AN: A nice chapter in excuse for the very sad one I wrote for Love and friendship... I can't always write fights... Sweet moments are so nice to write, I love happiness... Sorry for this so bad moment in Love and Friendship again... Now let'smake room for some perfect happiness. Oh by the way, I love reviews, really, but if you want an answer sign in or give a good email adress. Thanks again for all your kind reviews.

Chapter 10

Paradize reached

Michiru had finally decided against Setsuna point of view, she wanted to see Haruka this same night and talk with her. If she really loved her, there was not a minute to loose. She had to know the truth, she wanted to hear it, and she couldn't wait to tell her what her feelings really were… No more fights, no more pain, only love and trust. She suddenly heard the front door opening… It was surely her… Michiru almost fainted when she saw Haruka, unconscious, hold by her friends… Her clothes were full of blood…

« Lady Tenoh! Please call someone, he's seriously injured! »

But Michiru didn't have to make a move, her father-in-law, who had come right after her, called people to transport Haruka to a room.

« What happened? » asked Lord Tenoh.

« He challenged Lord Longley to a duel… And he lost. »

« Don't be silly, Haruka wouldn't loose a duel… »

« He was drunk… But he could have won… He was worried with this affair at the court… He thought his wife had slept there and was very angry about it… Saying they'll pay for touching her… Then we said her that it wasn't true… That Lady Tenoh didn't stay… Then he seemed very relieved… A little too relieved… That's why he lost… He must be really in love with you, Lady Tenoh… You're lucky to have a husband like him who cares so much about you… He called your name on the way back home… And it was like he was… talking to you during the duel. Lady Tenoh? Is everything OK? »

Michiru was like a statue… as If she was not there… Her face was very white. First, Haruka's blood had caused her to panic, she wanted to follow the men who had brought her, but her body didn't want to move… Then Haruka's friend's words had totally drove her mad…

« Haruka… Is hurt…. Because of me… Hurt because of… me… because she… loves me… blood… She's going to die! »

Michiru fell on her knees. She could almost feel the pain Haruka was feeling… Tears were running down her cheeks.

« I'm no good for her… She's dying because of me… I hurt my only love! »

« Michiru… Don't say such things… He's gonna be ok, it's not the first time he comes home hurt… You're not responsible… If you love him… then stand up and go care him! »

Lord Tenoh was worried, his daughter-in-law was replacing the usual « he » and « him » by « she » and « her »… If she continued, someone would find out. Michiru suddenly stood up… He was right, she hadn't the right to stay useless like this while her love was suffering, she had to be on her side.

Michiru hurried to the room without a word. She would care Haruka herself since no doctor was allowed to see her because of her secret and that there was not a single person that knew about healing. Michiru knew some things, because her father had cared her education very much and had asked a doctor to teach her how caring a ill or wounded person. Everyone thought this poor man was a fool to give education to his daughter and making things like letting her choose herself a husband… But tonight more than ever, Michiru was glad of it.

So she gave orders here and there and finally managed to stop the blood and make a good bandage. Now she was sitting near her, staring at her lovely face. She looked peaceful for someone who was suffering… Her lips began to move.

« Michiru… »

« Haruka… I'm here. Don't move, you're badly injured… »

Haruka opened her eyes. She smiled.

« Michiru… will you forgive me? »

« Forgive you what? No… don't talk, you must be suffering so much… It's no use for you to… »

« Forgive me for being mad and stupid, and stubborn and blind… »

« What are you… »

« Will you? Please… My eyes are open now… I can see clear this little detail that mean so much… It was there all the time… Since the beginning… But I couldn't place a word on it… And I was ashamed… But now it's okay… I understood when I saw you cry, no… Before that… I understood when we married… I was so glad… I love you since the precise moment my eyes laid upon you. It was hard to admit because I thought love didn't really exist… I thought it was a meaningless thing that silly people invented to feel warmer in their hearts… I discovered that it wasn't true… I discovered love and it bears your name. I had to tell it to you… even though I think you don't feel the same way… I wanted to be honest to my feelings for once… You… I know you're not like me, that you're not 'a freak'… I wanted you to know you're more precious to me than every stars in the galaxy. »

