February 19, 621
Jalen had been firm in tone when he told Minako to not stray far from his side.
She was fifteen and of course didn't listen. It was her first time being to the palace and she could hardly contain her excitement. Her face wore a polite smile as was expected, but inside she bustling with excitement.
It hadn't been hard to slip away from her father. He was always quick to join in one group and then the next. His smile made people feel at ease and he only ever spoke enough that someone would remember him for his wit and not for dominating the conversation. It was a balance that she would never learn.
The crowd was constantly shifting with new king had arrived only a short while ago and of course her father had made quick work on making it to his side. Both men wore court smiles, though their eyes did not seem to share the same sentiment. From time to time the king would glance over in her direction and she wondered if she was somehow the subject of their conversation. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't to be a marriage prospect to the prince.
Everyone had gathered that evening to meet the woman whom the prince was rumored to propose to. His family had once been called the usurpers as they had only held the throne for a few generations. Fortunately for their family line, gold had helped to make the sins of their ancestors a little more forgivable.
When Endymion arrived with Serenity on his arm, the room shifted again, this time in their direction. Minako waited on the outskirts, knowing that she would spend plenty of time with Serenity that evening after everyone retired for the night. She couldn't help but to feel a little envious watching the couple and wishing that she could have what they did.
After all, who didn't want the fairy tale?
A blonde haired girl with green eyes and a heart shaped face came to stand next to Minako, sighing at the sight of the prince and his date. 'What a beautiful couple,' she breathed.
'Yes,' Minako answered automatically.
'You look very much like her,' the girl said. 'Are you related?'
Minako couldn't help but to look the girl over noticing how similar they looked to each other. The girl could have been her sister. 'We're cousins.'
'And so your lot in life improves.'
'I suppose,' Minako responded, her thoughts mulling over the idea of living at the palace instead of her home.
'I'm Sarah,' the girl said with a small curtsey. 'I'm one of the queen's ladies.'
'I'm Minako,' she answered. 'Where is the queen? I don't think I've seen her yet.'
Sarah sighed again. 'She's away at the winter palace. She decided to depart early this season. I suspect it has something to do with her handsome captain that she keeps close by. I certainly wouldn't mind being alone with him.' She blushed and laughed. 'You must think poorly of me, but if you had ever met him you would be helpless but to think the same thing.'
'Perhaps you should ask after him then.'
'It is a lost cause with him. He has no involvement with anyone on the staff. Either he has a lover elsewhere that he is loyal to or is completely celibate, or else it is not women he craves. What a shame that would be.'
Minako smiled at the girl until she noticed the smile had faded from her lips. She followed the girl's line of sight, noticing that the king was making his way towards him. Sarah took Minako's hand, her face noticeably pale as she pulled them both down into a low curtsey.
Minako awoke with a jolt. It had only been a dream, but the memory that stirred beneath made her heart pound. Being back in the palace had brought back memories that she had been keen to forget. At least when she had stayed here before with Serenity, she hadn't been alone. Having someone nearby had made her feel safe.
Being alone in Kunzite's bed made her feel small and alone.
It was the second night she had spent alone and the second time the same dream plagued her. She always woke at the same time and for that she was thankful.
Not all that glitters is gold.
She waved her hair from her face before twisting it several times and tossing it over her shoulder. The sun was still low on the horizon, but at least the night was over so that she didn't have to force herself back to sleep and to her dreams.
Her finger twisted the ring around her thumb, a nervous reaction that somehow made her feel calm and reassured. It was something of his gift to her, and the sensation of the cool metal around her finger weighted her down to the real world and away from the last vestiges of the dream world plaguing her thoughts.
With a toss of her hand, she threw off the blankets that had twisted around her, moving to stand at the side of the bed. She spun the ring around her finger again and made her way to the washroom where she discarded her nightgown on a chair and started running a bath.
The smell of lavender and vanilla laced with lemon wafted into the air as steam rose from the deep soaking tub. Minako inhaled deeply as she stepped into the water, her skin instantly turning pink as the water engulfed her calves. She twisted her hair into bun and piled it atop her head, securing the long tresses with a ribbon, then slid into the water, sinking into its warmth.
Her shoulders pressed against the lip of the tub, her neck supported by the rounded lip, hands floating atop the surface of the water. She closed her eyes as she willed her body to relax, allowing the sweet aromas wafting from the water to soothe her mind.
Her eyes moved over the lines of the horizon, memorizing the details of the landscape of her family home. It wasn't likely that she would return here. Her father had made it very clear that when she departed that morning, she would be moving on to a different life. The life that he had promised her. Each step took her closer to his dreams. Not that she knew what that was.
Sending her away removed her from his care. The small dowry he had managed to negotiate through his well planned social climbing would ensure that the estate would do well for another year. It was amazing how a few marriage promissory notes through the ranks of the kingdom's wealthiest, most powerful men - combined with being the cousin to the future queen - could make her value worth more than gold.
