Summary: After the darkness of her difficult childhood, Serenity has found a single shaft of light in her unexpected friendship with Crown Prince Endymion, a relationship that gradually deepens to romance as they grow up together. Even though she's captured the heart of the prince, Serenity believes herself to be undeserving...as does the king when he discovers his son's affections have been secured by a mere servant.
After a royal threat forces Serenity to break the prince's heart, she tries to rebuild her life without him...good intentions that are thwarted when she stumbles upon an enchanted lake whose magic will transform her into one the king deems deserving to stand at her Endymion's side.
But all magic comes at a cost... The more Serenity is forced to sacrifice to the spell, the more of herself she loses, until she has becomes someone unrecognizable to the woman Prince Endymion initially fell in love with. Only beneath the moonlight does the magic weaken enough for her to rediscover her true self and the relationship she sacrificed.
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"Guided by the light of the moon,
we meet each other again and again..."
—Moonlight Densetsu
.: Serenity :.
The moon casts a silvery sheen across the treetops of the surrounding woods. I pull back the ragged curtain to let the soft beams fall across my face. Despite the vast distance separating us, in my loneliest moments I often imagine the moonlight beckoning me to play, an invitation I heed any moment stillness settles over the house.
I choose to forgo my threadbare shawl and slip from the room on silent tiptoes, lingering in the doorway to search the night. Upon detecting nothing that could thwart tonight's adventure, I creep past the soft snores drifting from the bedroom harboring my guardian, the only sounds in the dark stillness to accompany the nervous anticipation causing my heart to pound.
I wait with bated breath to ensure she doesn't before the tension holding me in places eases. Only while my guardian sleeps do I possess true freedom, but for the moment it is mine and there is only one place I want to spend it.
I step lightly on the decaying floor boards whose every creak I've long since mastered, traversing them like stepping stones in a rushing stream; the darkness no hindrance for my well-practiced route.
The moment I step into the pleasant night I suck in a relieved breath, filling my lungs with the pine scent of evergreens. I take a moment to bask in the vast open sky filled with cheerful starlight, the night stretching so deeply that I imagine I can tumble into it, the perfect escape.
It isn't long before the moonlight sparkles in silent beckoning. Its glow guides me through the forest, my secret place where I often seek refuge. The undergrowth is soft against my bare feet as I weave through the labyrinth of trunks until the woods open up to the hidden lake surrounded by a copse of pines. The cheerfully blooming wildflowers take on an almost otherworldly shimmer beneath the moonlight, their petals opened toward the night, as if waiting just for me.
I kneel along the bank and peer tentatively into the glistening surface. My dirty face stares back, long ash blonde hair falling into matted tangles around me, blue, gaunt eyes too large for my face after too many days spent hungry. Beneath the sheen of light, I almost can imagine a different sort of reflection...a whimsical fantasy that remains my sole companion aside from the moon overhead.
Most girls has friends beyond those they invent for themselves, yet imagining that the lake, its surrounding scenery, and especially the moon, are mine alone gives my life meaning that is painfully absent from my bare existence. I measure my limited happiness in the nights spent solely on their company.
It isn't immediately apparent that tonight's midnight escapade will unfold in a new direction. Dampness seeps through my skirts as I settle on the bank and close my eyes to bask in the symphony of sounds orchestrated by the darkness—the cheerful chirp of crickets, the sway of the rushes; if I focus my imaginings just enough, I can almost convince myself that even the moon is whispering, poetic phrases and stories much like those that fills my distant memories of my long-deceased mother.
Nearly every night, I spend hours on this lakeshore, imagining a different, more glamorous life for myself. The lake has become the keeper of my secret, insecurities, and longings, safeguarding them as devotedly as I imagine the moon watching over me.
Suddenly, another noise intrudes on my rare pocket of solace. Tensing, I open my eyes and scan the shoreline around me. Save for the silent dance of the moonlight against the water all is still. I search the darkness that lay beyond the surrounding trees and hear the sound again—voice sounding from far away, just near enough for me to capture broken snippets.
My breath catches and, for a long moment, fear holds me in place. When I finally move again, I turn towards the direction of my home; although my least favorite place, it at least offers some semblance of safety from whatever lurks just beyond my line of sight. I only take a few steps when a caressing touch brushes along my arm.
Startled, I glance down and realize that it's only the moonlight glistening against my skin. I stare at the waltzing light before peering tentatively up at the moon partially masked beneath a thick blanket of clouds.
"Is there somewhere you want to lead me?" I whisper hesitantly, feeling a little shy. While I like to imagine the moon can hear me, deep down I know it's nothing more than the desire brought on by my acute loneliness.
