A/N: Hello, everyone! This is my new fic, "The Masquerade" and I hope you will enjoy this first chapter! :)
"A husband?" Serena threw her hands in the air, her facing heating up in embarrassment just at the mention of something so trivial in the face of her mother's illness. "I've barely turned seventeen. I still have a year at least, until I am required to marry. And that's the last thing on my mind while you're lying here sick, Mama." Serena bent down on her knees and took her mother's sickly white hand in her own, stroking circles around her mother's knuckles, something she had done as a child whenever her mother told her stories and legends and fairytales of their great moon kingdom. Her mother's voice had always been comfort like the smooth sand among a bed of rocks. Serena would sit by her mother's side like this, her hands clasped around her mother's, her head resting on her lap, listening carefully so that she did not miss a word of the princess' adventure or the villain's demise.
Queen Serenity stroked her daughter's endless golden blonde hair and repeated what she had said before. "I know this seems too soon, sweetheart but you know as well as I that with this sickness I won't be able to rule our kingdom for much longer. When I am gone –"
Serena cut her off, "You're not dying, Mama. Don't even speak that way."
"Serena, just listen, please." Her mother breathed. Serena could hear the strain it put on her to sit up and speak like this so she remained silent as her mother continued. "When I am gone, you will need to take the throne as my rightful heir and Queen. But when you do, I know for certain that the Senate will push for a royal marriage. And the Senate cares only about what's best for the kingdom, not about whom you love. What I'm trying to say is – I want you to find a husband before you become Queen, before I'm gone. That way I can make sure you marry someone whom you love, rather than someone the Senate believes will bring the most benefit to the kingdom."
Marriage? Serena couldn't help the shiver down her spine. Marriage was something she knew she would have to do one day, something she had even fantasized about, but in this moment the knowledge of impending marriage seemed like a vast and unknown event she was not ready for. "But Mama, what would be so wrong with who the Senate picks?" Serena mumbled.
"What?"
"I said, what would be so wrong with marrying whom the Senate chooses for me? I would be helping my kingdom as my first act as queen." Serena did not look her mother in the eyes, knowing she would find surprise.
"You cannot be serious, Serena. You want to marry someone who you barely know? Someone that you don't love? Someone that the Senate chooses for you? What happened to my little girl who only dreamed of being in love?" Queen Serenity lifted her daughter's head off her lap and studied her face. "What's wrong? What's making you say this?"
"Nothing. Besides, I don't want to think about marriage and husbands right now. I want to be by your side. I can't think of anything else while you are sick, Mama. I can spend my time with you, and when the time comes, I'll just marry whomever the Senate chooses." Serena looked down at her hands, avoiding her mother's eyes again.
Queen Serenity put a hand to her daughter's chin and lifted it to look her in the eyes again. Blue eyes staring back at the same blue. "No. There's something else that's bothering you. You are not the kind of person to sit by and marry someone you don't know."
Serena couldn't hold it in any longer; she got up with a sigh and shrugged her shoulders bitterly. "That's the thing, Mama. I don't actually know anyone. I've been in this castle and in its grounds almost my entire life. And I know it's because I'm the princess and that it's for my own safety, but Mama, I haven't met someone around my age since...since Daddy died."
Then the moment Serena had been dreading came, the reason she didn't want to say anything in the first place. The moment when her mother's eyes looked away almost lost in a sad daze. The same look she got every time Serena mentioned her father after he died when she was only six years old. It was the same look her mother gave her over the years whenever she asked if she could leave the castle grounds. It was always followed by the words, "It's just too dangerous for you out there, sweetheart." So, for the eleven years since her father's death, Serena had learned to accept that her world would only consist of her large castle and the moon gardens in the castle grounds that her father had taught her to love. She accepted that her only company would be the echoes of the empty halls and her busy and sad mother.
"I know you hate that I have kept you here, sweetheart, but it's for the best. Try to understand." Queen Serenity pleaded softly to her daughter. Serena turned away to hide tears. Serena did not understand how her mother thought she could find a husband if she was never even let outside the castle grounds.
