After leaving the Queen's chambers, I decided to take the leisurely route to the portal. I remembered that the Princess's favorite portal to use was the Garden Entrance, since it was the closest access point from her room.

I needed some time to think before meeting with the girls.

My interactions with the Princess of the Inner Ring were...limited, I suppose. While I had never been indifferent towards them, my focus had always been the Moon Princess and my responsibilities to her. More and more frequently with each generation, they became advisors, serving out the remainder of their time on the Moon, but this was not always the case.

Forgive my history lesson; I will try to keep it short.

During the Unification, a treaty was signed by the Planets of the System. Due to certain planets' participation in the resistance, certain passages favored certain planets.

However, one provision applied equally to all the kingdoms (except for Pluto, but that is an entirely different lesson), which concerned the matter of service to the Moon.

As I mentioned before, the planets had their own warriors who served and protected them. However, often times the most powerful warrior was also the princess of their kingdom. The provision within the treaty stated that the princess of the planet would be required to spend a set amount of time on the Moon, learning and training alongside the Moon Princess and the other representatives.

The effects were two-fold. The first and most obvious, was the strengthening of the ties between the kingdoms. If they grew up together, they were less likely to attack or fight each other. The second was a form of security for the Moon. Knowing that many princesses also served as protectors, by removing them from their respective kingdoms, said kingdom's defences were weakened, leaving them less likely to retaliate or attack.

There were those who viewed it as giving the Moon the option to create a hostage situation to serve as a buffer should any planet act out of line, though this was never stated out loud, nor was this option ever implemented.

With each generation, the princesses grew closer and closer to the Moon. Early on, they would simply serve our their time, then leave. As time went on, one or two would stay behind, extending their time by a year or two. Then the Inner Ring princesses all extended, staying longer and longer until they just didn't leave. They remained on the Moon until it was time for their own reign on their respective planets. Those of the Outer Ring never stayed longer than necessary, which, given the course of history, was not surprising.

I won't try to generalize the personalities of the princesses to her kingdom. The girls from Mars were not always stubborn and quick tempered, no more than the ones from Jupiter always strong and ready to fight. I will say, however, that the ideologies and priorities unique to each kingdom certainly played a part in shaping the young princesses.

This generation of princesses continued in a pattern that had begun roughly ten to twelve generations ago. Venus held the position of leader, Mercury supported with calm and intelligence, Mars provided the spiritual insight and firm resolve, and Jupiter became the steady pillar upon which the others depended.

The first to arrive was Princess Minako of Venus. She was a serious girl, deciding to focus her energy on developing her power and furthering her studies than playing or socializing. However, our dear princess drew her out of her shell, as she always managed to do, revealing that the child from Venus loved to joke and laugh as much as our own. As the others arrived, she quickly took on the role as leader, guiding the other princesses through their schooling, providing a shoulder to lean on when homesickness struck or their own uncertainties arose.

The next to arrive was Princess Rei of Mars, with all her fire and wrath intact. While I said I would avoid generalizing, I will say that overall, the people of Mars were proud, and the thought of servitude, even then, grated on their nerves. Her first few weeks on the Moon were difficult; often I had to decipher the story of one of Mars' harsh criticisms as our little Princess sobbed during our tutoring sessions. However, with time and Venus's own harsh words, she began to accept her place among the girls, and turned her fire towards unwavering devotion to her sisters-in-arms.

Princess Ami of Mercury arrived shortly after Mars, but her presence was almost completely overwhelmed by the fiery girl. She was quiet and withdrawn, not unlike our current Queen at that age, and preferred the company of books over people. She managed to avoid the others while they dealt with Mars, but once under control, all attention turned to her. I could tell she was overwhelmed at first, but again, our dear princess pulled her kicking and screaming from her shell, and she in turn gave her own contributions to the group. She turned her intelligence outward, using her knowledge to guide and teach the princesses whenever they struggled.

