The garden paths of cobbled stone glittered faintly under the pale light of the Moon, overwhelmed by long grasses and more flowers than she'd ever be able to name and lost in the winding Eden before her. Ponds were adorned by dark wooden bridges, noisy by with the serenade of frogs and curtained by the flowers of low hanging trees offering their blooms or heavy fruits. Venus slid down the path, trying to pay mind of her communicator and somehow navigate the labyrinth of flora she'd fallen into since each path and corner was smothered in flowers of all kinds, most of which she'd never seen.
Insects were new to her also, noisy but beautiful things that showed no fear of her, including the fireflies that danced all around in distracting manners that made finding Serenity all the more a difficult task. The steady beep of her communicator kept her grounded in reality as she so carefully crept down the pathways, eyes shifting at every motion because there were so many places to hide in these gardens. She could easily miss someone simply lingering by one of the statues and be discovered.
Venus stayed on what appeared to be the fastest path, wondering about the strange tree-like shelters of the weeping willows that cascaded and dipped into the water lily ponds of Koi and some of the fruit bearing trees. Sounds that initially terrified her became beautiful to her ears, the songs of frogs and crickets created a beautiful cacophony of sound for those fireflies to dance to accompanied by a hooting owl somewhere off in the distance. Venus hummed softly, a barely audible sound that created melody in time with the tracking device on her wrist. Towering granite fountains and pale figures of marble statues often made her jump, adding to her frustration and paranoia, as well as the fear that she might find herself completely lost and the situation would unravel more than it already had.
Finally, she approached another stone wall that seemed to break up the gardens into sections. The wrought iron gate had long been taken over by a crawling ivy, but the scent of roses became almost stifling in the sweetness it permeated into the air. Venus slid silently along the wall that lead back out to the perimeter wall of the gardens where another gate was left hanging open, noting that had it been closed there would have been a rose pattern laced into the ironwork. She fell in awe again at the vast rose bushes, taller than should have been possible and as her azure eyes traced along the length of them she finally saw it.
She was near a garden directly off of a massive expanse of castle that seemed to scrape the very clouds with its turrets, just barely visible against the blackened starlit sky and her heart leaped directly into her throat. The castle was massive, and being this close to it's walls told her elite guard might be nearby. Based on this and the steady rolling of power that did not belong to Serenity she'd felt immediately upon arriving told her everything she needed to know. She had heard mention of the Shitennou from those guard as well, hadn't she?
This must be Elysium.
Venus swallowed hard, raising awareness of her surroundings considerably with knowledge that she could potentially be killed on sight if her guard was dropped for even a second. Long lived and powerful as she was she was still a mortal being and not impervious to the edge of a sword. She could feel it somewhere, the waves of power that washed over this land and it wasn't a question that the Golden Crystal was in fact another legend proven in her mind. She exhaled slowly, frustration about the whole situation increasing rapidly as voices grew clearer the closer she got to Serenity's location telling that the Princess was clearly not alone.
She ducked behind a bush, just beyond the doorway of the open gate once she was sure she was alone and peered carefully through the leaves. Venus knew she'd be dead soon if the trauma and panic of the evening mingled with the wonders she's encountered didn't stop restricting her air flow. She knew how beautiful Serenity was of course, but to see her bathed in the light of her home was near disorienting. Her already unflawed skin became filtered and softer as her hand lazily ran circles in the water of the fountain she sat in, round cerulean eyes sparkling silver enchantment up at her companion who Venus found herself even more taken by.
To say the man was gorgeous was a gross underestimation of his appearance. He was tall, long limbed and fine muscle in dark leather wrapped armor constructed with fine craftsmanship and intricate carvings down to the plated shoulders that could easily be weaponized. Based on the armor alone Venus knew he was no common guard or soldier, but a Prince or King, a notion that only further served to mortify her. His face was gentle and chiseled all at once, the most charming smile she'd ever seen framed by dimples to amp that smile up about a thousand volts. Ebony hair that looked neat and strategically messy all at once fell carelessly over his sparkling midnight blue eyes.
Venus swallowed hard, there was no hiding the latent magic waiting to be tapped in the man, it nearly matched the same frequency of the lands by no coincidence but she was no expert in magic frequencies. The sword at this man's hip should have concerned her, and it did before she noticed the way he looked at Serenity, the casual nature of their conversation as though they'd completely forgotten themselves. He had to know who she was, the way her crescent emblem on her forehead seemed to glow gently in the dim Moonlight. Did he somehow not know the laws? She thought of her book then, of the Prince said to break the Silver Millennium or unite the Earth to it. Were the King and Queen as beautiful as this man? She thought not but she had just been born so perhaps her memory was skewed? Venusian men had nothing on this stranger who looked at Serenity as though the rest of the world around him didn't exist. She came to know this look well- it was love.
Venus would know that look anywhere, but how could they already be in love? Surely this was their first meeting, she would have noticed if Serenity snuck out wouldn't she? She focused on the two as the panic began to settle into her bones and poison her stomach, remembering how Aphrodite showed her to search for it. It was there, vibrant and steady a glowing red thread between them as she had never seen before between two people. The cold pit in her stomach returned when she saw the destiny strength of their Lover's Link, sharp and iron straight and she suddenly felt fury that such a thing should exist between two people so forbidden. It made her sick, but Venus knew she'd have to end this, and now.
She was about to stand up and bark at Serenity that they were leaving, come what may from the man at her side, but a strange sensation stopped her in her tracks. Venus became keenly aware that she was no longer alone. Every hair on her body stood on end, the back of her neck tensed in anticipation that created butterflies in her stomach. This person was deadly silent, so much so Venus wondered if she would have even noticed had she not been so preoccupied by the lover's link between her Princess and this unnamed Terran royal. Her back was facing the forest, she should have known better truly, but now was not the time to dwell on the foolishness in which she'd let her guard down.
