Affair by Sereko

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters associated with the story (except for Prince Arian). I merely use Naoko Takeuchi's genius as a starting point for my own storytelling.

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Chapter 13

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The black-haired man didn't seem to acknowledge Jadeite's words. His expression was serene, as it had been the entire time. He let a few more moments pass, knowing that if he interfered too soon Nephrite wouldn't retain as much as Serenity intended him to.

"Will she not stop him?" Kunzite asked incredulously.

"She is entranced almost as much as he is. She believes Nephrite to be me," Endymion said in a quiet tone. It was when Nephrite's second hand grasped Serenity's and began to pull her up that Endymion finally decided to intervene. With a calmness unbefitting the situation he reached out an arm towards his beloved. He made no other movements, not even rising from his seat. He called to her without words or thoughts but with feelings. The air seemed to ripple from it. Jadeite and Kunzite could have sworn that they actually felt the shift happen around them even though there was no wind or other physical evidence.

Not even a second managed to pass before Serenity responded. Her body swayed back away from Nephrite and her hand slid from his. Easily and carefully she weakened her link with him. The further she went from him, the thinner their bond. When her hand finally moved to clasp Endymion's, the link completely diminished. Her eyes opened and she stared up at Endymion from her kneeling position on the floor. The blue of them cleared quickly and, following a little more of the prince's coaxing, her consciousness finally returned to her.

Nephrite felt her slip from him and nearly cried out. She took with her everything that had filled him. His body was sucked dry in one foul swoop. Jadeite watched in wonder as his friend fell back in his seat panting. It wasn't long until Nephrite's true being came back to him. When it did, he looked at the others with big eyes. "Endymion, your princess is a magician." He looked at the woman with a tint of fear in his eyes.

"Amongst other things," the liege continued for him as he led her into a stand. She resisted when he tried to move her into her seat. Instead she sat on his lap so that she could wrap her arms around his shoulders to hug him. "Usako." The well-bred part of him thought to frown (or blush) at the blatant public display of affection, but the need to comfort her swamped his modest attempt at moving her.

"Mamo-chan," her voice whispered next to his ear while her cheek pressed against his own. The others looked on. Something in Nephrite, that had yet to die off entirely, twisted at the sight.

Kunzite leaned forward in concern when Serenity didn't relent in her tight hold on the prince. "Is she all right?"

Endymion smiled when he noted that Zoicite, Jadeite and Nephrite also seemed to be concerned. "It is just an aftereffect. She needs reassurance that I am here and not an imposter." He shifted his love so that her arms encircled his waist instead of his neck and so that her legs fell across his. Her head naturally fell into place against his shoulder.

When he deemed it proper to begin conversation again, Nephrite spoke to the princess. "I thank you for what you did, my lady. I had never before understood love and, therefore, never sought it out. Now I know what I am missing." He made eye contact with Endymion. "I appreciate what binds you so strongly to my liege that you cannot bear to be separated."

Jadeite couldn't stop himself from chuckling off to the side. Nephrite glared at him. "I am sorry." The brown-haired man looked skeptical. "I am just not used to you being so sentimental."

The two quickly got into a bickering argument that's only purpose seemed to be to lighten the atmosphere. It worked, quite well in fact, and for the next long while the six engaged in inconsequential chatter. Serenity had moved to her chair and was just beginning to relax when she felt a presence appear on Earth. She made sure that the newly arrived senshi could sense her and find her way to the bedroom before she turned back to the men before her. It didn't take long before she was standing from her seat and walking towards the door.

"Princess, are you going somewhere?" Jadeite asked the question on everyone's mind.

The blonde turned when she reached the door. "No, I am just greeting someone."

"Greeting someone?" Nephrite inquired. He received no answer because Serenity had already begun to open the door. Everyone looked on in curiosity.

Serenity held her breath before she let the figure inside. She took care to shut the door behind her friend and also to check for eavesdroppers. Luckily, she found none.

Once the woman removed her hood and unhooked her cloak, gasps were heard from three of the generals on the other side of the room. Her beauty rivaled that of the princess next to her. Golden tresses fell freely down her back as smoky eyelashes lifted to reveal eyes as blue as the day's sky. The fourth general had not the ability to gasp. All he could manage was a straightening of his posture. What was the meaning of this?

The senshi looked at her liege in confusion. She did not expect to find people that she did not know in the room. What was the meaning of this?

