Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon—never have, never will
Disclaimer: I
don't own Sailor Moon—never have, never will. I'm just borrowing the
characters. All hail the wonderful Naoko Takeuchi for creating this fabulous
series.
An: I hope y'all
enjoy this chapter--it's one of my favorites. With the revisions and additions,
it's also the longest chapter to date, coming in at a whopping 30 pages.
Special thanks also go to Dejana
for being such an amazing beta reader, as always. (Any and all errors are, of
course, mine.)
Enjoy!
"A happy heart
makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:13
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
For Love......or Duty
Part 4
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Moon Palace was uncharacteristically quiet the morning
the Terrans were to leave. Most of the inhabitants had come to like the Terran
Prince and his Generals and the overall levity their visit had brought. The
members of the Palace staff, aware of the mutual affection growing between
Endymion, his Generals, and their beloved Princesses, were careful to keep from
intruding on the various leave-takings going on before breakfast.
By this time, Zoicite was familiar with Ami's penchant for
visiting the library in the early hours of the morning to catch up on her
reading. He had no doubts he would find her there yet again. He wound his way
through the towering shelves of books until he came to the window seat she
often frequented. A small smile curved his lips and he stopped to take in every
detail of the graceful figure before him.
Ami was staring out the window, an open book lying
forgotten on her lap. The light fell on her face and illuminated the rich blue
tint of her hair. He couldn't help but admire the way the strands curled around
to frame the creamy skin of her face.
Finally becoming aware of his scrutiny, she turned her
head to face him and it was then that Zoicite realized her dark blue eyes were
swimming with tears. He stepped forward and gathered her into a crushing hug,
feeling her wrap her arms around him tightly. Unheeded, the book fell to the
marble floor.
He closed his eyes and held her for the last time.
"I'll miss you so much," he said in a choked voice.
Her shoulders shook with a sob and she pulled back to look
up at him with teary eyes. "I'll miss you too, Zoi." Ami knew,
instinctively, she would never meet another man like the one who stood before
her now.
Zoicite brushed a few strands of her dark blue hair out of
her face, tucking them reverently behind her ear. "Ami, I want you to know
that I love you. I'll always love you."
Ami smiled through her tears and slipped her arms around
his neck, anchoring her fingers in his red-gold hair. "I love you
too."
"Let's hope that the High Council makes the right
decision and admits us to the Alliance," he said with a soft smile,
feeling a curious band tighten around his heart. I don't want to leave you.
Ami's smile disappeared and the crystal tears in her eyes
began to trickle down her cheeks. She knew Selenity wasn't completely convinced
Earth had no ulterior motives. "I know," she said in a voice barely
above a whisper. "Logistically speaking, however, the odds--" She bit
her lip and glanced away, trying to regain control of her emotions.
Zoicite gripped her shoulders and forced her to look up at
him once more. His leaf green eyes were intense and bright. "Don't say
that. For once, Ami, forget about the odds. Forget about the mathematical
probabilities. Love is more than those." His face softened as he added,
“You taught me that. Never give up. We will meet again."
She nodded mutely before burying her face in his chest,
inhaling the familiar scent of soap and sandalwood. "Zoi, if—if things
don't work out, please—please don't forget me."
Zoicite tilted her chin up and smiled tenderly. "I
swear on my honor, Princess, I will never forget you." His lips met hers
in a gentle kiss. "Earth will join the Alliance and I will find a way back
to you."
They stood together for a few moments, reluctant to break
apart and go their separate ways. It was a moment they both knew they would
treasure; one that would live on in their memories forever. Whatever fate had
in store for them, they had at least found each other.
Ami was the first to step away.
Before she could speak, Zoicite said softly, "I'll
write you, Ami. There must be a way to do it. We can keep each other informed
on how things are progressing."
The blue-haired princess nodded and gave him a small
smile. "I'd like that."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Nephrite was beginning to wonder if he'd done something to
offend the palace staff.
He'd been discreetly nosing around for some time now,
trying to locate the kitchens (and Lita, by extension) and none of the servants
he'd passed so far would tell him where it was. They wouldn't even hazard a
guess, choosing instead to make an excuse of some sort and scuttle away. It
made him suspect Lita had deliberately told them to keep him in the dark.
He huffed. It was their last day. Why would she want him
to leave her alone? And why was it so blasted hard to find the kitchens?
They had to be here somewhere.
He rounded the corner and sniffed appreciatively as a
rather delectable smell drifted through the corridor. Flicking his wavy brown
hair back over his shoulder, Nephrite moved swiftly down the hall, following
the scent of baking bread and…cookies.
In no time at all, he found himself standing before a side
door he was quite sure led into the Royal Kitchens. Cautiously, he pushed it
open and poked his head inside. Sure enough, amidst a group of chattering
Lunarian servants, the tall Princess of Jupiter was standing at a counter,
violently slicing and dicing a bunch of poor, innocent, defenseless vegetables.
He gave a relieved sigh. "Princess Lita?"
She didn't turn or respond, though everyone else in the
room stopped what they were doing to watch.
He slipped through the door and crossed to where she
stood. This wasn't the best place to say goodbye. He stood by her elbow, a
respectable distance between them. "Princess, may I speak with you for a
moment?"
The knife in her hands stilled. Lita had known she'd have
to face him sooner or later, and she decided she'd much rather do it without an
audience. She laid the knife on the counter and removed her apron. "You
may."
She allowed Nephrite to shepherd her out of the kitchen
and down a few corridors until he was reasonably sure they'd left all curious
eyes behind. He clasped her hands in his. "Did I do something wrong?"
he asked gently.
"No."
"Then wha--?"
"You're leaving," she cut him off bluntly. Her
voice was choked with emotion, but she bravely met his eyes.
"Yes." He waited, sure there was more.
Lita sniffed and blinked back tears. "I'll miss you, Neph."
One of the things Nephrite loved about her was her
honesty. She could never hide what she was feeling and he had noticed she
didn't often try. He pulled her into a hug and she buried her face in his
chest. "I'm going to miss you too." He tilted her head up and kissed
away her tears before gently claiming her lips. "I have a feeling we'll
see each other again," he murmured after a moment.
"You do?" Lita's green eyes went wide and she
gave him a hopeful look.
He stroked her hair comfortingly. "Yes. We'll meet
again." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Just promise me
one thing, love. I'm sure dashing young gentlemen are going to pop out of the
woodwork now. Don't go running off with one just because he reminds you of
me."
Lita's mouth fell open in shock and she stared at him with
a vaguely horrified expression on her face. "I would never do such a
thing!" she exclaimed in shock. "Neph, how
could you even think that of me?"
"I'm sorry. It was a poor attempt at humor." His
dark blue eyes were apologetic.
She tilted her head to one side and regarded him for a
moment. "You're forgiven." She ran a hand through his hair
nonchalantly before settling it on his neck. "Besides, you're the one to
worry about anyway."
Nephrite chuckled. "I love you, Lita."
"And I love you." She laughed. "My heart is
yours, never fear."
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Be sure
of this: we *will* meet again."
"I believe you." Lita smiled at him impishly
before pulling him into one last slow, sweet kiss. After a moment, she murmured
against his lips, "Don't go anywhere. I have something for you."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Somehow, Endymion knew he would find Selenity in the
garden. It was her favorite place to get away and relax and it afforded a small
amount of privacy. The beautiful Moon Princess had disappeared that morning
amidst all of the hustle and bustle to prepare the Terran visitors for their
return to Earth before he could speak to her. It was fortunate he knew her
well; time was slipping away from them.
Endymion scanned the garden area, his stormy blue eyes
concerned. He could sense when the woman he loved was upset, and Serenity was
most definitely upset. Finally, as he rounded a hedge row, he spotted her sitting
on the edge of a marble fountain.
