In the Shadow of the Night

In just a few hours they were going back so Serena decided to make the best while she was there, she spent most of her time with Prince Darien and every once in while the Lady Beryl would join in, boring the prince and princess.

"At least you don't have to marry her! hey your leaving in a few hours, I'm stuck with her for all eternity" said the prince laughing as both he and the princess ran down to the stables.

"Seriously; how can you stand to be round her?" asked the princess.

"I just have to I guess" said the prince looking down at her, "here," he said leading her to his horse

"His name is Bask, and he is probably the only one in the kingdom who understands my pain" he said as he introduced her to his horse

"He's beautiful," she said as she stroked his mane the horse neighed at her touch, "he likes you" he said, she smiled.

"I'd like to take you somewhere" he said as he brought in another horse, brown with a black mane and hazel eyes, she looked at the horse and then at the prince and asked "Where?"

"It's a surprise," he told her she smiled suspiciously at him.

"How mysterious" she said to him

"Is that bad?" he asked

"Not at all, I'm Lunarian, we like a good mystery" they both smiled, it seemed to be true because from the moment they met she had been nothing but a mystery to him he couldn't help but find himself more attracted to her with every hour that passed and the more time they spent together the more he didn't want to let her go, he was falling hard and fast for the princess of the forbidden kingdom across the sea. It was a shame she would be gone and he'd be alone, destined to a fate worse than death (in the prince's mind) he was to enter a life of loveless marriage and eternal boredom with the weight and expectations of his people, all a burden on his shoulders… he was screwed.

Deep beneath the earth…

Laugher broke through the silence a small figure walked the rocky path in the light towards to molten lava. The figure dressed in black robes stood in a small alcove overlooking the lava swirling beneath her and spoke.

"Mistress everything is as you requested" said the small shadowy figure "is there anything else? We are ready to make our move"

"No! not yet it's too early" said the voice to her minion, the small darkened figure bowed and watched as the lava moved and bubbled as Metaria spoke. Metaria laughed, she knew that soon the Moon kingdom would fall and she will have want she wants; Revenge.

Into the woods, the prince and princess raced across the trees he looked back at the princess and smiled, he was winning. He turned to a small clearing and looked back again she was gone, he stopped looking all round, when all of a sudden he heard her from behind him, clearing her throat and laughing.

"How did you that?" he asked baffled at how she managed to get ahead of him.

"It's a secret" she told him and turned her horse continuing their journey. "So where is it exactly that you are taking me?" she asked him. He simply smiled and followed her "Why can't you just enjoy the ride princess?"

"I'm not good with surprises," she told him.

"Really?" he said looking at her, she ignored his gaze as best she could but she could feel his eyes on her and it sent a heat through her.

Why did he have this effect on her she wondered she's spent time with other men in her kingdom but none had ever made her feel this way and none had ever looked at her the way the Solarian prince did. They rode together in silence the rest of the way and finally made it to the Cliffside overlooking the harbor.

"This is what you wanted to show me?" she said without looking at him. "Yes, my favorite place in the world from here I can see everything. And anything."

"Yeah it's beautiful, back home I have a place like this… an escape" she told him "Seem we have a lot in common princess" he told her looking out into the ocean "Yeah, strained relationship with our kingdoms monarch and longing to run away from it all…" she drifted off finally looking at the prince by her side, he dismounted his horse and walked around extending his hand to her, she placed her hand in his as she slipped from her horse, it was then that she felt it a jolt of electricity. The prince let go of her hand and took out a blanket from his satchel he unfolded it and placed it on the ground motioning for her to sit beside him. How had she not noticed that before she wondered. She laughed looking him square in the eye "you planned this!" it was more of a statement than a question

"Why?" he asked her "is that a good thing or bad thing?" he asked her looking at the princess wondering what she could possibly be thinking. She simply smiled at him and sat down on the blanket avoiding his gaze and looking to the horizon

"What are you thinking?" Darien asked her worry lines crossed his forehead, what indeed he asked himself, she looked so sad he wanted to reach out and comfort her to put his arms around her and let her know that everything would be okay except that it wouldn't… be okay, she'd be gone soon and he'd be married to another. He followed her gaze towards the horizon all of a sudden she spoke "I'm going to miss this" she said still looking out. He didn't look at her he just sat there in silent agreement he was going to miss her.