Serenity smirked and wondered if Kunzite and Venus realized that they shared the same thoughts. She looked to her protector comfortingly. "I assure you that I have a good reason for this. Please, follow me." Sailor Venus obeyed hesitantly and walked a few yards until she and her princess were mere feet from the now standing Terrans. Unconsciously she swept at the layered skirt of her dress with her fingers, attempting to dust off imaginary lint. She was happy now that she was not in her sailor fuku. How awkward that might have been.

"Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the Princess of Venus and acting leader of my guards the Sailor Senshi, Sailor Venus." Venus curtseyed after the proclamation and silently cursed her liege for revealing her identity when she was so happy only a moment before that it would be adequately concealed.

As Serenity introduced the men, Venus's eyes sought out Kunzite's only to find them securely locked on her already. There was a fierceness in their silvery depths that she had rarely seen before. He clearly did not approve of her princess's actions.

"Why is she here, my lady?" Zoicite asked.

"Because I called her here," was the reply. "There is one more secret that needs to be revealed today and she is a part of it." Kunzite and Venus reacted immediately to the woman's words. The senshi drew back a step from her leader and brought a hand to cover her open mouth. The general clenched his hands into fists and ground his teeth as he fought to restrain himself from attacking the princess.

'Be careful. You are treading on dangerous ground,' said Endymion as he slipped towards his about-to-be-strangled lover.

'You would not dare,' growled the silver-haired guardian.

Serenity seemed unfazed by the comment. She squeezed one of her senshi's hands tightly in reassurance and turned her eyes on the general. 'It is time, Kunzite. Whether you believe it or not. They know about Endymion and me. It is only logical to inform them of the two of you as well.'

'I warn you now, Serenity, to leave this matter alone or even my prince will not be able to prevent my actions.' She didn't answer him and so he continued, 'You promised, princess!' he yelled, his eyes glittering like ice. 'You promised that you would not divulge that information to anyone.'

'I know. I am sorry,' she whispered. Her blue orbs looked toward the quivering form of Venus. 'I am truly sorry, but there is no threat here. These are your friends. Your secret will still be safely guarded. Why are you afraid that they would hurt you with it?'

'Because it has been too long,' Venus thought. A year had passed since she began her rendezvous with Kunzite and the two of them had become quite accustomed to keeping their personal life separate from everything else. They lived in fear of the day that anyone stumbled upon what they did in private. Only bad could come from it.

Kunzite didn't respond. He let out a low growl from the back of his throat to enunciate his displeasure, though. It succeeded in gathering the attention of the other members of the room. Jadeite psychically delved into his friend to try and calm him as he always did whenever any of his friends needed consoling. He was surprised to find himself blocked by a stronghold of interchanging thoughts. The blonde blinked in bafflement. His superior had shut him out. What was going on? He voiced his question out loud a moment later.

The princess acknowledged Jadeite with a look and nothing more. She took a step towards Kunzite. Her expression turned both solemn and hopeful. 'You could be free,' she whispered earnestly. Kunzite bit his lip and clenched his fists into tighter balls. 'Kunzite, you knew you would not be able to keep this hidden forever.'

'No, I did not. You are making sure that there is no chance of such a thing happening.'

She stared at the anxious man. In her heart of hearts, she understood that his apprehension stemmed from his desire to protect Venus, but she also knew that it would be good for them to tell others. If only because then they'd have help when they tried to meet one another. It was a given that they would do so again soon. No matter how hard they tried, they could not part for too long. Serenity had seen the evidence right before her wedding ceremony. Venus had a brand on her breast. She and Kunzite were bonded.

But mostly, Serenity understood how taxing it was to keep the other half of your heart a secret from everyone you ever spoke to, friends and strangers alike. To have to hide a part of who you were in a corner every morning before you stepped out of your room was a heavy burden. It would be a relief like none other for Kunzite and Venus to finally share their immense happiness with someone, anyone. They needed a sympathetic ear. 'Would you really have kept this in the shadows forever? Sneaking behind backs and stealing quick kisses once a week? No love, no matter how strong, can stand up to such circumstances.'

His silence was her answer.

'Please, let me do this for you. Let me and these wonderful men help you.' She glanced over at Endymion. He sent her an encouraging smile, even though she could sense that he thought her fight was futile. He knew firsthand how stubborn Kunzite could be.

'No!' The loud exclamation startled Serenity. She turned her head sharply in Kunzite's direction. Their companions turned as well and it wasn't until then that Serenity realized he had screamed out loud.

Things were beginning to get out of hand. In a last ditch attempt to reason with the white-haired man, the princess took hold of Venus's arm and began walking towards the door. "Then you do not deserve her," she said quietly. Surprise and anger immediately rose up in Kunzite. "I will ensure that you never see her again." Both Venus and Kunzite's eyes widened. As desperation quickly swept over him, Kunzite moved forward.

