Of Warriors And Kings

End Chapter 5

“Long live the Kings of Yrucrem!” called one of the guards as the three of us entered the throne room a little while later. Mother, who was sitting on her throne, arose for us, but I signaled for her to sit again as I knelt next to her.

“My Queen, Mother, until I am officially crowned as King tomorrow, I would that you not treat me as if I were above you,” I said. “Also, please forgive me for my behavior earlier. It was not befitting of the Crowned Prince of Yrucrem, let alone a king.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Son,” she said sweetly, her gorgeous blonde hair bouncing slightly as she shook her head. “You and your father were insatiably close, so it goes without question that you would be upset by this. I just hope that you are prepared for what you will have to do tomorrow night.”

“Have they found the ones who did this?” I said, my eyes widening.

“They have,” she said. My eyes flashed gold, and Mother had to grab hold of my hand to keep me from jumping up and running down to the dungeons and offing the bastard right then and there. “Zoicite, STOP! His time will come, but you must be patient and prepare yourself.”

“Yes, Mother,” I said, my eyes clamping shut and my head lowering to my chest, biting my lower lip as Father’s face came to my mind again. Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I dove into Kunzite’s arms and he held me tight. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

“It’s okay…” he said.

“Take me to them,” I said. “I need to see my father and brother.” My eyes raised to those of Kunzite, and he gave me a questioning look to ask me if I was sure I was ready. “I know it‘s going to be difficult, my love, but I’m ready.” We made our way into my parents’ bedroom, where both Father and Sven had been lain after their bodies had been prepared for burial. Both of them had been dressed in their finest clothes, which I had only seen them wear a few times each year at the birthday celebrations for our family, all of which had been incredibly formal and extravagant.

“If you need me, I’m here,” Kunzite said, hugging me once more before I knelt next to the bed.

“Hello, Papa,” I said, taking his cold hand in both of mine. “I really… I don’t know what to say. I’m feeling lost at the moment. I’ve always looked to you for strength, and now it’s not here for me. I know I have Kunzite’s and Endymion’s strength to hold me up, but you’ve always kept me on my feet. I miss you so much already, and you’ve only been gone for a few hours. And Sven, my dear little brother, I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to be here for you. I swear that I will take care of your family, and love your son as my own. He will become a great king when I am gone, I will make sure of it.”

“I’m sure he appreciates that,” said Sateen, Sven’s wife. Klein was there with her, and as they approached, I turned toward them. “Sven told me, a long time ago, that if anything ever happened to him, I was to return to Sunaru and give Klein to you as your son.”

“Mama?!” Klein said, almost in a panic. As little as he probably understood about death, he fully understood THIS.

“Hush, my little one,” she said, crouching down to his level. “Your Papa and I have explained to you many times that this was a possibility. Your Uncle Zoicite is now King, as we hoped Papa would one day be. You and he must both be strong now.”

“But, Mama, I don’t want you to leave!” the little boy cried, clinging to his mother. I looked at Kunzite, unsure of how to approach the young boy.

“Come here, little Klein,” Kunzite said softly, taking the boy’s hand in his. “You know me, right?” He nodded. “You know that I would never hurt you, even if I were to train you, correct?” He nodded again. “Your Mama is more than welcome to come here as often as she wants, and as often as you want her to be here. But as you know, there are difficult things that we all have to deal with, and it is the way of this kingdom that it must be this way. As you will be the future king of Yrucrem, you must remain within the kingdom to learn what you must learn growing up as the Crowned Prince so that one day you will be prepared to rule by the side of your own consort. I know that this will be difficult for you, but you must be strong.”

“Will you teach me how to use a big sword like you did Uncle Zoicite?” Klein said, a smile finally crossing his face. Kunzite chuckled, nodding, and the little boy flew into his arms. “Then I’ll do it. I want to be as prepared as possible to defend my people from the Universe of Light when the time comes.” When I looked over at Endymion, I saw his eyes widen, then narrow at the mention of his home universe.

“Forgive me, Your Highness, but does that mean that you see my people as a threat?” Endymion said, and the little boy gasped, turning around to face the man.

