Falling Away 
MarshAngel 
watsonma@hotmail.com 
http://angelmoon.sinfree.net  
Rated: R
Chapter 9


"You look happy," Khassan commented looking up at the satisfied and happy expression 
on his niece's face. Her green eyes were practically gleaming with satisfaction. She floated 
around his office touching every little surface lightly. She was uninvited as usual but she was 
easily bored so naturally she sought him out to annoy him with a dozen unimportant things. 

"I am," Beryl announced, turning to smile at him. "I've finally managed to get 
Endymion's attention. Last night…" She looked at the aloof expression on her uncle's face and 
decided he wasn't interested in the details. "In no time he'll have forgotten his whore and I'll 
have him completely wrapped around my little finger."

"I'm happy for you, Khassan replied dryly. It's a pity that wretched old aunt of yours 
couldn't have found a closer date for the wedding. We'll have to wait for nearly an entire year 
thanks to stupid traditions. Any day a woman becomes a queen is an auspicious one if you ask 
me." He sighed in frustration. "Nonetheless everything is going according to plan. Keep 
Endymion satisfied and everything will work just fine."

"I intend to keep him very satisfied," Beryl responded smugly. "Now all I have to do is 
find and get rid of the slut who distracted him in the first place and make sure she never catches 
his eye again."

"She's not important Khassan reminded. "We must keep our mind on our goal. I've 
already begun eliminating some of the smaller royal families. Endymion will see it as nothing but 
old enmities arising once more but it will shift the balance of power on the council in our favor 
and once you're queen, all Earth will be ours." He had also begun spreading propaganda, fueling 
dislike for the moon kingdom, using it as a uniting factor that would allow him to manipulate 
hundreds of people to their will.

"You're brilliant, Uncle," Beryl announced gleefully kissing him on the cheek. 

"I know."
****


Things were going well, Serenity thought. She felt secure, for the first time in weeks that 
everything would work out. She had spent time with Mael, and although she wasn't on the verge 
of professing anything deeper than appreciation of his company, she was getting to know him 
better.

She looked out over the lake, breathing deeply and enjoying the calming effect of nature. 
She jumped at the unexpected sensation of a hand on her shoulder. She'd been so lost in thought 
she had forgotten that she wasn't really alone. 

She'd gone for a walk with two guardsmen from the palace following at a discreet 
distance. It wasn't one of them who had interrupted her however; it was Mael. She turned to look 
at him with a blank expression her face, searching his face for something, anything. If this had 
been Endymion she would have felt her skin heat. Her heart would have pounded a little faster; 
she would have said something instead of staring at him as if she didn't know who he was.

"Mael. I didn't expect you."

"I thought we should be alone for a few moments," he replied.

She looked beyond him and couldn't see the two guards. She looked up at him again and 
was confused by the look on his face.

"What…" She never got the chance to finish because he kissed her, or rather he tried to. 
At the sight of his face looming closer she turned and he got her on the cheek. 

"I'm sorry…" she began immediately aware that she shouldn't have done that. He was 
well within his rights to kiss her. It was so completely unexpected however. She heard him mutter 
a curse.

"By the goddess, you could at least try!"

"I…"

"Yes I know. You're sorry," he snapped. "I didn't ask for this either but at least I'm 
trying to make the best of it." He turned on his heal and walked away from her leaving her 
standing there in surprise and embarrassment. 

She should go after him and apologize but she supposed she should let his temper cool. 
She thought she'd been making an effort. She'd gone with him on a picnic, spent hours with him 
and his family, granted it hadn't exactly brought them closer but it had been something. She 
wasn't avoiding him; she'd thought it was enough. 

She knew she'd been emotionally distant, excessively polite, and not at all relaxed in his 
company. But she'd hoped and eventually believed he hadn't noticed. Obviously she was wrong. 
She sighed. 

Tomorrow was a new day. Tomorrow she would start all over and try harder. The 
morning would give birth to a more determined, emotionally available Serenity.


****


Marila wrung her hands. She was nearing panic herself. 
She'd already called for Princess Reimi in hopes that perhaps she 
could do something. So far, nothing she'd done had worked and she 
was nearly certain at any moment Serenity would pass out from her 
hyperventilating.  
 
It had all started when she'd been helping Serenity into her gown 
this morning. It was a bit elaborate for a day dress, with a long 
line of looped buttons up the back but Serenity had been 
determined to look her best. She was on a mission, she'd claimed, 
to fall in love with her fiancée, if it killed her.

