A/N- Hey guys! You might want to read this note if you don't usually. Just to let you know about Serena's village… it's pretty small since its filled with mystical characters and they really don't like to get involved with the outside world. That's why the number of people who go to help is so small. Well, I hope that prevents too much confusion. Just to let you know I have a meet this week and so I don't know how much I will be updating.

Sunny38- Don't worry, this chapter's a bit longer.

Melody87- Read on and find out!

cosmoscrystal96- Sere and Dare will always find a way back to each other… Diamond isn't in this chapter, but will be soon.

SilverGhostKitsune- My friend told what kawaii meant after I posted the last chapter. Thanks!

emma134- Glad you liked it!

Lady Tristana Rogue- I always have something in mind, don't worry!

GoddessMoonLady- Selene is pretty smart so of course Serena was caught…

"Serena, a letter arrived for you today. Alexis's eagle brought it back early this morning. She was going to deliver it herself, but I told her I was on my way over here and so I volunteered to take it." Molly said as she barged into Serena's room. Serena groaned at the light when Molly opened her shades.

"Why were you up so early?" Serena asked.

"Well not all of us are like you and can sleep in all day. Now come on, wake up! I'll give you your letter when we're having breakfast." Molly said. Molly helped Serena get dressed and then walked down with her friend into the dinning room. Serena's mother was just finishing as the two girls made their way into the room.

"Molly, would you like something to eat?" Selene asked. She handed Serena a plate filled with bacon, eggs, sausage, and some potatoes. Serena was already digging into her food when Selene added another plate of strawberry pancakes.

"No thank you Lady Selene. I ate breakfast with Lady Alexis this morning." Molly declined. "Anyways, I believe Serena can eat my food." Serena glared at her friend, making her friend and mother laugh as she gorged herself on the last of her breakfast.

"Yes, Serena's appetite is quite amazing. I will leave you two to do whatever you have planned." Selene said. She kissed her daughter on her head as she walked out of the room.

"Molly, can I have my letter now?" Serena asked as she wiped her face clean of any particles of food.

"Only if you plan on not soiling the letter with any food." Molly laughed. Serena glared at her and handed her the parchment paper. Serena studied the outside of the letter and immediately recognized Darien's handwriting and seal. "Who is it from?" Molly's voice broke her into her thoughts.

"It's from King Darien." Serena whispered. Her hand traced the gentle curves of her name as she thought about Darien.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Molly asked. Serena nodded dumbly and gently broke the seal from the paper. The letter unfolded quietly and Serena's eyes instantly started roaming over the letters.

Serena

The castle is quiet without you, almost too quiet. My sister still raises her voice every once in a while so I can not say that the castle is completely quiet. I have missed you as well. I will be missing you until the day I get to see you again, which I also hope will be soon. With the war, I do not know what you could do to help if you were able to. My men and allies are doing the best they can right now, but this is the largest army we have fought in our history, or so it is believed. The only things I could ask for in this time are for more men and weapons, which our allies are providing us, and the knowledge that you are safe. Please do not worry about me too much for all will be fine in the end. I hope what you have to tell me is not that bad, but I wait anxiously to find out what your secret is.

Always

Darien

P.S. Please return the hawk, I believed you called her Goldy, my sister and the others also have letters they wish to send. I just wanted to send mine sooner than there's were ready.

"Aw, what a cute letter!" Molly gushed from over Serena's shoulder. Serena squeaked and gripped the letter close to her chest.

"Molly! Why were you readying over my shoulder?" Serena yelled.

"Because you were not going to read it aloud anytime soon." Molly said with a content smile. Serena glared once more at her friend before finishing the last bites of her breakfast and getting up. "Where are you going? I thought we were to go to the fields again today?"

"I'm sorry, but I must speak to my mother. I will come get you if I am still able to go out today." Serena said before rushing off to her mother's study.

Serena found her mother quietly reading over some documents that someone probably delivered last night or this morning. Selene barely looked up from her work as Serena plopped into the chair that stood across from her. "What can I help you with Serena? It has been a while since you have sat with me while I have been working."

