Forbidden Hearts Part 4/? By Elisabeth James ejames000@ameritech.net I proudly present Forbidden Hearts Chapter 4! NINE pages of Serenity and Endymion and their forbidden love! YAY!!! I really hope I get more feedback on this chapter than I did on #3. Come on everyone! Just drop me a line and tell me what you liked/hated about this chapter. *begging and pleading on her knees* this EMSIT needs a real self esteem boast! Disclaimer: I don’t own Sailor Moon, BUT Raina (however evil she may be) and the never appearing Adonis are mine :) Please ask permission before using. I’m not sure why anyone would want to use them though... “Mother you can not tell me to stop seeing him, he is my friend!” Serenity’s anguished cries resonated through her room. Tears of anger and sadness streamed down her cheeks in rivers. Queen Serenity narrowed her eyes at her youngest daughter, “You will obey me Serenity, my word is law in this castle.” “He is the only person who understands me, why are you doing this to me?” Queen Serenity sat down on her daughter’s bed and placed a hand on Serenity’s trembling shoulder. “He is to marry Raina and you are ruining everything. I see the way he looks at you during dinner. I know about the numerous visits to your bedroom that have taken place. You are stealing his heart.” “We are just friends! Nothing has ever happened, he does not love me.” her heart broke speaking those words, she knew they weren’t true, he did love her. It was like shunning away the sun after years in darkness. “But you love him do you not Serenity?” under the cool gaze of her mother she couldn’t deny it. The silence turned her in. “I can not allow this interlude to go any farther, I am putting a stop to it right now. I do not want to see you near him Serenity or the penalty will be far worse than the crime.” the queen rose slowly from the bed, the conversation was finished, nothing could be changed now. “I’ll see myself out.” Serenity only nodded, her body was numb and her heart ached. The chamber door slammed shut with an air of finality. After a few short moments she heard the curtains slid open and footfalls across the carpet. “Sere...” his voice was like velvet thunder, crisp and full of fire. She closed her eyes, if she looked upon him she wouldn’t have the strength to let him go. He reached forward to comfort her, his fingers brushed her shoulder and she moved away from him. “Please go Endymion.” she was surprised at the coldness of her own voice. She felt him pull back, and her body cried for his warmth, his love. “She can not do this Serenity, she can not control me- control us.” he corrected himself and sat down on her bed. “I love you.” The words should have made her heart sing instead the pain only got worse. “I love you too, but I can’t sacrifice my people just to be with you. By marrying Raina you can save this world Endy. Hundreds are already dead and many more will be killed before this is over. I can not place my personal needs over everyone else’s.” she whispered firmly, trying to convince herself of the words along with him. “So we will spend our lives wondering what would have been. Pining for each other, never happy. You are marrying my brother, we will not be able to avoid one another forever.” “Yes, but I would rather miss you forever than to have another person die on that battlefield. You are the future king of Earth, you can honestly tell me that you would relinquish the lives of your subjects to be with the girl you loved?” He sighed softly, “You are right. As heir to the throne of earth I could never do such a thing. But this is destiny Serenity, we are meant to be together, we are fighting fate. We are battling our heart and souls.” “Then let the war remain within us and stop the killing that rages on around us on the exterior.” she kissed his cheek lightly, her lips brushed against his smooth cheek. He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently on the forehead. He took one last lingering gaze and released her. He rose from the bed and walked toward the door. He stopped to look at her one more time, the words just ached to be said, “My heart will always be yours Sere, nothing can ever stop me from loving you.” he opened the heavy door and slipped silently out into the corridor. It clicked shut behind him and Serenity let the tears start to come again. With all of her strength she walked out onto her balcony and collapsed into the wicker chair that she painted in. The painting of Endymion sat on the easel silently begging to completed. With a trembling hand she picked up her paintbrush and began to finish what she had started earlier. The sun had rose that morning like it always had, but to Serenity the sun was a superficial orb floating high in the sky. She felt no real warmth, the world remained dark in her eyes. She sat in the middle of the garden with a large book