AN: Hello, all! You inspired me so much with all your AMAZING reviews, I just couldn't wait a week to spoil you, again 33 Seriously, the response to this fic has been overwhelming for me, and I can't thank you enough for that. You keep me going.
And as always, my EVERLASTING thanks to my beta/encourage/amazing friend, FloraOne for her constant support and guidance. You have her to thank just as much as me for all my stories, as she plays such a huge part in each and every one. Love you SO MUCH, friend 3333
Now, go ahead and read on, lovelies, and don't forget to tell me what you think! Enjoy!
oOo
Vibrant, crimson eyes, and a gentle smile greeted Endymion, as he gazed longingly at the portrait of his parents.
His mother, the Queen Calyce, had been a truly remarkable person. Never placing her maternal responsibilities on the shoulders of others, as many nobles did. Instead, she had nurtured Endymion from the day he was born, feeding him from her own breast, putting him to bed each night, and teaching him the vast knowledge she had on any number of topics.
There hadn't been a day where he wasn't by her side, as a child. Even during her final days, weak with illness, the queen had insisted on being taken to where Endymion was, intent on soaking up her last few moments with him.
And now that he stood only a half hour away from his wedding, he wished for her sweet, and calming presence more than he ever dreamed possible.
"You know," he heard his father's voice behind him, only just managing to not jump at the king's sudden, and unannounced, entrance into the room, "they say no woman would ever match the beauty of your mother on our wedding day. But I think Serenity might just come close, yet."
An overwhelming sadness flowed through Endymion, as he continued to stare at his mother's beautiful face. "I doubt that very much, father."
"And why is that, Endymion?" Aethlius asked, coming to stand next to his son. "Are you still set on ruining your own happiness?"
Endymion tore his eyes from his mother's to finally look at his father. "My happiness has already been ruined," he replied, barely above a whisper.
The king's face softened. "You are so much like your mother in so many ways, Endymion. And yet, so like me in so many others."
The prince sighed, looking back at the portrait before them.
When he said nothing, Aethlius continued on. "On our wedding day, I was convinced I was being sentenced to an unhappy life. Completely afraid that I would never come to love this perfect stranger who stood with me at the altar. What a fool I was to think I could have ever escaped your mother's charm," he said, chuckling to himself quietly.
"I want you to use this, today, my son," the king said, holding out a heavy garment to Endymion.
Endymion reached out his hands, to take what his father offered out to him, realization dawning in his mind. "Father, no! This was mother's cloak. The one you placed on her shoulders the day you were married!"
Aethlius laughed, again, at his son's obvious pronouncements. "Yes, Endymion, I am well aware of what it is."
Endymion's face fell even more at his father's nonchalance. "I don't want to use this. I can't give this to someone I don't love. Please-"
His father's hand on his arm quieted Endymion's protests. "Endymion, I want you to use this. Your mother would be honored to have it draped over the shoulders of your wife."
"How can you say that? She's not-"
Endymion quieted, once more, when Aethlius interrupted him, some of his earlier patience appearing to be wearing thin. "I understand you're still hurt, son. I, too, have loved and lost. But you mustn't shut yourself off from Serenity. She is extraordinary, whether you have allowed yourself to see it, yet or not. You can be happy, Endymion. But unless you let go of the past, only misery awaits you."
The prince's eyes grew wide, at his father's prophetic statement. "Father, I-"
But any response he had, died at the sound of the many bells that began to ring through the air, proclaiming loud and clear that his wedding was about to begin.
"Come, Endymion," Aethlius said, once the ringing had quieted. "It is time."
He nodded, closing his eyes tightly against the rush of emotions, allowing himself one, final moment of reflection, before following his father out the door, and down the long hallway that led to his unwanted future.
Endymion and Aethlius entered the large sanctuary, to the sound of heralding trumpets. Together, they walked halfway down the, seemingly endless, aisle where they turned to face the doors they had just entered moments before.
He had only moments to take in his surroundings. The room was filled with warm, smiling faces, nearly all of which were strangers to him. Not that he was surprised at the fact. After all, these ceremonies were much more for the parents and representatives of the realm than that of the couple exchanging vows.
