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Wow, I know it's been a while since I've updated and I promise I'll get better at it! Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

My Knight In Shining Armor

Chapter 12 - The Path To Finding Yourself

"Ma, you always taught me what was right from wrong and now I just wanna give it a try. Mama, I've been in the nest for far too long so please give a push and mama, watch me fly!" - Hairspray, Mama I'm a Big Girl Now

Serenity went downstairs when it was time for dinner, not ready to face her father again. This time, she wasn't early, and everyone was already eating. She walked in, pausing when her father spoke:

"Serenity, where's Diamond?"

"I think he's in his room," she replied.

"You should go get him, I'm sure he'd love to join us," the King said.

Serenity nodded and reluctantly went to Diamond's room. She had grown tired of dealing with him. She knocked on the door a couple of times with no answer. "Oh well," Serenity thought. She started to walk away when she heard voices coming from inside. Suspicious, she walked back and pressed her ear against the door, listening intently. Faintly, she heard a woman's voice. Was that…Beryl?

Tired of being suspicious, she opened the door and was shocked by what she saw: Diamond and Beryl, on his bed, doing the unspeakable. The two were in a compromising position, one Serenity never knew was possible. She stood there, eyes wide, mouth open, shocked. It took her a few moments to realize she was standing there, capable of being seen. Snapping out of her stupor, Serenity stepped back and shut the door silently. "Wouldn't want to intrude," she said aloud, bitterness dripping from her voice. She knew all along that there was some sort of relationship between her servant and her suitor, but she had no idea it was this advanced.

"He's telling me to be loyal! Honestly, the nerve!" she thought. The anger and disbelief coursing through Serenity's veins was almost unbearable. She wanted to punch something, scream, anything. If there was one thing she hated, it was hypocrisy.

At the same time, however, she felt dirty and exposed, violated even. She had never laid eyes on anything so disgusting and just…wrong.

"How could he do that?" she thought, even though she was having her own fling with Endymion. But at least she wasn't doing…that. "And with Beryl of all people!"

Serenity didn't even noticed that she had arrived at the dining room once again. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and squared her shoulders before making her entrance.

"Where is he?" Larissa piped up as soon as Serenity sat down.

"Oh, he said that he was tired from traveling all day, but he sends his apologies," Serenity lied. Throughout her meal, couldn't stop thinking about what she saw. Even though she couldn't care less about him, she couldn't help but feel betrayed by Diamond. All he did was make sure she was staying faithful, and yet there he was. Even though she wasn't faithful herself, she never thought of going to such a large extent as to have sex with Endymion.

With a slight shake of her head, Serenity forced her anger to the back of her mind. She was tired of thinking about Diamond. Instantly, she was able to catch on to the conversation that her family was having, which was of her sister's wedding. In two days, Larissa would be wedded.

Serenity looked at Larissa, who seemed helplessly in love, and happy. She couldn't help but be jealous of her older sister. Here she was, caught up in a confusing and dangerous love affair, and her older sister was already on the verge of uniting with the man she loved. Larissa's life was so easy, so simple. Serenity knew that she could never have a love that was so easy.

The sound of childish laughter snapped Serenity out of her thoughts, and she was shocked to see Cressida and Alexia entering the room. The discomfort of Alexia's face was easily detected, and Serentity pitied her. She knew firsthand how intimidating her father was.

"Alexia, will you be attending the wedding with Caliban?" Queen Serenity asked politely, trying to make her feel more comfortable.

"I wasn't planning on it, b-"

"Oh, you must!" Queen Serenity cut her off. "I will not take no for an answer!"

"But I will. You don't have to go if you don't want to, Alexia," Aegean said, practically daring Alexia to accept the wedding invitation.

Alexia was silent at the King's words. She didn't know how to reply.

"No, she'll be attending with me," Caliban said, sensing the pressure that his wife felt.

"Are you sure that's what you really want, Caliban?" the king asked. Everyone knew the deeper meaning behind what he was saying.

"Yes, that is exactly what I want," Caliban replied, glaring at his father. He got up, furious and annoyed, and left the room.

