A Prince's Court Part 2

"So, how's the restorations going?"  Serenity asked her husband that night brushing her hair in front of the mirror. "Or rather the financial part of it?"

Endymion loosens his tie and shook his head, "We'll be in the hole for years to pay off the debt from the other nations. On the other hand, more people will come back just to fix this mess and the new opportunities that may open up because so many have simply left and probably won't return."   He sat down heavily undressing, "Gods know how many have died..."

She knew the numbers, it was still somewhat on the rise as bones and bodies were still being discovered even as construction continued.  Sailor Moon and the others may have saved some people in the palace and the immediate area but so many were just simply beyond the light of the Silver Crystal.

Remembering that, she stops brushing her hair and became still as a shiver snakes it's way down her spine and she closes her eyes to will it away.  It was over.  They were still healing.

It should be- no it would be alright.   

Perhaps a few months would help and she could welcome him back.  Welcome him and try to be better but inside she wonders if it's too late.  Did he still resent her?  She hoped not and inside there was a ball of fear and uncertainty regarding the boy.

"Usako?"  

She jumps a little before looking up at the concerned eyes of her husband. Smiling she tilts her head, "What's the matter, Mamo-chan?"

"Are you alright?" He was worried. He had been ever since he had seen her wince that time when Darius had simply touched her hand passing something to her.  He knew it would take a long time before things could at least be passable but he could never get her to admit something was wrong.

"Of course." She smiles more turning away and putting the brush down, "It's rather quiet isn't it now?"

He watches her for a while longer.  He would corner her soon and ask her directly at a better time but for now he let it drop.  "With the children gone, it is far too quiet."   He turns and went to get ready for bed, "I miss it in a way. "

She ponders this for a moment before nodding, "As do I..."  With that, she rose from the vanity and moves to help him. "I'm sure they'll come back for a visit."


--


At the moment, Darius was profoundly uncomfortable sitting at the dinner table with the royal family of Kinmoku.  He glances around the table- for it was a round table much like the one in the meeting room back home- and couldn't think of anything to say.  

"So, Prince Darius."  Taiki, an elegant warm-brown haired woman looks over at him with her fork poised  to eat.  "How are things on Earth now?"

Darius pushed the food around for a bit trying not to look nervous. He had a vague idea of how things were but couldn't concretely say exactly what it was, "The other Nations of our world are helping us rebuild."

"Oh?" Taiki's brows rose as she ate. "Do you-"

"What are the fashions like there?" This came from Chryses who looked eager to know, "We've heard so much about it and only visited once or twice when you were still little, but as you can see we don't get much news about it here."

For a moment the prince of Earth looked puzzled. She had asked him exactly that not so long ago in the gardens.  Then he realized she had given him an out. Thank heavens.

"Chryses." Taiki looks at her own daughter with disapproval, "You know better then to interrupt a conversation."

Chryses only pouts a bit, "Yes mother, but it's so much more exciting to hear about those kinds of things then the depressing stuff you always want to go on about."

Yaten leans over to Taiki muttering, "Are you sure that's not Minako's daughter?"

Seiya stifles a laugh at that.  She remembered that particular blonde and her excitable ways, but on the heels of that she remembered the other one.  It didn't actually hurt as much as she thought it would.  Yes the feeling was still there and she still pined for the now queen of the crystal city, however it was better this way.  For everyone.

"Jareth," She said looking over at her son, "Won't you eat anything?"

He opens then closes his mouth and nods slowly, before eating a little of what looked to be vegetables.  

"Why are you so silent? You usually would be chatting away about now." Kakyuu seemed rather worried over him. "Perhaps you should turn in early? You seem a little peak, dear."

"Mother, perhaps I should as well." Deirdre said to her, "As you know the exams are coming up. I am sure my sisters would like to cram in some study time?"

Aigle shook her head, "No way!"  She pokes her cooked meat with more force then needed, "Like I want to be crown? Please. Besides, we all know you would totally ace the exams and become heir."