But there were a few of the strange faces he was able to deduce the identity of. Alongside that of Sailor Venus, stood three of the fiercest looking warriors he'd ever seen. The Senshi of Mercury, Mars and Jupiter, he assumed from their appearance, proximity to Venus, and the colors they were of their respective planets. And in that moment, Endymion found himself to be incredibly grateful that he was only up against the disdain of Venus on any given day, and that the others would be returning to the moon as soon as the ceremony was completed.
Endymion quickly scanned the crowd, once more, and was relieved when he caught the eye of his entire guard. Kunzite, his constant companion at court, and the other three generals, Jadeite, Zoisite and Nephrite who had been called from their posts to witness his marriage, gave Endymion some semblance of calm in the raging storm of his emotions.
At least he had a small faction of people here who he trusted. Even if three of them would be leaving, as soon as his fate was sealed, assigned to duties elsewhere within the realm during this time of relative peace.
The trumpets blared, again, and Endymion was forced to turn his gaze towards the large, slowly opening, wooden doors in front of him.
And suddenly, there she was. Princess Serenity. And she was…
Beautiful.
He felt himself blink a few times, trying to decide if she was real.
It was as if someone had pulled the curtains back to allow the sun to shine in, when he looked at her. Really looked at her for the first time.
She was clothed in a dress of the softest gold, while her hair shined under the light of the hundreds of flames that lit the space. Her flawless, creamy skin glowed in the dimness, and her blue eyes, (had he really not noticed how much deep and fathomless they were?), were the brightest blue he had ever seen. Her mother, next to her, as they walked toward him, paled in comparison to the younger Serenity.
Unwillingly, his breath caught at the sight of her.
Serenity was, in that moment, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And it both terrified and angered him.
He had to look away from her, lest he get completely caught up in her spell.
Endymion glanced towards his father, who, much to Endymion's annoyance, wore a knowing smirk on his lips.
When the queen and princess reached them, Queen Serenity bent to place a kiss on her daughter's cheek, and then took Serenity's hand, placing it in Endymion's.
He and Serenity would make the rest of the trip to the altar by themselves, symbolizing that they were leaving their families and past, and going forward together into whatever future was to come.
Endymion had expected his soon to be wife to be emotional. He'd always believed women so often were at these types of events. But when he looked into her eyes, he saw no unshed tears. Only a hardened, determined look, that startled him a bit.
Placing her hand on his arm, he looked towards her, again, his eyes begging the question, 'are you ready?'
Serenity nodded her head once, almost imperceptibly.
Her tiny hand was warm on his arm, as they began to walk towards the awaiting Elysian priest dressed in robes of the purest white, and he chanced another quick look at her, only to find her eyes focused steadfastly ahead of her.
Even as the reached the altar, the priest instructing them to kneel, so he could place an anointing oil on their foreheads, speaking words in an ancient tongue that had long been lost to the common man.
Most of the ceremony went by in a blur for Endymion, but he found himself watching Serenity with curious eyes more often than he was ready to admit to himself.
As she placed his father's signet ring onto his finger, and he place her mother's on her, he shivered slightly at the touch of her hands so delicately handling his. But her gaze remained unmoving, not allowing the smallest bit of weakness to show.
When it came time for them to take their final oath to each other, the blood oath, Endymion was certain her tears would finally come when the priest set the blade to her pure skin, slicing a deep cut into her wrist.
But the princess didn't so much as flinch, and after Endymion's identical cut was made, Serenity looked him squarely in the eye, as their hands were tied together, bonding them to each other for eternity.
The responsibility he know held towards the woman in front of him, caused his stomach to tie in knots. He was now forever bound to the tiny, beautiful princess. And as experienced as he was at masking what he felt, he was sure Serenity could see him trembling.
At long last, the final step in the ceremony came. Serenity knelt before him, as King Aethluis came forward, and handed Endymion his mother's cloak, once more.
It had long been tradition to adorn the bride in the colors of the groom's household, and as Endymion turned back to Serenity, knelt in front of him, head bent, as if in prayer, a striking finality hit him.
Once the cloak was placed on her shoulders, once the rich fabric that had once belonged to his mother touched her skin, there would be no turning back.
With shaking hands, he placed the cloak around her, bathing her in rich colors of gold and blue and green. The colors of his kingdom. The colors of the Earth.
