*************
The orchaestra Queen Serenity had sent for from Earth was already playing when I stepped out of my room. I could actually hear it and the sounds of guests arriving and laughing from our wing. Taking a calming breath, I lifted the hem of my gown's skirt awkwardly and made my way to the center of the palace. There seemed to be servants everywhere, dressed in formal clothing...very different from the plain clothes I was used to them wearing. They all nodded at me as I passed, but not a single one stared. I felt a small amount of satisfaction. I blended.
When I reached the balcony that overlooked the courtyard ballroom, I stopped for a moment. The crystal staircase, as well as the balcony handrails, were lined with hundreds of tiny, twinkling lights. Men and women from all over the solar system filled the courtyard, dressed in every color of the spectrum. I felt safe on the balcony, just watching. Detached.
Someone touched my bare shoulder. I spun around and saw Pluto before me. She looked even more lovely than she had for the past two days. Her dress was the same design as mine, except in her color of dark, almost black blood red. Her dark green hair was pulled back from her face, braids of it wound round her crown. Around her neck was a string of onyx and diamonds. I put a hand to the jewels at my own throat, sapphires and diamonds. "Pluto...don't sneak up on me like that!"
"I'm sorry", she apologized. "I saw you standing there and thought perhaps we could walk down together."
Surprise wearing off, I nodded. "Of course. Um...thank you. I really wasn't looking forward to going alone."
"I got that impression. Don't worry, Uranus. I have a feeling tonight will be...very special for you."
With that cryptic thought, Pluto and I made our way around the balcony to the edge of the magnifcent staircase. "Here goes", I muttered, adjusting my own crown. I prayed it would stay in place for the whole dance. I had little hair with which to secure it.
It felt as though all eyes in the ballroom were on us. In reality, probably only a few courtiers noticed us entering, but for those few seconds it took to reach ground level, I felt like the most conspicous person on the Moon.
Before we even reached the final crystal step, the Inner Senshi were upon us. Venus grabbed my hands excitedly. "Oh Uranus!! You look beautiful!!"
I knew it wasn't true, but it was nice to hear anyways. They were the ones who truly looked beautiful. Mercury in bright blue and sapphires, Jupiter in forest green and emeralds, Venus in yellow-orange and topaz and finally, Mars in apple red and rubies. They were like a rainbow. A very loud, jewel-bedecked and crowned, slightly tipsy rainbow.
I forced a smile. "Where is everyone else?"
Jupiter replied, "Serenity and the Queen are going to enter together a little later on. The ambassadors from Cirus have Endymion and the generals cornered talking about their alliance with Earth or some such thing. And Saturn....well...she was here a minute ago."
"I'm right here." The child approached us from behind. I had the brief thought of putting a bell on her, but dismissed it quickly. To my slight surprise, she slipped her hand into mine. "I like your dress", she whispered to me.
"I like yours." And it was the truth. Her regal purple gown wasn't strapless like her fellow senshi, it had short, puffed sleeves instead, but still had a high waist and full skirt. Diamonds and amythest lay around her throat and her tiny crown couldn't have looked better against the ink of her hair.
Mars looked around. "We're just missing one person."
As if on cue, the maestro ended the waltz that had been playing. "Ladies and gentlemen", he addressed the Queen's guests. "Her Majesty, Queen of the Moon Kingdom, Sovreign of the Silver Millenium has asked one of our Kingdom's youngest violinists to play for you tonight. Please...join me in welcoming the lovely and talented Princess of the Outer Planet of Neptune."
The guests broke in a smattering of applause. I must have joined in the movement, but I can honestly say I can't remember conciously bringing my hands together.
The world had stopped. I chuckle even now as my pen writes that sentence, but it was true. Everything came to a crashing halt when I saw her for the first time.
Her dress was just the same as all of ours, but somehow the blue-green color was the loveliest. Her necklace was made of the finest aquamarines and diamonds, but somehow it sparkled just a little bit more than anyone else's. Her crown of diamonds, identical to the one on my own head, sat perfectly in the waves of turquoise colored hair that spilled down to the creamy white skin of her shoulders and back.
