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For Love...or Duty by Sapphiregirl

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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

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For Love......or Duty

Part 4

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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."

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.



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