The chapel had seemed the most reasonable place to stay hidden, Minako had thought to herself that morning. And it had been for the first hour or so. Then throughout the day others began to make an appearance, lighting their candles, whispering their prayers, leaving small gifts at the altar.

No one stayed for long. Most were rushed to make their offerings before darting back out. It was a privilege, Minako had been told, for anyone to have had access to the ancient hall. The chapel had once served as a feasting hall for the most glutenous members of society. One had to have a great hunger for wealth to be welcomed into these halls. Feasting was a way for the upper elite to mingle amongst themselves and sell gossip that would spin the wheels of fate and fortune. Those who played well prospered off what others so foolishly parted with, while the fools were left bereft and unwelcomed back into these halls.

A man of a now forgotten god had gained the ear of the king at the time and convinced him of the great sin his house harvested. History tells the story of the king who led his people to the light and ended the licentious behavior of his court. Hindsight tells of a man who was too blinded by his greed and lust to notice that the famine the priest predicted was not a sign of the gods mirth, but rather the misfortune of a terrible sickness that began well before the harvest.

Oh the secrets that the rafters must hold. The dalliances it has seen, and the words of people long past that fills the empty space with ghostly whispers. On very hot days the chapel had a faint odor of sweetness permeating the room. Most likely remnants of sweet wine absorbed by the floorboards. That was the end of where the hall would be recognizable.

Over the years, each King had built upon the previous man's changes. Windows had been replaced with stained glass and symbols of gods hung from the walls. Rows of pews had been installed, removed, and installed again. Endymion's grandfather had been the last to change the seats, removing the stained glossy black wood with a white wood.

The pews had not needed replacing, and it was considered a frivolous waste of the crown's money, but no one could deny the beauty of the room. The way the colors of the stained glass changed the rows into a myriad of colors when the summer sun was at its apex. Shadows did not live in this room. Life flitted through every inch of space. Beauty in its most simplistic form.

Most of the courtiers passing through did not notice the lone blonde girl who kneeled in the front row of pews. Her knees pressed to the floor rather than the soft cushion provided. Fingers interlocked with bent elbows resting on the railing in front of her.

She knew she should have been praying if she was to be in here. One did not hide away in such a public, godly place. All she wanted was to lose herself. To not think of the night she spent alone - waiting to see if Kunzite would come to see her. Disheartened when she opened her eyes to see the sun rising on the horizon and no evidence that he had attempted to make himself known.

Faintly, Minako could hear the sound of the courtyard bell tolling the hour. Four rings, pause, four more rings. She had spent two hours kneeling in this spot and still could find no solace.

How was it that he had left professing his love and returned not wishing to see her?

She sighed and rose to her feet, smoothing out her dress. The golden yellow fabric was a light wool that swished when she walked and was ever so slightly itchy against her skin. As uncomfortable as this particular dress was - picked for palace attire and not for want - she was dreading the gown that she would be wearing that night.

If one could truly refer to a silken shift as a gown.

It had been Serenity's idea to dress for the solstice as goddesses. While Minako would not have normally blanched at wearing so fine a material, it was the lack of layers underneath in such a populous area that made her anxious. Apparel such as this was not typically accepted in court life; as was evidenced by the heavy layered gown she currently wore.

This was Serenity though, and there was no talking her out of an idea she was so pleasantly, and innocently, decided upon. Besides, the other girls had seemed comfortable enough with the idea. Even shy Ami accepted her gown with a smile and thanks to the fair-haired princess.

Despite the clothing, Minako had to admit that she was excited for all promised celebrations tonight. Last night she had witnessed such talent from the performers and dined on some of the best food she had ever tasted. It was enough to distract her from the other displeasures that plagued her thoughts. Although perhaps not enough to make her forget her disappointments.

What was she to do though? She could hardly discuss what she had witnessed between Kunzite and Jadeite with anyone. She certainly could not bring herself to admit that he had simply forgotten about her last night.

Serenity and Rei had both been quick to say that she had Kunzite's heart - which was no easy feat - yet today she felt as if they all were fools. The same fools that once dined in the great hall, sipping their fancy wines and passing gossip as the wheels of fate spun and spun.

~~ o ~ oOo ~ o ~ oOo ~ o ~ oOo ~ o ~~

Minako rushed through the hallways, thankful that most guests were busy in their rooms preparing for the evening and were not around to see her ungraceful dash towards Serenity's rooms. Even the palace staff was scarce in the private residences. They were either busy with their lords and ladies, or had been pulled away to assist with other activities.

She slid to a stop around the corner from her cousin's suite, pausing to catch her breath. Several guards lined the length of hallway, each doubled up and spaced far enough apart to ensure that no one was gaining access to the corridor that didn't belong there.

It was strange how the level of safety provided was somehow not very consoling.

