For Love...or Duty by Sapphiregirl

Part 5: Wedding Bell Blues

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: Just by way of explanation, this one has very little of anyone but Mina and Mal. The others are there of course, but for the most part, they're on the back burner. (Can't you hear Jade yelling about how hot it is? Oh, wait, it's not because of the burner—he's screaming 'cause Rei just fried him. Thanks, Rei! You saved me the trouble!) And, yes, today is the BIG DAY.

Special thanks again go to Dejana Talis for being an amazing beta-reader. A lot of the plot holes in the original version of FLOD have been fixed thanks to her.

With that said, onward!

"Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD." Proverbs 19:14

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

For Love or Duty

Part 5:

Wedding Bell Blues

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The most anticipated wedding day in Earth's history dawned bright and clear, promising to be truly gorgeous. Mina stood transfixed at her window, watching the eastern sky. She had never seen such a delicate pink tinge the horizon before; the Moon lacked sufficient atmosphere for truly glorious sunrises or sunsets, and the skies of her own planet were more orange than pink.

Her hands clenched the windowsill convulsively as her attempt to distract herself with the sunrise failed. As hard as she tried to ignore it, she was all too aware of the dress displayed in the corner of the room, taunting her. Mina was too proud to admit to anyone that she was terrified, but it was true. She had not slept well the night before and had tossed and turned as rest evaded her, the dress a reminder of the horror to come.

What with last minute preparations and dress alterations (Mina had not been eating as much and her wedding gown was loose), the past two days had gone by far too quickly. Her hesitancy to discuss Malachite with anyone had been noticed by the ladies of the King and Queen's court, but they excused her behavior as a case of shyness. Mina knew the excuse had outlived its usefulness; from today on, she was expected to be a happy bride.

Mina was confident she could play the part well enough to fool casual observers, though she knew she wouldn't be able to fool the girls for long…or even Malachite. But this morning marked a turning point in her life; it was the last time she would be able to truly be herself. After today, Mina was embarking on the greatest charade of her life.

She continued to watch the sky as she considered their itinerary for the day. The weddings were to be held in the mid-afternoon with a feast afterwards. A huge ball was to take place that night. Mina sighed, her eyes solemn. It was going to be a long, taxing day.

What I wouldn't do for a good training session right now, she thought wistfully, though she knew it was entirely out of the question. She wouldn't have any more training sessions—unless there was a way to do them on the sly—until the Queen released the Senshi from their oath of secrecy. Mina rubbed her forehead tiredly. She doubted there could be much on Earth to cause problems, but were something to happened, that oath would be a source of great frustration.

She drummed her fingers against the windowsill.  In some respects, it's a good thing I don't have to tell Malachite who Sailor Venus really is. He'd faint. The thought of him collapsing to the floor in shock sent Mina into a gale of laughter, but she sobered all too quickly. And then he would never speak to me again. The thought was not pleasant, given that they would be bound to each other for the rest of their lives.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," she called, turning away from the window.

A dark-haired girl in a trim maid's uniform entered the room with a tray of food. She looked rather surprised to see Mina already awake, but immediately dropped a curtsey. "Good morning, Your Highness. Her Majesty thought you might want to enjoy your meal in peace and sends this to you with her compliments."

Mina gave her a smile. "Thank you."

The girl ducked her head politely and set the tray on the small table in one corner of the room. "Is there anything else you require, Princess?"

Mina shook her head. "You may go."

The maid curtseyed again and departed.

With a sigh, Mina settled down and attempted to eat, but she merely picked at her food. Though it looked delicious, knowledge of the sacrifice she would be making that day had destroyed her appetite.

Across the palace, her intended was in the same dour mood.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I'm doomed, Malachite thought bitterly, looking on in the room he was henceforth to share with Princess Mina. He had not slept well the night before, in part because he had refused to sleep in the larger, ornate bed henceforth intended for the two of them. It had been much easier, though not nearly as comfortable, to make up a pallet on the floor instead.

He considered himself fortunate to have avoided Mina for two days, but he wouldn't be able to stay away from her forever. Running a hand irritably through his silver locks, Malachite strode from his bedroom into his study and collapsed into the chair before his desk. He stared out the window blankly.

Just what I need. A crazy woman to look after on top of everything else. Malachite glanced back over his shoulder at the bedchamber. There was absolutely no way he would share a room with that—that…incredibly beautiful woman, the rebellious part of his mind supplied helpfully. He growled. Stay out of it. He didn’t care what anyone thought; he wasn't sharing a room with her. It implied he condoned the situation, which was about as far from the case as could possibly be.

The silver-haired First General drummed his fingers against the desk. He had to figure out something quickly. When the Third Steward summarily rearranged his quarters, bringing in the things Mina had brought with her, presumably from Venus, and setting everything up, Malachite had been unable to find a polite way to tell the man he didn't intend to share a room with his wife. Unfortunately, it left him scrambling for a solution at the last minute.

What am I going to do with her? Send her back to Venus? Malachite chuckled mirthlessly. I wish. Unfortunately that's completely out of the question.  He glanced around his study again, noting its size, and then his eyes settled on the door to his bedchamber.

His lavender eyes widened as an idea struck him. "That's it!" He jumped to his feet and began to pace the floor.

He had two options when it came to dealing with Mina. One involved procuring larger quarters with enough space for them both to have separate bedchambers and a common room, but a move to different quarters would mean he wouldn't be on the same hall as Endymion and the rest of the Generals. It will also, he thought grimly, be a very public process. The second, more feasible idea, involved giving the bedchamber to Mina and converting his study into his own bedchamber. Malachite smiled tightly. It would serve the dual purpose of keeping her out of his way and keeping her safe.

Perfect.

His energy renewed, Malachite went back into his bedchamber and looked around thoughtfully. Almost everything in the room either belonged to Mina or would soon belong to her. Nodding to himself, he left and went in search of two servants he knew to be both reliable and discreet.

He found them helping the kitchen staff carry loads of foodstuffs into the palace. As soon as they caught sight of him, they stopped what they were doing and hurried over to him. "My lord?" they said together, bowing respectfully.

"Jacobe, Tobias, I want the two of you to locate the furniture the Third Steward removed from my quarters yesterday and take it back. Arrange it in my study in the most expedient manner."

"Yes, my lord."

Malachite gave them the short list of things he wanted found and then directed them to move certain items from his bedchambers into the study. "And for heaven's sake be careful," he finished irritably. "The last thing I need is for some priceless object to be broken."

"Of course, my lord," Jacobe said smoothly. "It will be done."

"Good." With that, Malachite strode off to inspect the guards and take care of a few things before the wedding ceremony.

Tobias and Jacobe exchanged glances behind his back.

"None of our business, you know, but I wonder why the General wants his old bed back?" Tobias said in a puzzled voice, scratching his mop of red hair.

His brown-haired companion straightened his uniform and shrugged. "I don't know."

"All the rumors I've heard say that the Generals and those Princesses are madly in love."

Jacobe laughed sharply. "Does General Malachite look like a man madly in love?" Tobias was a good fellow, but he was too much of a romantic for his own good. It was Jacobe's own firm opinion that the First General was not at all pleased with the arrangement.

"No, but—" Tobias protested.

"Toby," Jacobe said sternly, "If I were you, I'd drop it." He clapped his crestfallen friend on the shoulder. "Let's hop to it. No need to inconvenience the General further."

