"This ends now."
The effects of their magic hadn't yet dissipated from his skin before he was storming off back toward the palace without so much as a backward glance, ignoring the way Endymion called out to him. Kunzite was beyond furious, beyond done with the utter madness that had begun to take over their lives in such a way that he couldn't even trust his own love struck Prince to form a rational thought. As suspected, he was summoned by several more guard who reported sighting an intruder in the gardens and Kunzite was forced to feign ignorance and forgo another nights sleep to search the grounds for someone he knew he would not find.
Absent as the young beauty he'd held in his arms was, Kunzite could feel her with him still. Perhaps the magic of her seeped deeper into his skin by the contact, or inhaled with one of the forbidden breaths he'd taken of her scent of oranges mingling with honeysuckle. Kunzite couldn't help but wonder how long he'd carry her with him.
He avoided Endymion the next day, spending the majority of his time with Nephrite trying to work through peace treaties between their lands. Kunzite thought they had come to an agreement but despite how well he got along with the kind and charismatic General, the people of the Northern Americas and his Middle Eastern lands were less than agreeable in their vast differences. He found that these new governments further complicated things, each different and it was no longer sufficient for them as Kings to declare that war not take place. There were procedures involved, and millions of people to appease, more to consider than ever. Kunzite was also almost grateful for the distraction that involved something other than blonde haired blue eyed goddesses who seemed to think their gardens were playgrounds.
He wasn't a fool, he knew things could be worse and yet his mood only soured the longer the week dragged on. The past days had opened a void inside of him that called out for the unknown and an intoxicating girl who had woven herself between his thoughts which leaked into his dreams. These were days he longed for Zara, the wise old woman who always seemed to know just how to guide him when his heart became confused with his head and no amount of rationality could ground him. Of course Endymion fared far worse than himself, everyone seemed to be holding their breath in wait for the Queen's fate. Kunzite may have been pissed at him, still was in fact, but when days went by without a sign of Serenity he noted Endymion's somber tones and his anger faded.
He was off night duty again, resigned to a comfortable silence of sitting on the edge of the courtyard sharing a bottle with his Prince. Zoisite lingered on his night shift keeping to himself of course because the tension between his superiors was thick and the way they were drinking it was quite possible that fists could fly. Truly the youngest Shitennou was perhaps simply eavesdropping for information, a tag team effort between himself and Jadeite in efforts to learn more about these roguish Goddesses.
Kunzite eyed the younger man as he took a long drink of the amber fluid, his lips tensing as the alcohol burned down his throat and his blue eyes clenched shut, the bottle offered back to him with a casual hand. He was already at a level of comfortable numbness, as he called it, gladly accepting the bottle back for a hard drink. Kunzite fell to amusement, lips quirking in a very ironic smirk with the singular thought that 'misery loves company.'
"What's so funny?" Endymion asked suddenly, brow quirked and hand fast to steal the bottle back. Kunzite wasn't a man to show much emotion. Laughter wasn't a normal occurrence, so when his deep chuckles turned into a sudden fit of laughter, Zoisite and Endymion were both reduced to confused stares at the silver haired man as though he'd just sprung a second head. Endymion lowered the bottle from his lips slowly, swallowing hard and staring with wide eyes. "...Kunzite?" His voice was comically small.
"You're a lovesick FOOL!" He exclaimed through fits of laughter that was so rare for him that Zoisite dropped any and all facade that he was paying the least bit of attention to his duties with a concerned, slack jawed stare. The hard scowl on Endymion's lips only made Kunzite laugh harder. "You just met this girl and you have been miserable!"
Zoisite shifted his eyes between them, a sweat breaking over his brow at the murderous expression on Endymion's face. True there were larger things happening in the Prince's life, but Kunzite saw the situation with Serenity as a controllable that should have been taken care of before something so careless as love could blossom between them.
"I fail to see why this is so funny to you." Endymion took a quick drink, his narrowed blue eyes never leaving the silver haired General who found such amusement in his suffering. Even Kunzite was probably fueled by the liquor at this point. In truth his amusement was a mutual suffering, one that they shared like the bottle passed between them, drinking from the same sort of forbidden fascination. True where Endymion was truly in love, Kunzite felt a kinship and certain shallow addictive thirst that he told himself would fade with time like the loss of an acquaintance. It was fact that she would be beautiful, perhaps that wasn't a strong enough word, and her beauty was indeed haunting to him. He told himself that was the only haunting thing about her.
