Legacy - Chapter Six

By: Moments of Insanity

Disclaimer: Nope, Sailor Moon wasn't, wouldn't, and will not be mine.

Dedicated to Melete and Lady Fenix who reviewed this story with encouragement (your reviews always boost up my ego).

I'm having fun screwing up Kunzite's characterization. Hope you like the spin I dded to his otherwise morbid personality. And kowtows to those who reviewed my story. Sorry for keeping you waiting for (looks at calendar) half a year and it is shorter then what I usually write, can't blame anyone but my lazy self.

Please note this is a maiden flight without my trusted editor ice to pick up my mistakes and stuff. I've tried my hardest to nit pick most of it, but since English is my worst subject, there are bound to be mistakes still lying around. Drop me a note to tell me where I've screwed up and forgive me. And if my writing isn't as smooth as before. well, that's what the reviews are for.

This chapter's recommendation includes: Operation red haze by Tsubasa-chan

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Several days had passed since the incident in the tavern. Makoto had demanded to return to the chapter after I'ma had gotten sick, cutting the celebration short. Zoisite sighed and moved the piece of pawn up two squares. Madame Setsuna was furious, she literally hollered Jadeite's ears off, while wrapping I'ma back into bed and confining him in the infirmary for another two days. Zoisite looked up, waiting for his partner to finish the move. He thought glumly, the worst thing was I'ma began to act strange. "Your turn, I'ma."

Ami gave him a short glance and tried to keep her expression blank. After trying very hard to make herself inconspicuous from Zoisite and failing miserably for Makoto was his squire who he badgered incessantly, it was near impossible to avoid him. Beside his need to find Makoto, Zoisite continued to track her down and demanded that she kept up her end of the bargain. With his constant badgering, she found it impossible to calm the torrent inside her and she was force to use her last resort which was hiding behind an cold indifference hoping to salvage what small amount of sanity when he was not near. But even that did not work, she grimaced and half-heartedly pushed the queen into position.

"This is not getting anywhere," Zoisite sighed leaning back into the armchair, "you're not concentrating; this is even worst than your first game." He glared at Jadeite's squire whose features were partially hidden in the darkness of the room. Despite the darkness of the room, he could see the squire's icy expression, maybe the better word would be feel. He didn't know what to do with a sullen boy who was quite apt in shutting out everyone, icy just like the element he wield. But for all the stars under the heaven, he just couldn't see why he was the source of the boy's anger. He glanced at the glowing log at the fireplace that warmed the otherwise chilled library, the fire had long died down, the reddish ember glowing weakly. Using his hand to massage knots of pain on his neck, he glanced up at the oculus of the dome with silvery light reflected off the shroud of snow on the roof. Past midnight he thought and grimaced at the shots of pain, the signs of overworking. It was time to call it a day. He shuffled his paper when an idea came to him. He quickly placed the unfinished game away and took out a roll of paper. It was the map of the country. I'ma leaned forward, apparently curiosity won, Zoisite smirked to himself. Using his index finger as the pointer.

"This is where we are," pointing to the dot with the name Gaeria, it had a miniature drawing of a town with a city wall surrounding it.

Ami asked, "so the dot with a picture is a city," pointing to another dot with the name Belmort on it. "so these are landmarks?" Ami pointed to a dot without a picture.

"You haven't seen a map before?'" Zoisite asked, glad that I'ma was finally talking to him, he was about to teased when Ami answered stiffly,

"Maps are expensive."

Zoisite sighed, the boy was a genius cutting conversation short and he could see I'ma slowly shutting him out as the squire leaned back into the armchair. " In any case only cities have this diagrams, town and villages only have dots to represent them," he continued trying to salvage the conversation, tracing his index finger to the right of the map, he circled an area with a name 'Sarrinum' printed over it, "this is where you're from." Shifting the position of his finger to the place between Sarrinum and Gaeria was an area named Yueliang.

"I didn't know we have a county called Yueliang," Ami exclaimed, understanding the way the map works.

