Five people playing a variety of string instruments were seated casually upon a raised platform at the far end of the room. The young man entered the room cautiously. He had only been on Athena for a few days and he already knew that disturbing a musician was the greatest social gaffe possible. He made his way quietly along a wall to an empty bench near the refreshment table; he would wait until the end of the current piece to grab his snack. Curious gazes followed him, drawn more by his clothing than by his near silent passage. He was still wearing the short white skirt and sleeveless tunic of his native Mars. Although he had foregone the elaborate headdress his rank rated, he still wore his heavy gold collar, matching gold belt, and gilt sandals. He stuck out among the more soberly clad University students like a peacock in a flock chickens. With a swirl of high-pitched notes, the music ended. The musicians nodded politely to each other before turning to face the audience. The gathered students clapped softly in the local fashion: tapping the left knee with the right hand. As the performers stepped down off the platform, dozens of conversations sprang up across the wide room. The young man hid a sigh behind a look of bland indifference and headed toward the refreshments. "Why, if it isn't Lord Ra," a fox faced young woman said in sotto voice, bring all other conversations to a halt. "Did you forget your wig today?" "My name is Setus-Ra, Thaddeus Setus-Ra, Lady Allana," Thaddeus said quietly. He turned back to the table and began spearing pieces of meat and vegetables out of a warming caldron and into his bowl. The woman had been trying to lure or drive him into an indiscretion ever since he arrived. He had no idea why. A large man, several years older than the twenty-year-old Martian, stepped close to Thaddeus, blocking his progress down the buffet. "You did not answer my sister's question, outworlder," he growled. Thaddeus eyed him coolly. "That would be correct, Albert." Albert's glowered at the insult: only close friends and family could leave off one's rank when addressing one. "You will answer the lady, now." For several heartbeats, the two men stared at one another and the potential for violence crackled in the air. Then Thaddeus shrugged. "Lady Allana, I did not forget my wig, as you so quaintly put it," his voice conveyed the sense that he was speaking to a young child; "Hair pieces are only used for ceremonial occasions on Mars." He flicked his eyes back to Albert. "Martians do not believe in hiding ones hair or lack there of for the sake of mere vanity." Albert snarled at the smaller man. Everyone in the room knew that his family tended toward baldness from an early age. Moreover, everyone suspected that he used a cosmetic spell to hide his own receding hairline. Everyone was right. "You knobby kneed." Lord Albert began furiously. "Actually," a soft female voice interrupted, "Lord Setus-Ra has very handsome legs. But that is hardly an appropriate topic for the Strings Den." A young woman rose from her seat near the performers' platform. She was wearing a long simple gown of pale violet lambs' wool. Thick dark brown hair was piled upon her head in a seemingly fragile style, held securely with silver and amethyst pins. The color of the gown combined with the amethysts of her tasteful jewelry gave her gray eyes a hint of purple in their depths. Another young woman stood beside her. Thaddeus recognized the second woman as Saraphenia de Thena. She had been part of the group that had greeted him upon his arrival. The young druid was slated to become the next Queen of Athena's Chancellor. The Martian lord hid a wince as the probable identity of the first woman came to mind. 'Cassandra d'Athenae,' the words from an official summary flitted through his head, 'heir to Athena; close ties, familial and otherwise to Earth; bright and capable diplomat, especially adept at Interkingdom politics. Physical description: 5' 7"; brown hair; gray eyes; slender build; current age: 17.' To the bare bones of the report, Thaddeus could now add immense self-confidence and an effortless projection of authority. "Your Highness," Lady Allana said stepping between the Princess and refreshment table, "We did not realize that you were gracing us with your presence." Behind her back, the fox-faced girl was frantically signing something to her brother. Albert moved away from Thaddeus and toward Allana, masking the retreat as support for his sister. The lordling bowed deeply to Cassandra and flashed a debonair smile. "My Princess," Albert murmured as he stood up. "Your beauty is as dazzling as ever. I am surprised that the musicians could bear to stop playing with your glory so near. Surely your presence is an inspiration to greatness." Cassandra waited patiently through the flattery. "Allana," she said, ignoring Albert entirely, "it is hardly fit for a lady of the realm to show ignorance of the customs of our nearest, dearest allies. I cannot allow one of my dear ladies in waiting to so embarrass herself. It would seem that a remedial course in Martian culture is necessary." Allana turned steadily paler as the princess continued. "Saraphenia, who is teaching Mars 309 this semester?" Saraphenia's face was perfectly calm and proper as she answered. "Councilor de Thena, I believe, Most Gracious One." Thaddeus watched as a faint shudder ran through the gathered students. He knew that it was traditional for members of the Druid Council to teach at least one course a year at the University. Councilor courses were demanding and difficult. Serious students vied fiercely to attend those courses. Students who were attending the University simply because they were forced too avoided those courses like the plague. The spoiled children of the nobility and the wealthy feared being in one of those classes more than almost anything. The thought of making fools of themselves in front of one of the leaders of their world (not to mention seriously damaging their own governmental prospects) was nightmare inducing. Thaddeus would have bet a great deal of money that Allana and Albert were not 'serious' students. Saraphenia continued placidly. "But the class roster is full." Hope flared briefly in Allana's eyes. "Pish, posh," Cassandra declared, "I am sure that Edward would make room in his class for dear, sweet Allana. Your uncle is always happy to aid a lady in distress, Sara. Surely if you explained the circumstances to him." Thaddeus had to fight to hold his indifferent expression in place. A wry grin kept trying to break through. 'Masterfully done, Highness,' he thought, 'punishing the pushy wench by bestowing on her the 'honor' of attending one of the most grueling courses offered. No one can say that Cassandra is doing anything other than helping her lady in waiting, but they all know the truth.' Sara nodded. "I will speak to him, Highness, but I believe that hearing from you would make a bigger impact upon Councilor de Thena than my own poor words." "Good idea, Sara." The Princess nodded to her companion before turning back to her victim. "Do not worry, dear Allana. It will all be straightened out by tomorrow morning. Perhaps you should go see to acquiring the proper materials for the class." The shaken girl curtseyed and fled the room on treacherous legs. Her brother made to follow her, but stopped when Cassandra raised her hand. "Lord Albert," the formality in her tone was a none-too-subtle warning, "I trust that you will see to it that your sister arrives at the proper hall for Mars 309 on time tomorrow. If she doesn't, it might become necessary for you to accompany her in her studies, permanently." Albert bowed silently and marched stiffly after his sister. The Princess watched them leave. "Why is it so quiet in here?" she said gaily, "One would think that the students of the University had finally become prim and proper subjects of the Crown." Relieved laughter floated through the Strings Den. University students, for all their sober clothing and polite audience manners, were not known for propriety, much less primness. Animated conversations sprang up around the room. Thaddeus walked toward the princess and her future chancellor. The two women were engaged in a quiet conversation of their own. As he neared, he could make out the last few phrases. "I'll handle it immediately, Cassandra," Saraphenia was saying. "No need," the Princess said with a grin, "I know that Pir is arriving in a few hours. Go get 'duddied up' as Zoicite would say. I'll talk to Edward in a bit." Sara blushed faintly and nodded before sedately moving off through the crowd toward the nearest exit. Cassandra shook her head in amusement. "Pir had better marry that one," she murmured. "Wouldn't you agree, Lord Setus-Ra?" Thaddeus blinked. He had not thought that she had known he was that close. "I. have no opinion on the matter, Most Gracious One." "Well, it would seem that you, too, need a bit of education. Would you care to accompany me on a tour of the campus?" "Of course," he stammered. Seeing his uncertainty, Cassandra slipped a hand under his bare elbow and with gentle pressure steered him toward the door. 