"Because Your Highness, you don't just meet someone for five minutes and decide that you love them." Kunzite remained the grinning fool as he lazily took the bottle back from Endymion who had been hogging it a few minutes with long desperate drinks. Though his laughter died down to lighter chuckles, he continued to grin like a fool. Certainly beat the boozy alternative of growing weak at the weight of it all in the moment, especially better than his infamous temper the drink sometimes fueled. Of course Zoisite and Endymion were equally taken aback by the sudden outburst, further reminded why women fell all over themselves for the warlord for weeks after one of his drunken nights.
They'd all admired his silent command, the way people feared and respected his calm stoicism, but to see Kunzite relaxed after more than a few drinks all carefree and approachable, he was a completely different person. Despite the many brawls and wars he'd partaken in, his teeth were white and in good condition though not quite perfect. The lines around his mouth formed deep dimples around his lips and his grey eyes were light in his amusement, a spark of life not commonly seen from Kunzite and left his Prince and fellow Shitennou in awe. They were all beautiful as far as men went, Kunzite always had a sharpness about his appearance made softer by the silver length of his hair, but when he bothered to smile it was like a light turned on somewhere.
"How do YOU know so much about love Mr. Notch on my Belt?" Endymion bit, clearing his throat and concentrating on getting the bottle back from the far too amused General. It was better than the silent treatment he'd received before, and the anger that no doubt went with it.
"Oh no, I think you have me confused with Jadeite." Kunzite grinned further, his amusement fading as he gently accepted the bottle back from Endymion and put it to his lips. Kunzite wasn't smiling when Endymion turned to took at him again. "And I don't know much about love, I'm not afforded the luxury to know what that would feel like." His eyes darkened, staring into the amber fluid of his drink. Only drunk could Endymion get the man to speak more than two words at a time. This was how he got to know Kunzite so well, many nights in the rose garden destroying their livers. "Love is wasted on a man like me. I have my loyalty to you," He rose the glass bottle toward Endymion and took a short drink in toast, "I have my brothers... sex is just a primal human need." He took a longer drink, Endymion not convinced. "Love only makes you weak."
It was fact that Endymion was a romantic, the stereotypical tall, dark, and handsome Prince. Always a gentleman aside from vicious teasing and the occasional bender he accompanied the Shitennou on either in the taverns or beneath the stars by the bonfire. Kunzite suspected the Prince had either remained pure by some stretch of the imagination or had done something regrettable in a booze induced night of sin. He thought it might have explained why Beryl hung around him so intensely, but Kunzite was never one to press for such intimate detail. The very idea of love did nothing but piss him off. He was grateful that Endymion didn't see his very dramatic roll of his grey eyes in remembrance of one of his last conversations with Zara about the very topic.
Sure, Kunzite found love among the four brothers and Prince he gained by the grace of his destiny. The King and Queen who accepted him into their court as one of their own, trusting him with everything from the entire world's armies to their Son gained as the family he never had. Kunzite found himself missing Zara however, times like this when her fantastical words of a woman he had yet to meet who would disarm him and make him crave no other. A different kind of love Zara spoke of, a notion that terrified him with the thought he wouldn't have control over it.
Kunzite tried not to think about this too hard, or he'd break into a different kind of hysterics that would leave him no better off than Endymion. Perhaps this fed his hesitation in knowing a woman for longer than his primal urges allowed. Reinforcing his beliefs that he would never marry or bear children with iron because they had no place in the life of one of The Four. Born to serve and protect a future of magic wielding Terrans, living a life of perpetual danger
"My friend, I think that's because you look at love from the entirely wrong angle." Endymion plucked a perfect red rose from a nearby bush and placed it daintily in Kunzite's long silver hair with a playful chuckle.
"When I look up at that Moon each night, and I think of that GORGEOUS Goddess, I feel stronger than a thousand men." Kunzite suddenly thought he might puke. "When I think of us, and all the things we could do together, I'm unstoppable, immortal!" Now Endymion was grinning like a fool, the sadness not lost to his blue eyes when his face lifted to the bright Moon above. Kunzite suddenly wished he was anywhere but sitting on that fountain listening to the wistful dreams of his Prince, torn because perhaps there was jealousy there alongside his want for Endymion to find happiness. The Prince seemed to get tunnel visioned when he found something he wanted, or got an idea in his head. There was also dread caused by the very Princess he honed in on.
"We could stop this stupidity and truly make this an Alliance for the first time, it could be real Kunzite!" Endymion sighed dreamily, shifting his starlit gaze toward the pale haired, brooding General at his side in amusement.
"Come on old man... don't you want someone to spend this miserable life with? Someone to share your victories and shortcomings with? Someone to build your world around?"
"I believe my world already revolves around you. I cannot juggle both." Kunzite raised a pale brow, pulling the rose from his hair and cussing when a thorn bit into his thumb. "You just described to me every way that Love makes you weak." He frowned at the offending flower and dropped it in the fountain behind him.
