Chapter 5:

'You are cordially invited to the wedding of -

Sayumi stopped writing and began massaging her wrist. This was the 247th invitation she had written. She was almost half way done with her half of the invitations. Taiki wasn't doing much better. Sayumi saw Taiki drop his quill and sigh.

"Why did mother think that writing out invitations would help me get my mind off Yaten and Usagi's wedding when I have to write 'You are cordially invited to the wedding of Prince Yaten of the Southern hemisphere and Princess Usagi of the Moon' over and over and over and OVER again!"

"Now Taiki, calm down. You know she meant well." said Sayumi.

"I know. I just don't see why Queen Serenity didn't pick me. I'm smart, I'm charming, I'm-"

"A little full of yourself I'd say." Sayumi cut in.

"I just think that I'm the right choice for Usagi." Murmured Taiki.

"So do Seiya and Mamoru but Yaten was chosen so you just be happy for him." Lectured Sayumi.

"You can't force me to be happy about it!' exclaimed Taiki.

"But I can make you shut-up about it." Sayumi whisper to herself.

"What's that?" asked Taiki.

"Oh nothing, nothing." replied Sayumi. "Let's get back to work. We have six hours to write out the last 500 invitations and send them off." Sayumi looked at the next name on the list.

"Demando . . ." she whispered. Taiki took a look at the list.

"Don't you know him?"

"Vaguely." lied Sayumi.

"Isn't he the Prince of Nemesis?"

"Yes."

"Relations between earth and Nemesis are so much better now." said Taiki picking his quill up and dipping it in the ink. "I remember ten years ago when things weren't so well with Nemesis. Even five years ago they weren't going so well but three years ago, for some reason, Prince Demando decided to push for peace. I think he mentioned something about it being for the good of the children of the earth. Whatever that means."

"Taiki, you know I don't like it when you bore me with politics." warned Sayumi.

"Right." said Taiki and he went back to writing out the invitations in silence.


The well-wishers were still swarming Yaten and Usagi and of course Yaten only had so much patience with these people. He was trying to look happy but he had been standing for four hours and his feet hurt!

"Usagi" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes." she whispered back while still trying to smile.

"My feet hurt." complained Yaten.

"Mine too."

"Why don't we get out of her?" Suggested Yaten.

"How? We're surrounded!"

"Yeah that's a problem."

A hand clapped onto Prince Yaten's shoulder almost knocking him over. He looked up to see a tall man with silvery-white hair and dark blue eyes. He was of a large build and it was all muscle. He had a smirk spread across his face.

"Whispering sweet nothings in your future wife's ear, eh? She is quite a beautiful woman is she not." The man snatched up Usagi's hand and lifted it to his lips. He just chuckled when he received a glare from Yaten. "How are you this fine night Princess Serenity?"

"Prince Demando! What are you doing here?" asked Usagi.

"I heard that your engagement was to be announced this weekend so I thought I would come here before I received my invitation to the wedding, beat the traffic you know."

"He's quite presumptuous don't you think?" questioned Yaten with more than a hint of ill-humor. "How do you know you're going to be invited?"

"My dear boy," Yaten didn't like being called a "dear boy" "of course I would be invited. You don't want a war with Nemesis do you?" Yaten rolled his eyes.

"I couldn't help but overhear hear that you wanted to get out of here." said Demando. Both Usagi and Yaten looked down at their feet. "I can help you." Both of their heads snapped up to look at him.

"Really?" They asked in unison.

"Just leave it to me but of course I'll need something in return."

"Anything!" exasperated Yaten as he saw a particularly talkative woman making her way toward them. "After you get us out of here."

"Alright then." Demando looked up at the chandelier above them and then looked out the windows. It was dark, moonless night. Demando held out a hand and a strong wind swept through the large room blowing out all the candles. People were screaming and bumping into each other. In the confusion Demando grabbed Usagi's wrist, Usagi grabbed Yaten's hand and they made their way out of the room and around the corner and another corner and then they turned into a deserted room. When they stopped running they were all out of breath.

"Was that magic?" asked Yaten, referring to the powerful gust of wind.

"Of course. A very weak spell. Magic runs in my family's blood line." informed Demando.

"I see, that might have been a bit extreme but it did get us out of there." reasoned Usagi. "Now what is it that you wanted?"

"Just a bit of information. I'm looking for an old friend. Sayumi."

"Sayumi . . . I'm not sure." She turned to Yaten. "Do you know?"

"I think I heard mother saying that Taiki had recruited Sayumi to write out the invitations with him. Where would they be doing that?"

"They would probably be in Taiki's office." guessed Usagi. "Ask a servant to show you the way."

"Thank you very much." Said Demando taking Usagi's hand to kiss it, yet again, but before he could Yaten placed a hand on Demando's forehead to stop him.

"Now you may go." he growled taking hand away.

"Yaten." hissed Usagi jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow. "I'm sorry, Demando."

"Think nothing of it. If I had you for myself I wouldn't want another man touching you. Especially one as handsome as me." with a smirk he swiftly left the room.

"That man!" sneered Yaten.

"Don't forget that he just helped us." Usagi reminded.

"I don't like men touching you, especially now that you're mine!"

"Yours? Am I some sort of object now that you can just own? I can talk to other men. You can't stop me."

"It's not wise." Yaten grabbed one of Usagi's hand. "In fact you shouldn't even talk to Seiya, Taiki or Mamoru." Usagi pulled her hand away.

"Yaten! Taiki is your brother and Seiya and Mamoru are you cousins. I can't believe you."

"Fine!" snapped Yaten. "I knew you would be unfaithful!"

