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Yuri gathered the arrows protruding from the target he had set up, some splitting into each other from the accuracy of his shots. Putting them back in his quiver, he moved to the white lunar trees that had his throwing knives buried into them and yanked them out.
“It’s pretty amazing that you can do all of that.”
Serena watched him from the tree stump she was currently sitting on; of course, Yuri had covered it with his cloak so her dress wouldn’t get dirty.
Yuri, finished with gathering all of his weapons, turned to gaze at his liege curiously. “Well, King Leo can’t just choose anyone to be your bodyguard. My skill has to be unmatched.”
She rolled her eyes at his bragging. “Obviously you would be unmatched since you’re not even from here.”
Her bodyguard had come from Sylvant, a planet that was infamous for breeding the deadliest assassins in their whole planetary system. When they launched an attack on Sylvant, King Leo himself had directly faced off against Yuri and his three brothers and won. He and his son Reiji had decided to capture them as prisoners of war, but after Serena’s sister, Yuzu, used her magic to look into their hearts, she had found their hearts were all under a magic binding by the ruler of Sylvant, King Sanders. Leo had used his magic to break the binding and offered the four brothers to serve his four daughters, and they had all agreed.
King Leo had then brought his daughters to meet their newly appointed bodyguards, and Serena’s sisters were instantly enamored. She herself was interested by their foreignness and fondly intrigued by the colored tattoos they had on their cheeks. Yuri, the bodyguard appointed to her, had fuchsia flower petal-shaped ones, and Serena found herself unable to contain her curiosity.
The days passed, and much to her chagrin, she couldn’t get along much with Yuri. Serena couldn’t help but dislike him; he handled her severely coldly, and although he stayed respectful enough not to upset her father, he always carried an air of apathy and distaste. It was challenging for her not to be jealous of her sisters, who had been able to get along with their bodyguards easily.
However, that had changed when she found Yuri in the palace’s royal gardens one night. He was perturbed to have been found at first, but eventually relaxed in her presence. They had spent an hour naming the flowers and talking about them, which ultimately brought Serena’s attention to the tattoos on his face.
She could still remember how grim he had become when she asked about their significance. He meekly replied that they were symbols of hatred and disgust in Sylvant, and that being born with any tattoos like his or his brothers’ was the equivalent of being born a devil.
As she looked at him, surrounded by the flowers, she could only comment to him how beautiful she found the marks. Serena would never forget the look of amazement on his face, and for the first time in their rocky relationship, she saw him soften up.
After that day, Yuri had acted significantly more decent towards her, and Serena was grateful for the change. They spoke more, started sharing with each other, and were always in each other’s company.
Now, it had been nearly two years since those fateful events had occurred, but Serena found herself still amazed by it all. Yuri, who wouldn't have hesitated to kill her in the past, was now her most trusted soldier and closest companion. They would still bicker and Yuri still had the ability to grind her nerves, but it was difficult for her to imagine him not in her life.
Even just watching Yuri train, Serena felt content spending her time with him everyday. So much so, that...
“I suppose so, Princess,” Yuri agreed, snapping Serena out of her reverie. “Not even my brothers can compare.”
Serena scoffed. “Will you ever stop acting all high and mighty? I shouldn't even compliment you. Your ego is already bigger than the Moon.”
Yuri laughed good-naturedly before offering a hand to Serena, who was still sitting down.
“I don’t wanna go back yet,” she protested.
Yuri hummed, waving his finger side to side in front of her. “Now, now, I can’t have His Majesty upset with me for keeping you out so long. And you don’t want to be getting an earful from him either.”
She sighed, but complied and slipped her hand into his. He hoisted her up, grabbed his cloak, and led her out of the forest clearing back to the palace.
A comfortable silence settled between them as they walked. But even so, Serena’s thoughts were ramming high speed through her head. She glanced over to Yuri, who was sporting a somewhat contemplative expression.
She watched how his eyelashes hung over his slightly lidded, steely magenta eyes. His fringe bounced against his face with each step they took, strands barely caressing his fuchsia tattoos. Plump, red lips were shaped into a frown, before slightly parting in thought.
Serena forced her eyes away from him. He was pretty, no doubt; anyone could see that. But every time she looked at him, she would always find herself peering at the subtle, delicate details of his face.
She looked down at her hands and adjusted the bracelets adorning her wrists. Then she smoothed out the straps of her dress, before pushing loose strands of hair away from her face.
Serena internally scolded herself for being so fidgety, but the decision she had rolling in her head was weighing at her like a wrecking ball. To say that it was important was the understatement of the century. It had been on her mind for weeks now, and Serena was debating bringing it to attention today.
"Your face is red. Are you perhaps not feeling well?"
Serena jumped and a small yelp escaped her, making Yuri raise his eyebrows. "Oh, yes. Yes. I'm fine."
"What were you thinking about?" Yuri asked, sporting a playful yet curious glint in his eyes.
Serena glanced to him with a lowered gaze. Telling him that it was nothing would make her feel guilty. "Could you… Could we go to my room once we get back? There's something I want to discuss."