Her hands smoothed her dress and pulled forward the lose curls of her long tendrils to fall over her shoulders. Normally her hair hung straight down her back, but her room maid had been insistent on putting the curls into the ends of her hair. Minako certainly couldn't disagree that it looked nice the way that it had been done.

With her breath caught and appearance corrected, she rounded the corner and made her way down the hallway towards the first set of palace guards. Black helms covered their heads, partially obstructing their faces. She was told that they donned the helms for holidays and special occasions as they normally never wore anything that would cover any part of the face.

Eyes followed her as she kept her pace slow and even, hands clasped over her abdomen. None of the guards acknowledged her, none so much as moved from their post as she turned the next corner and eventually came to stand in front of Serenity's doorway, the ancient oak colored a golden brown. A palace guard bowed and pushed the door to the suite open, ushering her inside.

As soon as she was through the door, one of Serenity's ladies-in-waiting ran up to her, chastising her for being so late. Minako hadn't realized that they planned on being done around four, rather she thought that was when they were all meeting. The other girls were already finished with their make-up and had moved on to Serenity's dressing room to begin donning their dresses.

She allowed herself to be lead into the sitting room where palates of bright face paints were sprawled out across the tabletop. A maid immediately approached her and began helping to apply the colors.

"Your colors are supposed to be brighter," Rei said, coming up behind Minako. She shooed away the maid that had been helping the blonde girl get ready and picked up a jar of gold paint. "It's a celebration, not a funeral."

"I asked her not to do anything too bright," Minako said as she took in the sight of the streak of red paint that streaked across the raven haired beauties eyes. On anyone else it might have looked foolish, but on Rei, it was dangerous and alluring.

"You'll see later that this won't be too bright." Rei sighed as she sat down next to Minako. Despite her well rounded stomach, she still moved with all the grace of a dancer. "You'll have to lean closer."

Through the doorway, the other girls could be heard as they dressed themselves in their extravagant costumes. Minako obediently leaned forward as Rei began to rub the gold paint across the bridge of her nose.

"The idea is to not be recognized tonight, or else you could take someone else's good fortune, or worse, lose your own. The gods are fickle with their gifts."

Folklore said that the people covered their faces every night for two weeks to ensure that blessings were equally bestowed amongst everyone. If anyone didn't wear a mask or disguise, it was possible that too much favor would be bestowed upon one person and not enough for everyone else.

"It's a sad fable," Minako responded, her eyes closing as Rei brushed her fingertips softly over her lids.

"That depends on which story you have heard."

"I was always told the one where they stone the girl to death in the end."

Rei tsked her tongue. "Only a man would write and tell a story such as that. Men always feel the need to punish a beautiful woman if they can't have her themselves."

Minako leaned back and opened her eyes. "Who couldn't have her?"

"Close your eyes." Minako obliged, leaning in again. "I'll tell you the true story."

The oldest legend, or so Rei said, involved a beautiful girl who was a farmer's daughter. It was two weeks before the spring solstice that she went out to bathe in the pond near her family home. Since the night was strangely warm and she was alone, she slipped free of her clothing, pinned her hair to her head, and wadded into the water.

As it turned out, she was not alone. A handsome man approached her while she was swimming and asked her name. The girl was scared at his arrival and having been caught without her clothes on, but his looks were so ethereal that she quickly forgot about her state of undress.

He was polite enough to allow her privacy to escape the water and tie a sheet around herself while her body dried. If she came home with her dress wet, her parents would know what she had been doing and would have been so severely punished. When she permitted him to look at her again, he commented that the way she tied the white material around her body reminded him of the goddess.

The couple spoke for hours and danced in the fields by the pond. As the moon began to lower itself in the west, the girl realized that she had stayed out far too late. She grabbed her gown and promised the man that she would meet him at the same place and the same time the following night, to which he agreed.

For two weeks they carried on with their secret tryst. She would sneak out in the late hours of the night and find him by the same pond. They would stay there for hours with the girl returning to her home just before the sun would rise. Despite only sleeping for an hour each day, she woke feeling refreshed with no signs of exhaustion marring her beautiful features.

The first night of the spring solstice, he told her that he would see them married and that she should come away with him. Life with her family was hard, but she was not ready to leave them for a man she knew barely anything of.

On the eve of the summer solstice he told her that he could not wait any longer. She agreed, knowing that spending her days without him was taking its toll on her. Every moment she was without him her heart ached. She said that she would say goodbye to her family and then they could be together. They parted in the hour before the sun rose on the horizon and she crept back home and crawled into her bed.

That morning, when the sun rose, her family's fields were bountiful with greenery. Never before had such healthy crops grown on their land, but they were thankful for their blessings. Later that night, the girl returned to the pond to find the man was already there waiting for her. He was as handsome as she remembered and her cheeks flushed thinking that tonight she would promise herself to him.

