AN: Okay kids, here's what's up: I wasn't really sure if I was going to post this one. It's a little... exotic? for me. If you end up liking it please either review or message me. If I get enough feedback I'll write the chapter you all are really reading this juicy bit for. *wink wink* Seriously though, I want to know what you think. Thanks!
PS: I don't own any of these characters, they're all on loan ;-P
Endymion sat at the desk in his study glaring at a food production report on the North American continent. "Drought… we'll have to reallocate from Western Europe…" His study felt lonely. Small Lady usually spent at least some of her time with him there in addition to the other time they spent together. 'Papa, what does reallocate mean?' Even though he was missing her he still felt a great deal of pride over her. She was in the past, training as a sailor guardian. A smile crossed his face as he thought of her training with him in the past. A knock on his door pulled him from his musings. "Come." He shuffled the papers on the desk. Sailors Mars and Jupiter came in. Their faces were grim. Slight concern crept up in his heart. "What is wrong?"
"Your Majesty, Neo Queen Serenity has summoned you to the throne room. We are here to escort you." Jupiter said.
"Summoned? Escort…" his brow furrowed. What was that supposed to mean?
"Yes, Highness." Mars answered.
"O-of course." He stood and followed them out to the hall. A deep feeling of disquiet settled on him. Mars led him and Jupiter followed behind him. He almost felt like a criminal heading to sentencing. 'That's preposterous. I'm imagining things.' They passed through the halls in silence. It felt like an eternity had passed by the time they entered the throne room. Serenity sat on her throne. Her posture was extremely formal and her features were stone-like. He approached her but he was stopped short by Venus and Mercury. They looked at him sadly. "What-"
"King Endymion, kneel before your Queen." Venus spoke quietly and he couldn't quite pinpoint what was wrong with her tone. He looked at her shocked for a moment then he knelt down, bowing his head.
"This court will now come to order." Serenity said. He could hear the whispers of their advisors cease and silence fell over the room. His heart sank a little, what was going on? "King Endymion, the court has convened today to address a grave charge brought against you." Serenity stood then and looked down on him. She had never looked at him as she did now. Her gaze was cold and distant. "You have been charged with high treason."
"High treason?" He asked.
"I opted to wait to address this until our daughter had gone to the past. During the crisis involving the Black Moon and Death Phantom you passed through the Space-time door guarded by Sailor Pluto." He looked up at her suddenly. He had done so.
"Serenity! I-"
"You will address me as your Queen, Endymion." He flinched. It felt like he'd been slapped.
"Yes, your Majesty." He answered quietly.
"The charge for this transgression is high treason. Do you deny entering the space-time door?"
"I do not."
"How, then, do you plead?"
"I-I…". He had to swallow the lump in his throat. He'd brought this on himself. He should have thought his actions through more carefully. "Guilty."
"Very well then. My ruling is Guilty. You are hereby stripped of your title and station until such time as a final ruling on your punishment is made. You will also be restricted to our private wing of the palace. This is my preliminary ruling and it is effective immediately." She lifted her scepter and brought it down like a gavel. The sound echoed all around the room and it felt very final. "Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter will escort you to the North Wing. Endymion is remanded to your custody. This court is adjourned." He heard the two scouts move to either side of him. He stood slowly in complete disbelief. What had just happened?
He followed the two guardians from the throne room. His stomach tied itself in knots. What was going to happen now? He had just been punished like a criminal by his wife, his soulmate. She had been so cold and imperious with him. He had never seen her act like that. The three of them reached the entrance to the North Wing where they stopped. He looked into the large doorway that separated the North Wing from the rest of the palace. He then looked back at Mars and Jupiter. Their features were set in stone. None of them said anything. He took a deep breath and stood up tall before walking over the threshold and into his prison.
"One of us will be stationed here at all times." Mars said. "Meals will be brought to you by one of the servants at 9, 1, and 6. If you have requests they will not be taken by anyone other than Her Royal Highness, the Queen. Do you understand the terms of your restrictions?"
"I do." He responded.