"Where do you think you're going?" the King yelled, standing.

"As far away from you as possible!" Caliban yelled back.

"Don't you think it's a bit rude, leaving without saying anything, and leaving your family behind?"

"I'm being rude? You've been rude to me and Alexia ever since I came!"

"I have not! I'm just stating the true nature of things, and if that's what you think is rude, then maybe it's good you don't want the throne!"

"Here we go again . . ." Serenity thought, looking down at her hands.

"It is rude as well as disrespectful! It's me you should be taking things out on, not Alexia! She had absolutely nothing to do with the decisions that I made!"

"She is the reasons you made those decisions!"

"What's done is done and there is nothing you can do to change it!"

Queen Serenity stood up and slammed her hands against the table. "Okay, let's stop arguing and be happy! This is a happy time, so we need to get along with each other!" the Queen said, smiling sweetly. "Caliban, sit down and finish your dinner." The look the Queen gave her son was one that he hadn't received in a long time. But both he and the King knew that she was serious, and it wouldn't be smart to tell her no.

Caliban reluctantly took his seat, still upset and annoyed.

The rest of dinner was long and awkward. Serenity was glad to get out of the dining room, but her anger returned when she saw Diamond. The memory of him with Beryl flashed in Serenity's mind.

"Serenity, love, I'm rested and now we can finish our conversation," Diamond said, sounding happy as he kissed her forehead.

Serenity pushed him off of her, disgusted.

"What's wrong with you?" he said, sounding hurt.

Serenity looked at him, shocked he could even touch her. He was a fake, a liar, a traitor.

But so was she.

"Nothing. I'm fine, just tired. I'm going to bed," Serenity pulled away from him.

"No, you're not leaving me," Diamond said simply, pulling her back by her wrist.

"Diamond, get off of me, now," Serenity growled.

"You didn't miss me? At all?"

Serenity looked deep in his eyes, searching for the correct answer. All she saw was a mask.

"Not particularly, I highly doubt you missed me."

"I did miss you, a lot," Diamond said, his voice taking a low tone.

"Really? Was it me that you missed, or was it somebody else?" she said, testing him.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind, I'm going to bed now, good night." Serenity nodded curtly and yanked her wrist out of Diamond's grasp before walking away. She was too tired to deal with him – they would discuss the matter some other time.

There was no way that they could marry each other when they clearly did not like each other. She desperately wanted to get out of the palace but did not want to go the same situation as before with her father. She walked in her room and flopped on the bed, defeated.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked, settling on her bed.

"I don't want to be here. I want to leave but I feel like that's not the best choice, given the consequence from yesterday," Serenity said.

"I would not advise leaving, your father would be furious."

"He already thinks that I'm going to be a terrible Queen, so why don't I just go ahead and show him how terrible I can be. It feels like nothing I do is working and I'm tired of it," Serenity said. The exhaustion in her voice was evident to her feline companion.

"Well, you can't just defy him."

"Maybe I can. You know, I realize that he is the King and my father, which mean he can control everything, but that doesn't mean he should control everything! Like…like love! Who we fall in love with is decided by fate, not him! I don't understand why he can't grasp that! I get that I'm a princess and I have my duty, but does falling in love with a commoner really do so much damage? Caliban fell in love with Alexia, and the world is still intact! So why do I have to fall in love with a man as disgusting as Diamond! I want to to do things. I want to be involved. But he won't let me! Everything I do and everything I say has to be controlled and monitored by him. Why doesn't he get it, Luna? Tell me that!"

Serenity had to stop, because she was out of air. The anger and frustration had all been released, and her poor cat was the one who had to deal with it. But she couldn't hold it in anymore. All of her problems had been bottled up inside for so long, and Diamond's affair had pushed her off of the edge.

Luna blinked at her charge, shocked. She had never seen Serenity so worked up.

"You are the future queen. What do you want to do?" Luna asked.

"What do I want to do?" Serenity repeated. "I want to leave. I don't want to stay here. I want to help people in my own way, not how my father does it."

