One Month Later
As the weeks went by Serenity's stomach slowly started to expand. Unfortunately for Endymion as she started to get bigger her emotions got more unpredictable. Now as Endymion stares wide-eyed at a bawling Serenity taking comfort in Lita's arm he can't help but wonder what he did this time. It really could have been anything. In the past few weeks he had been berated for anything from the fact that they ran out of fresh blueberries to his callous mention of Ami who Serenity had been missing since she and Zoisite left for their honeymoon.
Finally it seemed Serenity had calmed enough to convey to Lita what was wrong in a garble of words that only a woman could begin to understand. Endymion could feel his panic rise as Lita finally looks at him, her face an empty slate.
"Apparently you don't find her attractive anymore because you only kissed her on the cheek." Endymion couldn't help but sigh in relief. This had been Serenity's main concern since she had started to show and was the one issue that Endymion could calm her down from very quickly.
"Thanks Lita, I can take it from here." Lita gives him a small smile and gently passes the sniffling Serenity into Endymion's awaiting arms. Giving him one more smile Lita goes back into the dining room to finish dinner with the others.
Once the door closes he looks down at Serenity who was currently hiding her face in his chest while he rubs soothing circles on her back. Eventually she lifts her face, looking shyly at him eyes red and streaks of tears on her cheeks.
"Are you mad at me?" She asks softly, eyes downcast. Endymion lifts her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him.
"Serenity, you could never do anything to make me angry with you."
"Really?" She asks biting her lip.
"Of course!" He replies. "You're the love of my life and you're carrying my child! You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and as our child grows you impossibly get even more beautiful." By the time he's done Serenity has once again started crying silent tears.
"I'm sorry I've been so moody all the time." Serenity slightly hiccups causing Endymion to chuckle softly.
"Serenity, you can be as moody as you want because I know that at the end it will all be worth it when we see our beautiful baby." He leans down and gives her a soft kiss. "Now, why don't we go back to dinner? You need to eat and make sure my son grows to be big and strong." Serenity chuckles softly.
"Your son huh? And how are you so sure that we aren't having a girl? Endymion looks shocked, almost as if he had forgotten it was possible to have a girl. Luckily he recovers quickly.
"Well if we do I'm sure she'll be as beautiful and as wonderful as her mother." Serenity gives him a bright smile and they turn to enter the dining room.
Everyone was laughing at something Mina had said when it happened. Rushing into the dining room came one of the guards looking grim.
"Your majesty! You must come quickly. A fire has started on some of the fields and it looks as though it may have been caused by an arsonist." Everyone immediately stands up concerned.
"Malachite, Nephrite, Jadeite follow me." They start to leave when Endymion notices an extra member in their party. Immediately he stops. "Serenity, what do you think you're doing?"
"I'm coming with you." She says determinedly. Endymion scoffs.
"Absolutely not Serenity, it is too dangerous." Endymion says his own look of determination crossing his face.
"I don't care Endymion, they are my people too and I refuse to sit back and do nothing while they are suffering. Now this can go one of two ways, either you can let me go and let anyone you want to escort me, or you can forbid me to go and I'll just sneak out and go by myself. Now, which are you going to pick?" They stare at each other down and Endymion knowing they were pressed for time concedes.
"Fine." He growls. "Jadeite will escort you, but you don't leave his sight." He turns to Jadeite. "And you are for no reason whatsoever aloud to let her out of your sight. You are also not allowed to let her within at least 500 feet of the fire, do I make myself perfectly clear." They both nod and they leave.
After quickly surveying the area, they quickly find the path of the arsenic going into the woods.
"I'll follow the path on foot. Nephrite, you come with me, and Malachite go help with the extinguishing the fire." They all nod and split up, Endymion leading Nephrite down the path.
The woods are completely silent, almost as if they were completely separated from humanity. There was only enough light to barely follow the path, but their eyes quickly adjust to the darkness. It seemed to have taken hours before something happened. Endymion can see the clearing that is coming up ahead, and he doesn't like it. It is very exposed, and just doesn't feel right.
When they reach the entrance Endymion holds up his hand, signaling Nephrite to hold back while he goes ahead. Walking slowly he steps into the clearing. He is only a few steps in when he screws up. Unfortunately he didn't feel the trigger until it was too late. He hears the click of the trap setting and freezes knowing as soon as he moves his foot then something, not sure what, but something would happen. He quickly scans the trees, looking for anything unnatural. It takes a few seconds but he finally spots it, the slight exposure of an arrow tip. Now that he knew what he was looking for he was able to see the circle of taut arrows surrounding him.
Taking a deep breath he mentally prepares himself, and then he releases the trigger as he slowly releases his breath. He hears the first arrow release coming from his left and immediately springs into action. He out stretches his right arm to his left side and as soon as he feels the presence of the arrow on his open palm he spins in a circle. When he finishes his 360° turn he breathes a sigh of relief, holding the arrows in his right fist for the also relieved Nephrite to see.
"Okay, now is the part where you slowly exit the death clearing and we go find Malachite." Endymion nods and slowly walks out of the clearing. They slowly leave the forest and meet up with Malachite who had come back to the trail when the fire had been successfully extinguished. After describing what had happened in the woods Malachite becomes very concerned.
"Endymion, obviously someone is after you." Malachite says. "It might be in your best interest to increase your protective detail." When he sees Endymion about to protest he adds, "Plus if we increased protection around the castle it would make sure that Serenity and the baby don't get caught in the crossfire." Endymion glares at him, knowing he just said the one thing that would make him agree.
"You play dirty Malachite. Fine, increase protection around the castle, but I don't need an increase of protective detail. Also neither of you will breathe a word about what happened tonight to Serenity, I don't want her to worry, it's not good for her or the baby. And that is a direct order." He gives them a stern look and they nod their heads then follow Endymion away from the woods.
"You're such an angel Serenity." One of the farmers who had helped to extinguish the fire says as she scoops some fresh drinking water into his outstretched cup.
"Nonsense." She replies trying, and succeeding, to hold in her annoyance at Jadeite, who wouldn't even let her leave the wagon, knowing he was just following orders. It also didn't help that she is sore, tired, slightly nauseous, and really has to use the bathroom. But when she sees Endymion walking over a huge smile crosses her face. He comes over and holds up an empty cup smiling.
"May I have some water milady?" Serenity giggles as she scoops water into his cup.
"Of course good sir." He gives her a goofy grin and gulps down the water before jumping onto the wagon, nodding to Jadeite to join the other generals, and pulls her close to him. He kisses her softly.
"Did you get the arsonist?" Serenity looks up at Endymion, worry prominent in her eyes.
"Um, no sweetheart. But I don't want you to worry because we'll find him in no time I promise." Endymion pulls Serenity into an embrace, breathes in her calming scent, and prays that whatever might be after him would leave her alone.