Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Crystal Slipper ❯ Chapter 4

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
Disclaimer: Nope! No certificate of ownership for Sailor Moon lyin' around here!!


Crystal Slipper by Crystal Rose

~ part 4 ~

Deep in the depths of her mind, Serena faintly acknowledged being carried by a horse and gently tucked into a bed. The rest was a blur and she could not recall the details of what had happened. After she had been put to bed, she only remembered the safe and warm sensation that overtook her body before she had wearily drifted off to sleep.

After hours upon hours of drifting in an endless, dark abyss, Serena began to wake from her deep slumber as consciousness returned. The extreme sensation of warmth and safety flooded her senses; she took in the overwhelming feeling of protectionn, experiencing it with greatpleasure. Her once numb body tingled with anticipation as it slowly came back to life. Eyelids pulled back to reveal eyes the color of the oceans as she let out a soft groan. Her body now screamed with pain, causing her to writhe silently among the soft folds of the large bed she lay in with its soft, velvety, covers. The pain seemed to worsen as she lay there, softly whimpering in the dark. Soon, it had become excruciating as she couldn't help but let out a cry, silent tears streaming down her face. She struggled like so for what seemed to be hours.

Suddenly, the pain of her tormented body had faded, and she opened her eyes to meet the wondrous sight of her savior, gazing upon her with the most tender of smiles. As if in a dream, she stared at the young man before her, awed that his very presence could create such magic, while he continued to watch over her and soothe her with his gentle caresses. She immediately began to feel a wave of tranquility washing over her entire being as he proved to be a great comfort. In the dark of the room, the navy blue eyes of her protector seemed to shine with unshed tears of sadness, and perhaps guilt, that such an angel had fallen.

Their eyes met then, and for a moment they seemed to communicate each other's thoughts as she slowly, yet reluctantly, draped her eyes closed, giving in to her fatigue. When she was about to drift off to her own world of dreams, she could faintly feel the touch of his fingers upon her face as he left a wonderful tingling sensation upon her lips.

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At the break of dawn, Prince Endymion found himself wide awake, staring at the ceiling. The night had been a restless one as he had worried about the young girl who had captivated his interest to the point of insanity. He remembered how he had hastily thrown back his covers during the middle of the night in his urgent need to reach her and comfort both himself and, perhaps, her too. He had become quite alerted when soft cries of agony and suffering could be heard from within her chambers.

In one swift movement he had rushed into her bedroom, silently going to her bedside and pulling her into a light embrace as he caressed her aching body in the hope of dissolving the intense pain that had taken hold of her. Her cries ceased almost immediately and he was silently amazed at the soft blue eyes that appeared before him, desperately searching for the comfort that she needed within his own. He smiled tenderly at her with an underlying sadness that something so terrible had to happen to such innocence as unshed tears sparkled from within. Somehow, he sensed that the fragile creature before him knew of his distress as her shining blue orbs sought to comfort him in return, even in her own state of being. He was deeply touched and briefly communicated to her through their eye contact to not worry about his sake and get some rest, or at least try to. The last part he had pleaded, silently staring into the depths of her ocean blue eyes, the emotions raging wildly within. Almost as if by submission, the young girl had went into a more relaxed state, her whole being giving off a sense of tranquility as her eyes slowly fluttered closed. He had kissed her then, he remembered. He laughed at the mere implication of it.

'Yes,'he thought, 'the great and almighty Prince of Earth has a weak point.'

He shook his head as he thought of how life had been so different to him before. He had been a kind and handsome prince who was quite the compassionate one, but all that had been changed about a year ago when he had been presented to the world so that the people of Earth might behold their future leader. Slowly, but surely, he had been transfformed into a cynical, if not cold, young man by conniving snakes that only wished to be part of the royal family. Somehow, though, this young girl had melted away his cold facade to leave the price as he once was. She had been able to do what no other had. She had revealed his true self to her and to him too, for he had forgotten who he really was. She had made him remember.

"Yes, indeed. She is special," the prince thought, "too special."

The prince once again shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts of protecting the naive and innocent young girl, sheltering her in every way possible, and keeping her to himself . . .He smacked himself upside the head for thinking such a selfish thing, yet it was true. All he wanted was to protect her from those who would do her harm and let only himself enjoy the pure beauty which she possessed that seemed to emanate from her very essence.

He groaned in disgust and rolled over onto his stomach from his previous position on his back, trying to smother himself in his pillow. His whole body seemed to jerk when he realized that his own mind had been torturing him with thoughts and images of last night because he was aching to see her again; he was positively infatuated with her. Rolling out of bed, the prince began to mumble about how he might possibly be insane or out of his mind, while mentally he wondered what was really wrong with him as he crept down the hallway towards the girl=s room, the sun barely peeking over the horizon as morning came.

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Once again, Serena felt consciousness begin to return to her, but this time it was in a much more pleasant manner. As she awoke, images of last night greeted her; she smiled. Dreamily, she opened her eyes and surveyed the room, stopping when she realized she was not alone. Her dreamy expression was quickly dispelled as her eyes widened in surprise and she was jolted back into reality. Wide awake now, she observed that her company was sprawled across a chair beside her bed in a deep slumber. She seemed to calm a bit at the sight of the peaceful expression on the young man's face. As if not to awaken him, she cautiously pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing at the sharp pain in her side, all the while watching the young man's face for any signs of waking.