open in her lap. She was bathing in golden rays and lost in the world of Greek mythology. The flowers danced happily in the breeze tickling her arms and legs. It played with her hair making it flap gently along the side of her face. Her silver rimmed glasses reflected the sunlight that shone down upon her. “Serenity, can I speak to you for a moment.” a soft male voice interrupted her train of thought. Endymion was her first thought but when she glanced up she saw Adonis’s worried face staring back at her. She nodded, she had not spoken very much to her future life partner but he reminded her of Endymion in many ways. His longer dark brown hair fell carelessly over his eyes which silently begged for answers. “Raina told me what happened between you and Endymion. I do not think what she did was right.” she smiled warmly at him. Life could be good with him, he would care about her and perhaps in time she could grow to love him. It would never be the same though, no one, not even his own brother, could replace Endymion. She closed her book after marking her place and removed her glasses. “Thank you Adonis.” she patted the soft ground next to her, “Would you like to sit down?” he lowered himself down next to the silver haired princess and stared at the ground in front of him. “I am sorry that things could not go as you wished.” he was reaching for the words, not sure of what to say. They hadn’t spoken to one another very often. She was always disappearing or with his brother, there was very little time for them to really talk and be alone. “My only wish is to be free to make my own choices, and marry who I wish to marry.” she told him wistfully, “My mother was forced to marry at 15, she thinks that all arranged marriages will turn out like hers did. She was so happy with my father, they loved each other with everything they had. When he died, I think he took my mother along with him.” she smiled sadly at him. He stared back at her, his face was troubled, “You would marry Endymion if you could, would you not Serenity?” She bit her lower lip and looked up at the birds flying overhead, she nodded slowly. Her movement was unhurried and prolonged. She listened to him sigh next to her. “Does he love you as you love him?” she nodded again, the silence felt safe to her, she hoped that not speaking the words out loud that Adonis would not feel hurt. “I am sorry Adonis, I never meant for this to happen. Love is something that is uncontrollable.” she whispered. She glanced over at him, his face betrayed his feelings. Unease settled slowly over them. “Can I not make you happy like Endymion could?” she closed her eyes briefly and laid down. Everything was weighing her down, she wanted to relax. She took his hand in hers and held it tight. “Adonis, I am sure that you will be a fine husband. I am sure that our life together will be stable and there will be good times. But you and I- us, we deserve more than just stable. We deserve unconditional love, unbridled happiness and everything in between. That is what makes life worth living, having someone beside you to share all the good things with, someone you love with all of your heart. That someone can not just be a stranger who you do not know.” “Could you ever love me like you do my brother?” “Your brother is my soulmate Adonis, no matter what my heart will always be his. My love for you could never match my love for him. Just like your love for me could never match the love you have for the soulmate you have out there somewhere. We are trapped in this relationship that neither of us really want.” He sighed and nodded in agreement, “I like you Serenity, but I do not want to be the man you come to hate for blocking you from your true love.” “I could and will never hate you Adonis, this is how it has to be. It is the peace of the moon that blocks me from my true love. There is nothing either of us can do, we are powerless to stop the world around us. We can be friends first though, I would like that more than anything right now.” “I would like that as well.” she sat up and hugged him tightly. “Everything will work out in the end, I am sure of it Serenity. Maybe I could talk to my mother...” he trailed off at the shaking of her head. “My mother would never allow it, there is too much at stake with Raina and Endymion’s joining. Things are not going to change no matter what we do, we are at the mercy of our parents.” Adonis smiled at, “I will make you happy Serenity, I promise. Maybe not like Endymion would but I will.” she nodded, his promise was pure. He could always try. A dark shadow fell over the pair and the two looked up to see who was listening to the tail end of their conversation, “I am sorry for interrupting but Queen Serenity does not wish anyone to be outside the castle walls while the battle is so close.” Endymion looked down at Serenity who was clutching