Queen Serenity spoke again. "I understand that you don't really know anyone your age, but that's exactly what I was getting to Serena." Serena turned to face her mother again, after the tears had all dried up. "I want to hold a ball for you. Every week. I want you to be able to meet men and women your age. I want you to find someone you love. I want you to find someone to marry at these balls."
Serena stared incredulously at her mother. "A ball? You can't be serious."
"But I am. At the end of every week, the castle will hold balls where men and women around your age, from around the galaxy, will come to dance and eat and enjoy themselves. All the while, you will find someone you want to marry." Queen Serenity smiled, pleased with her plan.
People my age? Serena couldn't contain her surprise. Never in her life had she ever thought her mother would do something as spontaneous as letting her meet hundreds of people her age. Though in hindsight, her mother was still sticking to her principles of keeping Serena trapped in the castle grounds. Her mother was bringing the people to her but not letting Serena out herself. A brilliant plan, really. But there was still something her mother had overlooked.
"That's all seems wonderful, Mama. But, everyone will know I'm the princess of the Moon. There will be no end to the line of suitors and deceivers because the men will all want to be the future king and the women will know that nothing has better benefits than being friends with the most powerful princess in the galaxy. Your balls will be filled with nothing more than liars, cheaters and deceivers, nothing I haven't encountered before, of course. But you can't expect me to fall in love when the cards are all stacked up against me."
Before the queen could reply, a knock came at the heavy double doors to the Queen's chambers. "You may enter."
In scuttled a maid, with flaming red hair, something very uncommon in the Moon kingdom. The maid was about Serena's height and she wore her unusual hair in a tight French braid. Her face was sprinkled with freckles around her nose. Her bright green eyes were averted down and her hands were clasped in front of her apron as she bowed to the Queen and Serena in turn.
The Queen rubbed her forehead softly, "Right, I almost forgot. Serena, this is your new maid, Sophie. She will be aiding you with getting ready for each ball and helping you while I am ill. I wanted you to have someone when I can't be there, especially with the upcoming tension of the balls."
"Mama, you still can't be serious about those balls after all I've just told you!"
"Serena, you will have to face liars, cheaters and deceivers all the time when you are queen, you might as well start now." Queen Serenity said firmly.
"Dealing with that as queen is one thing, but having to climb through a haystack to find a husband seems unfair to me. There has to be another way of approaching this." Serena implored.
"There is no other way, Serena. Let's just try this shall we? We can stop if it really isn't working." The Queen gave her a hopeful look.
It was that moment when the quiet maid finally spoke up. "If I may interrupt, my lady, why not try a masquerade?"
"A masquerade?" Serena turned to the maid and really looked at her for the first time since she came in. The maid seemed to be around fifteen years old, much younger than Serena's other maids. The girl had round and soft features that made her look kind. Serena couldn't help noticing that the girl never stopped twisting her fingers in her apron. "What do you mean by a masquerade?"
The maid hesitated, and then spoke again with more confidence than before. "The men and women who come to the ball, including yourself, Princess, you would all wear masks. No one would know who the other person is."
"No one would know...That's a brilliant idea!" Serena exclaimed turning to her mother. "Mama, it's the perfect plan. If everyone's wearing a mask then no one will know who I am!"
"And that's a good thing?" The Queen teased.
"You said your name was Sophie, right?" Serena addressed the maid.
"Yes, Princess." Sophie bowed.
"Don't call me that. And don't bow. I hate it when they bow. You are now my friend, Sophie and we are going to have a lot of fun together." Serena smiled at the scandalized look on Sophie's face at the words friend and fun.
"I'm glad you're finally enjoying yourself, sweetheart." The Queen smiled and Serena offered a smile back. Finally, some hope was stirring inside her. I'm going to meet people! The Queen called one of her assistants in. "You may start on the invitations, I want them sent out by tomorrow; make sure to add that the balls will be Masquerade, and that they will begin next week."
"Yes, my lady."
"It's all over the papers, Mina! The Queen is hosting balls every week to find the Princess a husband!" Artemis exclaimed, his whiskers twitching slightly in his excitement. The white cat had jumped on to Mina's bed this morning meowing on and on about the Masquerade balls that were starting next week.
