Ah, it's good to be back! Title may or may not change... we'll see as we go along. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own or profit from any of the characters mentioned in this series. They all belong to Naoko Takeuchi, with the exception of a few original characters.

The palace gardens were deserted at this time of night, and that is precisely why she walked its paths. She had only one servant follow her down, but insisted she stay at the entrance to the gardens to give her privacy. The woman pleaded to accompany her, but the princess refused. The palace guard was surrounding the perimeter. Nothing could hurt her here.

The small stones beneath her feet crunched under her slippers as she walked, taking in the sights and smells of her favorite place. Lush plants surrounded the walkway with blooms of thousands of varieties perfuming the air. Columns lined the main path, vines creeping over their delicate architecture. Stone benches were scattered around the gardens, usually hidden away in private alcoves. A few had pergolas with sculpted figures of heavenly gods and goddesses. It was under one of these that she decided to sit- the furthest one from the castle.

The castle itself was truly magnificent. It was built by her ancestors thousands of years ago out of pure pale white marble, its tone the same as the mountainous land around it. The center was a rounded entrance hall that led to the outer wings, its domed roof topped with the simple symbol of her royal family: a crescent moon. The wings had porches and balconies that faced the back, offering views of the stark landscape and palace gardens. Each column was lit up by ornate lanterns, striping the building with light. The windows were still glowing in the residential wing, so she knew her mother was still awake.

Sighing, she turned and faced the garden surrounding her, a gentle fountain flowing in the center of the alcove she sat in. The sculpture was of Venus, the mother of their neighboring planet. She was draped in fine silk, the end pooling at her feet. A hand was slightly outstretched by her left side and the other was running through the length of her wavy hair.

Serenity absentmindedly ran her fingers through her own hair. It was long enough to pool on the bench beside her, even with it up in two buns on either side of her head. She gazed up into the night sky. Thousands of stars surrounded the focus of her vision: a planet that her own home orbited. It was mostly blue with deep waters- even deeper than here on the moon- but vast islands were veined across them, their hue a true, deep green in most places and a few a pale brown. White clouds sat above them, making the planet look like a swirled marble. It was beautiful.

The planet was called Earth. Once, it was considered their main planet, but that was before the revolution. The King and Queen on Earth ruled the moon before. There was still royalty here on the moon, but they did the bidding for the monarchs there- like a liaison. Just under a hundred years ago, the people of the moon rebelled against Earth. Being separate entities gave the moon people lust for their own independence, and there was a great war that left the planet and satellite in a very sensitive and tenuous relationship, now separate kingdoms. There was very limited trading and communication, and any of either that was unauthorized by the government was strictly prohibited.

Serenity wished things were different. The planet fascinated her- it was essentially the complete opposite of the moon with great seas and natural plants that grew without the need for human intervention. The moon was just rocky mountains and smooth valleys with no natural plants or bodies of water. Deep aquifers were their source of water. Everyone everywhere told her everything here paled in comparison to Earth, and she wished to see this for herself- even though she did not doubt it.

She had once asked her mother, Queen Selenity, about Earth and their royal family, but her mother only told her that they were a neighboring planet with a separate government and left it at that. Everything else she found out about the place were from old, dusty books in the royal library- all published before the war. The royal lineage went back thousands of years, and Serenity learned that her ancestors were actually from Earth then. The most updated texts only told her about everything from a century ago, so she couldn't learn much about the planet now. Only their histories and geography- but that was fascinating enough to keep her in the library for most hours of the day and even sometimes up all night in her bed chamber.

"Lady Serenity?" she heard a timid voice ask, breaking her from her reverie. She turned towards the voice. It was the servant she left at the entrance.

"Yes?" she asked. The servant stepped forward.

"The Queen would like to see you," she told her. At this, the princess furrowed her brow. Why so late at night?

"Is everything alright?" she asked, getting up from her bench and walking alongside the servant out of the alcove and back onto the main path of the gardens.

"Yes, m'lady, she said she just wanted to speak with you." Curiosity sparked in her, and the princess quickened her pace, the servant following her out the rest of the way. Her slippers clicked on the marble steps when she reached the palace's back entrance. Guards opened the large doors for her, and she entered the rounded entrance hall. Her steps echoed off of the marble walls as she began her ascent into the residential suites on the east side of the palace. Her mother's quarters were in the back, guards at every turn and every door for protection. The doors to the queen's suite were magnificently carved with silver filigree and moonstone inlay. The image was of the moon itself with the sun's rays emanating from the top of it, stars surrounding them. Cherubs surrounded the image and looked lovingly onto the moon's blue and purple iridescence. Guards opened this door for her, one announcing her arrival.