And yet...
The moonlight against my skin feels almost as tangible and gentle as the touch within my most precious early childhood memories I keep safely locked away.
The clouds part just enough for the moonlight to respond, not to tumble around me in its usual cheerful pools of silvery light but to point into the trees like a guiding beacon. My brow furrows as I cast another uncertain glance towards the sky.
"Do you mean for me to follow it?"
The moon gives me a glimmer that seems like an affirmative; nevermind that I have no idea why the moon feels compelled to lead me in the direction I thought I heard the murmur of voices whose distances muffled the words.
I hesitate until a new emotion crowds out of my uncertainty. I no longer remember much about my mother, but her stories have survived the foggy forgetfulness that has shrouded other details, even her dear face—I can still hear her voice enthralling me with tales of magic and adventure. Other than my forest escapade, my life is devoid of anything remotely adventurous, and what better place to begin than one selected for me by the moon itself?
I like to think that the loyal friend I've imagined will never lead me astray; it has kept me company for too many long nights for me not to trust its guidance. In the end, this secret part of my heart that hoped for more beyond my mundane existence is stronger than my fear.
But my childish trust doesn't fully dispel the wariness that tries to hold me back with each hesitant step. This part of the woods remains unfamiliar, so I won't be able to rely on memory to lead me in the necessary direction. Luckily the canopy of branches isn't so thick that the moonlight can't shimmer through the leaves to illuminate the way before me one step at a time towards this known destination.
The trees eventually thin, revealing a clearing faintly lit by the flickering glow of a campfire whose light is just enough to illuminate several scattered, dark silhouettes, large and bulky enough to belong to adult men. I stiffen and my legs suddenly feel weak; in an effort to remain upright I grope for the nearest trunk.
Why would the moon lead me to a place fraught with potential danger? My heart sinks as the truth settles over me—the moon hasn't led me anywhere. I just wanted to believe it did, foolish imaginings wrought from a desperate heart.
So far no one seems to have noticed my presence hovering along the edge of the trees. I carefully inch backwards so the darkness could enfold me in the safe shroud of invisibility…but I haven't ventured far when I suddenly ram into something hard—not a tree as one might expect, but a rather firm body.
The impact causes me to lose my balance and tumble on top of whomever I've collided with. A distinctly male voice gives a surprised 'oof!' as we fall in a tangle of limbs. I'm only spared a painful landing when the mysterious person catches me and holds me securely, close against his chest.
I immediately flail about in a desperate attempt to escape whatever nefarious purposes this stranger undoubtedly has in mind. My elbow makes contact with something fleshy, and after a grunt of pain a surprisingly gentle voice spoke. "Are you alright?"
Surprised, I turn towards the voice, straining to see. At first it's too dark to decipher anything beyond another black outline as the person slowly rises to a sitting position, until the moonlight obligingly penetrates the canopy of clouds just enough for me to better make out my surroundings.
My breath hitches in my throat. It isn't the monster my wild imagination has conjured, but a boy—a boy no much older than my own age of eleven years. His hand covers his eyes where I accidentally struck him, but his expression is kind as he studies me.
His uncovered eye widens. "I didn't expect to encounter a fairy so deep in the woods!"
I've been called all sorts of names in my short life, but thus far no one has ever called me that; the word seems too delicate for a scrawny and dirty girl like me.
"Please accept my apologies for startling you," he continues. "It wasn't my intention to knock you over." His language is far more sophisticated than the coarse speech I'm accustomed to, leaving me unsure of the proper way to respond.
I want to tell him he has no need to apologize when I'm the one that caused us both to fall to the ground, but the encounter seems to have trapped my voice.
The boy waits a polite moment before seeing fit to fill the silence created by my shyness. "My name is Endymion." He bows his head from his kneeling position, further evidence of his good breeding that escalated my nerves.
The name possesses a strange familiarity, triggering something in the recesses of my memory. I can't remember why, considering his name does not belong to any of the local boys, though admittedly I've ventured into the village so rarely I can't be entirely certain. The mystery gnaws at me, along with a strange feeling his name invoked—a promise of a haven.
He waits expectedly, and when I don't give the response protocol demands, he gently prompts me. "What's your name?"
I hesitate. "...Serenity." My quiet voice wavers, unaccustomed to speech; whenever I do speak it is my habit to offer each tentative word with soft uncertainty.
"Serenity." My name sounds different spoken in his soft timbre.