"Actually this is the area of the old kingdom, ever since its monarchy disappearance, the King became a protector of it, like a temporary regent," Zoisite reminded her. " Remember the paper I was working on? Currently, there is no population living in that area now, but the King refuses to let traders and settlers to enter the area." Of course, that wouldn't stop him from going there for some snooping about. He pointed north of Baseer, "This is outside of Elinae, "I think the dancers we met the other day is from another country."

"Of course we know it, they told us they're gypsies," Ami snapped suddenly her calm persona evaporated like water under strong desert sun while something twisted painfully in her heart as she remember the blond beauty.

"Calm down, I'ma," Zoisite blinked, surprise by the vehement response, "so you think they're suspicious?"

Ami was speechless, "well, maybe," she racked her brain for an answer and in a rush she blurted out, "they're asking for job, but mainly targeting people from the palace. That just strike me strange," and trailed off lamely while ducking her head, her face furiously blushing while she thanked the high heaven for the darkness.

Zoisite smiled triumphantly, "exactly what I thought, so I went snooping around," he leaned back into his chair, " guess what I found. They are not from this city. They are not even from this country. They are from the clan Kaimain."

Ami looked skeptically at him, still silent. Zoisite sighed, I'ma's mind may be brilliant, but he lacked certain knowledge. "Haven't you heard of stories? Kaimain is a mercenary clan. They do assassination for the correct price."

Baby blue eyes widened, as Ami pieced two pieces of information together, "so you think."

"Correct. It is my guess that they need to assassinate someone. And that someone is in the palace." Zoisite concluded. "But then these are only guesswork's. Also I may have an overactive imagination" He concluded glumly, at Ami's quizzical look he elaborated, " Kaimain people have different skin tone, they are usually dark hair and dark skin. Minako is a blond while despite Rei her dark hair, her skin is fair. This fact is the only discrepancy in my theory."

"Now assuming that my guess is correct. I believe the King might be the target," he ended thoughtfully. "With the king's sickness, the power balance is shifting. This is the right time if someone wants to move in power."

Endymion massaged his temple, there was a growing margarine that seemed like a sledge hammer knocking on his skull.

"My kingdom for freedom," he groaned as his midnight blue eyes glared at the piles of paper and documents scattered on his desk. It seems to be an everlasting mountain of paper. This fact it was well into the night did not go well with him as he blink his bleary eyes. He grimaced as someone knocked the door.

"Come in Kunzite," Endymoin weary holding a document on a dispute over land right in his hand, as the said person slid into the room.

Grey eyes looked at him questionably, "how did you know it's me?"

"The way you knock, do you know there's a pattern in how you knock the door?" His answer was just a simple snort. "What brings you here?"

"Politics," Kunzite replied dryly, settling down on a armchair adjacent to Endymion, while helping himself with a cup of tea. "Setsuna's mix?"

"For my headaches. Elaborate," Endymion shot a look at Kunzite, he hated it when he was left in the dark.

"Some worrying news from county Belmort. And the usual back-stabbing politics." Kunzite answered vaguely, stopping when Endymion stepped up and stood in front of him and gave him a fierce glare.

"Firstly, I don't need you babying me, secondly leaving me in the dark is a bad mistake, I need to information. Thirdly." he trailed off when there was a soft knock on the door when Beryl enter.

Her hair was tied in a messy bun with wisps of tendril framing her face. Worried brown eyes darted to and fro while she bit her lips. With a short cry she ran and into Endymion's embrace. One of Kunzite's eyebrow rose questioningly at his liege.

"Lady Beryl," Endymion stammered, while gently and firmly untangled himself from her grasp, but she just struggled and wrapped her arms around him.

Kunzite tried to keep a bland expression, though there was a small twitch at the corner of his mouth. Endymion gave him a fierce glare over Beryl's head.

"My lord," Beryl murmured.

"Your Highness," Endymion corrected, and mentally groaned when Beryl looked up with teary eyes.

"Your Highness," she repeated dreamily. Endymion groaned out loud this time then rudely pushed her away.

"What brings you here? Lady Beryl," Endymion grind out, it took all his years of etiquette lessons to refrain for bolting, and not to land a punch on Kunzite's face.

