It was only a short while later after Kunzite’s discussion with Endymion that he heard that Rei had had the baby and that all was well. The news made him feel as if at least some small weight had been lifted from his shoulders, knowing that everything would at the very least be okay for her. After all the health concerns that the couple had been through and the previous failed attempt at pregnancy, they deserved this bit of happiness.
Unfortunately, Kunzite coming face to face with Jadeite had dampened the new father’s mood. Kunzite attempted to talk to Jadeite, but Jadeite quickly dismissed him, first refusing to hear anything that he had to say, then deciding that he needed to get something for Rei to eat from the kitchen. Makoto had been sitting by Rei’s side holding the baby, but excused herself to allow Kunzite and Rei a few moments to speak, laughing as she called him ‘Uncle Kunzite’. Refusing to allow the bundle in her arms to leave her sight, she took the newborn with her out of the room.
Rei rested in one of the infirmary beds with several pillows propped up behind her. She looked exhausted but still held a smile firmly on her face. “You couldn’t have come back any sooner?” she chuckled. “Or was this about making a grand entrance?”
“Better late than never right?” he asked, sitting in the chair near her bed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever known you to be late,” Rei commented.
“I don’t think that’s really what you’re concerned about.”
“He’s very angry with you right now,” she responded. “You must have done something pretty terrible to get this type of reaction.”
“I did.”
“It doesn’t bother you that he’s disappointed by you?”
“It’s not his prerogative that counts.”
Rei snorted as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Deny all you want, I know it bothers you. The four of you are so close that when something goes wrong it’s like throwing a large stone into a small pond. The strength of the ripples is amplified and felt all over.”
“He and I will talk later.”
“Where is your fiancée?” she asked, casually changing the subject.
“Somewhere in the palace I’m sure. I’ve been with Endymion and haven’t seen her since I returned.”
“Follow the trail of besmitten guards; I’m sure you’ll find her more easily that way.”
“I would‘ve assumed that she’d have driven them to the brink of insanity for following her around these past few days. She can be quite determined when she sets her mind to something.”
“A quality you obviously look for in a wife.”
“It’s a rare feat to find someone more stubborn than I am….or so I’ve been told.” He cocked his eyebrow as he looked over at Rei who in turn smiled at his own jab.
“You want to marry her?”
“I want to marry her,” he said firmly.
Rei put her hand on her chest and gasped playfully. “The mighty Kunzite has finally fallen?”
“She’s different.”
“Different enough?” Rei asked, the seriousness returning to her voice.
“Yes,” he answered with a smile. “She has no problem with letting me know what she thinks. Although at the same time she can be quite timid when she’s unsure of herself, but I find that endearing. There’s no hidden agenda with her, no demands, she just is.”
“I have to be honest, I didn’t think that this was going to last. You seem unsettled so much of the time.”
“Of course that would have nothing to do with the job,” he answered teasingly to which Rei rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “I don’t want to talk about me though, I’m sure I’ve bored you enough. How do you feel?”
“Better,” she answered, brushing some strands of her hair behind her ear. “I was scared for a while there that I might lose the baby.”
“But now you have a healthy son.”
“Jadeite is already talking about outfitting him for a General’s uniform,” she chuckled. “We have yet to agree on a name and he’s already enlisted him into Endymion’s guard. I asked if we could wait until he was walking at least, but apparently that is too long.”
“And he laughs about my penchant for military prowess. I think my name can finally be cleared.”
“Let’s not jump to any conclusions now,” she teased him. “Some things don’t change that easily.”
“Rei,” Serenity said, entering the room with the baby held tightly in her arms and Makoto following after her. “Oh, I hope we’re not interrupting anything. I didn’t realize that you were still here, Kunzite.”
“I was just leaving,” he said rising from his seat. “I’m sure Rei would rather talk with the both of you than be bothered by me.” He bent over Rei and kissed her forehead lightly. “I’ll stop by to see you later,” he said softly. As he walked out of the room, he peered over Serenity’s shoulder to look at the face of the sleeping baby resting against her chest. “He looks just like his father,” he mused.
“Yes, he does,” Rei answered with a smile on her face.
Time passed quickly after that with no sightings of the rebel army. Three weeks had gone by in silence leaving Endymion and his Generals somewhat anxious over what might be building up. The wedding was to be that morning with the coronation following the week after. If there was ever a time for a surprise attack this was surely it. The palace was put on high alert and many extra guards were pulled in to help cover the palace grounds. With the inflow of hundreds of wedding guests, it was difficult to secure the grounds, but they could not allow for the activities to be delayed. Endymion could not officially be crowned King until one week after his marriage and he hoped that this final anointment would be enough to bring him the support of the surrounding kingdoms in bringing down his opposition. Many of these rebel leaders were former supporters of his father who he knew would not be happy until they could remove him from power, although who they intended to place on the throne remained a complete mystery even at this point.
The morning passed uneventfully as everyone prepared for the upcoming ceremony. The palace chapel had been prepped over the past couple of days with every inch being thoroughly cleaned and then tastefully decorated with ornate flower arrangements set along the platform where the ceremony would take place. Ribbons, displaying the royal family’s colors of gold and silver, were hung from the walls. The magnificence of the room was only multiplied by the changes that it had undergone with the sun reflecting colors of the spectrum through the stained glass windows that rested high on the front wall.
Serenity’s ladies-in-waiting rushed around her trying to get her dressed and made up. They were already running late that morning after having to chase her down, successfully foiling an attempt for her to meet with Endymion secretly before the ceremony. Many of the older women were superstitious by nature and warned her that it was bad luck for her to see him any sooner. They did, however, finally concede to agreeing to deliver a note in order to appease Serenity. Once Minako was ready, she made her way over to Serenity’s room to check in on her cousin.
