A/N: My submission for Day 4 of UsaMamo Week 2023. The prompt i chose was "there was only one..."
My first time writing something with some pure romance, hope you enjoy!
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For the crown prince of Earth, there was only one girl in the entire Solar System with whom falling in love was forbidden.
His own kingdom had no shortage of eligible women, ready and willing to be a partner, lover, or simply a tryst. Flaxen-haired Earth girls with bright emerald eyes, their noses dotted with fields of brown freckles. Daughters of noblemen with rosy cheeks and coy smiles, fingers beckoning from across the dance floor to join them in the dark alcoves of the ballrooms. His mother's ladies-in-waiting, who would often feign a swoon in his presence, and whose fingers would linger a touch too long when he rushed to their side to help.
The crown prince of Earth, the raven-haired, brooding Endymion, was infamously cold, often stubborn, and above all — immune to the charm of all who competed for his attention.
No one who looked at him bothered to see that his attentions lay elsewhere.
The gardens of the Elysian palace had just begun to bloom with white magnolias, whose sweet, musky fragrance permeated the cool, midnight air.
She sat alone, on a stone bench near a circular fountain, watching springtails jump and hover on the surface of the water, skating across the surface and leaving tiny ripples in their wake. She watched the small bugs with fascination, a pale figure in the lush garden, her eyes filled with rapt curiosity, as if it were her first time seeing the tiny insects. With cascading silver hair, falling in waves over bare shoulders, a floor-length white satin gown, whose scalloped hem fell just below her shoulder blades, she looked out of place. Anyone would recognize her as an outsider. Few would recognize her as the future queen of the Moon Kingdom.
She brushed her fingers across the cool water of the fountain, sending small ripples to the water bugs. The crystalline water reflected her own form, the tall oak trees of the garden, and the sliver of the waxing crescent that cast deep shadows with its dwindling light.
"You're not supposed to be here", She jumped at the low voice with a small squeal, the sudden noise scattering away the rest of the small bugs from the surface of the water. Serenity turned around, looking for the intruder hidden in the shadows.
Her sapphire eyes narrowed when she saw the tall form, leaning on a marble pillar nearby. Serenity's lips curled into a smile. "Neither are you, Crown Prince Endymion". It was a game they had played since the day they met.
It was almost a year to the night that she'd first been discovered. An intruder out on a midnight walk in the palace grounds. She had snuck away from her guardians, lured by the promise of fragrant blossoms and the green vegetation of the Earth Kingdom. Serenity was completely unaware of the prince and his vicinity, enchanted by a small frog croaking on a lily pad.
That first night, they had already spent hours lost in conversation before he noticed the crescent moon seal on her forehead, the seal that marked her as a member of the Lunar royal family.
Tonight, she didn't know whose lips found whose first.
Serenity leaned into the kiss, letting herself savor the way his lips felt against hers. She loved the way the first kiss of each night would start — with a tentative brush of his lips against her willing mouth, as if Endymion was asking for her permission for the first time. His mouth would lightly graze her parted lips, teasing out her needy moans under his feather-light touch. Once he felt her body relax into his, her mewls turned into shuddering pleas for more, and his every kiss would turn hungrier, aching, and desperate. Endymion clung to her wanting body, to each night they shared together as if it were their last.
This night would be no different.
Serenity's lips parted against his tongue, exploring and insistent. His teeth grazed her lower lip, trailing the softest kisses onto her chin and neckline, until her whole body shivered under his touch. He felt her legs weaken, and his warm hands caught her, to steady her body and pull it closer to his own.
Serenity leaned deeper into the kiss, running her hands through Endymion's ebony hair. His lips tasted like honey and jasmine blossom, his insistent mouth captured her lips again and again, leaving her breathless. The cold metal of Endymion's armor felt cooling against her flushed skin and she leaned deeper into his wanting body, gripping the back of his neck with both hands, hating that the armor kept her skin from coming into contact with more of his.
"You're wearing too many clothes", she whispered against his mouth, feeling his lips chuckle against her own, as he stopped to catch his breath. Serenity looked into his darkened eyes, heavy with a desire that mirrored her own. Through the tight grip of her hands, she could feel his quickened heartbeat pulsing through his neck. Her own heart thundered in her chest.
"I could say the same thing about you," he murmured, burying his head in the crook of her neck. His tongue darted against her collarbone, and her whole body shuddered involuntarily at his touch, as he nipped at the sensitive skin, tasting the salty sheen with his tongue. One of his hands found its way to her breast, cupping it softly, before moving his hand down to her waist.
Serenity let out a soft, needy moan. She wrapped one leg of her flowing gown around his torso, pulling his body closer to hers and Endymion gasped at the electric feel of her skin against his. "The crown prince of Earth would be so crude as to take me under the open air of Elysian gardens?" she giggled. Her hands continued their frenzied groping, as she threw back her head to allow his tongue to continue its exploration. Her breathing grew shallower as Endymion's lips left her collarbone and pressed a butterfly-soft kiss above the bodice of her gown.
Endymion loosened his grip on her back and brought his hands up to cup her face, brushing his thumb across her cheek. Serenity mewled in protest and arched her back in a silent plea to continue. "You're right, you deserve the world, you deserve to be worshipped."
"Then worship me", she pleaded with her deep blue eyes and as he looked into them, Endymion felt the last of his self-restraint slip away..
The memories of her lilting laughter would echo in his mind for days.
He heard it ring as clear as crystal, filling the empty hall of his castle with the remnants of her presence. He knew they would not be able to keep their romance a secret forever. Someone finding out was not just possible, it was inevitable.
But for now, if just for one more night, their love was still their secret to keep.