"Then do it. You are an intelligent young lady. I'm sorry that I didn't notice that until now. You are capable of so much, Serenity," Luna told her.

Silence pervaded the room as Serenity pondered Luna's words.

"Luna?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think . . . it would be wrong of me to call my father selfish?"

"Everyone is selfish, Serenity. Would it be wrong of me to call you selfish?"

Serenity was silent. Luna was right. Everyone she had ever met was selfish, including herself. Here she was, getting angry about her father's imperfections, yet she was just as imperfect as he.

She decided that tonight would be the night things would change, the night that she would take control of her own life. She wouldn't be the one to just sit around. As queen, it was her responsibility. No more hiding in her father's shadow, no more cowering behind her mother's grace. It was time.

Serenity gathered her cloak and walked out of her room, going to the hall that her friends were staying in. Each door had the symbol of their respective planet. The scouts were all important to the Moon Kingdom, so they had their own quarters if they ever needed them. At the time, all four were staying at the Moon Kingdom for the royal wedding. Serenity knew which one she needed to see.

Without knocking, Serenity opened the door and closed it gently behind her. Her blonde best friend was sleeping soundly in her bed, hugging a stuffed animal to her chest. Serenity rolled her eyes. It was typical of Mina to be so childish.

"Mina," she whispered, getting no response. Mina was almost as heavy a sleeper as Serenity was.

"Mina," Serenity said, getting louder. Mina stirred, but continued to sleep.

"Mina, wake up!" Serenity said sternly, shaking her.

"Wha? What happened? What's going on?!" Mina said, sitting up and looking around.

"I need you to get ready, we're going out," Serenity said.

Mina stared at her for a few moments, adjusting to the darkness. "What? Where? At this time of night? Serenity, your father is already upset with you. If you leave now, he'll be furious," Mina said, desperately wanting to go back to sleep.

"That's why we're going now! It's just past midnight, which means that everyone is asleep. If we get back before dawn, everyone will still be asleep. We won't get caught, and I can see more of the kingdom," Serenity said.

"What's going on?" Raye said, as she walked in with Amy and Lita behind her. Raye was a very light sleeper, and her sixth sense made it easy for her to wake up on her own.

"Great, you're all here!" Serenity said.

"Serenity, what's going on?" Amy said, rubbing her eyes.

"Your plan already failed. I'm going back to sleep," Mina grumbled.

"Explain yourself please," Lita said, crossing her arms over her chest. She wasn't happy to be woken up in the middle of the night.

"I want to know more about the kingdom, so to do that, I need to start small and just know what's going on. So, I've decided if I leave just before midnight and get back just before dawn, I could accomplish that. I want to help people!" Serenity said.

"You can't help people at a decent hour?" Lita said.

"Father only focuses on the higher class, not the people in the village who are practically starving. I have to do that on my own time, which is now."

"And what all can you accomplish at midnight? Everyone is asleep at this hour," Raye added.

Serenity sighed. "Not much. I know this is a long shot, and I know it might be pointless, but it's a start. I want to help people. I have no idea how or what I am going to do but this is how I have decided to start and I need my friends with me, please."

Amy, Raye, and Lita exchanged glances. Sure, their princess was a lunatic. Sure, she had no idea what she was getting herself into. But could they deny her this wish? Her intentions were good. And they all had seen how bad the conditions were in the villages. If they were going to serve their princess as they had promised, they couldn't let her do this alone.

"We'll meet you at the stables in five minutes," Amy concluded. Raye and Lita nodded before heading back to their rooms to get ready.

Serenity smiled. She knew her friends would always be there for her. She began to exit Mina's room when she realized that her leader was still sleeping. "Mina, are you coming?"

There was a groan in response, and Serenity knew that she had won over her friend. Satisfied, Serenity began to make her way out to the stables, were she quickly retrieved her horse. As she fixed the saddle, a thought struck her: she had no idea where she would go. Hopefully, her friends knew the villages a little better than she.

