Chapter Text
The planet came into view, and Serenity frowned as she took in the tall trees and smattering of green ground cover.
She’d landed in the forest again.
Amongst the varying shades of green and dark brown were sparse shocks of purple, yellow, or white, but where were the vast open plains and diverse, wild-grown flora for which this planet was well-known?
The weightless effects from teleportation wore off just as Serenity shifted to take her first step, and she let out a yelp when Terra’s heavier gravity sunk her feet into the soft earth, throwing her off balance.
Whirling her arms, she fought to stay upright. Certain her efforts would be in vain and she was bound for the dirt, Serenity prevailed in the end, managing to lurch her body forward to wrap her arms around the trunk of a thin tree.
She let out a relieved sigh.
If she’d fallen, she’d never be able to explain all the mud without confessing that she’d traveled down to Terra on her own. Dirty shoes and feet were far easier to hide or clean than her clothes.
After a quick check of her surroundings to confirm she was alone, she lowered her light gray hood and took a deep breath.
Such an intoxicating scent: crisp, woody, damp…
Earthy.
Though she remained disappointed that she had not yet seen more of the planet, Serenity could not deny the beauty of this forest. Morning dew twinkled in the low light of the early morning. Billowy white mists hovered in the nippy air just above the warmer ground, swallowing the tops of the taller plants. All around, unseen birds performed exquisite arias.
This forest was truly alive, the air fresh, the plants native and uncurated, able to grow wild and free.
Unlike her.
“Well, well, well, Your Highness. This is, what, your third visit in as many weeks? To what do we owe the pleasure?”
The deep baritone shot her heart up into her throat, and she choked on it.
“Endymion!” she rasped before covering her mouth with her hands.
His eyebrow rose, and Serenity choked again.
Addressing royalty so informally was a punishable offense.
Did she just risk war with Terra by addressing their crown prince by his first name?
Endymion’s chuckle broke through Serenity’s doom and gloom. Crossing his arms over his chest, he rested with a casual lean against a wide trunk of a moss-covered trunk.
“I didn’t know we were so well acquainted, Princess.”
Her face burned a deep red. “I … We… uh” Forgetting the damp earth, she gathered her skirts and dipped into a low, formal curtsy. “A thousand pardons, Your Highness, I meant no disrespect.”
She heard him take a step forward, and her head bowed lower.
“There is no need for that, My lady.”
The shift in his tone from light teasing to somber pleading made Serenity lift her head.
There were also laws about making direct eye contact with royalty, but that didn’t stop Serenity from meeting the prince’s gaze when she accepted his assistance up off the forest floor.
And she promptly fell into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, eyes the same beautiful shade as the oceans covering this wondrous planet.
He was taller than she expected, her neck craned to maintain her gaze. Soft, inky black hair just fell into those mesmerizing blue eyes, and the lean, muscular build hidden beneath his plain clothes hinted at a quiet strength that made her palms clammy.
The official portraits did not do this man justice.
“Forgive my startling you earlier, Princess,” Endymion said. “That was not my intention.”
Serenity’s fingers pressed into her skirts. “No, it is I who must beg for forgiveness,” she sighed. “I know I am not supposed to be here.”
Endymion leaned back against his tree. “I must admit, your presence does have me curious.”
A light blush colored her cheeks, and she turned her face away in embarrassment. “I only wished to do a little sightseeing, Your Highness.”
“Is that what you’ve been instructed to say if caught?”
Her head tilted in confusion. “I’m sorry?”
Endymion crossed his arms back over his chest, his blue eyes dark and unreadable. “You have returned to this same general area three times now, so I must assume you are looking for something. Pray tell me, what is so important to the White Moon that they would risk war with Terra and their Crown Princess’ life by sending her down here to trespass upon our soil?”
“‘Trespass’?” Serenity gasped. “I am not trespass-”
The rise of his eyebrow left her sputtering.
“You entered our atmosphere and stepped foot upon our lands without permission,” he deadpanned. “Is that not the definition of ‘trespass’? Or does the word carry a different meaning where you’re from?”
Serenity wrapped her cloak about herself and dropped her burning face in shame. “You are quite right, Your Highness, forgive me,” she murmured. Taking a deep, calming breath, she squared her shoulders and met his well-guarded gaze. “But I assure you, my words are truthful. I am not here to engage in espionage or subterfuge. I only wished to experience the wonders of this planet first hand.”
Her eyes danced over the woodland landscape and the slowly evaporating white mists. Above, a long branch danced under the weight of a small animal. “I returned because, while this forest is quite beautiful, I had hoped to see what lay beyond these trees. Teleportation is not always precise, you see, especially when one lacks experience and does not know the area.”
Serenity felt Endymion’s searching gaze upon her, but she could not bring herself to meet it. The sounds of the forest, so boisterous a mere moment ago, became drowned out by the dull beats of her racing heart.
“Well, come along then.”
Serenity blinked. “What?”