“Oh, Serenity! You look beautiful!” Minako gushed.
Serenity’s dress was made of layers of satin held into shape by layers of cremlen underneath. The gown was designed with an open neckline, the edges of the sleeves formed at the tops of her shoulders. Her sleeves fell smoothly down the length of her arm, the underside falling well past her fingers, hanging like soft bells at her sides. Most noticeable was the silver embroidery sewn around the waistline which started just below her chest and fell softly to the ground, trailing down the edges of the top dress layer. The train of the dress was about six feet long with more embroidery running down the length. She held her veil in her hand as one of the women tried to pin her long lengths of hair back.
“I’m terrified,” Serenity answered weakly. “What if I trip over my dress or I say the wrong thing? I wish this didn’t have to be such a large affair.”
“Nothing will go wrong today,” Minako said soothingly. “It’s the magic of weddings, no matter what everything will go right.”
Serenity turned to look at Minako much to the dismay of the woman who was still fighting to secure her hair with small pins. “You and Kunzite will be married soon as well.”
“Just a couple more months now,” Minako agreed quietly. “Although Kunzite and I have both agreed to a much smaller and more simple ceremony. Today is about you though. I just wanted to make sure that all was well with you before I headed over to the chapel. I’d hate to risk losing my seat.”
“Thank you, Minako,” she said thoughtfully, squeezing her cousin’s hand. “We’ll talk more later.”
“Too much later and I’ll be addressing you as either My Queen or Your Majesty,” Minako laughed, pulling her hand free of Serenity’s tightening grasp.
“And as my cousin you will be dubbed with your own title of Marques.”
“I don’t think I can get used to that title,” Minako groaned.
A knock on the door caught both girls attention and they turned to see Rei entering the room. She was dressed in a deep purple dress that brought out the natural highlights in her hair. Despite having just had a baby, she had dropped most of her weight already, fortunately fitting in her dress after only a few alterations. “Should I be surprised that you’re still not ready?” Rei said teasingly to Serenity.
Serenity stuck out her tongue playfully and turned back to face the mirror at the insistence of the woman who was nearly finished with her hair. “But I’m willing to bet that you’re surprised that I’m this ready.”
“That’s true,” she answered, her eyes crinkling with laughter. Her attention turned to Minako who was dressed in a simple pink gown. “Did you want to walk to the chapel with me? We should be going now otherwise Serenity will be in here forever.”
“Not forever!” Serenity insisted while pouting. “Endymion and I have plans for later….” She intentionally left the rest of her sentence unsaid, playfully winking at the two girls in the mirror.
“You are shameless,” Rei teased her.
“But at least Endymion and I waited,” she rebutted.
“Jadeite saw nothing until our wedding night,” Rei protested.
“I didn’t say I was talking to you,” she replied in a sing song voice, her eyes darting to Minako’s reflection and laughing as her cousin’s cheeks turned pink.
“Serenity,” Rei spoke up. “Do I need to remind you of the time that Jadeite and I caught the both of you alone in the garden that one day? I’m pretty sure that you wouldn’t have left your room with your dress and hair in that much of a disarray.” Serenity’s eyes opened wide in shock at recalling that incident. “Exactly,” Rei said triumphantly before turning her attention towards Minako. “Are you ready?”
Minako nodded her head and the two girls bade Serenity farewell before exiting and heading towards the chapel.
“It’s ok, you know,” Rei said quietly. “I won’t tell anyone about what you and Kunzite do. You wouldn’t be the first anyway - I believe that honor goes to Makoto and Nephrite.”
“It wasn’t my intention to do what we did,” Minako responded.
Rei smiled softly. “The four of them certainly have an undeniable charm. At times I would allow myself to get carried away by Jadeite’s words, and it certainly took plenty of restraint to tell him otherwise.”
“Have the two of you been married long?”
“Three years. For the longest time I had no intentions of marrying him after we first met. I thought he was so arrogant and it made me so angry to hear him talk about himself.” She paused to chuckle to herself. “Jadeite claims that I made him nervous, but I think he was asking Nephrite for advice on how to approach me. Nephrite and I have known each other for a while as well and, as I’m sure you’ve seen, he can have an interesting sense of humor.” Rei’s gaze softened as she thought back on her memories. “Jadeite says that he knew all along that we were meant to be and he insisted that I would marry him one day. To prove it, he went to my father and asked for permission to marry me. At that time my father said no as Jadeite was still just a soldier of low ranking –even Kunzite had yet to gain his rank as General. But eventually things changed and he became one of Endymion’s four. It was then that he asked my father again and this time he was told yes.”
“I didn’t realize that yours was an arranged marriage,” Minako said thoughtfully. “I was sure that Kunzite said otherwise.”
“Kunzite should know better than most what happened. He and I have known each other since we were small children. Our families were close friends and more often than not socialized in the same circles.”
Minako chewed her bottom lip as she listened to Rei speak, finally breaking the ensuing silence. “I didn’t know about you and Kunzite.”
“Kunzite and me?” Rei asked, confusion evident in her voice.
“That the two of you were once together. I suppose that’s why things have been so awkward between us.” Rei stopped walking and started laughing, placing one hand on her stomach and the other over her mouth. Minako stopped walking several steps ahead and turned back towards the raven haired girl. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No,” Rei responded, trying to suppress her laughter. “That’s not it. It’s Makoto isn’t it? She has the wildest imagination sometimes.” Rei slipped her arm through Minako’s and led her down the hall. “We’ve always just been friends, nothing more. Trust me, he and Jadeite wouldn’t be such good friends if there had ever been more.”