Within moments, Serenity found herself being shoved to the side. Her feet stumbled as she tried to gain her balance again. She looked up to see Kunzite standing in front of her. Venus was pushed protectively behind his back. The senshi looked at her liege with confusion and apology.

'This is it, Mamo-chan.' Serenity spared a quick glance to her lover. 'This is it.'

'Be careful,' he said from his place on the other end of the room.

Taking a deep breath, she continued with her plan. "Kunzite," she warned while reaching out a hand to her senshi.

"You will not take her from me," he vehemently whispered. His fellow generals shared a look. They knew that Serenity and Kunzite had been speaking telepathically, but it seemed as though they missed more of the conversation than they had originally thought. Memories only a day old came rushing back to them. Weren't they just in this situation? Who was this Venus and how was she connected to their leader? A faint echo of 'Who was this Usako and why was their prince protecting her?' flittered through their heads.

"That is not your choice to make."

"More mine than yours!" Kunzite yelled back. Zoicite stared intently at his good friend. There was a fire ignited in him that he had never seen before. It was as if Kunzite had finally come alive. Blood was rioting through his veins, emotions were overtaking his control, and even his steely discipline and etiquette were being repressed.

"And why is that?" Serenity's eyes bore into the general's. 'Come on, Kunzite,' she thought to herself. 'You can say it.'

And he did.

He was boiling from the inside out. Everything in him was simmering and culminating and waiting until it could be released. Such emotion had never flared through his very bones before and he wasn't sure what to do with it. All he could piece together in his passion-driven mind was that someone was trying to take his Minara away from him. The beautiful goddess who had filled him with warmth and compassion. The one who had tantalizing eyes that froze him with their misty hue. He was sure that the only reason his own heart thumped was to keep time with hers. Gods. Mind swimming and body humming, he gathered all of his energy to stare down at the high princess before him.

"Because I love her!"

Silence quickly overtook the room.

Kunzite turned to the woman behind him. She had been clasping the back of his shirt, but released it so that he could face her. There were tears in her eyes. A little bit of shock, he noted, was nestled amongst a sea of wonder and love in her endless blues. Kunzite's only thought was to swipe the tears from her cheeks and lean down to kiss her. He did just that.

Her lips were supple beneath his and her legs gave out much sooner than they usually did. He wrapped her up in his embrace and pressed harder against her mouth. The touch of her, that usually sent him reeling, acted as a splash of cold water in his drowsy face. Clarity slipped back into his system and he was suddenly very aware of the world around him and what he had just done. It was a moment too late.

Kunzite pulled away from Venus sharply, but she clung to his tunic and wouldn't let him let go of her waist like he had her lips. He spun around with her to face his fellow generals. His eyes were wide with fear as he tried to gauge their reactions. For the most part, they seemed too surprised to have any reactions.

Nephrite blinked, then shook his head, then looked again at his commander. "Kunzite?" he questioned. The white-haired man looked away. He had tried so hard and, in the end, he had given away the secret himself. 'I am sorry,' he told Venus before clenching his eyes shut. Which is why he didn't notice Serenity until she was at his side, gripping one of his hands.

"It is all right, Kunzite." She squeezed his hand until he opened his eyes to look at her. "You have done nothing wrong."

He didn't believe her, so Endymion spoke up from a few yards away. "Kunzite. You did nothing wrong," he forcefully repeated. The general nodded hesitantly before glancing once again at his peers. The generals seemed to have moved passed their shock and were now sending him warm smiles. Were they happy for him? He wasn't sure because he had never seen them act in such a way before. He met the eyes of Jadeite and the soft blues that stared back at him sent him nothing but comfort.

"How long?" Nephrite asked, then shook his head. "I cannot believe that that is the second time I have had to ask that question in less than a full day's time."

Jadeite slapped him on the back. "Relax, Nephrite. The world has not gone mad. It is merely that these two inspiring, young women have stolen the hearts of two of our best friends," he said dramatically. The two men chuckled. "Coincidentally, they told us about it at the same time. Coincidentally, both ladies are from somewhere other than Earth." He watched as Serenity and Venus blushed in embarrassment. "It is a small world indeed."

While Jadeite had been talking, Zoicite had approached Kunzite. The white-haired man seemed to be in better spirits after his friend's words. "Congratulations. I had almost thought it impossible for you to feel strongly for anything other than your duty. I am glad to find out that I was wrong." They shared a smile.

"Thank you," Kunzite whispered appreciatively.

"Hey!" Nephrite called out. "That reminds me, Kunzite. I thought that you and I were one in the same. Stoicism until the end. What happened?"

