Title: PEACE AND WAR
Disclaimer: I don't own anything about Sailor Moon
Authors Notes: I HAVE JUST BECOME A BETA READER!!! If anyone wants me to review their work I'd be happy to! I promise to be honest and give you as many notes as you want to help make you story great!
Here's the newest chapter! There's only going to be one more after this. Please review when you've finished the story. I want to know everyone's overall opinions and comments. I'm writing a new story as we speak so I'd like to know what to look for to make it better then even this one was. Let me know!
Enjoy this chapter!
Serenity paced back and forth across the room slowly, her mind churning with a world of chaos. She couldn't get it to settle down long enough to think about the people around her who watched her with growing anxiety.
"Was anyone expecting that?" Lita asked after a few moments.
"No," Raye said. "I assumed he had already signed the treaty."
"Do you think it will make a difference?"
"The Queen said that half the room has decided on peace. They will fight for the King to sign it," Amy said. "But that still leaves Prince Diamond to call his army before any other can get here. He could cause a lot of destruction in a short time."
"But can't the Queen…." Lita started.
"What?" Serenity asked startling them. "Can't the Queen what? She can't agree with Darien or she'll anger Prince Diamond. All she can do is put me on the table and hope the best man wins."
The room went quiet.
"When you think about it, it's awfully flattering to have two handsome powerful men fighting wars for your hand in marriage," Mina said.
Serenity couldn't help but laugh.
The girls all smiled successfully eased of some tension.
"I suppose all we can do it wait," Lita said sighing.
Amy nodded. "It will be decide by tonight I think."
Serenity resumed her pacing.
The sun set calmly in the distant sky. It had been the first truly sunny day in weeks and everyone had spent it inside. The darkness stretched across the land until the vibrant colors seemed to lose their battle with the night.
The world seemed perfectly still. It was like everyone held their breath, waiting for the results.
Serenity walked down the dark hallway of the palace towards her mothers room. She had seen the lights of the meeting room distinguished and knew that the fight might be over. Nobody had come to see her. Did that mean the outcome was good or bad.
She turned a corner, shivering at the eerie stillness around her. It was not that late. Where had everyone gone.
She neared the dining room and heard laughter and the unmistakable clink of glasses against one another at different pitches depending on the measurement of the liquid in the glass.
She moved closer curiously. It sounded like celebration. Why would there be a celebration? Was it because peace had been decided? She crept closer trying to hear what the conversation was about.
And then suddenly she was grabbed by the wrist and pulled harshly into a strong and deadly pair of arms.
Serenity froze.
"Your prince charming may have won the war," Prince Diamond said with venom. "But he will never get you."
Serenity tried to scream and struggle but he held her tightly and laughed at her futile attempts as he dragged her back into the darkness. All she could see was the black of night closing around her, taking her farther and farther from the light. She panicked.
He carried her to a room at the end of the hall that was one of the only left empty while the royals were staying with them. Fear paralyzed her when she saw the bed. He threw her harshly down and she hit the floor hard.
She felt her mind get dizzy after the impact, and she felt the slow trickle of blood down her face. The smell startled her. He pinned her down, crushing her beneath his weight.
"We are going back to our home," he said dangerously.
Serenity screamed as loud as she could, startling him.
He hit her.
The pain shot through her neck and body, startling her with its intensity. She felt as if her jaw was in the wrong place, and the pain froze her.
She wasn't sure any longer what he was doing. She couldn't focus on him. She couldn't focus on anything.
And then his weight was gone.
Serenity was confused at his sudden departure. She tried to look towards him. But she thought she was seeing double.
No, that wasn't right.
She tried to sit up, bracing herself against the bed.
There were two people in the room.
She looked up at them.
Prince Diamond went down with a resounding thud, and then more people were in the room.
She felt someone come near her. She couldn't really pay attention to who it was. She could only focus on the person who in her eyes had just saved her from a fate worse then death.
"Are you alright," he said coming towards her. She could see blood above his left eye.
