Different World of a Different Time
by Moonlight Eternal
- -
Chapitre 6
Endymion quickly plastered the fake smile on his face. The truth was, he was so tired he didn't care how unnatural it looked to the others in the room. At least they'd know he was making the attempt to remain friendly. And he severely hoped the others retained memories patchily, at least for the day. He wasn't sure he could deal with Zoisite being edgy around him all the time he was in Amaranta, which he was sure to do if he'd been offended in any way, shape, or form. It would be enough of a strain on Endymion to be in Amaranta, and calling it a strain was in all modesty. The additional stress of Zoisite avoiding him and having forced conversations where he only answered 'yes' and 'no' was not something he needed.
As his hand hesitated on the doorknob, Endymion checked himself up and down in the hall mirror. If his behavior earlier hadn't offended Zoi, being improperly dressed would. Endymion reassured himself, looking at his casual black slacks, black silken shirt, and deep red cape, that Zoisite would approve of the colors of the Crown Prince for this meeting. He'd have to, as Endymion didn't plan on changing again in front of a pair of rather observant rose-red eyes. He could seriously hit his head against the door a couple hundred times for forgetting that child was in his room. In all honestly, he had forgotten she was there at all so he couldn't seriously be too angry with himself...
Sighing, and reapplying the smile, Endymion walked through the door into his familiar study/library setting. He didn't let the sight of what couldn't be less than 50 oddly large books stacked over the table he was supposed to occupy, or the papers that littered the surface, perturb his decision to remain positive. If only for the sake of remaining sane for lunch, he planned on getting this work done and doing it with a most happy smile firmly cemented across his slowly paling face.
He spotted Zoisite tiredly replacing a couple books on the shelves of the second story of the study's library. Helios was out of the general way, reading on the winding metal staircase. Oddly enough, the high priest was enraptured in whatever it was he studied. Endymion, on most occasions, would have mustered up some curiosity, but as the case was, he had one goal and anything to the side of said goal didn't meet his line of sight. "Helios, here's another book on stone spells," Zoisite called out wearily from above, turning from the vicinity he'd returned the other books to. Endymion noticed, with an edgy feeling of worry, that the weariness in Zoisite's voice was obvious. Zoi was another of those keep-it-all-inside types. Hearing the garren member actually have strain in his voice made Endymion wonder if Zoi had slept at all.
"Oh, Endymion, you made it." Zoisite leaned heavily on the banister and looked about ready to fall over the side. Endymion wondered faintly if he'd be asleep before he hit the floor.
"Sorry about earlier, Zoi," Endymion began, making his way over to the table and not looking up at him most guiltily. In truth, he regretted that he let his anger get the better of him, but he stood stubbornly behind his argument. The trouble with letting his anger go, he'd found these days, was not that others realized he was displeased. They SHOULD know he was a bit angry. The part that had him worried involved his powers. All his life, the teachings drilled into his solid skull had voiced control: control over himself, physically and especially mentally. Emotions, though sacred in private, were deceiving and, when it came to using powers such as aShlin, dangerous. So since the age of five Endymion's training consisted of the arts of
swordsmanship, riding, magic, and controlling his emotions. The one class that never changed was the one about finding your center and never losing grip of it. Endymion was pretty sure fifteen years of training wouldn't have faded within 3 months. He sometimes wondered however, due to his recent lack of center, if he had ever listened to those long instructions. Ever since his birthday, and the declaration of his completed official training, he'd been experiencing these bouts of powerful outbursts.
Not that slamming a door using magic was considered too excessive-none of the others would think twice about it really. He found himself most distressed about the power that had supplied his anger, and his lack of controlling that. And his lack of control only seemed to be getting worse as time wore on. Especially within the last couple of days, when his patience had begun to fray, he found himself less able to avoid using magic. Was it only all the stress, and not having teachers continuously beating his brains out over center? Or was it something else...like...
Endymion shook his head to clear it all away, all the suspicions and theories and feelings of hopelessness if he happened to be right. In any case, he needed to speak with Helios. He glanced over towards his friend, heavily engrossed in some book about stones (Endymion couldn't bring himself to wonder why) and decided that the perfect opportunity lay before him. He looked back to Zoisite, waiting for an answer to his apology.
"Don't worry, Endymion, I'm alive and we all have our moments," Endymion nodded, noticing the smile and acceptance to the softer voice. He turned towards Helios as Zoisite continued, "I'm actually not quite ready-but don't go anywhere!" The urgency that jumped into the garren's voice startled Endymion, and he looked up suddenly at the other, who seemed to regretting that he'd both said he wasn't ready as well as the fact that he'd told Endymion to do something.
Endymion would've found it amusing if he'd slept more. "I take it you'd like me to make myself comfortable, but not too comfortable seeing as you don't want me to fall asleep?" Zoisite's nod made Endymion rethink his sarcastic comment which included red hot pokers. Best not provoke the Zoi.
Instead, the Crown Prince turned to Helios, who seemed to be gagging in an attempt to not laugh. Endymion wished the high priest would laugh so he could prey on him. But all he could do at that moment in time was creep up on Helios, startle him, and then talk to him while he waited for Zoisite to finish up. Because it didn't matter how much he tried not to, it was inevitable that once Endymion sat down (even with hot pokers skilfully placed) he'd fall dead asleep. Therefore, chatting with Helios seemed the best idea of the day. Annoying Zoisite wasn't high on his priority list just then.
"Find anything of interest?" Endymion asked, taking a seat on the step below Helios's. He handed all the responsibilities of staying awake silently over to Helios. He was sure the High Priest would manage to cruelly rob him of any pleasures such as shut eye, even without any spoken requests.