Amy, Raye, and Lita walked into the stables, cutting her thoughts short. They were all transformed, looking alert and ready for action. Mina followed close behind, transformed, but with her hair disheveled and her eyes glazed over. If there was one thing Mina hated, it was a lack of beauty sleep.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Raye asked her, grabbing a torch so there could be some form of lighting.

Serenity and the others followed her lead and grabbed a torch.

"Um - uh - well, I -"

" - Have no idea where you want to go?" Raye finished Serenity's statement.

"No, I have an idea! Somewhere that needs help!" Serenity said, defending herself.

"Serenity, your idea is great, but there's not much to do at this hour," Mina said, rolling her eyes.

"There has to be, it's the only time I can do something without my father," Serenity said quietly. The hope in her voice was slowly fading.

"I know where to go…but it's a little sketchy. Are you sure you want to?" Amy said quietly.

"Where is it?" Lita asked.

"It's sort of a hospital. Peasants who can't afford proper healthcare go there. Maybe you can talk to whoever runs it?" Amy said to Serenity.

"Yes! That's great, lead the way!" Serenity said, mounting her horse.

"Wait, m-maybe we should take a knight, like Endymion," Mina said, starting to have second thoughts. It was late, and who knows what kind of people were lurking around the streets at night.

"No, we'll be fine. It's a hospital, what could possibly happen to us there?" Raye said.

"Yeah, and if anything does happen, we're sailor scouts! We don't need a knight," Lita added, punching her fist into her hand.

"I just - nevermind," Mina said, scratching the top of her head.

The four looked at her weirdly before making sure they were properly on their horses and riding off.

Serenity couldn't help but look back at the palace. She knew how upset her father would be if he discovered her missing in the middle of the night, but what she was doing was trying to better herself, and her kingdom. If he wasn't going to do it, then she would. She took a deep breath and looked forward, refusing to look back.

"Amy, how far away is this place?" Lita piped up.

"It's on the outskirts of the village, it'll take a while," the bluenette replied.

That made Serenity even more nervous. The farther she went, the farther away she was and a bigger chance of someone finding out.

They continued the ride to the hospital and tied their horses to the trees once they were close enough to walk.

"This place does seem a bit sketchy . . ." Raye said, looking around.

The building was broken down and worn away. It was obviously old, and it was very small, with many people running around inside it.

Serenity was bewildered at the fact that this could be called a hospital. Being the princess, she always got the best medical care in the kingdom. She never knew that others received such poor care.

She led the way inside, when almost everyone stopped and looked at her before going back to what they were originally doing. They were so preoccupied with their business that they didn't even stop to bow. Serenity sort of liked it.

Amy walked in beside her princess and went up to a tall man, immediately starting a conversation.

"Who is that?" Lita asked, as the others caught up and stood next to Serenity.

"I have no idea, but she seems like she really knows him," Serenity said, raising one eyebrow.

"Wait, she's blushing!" Mina pointed out excitedly.

Amy turned around and gestured for Serenity to come to her.

Serenity quickly composed herself and approached the pair.

"Zoisite, this is my friend, her Royal Highness Princess Serenity. Serenity, this is Zoisite, a worker here," Amy said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, your Highness," Zoisite said, as he bowed to her.

"Please, just call me Serenity," Serenity said, smiling.

"I'll let you two talk. I'm going back to the girls," Amy said. She left the two alone.

"So, I assume that you know more about this place than I do," Serenity said with a small laugh.

"My father runs it. He felt terrible about some people not being able to afford healthcare, so he started this place. He's started to ignore it, so it's going downhill, but I'm trying to bring it back. Even though that task is easier said than done," Zoisite explained.

"It seems like it's working, other than it being incredibly full in such a small building," Serenity said.

"I think it is. I can't just forget about it, though. I feel as though I have a duty to keep it going."

"I know the feeling," Serenity muttered quietly.

"What?" Zoisite said.

"Nothing. Anyway, how can I help?" Serenity knew Zoisite couldn't revive this place all on his own. From what she could tell, he wasn't of the upper class. His clothes were plain, and not many nobles cared about peasants.

