|Chapter Three|
Serenity was disappointed as she leaned against her vanity table only to see her reflection looking back. Rei stood behind her brushing her long hair gently while putting her hair style up.
"At least you were able to get an afternoon with him today," said Rei, trying to reassure Serenity. After the ball the following evening, she felt her courage starting to leave since Beryl looked so beautiful on the dance floor and managed to take all the time she could with Endyiom before he retired for the night. Serenity had been bombarded with questions from others from the court about where she came, her safety, and dancing with others.
"I know, but there isn't much time left," said Serenity softly while she felt as if the sands of time were dripping quickly. Beryl was worrying her and she knew she needed to be on the look out for her but didn't want to worry anyone else. Moving to her feet finally while Rei placed on the finishing touches of a beautiful soft creamy pastel yellow dress that she was sure would catch the prince's attention in their garden stroll.
"We can always leave you know," said Makoto relaxing in a chair lazily flipping through a book to see what she could learn about Earth. Minako giggled since she had thought the same thing but stopped when she saw the serious look on Serenity's face.
"No, I have to do this for the Silver Alliance," she said only for Rei to shush her quickly in hopes that the walls didn't have ears.
"Go have fun this afternoon and think about nothing else but the target," said Rei, giving Serenity a supportive smile. Deciding to take the day, Serenity moved from her room with Minako following behind as her personal guard for the day. Rei looked over seriously to Makoto after closing the door behind them, her eyes holding a new light to them.
"I had a vision," said Rei suddenly. Makoto immediately stopped looking at the book and gave full attention. Rei crossed the light brown wooden panel flooring onto the plush deep blue and gold carpet, taking a seat next to Makoto in a matching tall backed wooden white and gold chair holding a plush deep blue cushion. "I am unsure how to read it, but I believe there is something dangerous about being here. It was hard to make out what was happening but whatever it was, it felt like a forbidden act. Have you noticed anything strange lately?"
"I haven't been on the look out for it, but I will keep my eyes open," said Makoto, feeling a seriousness enter her while she sat the book down deep in thought. "Has Minako sent a personal message to the Queen?"
"Yes, the transmission was completed this morning although there were a few things left out," said Rei sarcastically. Makoto nodded and leaned back, hoping the raven haired 'Lady' was wrong about her vision and feelings...but then again, she was never wrong.
`*`
Ami found herself looking over the tools in the medical wing, examining all the information she could find on the matter of seeing how the people of Earth did it. They were a little behind on the technological part but for the most part they had it down correctly. Looking at some of the strange tools she encountered, the young genius took her time to look everything up in her small medical journal that was included with her bag. Writing down notes, she began to understand the different way of medical treatment those on Earth were using. Wanting to help, she found herself taking out tools to bring something new to their medical world in order to give those receiving care a less painful treatment.
"I see why you are a doctor," came a deep voice behind her, suddenly startling her as she dropped her pen. Turning to see the General Zoicite from before, Ami gave a polite bow and then picked up her pen.
"I believe in wanting to help others, General," she said softly, pushing some strands of soft blue hair behind her ear. Looking down at the start of her project, she found herself building a proper examination light to be used on the examination table that could be moved around on beams hanging from the ceiling. Zoicite took a look at her sketches, giving a smile since he was interest as well.
"This is amazing," he said, looking her measurements that were already calculated out and then looking up into the white ceiling with large open window to give the room natural daylight. "Are you very medically advanced in your kingdom?"
"I have tried to keep my studies to myself since I have a larger collection of sketches for computerized equipment that would benefit the patient as well as the doctor," she said, watching him pay full attention as his forest gems seemed to pull her into his being. Feeling a bit nervous, she continued. "From the looks of it, you are just building your armies and focusing your technology on that instead of where it will mostly benefit the people. If you were to spread technological advances in the medical area it would benefit the armies you are focusing on since it would take less time to heal your soldier and perhaps may even lead to small personal medical packs given to soldiers that would heal them by taking a small tiny pill."
"A pill?" he asked, quizzically.
"Yes, from the thoughts I have been having I would love to invest my time into making a single pill that would hold a certain amount of tiny android robots they would enter into the persons system and speed up the process of healing wounds. I am sure a lot of people are close minded to the idea of having something foreign in their body but it would be assured that once these androids were finished with their task, they would disappear into the body as some sort of nutrition," she said, but suddenly felt as if she was speaking too much. Zoicite thought for a moment, thinking it through in his own mind. It was possible that something like that could work...or the idea of having small androids kept in the soldiers bodies for battles that would heal them as they fought once something was found wrong with them. For the longest time he was silent, making Ami feel a bit nervous that she had spoken too much. Being from Mercury, she couldn't help her personality for wanting to help others along with advance technology. It was something that ran deep into the roots of her family, and coursed through her blood.
