It took only until the following morning for things to be worked out with the building work in the South Pacific and Serenity was home on the third day after leaving. Around lunchtime she walked into their room and he couldn't help but rush to her, wrapping her in his arms. After a few minutes she shifted but he wouldn't let her go. "Endymion, I'm safe, everything went fine."

"I know."

"My love, do you think you could let me go?"

"No."

"You're going to have to, I need the restroom." He sighed and reluctantly released her. "You really are very protective." She said matter-of-factly as she headed to the en-suite. When she disappeared behind the door he wanted desperately to follow her. Before the desire overtook him, he paused. It dawned on him that he was becoming very clingy. He sighed.

"I'll be mad as a hatter by the time this whole thing is over. I need to start my meditation again…". He went out to the balcony instead of the bathroom and sat on one of the chairs. The sun was out and warmed his skin. It wasn't long before Serenity joined him. He looked at her and gave her a small smile. She smiled back.

"Is everything ok, Endymion?" The smile faded a little.

"Yeah."

"Don't lie to me. We've been together far too long for you to get away with it." He huffed a little and then looked away, back out to the horizon.

"I think I'm going stir crazy. I just… I've been in the same hallway for 3 months now. I don't know how I'm going to get through the next 9."

"I'm sorry, that is one thing I cannot change or fix. The terms of this arrangement are very strict."

"I do not expect a fix. I just felt it very acutely a moment ago." He rubbed at his forehead. "I went from having a full schedule of duties to having nearly nothing to do. I can't go out to do anything. I don't have any responsibilities. I don't have any outside contact. It's beginning to wear on me." She looked at him with deep concern set in her features. She circled round and knelt in front of him, resting her head in his lap. Instinctually he put his hand on her head. Just then it felt like time moved both forwards and back. He was with her there eternally. She shifted and looked up at him, breaking the spell.

"Tomorrow I am going to clear my schedule and spend the day here, with you."

"Serenity, I can't ask you to do that."

"As I recall, you didn't. Whether you want it or not, it is done. I, as your Queen, command it." The protest died on his tongue.

"Then so shall it be, my Queen."

"Endymion, you will make it through this and I will support you. I will lift you up and give you my strength to go on. I will not allow you to break under this pressure." The fierce look of certainty in her eyes made him believe he could. "I must go and make arrangements for tomorrow. I will return before dinner." After she stood she leaned over and kissed him. Then she was gone.

"Serenity." He folded his arms. "We're all delusional. Never have we protected you, you have protected all of us." He thought back to every battle, every enemy. Time after time when the sailor guardians and he himself had lost their ability to fight or had fallen, Serenity was there to save them. She finished every battle, defeated every evil they had encountered. Part of it was of course the Silver Crystal but it was her heart that allowed her to use it to its full potential every time. Even now that he was powerless, she was fighting for him. And, he knew beyond a doubt, that she would win this fight no matter what.


The sunlight filtered into their room. Endymion stirred and sat up in bed. He turned and looked at Serenity laying next to him. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully and snoring. He smiled, it was really nice to wake up next to her. After a few moments he got up and went to the en-suite to shower and start getting ready for the day. After his shower he got dressed and went to sit on the balcony. They were still in the full swing of summer but he could make out the whisper of fall on the breeze. September would be there soon. His heart sank a little. September 1st was only a week and a half away. He hadn't done any meditation or other preparation this month. A frown marred his features. "I hope I don't regret that…" he said quietly.

"Regret what?" He looked over his shoulder at his wife. Her hair was a little messy and one of her nightgown straps hung off her shoulder. He didn't bother trying to hide the upset look on his face.

"I haven't done any preparation this month…". She nodded.

"I thought you hadn't but I wasn't sure." She walked to his chair and kissed his cheek. "It can't hurt to start but not today."

"Why not?"

"I have a surprise for you. Let me take a look at your back and then I'm going to shower and get dressed." He nodded undoing the buttons on his shirt and shrugging it off. She examined the wounds. The open ones had closed and all that was left of the bruising was a few small faded patches. "It looks like the bruising may be completely healed by the next… by the next…". She sighed heavily.

"It's sounds like you haven't prepared either…" She frowned a little.

"I guess not. I'll start tomorrow. Today is for us. Lets go ahead and do another medicated patch. After we get that on I'll get ready."

"Okay." Endymion sat at his piano while Serenity was in the shower. He played a song or two half heartedly. He was slightly depressed and playing through something that needed energy wasn't very appealing. It wasn't long before Serenity was done in the shower. She wasn't dressed for staying in their room, she was done up as though she'd be attending court. "I thought you said you had cleared your schedule today…" he said, slightly disappointed.