She was idly trailing a red rose, one of the many he'd
given her, through the crystal clear water while droplets fell to make ever
widening ripples on the surface. Endymion frowned. It wasn't raining. His
expression softened as he realized she was crying silently. Tears slipped down
her cheeks to plop into the water below.
Serenity jumped in surprise as a warm pair of arms
encircled her. As soon as she realized who was holding her, she turned around
and buried her face in his chest. "Don't cry, Serenity," Endymion
soothed. He stroked her hair gently. "It's not the end of the world."
Serenity mumbled something, but he couldn't make out what
she said.
"What did you say?" he prodded gently.
She lifted a tear-stained face to him. "I said it
might as well be. It doesn't look like Earth is going to be admitted any time
soon. I may never see you again." Her blue eyes were filled with anguish.
Endymion pulled her closer. "Oh, Serenity, we'll find
a way. If your Alliance won't accept Earth, we'll just have to find a way
around them. Slip away to meet each other or something." He rested his
chin on the top of her head and ran a hand through one of her long golden
ponytails. "I'll find a way back to you—I don't think I could live without
a certain Meatball Head in my life."
Serenity's head shot up. "What did you call
me?!" she demanded, tears forgotten.
He gave her an innocent look. "Meatball Head. I've
decided your hair looks like this dish we have on Earth. You'd love it. Perfect
nickname, don't you think?"
"No! I very much prefer 'sweetheart' or 'darling' or
something like that." Serenity pulled away, put her hands on her hips, and
glared up at the handsome man before her.
Endymion laughed. "I didn't think you'd take it so seriously,
Mea—sweetheart," he amended hastily, seeing the I'm-going-to-kill-you look
his Princess was shooting him. "Knowing how you are about food, I thought
you'd like it." He took one of her small hands in both of his and was
suddenly serious again. "I love you, Princess." Ocean blue met silver
blue as he gazed intently into her eyes.
"I love you too, Endy," she replied softly, as
she gently brushed some of his black bangs out of his eyes with her free hand.
"Promise me something, Serenity."
"Anything."
"Promise me you'll wait for me."
"I will." Serenity smiled at him lovingly and
wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll wait until the end of time if I
have to, Endy."
Endymion grinned. "Hopefully, it won't be that
long." He slid his arms around her waist and rested his forehead on hers.
"I'll be back for you, love."
"I know you will," she murmured, closing her
eyes as he kissed her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rei had been prowling around the palace since dawn, trying
to come to terms with the emotions battling inside her. All she had
accomplished so far was to work herself into a tizzy. As she stalked through
the deserted corridors leading to the ball room, her black hair whipped around
her figure, practically crackling with anger. She was fuming to herself about
men and their complete and utter proclivity for turning women's lives upside
down.
How could Jade leave when she was just starting to get
used to him? How could he leave after she had admitted to both of them that she
loved him? How could he vanish from her life when she had just realized he was
the piece she'd been missing?
Deep down, she knew it wasn't his fault. He didn't want to
leave her, but he was sworn to defend and serve Endymion the same way she was
sworn to serve Serenity. Rei fought to tamp the anger down. It was just so much
easier to blame him for everything instead of looking at the larger picture of
events conspiring against them.
She passed a corridor with windows overlooking part of the
garden and stopped dead in her tracks. Through a line of trees serving as a
divider, she caught a glimpse of Endymion and Serenity sitting together beside
a fountain, with nary a chaperone in sight. Something boiled upside her. How
dare he? Eyes flashing purple, she marched off to give the Terran prince a
piece of her overloaded mind.
Again.
As Rei passed through the wide doors leading to the
garden, a hand reached out and grabbed her arm, deftly hauling her around to
press her back against the cool surface of the outside palace wall. Angry words
formed on her lips but they died away when she realized who her attacker was.
Jadeite, his golden hair as tousled as ever, placed a
finger to her lips. "It's me, sweetheart." He stood before her,
looking down, noting that the pain and anger she was radiating were almost
tangible.
"Jade! What are you doing?" she demanded in a
biting voice. "Serenity is in the gardens with no chaperone."
He'd suspected as much. The gardens seemed to be a favorite
haunt for the Moon Princess and Endymion had disappeared a little while before
to look for her. He eyed Rei cautiously. She had been acting peculiar the past
few days and it didn't take a genius to realize it had something to do with
their impending departure. With a depth of perception he hadn't been aware he
possessed, Jadeite had known Rei would eventually go looking for her princess.
He had been waiting for her here for some time now.
His blue eyes were serious as he focused on her face.
"I wanted to say goodbye properly, Rei."
The anger churning inside her abruptly flickered out and
died away. Rei's breath caught in her chest and her face scrunched up slightly.
Tears burned at her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. "Ah, yes,
goodbye," she murmured, looking away. She didn't want to see farewell in
his eyes.
The blond General took her by the shoulders. "Rei,
look at me. Look at me," he commanded softly, when she continued to stare
at a bush with vibrant orange blooms as if it held all the answers in the
universe. His heart began to plummet. Doesn't she care?
Rei's heart and mind battled for a moment before she
finally turned back to him, revealing the tears swimming in her violet eyes.
"Leave me alone." She struggled to break his grip but he continued to
hold her fast.
"Rei—"
"Leave me alone!" Her voice rose and he winced.
"Rei, please—" Jadeite's eyes searched her face,
trying to find a way to break through the wall she was putting up between them.
He couldn't leave without saying goodbye; he couldn't leave her angry about
something he couldn't even control.
"LET ME—!" She broke off as Jadeite's mouth
descended on hers, silencing her with a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her
and held her close, trying to show her just how much he cared. Rei stilled in
his arms before returning the kiss and he knew he'd won.
He released her gently and reached out to brush away a
tear with the pad of his thumb. "Please don't make this harder than it
already is."
The quiet desperation in his voice was her undoing.
Something inside Rei simply gave way and she sagged against the wall, tears
falling in earnest. "I don't want you to go, Jade. Can't you—can't you see
that?"
Jadeite pulled her to him, knowing exactly how she was
feeling. "I love you, Rei," he said into her hair. "I love you
so much, but I haven't got a choice. Duty calls." He ran his fingers
through her long black hair. "I promise, this isn't the end.”
Rei closed her eyes and tried to burn his voice and the
feel of him holding her tightly into her memory. Her tears gradually subsided,
and when she could speak in a normal voice, she said quietly, "Jade, you'd
better find a way back, because I'll hold it against you forever if you
don't."
He looked down at her with a crooked grin, relieved she
was beginning to sound more like herself. "Don't worry, Princess. You
won't get rid of me *that* easily."
Rei smiled, and it didn't matter to Jadeite in the least
that her eyes were rather puffy and her nose was red. "As though I want
to."
Jadeite laughed and bent to kiss her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The day the Terrans were to leave the Moon hadn't come
quickly enough for Mina, though she knew her friends were understandably
devastated by the separation looming over their heads. No agreement had yet
been reached as far as Earth's inclusion in the Silver Alliance and the idea of
never seeing Endymion or his Generals again was quite troubling to them.
She allowed a smile to slip across her face, thinking
about the couples. She was convinced Lita and Nephrite were as perfectly suited
to each other as Serenity and Endymion appeared to be. She knew Zoicite was a fortunate man to have
won the Princess of Mercury's shy heart, but she thought Jadeite would be the
luckiest man of all if he could get through the rest of his life without Rei
frying him.
Mina was happy for her friends. I'm glad they've found
someone, even if they come from a different world. It's sad that if the
Alliance doesn't let Earth join they'll probably never meet again. But then,
'tis better to have loved and won than to have never loved at all. As
usual, her quote was off.
She stood with Queen Serenity and the others in the
courtyard of the palace. All goodbyes between the couples—except for Mina and
Malachite, of course—had been said in private, for propriety's sake, but the
girls were tearing up anyway. Mina, the Queen, and Luna were the only ones of
the royal Lunarian group with dry eyes.
