TO LOVE SHOULD NEVER HURT By Sailor SwiftHeart Rated: R Princess Serena awoke to the sound of birds singing and to sunlight that shone brightly through the pink curtains of her bedroom. It was Monday morning. The first day of school... again. Another year of etiquette lessons, speech writing and learning about the laws and history of the Moon Kingdom. Not that she minded. She was only ten years old, but she understood how important she was to the future of the kingdom. She knew that someday she would inherit the throne and rule the whole kingdom... along with a husband. In fact, the young princess was already betrothed to a prince. A MUCH OLDER prince. A young man her father had seen fit enough to one day rule the Moon along with his daughter. Serena didn't see in this prince what her father saw. But she dared not protest or question him, for she knew what the consequences would be. Princess Serena sighed as she brushed her hair and did it up into two buns on top of her head with long pigtails cascading over her shoulders and almost touching the floor. As she headed downstairs for breakfast, she prayed that her father would forget to give her that little-talking-to he always gave her on the first day of school, before he left for work. In the kitchen, her father was seated at the table reading a scroll or a proclamation of some sort. He was a large man, seven feet tall and very muscular. He had piercing sapphire eyes and black hair that he wore chin-length. He was everything a King should be. Strict, dignified and no-nonsense. He was so set in his beliefs that nothing ever changed in the kingdom. Whatever King Eryk said, went. Without question. Her mother, Queen Serenity was at the counter, making Serena's lunch. The princess sighed again. Her father, King Eryk did not believe in having servants, maids or cooks. He thought that servants made royals lazy and irresponsible. Her mother was expected to do all the cooking, cleaning and any other palace chores that were necessary. "When I married you, Serenity, I not only expected a Queen but a housewife as well." King Eryk had once told her mother. "It will do you some good to learn how to cook and clean. A woman's place is at home with the children. Besides," he added. "It builds character." Princess Serena secretly thought that her father must not have ANY character at all being that he was always at work. Unlike most Kings she had read about who worked out of the palace, her father wore a suit and tie. And he only wore his crown at festivals, banquets or other special events that took place in the palace. That was the only time they ever hired servants too, since King Eryk expected his wife to be seated beside him. . . on his right side. And she was to "be seen and not heard", unless told otherwise. Serena took a seat at the table and poured herself a bowl of cereal and milk. King Eryk looked up from his scroll and smiled at his daughter. "So is my little princess all ready for her first day of school?" "I sure am, Daddy." Serena answered. "I'm so excited!" "Good." King Eryk nodded his approval and returned to reading the scroll. Serena took a sip of her orange juice and turned to look t her mother. She was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for Serena's lunch; her favorite. "Mom?" Serena asked. "Can I have extra jelly?" King Eryk looked up from his scroll once again and gave Serena a stern look. He frowned. "You'll take what your mom gives you and you'll like it." "Yes, sir." Serena said in a small voice. Serenity looked at her daughter and smiled. "I"ll put some extra jelly on." she said. "Don't spoil her, Serenity," Eryk said as Serenity slathered strawberry preserves on the bread. "It's just a little jelly...." Eryk frowned again. "Right. This time." He looked at his watch. "I'm running late. I need you to pick up my shirts at the cleaners. Can you manage that, Serenity?" "Yes, Eryk." she replied. "Don't forget." "I won't." she promised. Eryk picked up an overcoat off the back of the kitchen chair and put it on. Then he approached Serena and crouched so that he was the same height as her, seated on a chair. "Now, Serena," he began and she sighed. Here it is, she thought. That little-talking-too she always dreaded. "You remember what I told you about Prince Jonathan, don't you?" "Yes, Father." she nodded. He continued anyway. "You must get along with him. I chose him for your future husband for good reasons. He is a fine young man and will make an excellent King someday. I can tell. Do what he tells you and never disobey or anger him. After all, you will have to obey him when you two are married in the future, so you may as well start doing that now. Understand?" he demanded. "Yes, Father." Serena replied. "I'll try." "Never mind trying," Eryk said, firmly. "Just do it." "Yes, sir." "All right then." He got up and walked over to his wife. "I'll call you later." He bent and gave Serenity a brusque kiss on the mouth. "Have a good day." she called to him as he plowed through the front doors of the palace, his