Disclaimer: Sailor Moon characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, everything else belongs to me.

AN: First, I'd like to thank all of you who are reading my story and those of you who are reviewing. Second, I want to say a special thank you to my fans who have stuck by my side even though I changed main characters, you know, petiyaka, My Veggie Burger, lucimonk, Tenoh and Kaioh, sezaru (sorry if I missed someone). Third, JCE, if you ever get to read this, I just want to share with you that right now I feel like I need to pet a unicorn.

At this point I could probably write an essay comparing the readers of Usagi/Mamoru pairing and Haruka/Michiru pairing because the differences are fascinating to me, but I will refrain from doing so. I think it may be the heat, but I suddenly feel like I'm getting bipolar regarding fanfiction. Which, obviously, at this precise moment in time is working in your favor because I'm posting a new chapter. The desire to finish this story washes over me every once in a while, then I take a deep breath and continue writing it like I intended (which really I don't intend anything specific because I don't plan much ahead in my stories. I keep ahead by not posting right away, but I don't know where the story will actually go).

Some review-specific responses: lalaland - thanks for your kind words. Pamela - I didn't intend to Serenity to be always wrong and Endymion didn't say she was reacted wrongly, just that she overreacted. His own opinion on the matter is below. I think I've addressed most of the issues you brought up below, actually. Shkeerka - as of right now there are three pairings that are contrasted S/D, R/J, M/K. It is sort of this moment in time when they act out, but it will come together as to why and for what (different) reasons later. No, I never intended for Serenity to come begging, come on, I'm all about empowered women. roswellachick - thank you. dekita - thank you for taking the time to leave a review after pulling an allnighter :) I agree that Endy was kind of taking a back seat to the developments (character-wise) that took place in the last few chapters. That's about to change. I wanted to concentrate on Sere and her new acquaintances before I went back to opening up his character. Your 2 cents are duly noted and the spelling/tense errors - well, this story comes out of Scrivener, gets a couple of re-reads by myself (English being my 2nd language) and gets posted, so if you do come across something that sticks out - please bring it to my attention if you don't mind. petiyaka - you'll get your pirates in the next chapter. Arabella Violetta - the AN in the previous chapter in no way addressed your reviews. I really like your style and I do play guessing games when I read as well. toots - arguably, 17 is a child. More practically, the expression is used in this story to show inexperience (general, not specifically sexual) and childish behavior. Your analysis of married people is interesting - I will not address it because it will take a lot of space. I'll be posting a story entitled "Commitment" at some point in the near(ish) future, it is about exactly that, I mean marriage, relationships and commitment. I am not done building my characters ad I mentioned before, so don't fret. Everyone else - thanks for your support and here it is per your wishes…

Chapter 10: Of Marriages and Celebrations

Endymion stepped out into the hallway and leaned his back against the door. His hand shook visibly as he brought it up to rake through his dark locks, his breathing unsteady. Nice going Endymion, he chastised himself, whatever made you think that was a good idea?

He had to turn his mind to the battlefield, it was the only way. The memory of gruesome scenes, of earth littered with bodies, their corpses rotting in the sun, the smell nauseating. His head snapped up with a look of disgust. That worked. He shook his head in amusement. If only he'd known when he first laid his eyes on her that his wife would be the end of him. He was making the short walk to his bedchamber when he realized someone was standing by his door.

"I… I don't even know where to begin," Kunzite said as he took a step towards Endymion.

"You will begin by asking Lady Amina's father for her hand in marriage."

Kunzite seemed to be taken aback for a moment. "I thought-"

"You thought wrong," Endymion cut off as he beckoned his late visitor inside the sitting room in front of his bedchamber. "If I knew you were of this character, I'd never let you accompany my sister; never let you anywhere near my wife. Obviously, I misjudged you."

"With all due respect, Endymion, I did not do anything you yourself wouldn't," Kunzite defended.

"You took the innocence of my wife's cousin," Darien snapped. "In a fucking hallway!"

"I only gave her what she wanted."

"Now you will give me what I want or I will send you on the next ship to patrol our borders. A year with no female companion should give you plenty of time to rethink your ways."

Kunzite's jaw clenched and he stood taller, straightening his shoulders. "Whatever you feel necessary, my lord."