Now the four couples were obliged to observe protocol,
even though their hearts were screaming for them to hold on and never let go.
But their eyes...their eyes said everything that their hearts were feeling.
Mina had to work not to let herself become emotionally involved…especially when
she saw the bag of cookies dangling from Nephrite's belt.
Malachite forced himself to walk over to Mina. He took her
hand and gave it a perfunctory kiss, barely brushing her knuckles.
"Meeting you was an…interesting experience, Princess." She had spent
less and less time in his company towards the end of their stay, though she had
been as annoyingly cheerful and bubbly as ever. He hadn't particularly minded,
but he did wonder, in the back of his mind, what prompted the change.
"I'm sorry you have to go," she said brightly, a
gentle breeze sending the golden strands of her hair floating around about her
like tendrils.
He gave her a shrewd look, knowing full well she didn't
mean a word of it. "So am I," he said with a perfectly straight face.
Mina laughed and winked mischievously. "Of course you
are." Her smile faded as she glanced past him at Endymion and the other
Generals. "Good luck with the lovebirds," she said in an undertone.
"Their brains are going to be disconnected for a while, I think." Her
eyes met his, an unusual seriousness in her expression. "You'll be
busy." She knew exactly what kind of shape they were going to be in for a
few weeks; her Senshi would be in the same boat.
Malachite stared at her for a few seconds before inclining
his head in a grave nod. Her words resonated within him, confirming the nagging
suspicion he had formed over the past few months as his friends' attachments
deepened.
Mina abruptly broke eye contact and her buoyant mood
returned. "Goodbye, General," she said cheerfully, her gaze traveling
to where the other princesses were gathered. With one last smile and a swish of
silken skirts, she was gone.
Malachite stepped into place behind Endymion and waited
for the Queen to teleport him. It occurred to him suddenly that he had yet to
see the Sailor Senshi. A glance around confirmed they were not present and he
suppressed a frown. Despite the fact that he and the others had not seen much
of the short-skirted warriors during their sojourn, he had rather expected them
to make an appearance at their departure.
At the last instant, just as the pink haze began to
envelope them, his eyes found the princesses and he watched Mina slip a
comforting arm around Serenity's tense shoulders, her previous cheerfulness
gone. Then the haze deepened and the marble courtyard vanished from beneath
their feet.
A few seconds later, Malachite was breathing the familiar
tangy air of Earth's capital city, Terra. They were home.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Three months after their return from the Moon Kingdom,
Malachite reached the point where he was ready to take drastic action against
his prince and fellow Guardians. Mina was right. They’re acting like
lovesick idiots, he thought sourly. Clearly his friends had taken leave of
what little of their senses they still retained.
Once safely back on Earth, he had shoved all thoughts of
Mina’s bright smile and the enigmatic Sailor Venus out of his mind—or at least
he had made the attempt. It hadn’t worked quite as well as he would have hoped,
but that was beside the point. He was convinced he was perfectly fine; ready to
plunge back into the daily routine and leave thoughts of their time on the Moon
as far behind him as could possibly be managed.
His friends, on the other hand, were in love. They
couldn’t move on and their time outside of duties was filled with unusual
activities. Endymion moped around moodily, lost in thought, either staring at
the Moon or idly twirling a red rose in his fingers. Zoicite played endless
games of chess against himself, but frequently wound up simply staring at the
pieces with a dreamy look on his face. Nephrite sat up late at night gazing at
the stars, as if pleading with them to tell him about Lita. As far as Malachite
was concerned, however, Jadeite was the worst. He walked around the palace
muttering under his breath, as if he was holding an imaginary argument with
Rei. People were beginning to wonder if the trip to the Moon had made him lose
his mind. Malachite thought it had. They’ve all lost their minds.
King Edward and his wife were at a loss as to what to do.
Negotiations with the Silver Alliance were not going quite as well as had been
hoped. The King remained unwilling to confess the real reason behind Earth’s
sudden desire to join and Malachite knew the High Council must suspect
something. Endymion was committed to helping matters along, but outside of his
duties, he was lost in a perpetual daydream about the Moon Princess and his
parents could not find a way to shake him out of it.
Malachite had never seen the Prince so infatuated before
and he found it mildly alarming. The way things were going, it was likely
Endymion would never see the beautiful Lunarian again and he wondered how long
it would take his Prince to recover should that prove to be the case.
Thinking of Princess Serenity made Malachite think of
Princess Mina and brought back the puzzling feelings he had managed to tamp
down. It’s probably a very good thing I’ll never see her again, he mused
late one night, sitting in his study staring out the window at the sliver of
crescent moon visible in the onyx sky. I’d never get a moment’s peace with
her around all the time.
By this time, he had decided it was pointless to continue
wondering about whether or not Earth was going to join the Silver Alliance
because he was likely to be old and grey before it ever happened. Therefore, it
was equally pointless to entertain thoughts about a princess who undoubtedly
had far too many suitors to remember a man who had not been swayed by her
beauty and bubbly personality.
Several more weeks passed by in routine normalness before
Malachite’s world was shaken to its foundation.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The summons came just after the midday meal.
A rather anxious page approached Malachite, bowed deeply,
and informed him that the King and Queen requested his presence in the throne
room as soon as possible.
Wondering what could have happened to bring about such an
unusual meeting, Malachite sent the page off with a list of instructions for
the captain of that day’s watch. He made his way to the throne room accordingly
and strode past the soldiers standing guard at the entrance, their backs ramrod
straight. Nephrite approached from the other end of the hall and they nodded briefly
to each other, but kept their focus on the occupants of the room beyond as they
passed through the large doors, which immediately closed behind them.
The King and Queen were both seated in their thrones,
while Endymion stood before them on the dais. Jadeite and Zoicite were already
kneeling at the bottom step and the King’s advisors were arranged in a loose
semicircle around them, muttering to each other.
Endymion’s face was calm, but there was a sparkle in his
eyes and an intensity about him that hadn’t been there of late. Malachite’s
eyes narrowed imperceptibly. I wonder, he thought. He bowed to the King
and Queen and knelt beside Zoicite.
“I have welcome news,” King Edward began in a deep voice.
“We’ve just received word from Queen Selenity that the High Council has reached
a decision. Earth is being admitted to the Silver Alliance and the restrictions
they had considered imposing on us are being dismissed.”
A fresh wave of muttering broke out among the advisors.
The King gestured for silence. “We broached the subject of strengthening our
alliance by a marriage between Prince Endymion and the Moon Queen’s daughter,
Princess Serenity. Queen Selenity was at first reluctant to agree, but she came
around and decided it was in the Alliance’s best interests.”
Ah. Malachite was not surprised in the least. That
would certainly account for Endymion’s suddenly buoyant spirits.
The King’s next words echoed in the hall, impacting his
listeners with the force of a charging cavalcade. “To cement Earth’s position further,
Selenity informed me that the High Council had added an additional clause to
the marriage contract.”
Malachite glanced up at Endymion, and found himself
looking directly into Endymion's eyes. Obviously the Prince already knew what
the King was about to say. He glanced away. Whatever else the King had to say,
it could have nothing to do with him.
Edward motioned to the kneeling Generals. “You four are to
be wed to the four, ah—” he consulted the roll of parchment in his hand.
“—‘Inner’ Princesses. Mina of Venus, Ami of Mercury, Lita of Jupiter, and Rei
of Mars. They will be coming to live here on Earth along with Princess
Serenity.”
If Malachite had not already been kneeling, he would have
collapsed. Stunned, he looked up at the King, lavender eyes wide and filled
with shock. The rational part of his mind realized this was a good
thing—peculiar of course, but beneficial to Earth’s position. The rest of him,
however, was imagining a life with a woman who would not, could not keep quiet
for five seconds straight. The thought made him shudder. “May I enquire as to
when the weddings will be held?” he asked in a voice he barely recognized as
his own.