The days to come were darker than any Kunzite could remember. Their Queen passed late the following night while he and Nephrite toiled by candlelight at his desk on treaties. He was grateful, and yet so pained that Endymion was at her side with her hand in his when she went. Kunzite remained the strong sentinel during it all, only shedding tears in the privacy of his chamber and otherwise remained a rock for his men and poor Endymion to lean on.
Kunzite had commissioned a certain artist to design and construct a statue for the fountain in Endymion's private courtyard, arriving shortly after the Queen's burial. This artist had painted his Aphrodite, which still hung above the fireplace in his study and the General had made the artist a wealthy man. Kunzite hired him to do all the artwork for the royal family including the statue of Aphrodite now perched in the center of his own garden. He captured the Queen perfectly, her face that serene and sweet smile that was saturated in kindness, her features gentle and loving as she had been. Kunzite sunk on to the cobbled stone in front of it with Endymion as he wept, clutching at his cape and burying his face like a child, thanking him repeatedly. Kunzite found himself wrapping arms around the Prince, fighting tears of his own and rocking him gently until he was fit to stand again.
The King was practically catatonic, unmoving or unwilling to leave his chambers once the Queen was buried. Their love had been legendary, often moving and warming the hearts of anyone who stood witness to it, Kunzite included. Endymion remained somewhat strong through it all, Kunzite was only grateful that the Prince didn't fall back on old habits of heavy drinking though he too became somewhat recluse to his rooms or gardens. He tried to be understanding, and yet they had an entire planet to run, leaving the Four Kings to the task during their time of mourning.
Kunzite and Nephrite were playing a juggling game between trying to make peace between their Kingdoms and seeing to it that Elysium didn't fall to ruin and neglect. Anything that required a diplomatic touch, Kunzite so generously assigned the task to Zoisite, and often Jadeite had to run the training drills for him. This pleased him least since his armies did not fear the younger blonde General, and would not work as hard under his order. Regardless the Four moved as a unit as they always did, late night meetings into early mornings, however Kunzite did not fail to see the other changes he began to notice in Endymion.
Serenity had been the final blow. Weeks had passed without so much of a word from the young Goddess and part of Kunzite felt triumph for it. His final icy words toward Venus must have struck a chord, or perhaps they were frightened away at the prospect of being caught. Maybe the novelty of their unimportant planet wore off quickly enough that the Goddesses were swept back into their own lives with their precious Alliance. Endymion was Kunzite's concern, the way he seemed to be ill at times with pale skin and dull eyes. The Prince was clearly not eating or drinking, and some mornings Kunzite couldn't get him to leave his bed. There were mornings that he came to wake Endymion to find him already sitting by his window peering outside at the Moon falling over the horizon.
"Has Serenity been by?" He'd ask with a croaking and tired voice. Desolation would mask over his features and Kunzite could feel his heart break with every question. Soon Endymion stopped speaking all together.
The Shitennou began to invite Endymion out, forced him to bathe and shave but the Prince wouldn't have it. Not even the promise of liquor, or a bonfire at their favorite spot was enough to bring any life back to the Prince. Nephrite would bring him his favorite foods, and tons of imported chocolates, and wine to no avail. Zoisite would sit and read to him, trying to rouse some form of debate or reaction, and mostly Endymion would stare blankly to the dark skies beyond his tower window. Kunzite was getting more desperate the more gaunt and faded Endymion became. He'd never known panic or concern like this before, he could almost feel it in his own chest, a feeling he could only describe as heartbreak.
"Endymion please... you have to tell me what you need. I cannot help you if you don't speak." Kunzite set a small plate of food on the nightstand, kneeling beside the bed and staring into blue eyes that were once so vibrant and deep. "You HAVE to eat before you waste away...I'll do whatever I must Endymion, give anything you ask if you would just get some air." Kunzite frowned, heaving a sigh between his lips when there was no response to his begging. His nerves were frazzled, he was exhausted, never so close to the end of his own rope, and Kunzite was no man to beg for anything.
Kunzite slunk into an armchair in the study, forehead rested in his palm and grey eyes shut. He heard Nephrite enter not long after and the exhausted sigh as he leaned against the sideboard.
"You look like Hell frozen over." Kunzite's grey eyes met warm brown ones, Nephrite looked like death also but it never stopped the warmth from sparkling those big brown eyes. His wild chestnut waves were pulled back in a loose ponytail, and he was in dire need of a shave.
"You're starting to look like one of those burly woodcutters." Kunzite would have smirked had he the spirit to, his lips remained a relaxed frown but Nephrite smiled.