It hurt Endymion to know that he really misjudged someone, especially someone he called a personal friend. It was a matter he decided to leave for the morning, though, so he dismissed the count with a terse goodnight and disappeared behind his heavy redwood door.

His room was lit with only bedside candle and the light cast soft glow over the imposing bed. It was of striking contrast to Serenity's room done in soft shades and decorated with fabric of intricate design. Endymion's room was more neutral. It had both feminine and masculine mixed in together - the legacy of his parents who had always shared that room.

As he lay in bed that night, physically in pain of dissatisfaction, Endymion kept wondering if the day would come when he is able to share what his parents had with Serenity. The day when she would accept him as her husband and unconditionally return his feelings. For that, of course, he had to admit to having those sorts of feelings in a first place.

ooo

The morning sun brightened buds of flowers that surrounded Serenity as she sat on a low bench in the middle of the garden. She watched the running water that fell from the stack of marble slabs directly across from her, though she was not seeing anything.

"May I join you?"

Serenity shook off her reverie and turned to see Raye standing at the top of the path. "Of course."

Raye walked up to the bench and sat down next to her sister-in-law. A comfortable silence stretched for a few minutes as some birds flew up to the flowering tree above them and then disappeared again. "What is bothering you?"

A blonde eyebrow rose at the question and Serenity looked at the brunette. "I'm fine, thank you."

Raye pursed her lips. "I know we didn't quite start our acquaintance on a high note and I apologize for that, but you look like you could use a friend and… I know what it feels like not having one."

"I appreciate you reaching out to me, Raye, but I really don't think you are the right person to listen to what I have to say. Please take no offense."

Raye looked away, her fingers playing with the bracelets that adorned her wrist. "My brother was seven when I was born and my entire life I had a best friend in him. I am not used to dealing with women; I never had female friends, only counts. Growing up with five boys… you have quite a different perspective. I didn't quite understand how different I was until I tried to fill my mother's shoes."

Serenity looked at the duchess who was still facing the other way. Her shoulders were slumped a bit, all royal air gone.

"I was eleven, still a child… I somehow thought that when the day arrived I would just put on a stifling gown and raise my chin high and everything would take care of itself. How silly." Raye brushed off a tear, masking the action behind putting a stray hair away. "No one took me seriously. I was a spoiled wretch, a nonsense. You have been on the receiving end of my temper, so you know how I can be. I felt like the whole world was against me. All but those five boys… five men. One of them in particular.

"Darien was too busy handling the affairs, too overwhelmed with what had happened to our parents to be able to lend a supporting hand. Jadeite was there, but he was no longer my childhood friend, for me he was quickly turning into an obsession and I felt so utterly alone. I ached to have a female role model, a female friend, but the only one I've ever had, my mother, was gone forever.

"So I watched women around the castle and in Crelian. I mended my relationship with the servants, the council, everyone I came across one person at a time. It took years, but one day I found myself respected. I was so occupied with getting there that I didn't even notice the moment when it arrived. I never stopped. I think Darien and I had the same approach, though we didn't really see each other much around that time. We connected with our people, we showed them that we were deserving and that they could rely on us.

"I had tutors until last year, but they failed to leave the same impression as the people around. I know that I don't fit into Society and I never will. Only those who do not know me think of me as a lady, those who have met me before have a very low opinion of me and I am aware of that. They would never admit it to my face… no one had ever told me that to my face, except you."

The last words came out in a whisper and Serenity desperately wanted to look into Raye's eyes, but knew that the other woman was too ashamed to withstand that.

"You know how everyone calls me the Duchess of Endymi?"

"Yes," Serenity responded since she knew Raye wouldn't see her nod.

"I'm not really a duchess, you know. The title only passes to the duke, his wife is the real duchess. You are the Duchess. I'm just… the sister of the Duke."

"Do not speak about yourself that way," Serenity chastised.

"I did not mean it to come out this way," Raye clarified. "Our people started calling me the Duchess, that's when I finally knew I had their respect and their hearts. It is one of the most gratifying expressions of their opinion of me."

"And I took it away from you," Serenity said quietly.

Raye turned around, her eyes a little red. "I did not mean it that way, Serenity. I just wanted to let you know that whatever difficulties you are having, it is normal. You have to adjust to your new life, you have to gain the respect of your people like I had to." A small smile tugged at her lips. "You are well on your way there because of who you are. You are so much better of a person than I am, you will have their hearts before the summer's end, you will see."