The Solarian Palace…

"Ah, Lady Beryl and how are you this beautiful morning?" asked the Prince's manservant, she had come looking for him that afternoon but he was gone the manservant had explained that the prince had simply gone for his afternoon ride but he didn't say where the prince had gone or who he had gone with. Beryl simply smiled sweetly at the man walked away when all of a sudden she heard her named being whispered from around the corner "Pss, my Lady over here" Beryl turned on her heel and looking back at a young chamber maid beckoning her to come closer. Beryl stepped closer to the girl "Yes?" she asked curiously at the girl.

"I know where the prince has gone, my lady" said the girl "Really" Beryl's eyes light up and curiously asked her where the prince had gone, the chambermaid told Beryl of a secret place the prince often like to visit. Beryl thanked the girl for her information and set out on her way. The chambermaid turned and gave a wicked smile before vanishing into the shadows. Beryl made her way to the stables to collect her horse she would surprise his highness in his favorite spot, she had the kitchen servant prepare a picnic for her and the prince, Beryl smiled and kicked her horse and rode away.

The Cliffside…

Prince Darien and Princess Serena had spent the last two hours sitting and talking, comparing war stories from their childhood on how to torment the castle servants it was several minutes before the prince had revealed a concealed basket hidden in the tree line.

"A picnic?" the princess questioned with amusement.

"Surprise" is all he said setting the basket down between them and pulling out pieces of bread and chicken, the ate their meal in comfortable silence as another two hours passed.

"We should be heading back, mother will be worried about me" said the princess.

"Yeah, your right, my father's probably wondering where I am right now, we're supposed to be holding court" he looked at her but she was ignoring his gaze still staring at the never-ending horizon. He cleared the mess he had made and mounted the blanket and basket unto his horse, he turned to help her mound her own horse only to realize that she was already saddled and ready to go "right" the prince though for a moment and mounted up.

They rode the rest of the way back to the place in silence when all of a sudden Serena's horse lost control, she tried to calm him down but it was of no use, the horse threw her off and she landed on the ground, she heard Darien's voice calling her name and for a brief moment she saw him hovering over her before darkness consumed her.

Beryl rode her horse trough the countryside smiling at the farmers and anyone she encountered along the way. She looked over at clearing and saw a runaway horse galloping in the distance "Prince Darien" she said to herself "was he hurt somewhere" she thought she barely had time to think before she found herself kicking her horse to go faster in the direction the other horse had come from.

Several Minutes Earlier…

A shadowy figure in black robes hid in the bushes as it watched the prince and princess ride her way, once the they were close enough she unleashed a large spider which landed right in front of Princess Serena's horse spooking it and causing it to go into a frenzy. She watched as Serena and Darien tried to calm him down but it was no use, the princess was thrown from her horse and knocked unconscious.

Fast-Forward…

Prince Darien knelt at the princess' side as she regained consciousness, she opened her eyes and found him staring down at her, it took her a few moments to register what he was saying "Are you alright Serena?" he asked his voice was distant to her ears and everything was a blur.

"What?" she asked as everything came into focus "What?" she asked again. "Are you alright?" asked the prince again "Yeah I'm fine" said the princess as she tried to get up, the prince held a hand to her shoulder "Maybe you should take it easy, you took quite a knock to your skull" he told her.

"No, I'm fine really" she said trying to stand again this time Darien helped her up.

"What happened?" she asked,

"Your horse got spooked I guess" he told her

"By what?" she asked him

"Looks like a spider did the job, you sure your okay?" she grabbed the back of her head rubbing the sore spot and nodded. The prince cupped her cheek and lifted her eyes to meet his she stared at his golden gaze and was mesmerized for a moment, she didn't notice until it was to late that his lips were coming towards hers and before she knew it he was kissing her and she kissed him back with fervor.

The intensity of the moment had him feeling lightheaded, he felt dizzy as her lips crashed into his, he placed his arm around her waist and pulled her in closer, her arms snaked around his neck as she lifted herself up on her toes, she parted her lips to deepen the kiss, his tongue slid out and tangled with hers, she played with the hair at the nape of his neck as he pulled her in even closer, they were lost in each other, too lost to notice what went on around them. The shadow figure still stood on the bushed when it turned and looked back seeing the Lady Beryl coming up on her horse it was then that she decided to disappear.

The Lady Beryl spent quite some time looking for her beloved prince ready to bring him back if he needed medical attention, but she was unprepared for the sight that awaited her when she finally found him…He was kissing her, the Lunarian Princess her prince had betrayed her, she stood there in shock at the sight of her prince in another woman's arms. She fought the tears that threatened to escape from her and simply turned around and rode towards the castle, she rode as fast as she could only to realize there was nothing for her there any more he was gone lost to that Lunarian harpy, how she wished she'd never come, she wanted her gone she finally broke down and cried and made her way back home.