Her blue eyes hardened as Venus prepared to greet her silent stalker, ready to blast someone into the next life if they meant to harm her or her Princess. It would be so easy in a land where magic supposedly didn't exist, even if she knew it did, they had no idea how to utilize it. Venus turned to greet her silent stalker, the Holy Chain twitching against her hip ready for a fight if she needed to. Adrenaline was running high, and warriors instinct had her eyes immediately drawn to his hand which clutched the hilt of his sword still sheathed at his side by a dark leather belt, seemingly ready to act himself. She licked her lips in anticipation, noting that his hand tightened on the hilt as though he might pull the sword on her any second. He shifted only just slightly and it was then that her eyes snapped up to meet those of her assailant. She meant it to only be a brief glance and yet as soon as she saw him half hidden in the shadows, she froze. For the millionth time that evening it seemed her breath stopped involuntarily, only this time she wasn't sure she'd ever recover.
He was tall, and the stark opposite of the man Serenity was currently in fits of giggles with mere feet away though this man didn't seem to notice. The man she saw earlier was all darkness and light where this man was all light and darkness. She wondered immediately if he was of Lunar blood- a guard she hadn't met perhaps that may have followed her in her errand to retrieve the Princess though his skin was too dark and his features were far too sharp. Regardless Venus found herself taken aback in her original appraisal of the dark haired man currently entertaining her Princess. Words fell flat of the beauty this new man had that the Princely man did not. Something strange and exotic about the Lunar shade of his long silver hair paired with the deeper tone of his skin that suggested a regional difference or perhaps long hours in the rays of the golden Sun. He was a larger man all around, taller, broader, his body muscled without taking away from his long limbs keeping his appearance sleek but strong beneath the fine uniform he wore. An elite guard perhaps, though he wore no armor. Venus knew his eyes were pale, she couldn't properly see them in the shadows and yet she knew those eyes had weight.
The man frowned deeply, the faint lines around his lips suggesting a dimple in one cheek when he bothered to smile, though the tension in his face was telling that the occasion was rare. She did admire his lips, carved and perfect, they were expressive and suited his elegant yet rugged appearance beautifully. Her eyes wandered slowly over his attire, the pale uniform left open at the collar, the pristine gloves on his hands and long legs sheathed in neat slacks, and the long cape draped over his shoulders, all tied together by a dark strapped belt holding the sword he had yet to let go of.
It took her the moment of observation to remember to breathe, stunned by the utter wrath and intimidation of this entity in front of her with all his beauty. Venus swore he had to be some God, some myth that she'd overlooked. Sure like the Prince she could feel magic in him, running deep but untapped and untrained, but his presence was heavy and more commanding than Ares himself. She became temporarily devastated at the notion she might have to kill this man, the oddest notion because she had never seen him before, never spoken to him. If it was for her survival, her Princess, she wouldn't hesitate and yet all the same, the thought that this man would no longer linger on this planet somehow saddened her.
He shifted slightly toward her and her body tensed, ready to break into action which surprisingly seemed to halt him. Shameful really should she have to destroy something so breathtaking, though if he wanted to attack her she knew she wouldn't hesitate, she couldn't. A thought that went up in flames when their little standoff came to an end and he cleared his throat loudly. His eyes still burned her in the darkness, his hand still gripping his the hilt of his sword as though it were a lifeline. If Venus hadn't been so distracted, it might have been so.
"Endymion... it appears your guest did not arrive alone." He called out, a smooth sound edged by a gruff irritation that had Venus slamming her jaw shut and standing up straight with a scowl. The man she now knew was called Endymion, and her darling Princess who coward visibly behind the dark haired man rounded the corner with a quickness. Venus did note the manner that he tried to shield her Princess and it baffled her as much as it saddened her. Endymion raised a hand to the other man, his eyes shifting from the pale haired man and over to her. The way his eyes widened slightly at the sight of her didn't go unnoticed but she was passed caring- she was used to it. Venus only wanted to get Serenity home before their presence was made known to anyone else.
"I am very sorry, I didn't mean to keep your Princess so late." Endymion smiled gently, bowing with an arm crossed over his chest. "I am Endymion as you probably heard, Prince of Elysium. I mean no harm to Serenity, we just had so much to talk about. I've never met any of the royalty from the Silver Millennium and we simply lost track of time." Serenity rushed from behind him, taking her own hands in hers with fear laced in her wide blue eyes.
"I'm sorry Venus, I really am but I just had to see for myself. Isn't it wonderful here!? Endymion has been so very kind and-"
"Serenity we are to leave here at once before someone notices your absence." Her eyes shifted to Endymion. "Your Highness, thank you for keeping her safe. I sincerely apologize for the intrusion-" She gave Serenity a harsh look, the gold in her eyes coming to life around her blue hues and halting her protests. "It won't happen again." Serenity pouted and began to protest but Venus's glare became more deadly. She grasped Serenity's arm hard and began to drag her away.
"Please... it was a pleasure. I enjoyed her company...I'd very much like it if she could return." Endymion called forward. Venus scoffed lightly to herself.
"Out of the question Your Highness." Venus called over her shoulder, ignoring Serenity's protests. She didn't miss how the Prince tried to walk after them, the taller silver haired man placed his palm on Endymion's armored chest and they gave each other a sharp and daring look. The Prince visibly deflated when it seemed his companion would not back down, shook his head and crossed arms over his chest, gazing longingly after them.
