"We don't have such gardens at Lelantos."said the prince of Lelantos, and future Duke of Juno.

The girls, as well as the prince of Lelantos sat on one of the terraces, eating the chocolate cake Juno herself had baked.

"And we have even more gardens! We also have botanical gardens, kitchen gardens, and the most beautiful rose gardens in the galaxy. Colored gardens in just about every color of the rainbow, even roof gardens, too."said Juno.

"What's a roof garden?"asked the prince.

"A garden on a roof."said Juno,

"A garden on a roof?"asked the prince.

"Well, yes. Why do you think it's called a roof garden? And I can't wait to show you the gardens I've designed myself. Some of the gardens are also meant to be viewed from the balconies and upper floors. The flowers create beautiful pictures when viewed from above. I can't wait for you to see all the peacocks, too. I was once given an albino peacock, as a gift! It's a very rare one, so it is not raised to be eaten. What do you think of the cake? I baked and decorated it myself."

"I think it's a little too sweet."said Pallas.

"I wasn't asking you."answered Juno, sounding slightly hurt.

"I think it's the best I've tasted."he said.

Juno beamed.

"It's a recipe I came up with myself. I've never made it before."

"And if it hadn't come out terrible?"asked Ceres.

Juno didn't answer.

"I was sure it would come out well. What's important is that it did!"

Diana walked onto the terrace, and curtseyed to the five girls. She stood a little apart from them.

"Diana!"exclaimed Small Lady. "Where have you been? We haven't seen you since yesterday!"

"Oh, I have the most extraordinary day, Your Imperial Highness. Your Graces."she bowed to the duchesses. "I have met Her Whiskered Majesty, can you believe it?"

"Diana is Mauan."Small Lady explained to the prince of Lelantos.

"We haven't met any of the guests."

"Her Furriness would like me to wear her livery, and join her retinue while she is here!"Diana exclaimed.

Small Lady frowned.

"Oh, you are not going to Mau, are you? It would be terrible if you left!"said Small Lady.

"Of course not, Imperial Highness! My parents are here, and I wish to serve Your Imperial Highness. But I am thrilled and honored to serve Her Whiskered Majesty."

"You're the first one of us to meet the guests."said Ceres. "I would love to meet the Princess of Neptune!"

"Why specifically Neptune?"asked Vesta.

"Why?! Oh, she must wear the most beautiful corral, shells, and pearls! I wonder if she brought her mirror. I've always wanted a mirror from Neptune. My mama has one."

"Are they so different from other mirrors?"asked the prince of Lelantos.

Vesta raised her eyebrows.

"Obviously, I would say either they don't teach history or galactography on Lelantos. Or at least not to you. Are they different from other mirrors!"she said scornfully.

"You do not speak to my fiancé that way!"said Juno.

"It would have to be anyone's fiancé to aske such a stupid question! I am sure the Princess of Lelantos knows better. Excuse me."

She stood and left.

"Just pay no her no mind."said Juno. "She only thinks she's better than anyone else!"

"No."Ceres corrected. "Not everyone, and not herself. She only thinks we are better than boys."

Ceres wondered if perhaps Vesta had a point. She herself knew only a few boys. There were the pages in her household, obviously. And there were always ones in her dancing lessons. How else would one learn to dance waltzes, and other dances?

"The Princess of Pluto once gave me the most beautiful pendant! I'm going to wear it to the betrothal ball!"Small Lady was saying.

She returned her attention to Small Lady and the others.

"Very well thought, Highness!"said Diana, as she jumped on the table.

"It's a pendant made of clock parts! It has one clock hand, and a small key in it, and a lovely clock face. It doesn't tell the time. It's just the face. And a pair of earrings made from clock hands, with gears. Even a brooch shaped like a key made out of clock parts!"

I actually really have seen jewelry made out of clock parts. Pendants and earrings, mostly. What caught my interest most when I saw them was how much keys featured in them. There were some shaped like keys, on the pendants they had small keys with the clock hands. Not just keys that look like Pluto's either, but regular keys. I hope they're not the keys to somebody's house or car. I'm guessing keys have more symbolism with time than I thought! There could be more to Sailor Pluto's keys than meets the eye, perhaps.

The girls will meet some of the other senshi in the next ch. And perhaps maybe one of them will soon be following in Juno's footsteps soon.