Chapter 7

"Though sorrow may impede my heart,

It is of great love to have known you."

― C. Elizabeth

It was dark in the hallways as she made her way out of the west wing. There wasn't a soul in sight and not a sound throughout the entire Palace. The Harvest Festival was tomorrow and everyone was resting for the long day ahead. The only people around were guards, who didn't look at her as she passed, as was their duty.

Her heart pounded in her ears and her lips still burned from the kiss the strange Earth man had given her only moments ago. It felt as if he has seared her lips, leaving a mark visible to all. She had never kissed anyone before. Not a man, woman, Lunar or Earthen otherwise. The only kisses she had received were chaste ones from close friends and family in greeting. But nothing like this.

Did something like that leave a mark? Were relations between Lunars and Earthens so strict for this reason? Did they have a deep physical reaction on each other? 'The answer is yes, I am bewitched by you,' she could hear his voice in her head like he was standing right next to her. It filled her brain, playing over and over again.

She walked right into her door, her mind so full of him. She looked around, making sure no one saw her and she slipped into her room. Only to turn and find the Queen herself sitting on her bed.

"Good evening, Princess Serenity." When she was formal, it was never good.

"Good evening your, Majesty."

"I had a long and tiresome day, as you know the Harvest Festival is tomorrow, and to top it all off the Earthens," she held her breath, she had been ratted out, "have decided to come. This being the first time in over a century has sent the entire Kingdom into a frenzy. But with all that, I came here to check on my poor sick child. My one and only daughter and next on the throne."

She sat, silent now, waiting for an explanation. It was clear that she had not been entirely found out yet, "I'm sorry mother, I thought some fresh air might help my head, so I took a walk."

"At this hour? That is highly inappropriate."

"I'm sorry."

She sighed deeply, "It's alright...this time. But this festival is very important Serenity and I need you at your best. Especially with the Earthen coming. This could either open a path back up between us or sever the ties forever. I don't want my legacy for you to be a war."

Butterflies began dancing around in her stomach, if relations with Earth got better, then maybe she would be able to go back and visit. Then she could see Endy….no that was silly, There was much more at stake than one infuriating and cocky man. But the butterflies did not go away.

Her exhaustion hit her hard after she got her mother out of her room. It had been a long day, with too many ups and downs to count. As soon as she closed her eyes, he appeared before her in her dreams.

The whole Palace was a tisy in the early hours of the morning. Guest would be arriving at first light. Every meal was an event and every night was a ball. The whole event was five days. Five days of gowns, uncomfortable shoes, and even more uncomfortable conversations. She knew at least half of them would be about her picking a suitor and the other half would be suitors trying to get her to pick them. She loved the Harvest Festival, but every year since she turned fourteen it had been more about her merger with another kingdom than the Harvest Moon.

Her handmaidens where giddy with talk as they brought in her new gowns made special for the Festivals events. One for the day and one for the evening balls. A total of eight dresses. Looking over them, all glittery with beautiful stones, she couldn't help but think back to the people on Earth she met. How little they had. And here she was with a dress for every occasion. It made her sick. Maybe that was something she could fix if they are able to talk peace with Earth.

The first gown she would wear was stunning, and it was just the opening ceremony gown. It was pale yellow made of a fine silk. The sleeves were short only covering her shoulders and a square neckline that was lower than she thought it should be for so early in the morning. The dress was loose once it made it past her breast. The heavy material fell straight down, no pleats or layers, to the floor forcing her to wear heels. This was no doubt the Queen's idea so she wouldn't run around barefoot as she often did. Her hair was business as usual and her jewelry was simple but beautiful, silver and diamonds and moon shapes.

The Palace was already beginning to fill with people. Dignitaries, Dukes, Duchesses, Lords, and Ladies. All dressed finely and full of joy. The Moon Palace at Harvest Festival was truly the best place to be. Yet her mind continued to wander back to Earth and its rose garden.

It was tradition that everyone gathers in the grand hall for her mother to greet them all. Then they would all mix and mingle, eating food as it passed by on big silver plates. It was then that most of the Kingdoms came and greeted them so she wasn't allowed to leave the throne, she had to stick with her mother as they greeted them both, the leaders of the Lunar Kingdom. It was the most boring time of the whole event for her.

It was also tradition that a Lunar Harvest hymn is sung, which she did every year since she was four. This year would be no different. She enjoyed this part, until it became more like she was the harvest as greedy eyes stared at her on the dias. Her so called suitors always made their way up to the front and made her incredibly uncomfortable. This year, she was not going to pay attention to them. Minako told her to just stare at her or the wall behind them.

