Chapter 2: Where Life Begins
*Rei*
I had a happy childhood until that is, my brother destroyed me. But before that, as a child, I had been playing through a field of beautiful red flowers when I ran into a boy. He was older than I and was as emotionally stiff as a brick. I smiled at him and began giggling. He asked me if I was lost and I told him no. he never asked who I was and neither did I but he led me back to my castle. I suppose I intrigued him because he came by to visit me for weeks on end. I slowly worked my magic on him and as the years went by, he went from unemotional to one of the most caring people I knew. As I broke his barrier, I had fallen in love with him. He had fallen for me too and right when we were old enough to announce to Mars that we were in love, my half brother from one of my father's "accidents" came into play and knocked me out. We were separated and there was nothing we could do about it. As I looked at him in that room, he looked just like he did when I last saw him, just a little bit more mature. He was 21 now and had traveled all over the galaxy looking for me and finally found me on the brink of death. It had been his turn to save me. And that he did.
*Mina*
"Malachite" I said into the darkness.
"Yes, my dear?" he replied.
"Why did you do this to me?"
"Oh Mina, I care for you so much. Seeing you destroy yourself was destroying me. I knew there was something I had to do to save you." I smiled at him
"Rest assured. You have saved me. I am ever so grateful too. But, whatever happened to you? I have missed you so much."
He sighed and gracefully walked over to where I was lying and sat down. He looked at me and began "I was called away to my planet when you were 13. I didn't want to go but I could not refuse when my mother was on her death bed. She died and I became king of my planet. I could not return until you were 17 and the war for the crown was being fought. I am glad nothing happened to you. I think I would have died if you had. Mina, it has been too long since I have last seen you in all of your beauty and glory. I am glad I could save you before anything happened."
He looked away and I sat up, "oh Malachite, I was so upset when you left me justlet everything go. I didn't think you'd come back to me." I said beginning to cry. He looked at me and ran one of his hands through my hair.
"Oh Mina, please don't cry. Everything is ok now." He said as he pulled me into his arms. "I'm here and so are you and that is all that matters" he said as he began to stroke my hair. I stopped crying after a while and looked up at him with a tear-stained face. As we looked into each other's eyes, his face descended down on mine and our eyes fluttered closed in a beautiful kiss . . .
*Rei*
I saw his face for the first time in years. He still had the same gentle smile and the same soft yet determined looks in his eyes. I sat up, closer to him face to face, and looked at him. "You have grown to be very beautiful." He said. I blushed and turned away, ashamed of how I had to live over the past three years. "Don't be embarrassed. No one on that horrible planet could ever destroy your beauty. Neither inside nor out." He put a strong hand on my face and turned my head toward him. "Be strong. We will win this." He said as he leaned forward and kissed me. I put my arms around him and pulled him down on me where we finally stopped kissing and held onto each other while we slept through the night.
*Mina*
he finally pulled away and looked into my eyes, "oh Mina, it's been too long since I have felt your touch. Mina, I still hold feelings for you . . . I love you." He confessed to me. I smiled and blushed in the darkness.
"I love you too," I said.
"Then, Mina, be my queen. Marry me." I was astonished.
"But how? I mean where would we live? How could we rule two planets? It wouldn't work."
"Yes Mina, yes it would. I have a brother that could rule my planet and we could rule yours together. There is no need to worry about that." He reassured me.
"Well, then I guess since there would be no conflict that it would be ok."
"So you will? You will marry me?" I smiled
"Yes, Malachite, I will."
*Rei*
When I woke in the morning, he was looking at me. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"Watching you sleep."
Now why would any normal person want to do that? Well, he was and I couldn't stop him so I looked away. Big mistake.
"Oh, any you don't." He said to pull me back toward him. I made a pitiful pleading groan, but it fell on deaf ears. I had my head down and he lifted it up with his hand. "Rei, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," I said sounding like a child.
"You are being ridiculous."
