Hello it’s me again! I am simply just continue on with my story without any LONG author’s note with your guys ok? e-mail serenausako@hotmail.com webpage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Shrine/6436 (please visit me, if you're at my site right now, it's great!) Chapter 2--- A Bet with Lita By: Neo-Queen Serenity "My lady? My lady! Wake Up!" Molly shook the sleeping Serena lightly. Serena slowly opened her blue eyes as she started to gather her sense. "Oh my lady, Lady Mina told me to go to you and tell you that Lady Ami, Lita, Rei and Lord Ken, Chad and Greg had arrived!" "What? They are here already?!! Oh Molly get me dressed, quickly!" Still feeling sleepy, Serena shook her head and jumped out of her bed. She ran toward her huge bay window and draw the pale green curtains aside. Serena glanced down across the water fountain and the little rose garden to see that there are three carriages by the front gate. Mina and Charles were greeting and laughing with Lita and the rest of the party. "Oh, they’re here... I haven’t met those charming faces for years..." She ran down the staircase in a rush and hugged Lita as hard as she could when she entered the foyer with Rei and Ami. "Rei, Lita, Ami... I missed you all!" "See how the ice beauty forgot about us huh, my dear?" Greg grinned at his wife Ami and back at Serena. Serena smiled brightly at her cousin, "Of course I didn’t Greg, and you too Chad... You guys haven’t changed much though, still so hateful..." Serena hid behind Ami’s back as Greg raised his fist at her. "Don’t dare hurt me Greg! You should know that mom would kill you if you did!" Greg stuck out his tongue at Chad and Rei. "ohhhh, I dare not mess up with my Great Great Great Aunt herself, or I will go to HELL!" "Where is Ken, Lita?" Serena eyed Lita as she noticed that her dear cousin’s "beloved" is not around. Lita walked up to Serena and took her hand in hers, "He will be here tomorrow I guess. He has some business left to do and he will be here tomorrow late afternoon with a friend of his." Mina cut in with a loving smile. "I say we go in for some hot tea shall we? Lita and Serena can go up stairs if they wish, I will send a servant to bring up you tea set." Serena walked Lita to her room as she though about her friends. Lita, Rei, Ami and Mina were all her childhood friends, only that Lita and Ami was related to her. Lita was always frank and honest with Serena, she used to fight with boys who dared mess up with her cousin Serena. Lita was always boyish, when they were young, dressing up as boys were their favorite childhood game. Ami used to stay with Serena too, always smart looking and quiet. but Lita had been her favorite play mate. Rei and Mina was the daughters of Serena’s mother’s good friends, they are all high-class ladies of course. When they were young girls, the 4 of them shared everything, cloth, toy, bed, book, teacher... It was a wonderful page of Serena’s childhood. But ever since Serena turned sixteen, her mother became more strict and serious with her little daughter. The 4 best friends followed a different path. Mina married to Serena’s cousin Charles for 7 years already; Ami and Rei to Greg and Chad. Greg is a good friend to Charles and Serena, a very handsome and charming gentleman, a good match for Ami too. Serena was majorly upset 2 years ago when Ami’s wedding date was set up, because her mother wouldn’t let her go to the wedding. She cried, whined, cursed, but none of them worked. Lita is still single, but she was engaged to Ken a month ago, and is going to be his bride someday... *What about me then? I am all alone... No one cares about me, no one loves me... Mom does, but...it’s different... What am I talking about, I am still young, I am only 17 now, Lita is the youngest next to me, and she’s 19 already. On the other hand, I don’t need anyone, LOVE! Love is a weakness, I am strong enough not to believe it would happen to me!* Serena noted silently to herself as she frowned at the word. Even though they were all titled a high ranked title: Lady Mina, Lady Ami, Lady Rei, Lady Lita, and Serena herself---Lady Serenity. To Molly, Serena is a kind mistress and loyal friend; to her friends, Serena is a loving girl and charming young lady; to her mother, Serena was an obedient and beautiful daughter; to others, she’s a cold and distant "ice beauty". She refused to let any one else to understand her mind and heart, except for her best friends. Serena had never feel more superior than any others in her life even though she’s a noble lady. For her, titles are nothing, they were given to her by birth. "Serena? Serena?" Lita asked Serena gently. Serena snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Lita. Lita was facing her, concern in her sincere brown eyes. "A penny of your