Title: Kingdom of Treason

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about Sailor Moon

Authors Notes: Thank you so much for your continued support. I think we might be nearing the end. There are a couple chapters still, but we're getting close. Please continue letting me know what you think and thank you to those who have checked out my website and helped me decide what to write next. I still need help finished Dark Deceiver, so anyone who has any ideas, they would be great help!

Endymion felt pain shoot through his shoulders as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He groaned at the stiffness in his body and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He didn't feel like he had slept at all. His hard bed was nothing more than a sheet cover a hard dirt ledge, and it did nothing to rest him for what was coming.

"Are you alright?"

He looked over at Nephrite and sighed. "Yeah, I'm alright." He realized that Nephrite was fully dressed and already moving around. "How long have you been up?"

"Awhile now," Nephrite answered. "It's still early though. The King is presently in the throne room and it seems he will stay there for some time. If we are to move, we should move now. I have guards awaiting our command."

Endymion nodded. "Is Raye still there?"

"Yes, she has not yet been removed."

"Once we get her out, we'll regroup."

Nephrite nodded, but his eyes were anxious. "Your majesty, there is something else. Lord Kunzite has been captured."

Endymion looked at him in shock. "What? But he should be gone already."

"His family was taken out of the city before anything could happen, but he unfortunately decided to stay. He arranged the remaining nobles to stand against the King, and they've cut off his backup from the wealth of the city. There are no more taxes being paid and the King is unable to do anything else at this point to force them. If nothing else, he will run out of gold. This morning Kunzite was taken into the Kings presence and sentenced to death by hanging. It is to take place this very day."

Endymion stuttered, trying desperately to think of a solution. Part of him was angry that he had stayed, but part of him felt a huge swell of pride within him at the lengths is friends would go to in order to prove their belief in what he was doing. In that dark moment, it brought him hope. They were still fighting.

"He's being kept in the dungeon and unfortunately there is nothing we can do for him there. It is to closely guarded."

"Is Zoicite still being executed today?"

"Yes, the act will take place together."

Endymion nodded. "Do we have the men to get them both instead of just Zoicite?"

"I believe so. The civilians involved in the moonlight knights are still willing to aid you and the army is still waiting for your command. They cannot disobey the king unless you give them orders to do so."

Endymion shook his head. "No, we'll not go that far. If I order an attack on the palace, hundreds of innocent people will be killed. We can't afford that kind of mass murder. The only way to do this is to reunite our forces and take the King by surprise. Once we have Zoicite, we'll know the Kings every move. He knows all the secrets of the palace more than even I, and he will know how to get to him. When Raye is safe, we'll be able to attack."

Nephrite nodded. "General Jedeite has sent word that he is safe and holds a small force of soldiers who followed his escape. I will send word for him to meet us."

Endymion sighed in relief. So far, none of the people he had involved were dead, and with any luck it would stay that way.

The two men moved about the little room and gathered their things. Endymion strapped his sword to his waist and placed a small dagger around his arm to grab at a moments notice. He still didn't have any of his armor. In some ways he felt naked without it. That armor had kept him from harm in numerous battles and it was the reason he was still alive. He had had it commission when he was young from the same man who had done his fathers, and as he grew, the man had made sure it grew with him.

And what seemed like only days ago, Serenity had delicately helped him put it on. Her smooth beautiful hands caressing the shinnign metal.

He shook his head, trying to stop the swell of feeling that rose within him.

He sat down in front of the small table and sighed tiredly. His eyes were slightly glazed with lack of sleep and dark circles ringed his eyes.

Both men were dirty and bruised, but not seriously wounded.

Endymion reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter Serenity had given Kunzite. His friend had managed to send it to him before he had left with his family. Or supposedly left with his family.

Why she had sent it to Kunzite and not him he could only imagine, but he understood her plan.

He opened the letter carefully. It was already heavily damaged.

Lord Kunzite,

I know that you will be surprised to receive this letter, but please believe that I would not do so unless it was urgent. I need your help. Circumstances have arisen that have caused me to leave the palace. Her majesty the Queen has ordered me to go with her to the country in fear that the King might use me to somehow hurt Endymion. The Queen is convinced that the only way our deception will work is to send him a letter informing him that I have left him, without thought of returning.