“They haven’t been very friendly as of late though.”
“Because they’re both being pig-headed.”
“I think it has something to do with me. Jadeite apologized to me once, but he wouldn’t explain why.”
“Jadeite won’t speak to me about what happened either and when I do ask he becomes agitated.” As they neared the chapel, Rei pulled on Minako’s arm and they stopped short of the doors. “You were right, that it is because of Kunzite that we couldn’t be friends. He’s been involved with many women that sought to use him for his rank or wealth or proximity to the Prince. Not that he’s been an angel either. Many of the women he used for his own wants and rather cruelly at that. When we were introduced, I assumed that you would be no different than any of the previous. To be honest I didn’t believe that you were any more serious at getting married than I believed him to be. Now that I know that he genuinely wants to marry you I understand that I was wrong for not trying to be your friend, and I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize,” Minako protested.
The church bells began to ring overhead. “And now we’re going to find ourselves being later than Serenity.” Rei grabbed Minako’s hand and pulled her along as they ran through the large doors. Once inside they slowed their gait to a walk and proceeded down the red carpeted aisle to the front row on the right side where Makoto and Ami sat waiting for them. Rei sat next to Makoto who immediately started pointing towards where Nephrite stood, whispering words that left Rei giggling. Minako sat between Rei and Ami, exchanging greetings with the inky haired girl next to her. Organ music played lightly in the background as the last noon chime finished ringing.
On the platform ahead of them stood a man dressed in ornate gold and white robes, prepared to begin the ceremony. Two of Endymion’s Generals stood positioned along the far walls of the platform scanning the room as the last of the guests found themselves seats in the rows of benches. They were dressed in their formal armor and positioned as if they were there for ceremonial purposes rather than for security. Nephrite stood on the left side of the room while Kunzite stood to the right. Jadeite was assigned to watch over Serenity as she was brought to the chapel in the guise of an escort, while Zoicite was responsible for Endymion’s security. Jadeite entered the room from a side door and came to stand next to Kunzite, a deep frown marring his features. Minako looked over to Kunzite and smiled brightly as he met her gaze.
“You don’t deserve her,” Jadeite spoke lowly at watching the exchange.
“No, I don’t,” Kunzite muttered. “I don’t think anyone does.”
“Some more than others.”
“If you want to have this fight again then wait until after this ceremony.”
“No,” Jadeite answered solemnly. “I just want you to tell her the truth. It’s what she deserves. It was you after all who...”
“Enough!” Kunzite hissed through his teeth, turning his head sharply to look at Jadeite.
Both men looked towards the back of the chapel where the large doors slowly opened to reveal Endymion and Serenity standing arm in arm, Zoicite slipping in behind them before the doors closed. “For Endymion this will wait. But not for you.”
Kunzite cast his eyes over to Minako one last time before returning his attention to the couple walking down the aisle towards him. It seemed like so long ago that he had traveled to Serenity’s family home and escorted her to the Palace. She spoke of her cousin and he quickly dismissed her words thinking that he would have no interest in this elusive girl. But here he was dedicating so much of his time to the one person he wrote off without a second thought. They would be married soon, and while the thought still left him with feelings of uncertainty, he knew that she made him happy and that he would do the same for her. In the two months since she first confessed her love for him, she had only said it once more to him in a whisper while she thought he was asleep. Yet he could not say those words back. It wasn’t that he felt no love for her because she was the most important thing in his life. Maybe it was his fear that he would love her more than his prince or that he would resent his days of traveling knowing that she would be lying in bed alone awaiting his return. It did terrible things to his mind thinking about her in that bed as well. She was not the best lover that he had been with as she was much less experienced than most, but she still felt perfect pressed against him and was always eager to learn more from him. Somehow, the perfect balance he had constructed in his life had all been thrown off just by the sight of her smiling face.
The ceremony seemed to pass by quickly as Kunzite’s thoughts were otherwise preoccupied. As the words of the man in the white and gold robe came to a close, Kunzite signaled for Zoicite and Jadeite to silently exit from their respective doors and to be ready for the exit of Endymion and Serenity. Nephrite remained on his side of the platform and scanned the crowd as people started to file out behind their future King and Queen.
Endymion knew that he would not be able to keep the heightened security or the reason behind it a secret from Serenity. Rather than admit his full concerns, he only shared his worries over her safety, disguising the security as a precautionary watch over her. She was originally uncomfortable with the suggestion but Endymion assured her that under Kunzite’s guidance the guards’ presence or visibility would be at a minimum. He was pleased that Kunzite did not disappoint in his security plans.
As the room began to empty, Rei and Ami exited to follow after Serenity. Nephrite approached Makoto and wrapped his arm around her, placing a kiss against her temple. They whispered conspiratorially to each other, following after their friends. Kunzite finally approached Minako and lightly brushed his lips against hers before leading her from the room. They walked in comfortable silence through the florally lined halls into the courtyard where the guests were either finding themselves seats or walking along the tables filled with an assortment of food and elegant dessert displays. Entertainers had been hired with performers standing in the center juggling an assortment of fruits and other objects, while a woman was singing to the music being played by the small band of musicians behind her. Some couples had taken to dancing while most admired their prince and his bride who sat regally on their thrones watching over the event.
“Is it wrong that I envy them?” Minako said quietly to Kunzite.
“Only if you’re that unhappy with what you have.”
She smiled at his attempt at humor. “They make it seem so easy.”
“He’s afraid for her safety right now, that’s part of the reason why he’s holding her hand so tightly. Not to take away from their romantic moment of course,” he added.