“I’m sorry, Prince Endymion-sama,” he said, dropping to one knee. “I didn’t mean to infer that the people of Earth were our enemies. I meant the other planets who are not our allies, and especially the people who sent the ones who killed Father and Grandfather.”

“He’s very wise for his age,” I whispered to Sateen.

“He has learned it from one of the best,” she said with a smile. “And now, he will continue to learn from the best, under your care.”

“Thank you for trusting me to care for your son,” I said. “I think Sven would be pleased, especially when Klein has taken to my consort so well.”

“Klein and his father were never that close,” she said. “It’s always been me who he turned to if he was upset.”

“Mama’s little boy,” I mused, hugging her from behind. “Take care at home, Little Cousin.” I purred into her ear, nuzzling my nose into her gorgeous red hair, and she giggled. She was indeed my younger cousin, and we had been incredibly close as children and young adults, but she had been chosen to marry my brother by our fathers. Had I not come back to Yrucrem with Kunzite as my consort, I would have been given a woman to marry who I didn’t know, or perhaps Sateen would’ve been given to me as my bride when this tragedy had occurred. I loved her, and she was the one woman I would not have objected to marrying because, having already produced an heir, sexual relations would not have been required.

“Never go back on what you have shown the courage to do, Zoi-kun,” she said. “I have been told that there are more and more young men and women who are showing their true nature and preferences because their crowned prince, now their king, had the courage to do so himself.” I hugged her again, and we all left the room where the bodies lay.

“Would you like to join me for breakfast, Little One?” I asked Klein, who looked at his mother for approval. She nodded, and he smiled and took my hand.

“Have a good time, Son,” Sateen said. “In the future, when Uncle Zoicite asks you, you don’t have to ask me for my permission. His word is all-powerful.”

“Yes, Mama,” he said.

“Prince Endymion, please join us as well,” I said, and he smiled, glad to finally be back in the loop. Klein walked ahead of us, with Kunzite on my right and Endymion on my left. I knew that it was going to be a difficult transition, but I also knew that it would be rewarding to actually be able to raise a child as my own, even if Klein wasn’t really my son. I knew that there would be times when Kunzite and Endymion would hold me as I cried, and that there would be times when I would have to hold Klein as he cried because he missed his mother. But I could see the strength that the boy had displayed in his eyes, and I knew that he would surpass my strength before he himself became king. I just hoped that he wouldn’t grow up too fast.

* * * * *

“I, Zoicite De Yrucrem, do solemnly swear to serve, and honor the people of this great planet as their ruler, protector, sovereign, and king, until the great Queen of The Dark Kingdom release me, death take me or the world end.” I said these words, kneeling before my mother, who was holding my father’s sword, with my hand upon it. Kunzite also knelt next to me, but he simply watched with a proud smile on his face. He would next swear fealty to me, and I would prescribe the oath of the king upon him.

“Arise, Zoicite, and take your father’s place as King of Yrucrem,” Mother said.

“Thank you, Mother,” I said with a smile. As I rose to my feet, I was greeted by cheers of ‘Long live the king!’ and exuberant applause from the crowd. “My people, I find that it is only proper to recognize the one who has a higher power than I, who I have served as one of her elite guards. Great and mighty Queen Beryl, thank you so much for honoring us with your presence today.” Kunzite remained kneeling, and Mother and I bowed in respect as Beryl approached us.

“Great King Zoicite, we are as equals now,” she said. “I am merely a guest in your kingdom, and so you need not bow to me here in your own realm.”

“Thank you for your great kindness, My Queen,” I said. “But I must insist on showing my sovereign the respect that she deserves.”

“If you insist,” she said with a smile that only few had ever caused. “Please, continue with the ceremony.”

“Yes, My Queen,” I said, looking at Kunzite. I drew my sword, placing the blade just in front of his face, and he placed his hand on it. “Kunzite Krzysztof, it is your intent to swear your loyalty to me?”

