by Kaekilia LeoLynn
WOW! Over 1100 hits! You guys must really like this fic! And thanks to SailorFireStar, Lunadoragon, and Koijima for reviewing.
I pierced my own ears for my birthday next week. Am I crazy? I think so. So now I have four earrings in each ear and I'm planning on getting two more tattos (the 12 zodiac signs and 12 planetary symbols on my forearms).
I'm having issues at home, so that's interfering with my creative energy. I appologize in advance for any crappy writing and/or short chapters.
Randomness:
I'll slap you with the dull side of a pizza!
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Chapter 12
Mina's jaw dropped in suprise. "You two are starting a treaty with eachother? And you want to betrothe me and Yaten in regards to it? Why?"
"We are starting a treaty because your system is small and isolated. It's to your advantage to have an ally you can depend on in a time of need. And what better planet to have a treaty with than one you know the Royal Family?" Kakyoku smiled and leaned back in her throne. "And we agreed to betrothe you and Yaten because you love eachother and you asked me to find a way for you to remain together."
"What do you think, Mina?" Serena asked, cossing her hands behind her back. Mina was silent for a long moment; too long for Serena's taste. "Is something wrong?"
Mina shook her head. "I can't agree to this arrangement yet. Let me talk it over with Yaten before I answer."
"Spoken like a true leader." Kakyoku replied. She stood up from her throne and placed her hands on Mina's shoulders. "For what it's worth, I look forward to calling you family."
Tears threatened to fall from Mina's cerullean eyes. In an instant, she hugged the queen. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
The doors to the throne room slammed open. On instinct, Mina and Serena sunk into fighting stances. Two Starlights entered and threw a young man to the floor before bowing to their queen. "We apollogize for the interruption, Highness. We caught this intruder sneaking into the palace."
"Thank you, Star Lighter, Star Leader." Kakyoku nodded to the leather-clad soldiers as she approached the man. She frowned when she recognised the unrully hair and tanned skin. "What are you doing here, Dentyne?"
"Please, Queen Kakyoku, hear me out!" Dentyne pleaded, remaining on his knees on the marble floor. He met the queen's firey eyes with his own. "I'm here to warn you of immenent danger to your kingdom."
"You have my attention. Explain." Kakyoku waved her Starlights back from their prisoner. Dentyne watched them as they stepped back and stood at ease by the golden doors. He turned his attention back to the queen.
"My father has a plot to take over your kingdom. He threatened the Grand COuncil into forcing their laws on your system therefor betrothing me and Seiya. Father used me to drug Seiya so that she would be more compliant to the wedding. Once we were married, he was going to use his newly obtained posision to assassinate you and your daughters. I managed to thwart his plans for the moment with what I was forced to do to Seiya, but he and Celest are working on a new plan."
"What do you mean by what you were forced to do to Seiya? You raped her! How can there be any force to that?" Serena shouted, stepping towards the kneeling prince.
"Celest injected me with a mind control potion called Lectse. With it, I was forced to... to... rape Seiya. I could see myself doing it to her, but I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to badly to stop... Oh Gods. Please tell me she's okay." Dentyne looked into the Queen's eyes. She sighed and turned away.
"She's pregnant, but we're going to have her cancel it." Kakyoku herad Dentyne's breath catch. "She attacked and wounded Healer and Seer has discovered an unknown darkness in Seiya's mind. Right now, Seiya is in the hospital wing in suspended animation awaiting a cure."
"I know what the darkness is and how to cure it. It's Lectse, the same potion Celest used against me. The cure is a concentrated mixture of taba root and una petals or you can give it a few hours to run thru her system."
"And just how do you know all this?" Serena crossed her arms, not wanting to trust the man that hurt her friend. She watched as he averted his eyes, suddenly finding the marble floor interesting. He sighed.
"Because I'm the one who gave her the Lectse." He heard the two Starlights behind him growl in response. Both were quickly silenced by Kakyoku. The queen looked down on Dentyne and he was unable to meet her eyes.
"Why should we trust you?" Kakyoku asked. Dentyne looked up at the queen in shock.
"You do have your reasons not to trust me, but... Well... I've fallen for Seiya... and I want to save her and protect her."
"Can you protect her from yourself?" Mina asked quietly, speaking up for the first time since the interuption. Dentyne's crimson eyes met her cerulean orbs. Hope and love resided there, and she saw it. He did love Seiya, but Seiya loved Serena. This was going to get complicated; even more so than the Seiya, Serena, Darien love triangle.
"I swear in the name of the God, Regon, I'd protect Seiya from anything, even if I have to kill myself to prevent harm to her."
