AN: Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry this took longer than expected for me to get out, I was STRUGGLING with this chapter, and up until yesterday, I'd only written 3 sentences of it.
Your reviews for this story have been SO amazing, and they keep me going, so please, please let me know what you think of this new chapter!
One quick note about last chapter. I had quite a few comments on the consummation 'witnesses' in your reviews, and I wasn't sure that everyone knew that this practice was pretty widely used a few centuries ago.
There was no divorce in times like these that I'm describing. The only way to get out of a marriage was to prove it was never consummated, so when it came to political marriages such as this, they were ALWAYS witnessed.
I was actually nice to Serenity and Endymion, because in reality, there wouldn't have been a screen. The witnesses would have simply stood around the bed, in full view of the newlyweds.
SO FUN, RIGHT?!
But anyway, I MUST take the time to thank my amazing beta, FloraOne. A simple, "thank you," seems SO inadequate, as I'll never truly be able to say just how much your friendship means to me, but hopefully, you know, and don't doubt that I couldn't do this without you 3333 you're the best!
And now, without further ado, enjoy chapter 5!
oOo
He growled in pleasure, as he felt her slowly slide his entire length into her.
This was heaven. There was simply no other explanation for how amazing it felt to be with her like this.
When she began to move on top of him, tantalizingly slow, as she rocked her hips with a satisfied smile on her face, Endymion knew there was no way he'd be able to last long.
He somehow found the strength to move his hand from the tense grip he had on her hips, and placed his thumb between them, teasing her clit mercilessly in an attempt to give her a taste of her own medicine.
And it worked liked a charm.
She nearly toppled over the second he touched her, gasping in surprised pleasure. But it didn't take her long to resume her position, hands on his chest, to allow more leverage in her movements.
Oh, he was sure he wouldn't last long, now.
But what Endymion wasn't sure of, was when the woman who was making him feel the most incredible things he'd ever felt in his life, had suddenly changed from the seductress he'd fallen in love with, to an ethereal nymph whose hair was spun from the purest of gold, skin as pure white as a fresh snowfall, and eyes bluer than any he had ever seen.
He knew this encounter had started out with Beryl entering his room, as she so often had in the past, and that she had been the one to kiss and lick and suck him in ways that had him begging for more.
But in the blink of an eye, the woman had changed into his wife, and he found himself more aroused than he had ever remembered being in his life.
Her soft mewls and cries, only drove him to give her more, more, more. And the way she bit her lip to keep herself from announcing her pleasure to the world, made Endymion want to gather her up in his arms, and never let her go.
And by god, she was beautiful.
Unfairly so, and he found himself wondering how in the world he could have possibly been chosen as the one who was worthy enough to marry her.
They continued their pattern, for an interminable amount of time, the need growing within both of them to a point where every touch, sent shivers of pleasure through them.
But his undoing came quickly, when her hands left his chest, and moved up to caress his face, as she leaned down towards his ear, whispering, "Endymion...I love you."
The sound of her name leaving his lips, caused him to awaken with a groan, and he knew instantly from the exhausted, yet blissful feeling, that his strong release hadn't only occurred in his dream.
He sat up, and ran frustrated hands through his hair, and accidentally pulling out a few with the force of his raking.
The few times he'd lain with her had been nothing like the dream he had just experienced. There was nothing sensual or romantic about their nightly encounters, and Serenity had never been vocal, nor had she acted as if she was particularly enjoying herself...
So, when exactly had his dreams begun to center around Serenity? Was he so fickle, that the princess had replaced Beryl in his fantasies in only a matter of days?
It angered him greatly. And the urge to lash out at someone, anyone really, became strong in him, once again.
But he knew he couldn't direct these feelings toward his wife. Serenity had been kind and warm and giving to him, even when he had been so ridiculously callous towards her.
She deserved better.
It was as simple as that. And he had vowed on their wedding night, just three days before that he would do better.
Not that he'd had much of a chance, mind you.
