Dark Kingdom Transgressions - Part 01 Fallen

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Author\'s note - At Kunzite & Nisha\'s engagement party, Roselynn wore the ring Terrance gives to Hotaru as an engagement ring in \"Crystal Flaws Part 5 - Crystal Ties\". ^_^

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Two weeks later, Endymion, Beryl, Kunzite, Nisha, Zoisite and Galienne were at Endymion’s for the planned get together, but Nephrite and Jadeite had yet to show up. Finally, the two of them came in with two more women the group had never met. This time the brunette’s name was Elisabeth and the blonde’s was Caterin. Their dates called them Elisa and Cat.

Once introductions were made, Endymion asked, “So, Nephrite, what do you have planned for us tonight?”

Nephrite mysteriously answered, “It’s a surprise,” as he and Jadeite smirked.

Their answer made some in the group a little nervous, but Endymion didn’t seem to mind leaving their fates to the two men, so no one protested.

The transport brought them to the docks in Chiba where a large ship was waiting. Nephrite hadn’t booked a private trip though. Instead, he had registered under an assumed name and also gave everyone in the group one. He explained, “This evening we will be known as just average, ordinary friends that are out for a good time.”

Zoisite questioned, “What makes you think one or more of us won’t be recognized in such a large gathering?”

Jadeite answered, “Probably eighty-five percent of the people here are under an assumed name for one reason or another. It’s understood that no one looks too closely. Also, the management prides itself on its ability to avoid any sort of publicity whatsoever. That’s why you’ve never heard of it. Admittance is only available to people who have been personally invited by an active member.”

Even though the ship was obviously an impressive establishment, it sounded more than a little risky. Nephrite answered their unsure expressions. “Jade and I have been here many times and haven’t yet ran into a problem. Trust us, we wouldn’t steer you wrong.”

“There are a few rules though, so pay attention,” Jadeite added. Everyone looked at him and he continued, “Everything - meaning food, drink and entertainment - is included in the cover charge. One exception is the card games on the lower deck. If you should chose to play, be sure to have the gold to cover your account. When the ship turns to head back to port, play ends and the accounts are reconciled. I can’t personally attest to this, but the rumor is that more than once the ship has returned with fewer people than it left with because of an unpaid account.”

Jadeite paused then looked at Nephrite a little uncomfortably. Nephrite rolled his eyes and smirked. “What? Cat suddenly got your tongue?” Cat, who was Nephrite’s date, giggled at the pun while Jadeite blushed.

Nephrite picked up the explanation where Jadeite left off. “I’m pretty sure since we all have dates that this won’t be an issue, but just in case, you need to know that if someone chooses to partake of the entertaining company of one of the ladies of the establishment, then that person is expected to leave an extremely generous tip.”

Eliza and Cat giggled as Nisha and Beryl scowled. The guys knew it would behoove them to not say a word.

Galienne had noticeably paled and clutched at Zoisite’s arm when she heard Jadeite’s speech. As Nephrite spoke, Zoisite watched her eyes widen with shock. Internally sighing, Zoisite decided it had probably been a very bad idea to bring her there.

Despite a few misgivings, the majority of the group decided this might actually be fun. They walked up the gangway and were immediately immersed in the sights and sounds of a well ran floating tavern. There was dinning, dancing, shows and a wait staff that actively offered every kind of alcoholic drink one could imagine.

The group first sat in the dining area and feasted on local and exotic delicacies. As they ate, a strolling minstrel, with lute in hand, roamed the room making up bawdy and silly song lyrics for the people at each table. When it was their turn, the bard chose to sing about Galienne’s strikingly exotic beauty. As the crooning tenor enthusiastically sang her praises, Galienne painfully blushed and silently buried her face in Zoisite’s shoulder. The rest of the group laughed with amusement and vigorously applauded when the song ended. After the dinner, the group split up into couples and went their separate ways.

Kunzite and Nisha headed for the dance floor then enjoyed the time alone together as they strolled arm in arm on the upper deck.

Zoisite had taken Galienne dancing and soon discovered something that kept him quite occupied for the rest of the evening. During the meal, Galienne had accepted a glass of wine from the waiter. She had sipped at it and kept a glass full on the table while they danced.

Zoisite had seen Galienne sip her drink but figured they were small sips since it seemed her cup wasn’t empting. By the time he realized the waiters had been unobtrusively refilling her glass, she was thoroughly smashed.

Drunk, Galienne lost all of her shyness. She vivaciously laughed and danced and even talked with people she didn’t know. Zoisite didn’t mind that too much. What he did mind was that she had also become very open about her feelings for him. She flirted with him shamelessly, and Zoisite had to catch her hands more than once as she tried to caress him in inappropriate places while they danced.

When they stopped dancing, Zoisite sat down and reached across the table to move Galienne’s drink away from her. The next thing he knew, she had jumped up from her chair and plopped herself down on his lap. Galienne then started to kiss him and blatantly attempted to seduce him. In desperation, Zoisite put his arms around her and pinned her still against him. With a purr in her voice, Galienne looked up at Zoisite and told him - in detail - exactly what she wanted to do with him.