"Something...but I'm really more concerned about you, Endy." It had been a mistake to
talk to Helios, Endymion should have known THAT from the beginning. He wasn't the type to forget all those lessons about center and how using excess magic often led to mishaps and problems with control. And he definitely wasn't the type to forget Endymion had been 7 feet from the door he'd blasted open and then meant to slam shut in Zoisite's face. Damn. "What happened this morning?" Endymion shrugged and shook his head, attempting to wave the question away. "Don't you dare try to tell me it was nothing, either." The stern look in Helios's eyes reminded Endymion, as he internally muttered, of a certain other light haired person. Two of them, to be precise...
"I'm not sure, Helios," Endymion finally admitted with a large sigh, once again trying to brush off the subject, "just feeling a bit overstretched and under rested, if you know what I mean." 'Now, please leave it at that.'
"I will not leave it at that, Endymion," Helios glared at Endymion, who in turn glared back. "You are being rash and reckless. I understand getting a little angry with Zoi, that's only natural sometimes," Zoisite pretended he wasn't listening and decided at that point to migrate to the other side of the study, "but you haven't lost control of your powers since we were ten... and I know that, as a result, you neither like nor mean to use any sort magic needlessly. So...?"
Again, Endymion sighed, but this time in all seriousness. Since Helios was asking, he might as well give the High Priest an answer to think on. Maybe Helios even had a way to coax him out of this odd fear he'd had growing inside him. "Helios, I think that Gaia's Crystal is having...odd effects on me. I've noticed a feeling, like my powers almost aren't my own, since you transferred its powers to me in Ceresum. Sometimes I think it's controlling me more than I it..." Helios stared wide eyed at his crown prince for a moment. That was...but it couldn't... "I know that sounds impossible, Helios, especially with you as my safe guard. But that's what I feel. And it's disturbing, to say the least."
"Endy...I've protected that crystal all my life, and I've never-"
"But it's never been made entirely, physically part of you Helios. I know everyone said it had synchronized with me when I was born, but apparently that wasn't the same as being part of me. At least not in the same way as that ceremony made it with me." Endymion looked at Helios knowingly. And Helios knew there was no use denying the truth.
Helios stood up abruptly, and walked down the twisted stair case, turned and knelt to Endymion, who'd followed him down out of worry. "With your permission, your Highness, I wish to examine Gaia's Crystal closely and, with your further authority, perform experimental spells on it."
Recognizing his formal address, Endymion squared his shoulders and resumed a more political stance. "Permission on both is granted, High Priest Helios I." Helios rose, his book in hand, turned and left the study just as Zoisite slammed a book shut above and cried, "This session between the Crown Prince Endymion I of Earth and Zoisite of Adine, Apprentice to the Minesstro Cardelli, and Garren Member of the Crown Prince Endymion I of Earth, now begins." Endymion held back the groan that had erupted in him at the sound of formal titles, even
shortened ones. He despised formal titles, because, inevitably, they stood for some bit of freedom that was lost to him. The freedom, at this point in time, had to do with a certain amount of sleep. Endymion hoped that Rini was fairing better than he as Zoisite and he sat down and became hidden amongst the heaps of books and papers.
- -
It took Rini a good half hour before she managed enough courage to hesitantly stick her head out from under the bed. Out of nervous habit, she brought a hand up to her tangled, free locks and stroked. She looked around and resisted her second nervous habit of sticking her thumb in her mouth and sucking. Any sort of comfort would certainly have been welcomed by her, but she could really in no way justify acting like such an infant, no matter how lost she seemed to be in what she knew was an endless castle, much like her own palace was. You could wander that thing for days and still find entirely new wings and sections. Actually, Rini knew almost for certain she had explored about a third of her own palace in her five years...but she hadn't really begun that hobby until a year previous. Still, she didn't HAVE a year to try finding her way around Endymion's palace...
'Best just plan,' she told herself, yanking at her hair instinctively and pulling herself down onto the floor into a folded position. Continuing to soothingly pet her own hair, nimbly untangling the sleep tousled mass, she wondered faintly what the best course of action would be considered. She couldn't very well just waltz out of the servant's quarters and back towards the Rose Corridor. For one, she couldn't even waltz out INTO the servant's quarters. And besides not knowing the way back to Endymion's room even after managing to leave, she was fairly sure that with her luck she'd run into Lady Marganta and get into further trouble. Outstanding prospects. With a deep sigh of frustration, one which even to her own ears sounded both too loud in the silent room and too like an adult's, Rini glanced over towards Ezra's shut door.
She could conceivably just stick around in the older girl's room until Ezra returned. She seemed the helpful sort, and surely servants had lunch breaks at the least. But would Ezra come back? Rini hated relying too heavily on something that she couldn't know for certain, but then, she wouldn't even be in the time period she was if she'd known things for certain...
'Speaking of which,' she thought, turning to look at the opposite end of Ezra's room. The whitewashed walls shone magnificently against the light wood floors and darker furniture. Rini realized now, as she stared at the room, it wasn't as large as she'd originally thought but still obviously met the basic needs most ordinary people had. Rini felt a little green about the ordinary part, but tried not to let it bother her too much. On a daily basis, at home, without a crisis, she could allow these childish thoughts to tally up in her mind. But as it was, no! Rini turned defiantly towards the tall bookcase that stood next to the single window of the room. With the shutters open wide, Rini had a grand view of what was one of the far sides of the palace. She noted that outside, it seemed to be in the season that she registered as fall. The trees standing beyond Ezra's window had an assortment of differently colored leaves, though Rini knew these leaves were dying. She felt sorry for the poor leaves... 'Ah, too many distractions!' Rini mentally slapped herself and looked back to the room and, more specifically, the shelving unit. It stood next to a desk of the same dark, smooth wood. The desk, too, stood piled high with books. To
Rini's disappointment, half of them looked a bit too difficult for her. By age standards, she was an expert reader...but she felt her novice levels of understanding probably didn't match too well with books like Psychosis of the Black Hetawin and The Grandeur of Arbonne's Song.