He wouldn't miss her, she was sure of that. Only her uncle would worry for her and that was mostly because of his own hatred toward the general. Not that her father didn't share the same sentiments. The difference between the two men was that her father was a plotter. His desires were never denied to him for long.
A hand came to rest on her shoulder and she looked over to see her father at her side. 'You will do as he pleases,' he said.
Minako looked into his blue eyes, the same color as her own. Her hair was his and perhaps even his eyes, but everything else was her mother's. She had been beautiful, Minako had heard. Even the king was rumored to have coveted her in his youth before he finally married the woman that was to become the queen.
'Yes, father,' she responded.
'You will show him all the due respect he is entitled to.'
'Yes, father,' she responded again, her eyes cast to the ground.
'Do not forget what we have done to get where we are and what this union will ultimately do for our family.'
'Am I to really marry him?' she asked.
Her father looked over to the carriage that would take her away to her new life. The last of her trunks were being loaded onto the back ledge and secured with rope. 'You will let him think you love him. Never tell him of who we are. He'll find out when it's time.'
'What if I don't? What if I can't?'
'You will find a way.' He dropped his hand and turned his back. 'Who would buy a cow from the market if its milk is sour?'
Minako sputtered as she lifted her head from the water, coughs racking her small frame as she cleared her throat of the remaining soapy water. She dragged herself from the tub, sitting in an ever growing puddle as she shook off the memory. Her nose stung from the water she inhaled, her eyes burning from the soapy residue.
Shivers wracked her body as the cool air of the room settled over her body. The ring on her thumb felt loose on her hand, and she slid it back to the base of her thumb, making a fist to keep it in place. The room felt small and she knew that she needed to get away from this place.
She rose to her feet and wrapped a robe around her still shivering body and moved into hall where she rang the bell for her maid. It would do her good to get outside of these walls. Being away from here would help to clear her thoughts.
"My Lady," the young servant girl said as she entered the bedroom and dropped into a curtsy.
"I'm going to go for a ride and I needed help dressing."
"Of course. Should I send for breakfast to be brought up before you go?"
"I'm not hungry. I'll eat afterwards. If you could please just help me with the corset, I'd like to go before the rest of the castle wakes."
The maid nodded her head and moved to the wardrobe where she removed a dark golden gown and laid it on the bed. Minako removed her bathrobe and pulled on the chemise, smoothing the material as the dark haired maid at her side began to place the corset around her. Each tight pull made her sides hurt but she bore it in silence. When at the palace she would dress for the palace lest she bring any more unwanted attention on herself.
With the corset tightened, the top coat of the dress was slipped over Minako's head and secured the hooks on the back of the dress. Minako braided her own hair while she waited for the maid to finish, opting to secure the normally long freely hanging strands to the back of her neck.
The maid walked with Minako, carrying both of their traveling cloaks as they headed downstairs and through hallways, making their way to the stables. Very little attention had been paid to them until they stepped into the entryway of the stable.
Guards stood at either side of the entrance, eyes kept forward. A young stable boy was quick to greet them with a deep bow, his hands politely gripping his hat at his waist. Three guards had been seated in the shadows of an empty stall at the front. A small table was placed in the center of their circle and was covered in cards and chips. All rose to attention at the sound of Minako's voice.
The stable boy ran off down the lengths of the rows to fetch Minako's horse while the young maid assisted the blonde in donning her riding coat and gloves.
"My Lady," the tallest of the guards said in greeting.
Kunzite's palms cupped her cheeks. "One step from the grounds and there will be a guard nearby to bring you back. How gracefully you are carried is completely up to you." His thumb brushed over her cheekbone. "I can't afford to worry about you."
Minako chose to pay the guard no heed as she adjusted the leather encasing her thin fingers.
"My Lady," he said again, dismayed at Minako's continued ignorance of his presence. "You are not leave the grounds, My Lady."
"Mistress," the maid whispered.
Deep blue eyes turned to the guard and Minako smiled prettily. "I had no intention of doing so. I was told that there is a remarkable path that runs behind the palace. Was I mistaken?"
"That area is off the palace grounds. You can't go that far out."
A new soldier approached from the halls of the stable, his hair cut short so that the ends curled around his ears. He wore a uniform of varying shades of tan. At his shoulders rested two epaulets securing a cape of brown with blue lining. "Is there a problem?"
Minako looked over the new arrival and took a step back. She was prepared to argue to one of the palace guards for her freedom - she hoped that she could use Kunzite's name to put fear into them for holding her back. This new man though clearly carried more authority if his uniform was any indicator.
The stable boy arrived with Minako's horse and stopped as he noticed the circle of guards blocking the entryway. "Your mare is ready, My Lady," he said in a low, hesitant voice. As all eyes turned to him, he began to wish he had simply stayed back in the stall.
The tallest of the stable guards spoke up, "We were under orders to ensure that she did not leave the palace grounds." Then almost as an afterthought he added, "From General Kunzite."
"I see," the man said.
"And you are?" Minako asked, securing her cloak tighter around her shoulders.
