Kunzite and Artemis stood in the viewing chamber when another image appeared before them.
"Your Grace."the figure bowed.
"I need you to design something unique for me."said Kunzite. "You did an exceptional job on designing the replica of Magellan. Her Royal Highness was very pleased with it."
"I am glad Her Royal Highness was pleased with my work."
"Now I have something else. I want you to design something for Her Royal Highness's birthday."
"Does Your Grace have something in mind?"
Kunzite thought for a while.
"A special tiara? Earrings? A music box, perhaps? A clock or watch?"suggested Artemis.
"Those are all pretty good ideas. It must be unique in some way. It must have a surprise."
"It could also be engraved, of course."
"Definitely. We'll be giving this some more thought. Meanwhile, you could perhaps draw some sketches of some ideas you might come up with, and we might come up with something."
Somehow birthdays never seemed to lose their excitement, or maybe Minako never lost her enthusiasm for them. Because obviously, there was little surprise in them. She began to look forward to them ahead of time, even doing some of the planning herself.
The princess wasn't the only one who looked forward to her birthday, either. Everyone on Venus looked forward to the princess's birthday. And especially a lucky few.
"What places should be honored with your presence, Your Royal Highness?"her mistress of the household asked.
There was a holographic globe of Venus before them. For her birthday, Minako would go on a progress to visit different parts of her planet, as she did every year, and they were preparing the itinerary.
"First, Ishtar, of course! You know it's a duchy I must always visit! I don't think I've visited the duchy of Ceres for long, either."she looked thoughtful. "The last time I went was when I was still Duchess of Ceres. That was before my mother died."
"Obviously. Hopefully the title of Ceres will be filled again soon. Not only would your subjects in Ceres be delighted to have their own duchess again, but all of your subjects would be thrilled."
"And you know, I'd like to visit Earth, as well!"
The mistress of the household looked up, puzzled.
"My birthday progresses have always been here, on Venus, but I am Lady Kunzite, as well as Duchess Consort of Ishtar, Senshi of Venus, and Princess of Venus. Head of the Order of Aphrodite, the Order of the Dolphin, and a Lady of the Order of Selene, among other things. I think they should all be included."
"That reminds me, Lord Artemis will also have to say all your full title, too, at each place. We'll have to make sure that he remembers them. It would be disgraceful if he were to forget or mistake them."
"Poor Artemis. I can't remember them. I'm sure if there's a slip somewhere no one would notice."
"But if that one slip happens to be precisely the one people are waiting to hear?"
"And now that you mention all my titles, we might as well just forget about what I'm going to wear altogether. I'll be wearing so many decorations, you might not even see my dresses!"
"That will also mean expanding your wardrobe, though. And in Ishtar, Your Royal Highness will also have to wear the ducal coronet of Ishtar, and I don't know if there are any jewels or vestments you might need to wear if you went to Earth. We'll also have to notify all the places you will visit so they will prepare for your arrival."
There might be a lot to plan and prepare, but it was so much fun, and she always loved the result. Some people might not like birthdays, because they didn't like to even think how old they were. They said they reminded them of their age, and no one liked to be old. Perhaps not, but from Minako's point of view, however, it only meant that you'd lived another year since your last one. It made each one even more special. One should be happy to celebrate another birthday. For the age, well, she didn't measure age in years. She measured in a sense of mind. Someone was only old when they ceased to learn, and enjoy life. She laughed, realizing that would mean that her friend the Princess of Mercury would never grow old. Or did it mean she had already? That also reminded her of something else. The guests.
"We haven't decided who would go where? Do you suppose all my friends will want to follow the entire itinerary? I don't know if I can see all the princesses, the empress and the imperial crown prince and princess spending all that time visiting on Venus."
"I don't know, Your Royal Highness."
"The biggest events, such as the biggest banquets, tournaments, processions, should take place on Fridays."
"Everyone would be most disconcerted if it took place at any other day."