With a new bout of enthusiasm anyway, Rini fell to her knees before the case, paying no mind to the slight bit of dust she stirred. Her child's fingers grazed the tightly bound spines of many books, Rini eagerly taking in each title. Most of the books were written in Terranaia, which although she was sure would actually do her great amounts of good, dulled next to the shine of the books in Old Language she recognized. Happily, Rini flipped open the first book of Old Language, entitled Lilithai nora Nay Anar, meaning Truths of the Face and Shadow.
Five minutes later and completely at a loss, Rini replaced the book and hoped the next she pulled would not be so complicated. It was all well and good for her to read stories in Old Language which she recognized, but she did not qualify as enough of a linguist to understand odd tales about odd places...Kenzanik? Where in the world was that? Real world or not at all real? Rini scrambled for the next book before her thoughts took over and she lost all sense of what she knew to be true and knew to not.
- -
"-Jade has once again refused helping Thespa, although 3 of its 5 provinces border Thespa...the only good news there is that Lazuli has agreed to help for the time being, you have Lapis to thank for that little treaty, Endymion. She just saved you a mission to Jade, at least for a couple months' time. She'll be a great queen someday. Although from the look of Lazuli's production rate, we might have to add at least two of its provinces to the plea for help in Jade. Seems no one can hold up against the southern drought-"
"Zoi!" The tone of voice made Zoisite both jerk his head upwards uncomfortably, as well as spill his drink down his front (much to his own frustration). Endymion stood above him, taking deep breaths and still looking as if no air was reaching his head. How many times the prince had shouted his name in an attempt to get his attention, Zoi could not be sure, but he guessed the number was in an upper range...
"Endymion?" Zoisite kept his voice mild as he glanced around for something to wipe off his shirt.
"Lapis and I...we're not engaged!" Zoisite stopped trying to find some scrap of cloth in the study he himself kept immaculate, and turned back to the paper he'd been staring at for the last half hour in defeat. He glanced up at his superior and was slightly relieved Endymion was breathing easier, as if saying those words helped him.
"Yes, Endymion, I know that. We all know that. In fact," Zoisite looked up again, finally puzzled, "why would we think otherwise?" Zoisite watched over his stack of papers as Endymion sank back down into his chair, spluttering, and Zoisite too found himself at an utter loss for words in regards to what was disturbing his prince.
"But-but-you just said-!" Endymion looked about ready to jump out the window, and Zoisite hoped Endy remembered what floor they were on. After a moment, Endymion's voice returned to him and Zoisite listened, still studying the charts Endymion was supposed to know by heart. "The only way for Lapis to be queen is-"
"-for her to wait four years until she's of age to inherit her territory." Zoisite interrupted, trying to save time and get back to business. Honestly, hadn't it been Endymion who'd complained about doing this and here he was stalling? When he heard no more from Endymion for a couple moments, Zoisite glanced up to check on the prince. He looked lost, and Zoisite held back his sigh as he turned back to his duties once again and sincerely hoped Endymion would follow suit. "You know, Endy, it might help for you to pay attention to which ruler and heir's funerals you attend." Zoisite didn't need to see Endymion's blank look to know it was there. "The King and Crown Prince of Lazuli were both killed 7 years ago. That was the funeral you first used teleportation to get to because you overslept, remember?"
"You mean the funeral I meant to teleport to and ended up in Elysian for? Yes, I remember that clearly..." Endymion said sourly and with a note of 'that's the end of this conversation, don't ask' in his voice. The silence stretched on for only a couple minutes, however, as both of them knew it would. It was quite impossible to remain silent when you had to share information. Silence also seemed to be a little known concept amongst the Garren.
"Right, so, Lazuli may also require aid towards I would say Lunaine, Matronalia at best. We should probably put in a good word to the Minesstros of Anda...if only Jade would be a bit more lenient with Thespa all our troubles in this arena would be-"
"Are you going to marry Princess Amaya?" Usually, Zoisite would at least analyze someone's tone of voice before reacting. But in this case, he once again snapped his head upwards with his mouth wide open, lost his balance, and toppled out of his chair. The loud clatter, as well as Zoisite pulling half his pile of papers with him, led Endymion to suspect he'd touched on something.
When the Garren of Intelligence resurfaced, his face was just as red as Endymion's had been minutes before, and no lack of oxygen could be blamed. "M-marry Amy-Her Highness of Mercury?! W-where is this coming from, Endymion?" At any other time, Endymion would have laughed at Zoisite's obvious embarrassment. But his thoughts were too knotted to allow him the pleasure. He had already stood up again, and was walking around an oddly shaped oval version of the study.
"I think...no, actually, I can be positive of this, that Mother and Father," Zoisite's senses peaked at the mention of the High Kind and Queen, "are going to bring up my becoming affianced with...someone. Anyone, actually, I am pretty sure they won't care. But...the more I think on the subject, the more and more I find myself retreating and drawing back. Marriage," at this Endymion looked over towards the most put together member of the Garren out of trust and desperation, "it isn't a bad thing, right? I've just turned it INTO some sort of demon..."
At the point where he'd realized this conversation was not Endymion trying to infiltrate
Zoisite's relationship for others in the group (Helios and Malachite came to mind...), nor was he trying to get out of finishing up at least some of the catch-up work required before the High Council meeting, Zoisite had straightened up and begun taking in all Endymion said once more. "No, marriage isn't a bad thing, it..." Zoisite sighed and decided dancing around the subject would get him no where and tell Endymion next to nothing. "Endymion, may I ask, how is your relationship with Lapis right now? I know you too have been...intimate lately, and-"
Endymion looked aghast that Zoisite had brought up the subject of Lapis again. "No, everything's great with Lapis, that's not it. I just...can't see myself marrying her. Or anyone, for that matter. Being married strikes me as...intimidating, at best."
Zoisite rolled his eyes. Why was he not surprised? "Endy, listen to me, someday you'll look into that person's eyes, the person you're meant to spend the rest of eternity tied to, and the thought of spending all the eons together warms your heart completely."
"But..." Endymion looked stricken at Zoisite's words, not relieved. "I love Lapis, Zoi. I truly do. But..." The words did not seem capable of leaving the prince's mouth.