He approached her and held her hands, asking if she enjoyed his gift. She cocked her head and her lips parted, forehead crinkled with confusion. He said that he had found her so beautiful that he blessed her lands so that she and her family would prosper. When she asked who he was, he simply smiled and then spun her around, leading her in a dance.

Again the night seemed to get away from her and when the moon was nearly to the horizon, she once again parted from him. That morning, several neighbors from nearby farms appeared on her family's lands demanding to know what they had done. Their own harvests had withered away on the eve of the solstice and none knew why, thinking that it must have been some locust that ventured onto their lands while they slept. When the town had heard that one farm prospered, they began to fear that they had all been cursed.

The girl began to cry realizing that the man she had met had gifted her at the expense of those around her. She asked him how he could have done something so terrible to her to which he didn't understand. He told her that her family would eat well and be happy. She told him that her family would be cast out and lose everything they worked so hard for. To this the man held her hand and said to her that there was only so much that he could give before he had to take.

She moved closer to him and pressed her lips against his. The heat of his body seeped into hers and she wanted to cry from the joy that his kiss brought to her. When they parted, she said goodbye to him, saying that they could never see each other again. That her sorrow would be everyone else's happiness.

The man begged her to stay. She only shook her head and placed a mask over her face telling him that he would never know her face again within a crowd. Her heartbreak would pay the price of all men. So she left him standing there by the pond with the full moon and his ethereal glow reflecting off the surface.

"That is just as sad," Minako said when Rei was finished speaking.

"Did you listen to anything I said?"

Minako's eyelids fluttered as Rei brushed paint over her lashes. "The moral is honesty and virtue."

"The moral," Rei said firmly, "is strength and honor. It doesn't matter if she sees him once a year or never again. Perhaps he spends every moonlight solstice searching for her or maybe they are secretly reunited every solstice hidden behind their own masks on the one night their specters were free to feel the wind on their skin, the grass under their feet, and taste the sweet harvests their love continued to provide."

"One ends in love and the other ends in loneliness."

Rei leaned back and Minako opened her eyes. "It doesn't matter what happens tomorrow, Minako. It the decisions that we make today not knowing the outcome tomorrow that make us strong."

"I envy your strength then."

Rei placed her fingers on Minako's chin and turned her face so that she would see herself in the mirror. Bright, deep gold streaked across her eyes, matching Rei's fiery own. "She is strong."

Minako looked to the mirror, contrasting her blue eyes to Rei's violet ones. "I want to be."

"Mistress Minako," a maid said, entering the room and bowing her head. Minako looked to the petite, fair-haired girl standing in the doorway. "There is a visitor here to see you. He requested to speak with you now."

Rei rose from her seat, one hand pressing against the countertop and the other on her stomach. "Tell him to be quick. We have to finish dressing." When Minako remained seated, Rei said in a low voice, "Sometimes they come back different." She took the maid's arm and lead her from the room, leaving Minako alone.

Minako stepped out into the hallway, to find Kunzite's tall frame standing across from her. His back pressed against the wall, his left leg crossed over the right ankle. Long arms were crossed at his chest, while the fingers of his left hand hung down to tap on the hilt of the sword hanging on his hip.

As his green eyes turned up from the floor to look her over, she felt her breath hitch in her chest. It wasn't fair that one look from him could so completely disarm her.

"Minako," he said in his deep voice, pushing himself away from the wall.

He crossed over to her in three steps.

She watched as his hands hesitated for barely an instant before he brought them to rest at her elbows. His palms were warm and she felt chilled at his touch.

"You look beautiful." The fingers of his left hand moved to her chin, turning her face so that he could see the gold paint that streaked across her eyes and the bridge of her nose.

"Why are you here?" Her voice cracked as she spoke, surprising even herself at the coldness of her words.

"I needed to see you."

"I thought you didn't want to see me."

His hand drew away from her face. "I looked for you earlier."

"But not yesterday?"

Another hesitation. "I had to meet with Endymion. Three weeks was a lot to debrief." He paused. "I went to your room, but you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you."

"Did you think that I didn't want to see you?" She wanted to step away from him. She wanted to step into him. Be enveloped by him. "I heard what you - I know you didn't-" She shook her head, stepping back from him.

"Minako," Kunzite started to say, stepping again towards her.

She pressed her hand against his chest. "It would be a lie anyway."

His fingers wrapped around her smaller wrist and she looked up at him. She couldn't read the thoughts that flashed through his mind, but she could see his eyes darkening to a stormy gray.

Minako glanced around them, just now noticing that the previously placed guards were now all conspicuously absent. "I thought it would be best if we were alone," he said in response.

Then of course it would be so, she thought to herself.