"Do you know what technology we would need to make those androids?" asked Zoicite suddenly, feeling as if this was some matter he would want to speak to the king about in order to get this woman into his secret underground research facility where him and a few others were working on projects to help the army but with the technology he had and her idea, he was sure they would be able to make a program on the large computer to build these androids. "I know this may sound sudden, but would you be willing to join my research team?"
Ami felt delighted that she was invited to something like this, her heart telling her to do so but her mind telling her she could not give herself to a project like that for such a short amount of time since she was also unsure how long she was going to be staying here. If the Silver Alliance was completed, she was sure the Queen would send her senshi here in old to make sure things went well with the people of Earth but it was unsure if that would happen.
"My loyalty comes to my princess..." she started only for him to frown, forgetting that they were just visiting. What other way could her persuade her into joining? Feeling the gears start to move, he found himself thinking of playing match maker. Since she was the personal doctor to the princess, if Endyiom and the young lady were to be wed then he would be able to have her for his research team. Although it was a dirty trick to be played, he knew he wanted to do it. Giving a bow, he gently picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles while moving down to one knee in front of her.
"My lady, I ask you with all my honor to please join this project for the short time you are here as a guest in the palace," he said, watching Ami swallow hard as a crimson blush moved over her cheeks. She had to admit, he was very handsome and the expression he held made her heart skip a beat for a moment and she felt herself not being able to decline the offer.
"If it is as you wish," she said softly, finding a broad smile grace his solemn features as he rose. Giving another bow, he decided to take his leave in order to get permission from the king although it was his project but wanted to make sure he had the approval before showing her the rooms.
"I bid you farewell, and will send a formal invitation to your princess," he said then left the room.
`*`
Minako leaned casually on a tree in the shadows of the garden where Serenity and Endyiom had settled themselves in conversation, watching over the princess cautiously. A small smile graced her pink lips as she watched the interaction between the two already growing. She had never seen Serenity so taken to someone before and it looked as if her princess was already smitten. Minako had to admit, Endyiom wasn't bad looking for being a Prince of Earth. When entering Gaea, she noticed the people were happy like this was a well taken care of kingdom and they cared for their own people. She had never thought Earth could be such a beautiful place, especially with the lavish garden that seemed to have different themes depending on where you were in it. It was mostly shadowed with beautiful flower trees with the green foliage mostly on the ground. There was a classic rose garden, an area with a waterfall giving a tropical theme, the center holding a beautiful water fountain, one area that was hidden behind a high wall and wooden door with a key hole, and lastly a section with a large gazebo for afternoon tea or brunch to take place.
Even with a mission on the back of her mind, she felt relaxed. The people were friendly at the ball the other evening, asking her and Makoto questions of strategy to test their battle skills along with surprised to see two beautiful women holding such rankings dressed in formal military attire. They had danced a few times but mainly took to watching over Serenity from the shadows as her personal guard.
"Perhaps we should give them some privacy?" asked a deep male voice from behind. Minako peeked over her shoulder to see the tall platinum blond general standing at ease behind her. She had to admit, he was right that it would be best to leave them time alone but stay close just in case. Giving a nod, Minako followed him to where a table and two chairs were sat with a tray holding tea in the center of the pale blue table cloth. The tea sets she had seen were usually made with a floral design or silver but she was thankful to be greeted with something completely different. Before her sat an ocean blue set with delicate designs of a green, red, and white dragon crawling over it on each item. Kunzite waited for Minako to be seated before seating himself in a gentleman fashion. Out of instinct, Minako poured the tea in her trained fashion only to catch herself when it was too late as Kunzite eyed her interestingly. "Are there any other surprising skills you possess, General?"
She noted the humor in his eyes, and quickly calculated a story.
"Any proper lady should know how to pour tea," she said, giving him a smile as she crossed her legs while leaning back in the chair.
"I see. I would like to speak to you informally if I may?" he asked. Minako gave a nod of her head in order for him to continue while she lifted the beautiful tea cup to her lips and took in the warmth sweet liquid. "Are you prepared for what is to come if the princess is to join the Gaea Kingdom?"