"Very well." Mars then closed the door on him. The lock made a sickening click as it was set. He stood staring at the door for some time trying to process what had just happened. With a heavy heart he turned and walked to their bedroom. He sat at the foot of the bed and removed his mask. He stared at it numbly for a while. `if I'm going to be stuck in here I might as well get comfortable…'. He took off his tuxedo, putting everything away neatly in his dressing room. He felt in agony. What did Serenity really think about all of this? Her eyes had been cold, like ice. Never had she ever looked at him like that, even if she was stern with him over something. The whole ordeal had hardly taken an hour at most but he felt completely drained at this point. He put on a pair of pajama pants and laid down on the bed. He fell asleep almost immediately.
Endymion stirred. Something had woken him from his nap. When he opened his eyes and sat up in bed he realized the sun had gone down. Looking around the room half dazed he saw a light coming from Serenity's dressing room. There was a noise coming from inside that sounded odd. Getting up he walked to the door and peeked in through the crack. Serenity sat on the floor in her nightgown, her face buried in the cushions of the lounge. He could tell by her quiet sobs and the shaking of her shoulders that she was weeping.
He stood just outside the door, uncertain whether or not he should make his presence known. He decided that it was worth the risk and knocked on the door. She turned her head but still rested on the pillow. She'd been crying for some time judging by her red, puffy eyes and the tear stains on her cheeks. Unable to contain herself any longer new tears welled up into her eyes. "I am so very sorry." She managed to get out. He walked over to her and knelt down. She left the pillow and switched to his chest, "I'm so sorry, Endymion. I'm so so sorry." She cried. Sighing he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry against him. "I didn't have a choice." She hiccuped.
"Shhh, shhhh. I understand." She shook her head, her forehead never leaving his shoulder. "My actions were my own. I knew there might be consequences."
"It was torture treating you like that. The court… they forced my hand. If I had shown any weakness they wouldn't have accepted my final decision on the matter."
"Serenity… it is done. You must stay strong. I do not nor will I ever blame you for this."
"But how can I live with myself? I can't… I can't…"
"Serenity. My love, I need you to follow through with this. I am not exempt from the law, no matter the circumstances. Pluto had to pay her price for what she did, I must do the same." She fell silent and looked at him sadly.
"You don't know what has been demanded of me."
"No, I don't. I have complete faith that it will befit the crime."
"You are not the only one being punished…" she fell silent and looked away. "I need to go to bed…"
"Okay. Come on." He helped her up and they both went to bed. Not the only one being punished? Did she mean that she would be as well? He supposed that he'd find out when he was brought to her for sentencing.
Endymion was once again in the throne room, this time for sentencing. Serenity had been so distraught the night before that he was sure it had already been decided. She stood regally in front of her throne. Her face was void of emotion, her self control nearly frightening. He was forced down onto his knees before her. "This court will come to order!" Her voice rang against the walls and the room fell silent. "Endymion, you have pled guilty to the charge of high treason. Do you wish to retract this declaration?"
"My plea stands."
"Then this court will move to sentencing. In lieu of execution the judicial council has agreed to an alternate punishment. The decision is as follows: beginning June first, three days from now, your sentence will be considered in effect. You will be confined to the North wing of the palace for one year. In addition, on the first of every month to start on June first you will receive 20 lashes to be given…" she paused to clear her throat and build her resolve. "To be given by myself." The room burst into whispers and murmurs. "I WILL HAVE ORDER IN THIS COURT!" The room fell silent once again. "This will take place publically in the square in front of the palace. The prisoner will spend the next three days in solitary confinement until said sentence begins. This is my final ruling." She brought her scepter down again to bang against the floor. He was in shock at the ruling. No wonder she was so upset. His heartbeat thundered in his ears. 'Lashes… to be given… by my wife.' The thought ran round and round in his head. It hardly registered when he was pulled to his feet by Jupiter and Mars then led to the room that would be his home for the next three days.