"Right."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mina was standing by the window again when the maid returned to pick up her tray. She had absolutely nothing to do until the dressing ritual began and the silent room reflected her mood.

"You didn't eat very much, Princess Mina," the maid said in a half-disapproving, half-worried voice. "That's not good for you."

"I'm not hungry."

The maid's expression cleared and she nodded knowingly. "Butterflies in your stomach?" she asked. "I had them before I married my husband." She flushed and looked down. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I’m talking out of turn, I know."

"That's all right," Mina said, willing cheerfulness to return to her voice. She turned to look at the maid and smiled. "I don't mind. How long have you been married?"

The maid blushed again. "Six months," she murmured.

"That's wonderful. It's obvious you're very happy together."

"We love each other, Princess."

Mina was silent for a moment, reflecting on that thought. Abruptly, she roused herself and asked, "Do you know if the other princesses are awake yet?"

"Yes, Your Highness. They are."

"Thank you." Mina glanced over in the corner where her wedding dress stood ready, and the maid, considering herself dismissed, vanished with the breakfast tray. Mina stepped closer to the silky, heavily embroidered creation and ran a finger across the intricately beaded bodice. Love. How I wish I was marrying for love today.

She shook her head. No use crying over frozen milk. Time to make sure Serenity hasn't gone back to sleep or she'll miss her wedding. The thought brought a smile to her face. Determined to be cheerful, Mina left the room and drifted down the hall to Serenity's temporary quarters.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Not surprisingly, the process of getting ready for their weddings began many hours before the actual event. Serenity's quarters, being the largest, had been chosen as the staging ground and her rooms were full of maids, seamstresses, ladies of the court, and other newcomers busily performing their tasks. The princesses were bathed, perfumed, and laced into their undergarments. Serenity's long hair was exclaimed over by the Terran women, who had never seen hair of that length before, while Ami's hair astonished them because of its color.

Mina stood very still as the buttons on her lovely white dress were done up one by one. How many of them are there? she wondered, fighting the urge to fidget a half-hour later. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Rei and Lita both being buttoned up as well.

"Ginevra," Rei said, a slightly desperate edge in her voice, "My knees are about to lock up."

Her maid murmured an apology and her fingers flew even faster down the back of Rei's dress. A moment later, she stepped away. "It is finished, Your Highness."

"Oh, thank goodness." Rei sank down gingerly onto the edge of the closest chair and stretched her legs as best she could.

Lita and Mina laughed, while Serenity and Ami, who could see each other, exchanged amused glances. "Not worn out already, are you, Rei?" Serenity asked teasingly.

Rei gave the back of the Moon Princess's head a withering look. "Of course not," she said primly.

Conversation continued, and out of all of them, Mina appeared to be the most excited. She laughed and chattered gaily, deftly deflecting any discussion from herself and more than adequately hiding the fact that she felt like she was breaking inside. By the end of the afternoon, however, as she watched two maids settled her shimmering veil into place, her giddiness had vanished. Her heart and mind were both numb and everything began to take on the dreamlike quality of a particularly bad nightmare.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zoicite's already jangled nerves were stretched to the breaking point when Jadeite burst into his chambers unexpectedly.

"Zoi, I need a comb! I can't find mine." His blue eyes were as wild as his unruly blond hair, which surprised Zoicite. Jadeite was usually very much in control of himself.

"What happened to yours?" Zoicite said as he fished a comb from a drawer and tossed it to his friend.

"I don't know. It just disappeared." Jadeite began attacking his hair and Zoicite winced.

"Jade, if you keep doing that, you're going to pull all your hair out by the roots and end up bald."

The blond man shot him a scornful look. "I doubt it. You're just jealous your hair isn't this easy to take care of." He glanced in the mirror and smiled in satisfaction, "Finally." He handed the comb back to the Third General. "Thank you." Then he was gone.

Zoicite shook his head and looked in the mirror. He frowned as he saw several strands of hair that had slipped out of his ponytail. Grimacing, he pulled his curly hair back again. Stay, he commanded it silently. He braced his hands on the wall and took a deep breath. Don't panic. Don't panic. There's nothing to panic about. You're marrying the girl of your dreams in a little while.  He nearly choked as a hand came suddenly down on his shoulder and he whirled around.

"Jumpy today, aren't we?" Nephrite said, a smirk clearly evident on his face.

"Don't do that." Zoicite glared at him, green sparks all but shooting from his eyes.

"Calm down, Zoi," the brown-haired man told him evenly. "We're just getting married."

Zoicite's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Just getting married?" he spluttered, "JUST getting MARRIED? Nephrite, do you have any idea how SERIOUS this is?!"

"It's not worth panicking over." Nephrite glanced in the mirror and adjusted his collar, somehow managing to keep a straight face. No need to tell Zoicite he'd already done all of his panicking.

Even though he was a good distance down the hall—the Generals' quarters were on the same corridor, with Endymion's chambers up the stairs—Malachite could hear Zoicite and Nephrite's exchange. He shook his head. Some things never change. Those two would be verbally sparring until the end of time.

Ignoring the commotion, Malachite slipped into his wedding jacket. He was wearing a formal version of his regular uniform; white with turquoise and gold trim in honor of the occasion. As usual, he left the top button undone—perhaps his only protest against his life of dull, stiff formalities. He glanced in the mirror and laughed shortly. Silver hair, white clothes, he could almost disappear if he stood against a white wall. He half-wished he could.

Face impassive, he went in search of Endymion, and found him leaning on his balcony, staring down at the rose garden with a pensive air about him. "Endymion, are you well?"

The Prince turned and grinned crookedly. "I'm fine, Mal. Just thinking." The ebony-haired man turned his attention back to the garden.

"Cold feet?" Malachite suggested wryly.

Endymion laughed. "Not at all. I've been looking forward to this for a long time. You?"

Malachite froze for a moment. How could he say he had been dreading this day for months? Aloud, he said smoothly, "I'm fine, your Highness."

"Mal, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Endy? We've only known each other all of my life. You're too formal." Endymion clapped him on the back jovially.

The silver-haired General bowed, accepting the good-natured chastisement. "My apologies, Endy. If you'll excuse me?" He left, and the Prince went back to his contemplation of the garden, a dreamy smile on his lips.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Earth's capital city, Terra, was packed with as many people as could possibly squeeze themselves within its gates. The church where the ceremonies were to be held was full to capacity, with thousands more people lining the streets. The Princesses were escorted to the chapel by a Lunarian Guard Queen Selenity had brought with her. Serenity waved enthusiastically to the curious, awestruck crowds that pushed and shoved against each other for a better look at the off-worlders.

As she and the others took their places inside, Mina caught a glimpse of her mother, who was seated at the front with the rest of the visiting royalty. The Venusian Queen's long-time advisor Artemis would walk Mina down the aisle. She thought briefly of her father, who had died of a sudden illness when she was four and really too young to remember him. Artemis had become her surrogate father in many respects and it was only natural he should have the honor of delivering her to Malachite.

Queen Selenity and Serenity, who was positively radiant, glided arm in arm down the aisle to where Endymion stood waiting for her. The Queen gravely handed her daughter to the Terran prince and took her place off to the side opposite Endymion's parents.

"It's your turn now," Artemis said in a low, comforting voice, as he patted her arm. He knew she wasn't happy, but there wasn't anything to be done about it now. They stared down the aisle and Mina mustered a serene smile as he walked her to her doom, thankful for his presence. She came to a halt beside Malachite and stood tall, though she barely reached his shoulder.