"Is there someone else?" Zoisite remained straight forward.
There was no lie in Endymion's voice or eyes when he jumped about a foot in the air and yelled, "NO! Zoisite, who do you take me for? I would never-"
"Be with someone when you love another? Yes..." Zoisite surveyed Endymion for a moment. "I can't see you doing that consciously."
"Consciously?" The edge was rising in the prince's voice. "Are you suggesting-"
"And once again I am SO glad I decided to not get involved in the politics of the High Council meeting. You could cut the air in here with Helios's sword, and we all know how dull THAT is..." Malachite grinned as he entered the room, happy Helios wasn't around to curse him to oblivion for such a comment. When no one else reacted, however, Malachite cleared his throat a bit, straightened up, then looked towards his prince. "Anyway, Endymion you DO know Marganta's on the rampage in you room, right?"
It took a moment for the thought to register on the Endymion scare-o-meter. "WHAT?!"
- -
The loud knock at Ezra's door forced Rini out of her silent, sorrowful revere and into something close to panic. Would she be in trouble yet again for being somewhere she wasn't supposed to be but all the same was told to stay put there by others? 'Maybe, when no one answers, they'll just go away...' Rini hoped, slowly shutting the open book in her lap, and replacing it to its proper home. She prayed she'd not have to dive under that bed again...for all that Ezra was a maid, she seemed to sure make a habit of pushing dust bunnies under there.
Much to Rini's surprise and great unease, the person on the opposite end of the door did not seem to be taking the hint that no one, or at least not someone they meant to see, was inside. After a couple seconds of it, Rini heard a young male voice calling out for Ezra. She quickly took to her spot under the bed, using all the strength of will she possessed to not shout out, "She's not home!" Finally, the pounding eased and Rini suspected whoever it was had lost interest, or finally realized that Ezra actually DID work her shifts.
Of course, Rini was wrong about this. When she heard the door open seconds later, she knew not to leap out from her hiding place. Plus, the feet she saw from her spot under the bed did not belong to Ezra, nor to any woman. Unless, of course, they were a rather tall woman with rather mannish looking boots on...even so, not Ezra. It took her a moment to realize that if this man, as she could almost definitely assume he was, had taken the steps to enter Ezra's room in search of her, nothing stopped him from looking under the bed, the most cliché of hiding spots. At least, that's what her mother had called it that time she and Rini had hid from Rini's father so he wouldn't know they'd been the ones to raid his chocolate stash. And of course the result of their hiding there was King Endymion actually checking to make sure...that had not ended as well as the queen had hoped. Perhaps though, Rini rationalized, this boy was not searching for Ezra in a game of hide-and-go-seek but just curious of her whereabouts and just checking her room to...make sure she hadn't fainted or something! Yes, that was it!
Rini decided it would be the best for everyone if she just shut her mind up. The silence of her inner thoughts rendered her to hearing what was happening outside in the room, where whomever was standing there had taken to muttering incessantly. "-said that it had just been a kiss on the cheek, she should know Nirabe means nothing to me. And besides, she was being awfully sweet and talkative with Michaelus yesterday in the kitchens. Don't I have a right to be kind to other girls if she's going to be that way with other men? I mean-" Rini didn't even try to resist rolling her eyes. This conversation sounded somewhat familiar. Whoever this jealous boy was, and Rini suspected him to be at the very least Ezra's boyfriend, his way of reassuring himself sounded something like Endymion's attempt to justify the argument that morning.
"What's this?" Rini's heart skipped a beat as she watched the boots turn towards the bed, and walk right up to it. The toes of his shoes were less than a foot from her nose, but Rini was rolled so tightly in a ball, and surely just as dusty as any of the bunnies around her, she wasn't too worried about him hitting her. Relaxing a bit, she went to draw in a slight breath and stopped short as she realized what item could have caught the attention of a jealous boyfriend searching desperately for his girlfriend or, even better, evidence. 'ENDYMION'S SHIRT!' A couple crude swears from the man later, Rini was frantically sure that was what this was all about.
And she could be quite sure she wasn't mistaken about the next fact either; she was going to be witness to a horrendous fight between Ezra and whoever this guy was as soon as Ezra returned. Rini couldn't say she looked forward to this in ANY way, shape, or form.
"My goddess..." Endymion said as the door to his room swung open. He'd always wondered why and how girls could faint from great shock (though none of the women in his life seemed to be too inclined to do that) but suddenly Endymion wished more than anything he was
female so he'd have an excuse to fall backwards into a dead sleep and not wake up for a couple minutes. Hopefully, the state his quarters were in would then be fixed. 'Note to self: the next time Ren makes any sort of comment about wishing to be a man, counter with your wanting to be a woman.'
"Ezra, could you fetch the ceremonial sword hanging above the mantle? Her Majesty requested he dress in style so-"
"Your Highness!" Endymion watched his least favorite vase smash to pieces at the feet of the meek, 14 year old girl. Previous to that, he'd have raised Hell with her as well as Lady Marganta, but now he felt somewhat indebted to her as he'd been meaning to break that particular creation himself. Still, he could not be distracted. Who knew what things he might have actually liked had been destroyed in such a manner?
Endymion didn't bother with any formalities, he just stared the head of Household straight in the eyes. Ezra, of course, was practically lying on the ground due to her deep curtsy, but Marganta would never stoop so low for a man. She bowed her head slightly, made a sad excuse for a curtsy, and returned to staring down Endymion. Why could he never receive any respect from people he actually wanted it from?
"Your Highness," Mrs. Marganta said placidly, staring at him like a cat who'd just found her prey.
"Lady of the Household," Endymion said through gritted teeth. Of course, he spends all of the previous afternoon searching for her and now she appears, ransacking his room. "To what do my possessions owe this honor of your presence?"
