The people of Ishtar were thrilled to greet their princess and their new duke.

"They couldn't be more thrilled than if I had simply proclaimed myself duchess."exclaimed Minako.

"They've certainly gone to great lengths."said Kunzite.

"I always knew they would love their new duke!"

"Never as much as the new duke loves his princess."

No where on Venus did Aphrodite's golden apple flourish as they did in Ishtar. Their sweet scent was everywhere. When they reached the palace, both Minako and Kunzite were given golden baskets of the goddess's own special fruit, quinces, or as they were known as elsewhere 'golden apples', or 'love fruit'. There were baskets of them at Magellan, but not as plentiful or as fragrant as the ones here.

"I don't suppose they want to see us bite into one."said Kunzite. "It wouldn't be a good idea to see the expression you might put on."

Despite their sweet scent, they were especially hard and bitter. He certainly remembered the last time he'd bitten into one. Minako could not stop laughing.

"Goodness, no! Although on the other hand, it would give everyone a good laugh. You only should have seen your expression the first time you bit into one."she said.

"That is something I will never forgive you for."he held one up. "Thank goodness you didn't trick me with that at our wedding!"

"That's because everyone convinced me it wasn't a good idea. You still did end up tasting and loving it, though. You're really never expected to eat them, though. You are, however, expected to drink their juice, eat their paste, marmalade, their wine, or anything with them in it."

Despite their bitter taste, the desserts made from them were especially sweet, and were widely eaten on Venus.

"Even Ishtarians add something to them when they eat them raw. Honey, cheese, apples. Still, you're a true Ishtarian or Venusian if you do eat them. They say that is how you know you're in Ishtar. Their scent everywhere!"

"They will always make me think of you, Minako."he said, stroking her hair and handing her the fruit.

The perfume she wore smelt just like her ancestress's own love fruit.

"I hope you don't get tired of them, then! I'll have to strip you of your title, then! And use an attainder!"

"An attainder? Wouldn't that be depriving our descendants of it? Otherwise, it wouldn't be much of an attainder, would it? No, but I wouldn't ever get tired of the scent of quinces, especially when they remind me of you."

It was an honor to be selected to serve the new Duke of Ishtar, thought Adonis, as he observed the new livery.

"You would almost think we were serving the princess herself."he said to his sister-in-law, who was one of Makoto's handmaidens.

"We are."she sounded surprised.

"You are. I don't remember this being the livery anyone in her household wears."

"Does it make any difference? You're at court, aren't you? Who doesn't want to be at court? And it's really thanks to her that you are."she told him.

Her words suddenly seem to interest him, so she went on.

"She was so insistent that His Grace be given the title, so obviously, he needs a retinue fit for his new title. That was how I was able to get you at court. What I can tell you, to try to make yourself conspicuous without making yourself inconspicuous. I don't know what His Grace expects from his retinue."

"You know what Her Highness would expect, though."

"I'm a handmaiden, not a lady in waiting, mistress of the robes or household, lady of the bedchamber or anything like that. What's expected of me is to wait on her. And follow orders."

"I would follow orders from Her Royal Highness, but not from him. I don't follow orders from a non-Venusian, and certainly not one who presumes to be one. The title of Ishtar is for a Venusian only."

She looked surprised.

"Don't you ever speak like that of His Grace! You and all of us would be banned from court immediately! Do you want to be disgraced and vanished!"

"That would be the last thing I would want, and you know it! You know I have always wanted to come to court. As a Venusian, I wish to serve my princess as well as I can. And it would be such an honor to do so."

"Right now, she requires you to serve her husband. And to obey and respect him. And watch what you say. There are so many malicious ears and tongues around the court. Any little thing could become court gossip."

"Does Her Royal Highness listen to gossip?"he asked.

"Who on Venus doesn't!"

"Do you know what's true and what's just gossip?"

"Sometimes. You'll learn the ways of the court soon enough."

The mistress of the robes said that the court jeweler was asking to see her.

"The jeweler?"Minako looked puzzled. "I don't remember asking for anything."

The only thing she could remember was when she had asked him for the jewelers she had worn for the ceremony.

"He says he was sent by Lord Artemis."

"There's only one way to find out why he wants to see me, isn't it? Then admit him."

He presented Minako a new set of jewels. Necklace, earrings, brooch, bracelet. Along with the small tiara, as well, was a bow. Artemis knew that she preferred to wear a bow in her hair instead of a crown. She preferred only a small tiara just above her bangs, with her bow being more dominant. She only wore her crown when the occasion demanded it.

"Did you design this, or did Artemis?"she was obviously delighted.

"I came up with the design. Lord Artemis said it should have the scallop shell and the quince, it must be gold, and the stones be kunzite."he said.

"How clever!"said one of the ladies-in-waiting. "The shell and gold for Your Royal Highness, the quince for the duke's new title, and the stones for him."

The bow was made of cloth of gold and had small kunzites on it.

"And it goes perfectly with my dress for tonight's banquet and ball."

"I'm sure he thought of that, too."

"You shouldn't go through so much, especially to tell me something I already know."Kunzite said, as they made their entry into the ballroom.

"But it makes me so happy to do so."she replied.

"And it makes me so happy to see you so happy. So I suppose we're stuck in a vicious cycle. Perhaps we'll be stuck in an endless, er, routine just going back and forth between the two of us. Because I have something for you, as well."

He took a casket and, before the entire court, opened it. Although few could see what was inside, the ones close by gasped.

Inside it was a perfect replica of Magellan Castle. The shape of the castle itself was removable. She gasped as beneath was an exact replica of the throne room at Magellan, down to the carpets, the throne itself, and the small statues and draperies around the room. The base on which it stood was a large shell. Above the throne was the coat of arms of Venus, along with her own, both of them in the rarest and most precious gemstones in the galaxy, which could only be found on Earth.

"I…don't believe I've ever seen anything like it!"she said. "Even the colors match!"she gestured towards the coats of arms. "I don't think even the Empress has such a one of the Moon Castle! Don't tell me you put me on the throne in the room!"

On the throne was a small figure.

"Who else could be more worthy to occupy it? I don't know if you'll be too pleased with what it's carved from. Pearls, corrals, sea silk. Just about everything from a mollusk or other sea creatures. In short, it was once alive and housed perhaps oysters or some mollusk."

"Just like Aphrodite, in a way! She emerged from a shell, too!"

"Hm, from all her portaits I've seen hanging around, I've never thought she looked even remotely like an oyster."he pretended to think.

"Oh, you know she wasn't! Although roasted or fried oysters were two of her favorite dishes. Or that could all just be stories."

Regardless of whether or not they were, just for the stories, oysters were widely eaten on Venus, and were certainly one of Minako's favorites.

"They might have been. But whether or not they were,"another steward handed him a tray, which he presented to her. "You can enjoy them off here."

On it was a set of china. On it were the scallop shells, always associated with Aphrodite. Since she was a child, Minako had always been told out of all the princesses of Venus, she was the one who resembled Aphrodite most, and she had always taken great pride in it.