Endymion's Chambers in the Castle of the Red Lady

Endymion woke to the sound of hustle and bustle in the hall way. He put a hand to his head, as he used a small bit of his strength to rid himself of the dull ache there.

Endymion looked around his chambers as he struggled to remember how he'd gotten there. There was a soft knock on his door and he looked up. "Come in."

Kunzite peeked around the corner. "My Liege, you are awake. How are you feeling?"

Endymion smiled. "I've been worse. What is going on? What happened? How did I get here? Last I remember was my duel with the assassin."

Kunzite came into the room followed by Miniya, Princess of Venus they each took a chair by his fire place. "You don't happen to remember your defeat?"

Endymion glared. "I remember that. It was a lucky blow. One little slip." Miniya snorted and Kunzite rolled his eyes. "You disagree? I had that fight, she was bloodied and beaten, and there's not a scratch on me."

Kunzite stood, moving over to the foot of the bed, "You were not wounded because she chose not to wound you. It was only truly a duel to the death if she lost." He grabbed Endymion's tunic and handed it to his lord. "Check the back side, she marked the most there."

Endymion held the garment over his hands and noticed slits in the fabric, and Miniya gasped. "I saw the movements! But she was-"

"Keeping track of the times she could have killed Endymion." Understanding entered Endymion's eyes as he looked to Kunzite. "She handed you the fight M' Lord, and only when your defeat was undeniable did she grab victory."

"I-"

Miniya rolled her eyes. "And even after she spared the pathetic life you wished to throw away, you disgraced yourself further, throwing away your honor, by attacking M' Lady after you admitted defeat."

Endymion shook his head in objection. "I had to see- To know- I. Wait a moment, I missed her mask. But the disguise still fell?"

Kunzite nodded. "It was luck. She used the same trick from when she was in our care. You missed the mask but managed to cut the tatoo of a rose that was on her left breast."

"Oh- Then who-" Endymion's brow scrunched in confusion and he looked to Miniya. "Your La-" A memory flashed to his mind. Long silver locks and then the darkness of his unconscious mind. "She is Selenity's heir?"

The Venusain princess gravely nodded. "And still, at least technically, your future bride."

A confused anguished look crossed the earthlings suddenly pale face. He could almost hear the accusations as if the girl had said them allowed. 'Still engaged to the monster!!' Endymion stood and took a step, hearing her voice say his fears, 'The monster she abandoned her home to run from!' Three more long strides and he was at the door. 'Whom she abandoned me to run from!' He pushed past his visitors, forgetting his shirt, forgetting any sense of decency, 'And it is this monster who has trapped her yet again.'

He began walking, not paying attention to his direction or surroundings. He shook his head to try and rid his mind of the haunting thoughts, but still they assaulted him. He stopped. "Was I really so unbearable?" His whisper was lost in the throng of people, and he suddenly noticed the crowd of people in the hall. Some adults, some children. Some peasants, some beggars, some gypsies. He looked around the hall, searching for something familiar to tell him he hadn't escaped and then he saw it. The large dark cherry doors with carved wooden roses. 'The doors mother described. The door leading to the assassin's chambers.' His mind hissed the word like it was poison, but his heart pained to hear it describe the gentle creature. 'Ha! Gentle, she's quick as a cobra! And has a nastier bite!' He placed a hand on the door berating himself his heart telling him it was a lie. Endymion was snapped from his thought by a hand placed on his own. He followed it up a muscular arm, to a slim neck, and a hard thin face surrounded by wild red hair.

"My Lord, I've been trying to tell you the Great Lady isn't in!"

Endymion looked to the woman, mind distracted once more as he was certain he recognized this hard woman. "Dwahuh?" The garbled gibberish was the only thing his distracted mind could produce as a response.

The woman chuckled. "Lots less articulate this time!"

And then the pieces of his mind snapped together. "You're Molly Hatchet! Wife of the great kni-"

"Widow, actually, of that Rotten son of a bitch Thomas 'Atchet."

