Venus was still sitting on the same settee when Kunzite walked into the room.
"Very well."he said, as he closed the door behind him. "If you do want our marriage annulled, then it will be so."he finished.
She felt like shaking him. That was so like him, wasn't it? He was always so proper, so…ugh, she thought.
"And just like that?"she asked.
"I guess it would have to be approved by King Endymion and Queen Serenity."he said.
Venus remembered, she'd even become jealous of King Endymion because he took up so much of Kunzite's time. The others, as well. She'd never told anyone. Everyone always thought either that she didn't mind, or perhaps that he had more time than they thought. Perhaps she could go to Magellan for a few weeks.
"Yes,"she said. "You should go to them. And as soon as possible."
"Before I do that, I would like to speak to you."he told her.
"There's nothing to talk about. I think everything's been said. I would just like to get this over with. Afterwards, I'll just take a little vacation. But of course, I know you don't know the meaning of such a thing, do you?"
"I must do my duty."he answered.
"Yes, your duty. I think that you've repeated that so many times, it's like a phrase I've learned by now. I don't think I'll ever forget it."
"It's what I was chosen to be the leader of the prince's guard for."he pointed out.
"And it's why it was so stupid of me to marry you."she added. "I shouldn't have. I should have just…stayed unmarried, or married someone. Someone from my own planet, maybe. Who would have other priorities. Or at least whose life didn't revolve around only their duty. Who cared about something else. Who cared about me. Obviously you don't. Everyone who ever told me that was always right! Only I wouldn't listen!"
He didn't know what to say. However, Venus didn't expect him to answer. By now, she was used to his silence.
"You are wrong."he told her.
She looked up.
"You think I'm wrong?"she asked, skeptically. "You think I'm wrong! Why would you think something like that? It's so obvious."
"I'm sorry."he apologized.
Venus simply shrugged. She picked up one of the golden apples. She'd brought them with her from Venus, where they grew in masses. One could pass through the orchards, and the entire fields would be heady with their sweet scent.
"I remember when I brought these here."she said. "So many. They would be to give the rooms, the entire palace, a pleasant scent."she held it up to her nose. "A few into making a potion. One of the best potioners on Venus would make it."she told him. "The first one had so little effect, perhaps it was because it wasn't brewed by my own hand. So I brewed another one."
He nodded.
"I always thought Jupiter was the one who was most fond of cooking."he said.
"Not just cooking."she chuckled. "Jadeite drank it once."she looked amused. "He drank from the goblet meant for you!"
"You put that in my drink?"he asked.
"Would you have drank it any other way?"
"I doubt it."he conceded.
"I know. You never would have, but I never gave up. Until now."
"I'm so sorry. I really wish you could forgive me."he said. "You're right about everything. That's why I will do this. I'll do something for you. I'll speak to the king and queen immediately, however, I would like you to hear me out first."
"Nothing will change my mind."she told him.
"I know."he said. "I can see that. However, I would still like you to listen to me."
"You're wrong in that I don't care about you. I do."he said.
This was really going to be much harder than he thought. He never spoke to anyone about his feelings. Not to her, not to anyone.
"You see, the reason I asked you to marry me was because…"he took a deep breath. "I love you."
Venus looked up, a look of disbelief on her face.
"I know I've never been very…demonstrative, but I do."
She didn't know what to say. She was at a complete loss for words.
"I tried to…disregard it. That was why I always tried to dissuade King Endymion to go to the Moon, or see the Moon Princess. I always knew wherever she was, it was most likely that you would be there. The prince would pay no heed, and went to the Lunar balls, anyway. And you always seemed to find me in the most unexpected places."
She nodded.
"I always did have my sources, you know."
"I could tell. I'm sure one of them was probably one of the others. Most likely Nephrite."
She looked surprised.
"I always suspected, if not knew."
"I never heard, or even thought you-I mean, he never got in trouble with you that I knew of."
"He never did. Not for that."he told her. "Although sometimes I would think of any excuse."
"Why?"
"Odd as it may sound, I would actually enjoy encountering you on a walk through the gardens on Earth, or perhaps just casually in the crowd in the ballroom. And it would end in that I would always be compelled to ask you to dance."
She nodded. She remembered only too well.
"But…why…?"
"It was because…"he stopped, trying to find the right words.
She smiled.
"I think I see."she said. "There's just no…no hint of a Venusian in you, for lack of a better term."she giggled. "And just how ironic that you marry me."
"Ironic, indeed."he agreed. "If I'd only…said, did, something earlier…"he trailed off.
She got up from the settee, and ran, and put her arms around him.
"Oh, who cares!"she said. "You're thinking Martians. We Venusians just aren't the type to hold a grudge. At least not for long!"she said happily.