Who the hell was he to say that? "Excuse me?" I said, lifting my head up to be greeted by his kiss. "What a way to wake up." I mumbled under my breath.
"Oh, Rei, we are going to pay those people back for what they did to you. Every last one of them." he said as he held me close: my head on his chest and his hands in my hair. Oh, he had no idea of how the story would unfold. I keep kicking myself because of it. How could he have been so blind? How could I have been so blind?
*Mina*
I think that would have to have been the most blissful night of my life. Sleeping in the arms of the man I love all night long. Oh, sweet love. "My dear, I see you are awake."
"Yes, unfortunately. I was dreaming of you." I said.
"Why would you want to dream when you can have me?" he said, plopping down on the bed and wrapping his arms around me. "So when will we be going back to Venus?"
"I guess we should go back as soon as possible." I said.
"Well, then we leave tonight. I will send a message of your return to Venus and in the mean time, you rest. It will be a long journey."
*Rei*
Ok, I am going to skip a few months. Blah, blah, blah. I did a whole bunch of training with him and soon I was twice as strong as I had been. We then set out to seek revenge on my enemies. One by one, we found them and killed them. Then I took the remains and made martyrs out of them. That was the beginning of my reign. I had found my way home but I still had to dethrone my brother. The only way one Mars to dethrone a monarch is to kill them or get rid of them. I believe in revenge, but I like it when I do them one and then some. So, on the eve of my return, I came before my brother, and mind you, the son of a bitch thought I was dead. I was clad in a dark crimson cloak with a hood on it to hide my face. As I stood on the marble mosaic of Mars, not but about 10 feet away from the throne, I pulled my hood back with a bowed head. My raven hair fell to the ground and I looked up and said "hello, brother."
*Mina*
Malachite was right. The journey home was long, but worth it. When we arrived on Venus, I was greeted by happy, rejoicing people. Not the hating, fearful rebels I had left. Everything was like it had been in my dream. Lush gold everywhere. I reveled in the beauty. My long golden hair waving in the breeze. I wore the beautiful golden dress Malachite had made for me, long and flowing, down to my ankles with sleeves that came to my elbows. I had a golden cape on to match it. I had always wanted a cape so he had one made for me and surprised me with it right when we were about to leave. Oh, he's so perfect in every way. Anyway, back to the story. We rode on horse back all the way to the palace and a traveler stopped us on the way to give me a crown of yellow roses.
"My queen! I have made this crown of everlasting roses to grace your beautiful head even though it could never amount to you." I was shocked. Before I had left, people were offering me weapons or children to keep themselves safe.
"I gladly accept this and I believe it is the most beautiful gift I have received on this day. I thank you very much." I had Malachite place it on my head and bid the traveler farewell. "Well, wasn't that different" I stated.
"Yes, it was." He agreed.
"Hey Malachite." I said. He looked at me. "I bet I'd beat you!" I exclaimed as I took off on my horse.
"Oh, no you won't!" he exclaimed, not far behind me.
*Rei*
I could tell I scared the hell out of my brother. "That can't be." He said denyingly.
"Believe it dear. I have come to get what is rightfully mine."
"What are you speaking of?"
I laughed. "Are you really that ignorant?" I then became rather serious as my eyes turned black.
"I want my crown."
"Oh, haha, I think not. I stripped you of that right a long time ago. Now, get back to what you do best, whore."
I threw my head back and laughed again. "You underestimate me. And now, you will feel my wrath." I then drew my sword.
"Oh a challenge? This puny whore thinks she can beat me in a sword fight. Well, lets see what you've got." He said as he drew his sword.
"To the death." There was a long silence.
"In public. Preferably today. Right before sunset."
"Ok" he agreed. "Make an announcement to the people about it in the grand arena." "Yes, milord," A servant said. "I haven't had a duel in a while." He confessed.
"Oh but I have." I said re-sheathing my sword. As I walked out, I had this smirk on my face and thought "oh, how I will love killing you."