I'm so used to hearing my name only in my guardian's harsh reprimands, or attached to a teasing quip from the other village children. I part my shield of hair just enough to peer through and find Endymion smiling so kindly; I feel both comforted and more tongue-tied than ever. I don't realize how rigidly I've been sitting brace for expected impact, until the tension curling around me eases.
"It's late for someone to be out wondering. Are you lost?"
I slowly take in the trees, unfamiliar sentries guarding the night. "I don't think so." Though in truth I've never ventured this far from home, and this particular clearing appears entirely unrecognizable beneath the velvety darkness.
The hesitancy in my tone betrays me, and the corners of Endymion's lips curve up. "You seem unsure."
I can't very well tell him that I was gullible enough to believe the moon guided me, especially when I can't be sure whether such an otherworldly event has truly transpired beyond my imaginings. If it hasn't, I'll be left to my own devices for find my way home.
"I know the forest well, though I've never been to this part of the woods. I heard an unfamiliar voice earlier..." I cast a questioning glance towards the other dark silhouettes, thankfully far enough away that my presence remains unnoticed. "I'm just not used to encountering strangers in the woods."
Perhaps it's presumptuous to insinuate such an inquiry, but I feel strangely protective of my forest and the thought of anyone else's presence here other than those from the nearby village twists my stomach with unease. Once more my voice comes out too quietly, but Endymion leans closer, just enough to hear me without making me nervous. With his proximity comes a faintly woodsy scent from the campfire that invokes a sense of comfort.
"We're here on a hunting expedition. Since it's in my honor, I was allowed to choose a destination farther from home than our usual trips. If I have to endure the tedium of how my parents feel it's appropriate for a boy my age to want to spend his birthday, I figured I could at least enjoy seeing more of the kingdom."
"It seems a bit late for a hunt." I can think of no other reason for him to have ventured far from camp.
"I only hunt under coercion; I was returning from exploring when we encountered one another." He speaks as if it is the most natural conclusion for how to spend the night in an unfamiliar forest. "I've already thoroughly investigated the area by daylight, but the night makes everything seem as if part of a different world."
I understand, for that is the main reason I spend my own nights lost in explorations. The sentiment only reminds me of the late hour. I hastily stumble to my feet, but the moment I put weight on my ankle a sharp pain shoots up my leg, causing me to tumble back to the ground.
Endymion scoots close enough to help me sit up. "Are you injured?"
I allow my tangle of pale hair to fall back around me like a protective curtain to shield my embarrassed blush and keep my gaze shyly lowered to my ankle, pulsing with pain. I rest a light hand against it in a feeble attempt to dull the sharp throb, evidence I've twisted it. I bite my lip and glance towards home. What has previously felt like a short distance now seems like miles when I can barely walk.
I startle as Endymion's gentle touch brushes against my ankle, brows drawn in concern. "Did you sprain it?"
Unable to find my voice, I offer a tentative nod.
"Would you like me to help you home?"
I stare, half wondering if I've accurately heard him. No one has ever made me such a generous offer, leaving me at a loss as to how to respond. As much as I yearn to accept his generosity, it feels impractical given the circumstances.
"I don't want to impose... Besides, if I don't know the way, you certainly don't."
At that reminder his eager expression falters, but he doesn't remain deterred for long. "Wouldn't you rather be lost with someone else, rather than be alone? Consider an adventure."
Being along feels the more familiar state, but his words touch a hidden part of my heart that I've buried within myself as a form of protection. Adventure... That was what I thought the moon was guiding me towards, only for it to lead me to this boy instead.
At my lingering hesitancy he lightly rests a hand on my arm. "Please, let me help you."
I nibble on my lip, deliberating. "Won't they miss you?"
He cast a single glance towards the clearing before leaning towards my ear with a mischievous grin. "They haven't yet realized I've snuck away."
I want to smile but my mouth is unaccustomed to the gesture. "I snuck out too."
"Ah, a kindred spirit. An excellent thing to have in common."
Though our motives were undoubtedly different, I cling to this single thread connecting me to this boy, precious even if we never see one another again at the conclusion of this unexpected interaction that leaves me feeling almost like an imposter.
My cheeks warm and I hastily avert my gaze. Surely he won't be so friendly if he knows the darkness I live with—my guardian's harshness, the whispers of the villagers, and my own insecurities that leaves me feeling unworthy of any consideration.
I deliberate a moment longer before offering a shy nod. He needs no further invitation. He first attempts to carry me princess style, but barely manages to lift me a few inches before he staggers and we fall again, this time with him on top. I scarcely have a chance to register his weight before he scrambles off.
"I'm sorry, but I'm rather inexperienced in the art of rescuing someone. It appears I'm not strong enough to be as gallant as I wish, but I can at least allow you to ride on my back."