She watched as the crowd began to file into the Grand hall from balcony above them, leaning on the railing without care. She caught sight of a few familiar faces. After the room was cleared, it began to fill again. This time with Kings, Queens, Princesses, and Princes. This was the group she recognized the most people in. They would be ushered to the front once they had all arrived, walking through the 'lower' Royals who would part for them to walk like a parade.

She scanned the crowd looking for the Earth Royals. She had only caught a glimpse of the Queen but not enough to pick her out of this crowd. She thought they would stand out, having not been on the Moon in a century. But they all looked the same, a sea of glittering crowds and jewels.

Makoto caught her eyes, giving her a big wave that was very unlady like. She gave her a flick of the wrist type of wave back. It had only been a week, but she missed her sister princesses so much. She couldn't wait to find them after the ceremony. They gathered at the same spot every year.

A small tap on her shoulder told her it was time. The Royals were being ushered in as she left, lined up in their Kingdoms to the parade.

The Lunars, her mother and herself, were the very last to enter as the host of the Festival. Her Mother, always gorgeous, was wearing a more traditional Lunar gown, white and silver. She was pretty sure the only reason she was allowed to wear anything else was because of her age and lack of higher title. Once she was Queen, gone would be the gowns of any color other than white.

They stood at the door together silent. Inside, a jumble of conversations could be heard through the thick door. Soon, hushing came through clearly and the crowd settled.

The doors creaked loudly as they opened to the now silent room. She didn't bother to look at the faces as they passed, there were too many for her to make sense of them. The applause roared as they entered, making it seem as if the windows would shatter from the overpowering sound.

Making it to the dias of the throne, they turned in perfect unison to face the large crowd. A sea of faces.

Her mother gave the opening speech, thanking them all for coming, reciting the history of the festival, and the history of all their kingdoms working together. Then it was her turn.

The whole room was completely still and silent except for the rustling of bodies moving up to the front. Her suitors. She took one second to look over them, just curious if any had been added or subtracted from the list. Looked the same. The same boring men and the same boring stories were in her future.

She looked for Minako now, finding her with little effort given her bright orange gown. She was making a gesture with her fingers, stretching her lips into a smile. She realized she was frowning and quickly threw on a smile.

She knew many songs, having sung for this festival for many years. She had studied the different folk songs that were a tradition for the event. This time, she settled on one that from Earth. She hoped the gesture wouldn't go unnoticed by the planet, and her mother agreed it was a good idea.

She did her best to keep her eyes anywhere but the front row. She let her eyes take in the crowd as her voice rang out over them. Those who were here for the first time, a few dignitaries, sat in awe of her. Those who had heard her voice every year sat in quiet contemplation. Most had soft smiles on their faces and a few cried.

She let the last note hang for a while, letting it settle on the room and dissipate slowly. The crowd roared again, jumping to their feet. She gave a small bow and returned to her mother's side who was wiping away a tear as well to her surprise. It wasn't tradition, or even appropriate, but she gave her mother a small kiss on the cheek.

Servants made quick of the chairs, taking them away so the floor was open to all movement. Then trays of food began to dance around the guest. Trays were sent by the two of them and she always grabbed as much as she could for they would not come around again.

Kingdom after Kingdom came and greeted the Lunar Royals. And she would have to stand in high heels the entire time.

Venus came first and the families embraced one another. She held Minako tight, wishing so much that her cousin did not have to go.

Minako whispered in her ear, "Nice song, you did beautifully." And then she was pulled away, disappearing into the crowd.

Jupiter came. She hugged Makoto just as tight and Makoto returned it a little too tight.

Pluto, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune came one after another. She was sad to hear their daughters were unable to make it. She loved them all dearly and never got to see them.

A few dignitaries of sectors on Lunar and Jupiter came by.

Mercury came next. The shy little blue haired girl blushed when addressing the Queen, even after years together. She wrapped Ami up in her arms and whispered words of encouragement in her ear, making her blush again.

Rei came up without her parents. Explaining that her mother was ill, and that they would be here later. She walked right up to Serenity and gave her a hug.

The only planet left was Earth, the guest of honor. A beautiful, dark haired woman in a deep red gown came forward with a tall toned man next to her. The woman was warm and kind looking while the man was the polar opposite, grey hair and sharp features gave him the appearance not that different from a statue of marble.

The Queen's kind eyes found her's, "You, my child, have a beautiful voice. A gift from God."

She blushed for some reason, "Thank you," she had been told such before but the Earthen Queen seemed so sincere, "I picked that song in honor of your attendance today."

The Queen put a hand to her chest, "Oh my, what an honor."

She noticed that the King was yet to say a word and her training kicked in, "I hope you found your trip a pleasant one."

The King eyed her, "It was fine thank you."

Well so much for conversation with him.

She turned back to the Queen, knowing full well she had a conversation started, "Is it true you brought back the rose flower back from extinction? I have always wanted to see one with my own eyes, but they won't grow here."