I am loath to admit that I have indeed sent him such a letter. Once he receives it the Queen hopes that he will be angered and distracted, and it will be proof to the King that I am no longer in the picture. The king himself seemed very pleased at my idea of leaving his brother, but I do not intend for it to be true. If you could please send him a note informing him of the reason for my deception, then he would not need to suffer for more time then necessary. I don't wish to hurt him, and when this is all done I have every intention of returning to him. I know that you were concerned over my relationship with him, but be assured that the only thing I want is to make him happy. The idea that even now I might be causing him even the smallest amount of pain makes me anxious and I just want to remedy it.

I will be with her majesty the Queen at her country estate. Its location should be known already to him and I will stay there until things have settled down.

Serenity

Endymion held the letter in front of him, staring at it. When he had read the letter for the first time, he had realized that her first letter had almost broken him. The idea that she didn't care for him nearly crushed him and he had been powerless to stop its affects. Now, reading her true words, he could almost hear her speaking them. This was the person he knew. This was the person that had completely captured his attentions. There was not one part of him that doubted her words.

"Are you ready?" Nephrite asked softly.

For a moment there was nothing but silence as Nephrite waited for an answer.

"I love her," Endymion answered in almost a whispered.

Nephrite paused for a moment, wide eyed and unsure. But then he calmed as realization his him, and moved to sit across from him. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yes, I'm sure," he said softly. "I think I would be perfectly content to forget this entire thing and find a place to live with her, alone and happy."

Nephrite nodded. "She must be very special."

"She's the only person that never asked anything of me," Endymion said. "All that time we spent together, she could have asked favors to make her life easier. She could have asked me to save her friend, but she didn't. She could have asked me to give her better rooms. She could have asked me for anything and I would have given it to her."

"She was happy in her desire to make you happy," Nephrite said logically.

Endymion felt his throat tighten on him and he tried to swallow down the sudden knot. "Will I ever see her again?"

Nephrite looked down and then away from him. "Truthfully, I don't know. But it is the hope of once again holding our loved ones that gets us through the hardest of situations. If it's even slightly possible, then it's worth fighting for."

They sat in silence for a moment.

Endymion let the feelings for her surround him for a moment, closing his eyes to see her again. Her beautiful eyes and her pure and happy smile. He had to believe that she was still alive somewhere, waiting for him or trying to get for him. If she was alive, then he would see her again. The alternative was not something he could even imagine.

He pushed her from his mind once again, focusing on what he had to do.

"I'm ready," Endymion said standing up.

They exited the room together and found themselves in a tunnel completely underground. Dirt walls seemed to move in on them, and Endymion nearly had to crouch to move around. They quickly made their way through and into a larger cavern where a group of men stood waiting for them.

For a moment Endymion just looked at them. These were all men fighting for his cause. They looked at him steadily, awaiting command to move. Not one of them held any doubt in the even gaze, and Endymion was proud to fight with them.

Nephrite gave the command, and everyone scattered.

Endymion led five men in a different direction as Nephrite, quickly moving through the darkness without a second thought. There was no time to think, there was only time to move. They all knew what they had to do, and it had to happen without flaw. If they lost men now, they wouldn't get another chance. Endymion felt the adrenaline run through him. It was always the same before a fight. He felt a surge of power, like he could defeat anyone.

They raced up a short incline, and then stood at a wall covered with thick wood.

Here he waited for the five men to join him.

"When we enter the palace, we will go directly to the Kings chambers. Any guards you see, kill them silently. I will enter the room and grab the Queen, and then we will bring her back here. If all goes well, nobody will see where we've gone. If you are spotted, lead them astray. It is for the good of the people that you give us our escape."

The men nodded.

Endymion took a breath before he pushed the wall slightly; hearing it grunt in effort before sliding easily open to reveal a shadowed corner of the library.

