Artemis watched Minako sleep.  The moonlight was falling over her wrist and
cheek.  The resemblance to her mother was increased tenfold as she lie there,
hair spread around her.
	 Artemis moved to look down at her, careful not to disturb the rays of
moonlight falling over her.  "My Goddess," he murmured, an image of similar
beauty superimposing itself over Minako.  He bent and brushed his lips gently
across the sleeping woman's.  Her eyelids fluttered and she looked up in drowsy
confusion.  Artemis smiled down at his Lady.  He often went to her rooms at
night, being a favorite consort of the Venusian Queen's, besides her advisor;
since he was of another race, there was no fear that she would conceive.
	"Kunzite?"  The voice was different.  His Queen's was soft and sweet, with low
bell-like tones.  This voice was similar, but had the ring of authority and
power that the other lacked.  This was not his Queen!  Artemis frowned and
backed away.  "Oh, Artemis," his vision broke and he saw Minako sitting up in
worry before him, "what's going on?"
	 Artemis was shocked.  "Princess!  Mina-chan.  Forgive me, I had been dreaming
and . . ." his eyes narrowed and he shifted to a fighting stance as he caught
sight of movement across the room.  Someone was coming in.
	"Minako?" Kunzite whispered, startled as a candle inside the room sprang to
life.  He glimpsed over to see Minako's slim, pale hand withdrawing from
lighting the wick.
	 Artemis strode to the door and blocked Kunzite's brief view of Minako, lit
from the side, her face averted.  "The Princess of Venus will not be seeing
anyone tonight.  Please leave."
	 Artemis was cold as ice and Kunzite scowled.  "I have to talk to Minako."
	"That's *Lady* Minako to you, pervert," Artemis spit, looking particularly
immovable.
	 Kunzite's eyes narrowed to bright blue chips.  "I'm warning you.  If you don't
move . . ."
	"And I'm warning *you*," Artemis snapped, stepping up to the broader General. 
"I have served that girl for twelve years, and her mother longer.  She's
practically a *daughter* to me, and I swear by the Earth, the Moon, and Venus
itself that if you come near her again I will kill you."
	 Realizing the fervor and justness of the other man's position, Kunzite fell
back a bit, relenting - but before he could speak, a small voice came from the
bed.
	"Let him speak, Artemis.  He will do no harm if you stay right outside the door
to mangle his body should he do something offensive."
	"Are you sure, Mina-chan?" he turned partially, concerned.
	"Go, Artemis."  Silken steel lined her voice and he did not resist any more,
only giving Kunzite a cold glare before slipping out of the door.
	 Kunzite waited for the door to shut firmly before moving to Minako's bedside. 
He knelt.  "I'm sorry.  You have no idea how sorry.  I was foolish and did not
think about my actions.  I should have realized I was making you uncomfortable.
. . ."
	"Uncomfortable," she repeated, an odd quality tinging her voice.  Her head
turned to him with a swish of her golden hair against the blankets and she
glared at him, fists tightening on the bedspread.  "I was *mortified*!  What in
the name of Selene were you *thinking*?!"
	 Kunzite grimaced, self-loathing rising in him like bile, and he cringed from
her anger.  "I wasn't, lady, I wasn't thinking," he whispered, and looked up at
her, meeting her hard blue eyes with difficulty.  No enemy had ever made him so
nervous.  "Zoicite said that men do stupid things when they like a woman.  He
said that," Kunzite was blushing but would not take his eyes from hers, "the
greater the stupidity, the more they care for the woman."  Kunzite paused and
licked his lips nervously.  "I *do* like you, Minako.  I suppose it took that
jolt to make me face it, but I *do* like you."  He turned away, cheeks fully
burning.  "Anyway," he cleared his throat, "I'm very sorry and I'll leave you
alone now."  He stood and turned.
	 A cool, slim hand caught his.  "Wait."
	 Kunzite turned back in surprise, staring at the long tanned arm that had shot
out to grab him, and the beautiful girl attached to it, hair cascading behind
her and glinting rich gold in the firelight.  Her eyes, blue as the sky on a
warm spring day, were solemn and heated.
	"Don't go yet," she murmured, pulling him to sit on the side of her bed - very
near herself.  He looked down at her, gazes only inches apart, and saw her blink
and blush.  "Sorry," she looked down and shifted away.  She tried to release his
hand, but he wouldn't let her.  "Please," she blushed more deeply and tugged on
her hand.  He released it gently.
	"Forgive me, lady."
	"It's Minako," she hissed, not quite losing her blush.  "If anyone should hear
you giving me title, they will become suspicious.  I will *not* have you
jeopardizing my Princess."
	 He looked away and gave a brief, unhappy laugh.  "Apparently, I do nothing
right."  He looked bitterly at the candle.