"I have." She answered. "Come on." She went and took his hand, pulling him from the piano bench and towards the door. He followed her willingly, confused. She approached the door that separated their wing from the rest of the palace.

"Serenity, what-"

"Just follow behind me a step or two and don't make eye contact with anyone. Everyone here in the palace already knows not to engage you for any reason."

"But Serenity, what-"

"Shush. Follow me." He closed his mouth and did as he was told. He followed her out of their wing staying a step or two behind her, his eyes trained on the hem of her dress. He may have also snuck a few glances at her butt. He was so focused on not looking at anyone he wasn't exactly sure where they were going. A few of their courtiers greeted her with a quiet "good day, your majesty." And "Lovely as always, your highness.". His heart was thundering in his ears. He felt like he was on the brink of a panic attack. He'd been in their wing of the palace by himself so long that it was unnerving venturing out of it. He was almost afraid he would end up with a longer sentence for leaving their room.

The few minutes they'd spent walking felt like a lifetime. Finally she stopped with him right behind her. "Hello, Jupiter. I really can't thank you enough for this."

"It brought me great joy to work on it for you, Your Highness. I'll excuse myself. Please let me know if there is more I can do." Jupiter walked away and it was just the two of them standing there. Serenity opened a door and walked in with him following close behind. His senses were overwhelmed with the smell of greenery and something sweet.

"You can look up, Endymion. It's just us here." He looked up and the sight took his breath away. They stood just inside the door of a magnificent indoor garden. He would have called it a greenhouse but it didn't feel like one. There was a large rock wall where a waterfall rushed down framed by every manner of flowering hanging plant. The whole area was carpeted with finely manicured grass. A pond captured the end of the waterfall and housed dozens of pink water lilies. There were countless rose bushes, all of them with red roses but the shade and shape of them was unfamiliar. There were other water features scattered throughout the area, all of them surrounded by flowering plants. The far end of the pond housed a beautiful weeping willow, it's branches brushing the surface of the water. "So? What do you think?" He didn't answer immediately. The area was overwhelming. He hadn't been this close to the breathing earth in so long he didn't know how to feel.

"What… what is this place?" He finally said in wonder.

"This is our private garden. The palace gardens are off limits for you so I gave Jupiter free reign of this space. She is truly a miracle worker with plants. She's been working on this area since the beginning of your sentence."

"It just… I mean I can't… unbelievable…". She chuckled lightly at him.

"Come on." She took his hand and led him into the garden. They made their way around the pond towards the willow. Under its branches sat a beautiful little table set on a stone platform and on the table was lunch. They sat down and Serenity began attacking the tea cakes right away. Some things never changed.

"What is this rose? I don't recognize it." He asked.

"Mmm." She swallowed her bite. "It is a new breed of rose that Jupiter has been working on at my behest. It is called the Tuxedo Rose."

"The… Tuxedo Rose?"

"Yes. She's been working on it for some time and it was meant to be an anniversary gift for you."

"For me?"

"I hope you don't mind that I gave it to you early." He looked at her for a minute. She had icing on her chin and the tip of her nose from the tea cakes. Eventually he just started laughing. She looked at him incredulously. "What's so funny?"

"I-I'm sorry *hehe* I'm sorry *haha* Your nose… *sniker* you have icing all over your face."

"Oh!" She chuckled too. "Oops." She took her napkin and wiped her face off. He continued to laugh for a minute more. As he stopped he could feel the touch of insanity that had colored his laughing fit.

"I must be losing my mind." He said.

"Are you sure you aren't actually finding it?" Serenity asked. Her question took him aback and he looked at her shocked.

"What?"

"Well think about it. When this started you discovered an aspect of your sexuality that you hadn't known about before and which I am excited to explore with you. You've been meditating and doing yoga which seems to bring you clarity and peace. You've discovered the piano, and to my delight it seems to bring you joy. And Endymion, I haven't heard you laugh like that since we were in school." He fell silent. Again? How did she do that? Who was this woman? "Endymion, do you think maybe we've both been far too absorbed in who we are to others and not enough in who we are to each other?"

"I… don't know…"

"Until a few months ago we were Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion. Our daughter, Small Lady, took up a large portion of our time, both mine and yours. Now she has finally awakened to her power and is training as a guardian. You've been given a break from that title and station, circumstance aside. Do you think all of this has given you time to reconnect with yourself?"

"Connect… with myself…"

"You are a wise and gentle man, Endymion. You are a courageous ruler and a fierce warrior. You are a loving husband and father. This is just a tiny look into how I think and feel about you. But, it feels like you've lost contact of how you feel about yourself. You've lost confidence, especially after the incident with Death Phantom and the Black Moon."

"Why would you bring that up?"