Endymion turns and bends his knees, his back towards me in silent invitation. This arrangement is far different than how I've imagined being aided by a stranger, but his backwards glance is so earnest I tentatively climb on, trying to use only my good foot. My usual deprivation of human contact makes the position feel scandalously intimate, and for an awkward moment I'm not sure where to rest my hands before settling on his shoulders.
"Wrap your arms around me; I don't want you to fall off."
Despite his instruction I remain frozen. "Oh, I...couldn't..."
"It's alright, Sere." His cajoling and use of an endearing nickname offers me the encouragement I need to comply, and I shakily wind my arms around his torso. His tunic is made of fine satin, evidence of a station that has been difficult to detect in the dark, though it's one I should have guessed; only nobles would venture far from home for a mere hunting trip.
He heads in the direction I tentatively point—not from memory but because of the patches of moonlight weaving a makeshift trail through the trees.
Silence settles around us as we follow the moon's guidance whenever it feels compelled to illuminate the next step. Midst out soft footfalls against the leafy undergrowth, I eventually detect another set of quiet footsteps following close behind.
Endymion gives a small grunt of surprise as I tense and too late I realize my hold has tightened around him. I force myself to relax and peer worriedly over my shoulder. He notices the movement and glances back, too, before rolling his eyes.
"Blast... I should've known he'd follow. I suppose I didn't truly sneak out at all," the boy muses, though more so to himself. "My guard is too skilled to be outwitted, but one day I'm determined to best him."
"You have a guard?" My amazement is stronger than my usual inclination to remain silent.
He shrugs nonchalantly, as if it's perfectly commonplace for people to have protectors. If only we could live in a world where that's true; then I wouldn't have to imagine my own.
He mistakes my downtrodden expression. "He'd be able to carry you much more comfortably than I'm managing. Would you like me to ask him?"
My hold tightens instinctively around his middle. "If it doesn't put you out, I'd prefer you."
"I'm happy to help." He readjusts our position to keep me more securely in place. "You're surprisingly light. How old are you?"
"Eleven." I burrow my blush at the admission against his hair, black in the moonlight filtering through the arching branches. Though I'm naturally petite in stature, malnourishment has stunted my growth. My position prevents me from glimpsing his expression to determine whether or not this fact surprises him.
"We're near the same age, then. I just turned thirteen." He strides in silence for a few moments before turning his head in my direction, though he can't twist far enough to see my face while he walks. "Your speech is...unexpected." Curiosity fills his voice, along with caution as he carefully chooses his words, as though concerned about offending me. "You sound more like an adult than any other eleven-year-old that I've met."
"I don't spend much time with others my age," I admit, wincing at the memories of the few times I try to play with the village youth. "But you don't speak like a child either."
"True enough." He laughs, a mirthful sound with just a hint of bitterness marring it. "I don't have much time for play either."
This interchange exhausts our topics of conversation, but our short journey is nearing its conclusion. Soon, I no longer have to rely on the moon's guidance as I begin to recognize the forest's familiar landmarks.
"My house is just through the trees. I can walk from here, though." I try to scoot off but he holds me firmly in place.
"What sort of gentleman would I be if I forced a hurt maiden to return home alone? I'll escort you to the door."
"No, please—" I'm certain the moment he see where I live and learns the truth about my background, the friendliness that has shone unexpected warmth into my life will evaporate, once more leaving me with nothing but a dream of how it feels to be treated with such care and consideration, a testament to how dark my life has become.
"I insist." His tone forbids further argument, forcing me to concede the fight even as panic swells.
He ventures forward until the copse of trees open up to reveal the cramped clearing where my dwelling is huddled. I stare at the broken-down hovel, which appears unusually dark and gloomy after my time spent bathed in moonlight with someone who actually treats me as a human being.
He staggers to a stop and stands, staring in frozen disbelief before peeking uncertainly up at me. "Are we at the right place?"
I'm too mortified to even nod. I brace myself for the shift in his behavior...but despite my fears it doesn't come.
At my whisper warning that my guardian is asleep, he obediently approaches the house with careful silence; stealthy efforts that ultimately prove to be in vain. When we near the back door, lantern light suddenly flares to life through the cracked window, bathing us in an accusing glow.
I groan. "Oh, no..."
Concern fills Endymion's backwards glance, but before he can inquire about my distress the door bursts open on its broken hinges to reveal my guardian, Mildred, in all her fuming glory. The scolding her anger has carefully prepared for my sneaking out momentarily falters at seeing me on a strange boy's back, but she quickly strokes the flames back to life. Only her fury could blind her to the boy's finery, full evident in the orange light.