"I know, I know. You've said that about ten times in the past two minutes, Artemis! Now leave me alone so I can go back to sleep!"
The blonde haired girl pulled the blanket over her head again but Artemis wasn't having it. He pulled the covers back down and settled himself on Mina's stomach, looking intently at her. "You know what you have to do, Mina. This is your chance to start your mission. It's your destiny to protect the Moon Princess. You have to find a way to get invited to those balls."
Mina glared at Artemis. "I know what my mission is, Artemis. Believe me, I know better than you think. Now, can you let me go back to sleep?"
"Are you not listening to me? You have to get yourself invited to those balls! It's the only chance you'll have!" Artemis meowed louder in Mina's ear.
Mina pushed the white cat off her stomach and placed him on the floor next to her bed and stated calmly. "In about a minute someone will knock at the door."
"What? What are you talking about Mina? Have you gone insane? I'm talking about important things right now!"
"Just wait for one minute and you'll see." Mina repeated. Artemis saw no point in arguing further and decided to wait the minute.
Just as Mina predicted, a knock came at the door a minute later and she finally got up from her small bed tucked into the corner of her one bedroom house. It was nearly eleven in the morning; no one would knock on Mina's door at this time in the day, not anyone Artemis knew of at least.
"Artemis, get the door while I change." Artemis obliged silently walking to the door. He opened it with the button Mina had installed on the wall for him next to the umbrella stand, to find one of the Queen's many messengers, a pudgy looking man, dressed in the customary royal purple robes and hat along with a bursting messenger bag.
"Good morning! Is your mistress home by chance, good cat?" The man asked looking down at Artemis pleasantly.
"Why yes, she'll be out shortly. May I ask what you are delivering?" Artemis asked politely.
"The Queen's invitations of course! I've been out all mornin' delivering them to all the noble young men and women in the Moon kingdom. Though I got the lucky end of the stick, some of the others had to head out to the other planets to deliver invitations to the foreign princes and princesses."
"Invitations! Surely not to the Masquerade balls, are they?" Artemis jumped up on his back paws in excitement.
"The very same!" The messenger chuckled just as Mina emerged from the bathroom dressed properly for a young woman in a simple yellow dress and her hair tied with a red ribbon. "Why hello, Princess Venus! I'm pleased to be the messenger to deliver your invitation to the Masquerade balls!" The messenger bowed deeply while extending his hand with the invitation from his bag.
"The pleasure is all mine thank you." Mina said taking the silver invitation from him.
"I'll be off then, Princess! Glad I didn't need to come all the way to Venus to see you! It'll be very convenient that you live here in the Moon kingdom while going the balls every week, won't it? I've got to deliver more invitations, good day madam!" And with a flourish the messenger left.
"If you knew that an invitation would come, why didn't you tell me?!" Artemis exclaimed.
"Well, I didn't know necessarily that I would get one, but really who are we kidding? I'm the Princess of Venus! Besides, there's no way the Queen would forget us." Mina turned to sit on the couch and read the invitation.
"Us? Us as in who?" Artemis asked suspiciously.
Mina looked up. "Who else? I know it's been about eleven years since we've seen each other, let alone talked, but even if the other girls have forgotten, there's no way the Queen would."
Artemis was more confused now. "The girls?"
Mina gave Artemis a mischievous smile. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" Mina laughed. "The princesses of the other planets. The other guardians. The Sailor Senshi, of course!"
"Mom!" exclaimed Ami. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming home until next week."
"The Queen gave me the rest of the week off while she prepares for the Masquerade balls which I would be no help to her for. As the Consul of the Queen I know how to handle issues of the court and the kingdom, but not invitations and table settings for a ball!" Consul Mercury laughed lightly tossing her blue hair – a shade darker than Ami's and much longer – off her shoulder.
"Well that's good for me, Mom! I haven't seen you in ages! I'm glad you're home!" And Ami meant it; she rarely got to see her mother who was always busy being the Consul to the Queen and head of the Senate. Even when her mother was home on Mercury, her time was spent in her office working.