a book to her side and held a pair of glasses in her hand. His face was like a mask, hiding the pain of seeing the girl he loved but not being able to talk to her. Serenity nodded and stood up. She brushed the dirt from the back of her skirt and rushed into the house. She looked at him for a moment before she shut the door behind her. “I am sorry Endymion, I meant no harm.” Adonis stood up, even at his full height he was a good six inches shorter than his older brother. “I understand Adonis, there is no need for apologies. She is your fiancée, I can not stop you from talking to her, even though I can not.” his hands clinched up into fists. This was killing him inside, at least before he could speak to her freely and touch her. He wanted her more than ever right now. “She may be my fiancée, but she loves you. She will always be yours, there’s a part of her heart that I will never be able to touch.” he patted his brother’s shoulder and walked up toward the house, “Love will find a way Endymion, it always does. Even in the harshest conditions it flourishes, just don’t give up.” Endymion nodded and continued to stare out at the endless field of flowers before him. He could still see signs of the battle raging on near the mountains. It wouldn’t be long now. He reached down and plucked a white rose from the garden. He brought it to his nose and inhaled the sweet scent. “That is Serenity’s favorite flower too.” a voice spoke up behind him. He looked quickly over his shoulder and watched Raina make her way toward him. “That girl loves flowers.” she snatched it from Endymion’s hand and tossed to his feet. She stepped on it and ground the elegant petals into the cobblestone. “I have always preferred the blood red ones, they mean true love here. Is it any different on earth?” she smoothed her hand delicately over his face. He reached up and slowly pushed her away. “Keep your distance Raina, I am not in the mood for games.” she narrowed her eyes and laughed softly. She clutched his arm tightly and leaned toward him to whisper in his ear. “She may hold you heart Endymion, but you are mine.” she brushed her lips against his and ran her hands over his chest. “My you certainly are strong, do you work out much?” he shoved her forcefully away. She gasped and her green eyes narrowed in anger, no man had ever rejected her as blatantly as he just had. “You are pure evil, I will never be yours.” he spat, the words sounded venomous as they spewed forth from his mouth. “On the contrary Endymion, come next week we will be together forever. And you will have to admire your little Serenity from afar.” a wicked grin spread across her face which only infuriated Endymion further. “Why are you doing this? You know there was nothing going on between Serenity and I. She loves you too much to hurt you like that.” “I know but would have been if I would have let it. She needed to feel what it was like to long for something she can never have. She was my father’s favorite, they did everything together and I was always left alone. I watched you two together and I see my childhood flashing before my eyes again. She stole you away from me just like she did father. But I’m no longer 10 and I no longer have to stand by and watch. I can make you very happy Endymion, we will rule side by side the two most powerful kingdoms in the universe. Nothing can oppose us, planets will be crushed trying.” “This marriage will never be what you imagine it to be. I will never love you Raina, nothing will ever change that fact. You hold so much power as future queen but you will never have power over my heart.” he told her coldly, he turned away from her and walked toward the castle. She shot an icy glare at his retreating back. “This is not over yet Endymion, I will have you heart some day. I will make you love me.” she silently vowed as she watched him disappear inside the castle. She scrawled her name across the bottom of the portrait. She smiled despite her terrible mood, it was the perfect likeness of him. She traced her fingers along the curve of his handsome face and dreamed of touching the real thing. The canvas held little likeness to the silken texture of his skin. She picked up the painting and carried it carefully into the main part of her bedroom. Serenity plopped down onto her bed and stared into the painted eyes in front of her. They lacked the glow and excitement that seemed to sped through his even in times of calm and relaxation. Who was she kidding, this painting, no matter how good could never take the place of the real thing. Not when the real thing held her so tight and had power to take away all of her fears. She sighed and placed the art work next to her and laid back. She could still see him walking through that door to talk to her about her mother, to offer comfort about the situation with her sister. His essence was still here, hanging in the air like a strong perfume, unwilling to leave her alone. She hugged a pillow to her chest and felt the tears run down her cheeks for the second time that day. She felt dead within, her insides had been wretched out and left dangling in front of her face. Another form of torture her mother had discovered. The thought of Endymion in the next room placed another dagger through her already bleeding heart. She should have kissed him when she had the chance, she never should have pushed him away as she did. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, it would numb the incredible pain that held her body tight since the news last night. She dozed off into a deep slumber, the sweet nothingness of darkness held the agony at bay. Her thoughts remained focused on her dear prince, he haunted her even in her dreams. She didn’t hear the door open and shut softly or see Endymion walking to her bed. “Endy, don’t leave me...” she whispered softly into the air, on some subconscious level calling out for his help. He sat down next to her and took her hand in his own to attempt to comfort her. Her skin was clammy and pale. He kissed each fingertip with great care waiting for his princess to awaken. Her eyes fluttered as he slowly moved up her arm taking in every feature of her beautiful face, kissing every inch of her slim appendage. He ran his fingers through her silver hair and stared at wonderful image before him. He was breaking every wish of Queen Serenity, if anyone were to find out about this visit he would be punished for sure. Somehow the consequences didn’t seem so bad after looking at the face of his love. Her eyes snapped open and met his blue ones. Confusion crossed her delicate feature before pure joy took over. She sat up quickly wanting to know what was going on. “Endymion! What are you doing here?!” she exclaimed without thinking. He placed a single finger over her rosebud lips and shook his head. “You make too much noise my love, I can not have you give me away.” she giggled softly and started to speak again, “I shall just have to keep you quiet myself.” his lips were upon hers in an instant. Pure bliss wasn’t far behind. She immediately responded and kissed him back with everything she had. Their mouths parted and kiss went deeper, every desire pouring out and distributed between them. Passion overtook him like a wave washing over the ocean shore. Finally he pulled away to gaze into the eyes of the woman he loved. She smiled dreamily at him, her face was flushed and her eyes sparkled with the excitement of forbidden romance. “What are you doing in my room without my permission?” “I did not think I would need it.” he grinned and kissed her cheek, “Are you angry?” “Of course not, anger does not begin to describe my feelings right now.” “Should I leave?” he looked toward the ominous door, and then back at her. “Not yet my prince.” she pulled him forcefully down next to her. “It’s royal law, you can not leave until I give you my consent.” His head hit the pillow and she leaned over him. He planted a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. She laid perpendicular to him, her head rested on his stomach. He lightly brushed the hair away from her face, using any excuse to touch her. “Will that be any time soon?” he asked her softly, knowing very well what the answer would be. “It is an eternity away.” she giggled as his mouth approached hers once more. “Kiss me again Endy, do not stop.” he happily obliged. As he sat back, he noticed the painting sitting near the end of the bed and reached for it. “You finished it without me Sere?” it was looking in a mirror, except the expression he wore in the portrait was no where as happy as his was right now. “I am sorry Endy, I did not know when you I was going to see you again.” she apologized softly. He shook his head and set the painting carefully down next to the bed. “It is wonderful, now you will always have something to remember these times after next week.” her smile dropped a notch remembering the impending wedding looming silently in the distance. This time she didn’t care, her sister and mother were the last thing on her mind. The moon was peaceful that night, the battle seemed to die down for the time being. The prince and princess fell asleep in one another’s arms, neither of them aware of the trouble that the approaching dawn would bring with the sunrise. ~ To be continued... ~ It’s not a cliffie! *rereads ending* well it might be a little but nothing like last time! Next chapter: expect war and death with a little bit of romance mixed in for fun! Be there! Why am I using so many exclamation points?! I don’t know! Write me! Write me! Write me! Write me! Write me! Special thanks to: Clare-chan, Rinoa, SB, Adrianne (hope you’re all caught up with your mail!), Kelly, and my wonderful editor Meredith! Liz-chan