The room was one of the inner guest rooms. It had no windows which initially concerned him until he noticed the grandfather clock against the far wall. At least they weren't trying to disorient him as well. Sitting down on the bed he tried hard to process what had just happened. It didn't take long for him to give up, there was no way he was going to get through that muddled thought mess at the moment. Instead he opted for looking around the room. He got up from the bed and went to the bookcase that stood next to a desk. He was surprised to find that all of the books that rested on the shelves were titles he'd meant to read but hadn't had the time to get to. On the desk sat a holographic chess set that he'd been eyeing recently with adaptive AI that learned your gameplay. Even now, after everything Serenity was doing what she could to take care of him. Having things to do to fill the next few days was appreciated. Exhaustion settled in on him. He went to the bed and laid down, falling asleep almost immediately.
The next three days were difficult even with the provided distractions. He couldn't help but dwell on his upcoming punishment. 'It must be killing her.' He thought sadly. He'd already resolved that he would in no way hold this punishment against her. She had no choice but to carry it out. 'She'll hold it against herself though… I hope to god she will be able to move passed it.' Much of his time was spent meditating, preparing himself mentally for the physical pain he would have to endure.
The wait took forever but it flew by at the same time. He stood in front of the mirror. In all of his 927 years of life never had he been so underdressed. He had only been provided a pair of pants. His instructions had forbidden shoes, socks, or shirt. At 10 am a knock came on the door. "Enter." This time, Uranus stood in the doorway, ready to escort him to the public square.
"I'm so sorry-" she began to whisper. He held his hand up, stopping her mid-sentence.
"I brought this upon myself. No one, especially Serenity, should feel sorry about this. I am simply grateful that execution was passed over." She studied his face carefully and then nodded.
"Very well." Clearing her throat, she said in a very official tone, "On behalf of Her Royal Highness, Neo Queen Serenity, I am here to escort you to the front of the palace where the beginning of your sentence is to be carried out." He nodded his compliance. She took out a pair of shackles and locked his hands together in front of him. As they headed to the square he continued to mentally prepare himself for what was going to happen. 'I cannot show her any weakness. I have to be strong for Serenity.'
The square was full but silent which created a strange aire. He was led to the center where a pillar had been erected. Serenity stood next to it, clad in black and her hair pulled into a single bun at the back of her head. He'd never seen her hair done that way, not even when they were young. He was also certain that he'd never seen her in all black before. She was a frightening sight to be sure.
"In accordance with the law enacted after the original banishing of Death Phantom and the Black Moon we will be carrying out this sentence for the act of high treason. Because of the extenuating circumstances surrounding this act, execution has been foregone. The royal council and I have agreed to an alternate punishment. This is also to show that no one, not even my own husband, is exempt from these legal provisions." Her tone was grim and imperious, her features like stone. She motioned to Neptune who stood nearby. 'No weakness, no fear.' He repeated to himself. He was led to the pillar and forced onto his knees, facing it and his wrists attached to it above his head. "Guardian Neptune will read the charges brought against Endymion as well as the terms of his sentencing." Neptune stepped forward.
"King Endymion has been charged with high treason against the throne. As part of his sentencing, he has been stripped of his station and title. Where such a transgression is almost always met with the death penalty, due to the extenuating circumstances of said transgression execution has been remanded to the following: Endymion is to be restricted to the North Wing of the palace for one year. On the first of each month of that year he will be publicly flogged here. Once the year is up, there will be a hearing to determine if further punishment will be issued."
"As part of the arrangement made with my legal counsel, I as your queen will administer this flogging." Serenity turned to look at her husband. "Now that all of your sentence has been explained we can begin. You will count out loud for all these witnesses to hear. 20 lashes."
He took a deep breath and relaxed as much as he possibly could. The first crack of the whip rang out sharply through the silence. He almost heard it more than felt it. "One." Another crack of the whip. This time it stung where the two lashes overlapped. "Two." He did his best to control his breathing, each strike becoming more painful than the last. "Ten." He grit his teeth as he tried to keep his focus. "Thirteen." His resolve broke a little and he glanced back. When he did he saw Serenity, sweat clear on her face and she strained to continue. "Eighteen." Then something happened that both surprised and deeply disturbed him. There was a part of him, deep down, that was enjoying this. "Nineteen." After realizing it, that part of him surged forward. By the time it did the last lash rang out into the silent square. "Twenty." He panted. After a moment or two he finally passed out from the shock and pain.