Coming to stand in front of her, Endymion offered his hand to Serenity, and she rose with little difficulty considering the amount of clothing that clung to her small frame.
They turned towards the gathering of witnesses, and the priest loudly proclaimed them to be husband and wife.
The bells began to ring out deafeningly, as the entire crown knelt before their future king and queen.
And Endymion couldn't help but smile slightly when he noticed the bright blush on Serenity's face at the attention being bestowed upon them.
He couldn't help but think that Beryl would have lavished in such attention. She wouldn't have shied away from any of it. But as soon as the thought entered his mind, he forced it back into the deep reaches of his brain, knowing that if he thought about her too intently, the emotions would drown him.
HIs heart beat wildly in his chest, the room spinning slightly, as he tried to keep himself from collapsing under the weight of the day.
It was all a big much, really, and hours flashed by like seconds.
He and Serenity had sat unmoving, side by side during their feast, smiles plastered to their faces for so long his face began to ache with tiredness from it.
And before he could even remotely begin to process it all, Endymion found himself facing Serenity awkwardly, as each of them were handed a white, ceremonial, and extremely stuffy night dress.
The only light in the room stemmed from a few candles that were lit along the walls, and he noticed Serenity shiver at the chill in the air, as she began to pull her gown over her head.
Beside them stood a large bed, richly adorned in down pillows, and sheets made from the finest silk.
This was the place where every Earth monarch in written history had spent their wedding night. And it would be the place where he and Serenity would consummate their marriage.
A large screen had been placed across one side of the room. This was where various members of Earth's council, and other nobility would watch the true, final step in the joining of their houses. He couldn't be sure, but from the way Serenity kept nervously glancing towards the screen, he suspected that Venus was amongst those who would be viewing their consummation.
His mind wandered back to the brief parting he had witnessed between Serenity and her senshi after their wedding ceremony was completed. All the senshi had tears streaming down their faces, as Serenity did her best to console them with hugs and kisses to their cheeks.
"It's only for a short time!" she'd told them. "I'll be back on the moon before you even have a chance to miss me." But the quiver in her voice was unmistakeable, and Endymion knew she was trying to convince herself as much as she was her friends.
He felt for her in that moment. More deeply than he knew he could for someone who wasn't Beryl. Serenity was leaving everything she had ever known behind to begin her life with him, the comforts of her home stripped away from her, at least for the foreseeable future.
But she was strong. She had proven at least that much to him in their short time together. And for some reason he couldn't quite name, he had no doubt that she would continue to be as time went on.
Endymion's mind didn't have much time to wander, however, for as soon as he'd managed to poke his head through his nightdress, he heard Serenity whisper to him, "Have you ever done this before?"
He turned his head towards her, and a bright blush graced her cheeks. "Sex, I mean," she clarified, turning an even brighter shade of pink.
Endymion opened his mouth to respond, but shut it just as quickly, his mind searching for a kind and uncrude way to answer his 'wife'.
But thankfully, it wasn't needed. "Oh, what am I saying. Of course you have," she whispered, mostly to herself.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled without thinking, guilt flooding him. He immediately wondered why in the world he'd chosen to respond in such a way, as he looked quickly away from her.
"That's alright," she said almost soothingly, as he watched the maids pull back the bed's covers. "At least one of us ought to know what we're doing."
Endymion was stunned at her response, his head turning back towards her, where he saw a sweet smile on her face.
He remained silent, as he amusedly watched Serenity climb up onto the bed, burying herself under the covers almost immediately.
Following her lead, Endymion made his way onto the bed, and sat facing her on top of the layers of blankets.
When the maids bowed to them, exiting the room quickly, he took a moment to appraise her.
He could see her slim form underneath her nightgown, her full breasts pressing into the front of the fabric, nipples erect because of the cold, night air.
Reaching a hand out, he traced it down the length of her side, feeling her curves, his thumb tracing over her flat stomach. Her endless, golden hair brushed against his arm, and he had to bite back a sigh at how soft and silky it was.
As much as he tried to resist his body's reaction to her, he was losing, and quickly.
But something was holding him back. Namely, the dozen or so audience members standing just on the other side of the screen, half a room away.
Avoiding eye contact with Serenity, trying to block out everything in the room, Endymion let his fingers run through her hair, letting the sensation wash over him.
