through his hair.

"Yes, let's go," Serenity said, slid her arm through his. She made sure to give Luna a parting glare as they left the palace and headed towards the village.

The two of them walked in silence for a while until they were about two minutes outside of the village.

Serenity was going crazy inside of her head. The thought of it just being her and Endymion alone all day once again caused butterflies to appear in her stomach. He was much better company than Diamond ever was. She risked a glance up at him. He was staring straight ahead, his dark hair hanging slightly in front of his eyes. For some reason, she felt her heart melt just by looking up at him.

"Where exactly are we going?" she asked him.

"A pub. Thats where everyone would be at this time of night. You've never been to one before right?"

"No, I barely go out of the palace."

"That's going to have to change. Well, at a pub there's drinking; people might be a bit out of control, but it's fun. I thought it would be a nice change of scenery for you, but only if you want to. Do you still want to go?"

Serenity nodded happily. They walked in and she felt him wrap a protective arm around her waist. She felt her face heat up at the light pressure of his fingers on her body.

'He's just being protective. That's his job,' Serenity thought, trying to calm her nerves.

Endymion led her to a booth and let her sit down.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Not really, but I am a bit thirsty," she replied.

"I'll be right back then," Endymion smiled before walking through a crowd of people.

Serenity observed everyone in the pub. People were intoxicated and dancing. There were a few who appeared to be arguing. But despite all of the different activities, everyone was having fun. She smiled to herself. Why would he bring her here? She honestly didn't care where they went, as long as they could have some time together. She looked up and saw him coming back with 2 mugs of a brown liquid in them. He put the mugs on the table and sat across from her.

"It's butterbeer, it's like beer just with no alcohol," he explained.

Serenity looked at it and raised it to her lips. She drank it and it left a foam mustache on her.

"It tastes delicious!" she exclaimed, grabbing a napkin and wiping her lips.

"I'm glad you like it," Endymion said, gazing at her.

Serenity set her glass down on the table and folded her hands together. "You know a lot about me, yet I know nothing about you," she said.

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything. Start at the beginning.".

"Well, you already know I'm from Earth. I'm twenty-one. I don't remember my parents, I grew up in an orphanage. I was quiet, but I still had a good amount of friends. I remember wanting to be a knight when I was about 11. As a kid in the orphanage, I was always hearing about stories of the brave knights that protected the royal families of the galaxy. Ever since hearing those stories, I've wanted to be someone who would get the opportunity to protect the royal family. I've worked hard to get here, and now here I am today."

"Is there anything else that you would want to do?"

"I haven't given much thought to that; I've spent my whole life trying to become a knight. What would you want to do if you didn't have your entire life planned out?"

Serenity smiled and looked down at her hands.

"Honestly, I don't know either. But I do know that I don't really care to be queen."

"Why not?" Endymion asked, his eyebrows creasing together.

"It's too much pressure. I'm not saying that I can't do it, but I'm not saying that I can, either. I just don't want to be tied down like that. I want to go to different places and see different things. Like today, for example. This is my first time coming to a pub. What other places do I still need to see and experience? As Queen, I may never get to see or do those things. I don't want to feel like I'm caged in."

"When you do become Queen, I'm sure you can leave and go wherever you please," Endymion pointed out.

"I can, just not without a parade of people coming with me. I want to leave and go without anyone asking any questions. The first place I'd go is Earth. Could you imagine if the hierarchy of the Queen of the Moon traveled to Earth all by herself?"

"I'll take you someday."

Serenity's eyes widened. "Really?!"

"Really," Endymion said, smirking at her reaction.

"What all is there to do on Earth?" Serenity asked, a sparkle in her eyes.

"Thousands of things. There are so many mountains and lakes, and endless fields of hundreds of different colors. If you think this kingdom is beautiful, you have another thing coming. We could do whatever you want."

"Promise?" she stated, holding out her pinky.

He looked at her pinky and laughed before hooking his around hers.

"I promise."

They smiled at each other and laughed.

"Did you want anymore?" he asked, gesturing to their drinks.

"Yes please," Serenity replied with s smile.

Endymion grabbed her glass and went to get a refill. A few moments later, a man with long white hair sat across from her.

"Hello, your Highness," the man said.

Serenity stared at him and raised an eyebrow, as if to imply that he was delusional.

"Don't try to tell me that I'm crazy; I'd know the princess anywhere. You're a long way from home, aren't you?" he said to her. Serenity gulped. Even from across the table, she could smell the alcohol coming off of his breath.

"Kunzite, you're scaring her," Endymion said, coming back to the table.