"It must be hard having a bundle of curiosity for a Princess." That smooth, slightly deeper voice that was not Endymion's came from behind the two blondes, forcing Venus to halt abruptly and she suddenly wondered how this man held such power behind his eyes and voice. She peered behind her, wide eyed at the other man who had stepped forward a little closer to their retreating forms and she swallowed hard.
"Kunzite!" Endymion exclaimed in a chastising fashion, and the other man raised a daring eyebrow, the suspected dimple making an appearance with the slightest quirk of his lips. Venus couldn't help but smirk back, fascinated and grateful to the darkness for covering the vicious blush that rose to her cheeks. This man was far more than intriguing. His voice, the daring command of his eyes ignited an insatiable curiosity in her, stirring something within her that Venus didn't understand, a strange draw. Alarming to say the least, and familiar. Venus remembered that feeling the first time she ever saw Earth.
"It must be harder having such an...accommodating Prince." She shot back, winking passed the Prince to the beautiful stranger apparently named Kunzite. Venus flashed her most brilliant smile, seeing no harm in flirting. Even Serenity had quieted her struggles and seemed amused by Venus and her quick wit. She left the two men speechless and gawking when the two girls teleported from sight in a flash of golden sparkles.
It was late, or very early when they arrived to the safe confines of Serenity's rooms. Venus began to pace, adrenaline taking over any need for rest at this point while she walked back and forth in front of the doors to Serenity's balcony. She was floored, dangerously exhilarated by the thrill of the experience, and angry. Deeply angry and frustrated that Serenity would do such a thing.
"How the HELL did you learn to teleport Serenity!?" She bit, eyes blazing and her hands wringing. It was easy to get caught up in the beauty of Earth's gardens, and the men, but as soon as they came back to the silver palace reality crashed down on her. Hard.
"I watch you guys train sometimes." Serenity muttered, her voice small and afraid.
"How could you DO that!? You're lucky someone else didn't find you first! It's not like you can hide that crescent moon on your forehead!" She heard her voice raising and fought calm herself enough to not wake anyone else.
"Venus I never get to go anywhere! I felt like I needed to see it... I needed to go see what was so bad." Serenity's voice grew softer, her silvery blue eyes glancing dreamily out the window at the perfect view she had of Earth. "But it was so wonderful..." She whispered finally. Venus knew damned well that by "it" she meant "he" and the gnawing feeling returned to her stomach at what she saw.
"Serenity you could have been killed..I could never forgive myself if something happened to you under my watch. You do understand that right?" She kneeled in front of the young Princess who nodded, tears streaming from her eyes now. Venus wiped them away, using the thumbs of her gloves to absorb them before they rolled off her face as she had during their first meeting. "Please promise me you won't go back there." She commanded.
"I can't. And if I did it would be a lie." She whispered unable to make eye contact with the Venusian's harsh stare. She heaved a heavy sigh, lowering her head in defeat until her forehead rest on Serenity's knees. She stood slowly after a moment, turning to face the window and the beautiful planet they'd just visited.
"How many times have you been there." She asked suddenly, based on the familiarity the Prince Endymion seemed to have with her, Venus could only guess she's snuck away more than once. She glanced back softly at the princess who held up four fingers. Venus groaned, rubbing her eyes hard she suddenly grew very tired. "You can't go back Serenity, you know it's forbidden to even speak to one of them let alone barge into their kingdom. It would be you to destroy their world, their planet with the war you could cause. I know you wouldn't want to be the cause of it...you know I must report this to the Queen."
Serenity would only pout, seeming to not hear her because she stared out at that damned planet again. Venus felt too tired to force a response, she'd said her piece and it would be her to suffer the wrath of the Queen. It was her job to keep these kinds of things from happening, and she was failing. She'd been so busy apprehending rebels on other planets, attending these Alliance meetings and conferences, and now it was too late. Serenity was already in love. Venus turned, closing the door perhaps too forcefully as she sauntered the hall toward her room with a frustrated gait. She pulled out the old book on Terran Myth and Legend, turning to one of the back pages she wrote down two names. Endymion and Kunzite.
Venus slammed the book shut, replacing it on her bookshelf amongst romance novels and books of poems she scarcely read because they were about love. It was a few hours before dawn and she detransformed, falling naked into her sheets too tired to bother with dressing and she burrowed beneath her covers trying to not look out at her own view of the Terran world. She drifted into a restless sleep wondering what color that man's eyes were.
Artemis barged in a meager three hours later, throwing open the curtains and going over her agenda for the day as he did every morning. He stopped mid sentence to look at her as she sat up, peering owlishly at him with bloodshot eyes so neatly complimented by the dark circles under them.
"Are you sick?" He asked, walking over with worry in his eyes. It was times like this she both wanted to hug him for being such an adoring guardian and simultaneously throw him off the balcony for waking her.
"I'm fine Artie...I just didn't sleep well." Venus cringed at the croaking sound of her voice, frowning at the memory of last night, it was just one of those mornings that nothing felt right. To say she was cranky would have been the understatement of the century. She yawned, throwing the covers off of her making Artemis turn away with an exasperated sigh while she padded into the bathroom without scrap of cloth on her body.
"You could at least wait until I leave the room." He frowned, knowing she really didn't care. It wasn't anything he hadn't seen before but it was quite different when she was only about thirteen. Another thing entirely now that she was an adult.
She rolled her eyes in the mirror before grimacing at her appearance, splashing cold water on her face before she'd transform to report for duties. The events of the previous night loomed over her head in all too vibrant detail and she had to decide quickly what to report to the Queen. She even questioned asking Artemis for advice but as her guardian he was basically forced in his answer to report it. She didn't want to put him in that position.