Endymion's face became puzzled. "The knight murdered in cold blood by the Red Lady?"

"Ha! You type never listen! Tried to tell you when you built that monstrosity of a tribute to that festering piece of manure! But ya know everythin so well!"

"I-" He paused. He remembered her asking for an audience when the tribute was being planned. He couldn't quite remember talking to the woman. But he remembered the situation and the woman.

Thomas Hatchet, a knight of the Golden Kingdom, was assigned the task of protecting a particular village, as many knights were. Five years into his assignment- two months after Endymion's forced release of the girl who was presumably Serenity- he had been murdered. Endymion was outraged. He'd investigated himself, but found the towns people of little use. He had thought, at the time, they were afraid for their lives. But seeing Molly now. . . After a month he found enough evidence to conclude it was another death at the hands of the assassin, the Red Lady. He'd had a monument erected in the knight's honor. Seeing their was no real gain for the assassin from the knight's death, Endymion had concluded that there was a value to the village. He had assigned a highly decorate general and his own personal trainer, Collin Quilestrine, to the protection of the small town.

He gave her a puzzled look. "Where is Sir Quilestrine?"

Her smile brightened. "Collin? 'E's my husband now. Guess ya could say I've got a thing for men in shinnin armor!" She chuckled at her own joke. "'E's just round the corner. COLLIN!"

The red haired woman looked over her shoulder, to see Collin coming around the corner a big grin on his face, "Yeah Mol?"

"His Majesty," Endymion noticed she snorted the word majesty, "Was askin after ya?"

The knights gaze left his wife for the first time, "Oh!" He tumbled into a hasty bow, "My liege!"

Molly grabbed him and pulled him up just as quickly. "None of that here, love! We're not in 'is kingdom, we're in 'ers, and ya know she don't like no one bowin!"

Collin gave Endymion a look that clearly apologized, but showed he would obey the fiery red head. "Right, of course, Love. My liege, I hope you have been well?"

"Quite. But I do seem to be confused. Perhaps you and your wife?" He made the term a question and Collins sparkling eyes clearly said he was correct, "Could help me?"

"Anything."

"Didn't I assign you to protect the village from the assassin?"

Molly's boisterous laugh cut off any response Collin might have hoped to form. "Protection? From 'er?" Her loud voice started to catch the attention from several people in the hall. "What we needed was protection from that demon of a man, Hatchet!" There were several grunts of approval and several more people began to pay attention. "The fiend wore your symbol like he was king! Acted like he owned us! He paid a right bit 'o our gold to yer inspectors to make sure his reports was top notch! But that tyrant took all the money we could afford to give, he stole booze from the pub and helped himself ta anything on our carts! I was the first woman he raped, and so he said he'd done right by me to marry me, and for that honor he beat me. But I wasn't the last to be raped. And at fifteen I wasn't the youngest." He could hear the venom in her voice. "Some of the girls took their lives rather than be faced with his hunger again. The villain shamed us all."

Endymion was stunned. "I did not know."

"And ya never cared to. Ya never listened."

"My apologies can never be enough. I have been a --" he swallowed his pride, "Fool for a great long while. Please. I beg you. I am listening now. Tell me your tale."

(AN: This is kinda important so I'm toning down Molly's accent just a tad just for this.)

Her hard eyes looked deep into his. Endymion saw a grim serious look, and did his best to reflect a sincere interest and a deeply felt apology in his own. She nodded. "Five years we suffered. Him takin everythin, killin those who were brave enough and tried to fight, and payin off those with the power to stop it.

And then on day this little brunette, pipsqueak of a girl, comes into town, stranger ta all. And ol' Hatchet, he fancies her and her exotic charms. He's never really risked takin from an outsider before, but five years kinda boosts his confidence. So he grabs the little filly by the neck and tries to drag her off, but she don't go so easily. So he tells her how its done. How this is his village, and if she wants to walk out alive she'll do just as we done, and give him what he wants. He says 'A lotta people bigger, stronger than you have fallen to my blade so just bend over, I promise it'll hurt, and the more you fight the longer I'll take.' None of us says a thing, we're all too scared and we watch as he tries again to drag this wisp of a thing off knowin he'll get what he wants cause he always does.