"I have come to warn you, there are treachery a foot," Beryl breathed inching near to Endymion. "You have to be on guard, my love." He grimaced at the last endearment, and was about to deliver a scathing retort he hoped that would penetrate Beryl's thick skull when Kunzite interrupted.

"Care to elaborate?" He leaned forward, resting his head on clasping hands supported by his knee. The darkness made his grey eyes glittered with intensity only known to his family. Immediately there was a guarded look on Beryl's face.

"I can't. can't say much, as.I only overheard it," she stammered while pitching her voice in a girlish voice. "Please forgive me, Lord Kunzite." She lowered her eyes demurely while refastened her hold on Endymion. "You have to believe me, my Love," she whispered while she tried to peer into Endymion's midnight blue eyes that were looking anywhere but her.

Kunzite looked on amusedly as Endymion's eyes darted nervously like a skittish colt. "Lady Beryl, surely you would recognize the people's voice," he slightly berated, momentarily taking her attention from Endymion.

She bit her lips nervously, "Lord Kunzite, I couldn't tell, I possibility couldn't tell." She was quivering, "I..I couldn't have known the people's name, since I've only visited my lord's castle less than five times."

Endymion coughed and muttered, "My father is still very healthy, thank you very much."

Lady Beryl blushed at her slip, and was about to apologize when a knock interrupted them.

Rose slid in and curtsied and mentioned in a shy voice that Lord Glenn wished to see Lady Beryl. Lady Beryl threw her a scathing look before spinning on her heels and hurried out, and missed Endymion mouthing "thankyou" to Rose, who only flustered more.

"I will be glad to escort her away from Gaeria tomorrow," Endymion muttered, his hand raked through his raven hair in frustration, "and you, my friend, are just pure menace."

Kunzite just continue to sip his tea while he listened to Endymion's rant, "but that is very entertaining," he reasoned calmly.

"Entertaining? You call that entertaining? You used me as a diversion to question Beryl," Endymion half strangled out.

"How else am I suppose to get information," Kunzite countered. "Also it's almost time to get the next heir of the throne."

" I am the next heir," Endymion protested.

"I meant the next next heir," Kunzite clarified his statement.

"For a man that is my senior, I don't see you being a role model; settling down and begetting grandchildren for Lord Kornnan; " Endymion snorted. "I am, at least, wise enough to stay a bachelor." He paused while Kunzite looked through some of the documents laying on the table. "You changed the subject," he accused

"I have changed the subject long time ago," Kunzite agreed.

"Well, unchanged it," Endymion snapped.

Kunzites sighed and regretfully return the documents on the desk before beginning, " Lord Glenn is a powerful figure in the court because he ruled his county and family with an iron fist. His influences in the court ensure his family will also get to enjoy privileges as well as certain protection from rivals. Now Lady Beryl is the youngest daughter of Lord Glenn." He paused shortly before saying thoughtfully, "she does make an excellent match, your highness."

"Kunzite," Endymion warned in a low voice.

"If Lady Beryl is scared of someone, this meant the person must be of a prominent figure that even Lord Glenn sidestepped to avoid head-on with."

"Lord Glenn is loyal to my father," Endymion protested, "his family is now tied with ours now with the marriage between Uncle Fonix and Aunt Amther."

"True, getting back to Lady Beryl. Firstly, the person is someone she fears, secondly, she knows this person, because of her first-hand information, she is quite adamant about your safety," Kunzite mused, "I need Zoisite here to some ideas at me."

"Surely you don't believe what she says," Endymion looked aghast as he visualized Freedom waving her slim arms to him.

"Any allegation is worth investigation, my liege," Kunzite answered calmly, standing up to leave, "I will be leaving with your consent, your highness," Endymion only nodded dumbly. Kunzite smirked and couldn't help but rub in, "by the way, keep a few beds handy; I will be bringing your guards and their squires here in some near future."

Endymion just groaned.

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Please Read and Review. - They mean a lot to me. you can place the email in the review box and I'll notify you on the newest chapter. If you feel that you need to email me, here's the address Date: 22.08.03