“As soon as we can arrange it,” the Queen replied, in satisfied
tones. She was happy her son was finally going to wed; heaven only knew she’d
been trying to settle him down for several years now with no success. From the
happiness her son radiated, she knew he was deeply in love and Serenity did
sound like a wonderful girl. All tales of the Moon Princess were kind—Endymion
could have done far worse.
The Queen eyed her son’s four Guardians speculatively. All
four looked absolutely flabbergasted, thought the shock was quickly giving way
to delight. All except Malachite. She was sure, just for a second, she had seen
abject horror on his face. She frowned. Perhaps it was merely the surprise. His
face was schooled almost immediately into his usual calm expression, but the
Queen wondered what he was thinking. Malachite was dedicated to his Prince and
his duties, but surely even he must grow lonely sometimes, especially after
that unfortunate affair a few years back. From everything she had heard about
the planetary princesses through Endymion, Princess Mina was a lovely girl.
Perhaps she would be just the person to brighten Malachite’s dreary life and
give him reason to smile once in a while.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Had Malachite been in any frame of mind to appreciate it, he
might have been slightly mollified by the fact that a similar scene was taking
place in the Moon Palace far above Earth.
Serenity and her court were standing in Queen Selenity’s office, watching the Queen as she affixed her
signature to several important-looking papers Luna handed her at regular
intervals. After a moment, she laid her pen down and looked up at the five
princesses, her gaze sweeping over each in turn. “As I am sure you will be
delighted to hear,” she said slowly, one corner of her mouth twitching. “The
High Council has agreed to allow Earth entry into the Alliance.” She paused,
waiting for the impending explosion.
Serenity let out a joyful, tinkling laugh and clapped her
hands together. “Really? Oh, Mother, this is wondrous news!” Her cheeks flushed
pink and her blue eyes lit up with happiness.
Queen Selenity and Luna exchanged glances. “There is
more,” the Queen said calmly.
Mina’s gaze sharpened. She could think of only one other
thing that might cause Selenity to call them all before her.
The Queen deliberately held her daughter’s gaze. “King Edward has requested your hand in
marriage on behalf of his son, Endymion.”
If possible, Serenity’s eyes grew even larger. “He has?”
she said weakly, apparently too amazed to say anything else. When her mother
nodded, Serenity took a deep breath and suddenly swirled around giddily. She
grabbed hold of Ami’s hands and twirled her around.
“I have accepted the proposal on your behalf.”
"Thank you, Mother!"
Mina let a smug smile flit across her face. She had most
definitely been expecting something like this. Everything was falling into
place nicely. Serenity’s marriage to Endymion would open the door for his
Generals to court Ami, Rei, and Lita.
Queen Selenity smiled half-heartedly. “I am glad you find
this news so joyful.” She paused. “You do realize, however, that if you wed
Endymion, you must leave the Moon?”
Serenity stopped short and her expression became grave as
she considered the implications of marrying into the Terran Royal Family. She
reached across the desk and took her mother’s hands. “I’ll miss the Moon,
Mother," she said earnestly, "and I’ll miss you and the girls,” she
motioned to the other princesses, “but I love Endy and I would go anywhere in
this universe to be with him. Besides,” she added, her excited returning full
force. “I’ve always wanted to visit Earth.” Legally, she thought
guiltily.
The Queen smiled tightly. “Oh, you won’t miss the girls.
That is the other part of the marriage contract. They’re going with you.”
Ami gasped and Rei’s head tilted imperceptibly as she
stared at Selenity. Lita’s eyebrows rose, and Mina’s breath caught in her
throat. This…was…not so expected.
“You four are to be wedded to Endymion’s Generals. We
insisted on it.” Selenity smiled. “You’ll have the perfect excuse to live on
Earth and fulfill your duties as Serenity’s guardians.”
Mina couldn’t help her gasp of horror. Me? Married to
Malachite? The room swayed and she fell to the floor in a dead faint for
the first time in her life.
When she awoke, Rei was kneeling over her, a concerned
look on her face. “Are you all right, Mina?” Her violet eyes probed Mina’s
face.
“I’m fine.” Mina managed a weak smile. “I was just
surprised, that’s all. I thought I heard Queen Selenity say we would be
marrying the Generals.”
“We are.”
“Oy.” Mina fainted again, her
head falling back to hit the marble floor before Rei could prevent it. Her
friends looked on in complete shock. Mina had never fainted before, much less
twice in the space of a few minutes.
Queen Selenity and Luna exchanged glances, while Serenity
waved her arms frantically. “What’s wrong with her? Somebody do something!”
Ami tried to soothe the blonde. “She’s just a little
surprised. Mina will be fine—you know she will be.” She was unable to hide to
worry lurking in her eyes as she darted a glance at Mina’s still figure.
Fainting was not the reaction she would have expected, even if she and
Malachite had not got on as famously as the rest of them.
“I think she simply needs time to adjust to the idea,”
Luna said quietly. She called two attendants and they carried the unconscious
Princess of Venus to her chambers.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Consciousness returned slowly to Mina. When she finally opened
her eyes, she was confused for a few seconds, before awareness flooded back to
her. Oh, please no.
She was lying on the bed in her room; obviously she had
been out long enough that they had moved her. I can’t believe this, she
thought numbly. Why do I have to marry Malachite? He hates me. Feeling
tears well up in her eyes, she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow,
but a loud grumble from her stomach reminded her that it must now be well past
lunchtime. With a sigh, Mina slid off the bed and ran a brush through her
tangled golden locks, staring unseeing at her somber mirror image.
Then she drifted through the palace to the dining hall. A
servant held the door for her and as she stepped into the room, four excited
faces turned to greet her.
“Mina!” Serenity exclaimed, turning her attention from her
plate long enough to hug Mina. “Are you all right?” She giggled. “I know how
you feel; the news was a shock for me too, but isn’t it wonderful?”
“Oh, yes,” Mina replied in a strange voice, halfway between
a laugh and a sob. “Wonderful.” She sat down and began to eat, noting that the
others were too busy talking, laughing, and planning to have done much more
than pick at their food. Except for Serenity of course.
Mina pasted a smile on her face and joined in the joyous
chatter as best she could. They didn’t know how fortunate they were. Each of
the men they were to wed all but worshipped the ground they walked upon. She
knew people had been marrying for reasons other than love since Time began, but
she had always hoped and dreamed to find a man who loved her for herself.
She tried to laugh merrily, but she couldn’t quite ignore
the lump in her throat, matching the ache in her heart. She had always hoped to
marry for love, always dreamed of it. And now, she, the Senshi of Love, would
have to do her duty and obey the Queen, leaving her dreams of love to crumble
behind her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mina had hoped that it would take months to work out all
the salient details of the weddings, but everything was proceeding unusually
smoothly. It had already been determined that the ceremonies would be held on
Earth in two months. The princesses began to plan in earnest, packing all the
things they would need or could not live without, since transporting goods
afterwards would be nigh impossible until a transporter was built on Earth.
She was always laughing and chattering excitedly, but when
she was alone, it was all she could do to hold back tears. It was too soon. Much
too soon. She didn’t have time to think of a viable escape plan.
The wheels of time rolled inexorably onward, the days
slipping away far too quickly than she would have preferred. Mina dreaded each
new day, knowing it was bringing her closer to the moment she would lose
whatever hopes and dreams she still cherished. It’s too much to hope he’ll
come to love me, she thought miserably. This thought accosted her more than
once, piercing her happy façade. Her usual optimism was missing in action. He
doesn’t like me and I don’t like him! Looks weren’t everything. The man had
a personality as warm as a glacier on Pluto.