Poor Zoisite’s eyes widened, and he gulped. He was still a man after all and Galienne was beautiful. He couldn’t stop himself from imagining his skin and her smooth, warm-chocolate skin pressed together tightly and the two of them doing what she had suggested. For a brief moment, he considered giving in to her request then mentally smacked himself upside the head. He knew it would be wrong. Once she sobered, Galienne was going to be mortified by what she had said and done that evening. If he took advantage of her in this condition and added to her embarrassment, he wouldn’t be able to look himself in the eye ever again.

With a sigh, Zoisite placatingly whispered, “Maybe sometime. Right now, why don’t you just sit here quietly and rest with me?”

Satisfied that Zoisite’s response wasn’t a total rejection of her idea, Galienne smiled as she obediently snuggled closer and closed her eyes. As they sat quietly, Zoisite’s thoughts were quite loud. He was shocked he had even considered the idea of something like that with Galienne. He didn’t love her, and he was surprised he had felt attracted to her. Zoisite had thought he wouldn’t feel that way towards any woman other than Beryl. Could he possibly, actually, someday get over Beryl? Would he eventually be able to love another? Maybe he could hope after all!

Endymion and Beryl had been having a great time together. They had danced and drank, walked on the deck and drank, watched a show and drank then danced and drank some more. The two of them leaned on each other and giggled as they attempted to dance and avoid falling on their butts.

The dance floor was big but eventually Kunzite and Nisha spotted Endymion, Beryl, Zoisite and Galienne. They insisted, “You guys *have* to come down stairs! Jadeite and Nephrite are down there, and you have to see what they’re doing!” The four protested but unsteadily followed them.

The lower deck was one very long, crowded room with many tables and low lighting. The atmosphere was tense and except for requests quietly given to waiters or instructions from the card dealers, the room was eerily silent.

Nephrite and Cat, who sat at a table playing blackjack, waved and smiled as the group passed them.

Kunzite and Nisha led them to a table on the far side of the room where a fairly large crowd had gathered. This was the last hand of poker to be played that night and the stakes had been raised accordingly. Jadeite, with Eliza on his lap, sat at the table. Five more men with very serious expressions were also sitting there.

As the cards were dealt, Jadeite looked up and smiled when he saw his friends in the crowd. Eliza took a morsel of dark chocolate candy from a tray and teasingly wafted it under Jadeite’s nose. He tried to catch it with his lips but missed. Finally, Eliza stopped her teasing and fed the piece of confection to him. She slowly pulled her fingers out of Jadeite’s mouth as he thoroughly licked them clean of the melted candy. Then, taking a second piece of chocolate, Eliza seductively enjoyed sucking on it and playing with it for a while. Soon she had succeeded in thoroughly distracting every man at the table.

The dealer stated Jadeite had won and the losers left the table in disgust. As they walked away, Eliza gave Jadeite a long, deep, chocolaty kiss then smiled and said, “Congratulations!”

Jadeite’s friends all shook their heads in amazement as he gathered up his very sizable winnings.

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Later, back at the palace, Endymion was stretched out on his bed wide-awake. It was close to four in the morning but for some reason, he couldn’t sleep. He knew he was still pretty drunk, but he couldn’t figure out why he was so wound up. Endymion looked over when he heard someone trying to quietly open his bedroom door.

Beryl slipped into his room and softly shut the door behind her. As she approached his bed, the moonlight from the window filtered through the thin negligee she wore, silhouetting her voluptuous body. With a smile, Endymion figured this might be just what he needed.

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Saturday morning everyone slept in. After a late breakfast, the friends retired to a sunroom off the palace gardens to relax.

Kunzite and Nisha snuggled together on a couch in the warm sunshine to read. Jadeite, Nephrite, Eliza and Cat were sitting at a small table, laughing and playing cards together.

Zoisite and Galienne refused the offer to join in the card game and instead took a walk in the gardens. Galienne looked pale and at breakfast she had hardly eaten. Zoisite had a hunch it was more than just a hangover that was upsetting her.

The two of them walked silently for a quite a while and Zoisite realized Galienne wasn’t about to broach the subject of last night. Since he didn’t know how much she remembered he neutrally asked, “Did you enjoy our date last night?”

Without a word, Galienne turned to run. Zoisite had half expected her to do exactly that and quickly caught her arm to stop her. Galienne choked on a sob as she struggled to get away and he could see the tears running down her face.

He may not love her, but Zoisite did feel bad that Galienne was so upset. Sympathetically, he pulled her into a hug then led her to a bench where they could sit and talk. Zoisite had kept his arm around Galienne to comfort her, but she flinched it away. Eventually, Galienne’s tears slowed and she silently sat next to Zoisite all huddled up and miserable.

Zoisite quietly offered, “I’m sorry. I should have realized how much you were drinking and stopped you sooner.”

Galienne wouldn’t look at him as she brokenly whispered, “Don’t…please don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault.”