broad shoulders set. Even after ten years of marriage, Serenity could hardly believe how huge he was. "Mom?" said Serena. Serenity turned her attention to her daughter. "What's the matter, Serena?" "Nothing," Serena said quietly. "I just need to get my lunch box so I won't be late for school." "Oh. Oh, of course, hon." Serenity hastily stuffed the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a few cookies and a thermos of juice into the pink, plastic bunny rabbit lunch box and handed it to Serena. "You ate all your breakfast?" "Yes, Mom." "Okay, have a good day." "Thanks, Mom." Serena headed out. She seemed subdued, maybe worried. Serenity knew why. It was what Eryk had told her about Prince Jonathan. She was only ten years old! It would be YEARS before she was ready to get married and YEARS before she would inherit the throne as Queen of the Moon Kingdom. "Oh, Serena," Queen Serenity said aloud, sighing heavily. "If I had my way, you could marry whomever you wanted." She knew that her daughter hated Prince Jonathan. He wasn't everything a young prince should've been. He was nothing but a school yard bully who stole the other children's lunch money, picked fights with the boys and pushed the girls in the mud. Serena had come home many times, her pretty dresses grass-stained and covered in mud. Eryk had never been home in time to see it, so he assumed that everything with Prince Jonathan was fine. And Serenity let him believe it. It wasn't like she could tell him... whatever he said went without question. Even though she was Queen, she never had a say in anything. Sighing again, she ate her breakfast, cleaned up then went upstairs to her and Eryk's bedroom to make the bed. She opened the curtains to let the sun shine in. It was a beautiful day, but Serenity couldn't even manage a smile. She never got to enjoy the sun as much as she would've liked to. She was always stuck in the palace doing chores. When would it ever end? "Right now," she said and sat down at her dresser. "It's going to end right now." She looked at herself in the mirror. Her face showed more lines than anyone would expect a young woman like herself to have. On either side of neck was a bruise in the shape of a large thumbprint. Serenity gingerly touched them with her delicate fingertips and winced at the pain. The pain. When would the pain stop? Not just on her body, but in her heart as well. "Right now," she repeated. "It's going to stop right now." She opened the top drawer and pulled out a dagger concealed in a leather sheath. She drew it and looked at the pointed tip and extremely sharp edges. She touched the tip softly and he finger began to bleed. It was sharp enough to slice through a single strand of hair. Serenity put the pointed tip to her chest, just above her heart and pressed a little. Her dress offered her a tiny bit of protection from the sharp end. She took a deep breath and was about the drive the dagger through her chest, through her heart... but something stopped her. The same thing that stopped her every day for the past eight years. The princess. Her daughter. What would the princess do without her mother? Tears welled-up in Serenity's eyes. She'd be left with only Eryk to look after her. Eryk never touched Serena, but with Serenity gone, he surely would. And Serenity couldn't bare the thought of that. Suicide wasn't the answer. But what was the answer? Serenity noticed the claim ticket for Eryk's shirts on top of the dresser and remembered she had to go and pick those up at the cleaner's. It was Serenity's only escape from the palace walls. Eryk never let Serenity wash his things, because the first time she did, she had accidentally mixed colors and whites and turned all of his shirts pink. So he took them to the cleaner's, instead. Serenity was glad that she did. If she ruined anymore of his things, it would just give him another reason to insult and hurt her. Serenity put the dagger back in the drawer, hiding it under lingerie where Eryk would never find it. She closed the drawer, grabbed the claim ticket and left the palace, heading for the cleaners. It was quite far from the palace and since Serenity didn't have a horse (Eryk didn't allow it) she had to walk. She didn't mind. She liked the feel of the sunshine on her face. And she liked getting fresh air this way. Open windows in the palace just weren't the same. At the cleaner's, the young man at the counter handed back her claim ticket. "These aren't done yet, My Lady." "Not done?" Serenity repeated. Eryk wasn't going to like this. "I thought they were supposed to be back today." "They were, My Lady, but we had two people call in sick yesterday," he explained. "I'll have them for you tomorrow. I hope that's not going to be a problem." Serenity shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so." She hoped not. "I'll give you a discount. Here, let me write it on the ticket." Serenity surrendered the claim ticket again. The young man wrote "10% Off" on the back of it. "I'm sorry, My Lady." he said. "Don't