"Her royal highness, Princess Serenity to see you, Your Majesty,"

"Send her in…" she heard her mother's voice faintly. When she entered the room, the guards closed the doors behind her so that she and her mother were the only one's in the suite. The queen's quarters had its own meeting parlor, which is where she found her. She was sitting casually on one of the plush sofas, a book in her hands.

"Mother, you called to see me?" Serenity stood in front of her. Her mom's gray eyes looked up from her reading and she smiled.

"Sit, darling." she transferred the books next to her to the silver and glass coffee table as her daughter rounded it and sat. The queen caressed her daughter's face and pushed some silver hair behind her ear. "You grow more beautiful everyday." Serenity blushed. "I know it is late at night, but we must speak. You're nearing 16 now, and you know that you must be betrothed for a husband soon."

The princess nodded, "Yes, Mother…" Serenity was intimidated by the fact, but would do anything for her mom. Her mother was betrothed at her age as well. Though her father died before she was born, her mother spoke very highly of him on the rare occasion that she would talk about him. This gave her hope for her own betrothal. "Who?" she asked simply.

"Prince Endymion of Earth." Serenity's heart quickened. The planet she dreamed about every night, the place she studied in books, the home of all of her fantasies. "The Kingdom of Earth and our very own Silver Kingdom have decided to open communication between our worlds to help our efforts in reconciling the relationship between us. Though the war ended many years ago, the strain is still there. The King and Queen have been very gracious to accept my proposal of visiting our kingdom and return to the good standing of our ancestors." Her mother had been negotiating with them for months. The aquifers beneath the moon's surface were running low, and there were more deeper within, but Earth had the supplies and means to build more modern machines to drill access. The people of the moon were beginning to become anxious of their futures. With the royals in good standing, the ban on commerce between the Earth and Moon would be lifted, and resources for both kingdoms could be exchanged.

"I'm glad!" Serenity smiled, more so for the opportunity to learn of her favorite place than the political backing of it.

"This decision has not been made public, so we mustn't share this with anyone just yet, alright?" Queen Selenity's tone hardened. The princess nodded. "The royal family will be here in two week's time to meet you, of course, and tour our home. There will be a welcoming ball in their honor, so the tailor will be up to your rooms tomorrow to begin some gowns for you."

"How long will they be here, Mother?"

"For two months. We will show them our lands and our deteriorating resources, we will show them our natural wonders, and we will show them what a wise decision it is for your marriage to Endymion." Selenity took her daughter's hands. "This will be your defining moment as queen, my child. This affects the future of our home, and Earth is the only answer to our problems. It is very important that you are at your best at all times. You will be the face of the Moon to Earth and the rest of the galaxy." Serenity shuddered at the thought, but sat strong for her mother.

"Of course. I have trained and studied for this every day." She thought back to the dreadful lessons with the teachers her mother provided. Subjects like languages, history, and family lineages were nothing compared to the etiquette classes she was forced to endure for the last seven years.

"Yes, and I am sorry for that!" Selenity joked, laughing. "The prince is a kind young man. He's only two years older than you. He's very loved by his people and his parents especially. You two should get along splendid."

"Thank you!" Serenity hugged her mother, excitement taking over. "Oh, I cannot wait for their arrival!" she cried, looking wistfully at a tapestry on the wall. Its design had the moon as the focus, but Earth was embroidered in the background. She couldn't wait to visit there someday, which should be inevitable with her situation's current developments.

"There is much to be done! So we must sleep to be ready for tomorrow." The queen walked her daughter out of her suite, hugging and kissing her goodnight.

Serenity practically danced to her own rooms, which were down the hall from her mother's. Her rooms were smaller, but just as grand. Her bed was canopied with fine, pale blue chiffon. Flowers from the gardens sat on her nightstands and perfumed the room lightly. Large windows opened up onto her own balcony which allowed her her own view of the gardens below.

A handmaiden help her change into her night clothes and take down her hair, the silver strands cascading down her back as she walked onto her balcony, wanting a last look at her now-betrothed's home. She wondered what he looked like. Did he know they were betrothed yet? What was he doing right now? Constant questions plagued her mind, even when she went back to her bed and lay down to sleep.