'Great,' he thought, 'what have I gotten myself into now? Athenian royalty is famous for persuading people into doing all sorts of things. What does this gray-eyed slip of a girl have planned? And does she know my instructions?' Soon they were in the hallway. Cassandra nodded politely to those they met and kept up a steady stream of seemingly inconsequential chatter. Thaddeus quickly picked up on the fact that she was giving him fingernail briefs on most of the important people and places on campus. While he did not have an Athenian's native ability to remember great quantities of information, he had been trained to quickly assimilate the logistical information necessary for running an army. He put that training to use as the pair walked across campus. Half an hour later found them in a mist-strewn glade deep in the University's grounds. Thaddeus eyed the massive trees and trailing ivy with unease. Athena's forests were nothing like Mars' wide deserts. A rustling in the bushes sent him reaching for the dagger he did not have. For practical reasons (such as keeping hotheaded guys from getting into duels), University students were forbidden to carry weapons on campus. A chest high, pale-colored creature stepped seemingly out of the heart of the mist. "It's alright, Thaddeus," Cassandra said as she held out her hand to the creature. It was vaguely horse-like with a spiraled ivory horn springing from its forehead, but was the approximate shape and size of an Earthling deer. "We need a bit of privacy, my friend. Please keep all others away from here." The creature turned and disappeared back into the mist without acknowledging the princess's words. "I don't think he quite likes you, Thaddeus Setus-Ra." She sank down upon the gnarled root of one of the forest's giant oaks. "I don't know if I quite like him, Highness," Thaddeus said. He chose to sit on the ground. "What was that thing?" He tried to hide a shiver. It was much cooler here than within the buildings, much less than the Red Planet. "He is a unicorn. He and his kindred have guarded my family ever since the formation of the Great Spells." Cassandra looked him up and down. "You really should start wearing more clothing." Thaddeus bristled. She laughed. "I don't mean for you to give up everything and 'go native'. Look around you. Athena is a cool, damp planet. Traipsing around in Martian gear will only give you your death of cold." "As you say, Highness." Thaddeus stared at the girl, stretching his psychic senses out toward her. Gentle amusement mingled with the swirling sensation of a shrewd mind chasing a dozen different lines of thought. "Why did you bring me out here, Princess?" Cassandra met his eyes steadily and skirted the subject. "Do you know why Allana Windsor has been provoking you?" Thaddeus shook his head. "Her branch of the Windsor family has fallen out of favor in recent years. However, they are still powerful, especially among a certain portion of the merchant class, as much as they hate to admit it. They hold themselves to be high nobility, you know." She laughed lightly. "High nobility on a planet that has little use for dimwitted bluebloods. Anyway, they are leading an unfortunately vocal section of the rich in a clamor saying that the Royal Family should marry only Athenians. In particular, they want me to marry Albert; putting him on the throne of the Prince Consort and the Windsors back into the limelight." Thaddeus had a sinking feeling that Cassandra knew exactly why he had been sent to attend the Athenian University. "And what does that have to do with me?" Cassandra's grin was disconcerting. "Allana might not be the brightest light in the sky, but she's not deaf. I doubt there's a person in Acropolis, much less the University proper that hasn't been speculating ever since the announcement of your enrollment. The consensus is that you've been sent out into the wide galaxy to seek a bride. And I," she added with patently false modesty, "am the biggest eligible fish in this pond." "There are nobles and royals from half a dozen other kingdoms at the University," he protested, "Why single me out?" "Because of a few simple reasons." She ticked the points off on her fingers. "One: Athena's military has always been small. As such, it requires the best possible leadership. You are the brightest star in our generation to come out of the Martian military academies. Two: there have not been blood ties formed between Mars and Athena in six generations. And we Athenians believe in marriage bonds between peoples. Three: Your father is the High Councilor to the Martian throne. That makes you a good conduit for policy exchanges. Four: You are handsome, have a good singing voice, and have a reputation for being a canny observer with a sharp wit. All are things to which I am personally attracted." Thaddeus squirmed under her twinkling eyes. "I came here because my father thought I needed exposure to something other than the military arts." "Maron Setus-Ra might think that, but it is not the reason he enrolled you here," Cassandra contradicted flatly, all humor seeping out of her face and aura. "I know that. You must at least suspect it." Unbidden, the memory of one the last conversations he had had with his father rose to the surface of his thoughts. ****** Maron Setus-Ra was sitting in a low chair with a writing board in his lap when Thaddeus came to his door. "You wished to speak with me, Father?" he called softly. "Ah, Thaddeus," Maron said, "come sit by me. I need to discuss something with you." A wave of his hand sent the servants out of the room, the last one closing the door behind him. Thaddeus pulled another chair around and sat down. "What is it, Father?" Maron smiled. "My son, you will soon be leaving to go to Athena." "I know," he sighed, "I would still rather go to the Academy this year instead of spending two years at 'Brainiac U'. I know that Athenians are the best at teaching diplomacy and reason, but I can take the same courses here. We even have Athenian and Athenian-trained professors for that very reason." "It's not the same, Thaddeus, believe me," the older man leaned back and narrowed his eyes. "But the instructors are not the only reason for your assignment to the University of Athena. You are of age to find a bride and I have one in mind for you." Thaddeus sat up straighter. He was not upset by his father's announcement; in fact, he had been expecting something of the sort. Nobility and Royalty married for reasons of state and dynasty. Love rarely figured into it. "I have discussed the situation with the King and Queen. They agree that an alliance with the Athenians is a prudent move for both our kingdoms. I want you to become acquainted with Princess Cassandra d'Athenae. If she is willing, you will court her." As serious as only a young man given such a target could be, Thaddeus asked, "How am I to obtain her 'willingness'?" His father laughed. "That, my boy, is one campaign that you will have to plan and execute yourself. You will eat dinner with your mother and I before you leave next week, won't you?" Thaddeus stood up, knowing a dismissal when he heard one. "Of course, father. Whenever you wish." "We are proud of you, my boy. And we will miss you." The Councilor stood and hugged his only son. "Good luck and good hunting, Thad." ****** Thaddeus blinked and came back to himself in the Athenian forest glade. Cool gray eyes were still watching him. "Did you read." Cassandra smiled briefly. "Read you mind? You are the telepath, not I. I merely triggered the appropriate memory." He rubbed his forehead. "It was so vivid, so, so real." "Really?" the Princess cocked her head, puzzlement showing through her cold mask. "Without the Staff of Wisdom or at least casting a Memory Vortex, I shouldn't have been able to trigger more than a brief flash, just enough for you to acknowledge the memory." "That was no flash. It was a full blown re-living." Thaddeus narrowed his eyes in thought. "Perhaps," he mused, "it was because I was trying to 'read' you when it happened. So sort of synergetic effect." They pondered the implications for several comfortably silent moments. Finally, Cassandra shook her head and said, "Enough of that. Back to the point of this little meeting. Did you, or did you not come here intending to obtain my hand in marriage?" The Martian lord stared up into her eyes. He wanted to try to wrap his psychic senses around her again, but refrained. There was something in those eyes that demanded truth. And something that spoke of a lifetime's