"Yes," she said with a stutter.
Jedeite smiled at her. "I heard your scream," he said. "It's a good thing you made so much noise or I wouldn't have known where to find you."
Serenity just nodded, allowing him to pull her gently to her feet.
And then her mother was there.
The Queen pulled her daughter tightly into her embrace, nearly crying with fright.
Jedeite stumbled slightly, and Serenity was afraid for him.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"Yes," he said in an odd voice. "I just need to sit down."
Kunzite and Zoicite were at the door and they hurried to help their friend. She saw Darien walk in, and his eyes were a sea of anger. He looked at his guards.
"She was not hurt," Jedeite said trying to stand on his own.
Darien just nodded. "Thank you."
"Come on," the Queen said to her daughter. "Let's get you out of here." She walked into the hallways and Serenity saw that almost every guest was there, watching the scene with wide-eyes.
"The engagement of my daughter has been broken, but I will not let another be put into place. She will not marry anyone as long as I can help it."
The room stayed silent as they walked together towards the bedrooms.
Prince Diamonds father stood off to the side. When his son came bleeding from the room, he turned away from him and walked in the other direction. His brother did the same.
"You are banned from this palace," a palace guard said firmly. "We will escort you to our borders."
Anger filled his eyes, but he did not struggle. He walked the long way down the hall, feeling the eyes of all those who had decided on peace burn into him.
It was there weeks later and Darien could find not rest. He had returned with his guards and sister to their home, leaving the Lady Lita with Serenity as she requested. But he had not seen her.
The look of fear and shock that had been the vision of her face that day plagued him. He dreamt about it. She had looked, devastated. He hated himself for not being there for her, but he admire Jedeite for being where he couldn't.
He stood up and felt the tension return to his shoulders. The war was over, the land was in peace and so far nothing had happened to hurt this new perfect balance. It was if everyone was willing to give it a try. It had taken so much time and energy to get it to this point, he didn't want to do anything that broke it.
He walked towards the window and looked into the garden where Raye was quietly reading a book in the sunlight. Since it had happened, she always went outside when the sun was shinning. Part of Serenity had rubbed off on her. Her smiled at her.
His smile faded when he saw Jedeite walk up to her.
Raye looked up at the tall man and smiled. Darien couldn't hear what he said, but she gestured for him to sit beside her. She held her book out to him and he leaned towards her to look at it.
Darien furrowed his brow in confusion. His mind went back to the day they had been coming home after winning the war. He had said he loved someone that he couldn't have. It was Raye.
He watched them for awhile, and it became so clear to him. Jedeite had always requested to be the one to accompany Raye when she was searching for a new horse. He always offered to protect her whenever she was out or their was company in the castle. He was always with her when something was happening to upset her. Even more then Darien himself was.
Raye had never shown that much interest in the man. Or had she? Did he really pay enough attention to her to know what her heart felt.
Even if she did love him in return, she might not have said anything. She would have know as well as he did that the match was not a suitable one. Raye was destined to marry a prince or a noble. She was not destined to marry one of his guards.
But then again, he would never allow her to marry anyone she didn't love.
Darien sat with his guards and Raye at dinner. They had grown accustomed to eating together since peace had settled over the lands. It was taking them awhile to get used to it. Their whole lives had been about war and now it seemed like nothing at all was happening.
He looked at his sister cautiously. He watched her look at Jedeite and then look away with a blush. It was obvious that she loved him but he had never noticed it before. Why had she never told him?
He wondered if she had told Serenity.
A servant came into the room looking panicked.
"Your majesty I'm sorry, but the Queen….."
He was cut off by Serenity's mother coming into the room. Darien stood up in surprise and haste just in time for her to slap him hard across the face.
The whole room seemed frozen.
Darien rubbed his red cheek softly as he turned to look back at her.
"How dare you," The Queen said with fury in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Darien said standing straight. "But I'm not sure what I've done to upset you."
"She's pregnant," The Queen shouted.
The room stayed frozen.
End of chapter Eighteen
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