The Queen lit up at her words, she gave herself a little pat on the back, and starting looking around as if to try and find someone, "Oh that reminds me...where did he disappear to..ah! Endymon!"

The name made her heart stop. It couldn't possibly be the same man. The Queen waved to someone, motioning them to come over.

Her mother was surprised, but covered it well, "Oh I didn't know your son had made it as well! How wonderful!"

She didn't even know the Earth King and Queen had a son. She was frozen to her spot. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure make its way through crowd towards them. The whole room seemed to slow down as the dark haired man from yesterday came and stood with his parents.

"Queen Selene. May I introduce our son, Prince Endymon of Earth." Esperalda announced him with pride. And why not? His dark hair falling messily over his eyes as he bowed. He stood again revealing his tall and chiseled form. He wore a cream colored vest over a pure white tunic making his dark eyes and skin stand out even more. Black slacks lay underneath with black boots adorned with gold leafing. A dark green cloak hung from his shoulders and a small gold crown sat in his messy hair, peeking through occasionally.

She was staring. But it wasn't till her mother introduced her that she snapped out of it, "Prince Endymon, this is my daughter, Princess Serenity."

He picked up her hand and bowed to kiss it giving her cause to catch her breath. He took a step back, rejoining his parents she felt sad at his quick departure. She felt his eyes watching her. Braving to look up, she found him staring at her with no shame or attempt to hide. Cocky jerk.

"Endymon," his mother chided, "don't you have something for the young Princess?"

He reached into his cloak, coming close to her once again, and pulled out a perfect red rose, offering it to her. Her cheeks burned at the sight of the flower, bringing up the memories of yesterday.

The room went silent as if all the sound had been sucked out of air. She hesitated, looking to her mother as if her secret had been revealed. But her mother was deep in conversation with Endymon's parents. She could see her mouth moving but not what she was saying. No one was paying attention to the two of them.

His voice rang out like a bell, "Don't worry Princess, I removed all those pesky thorns so it's safe."

Turning back to him, she got lost in his eyes. Dark blue pools that swept her up. She felt her cheeks catch fire and while no one was looking, he brushed her lips with the pedals before placing it in her trembling hand. Then he disappeared back into the crowd with his parents.

She managed to hold it together for last handful of Lords and dignitaries but everytime she looked up her eyes were drawn to his like a magnet.

As soon as the last of the parade had greeted them and she was released to herself, she almost sprinted to the meeting spot.

Every year, the girls waited for her in the private garden. They were allowed in but no one else outside the Lunar Royal family was. This meant a reprieve from the assault of curtseys and dull chit chat.

She made it to the garden in record time, huffing from catching her breath as she closed the gate behind her and leaning her weight against it.

"Oh Serenity, how are you going to handle being Queen if you can't even handle the fun stuff?" Rei teased.

Pulling her head off the gate, she saw she was the last to arrive as usual. The girls were spread out around the small fountain that sat at the middle of the garden. Makoto and Minako laid on the fountain edges, enjoying the sun. Rei and Ami sat at a small table under the protective shade of a huge weeping willow, a centerpiece of the garden. Morning glories filled the air with a pungent but pleasant smell. Other than that, the garden was filled with pansies and iris with bushes filling the rest of the space. It was beautiful, but nothing like the garden on Earth.

"You're right Rei. You should be Queen instead." She was only half joking.

Ami picked up on it, "Serenity, don't say such things. You are going to make a wonderful Queen someday."

She wished she shared her confidence.

Makoto peaked up from her sun bathing, probably to fuss at her remarks as well, but got distracted, "Is that what I think it is?!"

She looked to where she was pointing. The gift she had gotten was still planted firmly in her hand. In her rush to get here, she had forgotten about the rose. She held it up like a trophy to them.

"It sure is! Come take a look!"

She made her way over and Minako and Makoto rushed to meet her. They took turns smelling and touching the soft petals of the precious flower. She sat down next to Ami and Rei, allowing them a look at it and enjoying the feeling of finally being off her feet. Her toes were sore from being forced to walk on them.

Rei gave it a quick glance, not too impressed. But Ami was curious as usual, "Where in the galaxy did you get a rose?"

"It was a gift!" She said excitedly. Sure she got gifts when other planets visited but nothing as special as this rose!

Ami was surprised, "That is one expensive gift."

"Not really. It is from Earth. They grow freely there. Well since the Queen brought them back."

Rei caught her mistake, "How do you know that?"

She had messed up, but it was an easy fix, "The Queen, Esperalda...she told me."

But Makoto wasn't convinced, "How did they know about your obsession with roses then? You been dying to see one for years!"

They all looked at her expectantly. That one was a little harder to explain, "It was...a lucky guess. I mean, who wouldn't like a rose?"

Rei baulked, "I wouldn't."

