Silence. A single finger beat out a harsh tattoo against a silk stocking clad leg. Blue eyes bored into green mercilessly: daring their owner to claim that he would do any differently if the roles were reversed. They had been sitting like this for a while now.
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The door slammed open with a force that, had the wall not been made of granite, would have left a hole. Venus looked up from the 3D blueprint of the theater the Queen was to visit next week displayed on her desk. Sharp eyes took in the disheveled appearance of the man who stood in the door and pale eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise. "Is there something you needed, General?" She asked.
Her voice was smooth and polite. It was the kind of tone that any dignitary would have used with another that they didn't know very well and it infuriated him. Striding into the room he slammed the door shut behind him. "Dammit Venus!" Kunzite roared. "Why am I only now being informed of this?" He tossed the cream parchment he was clutching at her.
Catching it she gave it a brief scan before meeting his eyes again. "I'm afraid that I fail to see problem, General. You received your invitation at the same time as the other guests." From the gleam in her eyes he knew that she knew what his problem with it was and that this had not been a simple oversight.
"You know full well what the problem is, Venus. I should have been informed of this months ago so that I could help you plan the security for it. That. Is. My.Job." He snarled at her his obvious anger becoming more evident by the second.
"I apologize, General. You have been so busy that I decided not to bother you with something as simple as this." There was no changein the look of polite interest on her features nor was there in the smooth lilt of her voice as she answered.
He was stared at her agape for a moment before giving a soft bitter laugh. When he spoke the anger was gone. "Oh I've been busy alright. Busy with things that are of no real importance. But then that's how you planned it, right Venus? Assign the other Shitennou and me things that keep us as far from the King and Queen as possible without disobeying a direct order." He laughed that hollow laugh again. "I'm surprised at you, Princess. Once you believed that everyone deserved to be forgiven. Yet here you are punishing us for something that happened millennia ago."
Her eyes hardened at his words. "I am not punishing any of you nor has my belief in that changed. There is however a difference between forgiveness and blind trust." Leaning her hip against her desk she folded her arms over her chest. "I have long since forgiven the Shitennou for their… transgression." He snorted at her choice of words. "But that forgiveness does not mean that things will go back to the way they were. That night changed us all and we must now act accordingly." With a sigh Venus moved so that she was perched on the armrest of one of the stuffed chairs and inclined her head to indicate that he should take a seat in one of the others. "For me it means that I can no longer place any of you in a position where, if you chose to make that choice again, you could cause any damage. So yes I have regulated you to jobs that hold a low security risk." She pinned him with a cool stare. "Tell me, General, if the position had been reversed what would you have done? If it had been the Guardian Senshi who had joined Beryl and betrayed our Princess would you risk even the chance that it could happen again?"
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Finally Kunzite shook his head. Running his hand trough his hair he admitted, "I would not. In fact when you put it that way I'm surprised that you suffer having us in the palace at all let alone alive. I'm not sure I would have." Looking back at her he asked, "Why have you?"
Venus shrugged, "Killing you seemed pointless. All that would happen is that you'd be reborn again and I'd just have to do it again. You'll remember that I detest repeat work." She caught the brief flash of hurt in his eyes and hastened to sooth it for reasons she refused to acknowledge. "Ok. Ok. Bad joke but the air was getting a little thick. Honestly it's because I don't believe that you will make that choice again."
Confused he started to ask, "Then why-?"
"Don't I trust you with anything more substantial to do?" Venus finished for him. "Because it doesn't matter what I believe just as it doesn't matter why it happened the first time. That's why I've never let you explain your actions. In the end the why doesn't matter. All that matters is the fact that it happened. Which means that I have to deal with the fact that it could happen again. As the leader of the Guardian Senshi my job is to protect them from any possibility and I can not take even the chance of a chance that it may." Her bright eyes flickered around the room looking everywhere but at him. "Maybe someday you'll have built up the trust again and I can take that chance but for now it's not possible. Do you understand Kunzite?" Venus asked using his name for the first time since his rebirth. Its use informed him that she wasn't only talking about the monarchs' protection. She was also talking about her heart.
"I do." He gave her a slight nod. "As much as I hate it I do. I would be unable to make another choice in your position. I just hope that I am someday worthy of that trust again." He rose and swept her a bow. "Good day, Princess."