AN: Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry this took longer than expected for me to get out, but the story just wasn't speaking to me for a few days. Endymion was so bratty I needed to step back ;)

But alas, I'm back with the longest chappy, yet! So, strap on your seatbelts, and get ready for some ANGST.

My ETERNAL thanks, as always, to FloraOne. I seriously would NEVER get anything written if it weren't for her, so you should shower her with praise, too, if you love this story 333

I hope you enjoy, and please, please, please let me know what you think! Your reviews on this have blown me away, and they keep me going, so THANK YOU, and review some more xD

oOo

Serenity giggled as she ran through the hallways of the Earth palace, calling out many an, "I'm sorry!" to the numerous workers she almost collided with.

It was so rare for her to feel truly free these days. But as she sprinted through the corridor, her skirts billowing behind her, it was difficult to not feel as if she were some kind of rebel.

She was late to her first official event with her fiance. An official portrait was to be painted of her and Endymion. Which unfortunately translated into an entire day of sitting still in the presence of her soon to be husband.

The princess slowed to a walk when Endymion entered her mind, a frown marring her perfect features.

Her mind wandered back to their disastrous meeting just two days before, as thoughts began to swirl around in her head.

Why had the prince been so cold to her? Had she offended him in some way?

Serenity shook her head, clearing her thoughts, a soft smile forming on her face. There was no use worrying about such things. Her mother had always told her to simply let go of the things she could not control. And the attitude of a certain prince was certainly one of those things.

Of course, that didn't mean she wouldn't continue to kill him with kindness, she thought with a giggle.

And the entire situation had almost been completely worth it to see Venus' reaction to the prince's treatment of her. Serenity had never heard the senshi use quite so many colorful adjectives before, including the phrase, 'fucking bastard,' which was apparently some Terran term Venus had picked up since their arrival. The princess still hadn't the slightest idea what it meant, but she could at least guess it was less than flattering.

She paused when she arrived at the large wooden door that separated her and her future. Taking a deep breath and placing a confident smile on her face, the princess pulled on the handle.

"Ah! There she is! Come in, dear. We've been waiting for you," Aethlius said warmly, without a hint of frustration at her late arrival.

Serenity blushed deeply her eyes darting from the King's to her mother's, and refusing to venture towards the cold stare she knew belonged to Endymion.

"I'm so, very sorry about my tardiness, your grace," Serenity apologized, hoping with every fibre of her being that it came across as sincere. She had already grown so fond of her future father in law, that the thought of disappointing him filled her with dread.

But Aethlius only continued to smile warmly at her. "Nonsense, child. You're the reason we're here, after all. The party never starts without its guest of honor. The rest of us were simply early."

Serenity beamed back at him, the fear easing out of her body. Her attention was pulled elsewhere, however, when Endymion cleared his throat loudly.

"Father, can we please move this along. I have important matters to attend to, and I'm sure Kamoi does as well," the prince said, nodding towards a man on the other side of the room that Serenity hadn't noticed before.

When all eyes turned towards the man, who Serenity assumed was the painter, she was surprised to find him staring right back at them. Blushing at having been caught eavesdropping, the man hurried away from the large canvas and over towards the group of royals clustered near the door.

The young painter, dressed all in purple with scraggly brown hair, looked every bit the artist that he was, as he bowed low to Serenity. "Your Royal Highness, it is truly an honor to make your acquaintance."

With a soft and warm giggle, Serenity offered her hand to the man still bowed in front of her.. "You do flatter me so, sir…" she said, as he laid a quick kiss to her hand.

Appearing to catch onto the fact that the princess was waiting for his name, the painter straightened, and blushed brightly. "Kamoi, your highness. My name is Kamoi. And if I may be so bold, Prince Endymion did not do you justice when he was describing you to me earlier. You are Selene incarnate."

Out of the corner of her eye, Serenity saw both Aethlius' and her mother's heads turn towards where Endymion stood, but she kept her eyes focused on the sweet painter.

"Thank you, Kamoi. You are too kind. I am sure my fiance described me as best he could after only meeting me once," Serenity excused for Endymion without really knowing why.

The princess felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Turning slightly, she saw her mother standing behind her with warm eyes. "Darling, Aethlius and I still have many things to finalize before the ceremony, so I'm afraid we must leave you two. But we will see you later this evening at the banquet."

Serenity nodded, attempting to keep her smile bright and sure. "Yes, mother."

Queen Serenity patted her cheek lovingly, and then took Aethlius' waiting arm. The two monarchs had almost reached the door, when Aethlius stopped, turning towards his son.

"Behave, Endymion," he said lightly, but Serenity was startled to see the unmistakable warning in his eyes.