worry," she said to him, more to assure herself than the young man. She began the long walk back to the palace, not looking forward to the chores that awaited her. *** Serenity spent the rest of the morning cleaning the palace. It was not particularly dirty, but she found the activity more entertaining than reading or listening to the radio. At noon, she made herself a tuna sandwich for lunch and was just about to bite into it, when the phone rang. "Hello?" "It's me." It took Serenity a moment to register the voice as Eryk's. "Did you pick up my shirts?" "They weren't ready." There was a pause. "They weren't ready?" "No. They had some people sick yesterday or something. They'll be ready tomorrow." Eryk said nothing. Serenity felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up at the silence. "He gave us a discount..." "A discount?" Eryk broke in quietly. "I need a clean shirt for tomorrow. I ask you to do one simple thing for me and you can't do it. What's the matter with you?" "I... it wasn't my fault. They weren't done..." "I don't care whose fault it was. I need a shirt." Serenity's hand tightened around the phone. "I'll.... I'll pull something out of the hamper and wash it for you..." "Fine. Just get me a shirt for tomorrow morning. And don't ruin it in the wash. I'll be home at four." Eryk hung-up before Serenity could formulate a reply. She slid the phone back into the cradle and returned to her lunch. The fact that Eryk was making such a big deal out of a few shirts scared her. She knew that he would be annoyed and cranky once he got home. "What's the big deal?" Serenity wondered aloud. "He has about fifty others in the closet he could wear." Serenity knew why he made a big deal out of it. She had become so used to him and his demands, that Eryk would look for any excuse to hurt her. I have to get out of here, Serenity thought, like she had countless other times. She'd never had the courage to actually walk out. But today, she felt she did. She finished her lunch, cleaned up and then went upstairs to Serena's room. She wanted to be ready as soon as her daughter got home. She put together a suitcase for each of them, packing only the necessities. Then she dug two shirts and some towels out of the hamper and threw them in the washing machine. When she pulled them out, one of the white shirts looked pink and she noticed only then that one of the towels was red. At least the color was evenly distributed on the shirt. Maybe Eryk wouldn't notice. She threw everything into the dryer and hoped nothing would have to be ironed. The shirts proved to be permanent press, so an hour later she put them on hangers and deposited them in the closet. Princess Serena didn't return until 3:45. Serenity was pacing by then, remembering that Eryk had said he'd be home at four. They would have to hurry. She met Serena part way down the sidewalk. She looked surprised. "What's wrong, Mom?" "Nothing's wrong, hon. But you have to hurry. We're going to visit Grandma and we have to leave right away." "Is Grandma sick?" Serenity hustled her into the house. "No, no, Grandma's fine. But if we don't start right away, we won't be able to get there at a reasonable hour. Now, I've got all our stuff packed..." "You said I could go to Ami's tonight," Serena protested. "Well, we're going to do this instead, okay?" Serenity took her hand as she closed the bedroom door behind them. "Okay?" Serena stopped, looking at the suitcases, then looked up at her mother, puzzled. "Isn't Dad coming?" "No, Baby, Dad's not coming. Now, why don't you just get your stuff and let's go." "Did you tell Dad we're going?" Serena was hesitant. She was still staring at the suitcases as if they might blow up in her face. "No, I didn't. I'll call Dad later and let him know." Serenity picked up her suitcase and headed for the front door. "Dad's going to be mad," Serena stated. Serenity stopped. Serena looked at her with a strange, helpless fear in her eyes. "Dad's going to be mad," she repeated. Serenity didn't know what to say. She knew how her daughter felt. She picked up Serena's suitcase with her other hand. "Come on," she said and opened the door. Eryk was coming up the sidewalk. "Eryk..." Serenity choked in a whisper. Eryk stopped walking. "Serenity," he said quietly. "What's going on?" Serenity foolishly tried to hide the suitcases behind her back. "Nothing, Eryk. Nothing." "Nothing?" Eryk repeated. "It looks like you're going somewhere." "Oh. Well... I was thinking we might go see Mom." Eryk stepped forward. Something had shifted in his stance. He looked even bigger, steely and frightening. Serenity swallowed. Fear was a galling bitterness in the back of her throat. "Go see Mom?" Eryk said. "I don't remember you saying anything about that." "It was sort of a last-minute thing. She called and said she'd like to have some company." "So you were just going to head up there without telling me?" "No. No. I was going to tell you." Serenity suddenly felt small and helpless as Eryk loomed over her, a huge, hulking shadow. "Get