“Is that why you’re holding mine?” she asked glancing down at where their fingers were interlocked.
“I thought I might have one dance with you before we parted ways, Mi-ko,” he answered while pulling her towards him.
“Perhaps you’ve never been properly taught to dance,” she laughed, putting a small amount of space between their bodies. “Standing this close isn’t dancing.”
“I spent the better part of my childhood being prepared for court life. It’s unfortunate that I have to admit that there is not one dance that I haven’t been taught.”
“Then by all means, you may take the lead,” she teased him, taking a step back while clasping both his hands.
He pulled her back towards him and wrapped his arms around her. “This is as close to a dance as you’ll ever get from me. Even Endymion’s wedding isn’t motivation enough.”
“You were always the romantic type weren’t you?”
“Romance takes all forms, Minako,” he murmured against her hair, his warm breath tickling her cheek before pulling back to look at her face. “Some people cover their insecurities with lavish gifts while others define their affection with a single object of great importance.” His voice held her full attention as she stared into his eyes, listening to him talk while he swayed her back and forth. “Then of course there are always flowers, but why celebrate love with a beautiful object that withers and dies well before its time?”
“And what about sweets?” she asked playfully. “’A sweet for a sweet’ as they say?”
“A brief moment of pleasure from one delectable bite followed by the ensuing disappointment of not having a second one? A sign of a short lived romance.”
“Really? Or does your displeasure from sweets stem from the fact you had to have your uniform refitted for today’s event?” she asked as she teasingly poked at his midsection.
He frowned as he recaptured her hand, even though he knew that her finger poke was in jest. Yet she still had a point that for the first time in many years he needed to have the seams adjusted on his uniform – regardless of how small an adjustment it was. While he wanted to credit this change to an increased workout regiment, he knew that this was hardly the case when he in fact found himself cutting back so that he had the additional time with her. It seems he would no longer be able to make the same jokes to Endymion without having them repeated back to him.
His hand released hers and rested itself on her hip, his fingers tapping against the soft pink material of her dress, pressing against the corset underneath as a slow smile spread across his lips. “Then I suppose that this corset you have suddenly started wearing has only been to keep in trend with the latest fashions?”
She blushed and swatted his hand away, quickly returning their conversation back to the original topic. “So what is the acceptable form of romance then since we both agree on the matter of the sweets?”
“A promise.”
“A promise signifies things to come and not things to be had,” she countered, her eyebrows raising in interest.
“Would you prefer a pendant of precious stones to show my shallow display of affection? An arrangement of red roses that will never really compare to your beauty and will last you but a few nights? Or my promise that I will always cherish you? That you will be the most important person to me.”
“You can’t say it, can you?” she asked sadly, her body no longer moving in time with his.
“Do the words matter that much?”
“They shouldn’t, but they do.”
“Mi-ko….I…”
“Not today,” she interrupted him. “We don’t need to talk about this today.” She slipped out of his grasp, but kept their hands clasped together, taking a moment to look over the people surrounding them. Rei and Jadeite stood across the way near one of the ice sculptures which was starting to glisten from the heat of the soon to be setting sun. Jadeite appeared to be in one of his brooding moods for which he had become infamous for as of late. Rei stood in front of him with her hands cupping his cheeks either in an effort to cheer him up or hold his attention, from this angle Minako couldn’t be sure. Although barely a moment later Jadeite shook her off, words of obvious protestation pouring from his lips as his scowl subsided. “Kunzite,” she looked back over to him, turning her attention away from the other couple. “Can I ask you something?” He nodded his head signaling for her to continue. “Didn’t you say that Rei and Jadeite’s marriage wasn’t arranged?”
He looked at her with surprise. “Did I?”
“I was talking to Rei earlier today and she told me that her marriage had been arranged.”
“Because it was.”
“Then why did you tell me it wasn’t.”
“I don’t recall telling you otherwise.”
“That day that I saw you and Jadeite fighting, the day you returned to the palace, Jadeite said to you that you would never ‘have what they already have’ – or something similar to that. I asked you what that meant and you said it’s because they fell in love on their own.”
“They did eventually.”
“After it was already arranged.”
“Why are you asking me about this?” She could hear the slight agitation in his voice.
“Because what it was you said that Jadeite meant wasn’t the truth.”
“You think I intentionally lied to you?” he said, looking down on her.
She paused and chewed on her lower lip for a moment gauging his reaction. “Yes.”
“Have I ever been less than truthful with you?”
“Up until this morning I would have said no, but now I wonder.” She looked into his eyes and could already see him preparing his response to her. He always had just the right the words to say. “You’re not going to tell me what I want to hear right now. I can already see it in your eyes.”
“Minako,” he said lightly, switching to use her full name as some of the party guests walked by them.
“If you won’t tell me the truth, then don’t say another word,” she warned, pulling her hand from his. “Something happened while you were away that caused this bitterness between you and Jadeite. I don’t understand why you won’t tell me about it. Why did he apologize to me?”
“I’d like to know the same,” he responded firmly.
“Then why won’t….you….” Kunzite’s attention shifted away from her as soon as she started speaking and she turned her head to see where his gaze had drifted off too. Zoicite and Nephrite were engaged in a heated conversation that Jadeite had wandered over to join in on. “Kunzite?” she asked, her voice full of concern.
“Something’s wrong,” he muttered. “Stay by Serenity until I return.”
“But I…” She didn’t have the chance to finish this sentence either, as Kunzite briskly walked away.
Kunzite approached the three Generals and looked to them for an explanation as their hushed whispers ceased at his arrival. “What happened?”