But before we can blink he's flat on his back and the tip of his own sword is pressed to his throat. And that tiny little thing says ta him, 'You gluttonous tub of guts! Do you know who I am?' She gives him a moment and he don't move, 'I am the assassin, The Red Lady,' she continues in her velvety voice, 'And you presume to take me into a barn and have me bend over? I do not know how long you have been a tyrant here, but let me tell you your reign of terror is over. I am taking this town under my wing, and if I so much as suspect that your thinking of taking one undo cent from these people I'll have your head!' And she takes his blade, swings it in her hand, and pins him to the ground by the giblets between his leg. 'Here's a final bit of advice, oaf, this is one of any face. I can be any where and every where. Your liege may be ignorant to this tyranny, but I will not tolerate it. Behave, little pig, for I'll be watching.' And before anythin else can happen she's disappeared!

And fer a while things is good. He brought in a physician from who knows where to fix up her damage, but everything is better. He doesn't take so much, pays for things, leaves girls alone, but he's always lookin over his shoulder, waitin to see if someones there.

After about a month he snaps. He killed three girls in the middle of the market without a warning. Jennifer Hadley, Samantha Barns, and Joyce Townshend. I'm at the tip of his blade next. He's mad. He's shoutin bout how its got ta be one of us girls, and unless she comes up he'll kill us all.

I won't lie. I thought I was dead. I figured a girl like that had fergot all about us. So I closed my eyes and I waited for that sick son of a whore to slice me through, but after a moment I don't feel nothing so I peak with one eye, and the Lady all in red is in front of me. His sword stickin in all the way through the flesh of her left shoulder, and before he can pull it out his head is rollin on the ground, and a second later his body catches up.

Its quiet all around. We don't know what to do. Ya see, we were finally free! But the Lady, and she's just that- a Lady- and she's all beaten up and she falls to her knees, tears streamin down that pretty face, sobs rackin her tiny frame. So I rush to her side, just knowing its got ta be her shoulder and I shout fer some hot water and some bandages, and a stick. And I get the stick and I have her bight down, and I pull the blade out in a nice smooth move. Several of us work together and bandage her up, and still she's cryin, so I take her in my arms and I hear her sayin somethin, so I lean in real close, and she's beggin for our forgiveness!! And I say what? And she begs to be forgiven, goes on about how those girls shouldn't a died, and how its all her fault! Says she wanted to give the man a second chance, to change, ta be good- even if its only cause there's a watchful eye, she says everyones got some good. And she says how she's naïve and stupid, and she's killed our sisters.

We told her we couldn't forgive her, when there was nothin she done wrong. Even the worst of us see that what she says about the good is true, and we don't blame her for nothin. And all of us know those girls wouldn't either. She's been our angel ever since."

Endymion shook his head. "I never knew."

Collin's laugh cut off further thoughts. "It gets better. You send me there to protect these people, and the first day I rode into town in my best armor tryin to impress, and right down the main road marches this red clad figure, and I just know this has got to be the girl you've been on a wild goose chase for. She walks right up to me. She looks me in the eyes and says, 'You're the new law?' I nod my head, 'I'm hear for their protection, and the Prince has specifically ordered me to protect them from you!' And before I go on, Molly walks up and pops me right on the nose! Let me tell you, this girl has a hell of a left hook and I'm out like a light. When I come to, the Lady is tending to me, she checks me over. And when its clear the only permanent damage is to my pride, she looks me straight in the eye and says. 'This is my village. These people are my family. I guard them with my life. If you over step your position and try and harm these people I will take that as a direct threat. I will silence you.' And before I can argue, she's gone. I looked all around, kinda baffled and Molly just laughs at my bewildered look and says, 'She does that a lot. Ya get used to it!' Thats when I learned the truth. I made small mention of it in my reports, but I guess ya never read them."