"You want to help?" Zoisite said, confused.

"Of course, that's the whole reason that I came!"

"There's not much you can do, no offense, but I don't think you know much about running a hospital."

"Well, no offense to you sir, but it looks like you need all of the help you can get," Serenity remarked.

Zoisite blinked a few times. "Very true. Well, what would you like to do?"

"I could get you into a bigger space, an actual hospital with actual equipment in about a week."

"Okay then, good luck with that."

"It'll be-"

"Help please!" a woman yelled. Zoisite and Serenity turned towards the voice to find a very pregnant woman walking into the building.

"Excuse me, your highness," Zoisite said, walking away hurriedly.

"It's Serenity!" the princess yelled out, doubting he paid her any attention.

Her friends walked up to her as Zoisite rushed the woman back to a small room.

"Is this what you were looking for?" Mina asked.

"Somewhat…I just don't know how I tell my father I need a fully equipped hospital in a week. It's not like hospitals are just lying around the kingdom."

"Then why did you tell him you would get one?" Raye snapped, annoyed by her princess's idiocy.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Amy said, ignoring Raye's comment.

"Yeah, but we should go. We've been gone for a while," Mina said, getting nervous.

The rest of the girls nodded and they walked back to their horses.

"Amy, how do you know Zoisite?" Serenity asked.

"He's just an old friend. I've known him for a while. Our fathers are close…" Amy said, a shy tone to her voice.

"Just a friend? That's not how it looked to me!" Mina said. The other girls nodded in confirmation.

Amy's looked down, trying to hide the blush that was creeping onto her cheeks.

"Awe, Amy's got a crush!" Raye squealed.

"Come on girls, leave her alone. She can't help it if she's head over heels!" Lita said, making everyone laugh.

"I don't have a crush on him! He's just a very nice…old friend," Amy quipped.

"Sure, whatever you say Amy," Serenity said with a smirk.

"What about you! You and Endymion like each other!" Amy said, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, but I'm not the one denying how I feel," Serenity replied.

"I'm not denying anything! I'm telling the truth," Amy stated.

"Woah there girl, calm down," Lita said.

"Amy, you can't lie about love to the Goddess of Love," Mina said matter-of-factly.

"Speaking of love, are you excited about your brother's wedding tomorrow?" Raye asked.

"The wedding is going to be beautiful for sure, but it'll be a long wedding since he is marrying a Princess of the Moon," Mina said with a sigh.

"Let's not talk about the wedding," Serenity groaned.

"Why are you so bitter about it?" Amy asked.

"Because that's literally the only thing everyone has been talking about. It'd be nice to be away from that for a while," Serenity said.

The rest of the way back to the palace was quiet. The girls were in a comfortable silence, happy to all be together. They all felt like they were growing apart as time went on, and it was nice to have this time together.

They put their horses back into the stables and said goodbye to one another before retreating to their quarters.

Serenity snuck upstairs to her room as quietly as she could. She walked into her bedroom, thankful she wasn't caught, and turned the light on. She saw Endymion standing in the middle of her room. Luna was nowhere to be seen. Serenity's stomach dropped as soon as she saw him.

"Where have you been?" he asked, walking quickly over to her. His hands immediately went to her shoulders, and he stared at her. Serenity silently took him in – the mussed hair, and wild eyes, and his pale complexion told her that he had been worried sick. Guilt began to creep its way into Serenity's conscience.

"W-what are you doing here?" she answered with another question.

"I came to see you. However, you weren't here, so I was worried sick about to go and find you. Now, where were you?" he hissed.

"I…went with the girls to the village," she told him. She looked down, unable to bear the scared look in his eyes. "I'm sorry if I made you worry," she almost whispered.

"You're just lucky you came in when you did," he said, pulling her into his arms. She had needed this – his arms around her. The warmth of his embrace was what took away all of her stress and sorrows. She could stay with him like that for all eternity if she had to.

"I am lucky; I got to see you," she said with a grin.

He chuckled before leaning down and kissing her.