“Our security’s been breached.” Zoicite answered quickly. “Some guards posted at the Southern entrance were found tied up and unconscious. I’m not sure how many were able to get by.”
“How long ago did this happen?” Kunzite asked.
“We don’t know,” Nephrite responded. “I spoke with Saphir and he said that they were supposed to be changing shifts at this time. When the replacement guards got there the men were found that way. Apparently it could have been anywhere from ten minutes to a half hour ago.”
“We need to secure Endymion and Serenity without alerting the other guests.” Jadeite said, looking around to see them fully involved in some complicated dance step amongst the other celebrators.
“No,” Kunzite interjected. “This is all a rouse. They want us looking the wrong way. If this was a real attack they would have killed the guards, not just tied them up.”
“You think they’re on the palace grounds just to enjoy the celebration?” Jadeite asked snarkily.
“Kunzite’s right,” Zoicite responded. “But nothing else seems out of sorts,” he said as his eyes scanned the people around him. “I can only assume that some part of the palace has been compromised and whoever did this is hoping that is where we will be headed.”
“So we do nothing?” Nephrite asked.
“We wait,” Kunzite said. “Where are those guards now that were tied up?”
“I assume they continued on with their rounds assuming none of them were seriously injured.”
“Find them. Every one of our soldiers has been put on high alert and I can’t imagine that someone would be able to so easily gain entrance to the grounds without a sound.”
“Did you speak with the men?” Nephrite asked Zoicite.
“No, I spoke with Saphir who said that he would deal with this.”
“Alert Jadeite once those men have been found, he will talk to them. As soon as Saphir returns I want him brought to me. In the meantime I will watch over Endymion and Serenity,” Kunzite said firmly, waiting for an acknowledgement from the three other men before walking calmly away and heading towards the thrones where he could retain his closest vantage point of the newly wedded couple, his argument with Minako forgotten in the face of this new threat.
Minako drifted around afterwards, sometimes finding herself with Serenity, other times finding herself surrounded by groups of people she didn’t even know the names of. True to Makoto’s word, many of the guests spoke with her out of their curiosity to know more about the girl who was marrying the last of Endymion’s Generals. Some spoke of politics and others asked her questions that nearly made her blush out of their personal nature. At some point, she found herself with a glass of champagne in her hand and took a sip from it after raising it to a toast, faintly noticing how it tasted more bitter than sweet. She finished the contents none the less and continued to make her way through the shuffle of people.
All throughout the day, up until now in the early evening, she noticed that Serenity and Endymion never parted company. He kept her by his side and she didn’t seem to mind his close proximity. Minako couldn’t help but to wonder how much of it at that moment was compassion, and how much was Endymion’s protective nature as Kunzite had stated.
Nearby her father stood with Serenity’s parents as well as many other noticeable people from court. He applauded Serenity’s parents and wished them good fortune, all the while making sure to speak of his own daughter’s upcoming nuptials. It was no surprise to her that he would steal this moment in order to brag of his own good fortune. Although she had no doubt that despite her “good fortune” to be marrying the “good General”, he would much rather be in the place of Serenity’s parents and relaying his joy at his daughter becoming Queen. He had always made clear to her what a disappointment she had been at being born a woman instead of as the son that he truly desired.
That was the last thing she remembered as things began to blur together, people’s faces all blending together until she could barely tell one from another. It wasn’t even that she remembered drinking more than the one glass of champagne that she would feel this way, but somehow she went along with the feeling, allowing one dancing partner after another to take her hand, spinning her around while coordinating the complicated dance steps. She felt warm from being in the center of so many people and stumbled trying to break free of the crowd. An arm came to rest around her shoulders and helped to escort her out, the cool air hitting her face once they were out of the group helped to clear her head. She glanced over and noticed that her savior was one of Endymion’s guards by his uniform. His face seemed so familiar to her, but in her haze she couldn’t quite place his name.
“Thank you,” she murmured to her rescuer, allowing him to continue to hold her up.
“Perhaps a little too much to drink tonight,” he said in a friendly tone.
“I wouldn’t have thought so,” she answered as coherently as she could.
“A little fresh air should help to clear your head.”
“Maybe…” They continued to walk further away from the other partygoers, headed towards the outskirts of the gardens. “What’s your name?”
“Rubeus.”
“Rubeus,” she repeated. “I thought you were relieved from following me around now that Kunzite’s back,” she said playfully, recognizing him as the guard Endymion had assigned to shadow her after the incident with Adonis.
“Yes, but now he’s gone again, Minako.”
“Minako?” she asked. The mention of her name made her a little more alert. None of the guards, soldiers or staff called her by her first name. It wasn’t so much that she minded the use of her name, in fact she would have preferred it over the other titles that were normally used, it was the fact that he said her name so clearly without correcting himself.
“That’s your name.” He stated it as a fact, maybe not realizing the implications of her questions.
“Where’s Kunzite?” she asked, her body tensing under his touch. “He told me to stay by Serenity.” Minako tried to turn back after looking over her shoulder to realize how far away they were, but stumbled and nearly fell if not for the strong arms holding her up. “What’s wrong with me?” she asked weakly as Rubeus continued to lead her forward.
“Keep walking.” His arm tightened around her as she stumbled.
“I need to sit down,” she choked out. “I think I’m going to be ill.”
“We’re not stopping.”
She tripped either from the rough ground or over her own feet and reached out with her arms to steady herself, causing both of them to nearly lose their balance. Rubeus grabbed her with his other hand to catch her which only further tangled their limbs together. She held tightly to his jacket, burying her face against his shoulder as her vision started to spin around her.
