Seeking Love

Chapter 2

The capital city of the Earth Kingdom consisted of five circles. The inner ring contained the palace as well as any royal families. A tall stone wall marked the boundaries of each area, and only by going through guarded gates could you enter or exit through the rings. The next circle consisted of the high class and artisans with shops that sold high priced and finely made goods. The third circle is where there was a mixture of middle and lower class. Here was where traditional festivals were held, and big markets as well as street stalls were set up. This is where Serenity found herself after she successfully escaped the palace. Guards weren't too concerned about who was exiting as much as for who was entering. Outside of the third ring was where the poor were housed. This was the largest circle, and then the last ring consisted of the battlements and guards who protect the Capital.

Serenity again was in awe with the architecture of the Earth Kingdom. It was quite different then what she had imagined it to be. She had heard so many rumors about their barbaric ways, but from what she could see this was not the case. Walking in the third circle she noticed a huddle of kids playing a game with white and black pebbles. Their laughs, smiles, and shouts brought a smile to her face. Passing them, there looked to be a farmers market where spices started to fill her nose. It was a busy day for merchants and buyers alike. People were crowded around every stall trying to bargain for supplies, food, and other goods. Serenity 'window shopped' and saw a few things that she knew her friends would love. Why not get them something from the Earth Kingdom? They did let her go out on her own, and they would have to have some proof that she didn't get herself into trouble.

"Excuse me sir, how much do you want for this?" Serenity asked while pointing towards a sale cart. The bargaining had begun, as well as the gaining weight in her bag she had brought with her. By the end of an hour she felt like she just finished sparring practice. Plus, her feet were killing her; she swore some man rolled his cart full of melons over her toes.

Trying to ignore the pain from her body, she finally relented and searched for a place to sit down and take a break. Exiting the bustle of the market, she walked around until she found an open square with a huge fountain at its center. No bench could be found, but that didn't stop Serenity from finding a place to sit. She walked straight to the fountain's edge. She could feel the refreshing mist start to erase the exhaustion from her body. Sitting, she took off her shoes and placed her feet right into the cool water. There weren't many people around, and it wasn't like there were signs telling her not to. Looking at her bag, she noticed that the seems were bulging – it was almost overflowing. She had encountered ear to ear grinning sellers to fierce eyed magicians in the market. Serenity eventually found items she thought were acceptable as gifts. The new contents in her bag consisted of perfumes, jewelry, fabric, and even a few books.

"You know it is considered bad luck to put your feet into this fountain don't you?" a deep voice said.

With a puzzled look on her face she looked around for who had spoken out to her. A man in his early 20s walked from around the other side and stood next to her. He was handsome, and his voice resounded warm and smooth. Serenity quickly picked her feet up and started drying them with her cloak. She could feel heat rushing to her cheeks.

"Don't be embarrassed. I don't think the bad luck will catch up to you too soon," he gave her a smile and sat next to her. "You must not be from around here. Everyone hears as a child that this fountains brings bad luck. That is why there aren't many people in this square." A seriousness entered his eyes, but vanished as quickly as it came.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't know." Serenity reached to grab her shoes to place them back onto her feet.

"Actually, it seems that I don't know a lot of things about this odd city." Her hands were fumbling all over the place. She felt like they were being controlled by some other worldly force, and she simply couldn't get her shoes back on. While a growing mixture of frustration and embarrassment grew inside of her, she also tried to keep her face hidden from the stranger. It probably looked like a tomato!

"Don't worry," the man shared a reassuring smile. He bent and grabbed hold of the shoe in her hand. His hands were soft, but not flawless. He placed the shoe upon her feet, and started to tie the laces. "Many visitors make the same mistake. Usually nobody says anything. Usually I don't even talk to them, but for some reason you caught my eye." He gave her a glance of curiosity. Noticing her shyness he looked away towards the flowing water. "I think it is because we don't get many blondes on this planet, it is a very rare hair color."

How was she supposed to respond to that? "Umm... I was just resting here. I've been walking a great deal today. You see, I arrived this morning, and I took on a bigger adventure than I bargained for." Act casual, act normal. She kept repeating this in her head. He was now working on the other shoe.

"I see you've already been to the weekly farmers market," giving a nod towards her bag. "It can be quite the trek just to walk through that area, buying or not.

"It would seem so." She finally had the courage to look up and try to give the man a decent smile.

Grumble... Grumble..

The stranger gave her a look of concern and then understanding.

"You, young lady, are hungry" he gave a small chuckle.

"Mmm.. maybe I am" Serenity replied, a sheepish grin on her face.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day miss? I could show you around, and show you some of the most delectable food that I promise will satisfy that stomach of yours."

"The only plans I have as of now, I guess, are to 'obey' my stomach, and go eat. So your offer is much appreciated."

"Alright then! Follow me!" He offered her his hand. "Don't worry, the place we're going isn't far." He was bold in asking to hold her hand, but he had already put on her shoes. Maybe people on Earth have less qualms about personal space, Serenity thought. Or this guy is totally flirting with me, she smiled to herself, and took hold of his hand. This was more than an adventure, and she had never done anything like this at court. She was following a stranger she had only met minutes ago at a bad luck fountain! She could just picture now what Rei or Mina would be yelling at her right now for. However, the man's dark raven hair, sweet smile, and mysterious eyes made Serenity blush whenever she got the courage to look at them, and who could say no to that.

Ever since Endymion could walk, he had always loved the ocean. The waves bonding against the shore, and the sound of the water splashing on the rocks filled his ears. The seagulls, and the way the sun reflected on the water when it dipped into the vast ocean always mesmerized him. Maybe this is why he never cared for the moon since it always looked so cold and desolate. It replaced the warmth of the sun with its lonely self. Plus, the white rock probably didn't even have an ocean! Nope, the moon could not possibly have an ocean. It was a rock trying to pass off being called a planet.

Endymion had rolled up his pants to his knees, and started pushing his feet deep into the wet sand. The waves came in hugging his ankles and buried his feet even further. It was refreshing, and what he'd been waiting for all day. He always sparred as much time as he could to be outside of the palace walls, and out here in the lullabying sea. Eventually, thoughts of finishing errands overran his peaceful mood.

Walking back to the wall, he quickly found the lever hidden under ivy that had been growing up the side of the rocks. A secret passage opened, and cool air passed his face and blew through his hair. Walking through the tunnel, he exited at the third circle. Turning a corner, he saw something that made him quite curious. A young lady all by herself stopped him in his tracks. It wasn't that she was alone, there were plenty of ladies walking alone during the day, but this woman had this glow about her that immediately made him anxious to know more! For one, there was never anybody in this section of the circle, and this girl conjured long forgotten memories. His errands could be put off a bit longer.

After grabbing her attention, which wasn't hard for him, he started a conversation, and finally swayed her to spend a part of the day with him. She had smooth milk skin, deep blue eyes, plump pink lips, and her hair was long and wavy. He wanted to run his fingers through it. He had only seen something like it once, and that was from his childhood and teenage years. It flowed around her shoulders and down her back like a waterfall. It also reminded him of one of his favorite things, because her hair was the color of the sun, bright and burning reddish orange. Full of life and happiness, which is exactly what he needed right now.

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Like the twist? I know you were probably like, "Yeah! They both meet each other after they leave the castle, but nope... that would just be too obvious. Trust me, the drama is just starting. Please leave a review or comment.

Thank you for reading chapter 2 of Seeking Love :D