Pleased at his indifference, she satisfied herself by staring at the young man with rapt attention, hopelessly fascinated by his jet black hair that shined blue in the rays of the rising sun. She also noted his handsome face, which was just starting to experience the wonders of manhood. She blushed when she finally realized she had been analyzing him so closely. Looking down, she saw, for the first time since she had arrived there, the large bed she lay on, her golden hair spilling over the covers. Her eyes widened in amazement as she felt the soft silk sheets and covers. A small gasp escaped her lips as she eyed her surroundings. Whom ever had saved her from her death was definitely of great stature and wealth. Even the room she now stayed in was almost three times as large as her own back home; she also guessed that this was merely a guest room
and was most likely of no comparison to the chambers of whomever lived in this palace.

"Palace? This almost seems familiar . . ."

While she was so engrossed in her thoughts, she had failed to notice that the young man beside her bed was beginning to stir. He opened his eyes to see Serena sitting in bed with a wide-eyed expression of awe and wonder, as she looked over her surroundings. He gasped in surprise, stupefied that he was in the presence of such beauty, while marveling that the young girl before him could be so enchanting.

Serena had heard this and stiffened slightly. Then, turning towards the edge of the bed where the chair sat, she was met with a deep, caring voice.

"You're awake," he stated simply.

Serena looked up into eyes of a deep midnight blue; they seemed to clash with her own.


"Where am I?", she asked timidly, "I . . . don't remember coming here." Her voice held a note of fright in it as she questioned him about her whereabouts, her widened eyes portraying a small child.

"Oh god, she looks so frightened," he thought, "I must eliminate her fears."

"It's alright. Please, don't be afraid. I was the one who brought you here. I saw what had happened and immediately rushed to help you. I hope you're feeling better." A slight frown covered her face as she remembered the events of the day before. Then a small smile crept onto her face as she replied to the unexpected earnestness.

"Oh. Thank you . . . for saving me. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"That smile is enough, my fair lady", he replied as he moved to kneel at her bedside to take her delicate hand into his own. He held her hand in a reassuring manner to convince her of his sincerity, then swiftly swooped down to plant a gentle kiss upon it, looking up at her with his eyebrow quirked up in a smirk. A slight blush stained her cheeks as a result and he chuckled quietly to himself.

"What?", she asked puzzled. He looked up, startled at her question, but quickly calmed as he faced her, breaking into a smile.

"It's nothing," he replied gently, "Really."


"C-could you tell me where we are?", she asked him hopefully.

"We are in the royal palace, my lady.", he teased her lightly. He couldn't wait to see her reaction.

"The . . . the royal palace?", she questioned.

"Yes, this is it.", he assured her, "Do you remember the night of the ball? You were here if I recall."

"Wh-what . . . h-how did you know I was here?", she stuttered incredulously.

"Don't you remember? In the rose garden? You ran into me."

"Oh. That was you . . . Darien."

"Yes, of course."

At that moment, the door was opened and two regal figures swept in. A man and a woman, to be exact. Serena, however, immediately recognized them to be King Fredrick of Earth, with his royal garbs and stately manner, and Queen Augusta, her beauty and kindness radiating through. Serena's eyes grew wide.

"Your majesties!", she cried as she almost jumped out of bed. However, a streak of pain ran through her side and she winced as fell back towards the bed, awaiting the rough landing, but instead two strong arms caught her in midair. The king laughed.

"Ah, my son. I see that she is a feisty little one! No wonder you were so intent on saving her."

King Fredrick continued to laugh jovially at his son's discomfort as the prince's face had already turned a bright crimson. Serena's eyes only widened even further.

"Son . . ." Serena whispered in utter disbelief, "That would make you . . ."

"Prince Endymion of Earth," the king finished proudly for her and with that, Serena fainted.

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"Ugh! Father, must you do that?" the prince questioned his father after Serena had fainted at the mention of his highness.

"Why son! It's mandatory that all people should know who we are. We must wear our titles with pride!" the king replied.

The prince sighed, "Yes father, but you really needn't frighten young girls like that."

Looking down upon the now unconscious girl, he felt an almost instinctive need to protect her. She now lay in the bed with the prince's arms around her in a protecting embrace, her head resting upon one of his arms. The king looked a bit puzzled for a moment before opening his mouth to say something, but before a word came out, the queen sent a look of warning towards his way, effectively silencing him.

"What do you propose we do, Endymion?" asked his mother in her gentle, lilting voice.

"I think it is only right for us to let her stay here at the palace, fully accommodated, until her wounds are completely healed." the prince stated.

"If that is what you want, Endymion." his mother replied.

"Yes, I think you are quite right, my son," his father chimed in, "We will have her stay arranged immediately."

"Thank you mother, father."

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EMAIL !!! ...and that's all I've got to say *sticks out her tongue*

Crystal Rose ^_~