When they were gone Serenity turned back to Kamoi, who was already shuffling back towards his canvas. She glanced to Endymion, smiled warmly, and said, "I guess that would be our cue."

With one nod of his head in her direction, the prince walked away in long strides, leaving Serenity in the newly familiar action of running after him.

"Princess Serenity, if you would be so kind as to sit here," Kamoi gestured to the lone chair near him. "And Prince Endymion, you will stand behind the princess with your hand on her shoulder."

At the mention of Endymion touching her, Serenity stiffened. She wasn't afraid of a man's touch, certainly, having danced with countless men in her short lifetime, but Endymion had never made any move to even acknowledge her unless prompted by someone else, let alone extend his hand to touch her.

She nearly jumped when she felt his large, warm hand on her shoulder. Even with the fabric of her dress separating him, if felt as if his skin was burning her.

Serenity heard Endymion cough behind her, removing his hand to cover his mouth. She turned towards him, and their eyes clashed for the first time.

She was surprised to find such intensity in the dark blue depths that stared back at her with a challenge. Serenity tried to find any emotion in his gaze that might give her an inkling into what he was thinking, but instead, she only encountered icy, turbulent anger.

An involuntary shiver ran through her.

The sound of Kamoi clearing his throat had her spinning back around to face him, a bright blush painting her cheeks.

A heavy silence blanketed the room for long and tense moments. It was apparent to Serenity that Kamoi could feel it just as acutely as she did, when he tried to lighten the air.

"There is no need for you to pose as if you are statues, your highnesses. You may move a bit. Talk with each other if you like," he said brightly with a smile to match.

After a few more, tense minutes, Serenity decided she couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"It is such lovely weather we're having, today, isn't it, Endymion?"

"Indeed," he answered with no feeling. With her back pressed to him, Serenity could feel the vibration of his voice ring through him.

She bit her lip, attempting to think of a subject that might hold any interest to him, when inspiration finally struck. "How is your sword training coming along?" she asked excitedly, proud of herself for remembering that little detail from their first meeting.

"My what?" he responded, his tone giving an appearance as if he'd been caught off guard.

Serenity furrowed her brow at his tone. "Your sword training. You said the other day that you couldn't meet mother and I when we arrived because you had sword training."

"Oh," he said, voice shifting back to the unfeeling one he only seemed to reserve for her. "It's going as well as can be expected."

Serenity felt rather defeated, when Endymion shut down any hope of conversation, once again, and as she looked at Kamoi sketching away on his canvas, she couldn't help but let her mind recall the painter's earlier comment about how Endymion had described her.

Had he told the painter she was unfortunate looking? Serenity knew her beauty didn't compare to many women she was fortunate enough to be in the company of. Her mother, Venus and Mars had always stood out in her mind as the most beautiful women she'd ever seen. She certainly didn't have their curvaceous figures, but she had never considered herself to be plain by any means, and there were many things Serenity loved about herself.

Her hair, for instance, had always been something she refused to change. The queen had always told her it looked as if it had been spun from gold, and no matter what hairstyles the women at court were seen wearing, Serenity never wanted to deviate from the buns and streamers she and her mother wore.

She had also always loved her smile. Not to say that the princess spent an inordinate amount of time in front of mirrors, but Serenity had always taken note of what her smile could do for those around her. The palace workers and many foreign dignitaries had told her countless times that they felt captive to her warmth. And she felt she had managed to at least give some joy into the lives of others. No one that she knew of had openly tried to resist it being happy.

Until Endymion, that is.

Though she hadn't spent any time with him since their first meeting, Serenity had found her schedule to be relatively open during the short time she'd spent on Earth, and she had taken the time to get to know the palace, and in turn she had gotten a glimpse into the life of her fiance, as well.

She had seen him interacting with multiple people, most of them workers, while she hid behind pillars and shrubs, and the Endymion she witnessed in these moments, was not the same as the one whose hand rested currently on her shoulder.

This new Endymion was kind. He smiled. Beautifully.

The afternoon before, Serenity had been following the amazing smells wafting through the palace, and she soon found herself near the kitchens, where she had spied Endymion helping himself to any number of snacks the cooks seemed to have prepared just for him. Talking, laughing, joking with the cooks about any number of things. And she had found herself smiling along with him.

Serenity began to wonder if the prince had simply been having an off day when they had met, as she felt herself beginning those first, precarious steps towards love. She had just met him, yes, but the Endymion that she had seen during the two days since they met, was a man she could easily see herself spending the rest of her long life with comfortably.

And she found herself growing practically incapable of not admiring his looks, as well. He was handsome, beautiful even, with strong features, a lithe frame that was masculine, but not overly so. And the way his hair fell haphazardly into his eyes had her longing to reach out and brush it back.