His face was as stern as ever, but inside, Malachite was experiencing a flood of different emotions. His first thought, upon seeing Mina in her wedding gown, was a heartfelt, She's beautiful. On the heels of that thought came another, one of regret that he and his bride had no common interests. He glanced sideways at Mina's veiled face. Though obscured by the lacy veil, he could see the tense set of her jaw. He wondered if she was nervous and then shoved the thought away, wishing yet again that he didn't have to go through with this charade.

Lita floated down the aisle next, on the arm of her tall father, whose usual jovial manner was slightly subdued. Ami and Rei followed her. The King of Mercury seemed to be quite at ease, while Rei's father radiated suppressed tension beneath his stoic façade. One by one, the three brides took their places beside Nephrite, Zoicite, and Jadeite, who could not quite hide their awe.

"Hello, beautiful," Jadeite murmured under his breath, fully aware that he ran the risk of Rei's father, who stood a short distance away, overhearing him.

Rei gave him a sideways glare beneath her veil. "Behave," she said in a whisper, lips barely moving.

Jadeite held back a smirk.

As the ceremony began, Mina struggled to keep a peaceful expression on her face. She wanted to run—she wanted to leave Earth and never return. This was the death of all her hopes and dreams—the point of no return. She swallowed and forced herself to breathe. Of course, there was also the fact that standing in such close proximity to Malachite had elevated her heartbeat and she wasn't entirely sure it was from anxiety. The elusiveness of her reaction unnerved her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I do." Malachite's deep voice was quiet, though it echoed loudly in the still chapel. He considered the magnitude of what he'd just agreed to uphold and fought to keep a crushing wave of despair from washing over him. Until death do us part. He was well and truly trapped now.

The chaplain repeated the marriage vow and looked expectantly at Mina.

Mina swallowed the lump in her throat. There was no question of what she would say. She was a soldier. She was strong. The eloquent words that would bind her to Malachite came out in a steady voice, belying the way her knees were trembling.

At long last, the chaplain announced in a clear, ringing voice, "I pronounce these couples man and wife. You may each kiss your bride."

Malachite slowly lifted Mina's veil. Her face was solemn, something he hadn't quite expected from her, and her eyes briefly held a trace of something he couldn't identify before it was wiped away. Sadness? Resignation? Fear?  He leaned forward and quickly brushed his lips against hers.

It was as if a spark ignited between them.

Startled, Malachite pulled back and stared at her, searching for the meaning of that spark. She met his gaze with a look of surprise as profound as his own. Belatedly, he realized he was still staring and took her arm, turning so they both faced the crowd seated in the church. A huge cheer went up, shaking the very foundation of the building.

Amidst the haze still enveloping him, it suddenly occurred to Malachite that he could have—probably should have, given what had just happened—kissed Mina's cheek. He closed his eyes briefly. He had intended to do so but… just once, he had wanted to know what kissing her was like.

Shaking off the daze precipitated by Malachite's brief caress, Mina's eyes filled with tears at the cheers and joyous shouts and she angrily blinked them away. She had always dreamed of her marriage being a happy thing, and yet here she was, quite miserable. She cast a glance to either side of her. The auras surrounding her friends were so strong she could almost see the colors swirling around them and she felt a heavy weight press on her chest. She did her best to put her happy mask back on as they walked down the aisle together behind Endymion and Serenity and if a few tears slipped through, no one noticed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mina managed to make it through the feast with little trouble, but as the opening of the ball drew near, her stomach dropped all the way down to her toes and refused to return. She was quite sure Malachite would dance with her once—the required and expected dance—but she was by no means convinced that he would spend any more time with her than absolutely necessary. She would, for all practices and purposes, be ignored yet again and it stung.

Then there was the troubling fact that she could not quite convince herself that there was no connection between them. He had felt something too when he kissed her— the surprised look on his face was a dead giveaway. Sipping a glass of wine and looking everywhere but at Malachite, who was seated next to her, Mina wondered if his lips still tingled, and if he had been left with butterflies in his stomach. Taking another hasty gulp, she pushed the thought away. He couldn't stand her. What was the point of bothering about it when it was so unlikely they would ever kiss again?

At the end of the feast, King Edward stood and motioned for silence. When the Great Hall quieted, he smiled broadly and spread his arms. "Let the dance begin!"

There was a mass exodus to the ballroom. Laughing, Endymion and Serenity moved onto the floor as the orchestra began to play, waltzing together comfortably. The other newlyweds were to follow them for this first dance as husband and wife, while the Terran Court and all the visiting planetary Royalty watched and smiled their approval.

Malachite suppressed a sigh and turned to Mina. He held out a gloved hand. "Princess?"

She met his eyes, trying to tamp down the hope that persisted in rising, and placed her hand in his. "General."

Malachite swept her out onto the floor easily enough, but he seemed no more at ease dancing with her now then he had six months before. Mina thought the whole thing exceedingly frustrating. He kept her at arms' length and his gaze focused somewhere beyond her, making normal eye contact impossible. She found herself staring at the white material of his jacket for the duration of the dance because she wasn't tall enough to see over his shoulder.

 All in all, it was extremely frustrating.

She's so quiet, Malachite mused, risking a glance down at her after a moment. He had quite expected his new wife to be talking his ear off by now, filling the void of his silence with inane chatter. Maybe she's still in shock. The music faded away and he dropped her hand, fully intending to leave, but he was startled by the way she seemed to have anticipated his rejection.

Mina turned away at the end of the song, head high and a smile on her lips. She sent a casual glance around the ballroom and her eyes came to rest on Serenity and Endymion, who were laughing and whispering to each other. Her smile softened. It was truly wonderful to see the Princess so happy. She looked towards the front of the ballroom, where her mother sat with the other royalty, unaware of the wistful glimmer that flashed through her eyes.

Malachite caught her expression and his insides began to churn guiltily. He felt a burst of anger towards himself. When the first strains of the next song floated through the air, he took Mina's hand and pulled her out onto the dance floor again, ignoring the fleeting look of surprise she gave him. She had only expected one dance—perhaps a second would allay the guilt he felt for refusing to play the dedicated husband on this their wedding night.

When the dance ended, he led her to the edge of the ballroom floor and said stiffly, "Would you care for a glass of wine, Princess?"

She looked up at him, blue eyes meeting lavender. "I would, thank you."

He walked away, leaving her there to watch the couples dipping and swirling gracefully on the polished stone floor. Mina could feel the love in the ballroom; she could all but see its tendrils curling about everyone. At that moment, she felt so old, much older than a girl of nineteen had any right to feel.

"Excuse me, Princess Mina?" a male voice broke into her thoughts.

Mina turned. Behind her stood a Terran noble wearing a faintly hopeful expression. He bowed. "May I have the honor of this dance?"

Mina smiled warmly. "Thank you, sir, but I'm waiting for my husband." The word felt strange coming off of her tongue, but she forced it out anyway. "He should be back shortly. But I do thank you."

Malachite, returning from the other side, saw the noble approach his wife and stiffened. He saw her warm smile, and the faintest stirrings of jealousy accosted him. She had not smiled so at him. Not that he wanted her to, of course, he swiftly reminded himself. By then he had come close enough to hear her words and to watch the noble murmur an apology and disappear from sight.

