Chapter Five

Worry Me Softly

Serenity woke early in the day, certain it was still light out, and she stretched in the bed and smiled at the sight of Endymion next to her. Working her way out from under his arm she barely contained her blush at her appearance. Stark naked, she tugged at the sheet and wrapped it around her body. The vanity across the room from her held items for her to fix her hair. The large mirror had been taken out of the setting, and in its place Artemis had left a hand held one. It was apparent that Artemis had expected her to sleep in Endymion's bed, while her prince had been rather surprised and distrustful of her desires.

Part of her understood that he was afraid of himself, afraid of the darkness that had been left when his soul was taken. The other part of her knew that he felt what she did. He felt the ties that bound their hearts and blood. Taking the silver brush she moved it through her long silver locks. It was a difficult process; her hair was tangled from their encounter.

Behind her the bed creaked, and she turned around. Endymion looked at her through two blearily eyes before giving a great sigh and plopping back on to the bed. Serenity smiled, amused that he acted like a child in the morning, protesting greatly about getting out of bed. Tugging her long hair over her right shoulder she grabbed at the silken sheets and started towards the bed. A knock came from the front door, stopping her movement. It was still daylight, most likely Artemis.

Endymion groaned, and refused to surface from the great bed. She almost wanted to shot him a dirty look, not relishing greeting an entire precision of people in nothing but a silken sheet. Never the less she opened the large oak door at the front of the cottage.

"Artemis." She smiled and greeted. Stepping aside she allowed him to enter and gasped as fifteen people followed him into the room. Taking in her dress, he shielded her from the curiosity eyes of the rest and gave a fatherly smile.

"Serenity," he greeted, turning her around he lead her into the front sitting room. Serenity was a little amazed at a cottage that appeared to be so tiny on the outside contained so many rooms.

"Who are all these people and what are they bring in?" she asked, waving her arms as the servant went in and out of the cottage bring in heavy packages.

Artemis shot the group a long suffering look before answering her, "Oh well if Prince Endymion is going to be residing here," he gave her a pointed look, "and you with him," Serenity refused to blush, finding nothing wrong with being with her mate, "then your going to need some supplies."

"What kind of supplies require fifteen people and numerous trips to a cart?" she asked, teasing the older man and grinning as his brows rose.

Artemis returned her smile, content in the knowledge he was right. She was going to turn Endymion's world upside down, and all for the better. "Well food for the both of you," Serenity understood the cottage gave Endymion the chance to feed outside prying eyes, "Clothing and other items that you might find useful." At the end of his speech all the servant exited the house and Artemis took his own leave. Giving her an understanding smile and what she thought might be a grateful one.

Serenity walked towards the kitchen area, and smiled at the fresh fruit set out on the table before her, taking an apple she returned to the bed room. Endymion was still in the bed, with a rather disgruntled look on his face. She climbed into the bed and sat down next to him before munching on the apple she held in her hand. Out of reflex she held out the apple to him, before realizing it would hold no appeal. She blushed, mortified at her blundering.

Endymion gave her an amused smirk, and he wasn't offended. In fact he was rather flattered. People with great affection for each other often shared food; it was intimate for them to pluck the food from each other fingers. He liked that she found him worthy to do that. Catching her by her waist he pulled her down on him, laying her flush against his body and settling back into the bed. She settled down with out a fuss, and he heard her give a content sigh.

"Tell me about your self," he whispered, stroking her hair and rubbing her back lightly. In the few short days that they had been together he had noticed that she had put back on the weight that had sourly been lacking when he had met her. Her body had filled out in the most delightful way and it took everything he had not to rip the sheet out and ravish her that this very moment. He could feel his fangs lengthen at the thought, only three times in his existence did it happen, hunger, anger, and arousal.

"What do you want to know?" she whispered back at him.

"Parents?"

"Both are dead," she stopped for a moment, "My father died before I was born. From what I've been told in a battle protecting my tribe. He wasn't the only one to fall, but unlike the others his death wasn't quick…he suffered." There was a long pause before she continued, "My mother died giving birth to me, and like all children orphaned in my tribe I was taken in by all…but for the most part raised by the wise woman."

"Wise woman?" he asked

"Luna," there was great affection in her voice, "She loved me like her own, and raised me the same way. In our tribe she has been gifted with visions, and through those she taught me much."

"Is that why you were at the castle?"

She nodded against his chest, and snuggled deeper into him. Endymion squeezed her, relishing how she felt against him.

"Your gift?"