Endymion shifted, he never did like sleeping on his stomach. When he moved he cried out softly. Through the haze of his half awake mind he recalled the public flogging. Where was he and what had happened? "Please don't move." Serenity's soft voice stilled him. She touched his face gently with the tips of her fingers.
"What?"
"Shhh. You passed out. You've been unconscious for two days. You're in our bed." She said calmly. "Mercury will be by in a while to change your dressings." The sharp despair was clear in her voice. He turned his head slightly so he could look into her face. Her eyes were red and puffy. She'd been crying for some time.
"Serenity… not your fault…" he managed to get out. His back was on fire, every inch burned and when he moved he could feel the wounds pulling and tearing back open.
"My love I wish I could believe that… Please, be still. You're going to open everything up again." She leaned over to the nightstand next to the bed and took a jar, opening it. Taking a dollop of the slave she began applying it to his back. As soon as it touched his skin he flinched at how cold it was. As she began working it into the wounds though he could feel the pain start to evaporate. He sighed and relaxed into the bed. "I don't know if I can do this to you again."
"You have to." He said. Her hand stilled on his back. "You must carry out your ruling. I must be made an example of."
"You are the absolute last person who should be made an example of."
"I know why this ruling was passed down, Serenity." She looked at him sadly.
"I figured you would find out eventually."
"If a civil war can be prevented with this then it will be worth it." The look that crossed her face was one of complete exhaustion. A knock came from the door.
"Enter." Serenity said. Mercury came in with fresh bandages.
"Oh thank goodness you're awake, I was beginning to get worried." Mercury said sighing. "How is your pain level?"
"Manageable." He said quietly.
"We aren't allowed to use any of the current technology to help speed the healing process. As part of the sentencing you'll have to heal naturally." Mercury brought wet cloths that had been warmed and laid them across his back. The moisture and heat loosened the old bandages so that they didn't tear his skin when she pulled them off. The heat felt so good he almost went back to sleep. Between Serenity and Mercury they cleaned and re-bandaged his wounds. Mercury left a new bottle of salve and some instructions about care. "Don't go exerting yourself." She scolded. "You need rest."
Soon they were alone again. The angry pain on his back was now just an angry ache. The new bandages and the salve they'd used was soothing. "It's okay if you want to go back to sleep." Serenity ran her fingers through his hair.
"I would actually like some water… and the bathroom." He tried to lift himself onto his elbows but his arms were shaky and weak.
"Please, stop. Let me help you." She got up and went to his side. Soon enough he was up. Bathroom, water, and finally some food brought him round a little more. He wanted so badly to stretch but he knew if he did it would be more painful than dealing with the cranky muscles. "Mamo-chan…" her voice was just a whisper. It was a rare occasion for her to use his name like that. Her voice held true agony. "I can't… I can't do this again."
"Usa…" He tilted his head. She was already beginning to cry again.
"I can't do it…. I can't…" she was beginning to sob. "I don't know how I'm going to live with even doing this once." All he could do was look at her. He knew this moment would come sooner or later.
"You must, Usa." He cupped her cheek and brushed away some of her tears with his thumb. "You have passed down a ruling. This cannot change at this point." The memory of those last few strikes jumped into his mind. His eyes widened a little as the realization hit him now that he was awake. At some point between number eighteen and twenty he'd begun to enjoy it. That deep disturbed feeling welled up in his chest again. What was wrong with him? He needed sleep… and possibly a shrink. "I think I need to get some sleep. Will you please help me back to the bed?"
"Y-yes, of course."