"Well, I'm glad I'm home too. And I've brought you something exciting!" Consul Mercury exclaimed. Ami was cautious; her mother's definition of something exciting was much different from hers. Her mother pulled from her briefcase a silver envelope marked on the back in white ink. To Princess Mercury.
The ball. Ami sighed. "Isn't this exciting? The Queen gave me this invitation herself so that I could give it to you! You've been invited to a ball, Ami! And the Princess' ball no less. You'll be able to meet young men and women all your age! Even the Princess herself!" Her mother looked very eager as she pushed the invitation into Ami's reluctant hands.
"The ball? Really?" Ami looked away. "I don't think I want to go though, Mom."
"Well that's ridiculous Ami. Think about it intelligently like I always tell you to. You've been reading those engineering and computer books from Earth again, haven't you?" Consul Mercury glanced at the stack hidden behind the government and law books her mother made her read. "I don't want you polluting your brain with such silly ideas, Ami. You have to think about your future." Ami hated it when her mother spoke of her 'future'. She hated the way her mother got that look in her eyes of the 'great' and 'intelligent' things Ami would do. "You'll be Consul one day and you have to know how to handle the people and the Senate. Going to these balls with be good for you. You'll be able to meet the Princess who you will work for as Consul one day and you'll be able to meet the noblemen and women who will take their parents' place in the Senate. This is your chance to get ready for your future, set up your contacts, and build your network for when you take my place." Consul Mercury encouraged.
"I don't know, Mom. I don't think I can handle all that. I'd much rather to s-stay at home h-here." Ami mumbled, but at the scandalized look on her mother's face she added, "And I'll r-read up on all the books you've g-given me on the S-S-Senate and law. Please just don't make m-me go to the b-balls. I don't want t-to... I don't want to h-have t-to...m-meet p-people...or –"
"That's enough, Ami. Stop stuttering. I've told you over and over again that it makes you sound stupid. You have to learn to change that before you go out to talk with proper society. And that's enough talk about not going. You're going no matter what. I won't let you stay here when you could be out getting perfect contacts for you future in the Senate."
"But, Mother."
"That's enough, Ami. I don't want to have to take your computer away to make you listen. You are going and that's final." Consul Mercury straightened her suit and picked up her briefcase again. "I have to go attend to some business and then I'll be working in my office until late, so don't wait up for me and go to sleep early. You have a lot of studying to do tomorrow. I'm off." Ami's mother kissed her lightly on the forehead and was gone as quickly as she had come.
Ami sank down into her chair in front of her computer, a state of the art model made only in Mercury as was most of the new technology in the galaxy. Her fingers roamed over the covers of the many books her mother had assigned her to read and memorize. Her fingers then roamed over the covers of the books that her father once owned, the books on computers and engineering – everything Ami loved. She still remembered when her father used to sit her on his lap while he studied these books into the night reading her things from them that made no sense at all to her when she was so young.
Ami had begun to realize recently, why it was that her father had left her mother when Ami was only a young girl.
Her mother had gotten very obsessed with her 'future' recently and the more she got those talks from her mother, the more Ami found herself hiding away with another one of her father's books.
Ami could barely imagine what her life would be like as Consul one day. Of days spent in Senate meetings and attending to court business. When she was younger it was easier to believe her mother's plans for her and to even want them herself. But now, she was starting to realize that being Consul may not be what she always wanted.
Ami looked down at the silver invitation in her hands. She was feeling anxious and uneasy. The mention of her having to go to a ball full of people was enough to scare her to death. Ami hadn't been out with anyone in years. The only friends she ever had were the marine fish in the lake by Mariner castle where she lived. She couldn't fathom having to talk and interact with complete strangers at these balls.
She opened the envelope and pulled the invitation out. She read aloud to herself, "...you are hereby invited to the Masquerade balls." Ami let out a relieved breath. She had completely forgotten that it would be a Masquerade ball. At least no one would know who she was and she wouldn't have to necessarily talk to anyone if she didn't want to. I just have to get through these balls, she thought.