“It is, Great King,” he said, his voice smooth as velvet. “I, Kunzite Krzysztof, do swear loyalty and fealty to you, Great King, for as long as I am living. May I be touched by the hand of death if I ever break this oath which I have sworn.”

“Kunzite, it is my request that you join me by my side, as would a queen, with all of the royal honors and privileges as befit the position,” I said. “Do you accept my invitation?”

“Great King Zoicite, it would be an honor,” he said, never moving his hand from the sword. “I do solemnly swear to serve and honor the people of this great planet as a ruler, protector, sovereign, and king, until the great Queen of The Dark Kingdom or my fellow king release me, death take me or the world end.” I smiled down at him and took his hand.

“Arise, Kunzite, and take your place by my side as a king of Yrucruem,” I said, pulling him to his feet. “Welcome into the royal family, Darling.” He pulled me into his arms and kissed me, and more loud cheers were heard, especially from the members of Queen Beryl’s army who were also from Yrucrem, and had known that I was a prince before. Breaking the kiss, we turned toward Prince Endymion and he came forward and knelt, reciting the oath of fealty to us before standing and taking his place to my left. “My people, and guests from all over the Dark Kingdom and our friends who are of the alliance of the Universe of Light, the time has come to rectify a situation which has unfortunately left us without my father and brother. While we cannot bring back either of them from Death’s door, we can make an example of the man who took their lives by taking his life as well. Prince Endymion, as the captain of my royal guard, I charge you with bringing the bastard here to meet his fate.”

“Yes, My King,” he said, bowing briefly before walking to the door where the prisoner was being held, and opened the door. I gave an audible gasp, as did many others including Queen Beryl, when I saw that the prisoner was not a man at all, but was a gorgeous blonde woman, a woman that I had met before, not realizing that she was from one of our enemies.

“Why was I not told that the prisoner was a female?” I said quietly to Mother.

“You didn’t ask, Son, and you didn’t go see who it was,” she whispered to me.

“What she did was inexcusable, of course, but…” I said, unsure of what else to say. “I’m not sure if I would have killed her then, or… raped her, to make her feel an unbearable pain. Unfortunately, Mother, I know this woman.”

“From where?” Kunzite said.

“I met her several years ago, before I realized that I was not all that attracted to women,” I said. I shook my head, trying to get her magnificently brilliant smile to go away. “What she did was inexcusable, and for that she must die. Bring her forward.” Endymion grabbed her by the arm roughly, throwing her down in front of me and holding his own sword against her back. She was shaking, and I could certainly understand why. Even a condemned killer was capable of fear in their final moments. “Jasmine of the planet of Mercury, I never imagined that I would be forced to execute one of the most elegant women I have ever met, but you have given me no choice. Prince Endymion, read the death warrant.”

“Yes, My Liege,” he said, opening the scroll. “Having been found guilty of the murders of King Hermes and Prince Sven of the planet Yrucrem, you are hereby sentenced to be executed by the sword at the hand of the His Royal Majesty, King Zoicite. Have you any final words?”

“Please, don’t kill me…” she whimpered. “I will do anything that you ask if you will spare my life. I will spend the rest of my days in the dungeons if I must, but at this moment, all I want is to live.” I bit my lip at her words, and my eyes clamped shut, willing my heart to turn to ice in front of her.

“You should have thought of that before you took my father from me,” I said through gritted teeth as I placed my sword against her neck. “Farewell!” It took less than a second for my sword to slice through her pale skin, and only a few seconds after that for her head to fall forward as her life faded from her body.

“Take care of this trash quickly,” Kunzite ordered, and I dove into his arms to avoid seeing too much of Jasmine’s blood. “Please, Zoi-chan, don’t cry. Be strong, for our people.”

“I don’t know how,” I muttered.

“Please, hold yourself together through the rest of the ceremony,” he whispered. “Then there will be food and drink, and entertainment, and you will be able to take your mind off of this.”

“I will try,” I said, wiping my tears and smiling up at him. I looked at the crowd of people, most of whom had worried looks on their faces, worry for my happiness. One by one, I saw them change their expressions to ones of encouragement and hope. “Thank you, my people! Thank you for believing in me!”