"Yeah well, maybe I'll let it grow a bit. One less thing I'd have to worry about." He raked a hand down his face, yawning and stroking the scruff on his chin. "I'm not trying to overstep boundaries, but I've asked Jadeite to cover your night shift tonight. It's early still... you need to rest before you fall over. You've taken too many nights and early meetings, we'll finalize proposals for our Governments tomorrow." Nephrite stood tall and placed the paperwork he'd brought in on Kunzite's desk with a singular stride of his long legs.
"I think I'm in no place to argue with you for once." Kunzite murmured, shifting his gaze up to the painting, there was an odd sensation in his stomach. A fluttering he had to try not see as a yearning to see her.
"Good. I'll leave you to it then. It's early still, but I suggest you get some rest. I know I'm calling it an early one. Zoisite will check in on Endymion again before he turns in." Kunzite nodded, grateful for Nephrite who seemed to know his own limits better than he did. The mountainous man left him, retreating for his rooms through the darkened doorway. The palace was too silent, no chattering maids or childish antics from Jadeite and Zoisite, no Endymion to argue with him over everything else.
Old habits die hard, but Kunzite set out to get drunk. Ignoring his body's pleas for rest, he pulled a bottle from a desk drawer and slipped down the spiral staircase just outside the Shitennou's wing that lead out into the gardens. He took long strides out toward the lake to prop himself under the lone tree, missing the nights where his men would join him. He'd been in Elysium seven years now, a mere three since the Silver Millennium business seemed to take off and he began to hear stories of warrior Goddesses and their wrath, weeks since he'd seen any sign of these same Goddesses.
He knew he did this more often than he should as of late, and Nephrite didn't need the added stress of picking up his slack so he always timed his benders well. Zoisite was trying to distract Endymion, Jadeite was on night patrol and Nephrite was either out at a tavern himself or already asleep. Kunzite was sitting under one of the sparse trees in an open field by his favorite lake, resting against the tree trunk and staring up at the sky. He wanted to shout at the Moon, rage and curse it- but knew they wouldn't hear him or they wouldn't care. He was torn in two.
On one hand, embrace the Princess' visits and hopefully breathe some life back into Endymion who was so wrought with grief on varying levels that he could scarcely function. He did the very bare minimum every day and was otherwise locked away in his room. The other hand told him that Endymion was strong, he'd get through this and life could somewhat return to normal. Kunzite understood that his Prince would never be the same carefree boy he'd grown to love so much, but men often weren't the same after great heartbreak. They were often reforged in steel instead of stone and much harder to break. If the Princess had truly abandoned them, then he didn't have much of a choice in the matter and Kunzite refused to give up on him. Part of him hated the Moon Goddess who was so achingly beautiful with her wrathful and blindingly brilliant guardian. They'd crashed into their world without warning, toyed with his Prince and rattled his brain then left them without a word or reason. Perhaps they were caught somehow, though he imagined his Prince would have already fallen to his punishment. Well... Kunzite would have taken that fall gladly.
He found himself looking for her. Any flash of gold in the dark, any echo of her magic in the air that spoke of her arrival. Kunzite found himself missing her voice, that soft but sharp sound of her that often dripped annoyance or impatience at him, sometimes teasing and he missed that most of all. He thought her tone should have sounded condescending to him, but all he ever heard was a mutual frustration, a need for order that their Prince and Princess had ripped away from them. A mutual frustration that they were helpless to stop the budding romance between the royals of their forbidden Kingdoms. Until Serenity stopped showing up, a blessing and curse it turned out.
The more Kunzite drank, the more he thought about the ruthless Goddess with the golden hair, the more he wanted to speak with her about matters other than the forbidden state of things. It was a tired bit of news to him at this point, and they had whole other worlds to learn about from each other. The alcohol seemed to be making a more accepting man of him where by the grace of soberness Kunzite would have been entirely untrusting. Of course by this point he hadn't realized how quickly his bottle began to empty, and the stars began blurring in the sky, the cool tones of night swirling around him like a painting. The drunken haze was welcome like the cool breeze against his skin through the open shirt he wore, refreshing on the few beads of sweat that had broken around his hairline.
He didn't remember walking. At some point he hit the bottom of the bottle but the night was laced with delirium, and bright stars. He thought he'd returned to Elysian's gardens, finding a tree and sitting to rest against the trunk. The air was fragrant and there were marble statues so he must have been home. He was feverish, and a cold sweat matted his hair to his neck and forehead. He felt like he was floating, he also felt like he might be sick. This was where Kunzite blacked out.