	 Minako touched his hand.  "I'm sorry.  I'm just confused.  This has never
happened to me before."
	 Kunzite turned his head and smiled slightly, the line of his neck tightening
deliciously.  "It's new for me, too, Minako."  He smiled and sighed a chuckle,
putting his warm, dry hand over hers.  "Though I'm probably a lot less
experienced than you."
	 Minako frowned.  "What's that supposed to mean?"  She drew in a breath
indignantly.  "You know, just because I'm the Goddess of Love doesn't mean I'm a
- a whore or anything!"
	"No, no!" Kunzite fretted, trying to calm her.  "I didn't mean that!  I just
thought. . . . you. . . ."
	"Had been with men," Minako folded her arms angrily.
	"No!"
	"Fine," she turned, cold fury pouring from every inch of her body, and slipped
off the other side of the bed.
	"Minako," Kunzite sat straighter, concerned.  Minako took a determined step,
but faltered and almost fell.  Kunzite leapt across the bed and had pulled her
up onto it before she could go any further.  "You foolish little thing!" he
cried, looking at her bandaged foot.  It had begun to throb and Minako groaned
as he loosed it from the bandages.
	"It hurts."
	 Kunzite looked at her foot for a long moment, then up at her face.  "I could
heal you.  Completely.  But I need your permission."
	"You have it," she gasped as a terrible cramping ache shot through her foot.
	"I need you," he said, turning her face toward him, "to trust me.  It won't
work if you don't."
	 Minako looked into his eyes for a long moment, gazing deep, deep into him. 
She found a warrior, full of resolve and kindness, fun and pride, pain and a
sweet, gentle, pounding emotion.  For *her*.  He cared for her.
	 She nodded silently, and he kissed her.
	 Minako gave herself up to the kiss and suddenly felt a wash of silver energy
pulse through her, pouring from his mouth to hers and spreading to every
extension of her body.  It gushed and flowed and trickled, filling her with
effervescent silver bubbles, like champagne or some sweet, fizzy soda.
	 When Kunzite released her, they were both gasping.
	"There," he smiled breathlessly and kissed her lightly on the nose, "all
better."  She watched him turn to go, sending one pale glance back at her,
filled with delicious promises.

Minako got up the next morning and wondered at the lack of pain in her body. 
She ached a little, but it was a good, healthy ache, and served to fuel her
appetite when a delighted Serenity brought her breakfast.
	"But how did it happen?!" Serenity exclaimed, watching her friend stretch on
the floor and nibble meat pies alternately.
	 Venus bent one knee and put the other leg straight out behind her, holding the
position for five seconds before switching legs.  "That's a secret," she
replied, blue eyes twinkling up at her Princess.
	"Oh, you!" Serenity threw a piece of cheese at Venus, who caught it and did a
back-bend.
	"It's so *good* to be well again," she gloried.  She kicked at an invisible
opponent and the door opened.
	"Mina-chan," Artemis came in, staring at her.  After Kunzite had left the night
before, Minako had told Artemis to go on back to his rooms.  "Are you sure you
should be doing that?" he frowned.
	"Yes," she smiled, twirling and giving him a deep curtsey.  "Now," she rose
gracefully on her whole, healthy feet, "where's the training area?"
	 In only minutes, Minako was out on the training field, watching the men
practice.  She was dressed in a pair of slacks Artemis had borrowed and found
too small for himself, and one of his undershirts, her chest bound with cloth. 
Her hair was pinned up under one of Endymion's old, ragged hats, and her face
was concealed by one of the protective face-masks the men used in training.  The
men on the field also had on lots of padding, but Minako had always hated that
stuff.  It was heavy, like the weights she had always worn to train in, and was
in no mood to wear those horrible, cumbersome things.  Healed, she was in a mood
to fly, not be dragged down by stupid old gravity.
	 Minako picked up a long, slender pole from those polished, wooden ones
available and walked out onto the field, keeping a sharp eye out for a sparring
partner.  A little bit away she caught sight of an unmasked blonde head
instructing one of the other men on a blocking technique.  It was one of the
Generals, the one that had knocked her down.  What was his name again?  Oh yes. 
Jadeite.
	 Minako smiled under her mask as she sauntered over and poked him in the side. 
He stopped talking and blinked, turning around to look at her.  She slipped into
an attack stance and waited as his eyes registered understanding.  He nodded,
agreeing to the fight, and slid his mask down, waving the trainees away with the
flick of his pole.  She took the first move, jabbing up and then blocking as he
moved in.  They whirled and jabbed and feinted, drawing an audience of the other
men.  It was startling how well the skinny, short boy was doing against their
General!
	 Minako was having a tough time - he was better than she had thought! - but her
exhilaration took her up into the realms of invulnerability and she finally
disarmed him.