in the house," said Eryk, still quiet. "Get in the house now." Serenity went inside. Serena had backed into the living room and was standing next to the staircase, her eyes wide and frightened. "I've told you before not to lie to me, Serenity," Eryk said, following her into the house. He closed the door gently behind him and locked it. "How many times have I told you not to lie to me?" "I didn't..." Out of nowhere, Eryk's hand came up. He slapped Serenity across the face, throwing her off balance. She dropped the suitcases and staggered back a step. "You were going to run away, weren't you?" Eryk murmured. "You were going to run away to Mommy and not tell me." "I don't..." Eryk slapped her again. Serenity, now angry at her own sense of helplessness, struck back. Eryk's open hand intercepted her fist in midair. The blow did not even jar Eryk. He closed his hand around Serenity's fist and jerked her arm around, twisting it behind her, then shoved her away. Serenity stumbled and hit the floor. "That wasn't very smart," said Eryk. He came up behind Serenity and pushed her over roughly with his foot. "Apologize." "Apologize, my ass," Serenity retorted. She came to her feet and took up a fighting stance. Eryk laughed. "That's funny, Serenity." As Serenity gathered herself for a blow, Eryk closed his hand into a fist and struck at her. Serenity deflected the blow with one arm, but it jarred her enough to throw her off balance. Eryk pushed her with the other hand and she ended up on the floor again. Serenity felt her breath coming hard, more from fear than exertion. "Apologize," Eryk repeated. He picked up Serenity by the hair. "Apologize." Serenity ground her teeth together. "I'm sorry." she grated. "That didn't sound very sincere," Eryk said and slapped her again. "Apologize." Serenity tasted blood in her mouth. Eryk twisted her head up, forcing her to look into his face, then backhanded her twice. She was starting to feel dizzy. She swallowed. The thick taste of her own blood made her sick. "I'm sorry," she managed. "I'm sorry, Eryk." "That's better." Eryk let her go. Serenity collapsed. She heard Eryk move past her, through the living room and into the kitchen. Serenity wiped blood from her mouth with the back of her hand and looked around the living room for Serena. She was still standing by the steps, silent. "Are you okay?" she mouthed to her daughter. Serena nodded, backing up against a wall. In the kitchen, Eryk was slamming cupboards open and shut. Serenity got up and went over to Serena. "Listen, sweetheart," she said to her. "Why don't you run upstairs and start on your homework. I'll be up in a few minutes." "Okay, Mom," said Serena in a small voice. Serenity took a few moments to recover, then dragged herself upstairs to the bathroom to clean up. *** Eryk left Serenity and Serena alone for the rest of the evening. Serenity helped her daughter finish her homework, then read her a story and put her to bed. Eryk was downstairs going through some paperwork in the study. Carefully, Serenity tiptoed into the bathroom to change clothes. When she came out wearing her pajamas, Eryk was standing outside the door. "Where are you going?" he asked. "I'm going to bed. I, uh... I thought maybe I'd sleep in Serena's room tonight." "Why?" Serenity shrugged. "I don't know. She seemed little... scared to go to sleep by herself." "You're not going to spoil that child," Eryk stated. "You sleep in our bedroom where you belong." Serenity weighed the alternatives. Finally, she stepped toward their bedroom. "Goodnight." she said. "Goodnight, Serenity." From the bed, wrapped in blankets, Serenity watched Eryk take off his clothes, then go into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Moments later, he came back into the bedroom. Serenity flinched under his sudden, direct gaze. "Don't forget to pick up my shirts tomorrow." Eryk said. "I won't. I'll get them first thing in the morning." "Good." Eryk turned off the light and got into bed. Serenity rolled over, turning her back to her husband. Eryk was still for a long time. Serenity started to relax. Eryk rolled over. Serenity flinched again, moving closer to the edge of the bed. Calm down, she told herself. Just take a deep breath and calm down. He's had his fun for the night, he's not likely to hit you again. But it wasn't exactly the hitting that she was afraid of. She could hear her own heartbeat, loud and fast in the silence. She wondered if Serena was laying awake in her bedroom, waiting to hear the slapping again, the whispered threats... "Serenity?" Serenity's hands tightened convulsively on the blanket. "Serenity?" Eryk said again. "Serenity, are you awake?" She said nothing. She felt him move, then a huge hand cupped her buttock. "Come here, Baby," Eryk whispered. Serenity squeezed her eyes shut. "I have a headache." Eryk's hand moved forward, his fingers sliding between Serenity's thighs. "Come on, Baby. I love you." "I really don't feel well, Eryk." Serenity put a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound of her breathing, which was coming far too fast. Eryk was still for a moment, then pushed away. "Fine. I don't want you, anyway." Serenity pulled the edge of the blanket closer to her chest and realized she was shaking. It was a long time before she fell asleep. *** Serenity awoke to find herself alone in the bed, sweating, her face aching. The clock read 6 am, so she hadn't overslept. Eryk must have left early. Thank God, Serenity thought. She got up and went to check on Serena. She was still sleeping peacefully. Her bunny rabbit alarm clock was set for 6:30. Serenity tiptoed back out of Serena's room and went to the bathroom. Her own reflection in the mirror made her ill. The injuries on her delicate features were blasphemy. She had blue bruises along both cheekbones and her lip was split open and swollen. She found a washcloth, ran cold water over it, wrung it out and applied it to her lip as gently as she could. She ducked her head into the sink. Her ministrations had started her lip bleeding again. She felt the need to get her dagger again. "I'm not going to die..." she said, her voice echoing against the porcelain. "I have to take care of Serena. I have to be strong for Serena's sake." She straightened. The face looking back at her from the mirror was tiny, bruised and helpless. Would she be trapped in the walls of the palace forever, hiding her pain from everyone? *** Serenity had a hard time with breakfast. Orange juice was incredibly painful and cereal had too many sharp edges. She finally settled on milk and a bowl of oatmeal. She made the same thing for Serena, who came downstairs at 6:45, dressed and ready for school. She was relieved that her dad wasn't there to remind her to be nice to Prince Jonathan. "Are you okay, Mom?" she asked. "Yes, I'm fine." Serenity lied. "Where's Dad?" "He left for work already." Serena sat down at the table and poked her spoon into her oatmeal. "I'm sorry he hit you last night." "You're sorry? Why are you sorry? It wasn't your fault." "Yes it was," she said. "If I hadn't asked so many questions, we would have been gone before he got home." Serenity shook her head. "I'm not sure about that. Listen, Serena, your dad's got a problem and he needs help to fix it. But none of it's your fault, okay?" Serena nodded. "Okay, Mom." "Okay. Now eat your breakfast. Do you have all your homework?" "It's in my bag." "Good girl." They finished breakfast in silence, Serenity trying hard not to show the difficulty she was having eating. Serena was withdrawn and only ate half her oatmeal. Serenity watched her as she put her lunch together. She didn't look like she had slept well. When she went to meet her friends at the curb, her gait was a strangely adult plod instead of the happy skip one would expect from a child her age. She was so young and innocent and so important to the future of the Moon Kingdom. But through all this, will she be all right? Serenity wondered, worried. Once Serena was off to school, Serenity retired to the bathroom, where she used her makeup kit to try and cover most of the bruises in preparation for her trip to cleaner's. By the time she had finished, she didn't look too bad. She managed to smile, then headed off to the cleaner's. *** Serenity was helping her daughter with her homework when Eryk came home. "Hi," Eryk said, smiling. He tousled Serena's hair. "How was school?" "Fine," Serena answered. "We had an assembly today, with a magician. It was neat." "That's nice. Do you have a lot of homework?" "No, not really." "I remember when I was a young prince I always had piles and piles of homework." He headed for the kitchen, where he opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. "I'd be at it for hours." He opened the bottled water. "Did you get my shirts today, Serenity?" "Yes, I did," Serenity answered. "They're in the closet." "Good. Thank you." "You're welcome." Serenity was more than a little off balance by now. Was the old Eryk back? And for how long? He seemed almost normal. "How was your day?" Serenity ventured. "Busy. Did we get the paper today?" "It's on the kitchen table." "Great. What's for supper?" "There's a chicken in the oven. Serena helped make stuffing." It was a boxed mix, but Serena had enjoyed helping. "Sounds good." The paper rustled as Eryk flipped it open. Serenity looked at Serena, who was smiling. "He's happy today," she said quietly. Serenity nodded. For the moment, she thought. She wondered what was going to happen to set Eryk off. Any number of things could change his mood. "I'll go read my English now," said Serena. She picked up the book and stood. "Okay, Hon," said Serenity. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour." "Okay, Mom." Serenity watched her daughter climb the stairs, then went into the kitchen to check the chicken. "Did you make any vegetables?" Eryk asked, looking up from the paper. "Yes," Serenity answered. "Carrots and potatoes. And the stuffing, of course. And I pulled an apple pie out of the freezer. I thought you might like it." Eryk smiled. "That's nice. It sounds good." Serenity opened the oven to baste the chicken. Maybe I can keep him happy tonight, she thought. Maybe he won't do anything if I keep him happy. She pushed the chicken back into the oven, then straightened. Eryk looked at her over the newspaper. "Are you okay, Serenity?" She nodded. "I'm fine." "When will dinner be ready?" Eryk asked. "About twenty minutes." Serenity took a step away from the table where Eryk sat. "I'm going to set the table." Eryk smiled a little. "Sure." *** Dinner was quiet and almost homey. They didn't talk very much, but when they did it was typical dinner conversation. Serena told them more about the magician she had seen at school, and about the story she'd read for English class. Eryk complimented Serenity on the chicken, and Serena on the stuffing. So far so good, thought Serenity as she picked up the dishes. Eryk retired to the living room and started to work on the crossword puzzle in the paper. Serena curled up in the big armchair with a book. Serenity took her time washing the dishes. She decided she could suffer a case of dishpan hands better than she could handle another beating from her husband. It was seven o'clock when Serenity finished and went into the living room to join the rest of her family. Everything was still fine. It almost made her uncomfortable. This wasn't usually what went on. But Eryk had been so nice all evening and Serenity found herself thinking how much she loved him when he was this way. He doesn't hit me that often, she thought. If I do what he says, everything is fine. She touched her lip and winced. It was still very sore. The pain and memory of the previous night's events made her shiver. Did she really love Eryk that much to believe that his beating her was justified? No, she thought. Love shouldn't hurt. There was only one unoccupied seat left in the living room, and that was on the couch next to Eryk. Serenity sat down. There was a magazine on the table next to her. She picked it up and started reading the recipes. Serena suddenly got a strange look from her father. She closed her book, got up and announced she had to go to the bathroom. Her father smiled and nodded at her and she headed upstairs. "Maybe Serena should go to bed early tonight," Eryk suggested. Serenity jumped a little, startled. "Why? Does she have to get up early in the morning?" She looked at Eryk, who was peering at her around the side of the paper. Serenity had seen that look far too often on his face to have any doubt what it meant. Serenity smiled and tried to respond in the most gentle way possible. "Oh, Eryk. That would be nice, but I'm still not really feeling well. My head's really been bothering me." It wasn't a total lie. Eryk nodded. "Maybe I can help. Come here," he said. "Where?" asked Serenity, nervous. "Just come over here." He reached out and took Serenity's shoulder, pulling her sideways across the couch. "Let me rub your head. It'll help." Serenity obediently put her head on Eryk's lap, trying not to flinch as Eryk's big hands engulfed her head, massaging her forehead and the back of her neck. She closed her eyes, then dared a peek up through her eyelashes. Eryk's face was quiet and gentle. The was the Eryk Serenity loved. But she was playing a game with herself to convince herself to stay. "Mom!" came Serena's voice from upstairs. "I'm going to stay up here and read for a while, okay?" "Okay, honey." Serenity called back. "Is that okay, Dad?" Serena added. "That's fine, Serena," said Eryk. He smiled down at his wife. "She's doing really well with her school work, isn't she?" Serenity nodded. "She's doing fine. She likes learning about the Moon Kingdom." "Good. She'll be a fine rules one day with Prince Jonathan at her side. Just like her mother." said Eryk. "Maybe." Eryk stopped massaging and smoother Serenity's hair away from her forehead. "There," he said. "Is that better?" "A little bit," Serenity answered. Eryk smiled. His other hand slipped across her chest, then under the tail of her nightshirt. "You look real nice tonight, Serenity." he said. "Thank you," said Serenity. Eryk's hand moved up her back, his arm cradling her body. Serenity held still, waiting to see what was going to happen next. As she had feared, Eryk lifted her and bent to take a kiss. For a moment, Serenity froze, not sure what to do. At the last moment, she laid her hand on Eryk's lips. "What?" said Eryk. "My mouth still hurts." Eryk's lips tightened. "Now your mouth hurts?" Serenity nodded, tensing, waiting for Eryk's reaction. Slowly, he lowered Serenity back to his lap. "Serenity," he said, "if you don't want to make love, why don't you just tell me?" "I don't want to make love," Serenity said, too quickly. "I just... I mean, I'm just not in the mood tonight. I'm sorry, Eryk." "It's okay." He leaned back into the couch and Serenity sat up, moving a little away. Eryk didn't look angry, but he was withdrawing, his eyes becoming distant. His face was taking on the same tension it had held the night before. But his voice