worth of loneliness; the loneliness of a person caged by duty and obligations from the day she was born. Cassandra, he realized, had always known that she would be one of the most sought after prizes in the Sol System. It was the burden of her birth, the burden of every highborn woman's (or man's) life. Thaddeus could well imagine the number of men who had plotted coldly to obtain this beautiful woman's hand. They would have been after the power, the legacy of one of the Planetary Kingdoms. Few would have cared to look beyond the public persona to the young woman beneath. Thaddeus felt the cold, slimy hand of guilt on his heart. He had been no better than the rest. He had even grilled Reika for information useful to his hunt. He dropped his eyes to stare at the hem of her gown. "Idiot," he mumbled. "What was that?" Cassandra asked a hint of threat in her voice. "I owe you an apology, Most Gracious One." Steady brown eyes rose to meet guarded gray one. "My primary purpose in coming to Athena was to attend the University. But the major secondary purpose was to seek your hand in marriage. I admit to planning a campaign to win you as if you were a prize, a reward for playing some type of political game. For that I am sincerely sorry." "And five," Cassandra breathed, "honesty." "What?" "The fifth reason that your rivals should fear you." The Princess smiled gently, her cold mask discarded as if it had never existed. "You are the only one who has been honest with me. That holds more weight than all of the other reasons combined." She winked, "Being a scrumptious specimen of a Martian hunk doesn't hurt, mind you?" Thaddeus found himself blushing for the first time he could remember. "You're not angry? You're not going to have thrown off the planet?" "And make an inter-planetary incident? Harmony forbid!" She offered him her hand. "Let's start over, shall we? Greetings, I am Cassandra d'Athenae." He inched forward and took her hand tentatively, not sure where this was leading. "Thaddeus Setus-Ra." When she did not relinquish his hand, he continued, "How, may I ask, is that you knew my intentions? Did Reika tell you?" Cassandra blinked. "Reika? Why would I ask.? You went to REIKA for help in courting me?" She covered her mouth with her free hand in a vain attempt to smother a giggle. "You went to the girl who is the closest thing you have to sister for dating advice? That's so, so." her words were lost in a gale of laughter. "Pathetic?" Thaddeus offered. His blush had deepened to something resembling a ripe tomato. Cassandra regained control with difficulty. She wiped her streaming eyes a handkerchief pulled from her bodice. "I was going to say lame, but that works too." "I am honored to provide you with amusement, Your Highness," Thaddeus grumbled. He tried to pull his hand gently from her grasp. "You must call me Cassie if we are going to friends. Well, at least while in private. Better avoid lese majesty in public." He stopped trying to retrieve his captured appendage. "Friends?" Cassandra met his eyes firmly. "I have no intention of ending up like the suBabios. I do not want my husband to be a stranger with whom I have no relationship at all. Nor do I want to end up like my grandparents. They detested one another. My grandmother is dead, but my grandfather still hates her, still speaks of her with nothing but loathing." She paused a moment to search his eyes for something. She must have found it for she continued. "It would be far better to marry a friend. A person, with whom I know I can work, can spend a lifetime with as partners, teammates. I do not expect to find true love. I do not even demand that my husband stay only in my bed. I, and Athena, need an ally, not an enemy, on the Prince Consort's throne." "Are you proposing to me?" Thaddeus asked softly. He found that he was torn between respect for the Princess before him and sorrow for the woman before him. It was terribly sad that a seventeen-year-old girl had given up on romantic love as Cassandra had so patently done. She shook her head. "No. I am offering you a chance. A chance to be my friend, nothing else. I cannot guarantee what will come of that friendship, if anything." "Your friendship is more than I have any right to ask." "Flattery, Lord Setus-Ra?" He stood and pulled her to her feet. "No. Honesty. And call me Thad." He grinned down at her. "You will let me at least use some of the 'romantic attack plans' I spent hours fomenting, won't you? I'd hate to waste all that hard work and research." His grin turned self-deprecating. "Besides, Reika will gleefully tell me 'I told you so' if word leaks out that my grand scheme sank before it even left the Canal-side." Cassandra laughed gaily. "I do believe, Thad, that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." She hooked her arm through his and they headed off into the mist.

******* Thaddeus stared off into the sunlit mist between the huge trees surrounding the glade. Even after almost a year on Athena, the slow swirl of the pale haze was still mesmerizing. Vague shapes formed and dissipated and reformed into something altogether different. He had often returned to the glade where he and Cassandra had had that first serious conversation. It was quiet and no one else seemed to know it existed even though it was within a ten-minute walk from the main campus. Some times a unicorn or two would be there; grazing upon the moisture spangled grass and flowers. The mystic beasts didn't seem to object to his presence. Once, a half-grown unicorn with bright blue eyes had come right up to him. It had stared at him for a long time before snatching the apple he had brought for a snack and running off into the mist. At the moment though, he was alone with his books spread out around him. "Boo," a voice whispered in his ear. Thaddeus yelped and scrambled away in a stumbling rush. When he regained his balance, he turned to face his attacker. "Hell fire and damnation, Cassandra! Are you trying to scare me to death?" Sailor Athena laughed lightly. "Maybe," she drawled. "Or I could have just been practicing deadening sound to sneak up on people. Of course, you were so busy staring at nothing that a brass band could have snuck up on you." "Bah," Thaddeus grunted as he flopped back down by his books. "I was just studying. Some of us do have finals in a few days, ya know." The Sailor Scout wrinkled her nose. "I do know. In fact, I've got a final myself in Pre-Silver Millennium history in three days." She struck a dramatic pose. "But that's okay! I am the Sailor Scout of Music and Memory! I will punish that final in the name of Athena!" The Martian lord smiled in spite of himself. He shook his head at his friend. "Do you have any idea how all that 'I will punish you' stuff sounds when combined with that unbelievably short skirted uniform?" "Are you suggesting that traditional Sailor Scout declarations of intent are lacking in dignity? Hmmm, Lord Setus-ra?" "Maybe." Sailor Athena glared at him. Then she sighed and powered down into her non-Scout self. "Sometimes, I think you might have a point." She shook a warning finger at him. "I'll deny I ever said that, mind you!" "Of course. What are you doing out here anyway? I thought you were still in Pallas at the Palace." Cassandra settled down on a moss-strewn rock next to him before answering. "I've done as much studying as I can take for a while. And I'm sick of being hounded by the Sacksville-Windsors." "Are they still bothering you? I thought they got the hint that you weren't interested when you asked me escort you to Huntsman Ball instead of Albert last month," Thaddeus protested. "Apparently hope springs eternal. Well, either that, or inbreeding has damaged their cognitive abilities even more than I thought." She scooped up an oak burl and tossed it from hand to hand. "Oh, well, it's not really your problem, now is it? What have you been up to lately? Gotten into another drinking contest with that Jovan fellow? Leif, I believe his name was?" Thaddeus suppressed an urge to shift uncomfortably. Truthfully, it wasn't his problem. Aside from escorting Cassandra to a few functions, he had never followed through on any of his grandiose 'courting' plans. They had become very close friends over the past months, but that was all. Tentatively, he reached out to wrap his psychic senses around Cassandra. Disgust, carefully controlled anger and a sorrow-tinged feeling of acceptance swirled around her, much like the mist swirled around the forest giants surrounding the clearing. But there was no sense of expectation coming from her. No hint that she wanted more than a sympathetic ear from him. His lips twitched in sudden wry amusement. The relationship he had with the one woman he had been specifically sent to wed was the only one he had ever had that put no pressure on him. She never expected any