Dinner was a fairly quiet affair that night. The Generals had agreed that they would leave after everyone finished their meals and were all sequestered at one end of the table talking amongst themselves. Rei exchanged pleasantries with Minako, but did not make any attempts to talk with her like Makoto did. Instead she remained fairly silent opting to watch this new girl interacting with the other girls at the table. She couldn’t help but to notice that the blonde would intermittently look down the table towards Kunzite and smile when he returned her gaze.
After dessert they all parted company, the Generals wanting to say goodbye to their significant others before departing. Jadeite escorted Rei to their room and helped her to get comfortable in their bed, wanting her to rest while he was gone. She smiled as he placed an extra pillow under her feet and brought the blanket up around her waist, all the while talking to her belly and leaving strict instructions for the baby to wait for him to return before deciding to be born.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” he spoke adoringly to her, brushing his lips along her forehead.
“I want you to be here when our child is born. You have to be by my side.”
“I wouldn’t miss that moment for anything, you know that, Rei. They all know that I want to be here with you and no one can stop me.”
“Where are the four of you going?”
“It’s nothing dangerous,” he chuckled, speaking as if he were going out for a walk on a sunny day. “Don’t worry about me. Now get some rest and don’t hesitate to call Ami if anything doesn’t feel right. I want my son to be healthy so that he can grow up to be in command of Endymion’s son’s army.” He kissed her stomach.
“How do you know this one’s not a daughter?”
“Because I’m pretty sure that I placed an order for a son. And if it’s a girl, she’ll have the four of us looking after her and keeping those boys away.”
“Boys like you?” she teased playfully.
“Exactly,” he grinned childishly.
It was times like this that she allowed herself to forget who her husband really was and what it was that he did as a soldier. With his shaggy blond hair, light blue eyes and handsome features he seemed to be nothing more than a large child in man’s clothing. At this moment he was just a father-to-be, and it was this moment that Rei was going to keep in her heart until he returned. Deep down her insides churned with worry that this may be the time that he would not return to her, but she would not allow those feelings to surface. She knew that he would not be able to rest easy while he was gone if he knew how she really felt – although she was sure that he was not completely oblivious to her concerns either. They had come to an understanding after the years that they had been together that they no longer needed to put into words their feelings. It was something that was silently understood and accepted. Much like now as he kissed her one last time before heading for the door.
“What happened to your eye?” she called out quickly as he had one foot out the door.
He looked back over his shoulder with a childish smirk on his lips. “You know what they say – ‘it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye’!” He chuckled at her frown and closed the door behind him. His footsteps seemed to echo hollowly in his ears as he made his way down the stone hallway, mirroring the emptiness he suddenly felt within. Before Rei, he would relish these times when he would be sent out on missions. The excitement of never knowing what would happen thrilled him. He could still remember back to the times when he and Nephrite would boldly put themselves in danger, not caring what the fates had in mind for them. Wild battles and drunken nights in saloons was their way of life – even Kunzite at times would indulge himself, although he would do so more silently than the other two.
His thoughts suddenly darkened as he remembered the fourth man who shared their ranks – Diamond. That man had a sinister side that he never hesitated to unleash. For years no one knew what it was that he did when they were not gathered and it had been a shocking discovery when they finally did. People were in fear of this man who had clearly been Kunzite’s rival since day one. Both men were so similar in appearance, but Diamond never had whatever it is that Kunzite did. He would have never made a strong leader and Endymion was wise enough to realize this, although maybe a little too oblivious to realize that he had lost control of his second-in-command.
Diamond had become infamous during the war. He immediately swore his allegiance to Endymion even though Jadeite still believed that he had not completely severed all ties to Endymion’s father. Some people could not be trusted and Diamond certainly proved that to be true. Jadeite always wondered why Kunzite did not deal with him sooner – surely he must have known before anyone what it was that the man had been doing. It still sent chills through Jadeite’s spine thinking back to the ghastly things he had witnessed. Diamond killed whoever stood in his way – and it was rarely a merciful demise. He would torture his victims and allow for a slow painful death to finally take their life rather than do so himself. Nothing Jadeite had ever seen or done compared to the horrors inflicted upon Diamond’s enemies or even innocent civilians. Diamond took what he wanted whether it was a poor man’s riches or the woman in his household, women who were not always of an old enough age to serve his purposes. He had single handedly all but damaged the image of Endymion’s Generals and imparted fear of what Endymion’s reign would bring. After entirely too much time had passed, at least as far as Jadeite was concerned, Kunzite forcibly removed the man from his rank. It had been a blessing to everyone once this man finally became powerless, although it still pulled at Jadeite’s mind that he never knew exactly what happened to him. Endymion insisted that Diamond had been properly dealt with and Nephrite often joked that their fearless leader Kunzite killed him, but he wasn’t so sure that he believed that either. Kunzite was certainly as much a man of action as he was of words, but if there was one truth about his leader, it’s that he wasn’t a killer – not by choice.