Soon they were both in bed. Serenity had quietly cried herself to sleep next to him. He pretended to sleep next to her but he couldn't dismiss this feeling. He HAD enjoyed it. Certainly not the extent of the ordeal but… Serenity dressed all in black… punishing him. Even thinking back on it now was turning him on. 'I am losing it.' He thought. Finally after some time he forced the thought from his mind and managed to fall asleep.
After about two weeks he was healed more or less. At least he didn't need assistance with anything any more. His backlog of books was dwindling. The chess board was giving him a run for his money but one could only play chess for so long. He may have prepared for the physical pain but he'd failed to prepare for the boredom and loneliness that came from being confined to their private wing of the palace. Visitors were prohibited so his only company was his wife and from time to time Mercury for medical assistance. After the first three days Serenity had to return to her duties, especially since she was taking care of his duties as well. As a result he only really saw her after dinner in the evenings. Since he'd been reduced to the Queen's consort he couldn't even help her with paperwork.
He sat at the desk in their room reading. It was late but Serenity hadn't come back yet. He set the book down and headed to the balcony. It was a new moon so the stars shone brightly against the velvety black of the night sky. The image of his wife in all black forced itself into his thoughts. Instead of dismissing it as he had been doing he lingered on it. 'I need to get to the library.' Maybe there he would find some information about his rather disturbing feelings. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't heard the door open so when arms wrapped around him he jumped.
"I'm sorry to startle you." Serenity whispered against his back. He relaxed against her and placed his hands over hers. "How are you feeling today?"
"I don't know." He answered truthfully. Physically he was relatively ok. His back was still badly bruised but the pain had begun to subside. Mentally he wasn't sure. "You're later than usual. Is everything ok?"
"Yes, just dealing with a drought…" He nodded and they stood that way for some time. Eventually he spoke again.
"May I please have access to the palace library?" He asked. She sighed.
"I hate that you have to ask… of course you can. I'll arrange for you to be escorted tomorrow morning." He nodded. "I feel like you aren't telling me something." He never looked away from the sky.
"Maybe. I'm not sure yet."
"That has to be the most confusing thing I've ever heard you say."
"I know, I feel the same way." She let him go and moved to face him.
"Do you promise to tell me when you figure it out?" He smiled at her weakly.
"Of course I will…". She smiled back. "I'm tired, lets go to bed."
"Ok." He was awake for some time after going to bed. He was tired, yes, but he was still trying to figure out what he felt about what was happening. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her standing behind him, in her black dress with a whip in her hand.
Mars had been sent to take him to the library. He followed behind her, eyes on the floor and his hands in his pockets. When they arrived, the library was empty. "You've been given an hour to pick out whatever you would like and then I have to return you to the North Wing so we can open the library up to others."
"That's right…I forgot no outside contact."
"Yeah."
"Very well." He spent every moment of his hour carefully picking out reading material. Most of what he grabbed were psychology books. He also picked out a book about the psychology of sex. He was hoping that mixing it in with the others would make it less conspicuous. His tactics succeeded and he returned to the sitting room with it so he could maybe grasp some insight on his feelings about recent events. It was at the point he was dreaming about it. He'd even had a couple of wet dreams which hadn't happened in at least 900 years. He was so occupied with the book that he didn't hear Serenity enter the room.
"So what are you reading?" He almost dropped the book when she spoke. His face turned bright red. "Endymion?" She asked suspiciously, "You haven't blushed that shade of red in quite some time."
"U-uhm, you just startled me." He said, closing the book and trying to hide it next to him on the chair. "It's not even lunch time, what are you doing here?"
"Excuse me?" His blush darkened.
"I just meant that I usually don't see you until after dinner…"
"Right…" she was becoming even more suspicious. "I had some free time and I figured I would have lunch with you today." He smiled at her.
"I would very much like that"
"Well the food is already out on our terrace." She turned around and headed out of the room. He got up, leaving the book on the chair and followed her. As soon as they had both gone through the door she slipped passed him and back into the study. He turned as quickly as he could but she was faster and already out of reach.
