V

"Luna," Serena started innocently, nonchalantly, as she chewed through the sugary and syrupy taste of blueberry pancakes in her mouth, "who is Prince Endymion?"

Her sole eating companion paused, her own forkful of food hanging in the space between her plate and her mouth. Silence fell between them, which was kinda weird. Luna usually answered her other questions about things and people without hesitation, but this one seemed to surprise her. "…Why do you ask?" the older woman asked slowly.

It had been a week since Serena had met him, the prince that wore black. The days following that time had passed in their usual way—lessons, meals, meetings, and whirlwind discussions about her expected appearance at Parliament, the first of many according to Diamond. She had seen plenty of the Moon royals since her debut, and the elders had even politely declined invitations for things like tea or early morning walks through the rose garden on her behalf, but she hadn't seen him again. Which she figured was fine, but…

"…Endymion…"

His name. She'd known his name before it had been said, in a voice that was almost like hers but wasn't.

The strange part wasn't that she knew it. There were things she had just known since that morning after the Coronation Announcement: the layout of the palace's royal quarters where she slept and ate, particularly the hallways with its hanging lotus flower-shaped chandeliers and wallpaper with repeated dark-yellow prints of blooming cherry blossom branches and perched waxwings, goldfinches, and swallows; the permeating scent of the rose garden throughout most of the royal grounds; the pattern of butterflies on the plates her food was served on; and even the best time to watch the sunset glisten off the the bridge connecting Neo-Tokyo and Juuban.

But…she hadn't remembered people—let alone names. Not Luna's or Artemis'…and the only reason why she knew Prince Diamond's was because of the coronation. But she had heard Prince Endymion's name like a thing she suddenly remembered from part of a dream…

And she felt like she knew his face. Like, it didn't matter where or how big a crowd could be gathered around her, she would be able recognize him. Fine details about him: his light honey-bronze skin; the way the curve of his smile was higher on the right; the way his hair framed his deep blue eyes. His eyes were the thing that told her he was as ageless as the others; they looked older than the rest of him. And they were guarded and unwelcoming on purpose—like he felt like he needed to put a wall up…until he had started laughing, and then all of that went away…

Meeting him had been a good thing, and since that afternoon, she felt like a small part of her was waiting…hoping…for it to happen again.

The fingertips of her free hand were brushing against the spot where her crescent-moon mark lay again.

Luna was still waiting for her to say something, but she knew she couldn't explain it. Her hand fell. "…I just haven't seen him since that day, and I guess I thought that was kinda weird." She shrugged and looked down at her unfinished meal, poking at a mashed blueberry with the prongs of her fork.

The older raven-haired woman placed her own fork down and faced Serena with a pensive expression before answering. "Well…the reason why you have not seen the prince is because Prince Endymion," she hesitated for a brief moment, and her eyes trailed around the room to find the proper words to say, "is not exactly welcome among the Moon's royalty, most especially the elders." Luna picked up her cup of juice, but unlike all other times when she would take delicate sips, she drank long enough to make her head tilt back slightly.

The sixteen-year-old's forehead crinkled. She couldn't imagine the same royals who seemed to always want to be in her company treating an actual prince differently. "Why is that?" She placed her fork down; she didn't care about breakfast anymore.

Luna placed down her empty cup and a sigh left her lips. "…The other nobles have always treated the affairs of the Moon with the utmost confidentiality. The reason for that was to protect the Silver Millennium Crystal." She removed her cloth napkin from her lap.

The Silver Millennium Crystal. Of all the things she had learned, Serena now knew the name of the "great power" always referenced in her old Ancient Moon History textbooks. Since Aglecta's first frustrations about her lack of progress during her lessons and her dislike about what she called Serena's "fish-eyed" stare, she was now made to gaze at the ten-foot paintings of the queens and the princess. The Princess of the Moon was painted with her face tilted down slightly, eyes closed and a small smile on her lips. Her long, silvery hair and white dress floated around her as if she were caught in a gentle wind, and floating in the cradle of her hands was the crystal. To her, it looked like a cross between a diamond and an upside-down teardrop. Even though Aglecta never told her exactly what the crystal was capable of doing, looking at the way it illuminated the princess' peaceful face, she felt like she knew why it was all those things Aglecta said it was: "the single-most important item in the universe;" "the birthright of the royal family;" and "the integral source of power for the Moon."

