We do get to see Ceres in this ch.


"I'm so glad you're pleased with her."Minako said to Kunzite.

He did like to spend a lot of time in the nursery with her and Ceres. She herself didn't have too many memories of her parents spending much time with her. But she hadn't been much older than Ceres, and she wouldn't remember this, either.

"Why wouldn't I be?"he asked, looking fondly at Ceres in his arms. "I'm the luckiest man not even in the solar system, but the entire galaxy. And that includes Prince Endymion."

He kissed Minako.

"I know all the royal titles prefer girls as our heiresses, but many nobles also go to boys, and some men prefer boys as their heirs. And they just prefer sons to daughters, and that they just prefer sons because…they're sons."she said.

It was usually royalty who preferred a matriarchy, favoring a female salic law. While some nobles followed this example, there were others who preferred a patriarchy.

"Perhaps. But I'm not one of them. Besides, wouldn't that make my duchess doubly precious?"

"So you are pleased with her?"

"Very much. I wouldn't trade a baker's dozen boys for her."he told her. "And you can never plan or buy for boys what you can for girls, so I know she makes you happy as well. It's true that much of the time the nobility prefers sons, especially on Earth. Regardless of whatever any of the rest of the nobility does or thinks, I would like it to her to be my heiress, as well as yours. She's my first born."he looked at her fondly.

"Would your subjects be happy about that?"she asked.

He looked up.

"They would have to, wouldn't they?"although he really didn't sound too sure.

"At least here, the people are a little too…they like some things to stay the way they are. They might be disappointed if I didn't have a daughter, but they would certainly never accept a reigning prince, unless all of us of the House of Aphrodite were to die out. Many people on Earth were ready to accept Demeter as princess when Gaia died with only Prince Endymion as her heir, remember?"she reminded him about the crisis of the Terran succession.

Kunzite sighed.

"People sometimes aren't very smart, are they? But we'll have sons. If they don't want the Duchess of Ceres, surely they will accept a son of ours."


The empress sat on her throne in a raised dais. To her right were the Selenovna, her heiress, and her consort, Prince Endymion. To her left was a cradle in which Small Lady lay. Artemis and Luna sat on cushions on the left and right arms of her throne.

Around the room stood the extended Venusian royal family, including members of cadet branches, as well, the Venusian royalty. Some of the cadet branches had traveled from other planets. The tapestries and hangings around the room were all in the Venusian colors of yellow and orange, with Minako's coat of arms.

Minako and Kunzite climbed the dais where the empress sat, Minako holding Ceres, and handing her to the empress. Upon leaving her mother's arms, the little girl cried. Minako took her place next to Princess Serenity, and Kunzite next to Prince Endymion.

"She's obviously very fond of her parents."said the empress. "She's used to only them holding her."

Luna handed the empress a transformation pen. Carefully, Empress Serenity took it while holding Ceres. It looked somewhat like that used by the planetary princesses, but much smaller, and resembled more of a baby rattle more than a transformation pen. Upon placing it on the baby's hand, it glowed, and the symbol of Ceres appeared on her forehead. At the same time, a small brooch which had been pinned on Small Lady's blanket also glowed.

"I name you Sailor Ceres, heiress to the Princess of Venus."she said.

"It's only a viewing."said Ceres, wincing as Launcekrona finished braiding her hair and pulled when putting the bow and the flowers. "And I prefer seeing, anyway."

"Your Highness is a first born planetary princess."Launcekrona told her. "And first-born of a quartet. Besides, if you behave well, there is a special surprise for Your Highness, as well."

Ceres's lit up.

"That I'll be going to Mama and Papa's court?"she asked.

Without waiting for an answer, she walked to her viewing room. Once there, she sat up, as a proper lady should, not allowing her back to touch the chair. On the other end of the room, the image of Small Lady appeared. With their similar pink hair, the two resembled each other, just as their mothers did. Behind Small Lady was her governess, just as behind Ceres stood Launcekrona.