Serenity, Lita, and even the usually observant Ami were
too wrapped up in preparations to see through the Venusian Princess’s phony
disguise. While Rei sometimes wondered if Mina was really as happy as she
seemed to be, given the tension between her and Malachite during the Terran’s visit to Earth, she could never catch Mina in one
of her more somber moods and had to let it go.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Three weeks before they were to depart for Earth, Mina,
Lita, Rei, and Ami stood before the entrance to the Queen’s chambers, glancing
at each other in mild confusion. They had been called from their last minute
packing and were awaiting the Queen.
“What’s going on?” Lita mouthed to Mina.
The blonde shrugged. She had no more idea what it was
about than any of them. A small part of her hoped Malachite had backed out and
a satisfied feeling swept over her. If that was the case, she would be able to
assure the Queen she was not brokenhearted in the least.
A moment later, the door opened and Luna appeared. “Her
Majesty will see you now,” she said in her gentle voice.
“Thank you, Luna,” Mina replied with a smile. She knew
better than to attempt to pump the Mauan for information and led the way into
the Queen’s office.
The four princesses dropped curtseys. “You wanted to see
us, Queen Selenity?” Mina murmured after a slight pause. Being the leader of
the Senshi often meant she was the unofficial spokesperson for the group.
“I did.” Queen Selenity’s voice
was tense and her beautiful face was worn and tired. “As you are well aware, we
will be leaving for Earth in a fortnight. I have a delicate matter to discuss
with you now, one concerning your roles as Sailor Senshi,” she paused, “…and
the Generals you are marrying.”
Lita’s face lit up and her green eyes sparkled. “Your
Majesty, do you mean we’ll be able to tell our husbands who we are?”
The Moon Queen almost smiled. Lita's delight at the
prospect was written all over her face. She was so honest—she didn’t believe in
hiding things. Selenity’s eyes saddened as she said
gently, “No, Lita, I am afraid that won’t be the case. The Council has decided
that the four of you should keep your identities as the Sailor Senshi secret.
You are to tell no one—not even the Generals.”
Ami, Lita, and Rei all gasped. Mina was calm, but her eyes
had hardened slightly.
“Your Majesty!” Lita burst out. “We—I—can’t do that! How
can I keep something like this back from Nephrite? A marriage is supposed to be
built on trust! I—”
Queen Selenity cut her off. “You will follow orders,
Jupiter.”
The use of her Senshi name stopped Lita short. She bowed
her head and bit her lip to keep from saying the angry, indignant words on the
tip of her tongue.
“My Queen,” Ami spoke up, her navy-blue eyes troubled.
“Fulfilling our duty to your daughter will be difficult if we are unable to
adequately protect her because we have to worry about our identities being discovered.”
Ami was trying to think logically, even though the thought of lying to her
beloved Zoicite twisting her stomach into knots.
“We thought of that.” The Queen brushed one of her long
silver ponytails back over her shoulder. “You are not to transform into the
Sailor Senshi except in a case of dire need. And I do mean dire need.
You four have been training physically for a number of years and should be
fully competent to handle many situations without calling upon your powers.”
She directed a stern glance at Ami and Lita. “Under most circumstances, there
will be no need for lies and misdirection.”
Rei’s violet eyes were flashing. “Why is this subterfuge
necessary?” she demanded as politely as she could manage.
Mina had a pretty good idea she knew what was going on,
but she listened quietly for the Queen’s explanation.
Selenity’s face was unreadable
and she was silent for a few moments. Finally, she said, “While the Council has
agreed that allowing Earth to join the Alliance will be beneficial for all of
us, we cannot escape the fact that they know more than they are telling us.
Until we are sure they can be completely trusted, we see no need for them to
know whom the mysterious Sailor Senshi are. At this time, the risks are too
great.” She gave them a sympathetic look. “I am truly sorry for the position
this puts you in, but as of now, I swear you to silence.”
“Queen Selenity,” Mina said softly, before any of the
other princesses could speak, “Will you ever release us from this oath?”
Selenity looked at the blonde sharply. “Yes. As soon as we
learn what the Terrans are hiding and determine Earth is no longer a potential
safety hazard, you will be released.”
Mina knelt and crossed her hand over her heart in a formal
salute. “I solemnly swear to keep my identity as Sailor Venus, guardian of the
Moon and its Princess, Venus, and the Silver Alliance, a secret until such time
as I should be released from my vow.”
Slowly, Rei followed suit, repeating the words in a flat
monotone that nonetheless crackled with passion.
Ami,
clearly torn, chewed on her lower lip for a few seconds, but obediently saluted
and repeated the oath formula in a hesitant voice that gradually grew stronger.
The
Queen turned her attention to Lita. "Jupiter?"
Lita
reluctantly looked up, green eyes stormy. She took a deep breath and let it out
slowly before saluting. In clipped tones, she said, "I solemnly swear to
keep my identity as Sailor Jupiter, Guardian of the Moon and its Princess,
Jupiter, and the Silver Alliance a secret until such time as I should be
released from my vow."
"Thank
you. I have forbidden Serenity to say anything concerning this matter. She
understands that privilege is yours and yours alone." Selenity considered
them a moment before saying softly, "You are dismissed now."
As
one, they rose and curtsied gracefully. Then, heads held high, the four of them
left the Moon Queen's presence. No one spoke until they reached their wing of
the palace. Mina, in the lead, motioned for them to follow her into her room.
Once she had safely shut the door, the dam broke.
Lita
began to pace the floor angrily. Rei positioned herself in a chair, arms folded
tightly across her chest and violet eyes flashing with an intensity that
rivaled Lita's. Ami sank down on Mina's bed and wrapped her arms around her
knees. Her navy blue eyes were huge and filled with anxiety.
Mina
leaned up against the door lazily, resting one hand on her hip.
"Well," she drawled, "This is certainly a pretty cucumber."
"A
pretty cucumber," Lita echoed, too stunned to even notice Mina had gotten
the saying wrong. She whirled around and advanced on the blonde, demanding,
"Is that all you have to say about this? We swear to keep the most
important and dangerous thing about us a secret from the men who are going to
be our life mates and all you can say is that it's a PRETTY CUCUMBER?" Her
voice rose with each word.
Mina
met her molten green gaze coolly. "What was I supposed to say? It's done
now. We will do our duty and keep the promise we made."
"You
certainly didn't waste any time taking that oath," Re remarked waspishly.
Mina
slid down the length of the door until she was sitting on the floor and propped
her chin up in her hands. "I'm the leader of the Senshi, Rei. Leaders lead
by being the first to do their duty. You followed me, didn't you?" She
turned a determined face to her friends. "The Queen will release us from
it eventually. In the meantime, all we have to do is keep Serenity out of
trouble." She laughed brightly. "You know Endymion won't let her out
of his sight, so how hard is keeping the Sailor Senshi a secret going to
be?"
"I
suppose you're right," Lita conceded gruffly, her anger dissipating like
clouds after a storm. "But I still don't like it."
"Nor
do I," Ami and Rei said in unison. They glanced at each other and then
back at Mina, who smiled; the first real smile she had given anyone since
learning about her betrothal.
"Don't
lose hope," she said softly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
One
week later, Lita, Ami, Rei, and Mina left the Moon to spend the last two weeks
before their move to Earth with their families. When they returned, they found
Serenity's excitement had increased ten-fold in their absence. Her happiness
was contagious, and it would have taken a person a great deal more bitter than
Mina to withstand her.
That
night however, as Mina lay in the room she had occupied since she was four, she
reflected on all the things she was going to miss about life on the Moon. She
rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, but did not cry. Perhaps we
will grow to love each other. Or perhaps Malachite will be so upset that he
swears he won't marry me at all. A slight smile hovered over Mina's lips,
and comforted by that thought, she drifted off to sleep.
The next
morning, she was rather rudely jolted back to reality. Several people flopped
onto the bed and shook her until they were sure she was conscious.
"Mina,
Mina!" Lita exclaimed. She pulled away the pillow Mina had burrowed under.