Even Venus could admit how striking Endymion was. After she had flown into Serenity's chambers, slamming the door so hard and yelling so loudly that the walls shook, Serenity had reminded her that it was her duty and obligation to marry the prince, Venus' response had been a flippant, "Well, at least he's pretty."

Serenity let out an unconscious giggle at the memory.

"I'm not sure what you could find entertaining about this situation," Endymion snapped from behind her.

She whipped her head back towards him, her hair hitting him in the chest in the process, while a blush stained her cheeks. "Oh, I'm sorry, Endymion, I got lost in my own thoughts, I suppose."

She held his eyes for just a moment too long, not realizing she was openly staring at him, until he cleared his throat awkwardly, and looked away to anything else but her.

Turning back around in her chair, Serenity's mind began to race, searching for something, anything, to break the tension in the room. When her eyes fell on Kamoi, she decided to attempt to engage the other person in the room.

"So, Kamoi," she began in a quiet voice, "tell me, do you enjoy your work as a painter?"

The artist's hand stilled at her words, apparently startled at not only being addressed, but at being asked a genuine question about his work.

He smiled at Serenity, before turning back to the canvas, and answering, "Yes, princess. Very much so. Although, it is not without its frustrations."

Serenity frowned slightly at this, and she heard Endymion sigh behind her. "Frustrations, you say? Tell me about them."

Kamoi's eyes turned sad. "It is my job to paint what I see, your highness. And there are many times people do not wish to see the truth in my work."

The princess' brow furrowed even more at this. "But if it is the truth you give them, why would they not like it?"

Endymion snorted in derision at her question, but Serenity kept her eyes forward.

Kamoi paused briefly in his sketching, once more, appearing to search for an answer. But when he looked up towards Serenity, there was an unmistakable hint of defeat in his eyes. "I do not know, princess."

Serenity sat in silence for the next few moments, before curiosity got the better of her. "Would you mind if I looked at what you've done so far?"

The painter appeared pleased at her question. "Yes, of course, your grace!"

She rose quickly from the chair, a bright and excited smile on her face. When she came around to the other side of the canvas, she gasped in delight.

"Oh! It's absolutely lovely!" Serenity exclaimed genuinely. "Endymion, you must come see!"

"The only thing I must do, princess, is to kindly ask you to cease your incessant chattering," Endymion replied, not even attempting to mask his contempt. "It's giving me a headache."

Serenity couldn't stop her mouth from falling open at his response, as her mind raced for a reply, finding none.

She looked back at the painting, as the uncomfortable silence hung in the room, once more, and she noticed details she had missed on her first glance.

It was indeed a lovely portrait of them. But her usual cheeriness was subdued, and she couldn't help but notice how melancholy her eyes looked, void of their standard brightness.

And Endymion…

The prince looked almost pained standing behind her, his strong jaw set, and his stance completely rigid. There was no glimpse of the man she had been privy to see over the past days. The man who had laughed and smiled and…

A sickening wave of reality crashed into her.

She was the only thing missing from all those little encounters she had seen. She was the reason he was miserable, cold. Angry.

Endymion despised her.

Shaky legs took her back to her chair. And as she sat for the remaining hours that Kamoi needed to work, silence reigned.

oOo

Serenity stood alone in a small room just off the main banquet hall, absentmindedly smoothing the endless folds of her pale, pink dress over and over.

She could hear the sounds of the guests on the other side of the door, and her nervousness was mounting steadily, nearly jumping when she heard someone open the door behind her.

Endymion entered the room, and Serenity felt her breath hitch at the sight of him.

He was everything a prince should be, dressed in his regal attire. Poised, strong and steadfast.

This stunning man in front of her was to be her husband in a day's time.

And he hated her.

This was the first time they had been alone together, she realized, while gazing at him as he stared stoically ahead, unseeing. Their first time alone, and instead of basking in the presence of one another, he would spend the time awkwardly avoiding any contact with her, once again.

Serenity turned her back to him, knowing she would be unable to hide the swell of emotions she felt at the thought.

She was startled again, when Endymion spoke.

"Father says we'll be announced shortly," he said not offering up any platitudes for her obvious nervousness, and effectively cutting off the conversation.

He was apparently an expert at that.

And she couldn't blame him, really. If he disliked her as much as she was convinced he did, why would he have any want to talk with her? She certainly wouldn't wish to speak with someone she despised.

Not that she knew what that felt like.

Serenity had always firmly believed that a person had a right to feel however they wished. She could not force Endymion to love her, or even like her, and this was a fact she thought she could accept in time. But there would always be that nagging question in the back of her mind.

Why?

Why did he hate her so? What had she done to deserve such treatment from him?

And as these questions swirled in her head, as they had been for hours, now, anger began to creep its way through her. The need to know becoming much larger than the need for propriety that had been ingrained in her since she could speak.

