-------------------
	      	        -- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-* --
	      	         -*  T I T A N S  *-
	     		-- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-* --
                         -------------------
	   	      Written by Avanla Mireille

Book Two, Chapter Nine - "Death to the Heart"
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

	Serena stood there impassively, a stone of glass willing not
to break. It was a week and a half since the battle with Rubeus, 
whereby he was killed and his country split evenly between Erise and
Alvediaca. Ielaque had no interest. 

	Now she faced the three she never wished to set eyes on again,
but foolishly wished to love again.

	"Your highness?" She sighed deeply and nodded to the guard. He
unlocked the door, and opened it, stepping aside. Serena looked into 
the darkness for a moment, before taking a breath and stepping inside.
Two very different pairs of eyes looked up at her from their chained
position, while the other pair refused to. Light cast gloomily upon the
Jewels of Portrai, their torn and battered uniforms covered in grime. 

	Sapphire looked ten years older, his youth stripped away from
him. Emerald was much paler, the color of snow, and her devilish smile
was just as cold. And Diamond, well, Serena did not know. Serena
walked in front of them, trying to keep herself in control.

	"Rubeus will come for me." Emerald smirked. Serena made a small
laugh and smiled right back, causing Emerald to frown, confused. The
door was opened and Beryl was led in by Anthony. 

	"Send them all to more comfortable quarters." Serena said to
him. "But leave Diamond for the time being..I wish to speak to him."

	"As you wish." Anthony nodded. Serena and Diamond watched as
Sapphire and Emerald were unchained, and were silently marched out the
door with a frightened Beryl. Anthony turned around, holding his hand
on the large handle. Serena just nodded and after a moment of hesitation
he closed it, the lock resounding through the room loudly. The only
sound after for awhile was the drip of water somewhere. Diamond jingled
his chains, sighing depressingly.

	"Maybe you should just say what you're trying so hard not to."
He said finally. Serena sighed, walking towards the window.

	"Even though Portrai is technically its own country, it is
still under my wing, my laws, my crown. Which means every Portrian is
actually an Alvediacian. And that doesn't exclude you." Serena turned
her head to him for a moment, before turning back to the window.

	"You tried to take over my country, a traitorous act, an act,
payable by death." She dropped her head. "Death by burning." Diamond
looked up then, shaking his head. 

	"Please Serena, let Sapphire and Beryl go. They don't deserve
such a horrible death. But Emerald and I do. Please Serena, don't make
me hear their painful screams." He begged. She massaged her hands, smiling
slightly.

	"Do you really think I'd let that happen?" She turned to him, 
looking him straight in the eye.

	"Does that mean you're going let them go-"

	"No, you should know better than that." She shook her head. "I
cannot let them go, they are as guilty as you. But I can promise you 
that they will not feel pain, none of you will. You will all be beheaded 
tomorrow, at sunrise, a painless, quick death."

	Diamond nodded, dropping his head down, defeated. Serena looked
at him, trying to fight back her tears. But finding that she could not,
she burst out in a sob, racing to kneel before him. She placed her 
hands together as if in prayer, and waved them slightly in front of 
him.

	"Please, Diamond, give me one reason to let you live, and I 
shall! Just one is all I need, and I'll turn my back on my people just 
this once! Please, just one, ONE!" She pleaded. Diamond raised his head
and looked into her glistening eyes, swallowing. He shook his head, 
smiling sadly, not answering with words.

	"Oh Diamond," Serena cried painfully, while Diamond pulled on 
his chains. He wanted so desperately to touch her, hold her close, but 
he had lost his chance forever. He had erected these chains himself, 
with his greed and lust. And now he would never touch her again, in 
life, or death, for she was not his anymore.  

	"Serena," He said, and she cast her eyes up at him. "Please 
forgive me, let me go into the after life knowing I have been forgiven.
For then I shall be happy wherever I go, whether heaven or hell."

	Serena laughed quietly despite the situation, and reached up a 
trembling hand to touch his cold face. She looked deep into his violet 
eyes for the first time in weeks, and found she felt nothing-nothing 
but remorse and pity.

	"I forgive you Diamond." She finally said, kissing his nose.
"And I'm sorry for what I must do." And with that she got up and
knocked on the door. It swung open for her, but she stood there and
looked at him one last night.

	"Goodbye Diamond." She said quietly, and he looked at her
steadily.