Now Serenity felt like her eyes were tearing up. "I am not a better person than you are. I pass judgment on people when I have no right to, I offend people I like and love, I… I'm just so confused."

"What are you confused about?"

Serenity looked away. "Propriety. Endymion. Myself."

Raye's smile grew wider. "It's normal, Serenity. You have known each other for a month, yet you are married. That is why he wanted to get to know you without telling you who he is, so that you could have an opinion of him without feeling obligated to think one way or another, knowing who he is. What did you think about Lord Shields?"

"I thought that he was a rake."

Raye's laughter filled the air and Serenity had to join her. They both held to their middle by the time they were done, the tension leaving them with the last sound. "He surely acted like one!"

Serenity nodded. "Is he?"

Raye sobered up. "No, of course not. He has had his share of liaisons, but he has always been careful. He knows who he is, what his place within the country is. He would never risk having bastard children around." She studied the blonde woman. "There is something particular that bothers you, is there?"

The younger woman took a moment to phrase the question, then decided to go about it differently. "I overheard some ladies say how he can win affections with a single dance and right after… he left the ball with someone."

"Let me guess. Tall, long curly red hair…"

Serenity nodded her head. "You know her?"

"Yes, she is a cousin, betrothed to Marquis Du Bonashire."

"Oh."

"We are not liked, Serenity. People outside of the Duchy don't understand us and they either dislike us for our ways or because they envy what we have. There are many rumors floating around, surely you don't believe all of them?"

Serenity blushed a little at the memory of her ride to the Capital when Mina was telling her of those rumors. "I believe there is something of accuracy that starts every rumor."

"That may be so, but rumors would be facts if they remained entirely accurate."

"I would not argue with that," Serenity conceded.

Raye smiled. "So what was it that upset you?"

Serenity's lips tightened, but this time neither of them looked away. "I ran into Lord Kunzite and Lady Amina in the hallway last night… they…" Serenity's cheeks flushed bright red. "They were…" She wished she had a fan to cool her face, but none was available. "He took her celibacy."

"In the hallway?" Raye gasped.

Serenity only nodded, her eyes trained on a wide gold bracelet Raye wore over her upper arm. "In the hallway."

"Are you sure they weren't just… petting?"

"Petting?" Serenity looked into Raye's eyes and realized that the brunette was blushing as well. "No, I am quite sure they were copulating."

"Goodness," Raye mumbled. "I guess Lord Kunzite has found his countess."

"Don't you think he would marry her first if that was his intent?"

"Oh, I didn't mean to imply that he intended to marry her, just that he will have to now. If her father doesn't make him, Darien surely will."

Serenity's brow furrowed. "Does he have that sort of power?"

Raye looked at the sky where white clouds passed. "The Duke of Endymi has a lot of power, he just exercises it carefully. I have never seen him take an action against one of the counts, we are all childhood friends after all. But if he wished to, he could go as far as taking their lands and titles, among other things."

"I didn't realize that."

"Darien is very informal with his people, but that's because he is different, he believes in a different order within the society. It is by no means due to lack of power."

"I s-" A shriek interrupted Serenity's response as she jumped from the bench and held a hand over her heart, pointing at the tree branch with the other. "What is THAT?"

Raye stood as well, startled by the scream. Her eyes followed Serenity's index finger and saw a green reptile that matched the leaves of the tree. She laughed, finally realizing what had happened. "It's one of Darien's pets. A chameleon."

"A what?" Serenity asked, still panicked.

"A lizard called chameleon. It changes color to blend into its surroundings, so it is hard to notice. It was probably sitting there all along, listening to us."

"Endymion has this creature as a pet?" Serenity said slowly.

Raye smiled. "He brings all sorts of plants and animals when he travels to the mainland or other lands. This one is from Spain."

"Any other creatures I should be aware of?"

"Only two-legged ones." Raye extended her hand to Serenity. "Come, the breakfast is probably almost over."

ooo

The dining hall buzzed with conversations when the duchesses entered it, despite it being past nine o'clock. The breakfast typically began at six in the morning to allow those who had errands to start their day without any delay and ended before eight. Serenity looked questioningly at Raye who just shrugged a shoulder. They approached the head table and found the duke in his seat, as well as Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoicite, Lita, and Ami.