"You've got to wake up! We have to get ready!"
"Come
on, sleepyhead," Rei said tartly, but her purple eyes were dancing as
well. "You can't spend the day in bed. There are far too many things to
take care of before we leave."
"Oh,
please," Serenity begged, "Please, Mina, get up!" She slid off
the bed and darted over to the window, where she drew the curtains aside,
allowing the early dawn sunlight to fall over Mina's face.
Mina
opened one blue eye and then the other, squinting against the golden sunlight. This
must be payback for all those early morning training sessions I put them
through, she thought ruefully. "And I was having such a good dream
too," she grumbled aloud, sitting up and swinging her legs out of the bed,
nearly dislodging Ami in the process.
"About
Malachite?" Ami asked innocently, a bright smile on her face.
Mina's
temper flared, but she tamped it down and laughed. It had been about
Malachite, oddly enough; a dream in which he was ranting and raving that no
force in the world could tie him to such a gorgeous creature as the Princess of
Venus, but there was no way she could explain that to the others. Malachite was
not a topic she wished to discuss with them. "No! I was dreaming about
being at a…." she thought rapidly, "...a ball where every single man
wanted to dance with me." It was calculated to divert their attention and
it did so.
Her
friends exchanged looks of wry exasperation.
"Oh,
Mina," Ami sighed, shaking her head. "You're hopeless."
You
have no idea, Ami, Mina thought bitterly, still smiling. You have no idea.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It
seemed the entire population of the Moon had come to see them off. Mina stood
with the other princesses and the rest of their entourage, waiting for the
Queen to teleport them to Earth. Serenity was waving madly at everyone. After a
brief speech, the Queen raised the Imperium Silver
Crystal.
Mina's
eyes were dry as the familiar surroundings of the courtyard were obscured by a
pink haze. She was strong. She would make the best of her situation.
After
what seemed like only a moment, the pink haze began to fade. Mina heard
Serenity and several others gasp. She glanced around and could not restrain a
gasp of her own.
Earth
was beautiful.
It
was quite possibly the most beautiful planet she had ever seen and that was
only her first impression. The sky was a gorgeous shade of blue and the
colors....Mina felt her eyes go a bit misty. Colors were so...sharp, vivid, and
alive here.
They
were standing in a courtyard built from gleaming grey stone flecked with darker
specks that sparkled in the sun. The Terran palace, its walls, towers, and
spires built from the same material, rose majestically above them beyond a tall
archway. Blossoming trees lined the inside of the courtyard, their delicate colors
contrasting with the fresh green of new leaves. The air was sweet and fresh,
with a refreshing breeze.
"Jupiter
isn't this beautiful," Lita murmured in awe, attempting to take everything
in.
"Nor
is Venus," Mina agreed. She looked around again, speculatively, and
noticed the crowd slowly assembling around them. The muted whispers did not
surprise her. Ah, yes. They've never seen off-worlders
before. She had to fight a smile.
Poised
regally beneath the archway were the Terran King and his Queen. Endymion stood
slightly behind them, a smile on his face, and his Generals flanked him.
Malachite's silver hair picked up the light and Mina caught her breath. He's
as handsome as I remember, she admitted to herself, but that is no
excuse for his cold and unfriendly behavior. Then, she though plaintively,
not for the first time. What did I do to keep him from liking me?
Queen
Selenity stepped forward and was greeted warmly by King Edward and his wife,
who were delighted to finally meet the Queen of the Moon. She introduced
Serenity to them and then Endymion promptly claimed the Moon Princess's hand.
One by one, the other princesses were presented to the King and Queen and then
greeted by their betrothed. Mina waited patiently for her turn, a faint smile
fixed firmly on her face.
"May
I present Princess Mina of Venus?" Luna said formally.
Mina
took several sedate steps forward, curtseyed, and said brightly, "How do
you do, Your Majesties?" She couldn't restrain the genuine smile that
stretched across her face. Earth, if nothing else, would certainly be
interesting.
The
Queen of Earth smiled in return, feeling that this Venusian Princess was cut
from the same cloth as Princess Serenity. They were both so full of life that
she felt her own heart lightening. "I hope you enjoy living here, my
dear."
"I'm
quite sure I shall, Your Majesty." Mina turned and dipped a regal curtsey
as Malachite approached and bowed. "Hello again, General Malachite,"
she said coolly, her excitement fading away.
He
kissed her hand politely, and when he spoke, his voice was flat and toneless,
matching the rather grim expression in his eyes. "Princess Mina." He
offered her his arm and they followed the rest of the procession into the
palace.
Having
expected a deluge of excited chatter, Malachite looked down at Mina with a tiny
bit of amazement when she said nothing. He was thankful she had not immediately
begun talking his ear off of course...but it was unexpected. Mina simply smiled
brightly and looked around in wonder at the Terran palace. In fact, as the day
progressed, she said very little outside of essential formalities. Well,
he thought, this will make things all the easier.
A
small part of his mind, however, couldn't help wondering if she was in shock. Surely
this wasn't right. It wasn't, for lack of a better term...Mina.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A
huge feast was held that night in honor of the off-world visitors. Mina enjoyed
it, but kept wishing for the evening to end. She wanted to escape the pressing
throng of people congratulating her on being betrothed to Malachite. They might
think he was a wonderful catch, but she certainly had doubts on the matter, and
she certainly wasn't that excited to be here.
When
the festivities had died down somewhat, Queen Selenity, Serenity, the other
princesses, and their entourage were escorted to their quarters for the night.
Mina knew Serenity was disappointed she had not been able to speak much to
Endymion and philosophically explained to her friend that such was the way of
royal weddings. She would, Mina assured her, no doubt see a great deal of him
the next day.
After
breakfast the next morning, Endymion and his generals, with the exception of
Malachite, who was on duty, were waiting for the princesses when they left the
Great Hall.
Endymion
bowed to Serenity. "May I have the honor of showing Her Highness the royal
gardens?"
Princess
Serenity cast a quick, questioning glance at her mother, who nodded. "I
would love to." She beamed at Endymion and tucked her arm through his.
Falling immediately into conversation, they moved towards the south wing of the
palace, which was closest to the gardens.
Queen
Selenity, Luna, and several of her advisors disappeared down the hall, off, Mina
suspected, to talk to the Queen and King about the last few remaining wedding
details.
"Princess
Mina," Zoicite said in a quiet voice as he gave her a polite bow. "I
apologize for Malachite's absence, but he commands the palace guard
today." Left unspoken was the fact that Malachite had not seen fit to
arrange for someone to take his place.
Mina
waved a hand nonchalantly. "That's quite all right, General. Duty calls.
Perfectly understandable." She smiled at her friends and said with a
mischievous wink, "Enjoy the gardens. I think I'll join Queen
Selenity." She swept down the hall to their left, down which the Queen and
her attendants were just turning the corner. The finality of everything was
starting to sink in and she wished she could be rid of the heavy ache in her
chest.
Once safely in the winding gardens, the four royal couples
suddenly scattered, leaving confused attendants in their wake, scrambling to
keep up. Serenity and Endymion disappeared into the rose garden, while Jadeite
pulled Rei into a grove of weeping willows near the edge of a placid pool of
water. Nephrite insisted Lita had to see Earth oaks and they vanished into the
depths of the garden as he led her to the far side. Zoicite and Ami, left to
themselves, save for several Terran and Lunarian chaperones trailing after
them, strolled about for a short while before Zoicite suggested he show Ami
where the library was located.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Walking down a neatly kept path comfortably shaded by tall
trees interspersed with exquisite displays of Earth flowers, Rei held back a
gasp of surprise when the handsome blond man walking beside her suddenly pulled
her off the path and down a slope. In a few seconds, they had passed through a
curtain of drooping, feathery leaves, where she was quite sure the chaperones
could not see them. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. What is he doing?