"My apologies, your Highness. I guess it only works when Endymion does it," Kunzite said with a wink. Endymion sat down next to Serenity and started a conversation with Kunzite, leaving Serenity to her thoughts.

"Kunzite... where have I heard that before?" Serenity thought, staring at the white-

haired man. Her mind back went back to earlier in the day with Mina. Was this the same Kunzite she talked about?

After a few more minutes, Kunzite made his exit.

"Sorry about that," Endymion said with a chuckle.

"It's quite alright actually," Serenity smiled as her eyes wandered off to the couples dancing on the dance floor.

Endymion followed her gaze and got an idea. He stood up before her.

"Dance with me?" he asked her, extending a hand.

"I can't. I'm terrible at dancing," she replied, embarrassed.

"You can't be that bad," he said, taking her hand and pulling her out to the middle of the dance floor.

He placed her arm around his neck and put one of his hands on her waist. Taking her other hand in his, he started to move to the music. Serenity did her best to follow his movements, surprising herself at how natural dancing felt.

"See, you aren't bad at all," Endymion said.

"Maybe because you're a good partner," Serenity replied with a grin.

"Maybe."

Serenity put her head on his shoulder. They slowly swayed back and forth to the music, despite how other people were dancing around them. For the first time that day, Serenity felt peaceful and happy.

She looked up at Endymion, letting her eyes meet his. And in that moment, she realized:

She was falling for him.

They danced for at least a half hour. It was well after midnight by the time they stopped.

"Serenity," Endymion said softly.

"Hmm?"

"We should go, it's late."

Serenity analyzed her surroundings, coming down from the cloud she was in.

"Oh yes, we should," she said, flustered.

Once again he wrapped his arm around her waist, but this time he kept it there the entire walk back to the palace.

"Are you cold?" he asked her. Instead of waiting for her to reply, he wrapped the cape of his knight uniform around her. They continued to walk to the palace in silence.

Serenity was exhausted, but she wanted to stay with Endymion longer. She wanted time to stop so she could just be with him forever. Time wasn't agreeing with her though. All too soon, they were standing in front of her bedroom door.

"Did you have fun?" he asked her.

"Yes, the most fun I've had in a while," she replied with a smile.

"I'm glad."

They looked at each other for a while, with his arms wrapped around her waist and his eyes keeping her inna trance. Serenity found herself gradually moving closer to him with a sudden longing to feel his lips on hers. Her eyes were starting to close when she was hit with the reality of what she was doing. She looked down, blushing deeply.

"I should go. I'm glad you had fun, Princess. Good night," Endymion said as he kissed her hand. The dismay in his voice almost convinced Serenity to just kiss him right then and there.

"Good night," Serenity replied. She turned away from him and went into her room, shutting the door behind her. With a heavy sigh, she leaned against her door and sank onto the floor, closing her eyes.

She was still on a cloud. In fact, she never really came down. She had to be with him more.

"Serenity, it's almost dawn, why are you s-"

Serenity ran out of her room and ran down the hallway to catch up to him.

"Endymion!" she said, loud enough so he would hear but not loud enough to wake anyone up.

He turned around and saw her.

"I really did have fun tonight, and I was wondering if we could do it again sometime," Serenity blurted.

"Of course we can," he said with a grin.

"I...just wanted to make sure this wouldn't be the last time," she said. With no words left, Serenity wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. She pulled away, but his hands still rested on her back. She felt as if his very touch was setting her on fire.

Looking into his eyes, Amy's words from earlier echoed in her mind:

"Follow your heart, Serenity. There isn't anyone in this universe who knows how to do that better than you."

Serenity relented, closing the space between herself and Endymion and bringing her lips to his. His lips were soft, just as she suspected. Her hands wrapped around his neck as his arms pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Never had Serenity felt so alive. They hastily pulled away for air, gazing into each other's eyes.

"Good night," Serenity told him once more.

"Good night," Endymion replied, his lips swollen from their kiss.

They parted ways and Serenity went back to her room. She couldn't wipe the blissful expression off of her face.

"Care to explain?" Luna asked her.

"You were right. I do like him," Serenity said. "I really like him," she sighed in content and changed into her nightgown.

"Serenity, I'm glad you finally feel that way about someone but you have to be careful about this. You can't forget about Diamond. You and Endymion having any relationship other then friends is for-"

"I know, Luna," Serenity said as she got in her bed. "Please, just for tonight, don't ruin this. I'm really happy right now, so please don't ruin this moment for me," she begged her cat.

"Good night, Serenity," Luna said, dropping the subject and curling up next to the dazed princess.