That worked, for now. She had to be more careful. She eyed her prize again, pressing the soft petals to her nose and breathing in its scent. Endymon immediately entered her mind. Something told her that was part of the point of the gift. She couldn't stop the smile from forming on her lips and the blush from creeping on her cheeks. She looked back at her friends, who had moved on from their inquisition.

All except for Minako, who was watching her with a knowing smile.

After the opening ceremony, which had lasted till well past noon, the guest were left to rest up for the next events. Dinner began at 4 and usually lasted till 7. Then the ball would begin at 8 and go on late into the night. In the morning, few would actually get up before 10, which meant festivities would start up again then, being more of the same.

From this point on, she didn't have to be separated from her friends. Well, at least for not large amounts of time. They would spend every second they could together for the rest of the festivities. That was the only part she enjoyed any more.

The sun was slowly setting, telling them they were out of time for now. On to dinner. This would be one of the times they wouldn't all be together. The dining room had been set with a bunch of small round tables. Each one held about twenty people, a few more if the guest were a small child. There were a handful of them but they all ranged from 4-9. The future of their society.

They all filed out of the garden slowly, still chatting away as they left. She pulled the gate tight on the garden, a single guard stood outside. It was an unusual post; typically no one was guarding the garden. But given the increase in bodies in and around the Palace, security had been increased. It wasn't just for the Lunar family, it was for all the visitors as well. There had never been an incident on Lunar but her mother said it was because they were safe.

The girls were a few steps ahead of her now, but she could quickly catch up. Pulling up her skirt, she picked up her pace. She had just rounded the corner, re-entering the Palace, when a hand caught her arm, pulling her into a corner behind a pillar along the wall. She let out a squeak before dark blue eyes crashed over her, stilling her voice inside her throat.

Endymon held a single finger up to his mouth, still on her arm, he lowered both, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the pillar.

He had a maddening smile on his cocky face, "Wow, security is tight around here," he talked softly as if prove his point.

"Yes, well not everyone likes to follow the rules."

He eyed her, accusingly, to which she quickly responded, "That was different. I was being diplomatic."

He laughed, "Is that what you call almost starting a war?"

She crossed her arms as well, "I would have never let a war start over me."

He inched closer to her words, "Oh but I'm sure many would gladly fight over you."

She was getting uncomfortable with his closeness and his words, but she couldn't seem to make her body move.

"Don't you mean, 'for' me?" She added weakly.

He moved closer still, "No."

He was standing over her now, forcing her to crane her neck upwards to continue and look at he in the face, "You could have told me who you were yesterday."

"And ruin the surprise?" He was gloating.

Her back hit the wall, she didn't realise she had been backing away, he had stayed on her, moving with her. But now she was trapped. Like prey, her predator stood over her, ready to make the kill.

She was sure he could hear her heart as it beat loudly against her rib cage. She had had her share of close encounters, with her persistent suitors, but she always got away. There was never any need or desire to stay as long as she had in this dark corner with Endymon. She knew she needed to leave, to get out of there, as the girls would soon come looking for her. It would not look good to be like this with the Prince of Earth. But she just couldn't make her feet move in the direction they needed to go.

He opened his mouth to say something else but was stopped by the sound of the girls calling out to her, looking for her.

He stepped back away from her, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Enjoy your gift." He pointed to her rose still in her hand and walked away.

She was left alone in the darkness. Her heart racing so fast, she thought for sure it would run right out of her chest, after him. She put a hand to her face, the cold skin on it felt good on her overheated face. She calmed down as much as she could and stepped out of the dark towards her friends.

The girls arrived to the dining hall just as everyone else was settling into their seats. It was a mixed bag of Royals; everyone was mixed up no matter their stature. Makoto, Rei, and Ami left her side, heading off to their seats sadly. But Minako was still with her. Every night, the seating changed, giving everyone a chance to meet and talk and at least one night at the Queen's table. Save for Minako. Venus was the only living relative of the Moon Kingdom. They sat at the Queen's table every night.

She sat next to her mother and Minako sat on the other side of her. Next to Minako sat a Duke from Saturn, Febius. A red faced short man with an impressive, but sadly obvious, toupee. His medals of honor jingled on his chest when he laughed as he sat in a military uniform. His political opinions he always shared and they were usually whatever was against whomever sat at the table. He would at least keep things interesting.

Across from her a Duke and Dutchess from the Gaseous Halo. They had traveled the farthest of all the other guest to be here so they had the honor of joining the Queen for the first banquet.

Next to them, her Aunt and Uncle, Minako's parents. Minako's mother, Alaina, was originally from the Moon, the sister of her mother. But years on Venus had caused her to lose the tell tale signs like her pale skin. It was now a beautiful, healthy brown. Her hair was golden and fell down her back and shoulders. Being from the Moon, she currently wore a white gown similar to her mother's but instead of silver touches, it had gold. She would change into Venus' colors for the ball.

