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Epilogue
Sparkling clearer than any diamond, the serene waters of the lake surrounded the small island Usagi and I were laying on. It was the middle of summer and the sun was high in the sky, blazing down on all the land in its full glory. A large parasol shielded us from the burning rays, and the soft grass served as our blanket. In the distance I could hear splashing, screaming, and giggling as our guests enjoyed the cool water. The girls had all come to visit for a few weeks, and we were currently staying at a summer retreat some fifty miles from the city.
I propped myself up on my elbows and looked down the hill to the water. The air sparkled with water droplets being sprayed by Ami, Rei, Minako, Makoto, Naru, and Anne. Motoki and Alan sat on the shore, watching the laughing girls, talking together. Their clothing was plastered to them and their hair glistened, showing they had fallen victim to the revelry in the shallows. I smiled lightly. This was the way things should be. Granted, Anne and Alan being in the picture was a bit off, or so it would have seemed only months before. I could still remember it clear as a bell, our ship docking the harbor of Earth's palace so short a time after leaving to find Usagi.
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We stood in our room aboard the ship, preparing to disembark.
"Usagi, Motoki is going to take you to our room. You'll wait there for me while I go and find father and tell him that we found you safe and sound. First, though, I want to find Anne, and talk to her before she knows we found you." My words felt clipped and cold. I tried to ease my tone for Usagi's sake, but thoughts of Anne and what she did made my blood boil. I only hoped I would be able to remain calm long enough to speak with her without giving anything away.
"Why? Why don't you want her to know I'm here?" Usagi wrapped her arms around my waist from behind as I laced up my vest.
"I'd like to see how she's dealing with the fact that you're gone, if she's feeling any guilt of remorse," I told her. Her hands tightened their grip briefly before she slid them away from me.
"All right, I'll go to our room. Don't be too long though." Her voice was edged in concern and hesitancy.
I turned around quickly and wrapped my arms around her, giving her a tight squeeze. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. I promise I'll hear her out and not make any rash decisions. Besides," I pulled back slightly to look down at her, "I'm sure father will want a hand in this as well."
Usagi nodded slowly. I cupped her cheek and gave her a quick kiss before walking out of the room. It was hard leaving her. Each second that we were separated, I was in fear that I would not be able to find her again. It was almost an obsession within my heart, the need to be with her, to protect her, to make sure she was all right... was this what she felt like? Was her fear of men so strong and vivid in her? I could only guess.
Everywhere I turned there was bustling activity. Our return was unexpected, since everyone thought we would be gone for weeks at least. The crew of the ship were told to keep quiet about all that had transpired, at least until I talked to my father and Anne. I knew I could trust them, but I still wanted to deal with everything as quickly as possible. Thus, I walked to my father's library where I was sure to find him.
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"What are you thinking about?" Usagi asked.
I turned my head to look at her as she gazed at me curiously. Her eyebrows arched above her liquid sapphire eyes as her lips pursed every so slightly into a pout. I leaned my head down and bumped my nose against hers, resisting the urge to chuckle as she blinked in surprise.
"I was thinking about you, and how happy you make me," I replied, basking in the smile she bestowed upon me. "And how much I love you."
I suddenly found myself on my back with a pair of soft lips pressed against mine in a rather intimate fashion. Startled at first but rather enjoying the attention, I brushed my fingers over Usagi's neck and through her hair, letting the silken strands entangle my hand. A tingle ran down my spine as she brushed my lips with her tongue, her delicate hands clutching my shirt.
Yes, life was good.
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The door closed with a soft click behind me and I let out a sigh. Father had been more than a little surprised that I was back so soon, more than a little pleased that I was back so soon and with Usagi, more than a little upset when I told him about what had occurred, and more than a little angered about Anne's treachery. He agreed to let me handle the situation with Anne at least, and then said he would take a look at the situation with Diamond's kingdom, as well as send an ambassador to the Moon.
I strode down the long hallways, heading right to where Anne and Alan's rooms were. The wing of the castle was fairly quiet since all of the local nobility were fast asleep and not expected to welcome each docking ship in the wee hours of the morning.
The room I was seeking came up before me, the golden numbers on the door glistening in the soft light my candle was casting upon them. I sighed softly before raising my hand and rapping gently on the wooden beams. I would be waking her up, but I didn't care. This was important, and her beauty sleep would have to wait.
A few moments passed before I saw a light under the door and heard footsteps approaching. The hinges made no sound as a maid peeked out, a shawl held tightly around her shoulders. As soon as she saw my face her eyes went wide and she opened the door all the way, dropping me a quick curtsey.
"It is an honor to have you here, your grace," she murmured quickly.
