The Pirate King

Chapter 14: An Appeal for a Happy Ending

Endymion propped his elbows on the ship's railing, gazing at Port Usagi as they departed. "Goodbye…my dearest love." He whispered.

"Captain?" Zoicite approached him slowly.

"Yes Zoicite? What is it?"

"Where is our next destination?"

Endymion covered his eyes with his hand and sighed. "I don't know…" he turned without another word and locked himself in his cabin.

"Oh dear…" Zoicite sighed. Ami came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder in concern.

"What's wrong Zoicite?"

"The captain…I believe he is heartbroken."

"Ah, I've noticed that as well." Ami agreed.

"It doesn't seem right that we should all be so happy while our captain, our king, is in so much pain." Malachite commented, walking up to them with Mina on his arm.

"And yet we can still find no way to bring them together." Lita sighed, joining them with Nephlite's arm around her waist.

"It's hard to be happy with the captain brooding about the deck all day." Jadeite added as he and Raye bounded up to where they all stood.

"What if he were to do some noble deed? Maybe then they could consider him worthy to marry her?" Mina suggested.

"It's possible…yet would a good deed redeem a man of a life of piracy?" Zoicite questioned.

"Perhaps if we appealed to the King and Queen. Maybe out of remembrance of their own love they would consider it…for their daughter's sake." Raye said.

"What the captain really needs to do is storm the castle and steal her away, heedless of the wishes of the monarchs!" Jadeite exclaimed passionately, pulling Raye to his side and grinning.

"Maybe you're right…" They all turned in shock to find Endymion leaning up against his door frame, a smile creasing his face.

"Captain!" they all exclaimed.

"It's alright. No need to apologize. I know now I should have never let her go and I intend to remedy the situation immediately…Zoicite,"

"Yes Captain?" Zoicite asked, trying to hide his grin.

"Turn us about. Set a direct course back to Port Usagi. To night we dock…tomorrow I have some business to attend to."

Cheers rang out from the group as Zoicite ran to the wheel, relaying Endymion's orders to the rest of the crew.

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King Artemis sat in his throne presiding over yet another counsel meeting. The counsel was arranged in their risers, each scribbling away furiously in their notebooks as the King spoke.

"First order of business…taxes on the port."

An old man with a misshapen wig spoke up quickly. "What is there to discuss? The taxes are fine."

"My Lord, our tax revenue is too high." Another elderly man with a large man said meekly.

"I have not noticed such an extremity. The taxes should remain where they are set." The wig man replied.

"I have reviewed the treasury myself and indeed we are charging too much for taxes. They must be lowered." King Artemis declared.

Serenity and Iileen sat in the box above the meeting room, listening as the counsel argued back and forth.

"Father is a merciful king, is he not mother?"

"Indeed he is. A great king must have mercy. Otherwise he is a tyrant."

Serenity nodded in agreement before settling back for the rest of the meeting. It was required that she attend these things, since she was to one day take over. The dull drone of the old men nearly had her dozing off when she heard a commotion. Her ears perked up at the sound of a door flying open and a messenger rushing into the counsel room. "The pirates have returned!" he exclaimed.

"King Artemis stood abruptly. "Are we under fire?"

"They have run the white flag, your Majesty." The messenger replied.

"What could they want?" He turned his eyes to his wife and daughter. Serenity's face had broken into a smile as she gazed through the window at the pirate ship. Artemis looked back down and grinned. "Of course," he whispered. "I should have seen it before."

A servant stepped in through the still open doors. "Your Majesty, the Pirate King, Captain Endymion." He introduced. A tall man, with black hair and dark blue eyes walked in, his sword and pistol scabbards empty. He bowed low before Artemis in respect.

"Your highness," he began. "I come peacefully and with no intention of the piracy I see so rightfully accusing in your eyes."

"Very well, what do you wish to say?"

"I've come to ask for your permission to marry your daughter." A collective gasp rose from the counsel immediately followed by their objections.

"Silence!" Artemis exclaimed, flashing angry eyes at the old men. "Sir, do you not know the law? A princess shall marry only nobility or royalty. Do you have either of those in your blood?"

"No Your Majesty, I'm afraid I don't." Endymion confessed.

"I cannot break the law sir."

"But you are the King! And she is your daughter! Do you not wish for her happiness?"

"I do but…Are you really so confident of her feelings toward you? Perhaps she does not love you in return?"