"That sounds very noble of you, but so far I'm not impressed." Kakyoku said, walking past the kneeling prince. "Until you can be trusted here, you will have an escort of two Starlights for all hours of the day and night. Your rank of Prince has been hereby suspended until further notice. And you will not see Seiya alone. Are you clear on these conditions?"
"Yes, Your Highness." Dentyne nodded his head in respect. He finally stood and turned to face the queen. "Just a question, Highness. What will you do about my father and Celest?"
"There is no proof of what you say, so I cannot do anything."
"You can get a Mentat to scan my memories. That'll give you some answers, Magesty."
Kakyoku whirrled arround to face him. "You would subjecate yourself to a Mentat scan? You must be desperate to prove your innocence. Very well, I will have Star Seer and Star Hexer perform the scan."
"May I make a request, Your Highness?" Dentyne asked as he bowed to Kakyoku. She raised an eyebrow. "Can I see Seiya?"
The room was silent for a long few minutes. Dentyne silently prayed that Kakyoku would allow a short visit. The queen finally sighed and looked away. "Very well. A short visit, but Lighter and Leader here will escort you."
"Thank you so much, Your Highness. I really appreciate it." Dentyne bowed to the queen again and allowed himself to be escorted out of the room by the two Starlights.
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Celest made her way to the palace disguised as a kitchen drudge; dirty smock and thin sandals with unrully grey hair and dull eyes. The Starlights gaurding the gate eyed her as she limped into the palace. Once inside, she witnessed, two more Starlights escorting the welp out of the throne room. He was the sole reason for her presence here and he would die soon if she had her way with it... So would that bastard of a father.
She sneered and followed the trio at a distance. They climbed four flights of stairs and turned down a long hall. Celest watched from the shadows as they entered the hospital wing of the Crystal Palace. She snuck up the the frosted glass doors and peered into the room beyond. She saw the two Starlights lead Dentyne into a room and disappear. She scowled and retreated from the door; somehow knowing that there would be frequent visits to that room.
As Celest made her way back downstairs to the kitchen, she passed a pair of young blondes. The girls eyed her suspiciously, but continued on their way without saying anything. Celest turned and watched them go, recognising one of them as the girl who had acompanied Fighter to the gown fitting. What was her name? Celest scoffed and turned away, continuing to the kitchen in a huff.
It was time to set the plan in motion...
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Dentyne hesitated in the doorway. She really was beautiful when she slept; a feature he loved her for. He moved to her bedside slowly, as if afraid to wake her. He admired her ebony hair and gentle features. He wanted so badly to touch her, but didn't in fear that he would offend her. Instead he leaned in close and whispered in her ear.
"Please forgive me. I love you and I never ment you any harm. When you wake up, I'll tell you everything. Please come back to me, Seiya." As much as he wanted to kiss her cheek, he refused himself the pleasure; instead kissing her hand. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. I really hope you can find room in your heart to forgive me."
"If she hasn't changed in the year that I haven't seen her, she'll forgive you... in time." Serena said softly, entering the room. Dentyne met her eyes to see the Moon Princess looking lovingly down at Seiya's sleeping form. "She really is a wonderful person with a big heart. It's hard not to love her."
"You sound like you know." Dentyne whispered. Serena sighed and closed her eyes.
"I do. When she was on my planet looking for her princess, she and I became friends and we ended up falling in love with eachother without realizing it." Serena smiled a sad smile and finally met Dentyne's eyes. He looked away.
"So why didn't you persue her?"
"Because my Sailor Soldiers forbade it."
"Why would they do that?"
Serena sighed. "Because of my destiny. They're forcing me to marry... someone just because that's the way they saw it in the future. And that's the way it was in the past."
"That's a stupid reason." Dentyne frowned. "Time isn't a straight shot through life. Picture it as a tree; with each choice or decision you make in life, a new branch begins to grow and it continues to until it finally dies. There's thousands, no billions of possible futures. Don't be limited to just one because your soldiers tell you to."
Serena studied the prince in silence as he stared lovingly down at Seiya. She suddenly realised that he was right. She should be free to make her own choices and love whomever she wanted. Looking back on the matter she came to a conclusion that the love she felt for Darien was false, even forced. But her love for Seiya was true. Serena smiled. "You're right."
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Author's note: What is my foul little mind planning? I don't know, but my ears hurt. Excuse me while I dump half a gallon of H2O2 on my holes. LoL - that sounds funny -
Told ya this chappie would be longer. Now lets see if I can keep em long.
Please review!