"Nephrite is supposed to be here shortly to walk Serenity out. I have to stay with Endymion tonight, but I'll be here to see you out as well."

Kunzite leaned forward and pressed his lips against the top of her head, lingering. He smelled like sage and flowers, masculine with a hint of feminine. Not how he normally smelled to her.

Minako pulled back against his hold. "I should go. I still need to get dressed and everyone is waiting on me."

His hands fell from her, landing at his sides. Minako stepped back again, her hand reaching behind her to press against the suite's door. Kunzite seemed as though he would say something more, but then turned without another word, retreating down the hallway. As he passed the guards in the hallway he gestured dismissively with his hand for them to return to their post. The men all moved to rigid attention, waiting for the senior general to finish passing before they made their way back to their dispersed posted positions throughout the hall.

Minako turned to face the door, her fingers wrapping around the metal knob, exhaling away the last remnants of his soap that lingered in her memory. She slipped into the room, the door falling shut behind her.

The blonde girl shook her head, heart beating faster with each second that passed. What if she was wrong? What if she didn't hear what she had thought?

Rei walked out into the sitting room, clearing her throat sharply. "At least he didn't smear your colors," she finally said. Though Minako doubted that's what she had really been thinking.

"What you said to me - what did you mean?"

"Minako!" Serenity said loudly as she made her way down the hall, Makoto at her side and several of her ladies surrounding them. An open bottle of champagne was in her hand along with a glass that was fortunately half empty and so didn't spill all over her dress.

"We're all ready to go," she giggled, her glass raising to meet Makoto's in a toast. "Your dress is in the changing room, you should hurry and put it on."

Serenity's wink told Minako that there was more to this dress.

"Let's go, Minako," Rei said, ushering her towards the hallway. "Her majesty cannot be kept waiting."

Serenity's checks reddened. "I will make it a royal decree once Endymion and I are married that no one may call me that."

"As you wish, your majesty," Rei said with a wink. They disappeared down the hall and into the dressing room where the floor was littered with discarded gowns. Minako's dress was left draped over a large round, tufted ottoman.

Or at least she assumed that's what her cousin was referring to when she called it a dress. It was little more than a series of long taffeta layers in shades of gold. She couldn't possibly leave the palace dressed in that. Although now that she thought about it, it did seem strange that everyone had been wearing their capes inside.

"How did you manage to have a normal dress?" Minako asked as she looked over Rei's red gown.

"I shamed her out of scandalizing a pregnant woman. This was our compromise," Rei said, gesturing at the silk gown that hung in lose layers, falling softly over her rounded belly.

"We need to speak and we don't have long before anyone comes back here," she said, picking up the dress by the sleeves. "Hurry up and change now."

Rei handed the dress to Minako and helped her to unlace the back of her gown. "What did Kunzite say to you?"

"Nothing," the blonde girl answered, holding the golden dress against herself.

"This is important. What did he say when he got back last night?"

"I didn't see him until just now." Minako stepped out of her gown at Rei's prodding, wincing as she heard the expensive material collapse on the ground.

"You didn't see him at all?"

"No. I don't know where he was last night."

"You need to take this shift off." She bunched the material around Minako's waist, not able to bend over to grab the hem. "You didn't see him this morning either?"

"No," Minako answered, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at both her confession and her nudity.

Rei's hands dropped to her stomach and a grunt escaped her lips.

"Are you okay? Do you need me to get the doctor?"

"I'm fine. It's just been a long day." They could hear the sound of laughter in the hallway. "Let's put this on quickly."

Minako stepped into the dress, pulling the halter over her neck, fingers working to secure the only hooks at her lower back. "I saw Kunzite and Jadeite fighting yesterday. It was - heated."

Rei shook her head and sighed. "Wait until you see Jadeite up close."

More laughter could be heard from the hallway, closer this time. The sound of glasses clinking audible.

"What did you mean they come back like this?"

"Don't tell me that you haven't put on that dress yet." Serenity peered around the doorway, a smile across her lips.

Rei leaned into Minako, their noses touching as the raven haired beauty reached up to run her fingers along the neckline of the gold silk as though she were smoothing the material. "Empty," she whispered.

"Honestly, Serenity," Rei said, stepping back, "you could have at least warned your cousin what you were planning tonight."

Serenity stepped between Minako and Rei and looped her arms through theirs, leading them out into the sitting room where glasses of champagne were being refilled. Each girl picked up a glass, except for Rei who's glass contained only water, and toasted to the night. They talked until the bells began to toll, marking the fifth hour.

Minako secured her cloak around her shoulders and followed everyone else out into the hallway. Nephrite and Jadeite stood in the hallway, dressed in the black uniforms of the palace guard. Jadeite appeared sullen despite Nephrite's attempted joke. Other guards lined the hallways, positioned as they were earlier. Kunzite though was no where to be found.