The seats on the other side of her mother sat empty.

Everyone was just settling down when the Earthens arrived, entering quickly but regally. A few whispers flew up into the air and all turned to see the Royal couple and son make their way to sit right next to the Queen. Putting Endymon directly in her line of sight for the entire meal.

He led his mother to her seat, pulling out her chair for her, but then his eyes went to her and stayed on her until he himself was seated. To which he gave his attention to anyone else at the table. Something told her this was going to be one of the longest dinners of her life.

Minako gave her a gentle nudge of her shoulder, leaning in to whisper to her, "That's the Prince from Earth?"

She answered her with a silent nod and her audacious cousin answered with a silent 'Wow'.

Her mother stood to welcome the guest and start the meal. As soon as she was finished, the first course arrived like magic, evering timed perfectly like a practiced dance. Many of the servants worked in the Palace before she was born. They had seen many Harvest Festivals. She knew all the servants names in the Palace, she felt it was only fair given that they all knew her name.

Henry, the longest working butler in the Palace, served their table, being the most experienced. He leaned over, placing her plate before her and gave her a quick wink.

"Thank you Henry." She said sweetly.

He gave her a quick bow and disappeared.

"Oh my, he must be a Palace favorite?"

The question came from Esperalda, gaining the table's ear, "The Princess knows his name!"

Febius let out a loud but harmless laugh, "The young Princess knows all the servants' names!"

Esperalda looked shocked, "Is that true?"

"Yes, my Serenity knows everyone who works in the Palace," her mother spoke with pride.

Even the King, who she had since learned was named Edward, was impressed, "That is a good quality for a leader to have. Solidarity with your subjects."

Endymon seemed surprised by his father's words, "Why father, I have never seen you so impressed."

"I am impressed every day by the rising of another sun, your mother's ability to take so long to get dressed, and your ability to survive your lewdness."

The table laughed, save for the King who was dead serious the whole time. She wondered if he ever smiled.

First course was removed and second took its place without incident. The conversation was light and pleasant. Until Febius opened his mouth.

"So, your Majesty," he pointed his question at Edward, "how have your trade regulations been going? Since your Kingdom cut out the Lunars and any other planet other than your own?"

The tension was so thick, you could slice it, and she desperately wished someone would.

Edward wiped his mouth with his napkin and looked Febius square in the eye. She felt nations had crumbled under his look alone, "We have been doing just fine thank you."

"Fine yes, but even you have to admit father, we have not been thriving like the History books say we did when trade was open with all the Planets."

Tension returned, thanks to Endymon, who did not fear his father as she felt he should.

Her mother stepped in, always the diplomat, "Thriving is a relative term. Your people are not starving or unhappy. They are satisfied race under your parents' gracious rule."

Happy in her answer, the King and Queen nodded satisfied...but Endymon was not, "They may not be starving but they are far from poor. Forgive me your Majesty, but you have not had the privilege of meeting our people yourself. To no fault of your own."

Was he trying to start a war?! Minako looked at her, warning her with her eyes of danger.

Endymon continued, "And they are happy because they do not know any better. Ignorance is bliss your Majesty," he pulled a coin out of his pocket and showed it to the table, "A single gold coin like this one is considered a gift from God to our so called happy people."

His mother was clearly embarrassed by her son, "Endymon, surely you cannot know that…"

He cut her off, looking over at her, "I have seen it myself just yesterday."

Her heart raced, feeling as though everyone at the table knew her secret. She looked around nervously but no one seemed the wiser. Still, her heart pounded as Endymon continued to bore his eyes into her. As if she was the one he wanted to understand his outburst the most.

Still holding the coin and her eye, he went on, "A poor woman, who sells apples for her living, received this coin yesterday from a gracious donor. I saw it happen with my own eyes. The woman wouldn't even use the coin, she was sure it was a gift from the Goddess herself. It took a lot of convincing to get her to give it me…."

The coin was ripped out of his hand by the Duke of the Gaseous halo, who eyed it suspiciously, "If you got this yesterday, then why does it bare the Earth and Moon signia? I thought all of these coins fell out of commission a century ago?"

Her throat tightened and she unconsciously grabbed Minako's hand. Her cousin's eye studied her while she kept hers glued to the scene in front of her.

Endymon shrugged, "Guess the donor held onto it for a long time. Or it was the Goddess Selene."

Queen Selene took over once again, "If things are truly that bad, I would be more than happy to discuss renegotiate the trade agreement. However, now is not the time for such discussions."