Their days had been filled with appearances and meetings, that only allowed for the most formal of interactions between them.
He had longed to seek her out, but he could never manage to get find her alone for more than a brief moment. And he was fairly certain, she was doing everything she could to avoid even making eye contact with him.
Endymion didn't even both to look up when he heard the knock on the door, nor did he bother with answering with an 'enter.'
At this hour of the day, it could only be one person, and that person never waited for an answer, anyway.
"Kunzite," he said, with a playful smirk on his face. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Endymion was incredibly grateful for Kunzite's presence. He provided a much needed distraction from thoughts of Serenity, even though Endymion would never dare to admit this to his general.
"How nice of you to join the world of the living, Endymion," Kunzite bit out snidely, completely ignoring Endymion's greeting. "I've come to run through your schedule for the day."
"I know, Kunz," Endymion answered, laughing. They'd done this everyday since he was fifteen after all.
Kunzite threw Endymion an overly annoyed look, but quickly went on as if it had never happened. "You don't have much going on, today."
Endymion rose from the bed, and began to dress, pulling a simple, white undershirt over his head before he responded. "What all don't I have going on, keeper of the schedule?" he asked teasingly.
Kunzite made a show of rolling his eyes. "There is a council meeting at noon. Lunch will be served."
"Oh, thank goodness for that," Endymion replied, still teasing. "Heaven forbid we manage to accomplish anything without food in our stomachs."
The general ignored him and went on. "And besides that, you only have your nightly ritual with Princess Serenity."
Kunzite waited for Endymion's snide remark, but when it failed to come, he asked hesitantly, "Will she be coming to you this evening, or will you go to her chambers?"
Endymion sighed, shaking his head when the traitorous thought entered his mind that he wished he and Serenity shared one chamber, one bed. And he was, again, annoyed at how much he was beginning to think of her as anything other than what she was. A legal wife.
"I'll go to her, I suppose," he finally answered through slightly gritted teeth.
It was Kunzite's turn to be snide.
"How very noble of you, your highness," he said, "to make such an effort as to walk through that one door, to join your wife for sex."
After their wedding, Serenity had made her permanent home in the large chambers that adjoined his. Endymion hadn't originally planned for her to move there, but he found that the thought of her being so close wasn't nearly as unpleasant as he had hoped it would be.
"Is there anything else you need, Kunzite?" he bit back at the general's comment.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, there is," Kunzie went on, "I would greatly appreciate it if you could manage to conceive this heir sooner, rather than later. As much as I enjoy spending so much quality time with Sailor Venus, scheduling your nightly rendezvous, I'm not sure how much more my nerves can take. That woman is more demanding than any other I've ever encountered."
Anger coursed through Endymion at the implications of Kunzite's words.
"Pardon me, Kunzite, for being such an inconvenience to you. But it is not as if I can snap my fingers, and create a child whenever I please," he said, eyes dark and dangerous with warning.
The two glared at each other for a few moments, an uncomfortable staring contest stretching long seconds as Endymion finished lacing up his breeches.
"You know you're like a brother to me, but that doesn't give you the right to intrude in mine and my wife's affairs as you please."
Kunzite cast his eyes away from Endymion, and up towards the ceiling as he huffed out an apology in frustration. "I apologize, Endymion. I crossed a line. Sailor Venus...frustrates me, but that doesn't give me a right to act as I did."
But finally, Endymion sighed, and he let out an uneasy laugh. He walked towards the man, placing a hand on his shoulder, as they stood facing each other. "All is forgiven, Kunz."
A rare, hint of a smile turned up one corner of Kunzite's mouth, as he nodded in acceptance. He moved towards the door, turning back towards Endymion when he reached it. "Your wife is spending her morning in the garden, by the way."
Endymion looked at him curiously, but nodded in acknowledgement.
"Oh, and Endymion?" Kunzite asked, opening the door slightly. "The next time you have an erotic dream about your wife, could you try not to let the whole palace hear you?"