commitment from him. She simply accepted what he was willing offer her. Maybe he should offer her more than simply friendship. He closed his eyes and made the decision he had been putting off for far too long. Cassandra cocked her head questioningly. "Athena to Thaddeus. Come in Thaddeus. Yoo-hoo?" He muttered something in reply. "Thad?" He raised his head to look into her eyes. "I said, maybe it should be my problem." He felt her sudden surge of hope, ruthlessly suppressed. He took her hand in his. "We are good friends, are we not?" She nodded slowly. "And you once said that you wanted a friend on the throne of the prince consort. Do you think I'd qualify?" "Are you proposing to me, Thaddeus Setus-Ra?" He shook his head slightly as his cheeks blazed. "Maybe, no. I don't think so. At least not yet. But I am asking for permission to seek your hand, Most Gracious One." "I don't." Her confusion colored the air. His free hand rose up almost of its own free will to cover her lips and stop her words. "You're good at Interkingdom politics. Supposed to be one of the best. Just think of it as another treaty or policy to work out to favor both parties." He grinned up at her. "And I think it could be a lot more fun than import/export tariffs, don't you?" The beginnings of a smile worked its way across Cassandra's face. "Tell you what, milord Thad; I'll give you a year to convince me of your qualifications. At the end of that time, we'll draft that 'treaty', alright?" "Alright." He pulled her down from her stone perch. "Why don't I start by demonstrating some of my qualifications?" As he lowered his mouth to hers, she murmured, "Just take it slow, Thad. No commitments until we're sure." "As you say, Highness," he whispered just before their lips met. ********* The young unicorn watching from within the mist turned to his mother. **Is this a good/healthy/bountiful thing? Can the Lady trust this fire/desert/strict-order man?** Unicorn communication was not well suited to transferring complex thoughts, at least not in ways that humans could understand. It worked just fine for the horned-ones, though. The mare unicorn shook her head and neck, setting her long pale blue mane dancing. **I do not know, child. There is no stone-singing/joyous clamor. True mates, even among the two-legs, glow/sparkle/shimmer with power/rightness/glory when they are together.** **We will wait. We will see. The Lady and the fire/desert/strict-order man may not have true mates.** The unicorn stallion pawed the turf briefly. **Most two-legs never find true mates even if they look/seek/hunt.** **The Lady has great strength/purpose/magic even for one of her line/family. She deserves to find her other-self.** The mare protested. **So does the fire/desert/strict-order man!** the foal added, **He is nice/safe/worthy.** The stallion reared briefly to emphasis his words. **It does not matter! We are Unicorn/Purity/Light-Bearers. We protect/guard/keep-safe. We do not meddle/stick-in-horn! The two-legs, even the Lady, must run/flee/pursue their own lives.** The mare and the foal bowed their heads in consent. **Come. You must inform/tell/warn the others. I will stay.** The mare and foal sped on light feet through the trees to spread the word to others of their kinds. All must know that the fire/desert/strict-order man was now to be protected. He might soon be a member of the d'Athenae family and so fall under the unicorns' purview. ******** Perseus stalked down the early morning corridors of the Athenian Palace. The dark gray mooncat was not in a good mood. It was winter in Pallas, a thing that never pleased the aging feline. Although Athena was a cool, mist-shrouded planet, it maintained a fairly even climate year around. (Like all of the inhabited moons and planets of the Sol System, no matter the size of their orbit, Athena's 'seasonal year' was the 365+ days of Earth's true year. The Great Spells that made them livable were designed to generally mimic the mother planet's various biospheres. It was necessary for establishment and continued existence of certain essential transplanted terran food crops and animals.) This winter was being unusually harsh. And last night had been bitterly cold. The icy touch of the snowstorm raging outside had penetrated even into the heart of the Palace, shoving aside heating spells and the warmth of old fashioned wood fires like they didn't exist. 'It doesn't help," Perseus thought grumpily, 'That the floors are made of stone.' He padded down the middle of the mostly deserted hall on the rich hand woven carpets, being careful to jump across the bare marble between the individual rugs. It was slightly below the dignity a royal advisor should exhibit, but he was old enough to care more about his pads than his prestige. The corridor door to Cassandra's suite was closed, a sure sign that the Princess was still indisposed. Perseus paused beside the door, the end of his tail twitching in annoyance. Cassandra was supposed to have met with him to discuss the day agenda almost an hour ago. Normally, he would have thought nothing of the delay, but this was the third time this week that she had been grossly late and it was only Tuesday! And that did not include the four times she had done the same thing the week before. While the tardiness was itself forgivable, the lack of explanation was inexcusable. Promptness was a very important habit for a ruling queen to develop. It was one thing to keep underlings waiting to make a point. And entirely another to do so out of carelessness. The mooncat nodded sharply to himself. It was time to take things into his own paws. Princess or not, Cassandra needed a firm talking to. Luckily, the outer door had a cat entrance cunning concealed within its intricately carved panels. He shoved the swinging section open and jumped through. The sitting room was lit faintly by a few bobbing light balls anchored by the desk under the heavily draped windows. Perseus crossed the wide room with barely a glance at the comfortable furnishings. He knew that the maid's chamber was empty. Cassandra had so far refused to choose one of ladies-in-waiting for the coveted position. The Princess's own bedchamber was at the end of a short hall off the main chamber. The door was open only a crack, but it was well cared for and recently oiled. It was easy for Perseus to push it far enough in order to slip into the room beyond. Another of the ubiquitous light balls was tethered next to Cassandra's favorite chair. Its flickering low-level glow was more than enough for the sentient feline's eyes. He crossed the deep carpeting on feather light feet. There was a large lump under the covers of the wide bed. Only a few stray brown curls peeped out from under the blankets. Grass green eyes narrowed in frustration. Perseus crouched low and, after a preparatory 'butt wiggle', launched himself into the air. He was in mid- pounce when several things registered with him. The lump that he was attacking was mighty big for one slight teenaged female human. And now that he was paying attention, he could hear two distinct breathing patterns. And Cassandra's as yet unofficial betrothed's scent was lying awfully heavy in the air; it was far too strong to have been left during an earlier visit. "Crap!" the 'cat muttered as he tried to change his trajectory in midair. He managed to turn enough that he did not land on the nearest head. Instead he bounced across the middle of the lump. He skittered down the length of the bed and dropped back to the floor. The bed erupted at his heels. A very angry and very naked Thaddeus Setus-Ra sprang from the covers, drawing a broadsword from a sub-space pocket before his feet touched the floor. A similarly unclothed Cassandra screeched as she was unintentionally dragged from the bed along with the blankets. She landed with a painful thud on carpet. "For Harmony's sake, Thad!" the princess rolled to her knees, clutching the covers close. "It's cold enough in here without you freaking out and yanking the covers off of me." Under the cover of the concealing blankets, she had summoned her transformation wand. Gray eyes searched the room for whatever had caused the disturbance. "Something hit me, Cassie," Thaddeus muttered, his sword held in a high guard position. "Really?" she drawled in feigned casualness. A flicker of motion under the edge of the bed caught her eye. A familiar, sharp nosed, whiskered face looked back at her. "Relax, Thad. It's the furball." "I," Perseus said with all the dignity he could muster, "am not a furball." "You're going to be a bald furball if you don't have a damn good reason for being here, Perseus," Cassandra glared at her guardian cat. Neither male doubted that she meant exactly what she said. Thaddeus relaxed minutely and sent his weapon back into subspace. Now that he knew that the threat couldn't be whacked into