“How much did you give her?” a new person asked. There was a familiarity to the voice that she couldn’t quite place. The arms around her slowly lowered her to the ground and she was thankful as it helped to ease the feeling of nausea that was starting to overcome her. She placed her hands on the ground, grasping tightly onto the cool blades of grass trying to anchor herself to stop the spinning sensation.
“I gave her exactly what you gave me.” That was Rubeus’s voice. What did he give her?
“Minako.” The owner of the new voice knelt in front of her and placed his hand on her cheek.
She looked up and found herself looking into a pair of blue eyes, no less crazed looking than when she had last seen him. “Adonis, what did you do?” She asked fearfully, tears starting to fill her eyes.
“I’m going to take you some place safe now.”
“Take me back to Kunzite.” She tried to put her full resolve into her words, yet they still seemed to come out weakly.
“He won’t be too far behind us. You have nothing to worry about.” Adonis looked up to Rubeus whose eyes seemed to focus on the rows of trees surrounding them. “Rubeus, I’m ready for him - bring him here.”
Minako reached out and grabbed onto Adonis’s arms. “What did you do to me?”
“I want you to drink this.” She looked up at him skeptically but he forced a small bottle into her hands. “It will help to relieve the side effects of what you ingested.” Her hand shakily rose to her lips and he reached out to help steady her extremity as the bottle opening met her lips. She gagged at the bitter taste causing some of the fluid to spill down her chin. He wiped the moisture from her skin softly with the pads of her fingers and watched over her, noticing that as the minutes passed she became less pale than she been when he first found her. “I gave you the opportunity to come with me before and I wish you had taken it. Changes are going to start happening soon and you don’t want to find yourself in the middle of it. People are going to die, it’s inevitable.”
“I don’t care what is going to happen. It’s his side that I wish to be at – not yours.”
“You’ll learn to accept the reality around you. I’m the only thing that is keeping you alive after this night. These people have no interest in you. You are just a pawn being sacrificed for a bigger chess piece. It’s unfortunate that you’ve found yourself in this position. I would have kept you safe - I know that some things are more important than duty.” He cupped her face in his hands. “So beautiful, it’s such a shame.” He pressed his lips lightly against hers, tasting the salty tears that had slipped down her cheeks and landed on her lips. “I’m not the monster, Minako. Remember that,” he said softly.
Heavy footsteps could be heard approaching, and as they neared, so could the chilling sound of metal being unsheathed.
“I would advise staying very still, Minako,” Adonis muttered to her, brushing her hair behind her ear.
“Adonis,” Kunzite growled, his eyes settling on the fair haired man whose hands lingered on the petite woman before him.
Adonis unsheathed his own sword as he rose up to meet the gaze of the taller man. To either side of Kunzite stood Zoicite and Rubeus; each with a blade in hand. “This is the last time that we will perform this dance,” he said calmly.
“You betrayed your own prince.”
“I could care less about this kingdom or who sits on that throne. This is about you and making you pay for your crimes. Murder warrants punishment unless you believe that you are above the law.” His gaze turned over to Zoicite. “And you, standing beside him like a lap dog. We were friends, you know of his treason as well as I do. You still choose to fight with him instead of against him?”
“My loyalty is to Endymion,” he answered as calmly as he could muster.
“You’re blind,” Adonis said bitterly. “Your loyalty has always been to this man, never to the prince.”
“Don’t do this, Adonis,” Minako spoke quietly. “You don’t need to do this.”
“Minako,” Kunzite said hurriedly, his eyes casting over the blonde still kneeling on the ground with her back to him. “Adonis, if you’ve done anything to hurt her….” The threat remained unsaid as at that moment Kunzite couldn’t even begin to formulate the words spinning in the back of his head.
“I would never hurt her,” Adonis spat, not giving her a chance to respond. “Not the way you did. Must you always destroy those that love you? Did you find what you were looking for in the arms of another woman?”
“Minako, move away from him,” Kunzite said through gritted teeth.
Adonis’s hand gripped her shoulder tightly. “She’s not here for your benefit anymore. Let her hear this. She needs to know what you really are.”
Zoicite took a step to the side, preparing himself to slowly approach Minako. It was their three to Adonis’ one, Kunzite would distract him the man long enough so that he could help her to escape. They were a good distance from the nuptial celebrations still going on, but if he could get her a head start then at least she would stand a chance of making it back safely. He took another cautious step, his eyes flickering from Adonis back to Minako and he wondered to himself if maybe Adonis had caused her injury that prevented her from moving.
He took a moment to check Rubeus’ stance and noticed that he almost seemed to be smiling at the fight that was brewing. It was an odd response to the moment, but Zoicite hardly knew him to know what constituted as normal for the man. Cautiously he took another side step, waiting until Adonis had stepped far enough away before making a move.
“Minako,” Kunzite said her name again.
“Was it all a lie?” she asked, turning to face him for the first time. “Were all of your words nothing but lies? It seems that they’ve all come unraveled.”
“I never lied to you.”
“You said that you would never hurt me. Or should I have noticed when you said that you would never intentionally do so? Was that my sign? That a mistake was not an intentional effort?”
“Adonis isn’t telling you what really happened.” Even Kunzite had difficulty believing his own words. After all, even he didn’t know the truth.
“Were you not caught by your fellow General? Did he not see you with his own eyes?” Adonis interjected.
Kunzite lunged forward with his blade, aiming at Adonis’s chest. Adonis stepped back and parried the blow. Minako ducked down and crawled back a few feet trying to get herself out of the line of fire between the two men.