But then Jadeite turned about and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her
close.
"Oh, Rei," he murmured into her hair. "I
missed you so much."
Rei allowed her eyes to slide shut and rested her head on
his chest, enjoying the feeling of him holding her. "I missed you too,
Jade," she said quietly.
They stood together for a few moments, until the blond
General released his hold and dropped to one knee before her. "Princess
Rei, I know it's already been decided for us to wed, but—" he swallowed,
then continued huskily, "I wanted to ask you myself. Will you marry
me?"
Rei's hands flew to her mouth and she stared down at the
thin gold ring in his palm in shock. "Oh, Jade." She blushed prettily
and a warm glow filled her from head to toe. "Yes."
Jadeite stood and slipped the ring onto the fourth finger
of Rei's left hand. "This was my mother's," he said. "I think
she'd be pleased to know you have it."
The black-haired princess looped her arms around his neck
and kissed him soundly. "You never cease to amaze me," she murmured
after a moment. "I never dreamed you'd—you'd…"
"Actually propose?" he said teasingly. His blue
eyes were bright and happy.
"Something like that."
Jadeite spun her around crazily and then gave her a
devilish grin. "I simply don't want you to ever tell me you had no choice
in the matter."
Rei raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why would I say
something like that?"
He shrugged innocently. "I can't imagine. Perhaps if
you were really angry…" he trailed off and grinned at her.
The amusement in Rei's face faded. She met his gaze
seriously. "Jade, you're enough to drive a woman absolutely insane,
but…" she allowed a smile to stretch across her face, "I think I can
manage you."
"Well, thank you very much. It's nice to know my
wife-to-be thinks she'll have me well in hand."
"You're welcome." Rei tossed her head. Then she
laughed at the look on his face. "You're so charming when you're
indignant, you know that?"
Jadeite sighed and shook his head. "Rei, you have
barely been here a day and you're already picking on me." He leaned up
against the trunk of the willow tree and surveyed her ruefully.
"You started it," she shot back, completely
unperturbed.
"Did not."
"Did too."
Jadeite glared at her teasingly. "You'd better show
some respect for your soon-to-be husband, dearest."
Rei batted her long eyelashes innocently. "Jade, I
wouldn't dream of doing anything else."
He studied her a moment, fighting a smile. He lost
terribly. "Of course you wouldn't." He kissed her once more and then
said lightly, "I think we'd best find our chaperones. They're likely to
become agitated if we're out of their sight too much longer." He grinned
crookedly. "Can't imagine why, myself."
Rei gave him a look as she tucked her arm through his.
"I'm sure you can't," she said dryly.
He simply laughed and they returned to the path in
silence, happy to be near each other again.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I'm not sure our oaks are anything to rival those
from Jupiter," Nephrite said in his rich voice, "but I'm sure you
will enjoy them, Princess."
Lita smiled at him. "I'm sure I shall." In a
lower voice she added, "I've missed you."
He returned her smile, and while he said nothing, his eyes
told her he had missed her too. After a short while, they reached the edge of
the garden, where a stately line of old oaks guarded the wall. Lita let out a
gasp of pleasure and tugged Nephrite along behind her as she left the stone
path to lay a reverent palm on the rough bark.
"They look the same," she said softly.
"Slightly smaller, but very similar."
Nephrite chuckled. "I'm glad to hear it."
Lita patted the tree once more and allowed Nephrite to
continue their tour of the garden. Their chaperones dropped back to a
respectful distance, allowing the two a chance to talk.
Nephrite was dying to ignore protocol and wrap his arms
around Lita, but he contented himself with pressing his hand tightly against
hers where it lay tucked through the crook of his arm. He smiled. "I told
you we'd meet again, didn't I?"
Lita laughed and her grip on his arm tightened. "You
did. Oh, Neph, I’m so happy this is the way things
have turned out."
A light breeze ruffled his wavy brown hair as he looked
down at her. "You won't miss the Moon? Jupiter? Your family?"
Lita considered his words. After a moment she said slowly,
"I practically grew up on the Moon—with the girls. And the girls will be
here too, so it's not exactly like I'm leaving everything familiar
behind." She gave him a roguish smile and a wink. "As for my family
on Jupiter….well, we can always visit them."
"I suppose we can."
His tone held a hint of doubt and Lita's face fell.
"You're not really pleased about this are you?"
Nephrite glanced over at her in shock. "Lita!"
he exclaimed, "What gives you that crazy idea? I'm delighted about
marrying you. I love you and I am more than happy to be spending the rest of my
life with you."
"Truly?" The uncertain wistfulness behind her
words stopped him short.
Nephrite caught her hands and gazed at her intently, his
cobalt blue eyes serious. "Yes, Lita. Truly. I beg your pardon for causing
you any concern. I was merely…a little overwhelmed at the thought of going to
Jupiter." He smiled ruefully. "As yet, the farthest I've been from
Earth is the Moon."
Lita brightened considerably. "Oh, I see."
Ignoring the rather interested eyes watching them, the stargazer
pulled a little bag from inside his jacket. "I have something for you.
Close your eyes and hold out your hand."
Lita gave him a questioning smile, but did as he directed.
Carefully, he dropped the contents of the bag one by one
into her outstretched palm and closed her fingers over them. "Your wedding
present."
Lita opened her eyes and looked down. She let out a tiny
gasp of surprise. In her hand lay two sparkling rose earrings shaped from pink
quartz. She turned them over in delight before looking up at Nephrite with
stars in her eyes. "Oh, Neph! They're beautiful!
Thank you!"
He smiled, pleased that she liked them. "I had them
made for you after the King announced we would be wed."
She immediately placed them in her ears, removing the
emerald studs that had been there before. "What do you think?"
"They only add to your beauty," he said softly,
tilting her face from one side to the other with gentle fingers.
Lita would have very much liked to throw her arms around
his neck, but they had a highly interested audience. She contented herself with
giving him a warm smile instead.
Nephrite's eyes twinkled and he said in a low voice,
"Don't worry, Princess. Soon we won't need the chaperones anymore."
Lita blushed and they continued on again, chatting lightly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Endymion had been looking forward to seeing the delight on
Serenity's face when she saw the rose garden in full bloom. He was not
disappointed. She dashed around the garden in raptures of delight, and the joy
the flowers brought her made his heart swell with love and pride.
After a while, she rejoined him and began to ask questions
about the garden, which he happily answered.
He took her to see other flowers native to Earth, such as
the lily and orchids. As she bent over a patch of delicate violets, Endymion
reflected again, in amazement, that this golden angel was going to be his for
the rest of their lives.
Serenity rose to her feet and gave him a brilliant smile.
"I really think I'm going to love living here with you, Endy," she
declared.
"Because we have roses?" he asked teasingly.
She laughed. "Of course."
He placed a hand over his heart, blue eyes twinkling.
"You wound me, Princess. All this time I've been under the impression that
I was your sole motivation."
Serenity laughed again and tucked her left arm through the
crook of his right. She tapped her chin thoughtfully with a finger of her free
hand. "Of course," she said in a mock serious voice, "There is
something to be said for having a handsome young Prince steal your heart
away."
"I promise to take good care of it, Princess."
She smiled up at him. "I know you will."
Endymion gave her an answering smile before pulling a
perfect red rose out of thin air with a flourish. His body concealed the
gesture from the discreet chaperones, and assured they would not know where it
had come from, he presented it to Serenity. "For today," he said
softly.
Still smiling, her cheeks flushed a rosy pink, Serenity
threaded the flower into her hair. "You're sweet, Endy."
"I try."
She laughed, a merry, silvery, tinkling sound that rang
out in the quiet garden. "I'd hate to be on your bad side," she said
teasingly.
Endymion shook his head. "You'll never be on my bad
side."
Serenity gave him an arch look. "Are you sure of
that? Suppose we have an argument? You know I can be quite stubborn when I put
my mind to it." She attempted to look stern but failed miserably.
