Edward's truth

She was last to arrive, together with Darien.

"You broke every part of the spell. It will be easier having to deal with them only in one place," he said as they entered the stable.

"Yes…" Michiru replied absent minded.

"Edward believes that his life is in your hands. And…"

"To tell you the truth I couldn't care less about his life!" she said, after she patted the horse. Her voice was cold and painful even for Darien. He approached her and placed his palm on her shoulder. Michiru sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"This is unfair, Darien… Why do I have to pain her so much? Isn't my sacrifice enough to protect her? Why can't I be the only one in pain?"

"Love works both ways around."

"I don't want her to love me, I want her to…"

"You really don't want her to love you?"

"Of course I do!" she turned to the man. "More than anything in the world!"

Darien smiled. He had seen, in the corner of his eye, Haruka approaching.

"But, I would prefer knowing her unharmed, by her foes and by me. All I managed was…"

"Making me feel alive?" Haruka appeared in front of Michiru. Darien bowed his head and left the stable. Harula smiled, as she approached Michiru.

"I wouldn't change that for any amount of peace of mind," she placed her palms on the woman's shoulders, slowly wondering them down to her hands.

"It's not over, Haruka. The pain I will cause…" she pressed her lips together.

"I don't care. The words you said to Darien were enough for me. You're sealed in me, Michiru. I'm not letting you go even if you scream your lungs out. And whatever may come, I'll face happily as long as you are with me."

"Haruka, my soul is yours. I am yours. You brought me back to life and you gave me strength I have never had. But you will always come first."

Her lips touched Haruka's in a passionate embrace. Their bodies felt like one in a kiss none could break.

Michiru felt Haruka's hand around her back and waist, shivering as she held to the women. And then Haruka opened her eyes and pulled away a little.

"Trust me and love me!" she winked and left. Michiru walked after her, but Makoto stopped her.

Haruka ran to the prince's tent, where he was talking to Darien and Serena.

"I won't let this…" Haruka couldn't finish her sentence, as Darien interrupted her by pulling his sword out and handing it to the prince. The blonde looked shocked at him, grabbing her own sword.

"Cut my neck now, if you must," Darien said, looking into Edward's eyes. "But you're not taking Michiru as your wife! I can't let her marry out of duty; I can't let a soul of the North do something it doesn't wish for. You may have rules, but we have them as well. And our most important rule is freedom. Anyone threatening to take the freedom of a soul of our people will face the rage of a hundred Northmen. So cut my throat and end it already!" he demanded.

"Nobody is cutting throats here!" Haruka shouted. "Have you all gone mad? We are allies! But I also can't let you marry this woman as I love her!"

Edward grabbed the sword from Darien with rage.

"No!" Serena jumped between the two. "Have you gone mad, brother? You're a kind soul…remember please!"

Edward ignored his sister and turned to Haruka, pointing the beak of the sword at her.

"You thought I didn't know? I realized it immediately from the way you looked at her!"

"I'm sorry, but I had no idea you had such intentions," Haruka said without feeling sorry at all. Her swords hung loose in her hand.

"The way you never looked at me!" he almost shouted.

Haruka blinked surprise.

"The way I didn't do…what?" she asked confused.

"Then again you never looked with those eyes at anyone…not one soul ever managed changing your heart. So at least that gave me a certain comfort. And then she appears, with her violin and music and your eyes, your face…all of your feature just glow!" he said throwing his sword away, grabbing the roots of his hair. He turned around and growled.

Darien and Serena looked shocked at the man. Haruka approached him.

"You were different, Haruka. Different from everyone. Of course, when I first realized I was rather surprised, but then again it didn't bother me to have my general a woman. You had that sixth sense and a gentle soul I have never seen in a man and at the same time the determination and strength of an entire army. You were different from all women at court, I could be myself with you, I could joke with you, I would always rely on you. And then you became so beautiful to me and they all started becoming so dull. But what was I supposed to do? Expose you as a woman, marry my former general and even stuck you in a dress? I knew you would hate me. So I waited maybe one day I would see that damn look in your eyes!" he grunted.

Haruka looked long at him, with no expression, only her eyes blinking rapidly. She fell in a chair and tried saying something, but nothing came out.

"Oh my," Serena sat as well, covering her forehead with her hand. "I hoped you'd never noticed because I had a hunch that if you knew…this would happened," she said to Edward.