"I thought maybe you would miss the breakfast altogether," Endymion said in place of greeting. "Overwhelming evening?"

Serenity busied herself sitting down and arranging her skirts, knowing that her cheeks flamed at his insinuation. Raye, who was oblivious to what transpired between the two the night before shrugged again. "You ought to make those who are not staying leave before midnight. It's overwhelming when you have to stay and see each and every guest out."

Endymion turned to his sister, letting his wife off the hook. "Is that what you did?"

"Seeing how both you and Serenity conveniently disappeared, yes that was what I did."

"You are such a wonderful sister. How will I manage when you are gone?"

"Where am I going?" she asked not missing a bit. Surely she had the discussion with Jadeite when Endymion was dying, but the subject had not been breached since then and she dared Endymion to admit that the marriage was his idea.

"I don't know, dear, but won't you marry and have a castle of your own to boss around at some point?" Endymion said sweetly.

"Only one other castle around this Duchy I know of," Ami pointed out. "Is there something we missed while at the Capital?"

"Nothing much," Raye replied quickly. "Where are Lord Kunzite and Lady Amina?" she deflected masterfully.

Serenity looked up from her plate, realizing that the two people she was trying to avoid indeed were not at the table. Everyone turned to look at the duke.

"The Count of Zite and Lady Amina are on the way to the Capital where Kunzite will be asking Lord Cleford D'Mye for his daughter's hand."

"Oh how wonderful," Lita cheered. "I'm so glad you all are settling down. Took you long enough."

"They weren't as fortunate as me, honey," Nephrite said softly but without shame.

"Oh bug off," Jadeite replied. "If Lady Carmelita hadn't had the nerves of steel required to withstand you, you'd remain a bachelor forever."

"That is true." Lita smiled at her husband.

"I was wondering if someone would be interested in joining me for a horse ride after breakfast?" Serenity asked as a pause hang around their table.

"I'm sorry, I have a few prior arrangements," Raye smiled apologetically.

"Horses and I do not particularly get along," Ami apologized while Rei giggled and the counts hid their smiles.

"God yes, I swear this child took away all pleasure from my life!" Lita gushed.

"Surely your child…" Serenity started.

Lita's eyes widened and she hurried to explain. "Oh no, I did not mean to imply that I am not happy with my son, I'd never have it any other way, it just feels like I do nothing but answer his cries and other needs. I don't go for long rides anymore, I don't remember the last time I had an opportunity to visit with the villages within the forest, not to mention that I haven't had se-"

Nephrite put a hand over his wife's mouth, his eyes swiftly taking a sweep of the audience. The men barely held their laughter and snide remarks back, the women either blushed or had the fortune of not catching the countess' drift. "Lita insists on not getting a nurse maid, so she is with the child almost at all times."

Lita pushed his hand away. "I would love to go for a ride with you, Lady Serenity."

"Please, just Serenity is fine."

"Shall I join you ladies?" Nephrite asked.

"I believe we can manage without male presence for a change," his wife replied.

"Take the road down to the clearing by the shore, then you will come to a path that travels along the beach for miles." Endymion told the two women before getting up and excusing himself from the table.

ooo

After the short stroll to the stables Serenity was happy to find out that, like with many other things, the customs pertaining to horseback riding were more relaxed in the Duchy. As such, she had a choice of side saddle or a regular saddle.

Serenity looked up to find Lita walking through the stable dressed in a gown of the duchy's style. Its deep green shade matched countess' eyes.

"I wondered if a riding habit is appropriate."

"Surely, if you wish to suffocate during your ride you are welcome to wear one. It is hard to accept styles of the Duchy right away, but you will eventually get used to them. It is for a reason that we do not follow fashions of the Capital. The climate here is much hotter than to the west, even though we are only two days' journey from the other side of the island."

"I do find the dresses providing much relief. I would hardly be able to do anything in a gown with petticoats in this heat."

Lita nodded in agreement. "This entire line of dukes consists of men who have made it a point to travel the world and learn of other customs. They have brought the best experiences back and shared them with their people. The rest of the country is privy to visits from foreign dignitaries only, so they abide by the customs of Britain primarily."

After their horses had been saddled they both mounted and left the confines of the castle, taking the route Endymion had suggested.

"How are you faring it so far?" the countess asked when they rode side by side.