She laughed a little bit, but answered, "My family line has always been borne in the moonlight, or at least that is the story I've been told. But only a few of us are borne with the gift of moonlight and with that we are marked from the past." His fingers brushed against her neck, feeling her scars.

"These are from your past?" he questioned.

"My families, around two hundred years ago a vampire fell in love with a gypsy and she returned that love, however it wasn't before he drank from her and forever marked the blood line the two would share."

"How is that possible, vampires create death not life" he asked intently, staring deeply into her eyes. She touched the side of his with the intent to sooth him.

"She loved him so deeply and offered forgiveness that the moonlight filled his soul and he was returned to his human form. Restored so that they were able to share a life together." He stared at her in absolute shock, and she gave a small uncertain smile.

"Can…can…you do that?" he croaked, desperate for an answer.

Her head turned to the side, and she gave a thoughtful look, "I don't know. No one else in my family has ever loved a vampire, and few in the line have been given the gift of moonlight. Perhaps one day, but only time will tell," she answered him honestly about the matter.

But Endymion only wanted to know one thing, "Do you love me?"

Tears filled Serenity's eyes, making the silver orbs sparkle with a heavenly light, "Since the day you became part of my dreams," she told him, placing her lips against his and kissing him with all the love she felt.

Endymion returned the kiss full force, ignoring the old doubts that always managed to creep up on him. He wanted her and for the first time in six years he wasn't going to deny himself something he wanted. His hands wandered down her body, freely exploring her every curves and pressing her closer to him. He heard her breathing become ragged, and her heart beat pick up in her chest. Her legs shifted, straddling his hips and he pressed himself upward, rubbing his body against her own. She gave a throaty groan at his actions.

Serenity wasn't sure how she managed to be naked in the large bed, since they had been tangled in the sheets. But she had no complaints as he rose on his elbow above her and took in her body. She kept herself from flushing by looking at him. In her upbringing she was taught that this was natural between and man and woman and she had no cause to be ashamed.

Endymion sucked in the air he didn't need as he looked at her, she was long in her stature, but still small compared to him. Her breast were large, but stood up right as the rosy nipple hardened and begged for his attention. Her stomach was flat but well formed and buttery soft to the touch, and her hips were wide and voluptuous. His gaze followed her hips to the silver thatch at the apex of her thighs before returning to her eyes. His hands splayed on her hips and he pulled her close, leaning his own body down on hers.

Serenity grinned through her kisses and nibbled lightly his shoulder. His hands traced her body, and entered her. She gasped, and rose to meet his thrusts; her body quaked with shivers and wept on his fingers. Through the haze of her pleasure she watched his teeth lengthen and the darkness over take the blue in his eyes. In her time with him, she had learned to love both parts and was content to see the darkness in him as well as the light. They were both part of him and she could never be revolted by what he was. As her body surged with the last moments of pleasure she felt him withdrawal.

He hid his face from her, and was startled when her soft fingers turned him too her and she whispered against his mouth, "I trust you…just trust me," she asked.

They came together and Serenity stiffened briefly as he entered her body but it was nothing compared the pleasure he gave her. Endymion lost him self in her body, his senses heightened by the smell of her body, and sound of her blood rushing through her veins. He changed fully as his climax came closed and as the humanity in him had marked her as his own, the darkness surged forth to claim the same right. His fangs grazed her flesh, over the marks that she already carried. Softly they entered her and he took his first sip from living flesh. With one sip his fangs retracted, and together they lost themselves.

Serenity gasped in a pleasure she had never encountered before as his fangs sank into her neck, she didn't struggle or fight, but stroked his back in trust. He would never hurt her of that she was certain. She was right, and fell asleep held safely in his arms.

A while later, Serenity rolled in the bed facing her lover. She felt a bit drunk from the blood he had taken but she wasn't about to complain, loving the feeling of being his to much. She felt marked and knew it was something she would never be able to erase in her soul. Leaning forward she kissed him before hopping out of bed to get dressed. That night they never said anything about what had occurred between them, but each knew it was binding for all of eternity.

- - - - - - -

Mina raced to catch up to Lita who was stomping head over by a few yards. The two warriors greeted each other with a nodded and continued walking in the night. The battle exercises this day were to be held after the sun went down so that the returning prince could see what the military could do, and more importantly what the guards could do. Noticing her friend in a huff Mina inquired, "Another fight?"

Lita nodded, but didn't answer. Mina understood her friend a little too well; Lita was at times a bit too stubborn and stoic. Keeping her feelings bottled up for so long. "About what?"