"I am," said Minako casually, although she didn't know exactly what that entitled. Watching his face not falter, she wrinkled her brow curiously. Was he trying to get to something she wasn't seeing exactly? Or did it have to do with the fact she was a woman? "Perhaps you should explain."
"In Gaea, we already have four high ranked Generals that are to be used to go to war if need be and although you are high ranking yourself, if you were to join our kingdom the King suggested that it would be best if you and your second in command were to be personal guards to her highness and relinquish the rights of going off to war first and foremost," he said, finding it difficult that he needed to prepare her for the way his King was thinking. He knew Endyiom didn't have a problem with women serving, but his King was very old fashioned in the manner of thinking women were meant to have children or serve men. Kunzite never thought of women that way, and was a bit happy that he knew two brave women facing the world of judgment by moving high into the ranks along with applauded Princess Serenity's kingdom for leading the way for women.
"My job is to protect my princess at all costs, even if it means going to war in order to protect her royal highness," said Minako, a bit seething at the thought she would not be able to fulfill her job and duty to Serenity if it was needed. Kunzite felt a bit angered at himself for having to speak to her in such terms, but was taken back by her loyalty to the princess. "As a fellow General I am sure you understand why I may be a bit angered. I have worked long and hard to get where I am, protecting the heir to the crown and hopefully the next heirs to follow. The royal family has my life of servitude, my forefathers before me showing their loyalty. Although I am sure your King will not like the idea of a woman doing a man's job, I must address the issue that as soon as the Crown Prince is married that the King has agreed to give the throne to his son whom will have control over these matters instead of himself."
Kunzite found himself baffled at how much information she knew of the palace already, and it was true that the King and Queen were ready to retire to their own personal lives to leave the throne to their son while they had planned to take a tour to other nations in their older age. The Queen was sick and to fulfill her wishes of wanting to see the world, they both had agreed to have their son married quickly before her death.
"I apologize for the misconception," he said, giving a bow of his head as he watched Minako let her feature relax. She knew the King would be in a whirl when he found out the truth, his son marrying into the Silver Alliance. For some reason, Minako thought more about it since she knew they were going to be tricking Earth into an Alliance that they had not formally agreed on. Would this perhaps start a war or would Serenity find a way out of this one? She noted to herself to ask about this later but kept her mind at ease while she drank tea with Kunzite in silence except for the soft laughter of her princess she heard from time to time.
"By the way you speak, does that mean my princess is at the top of Prince Endyiom's list?" asked Minako, curiously cutting the silence between them with a grin spread over her lips. In already two days, Serenity was making so much progress she was hoping it would be over with soon. Kunzite gave her a casual grin, making her heart skip a beat at how dreamy he looked at that moment.
"Perhaps, I cannot tell," he said, his silvery blues seemed as if they were playing with her. Finding herself being pulled into his charm, Minako pushed her mind away from his suddenly. She was going to be working with him and didn't want anything strange to come between them. Of course, when she went to the town earlier that morning to take a morning walk she had heard rumors that the generals belong to the prince had been around a lot with the women Endyiom had cast away along with their workers. Knowing she was dealing with a ladies man, and four at that, she was going to keep her guard high along with warn Makoto as well. But knowing Makoto, she would want to play their game to give herself some enjoyment while she was here. It wasn't a bad idea, and Minako thought she could go along with the fun.
"Then what can you tell?" she asked, moving into a flirtatious mode as her tongue trailed across her lower lip slowly as she licked some tea off. Her bright blues watched his eyes following her motions and felt as if she got him. A grin spread across his fascade while he seemed to find himself staring at the beautiful woman across from him. Sure, he had lots of women for one nights but he never found himself attracted like this before; perhaps it was because of how hard she worked to get where she was. Was it on a different level he felt? Before he had the chance to reply, he saw Beryl causing a bit of a scene at the entrance to the garden where a guard was telling her she was unable to go at this time. Minako glanced over her shoulder and then leaned against the table, peering at him through her long lashes while she cupped her chin delicately. "Perhaps you should save a damsel causing distress?"
Kunzite couldn't help but chuckle as he excused himself, finding himself straightening his appearance as he walked towards the guard to deal with the young demanding princess Beryl, finding himself hoping that Endyiom would choose Princess Serenity a bit for his own pleasure of keeping the company of the beautiful youthful General Minako.