"You." That single syllable sends chills down my spine. I try to scramble off Endymion's back, as if to reverse the damage at having been caught doing something so scandalous. But Endymion's hands hold me gently, but firmly, in place; his body the only shield between me and the woman who has made the past seven years in endless agony.
Endymion gapes for a stunned moment before gravely stepping forward, undeterred by her puce countenance that testifies she is on the brink of a furious explosion. "Forgive the intrusion, ma'am, but Serenity got hurt so I'm only escorting her—"
He doesn't have a chance to finish before Mildred stomps close enough to slap me. The sound echoes through the still night. I barely register the familiar sharp pain when she lifts her hand again, but this time Endymion catches it before she can hit me, an action that earns him the full force of her rage.
He can't block her next attack without releasing his weakening hold on me as I still cling onto his back, but before the hit can find purchase, the guard I only sensed following us suddenly appeared, sword drawn. Mildred froze, bulging gaze fixed on the weapon as the guard stepped in front of Endymion to protect him from potential harm.
"You dare lift your hand against the crowned prince?"
I stiffen in surprise at the address. The crowned prince?! For a moment shock seems to have rendered even my thoughts silent, but all at once they whirl in a frantic scramble to assemble the pieces I've been gathering like scattered breadcrumbs throughout the night. The reason for the familiarity of Endymion's name finally connects... He's the crown prince! I've been rescued by not just any random boy, but the future king of Elysion. To think I collided with him and ridden on his back...my cheeks burn, an embarrassment not acute enough to eclipse my awe.
Who is this prince who explores night-shrouded forests and treats strangers with such consideration, even going out of his way to rescue a common girl? Whoever he is, I want to discover more about him.
Could the moon have directed my steps to him?
While the guard contends with Mildred, Endymion gently eases me to the ground and turns to better examine where the elder woman struck me. I try to duck my head but am unable to hide my face in time. His breath catches, for without the cover of darkness there's nothing to hide my scattered bruises, my gaunt expression brought by near-constant hunger, and the hopelessness that fills my eyes whenever I glimpse my reflection in the nearby lake.
Part of me expects judgment, but I receive only pity...which is almost worse. I curl myself into a ball and in this position I stubbornly remain, my arms wound tight around my middle as if the feeble gesture can hold all of my broken pieces together.
Endymion remains at my side, his hand gently against my shivering back. I stiffen at the sudden sound of approaching footfalls. Through my curtain of hair I see the boots of the prince's guard, with Mildred nowhere in sight—she's likely fled back into the house, out of the reach of his fury.
Endymion thanked him before carefully tilting my face upwards to rest a warm cloth his guard must have retrieved against my stringing cheek. I wince and immediately try to flinch away.
"It's alright, Sere." His voice is achingly gentle, as are his careful movements as he washes away the stains left by the tears before pressing the cloth against the welt already forming from Mildred's strike. He tends to me with such care, as if he's handling something breakable. At first I remain rigid before gradually relaxing. Though the gesture alone shouldn't be enough to heal me, somehow touch is enough to dispel the pain until none remains.
My gaze seeps into his even as loyalty stirs my heart to replace my previous indifference to our kingdom's monarchy, and in that moment I become the prince's most devoted subject. I didn't recognize it at the time, but later I'll know this as the moment when the prince who seems straight out of a fairytale steals the first piece of my heart.
And the unexpected fairytale only grows more wondrous. "Would you like to return with me to the palace?"
I blink in shock, unsure whether he's truly spoken such miraculous words or if I've merely imagined them.
"I…a common girl can't—" I'm afraid to say anything more lest I shatter the dream before it's even begun.
"It's not normally done, but I can't leave you here." His brow furrows as he considers the matter before his expression brightens. "You can become a servant."
A…servant? Surely the work couldn't be more difficult than the hours of daily toil I already perform, and it'd be much preferable to work in a place as grand as a palace, surrounded by opulence I previously only imagined and with more food than I currently eat. Not only would I be able to escape my guardian, but I'll get to remain near the prince, something I desperately want even so soon after meeting him.
I search his earnest expression, lingering on the softness filling his eyes. I lower my gaze to his hand extended in invitation, a promise to lead me to a destination far away from where I've spent so many unhappy years, one that would surely be better than all I'm leaving behind.
The moon shining above glistened encouragingly, lending me enough bravery to slowly rest my hand in his.
A/N: All mistakes are my own. I do proofread before I post, but I'm human and may miss a few grammatical errors. :)