Mina stood silently after the man's departure, scanning the crowd discreetly for her silver-haired husband. Whether she liked him or not, he was the only person in her immediate vicinity who was familiar in any way, shape, or form.

Malachite watched her for a moment, the goblets he held forgotten momentarily as he tried to figure out her behavior. She had refused to dance because he was coming back and he knew how much she loved to dance. Was she merely following some royal protocol? Did she for some reason not want to dance with that young man? Or did she sincerely mean to wait for him?

He came up beside her and handed her one of the goblets. "Princess." He was slightly taken aback by the way her eyes brightened when she saw him.

"Thank you." Mina accepted it and sipped gratefully.

"May I have this dance, Princess Mina?"

She turned to find King Edward behind her and quickly dropped a curtsey.

The King glanced at Malachite. "I'm going to steal your wife away for a moment," he said with a smile. "But I'll bring her back. I promise." Malachite inclined his head and they disappeared into the swirling maelstrom.

The General stared after them with folded arms, his wine quite forgotten. He could see the two of them dipping in and out and he watched as Mina seemed to come to life. She laughed and chatted with the King, performing all of the intricate steps with inherent grace.

King Edward gallantly returned Mina at the end of the dance and it was an awkward moment for the two of them. Mina was standing less than four feet from Malachite, yet it seemed as though an unfathomable chasm separated them. Malachite made no move towards her of any kind, and after a moment, the throng of eager young Terran nobles descended on Mina, each politely begging a dance.

Malachite's eyes met hers through the crowd, and then he turned away, vanishing from her sight. It did not surprise him in the least that other men wished to dance with her; in truth, he found it something of a relief. If she were otherwise occupied, he would not be expected to keep her entertained.

His deliberate snub rankled and Mina lifted her chin. She had been attempting to present to the universe a calm, if not deliriously happy, demeanor, but apparently her new husband had no such desire to protect his privacy. Fine, she though defiantly. If he won't stay here to keep some of these men off me, it must mean he won't mind if I dance the night away. He doesn't seem to care.

She gave a brilliant smile to the fellow lucky enough to have reached her first and allowed him to sweep her into a fast-paced waltz. She had no lack of partners after that and flitted gaily from one to the next the rest of the evening.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Queen Athena, who was seated beside Queen Selenity, watched the dancers curiously. She was pleased with the love that four of the newly wedded couples radiated, and could clearly see the intermingled auras that bespoke of soulmates, but she had difficulty locating her daughter.  When she found her, she saw how Mina blithely changed partners every dance and frowned. Where was Mina's husband? Surely he would at least be there to keep an eye on his prize.

"Selenity," she said in a low voice, leaning towards the Moon Queen ever so slightly, "Do you see my daughter's husband anywhere?"

Selenity peered around. "I don't see General Malachite," she said finally. "I'm sure he's here though."

Athena schooled her face into a neutral expression, not wanting to let the worry she felt show. If Mina and her husband weren't even dancing with each other on their wedding night, things must be worse than she had thought. It did however, give her an interesting look into Malachite's character, though for good or ill she could not yet say.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

By well past midnight, Mina had had enough. She was tired of dancing, especially since the one person she would have preferred be her partner could not be found.

Once, over the course of the evening, she had thought she caught a glimpse of Malachite and hastily excused herself from the knot of men surrounding her. At least she knew Malachite, and by this time the fact that he would not be inclined to dance with her was a blessing. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found when she reached the spot where he had stood. Exasperated, she had allowed herself to be led back onto the ballroom floor for another hour.

Now, she steadfastly refused all offers to dance and sat down gratefully, fanning her face. She needed to rest a moment. A servant brought her a goblet of wine and she sipped it slowly, still searching among the throng of people for her husband. The moment stretched into a half-hour, and the half-hour into an hour.

He's not coming back for me, she thought tiredly. I was an idiot to wait this long thinking he would. She rose to her feet. Clearly, Malachite was not going to make any attempts to woo her. Slipping out of the ballroom was difficult, given her popularity, but she managed, pointing a few suitable people towards each other in the process.

Once out in the deserted corridor, she hesitated. Perhaps it would be best to head back to the chambers she had been given for the past few days. She did not particularly want to go wandering about searching for Malachite—it was a situation that could easily be misconstrued. Mina was only too well aware of the devastation rumor mills could wreak.

Mina made her way down the corridors slowly, a fairy-like creature drifting through the palace in her wedding dress. Faint strains of music and laughter followed her. When she reached her room, she pushed the door open carelessly and stepped over the threshold, where she stopped short.

Dimly lit by the silver moonlight streaming through the window, she could see that the room had been emptied of all her personal belongings. She held back a sigh. Ah, well, it wasn't like she really needed those things anyway. Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she said softly to the empty room, "I wonder if anyone will notice if I sleep in here tonight."

"They'll notice," a deep voice said from behind her.

Startled, Mina spun around.

Malachite stood in the doorway, his posture stiff and uninviting. "Had enough dancing?" he asked dryly. He had seen Mina leave the ballroom and followed her out of curiosity and an unwilling sense of propriety.

"Yes," Mina snapped, her irritation at being left alone on the dance floor and at the ease with which he had crept up on her bleeding through the light tone of her voice.

He raised his eyebrow slightly at her tone. "Follow me, Princess." He turned and waited for her to join him before starting off. He led her through a number of halls and corridors and up a flight of stairs until they reached the south wing of the palace, where the noise from the ballroom were inaudible. It was dark; the way lit only by torches mounted on the wall at regular intervals.

Mina was tired, but not too tired to realize that this was the part of the day she had dreaded the most. With each step she took closer to her new living quarters, her heart thumped painfully, beating so loudly she was afraid he would hear it. Despite herself, an icy trickle of fear spiked through her.  Her wedding night was supposed to be special…not…not… She swallowed, her mouth dry. Surely he wouldn't expect… She cut her train of thought off before it could progress any further.

As they continued on in silence, she regained control of herself. Whatever Malachite's opinions of me and women in general seem to be, he's a gentleman. He wouldn't do that to me. She darted a glance at his stern profile. Somehow…I know he wouldn't do that.

"Here we are," Malachite announced—the first words he'd spoken since they left the guest quarters on the other side of the palace. He opened a heavy wooden door which protested noisily and motioned for her to enter. She noted that the door was located to one side of a simple stone staircase leading up to the third floor of the palace.

"Thank you." The words came automatically as Mina regally brushed past him into the room. She recognized it immediately as a soldier's room. Sparse, clean, tidy, but not a room that looked really lived in; everything from the desk to the narrow bed in the corner was precisely as it should be. Her heart jumped into her throat at the sound of the door closing loudly behind them. There was finality in every squeak.

"Your belongings are in here." He stepped around her and opened another door. Mina followed him into a room beyond, one tastefully decorated, with many familiar objects scattered about. "I—I hope you find it suitable," Malachite said gruffly. He watched as she looked around and found himself hoping that it would meet her approval, before swiftly reminding himself he merely wanted to prevent any nagging complaints.

Mina turned to look straight at him. The presence of two beds could only mean that he did not intend them to share one and the knot her insides had twisted themselves into loosened. "Thank you," she said simply.

He inclined his head, and then looked at her appraisingly, the silence stretching out between them. Mina's heart began to pound again and her eyes briefly betrayed her before she could school her face into an expression of cool passivity.