So she held her tongue, resolved to suffer through the waves of anxiety throughout the day. Ignoring the worried and often panicked glances Serenity issued her over breakfast, or the way she shrunk away from her after training when she tried to approach, and Venus responded with a glare that could knock Jupiter out. It was after lunch that Serenity caught up with her, pulling her into some random spare bedroom near the Senshi's wing.
"I know what this is about and I haven't decided yet." Venus bit, raising her brow and crossing her arms over her chest. "I hope you understand the position you have placed me in."
"I know Venus, please... just don't tell her, I-"
"You won't go back? Because if you promise me you won't then I won't report it." Serenity pouted, tears threatening her crystal like eyes and for once Venus felt no pity for her.
"I- I can't promise that." She issued a weak and shaky breath.
"Then give me one good reason why I shouldn't report this to Serenity. You realize the risk you place me in? Your Kingdom, the very foundation of the Silver Millennium could be placed at jeopardy because your actions could put us at war." Her gaze was harsh but Venus was pissed, utterly so, at Serenity's lack of regard for anything than curiosity, a pretty garden, and budding hormones.
"I... I think I love him." This broke her heart, of course Venus had seen their link. Stronger and steadier than any she'd seen before. How did she not see it before? Some Sovereign of Love if she didn't even see the difference in her Princess lately. She'd been spacier than normal, wistful and exceedingly happier than normal. Venus should have been able to see the signs a light year away and she was too busy. Too lax in her own duties and now she'd failed, irreparably failed to make sure Serenity was properly guarded. She knew how curious Serenity was, Gods she'd failed to even plan for this. She had known the instant she saw them gaze at each other that it was too late and Venus had tried so hard to deny it. She struggled to not show weakness, to remain strong in her resolve that Serenity was not to return.
"You barely know him, you can't love him." The words hurt her to say, but what else could she do? And of anyone in the Galaxy, shouldn't her Princess be able to confess these feelings to her? Her trusted Guardian who is Goddess of the emotion herself? She sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose when Serenity began to weep softly. "Look I get it..." She peeked up at Serenity between her fingers and frowned. "Can you please just give me time? Not go back until I can figure this out?"
Serenity gave a small nod though Venus could see the uncertainty behind her eyes and knew it was a lie. She exhaled deeply and stormed from the room leaving Serenity to recover. Thinking came hard, the whole situation clouded by so much that was forbidden and dangerous and was against every single oath she had given to the Moon Queen who had been nothing but gracious with her when she'd been a perfect rebellious deviant who couldn't obey orders, blasting off wherever a threat lie to snuff it out without a single plan in place or communication of her own desire to act.
Of course, true to what she said she wouldn't do, Serenity took off again later in the week. Before Venus could come up with a plan, and without any regard for the fact that she was seriously considering going to the Queen with her daughter's actions. Also how did Serenity get so slippery!? Venus was lounging in her room, pouring over reports when she saw the teleport from Serenity her window had a perfect view of the Princess' and she saw the telling flash of magic. Venus growled loudly, fumbling and practically falling off of her bed in a fluster of gold hair and silk to throw open her balcony door and teleport after her.
The night was cool and clear, air fresh and a refreshing change from the thinner atmosphere they lived in created by the Silver Crystal. Venus wondered if perhaps all of Earth's magic went into their natural atmosphere and air supply, perhaps the beauty of the thick vegetation or concept of gravity. Pondering these things was all she could do from being angry that she was once more traipsing through the forest in a thin silk gown of pale gold, a faux corset laced up the front with gold chains with darker gold trim. She liked this dress for it's supposed modesty and hadn't planned on getting it dirty but here she was, chasing after her unruly Princess in the middle of the night, yet again.
Venus tread carefully around the garden's perimeter to the private courtyard she'd found Serenity in last time with no such luck. She saw no one this time, no guard or tall silver Gods to find her and frowned. She paused with a deep breath, panic with the notion that something truly could have happened to her this time eating at her immediately. Venus exhaled a slow breath through her nose, frowning at the vacant fountain beyond the threshold of the gate.
"I know you're over there." A familiar smooth voice called out, the gruff edge of it bringing goosebumps to her arms. She couldn't see him, but somehow he could see her? "It's safe, you can come out."
The command in his voice had her moving toward the open gardens, her eyes searching for the voice's owner. He was draped across a bench that was far too small for his tall frame, peeling an apple with a fine knife and Venus felt her breath catch again at the sight of him. She could see him more clearly now that he wasn't shrouded in shadow and he was far more beautiful than she initially thought. He however, was too preoccupied peeling his apple to even look at her.
"Has Serenity come by this evening?" Her own voice commanding in return because she really just wanted to grab Serenity and leave. This man, this Kunzite, was infuriating with his apparent lack of concern.
"They're walking." Was his only reply, nonchalant and bored, he merely slipped a slice of the apple between his lips, examining his knife as he chewed slowly. Venus couldn't help but think he was extremely rude, acknowledging her long enough to tell her Serenity was safe and nothing more. Venus thought she should be grateful to him for that at least and yet the silence was awkward and thick. Too occupied by his snack to even greet her properly when most men would practically break their necks just to look at her. She often didn't want the attention really, but from this man it was somehow an insult. She was a lady, and a man should have stood at her approach, looked her in the eye, or at least offered some form of further explanation when asked a question.
"Well where is she so that I might bring her home?" She placed her hands on her hips, a hard glare in her blue eyes, swearing as he continued to slice the apple he became more sluggish and lazy in defiance of her command. Remaining silent he offered her the next piece, the slow outstretch of his hand interrupting the vanity of her own thoughts and she stared at the piece of fruit in his hand for a moment like it might kill her. He didn't seem to mind, just lazily chewed and examined the knife in his hand with a slightly cocked brow.