And that was the end of that. The conversation stayed relatively peaceful after that. Mostly the table asked questions about life on Earth as none of them had lived in a time when they were allowed to visit the Earth. Endymon answered, his father remained stoic and still, while his mother had a private conversation with her mother. The two sat side by side and leaned into each other, wrapped up in their own world. Maybe the trade agreement was back on the table after all.

"I'm sorry we keep monopolizing the conversation, but I think we can all agree that we are curious about the Earth and your customs."

She turned her focus back to the table upon hearing her cousin's voice. The whole table was wrapped up in Endymon as he told tale after tale all about the Earth.

He caught her eye again, "Yes. Some more than others."

He was going to keep teasing her till the end of time. Minako squeaked, pulling her hand roughly from hers. She hadn't realized she was still holding it and given by Minako's reaction, she must have squeezed it pretty hard.

"But I am interested in your customs as well. For example, I loved hearing the Princess Serenity sing this morning."

The table agreed with him, "Yes", "A lovely tradition", "I look forward to it every year".

"In fact," she feared where he was going with this, "I would love to hear it again."

Before anyone could say anything else, she interjected on her own behalf, "I'm not a songbird. I don't perform on request."

The table looked at her, stunned by her reaction. Save for Endymon who acted like the cat who caught the canary. A sharp elbow from Minako brought her out of her stew, and she quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late, the words had been said. Even her mother had looked up at her little outburst, scolding her with her eyes.

She needed to do what she could to salvage herself, "But if it would please everyone, I suppose I could sing another song."

They all chided her on, happy for such a shift in tradition. Then, much to her horror, Minako began tapping her glass with her spoon, signaling for the whole room to quiet down. Now she had to serenade the entire court. She could kill Minako, but first she would kill Endymon.

Standing slowly, she wracked her brain for a song. All the folk songs flashing through her mind's eye. Then she had a thought, since she was already breaking tradition, why not stray and sing something more modern? She settled quickly on a tune that came from Venus. Minako had taught it to her. It was about men not being too hubris in their intentions. It was written to honor the beauty of the Venisons but she felt it fit perfectly for the moment. She was sure few would take note of the words of the song, focusing more on the melody and her voice.

Sitting down, she could tell by the look on her mother's face, that she had been paying attention and was not pleased. But it was worth it. The rest of the room applauded loudly, a thunderous roar to end the meal.

Endymon applauded with a smug smile to which she returned in earnest. Her way of secretly slapping him in the face. Her mother would shirley have words with her later, but now it was time to get ready for the ball.

Each ball had a theme of course. Usually, they were all some kind of version of "Living in harmony" theme that didn't really require much thought on the wardrobe. However, this year, her mother gave the Earthens the honor of picking a theme for the first ball. She assumed it was Esperalda who settled on the theme, 'Midnight Mystery'. It apparently meant that it was a masquerade, with masks and costumes. Everyone was to keep their identity a secret till midnight, although she didn't see how anyone could possibly not know one another's identity. Still, it was a nice change from the same boring theme it usually held.

She was still expected to wear the Lunar colors though.

The Princesses of all the planets had gathered in her room before the ball, planning to walk down together. Each of them beautiful in their planet's colors; Makoto wore dark green and dressed as a wood fairy; Minako in golden yellow like the sun, dressed as the Venetian Goddess Aphrodite; Ami in an airy blue looked like a cloud; and Rei wore bright red but didn't dress a character, she just wore a mask. They all had on masks but she could tell them apart no problem.

She wore a white dress that fit tightly all the way down to her knees. The back of the dress dipped low and it had sleeves but they were only there in decoration as the tool they were made of hung loosely around her upper arm.

Her handmaidens had taken great care in creating costume pieces for her. Fixed to the buns of her Lunar hairstyle where two white bunny ears. Her mask was made of a fluffy cotton pulled and stretched till it looked similar to Ami's cloud like mask and covered in silver glitter. Her moon crest still shone through like the sun on a cloudy day. They even attached a tail to her, although she felt that might be going a bit far. The last thing she needed was more help attracting attention to such parts of her body.

The last thing placed on her was a small crown, it was made up of moons and stars cut out of silver.

It was going to be a lot of fun, the ball. Too bad she wouldn't get to enjoy it. Her time would be spent being passed like a toy back and forth amongst her suitors. There were twelve. And all twelve of them would keep her monopolized on the dance floor the whole night. Her feet ached at the thought.

The Grand hall, that had held the opening ceremonies that morning, was now transformed into a glittering hall of twinkling lights and flowers. It looked like a moon lit garden, covered with a blanket of stars. The staff had really outdone themselves. She wished it could look like this all the time.

She used the beauty of the room as a distraction. The eyes on her bore into her making her want to shed her own skin and run. The heels she was wearing would have made escape difficult. And the small train at the back of her dress as well, which dragged the floor as she walked, shortening at the front for her feet to move without trouble.

