Lost Love in the Moon Palace

Guests on the Moon

Serenity remained on the balcony for a while, her thoughts constantly fluctuating. Over and over, she saw Endymion in her mind, together with that other woman, and each time, a painful pang shot through her heart. Feelings of confusion and pain threatened to overwhelm her.

Slowly, the door behind her opened, and moments later, Luna gracefully jumped onto the railing beside her. Serenity twitched slightly before offering a tired smile. "Oh, Luna, you startled me."

Luna's gaze was serious, and her eyes shimmered in the gentle moonlight. "I'm sorry, but you can't fool me that easily. Now, tell me what's going on. We're alone. I know that the Silver Crystal is closely linked to your energy, and its weakening worries me. So, Serenity, what's really bothering you?"

Serenity sighed, her gaze fixed on the ground. "I don't know, Luna," she replied evasively. The truth was that she wasn't ready to talk about her recent observations yet. She knew she had to speak with Endymion first before opening up to others.

"Serenity, the Moon is protected by the power of the Silver Crystal. If that power is weakened, it's very possible that enemies will soon make their way here to conquer the Moon. So, what's bothering you?"

The young queen lifted her gaze to the starry sky. "Luna, can we please discuss this tomorrow? I'd like to get some sleep now."

The black cat observed Serenity attentively, sensing that something was amiss. It had to be something significant, as Serenity typically confided in her, ever since she was a young girl. Luna eventually agreed to postpone this conversation until the next day.

The next morning, Serenity awoke very early, the palace was quiet. In the midst of this silence, Serenity slipped out of the palace and followed a familiar path to the Silver Lake. The sun painted the horizon in a rich orange hue. This was where she always found the necessary peace to sort out her thoughts and find clarity. The lake was her sanctuary when she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. How many times had she sat here and thought of Endymion when returning from one of her secret excursions? She sat by the shore and watched the delicate, sparkling waves.

A clearing of the throat startled her, and immediately, Endymion came to her mind. Of course, he knew this place, but as she turned around, she recognized Seiya. A feeling of surprise overcame her; she had least expected to meet him here. "I apologize; I didn't mean to startle you," he said, bowing slightly.

Serenity shook her head and smiled. "It's alright. I just didn't expect to meet anyone here, especially not at this hour. Please, have a seat."

Seiya smiled warmly and settled down beside her. "We'll be leaving soon. I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad we finally got to meet in person."

An uneasy feeling washed over Serenity. Something in her didn't want Seiya to leave. "Do you really have to leave so soon? I barely had a chance to have a proper conversation with Kakyuu."

Seiya leaned back slightly, propping himself up on his forearms, and gazed at the sky. "I could ask Kakyuu; maybe she'd like to stay a few more days. We just thought that, after yesterday's incident, it would be best for you to have some time to yourself, to rest."

Serenity shook her head thoughtfully. "Rest would only drive me crazy. My thoughts keep circling the same topic without finding an answer. I think it would really be good for me if you stayed a bit longer. It would provide me with some distraction."

The morning sky slowly brightened, and the rising sun cast a warm, golden light over the lake. The gentle waves sparkled in the morning's play of light as Serenity and Seiya sat side by side. The atmosphere between them had taken on a certain lightness. They simply enjoyed the shared silence that required no words.