"Your Grace is a very good singer."
Ceres was pleased that this time the princess was genuinely impressed with her singing.
"I suppose you know that I really am impressed this time, don't you?"
"Yes."Ceres confirmed. "Your Highness has a very impressive music room. One could say all the rooms in your castle were music rooms."
Just about every room in Triton had virginals, a harp, or some sort of musical instrument. The walls were also lined with pictures of the sea. Not just the beaches, but under the seas themselves.
"You've gone swimming just about every day. Why would you bother to go so often?"asked Malwina as she loosened Ceres's hair from its braids.
"But I like to swim. I went swimming when Mama took me to Aphrodite's beach. You know those who swim in her waters are blessed with eternal beauty. You just don't like to go because you aren't a good swimmer."she pointed out.
"That is true."Fayruza agreed.
Malwina frowned.
"Don't say things like that in front of the Neptonians. You'd put everyone in an instant dislike."Fayruza warned her.
"You have seen people swim from one continent to another, haven't you, Fayruza?"Ceres asked.
Fayruza's eyes widened.
"I don't think that's possible, Your Grace."
"On the Bosphorus. Back on Earth. You know, in my papa's kingdom in the Middle East."
"Oh! Um, no, Your Grace. I have never seen any competitions."
Many of the Neptonians had been to Earth just for that reason, it seemed. The Princess of Neptune herself held the title of International Continental Swimmer. Ceres felt a bit embarrassed when the Neptonian ladies asked her about the competition.
"Will Your Royal Highness ever compete again?"she asked.
"Perhaps I will. If I go to Earth again."
"And I will give Your Royal Highness the certificate!"exclaimed Ceres. "Perhaps I might be Queen of the Middle East by then! Or Papa will allow me to give it to you!"
"You wouldn't compete yourself?"asked Neptune.
"Could I ever win against you?"
"Perhaps you could. I would love to compete with you. You're a good swimmer."
"A good swimmer. But Your Royal Highness is a fantastic swimmer. I will have to practice a lot."
They sat in what seemed to be a combination of a ballroom, and a theatre.
There was a giant pool before them, and opposite from them in what would probably be the stage was an entire orchestra tuning their instruments.
"This should be interesting."said Ceres.
Several women, along with the Princess of Neptune walked towards the pool, and jumped in.
"We're watching a swimming competition."
That didn't appear to be the case.
"I think they're doing is dancing, or some kind of ballet!"
"I think dancing and ballet are usually done above water, aren't they?"asked Ceres.
"It seems on Neptune they do them under water."Malwina told her.
"But it does look like ballet, doesn't it? Or maybe some kind of play? Perhaps the music is also something the princess composed herself."said Ceres.
After the musicians finished one piece, the other swimmer went out of the pool, leaving the princess, who did yet another 'dance'. Then there was a break, and afterwards, they was a switch. It was the other swimmers 'dancing', and the princess playing her violin.
They weren't just there to enjoy themselves, it seemed, however. Not only did they have their usual lessons, this time, the ambassadress gave Ceres a different type of lesson, too. This was one of the lessons none of the other girls were given, just Ceres herself.
"Neptune is the Planet of the Deep Waters."she told her. "And a planet of opposites, you could say. Your Grace must always be prepared. It's common for quakes, for tsunamis, and there's the underwater world. That in itself is completely unknown."
She handed Ceres what looked like a map and a mirror.
"Are we searching for treasure?"she asked. "Pirate's treasure?"
"Perhaps not exactly treasure, Your Grace."
Many of Ceres's writing exercises, she liked to write to her parents. Smiling, she got out a piece of paper. She refused to allow her tutor to see them. Kunzite and Minako liked to be as involved in her education, and Kunzite. What would they say if she wrote saying that perhaps she would be looking for treasure? Would they believe it? Kunzite would just say her imagination would be getting the better of her. Minako would probably be more amused.