Lita ignored the question and asked one of her own, "How was your reunion?" Mina gave a blinding smile at the question, but didn't stop hounding her friend.

"What did you two fight about this time?" Lita snorted. Hell the question Mina should be asking her is what she and her husband didn't fight about. Married seven months and complete miserable, she wonderful if there was going to be an end in sight. She knew that they had both gotten off on the wrong foot, and as far as she was concerned, it was both of their faults. But no matter what they couldn't seem to get past their problems and find some shard of happiness.

"The usual," Lita answered, she and Mina were close enough in their friendship that she would understand with out details. After all it had been the same old fight for nearly a year. Jealousy-forced into marriage-anyone but you. Looking back on the past year, Lita acknowledged that if she hadn't been so stubborn in the beginning maybe they would be happy now, just the way Mina and Malachite were. Taking a deep breath she admitted that she really did want that.

Mina watched her friend walk right past her husband. She knew Lita wasn't being rude, but merely caught up in her own thoughts, and Nephrite was just as much to blame in the matter as he didn't even try to gain her attention or reach out to touch her. Mina flinched for the both of them, their emotions were all to easy to read, or at least they were for her, a woman so tuned in to others that she often read them like open books.

Nephrite no longer felt that he could do anything that matter, so sure that his marriage was doomed and destroyed beyond repair, and like Lita he wasn't sure how to apologize and start a new. Mina understood and knew their story all to well. Lita had been order by her father to marry Nephrite and solidify the alliance between the two kingdoms, at the time she had been involved with another man romantically. One she had known since childhood and had always expected to marry…she loved the man that was true but Mina felt it to be more of a sisterly love.

But Lita was stubborn and refused to admit when she was wrong. And if that wasn't enough for the couple to over come, Nephrite had been involved with a lady of the court, a woman he had kept as his mistress for a year. Both refused to back down, and it wasn't until Nephrite ended things with Beryl a month before the wedding that the fights cooled down to a summering boil.

Now the merely needed to move past the anger, and place the passion that raged between them into a positive light.

Malachite caught her hand and gave her a curious look. She just smiled at him and followed after to begin the exercise.

- - - - - - -

Rei frowned at Ami in displeasure, before sighing and taking in a deep breath. It wasn't her friend's fault that she didn't know what was wrong with Ethan, but she had hoped that she might have some idea. His coughing was getting worse, and his body was starting to grow warm with a fever. At first glance Ami hadn't been to concerned, acknowledging it was most likely cold from the traveling and stress.

But now only a few hours later she looked worried and uncertain about her son's condition. Wrapping her child up, Rei lifted him in to her arms and thanked her friend before returned to her chambers. Placing him beneath the covers she watched him twist and turn in the bed, his small body fighting the fever that had begun to take him over. His skin was pale and clammy to the touch and with every breath that he took; she could hear the ragged exhaustion.

She was thankful that Ami was researching the problem…but still he was her child and she was all to frighten to lose him.

- - - - -

The battle exercises were a success, and Serenity laughed out loud when Malachite challenged Endymion to a sword fight, at first her lover had been unsure but with a little encouragement got into the spirit of things. Endymion easily defeated the general, but he acknowledges after that fight that since his change he had become stronger, faster, and more flexible. Malachite however took it in good stride, and threw Nephrite in to the ring as punishment for laughing at him.

The group of men laughed like old friends, and danced around like idiots in childhood games. She couldn't help but smile, and found that she wasn't the only one, both Mina and Lita were grinning at their foolishness.

"No!" Zoicite fought to be taken into their game, declaring that he was a scholar and not a warrior, but still he wound upon on the inside of the group grinning like an idiot. At that moment Serenity knew their friendship would survive, overcoming the pain of the last six years.

Standing on the sidelines watching their men, the three of them established a friendship, and a trust for the magic and power that raged between each of them. Serenity turned abruptly, feeling the moon tug hard on her body. Only in times of great peril did it happen, and she knew something was desperately wrong. Endymion stopped immediately as well and turned to look at her, he had felt her concern and fear.

"Something's wrong," she confided, and the large group moved towards the castle. She had been right, and was hardly surprised to find the peril to be with Ethan. The moon had claimed the boy's soul and wasn't about to give him to the underworld with out a fight, however as the night broke into dawn his life forced faced.

But dusk Serenity realized that to save him, she would have to offer a trade to the goddess of the moon.

---Yay!!!! Chapter five. Ok so what does everyone think and how do you like the cliff hanger, I promise you won't have to wait long to find out as today is my last finial and then I have lots of time to write. Yay! Remember to review.