"Let her speak then. We are discussing her after all, she may have a say in it."

"Summon my daughter."

"I am here already Father!" Everyone turned to find Serenity in the doorway, her face pink with excitement and her eyes shining with unshed tears.

'Well then, tell me. Do you know this man?"

"I do. He is Endymion, Captain of the Fool's Gold, King of the Pirate Court. My kidnapper…" Serenity smiled.

"And tell me, do you love this…this pirate?"

Serenity gazed at Endymion, her heart beating frantically. Then she turned her eyes to her mother who had remained in the box. She smiled at her daughter encouragingly. Serenity looked back to her father.

"I feel for Endymion what you feel for Mother. Think as a man and not just as a King, Father. Do you remember how you felt when you fell in love with Mother? Like you'll never stop smiling, like your heart will explode from your chest…Every time they look at you your stomach drops…What I feel for Endymion is what the ocean feels for the moon. Its tides are controlled by its every shape and its very presence. I love him more than life itself."

"I see…and would you be willing to surrender your throne to be with him? Would you give up all of this, your home, your power, your family, all for him? Would you loose all to gain nothing?"

"I don't see why I should give up anything for him? Why can't I have love and keep my family?"

"Because you are a princess and he, a commoner."

"But we are both human beings! A person cannot be defined by their blood…but rather by their actions." Serenity's eyes sought Endymion's. "And he is a King by his actions and therefore a King to me."

"Serenity…I cannot ignore the law…"Artemis began.

"Stop this!" Iileen exclaimed, interrupting him. "She does not have to abide by the law. She is not your daughter. She is the daughter of a poor Lady and a rouge pirate."

"Don't speak such nonsense Iileen. You know very well she is our daughter."

"She is my daughter…not yours." Artemis gaped at her, speechless. "I met him before I had ever known you. I fell in love with him but I could not marry him because of my title. Now my daughter is put into the same situation, but I will not allow something she cannot control prevent her from being with the man she loves." Iileen walked up to her husband and kneeled, taking his limp hand in hers.

"I was in a bad situation…but I found love again, despite it all. She may not be as lucky as I. She may not be your blood daughter but you have raised her as such. But if you forbid her marriage she will become the daughter of a pirate. No longer the future ruler of Japan. No longer your child."

Silence fell heavily over the meeting room. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for Artemis' decision. He cleared his throat once…twice. A tear slid down his cheek. He held out his hand to Serenity. She approached slowly and took it cautiously.

"You are my daughter and I would rather die than see you get hurt. Get the law records…It's time to make some changes." A smile broke out across Serenity's face and she flung her arms around Artemis, her father. Iileen smiled down on them, appearing almost saintly. Artemis held out his other hand to Endymion and he came to him grinning broadly. Artemis brought Serenity's hand into his and closed them over the other. "Far be it from me to come between true love…"

Endymion smiled down at Serenity and pulled her hand to his lips. "I love you Serenity…" he whispered, wrapping his other arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"I love you to Endymion," she replied before his lips closed upon hers in a warm kiss that left Serenity's knees weak.

A small boy came into the room, bearing an old, dusty book with a tattered binding. He handed it to Artemis who took it in his hands and ran his fingers lightly over the cover.

"Gentlemen," he addressed the counsel. "Change can be a bad thing. It can cause wars and strike hate and fear into our enemies. But sometimes change is necessary…change can be good. Like purifying your soul." He took a match from his pocket and struck it against his chair. "We're going to start over. A new, improved government. With fair laws, common rights, equality for all…" He held the match to the pages of the book and they instantly caught. He lay it on the tiled floor and everyone watched as it burned itself out into a pile of ash.

Endymion and Serenity smiled at him in unison. Iileen giggled.

"Well? What is everyone standing around here for? We have a wedding to prepare for!" Artemis exclaimed. A cheer rose throughout the room.

"Wait," Serenity said, looking around suddenly. "Where are my ladies-in-waiting? And your crew?"

"Don't worry…they'll be back. They had a wedding, or four, to attend as well." Endymion laughed.

And so…the Pirate King and the Princess lived Happily Ever After.

The End

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Phewwww…Finally it's done. It wasn't the best quality and I deeply apologize. I've learned a lot about writing this year but I didn't have time to edit this story as much as I'd have liked. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Next up to finish is Switched! I do not own Sailor Moon!