He dreamed. He dreamed of a beach. It was silent save for the gentle and peaceful crashing of the waves. Kunzite could almost feel the sand between his toes, the gentle surf lapping at his bare feet and the wind at his chest through his open shirt. The sky was soft, a powder blue with sparse clouds and the Sun was low on the horizon. Peace, washed over his whole being and he was filled with the light feeling of floating. He saw her before she saw him, she was standing at the water's edge, her back facing him when he turned a corner. Her gold hair was almost the color of honey, the way the soft light hit it and drifted on the wind in wistful soft waves. Her gown was completely sheer, hiding nothing of the perfect body beneath it and it floated around her like a ghost lover, clinging and begging for her to love it in return. She turned then, as if sensing his presence. Her eyes were wide, and so sad, tired, and out of place with her perfect body bared to him beneath the sheer silk and begging to be touched. She stepped toward him, her dainty feet leaving sparse prints in the sand like she simply floated over it. Her full lips were uttering words that he didn't understand though he tried, but didn't know the language and she held out a closed fist, offering its contents to him. Kunzite extended his hand, large and calloused and she dropped a large, priceless golden pearl into his palm. His pale eyes stared at it, it was perfectly round and almost painful to the eye in brilliance. He should have put it in his pocket, that's what his brain screamed at him to do almost painfully loud that it echoed in his skull. Put it away, cherish it, love it, PROTECT it. She was suddenly pressing herself into him intimately like a lover, he'd never been able to gaze at her eyes this close before, like cool Caribbean waters that glittered with flecks of precious gold. She came up on her toes to kiss him, her perfect lips were full and so soft against his. He felt her tongue graze his lip and the pearl fell to the sands below so he could put his hands on her, grip her to him and eagerly meet her tongue with his. She tasted sweet and Kunzite sought to devour her lips with his own, his hands wandering over the silken fabric of her dress and warm skin. When it got more heated, frenzied really and he was so close to tearing the meager fabric from her body, she stepped away from him. Tears fell from her eyes like small tidal waves down her face. She looked broken, utterly decimated like her soul had withered away and her eyes matched the pale blue of the sky. There was no vibrant blue, no small hint of green or flecks of gold. She no longer looked like a Goddess but she was still oh so beautiful even with her crumpled face that was so, so broken. Did he do this to her? Did he rob her of something so great? He'd almost forgotten the pearl, how could he have forgotten it!? Kunzite dropped to his knees in the sand, eyes frantic and heart pounding like it never had before in search of the pearl that was so bright it hurt to look at. It should be easy to find in the dull sands but where was it? It couldn't have gone far, he'd only just dropped it! She was backing away from him backward toward the sea which foamed unnaturally like it sought to take her away. She was leaving no footprints so how would he find her? He was so frantic, panicked and damn near hysteric to find the pearl, his eyes snapping up to watch her as she sank so slowly into the sea but the pearl was gone. By the time he looked up again, it was just in time to see her pale blue eyes. They were wide and so sad as she sank into the sea and disappeared.
Kunzite started awake, jerking with a cry in his throat and tears were streaming down his cheeks. He wiped them away quickly, reeling at the sudden pain in his head and wave of nausea that had him emptying the contents of his stomach at the base of the tree he lay against. It felt like forever he lay there, the cold sweat breaking out over his skin and he opened his shirt more to get some air. He blinked a few times, assessing his surroundings and thinking he was simply in the royal gardens lost somewhere in their vastness. It took Kunzite a few moments to register anything, noting his surroundings a bit closer and realizing he was indeed not in the gardens of the palace.
"What the Hell..." He muttered to himself, willing his legs to let him stand shakily. Kunzite ran a hand through his tangled silver mane and wondered how he'd walked the three miles to the Holy Temples, a place that he actively avoided because Kunzite found the people that came here to worship the Goddesses that shunned them, irrational and ridiculous. He had to admit it was beautiful and well thought out. There was a large temple in the center and four smaller ones that each had its own garden so you could worship the Goddess you specifically seek favor from. He found himself in her gardens. The air was fragrant with night blooming jasmine and white lilies, her white marble statue was classic- her nude form covered strategically by her hair, her lips curled into a suggestive smile as she held out her hand to her worshipers. His head pounded briefly, offended by the object she held in her hand that blinded him in the sun. It was a golden pearl, her offering of love to all that came to the garden. Kunzite frowned deeply in remembrance of the dream he was certain he wouldn't forget anytime soon. He had dropped that pearl, and the damage it caused still shook him.
It was still early but the Sun was swiftly on the rise. People were starting to file into the gardens for worship and Kunzite found that most of them filed into the garden where he stood. Most of them came to Venus. Kunzite stepped forward, peering up at her smiling face in defiance and offered an angry prayer that she would leave him alone. He turned to leave, briskly walking back toward the palace before someone noticed his absence. Kunzite really did not feel like explaining his drunken walk to the Temple's gardens- least of all to Jadeite.