Before she could stop herself, Serenity began to talk.

"Why do you feel the need to treat me as you do? As if I have done you some great wrong. As if I have committed a grave, personal slight against you. Pray, tell me, Endymion, what have I done to you in the three days I've had the displeasure of knowing you, that would cause you to act as if I were an insect that needed to be squashed?"

It came out much harsher than she had intended, but Serenity couldn't bring herself to regret the words. She was angry, angrier than she had ever been, and for the first time in her life, she felt she had every right to be so.

She also couldn't bring herself to regret the pleasure she felt at the complete shock that registered on his face at her outburst, and the stumble of words that came after.

"Serenity…" it was the first time he'd used her name, "I...I don't really know how to-"

"You don't know how to, 'what,' Endymion? Put into words why you so unjustly hate me?" she hissed at him, biting down the urge to shout, knowing the crowds on the other side of the door would likely hear them.

He looked at her with wild, almost pleading eyes, taking her by the shoulders, and moving her away from the door.

When he didn't speak, Serenity continued, "You owe me an explanation, Endymion. If I'm to spend the rest of my life with you, the very least you can do is to tell me why I have to live with the thought of my husband hating me."

Endymion ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I don't hate you, Serenity-"

"Well, you certainly have an odd way of showing it," she snapped back, anger still coursing through her.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but shut it and she could see his entire body stiffening, his eyes growing increasingly petrified.

Serenity felt some of the anger fade at his look of terror. There was obviously something he needed to say.

She sighed, and spoke, again, her tone much warmer. "Endymion, I just need to know," she said, holding his gaze.

Endymion took a deep, ragged breath, running his hands through his hair, once more. "I don't hate you, Serenity. Truly. I just don't want to marry you."

She already knew he didn't want to marry her, but the sting of hearing the words come from his mouth was undeniable.

"I know this, Endymion. But we are royals. What we want will always come second to what our people need. You must know that by now."

"Of course I do!" he cried back. "But that doesn't change-"

"Change what, Endymion?" she prodded, frustration growing at his stalling.

He looked down towards the floor refusing to meet her eyes. For a few, long moments, it was dead silent in the room, the sounds of the crowd on the other side of the wall the only noise filtering in.

But finally, he said the words she had been dying to know, and, yet, was so unprepared to hear.

"It doesn't change the fact that I'm in love with someone else."

Serenity was stunned in silence at his admission, completely frozen to her current spot.

She had gone over countless scenarios in her mind what he would say when she asked him why, but none had come close to a declaration of love for someone else.

Serenity could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to move her gaze to meet his.

Endymion sighed deeply. "I don't hate you, Serenity. It's just...you're not her."

Before she could even begin to process his words, the door opened, and a man said something to Endymion she didn't hear.

"Serenity, we have to go, now," Endymion's words only vaguely registered in her mind.

She couldn't recall how she had managed to move from the spot she was rooted in on the floor. Couldn't remember when she had placed her arm under his to be lead into the hall.

Serenity didn't register anyone who spoke to her. Her eyes swam in a sea of colored dresses and chandeliers that were much too bright.

She felt nothing, until untold minutes had flown by, and her face hurt from the act of smiling so brightly. The swell of constant noise made her head spin, and she couldn't concentrate on anything until she felt Endymion at her side, again.

It was time for the dancing to begin, which of course called for her to dance in a torturous waltz with Endymion.

Serenity felt him take her hand, and place his arm around to set his other hand on the small of her back. They were soon moving to the soft swells of the orchestra.

She stumbled several times, unused to dancing with someone who was more than a foot taller than she. But Endymion was a strong lead, covering for her with effortless grace.

When the waltz was over, and the polite applause had died, she heard Endymion whisper to her, as they exited the floor, "I'm sorry."

His presence engulfed her, and she found herself finally able to look at him.

What she saw in his eyes made her sadness nearly overwhelming.

Pity. He pitied her.

"Serenity, dear, you don't look well. Are you feeling alright?" she heard her mother ask from somewhere nearby.

"N-no, mother. I feel rather faint, actually. May I please retire for the evening?"

Her mother's look of concern made Serenity wonder how truly awful she looked.

"Yes, of course, dear. Go rest. I'll have Naru meet you in your chambers to help you ready for bed. Try not to worry about anything, my love. Tomorrow will be perfect for you," the queen said softly, her words full of encouragement.

But Serenity felt anything but encouraged. She only managed a nod of her head in acknowledgement.

Yes, she would be married, tomorrow. But it seemed that love would remain always just out of her grasp.

oOo

AN: Stay tuned for the next chapter that has been lovingly called the "Wed & Bed" installment xD Thank you so much for reading!