Title: Kingdom of Treason

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about Sailor Moon

Authors Notes: Hey everyone! Here's the last chapter. Thank you all so much for reading right to the end and continuing to help me by telling me what you think. Thank you for being honest. This chapter is the last and it's just wrapping everything up. I've address some issues that have come up and I hope I've answered everyone's questions.

My next story is in the works, and I hope to have a chapter or two up in a couple of weeks. For those who have looked at my website, I'm writing TRIALS OF INNOCENCE next. I'm really looking forward to that one. It's a little gritty and angsty, but it's going to be exciting. I can't wait to finish it.

Anyway, thanks again, and let me know what you think!

Serenity lay with Mina in the beautiful rays of the shining sun. The city in front of them sprawled out in all its glory, full of colors and peace. It had been a few weeks since the negotiations began, and they would be coming to an end soon enough.

"I can't believe we're actually here," Mina sighed happily, and then giggled.

Serenity smiled. "You didn't believe it would happen?"

"Did you?" Mina asked skeptically. "After you were given to the palace and I was sold to Lord Byron. Did you really believe that it would end out happily?"

"I guess I certainly doubted it would," she answered honestly. "But look at us now. We're together, living as guests in the palace, with friends all around us and no lady to get angry with us just for being ourselves."

"Yes, and you're with a prince," Mina giggled.

"And you are with a good and kind lord."

Mina sighed. "He asked me to marry him."

Serenity shot up and looked at her friend with wide eyes. "What?!"

Mina smiled happily. "He said that I wasn't his property anymore and that I'm free to make my own decisions. If I wished to live a life away from all of this, he would find a place I could be happy. Then he told me I had captured his heart, and that he would like nothing better than to spend the rest of his life with me. If I wanted to stay, he would be honored to marry me."

Serenity was so happy she couldn't speak.

Mina just giggled at her awe struck friend.

"But, we don't……I mean…..we aren't supposed to….."

"When your prince decided that keeping pleasure slaves was no longer acceptable, the kingdom followed. The whole practice has all but been destroyed, and now we are free to be who we wish. I wish to marry Kunzite, and if that makes me a lady, then so be it."

"Mina, I'm so happy for you," she said giving her a hug. "I can't believe you're free to marry him."

"I am free, as I never thought I would be," she said smiling. "But it matters more that I'm here with you."

Serenity smiled. "It seems like we've lived a lifetime apart, and yet it was only a few months. And now we plan our futures."

"Do you think things will ever change for you?" Mina asked. "I know you and Endymion can't marry, for lots of reasons, but couldn't he make some law that says you're allowed to marry?"

"He's going to put it to a vote," Serenity said. "When things have settled down, perhaps in a year, he'll let the public decide if he is allowed to marry someone of my stature."

"A whole year?" Mina asked. "That's so long away."

"It's not that long when you think of eternity," Serenity said. "I will be with him forever. If we're not married for a year, that doesn't change anything. And I still don't care if we're never married, I'll still be happy."

"But what about children?" Mina asked. "I know that children were never in our future, but they can be now."

"I hope that I can give him a child," Serenity said. "We'll just have to see."

Mina sighed. "Things are still complicated, aren't they?"

"They'll always be complicated, but that doesn't make them bad," Serenity said.

"Well, I think it's true to say that we know how things could be worse."

Serenity laughed. "Yes we do."

"So what now?" Mina asked. "Do we just live life, and not prepare for things getting bad again? Can we just be happy?"

"Yes," she answered as she saw Endymion walk out of the palace and towards them. She smiled. His stride was long and easy, and he seemed so much more relaxed every day. Negotiations were going well, and he was losing some of the guilt he had about the whole situation. "I would love to be able to give him a family again," she said softly.

Mina followed her gaze and smiled. "To think, that first day we saw him, you couldn't have cared less that he was there. You were more excited about the colors and the dancing than him."

Endymion smiled at her as he walked up. "Do you have time to take a walk with me?" He asked smoothly.

Mina laughed. "Like she'd say no even if she was busy."

Serenity blushed. "No, I'm not busy."

"Am I taking her away from you?" Endymion asked Mina.

"I'm meeting Lita and Amy in a few minutes, I won't miss her."

Serenity smiled at her friend as she took Endymions' hand and let him lead her back towards the palace. He was tall and sturdy beside her, and she could feel his strong presence without even looking at him. She loved this; spending time with him during the day. He had made a habit of it. He found her when the negotiations broke for lunch or just to relax, and he showed her a new part of the palace. She listened to him talk about what changes he had planned, or what he thought was wrong with the current state of things. He had so many ideas to make it the same comfortable and safe place it had been when his parents had ruled. His strong smooth voice was always easy and relaxed.

"Kunzite asked my permission to marry Mina today," Endymion said slowly.

Serenity nodded. "She told me he proposed. I'm so happy for her."

"I haven't given my consent yet."

Serenity looked at him confused. "What? Why?"

He sighed. "Serenity, please don't be offended by this, I don't mean it as a slight to either you or Mina. But Kunzite is my best friend and I trust him above all others. I just need to make sure that this is not one sided. If she's…….if she's playing a part, doing what she has to in order to seem like the person he wants, I need to stop it."