"I know mother, but I'm here to ask you for your help."

"My help? What do you need and I'll try to help you if I am able to." Selene said.

"Darien sent me a letter and he says that I should not worry, but also hints that he needs more men. Mama, can we not send some of the men to help? I would go with them as well! I know how to get there quietly so the other army does not see us!"

"Send more men to help a cause that is not our own?" Selene asked. Serena opened her mouth to retort, but Selene held up her hand and Serena's mouth closed. "That was a rhetorical question Serena. Why should I send and endanger my men to help those who once used to try and kill our kind? Why should I ask them men to risk their lives when the war does not bother us? We do not have reasons to trust either side of this war anyways."

"The war will soon be bothering us! If Darien does not win the other army will come here! They are land hungry and greedy! We do have reason to trust him! After all of the years of living next to Darien's kingdom not once did her try to come here and take our land. Mother, please, if you don't send an army let me go! Let me see if I can help someway." Serena's eyes started to tear up and Selene sighed looking at the mess one man's letter has caused.

"Let me see the letter." Selene said.

"What?"

"Let me see the letter King Darien sent you." Serena gingerly handed over the letter to her mother. Selene quietly read the letter while Serena fidgeted in her chair. "Well it does seem as though he loves you, even if he has not said it in words. Those words are meant to be spoken the first few times, not written anyways. You love him?" Serena nodded her head slowly. "We will ask who wants to go. This will be a voluntary mission, a suicide mission in my opinion…"

"Darien, I can't believe you sent away the eagle before we could respond! Mina and I have letters we want to send Serena!" Rei fumed. Darien just rolled his eyes and tried to ignore his sister's bickering.

"I asked her to send the eagle back as soon as she had the letter. They might need to rest the eagle for a few days or they had more important letters to send out to their allies." Darien said. Rei glared at her brother, but knew he was right and it would be hard to argue against him any further. Before Rei could find another topic she could yell for a horn called out from the wall that surrounded the palace and the city. Darien gave Rei a questioning look before rushing out of the throne room. He was met by his generals and the other woman right in front of the large doors that closed the palace off from the city. The royal party made its way to the stairs of the wall so they could go to the sentry and find out the reason for the interruption.

"My lord… there are warriors that say they are here to help. They are led by a cloaked figure." The sentry explained. Darien simply nodded and went off to find these mysterious warriors.

"Are you friend or foe?" Darien asked the group when he found them. Their leader was indeed hidden by a dark cloak that was hooked together by a clip that looked eerily familiar. There were only about 50 members of this party. Darien thought that with that number they would not last a few hours.

"We are friend and by the way, that is one of the stupidest questions you could ask. I'm pretty sure your foes would not say they were foe when they were under your shadow my King." The leader said. Darien was flabbergasted at the daring answer, not knowing who would mock him that way.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Like I said, we're friends. Although you have only had the pleasure of knowing three of us." The figure reached up and brought the hood of the cloak back to reveal a golden head and large blue eyes.

"Serena…" Darien gasped.

"What you did not think I would miss all of the fun locked up in my room? My mother and my village send us here to help you. Our numbers might be small, but we are some of the best fighters in this land." Serena said.

"Open the gates! They are our allies!" Darien yelled down to the sentries who were at the doors. Serena smiled her thanks back to Darien before leading her men into the city. Darien and his party quickly met her on the ground. Serena had just dismounted when Darien ran up and gave her a hug. After realizing they were in public and drawing many questioning eyes to them they quickly jumped back and straightened out their clothes.

"It is good to see you again Darien." Serena said with a smile.

"As it is you. How did you manage this?" He asked looking over the group.

"I talked to my mother. I had to show her the letter and have a small debate with her, but we ended up letting the decision go to the men. They could choose if they wanted to help or not. 50 men decided too, a larger number than I expected. I know it is nothing compared to what you have, but you asked for help and I wanted to give you as much as I could find."