"Princess Jupiter, are you sure you want to do this?" asked the pilot of Lita's spaceship. She could see the sweat beading off his brow. He was nervous. Just like the rest of her subjects. They were anxious and worried that she was going to have a fit while taking the spaceship to the Moon for the Princess' Masquerade balls. Every one of them had been trying all morning to convince her out of going to the Moon.
"Yes, I'm sure. Now can we just take off already? I'm going to suffocate in here." Lita gripped the armrests of her seat, clutching on desperately.
The pilot noticed her unease and asked again. "Are you sure that you want to do this, Lita?" Lita's head snapped up at the use of her name rather than her title. She remembered the time when most of her subjects called her Princess Lita instead of Princess Jupiter. The time before her parents died and before she became distant with everyone.
George, her pilot, hadn't called her by her name in as long as she could remember since her parents died in the very spaceship crash that he had also been in. He had been piloting their spaceship when the ship went haywire and started experiencing turbulence through space that had no wind in it. George had stopped calling her by her name since then. Maybe he felt guilty for not being able to stop the ship from crashing or maybe he saw no reason to address her that way when she refused to address anyone as fondly as she did before the accident.
Lita turned away from her pilot, afraid if she looked at his sad, wrinkled face that she would see the ghosts of her parents in his eyes. "I – I..."
"Lita, I know that this is hard for you. You haven't been on a spaceship since the accident. I just want to know if you are really ready to do this and if what you're doing it for is worth it." George smiled, his white mustache rising with his lips almost like whiskers.
"I have to do this, George. If I don't do it now, if I don't at least try, then I will never be able to do it. No matter how much this frightens me; I am more terrified that I will never be able to leave this planet. I need to do this now; this is the best reason right now for me to try." Lita stated, trying to be firm and confident about the terrifying journey she was about to put herself through.
"Alright, Lita. We'll be taking off in five minutes." George sat back down in his pilot's seat in the cockpit and gave her thumbs up right before takeoff.
Here we go, she thought as they launched into the atmosphere surrounding Jupiter. Her stomach plummeted to her feet and her heart beat faster than she ever believed it could. The air to her lungs seemed to cut off and her mind sank into an endless terror that consumed her. One of her fits of terror had taken over and she knew even as she fought against her seatbelt, that it would not end until she was safe on land – safe away, anywhere but on this accursed spaceship.
"Princess Mars, there's someone at the front gates for you!" called one of her subjects from a safe distance across the field.
"I'm almost done, just one more shot and I'll be there." Rei shouted to the servant and then turned her eyes back to the round target. Her fingers itched to hit the bull's eye one more time. Her skin chafed under the archery gear she wore on her forearms and calves. She stretched her fingers out again and bent to pick up another arrow, notching it to her flaming red bow with the skill of a pro, she aimed her shot.
Breathe in and pull back the arrow, Rei. Good, now breathe out and release! Rei played her mother's words in her mind again just like she did every single time she shot an arrow. She shot each one for her dead mother. She released her breath as well as the arrow, watching satisfied as it cut through the air at amazing speeds, hitting the bull's eye perfectly in the center.
"Princess!" her servant called again although warily, for he was scared she might put an arrow through him for all her temper.
"Yes, I'm coming." Rei called again, annoyed that the servant had interrupted her moment of bliss. The moment when she released the arrow and it sank right where she wanted it to. The predictability and the sureness of its success was something she admired.
Rei put down her bow and took off her archery gloves, though she did not bother taking off the rest of her gear. She headed across the archery fields towards the entrance gates to Phobos-Deimos Castle, her home.
"This is the man to see you, Princess Mars." Her servant stated before bowing and backing away. Rei turned to the unexpected guest to find one of the Queen's messengers dressed in royal purple, holding out a silver envelope.
"Pleasure to meet you, Princess Mars. We hope to see you at the Princess' Masquerade balls." And with a bow he left as well.
Rei curiously opened the silver envelope marked To Princess Mars in white. Inside the envelope was a similar coloured invitation to the Princess' Masquerade balls to be held every week.