Finally she accepted the apple slice warily, a jolt of something shooting up her arm up to the joint of her shoulder when their fingers touched just so slightly. It made her stomach drop, and judging by the way his grey eyes shot to hers as if she was the one to zap him told her he felt it too. Her eyes were wide, and yet his brow barely twitched but her stomach bottomed out to find that his eyes were a steely light grey, the brow above his left eye strategically split, by a well placed scar. When those light grey eyes shifted away, they picked up a slight violet hue from some flower nearby then back to grey when he became mildly distracted by her as she took a bite of the offered apple slice. Kunzite went forgotten a moment however, because apples were far sweeter on Earth than anything given to them in the Silver Millennium. Dare she say she hadn't tasted anything so good in a long time, only oranges ever caused that moan of appreciation in her throat or small smile that graced her lips before.
"They're by the stables." He replied finally, brow unquirked and he looked bored again though he did offer her another piece of his apple. She was certain she'd crave them all the time now and gladly took the delicious offering as Kunzite so eloquently elaborated. "She wanted to see horses."
Venus chewed slowly, observing him carefully the way he took on this lazy demeanor though she found herself thoroughly distracted by his mouth as he ate and the steady movement of his jaw and lips when he chewed. It was somehow erotic and infuriating all at once because he went back to ignoring her presence completely. She stood there expectantly with her hands on her hips, waiting for direction or perhaps a guide to Serenity so they could return home. She smirked to herself, shifting on her feet with a sly little grin.
"Should you not be guarding your Prince? If he is alone with the Princess of the Silver Millennium anything could happen." The man stopped chewing and peered up at her with his scarred brow full on raised. Her own smirk became smug, noting as a soldier she'd probably just struck a nerve. Venus knew she'd never let one of her girls grow so lax under the same circumstances. Hell this would have come to a screeching halt. She noted that the scar through his brow added to his already exotic appearance, and that his lashes appeared to be the only black hairs on his body and it made the grey of his eyes so much sharper. Venus tried to tell herself he wasn't the absolute most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. His personality, or lack of one, was currently helping to reassure herself.
"You shouldn't be here." His eye contact suddenly made her uncomfortable. The pale grey of them held her eyes with a challenging harshness. Gods had a hard time keeping her eyes, bigger men than this one who had no apparent issue with staring her down. While this unnerved her to no ends, Venus couldn't even truly be mad because he was right, they were the ones trespassing.
"I'm here so that I can collect my Princess and be gone from here." She challenged back, finding that she was the one who struggled to stare back into his eyes with the same sort of command but managed somehow. "I can't very well go wandering around your castle grounds freely now can I General?" They stared back at each other for what was less than a comfortable amount of time, her glowering down at his stone like expression before his eyes left hers and he continued peeling and slicing his apple. She blinked a few times, staring in silent disbelief when he simply carried on without a care in the world. Venus huffed, throwing her arms she turned to walk away, taking a seat on the edge of the fountain with her back to him.
She took the time to study the castle architecture the way she couldn't last time. Inhaling the fragrant air and enjoying the perfume of the various roses around her. She liked roses well enough, but wished she could go walk the gardens and explore the other flowers she had seen, but knew if she was caught it would spell more trouble than she even cared to think about. Besides, she had a Princess to reel in and no means to do so. She crossed her arms and grew more anxious by the minute, fingers drumming impatiently on her arm. It felt like forever before she heard the light shuffle of fabric behind her when Kunzite stood and approached.
"It's getting late. I'll escort you." He offered with a soft, annoyed sigh. Venus nodded up at him, standing and feeling short when she stood to full height and barely breached the height of his shoulder. Not that the General waited for her when he slipped back into the trees with a silent tread she found entirely unfair when her own footfalls seemed to find every twig sprawled out on the ground. She caught up fast enough, suddenly all too nervous and despite the dense forest perimeter became worried about being caught. Rude as he may be she felt safe with him, she couldn't blame him could she? He was in the same position as herself, and none too pleased about it. In her haste to catch up her arm bumped into his when she stepped beside him and she felt her cheeks grow hot. It was embarrassing that in the presence of a mere man she appeared to be some wilting flower so she pretended not to notice it happened and thanked her lucky stars for the darkness. His voice came again, sudden and surprisingly reassuring. "No one will see us this way."
Her eyes shifted upward at him out of habits gained from conversation with normal people. She tried not to notice how his eyes seemed to soften with understanding that she was on an alien planet and probably terrified. An accurate assumption. It was dark and yet she could see that tenderness suited him though if she had to guess it was an attribute left unused for the majority of his days. She merely offered a short nod, hardened her eyes and kept her gaze forward to avoid that heavy gaze of his. The General paused when they reached a clearing, holding his hand up to stop her, out of habit she was sure, but tried not to take it as a condescending gesture. He was clearly making sure there were no other guard present before he motioned that it was safe.
Venus felt exposed as the forest gave way to open fields, and to behold the night sky was something of a dream. Sure, from the Moon and Venus she was closer to the stars than ever, but from far away the sky seemed like a vast ocean of them and tinted by blue and maybe even violet where from outside Earth's natural atmosphere it merely appeared black. She supposed maybe Earth's magic was its own self sustaining atmosphere and gravitational pull, an attribute she knew to be unique in their system of planets and partially what made the Silver Alliance wary. They just didn't understand it's logic though Mercurians had written books about it with scientific explanations. Regardless, Venus could find magic in all of it.
The Earth held wonders she hadn't even dreamed of. Endless seas, endless fields, forests, and skies. Everything seemed endless to her, colorful, and beautiful when her silent escort seemed so blase about it all. Venus couldn't stop smiling, taking in each wonder as they appeared with intense fascination. She paused as a large, strange black insect landed on her arm, distracting her from staring over at a lake not too far off with its lonely companion of a large solitary tree.
