Disclaimer: I don't own anybody in the stories so please don't sue me… I'm just a pitiful fanfic writer…

Of Love and War

Chapter Three: "Portraits"

After dinner was the usual ball, but Shinozaki decided to skip it. Instead he went to his room, retrieved his hobby, a sketch pad and charcoal, and retreated to a corner of the vast gardens. He perched on a rock next to a small fountain amongst the roses.

Mako would love this place. At least, if she still loves flowers. She never mentions things like that in her letters. I don't want to tell her I can't come home again... She'll be furious, like last time and the time before. Or she'll ignore it again and say she didn't get the letter but she remembers the rest of the stuff from the letter... I hate this... If she weren't a princess, it would have been so much more simple but I can't help that... Sigh. Back to work

He drew the Earthen roses around him. I'll borrow some ink from Ryo's writing desk and color it in.

Then, he drew his usual picture, imagining what Makoto looked like. He drew back for a moment, gazing at his sketch

I wonder if it looks like her, if she'd recognize herself in it. It's been eight years, after all. She might even laugh because it's so different from her.

Suddenly, there was the sound of gravel crunching on the path behind him and he straightened up, quickly shoving his sketch under his earlier work.

"Hello Shino-kun, I guessed this was your hangout of the night." Ryo's voice was directly behind him.

Shinozaki turned around and smiled, "You found me."

"Yep." Ryo took a seat on a rock next to Shinozaki's. "I'll bet you know it takes a lot of searching to track you down when you don't want to be found."

"I'd hope so, I'm not in the mood for Motoki's questions right now."

"I know. Unfortunately, I've come to talk about a very similar subject."

Shinozaki gazed into a nearby bush, "that is unfortunate."

Ryo half-smiled as he gazed at the ground, "it is mostly to do with me, so you should be alright."

"Ok." Shinozaki glanced over at his friend.

"I don't really want the ladies to come either."

"Why?" Shinozaki asked skeptically.

"I lived in the capital of my planet too and I know a lot of the women."

"Ah. My problem."

"Maybe."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, before I left, I met a beautiful lady named Ami in the palace library. We talked and talked

but I know nothing about her position other than her noble birth. Not just anyone is allowed in that library, after all. I'm hoping she doesn't come..."

"Why? It sounds like you got along quite well; she would probably be favorably disposed."

"I promised her I'd meet her in the Library during my next time off and..."

"You've been here the whole time."

"Exactly."

"She's not going to be to happy with you."

"Correct. So, I'm hoping that it isn't her who I need to recommend me because, if it is..."

"You're probably in trouble."

"Correct again."

"Well, I'm just hoping they don't send my sister, Hiroko, or one of my previous friends..."

"Why not? They would be in your favor."

"Except I made similar promises..."

"And you have been here too."

"Right."

"I feel your pain."

"Thanks, except yours is a far narrower pool of 'I hope not's."

"True but the dread is not anywhere near as great."

Shinozaki tried to suppress an instinctive snorting sound and thought, Except, no matter who comes, I have to be approved by the woman who is pissed off at me. But, instead, quietly mumbled "We'll see."

Shinozaki tucked his supplies under his arm and stood, motioning for his friend to join him. Ryo and Shinozaki walked silently up to the castle and up the marble staircases to their rooms in the hall where the Elite Knights stayed. Their small reward for years of training was a bedroom in the palace instead of a bunk bed in a dorm. It wasn't that much to show for their blood, sweat, and tears but it was much more comfortable.

As they neared their rooms, Shinozaki saw that his door was open. He motioned to Ryo for silence and they quietly stalked up to the door. Silently, Shinozaki pushed it completely open. Inside were Mamoru, Motoki, and Yuuichiro looking through his metal box of sketches.

"What are you doing?" Asked Shinozaki incredulously.

"Trying to figure out what the hell is making you so nervous" replied Motoki.

Mamoru spoke up with an explanation, "We know that you sketch people you know all the time and you started before we met you. Therefore, you have to have sketched back on Jupiter and, thus, you would have some sketches of Jovian acquaintances."

"And guess what?" grinned Yuuichiro, "We found some!"

Strewn across the bed were a few sketches of Hiroko, Makoto, Queen Midori, Shinozaki's mother, Makoto's nanny Mandy, some female servants, and various other noble women who had been running around the palace at the time.

"There are an awful lot of her," Motoki pointed to Makoto, and Shinozaki became a shade of red "and her" He pointed to Hiroko.

"But mostly that first one." stated Mamoru as Shinozaki became a burgundy color.

"What the hell made you think that it was your business?"

"You wouldn't tell us."

"So, that gave you the right to break into my room and rifle through my sketches?! We're friends, but my room is my own."

"Oh, so there is something to these?" mused Motoki wickedly, "and you get angrier every time I talk about that first girl."

"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! GET OUT!"

Mamoru and Yuuichiro headed out the door, past the furious Shinozaki.

Motoki seemed to be pushing his luck, "You know Shino-kun I think-"

"I THINK YOU SHOULD GET OUT OF MY ROOM BEFORE I PUNCH YOU."

At this, Motoki decided his well-being was more important than annoying Shinozaki into revealing anything.

After Motoki scooted out the door, Shinozaki slammed it after him and fumed as he gathered his sketches back into the box.

Afterward, Shinozaki took a shower to clean up and calm down, but it didn't do much good. He went to bed dreaming angry dreams about punching Motoki and similar events.