"50 men are 50 more men that Diamond has to deal with." Darien said with a smile.

"King Diamond you mean?" A tall man with dark brown hair tied back in a pony tail and a matching beard asked walking up behind Serena.

"Kind Darien, this is Lord Charles. He is the general of this army." Serena introduced. "Charles, this is King Darien." The two men eyed each other warily before shaking hands.

"Yes, we are fighting King Diamond. He has drawn some allies from King Alan and Queen Beryl as well." Darien explained.

"If you had mentioned that we would have more men for you. A task that might still happen. This is something our young leader might not know, but when our people still traveled and had smaller villages around our central one it was King Diamond who persecuted us and took our lands. Most of our people died before we were able to send him home." Charles explained. "Serena, I will send your mother news of this recent development." Serena nodded before smiling back up at Darien.

"Thank you for your help. Jadeite, find these men a place to stay and some food." Darien ordered his general. Jadeite inclined his head and showed the men to some barracks that were abandoned at the moment.

"How did you manage this? And why did you come?" Darien asked.

"Well if you are not happy that I came I can ride home and not think twice." Serena huffed. Darien smiled and led Serena into the castle and into the gardens for some privacy. "You know Rei and Mina will be mad that you are taking me away from their prying questions."

"Your travel must have been hard, you need some time to rest before you can answer those questions." Darien replied. "Now answer my first questions, please."

"Like I said, I talked to my mother and she read you letter. We had a small debate before we went in front of the castle. As to how I am here… well that's another issue." Serena explained.

"Please tell me you did not run away." Darien groaned.

"No, if I did Charles would have tied me up and sent me home where he would tell my mother to chain me to my bed. No, my mother agreed to this although it was hard…"

Flashback

"It has been decided! Those 50 who have wish to help the men will be leaving tomorrow at noon under Lord Charles. The other 100 will stay here and guard our city as always!" Selene declared. The men nodded and went off to either prepare for the journey or get ready for double shifts as sentries. Selene looked at her daughter who was beaming with pride next to her and signaled her daughter to follow her.

"Thank you mother for letting this happen." Serena said.

"You should not thank me, but the men who have decided to go. Now you need to stay here. Darien wants you to stay safe, I want you to stay safe, your friends want you to stay safe. The best place for you to be safe is here, with your friends and in a place that is well protected."

"I know, but mother… I really want to go. Father and Alex showed me how to fight and they taught me well. I would be able to help as well." Serena groaned.

"I know you would, but I could not bear to loose you." Selene said with a sad smile.

"Mother, I'm sorry to ask you this, but can I go? Please?!" Serena begged.

"Serena, don't ask me that. I just told you-"

"I know what you told me, but please mom! I won't fight, I'll stay at the castle and if I have to get away, well you know how good I am at sneaking around." Serena said.

"You promise to stay in the castle at all times?" Selene asked.

"Yes. You can even have Tristan baby-sit me again."

"There is no way I'd let him baby-sit you after the last incident. I'll trust you in the hands of this King Darien and his sister and her friends. I want reports from you and Charles every week is that understood?"

"Yes mother, I assume we're taking one of the eagles?"

"Yes, now I believe you have some packing to do." Selene said. Serena gave her mother a hug before running into her room and throwing things left and right into her bag. Little did Selene know her daughter also managed to hide some things just in case the war got too close for Serena's liking.

"…and now I'm here." Serena finished.

"Well I'm happy you are. Now what was that thing that you had to tell me?" Darien asked. Serena paled at the thought and stumbled for words before deciding to just tell him.

"I love you." She whispered.

"What was that?" Darien asked. All he had heard was a mumbling of words.

"I love you." She said a bit louder. Darien's jaw fell. But he soon recovered to grab Serena and kiss her. "I'm guessing that was an 'I love you too'."

"Yes, I love you too Serena… my Sere." Darien smiled. He leaned back down to place another, more gentler kiss on Serena's lips.