Yuri frowned, but nodded. "As you wish, Princess."
Desperate to change the subject, Serena cleared her throat. "So what were you thinking about just now?"
Her bodyguard grinned. "You, actually."
Serena gawked. "What exactly about me?" she asked, a little too hastily for her liking.
"We'll discuss it when we get back."
"I should've known you would say that," Serena groaned, to which Yuri merely sniggered. "Oh, shut up."
In a few minutes, the duo reached the front doors of the palace, and the soldiers standing guard bowed before allowing them through.
The only sound that could be heard was the sound of Serena's heels clicking against the marble floor and the soft tapping of Yuri's boots. Her ankle long sapphire dress whisked around her feet as she walked, and continued to flow behind her when she adopted a faster gait.
They reached a winding staircase and Serena wasted no time to ascend it. Yuri followed behind her diligently, curious to see what she had in store. After another minute, they reached the royal quarters and Yuri found Serena's door. Unlocking it with his key, he urged her in, and she quietly thanked him in return.
Serena sighed as she took a seat on her midnight blue bed, while Yuri lit the lamp on her desk. He set his weapons down on it before turning to Serena questioningly.
"You can sit down," she said, gesturing to the spot next to her. Yuri did as she asked, looking to her again curiously.
She took in a deep breath. "We've been together for a very long time," she stated, keeping her eyes on his.
"Mhm," he agreed.
"And..." Serena continued, "You're very special to me. As a bodyguard, and as a friend. I treasure you, quite a lot."
Yuri nodded slowly, a small smile gracing his lips.
"That's why… I was thinking about giving you my Mark."
Yuri's smile vanished instantly as he bolted up, gazing at her in disbelief. She held it unrelentingly, trying to convey that she meant every word.
"But-"
Serena held her finger up. "Don't. Call me Serena when we're alone, for one," she requested. "And two, I know what you were about to say. That it's custom to give my one and only mark to the one I love, the one I'm to marry and have children with. I know."
"Exactly," Yuri urged sternly. "Don't be foolish about this. I'm not even of your people, Serena. I'm-"
"I really don’t care!" she exclaimed. "I don't care if you're from Sylvant or if you're not from the Moon. I don't care if you can't be my future husband. I don't care about these," Serena cupped Yuri's cheeks, rubbing her thumbs against his tattoos. He shivered, but didn't pull away, much to her relief.
"I've been giving this a lot of thought, so don't think it's whimsical or anything. You're precious to me, okay? Being with you for these years, it was the time I've felt the happiest. You can be extremely annoying, but you've taught me a lot. Whether it's about fighting, plants, or even the other planets, I've always had fun being with you," Serena declared. "And…" she turned away, looking off with a frown, "For longer than you might realize, I've had feelings for you. I just... know that it's love, alright?"
Yuri remained silent, instead opting to continue gazing into his liege's sea green eyes. His eyes eventually travelled to her pink cheeks, and then her embarrassed pout.
He closed his eyes and exhaled softly, covering Serena's hands that were cupping his face with his own.
"... Alright." Yuri opened his eyes and gently lead Serena's hands away from his face. "I'm quite happy that you feel that way, because I probably kinda do too," he shrugged.
Serena smiled brightly at him and his awkward behavior. "Is that what you were thinking about earlier?"
Yuri shifted. "Eh, who knows," he responded. Serena rolled her eyes. "But back to the subject," he said quickly. "Leo would find out if you, his daughter and princess, gave me your Mark. And the very least he would do is banish me."
"I know," Serena replied swiftly, to Yuri's surprise. She got up and walked to her desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out a vial of black powder. "That's why I procured this."
Yuri eyed the vial suspiciously before realization hit him. "... Dark magic? I can't believe he's actually in on this too…" Yuri ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head.
Serena sat back down next to him. "Well, Yuto is the only one who has dark magic. Nothing else can literally erase the traces of magic. And I have his word, not that he would break his promise and tell my father anyway. You know he's the most trustworthy out of the four of you."
"Ouch," Yuri stated, feigning hurt.
"Anyway," Serena announced, "Technically I don't even need your permission to do something like this, considering there's nothing you have to do in return, but I still want to ask if you'll accept it."
Yuri grinned slightly. "If you're that captivated by me, then sure."
She groaned, and Yuri laughed. "Just let me do it already."
The act of a woman giving a man her Mark was a surprisingly quick act. All that had to be done was a specific chant and then seal it with a kiss on the man's forehead. Then, the mark would be branded onto his skin for all eternity, and neither person would be able to remove it.
Serena held his face again, and Yuri could feel the magical energy pour from her and into him. They both closed their eyes as Serena began to whisper a short chant in the lunar language. She then leaned in to press a gentle kiss on his forehead, right between his fringe.
Yuri felt a little tipsy. Whether it was from her foreign effects of her magic or the proximity of his gorgeous liege, he did not know. But when Serena leaned away, he felt himself wanting to pull her back.