"I've been a fool for some time. I rarely bother reading the reports, I always assumed if you had information on the Red Lady you would come straight to me."

"Molly here, had already tried. And honestly, I didn't try very hard to bring it to your attention, I knew your obsession with the girl, and I feared to be labeled as an enemy of the kingdom."

"I think I've been confused about exactly whom my enemies are."

"I figured that out early on. Thats why I took it upon myself to train the child in the ways of our knights."

Endymion's eyes bulged, "You taught her The Tutamen?"

Collin nodded. "She was protecting our people- far better than knights like Hatchet- she had more of a right to know than them. I must say she's quite a talented little filly."

Endymion chuckled, "That does explain how she defeated me."

Collin grinned, "Only student I've ever had that surpassed you M' Lord. She learned everything I had to teach, took not more than a month. She's patient, graceful, hard working, understanding, calm, and modest. By the end of the month, she could have defeated even the finest knights in your army."

"A month? But it takes years of-"

"She's a quick study. Persistent. If I'd had the stamina to keep up with her, she could have probably mastered a stance a day. You should also know, Hatchet was her first kill."

"I- She sounds completely intriguing. There seems to be quit a lot I have yet to learn about this girl. If you could excuse me, I should like to speak with the girl."

Molly laughed, "But sir, I've already said the Lady isn't in. None have seen her since we abandoned the village."

Endymion gave the girl a confused looked. "Why did you have to abandon the village?"

A sad look crossed the face of the people gathered and many began to disperse. "We was bein threatened. Whoever hired her to kill you lot, didn't want ta pay fer yer generals. Two men came to negotiate," she spit the word. "The lady was afraid that as soon as word got out, there'd be brigands, thieves, crazed lords all bangin down our doors threatenin our lives should she not follow their biddin." Molly shrugged. "So she came in faked our slaughter and thats the last we seen of her."

Endymion nodded. "If you should see her, would you tell her I should like an audience?"

Molly nodded, "Sure thing, M' Lord."

Endymion nodded once more, beginning to become lost in his thoughts again as he headed in the opposite direction of the dispersing crowd.

He struggled for a line of thought to follow, grasping at random thoughts. 'How could such dishonesty and depravity occur in our kingdom when mother and father keep such a close eye on things?' He came to a corridor and turned left. 'How many men has she justly killed like Hatchet?' He turned right. 'Were things better under grandfather's iron fist?' He shook his head, 'No. I've seen first hand the difference on the people's faces.' ' How many people has she unjustly killed?' Left. 'How many people have I unjustly punished?' He paled at the thought stopping for a moment as he pictured the exotic brunette child that had been Serenity. 'Lord Callenforth has always been a loyal subject, a good man what has instilled his loyalty in Serenity? Could his story be as dark as Molly's?' Left. 'Am I seen as the tyrant as my grandfather was? When mother and father have gone will real loyalty remain? Or only fear?' He stopped. "Fear of the monster she saw all those years ago." The echo startled him and for the first time since he'd left the crowded corridors of the living quarters, Endymion took in his surroundings. The candles in the hallway, that hadn't already burnt out, were burning low and dim. In the shadows Endymion could see only one path that wouldn't lead him back to the way he came. The mysteries hidden in the shadows began to call him forward, and he continued on his path. Fifty paces down the hall Endymion came to two enormous black doors. The doors seemed forbidding. No pretty pictures were carved into the wood like the lighter more inviting oak doors he'd seen in the living and dinning corridors. A sudden moan that came from nowhere caused Endymion to take a sudden step back. He stared at the doors waiting for anything that should confirm his sudden nervousness.

A high pitched shrill scream filled the empty corridors.

Endymion stumbled back, turned to run, and then stopped in his tracks as a he suddenly thought out loud, "Serenity!" A sense of caring, concern and fear pushed him through the dark doors and he stumbled into a room filled with all sorts of screens, wires, monitors, a bed- "A bed!!"