But, Jadeite reminded himself, those days are long since over. With the absence of Diamond, Jadeite was moved up to second-in-command and Nephrite took the third rank. It had taken a while for a replacement to be found and it came as a bit of a shock that it would be Zoicite. He was younger than Jadeite by a couple years – and Jadeite was younger than Nephrite and Kunzite both - and had barely served in the war years earlier as he wasn’t of age until the very end. Kunzite insisted though that he was the best to fill the position and once Kunzite made a decision, not even the Prince could talk him out of it. It was kind of funny how Zoicite seemed to fit in with them so seamlessly despite the hard time that Jadeite enjoyed giving him.
As Jadeite emerged from the Palace, he walked over towards where Nephrite and Zoicite were waiting. Both men were already mounted on their horses and waiting for the remaining two late arrivals. Jadeite stealthily walked up besides Zoicite’s horse and pulled out his sword, ready to smack the mare’s rear with the flat side of the blade. Without missing a beat, Zoicite unsheathed his own sword and swung his body towards Jadeite, the tip of his sword precariously close to the other man’s throat.
“I’m shocked that a partner of mine would act so callously towards a friend,” Jadeite spoke with exaggeration, using his own sword to slowly push away the tip of Zoicite’s weapon from his neck.
“I’m sure it does,” Zoicite muttered, sheathing his sword.
“So good of you to finally join us,” Nephrite chuckled at the exchange between the two men. He had grown quite accustomed to their constant battling.
“I see that at least I am no later than our leader,” he gestured to the air around him. “It seems that he will be the late one tonight.”
“We’ll give him a few more minutes,” Zoicite responded.
“Leave him be,” Nephrite interrupted. “Besides, I have no interest in being the one to interrupt whatever it is that either he and the Prince or he and his soon-to-be wife are doing.”
“You always have to be the saint, don’t you?” Jadeite called over his shoulder as he walked towards the stable to saddle up his own horse.
Minako stood near the balcony doors, her eyes looking out over the expanse of land rolling out in front of her but not really seeing anything at the same time. Kunzite was standing near his desk, sliding his belt through the sheath of his sword before winding the leather around his waist and securing it tightly with a metal buckle. She stood uncomfortably with her body against the cool stone of the doorway, absently picking at imaginary dirt under her nails or alternately pulling at the strands of her long hair, anything to keep her from turning back to face the silver haired General.
“Do you really have nothing else to say to me?” he asked her.
“No,” she said despondently.
“I warned you that this would happen.” His voice remained monotonous and grated against her nerves how he seemed so disinterested.
“So you have,” she answered with equal enthusiasm.
“Are you angry with me?”
“No.”
“Then why won’t you speak to me.”
She sighed and finally pulled her eyes away from the landscape in front of her to look at the stone floor of the balcony. “The sooner you leave, the sooner you return. There is nothing else for us to speak of.”
“So you would rather have me spend the last moments of my life remembering this moment where you scorned me?”
The blonde haired woman quickly spun around to face him, angry at his words and annoyed at his smirk. He had been baiting her and she took it hook, line, and sinker. “That’s a terrible thing to say,” she scolded.
“Are you really so concerned about my leaving?” his voice and his smile softened.
“Should I not be? You won’t tell me anything about where you’re going or when you will return. I’m just supposed to wait around here and do nothing? You won’t even let me return to your home. I feel like I’ve been made into a prisoner.”
“At least you are in the ideal prison then,” he joked.
“I’m glad to see that your sense of humor is still intact,” she huffed in annoyance and walked through the room heading towards the door.