"... It's finished," Serena said abashedly. "You can look in the mirror if you want. I'll have to cover it up afterwards."
Yuri stood up and skillfully hid a small stumble. He walked over to her dresser and mirror, and right in the center of his forehead was Serena's Mark, a crescent moon the color of sapphire. After eyeing it for a while, he returned to his princess's side.
"It looks nice on you. It kind of matches your other tattoos," she commented.
"I like it too," he agreed as Serena opened the vial containing the black powder. "Thanks for giving it to me.”
When Serena looked up at him, he was gazing off at the corner of her room, and a light pink was dusting his cheeks. She smiled.
"You're welcome." Serena poured a pinch of the powder onto her fingers and rubbed it together. "Luckily for us, Yuto already put the spell on it."
"Of course he did," Yuri scoffed. "He wouldn't want to taint a fair maiden like you."
"Actually it's more like I just don't know black magic, Yuri. None of us do."
"Uhuh," he deadpanned.
Serena frowned and waited to put the powder onto his forehead. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Of course," he slurred. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it only turned into a dopey-looking grin.
Realization hit Serena, and she couldn't hold back a small chuckle. "You look a little high. I guess it was the magic," she observed. Raising her hand again, she smudged the powdery substance over her Mark. It started to disappear as soon as the magic made contact, and the black powder started to dissipate into small sparkles, hiding any evidence of the black powder on Yuri’s skin.
“I finished,” she announced to the boy that was currently dazed and swaying back and forth.
Yuri blinked at her, then again, and again once more before finally responding. “M’kay.”
“You can lie down if you want, you know,” Serena offered, gesturing to the rest of her bed’s expanse behind them. “I don’t mind.”
“Hmm…” he sighed, raking his eyes over her slender frame. “I’d rather do this.”
Faster than Serena could expect, Yuri lunged forward and pressed his lips against hers, grabbing onto her shoulders to brace himself against the impact. Yuri could feel Serena’s shock from her tense body, but she began to relax into the kiss, eventually falling back against the bed.
Yuri took this chance to straddle her, leaning more into the kiss now that she was under him. He moved his hand behind her head and buried it in her hair, bringing her closer.
It was only when the need for air became too great that they finally pulled away from each other, both gasping for air. Yuri examined his liege’s flushed face and parted lips with a lazy smile.
Yuri let Serena catch her breath before he dove in again, this time kissing her harder. Serena emitted a small moan, opting to wrap her arms around his back. He relaxed his weight onto her gently until he was pressed flush against her front. A pale hand snaked down to trace the outline of her torso through her dress, and Serena shivered from the touch.
Yuri pulled away slightly to nibble on her lower lip, causing Serena’s breath to hitch. He trailed his lips down, planting butterfly kisses on her jawline before making his way lower, where he kissed the crook of her neck.
Serena latched her hands onto Yuri’s shoulders and quickly pushed him away. “No hickeys,” she warned.
“But you can leave marks on me?That’s no fair,” Yuri complained petulantly.
“I used magic to hide it.”
“And honestly, that’s quite a shame. Don’t you want everyone to know I belong to you and you only? I know I do,” Yuri grinned.
Serena had been long since used to his cringey phrasing, but she still grimaced. “You’re obviously still tipsy. Just lie down already.”
“But you were enjoying what we were just doing,” Yuri protested, completely ignoring Serena’s words by opting to lay back down on her. “I was too, you know,” he breathed, voice dropping down to a whisper against her ear. Serena couldn’t hold back a tremor.
“And I think it would be even better if you let me see your back.”
“What?!” Serena shrieked, turning beet red. Immediately, she pushed Yuri completely off of her, making him land on his back next to her with an ‘oof’. She wasted no time in sitting up and glaring at her bodyguard, whose hair was draped over his face. Through his strands, he was gazing at her with half-lidded eyes, and she groaned pronouncedly.
“For god’s sake, Yuri, just lie down!” Serena stood and opted to sit down at a farther part of the bed, crossing her arms and legs pointedly as her heart hammered in her chest. She was in disbelief that he had said such a thing; he was getting way in over his head.
“I bet the sigils are pretty. On your back, they would be stunning of course,” he commented, looking right at her covered back from where she was sitting away from him.
Serena hurled a nearby pillow right into his face. “Shut up! I can’t believe you right now. It was just a kiss! Stop acting like we were about to...” she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. Her face was still flaming, and she forced her trembling hands to still. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Yuri,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Wooh, I feel light-headed,” Yuri commented as if he had not said or done anything wrong. His voice was muffled by the pillow he didn’t feel like moving. “I wouldn’t call it ‘just a kiss’. It’s your fault by extension, Serena.”
She gawked at him; he was making no sense! “How is it my fault?! You’re the one acting like a pervert!”
Yuri laughed breathily through the pillow, and Serena rolled her eyes. “I’m going out now. When I wake up again, I hope we continue,” he chimed.
She shook her head, turning back to look at her bodyguard with a strong glare. “Good. And we are not continuing.”