Chapter One – Rage

The silence in the conference room enfolded its occupants like an ominous cloud. No one dared to make a noise. The softest sound as breathing was unmistakably audible. There had been laughter and jokes among the attendees yet once decisions were made, anxiety had descended, tension seizing control over them in its unyielding hold.

Neo-King Endymion had called a meeting with his trusted shitennou with the belief that they could help resolve the many problems that had been troubling him for weeks. He had been optimistic they would answer to all his requests, no matter how trivial, like they used to back in the Silver Millennium. What the young, rash king had not known was that he had chosen the wrong move.

Endymion had forgotten centuries had passed since his shitennou had last given him any advice. He had overlooked the great pain that they must have suffered upon regaining the memories of the past at their resurrection. He should have remembered, but today, his selfish desires had overruled him.

That carelessness alone greatly annoyed his platinum-haired friend.

Kunzite glared daggers at the men in the room, his fury distorted his handsome features. He was a man who normally bore no obvious emotions, but his friends knew he was capable of a smile. Given the icy exterior he presented to the public, the media had, in secret, nicknamed him 'The Ice King'. It was believed Kunzite had no reason to smile as the head shitennou of Crystal Tokyo.

Loyal to a fault to his king and kingdom, nothing ever came before his duty. Not family, temptation, or even love – something everyone craved. Any negligence on his part could easily jeopardize the prosperous kingdom established by his king and queen, that which had been achieved through immense loss and bloodshed.

The Silver Millennium had taught him a critical lesson about that.

While he was recovering in Elysian, Kunzite had vowed not to let history repeat itself. To date, the Silver Millennium remained a sensitive topic. His beloved continued to blame herself no matter the words of comfort he had given her. He hated to see her in pain, not when her senshi were beginning to accept him and his men again.

On his arrival, Kunzite had pledged his unwavering loyalty to Crystal Tokyo. The senshi doubted the authenticity of his vow but Neo-Queen Serenity had overruled their mistrust by making Kunzite and his fellow shitennou promise to perform any task required by the court. Endymion, his liege and friend, however, was asking too much of him.

"I will not play charade for you again, my lord," Kunzite stated, his tone calm and brooking no argument. "You can't possibly believe anyone remains ignorant of what the king of Crystal Tokyo and the Silver Alliance looks like. You should be capable of taking your responsibilities by now."

Endymion tried to force a smile on his face. It had always been tough to persuade a scowling Kunzite. He looked at his three other advisors and devoted friends, pleadingly, but to no avail. They knew Kunzite too well to contradict him otherwise. The silver-haired man's anger, once unleashed, could have dire consequences. Anyone who dared testing him always ended in a horrible state. He would never listen to anyone, except-

"Please, Kunzite, both Usako and I need a vacation. We haven't had any moment to ourselves since Crystal Tokyo was born. Taking the thrones have drained what little energy we have left," Endymion reasoned with a frown. "If you would put up this charade for us, Serenity and I would be very grateful. I think you could also use the time to get to know Mina-chan better."

Kunzite's anger faded for an instant at the mention of his love's name. Endymion had struck a nerve – he hadn't had a private moment with Minako in a while, too. His brows knitted close, his body went stiff. When it hit him what his king was asking of him, the fury returned.

"DO NOT DRAG MINAKO INTO THIS!" Kunzite bellowed, his eyes flashing in anger. "The lady has enough to worry about. She does not have to be involved in another task until she was through."

"Kunzite, please listen-"

Kunzite interrupted Endymion. "My decision is firm, my king. I might have sworn my loyalty to you, but I refuse to take over your responsibilities again. If you'll please excuse me, I have other duties that require my immediate attention."

With that, the leader of the shitennou stood from his chair and stormed out of the meeting room. The door slammed behind him, the impact nearly making the room shake.

Endymion stared dumbfounded at the seat Kunzite vacated and wondered at his friend's unusually strict demeanour. Kunzite had always listened to him with patience before offering his advice. Endymion failed to recall a time in which his closest friend had denied him.

The remaining shitennou shared a glance before breathing a sigh of relief in unison, glad that the tension had dispersed. One should never cross the head shitennou in his anger unless one wished for a quick death.

Then again, there was always a daring individual amongst the wisest men.

"What's wrong with the ice prick? He needn't have to be so mean to Endymion," Jadeite wondered out loud. He considered himself his king's closest confidante after Kunzite, although if truth be told, he loved to drag Endymion into trouble more often than not.

"Ask the Lady Venus and you will know, Jadeite," Nephrite replied and massaged his temples. Jadeite's occasional callousness had begun to irate him. "The stars would not tell me any more than that."

"I wouldn't consider it if I were you. Usako doesn't want the girls involved, particularly not Minako," Endymion explained, his voice troubled and weary. "I know the girls must be up to something, only they will not let us know. 'Time is not ripe', as they say." He exhaled a heavy sigh and put his head between his hands as if that would help him think of a better solution.

Zoisite clicked his tongue. "Then I pray the senshi will reveal what they are hiding soon. One day Kunzite's anger will blow up the whole palace ― or worse, Crystal Tokyo ― if no one should put a stop to him. Like, now."