He decided on his morning walk back, that this torment was based on a strictly primal urge and Kunzite hadn't indulged himself with a woman in many weeks. Granted the one time he'd tried it didn't go so well, he refused to be one of the many men no doubt that fell to her feet in worship. Yes she was Goddess-like, yes she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on - and that's no exaggeration- but Kunzite would be no stereotype for her many admirers. It was forbidden, and it was wrong. He was better than this, stronger, and he found himself grateful he couldn't remember his no doubt betraying thoughts of the previous night.
"Good Morning General Kunzite." Her familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts. He probably looked and smelled like hell and he had half a mind to tell her to take a hike. Her red hair was a distinction that prevented his crass dismissal of her and he turned to greet the woman with tired eyes.
"Beryl... what brings you out here?" Her red lips turned in a warm smile, her green eyes bright and fresh and beautiful. He felt like he might be sick again in realization that it was her that night he had dismissed so rudely, a measure of wounded pride no doubt, that his own body had not cooperated though in a stable frame of mind he was glad nothing transpired between them. Kunzite honestly didn't think he was her type in the first place, he'd always been a bit more standoffish than usual with her, something that even now she ignored.
"I thought I might head for the temples. Did you worship this morning?" Her voice was light and sweet and it made him feel worse.
"Um. no...I was just-"
"I think us common villagers call this the walk of shame." Her smile broadened and she laughed a little, leaning into his arm to speak in a hushed voice. All Kunzite could offer her was a defeated smile.
"Not quite. As far as I can remember I don't believe another party was witness to my escapades last night whatever that was." She walked at his side a moment. She always smelled of incense and wore various gemstones and jewelry like some high class gypsy. She was quite beautiful, full figured and curvy it was no wonder he'd allowed her to pull him away and at least attempt to enjoy a passionate night. He was almost sorry his body hadn't cooperated- but she still gave him the creeps, he never could place why. "Hey...I'm really sorry about that night.."
"It's OK General... though I do have an herb for your little...er... big problem?" He blinked down at her a few times as her green eyes flickered downward in appraisal. They both laughed, though his was a tense and uncomfortable laugh at her lewd attempt at humor.
"I'd tell you that doesn't normally happen but I doubt you'd believe me." She laughed more and he tensed when she leaned against his arm. Beryl always brought out this cold pit in his stomach, but then again that could be the vicious hangover he was nursing.
"I'd say you could prove me wrong, but that wasn't in the cards this morning." He gave her a nervous glance and subconsciously moved his arm so she wasn't touching him anymore. She gazed up at him with bright eyes, a teasing smile on her lips. "How is Endymion doing?"
"He's faring the best he can at the moment." Her face fell, Kunzite was painfully aware that she was in love with the Prince- Hell most of the Kingdom's women were, Beryl was hardly special but she liked to think that since she served the royal family on occasion that she stood a chance. Even if Endymion had the slightest interest in her, she wasn't of noble blood and wouldn't even be considered. Gods if she only knew that his heart currently belongs to another, even if she too had abandoned him.
"Please give him my regards...I hope to be allowed to visit soon." She was hinting, and Kunzite put two and two together and realized she'd tried to sleep with him to get closer to Endymion. Wouldn't be the first time a woman did that to him, of course he made a point to humiliate those girls. He was least kind to them, probably the source of his brutish reputation, not that he cared. Kunzite frowned and straightened his posture even though his entire body wanted to revolt.
"The castle is on lockdown until further notice. The royal family is grieving. If your services are required we will summon you. Until then, good day Beryl." He muttered, walking faster until she was no longer by his side. He didn't even bother to give her the courtesy of even looking at her.
After a long shower and some food, he felt considerably better. Nephrite was kind enough to not give him grief about being late to their meeting, reviewing agenda items and proposals to be sent off to their governments for review. Had he been a praying man he'd be begging for the war to be called off and negotiations they'd drawn up agreed upon. Kunzite was a man to fight his own battles, and there was absolutely no way he could leave Elysium in its current state. Endymion was much the same as he left him the previous night, food left untouched on the nightstand and he simply stared out the windows while Kunzite read his supposed agenda for him, one he knew would go unfollowed.
Drills were challenging to say the least with the pounding in his head, Nephrite scolded him for a change that he should have rested the previous night. He wasn't wrong but Kunzite was hardly in the mood to be chastised. He took some time in the saunas afterward, seeking to sweat out whatever lingering intoxication had him down, followed by a ridiculous amount of water. He'd pulled his jacket and shirt off, stepping into the study to stand in front of the fireplace with a cold glass of water still in hand sweat plastering silver hair to the tanned skin of his scarred back.