"Serenity don't-"
"The Psychology of Sex and Fetishes." She read the title aloud. She flipped to the page he had marked and glanced over the page. "Masochism… and punishment?" She looked at him a little wide eyed. "What's going on Endymion?" He couldn't have turned a darker shade of red if he tried. Well, the gig was up. He sighed and sat down on one of the other chairs.
"I wanted to figure out what I am experiencing emotionally before I addressed it with you but I suppose it's a little late for that."
"Indeed. Let's hear it then."
"At some point… d-during the um… th-the lashing I sort of… I mean a part of me sort of…"
"You cannot be serious." She said as it dawned on her. He stopped trying to stutter through it and looked away, completely embarrassed. "You… actually enjoyed it?"
"Mmm… maybe… a little…" They were silent for a few moments. He was looking at the floor but he could feel her eyes on him. Then something surprising happened. Serenity started laughing. He felt a little humiliated when she did. It was like she was laughing at him. He shrunk a little in the chair and even crossed his arms. She finally got ahold of herself and noticed his posture.
"Oh, Endymion, I wasn't laughing at you." She walked over to him and knelt down in front of him so she could look up into his face. "I love you. I love all of you. That includes whatever this is that you're trying to figure out. That will never change. This does, however, explain the wet dreams…"
"You knew about that?"
"You are pretty loud when you dream, you've woken me up more than once or twice over the years… especially when sex is involved." He looked into her face, totally shocked.
"What made you think I wouldn't accept this part of you?"
"Because I'm having a hard time accepting this part of me… you laughing doesn't really help me with that…"
"Endymion, I'm not laughing at you. The council insisted on this punishment because they thought it was the most humiliating thing they could put you through."
"It is humiliating but nothing I won't get passed."
"That's the beautiful part. I laughed because of the irony." She placed a hand on his face and smiled warmly at him. "Would it help to know that I don't judge you for it? Because I don't. I love that even after all this time there are still things we're discovering about each other. And, when you're ready, I would love to explore this part of you."
"You… would?" The blush began to fade a little.
"I really would." His posture relaxed and he looked at her lovingly.
"Thank you, Usa." Her gentle gaze made him relax even more.
"You can trust me with anything, Mamo-chan. I'm sure you'd like some time to think things over so for now, I'm hungry. Let's go eat okay?"
"Yeah, sure." They had a pleasant lunch together. She had moved on to other subjects, asking how he would handle some of the issues that had come up. She complained about some of the courtiers and their attitudes. It was over quickly and she had to get back to her duties.
"You know, Endymion, if I knew you were enjoying yourself, even just a little, I might be able to cope with the stress of carrying out this outrageous punishment." She looked at him. "You will tell me, won't you?"
"I will. Promise." She nodded. Her countenance turned slightly grave.
"July first is just 4 days away. I suppose we should both be preparing for it. I'll see you tonight. I'll try to get back before dinner." She kissed him and left. He looked at the door for some time after she'd left. 'I love you. I love all of you.' Her words echoed in his head.
"Can I love all of me?" He asked out loud. Sighing he went back to the study and the book. Maybe if he could understand it he could be more accepting of it.
July first came and once again he was standing in front of the mirror with just a pair of pants on. He had been forced to spend the night in the same room where he'd spent the first three days. Everything felt like a repeat of June first. Uranus escorting him with his hands bound in front of him. His sentence was repeated in front of the crowd that was present. The only difference was he'd decided he would allow himself to feel however he felt. After their conversation on the subject he'd felt far less inhibited. Serenity had seamlessly accepted this part of himself that he was resisting, that he was having trouble accepting. She'd done it so easily, without hesitation and without judgement. Could he try to do the same?
She stood, dressed all in black a stern look on her face. When she looked at him he flashed her the whisper of a smile and the tiniest of nods. She understood and her features relaxed momentarily. It was so brief that no one else could possibly have noticed their interchange at all.