Last to arrive was Princess Makoto of Jupiter. Of all the girls, she seemed the most uncertain of the group, often lashing out if she misunderstood a joke as an insult. She was especially sensitive about her height, as she towered over the other princesses. To my knowledge, none of the princesses taunted her, but those in court could be cruel, and had no qualms on commenting on her strength and size. I recall one such instance that proved to be our princess's breaking point, who spent the better part of the court session publically humiliating the offending party for speaking poorly of her new friend and ally. After that incident, Jupiter seemed far more at ease, finally accepting the knowledge that the others had already accepted her as part of the group.

As for the Outer Ring, well, their stays were pleasant, if not a little awkward. The princesses of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune had all served their, albeit shorter, time before the Inner Ring arrived. The had arrived at different times, their stays never overlapping, as was written in the treaty especially for them.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if anyone even remembers the entire content of the treaty.

I blinked, and took in the scenery. I had arrived that the Garden Entrance, the vibrant colors of the plants overtaking the stark white that dominated the rest of the palace. I loved the Garden; it reminded me of the home I had lost.

I stepped on the grass pathway, my progress muffled by the foliage around me. The Portal was located in the center of the garden, and I made my way quickly through the maze, having long ago memorized its twisting paths.

I paused just before reaching the center, opting instead to watch and listen as the princesses worked. Don't misunderstand, I was not eavesdropping or spying. The...side effects of my longstanding punishment would have destroyed their efforts to reopen the portal.

They worked well together, responding easily to the short commands Venus gave them in order to keep their powers balanced. I didn't have to wait long; a shimmer began to grow at the point where their powers were concentrated, and quickly grew into a full-sized passage.

Luna, who I had not noticed up to that point, quickly leapt through, disappearing with a slight distortion. Just as quickly as she disappeared, she returned, and a tired yet content Moon Princess followed behind her.

The girls quickly dispersed their power and gathered around her, faces displaying varying degrees of anger, exasperation, and worry.

"What were you thinking!" Venus said harshly, drawing close. "It's one thing to go off through the portal on your own, but to close it?"

"Calm down, Minako, I'm sure she has her reasons," Mercury soothed as she smiled gently to the girl in question, trying to meet her eyes.

"Well, speak up," Mars said, arms crossed over her body. She stared down her nose at the girl, obviously holding herself back from completely exploding on the Princess.

"I'm sorry," she replied meekly, eyes locked with the ground. "I just had to see him again."

Jupiter heaved a sigh, reaching forward to gently push her chin up, forcing her to meet her eyes. "Serenity, we're not angry. We're upset that you ran off without us."

"I am sorry," she repeated, her eyes watery with unshed tears.

"What about the portal? You've never done that before." Venus pressed, her stance firm.

Serenity gave a delicate sniffle, turning her gaze to the blond princess. "It closed behind me. I don't know how it happened. I thought I was going to be trapped on Earth!"

Mercury looked curious, her eyes darting from Serenity to the portal and back. "I wonder…"

Mars harumphed, cutting off Mercury's train of thought. "Just another reason why you shouldn't go running off on your own, let alone hopping off to Earth." She shifted her stance, opting to put her hands firmly on her hips. "Besides, he's going to be here tomorrow, which, might I add, is just a few hours away since we've been up all night looking for you!" She was almost shouting by the end of her tirade.

I stepped around the corner then, deciding now was as good a time as any to interject.

"I believe, then, it would be wise to get some rest."

They jumped at my voice, Mars and Jupiter turning quickly to face me. I noticed the protective stances they settled into, but chose to ignore it.

I stopped a few paces from them, ignoring the warning growl from Luna as I looked them over. I locked my gaze with Serenity, knowing the act alone would cause her to cave to my demands.

"I believe we need to have another talk, little one. We will speak while you prepare for sleep." I waited until she nodded, then turned my attention to the others.