The rest of the day’s activities went off without a hitch, and I found that a smile never left my face, much to the relief of both Kunzite and Endymion. Klein was beginning to grow very attached to Kunzite, and I was glad because he was the perfect father. I could tell that, had he had his own son, Kunzite would’ve been just as much of a natural parent as he seemed to be now. I only hoped that he would look up to me in the same way, even if it took some time. Throughout the feast, Klein sat on Kunzite’s lap, and I listened as Kunzite told him stories of what he’d done when he was his age, some of the battles he had fought, and how he and I had met and fallen in love.

“Uncle Zoicite is an excellent fighter,” he said, glancing over at me. “With my help, he will become better, and we will train you together.” He took my hand and kissed it, causing Klein to giggle and make a slightly disgusted face.

“Eww, kissing!” he squealed.

“All I did was kiss his hand, Klein,” Kunzite said with a cocky grin. “Hop off my lap for a minute.” He did so, allowing Kunzite to stand, lean down, and giving me a very wet, sloppy kiss, a little bit of saliva dripping down my chin as our tongues clashed and our mouths separated ever-so-briefly. When our eyes opened and we broke the kiss no less than a minute later, we looked over at Klein, whose eyes were as wide as saucers and whose cheeks were flushed.

“Wow…” he said. “Kissing looks rather enjoyable now that I think about it.”

“Klein, how old are you?” I said as Kunzite sat back down.

“Fifty-five,” Klein said. (Children of the Dark Kingdom don’t reach adulthood until they are 150 years old, so Klein’s mentality is about that of a seven-year-old in human terms. Zoicite is 300 years old, so is considered to act and look to be about 25 human years old, and Kunzite at age 325 looks to be about 27. Prince Endymion looks closer to 20, and is only about 200 years old.).

“By the time you are 100 years old (around 14 or 15-looking), you will probably be well-versed in personal knowledge of the mouth of another,” I said. “Whether it be a boy or a girl, you may well find yourself rather enjoying kissing, and more, with your chosen partner.” I leaned over to Endymion and kissed him, which I think confused Klein even more. “Sometimes you may even find that you love more than one person, as I have found with both Kunzite and Prince Endymion.”

“I think that’s enough of this conversation right now,” Queen Beryl suggested, realizing that she needed to step in before Klein’s face started to match the color of her hair. “Zoicite, wait until the child becomes old enough to really understand. Another decade or so and his… hormones… will kick in and he’ll be asking your all kinds of questions about courting a consort.”

“Yes, My Queen,” I said, my eyes meeting hers as I blushed. She was right; the child was far too young for such adult conversations.

The decades began to pass quickly for us, and as they did, we watched our adopted son grow strong and wise in not only arms-bearing, but in book-learning. On his seventy-fifth birthday, he was formally introduced to Queen Beryl’s daughter, Princess Naruko, who had the same red hair as her mother. She too was seventy-five, but was as beautiful as the dark night was long.

“Hello, Princess Naruko,” Klein said, bowing. Obviously unsure of exactly what to do, he looked back at us, and I took Kunzite’s hand and kissed it subtly, trying to clue the young man in without looking obvious. “I am very pleased to meet you.”

“Pleased to meet you, Prince Klein,” she said in a voice which, from what Endymion told me later, sounded much like the Creoles of Earth’s North America. As he kissed her hand, she blushed, and I saw Queen Beryl smile. The rest of the evening, the two of them either danced, or sat and talked, though about what I wasn’t going to ask. Many times, Klein would take Naruko’s hand and kiss it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to kiss her lips as well.

“He’s falling for her,” Kunzite said, seeing where my gaze had remained. “It seems that our kingdom will one day have a queen again.”

“That’s if she is willing,” I said. “I’m not really one to force this betrothal on them if either of them refuses it.”

“Queen Beryl may be much more insistent on it, though,” he said. “She wants only the best for her daughter, and she sees that a marriage to our nephew is the best for her. Although, I honestly think that the two of them will have no problems with the arrangement.”

“I can see your point,” I said. “What do you think on the subject, Endymion?”