"General... what is this?" She found herself whispering, reaching to touch the wings as the thing began to crawl up her arm.
"Hm?" He turned slowly, too slow in fact, but fast enough to watch as the thing bit her and she flailed to get it off with a squeak she might have been embarrassed by if the bug bite didn't hurt so much. She swore she heard him laugh but he backtracked a few steps and Venus found his gloved hands gently lifting her arm to examine the bite. She tried to blame the fact that she began to tremble solely on the burning sensation left over from the bugs bite, but he'd lowered his face just slightly to look at the swollen red bump rising to her skin, allowing her to drown in a scent both spicy and cool simultaneously. Though he didn't look at her, his eyes were far more interesting than she initially thought, pale and deep at once, seeming almost clear in the darkness. "A horsefly." He spoke matter of factually and Venus realized she was distracted from the pain right away. She swore his stone like expression shifted into a mild amusement when he finally looked directly into her eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Um... I think so." She blinked, coming back to reality at the brief flip her heart seemed to make and noticed his face was nothing more than stone again. "It hurts...I don't think I like that creature." She muttered, taking her arm from his hands and holding her free hand over the swelling bump. She watched his lips tense to a frown as he pulled off one of his gloves and re-extended his hand.
"Let me see it." She merely eyed him, shrinking back when his hand almost brushed her arm. She didn't know what he meant to do to her, and she didn't trust him an inch. The General rolled his eyes and exhaled loudly in annoyance taking a long step toward her. "I'm trying to help. In case you were wondering."
Venus noted she had little say in the matter by the commanding hardness of his tone and yet his right gloved hand reached for her arm so gently, and he pressed his bare left hand over the rather painful bug bite. She felt her whole body go warm and shiver at the same time. His hand was large and encompassing over her forearm, his touch seeming to grow hotter by the minute and yet the pain seemed to melt way into something else she couldn't name. His eyes were closed, a light sheen of sweat breaking over his brow which furrowed only just slightly. She didn't realize her heart was pounding until he lifted his hand away, and the bite, the pain was all gone.
"You... "
"I healed you." He frowned, seemingly out of breath as though he'd just gotten done training. Magic was clearly not something he used, but he had it. Her throat was dry, eyes wide as she simply stared up at him when he put his glove back on, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "It's nothing."
"But-"
"I said it's nothing." He bit, turning his back with a sweep of his cape, walking away rather quickly. There was ice in the pale glare he gave her and she followed a few steps behind him trying to think of ways to argue. She closed her own palm over the place she'd been bitten, the skin tingled and she couldn't tell if it was his magic, or something purely him. She couldn't stop thinking about it and what it could mean. Sure she could feel his magic, loads of it latent and untrained. Venus wondered how it felt to not be so entrenched with it and powerful. She figured she would feel weak.
The silence became staggering, so she contented herself with observing the farmlands off in the distance, the small towns that she could barely make out against the blackened skyline and inhaling the fresh thickness of the air that seemed to flow so freely. The palace behind them blocked out the Moon with it's turrets and yet the field still seemed illuminated just enough but she still found herself astounded by the Elysian Palace's size. So much so she almost ran straight into his back when he stopped. She could see what she could only guess were the stables up ahead.
"I would ask that you keep what happened to yourself." He stated it simply, as though he wanted to command it of her, and knew that he couldn't.
"Are you more fearful of your people or what my Queen might do if she found a Terran had magic?" Her brow raised, and she realized she was standing rather close to him, so she took a step back.
"You could have done it yourself you know." He glanced over his shoulder and continued to walk. She pouted, more to herself than anything.
"Magic doesn't work that way. Why should I keep it a secret? I don't know you and I owe you nothing." He sighed heavily and she struggled to keep up with his long strides, bitter suddenly that her powers did not allow her to heal herself.
"Suit yourself, but I think we both know what would happen should someone find out that I not only have magic, but used it on you of all people. You shouldn't be here, remember?" He muttered, leaving her no room to argue. In approaching the stables where the sweet smell of hay wafted in the air and she tried to peek at these strange creatures, Venus hoped they didn't bite as the flying bug did. He groaned loudly, raking a hand down his face in frustration, she became distracted from her observation of these oddly gorgeous animals.
Serenity and his Prince were nowhere in sight. Venus grew panicked, looking all around for any sign of a slip of white gown when she saw them off in the distance. They were hard to see really because they were both saddled on the back of a huge black stallion, she only noticed because of the gleam from Endymion's shoulder armor caught the light from the Moon like a mirror.
"There." She tugged on Kunzite's sleeve to get his attention, a reflex that had her withdrawing her hand quickly, pointing toward where she saw the couple in the distance and the General growled in annoyance. Venus shared the sentiment but stayed quiet otherwise. Wrong as it was, it was horribly romantic the way the Prince pointed to the sky and leaned into Serenity's ear to whisper something that made her smile, brilliant and genuine. How she was side saddled against Endymion's chest with her arm laced around his neck to steady herself.
General Kunzite took off in a brisk walk toward them. His gait suggested a staggering command that even she had to respect, his hands clenched in fists at his side, cape and silver hair billowing behind him. For a man, he was rather intimidating- in this instance she had to admit it. Venus had to gather her skirt and jog after him to keep up but payed mind to keep a short distance. Halfway to the couple in their rush across the open field, they could only watch as Endymion took Serenity's chin between his thumb and forefinger, and kissed her.