His lips turned into a frown, peering up at the girl that looked like her, and didn't, in recollection of the strange dream that plagued him all morning. Kunzite could almost feel the immense weight that gold pearl in his hand, still unsure of the meaning other than the perfectly human need he was currently denying himself. He refused to get wrapped up in her beauty like some sniveling idiot, though he wouldn't soon forget the way she looked in that dream. The sheer dress, soft light on her skin, and vibrancy of her eyes in the sun where he'd only ever seen her in darkness. Kunzite was certain his memory would do nothing to flatter the reality of her. It made him want to know her by sunlight, a thought that angered him and so he tucked it away and turned his thoughts to his night shift.
Kunzite retreated to his rooms, shutting himself in and discarding the remainder of his uniform to shower in efforts to sneak a nap in before his night watch. He'd taken more shifts lately, but it was his turn to give Nephrite a break tonight and Zoisite had been sent to handle some more diplomatic matters. Jadeite would see to Endymion, so it was only fair. He was only too thankful that when sleep did eventually find him, Kunzite didn't dream.
Sunlight was fading by the time his grey eyes opened to the darkening room. The sky softening in varying shades of orange, yellow and pink. Summer was in full swing, his favorite season, and upon waking Kunzite felt a little lighter. Perhaps the detox in the sauna with some actual sleep was all he needed. Kunzite left the front of his uniform a little more open than normal, still rebelling against the collar swearing it was out to choke him to death. He opted for simple black shoes instead of boots, way too hot for that even at night. Gloves were left behind as was his cape, not wanting to be overburdened in the heat, no one would notice anyway. With a final adjustment to the sword strapped to his hips by the restricting belt, he left for his shift following the same routine. Grounds, stable, gardens, and repeat.
Things would have felt normal even, if only Endymion would come back to them.
Kunzite was surprised to feel the strange hum of power this evening, it made his heart pound and the sweat to break out over his skin in anticipation, as well as dread. Perhaps this would rouse Endymion, breathe some life back into him. It didn't change the fact that this was forbidden, and highly dangerous but what was the cost the Shitennou would pay to see Endymion smile again, grace his gardens and fill the dining hall with laughter, join them in their drunken bonfires and strategize economic planning? High. Very high. Kunzite picked up the pace, trying to make it to Endymion's gardens as soon as possible and still be thorough in his guard because not a step could be missed if they were here.
He hung back when he heard voices, standing just outside the gates to listen. A breath of relief passed his lips when he heard Endymion, tearful and thanking the Venusian for bringing her back to him. It was a joyful noise that made the cold General feel something warm in his chest.
"You pray to my mother then, I am no Aphrodite. A mere shadow of her greatness." She'd replied. Her humbleness making his throat constrict like there was a piece of very dry bread lodged in it. They weren't humble beings, how could they be when they had powers that could lure you in against your will and smite you dead before you could even think to draw your sword? But Venus's voice was gentle, beautiful like a song and completely genuine- that edge to it was gone.
"Then I pray to you, Venus, instead. You have my eternal gratitude, I know the risks you take for us both." Kunzite had never heard Endymion so sincere, like a man offered a meal after being starved for a month. His lips tugged into an indifferent frown, he didn't want to like her. Didn't want her to be anything more than beauty incarnate, vain and cruel like he had initially thought the Goddesses to be. But then she told him to eat, have a meal with Serenity and enjoy the gardens. Heard her strict orders for him not to let her leave the gardens for now as it wasn't safe, and he was grateful and tormented all at once. Venus was caring, devoted, and fiercely loyal and concerned for not only her Princess but his Prince. Someone by all means, she didn't even know.
"I know you're there." Her voice was soft but Kunzite knew she was addressing him. Endymion had escorted Serenity away, he thought to follow them but if they were restricted to the gardens he would allow them their time tonight. Endymion deserved that much though he craved conversation with his Prince more than the water he needed to soothe his dry throat. With a deep breath, he stepped into the stone door frame of the garden, arms crossed and Kunzite couldn't find it in himself to be indifferent. Emotions ran through him, they were high anyway with the Queen's death still fresh, and he was elated that Endymion had left his room, that he'd heard the Prince's voice for the first time in weeks.