"My name is Loren. I am the Captain of the Guard for General Zoicite." He offered a slight bow at the introduction. "If General Kunzite has asked that you don't leave the grounds, then I'm afraid we have to obey."
"The truth is," she started, her eyes looking over the man before her again, "that I forgot something of importance at home and I wanted to retrieve it."
"I can send someone in your stead then."
"It's quite valuable," Minako answered. "General Kunzite would be quite mad to know that I had lost the necklace he had gifted me let alone risked allowing it to be stolen. There are many people who are more than happy to find themselves with such a souvenir." She reached into her sleeve to retrieve a handkerchief that she used to dab her brow. The stable was beginning to feel very warm around her.
"Then I will escort you," Loren offered.
"You will?"
"Of course. If it's that important to you, I can accompany you."
The sound of horse hooves hitting against cobblestones alerted the group that a horse-backed rider was approaching. Minako turned her eyes from Loren to see Adonis coming into view. He dismounted the stallion and with reins in hand, walked up to the group.
"Loren," Adonis said, nodding his head at the other man. "I didn't expect you to be here so early."
"I only just arrived."
"Lady Minako," Adonis said, his tone clipped with its acknowledgement. "What are we all doing out here?"
Loren spoke up first. "The Lady needs to return home to retrieve something and so I've agreed that I will escort her."
"Kunzite said that she was staying here at the palace. I didn't realize that anything had changed."
"I was using my judgment and you can do so as well."
Minako leaned against a nearby wall, her cloak and dress catching on some sharp object protruding outward. Her vision blurred as she felt tears edging into her vision, a sense of nausea overcoming her. The corset feeling tighter around her midsection with each breath. She could still hear the sounds of Adonis and the man calling himself Loren speaking, but some of their words were lost to her.
"I realize that you are empowered by Zoicite's lips," Adonis said with a smirk, "but my standing orders outweigh yours."
"Dâni," Minako whispered as she collapsed to the ground.
When Minako's eyes next opened, she found herself surrounded by white and pale stone coloring. The air smelled stale and voices could faintly be heard through the door that had been left ajar. Her body felt stiff and refused to obey the commands she issued, all extremities paralyzed where they lay against a soft surface. She forced herself to take deep breaths, willing her hands to move, then her feet, then everything in between.
As she brought herself to sit up, she saw Adonis standing by the lone window in the room, sunlight filtering in through sheer curtains. She glanced down at herself, noticing she was now wearing a different dress than she had started with. "Dâni?" she asked, her voice grating through her dry throat.
"There's a cup next to you if you'd like some water," Adonis said with a half-hearted gesture towards the stand to her right.
Minako gratefully picked up the cup and sipped at the cool water, flinching at the metallic taste in her mouth.
"I had your maid change your dress for you," Adonis said, his face turning back to look out the window. "You were - ill after fainting. The doctor said he would be returning soon to check on you."
"Thank you. Although I'm embarrassed that this even happened at all. You didn't have to stay with me."
"You said that there was a necklace you forgot."
"Yes," she whispered.
"Is it perhaps the same one that you are wearing?"
She glanced down to notice that the pendant necklace was hanging over the front of her dress. "You won't tell will you?"
"No."
"I'm in debt to you then."
Adonis turned to look at her. "You owe me nothing."
Silence swept over the room, both Minako and Adonis looking at each other, waiting for the other to speak next. Finally Minako spoke up to break the silence. "What brings you to the palace?"
"Prince Endymion and Lady Serenity departed early this morning with Nephrite. Apparently one of her uncles passed suddenly. They left at first light and Loren and I were summoned here in everyone's absence."
Minako looked out the window, vaguely remembering having seen Endymion's flag at half mast as she hurried from the palace proper to the stables. The dark blue flag emblazoned with a bear, the signet for Endymion's family, waved high above the palace. Only the white flag with the red rose over crossed swords had been lowered. She should have noticed. "You and Loren don't seem to like each other I take it?"
"He is a pompous ass. He feels that serving Zoicite makes him more powerful than he really is."
"He was kind to me."
"He's good at pretending. Zoicite and I don't get along and Loren seems to think that he can follow his master's lead."
"What happened between you and Zoicite?"
Adonis walked away from the window. "You ask too many questions. No one is interested in old history. Zoicite is a liar and Loren ranks ninth in power while I rank sixth. Neither of us matter yet we allow ourselves to pretend otherwise."
Minako's lips curled into a slow smile. "Your story seems to be far more interesting than my own."
"Your lies are going to get you into more trouble than I think you realize," Adonis muttered, his eyes again moving to look out the window. He shook his head and looked back to the small girl laying in the sick bed. "I will let the doctor know you are awake so that he can speak with you. Your maid is waiting outside as well to accompany you back to your room. You should stay there and rest. Don't try to leave again. It's not safe out there."
He paused at the door. "You still have said nothing to Kunzite, right?"
She shook her head solemnly. Adonis offered something that resembled a gentleman's bow and strode from the room, his blue and brown cape sweeping against the doorframe as he disappeared from sight.