Zoicite took this as his moment and sheathed his sword before dashing over to where Minako had moved to. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body close to his as Adonis’ sword landed near where she had been just moments ago, after being quickly disarmed by Kunzite. As he prepared to stand, a sword was suddenly pressed against the side of his neck and a hand grabbed the material of his uniform. He silently cursed to himself at the uselessness of the decorative armor. His real armor would have provided him with some protection against the sword unlike what he wore that did little more than cover his chest.
“You’re fast, Zoicite, but not fast enough,” Rubeus taunted him from behind. “Release the girl and then your blade. You won’t be needing it anymore.” Begrudgingly, Zoicite pulled his sword from its sheath and tossed it to the side, out of his reach, but still within Minako’s - if she reacted quickly enough. Rubeus gave a sharp pull on Zoicite’s jacket, pulling the crouching man off balance and away from the girl. Zoicite landed on his back, his plans for springing to his feet halted as Rubues’ blade pressed against his chest.
Adonis took a step backwards and reached for the short blade resting on his right hip. Kunzite didn’t allow him the opportunity. He grabbed the shorter man by the jacket of his gray uniform and punched him, making him stumble back a few feet. “I will make you pay for everything you have done to her,” Kunzite warned him, bringing his sword back up. “I made the mistake of letting you walk away the first time, but not again.”
“She doesn’t hate me the way you do. What do you think will happen when she watches you run your sword through me?”
Kunzite froze, his sword still posed to attack. A slight tremor passed through his arm from the tension in his body as his eyes looked over Adonis’s head, reason battling revenge. In that brief moment Adonis’ hand slowly reached for the blade at his hip.
Time stopped for Minako as she watched everything in slow motion. Panic rose through her and she looked around, ready to move towards the two men, trying to save the man that she suddenly condemned. She looked over to Zoicite’s sword next to her and reached for it.
“Let me help you with that,” a voice rumbled pleasantly in her ear. Her body tensed when she felt the man’s arm wrap loosely around her shoulders as he kneeled behind her. His other hand landed on top of hers’ and slowly pulled the sword’s hilt from her grasp. From the corner of her eye she saw a shock of white hair belonging to her captor. His hand held her shoulder firmly and pulled her to stand, the sword resting at his side. “That’s enough,” he spoke evenly and loudly to the two men in front of him. Adonis and Kunzite both kept their eyes trained on each other, Kunzite’s blade remaining firmly aimed at Adonis’ neck. “You would do well to lower your blade, Kunzite,” he warned.
Kunzite allowed his eyes to shift over to the voice speaking to him. With a low growl he begrudgingly brought his blade to rest in front of him, allowing Adonis to slide away to safety as he turned to face this new arrival.
“That’s better,” the man responded with a cool smile. “Men of our ranks should be able to talk civilly.”
“You have no rank, Diamond,” Kunzite muttered. “What is all of this about?”
“This is about placing the true heir on the throne,” Diamond answered. “This is about justice for a murderer. Although this is hardly the place for this type of a discussion and I’m afraid that our time is going to be cut short.” Diamond turned to the surrounding wooded area and signaled for the uniformed men hidden within the shadows to come forward.
“Leave her here,” Kunzite quickly added. “She has nothing to do with any of this.”
Diamond turned his eyes to Minako. “I suppose the choice is yours then. You may come with me and live or stay behind and die. Just make your choice quickly.” She glanced down to the sword in his hand and swallowed the sob building in her throat.
“If you hurt her, Diamond, I will kill you,” Kunzite said ominously.
“Then I suppose we should bring her along so that you’ll cooperate. Now do her a favor and drop your sword.”
Kunzite gripped the hilt of his sword tightly looking around for the first time to realize the full effect of the trap he walked into. Zoicite still lay on the ground, his body tensed as if waiting to spring despite staring down the sharp edge of Rubeus’ blade. Several men in dark gray uniforms, shrouded by dark cloaks, stood around them with their weapons drawn. Zoicite at least stood a chance of fighting his way out in spite of his fallen state, but Minako wouldn’t be able to pull away from Diamond and the thought of what that man would do to her was enough to send a chill through him. There was very little that he could do without sacrificing the lives of Minako and Zoicite. Not that they were expendable in his eyes, but he needed to warn Endymion of what was happening.
It was at that moment that he understood the events of that night. The guards that had been found tied up, the disappearance of Saphir. All of it had been the red herring that he said it was. It had merely served as a distraction so that Diamond could move his men into place. This deliberate plan now removed two of Endymion’s protectors, and for the time being, none would be the wiser until it was too late to do anything.
Diamond sighed. “Always stubborn. I realized that you would not so easily be swayed, and I’m sure you would gladly risk the life of your friend, even that of this maiden, if it means protecting your prince – I would expect nothing less from you. Although,” his voice drifted off for a moment as if lost in thought before bringing the flat end of the blade to rest against Minako’s stomach, causing her to slightly jump in his arms. Kunzite lowered his stance, his body preparing to move in retaliation. “I wonder if you would be willing to reconsider if you knew it was your child’s life that I held in my hands.”
Kunzite’s eyes quickly flickered over Minako’s face, noting that her look of fear was not only a result of the sword being pointed at her. He allowed his gaze to travel to her stomach where Diamond’s blade was patiently tapping against her dress. Another growl escaped his lips as he threw his blade to the ground.
Diamond nodded his head and two men approached Kunzite. The first held Kunzite’s arms behind his back and the second pulled two concealed blades from Kunzite’s uniform. Adonis picked up Kunzite’s sword and walked towards Zoicite who had been forced to quietly watch the exchange up until now. He nodded his head at Rubeus who lowered his sword and left to stand near Diamond. “It’s just going to be you and me in a moment,” he said quietly to Zoicite.