"In accordance with the ruling passed down on May 28th against the Queens consort, Endymion, for high treason, the second of 12 public lashing will take place today." Serenity said clearly for the crowd. She then turned to Endymion. "You will count out loud, 20 lashes." He again was forced to his knees and his hands restrained above his head. 'If I knew you were enjoying yourself, even just a little, I might be able to cope with the stress…'
The whip cracked and he arched a little. It stung more this time, he assumed because he was still healing from the first whipping. "One." Another crack of the whip. "Two." Again. "Three." Another. "Four" At that point his head was buzzing and he looked back at Serenity. Seeing her again so domineering, those feelings that had disturbed him so much the month before surged forward. She met his eyes briefly and they both knew. His breathing came in bursts. "Five." When she struck him again he held her gaze. "Ah!... six." He was definitely enjoying himself to an extent. He was also in agony, the pain was more severe this time. "Thirteen." In spite of the pleasure he was allowing himself to feel, he was starting to lose consciousness. The first beating had left him weakened and he didn't have the same stamina. He fought against fainting. "Eighteen." He hung his head and his vision faded away. He came back around a moment later.
"Two more, Endymion. Stay with me or they'll add a month onto your sentence." Serenity said quietly behind him. He panted for a moment trying to refocus and then nodded. She brought the whip down again.
"Nineteen." One more, just one more and he could let go. The last crack sounded out into the square. "Twen..ty". And he blacked out.
He woke up on his stomach again. This time, though his head was pounding and he was extremely nauseous. He leaned over the edge of the bed and threw up which made his head feel worse. "Oh, Endymion." He heard Serenity across the room. She was by his side in an instant.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't care about the mess, are you ok?" She pressed her wrist to his forehead. "I thought this might happen. You're running a fever." She used her communicator to call Mercury to their room. She came in and looked him over.
"It looks like just a mild fever. There doesn't seem to be any infection in your wounds. I'll get you some medicine for the fever and the nausea." It didn't take long for the two of them to get him cleaned up and medicated. Since she was already there Mercury cleaned his back and changed his bandages. "You should be set until tomorrow but call me if you need anything." Serenity nodded and Mercury left them alone again.
"How are you feeling?" She threaded her fingers through his hair.
"Like I've been whipped." He said. He held a joking tone but the statement made Serenity look away from him, sadness written across her face. "But I kinda liked it." He added. Her face turned bright red and she looked back at him. He gave her a reassuring smile in spite of his headache. She smiled back and and rested her hand on his forehead.
"You should go back to sleep, you need your rest."
"Sure… how long was I out this time?"
"Only a few hours…"
"Hm…" he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
After a couple of days he was up again. Serenity had gone back to taking care of things almost right away this time. He feared that this punishment of his may not stop whatever unrest was building in their kingdom. He'd heard that there were some who were deeply scarred by what Death Phantom and the Black Moon had done. His wife had not executed them. If she had, the crisis may have never taken place. His sentencing was to be proof that such a thing would not be allowed to happen again. "Not even royalty is exempt from the law…". He whispered. "As it should be." He believed in the legal provisions that had been put in place.
His mind wandered onto other things. The book he'd been reading about the psychology of sex was actually fascinating. There were so many things that he simply did not think about before. After 900 years they really hadn't deviate from the socially accepted form of sex. Admittedly they had done some role play but it was actually pretty tame according to what he was reading. It had also become a little boring. As much as he wanted to tell himself that boredom was the cause of these new feelings, he couldn't. Deep down, he knew that these desires had always been present with him but sleeping deep in his psyche. Now he was beginning to realize that sex wasn't just about the act itself, it was about engaging with another person at the most intimate of levels. He tilted his head and lingered on that one thought. If he trusted her, really trusted her, he should be able to let her in and engage with her like this without fear of judgement. It would also mean that he could allow himself to just be… himself. A deep sense of calm settled on his heart. "No judgement…" the only reason he'd resisted this inclination of his was because it didn't exactly jive with puritanical views of what sex actually was. He had been judging himself. Serenity hadn't even flinched when she discovered what he was feeling. She took him in, without hesitation and without judgement.
The mechanics of sex were always the same… trust in the other person and the resulting connection was what made it special.
"Okay then…" he said out loud to the empty room. "I think it's about time that I start being me…"