He looked around quickly, but the place was deserted. The rows of books stood still and unused. Nobody studied and nobody searched for hidden treasures. The King had completely emptied the palace of all those who would want to read and it made it easier for them to come in undetected. Diamond wouldn't know of every passage in the castle. He had always relied on Zoicite to tell him where to go. Endymion however had explored every one as a child, mapping out escape routes and ambush strategies as his father instructed. That instruction was turning out to be vital.

They made their way quickly through the palace. It was eerily quite. Endymion couldn't remember in all his years growing up in this grand place it ever being so quite. Except perhaps on the day his father had died and the whole kingdom was in mourning.

When they rounded the corner leading to the wing for royal use, there were two guards standing proud and tall in their way.

Endymion motioned with his hand silently, and his men split up and took off. He waited a few seconds, and then bolted towards them. Both guards looked at him. He was to far away to stop them from yelling out, but that wasn't the point. When they both started to call out, his men surprised them from the sides and immediately killed them. The two men gave out startled gasps, and then fell lifeless to the floor. Blood began to pool around them.

Endymion looked at them for only a split second before leading the way through the halls.

They reached the Kings chambers.

Endymion motioned for the men to fan out and attack together. They killed the four guards standing in front of the entrance. Endymion stood back, and when he saw his opening, he made it to the door and then they quickly moved into the room itself. Endymion raced forward, using his small dagger to slit the throat of a servant before he could scream. The servants weren't really dangerous, but they couldn't afford allowing them to warn the King of what they were doing.

Still the act affected him. Killing unarmed men was not something he took much pride in.

"Endymion?"

Her voice was hallow and weak, and he was almost afraid to look at her. But slowly he turned around.

His heart broke in that moment. Her beautiful pale skin was blotted with bruises and red with burns. Her black hair hung limply around her, showing no life at all. Her violet eyes stared at him wide and afraid, so unlike the woman he had come to know and respect. Diamond had very likely beat the fire completely out of her, and the thought chilled him.

He went to her quickly, wrapping her in the closest blanket.

"I'm going to get you out of here, but we have to move now. Are you ready?"

She nodded, clinging to him tightly.

He lifted her up, letting her lean on him as they ran together from the room. Despite her obviously weakened state, she moved swiftly along with him, not tripping once. He felt her stiffen when they passed the guards, trying not to step in the growing pool of blood.

They had to move quickly.

The library came into view. His men fanned out around them, looking out for any guards that would have replaced the old ones. Everything seemed in the clear.

The wooden wall opened for them easily, and they quickly climbed into the tunnel again and closed it.

Endymion breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought Diamond had the palace completely protected," Raye said in a small voice.

"He has it surrounded," he explained softly. "The army is making it impossible for anyone to go in or out."

"How did you get in?" Raye asked.

Endymion smiled softly at her. "We never left," he said. "Now come on, we have a room set up for you so you can get yourself cleaned up. The palace doctor is waiting for you. You can trust him."

He felt Raye nod against him.

The seven of them made their way back down the hall to where they had started, and Endymion walked with her into the room where the doctor was waiting. He was surprised when she didn't argue. She sat down, pulling her arms across her chest and shivering despite the stuffy heat.

Endymion knelt in front of her, looking into her eyes. "Raye, I know that you've been through something traumatic, but do you understand that you're safe for the moment."

She nodded listlessly.

"I'm sorry it took so long to get to you."

She just nodded again. Tears formed in her eyes, but she didn't allow them to fall.

She had been such a strong woman before this. Once again he saw the destruction his brother left in his wake. Nothing was important as long as he achieved whichever goal he had placed before him. Raye had always been trapped in the marriage, but before now she had been able to fend for herself. Things had changed, because of him.

He reached up to brush her hair from her face, looking into her eyes. There, for the briefest of moments, he saw a small spark of her fire.

He couldn't help but smile at her. "You're going to be alright," he said more to himself.

Raye's face seemed to relax a little as she almost smiled at him.

Endymion hesitated before asking her anything, but he had to know. "Raye, where's Serenity."

Her eyes turned afraid and full of worry. Endymion felt fear grip him. "Diamonds men overtook us when we were nearly two days from the city. We tried to get away from them, but they killed our guards and overpowered us. Amy and I were taken back to the palace, but Serenity wasn't. The last I saw her, she was unconscious and being taken away by two of his guards in the other direction."