	 Jadeite pushed back his mask and smiled, a little bemused, shaking her hand. 
"Good fight," he panted.
	"Care to try your hand at me?" someone asked from behind her, and Minako turned
in surprise to look at Kunzite.  He adjusted his gloves and glanced at her, not
seeming to realize who she was.  She wondered a little, though, if he knew.  His
eyes grazed over her analytically and he frowned, looking back up at her masked
face.  "Well?" he finally said, picking up his own pole.
	 She responded by nodding and falling into a defensive stance.  The fight was a
valiant display, and all those on the field made a large, loose ring around the
pair.  Minako managed to keep pace with Kunzite and made a few breath-taking
moves of her own, almost getting him disarmed at several points.
	 Minako twirled and blocked his newest attempt, still a little tired from her
fight with Jadeite, when she saw the opening - he had left his right side
unprotected.  She went for it, lunging out of the way of his pole as he tried to
trip her up. . . .
	 The padding made a soft poof as her pole slammed into it, marking the victory
of her fight.
	 They stopped, Kunzite standing silently and looking down at where she had hit
him.  He pushed the dark mask back on his head as she sat on the grass, gasping
for breath, and had a very curious expression in his eyes.  He looked from his
side to where she sat and strode forward purposefully, reaching down and pushing
her mask up before she could stop him.  He stared at her for a moment, then
blinked.
	"What are you doing here?" he asked.
	 His tone made her triumphant smile falter, and she was suddenly unsure of her
decision to come out.  "I wanted some practice," her eyes flickered to the grass
and she brought her legs up to her in a very self-conscious movement.
	"You should be resting," he told her softly as the circle began to press toward
them.
	 She glared up at him, anger suddenly flooding her, and leapt to her feet. 
"I've been resting for three *weeks*!" she ranted.  "I needed to get back out!" 
She glared and added, "Or are you just miffed that you were whipped by a girl?"
	"You shouldn't even be *out* here," he whispered at her fiercely, conscious of
the other three generals quickly converging on them.
	"Why the hell not?!" she glared at him, furious.  "Because I'm too weak and
pitiful for your little boys' games?  Is that it?!"
	"Minako," his jaw was working fiercely, as if he was fighting to keep control.
	"Forget it," she muttered hotly, ripping the hat and hairpins from her head and
throwing them at Kunzite.  Her hair, freed, blew around her as she turned, a
dangerous glint in her eye.  "I can't wait to get home."
	"I was beaten by a *girl*?!" Jadeite mourned and Minako sent him a withering
look.
	 She set off toward the castle, the men parting in front of her as if she might
cut off one of their heads at any minute, and found Artemis hurrying toward her,
a worried glint in his eye.  "Lady," he whispered as he reached her, "the Queen
is coming tonight to bring us all home.  You need to prepare for her."
	 Despite her recent words, she had no wish to hurry home.  A pang hit her
stomach, both of disappointment and urgency, and she grabbed Artemis' sleeve,
running toward the castle.  It would take a while for her to wash, not to
mention do her hair and dress!
	 She scrubbed fiercely and had Artemis help with the ties on her dress,
borrowing some shoes from one of the court ladies and some orchids from the
garden, twining them into the curls and bounds of her hair.
	 Artemis was a master hairstylist.
	 She was finished just as a knock sounded on her door.  Artemis opened it,
expecting Serenity, but found Kunzite standing there instead, hands clasped
behind his back.  Artemis scowled.
	"Get lost," he growled to the general.  Kunzite only looked over Artemis'
shoulder to Minako, who had been looking tensely for Serenity.  Presently, the
color drained from her face and she looked away, her pride still hurt.
	"Please," was all Kunzite said to her, and she sighed, telling Artemis to give
them a minute.  He did, grudgingly, and Kunzite stood awkwardly in the room with
her.  "I'm sorry I was rude," he whispered and looked at her, bringing a bouquet
of white orchids from behind his back.
	 Startled at the gift, she took them gingerly.
	"I hope you like that kind," he added lamely.
	"I love them," she smiled softly and turned a little so he could see the
matching flowers in her hair.
	"Oh," he looked away and blushed, heaving a great breath.  "Sorry."
	 She stepped forward to reassure him - about everything - when another knock
interrupted her.  Minako sighed, biting her lip.
	"Mina!" Serenity called urgently from the other side and Minako groaned.
	"I'm sorry Kunzite," she put a hand on his, understanding the frustration in
his eyes, and went to the door, holding the flowers carefully as she reached to
open it.
	"Another match, when I see you again," he said quickly, and she turned back,
startled, then nodded and smiled.
	"Can't let that masculine pride go undefended," she quipped dismally, then
opened the door and was gone.