 Finally, he said, "Good night, Princess," and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Feeling a wave of relief wash over her, Mina surveyed the room again. It looked quite comfortable.  He did think ahead, she mused. Then another thought assailed her. This must have been his room and the other his study. Why did he do this? Because he didn't want to share a room with me? Some of her anger at him for deserting her dissipated.

Blinking sleepily, she crossed to her armoire and withdrew a lacy nightgown. Ordinarily, her maid would have been with her to take care of things but she supposed they all had the night off. It completely slipped her mind that there should have been a grand sendoff to complete the wedding festivities.

She had removed her veil, kicked off her shoes, and started on the dress when she realized that there was no way she could get out of it by herself. The tiny, very numerous buttons down the back were proving impossible to reach, much less undo. After spending several minutes contorting her body into various uncomfortable positions, she gave it up as a bad job and quelled a sudden onslaught of panic.

Oh, wonderful. I'm going to have to ask *him* for help. Mina took a deep, steadying breath. You're the Senshi of Venus. Show some courage. She moved to the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After leaving Mina in her room, Malachite stood at his desk for a few moments, head bowed, with his hands braced on its smooth wooden surface. He hadn't expected to see fear lurking behind his new wife's blue eyes. If anything, he'd been expecting to have to fight off her advances. The thought that she might be frightened—whether of him or the situation, he wasn't sure—never even occurred to him.

His mouth twisted into a bitter scowl. He hadn't done anything in particularly to warrant fear, had he? True, he had made no pretenses as to where his feelings lay on the subject of their marriage, but he had not laid as much as a finger on her—and he hadn't planned to do so, though they both knew he had every right to insist on the consummation of their marriage. He strongly suspected that was the reason a look of fear had flashed through her eyes. She didn't understand that he wasn't about to spend his wedding night with a woman-child who was both unwilling and afraid, whatever nebulous thoughts their earlier kiss had placed in his head.

Malachite stood and removed his jacket, throwing it carelessly to the side. It was just as well they had avoided the public—and highly embarrassing—ritual that was to have ended their day. Being escorted to their chambers for their wedding night by the entire palace and enduring the obligatory jibes and comments was not an experience he wished to undergo.

Let the rest of the castle think what they liked—he didn't care.

He was in the middle of unbuttoning his shirt when he heard Mina's door open slowly. What is she doing?

"Malachite?" Her voice was hesitant, almost....embarrassed?

"Yes?" He looked over his shoulder at the door. Mina's head poked out, and even though the room was dimly lit, he could have sworn she was blushing profusely.

"Would you mind…" she swallowed. "Would you mind helping me undo the buttons on this dress? Please?"

His eyes darkened to gray and narrowed disapprovingly. I thought better of her. His earlier assessment couldn’t have been wrong, could it? Or was she more skilled at manipulation than he had thought possible?

Mina sensed his hostility and rushed on. "My maid helped me into it and I can't get it off by myself. There are too many buttons and I-I can't reach them."

"Really?" He didn't quite believe her.

Mina was tired and the cold suspicion she heard in his voice put her on the defensive. "Yes!" she snapped. "I'm not attempting to seduce you! I simply can't get out of it by myself! If you won't help me, I'll just have to wear it until tomorrow!" With that, she slammed the door and leaned up against it wearily, fighting the urge to cry. Why did this have to happen to her? Why couldn't this all be a horrible misunderstanding or a nightmare she was sure to wake from at any moment?

Malachite was momentarily stunned by her outburst. There was no mistaking the raw sincerity in her words. Feeling a little guilty, he crossed to the door. "Come out, Princess. I'll help you."

"Please stop calling me that." Mina's voice was slightly muffled. "I have a name. You're my husband—you're welcome to use it."

"Fine! Mina." Irritation slid into his voice at the reminder of their marriage. The door opened and Mina appeared, barefoot, he realized, but still clad in the flowing white dress. "Turn around," he said brusquely. She did so, and he stared for a few seconds at the golden hair streaming down her back. He carefully brushed it aside, the silky strands slipping easily through his calloused fingers and began to work on the buttons. "Which ones could you not reach?" He couldn't remember ever being in a situation like this.

"I had trouble with all of them, but I couldn't even touch the ones in the middle." Mina's voice was oddly subdued.

Malachite fiddled with the buttons for a few moments. Some of them cooperated, but most proved to be stubborn. They evaded his fingertips and steadfastly refused to leave their holes.

Mina stood very still. It was a strange experience having a man help her with her clothes—especially when that man was Malachite. The brush of his fingers against her back sent a shiver running through her and her heart began to thump erratically again.

After a few more minutes, he let out an exasperated sound. "Why are there so many of these on here?" It seemed to him that a logical person would have made the gown easier for a woman's husband to take off. He had sense enough to keep that thought to himself, however. He had never understood women's fashions and he doubted he ever would.

Mina started to laugh. She couldn't help it; the situation at this point was well past ridiculous. "I don't know," she managed to say, in between peals of laughter. "I've wondered that myself several times today." She tried to catch her breath. "I decided the person who designed this dress ought to be strung up by his toes."

Malachite stared at her shaking back in shock for a moment, barely noticing that the tension had drained from the room. Then a wry smile tugged at his lips. It did seem like a reasonable idea.  He worked the last few buttons loose. "I'm finished." He ignored the fact that the dress was now hanging loosely on her shoulders, revealing more of her creamy skin and the lacy edge of some piece of underclothing.

Mina took a deep, steadying breath as he removed his fingers and took a step forwards, away from him. "Thank you." She looked up at him over her shoulder and saw the hint of a smile. "I'm quite serious, you know," she said saucily, encouraged by his almost smile. "The designer of this dress ought to be strung up." She picked up her skirts, careful not to dislodge the dress where it clung to her shoulders, and moved to her door. "Good night." She disappeared inside and missed Malachite shaking his head ruefully.

Mina gently closed her door and leaned up against it, feeling as if she had escaped from the brink. Of what, she wasn't entirely sure, but it was definitely something. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would. Maybe. Still, she reflected, as she climbed into her new bed a few moments later, it was rather smart of him to have my room open into his. He'll know if I leave, or if someone came in, they'd have to get through him first.

If Malachite had been any other man, she probably would have felt he was keeping her a prisoner. Of course, if he had been any other man, she also wouldn't be alone right now. As it was, she had a strange feeling that, while he obviously didn't like her, he was doing his best to protect her. She understood that and found she really didn't mind. On a strange world, especially a world on which she was forbidden to use her Senshi power unless in a dire emergency, it was nice to know that at least she could sleep at night without fear of being attacked by unscrupulous characters.

Despite her unfamiliar surroundings and the turmoil still roiling inside her, Mina drifted off to sleep shortly after her head touched the pillow.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, Mina awoke to warm sunlight on her face and the sound of birds chirping. She stiffened as the events of the previous day washed over her, but relaxed when she remembered where she was and that, more importantly, she was alone. She lay in bed for a few moments, listening to the sweet music of the birds, and taking in the details of her new chambers.

Her eyes rested on her armoire and she stared at it thoughtfully. I don't think Giselle is even going to check on me to see if I am awake this early. After all, the entire palace probably thinks… She trailed off, her cheeks flushing bright red. Fanning her flaming face with one hand, Mina got up and selected a relatively simple dress that would require neither a maid's assistance to put on or, she blushed again, Malachite's .