was still quiet. "It's okay," he repeated. He turned then, his hardening gaze focused on her. "If you can't give me what I need, I'm sure I can find someone else who will." "No, Eryk," Serenity protested. "Tomorrow night. Tomorrow night, I promise." "I don't want it tomorrow night, I want it now." Eryk stood stiffly and went upstairs. Serenity put her face in her hands. What now? Eryk was going to go upstairs, get his coat, and leave, probably to find some other woman to satisfy himself with. So Serenity was safe, for the moment, but what other repercussions might there be from this? Serenity pushed herself up off of the couch to go after Eryk, then froze. She suddenly realized, horrified, that Eryk had not gone upstairs to get his coat. He had gone upstairs to Serena's room. Serenity plowed up the stairs, three at a stride. She came around the corner into Serena's room and caught herself on the door frame. Eryk was sitting on Serena's bed, pushing her long, blonde hair back from her little ear. Serena looked uncomfortable. This was the last straw for Serenity. "You take your hands off my daughter," Serenity snarled. Serena looked up and flinched as she saw Queen Serenity. "It's okay. Daddy's just going to tell me a story." "Like hell he is." Serenity took a step across the room and, with every ounce of her strength, grabbed Eryk by his collar, dragging him off the bed. "You get your filthy hands off my daughter. Now." Eryk laughed. "YOUR daughter?" he repeated. He regained his balance and moved back toward the bed and Serena. "My daughter too, Serenity." "Maybe not." said Serenity. Eryk froze. Slowly, he turned to face Serenity. "What did you say?" "I said maybe she's not your daughter, Eryk." Eryk stepped toward Serenity. She had never seen such hatred in his eyes before and she was suddenly frightened. More than she'd ever been in her entire life. She had accomplished her goal, which was to draw Eryk's attention away from the Princess, but it appeared that she had also gravely endangered herself. She moved backwards, guiding him out of the bedroom. "What are you saying to me, Serenity?" Eryk murmured. "What are you saying?" Serenity didn't answer. She sized Eryk up, looking for a weakness. Eryk's gaze was riveted to her face. If a blow came low, he wouldn't even see it... Serenity gathered herself, then unleashed. She had to fight back. Eryk's hand caught her kick in midair. He jerked Serenity's foot upward and she went down, flat on her back on the floor. She heard a ringing thud as her head struck the wall. Before she could gather herself again, Eryk fell on top of her, pinning her to the floor. Serenity's head was still ringing. "Oh, I get it," Eryk was saying in a low, strained voice. "It was a joke. It was supposed to be a joke." Serenity's stammered reply was cut short by Eryk's backhand. She tried to shield her face with her arms, but Eryk shifted so that it was impossible. Serenity couldn't move at all. She could barely breathe under the crushing weight of Eryk's body. "Well, it wasn't funny," Eryk stated. "It wasn't funny at all." "Eryk... " Serenity choked. He shifted again. Serenity wedged an arm free, but Eryk caught it in one hand. "I think you need to be taught a lesson," Eryk said. "What..." Serenity started. Eryk struck her, a slap this time, that burned across her pretty face. "You need to learn not to say no to me," Eryk whispered. "Especially when I ask you nicely." "Oh, God... " Serenity tried again to thrash free. Eryk backhanded her, then grabbed her nightshirt by the collar and ripped it open. "I asked you nicely," he said, "and you said no. I don't like that." "No. Please! No. Don't do this, Eryk. Please don't do this," Serenity was starting to panic. She couldn't move, she couldn't free herself, could barely breathe. Her head was ringing from the blows. "You don't leave me much choice, do you?" Eryk said. He forced one arm under Serenity's body, pinning one of her arms against him and closing his big hand around the other. Serenity flailed yet again, to no avail. Eryk shoved up against her, drove a knee between her legs and then kissed her, brutally forcing her mouth open. Serenity cried out involuntarily with revulsion, but more from the pain. She had to do something! But she was doing everything she could, which was basically nothing. Eryk was huge and heavy and had her effectively immobilized with his body and one arm. His free hand was groping at her groin. Serenity couldn't even close her mouth, or she would have bitten through Eryk's tongue. Then Eryk moved back. Finding an arm free, Serenity struck out as hard as she could, her fist connecting with Eryk's jaw. Eryk reeled under the blow, but came back laughing and grabbed Serenity by the hair, slamming her head into the floor, then sideways into the door frame. Serenity's eyes filled with blood. The pummeling brought a flash of blackness with it. She struggled back up through the haze, determined to hang on to consciousness. In the moment of helplessness, she felt Eryk lift himself