CHAPTER ONE
** 13 years later **
Another ground shaking crash struck the palace, as the dark shadow of the enemy loomed over all that had once been light and good on the Moon's pearlescent surface. The chaos and death surrounding Queen Serenity was not, however, her foremost concern. She held in her arms her beautiful young daughter, the Princess, whom she had held such high hopes for. The army of the Black Moon Kingdom had been too strong and evil for the gentle magic of the Moon Kingdom to defend itself against. There had never before been any need for war or strife between the nations of the Silver Millennium. Now, however, the people of the Black Moon were determined to seize the moon and shift the balance of power in the planetary alliance in their favour. They had an army greater than that of Jupiter and Mars combined, and seemed wholly unstoppable. Queen Serenity knew that her final hour was nigh and was prepared to barter for her innocent daughters right to live.
The two huge doors that opened from the court-yard into the great hall burst open, and in strode the evil monarch of the Black Moon, King Sapphire, followed closely by his sixteen year old son, Prince Diamond, who seemed to Serenity to have inherited his father's cruel temperament, as she observed him step on the broken body of a soldier of the Moon Kingdom that lay in his path. "The Moon is ours!" Sapphire declared, pointing his sword at Queen Serenity, who rose from her throne with the grace she was famed for. The Princess, a timid girl of just thirteen, hid behind her mother's skirts, terrified of the invaders. Sapphire smirked at the pair. "Would you like to do this the easy way or the hard way, Selene?" he said mockingly to the Queen. "Here's how it will be. Your little child will be wed to my son. They will rule over the planets of the Silver Alliance for a millennia. In return, I will allow you to remain in court, a noblewoman, yet your voice silenced by the knowledge that you will have relinquished your power and sworn an oath of fealty to me. Your life will be in my hands." He leered at her. "And if you are lucky, I may take you into my bed and ease the loneliness of your alienation." He regarded her smugly.
"Never. I would die first, before you or your wretched son laid a hand on my daughter or I." Queen Serenity replied, maintaining her dignity while trying to mask her shock at Sapphire's brutality. "I thought you might say something like that," Sapphire replied with a roll of his eyes. "As you wish." One of his guards stepped forward and seized the young Princess from behind her mother. She struggled against him, crying out, but it was no use. Two more guards grabbed the Queen roughly, forcing her to her knees. "Look away, Serenity!" she commanded her daughter, as Sapphire's blade glinted at her throat. "No matter what happens, remember that I love you! Remember that you are a pure being of light and of goodness, and that no one can take that away from you!" There was a desperate edge to the Queens voice as she said this. "Tell me you'll remember, Serenity!" the Queen pleaded as Sapphire's blade cut into her throat, drawing a single drop of ruby that splashed against her white dress. "I will remember, mother!" the young Princess sobbed as she struggled against the strong arms of her captor. "Now look away!" the Queen cried as the Princess diligently squeezed her glistening eyes shut. There was a sickening slicing sound, and then a thud. When Serenity opened her eyes she saw her mother's body, still and unmoving, her white dress ruined. Blood on snow.
The days that followed were torturous for Serenity. Completely alone in the world, she was forced to roam the ruined halls of the beautiful palace that she had once called home. Alone in her room, she sobbed for hours, the stream of her tears seeming to flow unendingly. Her sorrow was fresh and all consuming. When she left her quarters, she was forced to endure the adolescent Prince Diamond ogling her budding femininity at every turn. He lurked around corners, haunting her steps. It was not until he cornered her in the library that Serenity knew that she could not live this life any longer. "Hey, Serenity" Diamond said mockingly to her, trapping her at the bottom of the narrow row of bookshelves where she had come to escape from Sapphire's incessant gloating. "Aren't you going to say something to me?" Diamond demanded of her aggressively, taking hold of her chin and yanking her face up towards his. "We're to be married" he said nasally, his glittering green eyes looking deep into the pools of cerulean that unfortunately betrayed Serenity's fear. "And you shall be my wife" he continued. When Serenity didn't respond, he pressed his body flush against hers. "I could have you now if I liked" he hissed in her ear. "I could have you whenever I want." She held her body rigid, not daring to move or breathe. For the first time her life, the voice of Sapphire speaking obnoxiously in the near distance seemed like a blessing. "Another time then." Diamond whispered maliciously, his mouth spreading in a grin that showcased his gleaming white teeth, with canines so sharp they made him look almost feral. Planting a kiss on her neck, he swaggered off to consult with his father. As his figure disappeared between the stacks, Serenity felt safe enough to let out the breath she had been holding through the entire encounter. Yet more tears gathered in her eyes and she knew what she must do in order to escape the tortured future that seemed to her now to be inevitable.
Standing on her balcony, Serenity could see the beautiful azure ball that was the Earth, suspended amongst the shining stars. It had once held such hope for her. She took a deep breath and looked down at the ground, which seemed very far below her. Her head spun, but there was no turning back now.
Spreading her arms and feeling the artificial breeze in her hair, she fell.