submission, he was more than willing to let Cassandra do the defending. "Would her Highness mind sparing a blanket for her most humble and frozen suitor?" The Princess's lips twitched in a suppressed smile. "No, we would not," she said, dropping into 'royalese'. "We would suggest our most gallant defender dress, post haste." Gray eyes laughed at him. "It's only three hours until you have to be on board the Flame's Heart. We'll have time for a 'going away' breakfast with my brothers if you hurry." "Joy," Thaddeus deadpanned, "I am so looking forward to being grilled by the Terrible Trio. Again." "Oh, poor baby! Tell you what, I'll get Sara to come too and she'll ride herd on Piram. Then you'll just have to deal with Jacob and Christaphin." Thaddeus headed toward the attached bathing chamber. "Lovely. Just how I wanted to spend my last day on Athena. Trying to not look like a complete idiot in front of the Priestly Prince and Playboy Chris." "You'll survive," Cassandra said dryly, "Besides, it's not like you are leaving forever. You'll only be gone for two weeks. Now go get dressed like a good little Prince Consort-elect." "Aye, aye, Highness," he said with a mocking bow before ducking into the bathing chamber. He left the door cracked open enough to ease-drop on Cassandra and Perseus. Normally, he refrained from stooping to such tactics, but today he felt insecure enough to want to be able to charge out to defend both himself and the princess if necessary. He smiled at the clothes that one of Cassie's discrete servants had left for him: traditional Martian nobleman attire complete with gilt sandals. After his two years on Athena, the clothing of his homeland seemed almost foreign to him. He had taken Cassandra's advice on dressing for the weather rather than his ego. He had continued to wear the heavy gold torc and belt of his rank, but had traded in his lightweight sleeveless tunic and kilt for thick, long sleeved shirts and leggings of wool. And those sandals that he had been so proud of had been quickly replaced with calf-high boots after discovering how very cold all of those ubiquitous water puddles truly were. ".Perseus?" Cassandra's voice jolted him back to the present. "You did not show up to agenda meeting, so I came looking for you," Perseus answered calmly. The voices were much clearer than they should have been. Thaddeus grinned wryly as he realized that Cassandra was deliberately using her power to amplify and direct the conversation so that he could hear without straining. "I left you a message yesterday canceling the meeting, furball. Did you neglect to check your crystal recorder again?" Thaddeus could easily picture the arch expression that accompanied her silken smooth tone. He had watched Cassandra use that same technique on hundreds of people in all types of social and private situations since they had begun seeing one another. Her vict. er, her audience never seemed to be able to read through her calm, ever polite, ever in control demeanor to the true thoughts underneath. Thaddeus had, with Cassandra's tickled permission, established a telepathic link with her at a myriad of public functions in order to better understand how the Athenian political game was played. If nothing else, the experience had helped him perfect his poker face. Cassie's wry, pointed, slyly humorous running internal dialogue had almost sent him into unseemly gales of laughter all too often. He had known that she had a reputation as gifted diplomat and negotiator, but he had not expected to find that her mind was as brilliant and sharply faceted as diamond and at times as stern and hard. Cassandra would make a formidable queen one day and woe be unto the fools who would seek to oppose her will.

"Yes, well," Perseus sputtered, "You know that I don't like that contraption." Silence filled the bedchamber for a brief moment. "How I came to be here is beside the point. The question is why is Setus-Ra here?" "Thad is here because I invited him. Not that it is any of your business. What I do in the privacy of my own chambers is my own business."

"That is nonsense, Cassandra. You are the heir to the throne. That means everything you do has an impact, whether you like the idea or not." Thaddeus nodded unhappily to himself. He had grown up being in the center of the Martian government and he was a high noble himself. But he had not realized how much more closely Planetary Royalty was watched. Every little thing that a royal, especially one of the direct heirs, did was the object of intense scrutiny and comment. "Fine," the princess sighed, "forgive me for not keeping you up to date with the details on my love life. What do you want to know, Guardian?" Perseus's voice was soft with apology and guilt. "If I did not have to plan for possible repercussions, I would not ask this of you." Cassandra's voice was utterly flat. "As you say. Thaddeus has been courting me publicly for almost a year. When it became apparent that we were compatible and had no major personality clashes, we decided that marriage was a viable option. Thaddeus and I discussed the situation with my parents and Chancellor MacIan. We all agreed that our engagement would be announced after Thaddeus's return from his visit home. That way, the news would not come as a surprise for his parents or King Osiris and Queen Isis." Thaddeus winced at the emotionless dissection of their courtship. He knew that Cassandra was capable of being a gentle, loving, passionate woman, but she could also turn off that part of herself, leaving only a cold, inhumanely logical political animal in control. He had finished dressing and started brushing out his shoulder-length brown hair. It had been tangled into a rat's nest of tangles during the night. He watched himself absently in the wide mirror as he sank deeper into thought. He respected Cassandra d'Athenea and he cherished their friendship. He was even looking forward ruling with her and raising a family. But he knew, and as a psychic he couldn't not know, that they were not truly bound to each other. It bothered him a bit, but he knew that true love was the rarest of things. And their relationship was better and stronger than anyone, especially nobility, could possibly expect. "I know that much," Perseus continued. "But when did this." His voice trailed off into an embarrassed silence. While Athena was a very cosmopolitan planet with very little few of the sexual taboos of more rigid planets like Neptune or Earth, it was still not something that an elder gentleman (or gentlecat, if you prefer) would feel comfortable discussing with a nineteen-year-old girl. Thaddeus had finished dressing and opened the door between the bathing and bedchambers just in time to watch a rare, faint blush steal across Cassandra's cheeks. "A month ago," the Princess answered softly, "Thaddeus accompanied me to Lady Miranda's annual gala and, well, one thing led to another, as the cliché states." She sighed and turned her head to look at Thaddeus. She was still sitting on the floor, bundled up in the bedclothes. "Took you long enough the get dressed, Thad," she teased, "And I thought women took a long time." She held one hand out to him and used the other to hold onto the sheet wrapped around her. "Yeah, yeah," Thaddeus replied as he pulled her feet. "Finish your talk with the furball?" "Will I never receive the respect my age deserves?" Perseus sighed in mock exasperation. "Yes, Lord Setus-ra, we finished our discussion." The 'cat eyed him for a few heartbeats. "Welcome to the family." Thaddeus bowed. "I thank you, Guardian." Cassandra glanced at the timepiece on the bedside table. "Well, if I hurry, unlike some people, we can make that breakfast with the boys." "Not if I distract you first," Thad muttered. "Hmm?" she asked as she tried to gather her sheet-wrap into something manageable. Thaddeus stepped closer and grinned down at her. She responded with a suspicious look. "Don't I get a good morning kiss?" Her face softened as suspicion turned into a playfulness. "I suppose," she murmured and rose up on her tiptoes to oblige him. Perseus stopped his studious washing of his shoulder (even mooncats do the old 'bathe and pretend to ignore' bit) as the suite's outer door opened with a resounding bang. Fast falling footsteps preceded the bedchamber's door being flung open. "Hey, Cass! What's. the. hold.up?" Young Prince Christaphin's words and mind came to a stumbling halt upon seeing his sister's mostly naked body pressed against the Martian lord as they engaged in a rather passionate kiss. The couple froze and rolled their eyes to the youngest d'Athenae while their lips remained locked. Finally, a synapse managed to fire in Christaphin's over taxed brain. "Ahhh!!!" he screamed, "I saw nothing! Nothing!" and slammed the door as he beat a hasty retreat. Perseus shook his head in