"I'm adjusting," Serenity replied vaguely.

"They can be rather brutal towards an outsider."

The blonde head turned towards the brunette woman. "They?"

"The counts, the duchess. They have quite literally known each other their entire lives and getting behind the moat they have built around themselves is rather frustrating. When I met Nephrite… we took a liking to each other, but the resistance I got from the other four… I have never been so irked by a group of friends in my life. I typically admire loyalties, but theirs is of a strange sort. The worst part of it is that they do not see it, do not understand it. It took me a while to have Nephrite open up, years to receive any sort of acknowledgement from the rest."

"Lord Nephrite was very kind to me when we first met," Serenity acknowledged. "How long have you two been married?"

"It will be three years this fall."

"How did you manage to stand it? And to get through to them?"

The countess smiled. "Endymion. I mean I managed to stand it because I liked Nephrite, but it was the duke who kept my sanity."

"How so?"

"They are close in age, the counts and the duke, but he has been through a lot and has seen a lot. I believe he matured first of all of them and has been a mentor to them since. He seems nonchalant and foolhardy at times, but everything he does is calculated. Sometimes I wonder if we are all just pieces on a board of a chess game he is playing against an invisible opponent."

"That's a disheartening thought." Serenity pulled on the reigns, slowing Bader down to a trot as they reached the beach and picked up a sandy trail.

"Perhaps it is not because he is a calculating person so much as it is because he is a clever person who takes everything life gives him and puts it to good use. I was born and grew up at the Capital and it is there that I met Nephrite. Ours was not an obvious choice because seemingly we were too different. Among other things, Nephrite has allegiance to the Duke, while I have an allegiance to the King."

"But doesn't the Duke have an allegiance to the King?"

"That is where I get suspicious of his motives in helping me," Lita said quietly. "I come from a line of women who served the queens. We are ladies in attending, which puts us in an advantageous position for someone who wants to keep an eye on the Palace and all its happenings. The Duke is loyal to the King, it is his followers who feel he is an equal to the King. Some even go as far as to suggest that he should take the throne.

"The other side of the coin, of course, is the royal family. The King has followers who believe the Duke of Endymi should never have a stake at the throne, not unless he is married to the Princess." Lita looked at her companion. "That, of course, is not going to happen. Sadly, Endymion and the King have no scruples with each other, but it is those who surround them who keep bringing trouble."

"Do you know about…" Serenity searched for words.

"The latest attempt on Endymion's life?" Lita helped her.

The question gave Serenity the answer she was looking for and she moved to the next one. "Have there been other attempts?"

Lita nodded. "None in the duchy, always outside. This is the first stabbing, but he has been poisoned before and a few made attempts to get near him with a weapon, but either Endymion was alert enough to defeat the attack or one of his guard dogs stepped in."

"You are not very fond of them," Serenity observed.

"Sometimes I feel that they act too much like trained dogs. I have a hope that the reason behind the way Endymion lets them roam like loose cannons is so that they learn by making their own mistakes, but I am yet to see them learn anything. I believe Lord Zoicite is too preoccupied with his studies to act like the other two do, but he does nothing to stop them either. Lord Jadeite has mixed loyalties because he cares not only for the duke but his sister also, while Lord Kunzite… he would do whatever he believes would benefit Endymion, whether the duke agrees with him or not."

"And Lord Nephrite?"

"Nephrite has been a little more to the ground since he came to learn that I was with child, but he would give his life for Endymion without second thought."

"I'm not quite sure how to wrap my mind around all this."

Lita smiled with understanding. "Just don't let them bother you. Stay out of politics, live your life without paying them much attention and one day they will realize that you have been there all along and that they cannot see their lives without you."

Serenity reached out and patted Lita on the hand that held the reigns. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I am Princess Katherine's lady in attending, but as I said before, my loyalty is with the King whose choice was you. If you need a friend, I am mostly a few hours away."

ooo

Nephrite and Lita had stayed for another day, much to Serenity's delight. The days after they left were consumed by last minute preparations for the celebration and Serenity was successful in one thing she really tried to achieve: avoiding her husband. Ever since the night of the ball she could not help but feel her breath quicken every time he was near. She didn't know what to say to him, she did not know how to look at him. There was a tension of sorts that hang between them and she had a suspicion that it arose out of their game. His insistence that she come to him begging and her unwillingness to do so. If only he had not asked her to beg. Serenity had never begged for anything in her life, even when her stepfather's whip cut her skin open and she lay on the floor in agony. Serenity D'Mye did not beg.