*Rei*
I had a happy childhood until that is, my brother destroyed me. But before that, as a child, I had been playing through a field of beautiful red flowers when I ran into a boy. He was older than I and was as emotionally stiff as a brick. I smiled at him and began giggling. He asked me if I was lost and I told him no. he never asked who I was and neither did I but he led me back to my castle. I suppose I intrigued him because he came by to visit me for weeks on end. I slowly worked my magic on him and as the years went by, he went from unemotional to one of the most caring people I knew. As I broke his barrier, I had fallen in love with him. He had fallen for me too and right when we were old enough to announce to Mars that we were in love, my half brother from one of my father's "accidents" came into play and knocked me out. We were separated and there was nothing we could do about it. As I looked at him in that room, he looked just like he did when I last saw him, just a little bit more mature. He was 21 now and had traveled all over the galaxy looking for me and finally found me on the brink of death. It had been his turn to save me. And that he did.
*Mina*
"Malachite" I said into the darkness.
"Yes, my dear?" he replied.
"Why did you do this to me?"
"Oh Mina, I care for you so much. Seeing you destroy yourself was destroying me. I knew there was something I had to do to save you." I smiled at him
"Rest assured. You have saved me. I am ever so grateful too. But, whatever happened to you? I have missed you so much."
He sighed and gracefully walked over to where I was lying and sat down. He looked at me and began "I was called away to my planet when you were 13. I didn't want to go but I could not refuse when my mother was on her death bed. She died and I became king of my planet. I could not return until you were 17 and the war for the crown was being fought. I am glad nothing happened to you. I think I would have died if you had. Mina, it has been too long since I have last seen you in all of your beauty and glory. I am glad I could save you before anything happened."
He looked away and I sat up, "oh Malachite, I was so upset when you left me justlet everything go. I didn't think you'd come back to me." I said beginning to cry. He looked at me and ran one of his hands through my hair.
"Oh Mina, please don't cry. Everything is ok now." He said as he pulled me into his arms. "I'm here and so are you and that is all that matters" he said as he began to stroke my hair. I stopped crying after a while and looked up at him with a tear-stained face. As we looked into each other's eyes, his face descended down on mine and our eyes fluttered closed in a beautiful kiss . . .
*Rei*
I saw his face for the first time in years. He still had the same gentle smile and the same soft yet determined looks in his eyes. I sat up, closer to him face to face, and looked at him. "You have grown to be very beautiful." He said. I blushed and turned away, ashamed of how I had to live over the past three years. "Don't be embarrassed. No one on that horrible planet could ever destroy your beauty. Neither inside nor out." He put a strong hand on my face and turned my head toward him. "Be strong. We will win this." He said as he leaned forward and kissed me. I put my arms around him and pulled him down on me where we finally stopped kissing and held onto each other while we slept through the night.
*Mina*
he finally pulled away and looked into my eyes, "oh Mina, it's been too long since I have felt your touch. Mina, I still hold feelings for you . . . I love you." He confessed to me. I smiled and blushed in the darkness.
"I love you too," I said.
"Then, Mina, be my queen. Marry me." I was astonished.
"But how? I mean where would we live? How could we rule two planets? It wouldn't work."
"Yes Mina, yes it would. I have a brother that could rule my planet and we could rule yours together. There is no need to worry about that." He reassured me.
"Well, then I guess since there would be no conflict that it would be ok."
"So you will? You will marry me?" I smiled
"Yes, Malachite, I will."
*Rei*
When I woke in the morning, he was looking at me. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"Watching you sleep."
Now why would any normal person want to do that? Well, he was and I couldn't stop him so I looked away. Big mistake.
"Oh, any you don't." He said to pull me back toward him. I made a pitiful pleading groan, but it fell on deaf ears. I had my head down and he lifted it up with his hand. "Rei, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," I said sounding like a child.
"You are being ridiculous."