He quickly crossed the room in a few short steps and grabbed her hand, spinning her to face him. Oddly enough, he found her pout to be rather endearing. “I will think of you every night that I’m gone,” a hint of compassion could be heard in his voice. He reached over and placed his finger under her chin, bringing her eyes to meet his. “Your beautiful face will be in my dreams.”
“Do you think I can be won over by a few compliments?” she frowned trying to turn her head to free her chin from his grasp.
“Not at all,” his husky voice caught her off guard as his hand slid down her side and moved to rest on the small of her back. “I just want you to know that it’s your warm body that I will be coming back to, and it’s this same body that I will think of when I think of home.”
She blushed lightly at his words and his gaze, her frown starting to fade. “Is that all that you will think of? Isn’t that a little shallow that you will only concern yourself with your memory of my appearance?”
He chuckled at her words. “Of course I will also be reminded of the stubborn woman that it belongs to who could not be bothered to give me a proper farewell.”
“I have already wished you luck on your journey. What else would you expect from me?”
“I suppose that is all that I could ask from you,” he said thoughtfully as he pulled away from her. Instantly he missed the warmth of her body and he could tell she felt the same sentiment as she took a step closer to him before he turned to walk over towards where his cape was carefully laid out along the foot of the bed.
“I never really hated you,” she called over to him.
He smiled and kept his back turned to her, fastening his cape to his uniform. “I know.”
“I am going to miss you.”
“As will I you.”
“I think I’m falling in love with you,” she said boldly. The smile fell from his lips as shock took over his features. He turned to face her and she stood nervously in front of him chewing on her lower lip. “I meant it when I said that I never hated you. You never gave me the chance to get to know you, but as I learned more about you I found myself growing curious over who you really were. I was angry that I was being forced to marry you and I probably never would have accepted your marriage proposal even if I had a choice in the matter. But that was then and this is now. You’ve shown me a side of you that I want to know more of.” She paused, unsure of whether she should continue or whether or not there was something he would like to add. When he said nothing she continued, her voice much lower than it was moments ago. “I’m sorry if that’s not what you expected to hear from me or even wanted to hear at all. I’ve just never met anyone like you before and I – I -.” Words failed her and she submitted to the silence of the room.
“You love me?” he asked quietly. She nodded her head timidly waiting for his response of reciprocation or dismissal. “In only a few weeks you can say this?”
“Not just a few weeks, Kunzite,” she shook her head. “I’ve been fascinated by you since day one. You never really gave me the chance to say anything to you before all of this. But these last few weeks have shown me a part of you that I can tell many have never seen. I won’t ask you to feel the same or even to pretend to. I just don’t want you to leave without knowing.”
“Come here, Minako,” he spoke firmly. For one of the first times in his life, he was speechless. His eyes watched her as she fluidly crossed the room. As she neared him he reached out and pulled her body against his, pressing his lips against hers. He could feel the tension leaving her once in his embrace, and he felt an odd mixture of relief and sadness in that moment. Here she was, admitting to him feelings that he never would have imagined her having for him and now here he was about to walk out the door, unable to take the time to think about everything. It was an odd sense of humor the fates seemed to have for him. “I will return to you as soon as possible and we’ll talk more then,” he said, intently watching the timidity flashing through her eyes.
“Promise me you’ll return?” she asked resolutely.
“I promise.” He brushed his lips against hers once more before pulling away and walking out the door, not allowing himself to look back lest he change his mind and stay with her. No matter what, he could not let some things change. His loyalties had to remain to his responsibilities despite the cost.
“He does know that we were supposed to leave 10 minutes ago now right?” Jadeite asked, sighing dramatically as if he had other things he could be doing at that moment.
“I told you we should have gone looking for him,” Zoicite responded, looking over at Nephrite.
“No one needs to go looking for me, I’m here,” Kunzite stated, riding up on his horse to join them.
“Where have you been?” Nephrite asked.
“With his lady love of course,” Jadeite chuckled.
Kunzite opted to ignore the both of them and instead began issuing commands. “Jadeite,” he turned to the man with shaggy blonde hair next to him, “you will be with me.”
“I’m sure that Zoicite requested that I be his partner on this mission,” Jadeite insisted, smiling at the younger man who merely frowned and snorted in response.