"You look beautiful tonight."

Serenity turned to find Raye standing behind her on the terrace. They were gathering to walk down to the beach and somehow the young duchess made it there first. "Thank you, you look lovely yourself."

They both were dressed in gowns made of thin silk, white to celebrate the victory. Raye's hair was down and it cascaded all the way beyond her waistline. Serenity's hair was curled and the ringlets were pinned up only in a few places, the rest flowing down her back as well. Bracelets adorned their upper arms and wrists, and Serenity wore the ring with insignia of the Duchy that Endymion placed on her finger at the Cathedral.

"Good Evening ladies," Jadeite greeted as he wrapped his arms around Raye's waist.

"Lord Jadeite, I believe I have warned you of such behavior." Raye took a step forward, letting his hands slip from her waist. "Serenity, would you mind it if we started ahead?"

Serenity watched the two with curiosity for a moment, then picked up her skirts. "Of course."

The two women walked across the bailey to the lowered bridge in silence and it was only after they passed the guard house that Serenity raised the question. "What is happening between you and Lord Jadeite, if you don't mind my asking?"

Raye's eyes did not stray from the cobblestone road ahead of them. "It is obvious I am in love with him, I'm sure. I have been for many years, but back then he showed no interest in me. So with years my actions became bolder, more daring… it is how I became promiscuous, I believe that was the term you used."

Serenity felt her cheeks flush and she opened her mouth to protest, but Raye dismissed it with a smile and a wave of her hand. "I reckon because it was gradual those around us paid no heed, but I have known for a while now that even though we both are aware of my interest in him, he held back. The night at the inn, when Darien told Jadeite to stay with me, we all know propriety calls for a marriage after that. But… what you said to me made me think a lot and even though I love him, I am not going to just let him announce that we are to be married tomorrow. At the very least he needs to ask me properly, not the way he asked me about it that night."

"So when you allow him to do what he does to you…" Serenity blushed as images from the garden popped into her mind. "You do that to prompt an action from him?"

"Mostly." Raye's cheeks flushed as well, her eyes downcast. "I am not made of stone myself, so I cannot say that I only seek his attentions to encourage action. What?" She asked as she noticed a new expression on Serenity's face.

"Oh, I never thought of it this way before. I never considered the possibility that a woman could intentionally lead a man to action."

Raye laughed, but it was a kind laughter. "But of course we can. We are best at it, as a matter of fact. The men in our lives may think that they are smarter, stronger, more powerful, but women… we have a way of getting what we wish for from our men. They may be the head of the familial body, but women are the neck that turns it. It is the way we want it that the head looks toward."

"Lady Raye, you really do sell yourself short. You have a depth to you, but you hide it from others, thus making them believe what they want to, not seeing who you really are."

Raye looped her arm through Serenity's. "Only those people you care about are worth seeing your true self, Serenity. The rest will always remain bias to their own beliefs anyway."

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"For caring about me," Serenity whispered.

"Even if we have our differences and we had a rough beginning, I do see us becoming friends… and I do hope that one day we will become sisters because I have always wanted one, but it wasn't meant to be."

"I do believe we are friends already, Raye. The past is in the past and we both have learned from it, so I don't dwell on it anymore."

"Well, good. Now how long do you think we can avoid men for?" Raye looked across her shoulder to find her brother and Jadeite following them at a distance.

"I would personally prefer that for as long as we can."

ooo

The smell of fire drifted upwards from the shore and reached the two men as they walked down the windy road towards the clearing. They could see people gathering on the beach, all dressed in white. Older women sat in the shade, making wreaths out of fresh flowers that lay in baskets in front of them. Younger women helped with the food as some men roasted pigs, others poured drinks from assorted jars.

Musicians played their instruments under a large palm tree and some young girls danced barefoot in front of them. It was a happy, peaceful scene, but the two men who observed it did not feel themselves fitting. It was a celebration of the war's end, the celebration of years of peace since the war that wiped out close to half of the male population. It was not meant to celebrate victory so much as celebrate life.

"Is another war looming upon us?" Jadeite asked as they slowed their step.