Who the hell was he to say that? "Excuse me?" I said, lifting my head up to be greeted by his kiss. "What a way to wake up." I mumbled under my breath.
"Oh, Rei, we are going to pay those people back for what they did to you. Every last one of them." he said as he held me close: my head on his chest and his hands in my hair. Oh, he had no idea of how the story would unfold. I keep kicking myself because of it. How could he have been so blind? How could I have been so blind?
*Mina*
I think that would have to have been the most blissful night of my life. Sleeping in the arms of the man I love all night long. Oh, sweet love. "My dear, I see you are awake."
"Yes, unfortunately. I was dreaming of you." I said.
"Why would you want to dream when you can have me?" he said, plopping down on the bed and wrapping his arms around me. "So when will we be going back to Venus?"
"I guess we should go back as soon as possible." I said.
"Well, then we leave tonight. I will send a message of your return to Venus and in the mean time, you rest. It will be a long journey."
*Rei*
Ok, I am going to skip a few months. Blah, blah, blah. I did a whole bunch of training with him and soon I was twice as strong as I had been. We then set out to seek revenge on my enemies. One by one, we found them and killed them. Then I took the remains and made martyrs out of them. That was the beginning of my reign. I had found my way home but I still had to dethrone my brother. The only way one Mars to dethrone a monarch is to kill them or get rid of them. I believe in revenge, but I like it when I do them one and then some. So, on the eve of my return, I came before my brother, and mind you, the son of a bitch thought I was dead. I was clad in a dark crimson cloak with a hood on it to hide my face. As I stood on the marble mosaic of Mars, not but about 10 feet away from the throne, I pulled my hood back with a bowed head. My raven hair fell to the ground and I looked up and said "hello, brother."
*Mina*
Malachite was right. The journey home was long, but worth it. When we arrived on Venus, I was greeted by happy, rejoicing people. Not the hating, fearful rebels I had left. Everything was like it had been in my dream. Lush gold everywhere. I reveled in the beauty. My long golden hair waving in the breeze. I wore the beautiful golden dress Malachite had made for me, long and flowing, down to my ankles with sleeves that came to my elbows. I had a golden cape on to match it. I had always wanted a cape so he had one made for me and surprised me with it right when we were about to leave. Oh, he's so perfect in every way. Anyway, back to the story. We rode on horse back all the way to the palace and a traveler stopped us on the way to give me a crown of yellow roses.
"My queen! I have made this crown of everlasting roses to grace your beautiful head even though it could never amount to you." I was shocked. Before I had left, people were offering me weapons or children to keep themselves safe.
"I gladly accept this and I believe it is the most beautiful gift I have received on this day. I thank you very much." I had Malachite place it on my head and bid the traveler farewell. "Well, wasn't that different" I stated.
"Yes, it was." He agreed.
"Hey Malachite." I said. He looked at me. "I bet I'd beat you!" I exclaimed as I took off on my horse.
"Oh, no you won't!" he exclaimed, not far behind me.
*Rei*
I could tell I scared the hell out of my brother. "That can't be." He said denyingly.
"Believe it dear. I have come to get what is rightfully mine."
"What are you speaking of?"
I laughed. "Are you really that ignorant?" I then became rather serious as my eyes turned black.
"I want my crown."
"Oh, haha, I think not. I stripped you of that right a long time ago. Now, get back to what you do best, whore."
I threw my head back and laughed again. "You underestimate me. And now, you will feel my wrath." I then drew my sword.
"Oh a challenge? This puny whore thinks she can beat me in a sword fight. Well, lets see what you've got." He said as he drew his sword.
"To the death." There was a long silence.
"In public. Preferably today. Right before sunset."
"Ok" he agreed. "Make an announcement to the people about it in the grand arena." "Yes, milord," A servant said. "I haven't had a duel in a while." He confessed.
"Oh but I have." I said re-sheathing my sword. As I walked out, I had this smirk on my face and thought "oh, how I will love killing you."