Kunzite attempted to approach Diamond but was restrained by the two men still holding his arms. Diamond handed Minako off to Rubeus and with a nod of his head signaled for the red-headed man to leave with her. “If she gives you any trouble, kill her,” he said simply, his eyes never leaving Kunzite’s. The two men stood eye to eye being of equal heights. Both were so alike in their image from their light hair to their slim builds, down to even the same cold look in their eyes. What separated them was the angry frown marring Kunzite’s features and the cruel smile that rested on Diamond’s lips. “You made a big mistake giving yourself up for the girl, Kunzite. A woman who can’t even be bothered to tell you that she’s having your child surely isn’t worth such a large sacrifice. Who knew that the day would come where you would allow for the downfall of the kingdom you spilled so much blood for to fall all because of a woman. Although, this isn’t the first time that you have sacrificed the welfare of your kingdom for a woman is it? It’s no wonder that you had to make her disappear.”
“Let her stay with me,” Kunzite said ignoring Diamond’s jab.
“No.” Diamond gave a brief nod of his head and the two men holding Kunzite’s bound hands together pushed him forward, leaving Diamond, Adonis, and Zoicite behind. Diamond took a few steps and approached the other two men, his eyes narrowing as Zoicite lifted his upper body to rest on his elbows, bringing himself to face his captors. “So you are the fourth now,” Diamond said with disinterest, looking over the young soldier who remained silent. “I should be angry that Endymion has chosen someone so young to follow in my footsteps, but you have proven to be worthwhile.” His lips pulled into a grim smile. “Your persistence has shown me that I need to train my men to be better at keeping their secrets, as well as covering their tracks.” He watched as Zoicite’s mouth remained in a firm line and frowned, taking a step closer. “Do you have nothing to say for yourself?”
Zoicite smiled grimly. “I always imagined that the devil would be taller.”
Diamond scoffed in response. “You have Kunzite’s wit and cunning, of that I have no doubt, but it seems that you also have Jadeite’s ill timed humor. Perhaps you have the arrogance of Nephrite that allows you to believe that you can speak so freely.”
“There is no arrogance in me, just knowledge. I know what you’ve done, that you tried to divide and conquer Endymion’s generals. You set up Kunzite to take the fall for something he had no control over knowing how Jadeite would react.”
“And for all my troubles I can now take out two of Endymion’s favorites in one fell swoop with a third not far behind. I’m already ahead.”
“Nephrite’s soldiers to the West have already engaged a group of your men. I hear that none of your men will be making it back.
An odd grin affixed itself on Diamond’s face. “Sacrifices need to be made at times. What is a small battalion of my men really worth when compared what I’ve gained today? They all serve as distractions to thin out and wear down your armies.”
“And what will you do when much of your army has been defeated?”
A deep rumbling laughter came as his response. “Endymion’s army will become my army. They all so quickly fell into step after the death of Endymion’s father, and now they will do the same with their next leader. Those men have not been trained for loyalty, they have been trained to obey. Your Kunzite has done quite the job ensuring this.”
“You will not win this.” Zoicite felt confident in his words despite the lack of strength behind them.
“Boy, we are at war and your prince has somehow failed to realize this. It matters not though. In a few days time his replacement will be on the throne and he will be dead. Much like you are about to be.”
“I’m surprised that someone as strategic as you appear to be would fail to find a better purpose for me than death.”
“I won’t pretend that you would be willing to change sides, nor will I assume that you can be trusted. You’re quick, I can see why you have been placed in charge of surveillance. It’s by that same logic that I cannot allow you further time to live and devise a way out of your situation. Danburite,” he called over his shoulder to Adonis, “kill him.” Without sparing one last glance to either man, Diamond proceeded to follow after where his contingent of men exited through the woods.
“You don’t have to die today, Zoicite. I’ll talk to Diamond and make him listen.”
“Diamond is right, he can’t trust me,” Zoicite responded, watching as the last traces of the departing man faded in the shadows of the tall trees.
“What about your wife? Is it better that she mourns you than lives to see another day with you? Would you do that to Ami?”
“Don’t talk about her as if you have any concern for her well being,” Zoicite growled rising to one knee, his eyes focused on the blond haired man in front of him. “She knows the sacrifices that I must make and I know that she would be disappointed if I returned a traitor even if it meant not returning at all.”
“Kunzite has brainwashed you! I wish that you could see that you are nothing more than a weak extension of him!”
“We have both trained under him and are stronger for it.” Zoicite fought to keep his voice calm despite the rising intensity of Adonis’.
“He’s weak too, Zoicite. Didn’t you see how he just gave up? There was no heroic battle. Where were his loyalties when he threw it all away? I think you know as well as I that by sacrificing the two of you he would have been able to fight his way out of here. And even after all that in the end, did he even bother to look back to you? All he cares about is that girl!”
“It seems that’s all you care about as well,” Zoicite commented coolly.
“I’m sorry to do this, my old friend.” Adonis tightened his grip on Kunzite’s sword and pulled the sword back, his elbow parallel with his shoulder, his eyes glazing over as he finally thrust it forward into Zoicite’s abdomen. Zoicite attempted to twist away from the blade, grunting from the pain of the cold metal protruded through his body. Adonis yanked the blade from Zoicite’s body, his face impassive as the metal easily slid free. “Maybe we’ll both be better off in the next life.” With that he turned his back on the fallen man, tossed aside the sword, and followed after Diamond, noticing that a small contingent of people were slowly headed his way from the celebrations still going on behind them. It didn’t matter. He knew that they wouldn’t bother to pursue him that evening after stumbling upon the body of their fallen comrade and the blade belonging to their hero.