He rushed forward and was intercepted by Ikuko who held him at bay as he watched in terror as a thin red line appeared across Serenity pale slender neck. A gurgling noise escaped her mouth, and after a moment he realized she was trying to scream and choking on her bed. "She's dying!" He pushed forward, knocking Ikuko to the floor. He was at her side in an instant only to see the wound on her throat closed, but blood still soaking the sheet. He raised a hand and brushed her face, "Wha-"

Ikuko pulled his hand back to his side. "She's fine, M' Lord."

And for a few minutes she was, Endymion watched as the pale girl rested peaceful, until without warning Serenity sat up gasping as blood blossomed from her bosom, being sluggishly pumped forward by the injured heart below. Endymion pulled his hands from Ikuko's grip and placed a lightly glowing golden hand above her heart. "Fine?" A moment later he felt the pulsing liquid subside as the wound healed. He raised a bloody hand to Ikuko's eyes. "You call this fine?"

Ikuko shook her head a sad look crossing her aged features, a sign escaping her lips as she searched for the right explanation. "The child knew the price when she invoked the magic."

Serenity's scream filled the air as first her stomach was sliced and then her throat, immediately turning the scream into a horrid gurgling sound.

He held her hand letting his magic spread. He noticed her features calm almost instantly at his touch, but could feel the beginnings of a sword cutting into his own flesh. "What magic is this?"

Ikuko shook her head. "The Lady's own brand. I won't go into the details, but sometimes the Lady finds it necessary to fake a death to save a life. With all the advancements in technology, it has become difficult, but the Child developed a technique where she grants the shadow of an individual life to be displayed, form to be cut, and-"

The death finished.

"Blood."

Serenity rested.

Ikuko took in the resting child, her eyes unable to turn from the gorey scene she knew was about to follow. "Yes. And blood to be spillt. Its a kind of alchemy and so as a death is given-"

The new cut split her skull, no scream issued.

"The cost is she dies?"

Ikuko closed her sad eyes and shook her head. "Sadly no, I feel that would be better. No. The cost is the death must be felt."

Another death finished.

Endymion had many more questions, but as he searched for the right one another death sliced through her pale skin, he found himself asking, "How long will this go on? Would you allow me to help her?"

Ikuko's eyes focused on the bleeding heart of her lady. "Each death takes no more than three minutes. There were more than a hundred villagers. She's only got through twelve deaths so far." She turned to Endymion and noticed the hint of the same injury her Lady had. "You wish to suffer with her?" He nodded looking at Serenity's blood stained face. "She always denies help. Refuses to find a-" she struggled for the right word, "less painfully way. But anything, please. Do what ever you need, I can't watch this another minute."

"Could you get me a dagger?"

Ikuko rushed to a table a few meters away, coming back with a delicate silver dagger, she paused before handing Endymion the hilt looking into his eyes. Satisfied with what she saw, she allowed him to take the blade. He sliced the palm of his left hand, and repeated the wound on Serenity, he looked to Ikuko's startled eyes and explained. "I can push the magic through my skin, but it flows best through my blood. I have seen such proof when healing my generals on the battlefield." While speaking he'd taken Serenity's hand in his own, pressing the wounds together. "I don't understand exactly what magics she's invoked, but I think I can better- "A new death had started and Endymion had to grit his teeth as he felt the pressure of a blade split his side, but felt no blood spill from the wound. He looked to Serenity's wound and saw a similar slash split her in two, but saw nothing spilled. "See. I can better help, if I let my blood flow through her veins." He struggled to control his breathing as he regained in on the pain that had over taken his body.

Tears continued to spill down Ikuko's face. "Thank you. I know you don't understand anything she has done, or the person whom she has become, but-"

He shook his head. "You're right. But I heard what she did for one village in my kingdom. There story was enough for me to pardon her of every crime I thought she had committed." He let out a breath of relief as the death finished. Moments later the blade slicing through his chest caused him to let out a scream.

"There's room on the other side of M' Lady, why don't you lay down as well. It will be a terrible and long night."