"A ball?" Rei said to herself. She turned to the servant nearest to her. "Throw this out. Make sure no one else sees it."
"Yes, Princess." The servant took the invitation and scurried away quickly at her words.
Rei couldn't believe it. When she had heard that Queen Serenity was throwing balls to find her daughter a husband she had thought they were just rumours. The superciliousness of the endeavour was laughable. She couldn't believe that finding a husband, a man was so important to these people. She didn't understand why the lovely princess would try so hard to tie herself to man, when men only betray and deceive women.
Rei marched through the castle, at her fast pace up to her bedrooms on the third floor, the servants around the castle frantically attempting to bow as she passed by. She reached her rooms expecting to find her archery gear case and relieve herself of the horrible chafing, but instead she found in her room her inexorable father.
Rei stopped in her tracks. "Father." she said curtly. "What are you doing here? It's not even my birthday and you've come to see me. There must be some reason." Rei faked calmness, taking a seat in one of the couches in her room across from her father.
Her father raised his arm and threw something on the table in front of Rei. She tried not to flinch at the sudden movement, and looked closely and realized it was the invitation that she had asked to be thrown out. "So you've been screening my trash now? That was quite fast."
"What right do you think you have, throwing this away?" He yelled. Rei could see one of the veins on his thick neck pulsing angrily. Her father was not a tall man necessarily but he was big. And he used his size to intimidate people as often as he could.
"Every right. I'm not going to those stupid balls, so I threw the invitation away." Rei glared.
"Not going? Ha! Don't even think about that. You're going to those balls whether you like it or not. Telling people that my daughter is going to those balls will bring me more business than you can even imagine! So don't try screwing it up!" Rei contained her anger as her father spat his words out like it was a challenge to explain it all to her.
She crossed her arms and glared just as defiantly as before. "So, you still think of me as your daughter, huh? That's an unpleasant revelation."
Rei could do nothing in the moment when her father's hand came down upon her face. The sound of his hand hitting her cheek echoed through the walls. "Don't be a smartass and go to those balls or you'll be trapped in this room until they're over." Her father threatened. He was always good on his threats and Rei knew that well. She was careful not to clutch her face in pain before he left the rooms and was out of sight. She did not want to give her father the satisfaction of the pain he inflicted upon her.
She couldn't help the hot tears that rolled down her red face as she sank to the ground, the invitation falling to the floor with her. She stared at the words it. A masquerade? Well, at least the mask will cover the red mark on my face, she thought.
"But, Queen Serenity! Are you really sure about this? About these balls and the Masquerade if anything? Think about how dangerous it could be!" Serenity's loyal advisor, Luna exclaimed from her spot on her lap. Luna's eyes carried worry that Serenity's own eyes mirrored.
"I know, Luna. I know how dangerous this is going to be. Between letting people in to the castle and allowing them to roam with masks on, hiding their identities, I am terrified for Serena's safety. But, I've come to realize that I can't wait any longer. I'm going to die, Luna –"
"Please don't say that, my lady." Luna pleaded sadly.
"I'm going to die, Luna." The Queen repeated. "Serena needs to take the throne soon. I can't always be there to protect her from the dangers that I've been keeping her from all these years. It's been too long and I've realized that now. At the very least, I want her to find someone she loves and to meet the other Senshi. Which reminds me...have you sent the invitation I asked you to Earth?"
"Yes, my lady. Though you haven't told me who it's for, I sent it with the messenger with an express order yesterday." Luna replied.
"Good. I need to know Serena will be protected when I am gone. This is the only way to set things right before she takes the throne. It's the only thing I can do that will give her a fighting chance."
"A fighting chance against whom?" Luna asked though she knew the Queen would not say. She would not utter the name of the horrible danger, of the dangerous force that made her lock her own daughter away in her home for eleven years.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story! Hoping to update soon! Please review! I also want to get something going where I ask a question at the end of each chapter and you can tell me your thoughts in a review! :)
Starting simple...
Question of the chapter: Who is your favourite heroine? Serena? Mina? Ami? Lita? or Rei?
Curious to hear your thoughts!