"I wish to speak with your mistress," I told her, my face giving away none of the emotion I was feeling, or so I hoped. The maid dropped me another quick curtsey and told me she would go wake her. The door closed with a soft click as the young woman retreated into the room, and I could hear her footsteps retreating. I stood in the corridor for a full ten minutes before the door opened once more and the same maid gestured for me to enter. I did, and was greeted with Anne standing before the door leading to her bedroom, a smile on her face.
"Prince Endymion, what an unexpected surprise," she said sweetly, quickly running her fingers over her skirt to smooth out any missed wrinkles from her hasty dressing. "I didn't think your Grace would be back on the Earth so soon."
"Neither did I," I replied," but due to some unfortunate," as well as fortunate, "circumstances, I have been forced to return.
"None pertaining to the well being of the Princess, I hope," Anne replied, a look of worry filtering across her face. I couldn't tell if it was genuine worry or not
"I'm afraid so. She was in a few unpleasant situations, none of which I'm happy about," I replied. Anne's eyes widened slightly but she kept her composure.
"I'm so sorry to hear that, Prince Endymion. May I ask what happened?" She motioned to a chair for me to sit, but I made no move to accept the invitation.
"Serenity as taken and forced into some uncomfortable and horrifying situations. I have returned here because I have received some information that there was a person who helped Prince Diamond, here, within the palace. I was hoping that perhaps you might be able to help me find the identity of the traitor. You are close to Serenity; did you notice anyone who had a grudge against her or would have wanted her to be gone from Earth?" I studied her movements, the way she placed her hand on her now pink cheek, the way she glanced from the window to me, the way she sighed shakily as she dropped her hand to her side.
"I cannot say for sure, your Grace. Are there any suspects as of yet?" she finally asked, lowering her eyes to the ground.
I stared at her hard. "Yes," I replied. "You."
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Usagi pulled away from our kiss and stared down at me. "I love you," she whispered, and rubbed her nose against mine. I slid my arm around her waist and held her to me tightly.
"Not interrupting anything, am I?" I heard Motoki as cheekily from somewhere. Usagi slid off me and I sat up. Motoki stood before us, dripping wet, probably having just endured another attack from the visiting princesses.
"Of course not," I replied, my voice laced lightly with sarcasm. "What can we do for you?"
Motoki glanced at Usagi and then back at me. "I was just worried about the Princess and came to make sure everything was all right. She looks a little... overheated." Motoki kept glancing from me to Usagi and back, and at the final word he glanced in the direction of the lake. Usagi was busy digging through the basked of food we had brought with us to notice Motoki's suggestive plotting. I grinned at him.
"I'm sure that Usagi is just fine," I told him as I got to my feet. Usagi stopped her rummaging and looked up at Motoki.
"Are you sure?" Motoki asked, a look of worry on his face. "She's been sitting for quite a while. You're sure she isn't dizzy?"
Usagi obviously didn't like being talked about as if she wasn't there. She pulled herself to her feet and spun around. "I'm fine Motoki, see? Not dizzy at all."
A squeal emitted from Usagi as she found herself being swept off her feet and flung over my shoulder. Motoki and I laughed as I started to jog down towards the water, my wife bouncing on my shoulder.
"Wh-at d-o y-you think y-our do-ing?" she managed to say sharply amidst bounces. Her squirming form was trying to get out of my grasp, but I held on. She gave a soft scream when she realized we were heading to the water, but I gave no mercy as I plunged into the cool waters, the laughter of everyone surrounding us. I was punishing myself as well, submerging my own heated body beneath the frigid surface, but it was worth the startled gasp from Usagi as she suddenly clung to me.
"Endy, how could you! This is freezing!" I slowly released my grip and let her slide from my shoulder, thus submerging her further in the lake. She started splashing me furiously, but I just laughed and dove beneath the surface, most likely eliciting yet another scream as I grabbed her ankle. I couldn't help but smile.
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Anne's face paled as she brought her eyes up to meet mine. "That is a very strong accusation to make, Prince Endymion, especially without any proof." Even though she was trying to look and sound both determined and strong, her desired affect fell short of her expectations.
"I have testimony and an eyewitness to your actions," I said clearly. "And I'm sure that Prince Sapphire would be more than happy to display the proof before my father and a jury of your peers, if you chose to have one." It was a lie, or at least partially. Sapphire had given us the information, but I wasn't sure how eager he would be to testify against Anne if a trial was called for.
"What happened to the Princess?" she asked after a moment of silence. "Please, I need to know."
"Why did you do it, Anne?" I asked, my voice sharper than I had intended it to be.
"I-I don't- I didn't want her to... you..." her eyes filled with tears and her shoulders trembled, but I made no move to calm her, showed no outward sympathy. I stood still, unwavering, until Anne fell to her knees, trembling, with tears flowing down her face. "I never wanted her to get hurt."
I stared down at her. "Did you think Diamond would treat her as a sister and make sure she was happy?"