"Those others don't stand a chance." Chryses nods in agreement. "I'm too irresponsible anyway. All that talk goes over my head."

"Um.." Darius clears his throat a bit and almost instantly regretted the sudden attention. "May I ask what this exam is? I've never heard of such a thing before."

"Oh that's right." Yaten sets her fork down smiling a bit, "On Earth, the position is usually hereditary, but here on Kinmoku we decide such things with exams. Each person of royal lineage or of a noble line can enter the Princess Exams to become the royal heir of Kinmoku. Of course there are several rounds that tests a candidates' virtue, morals, and even their loyalty.  Their physical strength is also held into account but it's the spiritual one that is vastly important."

Taiki nods taking up where Yaten left off, "The contest is judged by a n impartial council that comes from the fourth planet in this system."

"Ah, you mean that strange gray one on the outside?" Darius asks, fascinated. "I thought it was just a simple asteroid that happened to be there when we were coming in."

"No, that would be where the members come from. On that place is where the finalist will journey to complete and determine the heir to Kinmoku." Taiki replies.

Seiya leans back closing her eyes remembering it, "The finalists are always four. Left on that place, they're tested again even harshly so for all that is being sought as the ideal. The one that is the closest to that ideal is the one that becomes the heir to the Kinmoku kingdom and thus inherits the Starseed of the planet."

"And the other three?"

"Well," Seiya looks at him smiling a bit, "They each become the heir's guardians and inherit the starseeds of the moons that float around our planet."

Darius's eyes widen ever so slightly, "So any of you could've become the princess or eventual queen of Kinmoku? That's...really amazing."

"Heh, I suppose so." Yaten chuckles though looks at the children, "These three need to study more so they can participate. I don't want my powers passed on to some brat."  She huffs.

"But..Mama..." Aigle nearly whines.

"No buts."  Yaten fixed her with a look. "Study then you get to do whatever you like."

The light blue haired girl was still pouting even as dinner was concluded and everyone rose to do what they needed or wanted to do after dinner.   Which meant, Darius was on his own since the sisters had to study.   They had been far more welcoming then he could have ever imagined and he wished dearly that he could remember being friends with them.

It must've been a long time ago. He thought walking down the hallway towards his room. I don't remember much of anything before the age of eight to be honest with myself.

Still, he lets himself inside of his room and froze.  There by the terrace was a rather beautiful woman with rich dark hair and a long dark colored dress.    Her back was towards him but he could see her outline very well.

Just who was that?    He wanted to say something but his voice wouldn't make it past his lips and everything in him was alert and tuned into this one person.   Just how did she get in his room? He was sure it was locked.

When she turned, he was struck with just how beautiful her eyes were.  Dark blue in color, yet her face held no expression whatsoever on it.  

Finally, he managed to find his voice enough to ask, "Who..are you?"

She said nothing but climbs up on the railing as a gentle breeze blew through and she stood there with the dress-he saw that it was a deep velvety purple- whips softly around her ankles. Her hand rose and points to him as she mouths a word before she fell back.

"No!"  Darius rushes out to the terrace to try and save her even though it was futile for him to do so due to how far away he was.  He leans over the railing and frantically looks for her.  "Where is she?"

There was nothing below his room but grass and trees.  If a person had fallen from the height it was, they would've died.  Yet there was no one there.

Shaken, he turns unable to understand what he had just seen. Was it a vision? Or was it something else?

"So.."   Darius looks up at the young man at his door staring at him solemnly, "you've seen her."

"Who is she?" He moves towards the prince uncertain. "What..just happened here? She just fell and I ...she disappeared. People don't just do that!"

Jareth only looks at him, a flicker of pity went through his eyes, "No..people do not disappear."


--


"There you are."  Usagi said smiling at Chibiusa and Diana who were up in their attic room, "Mama says it's time for dinner. Better hurry up or I'll eat it all."

"Hm, we'll be there." Chibiusa said looking up from her coloring book but waited until the blonde girl was gone to look over at Diana.  "...Do you think we should tell them?"