Endymion's mouth dropped open, and his eyes immediately flew to the door that separated his and Serenity's chambers.
Kunzite rolled his eyes, yet again, at Endymion's theatrics, before repeating, "As I said, Serenity is in the gardens."
Endymion let out a breath he'd unconsciously been holding in, his head whipping back towards the main door when he heard Kunzite speak again, this time in a breathy falsetto.
"Oh, Serenity!" he teased in an obvious imitation of his prince.
But before Endymion could voice his appalled rage, Kunzite was already out the door, the sound of his deep laugh echoing through the hallway beyond.
"The nerve of that man…" he muttered to himself, as he finished dressing.
He sat down on the bed, pulling on his boots, still shaking his head in disbelief at his general's behavior.
The sunlight filtering through the window, caught his attention, and he rose to pull back the heavy curtain, the world beyond suddenly filled with possibilities.
Endymion wasn't used to having such large stretches of free time, and none of his usual activities particularly called to him that morning.
His mind wandered back to what Kunzite had said about Serenity's whereabouts, and he quickly decided that there were certainly worse ways to spend a morning than in the gardens.
And before he knew it, his feet were leading him there, eyes scanning the horizon for his wife.
He spotted her sitting on the bench his mother would so often sit on. The bench that was surrounded by thousands of blooming roses.
Serenity looked angelic in her white dress, with its accents of gold. Tendrils of her hair swaying with the breeze.
She didn't look towards him as he approached, nor did she startle when he finally spoke.
"Good morning, Serenity," was the only thing he could manage to say, when he reached her.
Serenity turned her head towards him slightly, smiling softly. "Good morning, Endymion. I didn't expect to see you here so early."
He chuckled at her response. "Yes, well, I had hoped to sleep a while longer, but Kunzite had other plans for me, it seems."
She smiled at him, again, before turning her away towards the roses in front of her, but she let her smile fall too quickly, and Endymion caught the sadness etched into her features.
"I'll leave you to your gardens," Serenity said, as she bent down to pick up her parasol that laid closed at her feet.
Endymion hadn't been prepared for her to flee his presence so quickly.
"Would you like to take a walk with me?" he blurted out without thinking, the need to make her smile welling up in him fiercely. So fiercely, he chose to ignore it, not caring to know why he cared so much.
But her smile didn't return as he'd hoped it would.
"Thank you for the offer, Endymion, but I think we, at the very least, owe each other honesty," she said, her gaze hard and unyielding.
Endymion was taken aback by her words. "What do you mean?"
"You're a kind enough man that I know you may feel as if you must pretend to enjoy my company," she began, and Endymion could practically feel the pain in her voice. "But I know your time is very valuable, and that you have much better things to do than babysit me."
He looked away from her, the all too familiar rush of shame threatening to overtake him.
How could he possibly convince her that he genuinely wanted her company, after he'd made her feel as if she were a burden to him?
"Serenity, can we make a promise to each other?" he asked suddenly, sitting down next to her on the bench, and taking her hands into his.
The look of confusion on her face at his touch, made him fear she might flee from him, but she she stayed put, eyes meeting his, again.
"I...I guess so," she finally answered.
Endymion did his best to put a reassuring smile on his face.
"You said we owed each other honesty," he began, trying to keep his tone warm, "and I agree with you wholeheartedly. So much so, that I think we should promise to always be honest about our feelings."
He paused, and when she didn't respond, he asked, "Can we do that?"
Serenity visibly relaxed when he spoke, again, the small smile returned and a beautiful blush painted her cheeks. "Yes, I can do that," she said. "Can you?"
Endymion smiled back at her, and answered without hesitation, "Yes, I can. I promise."
She looked down at their hands, still touching, and her blush grew brighter.
"Now, I would very much like to take a walk with you," he said. "Would you join me?"
Serenity looked back up into his eyes, and nodded. "Yes, I would love to."