“I can also see that the two of them are at least becoming good friends as we speak, Majesty,” he said. “That’s all that is really necessary right now, isn’t it?” I smiled, understanding his reasoning. I wanted to take his hand at that moment, but since Kunzite and I had taken the throne, the three of us had taken to each other only in the privacy of our bedroom. Tonight would be one of those nights, and hopefully it would be soon. Thankfully, we were free to come and go as we pleased and did not necessarily have to stay for the entirety of the party.

“Commander Obsidian, see that Klein gets back to his room safely when he is ready, please,” I said, looking to Kunzite and Endymion with a knowing smile.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Endymion’s second-in-command. I stood, taking Kunzite’s hand, and we walked toward the exit with Endymion following close behind us.

“Long live the Kings of Yrucrem!” Endymion said as the doors were opened for us. The greeting was called back, and I breathed a sigh of relief when the doors closed behind us. “Are you alright, Zoi-kun?”

“I’m fine, Endymion,” I said. “I’m just… a bit needy right now.” The truth was, I was incredibly horny, but I couldn’t say anything until we were safe inside our apartment. Even though Kunzite and I had been in power for nearly two decades, we thought that it was best that we keep our relationship with Endymion a secret, to avoid discontent with the people, many of whom were still having difficulties adjusting to the growing number of homosexuals who had revealed themselves since their king had come out himself.

“Well, hopefully the two of us can fill that need,” Kunzite said, wrapping his arms around me from behind. “I know I want to fill that need, my Love.”

“Mm, you spoil me,” I whispered as he started kissing my neck. “Let’s hurry back to our room. I need this so badly.”

“Shall we indulge him, Endymion?” Kunzite said with a smirk. “He wants it fast, but perhaps we should draw out his pleasure and wanting. What do you think?”

“I like it when it takes a long time,” Endymion said, bearing the same smirk. I groaned, not really wanting to argue the toss all night. I hated it when they teased me like this, but it almost always ended up with me in the middle of these amazingly strong men as they gave me immeasurable pleasure. Quickly taking Endymion’s hand, I teleported the three of us to our bedroom, using my powers to strip us all naked the second we were safely sealed inside. “I think he’s serious, Kunzite.”

“You better believe I’m serious, Endymion,” I snarled, pushing him down to his knees in front of me. “Suck it!” He complied without hesitation, and I was glad that Kunzite still had his arms around me, because I would have fallen on my back had he not been, simply because of the amazing sensation that the dark-haired man always gave me when he pleasured me with his mouth. “Endy-kun… Oh, you have an amazing talent with that mouth!” He moaned in response, and my eyes rolled back in my head. I felt Kunzite’s hands on my chest, playing with my nipples, his lips and teeth on my neck.

“What position do you want tonight, my love,” Kunzite said.

“This… is perfect… for now…” I rasped, the pressure building up in my groin more and more. “Then we tie Endymion up and take him.”

“That is a wonderful idea,” he chuckled. “He likes that.”

“I get his ass this time,” I laughed wickedly, and Endymion increased the suction of his mouth on me in response. “Nnnn! Slow down, Endy-kun!”

“No, I don’t think so,” Kunzite whispered in my ear. “You were the one who said you wanted it fast tonight. Keep it up, Endy-kun.”

“I’m not going to… last very long…” I cried, bucking my hips up into Endymion’s mouth and screaming in pleasure. Endymion continued to suck me like a straw, and I was so close that I could almost feel it. “Endy… Kunzite… Oh, fuck!” Sweat was starting to trickle down my face and onto my neck, and Kunzite’s tongue traveled up the path it had taken. I was on fire, and this was adding to the flames. “It’s so good! Oh, I’m gonna… I’m gonna… ENDYMION!”

“Yes, yes, call out his name,” Kunzite whispered, still tweaking my nipples and making my orgasm that much more powerful. “Endymion, I don’t want you to stop until you’ve sucked him dry.” Endymion moaned in response, sending a hum up my shaft. I cried his name again, and Kunzite continued to encourage me with his voice. When I had finally come down from the high of getting my brain sucked out through my cock, I felt Endymion pull off of me, and saw him licking his lips, a few traces of my essence trickling down his chin. “Kiss him, Endymion,” Kunzite ordered softly. “Let him taste himself on your lips.”