"The royal family came to be solely to protect the crystal," Luna continued. "Its existence and the power it gave to the queens of past are why the other nobles served the queen and princess, and why the elders continue to act in their place today." The dark-haired woman began to play with the edge of her tablecloth. "However, in the wake of the attack, protecting knowledge of the crystal has meant guarding or even erasing information available to those outside of the palace walls and even the kingdom. It is to keep us safe from vulnerability, but it has brought on a wariness towards those outside Moon's royalty—like the prince."

Serena absorbed this information. "Prince Endymion knows about the crystal's power and its disappearance?" She imagined his eyes and the years they held, the way they told of a life spanning years beyond how the rest of him looked. In fact, everyone had that look here… "He was here on the Moon the day of the attack…and the elders think he had something to do with it?"

Luna shook her head. "He would not have been allowed to stay if that was the case… They think his arrival and his being here all those years ago opened the Moon to attack from the outside," she sighed, "even after all this time…" She looked over at the girl. "I am uncertain if you will ever come to learn this, but Prince Endymion is the forger of the Orbital-Satellite Alliance. He created it and then revised it after the attack for the Moon's benefit."

Serena thought about everything she knew about the alliance from her classes back at school. "So…us depending on Earth isn't a bad thing?"

"No." She shook her head. "No. Artemis explains it better, but…it simply strengthens our own forces should anything like the attack happen again." Luna's gaze focused on a point far away before she began shaking her head ever so slowly to fight the memories away. "Although they do not like to admit it to themselves, our being so isolated has strained and even broken our relationships with the other planets. The prince and the Earth are our closest allies now…and even that has weakened over the decades.

"But, of course the elders believe otherwise." Her expression suddenly became aggravated. "I have never understood how they think the alliance is still some sort of century-long power play for the Moon. Ridiculous! Even after all this time… They would, they would believe the rising sun a conspirator if it did not signal the start of the day!"

Luna's hand suddenly flew up to her mouth and her brown eyes widened. The equally surprised teenager had the same expression on her face. It was the first time the older woman, who was normally calm and listened to what the elders had to say, had done the total opposite. And it was definitely the first time anyone around her had spoken negatively about the elders themselves…

The older woman pushed back her chair and stood, straightening the bow of her yellow lace-and-chiffon dress. Her cheeks were turning a deep pink color. "Excuse me for my outburst; I spoke out of turn."

The teen realized that that was the most honest conversation she had had with someone since living in the palace—or maybe the first one since meeting Prince Endymion that day. And even though a great part of her was…hurt to know that he wasn't liked and the elders didn't trust him, she now knew the prince of Earth had created something meant to protect everyone. Her heart was…fluttering. Like it had had questions of its own and was reassured now that it knew some of the answers.

Serena had a million new questions now. Her hand pressed against her forehead. She felt a tingle where her mark was. "…You make it sound like the prince is really from the Moon."

"The prince is a good person and a good ally, and he is still…invested in the Moon and its well-being. I truly believe none of us today can say we care about all the things that would have concerned the princess more than him. It was good that Diamond pushed for the alliance to continue and for him to stay…I have always believed it is the greatest sign of the friendship they shared from when Endymion first arrived."

At that, Luna abruptly paused, like something that she said hadn't sounded quite right. Serena watched as her face soured and a frown froze on her face. Before she could ask what was wrong, she started blinking and took in a deep breath, as if waking up from a stupor. "Make sure you finish your breakfast. You have a big day ahead of you…"

It was nightfall when Prince Endymion chose to venture inside the palace. He preferred the freedom night gave: the dimmed chandeliers overhead and quiet shadows that fell and stretched across the palace's walls and hallways; the simple glances from the soldiers that stood on either side of the doors where the royals continued their leisure in the drawing rooms and suites of the most popular or festive in their ranks.

He reached his destination, a door cleverly designed in the manner of the palace walls and flanked by two guards that stood at its either side. He glanced at the adjacent staircase that led to the gallery of suites where the elders dwelled before giving the briefest of nods in acknowledgement towards the sentries. "I am expected."

The guards gave their requisite greeting, and one pushed against the door until it gave. "Please enter, Your Royal Highness."