Endymion adjusted his sword at his hip. “You wish to see more of my planet than this forest, yes? That’s why you keep returning?”
Dumbfounded, Serenity nodded as the prince walked a few steps past her, then stopped.
“Then I believe it is in our two nations’ best interests to show you what you seek.” He glanced at her over his shoulder. “Follow me.”
“Excuse me, Your Highness?”
“Yes?”
“How much farther?”
Endymion did a quick survey of their surroundings. “Not far. We’re almost there.”
“I see.”
Serenity was not certain just how much time had passed since the two started walking, but the light in the forest had noticeably brightened considering the still early hour, and with it increased her nervousness.
Not about Endymion. He took great care to match her considerably smaller stride and even slower pace - turns out, a long dress and simple flats were less than ideal clothing choices for a hike through a forest - and patiently answered her stream of consciousness questions about the surrounding plant and animal life. His knowledge of, and love for, his planet shone through his every word.
No, even as he led her deeper into this forest, she harbored no doubts about his intentions.
But her absence would be noted if she did not return home soon.
Her eyes drifted skyward, but she could see no traces of the moon through the thick green canopy.
“Hmmm.”
Endymion’s hum drew Serenity’s gaze to a large tree trunk blocking their path. “It must have fallen in the recent storm,” he said, his eyes following the tree down to the exposed roots several meters away. “I’m afraid we’ll have to climb over it.”
“‘Climb’?” Serenity glanced upon the rough bark and traces of sticky sap with trepidation. “Are you certain?”
Endymion braced his arm against the top of the truck and swung his legs over with ease. Serenity couldn’t help feeling a little envious of his taller frame and lack of billowy dress that was certain to snag or stain.
She sighed just as Endymion held out his hand to her.
“May I?”
Serenity searched his face. Though his eyes remained guarded, he wore a soft expression, his small smile offering reassurance.
Finding no reason not to trust him, she placed her hand in his, hitched up her cloak and skirts in the other, and braced one foot against the side of the wide trunk.
“Ready?”
She nodded. Gently, Endymion pulled, and she pushed off her back leg while shifting her weight onto her forward foot. As she crested the trunk, the bark beneath her foot snapped off the tree, causing her to slip.
Endymion caught her before she could even let out a scream, his free arm shooting around her waist and yanking her to him.
Serenity stared, breathless and wide-eyed, into his mesmerizing ocean-blue eyes, now mere centimeters from her own.
“Are you alright?” he murmured, his breath warm against her cheek.
She could only nod.
“Glad to hear it.”
He set her down with the utmost care, his hands not leaving her waist until both feet were firmly planted on the forest floor.
A shy smile stretched across her face as she adjusted her cloak and dress. “Thank you.”
She could have sworn there was amusement lurking around the edges of his relieved expression.
Endymion’s voice broke the awkward silence following her near fall.
“We’re approaching the forest’s edge.”
Serenity, who had been watching the dirt path for any tripping hazards, lest she cause herself further embarrassment, looked up from the dirt path with excitement, only to visibly deflate.
She could see nothing ahead but a wall of thin trees and dense bushes. The area had brightened a little with the approaching dawn, but she still couldn’t see the sky.
“How can you tell?”
Endymion gestured along the tree wall. “Trees and bushes tend to grow faster at a forest’s edge because of the greater exposure to the sun’s light. Through there-” Serenity followed the point of his finger to a small break in the bushes she hadn’t previously noticed. “-you’ll find the mead- Hey!”
Serenity did not wait for him to finish before hitching up her skirts and taking off at a run.
The brush tugged at her cloak and hair, but she pushed through with little resistance, only to come to a sudden stop after just a few more steps.
Her hands covered her quiet gasp.
Finally, after two days of nothing but the thick forest canopy above her head, her wide blue eyes took in the Terran Sky for the very first time.
From the moon, the colors of the planet remained the same consistent shades of green, brown, blue, and white. Occasionally, a storm brought gray clouds and flashes of white light.
But here, the sky bled from dark to light blue into various shades of pink and red where the light gathered at the horizon. Wispy clouds streaked red across dark blue as if painted by a master artist’s brush stroke, casting a beautiful reddish glow across the meadow that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Movement in her periphery drew her eye to the family of deer grazing across the sea of grass. A buck with short, velvet antlers stood tall and alert as the does and speckled fawns ate.
As the world around her slowly transitioned from reddish-pink into orange gold, Serenity stood transfixed, taking it all in.
“So, Princess,” Endymion’s baritone broke through her reverie. “What do you think of my humble planet?”
Serenity wiped away a tear with the back of her hand just as the sun peeked over the horizon. “Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined anything as beautiful as this. Endymion-” She flashed him a brilliant smile, too overcome with emotion to realize she once again called him by his first name. “-your planet is positively breathtaking. I do not know how to thank you for showing me a small part of it.”
A small smile stretched across Endymion’s face.
“You’re welcome.”