"Thank you for your efforts to restore the portal. I will take the Princess back to her room; you should return to your own. Remember to be in the throne room at first belltoll tomorrow morning; to be late is unacceptable." I turned and began walking back through the Garden, knowing Serenity would follow without question.

I could almost feel the glares bearing into my back as I walked away, already well aware of their feelings towards me.

The walk back to her room was silent, broken only by a delicate sniffle as she tried to hold her composure. I led her through the empty corridors, replaying the conversation I had overheard in my head. The portals had never closed on their own before. They were controlled by appointed watchers arranged into teams of four, whose job was to open and close the portals accordingly and maintain their passage. If the portals were closing without their control, then the possibility of an outside source tampering with the connection was highly likely, if a little far fetched. A lot of power was required to stabilize the portals, which is why a team of watchers was necessary. But if the they could be controlled from the outside, the results would be nothing short of chaos…

I stopped automatically outside her door, mentally berating myself for getting lost in my thoughts for a second time that evening. I glanced over my shoulder, noting her slumped shoulders and troubled gaze.

"Now then," I pushed her door open, and indicated she should enter first. She walked past me, looking rather dejected, and I stepped inside.

She had stopped in the middle of the room, and jumped at the sound of the door closing behind me.

I raised an eyebrow as I met her sheepish look and walked past her into the bedroom.

"I'm sorry!" She blurted out suddenly. I paused in pulling her robe from the dresser and glanced at her.

"What for?"

She fidgeted where she stood, shifting from one foot to the other as she avoided my eyes. "I couldn't help myself. I had to see him again!"

I sighed heavily and finished with the dresser, closing it as I stood and moved to her. I stepped behind her and began to remove her dress, suppressing the feeling of deja vu that threatened to surface.

"Tell me about the portal."

"Oh, well," she stammered, surprised by my question. "It was working fine when I used it. I didn't notice anything strange. But as soon as I passed through to Earth, it disappeared. I felt some wind as it closed; that's how I knew to look."

I hummed gently, letting her know I was still listening. The wind could have been an indication to the way the portal was closed. So put it simply, portals are like tubes connecting two worlds together. If it was closed on both sides simultaneously, then the air in between would simply disperse. However, if one side was closed off, then the portal would collapse on itself, pushing any trapped wind out the opening. So, someone closed the portal on the Moon's side first. I frowned at my conclusion, but held my thoughts to myself.

"I was worried I was trapped. I told Endymion about it when I saw him, and he told me he would send someone to check on it. But when we got back to the portal, it was open again, and that's when Luna jumped through." She sniffled again. "I was really scared I would be trapped on Earth."

"Little one, you wouldn't have been trapped. No one would have left you there."

She nodded and stepped out of the dress that was now pooled at her feet.

"However," I crossed my arms over my chest, watching as she pulled on the robe I had set aside. "That does not excuse the fact that you disobeyed your Queen's order to remain within the Moon Kingdom until this situation is resolved. Please try to remember that we are at war, as difficult a concept as it may be to grasp."

She flinched at my tone and nodded.

"Because tomorrow is so important, I will have to suspend the appropriate punishment until after the Council Meeting. In the meantime, you are to be escorted from this point forward. One of the princesses will accompany you at all times until further notice. I will leave the rotation for them to decide."

Her shocked gaze met my own. "An escort!?" She cried.

I nodded firmly. Her face crumpled, and she lowered her head to the ground.

"Yes, ma'am." She mumbled.

Satisfied, I pushed her gently towards the bed, picked up her dress, and moved to arrange her sheets as she settled. Just before I turned away, she laid a hand on my arm, halting my movements.

"Have you ever been in love?" She whispered.

I sucked in a breath, startled by her question. "What makes you ask that, little one?" I replied softly.

"I wonder if you have ever done something foolish for love, if you understand why I could not wait another day to see him."

I closed my eyes, thankful for my mask. "I have."

Before she could reply, I pulled away and dimmed the lights in the room. "Good night, Princess."

"Good night," She whispered, and I left, shutting the door behind me.