Confused, Zoisite refuted, “I was your date and I should have been more aware of what the waiters were doing. You certainly wouldn’t have known.”

With a sigh Galienne whispered, “I *did* though.” Looking up with tear bright eyes, she confessed, “I…I just wanted to be able to fit in…to relax and have fun. I…I thought the wine would help so…I hid how much I was drinking from you.” She turned away from Zoisite in shame as she concluded, “B-but I…I didn’t know…I…I would act like *that*! I…I’m so…ashamed! I…I can’t *believe* I…I *did* those things!” Galienne was again crying as she choked out, “I…I’m s-s-sorry I ruined y…your evening!”

Now that he knew what had really happened, Zoisite was exceedingly glad he hadn’t acted on his impulse last night. With a forgiving smile, he put his arms around Galienne and hugged her. Zoisite murmured, “Please don’t feel bad. Actually, I didn’t mind how the date went and it definitely wasn’t boring. However, you don’t need to drink to fit in. You’re young and a little shy, but...”

Galienne suddenly gasped and wrenched herself out of Zoisite’s arms. Her dark eyes flared furiously as she lifted her hand and slapped him across the face.

Totally dumbfounded, Zoisite stared as Galienne jumped up, stamped her foot and demanded, “I\'m *NOT* young and shy! I\'m just as grown up and sophisticated as my sisters are!”

A very offended Galienne turned heel and angrily stalked away. Zoisite lifted his hand and rubbed his stung cheek. Dazedly, he wondered, “What the *hell* just happened?!”

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Zoisite returned to the palace sunroom where the others were. He walked over to Nisha and asked, “Did Galienne just come through here?”

Nisha looked up at Zoisite then nodded. “She didn’t stop or say anything, but she came through here.”

Zoisite sighed and said thank you.

Kunzite looked up and cocked his eyebrow questioningly. It was very easy to see the angry, red imprint of a small hand on Zoisite’s cheek. Nephrite laughingly called out, “Hey, Zoi, lover’s spat?”

Quickly turning, Zoisite growled, “No! Not that it’s any of your business anyway!

“Then why…?” Kunzite questioned as he pointed to his own cheek for reference.

Sighing again, Zoisite rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He quietly answered, “It was a misunderstanding.”

Jadeite and the two girls started to snicker and even Kunzite and Nisha quickly hid their faces behind their books. Nephrite smugly concluded, “That’s what I thought…a lover’s spat.”

Zoisite clenched his teeth and decided he had better leave the room before he threw something very sharp at Nephrite. Turning to go, Zoisite hesitated. Endymion’s parents and Beryl’s parents had appeared in the doorway. They entered quickly and worriedly looked around.

Queen Lydia was obviously upset as she turned to her husband and almost yelled, “See? She’s *not* here!” Lydia then turned to Stanton and Roselynn and demanded, “Where is she? Her bed hasn’t even been slept in!”

By this time, all four boys were standing. Kunzite asked, “Who’s missing?”

King Stanton answered, “Beryl.”

Nephrite responded, “We know she came back with us last night, so she has to be here somewhere.”

Suddenly, a chilling thought occurred to all four of Endymion’s guards and they worriedly glanced at each other.

King Stanton hadn’t missed the boys’ quick, silent exchange. He then came to the realization that another person was also missing and there was one other place in the palace they hadn\'t thought to check.

Kunzite tried to nonchalantly head for the door as Nephrite and Jadeite started to nervously babble about checking the gardens, the kitchen and the stables.

Kunzite was almost to the door when King Fredrick, who had silently observed the boys’ behavior, suddenly blanched. He looked to Stanton for a denial and when he didn’t get it he angrily cursed. Quickly turning, Beryl\'s father drew his sword and rushed past Kunzite. King Stanton also cursed and quickly followed. Endymion’s four guards left immediately behind him.

The two women stared at each other clearly confused. Other than a lot of cursing and muttering about someone being a fool, the men hadn’t said one word about where they were going.

Nisha cleared her throat. Queen Roselynn and Queen Lydia turned to look at her and she reluctantly explained, “They’re going to Endymion’s room.”

Shocked by the implications of that statement, both mothers gasped then quickly ran.

Continued...

Thank you for reading my story. I hope you are enjoying it. If you did like my story, or if you have any (kind and gently worded) suggestions/comments about my story, please let me know. I truly appreciate feedback. You can email me at ndeblock@att.net .

This story was edited and enhanced by the great minds and imaginations of my three wonderful betas, Sophia Prester, Yumeko & Loki. Their help and ideas have been of great value to me! Each is also a fabulous Sailor Moon fanfic author. Sophia Prester’s and Yumeko’s stories can be found on Fanfic.net with an author’s name search (Yumeko\'s author\'s name is Heavely Pearl). Loki’s work is on AriasInk.com. I highly recommend reading all of their stories. ^_^

Bye, Luna Hope

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, her lover, her friends, her family and her enemies all don’t belong to me. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I just borrowed them for a little bit of fun. All original characters in this story do belong to me. ^_^