He did so. The short corridor he stepped into had a color scheme of black paint and thin gold trim. He walked the few steps through it, ignoring his image in the mirrors that hung on the walls at both sides until he entered a drawing room of the same design, save for three tall windows across him. Despite the roaring flames in the fireplace, he felt a light breeze of cold air and saw the fringe of a curtain flutter with the wind. He deigned to open his suit jacket, only stared at the ornate vases and statues in the room…and the image of himself and the room's layout in the large mirror placed over the fireplace.

Diamond's footsteps from an adjacent hallway announced his presence. "Endymion, my friend." The greeting came with a smile and a pat on the shoulder. "Come sit. Join me."

Endymion offered a smile at his friend's exuberance. Diamond walked towards the center of the room where two plush white leather couches faced one another in front of the fireplace. In between was a small table covered in a white tablecloth where a nearly uncorked bottle of Sauvignon Blanc stood in a bucket of ice surrounded by three wine glasses and a few dishes of food. He settled onto the couch across from his host, but did not recline in the same carefree manner. He eyed the cut of the white suit and the accompanying shirt, tie, slacks, and shoes the Moon-born royal wore. "Did you just return from the Parliament building?"

"Yes, just got back from the docks when you arrived. It was the day for introductions to be made with the members of Parliament." He smirked at something, some memory that had crossed his mind. His fingers loosened his tie and its bits of gold thread caught the light.

The Earth-born prince unbuttoned the last button of his suit jacket for comfort. "You mean the Moon's politicians actually took time away from the last few days of their sanctioned recess to attend a luncheon at Parliament?"

"No criticisms, Endymion, please. And no talk of politics—I'm not Artemis, you know." Diamond reached over and fully removed the cork from the bottle, the brief sound a pop punctuating the air. The wine was poured in silence, and when the task was finished, he leaned into the couch again, stretching his unoccupied arm across its back and laying his right ankle over his left knee. "…Well, what has happened to warrant a late night visit?"

Endymion leaned forward to grab his own glass, but did not immediately drink it. "I came to talk to you about…Serena."

A brief moment of confusion crossed Diamond's face, as if he did not know who they were referring to. "What about her?"

He took a sip of his drink. "Luna has given me a thorough account of her lessons with Aglecta, and what little Luna has not shared, I have overheard from my assigned servers."

"Mmmm. The gossiping dinner maids." Diamond joked, breezily using a term Endymion himself had created once long ago.

"From what I hear, there is some merit to the rumors: the tirades and insults. …We are both aware of Aglecta's temperament; we have certainly experienced it firsthand."

"You a bit more than myself, of course." Diamond joked and swished his drink in its glass. "…I know it is believed that the elder's esteem for me is high—and I shall refrain from arguing against it with you." He sipped his wine, but stared at Endymion over its brim. "…Has Luna expressed serious concerns to you?"

"No, but I have some of my own." He drank a bit more.

Diamond considered the words. "You have serious concerns about the girl."

"Am I not allowed?"

"Of course! Certainly! But," the Moon-born prince leaned forward and scooped up a handful of nuts from one of the dishes, "this is so different from the beginning when she arrived. After all, you were the one to remind me of the girl is not."

"The circumstances are not like what they were initially. If Aglecta's intention is to use the girl to find the crystal, then a less harsh method may yield better results. Of course, she is incapable of realizing that—or chooses not to—and I would never be able to make the suggestion to her directly. Which is why you should be the one to speak to her."

"…You are suggesting that I speak to Aglecta about her behavior towards the girl, Serena, on your behalf…?" The Moon-born prince leaned back once more and ran a hand through his white hair. "Many thoughts have been put into this. And what, of all the things heard from unnamed sources, has brought on this…show of concern?" He took another sip from his glass, his expression tight around the eyes.

Endymion heard sarcasm in his friend's voice and sensed a change in the air. He drank more of his own wine and let the taste of the semi-sweet liquid fill his mouth to keep him from answering. He felt that in that moment it was better to not be so forthcoming; to not say that Serena herself was the source of the conversation.