He rose from the bench, and offered her his hand instantly, while a nagging, irritating voice in the back of his head made him realize he simply wanted to touch her, again.
She took it, and stood, and Endymion enjoyed the shock on her face as he tucked her arm under his, placing her hand gently on him, and he covered it once more with his other hand.
They walked in silence for a few moments, before Endymion decided he ought to try his hand at conversation.
"So, princess," he began, "how are you liking your new quarters? Do you have everything you need?"
"Yes, thank you," she answered quietly.
"Good, I'm glad," he replied, mind searching for something else to say.
"Do you need any additional maids?" he asked eagerly, "If so I'd be happy to assign someone else for you."
"No, no. I'm fine. Naru does an excellent job."
"Are you getting used to the gravity, yet?" he questioned as she stumbled over her skirts a bit. Another non-messy, practical subject.
"Yes, I barely notice a difference, now."
Endymion couldn't help but notice how the tables had been turned on him, as they walked through the gardens, and memories of their first walk along the very same path filtered through his head.
It had been Serenity who had had to attempt to pry answers out of him that day. Desperately seeking some sort of engagement from him.
And now, he was trying to do the same with her, with little success.
Of course, one key difference remained. She was still kind. He had been anything but.
Endymion breathed in deeply. "Serenity, I-"
He was interrupted by the loud whinny of a horse in the fields just beyond the garden's edge.
Serenity stiffened next to him, and he glanced down at her in alarm, fearing she might have been startled.
But he saw the brightness in her eyes he had seen that first day, finally return as she looked towards the source of the sound.
"Horses!" she exclaimed. "Oh, Endymion aren't they beautiful?"
Her excitement was contagious, and he smiled widely. "They are," he answered. "You enjoy horses, princess?"
She nodded her head vigorously in affirmation. "Yes," she said wistfully, "I've always wanted to ride one. But we don't really have them on the moon. I've seen paintings of them, though, in my mother's study!"
"Would you like to learn to ride one?" he asked, curiosity piqued by her excitement.
"Oh, I'd love to!" she said turning her face towards him. "Do you think there's someone who could teach me?"
He was speechless for a moment, as he realized how easy it was to get lost in the water depths of her eyes.
"I could teach you," he said breathily, still unable to look away from her.
Serenity smiled at him brilliantly. "You're kind to offer, Endymion, but you don't have to do that. I know you're very busy and-"
"I want to," he interrupted. "Truly, I do."
And he did, though he wasn't entirely sure why.
The light stain of a blush was back on her face. "Alright," she said softly, "I would very much appreciate it."
And he smiled at her, feeling lighter than he had been in days, as her wall began to crumble slightly.
They sat in the soft grass, watching the new crop of horses being broken, as Endymion explained the various practices that were being performed, and the different breeds that were used for different jobs.
But nothing delighted him more than her reaction to one particular horse.
A pure white Pegasus had been lead out of the stables, it's powerful wings stretching and flapping in the open air.
"What is that?!" she cried, squeezing his arm in a mixture of fear and awe.
He laughed at her. "That, dear wife, is a Pegasus. Very rare, but extremely sought after for obvious reasons," he said as the creature spread its expansive wings, once again.
"A Pegasus…" she repeated quietly, never taking her eyes away from the giant, winged horse. "I had no idea such a creature existed!"
Endymion laughed, again. "The moon isn't the only place where magic exists, Serenity," he said, voice warm with mirth.
Serenity giggled at his words, and he decided he rather liked the sound. "I am very glad to hear that," she said, "We're far too boring to have all the magic."
It was impossible to miss the gleam in her eyes, and he smirked back at her, enjoying her self deprecating teasing.
But before he could continue their repartee, he heard Kunzite calling his name in the distance.
He sighed audibly. "Well, it appears I must take my leave," he said, standing and brushing at his trousers. "I will see you tonight?"
The light faded from her eyes instantly at his question.
"Yes," she said without emotion, "Tonight."