resigned amusement. "Someone is going to find out first hand if being dropped from the tower into the garden pond will break the ice," Cassandra said after pulling out of Thaddeus's arms. "Go calm the little nitwit down while I get dressed. At least he had the sense not to go running off through the hallways like a crazed Venusian wildebeest." Thaddeus saluted. Cassandra wrinkled her nose at him and waved him on as she headed into the bathing chamber. ***** Christaphin was sitting on the edge of a chair with his head buried in his hands. Thaddeus stifled an embarrassed chuckle at the sight. "She's gonna kill me," Christaphin whimpered. The normally self- possessed boy was obviously still in mild shock. Thaddeus was sympathetic. Although he had no true sisters of his own, he could well imagine how he would feel if he walked in on Princess Reika like that. At the thought, a twinge of jealous anger flashed though him. He shook off the unexpected reaction and cleared his throat. Christaphin's head popped up, eyes wide. The prince scrambled to his feet and bowed low, far lower than a Planetary Royal should ever bow to a mere lordling. "I am so sorry, Thaddeus Setus-ra. Please forgive my intrusion." "Oh, I'll forgive you. Now Cassandra on the other hand." Christaphin straightened up when Thaddeus's mildly amused tone registered. He slumped back down onto his chair, relieved. "Her Highness is going to order my head mounted on a pike, I just know it." He grinned weakly. "Good thing Mother is around to over turn the decree." Thaddeus settled onto the window seat across the conversational group from the prince. "Queen Daphne will doubtless have a more fitting punishment in mind." Christaphin winced. "If she hears about this, that is." "Message received, sir," Chris flicked a salute at his future brother- in-law. "No one will hear a breath of this from me." "Good." "Very wise," Cassandra echoed as she stepped from the bedchamber. "Now, shall we be off to break our fast?" "As my lady wishes," the two young men chorused. ***** The d'Athenae siblings and two future in-laws sat at the end of long banquet table in one of the smaller dining halls in the palace. Trusted servants had prepared the table and served the meal before withdrawing. 'A very useful tradition,' Thaddeus thought. 'The family can discuss the day without worrying about prying eyes and ears.' He reached for another piece of toast, only to have it snatched away by a grinning Piram. The eldest prince received a stern glare from his betrothed. It didn't seem to bother him as he just winked at her in return. "So," Saraphenia said as she poured herself another cup of coffee, "are you excited about going home for a while, Thad?" He nodded. "It will be nice to see my parents again. Not to mention getting out of all of this cold, wet air." "It's not usually this bad," Jacob said, his dark gray eyes were serious and measuring. Thaddeus knew that the acolyte of the Temple of the One God was the only member of Cassandra's immediate family that did not approve of him. That wasn't exactly correct. Jacob did not approve of his soon-to-be engagement to the Princess. No one knew why and the prince refused to explain his reservations. Piram felt the need to make up for Jacob's cool attitude. He cocked a mocking eyebrow and said suggestively, "Oh, I'm sure you can find ways to keep warm, Thad. at least at night." Christaphin's coughing fit as the youngest prince accidentally inhaled his cup of tea (right up his nose, too ^^) was totally unexpected. "Chris," the eldest d'Athenae said as he pounded helpfully on the breathing impaired boy's back, "are you okay?" "I will be," he gasped, "if you stop hitting me." "What's with you this morning?" Piram said. "You've been entirely too quiet." Christaphin simply shrugged and returned his attention to his meal. Cassandra decided to send the conversation down a path with less potential for embarrassment. "Have you already shifted your things onto the Flame's Heart, Christaphin?" Chris nodded. "Did that last night," he grinned across the table at Thaddeus. "We're sharing a cabin, future-bro." "What? Since when?" the Martian choked out around a mouthful of toast. Piram pounded him on the back in turn, as his face began turning blue. "Didn't you know?" the princess said as she turned oh-so-innocent gray eyes on her lover. "Christaphin was accepted into the War Academy. And the Flame's Heart was the next available transport." Her smile became shy and demure. "Besides, I though you'd like the company. Since you can't have mine and all." Thaddeus had assumed a truly alarming shade of deep violet. "Oh, stop teasing him, Cassie. You're going to kill him," Saraphenia said. "Who, me?" "Yes, you, Most Gracious One." The girls exchanged looks and laughed. ****** Demos Silver Navy Space Port was bustling as always. As the major inner system/outer system waypoint, it had a greater volume of military traffic than any other three spaceports combined. All the branches of the Silver Military were represented in the briskly moving crowd: sailors, foot soldiers of various types, cavalrymen, healers. Officers and enlisted exchanged salutes without breaking stride. All in all, it was a dazzling, bewildering mess to the uninitiated. To Thaddeus, it was a type of coming home. Except for these past two years on Athena, he had spent his entire life in some form of military schooling. The Martian lord moved confidently through the familiar passageways with the youngest d'Athenae prince following on his heels. He paused at one of the wide windows to point out the mighty Phoenix Sunrise, the flagship of the Silver Navy. Christaphin was duly impressed with the dreadnought. Thaddeus glanced at a timepiece on a nearby wall. "It is almost time for my shuttle down to the palace district. Where are you staying, Chris?" The prince tore attention away from the flagship. "I'm not supposed to report to the Academy until the twenty-ninth. So, I guess I'll just find a hotel to crash in some where." "That's a week and a half off. Why didn't you just get another transport?" Thaddeus looked coolly down at Christaphin. "There are regular scheduled flights between Athena and Mars. You didn't have to requisition space on a military transport." Christaphin laughed gaily at the suspicion in the older boy's eyes. "I'm not here to keep an eye on you, if that's what you think. I just wanted to come to the Festival of Flames. Wine, women and song, ya know." Thaddeus immediately relaxed. It was difficult to imagine Cassandra being so obvious as to send her little brother to keep an eye on things. It was quite another for Christaphin to be drawn to one of the biggest parties in the Sol System. Christaphin already had a reputation as a lady's man. Thaddeus had no idea how the young man managed to date and flirt with so many women and yet never make them mad or jealous. He just had the touch and the ability to know instinctively how far each woman was willing to go in purely casual relationships. The Martian lord shook his head. "No hotel for you, Chris. Without supervision you'd set Martian/Athenian relations back a thousand years. You're staying with me at my parent's town residence." "Great," Chris grinned. "I'd hoped you'd offer." "Why do I think I just made a big mistake?" Thad groaned. Chris suddenly sobered up. "Hey, wasn't that the last call for our shuttle?" "By the Immortal Flame! If we miss that, Father will have my head!"

"Lot of that going around, huh?" Chris murmured wickedly. "Just run!" ****** Thebes, the capital of the Kingdom of Mars, was built along the banks of the Grand Canal in the northwestern hemisphere of the planet. It was a sprawling city built almost entirely of stone and metal: wood was a rare luxury on the desert planet. During the day, Thebes was wrapped in a quiet, heat-ridden, somber majesty. But at night, and especially during the Festival, she was transformed into something altogether different as she cloaked herself in the dancing, vari-colored lights of millions of flames. The Festival of Flames started at dawn with services of thanksgiving for the past year at all of the many and varied temples and shrines on the planet. The rest of the day was supposed to be spent in contemplation and prayer, but almost everyone used the time to prepare for the party that started at sunset. As high nobility, Thaddeus and Christaphin had been invited to the palace for the Grand Ball. They were dressed in their finest; Chris had even worn his much-despised silver circlet in honor of the occasion. The two boys made their slow way through the crowded hallways and into the open- air courtyard that had been converted to a dance floor for the night. They finally were able to make it to a quiet alcove where they could survey the floor. "So many gorgeous women, so little time," Christaphin sighed happily.

