Everyone was inside, and Ryo agreed to be held in a cell until everything had ben cleared up. Everyone sat at the coffee table in Utena and Anthy's outer chambers, drinking coffee, except Juri, who had a strong glass of rum. Spirit Dios sat beside Utena, speaking with her in quieted tones, occasionally taking a comment from Juri, Shiori, Miki, Keiko, or Nanami. The others had been called in due to the seriousness of the situation.
"Dios, how is it that you knew he was plotting to kill our daughter, if, indeed, he was?" Utena asked, her face pale.
"I should explain. The last true Prince to wield my sword was you, Highness. No one before you who wielded the sword was a true Prince. The last one who did was me, and my mother before me, and her father before her. Every time the sword is passed to another Prince, it's power grows, my strength grows. As the centuries passed with no true Prince to wield the sword, my power within the sword began to fade. Then you found me, your Highness, and my power grew again. Then came the battle with Kanae's dead lover, Akio, and I sacrificed myself to defeat him, and my sword was shattered. You had it restored, and I could still see what was going on through fragmenting some of my soul to remain with the sword."
"After that, the power began to be restored. After the final battle with Mikage, the sword disappeared, and I was lost. I was in a place that could be called heaven, but I felt I was not ready to leave you. I prayed with the gods to let me with with you in soul again. They granted my wish, knowing that more was to come, and that the sword would be passed to your daughter. As long as the Line of Princes was alive, my sword would stay in this world. So when you constructed a shrine to the honor of the ancient prince of Dios, my sword appeared there, and when King Utena went to pray at my shrine, she found the sword, intact, and new as the day it was first created. So I was able to rest in this place, Shi-Ohtori, the place of my birth, and I drank energy as if it were water for a dying man. But no one had need of me. Ever since you ruled the land, King Utena, Queen Anthy, there was no need for my assistance."
"But then you presented me to your daughter when she was but a child, and I knew she would grow up to lead a hard life. I knew her as a Prince. You well remember the powers I granted you, Utena. Enhanced healing, no dark magic could touch you, you could heal others. Faster, stronger, quieter, keener. That was but a shred of the power the sword holds. There is only one family line that holds the blod of Princes. The Tenjou line."
Glances were cast around the table before Yasuo spoke up.
"But I thought you were the Prince of Ohtori? Wouldn't that mean that the queen would be one of your descendants as well?"
Spirit Dios shook his head.
"No. I was a 'Prince' in spirit, but not in name. There is no royal blood in my family. We were very successful merchants, all of us. My mother felt the pull of the Prince, but she was forbidden to go, and my grandfather was too old. So when I became of age, mother gave me the sword, a sack of gold, and let me go be the Prince I so longed to be. I only saw her once more, as she died from a bandit raid. I had failed to get to the battle in time. I swore to her that I would not give up. I would be the Prince she could never have been and continue to help people. That is where I got my reputation as a Prince. I cast off my father's name and went by the name of my mother. I am Dios Tenjou, and you, Utena Tenjou, are a very distant grandaughter of mine spanning generations. And now that the line of Princes is restored, the sword's power will only grow."
Yuki sheepishly rose a hand.
"How did you infuse your soul into the sword?"
"My sister did. She had to make her living, after our father threw her out, as a prostitute. She was known as the Rose Bride. She wasn't your common brothel girl, though. She only catered to the richest and finest of noblemen. But she didn't take their money, no, she had them duel for her. A 'Rose Duel' as it were. If one person could knock the rose pinned to the breast of the opponent off, they would win the Bride until another challenger came along."
"But she had powers much stronger than any of us knew. One day, I rescued a girl from a rapist bandit. It turned out that he was the leader of the bandits who had raided Shi-Ohtori and killed my mother. I killed him, but not without taking greivous wounds. The girl ran back and found my sister with her current champion. She brought her to me and they hid me away in a barn. I was near death when they came. Dozens of men and women demanding that I help their families. My sister kept holding me down as I tried to rise to their calls. 'How can you help anyone in your condition? They are all thankless, taking advantage of your kindness.'
"So she used her magic to infuse my sould into my trusted blade, along with all the magic in her she could give. Then she went out and told the waiting people that I could not, would not help them any longer. That she had taken me away so they could no longer abuse my generosity. The people did not like her answer, and killed her, and I could do nothing. They stormed the barn, shoved the poor girl I had saved aside, and tried to rouse me, to no avail. The buried my body and told my pregnant wife of my death. She gave birth to my son, Shuya, and the line continued, but my sword had been buried with my body. Grave robbers took it, and so it went until you found it, Utena."
The deep silence rang about the room before Wakaba let out a small sniffle. Then Mitsuru opened the door, clapped a heart to his fist, and went to Utena.
"Forgive my intrusion, Majesties, but I have news."
He stopped as he saw all of the aprehensive looks coming his way before he let off a short laugh.
"Good news, all! Everything is ready for your wedding, Prince Dios."
Dios grinned.
"That reminds me! Dios, may we have the honor of setting the wedding on the day of your birth?"
Spirit Dios smiled and nodded.
"I would be honored. March 10th, then?"
Utena nodded taking Anthy's hand.
"So it's set then. March 10th it is! Congratulations, Dios, Nozomi, on your wedding."
Anthy smiled, stood, and pulled Dios, then Nozomi, into warm embraces.
"What of my hug?" Spirit Dios asked.
Anthy smiled and turned to him, hugging him close. Aside from Spirit Dios' ominous warning, spirits were high in anticipation of the wedding of Ohtori's beloved Prince.