Serenity smiled. "I understand your concern. She came from the same place I did, and we were trained to give men what they wanted."

He nodded.

"Mina never fit in," she said seriously. "Since the moment she was born, she hasn't been able to hid what she feels. She lives every day believing in everything that she does. She loves him, I know she does."

"Is she saying yes because she wants to marry him or because he asks it of her?"

"She wants to marry him more than anything else in this world," she said. "I want Kunzite to be happy as much as you do, and Mina is the purest person I know. She will not hurt him, I'm sure of it."

Endymion looked at her seriously for a moment, then kissed her gently. "Then I will give my consent."

Serenity smiled. "Then can I congratulate them?"

He laughed. "I think you already have."

"Only Mina," she said happily. "I do believe they might have run away together if you had said no."

"It is always an option," he said looking at her. "Running away, where no one could dictate our lives."

"And what would you be giving up?" She said.

"It would be worth it, for you," he said softly.

Serenity let him pull her into his arms and kiss her gently. His warmth seeped into her, making her feel like she was part of him. She could hear the steady rhythm of his heart in his chest and she smiled at the beat.

"No," she said softly. "I could never let you do that. Not after everything you've gone through to get here."

She felt his hands in her hair, gently touching her. She leaned against him.

"And if we're never allowed to marry?" He asked.

"I've already told you what I think about that," she said softly. "I don't care if we ever get married, as long as we're here, together."

"Serenity," he said pulling away and looking down at her. "Do you really want to stay like this? Technically you're a servant to Lita and you're sneaking around with me."

"Sneaking?" She raised an eyebrow. "It's still daylight and right now we're standing in the open together. I wouldn't call this sneaking."

He smiled. "You know what I meant. I don't want anyone to think I'm ashamed of you."

She nodded. "Yes, I do want things to change. Lita is technically my master, but that isn't going to last forever, and she's not taking advantage of me. Soon I will be free to choose which direction I want to go. Raye is allowing me to find a place in this world and once I find it, Lita will let me go."

"But, even then……"

"Endymion," she chided softly. "Isn't it better that you have no hold over me?" She asked. "Right now, if you called me, I have no obligation to come to you. You can be sure that I don't follow you because it is my duty, it is because I love you and I want to be with you."

He smiled. "I love you," he said softly.

"I love you too," she said and kissed him again.

"I will find a way for us to truly to together," he said.

She nodded. "Until then, I will continue to further myself until I am free and independent. I have options now, and I'm going to take them."

His blue eyes looked at her with love and admiration, and she couldn't help but blushed under his intense focus. She was able to see him as just a man most of the time, but sometimes it still occurred to her that she had the attention of the King.

"You should go an congratulate your friend," she said softly. "He's probably worrying himself into a frenzy right now."

"What will you do?"

"I will meet with the ladies. Lita was going to further my lessons on horseback, and she's included Mina as well. Then we will sit down with Amy and Raye and plan the progress of her pregnancy. She's asked as to be there for her, and we've all agreed. I think she's scared, but she's to stubborn to admit it."

"I think she's afraid that it's Diamonds child, and it might not be accepted."

"It will both be his child and accepted by all of us," Serenity said seriously. "He wasn't always the man he was when he died."

"No, he wasn't," Endymion said.

"And he'll have other children to play with soon enough, I'm sure."

He looked at her surprised. "What?"

Serenity giggled. "Mina and Kunzite seem like the type to have a large family."

She saw him breath out and wondered if he would be happy or tense if she were to get pregnant.

"Do you want children?" She asked carefully.

For a moment she thought he might not answer. His eyes had clouded again, just for a second so that she couldn't see what he was feeling. But then he sighed.

"Yes, I do, but I'm afraid of what their future might bring."

She nodded. "Because of what you had to do?"

"Diamond was my brother, and there was a time I loved him and I believed he loved me. The children of royalty have lives not truly open to choice, and they can be bread into a world of chaos. I don't want any child of mine to have to make the decisions I did."

She smiled. "Perhaps just one child then."

"Perhaps," he said. "But first we bring peace, then we'll get married and then we'll see what kind of family we might have."

For a short while they just walked together in silence, hand in hand.

"I have to get back inside," he said slowly.

"Then go," she laughed. "And tell Kunzite that he has your consent. If I find out that you didn't tell him right away, I might be angry with you."

He stopped and leaned down to her, putting his forehead against hers. "How angry?" He asked smiling.

"You can't even imagine," she teased.

"I might like to see that."

"Trust me, you're not prepared for it."

He kissed her again, passionately. His lips lingered on hers, unwilling to break free. If he could stay with her here for the rest of the day, he would. But he still had a long way to go.

"I will see you tonight," she said.

She watched his retreating form as he walked away from her, back towards the rooms holding the negotiations. She was so filled with pride in him that she felt her breath catch, and she smiled despite herself. His protectiveness of his best friend was admirable and she couldn't be mad at him for wanting to make sure that Mina was, in a word, safe. Of course he would consider the idea. She was sure he had considered it of her. Mina had told her about their first conversation.

