What's Done In The Dark: The King's Concubine

Dear Diary 11

Three days later, Darien received the expected letter. Serena was starting to hate the number three as if it carried all the misfortune of the world. Darien had read the letter and tried to hide it from Serena but she had insisted on reading it and when she did, she was not surprised. The elders had assembled at Hotaru's compliant of Darien's unfaithful ways and now he was being called to question. Of course not only that, he was to bring his latest mistress if Hotaru's story was true, if he did they would know the queen spoke the truth without having to question him but if he didn't, they would investigate the matter and find a solution to it. Serena had breathed a sigh of relief thinking Darien wouldn't be foolish enough to take her along.

"We leave in two days." Darien had said, ending her illusion. Serena had been startled; he was going to take her? Did he not know what they faced?! She turned large eyes on him.

"Darien…I…" she licked her lips, trying to stop the trembling in her voice. "I can't do this!" She said miserably. Darien whose back was facing her stopped whatever he was doing but did not turn around.

"We leave in two days." He repeated again, inserting in it all the command of his position as her king. She knew it was useless to argue and worst of all, she didn't want his insanity to rise up.

"Three."

"What?" he looked over his shoulders at her.

"Three days. Let's leave in three days." She said.

"Why three?"

"That's the magic or curse number isn't it? Let's just continue the pattern for familiarity's sake." She said before leaving the room for the sitting room.

Three days later they began their journey to the capital, arriving sooner than she wanted though she noticed Darien was in a rather happy if not happy then relaxed mood. She wondered how he could do that when their lives were on the line. Whatever his reasons were, Serena was starting to think that maybe he was always insane and that there were just moments of over insanity.

They arrived at the gold and silver palace by the morning of the fourth day. It was around five and the nobles and royals had yet to risen from bed though the servants were wide awake doing their duties. They welcomed the King back with bows and curtsy, treating Serena as they would with any lady. Serena felt like a fraud, a sheep in wolf clothing and she inched nearer to Darien as if being near him would make it easier to accept the fact that she deserved to be treated like a lady instead of one of the servants that she was. Lita and Malcolm were the only two Darien had decided to bring along with them to the palace. He knew Serena was going to be uncomfortable so he thought with Lita by her side, she would feel a little better and Malcolm was purely for protection, not his but hers.

When they arrived, the palace servants arranged rooms for them. It was arranged that Lita and Serena will share a room and Malcolm would guard them so he didn't need any room but even still, Darien made sure the room next to Serena was unoccupied. However the four of them knew the only place Serena would be sleeping was in his private room. Exhausted from the trip, they, or the ladies at least, went to sleep as Darien showed Malcolm around the palace, pointing out places he could run with Serena if the situation demands Serena's escape.

Lita was the first to wake. She showered and went to the kitchen to prepare something for Serena who woke up exactly at 12. After she had bathed and eaten Lita's special meal, the two or three with Malcolm along but at a distance decided to go sight seeing. They climbed into a tour ferry that took them all around with a guide telling them the history of so and so. But what Serena noticed was far from the fairytale stories the guide so proudly proclaimed. She saw what she had not even often seen in the poor town where she had lived before. Homeless, street rats, uncleanness.

She had often heard marvelous stories of the capital, as beautiful as paradise with streets of gold and silver and so on. But seeing this right now, the dirty streets, the moss covered buildings, the homeless that looked at her with not so much as hope or desperation but an acceptance of fate; she began to really get angry. What the hell was Hotaru thinking? Wasn't she the queen? Couldn't she do something about this mess!? But then another thought struck her. Hotaru would never know these people's suffering, because she had never known hopeless. She had always been sheltered, loved, everything she ever wanted she had gotten, everything except Darien of course. For a wild minute, Serena entertained and glorified in managing to take away from Hotaru what she wanted.

Yeah and see what good it's done you.

She sobered up quickly. As the ferry went on, she traced every imperfection, every soiled water, every hopeless case scenario with eyes of pity and sympathy. How long was the poor going to be over looked? How long will it take before the nobles noticed that their city was falling down? But Serena did see the beautiful parts that were like Paradise and understood. The city was divided into two, one for the poor and less fortunate and the other half for the rich. The difference was so glaring it was hard to over look it yet after all these years as queen, Hotaru had over looked it. And so had Darien. She shook her head and got off the ferry, returning to the palace in a disheartened mood.

As soon as they were inside the palace, all three of them felt a chill go through them. Servants were busy gossiping and moving everywhere, giving her weird and some, hostile looks. As they walked toward their room, a familiar voice caught their interest through the door that led to the throne room. The door was closed so they feared no discovery. Serena leaned her head against the door to hear what was going on after she heard Darien's agitated voice.

"You're majesty, what you are doing is wrong!" an old horse and agitated voice stated.

Darien scoffed at that. He was tired of the arguments. Since the afternoon they had met, all the elders seemed to want to do is instill in his brain that his actions were wrong not for the moral of it but because it didn't look good if his people were to find out.

"Your Majesty, all we ask is to send the girl back to where she was and stop this unfaithfulness or we will have no choice but to involve the people."

"Do as you like." Darien answered.

"And the girl even said that she was with you against her will! She couldn't even leave when I gave her permission to leave because she said you'd go after her again. Again Endymion, again. How often had you chased her? Forcing an innocent girl to sleep with you to spite me, that's just despicable!" Hotaru's voice was the last Serena heard before leaving, walking away from the door and the argument within. She suddenly felt old beyond her years; she was weary with worry and anxiety. She just wanted out of the whole situation!