She sniffed a bit at his obvious sarcasm, but made no comment to it. "Your Highness's trip to Amaranta, of course," she answered. At any other time on any other given day with any other missing person, Endymion would have argued that he was perfectly capable of packing his belongings for a trip, and he'd have continued forward to regard her excess packing as something of unintelligent and other such names, but as all these fun insults began to appear in his mind, he scanned the room. And realized what was missing. Or whom, at least (many things were missing except he knew where they were, as evidenced by their sticking out of his many trunks).
"Lady Marganta," Endymion attempted a slight smile, but in light of the panic slowly rising from the pit of his stomach, he feared it had come out as a grimace, "by any chance, have you seen a small girl of about five with hair to match Rose's?"
"Oh, the roaming servant girl?" Endymion liked neither the way Lady Marganta worded the phrase nor the disapproving tone accompanying her words. So Endy could be rather sure he wasn't going to like the answer. "I sent her with Ezra to get changed and put back to work. I'm rather surprised your Highness noticed her and, for that matter, didn't reprimand her or send her to me. Imaging how your Lady of Household feels when such a creature is caught snooping around his Highness's things...it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to just speak of it."
"Oh ye GODS!" Endymion shouted when he got his voice back. "Marganta," he ignored the horrified look on his former nanny's face, "where did she go?!" Before the lady could even begin to sputter indignantly, Ezra spoke up, as if she'd been working up her courage for the last five minutes.
"If you please, your Highness," Ezra curtsied again when he turned to look towards her. "I left her in my chamber for the time. I could retrieve her for your Highness." The relief that swept through the young prince could not have been more obvious. Before he could even reply, Ezra sprang forward, remembered another curtsy, then leapt out the door. Lady Marganta made some muttering comment about youth, but Endymion didn't even care to remind her of it.
To herself, Ezra smiled. She was happy to learn of her prince's attachment to his cousin, though for what reason she would never be able to answer.
- -
Distractedly, Helios strayed through the corridors. He seemed to be in a sort of limbo of thought, somewhere between making a breakthrough and searching blindly through unfamiliar mists of ideas. He held the book he'd borrowed from the library in front of him, and had his head bent as though he was reading, but truly he was attempting to decide what to do first. Honestly, if he had known Endymion was having such trouble with the crystal, he never would have offered to take some of the stress off Zoisite's shoulders. Because although Rini and her mother deserved and needed the help just as much as anyone, Helios's true loyalty had to be to his country, planet, and therefore his soon-to-be High King. Not that he'd have left it all to Zoi, he'd have convinced Mal or Neph to help. Now, however, he'd taken full responsibility. He refused to shirk Rini's problem aside. He could multi-task...
The yelp from in front of him only phased his thoughts somewhat, but it was enough to alarm his body into motion. Helios's head shot up to see who/what he'd crashed into while he'd been thinking about how well he'd been avoiding doing just that. "Helios!" Rose exclaimed with unmasked exasperation from the ground.
"Oh, sorry, Princess Rose-Quartz," Helios said sheepishly, offering her his hand. She scowled at him as she accepted his help. He knew the lecture that was sure to follow, and sighed internally. Why did he have to be so stubborn when it came to addressing her?
"Helios, first off, I'm not referred to as Princess anymore, it's Priestess. Secondly-"
"Actually, you are still technically a princess and that rank is equal to a priestess, so you may be referred to as either one..."
"SECONDLY," Rose glared at him, and Helios shut his mouth. He knew if the others were around they'd be snickering at this, but he'd like to see them standing up to Rose in any way, shape, or form. She had been banned from the dangerous library sections for a reason, and that reason had next to nothing to do with her own safety. In fact, if the truth be told, it was because he and Endymion had been worried about their own. And if Mal had a more deflated
head atop his shoulders, he too would worry alongside them. "HOW many times must I ask you to call me Rose, like every other of my brother's friends except for that one who isn't even WORTH as much as a breath."
"You mean the one you just gave a couple breaths' worth of words for?" Helios couldn't help but say. He wished he hadn't at the look he received. "Anyway, it's not right to call her Highness anything but her respectful, given name." Helios turned to leave and felt slightly remiss when Rose followed in his direction.
"Everyone else seems to forget this, Helios, why can't you?" Rose continued, an oddly petulant and soft look masking her face.
"Because it's my place to remember this sort of thing?" Helios answered hopefully. He looked to his side and up a couple inches, as Rose-Quartz stood taller than him. She seemed nonplussed at his answer. "And what are you doing away from the Temple at this hour? Isn't it your job today to-"
"No, Helios, today it is your turn to tend to the 20 some shrine maidens." Helios couldn't help but let the groan escape his lips, and was surprised to hear an uncharacteristic giggle from the woman next to him.
"Don't you start making comments about my incompetence at being High Priest," Helios voiced the first thought that appeared in his head.
Rose looked slightly aghast at the thought. "I wouldn't ever say that sort of thing, Helios. I've watched you since you were much younger. Incompetent would not grace my description of you. I only thought it was funny how you ignore the other women and seem to always be nowhere in sight when your duties become related to them... But such a mere coincidence has nothing to do with you, right Helios?" Helios merely glanced in the opposite direction, trying to hide his smirk of triumph as another giggle issued from Rose-Quartz.
"Of course not, Highness. Now if you could please direct to me to what time I am required at the Temple...?"
"As soon as possible, you're meant to see them through tonight's ceremony, remember?" Helios tried to mask the look of utter disbelief and surprise that leaped onto his face at the words. But that wasn't supposed to be until... "Rose, what's today?!"
"Um... 30 Jupitezum, why?"
"That gives me almost no time at all...!" Helios sprinted ahead, around the corner and out of sight.
"But Helios, what about today's ceremony?!" Rose cried futilely after him, debating whether to follow or not.