Serenity wrapped her arms around his neck as he backed her into a wall deepening the kiss. He licked her lips, asking for entrance, which she gladly permitted.

The innocent princess, Serenity had never actually been in such a heated situation before, and was beginning to worry about messing up. But whenever she began to feel insecure, the feeling of Endymion's lips on hers reassured her, and her doubts disappeared. She didn't care if she was doing it wrong, because it felt so right.

His lips trailed down to her neck, and Serenity felt goosebumps spread across her body. He picked her up and, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around him. Her dress hiked up to her hips, falling in ripples towards the floor. She reached up and pulled the pins out of her hair, letting it all fall loosely down her back. Tossing the pins aside, Serenity tangled her fingers in Endymion's hair, relishing in the feeling of his cool lips on her hot skin.

Serenity felt her cheeks get hot. She knew she should pull away, but a part of her didn't want to. Everything about her lover was driving her into pushing on; his scent, his touch, his warmth. She didn't know how to describe it, but everything about him was intoxicating. She tilted her head back, taking in the moment.

Endymion lifted his head from her neck and kissed her again, smiling as he did so. She smiled as well, and Endymion pulled away, leaving them both breathless. He was breathing hard, and Serenity felt his breath on her neck.

"We have to stop," he said in between breaths.

"N-No we don't," Serenity replied, trying to pull him back in.

He set her down on her feet, causing her to gently sway. Her knees felt like jelly, and Endymion grabbed her elbows to steady her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, even though she felt completely discombobulated.

She had never felt like this before. She didn't want to stop. She knew where it would lead if they continued, and . . . she was fine with it.

Endymion studied her for a while before speaking up.

"I should go, it's almost dawn," he said.

Serenity looked out the window, startled to see the sun rising into the sky.

"Oh," She said as her heart fell, knowing she had to part with her lover.

He kissed her quickly and went to the balcony, waving before he climbed down.

Serenity watched until he was out of sight. With a sigh, she changed into her nightgown and got in her bed. She knew she wouldn't get much sleep. She wasn't tired; she wanted to stay awake and be with Endymion. She pulled the blanket over her and tried to force herself to fall asleep.

A couple of hours later, she was awakened by Beryl.

"Your highness, you need to wake up," Beryl said as softly as she could manage, without getting annoyed.

"No, come back in twenty minutes," Serenity mumbled from under her pillow.

"You said that twenty minutes ago. Your family wants you to join them for breakfast," Beryl said.

Serenity sat up in her bed and saw Luna on the edge.

"Okay, I'm awake, I'll be down soon," Serenity said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Beryl curtsied and walked out.

Serenity got up and went to take a bath. She sat in the tub for a while, her thoughts not tearing away from what she and Endymion almost did in the early morning hours.

"He would never do it, he's such a gentleman. No matter how bad I would want to do it, he won't." That thought made Serenity even crazier about him. She got up and wrapped a towel around herself. After going through her regular morning routine, she fixed her hair and began to talk with Luna.

"How was your night? Did you learn anything?" Luna asked.

Serenity told her all about the hospital.

"Serenity, where do you think you'll come up with that in a week?"

"I don't know, but I'll figure it out," Serenity said, as she finished her hair.

She walked downstairs to breakfast and ran into Diamond on her way there.

"Good morning, my love," he said to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her forehead.

Serenity pushed him away, still disgusted with him. She knew she was being hypocritical, because she almost did the same thing with Endymion not five hours ago.

"How was your night?" he asked, ignoring her rudeness.

"It was fine," she replied, trying to get away from him.

"What is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been avoiding me since I got back."

"No I haven't," Serenity lied.

He studied her, not believing anything she said, before entering the dining room.

Serenity took a deep breath and followed him, knowing that for today and tomorrow, the Royal Wedding would be the topic of everything.

"I can do this."

Things are starting to get saucy now aren't they? Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Again, I'm so sorry about how long it took to upload a new chapter! I've been crazy busy but it's summer and I should be able to write more! YAY! Thank you again for reading!

Have an AMAZING day/night

xx Morgan xx