Marila had only gotten a half way up the back, looping the 
buttons, when she'd begun pulling for more fabric. Serenity had 
complained about the discomfort but the buttons wouldn't close. 
Being of sound judgment, Marila suggested another gown rather 
than mention the obvious.  The second gown, yet another she 
hadn't worn in months, fit but was exceptionally tight in the 
bust.  
 
Serenity, after the first attempt to get dressed, had been quiet, 
consumed by her thoughts. Now, after looking at herself in the 
mirror, her breasts pressed tightly into the gown and peeking 
over the low neckline her eyes had widened in horror and that was 
when she'd begun hyperventilating.  
 
Certainly the princess wasn't vain, no more than any woman. A 
little weight gain was certainly no reason for hysterics. So 
Marila assumed it must be something else but it didn't seem 
Serenity was about to calm down to explain it to her no matter 
how she tried. So she'd called for one of the other princesses.  
 
Princess Reimi burst in with Minaxi right behind her. Apparently 
Marila's short message regarding Serenity's 'severe upset' was 
more than enough to send them both running despite the fact that 
she'd understated the situation for the ears of the Druan 
servants.  
 
"Serenity!" Rei snapped at the girl trying to get her attention, 
The tears streaming down Serenity's face however didn't stop as 
she tried to get a hold of her breathing, made even more 
difficult by the restraining gown. Rei slapped her in the face, 
hard enough to have her and the other two women in the room stop 
and stare at her in shock.  
 
Secretly Rei had to admit she'd always wanted to do that to 
someone. The situation was serious however, she could tell that 
much from Serenity's face.  
 
"What is it?" Rei demanded grabbing Serenity by the shoulders.  
 
"I think I'm pregnant," Serenity whispered.  
 
The silence in the room was palpable. Everyone was too stunned to 
say a word. For several minutes there was no sound. No one moved; 
it seemed no one even dared to breathe.  
 
Serenity eventually slumped into a chair and buried her head into 
her hands.  
"We were careful," she said softly. "We took no chances. I never 
even suspected all this time..."  
 
"We're not talking about Mael are we?" Mina asked.  
 
Mael and Serenity had absolutely no chemistry. That had become 
more evident the more time they spent together. They tried but 
nothing had come off the time they'd spent together. It was 
inconceivable that they could have dredged up enough excitement 
for a moment of reckless passion.  
 
"Endymion," Serenity responded.  
 
Rei muttered several curses she shouldn't have known under her 
breath and bit back the impulse to call Serenity every kind of 
fool. She looked down at her, tear soaked and looking 
vulnerable.  She didn't need more condemnation. The situation was 
enough to deal with and dealing with it was going to be 
complicated.  
 
Mina wanted to ask what happened but she suspected she had a good 
idea. Even if Serenity had used contraceptives the risk remained. 
Having been born into a family that used magic regularly, her 
body was altered enough to make contraception a tricky and 
unpredictable matter.  Granted, in most cases it made 
contraception harder than easier but there was always an 
exception.  
 
One of the first things they'd learned about magic in their 
education was that like all things, it had side effects, 
consequences. It altered the users and sometimes the environment 
in which it was used. It could cause both obvious physical 
changes, like hair and eye color and less obvious internal ones. 
Serenity's magic might simply have caused her body not to respond 
to the contraceptive at all or made it less effective. Anything 
could have happened given the unpredictability of it all. 
Serenity had been foolish to depend on whatever methods she'd 
used.  
 
"What am I going to do?" Serenity questioned. "I can't..."  
 
No one had answers for her. They were all still trying to wrap 
their minds around the idea. The consequences were simply too 
much to think about.  
 
Rei took a deep breath and took charge. She turned to Marila.  
 
"Don't mention this to anyone. Start packing your things and 
hers." The maid nodded and immediately began working.  
 
"Mina, get in touch with Ami on a secure communications line. 
Have her send a post-dated message to you saying my grandfather 
is ill, possibly dying. I will tell the queen as much, and see if 
we can get a ship to take us home."  
 
Rei turned back to Serenity. "I'll tell everyone you're not 
feeling well and you're not to be disturbed but you are going to 
have to get it together to tell everyone goodbye. Do you think 
you can do that?"  
 
Serenity nodded. She would have to. Even if her life was 
spiraling downwards to disaster she had to be the princess.  
 
*****