"You know what your mother said, Small Lady." Diana licks her paw before 'washing' her face with it. " If we tell them about Darius, it would change our own future too radically."

"But..." She worries her lower lip, "It would help so many things and he wouldn't be so miserable."

Sighing, the gray cat walks across the bed towards her, "I know. I want to too but I know that if I do, everything would change. Besides we don't know if this is the right past for us.  So lets just let it go for now."

"If you say so." Chibiusa frowns unhappily  looking down at the half finished picture of a boy-prince she was coloring to look like her brother.  It was the only way she could have a picture of him too without the others knowing.  

Sometimes, she really hated keeping secrets.


--


"Deirdre?" Chryses looks at her sister who was sitting by a lamp in her night gown reading a book, "Do you think that he'll remember?"

"Doubtful." the pink haired woman said, "Humans from Earth seem to have a different way of remembering things then we do. It's possible that he's forgotten everything from here. It's like a computer, I suppose."  She glances at her sisters, "I could have thousands of files on there, but there's always going to be a few that are hidden and unused.  You wouldn't use an old program now would you?"

"Well no." Chryses said sighing out before turning back to finish braiding Aigle's hair. "But.. in a way I'm glad of it."

"Is that because you think he's cute and want to marry him?" Aigle laughs.

"Hey, it's not like that." Chryses pouts, "Besides, he's far too young for me."

"Never stopped you before, Chrys." Deirdre said from where she sat.

"Not you too!"

Aigle only laughs before she moves to do Chryses's hair as well, "But seriously, I agree with Chrys here. It is good. Though...I'm worried that Jare won't.  He's been so...silent ever since he's heard that Darius would be back."

Deirdre closed her book before looking at them, "I know that.  Hopefully, he'll forgive and get by this.  After all, they were only children."


--


"Who was that?" Darius asked for the third time as they sat down in his room.  He had thrown off the evening wear and was simply sitting with his shirt on watching the dark red-headed prince. "What was she doing here?"

"Hmph." Jareth only stares at him, "If you don't know, then you probably shouldn't.  It's nothing."

"Nothing? I don't call a random woman appearing in someone's room and then disappearing after she jumps from a railing -nothing!"

Jareth raises a brow, "I never recalled you getting so spooked about a ghost before."

"Ghost?" Darius shook his head, "Please tell me you didn't put me in a haunted room for kicks!"

"Worked didn't it?"

"You know what?" the dark honey-blonde prince rose, "Get the hell out. I'm not going to put up with this kind of bullshit."

For some reason, Jareth seemed highly amused by this and rose, "You get riled up so easily these days, Darius.  I wonder why that is?"

Darius blushed but was still angry, "Keep wondering and get to walking."

"Heh, night then." Jareth left the prince alone to his own devices.

Darius huffs and went to get ready for bed.  Before he thought Jareth just hated him for no reason.  Now, he knew for sure there was something there that Jareth didn't like for some reason Darius couldn't fathom.

"Or, " He said to himself taking out his Aunt Rei's ofuda he had brought with him on the trip and went to take it to the head of the bed. "he could just be an utter jerk."

With that secured, Darius felt a bit better now and turns off the lights before snuggling down in the Arabian inspired bed.  He had thought for sure he wouldn't be able to sleep.  However, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was gone.

Unknown to him, a figure moved around in his room, watching him as he slept soundly in bed.  Moving towards the head of the bed, she leans towards him but jumps a little at the tiny shock she received from the ofuda at the head of the bed.   She narrows her eyes a bit.  It would have to go.

But the door swung open quietly and in the door frame, Jareth stood, his dark eyes narrowing on the woman at the bedside.  

"Leave him alone." He hisses at her trying not to disturb the blonde boy in bed, "He belongs to me."

The woman looked like she was going to argue but instead turns from them and ran out onto the terrace where she jumps off the railing.

Jareth sighs softly, but looks again at Darius after he was sure she was gone.  He shook his head, "You shouldn't have come back here, Dar. "

With that the door closes, and all was still from that time til morning.