“Nephrite, you will be with Zoicite. I think everyone understands what is expected of them.” Each man solemnly nodded, the humor fading from their conversation. “You heard what Endymion said, do what you have to do – within reason of course. I want everyone back here no later than three weeks from today. Sooner is obviously preferred. Death is no excuse for being late either – understood?” There was no mistaking the firm tone of Kunzite’s voice, but they all recognized his attempt at lightening the mood. Although at the same time the other three men knew that death himself would bend to Kunzite’s will if that was what he demanded. With nothing more than brief nods of acknowledgement, the four men split into their packs and headed off into their desired directions.
A couple of weeks had gone by without any word from the Generals. Endymion did his best to assure everyone that they would be back soon and to not worry, but his words did very little to calm anyone’s nerves. The stress had begun to take its toll on Rei as she worried that something had happened to Jadeite. Ami continued to remind Rei that she had to stay calm for the baby, but her words did little to soothe Rei’s anxiety either.
The days were long and everyone was growing more restless by the moment. Minako started to feel anxious by her imposed imprisonment and wanted nothing more than to leave the walls of the Palace. Each time she approached the subject of leaving she was immediately told that she needed to stay on the Palace grounds. The first few days she was content enough to stay, but as time wore on she started to become frustrated. All she had was time to think about the last words she had spoken and to dwell on the ones that he had not. Minako wasn’t foolish enough to think that he would love her back, but she also once believed that she would hate this man who claimed her as his own without giving her a say. It was an interesting turn of events that had somehow occurred.
She paced the room that she would have shared with Kunzite had he stayed, but found no comfort. The room was bare of many personal items and did not have the same comfort as his room back at his estate. Instead she felt lonely despite Serenity’s companionship and the polite conversation that the other girls made with her. They simply didn’t know her well enough to have anything of real context to discuss. Ami tried to make time to talk to with her now and then, but for the most part she spent her days close by Rei’s side. Lately Rei started stating that she hadn’t been feeling well and Ami was convinced that it was only a matter of time before the baby was born despite Rei’s insistence that she had to wait for Jadeite’s return.
A maid walked into the room, interrupting Minako’s thoughts. She carried a tray with lunch neatly arranged on it and placed it on a small table by the door. Minako stopped her pacing and smiled kindly at the maid. “You missed lunch again today, my lady,” the other woman spoke up, breaking the silence. “Mistress Serenity has asked that I bring up something for you to eat. Everyone is concerned about your health.”
“I’m fine, I promise you, Mary,” she responded kindly. “I’m really not hungry though. You can bring the tray back to the kitchen.”
“I spoke with the seamstress yesterday and she mentioned to me that she had to take in some of your dresses around the waist. My Lady is thin enough as it is; I’m concerned that you will make yourself sick. Don’t you wish to be healthy for when the Prince’s Generals return?”
Despite Minako’s inquires and attempts to find out where exactly the four men had gone, Endymion refused to tell her. Even the staff, which was notorious for its gossip, was unable to ascertain the Generals location. If she at least knew that he was safe she would be able to rest easy, but this constant feeling of not knowing anything plagued her mind. “Yes of course,” she answered softly in return.
“Mistress Serenity has also requested that I tell you that she and the Lady Makoto will be heading into town shortly if you wish to join them.”
Minako’s eyes seemed to light up at hearing this. “Prince Endymion has approved of this?”
“I don’t know,” the maid answered nervously. “I was only told to pass along this message.”
“Then please tell her that I will be happy to join them both.”
At first the three girls passed through the streets fairly unnoticed - even with the small contingent of guards surrounding them. Eventually people become curious of whom they must be and it wasn’t long until Serenity was recognized by passing nobles and local villagers. Minako found herself somewhat amazed by how many people seemed so energized by her cousin’s presence. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized the impact Serenity had on the people of the kingdom.
“It’s amazing to see how she lights up the faces of those around her, isn’t it?” Makoto murmured to Minako as they stood off towards the side.
“What’s not to love about her,” Minako said thoughtfully. “She is what her name says.”
“You’ll find yourself on the inside of that circle soon.”
“Me? Why would I be of any interest to anyone?”
“Because you will be Kunzite’s wife. Should anything happen to Endymion, Kunzite is stationed to take his place, or at least until Endymion produces an heir. Many people regard Kunzite very highly for that reason – and among other things as well. You’ll find that some of the more shallow court ladies will be eager to befriend you for no other reason than that.”