"It's ok," her whisper startled him out of his reverie, his eyes flying up to meet hers. "You can pretend I'm someone else."
Her words crashed into him like a giant wave, shame engulfing him, as he unconsciously snapped his hand away from her, as if he'd been burned.
Had he treated her so badly that she thought he would have to pretend as if she were another, just so he could lie with her?
His dark, ocean blue eyes, searched her lapis ones. The mask she had worn the entire day had finally slipped away, and her eyes reflected a deep, lingering hurt.
He had done this to her. This girl who had done nothing wrong, except having the misfortune of being married to him.
But oh, how he had wronged her.
Dismissing her at every turn. Coldly turning his back to her, as if she herself had forced Beryl from his arms.
But Serenity had done none of those things.
Even when he had pronounced his love for another, she had refused to turn her back on him. And he was completely unworthy of her kindness.
"Serenity, I-"
"It's going to hurt, isn't it?" she whispered, interrupting him.
"Yes," he breathed back, and she nodded her head in resolution, eyes turning a steely blue, as he saw her stiffen.
"You have to relax," he said, beginning to move slowly over her, his eyes never leaving hers.
Moving back the covers, he heard her breath catch as the sudden cold touched her skin. "Do you trust me?" he asked, before his brain had a chance to make him realize how ridiculous the question was.
But to his surprise, she nodded her head, and whispered, "Yes," with an unwavering gaze.
Endymion was stunned at her answer, and he knew, without a doubt, that although he'd done nothing to deserve this trust she had placed in him, she was telling the truth.
"Hold onto me," he said, and gathered her close when she placed her arms around his neck. "I've got you."
He could feel her thumbs moving in tender, comforting circles at the base of his neck, and he was, once again, amazed at her.
Here she was, in the most intimate position she'd ever been in, with a practical stranger, who was admittedly in love with someone else, and she only thought to bring comfort to him.
Any inhibition that remained in him, flew away at the soft touch of her hands.
Endymion hitched up her nightgown, running his hands along her thighs, never breaking eye contact with her. He was captivated by her gaze. Too much to look away. Too much to worry about what that fact could possibly mean.
He positioned himself right at her entrance, and he felt her stiffen, once more. "Relax," he breathed into her ear.
And she did. Endymion felt her muscles loosen in his arms, as he began to enter her slowly.
Serenity's eyes snapped shut, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out at the intrusion of him in her body, as he moved further into her.
She was tight around him, and to his surprise, there was slickness there, too, as he slid in with relative ease.
He held still once he had managed to bury his entire length in her, trying to allow her some time to get used to the feel of him. But when she started to move slightly to find a comfortable position, it was his turn to bite his lip in an attempt to not cry out. Albeit for a totally different reason.
Endymion began to move his hips, thrusting in and out of her as gently as he could manage. He felt Serenity bury her face into the crook of his shoulder, as her hands clutched at the fabric of his nightgown like a lifeline. He could tell her pain was lessening, as she remained relaxed, but he could feel the fear coming off of her in waves.
She wanted this to end, he could sense it, so the remaining, rational thought in his mind, drove him to speed up his movements, knowing it would bring an end for both of them.
It came quickly, and he couldn't stop the satisfied grunt that left his lungs at the release, as he collapsed on top of her.
Endymion rolled off of Serenity, when he felt her breaths struggle under the weight of him, his eyes closing as the stress of the day finally took its toll.
Struggling to find his own breath, he managed to turn his head towards the rustle of covers.
But as soon as he saw her, curling into a ball away from him, he snapped his eyes closed, again, trying, and failing, to keep his heart from clenching in pain at the sight of her.
A rustling from behind the screen brought reality back into his hazy mind, allowing him to remember that their every move was being watched.
He heard the door open softly, the maids returning to help them dress in robes and lead them to their own separate bedrooms.
Endymion watched the sheets being stripped from the bed, the tell tale sign of blood staining the center of them, as he slipped into the cloth the maid held out for him.
His eyes searched the room for Serenity, having lost sight of her is the constant movement in the room.
A shimmer of gold from her hair finally alerted him to her presence, just as she was being led out the door, and away from him.
He felt an almost overwhelming urge to go after her, needing to know that she was alright, at least for the moment. But before he could call after her, he was ushered out another door, losing sight of her completely.