"The comment you made to me while I was in Australia. That the last time I left the Crystal Palace the sky had fallen. You don't blame yourself for what happened do you?" He fell silent. He couldn't protect her. He felt like he had never been able to protect her. Their previous lives he'd failed to protect her. All the times he'd actually been used against her. Queens Beryl and Metalia had brainwashed him against her. It had happened again when Black Lady attacked the palace. He could only watch helplessly as his younger self struck her. When Pharaoh 90 tried to engulf the Earth he'd just watched as she sacrificed herself to save them all. She was always rescuing him, and she was doing it again. "I am so sorry, Endymion. I have failed you."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"I can see it on your face. Small Lady had the same look on hers when she said that she thought I didn't need her and that she just got in my way." She got up from her chair and walked to the pond. She looked out over the water for some time before speaking again. "What I have failed to convey to not only Small Lady, but you as well, is that you make me those things that you seem to admire so much in me. I can't be who I am or do what I do without you. It has always been you who has given me confidence, given me strength to carry on. I need you, you are quite literally my heart. Without you, I would die." Her tone was striking. The way she said it… he believed her, he believed she would actually die.

"Do you… really need me that much?" She looked at him, tears running down her face. She walked over to him and knelt in front of his chair.

"You too? Small Lady and you too?" She took his hands in hers. "I need you more than anyone has ever needed anything ever, Endymion." She kissed his hands. "I need you more than food, I need you more than air. Your soul reverberates with mine and keeps me going. You feel it too, don't you?"

"Yes, but… I always thought that I needed you more than you needed me." She looked at him again, her head tilted.

"My dearest love, who needs who more? The flower? Or the honey bee? Without the bee the flower cannot procreate. Without the flower the bee would starve. Do you truly believe it's possible for me to need you less than you need me?" He gazed into her eyes. They were like deep pools of sapphire, glittering with tears.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for upsetting you, Serenity."

"Do you understand now? How much I need you Endymion?"

"I think I'm beginning to…". She beamed back at him.

"Let's finish eating." She went back to her chair and they continued their meal. He felt so relaxed with her after their talk. They were even laughing and joking like they hadn't done since they were in high school and college. The meal finished they sat on the banks of the pond, completely satisfied.

"I can't remember when I had such a good meal." Endymion said with a hand on his stomach. He may have had too much to eat.

"Yeah, well we have Jupiter to thank for that as well." They fell silent. The one thing the garden was missing was a breeze and the sound of life in the trees. There weren't any birds or animals to give the space an organic feeling. Endymion laid back and just stared at the ceiling. Outside didn't have ceilings or doors. A rustle next to him halted his depressing chain of thought and drew his attention back to his wife. She had stood up and unzipped her dress allowing it to fall down, pooling in a heap at her feet. She was left in a lacy white bra and matching underwear. His thinking was very effectively rerouted to the image in front of him. She stepped out of the dress and headed his way. He was so enraptured that he didn't move. When she reached him she lowered herself so that she was standing on her knees, one on each side of his waist. "I am very displeased with you." She said sternly. He felt his heart jump and begin to thunder in his chest.

"Serenity?" He asked. She fell forward onto her hands positioned on either side of his head.

"You will refer to me as 'Your Highness' my consort."

"And if I don't?" He breathed.

"If you don't, then in the name of the moon, I'll punish you." She leaned down and captured his lips. When his hands went to touch her she pulled away. Quick as lightning she sat on his stomach, his arms trapped beneath her. "No hands, consort. You will not touch your Queen unless it pleases me." He was panting. He struggled against her but she held him fast.

"Serenity." He said. His statement was met with a sharp smack on his thigh. "Ah!" It actually really hurt.

"You will do as you're told." She said. His thigh stung, his heart was racing, and he was definitely turned on. She leaned forward again to steal another kiss. He kissed back but she pulled away again. He struggled against her, trying to free his arms but she locked them tightly between her thighs.

"Let me up Serenity, please." She smacked his other thigh hard making him cry out. She grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling it just hard enough to cause him pain. She forced his head to the side and leaned in close to his ear.

"I said…" she breathed against his cheek, "...you will do as you are told." She bit down on his neck hard and sucked at the sensitive skin. His head was swimming and his breathing was uneven and excited. He wanted this so bad. It also still scared him that he wanted it.

"Please, Serenity… I'm… I'm not ready." She pulled back and looked down at him. He was panting, eyes half-lidded. She leaned back down and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Yes you are, Endymion. You just need to trust me enough to join you here. But maybe that's too much to ask right now." She was right. He was ready for this. All of the dreams, all the desires, all of the self reflection he'd done over the last few months. Complete faith and trust. Serenity went to stand. He pulled a hand free and grabbed her wrist. She looked back down at him, a question on her features.

"Your Highness…" he said breathlessly "do with your consort as you please."