When at last she considered herself presentable, Mina cast one last look in the mirror and crossed to the door separating her room from Malachite's. She froze, her hand on the door knob. This was certainly going to be an awkward situation. How best to handle it?

Mina's trepidation disappeared and she relaxed, a bright smile creeping over her face. Best to be herself and not over-think the situation. Nothing of importance had changed between them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Malachite was seated at his desk by the window, staring out thoughtfully. He turned when he heard a knock on the door separating his room from Mina’s. “Enter.”

"Good morning," Mina said cheerfully, breezing in as if she had lived in these rooms her entire life. She crossed to his window and poked her head out.

"Good morning," he replied after a moment, giving her an odd look. He laid down the pen he had been holding. "I didn't expect you up until much later." He hadn't quite expected her to be in such buoyant spirits either…but, he reminded himself, this was Mina. He had never even come close to figuring her out.

She shrugged and withdrew her head from the window. "I'm usually an early riser." She prowled around the room studying everything with interest.

Malachite studied her in silence. This was an interesting revelation. He had thought she would sleep longer, given the princesses' habitual lateness in the mornings during their stay on the Moon. Pushing aside his puzzlement at the inaccuracy of his assessment of her, he searched for something to say. "Are you hungry? I'll escort you to the Great Hall."

Mina gave him a bright smile. "Thank you."

They passed out of their chambers into the quiet corridor beyond and Mina's loquaciousness returned. As they walked along, she asked questions about everything and Malachite found himself obliged to answer.  Mina absorbed everything, eager to learn things from his perspective. Whether he realized it or not, his position as a General under Endymion colored every word he said and Mina was intuitive enough to pick up on it. After all, what good was Serenity's head of security if she didn't know everything there was to know about their new home?

"...and why are the doors to that corridor so heavily reinforced?"

Resisted the urge to close his eyes at the barrage of questions, Malachite glanced over in the direction she indicated. "Those are to bar entry to the rest of the palace should the front portcullis ever be breached."

"Oh."

It suddenly struck Malachite that Mina was almost…getting the lay of the land…and checking security measures. He stole a sideways glance at her. She was looking intently at the halls and passageways they were traveling through and he fancied he saw a keen, calculated look pass over her face. The next instant it was gone, but he was forcibly reminded of the look Jadeite often wore when memorizing maps. He glanced at her again. Of course she would need to learn her way around, but her interest in knowing why things were the way they were was rather intriguing.

He caught himself contemplating whether or not to ask her if she had noticed anything unusual about the corridor they were just leaving and mentally brought himself up short. He glanced down. Somewhere along the way, Mina had tucked her arm through his. For a few minutes, everything had seemed quite natural, but danger bells began going off in his head. This wasn't right. She wasn't supposed to waltz into his life and immediately feel at ease.

Malachite abruptly pulled away from her. "I would greatly appreciate it if you would not do that," he ground out.

Mina looked faintly surprised. Hadn't they been getting on fairly well? She shrugged, dropped his arm, and stepped a few paces away from him. "As you wish."

Malachite glanced down the hall to make sure it was empty. He had to lay everything out in the open between them; he had to show her exactly where they both stood. He would have liked to wait until later, but he obviously couldn't delay this any longer. "I'll be honest with you, Princess Mina," he said in evenly, "Our marriage is a duty. You wouldn't be here if I'd had a choice. I didn't want a wife and I don't need one. Leave me alone."

Mina was not surprised by his words, though the bitter undertone in them reminded her again just how much he disliked her. Her blue eyes hardened as she looked up at him. "Ah, yes. Duty," she echoed sarcastically. "Since we appear to be getting things settled, I might as well tell you that I didn't want to marry you either. It was my duty to marry you whether I liked it or wanted to or not. So you're not the only one who's been trapped in this because of duty, General."

His lavender eyes flashed grey. "I wouldn't have thought you had any respect for duty."

"That's because you don't know me very well, General," she retorted. "Love is a very important part of Venusian culture and my sense of duty is the only reason I entered a life-partnership with you."

He regarded her with narrowed eyes. "Is that a fact? I'll tell you what I've gathered so far. You are a vapid creature who is seldom serious and not satisfied unless you're flirting with every male in your immediate vicinity." While he had been happy to have her off his hands the night before, her obvious pleasure and ease at going from dance partner to dance partner still rubbed him a little raw.

They stared at each other, the air around them all but crackling from the tension they radiated. Malachite's words struck Mina like a physical blow and her eyes betrayed the pain he had caused her for a split second before it was hidden behind her mask. Her hurt quickly vanished in the face of rising anger. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of reducing her to tears.

"Oh, I see. Well, if I'm a vapid and seldom serious flirt, you are a coldhearted, arrogant man who can't relax. Ever. I don't see how you enjoy life at all—you're perpetually gloomy and stiff!"

Malachite gave her a cool, appraising look, faintly taken aback by this new facet of her character. Other than the night before, he had never seen her angry. "Are you finished?"

"Yes. For the moment." Mina suddenly realized she could be in trouble for being so blunt and the fire faded from her eyes.

He raised one eyebrow. "Really."

She met his icy gaze squarely. "Really. And since I'm such a vapid, flirtatious, seldom serious creature, it shouldn't bother you in the least if I do flirt with other men, should it? After all, that's just how I appear to be." She whirled and stalked off down the hall, but he caught her wrist.

Malachite's face darkened at her words and he lunged to stop her before she could leave. His fingers tightened around her wrist as he growled, "Whether I like it or not, you are my wife and must therefore maintain some propriety. You will not associate with other men unless properly chaperoned." I won't be the palace laughingstock after all this.

"You're hurting me," Mina said pointedly. He let go and she resisted the urge to hold her wrist close. "Whatever your opinion of me, General. I will do my duty. You needn't worry about me being indiscreet. I've resigned myself to a life of solitude." Her chin rose as she straightened to her full height. "I can find my way from here." She pivoted on her heel and marched down the corridor.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Malachite watched her go, feeling a twinge of pride at her spirit intermix with the guilt suddenly coursing through his system. I said too much. He closed his eyes briefly, one hand tightening into a fist. Mina had done what no other woman had ever managed to accomplish; she had slipped beneath his formidable defenses and made him lose control of his temper.

His conscience chose that moment to remind him of the look on her face at his words. The anger boiling inside him simply drained away. There was no denying he had hurt her before her temper rose. He hadn't meant to hurt her; he was simply scrambling to find a way to keep distance between them.

Already he could see that the mayhem she brought to his life was something to which he could easily adjust. He knew, deep down, that they could at least be grudging companions, if never lovers, and ran a hand through his hair distractedly. Things were so simple before she came into my life.

The fact that she had something of a temper and her strange curiosity about the palace's layout and defense merely added layers to her already mystifying personality. I've made her hate me. It couldn't be any other way. Neither of them liked each other and his cold, cutting words had hardly been calculated to lower the wall that was fast being erected between them.

I've resigned myself to a life of solitude.

He snorted. Lofty words. How did she think he felt?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Free from Malachite's cold eyes, Mina struggled to keep back tears as she wound her way through the corridors and halls to the Great Hall. She had known he did not think highly of her, but the true depths of his opinion hurt bitterly. His biting words kept running through her mind….vapid creature…seldom serious…not satisfied unless you're flirting with every male in your immediate vicinity…

I'm not like that! Why do I even care what he thinks of me? She took a deep breath and nodded to a passing servant who immediately dipped a curtsey. She cared because he was her husband…and because they would be spending the rest of their lives together whether they liked it or not. Of course, she hadn't exactly been polite herself. I can't believe I said that to him. You really blew it, Mina. She couldn't think of a worse way to start the first day of her married life.

Despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner somewhere and sob—although she would have taken a chance at a training simulation as well—Mina's eyes were dry and a smile was on her lips as she entered the Great Hall. If nothing else, being both a princess and a Senshi taught one how to conceal little things like emotions.

The Terran King and Queen were already there, breaking their fast with Selenity, Luna, and the rest of the Lunarian party.

"Good morning, Princess Mina," King Edward called out in a jovial voice. "Did you sleep well?" He ignored the surreptitious kick his wife gave him beneath the table. Mina and Malachite's early disappearance from the ballroom had been noticed and joked about.

Mina smiled, mask fully in place. "I had a lovely evening," she said brightly, slipping into a seat.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Queen Selenity, Luna, her advisors, and the few servants who did not wish to remain on Earth with their mistress departed that afternoon. The palace was still celebrating, but Selenity felt it was time to return home.

Shortly afterwards, the Princesses managed to slip away for a while and gathered in the garden for a quiet tête-à-tête. They wandered about admiring the flowers and discussing things about Earth, all the while dancing around the real subject.

Eventually, Rei, tired of pretending, explained with a tell-tale blush on her face that she and Jadeite had discovered they shared a telepathic bond. It wasn't that rare on Mars, but she had been unsure if it could happen between a Martian and a Terran.

Mina bent over a bush of golden roses, half-listening to the hesitant chatter that had broken out after this revelation. It was hard not being able to talk with her friends about the joy they were experiencing. Their husbands loved them. Hers did not. But I don't love him either. It left them both in a cucumber, that was for sure. She was broken out of her reverie by Lita's voice. "Hmm?"

The brunette's green eyes twinkled as she repeated herself. "How was your evening last night?"

"Oh." Mina straightened and plopped down on the grass beside the others. How best to go about explaining things? She could be honest with them—at least, she hoped she could. Having to convince them she and Malachite loved each other was more than she felt herself capable of doing. "It was fine, I suppose. Malachite fixed a very nice room up for me and moved into the study."           

"What?"

"Mina!"

"You're not—"

Mina waved her hand absently. "No, we're not sharing a room, if that's what you mean. He doesn't love me, and I don't love him. Like I said, I'm staying in a room off of his. Very nice. I'll have to show it to you later." She was aware of the fact that the girls were staring at her and gazed up at the fluffy white clouds flitting across the blue sky, trying to look unconcerned.

"Oh, Mina," Ami said softly. "I'm so sorry. All this time I thought you were in love just like we are." She twisted her hands together unhappily. How could they have missed something like this?

"It's all right, Ami," Mina said with a cheerful wink. "Doesn't bother me a bit." Now, if I can just keep Rei from sensing how I really feel, things will be going fine. She stretched lazily. "I'm fine, really."

Lita was in shock. After a moment, she recovered enough to demand, "But, Mina, what about all your dreams of finding true love? Happiness? Your knight in shining armor?" The color had faded from her face and her eyes were filled with disbelief.

Mina laughed merrily. "Don't you see? That's all they were, Lita. Dreams. Silly little dreams when I was too naive to know better."

"And you know better now?" Rei asked darkly, eying the blonde with suspicion. This was not the Mina they knew and loved. This Mina, despite her cheerful attitude, was cynical and edging towards bitter. How did she hide this from us?

Mina met Rei's eyes, willing them to remain open and not give away the pain behind them. “Yes," she said airily. "The reality of life is that sometimes politics and love don't mix and not everyone gets a happy ending in life."

Serenity had been staring at Mina, her eyes lowly filling with tears. She had been so wrapped up in Endymion…she had thought the others were equally happy. To discover Mina was in fact miserable was a huge blow. It's all my fault. Mina is here, married to someone who doesn't love her so I can be protected. She shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. That couldn't be true. Malachite couldn't be completely unaffected by her. He just couldn't be. She burst out, "Oh, Mina, don't give up on him!"

Mina saw the tears and hastened to her Princess's side. "Serenity, don't cry," she said earnestly. She wrapped an arm around Serenity's shoulders. "It's all right. It's not your fault in any way so don't even think it is," she added sternly. "I've been thinking about everything for a while now and I've finally figured out what's wrong with me."

I wasn't meant to have a soulmate. The thought resonated inside her and something clicked into place. It explained everything. It explained why she had never settled upon one man during her time on the Moon, when truth be told, she had had ample time to find a husband. More importantly, it explained why she and Malachite had not meshed from the beginning, despite her reluctant attraction to him. He wasn't her soulmate.

She didn't have one.

Mina met Serenity's watery eyes and decided to soften the truth. There was no sense in causing the Princess any more distress. "Malachite isn't my soulmate," she said gently. "You have one—I've seen the auras surrounding you and Endymion. And you and the Generals," she added, looking around at the others. "But that's not what Fate has in store for me."

Serenity shook her head, tears continuing to slip down her cheeks. "That can't be true," she insisted.

Rei, her eyes narrowed in disbelief, said crisply, "I think you're wrong, Mina."

Mina smiled gently and shook her head before turning her attention to Serenity. "Please don't cry. What is Endymion going to think when you come in with your eyes all swollen and your nose red?"

Serenity's tears stopped immediately at the mention of her nose and she let out a choked laugh.

"How can you be so cheerful about all this?" Lita demanded angrily. "Your whole life you've talked and dreamed about finding true love and now you're giving up on it?"

Mina flipped her golden hair behind her shoulders with an air of nonchalance. "I suppose I've grown up a little bit, Lita. Look, please don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise." She smiled at them encouragingly and then switched subjects. "How late were you up dancing last night?"

Serenity answered hesitantly, still eying Mina with a puzzled, woebegone look on her face, and gradually the conversation moved on in other directions. Rei doubted the story Mina had spun for them, but the Venusian was so happy and cheerful the rest of the day that she had to wonder if Mina was actually serious.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That night at dinner, Malachite watched his wife covertly. She was cheerful and playful but avoided meeting his eyes. He noticed that the other princesses were watching her on the sly as well and wondered why. Did they know how matters lay between the two of them? Given that no cold glares were directed his way, he doubted Mina had told them what had happened that morning.

It was another quirk in her personality.

He had previously pegged her as the kind to tell everything she knew, and yet…he frowned slightly at his roast potatoes. No word of her chat with Zoicite ever found its way anywhere in the Moon Palace, and Zoicite himself had never mentioned it. Perhaps she truly was discreet.

After the meal was over and the usual evening chatter had slowed, with people beginning to disperse for the night, Mina wound her way back to her new quarters. To her surprise, Malachite was already there, seated at his desk. He glanced up at her with an unreadable expression on his face as she breezed into the room.

"Good night, Malachite," she said lightly, crossing to her door. Her hand was on the knob when he spoke.

"Princess."

She turned slowly and faced him, to find he had risen from his chair and was standing stiffly beside his desk. "Yes, General?" Her voice was perfectly calm.

Malachite surveyed her for a few seconds. He had been thinking about her words that morning. They rankled, but he was honest enough to admit there was more than a kernel of truth in them. "I spoke to you harshly this morning."