thought?" "My thought?" Serena starred blankly at Lita. "Oh, I mean what were you thinking? You seemed deep in thought, and you haven’t talked to me since we parted from the others. I was wondering if you want to share it with me?" Lita looked at Serena and back down at her dress. "Never mind that... Oh, Lita, where is Ken?" Lita giggled: "I already told you he’ll be here tomorrow! What were you thinking?!" Serena was slightly embarrassed, "Well then I must have been very bad at memorizing..." "Or daydreaming as always? Well we passed by Leeds on our way here and Ken decided to stop by so he could finish his business and meet his best friend Endymion. He’s coming with him tomorrow, I think." "Endymion?" Serena blinked at the unfamiliar name. "Yes, Duke Endymion actually. Although we all call him Darien or Endy for short. He’s a very handsome and charming young man. I can’t help but liking him... Serena? I think you will like him too if you actually meet him and get to know him more. May be you will fall in love with him, like other young ladies did, because he’s way too handsome... I would sure take the chance if I didn’t promise Ken already." Serena laughed at her friend’s remark. "Not for me Lita, did you forgot who I really am? I am the number one "ice beauty" in the whole country after all! Nobody would want to mess up with me! Or I will turn them into perfect ice statue!" "Well, you haven’t really meet him yet, love is never predictable in the first place, who knows what will happen?! Besides, he’s the prey of many beautiful noble young ladies, Rei told me that he had almost lost count of he numbers of mistresses he had! He’s proud and cold too, he never keep them longer than 10 days. Darien just got bored with them and tossed them aside when a new one comes! Well, still, who wouldn’t love a man as half as handsome as he is?" Serena rolled her eyes and sat herself in a chair after they enter her room. "That description gave me an image of an arrogant young man who likes to flirt with every women he sees! Lots of mistresses right? Ha, those idiot girls, what a pity! And his name, Endymion, what a strange name! He’s parents named him after Endymion of the Greek Mythology youth I suppose?" "Yeah, I thought so too. But it’s romantic don’t you think? Endymion and Serenity... Hey! Serena, your name is Serenity, ha, a match to his! I think you guys are destined to fall in love!" Lita blurted out. Serena blushed. "It’s not true Lita! What does names do? It’s just merely a title! My name is Serena, and we’re not in love!" "May be you will! You would just fall on your knees and beg for mercy when Cupid’s arrow hit you deadly on the heart! At that time, don’t come crying and swoon to me!" "Lita! It’s impossible! I despise him already, falling in love with a hateful and arrogant man? I think destiny has something better for me!" "May be when he comes, he will be greatly impressed by your beauty and charm. He then would make you his next mistress! I can’t wait for the moment when that thick layer of "thick ice" finally melting away by love! And seeing my best friend been scooped away by her charming and handsome prince..." "Come on Lita, I am not that romantic. I would certainly refuse to be his mistress! I would kill myself before I could allow myself to be discarded by such hateful and arrogant man 10 days later!" "May be he wouldn’t dump you after all, he could be so in love with you and he wants to marry you instead!" Serena blushed deeply. "Come on Lita, please don’t tease!" "You don’t have to believe me right now, but give a chance. Come on, let’s bet then. If you dared to dance with him on the Christmas party, I would bake you your favorite chocolate cake. You know how good I am at baking and cooking right?" Serena thought about it for a moment and decided it’s a good idea. She held out her hand, "Deal." "Deal." Serena tossed back and forth on her warm and comforting bed. She was still thinking about her bet with Lita. Serena was certain that she would win. *How could I love HIM? I despise him already! A handsome, arrogant noble young man who discards his mistress every 10 days? Disgusting! I feel so sorry for those poor and foolish girls, I wouldn’t allow myself to be HIS mistress for even one day! I think dance with him won’t do my any harm, besides I can teach him a lesson when I finally meet him face to face. Then he wouldn’t dare to mess and toy with innocent girls again! I have seem tons of "handsome" men, not to mention they all possess a dull and boring soul... End of Chapter 2 Preview of Chapter 3 --- Dressing up. So how is the story so far? Interested or just bored? Well, I am having fun writing it! Chapter three is almost done and it will probably out by next week! Wait up if you are interested, because I guarantee you will like it!