It made her heart flutter in her chest, perhaps because a true love's bond had been made or the forbidden nature of that bond. Either way, Venus almost felt bad when the General called out to Endymion and interrupted the moment rather rudely and yet she was grateful to him all at once. His voice was sharp, and dare she say he might have been a good singer if he didn't sound like he was barking an order at one of his soldiers. Venus could feel his rage rolling off of him from a few feet away and kept her distance because that wasn't something she would have been able to feel normally. Love, desire, even happiness sometimes if it related to either of those. Perhaps anger was the same.
There were few words between the General and Endymion, and his anger became clear to her as the two men scowled at each other- it was love. A sentimental thing, but one that made Venus understand that Kunzite was perhaps jealous of her Princess and she couldn't help but feel the same sting while she helped Serenity down from the horse with care not to spook it. The Princess hardly had time to get her goodnight in with the Prince before Venus teleported them home where she proceeded to threaten her life- after she asked if Endymion was a good kisser.
"Did anything interesting happen to you this evening? I didn't mean to leave you with his General, I thought he would have followed." Venus was halfway out the door and paused at Serenity's voice behind her. She frowned in thought a moment, glancing back at Serenity who was perched on her bed before she smiled slightly.
"You mean you didn't mean for me to follow, and for you to get caught. But no. Nothing of note. I'll ask again that you do not return until I can figure things out." She scolded, giving a hard look that did little to shrink Serenity's curiosity.
Her hand rest on her arm as she walked down the hall to her room, remembering the warmth and the relief his touch brought her. The way his eyes looked like moonlight in the dark. He was mysterious to her, intriguing despite his rudeness. Venus told herself it was his beauty she was fascinated with, a vain attraction that came with the novelty of his unique appearance. A man with magic.
A mere two days passed before Serenity vanished again leaving Venus beside herself, cursing her Princess for being so slippery because she'd all but posted herself outside the Princess's room to keep her from going back. Venus of course immediately teleported to Endymion's garden, releasing a frustrated sigh of defeat when she came up empty. There wasn't even any sign of Endymion's head guard and there was a small piece of her saddened that he wasn't there to guide her again. As usual, she began to follow the coordinates given by her communicator with great care to not encounter any other guards along the way. Venus was at least grateful the way was somewhat familiar from that first night. She approached one of the giant weeping willows just outside the stretch of the gardens noting she felt breathless for some reason, someone's desire.
Her eyes widened and she ducked behind a tree with her hand placed over her heart to keep it from beating from her chest. Endymion was on the ground with Serenity, practically on top of her as they kissed the daylights out of each other. Both were sopping wet from the lake beside them if she had to judge by the way Serenity gripped the white shirt he wore which clung to his back like second skin. Her breasts were bared by the saturated nature of her white dress and Venus felt her face grow warm in a mixture of outrage and desire like she'd never felt before.
"It's rude to watch." A familiar voice called quietly behind her. She almost jumped out of her skin, eyes wide and hand pressed to her chest to keep her heart from running away between the fevered spectacle and the silver haired man that seemed to pop up out of nowhere. "You walked right passed me you know."
"Well it's ruder to sneak up on people!" She bit in an angered whisper. "Why do you let this happen? And don't you dare look at her!" A line seemed to blur, Venus couldn't tell in the moment if she simply didn't want Kunzite to witness how beautiful Serenity was, or if it was her Princess' honor she tried to protect. She tried to sound as angry and commanding as she could at a whisper and it seemed to amuse the General because his eyes grew a little warmer and he actually smirked. It was far easier to blame the flip of her stomach on the waves of pleasure seeming to emanate from the couple of royals trying to devour each other, certainly not the thrill of her chase after her Princess. The chase that always seemed to lead her to the same spot every time. A forbidden place, with a forbidden man who shared in her conflict. Of course Kunzite didn't seem to have any trouble keeping Endymion on his own planet. A lucky thing for him in that instance that Terrans had no method of teleportation.
"Why do you let your Princess come here if you didn't want my Prince to give her such attentions? I think you of all people knew that it might come to this." She was left with her mouth hanging open and wordless and it only served to broaden the man's smile into something amused by her lack of words. "Let them be for now, he won't do anything she doesn't want him to." He turned, and entered the garden he seemed to have come from with a silent sweep of his cape leaving Venus bewildered behind him. She cast one last glance back at the lovers before she followed him.
"That's what I'm afraid of.." She muttered beneath her breath though no one would hear her. Kunzite was leaning against the trunk of a tree blooming large white flowers that were sweetly fragranced and permeated the air with romantic perfume. His face was lifted to the Moon, highlighting the planes of his face and remarkable eyes though he was meant to be a some regal starlit God. "We should not be allowing this to continue." The Silver God turned to look at her with his pale grey eyes, more visible than ever under the Moon's harsh light and this time it was like fire was ignited in her veins. She found herself chewing on her bottom lip nervously.
"No. We shouldn't." He replied simply, face falling back into that mask of indifference. "Her invitation was extended by the Prince himself. I'm not one to disobey his word."
"So we are just going to allow what is strictly forbidden by Alliance law to transpire? Where is your reason in it General? You could be killed for even speaking to me..." She stepped forward with her arms crossed over her chest and the words as they came out sounded all the more ridiculous and tragic. "We shouldn't even be here."
"It is not my Alliance, and we both know why we allow it. Are you not Venus, the Goddess of Love herself?" He pushed away from the tree, stepping closer until he towered over her. "Your Princess has not been unwelcome, but if you wish to drag her home now feel free. I enjoy this about as much as you do."