Kunzite looked down at his beloved. He cupped one of her cheeks in his hand and then tenderly leaned down to kiss her. He pulled away slowly and looked back to the brown-haired man. "If the princess' demonstration earlier was not enough, then I do not know how else to tell you." Kunzite gazed briefly into sky-blue eyes. "And I refuse to let Minara give you the same treatment."

Nephrite barked out loudly with Jadeite. Endymion just bowed his head, respectfully refusing to laugh at the comment. Serenity smile slightly on his behalf.

"Well, enough of this. Let us sit and interrogate the Lady Venus as we have just done with Serenity." Jadeite good-naturedly grabbed both of Venus's hands and pulled her away from the bedroom door (and Kunzite). She laughed at his antics.

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It was late in the day before Venus remembered herself. She had been having such a wonderful time getting to know her lover's friends. Every now and again one or two of them would have to disappear for a while to tend to their duties. They kept their load light, but they still did some work to ensure that no one would become suspicious of their absence. Pretty soon, the day passed and the Moon was beginning to rise over the Terran hills. It wasn't until then that Venus thought about reality.

Her princess had fled her own wedding to go to a forbidden planet in order to be with a forbidden man. The queen was still searching for her. And it wouldn't be too long before the short-tempered woman lost every scrap of her meager patience. Venus had to get Serenity back to the Palace.

She glanced over at her liege. The golden-haired beauty was lounging on a settee with Endymion. He had her tucked in between his legs, with his arms imprisoning her from either side. It was a human fortress of warmth and security. However unconscious, the prince knew that the one thing his Serenity needed more than anything at that moment was to feel safe. He was smiling down at her, briefly showing off his dimples whenever she laughed. Aloft in one hand, he taunted her with a bunch of grapes. The princess tried her best to reach out for the fruit, but Endymion would just pull it away further. She pouted up at him, but he only laughed and brought a grape to his own mouth.

Their innocent playing soothed Venus's heart. What a thing their love was. She reached out to her side and clasped Kunzite's hand. He glanced away from his conversation with Zoicite to look at her. She simply smiled at him and he squeezed her hand before turning back to his friend.

'Princess,' Venus brushed Serenity mind. The touch was very soft so as not to startle the young woman. In fact, it was so feather light that Serenity almost didn't pick it up. 'Princess,' Venus eased once more, this time slightly louder.

'Yes, Minara?' Serenity questioned without turning her attention away from Endymion and the grapes. A grin split her face when she managed to pluck a piece of the fruit from her lover's hands.

'I must get you home, my lady.' It did not go unnoticed by Serenity that Venus slipped into formal speech. They had been friends for a moment, but now it was back to princess and senshi.

She paused and laid her once raised hand down upon Endymion's knee. The pleasant grin slid from her face. 'You mustn't do anything.'

'In another life maybe, when we are different people. When I stand by your side in sisterhood and do not kneel before you in service. For now, my liege, I have to obey my station. I must return you to your mother.'

Endymion straightened abruptly and wrapped his arm firmly across Serenity's collarbone. He gave the princess no choice but to fall backwards against his chest. Nephrite, who had just re-entered the room from one of his work breaks, noticed the move. He motioned to Jadeite across the room when the prince spoke. "You cannot be serious."

"Princess," Venus reprimanded. "You did not have to tell him. All he can do is worry."

"I told him nothing, Minara." Serenity placed a hand on top of the one Endymion had clutched to her shoulder. "He is bonded to me. He hears my thoughts. That includes telepathy. You are bonded to Kunzite. Is it not the same with you?" she implored.

Venus tightened her hold on Kunzite's hand when the other generals sharply turned their heads in her direction. "Bonded?" Zoicite asked. "You mentioned nothing about being bonded."

Strategically avoiding the confused men, Venus chose to answer her lady instead. "No, princess. Kunzite cannot hear my telepathic conversations unless I let him. For that matter, he cannot easily hear my thoughts either. He must concentrate."

Serenity raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She turned her head to the side to try and look up at Endymion. "Is that unusual?"

The prince affectionately bumped her temple with his chin. "We are the unusual ones, Usako. Usually, bonding only involves sharing emotions. A couple gains an inner awareness of each other. They can sense one another, maybe pick up an unguarded thought here or there. They create a telepathic link, which for the majority of Terrans is a rare thing." He sighed inwardly and shut his eyes. "We are the unusual ones," he repeated faintly.

End Chapter 13

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There it is. Everything's out now. Let's see what they do with this new information…

Please send ANY comments to me, Sereko.