"I'm supposed to be good today because I get a special surprise when we finish viewing."Ceres told her. "I think the surprise is that I get to go to Mama and Papa's court."

"I'm supposed to get a surprise, too!"exclaimed Small Lady.

"Really? What if we're getting the same surprise!"

"Maybe it could be that we won't have to view. That you could get to come to the Moon, or that I could get to go to Venus."

Even though they had viewed often, they had never actually met.

"You'll love it here at Ceres! I can show you my tree! We can have tea parties there. Plus we can give our own parties. Did you know I have my very own ballroom here? We don't have to invite any of the grown ups, and we can do plays. I can draw up the guest list, and plan the entire thing all on my own now!"

"It sounds so grown up. Here, I don't get to have my own court. They tell me until I become Selenovna myself, but Mama is the Crown Princess, not me. It sounds more fun to go to Venus."

"But you get to see the Empress and the Crown Princess at the Moon, and you get to live at the Moon Palace! And the Moon Palace is so huge and beautiful. It's even huger than Magellan."

"You're right. Grandmama, Mama and Papa are always here. I've never been allowed to attend a ball before, though. Yet you get to give your own."

"Not only to give balls, but I even have to run an entire household to run, you know. Mama and Papa come to Ceres from Magellan all the time. At least a few times a month. They expect me to host them now. All by myself."

Just when she said this, she heard noise outside.

"You see? Don't tell me we now have unexpected guests?"she said, rolling her eyes.

Looking out, she saw a large procession. There would only be two people who would travel with a procession that large!

"Really unexpected guests!"she exclaimed, jumping. "Done viewing!"said Ceres, without bothering to say good bye to Small Lady, or waiting for her to finish the conversation, she ran from the room.

It wasn't a rarity Minako and Kunzite to visit, but it was always a joy to see them. She ran out of the viewing room, out of her rooms, and towards the entrance hall.

"Now that's a little unbecoming."said Minako, as hugged Ceres. "Running at people like that."

"I hope you don't greet everyone who comes by like that."said Kunzite as he did the same.

"No, but she did leave Small Lady viewing."said Launcekrona. "She ran out before she was dismissed.

"Is that so?"asked Kunzite. "You should learn to behave when a Princess of the Moon dismissed you. Especially learn to wait for when you are dismissed."

"I heard something."said Ceres.

It wasn't exactly a lie. She had heard the noise when they arrived.

"I had to come and greet you."

"Not a good excuse, Shinju."said Minako. "No young lady, especially one who's to be a leader of a senshi team should ever show any disrespect the princess. I expect you to apologize to Small Lady for your lack of etiquette."

"It seems you're excelling in languages."beamed Venus. "Only not doing so well in history or arithmetic."

"History's not fair. My tutor keeps asking questions about things that happened before I was even born! So how would I know?"Ceres answered.

"I care a lot for history. Don't make me find you another tutor who would make sure you learned."said Kunzite.

Ceres looked almost pleadingly towards her mother. The arithmetic and history teachers were already difficult enough.

"History and arithmetic are very important, especially history."Kunzite told her. "And if you don't do well in them, we'll just have to postpone."he looked seriously at Venus.

"We were going to surprise you with something, but given how you're not doing so well in some of your studies, we'll have to postpone it."

"I promise I'll work extra, extra hard from now on! Day and night! Please! Can I guess?"

"If you do guess, we'll tell you."said Venus.

"You'll finally give me my transformation device, and I can transform, and train as a senshi! That means I get to the Moon and meet Small Lady!"

"After how you behaved, with a complete disregard to her rank, finishing the conversation before she dismissed you?"asked her father.

After at least four more guesses, they decided to tell her.

"The Empress has decided that you are to view the rest of the quartet."Minako finally told her.


I haven't decided yet if she will visit the rest of the quartet on their planets, or if it only they should come to Venus, or meet on the Moon. I'm kind of leaning towards visiting all the planets. Maybe they'll be playing tricks on their parents at each.