Venus fought the urge to squint up at him, thinking she saw something playful hidden in his features that she couldn't quite place but her gaze lingered regardless. She fell fascinated by this man, so mysterious, so calm and controlled that it made her more curious about him as a man. He was so serious each time she saw him, humor only coming out in the most cryptic of manners. It gave her a mild thrill at his words and she suddenly wondered how much the General was enjoying this charade. Her own lips tugged at the corners, she turned away before the smile could spread to her lips within his vision to walk back to the lover's willow. Endymion was no longer pawing at her Princess thankfully, they were both just talking and drying lazily on the grassy bank of the lake in hushed tones and intense eyes. Too intense for her liking.
Venus deflated at the filthy state of Serenity's white gown, unsure how she'd hide this one ridden with dirt unique to this planet. Her lips parted to speak out to the couple so that she might collect Serenity in time for her to get some form of sleep tonight when a large hand grabbed her arm, yanking her harshly back into the garden before she had a clue of what was happening. Venus found herself pressed tightly against his chest, his free hand covered her mouth tightly, a barely audible "shhhhh" at her ear, warm breath tickling and distracting all at once. She was glad he wore gloves so he wouldn't feel the goosebumps that rose to her skin.
Her gloved hands were pressed against his chest and spices of a foreign land and cool waters invaded her senses, her eyes getting further distracted by the few scars barely visible under his uniform left slightly open at the neck. Even through her gloves and his thick uniform she could feel that his body was thoroughly muscled and powerful, pleased to feel his heart pounding against her palm. Venus was glad he didn't have a good view on her face, she was flushed for certain because that steady beating, hard and fast against the glove of her hand was so telling that he was more than the stone wall he portrayed. Surprised and relieved that her heart wasn't the only one racing, trying to break free of her rib cage in a strange flurry of emotions and anxieties. It was warm and she couldn't help but appreciate the restrained strength of his arms or how intimately she was held against him, not daring to lift her head at all based on the silent, but deep breaths that slowly puffed against the top of her head in practiced rhythm. Kunzite had turned his back to the garden entrance and wrapped her entirely in his brown cape, concealing them in the shadows strategically beneath the white blossoming tree, his nearly white silver hair the perfect camouflage.
"Who's out there?!" Someone commanded. Her eyes widened, and she stopped breathing as Kunzite had with the realization that it was a simple Elysian Guard. Panic settled in that Serenity might be caught and her fingers gripped the thick fabric of his uniform at his chest. She almost fought free but his gloved thumb brushed her arm methodically in comfort as if he could hear her thoughts or feel her panic. It was more likely that he could feel the slamming of her heart against her chest pressed so intimately against him. Venus let her forehead fall forward on his chest with clenched eyes because she felt like he held her for far too long, though when he finally released her and the air felt colder, she thought maybe it wasn't long enough.
Kunzite pressed a finger to his lips to keep her silent, his eyes hard and serious and commanding that she stay put while he make sure the coast was clear. Venus was fine with it for once since she felt the need to collect herself, dizzy as though she could feel Earth spinning on its axis suddenly like Kunzite had made it stop by the grip of his arms alone. She shook the thought, in no state to argue with him since he'd just protected her and very well could have let her be caught. His scent was still strong in her nostrils when he returned through a different portion of the garden with a tensed face.
"It's probably best you leave. More guard will arrive shortly." He stepped over to the garden entrance that would lead her to Serenity and leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, face unreadable as ever. Somehow, when she began toward the exit to collect her Princess, her knees felt weak when she walked.
"Thank you General...I know you didn't have to do that." She stopped at his shoulder and tried to offer him a small smile, but his eyes were ice when they shifted to her.
"We both know how bad that could have been for us both." His tone was frigid as though he more or less wanted to tell her to 'get out' instead. Venus tried to not let herself become intimidated by his cold stare, so she held her head high with a curt nod and brushed passed him. Serenity and Endymion were trying to calm their laughter, they too had almost been caught and somehow found it hilarious. She was faintly aware of Endymion's stone sentinel behind her when she approached them with a harsh gait. Venus was suddenly all too eager to get the Hell off this planet.
"Serenity!" Venus bit harshly through her teeth in angered whispers. "We are leaving at once! I can't believe you would be so careless!" The lovers seemed uncaring at the Venusian's rage and went in for a goodbye kiss. Venus was pulling her past the stone wall of Kunzite behind her before their lips got even close. General Kunzite looked just as angry she noted, before they teleported in a pop of golden magic. It wasn't until she returned home, her lips pulling into an expression that was probably so very much like the silver haired General, Kunzite. Venus shivered, remembering the warm encompassing safety of his arms and how with the simple stroke of his thumb her fears subsided to complete trust. She groaned, pulling the covers over her head to block her view of the planet. It was the same as the Venusian soldier, right? Barely friends? No... that was certainly different. Ryo? Not even close. Not even comparing it to her girls made sense, she didn't know him so none of it made sense.
She told herself once more that it was vanity. That he was merely beautiful and mysterious, and in no way did she want to know him. Why he never seemed to smile, why he was so serious when she had witnessed a whisper of teasing in him. How the very small twitches of his face meant something that she longed to read like a new book. She wanted to know more about the scars that marked him, and what brought him joy when he seemed so angry all the time...This simply could not be. She bit her lip, he was merely a kindred spirit and she realized how lonely she felt and promised herself she'd spend more time with the girls.
All she knew is this stupidity must end, all good luck runs out eventually and she was in no way wanting to wage war on a planet so helpless to defend themselves against their powers. It's a fight she wouldn't want because the Terran people had never been anything but good to her, the Prince and his General no exception. Venus was furious, and knew she had to do SOMETHING. For the sanctity of her oaths to her Queen, for the protection of her Princess and the entirety of the Silver Millennium, for Elysium and Earth's wonderful people...Venus had to do something.
Even if it meant breaking her own Princess' heart.