When her father was still alive, him and her mother would open the ball by having the first dance. Each year, a Royal couple was selected to take their place. This year, her mother had given the honor to the Earthen King and Queen. Her mother was laying it on thick for reconciliation. And none of the other kingdoms protested. Being the closest planet and having such hostilities wasn't good for the Kingdom. They could declare war and attack us before any other planet had a chance to reach them for aid. The Lunar army was good, but they did not have Earth's numbers, not by half. And no one wanted war.

She watched as the unlikely couple swirled. Talk about complete opposites. Esperalda wore a beautiful purple gown with gold and black ribbons twisting and flowing from her hips. She was some kind of bird but she was unsure as to which one. Edward wore a black military uniform. No mask, no costume. Clearly he was not playing along. What a strange couple they were, but they looked beautiful together.

Soon the moment she dreaded had arrived. The floor was open to all. Before the words were finished being announced, she was surrounded by three suitors; the Prince of Titan, a moon of Saturn's, his name was Loe; Prince of Phobos and Phoebe, two satellites of Mars, named Kyle and Carl but she always got mixed up on which one was which. They were all from the smallest kingdoms and they always jumped her for a dance first. They were the most desperate as they had the weakest Kingdoms. They wanted the power that would come with being King of the Moon, but so did all of them.

She didn't even look to see whose offered hand she took, she just grabbed the one closest to her. Phobos. She had to be careful, not sure whether he was Carl or Kyle, calling him Highness the whole time. It gave her an out and him a thrill. He was also the worst of all of them at dancing, stepping on her toes a few times as her always did. She should have tried to put his dance off till after her toes went numb.

Next was the Duke of Elara, moon of Jupiter and Makoto's Uncle Samir. She wasn't sure if he was actually serious when he asked to be considered, but he had stuck with it. She remembered him chasing her and Makoto around when they were children, pretending to be a monster. He was her oldest suitor by far.

Then, was her favorite suitor. He was only 12 which meant there was no way she was picking him, but she thought it was adorable that he still tried. It was Rei's little brother, Zedd. His hair and features were just like Rei's and now he was going through puberty making his voice squeak periodically. But he was sweet and he let her lead when they danced.

"Come on Serenity, you know you are going to pick me. Why not put these poor fools out of their misery?"

Rei had told her that Zedd had been in love with her since he was five, but what was brotherly love turned into romantic as he got older. He was truly the only one not after power.

She laughed, "Shall we announce it tonight?"

He knew she wasn't serious, "There is only a four year difference, that isn't that much when talking about 16 and twenty."

"But it is quite a bit when talking about 12 and 16."

"I am the only one who truly loves you."

"I know that." She leaned over and gave him a chaste peck on the lips causing the poor boy to swoon.

Another group of suitors surrounded her as soon as she dropped Zedd's hand. Maybe she should just pick Zedd. At least then these other jerks would leave her alone. But Zedd would be more like a puppy than a husband. She hadn't decided if that was a good thing or not.

Coming to her rescue, Makoto swept in between the throng, sweeping her away. The two twirled on the dance floor together taking turns leading. Most of the guest were drunk at this point, too out of it to get offended by their lack of propriety. Most laughed, a few applauded, and her suitors frowned.

"You looked like you needed saving."

"Oh thank you Makoto, you are my white knight. I wish I could dance with you all night."

She laid her head on her tall friend's shoulder and took a small break from her nerves. But it was over all too soon. A Duke took Makoto away and Phoebe took his chance.

The song was not even halfway over before Phoebe was stopped mid spin, "Would you excuse us? We are trying to dance."

"Trying is the right choice of words."

She looked at him over her shoulder, knowing who it was without looking. She hadn't seen him all night and the sight of him shook her nerves up all over again. His outfit was similar to his fathers, black and gold military formals. But he wore a mask. Not that it mattered, she recognised his eyes, his voice, hair,...scent.

"Excuse me?" Phoebe snapped her out of it. His face twisted in ugly disapproval.

"I'm sorry, a shameless joke. May I cut in?"

Her blood ran cold, never had anyone 'cut it' and interrupted a dance with a suitor. Especially not another guest. If people starting cutting in on dances, it would be an endless battle on the dance floor. Mayhem and bloodshed!

But Phoebe let her go, outraged, but still let her go. Endymon gave a small bow and held his hand out to her. She could feel every eye on the two of them. It would look bad if the Princess of the Moon refused to dance with the Prince of Earth. Her hands were tied.

She took his hand and he pulled her in close. Not as close as some of her more aggressive suitors, like the Duke from Lunar's sister colony, but still close enough to be wrapped up in the smell of roses.

So far, he was the best dancer of the night. Even better than Makoto, but she would never let either of them know it. The music washed over them and she allowed herself to get wrapped up in the dance. At least he didn't ruin a good dance with mindless talk.