"Unfaithful!" screeched Usagi. "Talking to other men does not make me unfaithful. You're bing unreasonable."

"Talking leads to other things." His voice was think with implications.

"I never even kissed a man in my life. At least before you! What makes you think that I would . . . That I would. . . You know!"

"I don't know if I trust you." stated Yaten.

"You pig!" Usagi took a step forward and slapped Yaten square on the mouth. "Don't talk to me again unless you plan to apologize." and with that Usagi turned and ran out the door.

"Damn it." muttered Yaten.


"Taiki, how many have you done?" asked an exhausted Sayumi.

"Let's see . . . counting this one it will have been four hundred invitations. I only have to do a hundred more until I'm done. How about you?"

"Four hundred and one." Taiki rolled his eyes.

"You're only one ahead of me."

"It's still a victory, even it it's a small one." bragged Sayumi.

"Get back to work." Ordered Taiki. Sayumi just giggled.

"Taiki?"

"Mmm?"

"How long have we been writing these invitations?" Taiki glanced at the clock.

"Five hours."

"How much time do we have left?"

"Four hours. That includes the time we have to mail them off as well."

"Well maybe we sho-" The door to Taiki's office flew open.

"Sayumi!" There standing in the door frame was none other than Prince Demando.

"Demando?" Sayumi stood up and took a step back from the desk which only accomplished her running into a wall. "Why are you here? The invitations haven't even been sent out yet."

"It doesn't matter." He turned to Prince Taiki and bowed. "Sorry to disturb you."

"Uhhh . . . No problem."

Demando made his way over to Sayumi. He stood right in front of her. Far too close for comfort. He took her right hand in his hands and began to speak.

"Sayumi, I-" Sayumi cut him off.

"Taiki leave." Taiki was scared. He had never seen Sayumi look so stone faced. She looked like she meant business but this man talking to her looked like he might hurt her.

"But what if he-"

"Taiki just leave. You can finish the invitations soon. Just get out of here." Taiki nodded and left the room keeping an eye on Demando the whole time. As soon as he shut the door Sayumi questioned:

"What do you want?"

"I want to see my daughter." he demanded.

"No. Never."

"Be fair Sayumi. She's mine too."

"You weren't there to raise her."

"I would like to have been but you wouldn't have let me. I've had enough. It kills me to see Kessin raising our daughter."

"You left." she jabbed an accusatory finger into his chest. "You missed your chance." Demando grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips and whispered:

"I never wanted to leave you. What could I do when all you told me to do was leave?" he kissed her hand. A chill ran down Sayumi's spine.

"I didn't want you to leave . . ." Sayumi's breathing became heavy.

"Maybe I'll just have to kidnap you and Arisa and bring you to Nemesis." said Demando pulling Sayumi close to his chest.

"Maybe you will." Sayumi whispered into his shirt. Demando ever so slightly pulled away from Sayumi and tilted her chin up. He bent down and kissed her. Sayumi grabbed his shirt with one hand and placed the other on his neck. Demando placed a hand around Sayumi's back and pulled her closer, kissing her more deeply. Sayumi dug her nails into his neck.

"Sayu . . ." Groaned Demando.

The sound of her name brought her back to reality. She pulled away as fast as she could and shoved Demando into the wall.

"What are you doing!" she shrieked. "Leave me and my family alone!"

The phrase "My family" hurt him because he wasn't included in it.

"I'll leave you alone but I am going to see Arisa."

"No."

"Sayumi, I have to tell her something very important."

"You cannot tell her that you're her father. If people find out that she's illegitimate they'll-"

"Calm down Sayu."

"Don't call me that!"

"Fine. Sayumi."

"You're not seeing her."

"Just watch me." challenged Demando as he walked out the door.

Sayumi went back to writing the invitations or at least she tried but her hands were shaking too much. Her writing was terrible. Maybe a nap would help. Sayumi rested her head on the desk and slowly dozed off.


Taiki slowly closed the door to his office. He couldn't believe that Sayumi just ordered him out of his own office but here he was.

He supposed that he could listen to their conversation if he just pressed his ear against the door. No, that wasn't right and anyway he couldn't hear a thing with all that noise going on down the hall. What was that noise anyway. It sounded like crying. Crying? Taiki decided to check it out. He walked down the hall and made a left. He was getting closer to the sound. He made another left. There she was. Usagi crumpled on the floor sobbing.

"Usagi!" Taiki ran toward her. He got down on his knees and pulled the crying girl into his lap. "What's wrong?" Usagi just wailed louder. Taiki knew that he would have to calm her down before he got any words out of her. He smoothed her golden hair out and whispered:

"Shh, it's ok. I'm here. Everything will be fine." and after a few minutes she did calm down. She stopped crying and her breath came in short gasps.

"Now what's wrong?"

"I . . . I d-don't want-t to g-get . . ." The poor girl was stuttering.

"Calm down Usagi."

She spoke slowly emphasizing every word.

"I don't want to get married to Yaten." Taiki suddenly became angry.

"What did he do."

"He's a jerk."

"I know that dear, he's my brother. If you don't want to marry him, you don't have to."

"Yes I do!" Wailed Usagi.

"I won't let anyone force you to do anything that you don't want to. Ever." Usagi looked up into Taiki's eyes. She knew that he was telling the truth.

"Thank you" she whispered. Taiki took advantage of their closeness to pull Usagi up to him and place a soft, hesitant kiss on her lips. Usagi, having no energy, didn't kiss back but she didn't pull away either.

"Taiki!"

Upon hearing this intrusion he looked up to see who the speaker was. There Seiya stood. Completely immobilized and shocked at the scene before him.