Returning to the room, she laid on the bed, waiting for Darien to come. And he didn't disappoint. He entered her room to find Lita clearing away the dishes she had just eaten and he told Lita to sleep in the next room. He sat on the other side of the bed, lifting his leg onto the bed and locking his hands behind his head and let out a tired sigh. Serena sat as she had been sitting when he entered, her back to him now. As she waited for Darien, the real trouble she was in finally caught up with her. She realized the civil unrest the situation would put the entire kingdom in, was one man enough for her to face the hate of the entire kingdom?

In silence the two sat, Darien lost in thought and her not wanting to make him aware of her presence.

"We are to break up." He said suddenly, jerking her into awareness. She had two very different reactions. The first which she knew should have been the last or she should never had contemplated was the feeling of fear. A split second after Darien said those five words, all she wanted to scream was 'no.' but she caught herself before realizing that if they broke up, she could escape this madness. Soon, only that thought was in her mind. Yet through it all, her heart protested with a beating that threatened to rip her heart apart.

"So they say." Darien added and all the hope drained out of out her, leaving her dehydrated and thirsty for an escape, for freedom. For no reason she was suddenly so mad. She got up and turned around, glaring at Darien with absolute hate.

"How long will you drag me at your pace? I'm tired of all of this Darien; I am not strong enough for the burden you've placed on me." She said all too calmly. For a minute she thought she had gotten through to him as he stared at her with an odd look which Serena interpreted as surrender. But the look quickly disappeared and he looked away again. She sighed and picked herself off the floor, she began walking to the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To clear my head." She answered and walked out. But her real purpose was completely different. She wanted to think of how she could escape. There was no way this issue was going to end well and she was too weary to battle it on. She needed to run away, hide, be away from Darien. As she walked she was aware of Malcolm's shadowy pace behind her. She would not be able to get away. In such an unfamiliar place, who could help her escape? She rounded a corner and collided with someone. She and that someone fell backwards, proclaim sounds of pain at the same time. The sound of each others voice registered in their heads and they swiftly looked up into each others face.

"You!" Hotaru sneered.

"Yes!" Serena almost cheered. She quickly scooted closer to the queen.

"I can help you but I need your help as well." She whispered urgently in Hotaru's ears.

"What?"

"Don't talk aloud. Darien has a guard shadowing me. Is there a place we can talk?" She continued her urgent whisper.

"Why should I help you?" Hotaru sneered again.

"You want me out of the picture don't you? I've got a plan but I need your help." Serena said. The queen stared into her eyes.

"Follow me." Malcolm was now within hearing distance so Serena just stood up and walked after the queen. Further down the hall, Hotaru opened and door and entered, Serena followed suit but immediately shut the door a second before Malcolm reached it. He pounded on it.

"Lady! Lady, open up. Are you alright?" he was asking.

"A moment Malcolm." Serena replied and the pounding stopped. Moving further away from the door, Serena realized that the room they were in was a sort of storage room, a very big one which held pots and pans. After they had moved as far away from the door as they could so they would be heard, the two ladies turned to each other.

"I'm listening." Hotaru said, her hands crossing over her chest.

"My Lady, I truly mean you no harm. The circumstances of how I became the kings lover were out of my country. I was taken to him unknowingly and against my will. If there had been a way for me to avoid it I would have. Darien is very unstable in the mind, I fear him. Many times I've told him to let me go but he will not. I cannot take this anymore; I just want a normal life. But if I were to leave now, I have no idea where I can go without being found by him again."

"So?"

"So? So I need help! Is there not a way you can shelter me. I will stay hidden for the rest of my life if I have to but I need to get away from him. Help me get away from him and you will have him all to yourself."

"Are you insane child?" Hotaru asked.

"I know I seem it right not but I can tell you this, even if he is removed from the throne, he will not let me go. Please, I beg you, help me." Serena said, panic starting to claw at her. She was so close to her freedom, so close. If Hotaru would not help her, who else would or could for that matter?

"Let me get this straight." Hotaru said. "If I provide a safe haven for you, you will no longer be a torn in my side is that right?"

"Yes." Serena nodded.

"Even if the haven is outside of this kingdom?" Hotaru asked. Serena's eyes widened, she had thought of that. She took a moment to consider it but realized it might just have to come to that.

"Yes." She answered almost uncertainly. Hotaru smiled triumphantly.

"Very well. I will grant you your request but you must promise me on your life that if you surface where Endymion is at, I have your oath to kill you." Hotaru said and Serena stared into the queen's dark eyes. Serena knew she wasn't making small merriment of her threat; agreeing to it was signing her death contract but what other choice did she have?

"I promise."

"Good." And so they two ladies plotted and when their plan had taken on a form, they shook their hands on it.

"You know, we might yet be friends." Hotaru said before opening the door and walking out. Malcolm rushed in to Serena's side.

"Lady?"

"I'm alright. She just wished to talk to me."

"Yes but please do not do this again. The king will be very upset if he knew I left you unattended with the queen."

"My apologies Malcolm, shall we return to the room?" As they headed back to the room, Serena considered their plan again, trying to find any fault with it. As long as they stuck to the plan, she would be on a horse heading to Hotaru's family home no later than the rise of the starts comes tomorrow.

I will be free!

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Enjoy~

xD Read and Review...sorry that it's so short...I've had a writers block for nearly 2 weeks!