- -
What a wonderful sound it was for Rini's ears to experience her own name being called out from down the hall. She felt her body instantly respond, and felt the pain in her head soon after hitting it on the underside of the bed. Luckily, the man waiting for Ezra, whoever he was, chose to spring up at the same moment. The clatter that his jump, coupled with Ezra slamming her bedroom chamber door open, masked Rini's blunder. Obviously, Ezra knew she was already there. But it wasn't necessarily a good thing, right? Rini could only assume whoever it was there in the room with her was romantically affiliated with Ezra, but if her guess was way off and he was her superior, he could beat Ezra horribly or something for her having hidden Rini, right? And then send Rini back off to some imaginary workplace? Or worse, beat Rini too! That always happened in the stories her mama told her about evil slave traders... Rini did not wish to risk the security of her knew-found friend. Of course, it was most likely that the man who had cursed Endymion's shirt and its anonymous owner so hideously had some sort of affection towards Ezra... but that certainly wouldn't stop him from coming after Rini if he was that sort of individual.
"Jackson!" Rini heard surprise in Ezra's voice, and the bit of subtle affection for him as well. Rini should have been happy for Ezra that she wasn't about to be chewed out by someone who disliked her, but all Rini could feel for the servant was a mixture of relief due to her return and pity for what Ezra was about to go through. From the proximity of their feet, Rini guessed Ezra'd just bumped into her beau and had thus taken a step back to assess him, and the oddness that he of all people was standing in her room. "What are you doing in here?" she voiced Rini's own question.
"Ezra-" this "Jackson's voice had deepened somewhat from the substantial mutterings and cursing Rini'd heard uttered before. "What in all the Hells is-"
"Oh, never mind, Jack," Ezra said, brushing off her own question, ignoring his assumed answer, and walking to her wardrobe, Rini guessed out of some hope of finding her, "have you seen a little girl in here? She has hair to rival that of Her Highness..."
"What?"
"I said have you seen-"
"This is no time to be on some sort of a wild goose hunt for some little girl, Ezra! I don't care what Marganta has you doing right now, we need to talk!" Rini had been silently beckoning Ezra, who'd been on her knees and about to look under the bed, towards her. She did not have any passion for hearing arguments. And she could just tell by Jackson's tone, which was beginning to sound very similar to that of her peeved father, that a lovely quarrel would be ensuing shortly.
Ezra stood back up, and faced Jackson (from what Rini could guess). "Well, right now's not really a good time, but what is it Jack?" Ezra had obviously no idea how to read male tones yet, Rini decided. Her voice was casual, with a bit of impatience dashed in there. NOT the way
to go about appeasing the more masculine half. At this point Rini sighed, and began scooting towards the end of the bed nearest the door. Perhaps with them so wrapped up with one another, she could get out without Jackson seeing her. Ezra counted as intelligent (for the most part, it seemed) so she could surely guess Rini'd left of her own free will. And come to think of it, if Rini ever got out of the room, she could always find her way back to Ezra's room later and leave a note or something to that effect.
"'What is it', she asks...Ezra, I want a truthful answer from you." Never good words, Rini continued her mental commentary as she made her way slowly toward the opposite end. "Do you want to cry off?"
Rini could envision the blank look Ezra gave Jackson. "Come again?" she voiced her confusion.
"I'm tired of having to guess about your whereabouts! Answer me, do you or do you not love me?"
"Jackson, of course I love you! What is this all about?" Poor, poor Ezra...
"THIS! That's what this is about!" Rini's head peaked out from under the bed, and before she sprang towards the door, she had to take a look at Ezra's face. Rini could be positive that the hysterical smile that was sure to be followed by bouts of laughter were NOT what Jackson had expected. "Ezra, it's not funny-"
Rini closed the door quietly behind her, hoping the sound of what was to come would be somewhat muffled behind it. She made a silent whisper of prayer to the Goddess of Love to help Ezra phrase her next couple of sentences correctly. Or else she and Jackson would never get past this, and that would just be sad. 'Now,' Rini continued, looking both ways, 'to find Endymion...which way did I come again?'
- -
Helios skidded to a halt before running into Jadeite, walking perpendicular to him, and in obvious deep thought. Helios had been sure he'd made enough noise to call attention to himself (it hadn't all been on purpose, but after having a couple of people leap out of his way before he had the chance to barrel into them, he'd decided it was a good thing) for about a mile around him. Jadeite did, however, turn around to stare at the panting Helios.
"Make an escape from our favorite princess?" he asked.
"You have been spending too much time with Malachite if you are able to make that sort of comment without having a will made out," Helios answered, taking deep gulps of air.
"Well, the only other reason I can fathom your running like a madman through here is that you've just found something of great importance and must immediately find the Highness to tell him. Or I suppose we could be under some sort of attack? Is it one of those?" Helios goggled
at the cheery look that accompanied Jadeite's statement, especially the second possible answer. He'd often wondered if Jed was unintelligent, naive, or just too happy for his own good. But then again, Helios too often qualified as all of the above...
"No...well, I do have something to do..." Helios was going to end the conversation there, but found Jed first at his heels and then next to him, walking the opposite direction he had been before Helios had come upon him. "Which, come to think of it, don't you as well? Aren't you supposed to be in training with Malachite?"
Jadeite pouted a moment, then shrugged it off. "He ditched me for some meeting with Endymion and Zoi. Since they're going to Amaranta together, I suppose. So I thought I'd follow you around today."
"How kind of you..." Helios said, smiling despite his sarcastic comment. "I was planning on going to the library in this section."
"There's a library for the Rose Sector too? But I thought the one in Ivy was the only one..." Jadeite looked confusedly at Helios. And Helios didn't blame him for the confusion; it was Helios's belief that the single member of their garren who knew the castle backwards, forwards, upside down, and in their sleep was Zoisite, although Malachite and Endymion were close behind. Zoi knew every inch of the palace from studying every structural manuscript and model known to man. His reasoning was beyond everyone else...Malachite and Endymion knew of every passageway and many of the empty rooms from childhood expeditions and adventures, which of course also assured that Ren knew of them all too. But both Mal and Endy lacked knowledge when it came to the use of the rooms that were of no use to them.