Since the moment he had met her that afternoon, he had…the thought of her and their conversation had crossed his mind often. Maybe because it had been new, maybe it was it had been unexpected… The look of her tearful eyes in his memory seemed to jar him. He knew whose eyes they reminded him of, but…the way she sat alone with the fountain of koi fish for company…so unlike Serenity, even in her sad moments—so much more like him, like how his life had been for the century spent behind these walls…

"No one deserves abuse from Aglecta. If I were capable of saying those words to her, I would."

"…Of course…"

They fell to a thick silence once more. Endymion felt the tension within himself and saw the mirror of it in Diamond's expression as well.

The hallway door opened and the approaching sounds of a guard's footsteps came down the corridor. Neither man dropped his gaze from the other.

"Your Highness."

Diamond's purple eyes broke their staring contest in their shift towards the guard. "Yes, of course. Thank you. Please escort Prince Endymion back." He stood and straightened his tie. "I will consider what we said, and see if I can speak to Aglecta the next time she is available and inviting for a word."

Endymion stood and relaxed as if a spar had reached its end. Part of him felt caught between wanting to continue the conversation to turn it to something positive. It was…wrong to end on such a sour note. The Moon-born royal was his friend.

Diamond's eyes lacked the mirth they had held at his arrival. "You may want to leave to avoid being seen."

"…Of course. Good night."

"Sleep well, my friend." Prince Diamond said, but it lacked the airy quality his parting words usually held.

Their handshake was firm, not friendly.

Endymion's trek back into the corridor was a short, conflicting one. He reached outside the Moon royal's quarters and with a brief nod towards the guards, started on his path back to his suite once more. He thought back on where he had just been and the heavy tension between he and the other royal. Has that ever happened before?

A cadence of footsteps interrupted his thoughts and made him stop in his tracks: the heavy boots of the guards across the marble floor accompanied by the staccato of heels.

On impulse, he turned again and walked towards the end of the hallway. As if pulled by a sort of curiosity he had not possessed since he was a child, he pressed his back against the wall's moldings and paintings, and looked over its corner.

There stood Aglecta flanked by two guards, dressed in a long-sleeved frock of some kind with stud embellishments and sky-high heels. Her gaze remained straightforward and she made no effort to bother looking around her. The guards outside Diamond's door let her in without so much a question—

He was watching as Serenity stared at the group of royals that mingled around the drawing room, dressed in the palace's equivalent of casual: cocktail dresses and stocking feet for the women; pajamas for the children; and dress shirts sans suit jackets for the men. All were murmuring quietly among themselves or listening to the harpist and violinist that played in the center of the room. Her attention went back to her lap, to the book he had given her, her cup of hot chocolate momentarily neglected. The skirt of the white lace dress she wore fell across his knee.

—There, in a nearly isolated corner, were Aglecta and Diamond sitting together and talking—

"…Aglecta rarely ever joins us, and she never speaks to anyone else…" She turned her glance to over her shoulder towards her senshi. They, too, seemed taken aback at the sight them both: Mercury's blinking eyes; Mars' raised eyebrow; and save for Venus' tilted head, she and Jupiter shared the same pose with their crossed arms and suspicious stare—

Endymion suddenly felt like he was emerging from a pool of water.

He felt—

Almost as if his glance had been physically felt from across the room, Diamond pulled his attention away from the elder and towards him.

As they stared at one another, Diamond's expression hardened: a furrowed brow, a firm mouth, and eyes that solely spoke of contempt and hatred.

Endymion's glance became the same—

Again, he gasped for air. He was practically sitting on the floor; his head throbbed and the hallway was spinning. This time he looked about him to see if there was anyone who had come upon him, but he was alone—not even the guards outside Diamond's door had grown suspicious or heard a sound. He pressed his hand across his hairline and felt sweat gathering and trickling down his forehead, but nothing strange was triggered: no images of past, of the past he…felt he knew…

He slowly brought himself up to stand and touched the wall to steady himself. "…What was that…?"

A/N: I had wanted a stronger conversation between Luna and Serena in the last chapter, but what I had written was so…weak. It was part of the reason why I re-wrote chapter "IV." Anyways...This was so much stronger than what I had previously; I was able to give Luna more spice, which was really satisfying. Same goes for the conversation with Diamond and Endymion.

Thanks so much for the feedback from the other chapters. R&R

(Poor Artemis! Present in spirit, never in body…)