"So how does it feel to dance with someone who knows what they are doing?"

Spoke too soon….

"Makoto is an excellent dancer."

He looked at her confused as to who she was talking about. "Princess of Jupiter."

"Oh you mean the tall girl. Yeah she's pretty."

Something stung her heart at his words, making her want to be nasty, "Well she has many suitors but I'm sure one more won't hurt."

"Hmm but not as many as you huh?"

"Yes well, one should not be judged by the number of wanting men."

"And what should they be judged by? What their suitors say about them?" he leaned into her ear and whispered, "Because they all talk about you like a piece of meat."

She felt she might cry. It was one thing to suspect what others think about you, it was another to be told. She was thankful for their difference in height, it made it easier to hide her eyes from him as they tried to fill with water.

He twirled her around and then pulled her back in, "Well except for the little one, what is he 10?"

"12," she spat out, frustrated and angry with her partner already.

"Well he is a keeper. You should just pick him and put the poor kid out of his misery."

So now, they either wanted her as a trophy or she was dangling them needlessly. Was there no end to this man's callousness? No wonder Lunar didn't shed a tear when Earth broke ties.

The song ended finally, but he didn't let go. It was unheard of for an unpaired couple to dance more than one song in a row. No suitor dared approach, given the delicate nature between their two Kingdoms. She could make out a few of their seething faces as he twirled her around. This did not look good. But the crowd kept cheering them on with smiling faces and applause. As if all hope for their nation was dependant upon a silly dance.

Sensing her unease, he pulled her in a little tighter to keep her from escaping, "Let's piss them off a little more shall we."

She looked at his face at last, tears burning her eyes, but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking around the room at the same people she had been. He was doing this to upset her suitors? It was all a game to him and she was just a piece on the board.

The song couldn't have ended any sooner for her. Again he held on as if to take another dance from her. Instead, she ripped her hand from his and pulled away quickly so he could not grab her up again.

She slipped through the other dancers and through the crowd watching the dance getting behind them, using them as a shield so no one could see her to follow. Then she disappeared through an open door, not caring where it led.

She was out on the terrace. Below was the largest garden on the Palace grounds and above was the Earth. Normally she found joy in seeing the beautiful planet hanging above her but tonight it filled her with anger and sorrow.

The railing felt cool under her grip, which she tightened in an attempt to right her feelings.

"Serenity, are you alright?" She had only been gone a few seconds, but already Rei had found her. Her hand on her shoulder, grounding her back to reality.

"Excuse me," the two of them turned, finding none other than her offender, "but I need to speak with the Princess alone."

Rei stood in front of her defensively, "I think you've done enough."

But she gently pushed her aside, "It's okay Rei," her dear friend looked at her again, unsure of her orders, "I need to fight my own battles."

Rei gave her hand a squeeze and soon she was alone to face her battle.

She didn't want to give him any chance to speak again, she had heard enough, "Things here may not be as they are on Earth, but there are certain expectations that must be met…"

"Like marrying one of those jackasses?" He interrupted.

"Each one of those...jackasses...is suitable in both title and stacher…"

"Oh please, each one of them is a joke. Not even half of the man you need to be by your side."

"The man who will be by my side is my choice. Not yours, not anyone else's."

"Is that what you tell yourself?"

She wanted to rip him apart, "It is what my mother tells our Kingdom. A Kingdom that has stood the test of time apart from yours. You would be wise to keep your thoughts out of it."

"My thoughts? Oh, I haven't even told you my thoughts yet."

"Oh really? Who's the...jackass now?"

"Do you even know what that word means?"

"I figured it out. It means...something not good."

He laughed at her, only making her blood boil, "The more I get to know you, Endymon, the more….irritating you get!" Not bothering with titles.

"Irritating? I'll take it. Means I'm getting under your skin."

"You most certainly are not!"

"Keep your voice down. People will start to stare."

"Didn't seem to bother you on the dance floor when you were dragging me around like the carcass of your prized kill."

"I don't think I was dragging you…."

"What else would you call it? Using me to piss on my suitors. Do you dare deny it?"

Without hesitation, "No".

She was thrown back by his answer, she had expected him to deny it, "Why? Why would you cause such anarchy? Do you love chaos that much?!"

"I did it cause they deserved it." Now he was angry, "The way they talked about you?! They don't deserve to look at you, let alone touch you."

She became silent, unsure of herself. But she didn't break from his stare. He watched her looking to see if she understood, but she didn't, not fully anyways.

He stepped up to her, towering over her, "Not one of them deserves you, Serenity."

"Then...who does?" She asked the question, but she was pretty sure of the answer.

He scooped her up in one swift move, bringing her up to his lips in a crushing move. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him as close as she could. Melting together as they caught fire.