"The Rose Sector library is off limits to most everyone except the garren, myself, and Endymion. Most people don't even know about it...and it requires a certain spell to pass through it. Don't worry, you'll learn it after you're officially inducted at Endymion's coronation next year," Helios smiled at Jadeite's frown of disappointment. "It is not because no one trusts you, Jed. Endymion wouldn't have chosen you to BE in the garren if he harbored any doubts about you. But it's the silly rules we all have to abide by. There are many downsides of course," Helios voice changed noticeably into one with a tone of acceptance along with annoyance, "such as the fact that once one knows the spell, there is no way to keep them out of the library. So let's say one royal highness will hair the color of a pink rose with knowledge of the library's spell was told never again to look at particular sections." Helios looked back to Jed with an attempted face of displeasure, but he didn't manage to hide the twitching grin. "I have absolutely no way to prevent her from attaining the spells, enchantments, hexes, etc. from this library. Unfortunately."
Jadeite smiled in return, knowing exactly who Helios wasn't bringing up by name.
- -
Zoisite glared profusely at Malachite, who stared at him passively until he felt his sides would split from laughter. Malachite attempted to control this and prayed his mask didn't crack as he asked, "What?" Zoisite had not blinked and for all Mal was used to malicious threats,
Zoisite's silent ones were creeping him out slightly.
"You let him escape," Zoisite seethed. Finally, Malachite's mask broke under the strain of not laughing at Zoisite a bit. He managed to not laugh aloud, however.
Instead, he kept his expression to a tight smile and answered, "Oh come ON Zoi, you can't expect him to get it ALL done!"
Zoisite's glare dissipated after another moment, and he sighed in defeat. "I know..." He glanced back up at Mal, who seemed to be admiring the amount of paper work that still lay piled on the table. As the other garren's eyes traveled to the papers strewn over the floor, Zoisite was reminded of his and Endymion's discussion rather than all the work his prince had managed escape. "Malachite...has Endymion brought up any unusual subjects recently with you?" Malachite looked at Zoisite suspiciously, sensing some sort of trap. He wasn't sure what kind yet... "Like marriage?"
As was usual with any subject Zoisite actually brought up, Malachite was caught off guard and so allowed his eyes to widen. "Not since we were kids. Ren frightened Hades out of him by telling Endy his mother planned on having him marry Rayna. I don't think I've ever seen Endy cry so hard in his life..."
"Probably best not to mention that one to Jed," Zoisite said thoughtfully. "His mother's Martian, remember? And he was raised there...I would be willing to bet he has strong feelings for Mars and her future ruler."
"Martian or not," Malachite countered, "it doesn't mean he can't admit Rayna hates all of Terra, especially Endymion."
"Now I wouldn't-"
"Zoi," Malachite looked knowingly at his long time friend, "don't even try to smooth that one over."
"Fine," Zoisite conceded, then added, "I can't think of a good argument now anyway. So, Endymion hasn't made any mention at all to you of marriage?"
"Not in the slightest. Why?"
"Be prepared. He's under the impression their Magesties will be requiring him to secure an engagement as soon as this trip."
"He'd be under the right one, then," Malachite said, and would have enjoyed Zoisite's shock had the subject been different. "I can't see any other reason for the High King and Queen to cut their tour of Anda short this year other than to lay some more responsibilities on Endymion. The High King isn't required to be at the council this year, with Endymion being coroneted next summer. Endymion is supposed to be getting an idea of what he should expect his
first year of his reign. So what their Majesties have in store is not really that difficult to guess." The snarl in Malachite's voice was unmistakable.
Zoisite found Malachite's tone a little uncalled for. Tentatively, he asked, "You do realize he has less than a year before he is High King, right?"
"And you realize," Malachite cut Zoisite off, "that that means he has less than a year of freedom by his and most of our standards left? I don't know if you've noticed, Zoi, but Endymion's been avoiding this since he was old enough to turn the other direction. And he's finally realizing, a bit too late by my standards, that all the responsibility he's so cunningly outwitted and avoided until now is about to all come crashing down on him at once. I just hope he lives until the next council meeting..."
"If he'd eased into the responsibility over the years instead of running-"
"You can't just EASE into an engagement."
"I know that. I meant-"
"That's the kind of responsibilities Endy has been tossed over the years. There was no easing as soon as he reached court age."
"All right, Mal," Zoisite uncharacteristically backed down again that day. "I suppose there's no use in fighting about it. MY point, for now, is that we need to be ready to carry half of Endymion's weight once we get to Amaranta, and probably beyond that for a while. If the King and Queen really do-"
"Oh, trust me, they won't hesitate. A royal wedding is just what Solange has been waiting for these last 20 years."
"You speak so highly of your aunt," Zoisite noted as he finished restacking the pile of papers from the floor and transferring them back to the top pile on the table. "She's the High Queen. How can you-"
"Easily," Malachite said shortly.
"But if Queen Solange wanted a wedding...Rose-Quartz?" Zoisite stared inquisitively at the captain.
"You'll have to take Quartz up with Helios. That's his domain." Malachite said, waving away Zoi's look.
"Just like I can't see Endymion spending the rest of his life with Lapis, no matter how good they get along and how perfect a match it really would be, for the life of me, I cannot imagine Helios with Rose. They don't mesh well somehow...neither couple."
"Politics, my dear Zoi. You, of all people, should be familiar with them."
"Familiarity does not necessarily invite acceptance."
"Be happy you got lucky, Zoisite. That's all I can tell you."
- -
"Anything I can do to help, Helios?" Jadeite asked, warily eyeing the large stack of books Helios balanced in front of himself. It was a good thing barely anyone came to this particular library, there was no doubt in Jadeite's mind that all those books would lead to great injury should they topple out of Helios's control and onto some innocent bystander two floors down. Bound to be a messy incident, involving lots of paperwork. Luckily, there seemed to be very few people there. No one, actually, that Jadeite could see. It was too bad; for all the splendors the Ivy Sector's library had to offer, this library seemed to duplicate and go far beyond them. It had countless rows of books, reaching up five stories in some places. It seemed a wonder that no one was curious as to what was within this large area of the castle. One would think someone would notice that all the rooms didn't add up to the amount of space the castle took up... Then again, Jadeite guessed it might have to do with the magic that kept most everyone out.