Endymion laughed. "And suppose one day my nose turns
orange and falls off?" he countered smoothly.
The diminutive blonde looked at him uncertainly.
"Surely that can't happen." She thought he was jesting—he must be—but
still…there was no telling what unusual things happened on Earth. Her eyes
probed his face anxiously. "You look much better with your nose the way it
is."
Endymion couldn't help himself and burst out laughing.
"Serenity, I was joking."
"Oh." Serenity hid her embarrassment under a
hearty laugh, but her fiancé saw through it.
Endymion took her hands in his and gave them a gentle
squeeze. "Don't be upset. I was merely trying to illustrate that the 'what
if's' are pointless. I don't think you and I could
ever have a truly serious disagreement."
Serenity glanced down. "I was worried because I
wasn't sure if that was something that could actually happen on Earth."
She sighed and said quietly, "I should have studied more. I don't know
much about these kinds of things—I—I'll do my best to learn more for you,
Endy."
Endymion took her by the shoulders and forced her to meet
his eyes. "Don't change, Serenity. Everyone who knows you loves you for
the way you are. Don't feel badly. Book leaning isn't everything." He
quirked a half-smile. "There are some things books can't teach."
"What do you mean?"
"Serenity, I've never met anyone who rivals your
talent for making people feel better. You know when someone is hurting and you
try to make things right." He shook his head. "You just seem to
brighten up everything around you."
Tears glistened in her blue eyes. "Endy…" she
whispered. "Thank you. I needed to hear that."
He grinned at her crookedly. "I know." They
looked at each other for a long moment before an unexpected cough from one of
their chaperones broke the spell. They started off again, but not before
Endymion had murmured softly, "I love you, Princess."
Serenity gave him another brilliant smile that spoke, at
that moment, louder than all the words in the world.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ami and Zoicite walked comfortably down the halls, earnestly
discussing the pros and cons of the newly signed treaty between Earth and the
Moon. Their chaperones eyed each other, and then the couple in surprise. This
was not exactly the conversation they had expected to overhear. Not that they
had any intentions of eavesdropping, of course.
"Really, Zoi," Ami said with a shake of her
head, "I was very surprised to hear that marriage was the only condition
either side placed on Earth's induction into the Alliance."
Zoicite conceded the point. "However, I think things
have turned out for the best, wouldn’t you agree?" He brushed a few
strands of red-gold hair out of his face and studied her intently.
The blue-haired Mercurian princess blushed under his
scrutiny. "I do," she murmured.
"You do what?" he asked playfully.
"I agree with you," she clarified, giving him a
suspicious look.
"Oh. I thought you were practicing for our wedding
vows," he said slyly. There was something absolutely fascinating about
watching her turn bright pink.
To his surprise, Ami did not fall into the trap. She
merely shook her head. "No, I've already done that."
Zoicite stared at her in amusement. "Do you mean to
tell me," he demanded in a low voice calculated not to carry to their
chaperones, "That you've already rehearsed our wedding?"
She looked taken aback. "I haven't rehearsed,"
she protested defensively, "I simply memorized my vows so I wouldn't panic
at the altar." She realized her voice had risen loudly and flushed pink.
"I'm sorry," Zoicite said quietly. "I was
jesting with you."
"You're forgiven." Ami's embarrassment faded and
she gave him a smile.
They walked on in silence for another few moments until
they came to a pair of wide doors at the end of a long hall. "This, my
lady, is the library," Zoicite announced as he opened the door and held it
for her to enter.
He glanced over his shoulder and noted that the member of
the Terran Court assigned to chaperone them (he never could remember that
woman's name) looked mildly taken aback to find him escorting his bride-to-be
into the library. He doubted she had even known where the library was to begin
with. The Lunarian chaperone, on the other hand, did not seem surprised at all.
Drawn by the allure of the books waiting for her, Ami floated
through the door. Zoicite paused on the threshold. He looked straight at the
Lunarian woman and shook his head, praying she would understand the
significance of the room he was showing Ami. Apparently she did, because she
spoke in a low voice to her companion and the two took up a position in the
doorway instead of entering.
"Oh, my." Ami looked around in wide-eyed
delight. She needn't have worried about whether or not she would have reading
material on Earth. The library was not as large as the one in the Moon Palace,
but it spanned the length and breadth of several large rooms. It was also
completely full of books. Shelves stretched all the way to the high ceiling and
towering bookcases in the center of the room allowed for more.
Zoicite grinned broadly as he sauntered up next to her, a
thoroughly satisfied air about him. "I thought you'd like it. You can come
in here whenever you like."
Ami reached out to reverently touch the spine of the
closest book, a red leather and gold embossed affair, before turning to him
with sparkling eyes. "I really think I'm going to love living here,
Zoi." She hesitated, and then confessed, "I was half afraid I
wouldn't find anything to read."
"I can assure you, Princess, you needn't worry about
that."
Zoicite watched her wander around examining the books for
a few minutes before saying lightly, belying the wistful anxiety in his leaf
green eyes, "Are you sure you wish to marry me, Ami?" A wave of doubt
had suddenly crashed over him. He took half a step forward. "I won't make
you if you don't wish it—I'll explain things to the King and Queen." He
took a breath and said steadily, "I want you to be happy, Ami, whatever it
takes."
Ami's eyes widened at his words, catching the anxious
undertone. "I am happy, Zoi," she said earnestly, moving to
take his hands in hers. "I've looked forward so much to coming here to be
with you. You're the only man I've ever met who doesn’t think I'm insane for
reading so much and wanting to learn about all these things. Even on Mercury I'm
considered a bit of an oddity." She looked up at him shyly. "I love
you."
Zoicite's heart swelled with happiness until he thought it
would probably burst out of his chest. He brushed a kiss over her cheek and
said softly, "You, love, are the first woman I've ever met who would
rather read than dance! You've got a brain and you actually use it. Do you know
how rare that is?"
Ami blushed crimson.
He laughed and pulled her into a hug, dropping a kiss on
the top of her head. "I'm glad you are pleased with the library. It was my
refuge for a long time." He tucked a lock of blue hair behind her ear, his
hand lingering to frame her face. "I think we'll be happy, Ami."
"I think you're right."
Zoicite tilted her face up and kissed her softly. "I
love you," he murmured in her ear.
Then, with a reluctant air, he said, "We'd best get
back to the chaperones."
Ami smiled dreamily and straightened his collar. "I
love you too."
He sketched an airy bow. "Well, my princess, now that
you have learned where that place of greatest importance, the library, is
located, shall I show you the rest of the palace?"
Ami tucked her arm through his and laughed. "That
would be lovely."
"Very well then. Off we go." They passed through
the door and into the hall, where their chaperones began to follow them once
more, deliberately ignoring the rosy flush in Ami's cheeks.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, having successfully avoided Malachite all day,
Mina lay in her bed and stared at up at the paneled ceiling. She was in a guest
room for tonight and the next night, but knew she would naturally be moving in
with Malachite after the wedding. The blonde suppressed a shudder. She was not
looking forward to that. Clearly Malachite shared the sentiment—he must, if he
couldn’t even stand to look at her. She had noticed how he had steadfastly
ignored her presence.
She lay awake that night until she couldn't keep her eyes
open any longer, desperately running over plans of escape, each more wild than
the one before it. It was a vain pursuit and she knew it. The matter went
beyond her duties as a princess marrying a high-ranking member of a foreign
world's court to cement the relationship between their worlds. She was a
soldier and she had been given an order to protect Serenity at all cost. She
would do her duty, even if it killed her. Which, she reflected grimly, it
probably would. For a Venusian, there were few fates worse than being forced
into a marriage where there was no love.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Whee! Things are progressing.
Coming soon...the weddings...and things just don't get easier for poor Mina and
Mal.