He wasn't prepared to see her, all gold and blue eyes before him. All softness and loving with the gentle smile she offered him. Her body was wrapped in a gold silk gown that was somehow more scandalous than the short uniform she usually wore and yet enhanced her beauty like nothing he'd ever seen. The gold gown draped loose and low around her breasts and nearly exposed her hip bones. Even as she took a step toward him nearly baring her full leg, the fabric draped and flowed around her like it was alive. She was breathtaking, he literally had to remind himself to start breathing again and he approached her slowly. Kunzite stepped close as he dared, remembering his dream, he was close enough to peer down in her eyes and see the green and gold glitter they promised. He was scared they'd only be blue.
"So this is how it will be?" He whispered. His eyes dropped to her lips when she bit the bottom petal between her teeth and her stare seemed to drop to his lips in return. From this proximity he could smell the oranges and floral scent of her skin, see the faint spatter of freckles across her perfect small nose, how dark and thick her lashes are making her blue eyes all the more vivid against the gold shade of her hair. Gods he wanted to know what it would truly be like to kiss her.
"I'm guessing your Prince has fared worse than Serenity. I'm truly sorry to hear of the Queen's passing. She was a lovely person." It was a sore spot for sure, and he was sure his eyes hardened with his voice at her kind and whispered words that seemed genuine with the sadness in her eyes.
"Yes. She was the greatest Queen Elysian has ever known. How would you know her?" Kunzite told himself not to trust her, not to let her soft features and beauty fool him, anyone could speak pretty words. All the more ease with which you could obtain information.
"She was present at my birth." Her words took him off guard completely, his brow furrowed and he stepped a little closer to her, awaiting her explanation. "Your King and Queen escorted Aphrodite to my birth place. She was the first Terran to offer me love." It was like the walls of his heart crumbled allowing the emotions to penetrate with barbed spears. The imagery was powerful to him, remembering the long trip the King and Queen had taken a few years prior to take part in a ceremony for the Silver Millennium. He'd taken time to read all he could about the legendary Sailor Venus and how pivotal she was to their goals and all that her role entailed. As well as the strange nature of her birth, a newer published print that Zoisite had snapped up right away. It was overwhelming to read, he was similar yes, but the weight on this girl's shoulders was great, their expectations of her astronomical. And yet she gazed at him with love, and warmth, and pity at his loss. Had he been a less stubborn man he may have had the mind to weep.
"I see." He said softly, unable to think of words, the English language becoming foreign with the new thoughts and emotions that all needed to be neatly sorted and packaged later so he could make sense of them. Kunzite brushed past her, stepping toward the newly erected statue of his late Queen and gazing up at her kind face. He kissed his fingers, pressing them to the carved marble of her feet, his mind offering a silent thank you to her soul which he hoped was at peace. His lips turned into a frown, not one of anger, his usual bored or icy demeanor, but sadness. "Thank you." He heard himself whisper, turning to regard the woman all clad in gold satin that pooled at her feet with statuesque elegance. "Thank you for what you did for Endymion."
Venus nodded at him, her hands fidgeting in front of her with what looked like nervousness. If nothing else he wanted, no needed to know her now. He was utterly fascinated, with far more than just the beauty that he knew no one else on Earth came close to, and he was hard pressed to believe that the full fledged Goddess of Love even compared to her radiance. It had something to do with her soul he decided, a devoted kindness and endless well of love she seemed to permeate.
"As I mentioned...I would be a disgrace to my titles if I were to deny a love like theirs." Kunzite chuckled at the sentiment, untrusting still, yet the notion made sense as ludicrous as he knew it all to be. The Moon could be easily sending spies and yet here he was, back in that same state of disarmament caused not by her appearance but something selfless and wild. Something that felt like freedom.
"Even if it disgraces your laws?" Kunzite teased, shifting toward her slightly on his feet, brow raised almost in a challenging fashion. He expected the her to be offended, yet her expression grew almost smug. Venus was a warrior through and through, and so it was that much more jarring on nights like this where she acted as such, and very much looked like a Princess.
"They are your laws too you know. You're doing a pretty good job at defying those yourself right now." His lips twitched, offering a small shrug. She wasn't wrong. Kunzite stepped forward, extending his arm to her. If he was to give Endymion some privacy this evening then he assumed it relieved him of his duty other than to keep their new guest company. She couldn't very well be left alone.
"In celebration of our disgrace...would you walk with me?" Venus remained silent other than to nod again, lacing her arm through his and resting her hand on his forearm and he tried with all his might to not reel from the contact, the close proximity of her power. Kunzite lead her into Zoisite garden, directly next to Endymion's. There was a tension that seemed to be brought on by their touching arms and Kunzite wasn't exactly a great conversationalist to begin with but Venus appeared to be content to look around wide eyed at the gardens in fascination. He struggled to not keep studying the curves of her face, to not hear Zara's voice in his mind.