Helios looked around the books he'd acquired, smiling at Jadeite's fascination to the library itself. Being the least bookish of the Garren, it said something of the library that even Jed was awed. "Not really, Jed. Unless you can tell me what I'm supposed to be doing up at the temple this minute…"
"Well, today's the 30th of Jupitezum…should you be readying the shrine maidens for the coming of the Virgin of Jupiter? She ought to appear tomorrow night in Jupiter's Shrine, which hasn't been visited by the entourage yet this season. I know for a fact it's in need of some preparations…"
"You have just found yourself your job, Jed," Helios said, sitting down and opening the first book. A lot needed to be done in a short amount of time; he had to figure a way to help Endymion with his problem regarding Gaia's crystal, and preferably before he left for Amaranta the next morning.
"I-but-what?" Jadeite sputtered out to the High Priest, who seemed to have taken no notice and only turned a page. "That's not something I can simply DO, Helios!"
"Why not? You know what to do; I was training you as an acolyte before you were taken into Garren training, you should have a pretty good idea what's going on. And it's not as though it's the coming of Ceres I'm asking you to prepare…"
"Technically, Helios, I'm not even part of the temple any longer. How do you expect-" Jadeite halted at the look Helios gave him, and was suddenly reminded of Endymion's warning once about how Helios had a surprising ability to curse his way (literally) into getting something done the way he wanted. "Fine…I suppose I can do it…but this'll be the last time."
"My dear Jed, I solemnly swear this is the last time you will have to arrange the ceremony of the coming of the Virgin of Jupiter." Helios said, going back to scanning the books' words knowing there would be little resistance from the youngest garren member.
"I note that you only say the last of this particular ceremony, but not others?"
"That all depends on your performance level."
"That's not fair, Helios, I can't very well do the job POORLY-"
"Exactly," with the flash of a grin, Helios tossed his first book aside and started on the second. Jadeite groaned and went to search for a book explaining the exact requirements for the ritual, muttering under his breath about stupid, older priests who threatened with their powers, which was surely against some rule somewhere…
- -
Endymion ran down the unfamiliar servant's corridor, in the direction that Lady Marganta had directed him to go. Honestly, Rini was either in Ezra's chamber still or she wasn't. He usually could be reasonable and rational about these sorts of things, but as he'd waited in his room as patiently as he possibly could, attempting not to see the Lady of the Household tear his room to bits before him, Endymion had begun to dream up every sort of negative occurrence that could happen to Rini. It had begun with him just thinking about how long it had taken him to find Marganta, and how extensive the grounds were, and how many different servants there were... Then he'd moved on to how many hiding places were available in the castle as well, which deemed any sort of search for Rini doomed from the start.
And before he'd known it, he'd ordered Marganta to tell him how to get to Ezra's chamber, and now he was racing towards it. Yet even with servants, portraits, and the like racing by him, his mind raced on a track of its own. If Rini's mother, obviously an extraordinarily powerful woman, found the evil she had fought so amazingly overpowering that she practically died because of it, what chance did a five year old child have against them? Not that he honestly thought that whoever they were could travel space and time to find her...but then again, who knew what advances the future had that hadn't been obvious to he and Helios and the others in the dream? Half of what he and Helios had seen, at the least, had been unfamiliar and made almost no sense...what if in Rini's time, traveling between worlds, dimension, etc. was usual? But then wouldn't she have been more familiar with it?
Endymion could just hear a couple familiar voices shouting in unison at his mind, 'Endymion! Be rational!' He wanted to sarcastically tell them "yes, masters" but he knew that Serenity and Malachite would both take it a bit too seriously.
He stopped short outside a partially closed door with the number Marganta had specified for her niece's room. Endymion, hearing no sounds from within, wasted no time in slamming the door open to find the slight servant girl in the arms of a slightly older, taller boy. It took a moment for Endymion to register the sight. "Youth wastes no time..." he muttered despite
himself, watching Ezra and her...lover? turn bright red.
Stuttering and forgetting herself as a servant, Ezra spoke without even a curtsy to her prince. Endymion was glad of this, and hoped she'd forget more...maybe tell her friends to forget as well. "I didn't find her in here. She probably left, but she is wearing clothes I gave to her, so she could get in trouble... I'll help you find her, if you'd like, Highness," and suddenly manners came rushing back and Endymion inwardly groaned. The man behind Ezra seemed beyond flabbergast and simply stood in surprise. Whether from seeing the Crown Prince himself or from being walked on at such an awkward point in time, or both, Endymion could not be sure.
"That's all right, I can do fine myself," he said, turning and sprinting out of the door. He attempted to keep a calm facade, but inside he churned. 'Why am I running again?' he asked himself. 'Honestly, what could happen to her here? ...besides being put to work and deciding to leave before letting us help her!' Endymion lengthened his stride.
- -
So, aside from about a page of the next chapter, this is all I have written thus far for this particular story. But I do promise, it won't stay that way for long! I haven't really written much in the last couple of years, so I'm a bit out of practice, but the summer months stretch out beyond me and I'm tired of having these ideas for what I could POSSIBLY do buzzing around in my head and not actually applying them to paper! ...or computer, as the case may be.
I have the rest of this story basically mapped out, which some scenes written here and there, and the ending complete. It's a matter of filling in the blanks, which I intend to do!
I said a couple chapters back that there would be more characters appearing, and that is soon to come. Think of these first few chapters as the introduction to my twist on the Silver Millenium. Things will take off, or at least I think they do -
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!
Moonlight Eternal
Coming in the next chapter...
Endymion leaves for Amaranta.