"Not if I can help it," Endymion replied.

"But you fear it is. What is it that you are not sharing with us?"

Endymion's eyes were trained on the ocean as he answered the question slowly, debating over each word with himself. "The attempts on my life have been happening since the title passed, but the past year… things have been changing. Until recently nothing major has happened, but there were little changes that made me weary. "

"What sorts of changes?"

"The frequency of visits by foreigners to the Palace, the new shipping routes. They are subtle things and may mean nothing, but I find myself unable to shake off the feeling that someone is plotting something big against us."

"The who and the why would be the same as in the attempt on your life at the Palace and the assaults on the ships."

"Yes."

"Why haven't you shared this with us before? We could have been on the lookout."

"Because it may be paranoia on my part and because I did not want to alert whoever it is and force them to make a move before we are ready."

Jadeite's lips turned downwards as he watched hundreds of people descend to the beach, happily celebrating. "We are ready for the trap to be set up in a few days, but we are not ready for anything beyond that."

"Jade, I hope to God that this is a plot against me alone and that we can get to the bottom of it. I cannot stand any of these people being subjected to another war. Most of them have never seen the bloodshed, they think of war as a sentimental notion. You and I have been to Egypt, we know there is nothing romantic about murder."

"So you think the threat is external."

"Who would be that interested in getting rid of me internally?" Endymion raised a brow.

"Oh, I can only think of everyone from those who wish to be successors to the throne to diamond importers, but you are right, they don't count."

They both smiled without humor. "No one internally has the amount of power required to get the pirates involved."

"No, but many are rich enough. Besides, have you ever considered that it is Zefferus who is after your ships?"

Endymion shook his head. "Captain Zefferus would take my ships and their cargo. It's someone who has interests on this land, but they must have help of sorts, I just don't know where it's coming from."

"I think you are justified in your worries, but perhaps you are hasty to conclude the extent of our problem. Let us take this one step at a time. I will personally get the information out of the pirates, then we will strategize."

"No."

"No?"

"No," Endymion repeated. "You will stay here with my wife and my sister. Nephrite and Kunzite will accompany me on the sail."

"You're going yourself?"

"If it is me they want, me they will get."

"Let me come with you, I will be more useful on board."

"No. Zoicite is encompassed by platinum and I intend to keep it that way. Nephrite can sweet talk anyone into selling their soul, so I need him aboard. Kunzite… I don't trust him with the women at the moment, so I would like to keep my eye on him. That leaves you."

"With all due respect, you are treating Kunzite like he has committed a crime."

"He has. He took an innocence of a lady, by common moral standards that is a crime. If you fail to understand that, perhaps I should not be leaving you alone with my women either." His voice gained a vile tone and Jadeite seemed to somehow become smaller. "Speaking of my women, when are you intending to marry my sister? You have been told of my decision a month ago, yet I am still waiting to hear of the date or even a mention of the wedding from her."

"You seem to be playing a matchmaker as of late, my lord."

"Don't forget who you are talking to, Lord Jadeite. If I was in my right mind, I would have made you marry my sister the first time you laid a finger on her. I have given you too much freedom; so much, as a matter of fact, that both you and Kunzite fail to understand right from wrong anymore. So let me make myself perfectly clear. Either you ask my sister for her hand in marriage before we sail or I will send her to a monastery."

"You wouldn't dare do that to Raye," Jadeite challenged.

"Don't test me, Jadeite. Both you and Kunzite have made your choices by your own actions, I'm just making things right. Sister or not I will ship her to Spain and put her in a monastery. She will be safer there anyway."

Jadeite looked at the laughing woman a few hundred feet in front of him and knew that even if he did not believe Endymion fully, he could not risk Raye being punished for something he did not bring himself to do.

"As you wish, Your Highness."

"Good. Also, in case of my death the title of Duke of Endymi will pass to you."

"I beg you pardon?" Jadeite looked at Endymion in astonishment.

"If something was to happen to me you will be the next Duke of Endymi, Raye will be the Duchess of Endymi. Serenity will get the title of Duchess of Mye back, as well as the lands that used to belong to her family. It has been arranged between the King and I during our last visit and is not up for discussion. Do you see now why there is a hurry?"

"I wish I just kept on thinking you arrogant."

Endymion's laughter filled the air, making the women ahead of them turn their heads before they picked up their pace.