Fresh from a long bath, Minako hummed to herself as she combed her long hair. She studied her reflection in the full-length mirror and grinned, proud of the beauty she was prophesied to become. Artemis was right - each day she resembled the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Venus, more.

Her appearance was sufficient to make heads turn when she chanced to take a walk away from the palace. With her lengthy golden locks, a body that was curved in all the right places, and her toned but gangly limbs, she could now give Rei, the acknowledged exotic beauty among her friends, a run for her money. Few men could resist taking another glance at her as if she was not of this world. There had not been any exception since she graduated from high school.

"It was also this body which melted the ice in his heart," she often added to herself.

Thinking about Kunzite brought a smile to her lips. She had been uncertain if Kunzite still loved her when he pledged his loyalty to her queen and the king. Or if he still harboured negative feelings for her killing him. He had shown indifference to his surroundings, including to her. He maintained his distance as though they had not once loved each other fiercely in another life. Minako was, thus, convinced that her longing for him body and soul did not imply Kunzite feel the same way. All her worries were only washed away when he escorted her back to her chambers after dinner that night.

She still remembered every detail as if it were but yesterday that her love had returned. The happiness and surprise she felt when Kunzite confessed he desired her forgiveness more than acceptance from the others. The almost forgotten sensation when their lips first met after a thousand years. His aggressive but passionate movements when he made love to her that night-

The abrupt opening of her door woke Minako out of her reverie. She grabbed her robe and spun around in defence. Her long years as senshi woke up the warrior instincts in her, preparing her to fight the intruder. Finding no one but Kunzite, her guard slackened, she sashayed towards him.

Kunzite caught his breath when Minako drew closer. He had not seen her for weeks. His heart ached to touch her and hold her tightly in his arms. He had had women before meeting Minako but he had never missed them. Nor had he cared. Minako had successfully changed that and stolen a special place in his heart. She was a trophy to him, a trophy he would give anything to gain.

When she was barely a foot from him, Kunzite dove into her arms, burying his head in her hair. His sudden behaviour alarmed her but he soon found himself lost in her tender caresses on his back. She was trying to calm him like a mother comforting her weeping child.

He thought he heard a sigh escape her. Standing tall, he enfolded her into a close embrace. He spoke directly into her hair. "What is troubling you, little princess?"

Minako closed her eyes and leaned against his solid chest, listening to his heartbeat. "You are," she paused. "Troubles with Endymion?"

Kunzite lifted her chin and looked into her cornflower blue eyes, his smile sad. "Is it impossible for me to hide anything from you?"

"You have bounded your soul to mine. I can almost read your thoughts." She touched his cheek and frowned. "Is he demanding a charade again?"

Kunzite sighed and nodded, guiding her to the bed. He pulled her down into his lap, while she fitted her way into his arms. He wrapped one arm across her shoulders, the other tangling in her hair. "You know Endymion's requests can be unreasonable. Immature, and incurably selfish. Just like a child, if I could say that."

Minako giggled. She pulled away and looked up at him. "Because 'we never grow up' as you are always saying about us," she said. "We may be thousands of years old, but in the insides, we retain the playful and selfish characteristics of our youth. We-"

Her observation was cut off when Kunzite lowered his head and sealed their lips together. He rolled her onto her back, his body pushing her down onto the silken mattresses of the bed.

Minako opened her mouth to him, returning his hungry kisses. It had been a while Kunzite had bedded her. Her desire took over when his tongue traced the insides of her mouth. She knew where this would lead to and she wanted him to finish it.

She encircled her arms around him. One hand groped its way into his silvery curls, the other stroking his back. Her legs wrapped around him, drawing Kunzite closer to her. Her foot brushed his leg and he stiffened against her.

Kunzite abruptly broke their kiss. Minako pouted in disapproval. His vision blackened for a second as he pulled himself up to study his love. Her hair fanned around her creating a golden mess. A few strands had escaped and found their way onto her bare shoulders. Her face was flushed, with her swollen lips open, inhaling deep gasps of breath. Her robe was loosened, revealing creamy shoulders and half breasts to him. He could feel himself getting hard at the sight of her.

He would never be able to tell why tonight of all nights, he would misread her heaving chest as his forcing her to his desires. The rage from the meeting had not yet fully dissipated. Shame descended upon him for taking his anger out on Minako. Disentangling her arms, he sat at the edge of the bed, his back facing her.

Kunzite buried his face in his hands, disgusted at himself. He knew he wanted Minako, but she deserved to be treated gently, not to be used as his tool to numb his senses. How sad that he should have sunk so low.

In his state of self-loathing, he felt Minako leave the bed and walk away from him. He heard the closing of the door. When he looked up, Minako stood in front of him, her robe untied. She slowly slid the garment off her delicate form with grace, all the while staring at him with harsh, piercing blue eyes.

"Do you not want me, Kunzite?" she asked, voice flat.

When he gave no reply, Minako slapped him, hard. Stunned, Kunzite could only stare at her. He knew he might have screwed up but he hadn't expected violence.

He grasped her hand, his eyes searching her face. "Princess, it's just-"

She shrugged away his touch as though the contact scalded her. "Don't, General."