	"Goodbye, Serena, my beautiful enchantress." Serena breathed
in quickly and moved over the threshold. The door was closed tightly
behind her.

	"Make sure he gets a comfortable room as well." She said, and
vanished up the steps. 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

	The door to Serena's chambers was opened slowly, creating only
a little shaft of light into the murky darkness. Mina walked in, 
shutting it behind her. She looked around in the darkness, and walked
carefully to the bed, but found no one there.

	"Serena?" She called out, uncertain.

	"Over here." Mina looked to the window, and made out the 
silouette of Serena against the slight light outside. She walked up to 
her, gracefully bumping into the table, and sat down in the seat beside her. 
She stared at Serena for a quiet moment, before laying back into the seat, 
pressing her hand to ever so slightly swollen stomach.

	"What are you thinking about?" Mina asked. Serena looked at her
from the corner of her eye and smiled. 

	"What Diamond and my children might have looked like." Mina
frowned, and opened her mouth to speak, but Serena waved a hand. "I know,
I know, I know. So, what do you think it is?"

	"Well," Mina said excitedly, leaning over on the chair. "I
think it's a boy, for I haven't had many morning sicknesses, and the
nurse said that girls are the ones that inflict more pain into 
pregnancies."
	
	"When are you going to tell Kunzite?" Serena asked, and Mina
sighed, looking out the curtains. The sun was beginning to rise, the
horizon just slightly lighter than the remaining sky.

	"I don't know, whenever an opportunity presents itself. He
was supposed to come this week, but Endymion canceled it." Mina turned to
her, and caulked her head a bit. "Why is Endymion avoiding you, Serena?
What happened in Ielaque?"

	Serena looked down at her hands, before looking back out the 
window. To tell the truth, she honestly didn't know. It all happened so
quickly, but lasted so long. She didn't need Mina to worry about her 
even more, so decided to keep it a secret, for now.

	"I'm not sure." Serena answered finally. Her hesitation didn't
go unnoticed by Mina however, but she chose to let it go. 

	"What are you doing in the dark any ways Serena? Why not light
a candle?" Mina wondered. 

	"I'm waiting."

	"Waiting, for what?" Mina questioned. Just as she did the sun
popped its head over the horizon, casting the sky purple and red. 

	"...Dawn."

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

	Drums beat loudly through the city and palace, as people 
gathered round the palace court yard. A large wooden platform was set
up in the middle, with four wooden sticks placed evenly on its 
surface. The Royal Jewels were led in by a cart, and the people booed
as they were led, chained to each other, up the platform. They were
sat at each one of the poles, their hands tied behind their backs.

	Serena looked down from the balcony that overlooked the court-
yard, rubbing her arm. Lady sat beside her, eyes and ears on full alert,
watching everything carefully. The sun reflected off the four blades, as
they were pulled from their sheaths. Beryl and Sapphire looked at each 
other, as the two swordsmen danced around them, flashing their swords.
Serena looked away, as two young lives were taken.

	Diamond sighed painfully, as he just watched his brother and
cousin being executed. He looked to Emerald, to see her face a mask. 
She wouldn't look at him, but kept looking straight ahead at something.

	'When did I lose my sister?' He thought and looked around the
crowd. Suddenly he felt her, even though he couldn't see her-Serena was
somewhere. He looked up then, to the balcony, and saw her looking down.
Their eyes made contact, and the world turned to slow motion. The drums
beated louder than before, to the song of their heart beats, one
rapid-afraid, one slow-accepting. A blur past his vision, as the two
swordsmen danced their way around Emerald and him.

	Serena gasped, not being able to take it anymore. She turned
around, placing her hand over her mouth, crying painfully. Diamond 
sighed again, and looked up to the sky, seeing Serena's forgiving and
smiling face in the clouds. The drums beat in unison then, rising 
higher and higher and higher.

	       And then, all of a sudden, they stopped.


-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

	Book Two completed October 20th, 2001.


	Wow, finally. Geeze, am I beat! Well, I'm taking a break for awhile, 
and by the time yins get this, I'll probably be halfway through Book Three. 
Well, I really don't have anything to say, I really need to get to sleep! It's
12:34 A.M.!!!! Please email me, avanlamireille@hotmail.com. Flames are fine, 
I've learned they can be pretty fun!(But I would prefer nice comments, 
if you don't mind!) Well, goodnight! OR goodmorning...whatever floats your boat!

						_Avanla Mireille_