Serenity drifted off into a deep sleep with thoughts about Endymion and his soft lips against hers.

The next morning Beryl came into her room.

"You're Highness, Enceladus has returned and your family requested that you join them for breakfast."

"Alright, I'll be ready soon," Serenity said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

As soon as Beryl walked out she immediately flung herself back on her bed.

"Luna, why couldn't the day start later?" she asked with a yawn.

"Well, if you weren't sneaking out in the late hours of the night you wouldn't have a problem," Luna replied.

Serenity rolled herself out of bed and went into her bathroom. She looked at her reflection in the mirror to see dark bags under her eyes. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair and let out a sigh. She was exhausted, but she wouldn't trade last night for anything.

Luna hopped on the counter next to the sink.

"Serenity, I don't mean to be a bother, I just really want you to be careful with this. If you and Endymion get caught, there's no telling what would happen. It's c-"

"Nothing is happening between Endymion and I. We're just friends," Serenity said, trying to convince herself more than Luna.

"Yes, but your relationship is only going to get stronger. If the two of you are ever caught being more than friends, that's considered treason, and he will be punished. You both have to be careful," Luna explained.

"I know," Serenity said, a hint of sadness in her voice. She could never get away from the fact that she and Endymion could be nothing more than friends.

Serenity fixed herself up and went downstairs for breakfast. She was going into the dining room when she saw Endymion by the palace doors, talking to guards.

She immediately blushed as he caught her eye and smiled at her. She returned the gesture and went inside the dining room.

"Good morning, Serenity," her mother greeted her as she sat down.

"Good morning, Mother," Serenity said. "Where's father?"

"He's working with the guards, he should be joining us soon," Queen Serenity explained.

Serenity nodded and started to eat. She saw that Diamond was giving her a look, more like glaring at her. She looked down to avoid his gaze but she could still feel it.

"Why are you blushing, Serenity?" Diamond asked her, a suspicious tone in his voice.

"I was rushing to get ready this morning, I didn't want to be too late to breakfast, what with Enceladus being back," Serenity told him, trying not to sound as flustered as she felt. "And welcome back Enceladus," she said kindly.

"Thank you, Serenity," Enceladus replied.

"We were discussing the ball that will take place tonight in honor of the engagement," the Queen told her daughter.

Everyone continued talking until a messenger came in.

"Sorry to disturb you your majesties, but you have a visitor," the messenger said.

"Well, tell whoever it is to wait," the Queen said, turning back to her breakfast.

"I'm afraid I can't. It's the prince," the messenger said nervously.

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and looked at the messenger.

"Bring him in," the Queen said quietly, her voice shaking slightly. She got up and walked toward the door, waiting for her son.

Caliban slowly walked inside and Queen Serenity immediately wrapped her arms around him.

"I've missed you, Mother," Caliban said, hugging her back. "I'm sorry it's been so long I jus-"

"No, none of that matters. You're here now," Queen Serenity told him.

Serenity stopped eating and stared at the sight in front of her. Her brother - who had been gone for 4 years - was back.

Larissa got up and greeted Caliban with a hug. All Serenity could do was stare in shock. She missed him deeply and wanted nothing more than for him to come back. And now that he's here, she didn't know what to do. She followed what Larissa did and went over to her brother.

"Serenity, you've grown in the past four years. You're not the awkward 13 year old I remember," he said, hugging her.

Serenity laughed and hugged him back, tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm so glad you're here," she told him.

"I'm glad to be here."

"Caliban, you have to come to the ball tonight!" Larissa said excitedly.

"Yes, you must. I won't take no for an answer," Queen Serenity agreed.

"That's fine with me. Congratulations on the engagement Larissa," Caliban said.

"Thanks, I-"

"What is he doing here?" Aegean said standing at the doorway, glaring at Caliban.

Caliban walked toward him. "Father, I-"

"I told you never to come back unless you were going to take the throne!" Aegean yelled.

"Father, I know. I'm not here to take back the throne. I have no intention on being King."

"Then leave! Go, now!"

"Aegean, he's your son," Queen Serenity said to her husband, trying to calm him down.

"No, he's not! No son of mine disobeys my orders and elopes with the girl I specifically told him not to marry! It's been four years!" Aegean exclaimed.

"I know, I'm sorry you feel that way but it's in the past! We must move on from this!" Caliban said, sounding desperate.

"Why have you come back?" Aegean questioned him.

Caliban was silent for a few moments before saying, "Well, I thought you and Mother would like to meet your granddaughter," Caliban said.

Everyone stared at him in shock.