Her face impassive, Mina nodded. "And you meant every word." She paused, and then added, "So did I." She reached behind her for the doorknob and twisted it. "Goodnight, General."

She was gone before Malachite could respond.

He stood there staring at the door for a long time. He had been about to apologize but she had thrown him off-kilter again. He sank down heavily at his desk, mind spinning. It was true—he had meant what he had said earlier, though he found himself regretting it.

Malachite glanced back at the door. He thought she was rather angry, though it was difficult to tell. Either Mina was ignoring his words, or she was a better actress than he had given her credit. Given the number of times she had managed to surprise him in the past few days, he was willing to believe he had misjudged her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Once in the privacy of her room, however, Mina undressed quickly and climbed into bed before the sobs she felt coming overtook her. She muffled her face in her pillow and cried. She had managed to convince her friends she was at least content with her loveless life, but she couldn't fool herself.

Her dreams were shattered.

Her hope was gone.

Mina, ever hopeful where others' love lives were concerned, held no such hope for herself. She had recognized Malachite was leading up to an apology and cut him off before he could say anything. She didn't believe the apology was anything other than an attempt to ease his conscience. They were both trapped and she did not yet know how she was going to handle the situation.

It's silly to even think he'll ever see me the way I've always wanted my husband to see me, she thought numbly. Her tears streamed unceasingly, punctuated by an occasional sob. A dim corner of her mind hoped Malachite wouldn't be able to hear her—she didn't want him to have a reason to think even less of her.

When her tears subsided, Mina drifted off into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next few days passed by quickly. Mina, Serenity, and the others were all adjusting to their new home and determining where their places were in the grand scheme of things. Mina was everywhere, poking into every corner, getting to know the chamber maids, and learning the guards' names. She was almost insanely happy, overwhelmingly cheerful, and otherwise completely her bubbly self.

Every night, however, she cried herself to sleep. She could convince herself that things were fine during the day, but at night…everything she hid came back to haunt her. She felt like an idiot for crying her heart out, but it eased her pain and wore her out to the point she could sleep.

Serenity eventually came to the conclusion that Mina must truly be all right. She could never catch her in anything but a happy mood and neither could Ami or Lita. Rei, on the other hand, could sense the despair lurking in her aura. But as Mina never admitted anything and refused to discuss her relationship—or lack thereof—with Malachite any further, Rei could do nothing besides watch and hope the two of them would come to their senses. There was nothing they could do about the fact that they were married, and sooner or later they would have to come to some sort of agreement.

Mina found Serenity and Endymion's one month anniversary particularly trying. The Queen planned a picnic luncheon to celebrate, and though she insisted on all of the Generals being in attendance, the distance between Mina and Malachite only served to remind the Venusian princess how alone she was.

Every smile, every loving touch, or lingering brush of fingers reminded her forcibly she would never have what her friends shared with their husbands. She managed to keep her façade in place throughout the day, only to have it fall apart the moment she was safely in her own room.

Sobbing, Mina sank down onto her bed, one hand pressed over her mouth. She curled up with a pillow and cried for a long time. She hated herself for allowing the tears, hated herself for indulging in such a pity party, but she couldn't stop. The situation was out of her control and she couldn't hold the tears inside.

In the next room, Malachite, whose day had been as uncomfortable as Mina's, was jerked back to awareness by a soft, choking sound. He looked blearily around the room, but there was no one there. Shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, he listened intently. The sound appeared to have come from Mina's room.

There it was again.

Straining his ears further, it occurred to him that it almost sounded like she was…crying? He blinked. Mina? Crying? He'd never seen her shed so much as a tear before.

Distinctly puzzled, Malachite slid out of his bed and stepped barefoot over to her door. He opened it a little, resisting the urge to clear his throat.

"Mina? Are you all right?"

Huddled in a pile of pillows and twisted covers, a jolt of fear ran through Mina and she froze. She'd been too loud. "I'm fine," she said softly, praying he wouldn’t notice the difference in her voice.

"Are you sure?" He was not convinced.

"Yes."

"I thought I heard someone crying," he said bluntly.

"I'm fine." Please leave me alone, she begged silently.

"Are you crying?"

"Why would it matter?"

"I want to know. Are you crying?"

Mina debated a moment. Which would be easier…telling him the truth or keeping up a tiring exchange of words until he either finally wore her down or gave up? If he gave up at all? "Yes," she said finally, in a barely audible voice.

Malachite's brow furrowed as he tried to sort out possible reasons for her tears "Why?"

"I'm homesick." It was true, in a way. She was homesick. Homesick for the way her life had been before he had arrived on the scene.

Malachite was silent a moment. "I'm sorry," he said finally. "I thought you were starting to settle in." His deep voice was tinged with concern.

Mina shrugged, not caring that he couldn't see the motion in the dark. "I am. I like Earth. I just sometimes wish—" she stopped herself. "Never mind. I apologize for disturbing you."

Malachite hesitated. On the one hand, he wanted to demand the real reason she was distressed, and on the other…he wasn't sure he wanted to know. "Good night then." He shut the door and went back to bed. What else was there to say?

Once safely assured he was no longer at the door, Mina curled up into a ball and began to cry anew. This time, her tears were silent. They soaked her pillows but she made not a sound.

In the next room, Malachite closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Mina was going to be the death of him yet, he was sure. After living with her for a month he was no closer to figuring her out than he had been before. How one woman could be confusing was completely beyond him.

His eyes snapped open and he stared up at the ceiling. It bothered him that she was crying and he suddenly felt guilty for not considering that she could be homesick. He wondered how many nights she had cried and he never knew. Her tears made him uncomfortable, but they also stirred an urge in him to wrap his arms around her and hold her until she ceased.

Malachite grimaced. He couldn't do that, for a number of reasons. Chief among them was the fact that there was no telling how she would react if he did go in and attempt to comfort her. He rolled over onto his side. She would probably think he had lost his mind and...he didn't think he could bear to see a trace of fear in her eyes again. Once had been quite enough.

He lay awake for a long time, thinking as sleep evaded him. Finally, he decided he would check on her to make sure she wasn't still sobbing. It was the only way his conscience would let him get any sleep.

Feeling a trifle self-conscious, Malachite pressed his ear up against the door and listened. When he heard nothing, he cautiously opened the door and slipped inside. He padded over to the bed and leaned over his wife's still form.

His breath caught in his throat.

Mina lay on her side, curled up into a ball in a patch of moonlight that streamed through the windows. Her golden hair was spread around her and some of the strands obscured her face. He carefully smoothed the wayward hair back behind her ear. She didn't stir.

A few tears, still wet, lay on her cheek, glistening in the pale moonlight. Gently, Malachite brushed them away with the pad of his thumb. Don't cry, Mina, he told her silently. You're supposed to be so cheerful and happy that you either make everyone else that way too or you drive them mad. Don't cry. He pulled the covers up around her a little awkwardly, took one last look, and left the room as quietly as he had entered. He went back to bed and had no trouble falling asleep, though her tearstained face, lit by moonlight, haunted his dreams.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Why is it so easy to torture characters?

Anyway, expect more Mina/Mal interaction in the next chapter.

I do have one question for y'all though. Does anybody like the chapter titles? They're a recent addition and I can't decide if I want to keep them or not.

Also, don't forget to let me know what you think. Reviews are important to my mental health. They keep the rabid plot bunnies attempting to distract me at bay.

Cheers!

 

 

 

Back to Summary Page