Endymion gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry, I only meant to protect her," she said softly.

"I know," he said. "I respect the decision you made. You probably saved her from a fate worse then the one she has, but she's still lost."

"They must have taken her somewhere," Raye said.

"And done what to her?" Endymion asked. "Raped her? Killed her? It seems unlikely that they would have let her go, and why would Diamond really want her alive if not to toy with her?"

"Don't give up hope," Raye said reaching up to caress his cheek softly. "She's strong, and I know she'll fight to come back to you."

Endymion tried to assure her with a smile, but shook his head.

"Getting her to betray you was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," Raye continued. "She absolutely refused to even think about it. I had to order her to do it and tell her that she was putting you in danger. She only agreed when Diamond made it clear he had very deliberate intentions for her if she stayed. Either way she was going to have to hurt you."

Despite the graveness of the situation, he felt proud.

"You'll see her again," Raye said. "I'm sure of it."

"First we have to get through this," Endymion said.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Kunzite and Zoicite are being executed today. We'll free them and set up a plan." He hesitated again. "We're going to kill the King."

They looked at one another for a long moment.

"Good," Raye finally said.

Endymion kissed her forehead gently, giving her over to the doctor and promising that he'd be just outside if she needed him at all. But she just smiled and said she would like to get some sleep, and he should worry about finishing this.

Endymion knew that she was putting up a brave front, but it was needed right now. Honestly, he couldn't spend much more time worrying about her. She was safe, and that was what mattered. Now he had to continue on with Nephrite and make sure things continued.

Nephrite was walking back into the main cavern when he exited Raye's room.

Endymion went to him in sudden surprise. "What happened?" He asked taking in the mans wounds. "Were you discovered?"

"No, we managed to gather the information needed. A few men were lost, but we took down more of the guard. The King has barricaded himself in the throne room. He's no longer in contact with the army and he refused to leave. I doubt he will even oversee the execution. He's ordered everything to a stand still."

"What do you mean by barricaded?"

"Fifty guards, at least, inside and out. There is no way in, and there will be no way out." Nephrite sighed. "We'll need an army to get to him."

"How many men to we have left?"

"Twenty, including us. They are good men, but they won't be able to defeat that many guards."

"Find a way to contact Jedeite. We'll need him."

Nephrite hesitated for a moment, and Endymion heard him before he even spoke.

"Endymion, if you give the order….."

"I will not create open war!" he nearly yelled back. He tried to calm himself again. "The army stays outside the walls until we have exhausted all other possibilities."

Nephrite looked ready to argue, but instead he simple nodded. "I have already sent word to general Jedeite and he will aid us in our recovering of Lord Kunzite and Zoicite."

"Is everyone else out of the palace?"

"Yes, the ladies courtyard has been vacated and most servants have been dismissed. The few people living within the palace, including the lady Amy, have been taken into the city and hidden away. There is nobody left but the King and his guards."

Endymion didn't say anything more; instead he turned and walked towards the room he had shared with Nephrite. When he was alone, he once again pulled out the letter from Serenity, reading it and re-reading it until nearly every word was memorized. He knew he should try to sleep again, or at least eat something. But he couldn't even consider it.

The fear that she was dead tried to overtake him again, but he fought against it. He had to believe that he would see her again. After everything was done, he would either be dead of finally free of anothers' reign. But what life was that without her?

He heard the men moving around outside the room and tried to close his mind to them. For days now he had done nothing but attack and defend himself. They had hidden quickly and were so far seemingly unseen by the King. But it was only a matter of time before things changed again.

Even now he knew that the civilians were rising up and trying to fight his army. Both sides were together, but they would view each other as enemies. The army would defend themselves and the civilians would rebel against the King by trying to take away his defenses.

Could Diamond see what he'd done?

For some reason he doubted it. No matter how grave the situation got, Endymion dreaded the moment they would meet again. Diamond would fight him, of that he was sure, and one of them would have to die. This is what it had come too. A fight to the death between brothers.

End of Chapter 11!!!!!!

Then next chapter is coming soon, I promise.

Please review!!!!