"You are incorrigible." Thaddeus scanned the crowd, mentally cataloguing the people to whom he would be expected to speak. His eyes settled on a particularly beautiful woman near the royal dais. There was something hauntingly familiar about the sweep of her dark hair, the movement of her hands as she talked to a tall army captain. The distance was great enough to blur details, but he could not shake the feeling that he knew her, was inexplicably drawn to her. While he found he literally could not take his eyes off her, he made himself continue to talk. "I wonder where Princess Reika is. I'd like to see how she's doing in her Sailor Scout studies." "Um, Thad, you're staring at her," Christaphin said after following the direction of his friend's gaze. "That can't be Reika! Reika hates the Festival and all other parties. She stands in a corner and glares at all comers until she is permitted to return to the Sacred Flame or her martial arts practice. Frankly, she's pushy brat of a princess. That woman is poised and confidant and, and. just not Reika!" Christaphin smothered a laugh. "You haven't seen her in two years, Thad. The royal brat grew up and turned into a royal babe. Want to introduce us?" "No." Christaphin blinked at the vehemence in Thaddeus's voice. His dark blue eyes narrowed as he recognized the edge of something out of the ordinary in the older boy. There was a swirl of power around him, very faint and obviously unconsciously emitted. The prince decided to shrug it off. Thaddeus was Martian and there was a great deal of Martian magic floating around this evening, all stirred up by the Festival. "Well, if I can't dance with the princess, I'll just have to settle for that leggy blonde over by the orchestra. I just can't resist blondes." The younger boy wandered off with a smile on his face to hide his vague sense of unease. Thaddeus barely registered Christaphin's departure. He simply watched the dark haired figure, unaware of the passage of several minutes. Then the woman across the courtyard had glanced in his direction. A voice deep inside of him whispered 'Reika... my Reika.' The force of her violet eyes meeting his dark brown ones was almost staggering. Even though over a hundred feet of distance separated them, he could feel her breath catch and hold. He could taste her speeding heartbeat on his tongue. Involuntarily, he took a few steps toward her. She abandoned her escort and moved to meet him. ****** The disorienting, swirling sense of uncontrollable high magic was overwhelming. Heads were turning all around the open-air courtyard. People rushed toward the walls, leaving the bare sandstone floor to the two caught in the magic's embrace. On the far end of the dance floor, Christaphin spun to stare at the tableau, jaw hanging down in stunned disbelief. The young prince closed his mouth with a snap. The leggy blonde woman with whom he had been speaking snagged his arm to prevent him from charging Thaddeus. "You can't interfere." Her voice was filled with wonder and the singsong cadence of Venus. "The hell I can't!" Christaphin snarled. The blonde dug her nails into his arm, bringing his attention fully to her. "It is too late. This fate was written in the stars long before they were born." "What?! How do you know?" Christaphin shivered as he saw the power in the woman's rose-colored eyes. She smiled. "It is why I am here. I am a priestess of Vestia. The stars foretold the joining of soul-mates on this night." "Soul-mates." Christaphin's blue eyes were stricken. "Oh, Harmony. Oh, Cassandra." ****** Thaddeus struggled silently against the powers compelling him. Part of him yearned to give in, knowing that the other half of his being was coming toward him, bound in the body of the Martian princess he had known all his life. A steadily shrinking part of him shrieked of his obligations to Cassandra. There was no great love between him and the Athenian heir, but he knew that he had joined a very select group when he was allowed into Cassandra's inner circle. The coming betrayal, however unintentional, would deeply wound his lover. Apparently, he was not the only one who knew that Cassandra d'Athenae's seldom-bared heart was in danger. A long cloud of mist materialized from nowhere. When it dissipated, a half dozen unicorn stallions stood in a line between Thaddeus Setus-ra and Reika saPiros. In response, an identical number of flame-winged sphinxes swooped down from the sky to challenge the interlopers. The potential for violence rode the magic-charged air. King Osiris and Queen Isis joined hands as they strode out to join their daughter. Fire flickered around the rulers, causing heat mirages to float about them in a vision distorting haze. "What is the meaning of this unseemly disruption?" Osiris's voice barely dented the magic deepened silence. Reika did not acknowledge them even when her father shook her shoulder. "Release my daughter, Thaddeus, or answer to me!" the king bellowed. Isis merely stood at Osiris's side with her eyes closed as she channeled her own strength into her husband. "Stop them," murmured the Venusian priestess. "They must not attempt to intercede. The backlash could harm both Princess Reika and Lord Setus- ra." The young Athenian gave her a world-weary look and nodded reluctantly. Prince Christaphin's own control of sound based magic was scant, but it was powerful enough to carry his low tones to the Martian royalty without touching other prying ears. "Your Majesties, I am Christaphin d'Athenae." When Osiris looked toward him, he continued. "I am currently accompanied by a priestess of Vestia. She claims that to interfere would harm your daughter and Setus-ra." Isis's mental voice echoed in Chris's mind. "The priestess is correct. We must call off the guardians. Can you command the unicorns?" "I can try," Chris whispered. He walked to the nearest of the unicorn stallions, ignoring as best he could the clinging strands of ethereal magic. "Return to Athena," he ordered. The stallion rolled one golden eye back to look at him and flattened his ears. "It is not a request." The stallion shook his head in obvious denial. One of the sphinxes sat down abruptly. "He was ours long before he ventured onto your territory, spirit of light," it said in a voice that echoed strangely in human ears. "Besides, it is neither your duty nor ours to save the humans from themselves." The golden-eyed unicorn glanced at its compatriots and slowly nodded its horned head. Mist boiled up from the ground and filled the center of the courtyard briefly. When it disappeared, the unicorns were gone. With the intruders gone, the sphinxes took wing. They lounged on the surrounding rooftops to keep an eye on the proceedings. The King and Queen stepped back from their daughter. With the impediments gone, Thaddeus and Reika continued their fated journey across the hushed dance floor toward each other. Christaphin could only watch in wonder as destiny unfolded. The priestess at his side pulled a pair of mirrored eyeglasses from her pocket. As she settled them on her nose, she said, "You might want to look away. The soul mates are both fire- born, you know." "Fire-born?" The words had no sooner left Christaphin's lips than reason for the priestess's eye-protection manifested itself. When Reika and Thaddeus met, a column of fire rose to the heavens around them. Chris flung up an arm to protect his face from the blinding light and intense heat. "Whoa!" the priestess declared happily, "I bet they saw that on Demos and Phobos!" ****** When the unicorns appeared, the small portion of Thaddeus that was still thinking didn't know whether to be thankful or fearful. The powers compelling him were strong enough to make him want to lash out at the interlopers. He held onto his control with the last vestiges of his will power; he could sense Reika doing the same. As the guardians of Athena and Mars faced off, Reika's thoughts wafted through his mind with a clarity and ease he had never experienced. 'Do you know what is going on, Thad?' the princess whispered in the depths of his mind. 'No,' he thought back to her, 'and I cannot fight it. I do not want to fight it.' The unicorns returned to Athena and the sphinxes flew off. The pair drew closer to one another. 'Don't fight it,' Reika stared into his eyes with unblinking intensity, as the distance between them grew ever smaller. 'Please. It is love magic, soul magic.' 'Love magic? But how?' 'Does it matter?' Only a few feet separated them. 'I've loved you for so long, waited so long,' the power of Reika's longing rocked Thaddeus's heart even through the haze of magic. 