"You knew as well?!" Haruka turned to the woman.

"The queen was a woman of the North…it's only natural for her children to possess a certain instinct and 'see' things that are out of the ordinary."

"Oh, now tell me you knew too," Haruka looked enraged at him. He nodded and Haruka grunted.

"I am not that strong to turn our society upside down. Not even as the future king could I break the chains and turn my land as I wish. I would have liked to do it for you, I would have dreamed to create a land where you can do what you wish, be a general and a warrior and not have to hide the fact that you are a woman. I would like people to respect you for your work and not judge you by your gender. But it all remained a dream," he also sat down looking at Haruka.

"You are a king man, Edward. But I wouldn't have loved you in any society, because all my existence belongs to this woman. Is this why you wanted to marry her?"

"I wanted to marry her because I needed her to be connected to this land when we go to war. I was afraid of tricks and traitors so it was the only thing that could have given me certitude that Darien and her are on our side."

"I still don't understand how marriage would have convinced you of it."

"They are spiritual people and I learned about them in my trips: they create a bond with the land, the kingdom, the people they swear to. Michiru couldn't have turned against me or my kingdom. And Darien would have helped her because he is her lover. You see…I would have also kept you away from a woman who would have only hurt you."

Serena looked wounded at Darien, but he laughed shortly.

"You are mistaken," Haruka said to the prince.

"You heard it yourself."

"It doesn't matter what I hear, I trust Michiru."

"I was certain a relationship like the one I share with Michiru would be hard to understand in your land. That is why I never bothered explaining it in the first place, but now…" he looked at Serena, "I really don't need misunderstandings. Michiru and I have been taught and raised by the same master, back in our land. We part a common power and strength, a bound that would be best described of brother and sister. If one of us dies, the other one's powers are weakened. Our power is so great a single body and soul can't hold it together, it must be shared. Our minds think alike but our hearts…" his eyes were still on Serena like he was explaining everything to her. "Our hearts are not."

Serena smiled and he placed his palm on her hand. Haruka stood up and approached Edward.

"I will always respect you and you will remain my dearest friend until my death. Can you accept only my feelings of friendship and loyalty? They come with a cost. Don't marry Michiru."

He sighed and looked long into her eyes. He nodded and shook her hand.

Michiru was outside the tent, looking down at the forest in front of her. Makoto was next to her. Lightening had filled the skies several times, but it never rained.

"Your powers are in your blood, you just need to believe in yourself so you have nothing to worry about."

"Is there a plan?"

"More or less…" she thought.

"If you have a plan I suggest you discuss it with the general of this army," Haruka said as she was aproaching. "And don't look at me like that; you are no further queen of this land. Makoto, will you give us a minute?"

Michiru frowned; it took her a minute to realize what Haruka said, while Makoto walked away.

"And Darien is alive as well," she smiled.

"How…"

"Hush," the blonde said placing her finger on Michiru's lips. "Save your breath for later and use your lips to caress me," she whispered kissing the woman.

"Haruka," Michiru said as the two sat down on the cliff, looking into the night, "do you still have that strand of hair I gave you?"

Haruka pulled the envelope out of the pocket of her jacket.

"Will you now tell me what it meant?" she asked the woman.

"At that moment it meant that I am in your debt. I gave you a piece of me as a symbol of my silence about your secret. But right now…it's much more. You are a child of the sky, Haruka. You have received the Space Sword, which will give you more than strength. But that's not all. The sea may be vast and sometimes it touches edges of the land. Yet…even in the middle of an immense ocean there is always a presence over the sea and that is the sky."

Haruka looked at her smiling.

"With that strand you can turn me into the sea."

"And I will do that because…" Haruke felt a little alarmed.

"When the enemy arrives, we can form a water barrier around it. Lightening, Makoto's, will make the water static. And then Serena can send them back to the mountain."

"Does she even know how to do so?"

"She will at the given moment."

"Michiru…if I turn you into water…why do I have the feeling you'll remain water?"

"I won't. I will always rise again out of the sea."

"I have a strange feeling about this," Haruka stood up and so did Michiru.

"Do you trust me?"

"I don't trust war, Michiru. Things never evolve as you plan them," she pulled the woman in her arms.

Note: Now everybody please stop hating Edward.

Thanks for reading!