She said nothing; she only continued to sob.
"Endy..." Usagi's soft voice reached my ears. Anne's eyes shot wide open as she looked behind me at the door, and let out a strangled cry.
"Usagi, you were supposed to stay in the room," I said gently, turning around. I let my features soften as I stared at her, peeking her head into the room. She walked in and glanced from me to Anne. Her face twisted in worry and concern as she glided across the smooth floor to where Anne was kneeling. Anne stared up at Usagi, her eye red and puffy, tears streaming down her face.
"Serenity," she whispered.
All I could do was watch as Usagi lowered herself to her knees and wrapped her thin arms around Anne's trembling form. Anne's large, glossy eyes closed.
She was repentant. Usagi had forgiven her. Now it was my turn.
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The sun was setting slowly on the horizon, it's golden beams reflecting off the now still waters of the lake. Usagi was wrapped safely in my arms as we stood on the small balcony, watching the sun and moon exchange watches of the night sky. Her hair was still damp from our last dip in the lake. She sighed and leaned against me more. I wrapped my arms around her tighter and nuzzled her neck.
"Are you still worried?" she asked me quietly. I knew what she was talking about; in less than a month we would travel to the Moon, and there she would be bound to the Silver Crystal. It was the reason I had married her in the first place, the purpose of our marriage. She would need me, and I was prepared to give her every ounce of my strength.
"Yes, but not as much as before," I replied. Of course I was worried. Usage was going to be put in danger. At least I played a large enough role to be able to ensure nothing would happen to her. "I just hope we hear some news by then of the Dark Moon." Sapphire had somehow managed to escape the custody of Queen Selenity, but he had not made any threats or promises of war yet. A few ambassadors had been sent to the Dark Moon and had arrived safely, but no negotiations had been entered right away.
I still felt uneasy about everything. I felt as though Sapphire had gotten off the hook completely, as had Anne. I had grudgingly given her pardon for her part in Usagi's abduction, but she was stripped of her noble titles and offered the place of Usagi's lady-in-waiting. Pride injured but not crushed, Anne accepted the post, most likely with hopes of earning her position in court back one day. Alan, of course, had been distraught over his sister's betrayal as well as her punishment, but his protests were not loud or long. I didn't understand how Usagi could have forgiven Anne so quickly and freely, but that was just the kind of woman she was.
"I don't want to think about the Dark Moon tonight," Usagi murmured as she turned in my arms, lacing her hands behind my neck. "We can worry about that tomorrow."
I smiled and lowered my head to steal a kiss from her pretty pink lips. She gave me her kiss freely, and demanded one back. I, of course, happily complied. I brought one hand down to rest on her lower back and pull her closer, as my other cupped her soft bottom. She squeaked as I pulled her right up close to me, and melted into my embrace. She sighed against my lips ran one of her delicate hands down my chest, bringing it to rest on my hip. I broke our kiss and nibbled her neck lightly, earning myself a shiver and gasp from my wife.
"Feel like going to bed?" I whispered hoarsely in her ear, enjoying the way she ran her fingers roughly across my neck and through my hair. I felt her nod against my shoulder, which was all the encouragement I needed to scoop her up and carry her inside. I loved the way her hair fanned out over the silken bed as I lay her down, the way her hands grabbed at my shirt, the way she moaned my name...
Yes, life really was good.
As Usagi and I lay in bed, the night stars twinkling and winking at us through the balcony window, I pulled my sleeping wife closer to me and buried my nose in her hair, reveling in the feeling of her bare skin against mine. I loved her greatly, and I knew her lover for me ran just as deep. The fact that she gave me her trust humbled me, and her sweet nature kept me in love. I didn't know what the future would bring, what wars we would have to fight with the Dark Moon, what possible ploys Anne might devise, what would happen to Usagi after her binding... but I was certain that no matter what, our love would keep us together and happy.
"Endy..." Usagi's groggy voice caught my attention as she shifted in her sleep. "We haven't played chess in a long time, haven't we?"
I smiled to myself, a grin that I was sure Usagi could feel. I pulled her close to me and chuckled. "But we've been playing all along," I whispered as I lowered my lips to her bare shoulder and whispered softly against the satin smooth skin, "Checkmate."
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The End
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--Disclaimer--
I do not own the rights to Sailormoon or any of the characters. That honor belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, and I am simply a lowly author who can use her characters for my plots.
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A/N: Well, that's it for "The Untouchable Princess." I hope you enjoyed this quick tale. It was fun to write, but I'm glad it's done. Stay tuned for more tales, I have a few floating around in my head. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, your kinds words and encouragment kept me going and writing, and your criticism had me scrutinizing my words and improving my writing. My thanks for your time, and I hope I will be able to pen other tales you will find enjoyable. -- Anja