DISCLAIMER :I don't own Sailor Moon.

Serena awoke with a start as she was lowered off the horse
with rough hands. He bodily threw her down. She was expecting
to break the fall with her hands, but a little too late, found
that they were bound tightly together behind her back. As a
result, the wind was knocked from her. She attempted to let
loose a few choice words at the big man, but found her mouth to
be gagged. Her breathing became ragged as her hoisted her up and
dragged her through what looked like a stable. She stumble
along, still struggling with her breathing dilemma. The man gave
her a rough shove in the back, sending her sprawling. His voice
was rough. "Are ye an invalid, child? Git up!" Mumbling against
her gag, she hoisted herself off of the dirt-packed floor. They
reached the outside of the stable, and to Serena's surprise, it
was nightfall. A slight breeze ruffled her hair and the moon
shone down with brilliance. With somewhat relief, she inhaled
sharply at the night air. What a difference it was from the
smell of horse's sweat and dirt and manure! They appeared to be
in some sort of commons area. All around them, soldiers were
talking in hushed tones. The boots of Serena's heels kicked up
furious little clouds of dust as she walked. She looked up and
froze in her tracks. It was a fort! No. That's not it. A
castle! It was massive! Heavy stone blocked stacked upon one
another strategically. It was a thing of beauty, all right. The
man chuckled behind her. "Not so brave, are ye now? A bit
intimidated by our magnificent power?" Serena turned to the man
and narrowed her eyes. She didn't bother to say anything,
because she knew it to be futile. She hoped her threatening
stare would give him something to remember. He only laughed
harder. "Aye, that look doesn't suit that pretty face o yours,
lass. Methinks ye needs to do what ye is told, for yer own
good." He cupped Serena's chip and yanked it upright. She
wrenched it away angrily. He ignored her. They stomped up to
the heavy castle doors, and he knocked once, twice, once. The
gates opened slowly. What Serena saw was not at all what she
expected. It wasn't at all like the interior of a normal castle,
what with a great hall and candles on posted on the sides, and
marvelous banners and stone floors swept clean. No this was
different. A dimly lit corridor, gloomily stretching on into
darkness. She searched as to where even to faint light was
coming from. She found, high on the walls, small globes of
pulsing greenish light, impossibly suspended in midair. She did
begin to feel a bit intimidated. She knew now who she was
fighting. Creatures of awesome power, infinite loyalty, and an
evil far worse than imagined. The Negaverse. Serena had heard
tales of the destruction that befell those in the way of who she
was about to meet. They had reached to end of the foyer. The
man had loosed his grip, sensing that she would not attempt
escape. She guided her through heavy doors and into a throne
room. There. One who was hated and feared by all. Queen Beryl.
She was tall and elegant, but as for beautiful goes....She wore a
tight-fitting blue mantle, and her kirtles couldn't be seen under
the dark robe. She wore no coif, and her log auburn hair flowed
freely. In her hand she held a scepter with a crystal ball on
top. Beryl motioned for her gag to be removed. Her eyes roved
over Serena. Sizing me up, she thought. Like a wolf. Serena
tightened her lips in a thin line so that Beryl could not see her
bottom lip tremble. In a tight, annoying voice, she asked
Serena, "Who are you that you come to stand before me?" Serena
thrust her chin up in defiance. She searched her memory for
names. "Isabel d'Condieur." Beryl smiled smugly. She looked
like a snake. "Ah, A little French warrior, eh?" Serena kept
perfectly still. She wanted to shout out who she really was.
THAT would make her jaw drop. Beryl went on. "Do you know who
you are dealing with, little girl? Does your army know what they
are dealing with?" Serena kept her eyes locked onto hers. "We
know we are dealing dimwit idiots who haven't got the sense to
think for themselves." Serena watched, amused by Beryl's
reaction. First shock, then horror, then anger flickered across
Beryl's face in a fraction of a second. What happened next was
none too amusing. Serena felt like a brick had collided with her
cheek. Not a brick. A hand. Queen Beryl's hand. She tasted
blood inside her mouth. She had collapsed to the floor under the
force of the blow, and now, looking up, she could see Beryl
standing over her, laughing. "Now you know, no one speaks to
Queen Beryl like that!" Serena stood up, staggering slightly.
Before she had a chance to lunge for Beryl and bit off that sharp
little nose of hers, two big men, apparently under the same spell
that the others were under, grabbed her by the arms, and made her
stand painfully still. Beryl pushed up close to Serena. They
were eye level with one another. "Take her to the dungeon,"
Beryl hissed. "She will never see the light of day again."She
fought them all the way to the heavy dungeon door with its tiny
barred window when a man, almost as big as the one that caught
her in the first place, struck her hard. She silenced then.
They opened the door, and Serena couldn't see inside. She soon
found out there were steps leading down to the dungeon, because
they pushed her roughly down the stairs, and that added to the
bruises and cuts she already had. She made and attempt to right
herself, but that failed. She was just too tired. She collapsed
onto the slimy, hay covered floor, with her hands still bound
behind her back. She gritted her teeth. She had a score to
settle now. The pieces of the puzzle came together. It was Will
who sneaked into her room the other night. It wasn't a dream.
He had tried to strangle her, and would have succeeded, had it
not been for Amy. He must have left when he heard her arousing.
She tasted the blood inside her cheek again. She'd get Beryl,
too, when the time was right.