“I doubt that I will ever be recognized for that reason or any other. I would be hard pressed to find time for us to be seen together in public when I can hardly arrange to have time with him in private.”
“Once things settle down I think you’ll find that things will change. Jadeite is going to be a father any day now and even he has been having difficulty spending time with Rei over the past few months.”
“I didn’t know,” Minako responded, somewhat surprised over the admission.
“She doesn’t actually dislike you,” Makoto smiled pleasantly while placing her hand on Minako’s shoulder.
“I didn’t think that I gave her reason to.”
“Believe it or not it even took a while for Serenity to grow on her. She’s not completely trustful of strangers, especially when it comes to Kunzite.”
“There is our soon-to-be-new-queen,” a voice spoke up clearly behind where Minako and Makoto stood, grabbing the attention of both women.
“Have you been introduced to her?” another voice inquired.
Minako looked over her shoulder and noticed the first voice belonged to a tall slim woman with blonde hair, and the second belonged to a slightly shorter woman with brown hair. Both women were very attractive, but something about the features of the blonde made Minako look twice, noticing how beautiful she appeared.
“I can’t imagine it would be worth my time,” the blonde said.
“Best to be in her favor than out.”
“And I suppose I am best in the favor of Kunzite’s newest conquest as well,” she snorted. “Have you heard the gossip? That he is actually marrying this girl? I can only imagine what she is like.”
“I’ve heard nothing about her.”
“Maybe she is nothing more than a rumor of his own propagation.”
Makoto cleared her throat to regain Minako’s attention. “Her name is Jacqueline. She had a brief affair with Kunzite once many months ago. To call it brief may even be an overstatement. He never returned her affections and when he declared it over she became bitter. This has nothing to do with you.”
“Is he normally so callous that more of this can be expected?”
“I won’t pretend to understand what happened between them.” Makoto spared another glance over her shoulder at the two women whose voices had now dropped to a whisper. By chance, the brown haired woman looked over in their direction and recognized Makoto as they had met several times before.
“Makoto,” she called out, leading the blonde by her hand to speak with Makoto.
“Sarah,” she responded politely, exchanging a kiss on the cheek with the other woman. “It’s been a while.”
“I was away visiting some ill family.”
“I hope all is well now.”
“Fortunately.”
Minako’s eyes slid from the woman currently engaged in conversation with Makoto to the blonde standing at her side, only to realize that the other woman’s eyes were already on her. The woman was slightly taller than Minako and somewhat fuller in figure. She was definitely beautiful to look at with sharp features and blonde hair that reached down to the middle of her back. There were maybe even more than just a few similarities between their physical attributes.
Makoto noticed the silent interaction between the women and spoke up, bringing their attention back to her. “This is my friend Minako, Serenity’s cousin.”
“A pleasure,” Minako said, nodding her head politely.
“She’s also Kunzite’s fiancée.” Minako couldn’t help but to notice the slight satisfaction that rang in Makoto’s voice.
Jacqueline looked Minako over critically and muttered under her breath, “of course you’d be.” Realizing that the comment came out louder than she intended, she cleared her throat and smiled in a hollow effort to be polite. “How is the General doing these days?” she asked.
“Well I suppose….” Minako answered slowly.
Makoto watched as Jacqueline shot Minako a haughty look. “The four of them have been away for the past several weeks, but we’re anticipating their return any day now.”
“I see,” Jacqueline replied, her eyes still watching Minako critically. “Kunzite was always notorious for up and disappearing.”
“Have either of you been introduced to Serenity yet?” Makoto spoke up. “I’d be happy to make an introduction for you now if you’d like.”
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Sarah responded. “Jacqueline?” she asked, looking over to her sister and hoping that this would serve as enough of a distraction to the stirring hostilities.
Jacqueline cast one last look over Minako, a fake smile still plastered on her pretty face. “Of course,” she finally answered. Makoto ushered the two women away and looked back at Minako, rolling her eyes playfully. Minako smiled back, watching as Makoto led them over to Serenity. She could certainly understand now why Makoto had seemed displeased by their presence. Sarah was polite enough, although the genuineness of it could probably be debated, but Jacqueline was wholly unpleasant to be around. Three times she had taken shots at Minako, bringing Minako to the point where she was more than willing to break her imposed silence and retort. Fortunately Makoto had been quick to come up with that introduction as an excuse to end the conversation.