up, then heard the sound of a zipper. Blinking furiously, Serenity tried to see through the sheet of blood. Vaguely, she made out Eryk's form kneeling in front of her, his back to the stairwell. Do it, Serenity! a voice told her. Do it now! Serenity wasn't sure she could. The parts of her body felt disconnected. She bit down on her lower lip, focussing on the tiny barb of pain through the roar of agony. She drew her knees into her chest and struck Eryk full on the sternum with both feet. Eryk looked surprised as he toppled backward down the stairs. Serenity heard a series of thuds, then a sharp crack, then silence. *** "Mommy?" Serenity tried to blink. Her eyes felt gummy and he lashes stuck together as she forced her eyes open. She had a feeling she had lost a few seconds. "Mommy?" said the little voice again. Serena was leaning over her. Her little face was chalky, her eyes wide. "Mommy, please wake-up." "Serena?" said Serenity. "Mommy, you're bleeding all over." "Am I?" Serenity lifted a hand to her face. Her hair, forehead and eyes were sticky. She could feel clotting blood moving sluggishly down a crease in her neck. Her hand came back dark scarlet. "Eryk," said Serenity. She tried to sit up and vertigo grabbed her. She threw out a hand to find her balance and caught herself on the wall. "Daddy's down there," said Serena, pointing. "I think he's dead." Serenity gingerly got to her feet. "Is Daddy dead?" Serena asked quietly. "I don't think so," Serenity assured her. "I'll go check." "No." Serenity said. "No. Come with me into the bathroom. I need your help. I need to clean my face off so I can see." "Are you going to die, Mommy?" "No, sweetheart," said Serenity. She wavered a little as she went through the bathroom door, but caught herself on the sink. She was leaving bloody hand prints everywhere. "I just hit my head. When you hit your head it bleeds a lot even when it's not cut very badly." "Like when I hit my head on the monkey bars?" "Yes. Just like..." Serenity broke off as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her blonde hair was clogged with blood, her face covered with it. "I look terrible." Serena found a washcloth. soaked it in warm water and was holding it up. "Thank you." Serenity carefully rinsed her face so she could assess the damage. Most of the blood was from a two-inch gash at her hairline, where Eryk had slammed her into the door frame. Bruises were blackening under both eyes, her lip was split in two places and she had another gash on her cheek. "Mommy?" Serena said suddenly. "I think I should call the hospital." "Yes, Hon," Serenity nodded. "That would be a good idea. Can you find the number?" "It's on the phone, Mom." She ran into the bedroom and Serenity hobbled in after her. As Serena dialed the number and talked to the operator, Serenity opened the top drawer of her dresser and dug out the dagger. She knew what she had to do. Serena, luckily, was still on the phone. Serenity crawled down the stairs, backward on all fours, holding the dagger between her teeth. She made her way down to where Eryk's limp body was laying. His neck was obviously broken. Serenity sat next to him, the dagger clenched in her right hand. Eryk began to stir and moaned. He blinked and looked up at Serenity. The expression on her face was thunderous. "Serenity..." he croaked, his voice cracking. She said nothing and gave him a hostile glare. Then, clenching the dagger with both hands, she lifted it into the air, above her head and said, "Long live the king." She plunged the dagger straight through his chest and into his heart. Blood poured from the wound and he screamed in agony. Then he died. Serenity stared at him and her eyes filled with tears. Finally, deep sobs racked her insides. She fell over him and wept. It was over. The pain was over. *** Following the King's funeral, Serenity made many changes in the laws of the Moon Kingdom. Her first rule was that Princess Serena could marry whoever she wanted. Prince Jonathan looked as happy about it as the Princess did. He walked up to her and apologized for all the mean things he had done to her during the time they were betrothed. Then he told her that he hoped she would find a good husband. And Serena told him that she hoped he'd find a good wife. Princess Serena and Queen Serenity were much happier with so many pressures cleared from their lives. The palace now had cooks, maids, guards and servants. Everyone had their own horse also. Princess Serena learned more and more about the Moon Kingdom, mostly from her mother. At fourteen years of age, Princess Serena was mature and almost a full-grown woman. She fell in love with a Prince from Earth who vowed to protect her forever. Queen Serenity had never been happier. Once in a while, Queen Serenity and Princess Serena would talk about King Eryk. He was not forgotten. And Queen Serenity could only offer her daughter one piece of advice from their ordeal. "To love someone should never hurt." *** The End E-mail: SwiftHeart@v-wave.com http://www.moonchronicles.com/