Serenity walked slowly through the palace, looking leisurely at the beautiful architecture around her. It was really breathtaking, her new home. The marble stayed cool despite the heat of the sun beating down on the all, and the soft colored clothes that decorated the windows drifted gently even if their was only a slight breeze. She smiled at the peace she felt all around her.

"If you keep grinning like that, Endymion's going to think you've gone mad," Raye said a with a wry grin.

Serenity laughed. "I have no problem with that."

"Well, I suppose he's just as mad as you are, so there's no real issue."

"How are you feeling?"

"Alright," Raye said walking beside her. "It would have been worse for me, if Endymion hadn't taken over. A Queen usually loses her crown once her King dies. It's unusual that I've still been granted so much power."

Serenity nodded. "That's true, but I was asking more about your health then your position."

She could see Raye hesitated. "I've tried to convince myself that there was a time I might have loved him."

"Did you ever?"

Raye shook her head. "When we were first married, I had hoped that we would learn to respect one another. But as soon as we started trying for an heir, he became more and more agitated with me. I was never able to get close to him or see him for who he really was, as a man, not a King. It makes this child uncertain."

"No it doesn't," Serenity said softly. "The king made choices that lead him down a path of destruction. He hurt you, and he hurt everyone around him, but the child is the blessing after the chaos. You are not doomed to give birth to the next tyrannical king."

Raye smiled. "If it's a girl, then I don't have to worry at all."

"She would be beautiful," Serenity agreed.

Raye nodded. "Perhaps it is just too soon for me still. I don't want to think about what he put me through, but being pregnant now, keeps it in my mind. It seems almost sad that all he wanted was for me to have a child, and now I am, when he's already gone. I just……..I'm not sure how to feel."

"It's still early," Serenity said. "You'll know what to do when the time comes."

Raye nodded. "And you?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you marry Endymion, you will become Queen."

"No, I won't," Serenity said. "That's not what I want at all. If I marry him, it is only to express my love and devotion for him. I want to give him children and watch them grow up together. But I also want to be free. I never considered it until this all happened, but I really want that. Perhaps I never really understood what was going on, and I knew that my life has only one path. But now I have so many options that it would be foolish not to try and figure out what I want."

"What do you want?"

Serenity smiled lightly. "I want to be someone," she said softly. "I want people to think of me not as Endymions lover, but as someone who cares about the people around her. I want to be able to help the girls like me, who grew up never being allowed to find themselves and live to be whatever they chose. I want to help Endymion change things, not just watch him do it."

"That's quite ambitious."

"I'm strong Raye," Serenity said. "This whole thing has taught me that I have the ability to take care of myself and I want to explore that."

Raye looked at her skeptically. "You're going to do this without Endymion?"

"No," she said quickly. "I'm not going to leave him and I'm never going to even consider it. But he's given me the freedom to do both. Lita is planning to set me free, but not until I'm standing firmly by myself."

Raye nodded. "She told me that."

"I'm not a slave anymore," Serenity smiled. "I can do anything I want."

"Then I will show you everything I know," Raye said confidently. "I have been around here for years, and I know exactly how things are run."

"Thanks," Serenity smiled.

"I've never met anyone like you," Raye said softly. "I thought you were special because Endymion chose you, but now I realize that you're special despite his attentions."

Serenity blushed. "I don't know……."

"Don't be modest," Raye said waving her hand at her. "Anyway, once we sit down with Amy we can figure out your direction and than you'll know what you have do to. And then you and Endymion can marry."

She giggled. "Perhaps."

"If you're going to become a lady, then you can't continue going to him like you have been. It's not proper."

"I don't care," Serenity said. "I love him, everyone knows it, and it's never going to change."

Raye rolled her eyes. "Alright, whatever. Let's just go meet the girls."

"Did Mina tell you about Kunzite yet?" Serenity asked.

Raye nodded. "I heard it this morning. If Endymion gives his consent, they will be happy. And I think Amy might be next up for marriage. She seems to be letting Zoisite spend an awful lot of time with her in the library. Next time you see her, ask her about it. She blushed profusely and won't speak for a couple of minutes. I've known her ever since I came to the palace, and I've never seen her as shy about a subject as she is about him."

Serenity giggled. "I wish the best for her."

"Come on, we can reach the stables by going through the garden."

"You can't ride in your condition," Serenity said startled.

"Apparently not," Raye said. "But I can watch and tease you."

Serenity crossed her arms. "That's not fair, I'm just learning."

"And you look hilarious as you're learning," Raye laughed.

"Let's just go," she sad walking away from her friend in a huff.

Raye laughed happily again at her fuming friend and quickly followed her. The future might still be uncertain, but at this moment, things were calm. After a moment Serenity laughed and her smile lit up her eyes beautifully. She could never stay mad for very long. Raye just smiled and walked with her through the gardens as if they were equals, and friends. In her heart, that was true, and nothing could ever change it.

THE END!!!!

That's it everyone. I know the last chapter was just a lot of talking and no action, but it wasn't meant to be exciting, it was meant to tie things up. Let me know what you think and thank you so much for reading this story.

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