Minako choose this as the opportune time to slip away from the group, uneager to find herself in another confrontation. One of the palace guards noticed her wandering off and stopped her to make sure that she was ok. She assured him that she was fine and entered into a small store. A lone object sat near the shopkeeper and instantly she decided that it would make for the perfect gift for Kunzite.
She later exited the store to find Serenity and Makoto still in conversation with a slightly dwindling group of people. Rather than interrupt, she continued walking down the street, her eyes taking in the details all around her. This was the first time that she had been able to come here and was delighted by the sights. The towns surrounding her family’s home were not as large as this one and carried items that were not nearly exotic as those laid out before her.
A hand reached out as she passed by an alley and pulled her into the darkened corridor. She was shoved into a doorway and was about to scream out, but was silenced by a calloused hand covering her mouth. With eyes wide, her panic finally passed when she found herself staring into a familiar pair of blue eyes. “Adonis,” she whispered as he pulled his hand away. “You scared me.”
“I didn’t mean to,” he answered apologetically, his eyes darting back to the busy street. “We don’t have much time,” he said quickly. “I want you to come away with me, leave Kunzite behind.”
“I don’t want to leave him,” she said firmly. “He will be angry when he finds out that you approached me this way.”
Adonis laughed and leaned forward towards her. “He’ll do nothing, my sweet. I assure you that his infatuation with your looks has finally come to an end, although I will admit that it lasted longer than I would have expected.” Her eyes filled with anger as she listened to him speak. “He summoned me to fight by his side during the day and I watched as he took a new lover for himself by night. How long did you think a girl like you could keep a man like him satisfied?”
“You’re saying this out of spite,” she countered. “He will return soon and then you’ll see.”
His eyes darted out to the busy street once more and she could see small beads of sweat pooling on his brow. “No, Minako, then you will see. He will return in a few days, and when he does he will come to you, make love to you, and tell you everything that you want to hear. By week’s end you will just be another girl who warmed his sheets. He is marrying you as his prince has required him to do, and as a man true to his word he will allow for these nuptials to continue. Just know that once he has a son by you that he will no longer have any need for you.” She pushed against his chest, trying to distance him from her with no success. “You can be as stubborn and foolish as you choose, but I promise you that he will prove me right.” He pressed his lips firmly against hers, preventing her from saying anything further. “I know all your secrets, Minako,” he whispered quickly against her cheek. “I know what you are afraid to tell him and what you are afraid to know – and you should be.” He released his hold on her and took off down the alleyway as one of Endymion’s guards came into view, yelling for him to stop.
Minako slid down the doorframe and to the ground, her dress pooling around her. She fought against herself to not let her tears show despite the cruelty and the possible truth of his words. One of the guards ran down the alley, following after Adonis while another ran over to her, looking her over frantically to make sure she was uninjured.
“Minako!” Serenity shouted. She ran over to her cousin and pushed the guards to the side, embracing the shaking girl. “What happened? Who was that?”
“No one,” she whispered softly. “Just some petty street thief.” She glanced down at her shaking hands now held tightly in Serenity’s grasp. “He stole my bracelet.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes wide. “I hope it wasn’t anything too meaningful to you. I’m afraid that we’ll never be able to get it back.”
“Small price to pay considering my other options,” Minako smiled at an attempt to lighten the mood. “I’m fine Serenity, he just startled me.”
“I wish you hadn’t disappeared like that. It’s not normally so dangerous here, but I guess you can never be too trusting.”
“You’re right, you never can be.”
Minako placed her hand against the wall and started to pull herself off the ground. One of the guards quickly stepped in and helped to lift her up the rest of the way. Endymion’s lead guard, the one who had introduced himself as Saphir, rounded up the remainder of his men and insisted that they return to the palace for everyone’s safety. His words implied that Serenity was his concern, but his eyes moved from his men to land on Minako.
The lightning flashed brilliantly, illuminating even the darkest recesses of the room. A man with long silver hair laid stretched out on his stomach on a bed with a fur blanket covering the lower half of his body. His skin glowed with a deep tan from his time spent out in the sun giving him a golden appearance. Kneeling at his bedside rested a red headed woman whose hand was placed on his cheek. Her eyes were filled with bitterness as she watched the handsome man continue to sleep peacefully.