Haruka had finally opened her heart… She was feeling much better now… No troubles anymore, no annoyance… Just peace in her soul… Though she didn't know from where the last sentence came… it seemed like she had already said it… but she felt she wasn't really the one who had said it right now. Michiru was living a perfect moment… Surely the most peaceful moment of her life… No doubts haunted her anymore…

« Haruka… You're not a freak… And if you are, then you are my freak… My beloved freak… I'd rather say you're a princess… Or a prince if you prefer… I truly love you the way you love me. My star will eternally shine with yours. »

Michiru grabbed her hand. Haruka shivered at the touch… She couldn't believe what she had heard… True love? Haruka let go of Michiru's hand and took Michiru's face in her own.

« Stay with me tonight. I don't want to be separate from you anymore. »

Michiru leaned her hand on Haruka's then bent to lean a kiss on the blonde's lips. Then she crawled in bed near her, embracing her body.

The next day, Setsuna visited them. Michiru didn't left the room, she cared Haruka who had been having fevers over fevers, her wound was deep and didn't heal well. But Setsuna gave her the baby to hold… And she immediately felt a strange warmth invading her… a minute after there was no trace of wound, and the fever was gone…

« Will you explain this? » asked Michiru.

« Not now… But I will… Soon. You still have steps to do before being able to acknowledge the truth… You must free yourselves… »

« What do you mean… We are free… » said Haruka.

« No you aren't… You two have to be your own masters… And it is not the case. Lord Tenoh, Lady Tenoh, I must leave you. I'll no longer work here. »

« Setsuna… Why do you want to leave us? You are by my side since I'm a child… » said Michiru.

« I must free myself. Bye, we'll see each other soon. Take care of Hotaru in my absence. »

Setsuna let the room. Haruka had Hotaru in her arms and was very confused. Michiru seemed very sad.

« What did she mean? By freeing ourselves? » asked Michiru.

« No idea… Come closer… »

Michiru approached and leaned her head on Haruka's shoulder, both looking at the asleep baby.

Next morning, Michiru awoke in her own room, she had place Hotaru in her little bed and Haruka had joined discreetly. She didn't want to be caught… She didn't want everyone to learn that the heartless Lord Tenoh was in love with his wife…

« We're married… If we can't sleep in the same room… When you despised me it was normal but now you could think of… moving in my bedroom. » said Michiru one morning after an exhausting and pleasant night. They had left Hotaru with the new maid for the night.

« Moving? But I like mine! You'll be the one moving! »

« I'm used to this room… You have no choice. »

« Hey! I'm the… »

« Don't play the act of the husband… last night if I remember you weren't the one on top… »

« There is no link… Well we'll switch next time… Why do you bring this when I try to make myself obey? It's a trap? isn't it? By reminding me the pleasant time we had you try to change the subject… and it's working… Stop this it's not fair, you uses my weaknesses… Well… I may be the one moving… Damn when you do that you always win…»

While Haruka had been talking, Michiru had began to kiss her neck… then her shoulders… breasts… until she reached a very sensible part of her lover's anatomy… The same day, Haruka moves her things in Michiru's room, sending killing looks at the passers-by, hoping it would be enough to make them shut their mouth… But of course everyone noticed that she had changed her point of view on Michiru… And some of the servants secretly said that Michiru was the real mistress of the house.

They were not the only one to think this… people had heard about Haruka loosing her duel, and the way she did it… There began to be rumours at the court… but Haruka wasn't aware of them because she was too absorbed by the paradise she was with Michiru. Little by little she lost her bad pride, she was equal to Michiru, which many of the servants found weird because the husband was supposed to have authority upon his wife. But as they were getting along better and better, there were less and less fights for superiority, they just were in love and happy.

A shadow remained. Haruka had found a plan to avoid Michiru to meet the king. She had decided that Michiru would hide for some time… By saying she was pregnant. So Haruka took a nine-months holidays with Michiru and Hotaru in Toscana… But she had forgot a main detail in her plan… And she hadn't count on the King's patience… She thought that nine months later, he would have forgot Michiru, so many women came at the court…