'But I could never tell you. You treated me like a little sister, never like a potential mate. And now you are promised to another.' Thaddeus's self-delusions shattered. In the few seconds it took to take that last step, he realized that he had always loved Reika, not as the sister he had never had, but as the true-mate he had always longed for in the depths of his being. He had hidden the truth from himself so deeply that he had never even known it existed. The Martian lord reached for his future ruler, his other half, and whispered, "I am promised but not given. I give my heart to you, Reika. And damn the consequences." Martian fire rose around them. In the heart of the magical forge, two fused to become one whole as Thaddeus Setus-ra and Reika saPiros clung together in a literally soul-searing kiss. ****** Thaddeus had no trouble finding the one he sought. He had only to follow his ears. He paused in the doorway of the small room at the heart of the Athenian palace. Princess Alexis of Uranus played the piano, her instrument of choice. Princess Michiru had forsaken her usual violin for a cello. And Princess Cassandra had chosen to use the oldest of instruments, the human voice. "Though we share this humble path, alone How fragile is the heart Oh give these clay feet wings to fly To touch the face of the stars." The music was haunting. Thaddeus waited, unwilling to disturb the three young woman so bound up in their music. Cassandra's eyes were closed, but he was certain that she knew he was there. "Breathe life into this feeble heart Lift this mortal veil of fear Take these crumbled hopes, etched with tears We'll rise above these earthly cares. Cast your eyes on the ocean Cast your soul to the sea When the dark night seems endless Please remember me Please remember me." After the final notes died away, the three performers breathed a last unified breath before acknowledging the Martian lord's presence. "Thaddeus," Cassandra said, her eyes quizzical, "What are you doing back so soon? You must have gotten a teleportation wizard to sling you back here unless there is some super fast new ship that I don't know about." "I need to talk to you, Your Highness," he said softly. Alexis and Michiru exchanged glances. Michiru leaned her cello up against the piano and said, "We'll leave you two alone." Alexis took the aqua-haired girl's hand. "We'll be in the garden if you need us, Cass." Cassandra nodded her thanks to her fellow Sailor Scouts. When they had left and closed the door behind them, she sat down on the piano bench. She patted the space beside her, but Thaddeus shook his head and began to pace to and fro across the room. Cassandra watched him for a few minutes before saying, "What is it? Are you going to tell me or wear a trail in the floor?" Thaddeus thudded to a standstill, his shoulders hunched as if he expected a blow. He could not bring himself to look Cassandra in the eye. "I am so sorry, Your Highness. We didn't mean for it to happen. We didn't plan it. It was fate, if that priestess is to be believed. And strangely enough, I do believe her even if she is a very flighty even for a Venusian." His words stumbled to a bewildered halt. As the young man still had his eyes fastened on the floor, he missed seeing the brief flash of hurt in Cassandra's eyes before she once again sealed her true thoughts and feelings behind a wall of iron in her mind. "If this is a confession of unfaithfulness, Thaddeus, you need not fret so. I told that I did not require you to stay in my bed. I only ask that you do not sire children on other woman. Dynastic squabbles can be quite messy when half-bloods are involved." Thaddeus's head flew up, stung by her calmly delivered words. "I did not have some sordid fling. And if I did, I would not have run back to confess it to you like a guilt-ridden child." He sucked a deep breath in between his teeth as he struggled to control his flaring temper. He wanted nothing more than to teleport back to Mars, back to Reika. The bond between himself and the Martian heir was too new, too unstable. The urge for physical contact between him and his soul mate was almost overwhelming. The priestess said that need for constant touch would taper off as the soul-bound stabilized over the next few months. She had wanted him to stay on Mars, or at least take Reika with him to Athena. But Christaphin had been adamant that Thaddeus and Thaddeus alone tell Cassandra what had happened. The Martian lord could still see his former lover's brother in his mind's eye. The seventeen-year-old boy had his hand on the hilt of his ceremonial dagger; his blue eyes were as hard as the sapphires from which they had stolen their color. Thaddeus had not doubted that Christaphin would have challenged him to a duel if he had refused to return to Athena immediately. Cassandra's reply drew him back to the present. "If not a fling, as you so quaintly put it, then what? You are speaking in riddles." Thaddeus ran a harried hand through his shoulder length brown hair. The forelocks fell into his face, obscuring his eyes for a moment before he ruthlessly shoved them back. He surprised himself and the Athenian princess when he dropped to his knees before her and took her hands in his own. "Cassie, I don't give a damn about political consequences right now, but you are my friend and I don't want to hurt you." He paused, watching as the real Cassandra peeked out of the cool eyes within the princess's carefully controlled mask. "Last night something wonderful happened. I found my soul-mate." And the glory of that moment lit up his entire being.

Cassandra's betrayed hurt twisted within her into a jealousy so intense that it she wanted to howl. Instead, she heard her own voice say, "Soul-mate? Are you certain?" "Yes," he whispered. Cassandra's eyes closed and her face was very still. He reached out with his psychic sense, but was repulsed by some kind of cold, bleak barrier. The barrier surprised and frightened him. There was something unnatural, almost unholy about it. Before he could comment on it, the princess's eyes opened. The mental barricade remained in place, but the one on her face was gone. Resigned sorrow floated in her gray eyes, along with something else that he did not recognize at first. "Well, then Thaddeus, who is the lucky girl?" "Reika." She laughed lightly, with a note of self-depredation hidden within the humor. "Oh, Thad, I should have known. She told me that she had had a crush on you when she was very young. She passed it off as fantasy long since out-grown, but I suspected that she was not as blasé about the chance of our marriage as she pretended. I cannot see how you did not know that you two were destined long ago." Thaddeus grinned weakly up at her. "According to the Vestal priestess, soul-bounds happen in their own time. Most of the time, they manifest slowly as personalities and powers mature. I guess we each grew up enough during these two years apart that when we met again our individual magics meshed with each other like oxygen and hydrogen." "With a big explosion, no doubt," Cassandra added softly. She trailed a hand down his cheek. She cupped his chin firmly to keep him from pulling away and place a feather-light kiss on his brow. "I wish you both luck and happiness." She rose to her feet in a rustling of charcoal gray skirts and stepped around the kneeling man. "Goodbye, Thaddeus Setus-ra. May the light of wisdom shine on your path." Her voice was as steady and even as her metered footsteps. Thaddeus remained on his knees as he watched his first lover's stately exit from the chamber. The interview had gone better than he dared hope. The barrier around Cassandra still bothered him, but the compulsion to return to Reika's side tugged at his heart. "I'll talk to Christaphin about it later," he murmured to himself as he climbed to his feet. The teleportation wizard station was on the other side of the palace, but if he hurried, he could be back on Mars in twenty minutes. ****** The next few weeks passed in a blur. Between the heady magic of a settling soul-bound and the hurried preparation for the ceremony to induct him as Knight Protector Mars, thoughts of the strange barrier around Cassandra were driven from Thaddeus's mind. By the time he saw the Athenian princess again, at his knightly investiture, the matter was entirely forgotten. He was relieved when Cassandra came, laughing and gay, to the ceremony. Thaddeus's greatest weakness was relying too much on his psychic sense to read people and he could not longer 'read' Cassandra. He convinced himself thoroughly that his former lover had entirely gotten over his abrupt change of loyalties. Cassandra was once again the teasing companion of his first year on Athena. If Reika seemed to think otherwise, as the worry in her violet eyes seemed to indicate, she said nothing of it Thaddeus. The one time she tried to speak of the matter to Cassandra, the Athenian princess placed a gentle hand over her mouth to stop her words. "You are a fate-blessed woman," Cassandra d'Athenae said firmly. "Hold onto that blessing with both hands." She paused for a moment, for once seeming to be at a loss for words. "Besides, Rei, it was better for all concerned that you found out when you did, far better than if the engagement announcement had already been made. You are both my friends and if you ever need my help, you need but ask. May Harmony fill your house and your hours." Then she was gone, disappearing back into the crowd. Reika saPiros turned her back to the crowd for moment to compose herself, for she had seen the truth in Cassandra's eyes. The Athenian princess might not have been soul-bound to Thaddeus Setus-ra, but she had been in love with him. And the loss of the man she loved had ripped the very heart out of her. 'I'm sorry Cassie,' Reika thought, 'If I had known, I would never have let you meet Thaddeus.' She scowled fiercely at an innocent potted plant, relenting only when it began smoldering. 'I will keep your secret as best I can. Thaddeus doesn't know and will not learn it from me. But we Sailor Scouts have to stick together. Maybe Serenity or Aramina will come up with something to help you.' The Scout of Fire looked turned her hot gaze toward the distant pyramids. 'I will seek answers in the Sacred Flame.' Her thoughts broke off when Thaddeus returned to her side. She leaned against him, reveling in the sense of completeness he gave her, but she did not forget her promise.