“Yes, My King,” he said. As our lips met, I reached my hands into his gorgeous black hair, intertwining my fingers in it. I could taste a salty, tangy flavor on his lips and tongue, and as we briefly broke the kiss, I licked the small amount of my cum off of his chin. “I guess I missed some.”

“It would seem so,” I laughed. “Go and get the rope, now.” The prince nodded, and the three of us separated.

“That was incredible, my love,” Kunzite said. “You have a gift for submission.”

“Yes, but I also have a thing for dominance,” I said, almost wickedly. “As a matter of fact, I want you to tie him up. I’ll sit back and watch it, but you can’t touch his cock without my permission.”

“Oh, so we’re playing that game again, eh?” he said, and I viciously scowled at him. Instantly, he knew that unless he did what I told him to, he would be punished outside the bedroom. “Oh, please, Great Zoicite, give me a command and I shall obey.” Now that was what I liked to hear! When Endymion came back with the rope in his hand, he handed it to Kunzite, who looked at me to seek permission to kiss the dark-haired prince. I nodded, and Kunzite’s hand rose to his cheek as he gave him a ‘thank-you’ kiss for making his return quickly.

“Master, what would you have me do?” Endymion said, meekly standing before me, his head bowed slightly, but his eyes raised to meet mine.

“How many times have I told you not to look me in the eyes during this time without my permission!” I snapped, slapping him. This time, he didn’t look up, but instead his gaze rested on the floor. “For that, I think you get a cage.” He gasped. It had been a long time since I’d used a cage on this private parts, and it was not a part of bondage that he particularly enjoyed. Like a loyal slave, however, he indulged me when I chose to use it to punish him. Of course, he knew that he could use our safe word, Polaris, if things got to the point of really scaring him, and I would stop and comfort him before giving him a much less humiliating punishment for stopping me. As I positioned the steel cage on his cock and locked it, I could hear him whimper. He had already been hard, and this wasn’t helping him at all. “Poor Endymion, do you feel hurt? Oh, Does that hurt? Are you hurt?”

“No, Master!” he growled.

“You make a horrible liar, Boy,” Kunzite said before I could say anything.

“Kunzite, do you want stand naked in the stocks for a few hours?” I snapped. His eyes snapped open, and he quickly shook his head. “Then I suggest you shut up!” Within the bedroom, he knew I was serious, although no one outside the three of us and perhaps a few of the palace guards would ever be witness to such a punishment. “Take the rope and tie Endymion to the bed on all fours.” He nodded, and guided Endymion into his position, kneeling with his elbows propping him up on the bed, his wrists bound firmly to the bedposts. I walked up next to Kunzite and scratched and pet his head like he was a puppy, and if he’d had a tail he probably would’ve been wagging it furiously. “Good boy! Now, put the gag on him.” Although he didn’t dare to turn around and make eye contact with me, I knew that this part was enticing to Endymion, because he let out a low moan.

“Master, my I speak?”

“For a moment,” I obliged.

“Thank you,” he said softly as I ran my hand slowly down his back.

“For what, Dear One?”

“For loving me, Master,” he said, and my eyes widened. Never before had he talked like this during this kind of scenario.

“I will always love you, my pet,” I said, coming around to the front so that he could see my face. “Look at me, Endymion.” His head shot up to make eye contact with me immediately, a meek smile gracing his gorgeous features. “Never doubt that I love you, and I hope that you feel the same for me.”

“I do, Master,” he said. “I will love you forever.”

End Chapter 7

Author’s Note: Klein is supposed to be a much younger, more sophisticated and charming version of Umino (Melvin), and Naruko is supposed to be Naru (Molly). The have very good hearts in relativity to the Dark Kingdom, and when they gives their lives in the Moon Kingdom battle many years later, the Silver Crystal takes pity on them and they get reborn in the same time as Princess Serenity and the others.