Neptune curtsied to the Queen's guests and lifted her violin, settling it between her shoulder and her chin. A second passed and she began to play. I had never heard a more beautiful melody in all my life. And I have never heard a lovelier one since.
I felt Saturn come up to my side; her small body pressed against my leg. But I couldn't tear my eyes off of Neptune.
"She's wonderful, isn't she?", Saturn whispered.
In surprise, I looked down at the small girl. "She...um...plays very well."
Mars approached my other side. "Does she look like the model of a Sea Princess or what? Although I half expected her to have a fish tail."
I looked back at Neptune. Her eyes were closed; her face serene. She was lost in the music. I wanted to be lost with her. "I hope you're not too disappointed that she doesn't", I replied, flatly.
I heard Jupiter laugh over my right shoulder. "She's just jealous."
"Me? Never!" Mars paused. "But I will say this...she gives new meaning to the words 'perfect hair and skin'."
Venus giggled. "Sounds like jealousy to me."
Somehow, I managed to tune them all out. My focus was entirely on Neptune as she continued to play. I don't believe I even blinked.
Sadly, the piece she played had to end. After a huge round of applause from the guests, Neptune curtsied again and handed her violin to a servant. Gathering her skirts, she eased her way into the crowd and began to make her way over to us.
I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to meet her...she was the only person I had seen since I arrived on the Moon who I actually wanted to meet. But...it scared me.
"Excuse me. I'm thirsty." The excuse was flimsy, even to my own ears. The other princesses looked at me strangely. I managed a weak smile before turning and walking away. Behind me, I could hear Venus' voice greeting Neptune.
Pushing through the crowd of diplomats and courtiers, I eventually reached the front entrance of the Palace. There was a great marble balcony overlooking the large reflection pools that lined the path leading to the Palace. Columns ran around the balcony, providing plenty of shadowed spaces one could easily hide in. I stepped into one and leaned against the stone railing. I could feel the coolness of the marble through the flimsy silk of my gown.
I must have stood there looking out on the reflection pools for a long time. I would have stayed out for the rest of the evening if I hadn't felt a slight tap on my shoulder. Whipping my body around, I came face to face with the Princess of Neptune.
"Oh!", she breathed, putting a hand to her chest. "You scared me!"
I struggled to catch my breath, the shortness of which I couldn't entirely attribute to surprise. "*I* scared *you*?"
Neptune laughed, a soft watery sound. "My apologies. Jupiter said she saw you come out here."
"You followed me?"
She blinked deep marine blue eyes. "Is that all right?"
For perhaps the second time in my life, my cheeks turned pink. "Yes...um...it's all right with me." I cleared my throat.
There was a pause. "I'm Neptune", she said, unnecessarily.
I hesitated. "Uranus."
"It's nice to meet you at last."
I nodded my head. "We...um...were afraid you wouldn't make it in time for the...um...the..." I searched for the word.
"The ball?", she supplied, the corners of her shimmery pink lips turned up.
"Yes..the ball."
She threw her head back slightly and laughed again. "A princess missing the opportunity to get dressed up and dance? Not likely."
I paled. "How did you know that I...?"
"How did I know that you what?"
It was my turn to blink. "That I thought that...um...never mind. Never mind." My head was foggy; I couldn't think straight. "Anyways...you look good...um...dressed up."
Neptune blushed. "So do you. But...can I ask you something?"
"All right."
She stepped closer; her perfume surrounded me with a light sea spray aroma. "Is this what you normally wear?"
I stared down at the girl. "What?"
"I'm sorry, Uranus. I hope I haven't offended you. It's just that...." She hesitated. "Your dress...it doesn't seem like your style. And I know I can't really say that", she quickly added. "We only met two minutes ago. It's just a feeling I'm getting."
Slowly, I shook my head. "You haven't offended me, Neptune. You're right...I'm not used to dressing up." I turned again and looked back out on the reflection pools. "No one's ever...." My voice trailed.
She came around to my right side. Shoulder to shoulder, we leaned against the stone railing. "They should have. It's blazingly obvious."
My head snapped to the right. "What's blazingly obvious?", I demanded.
"That you're special, Uranus", she replied, quietly.
Unsure of how to respond to that, I glanced up at the sky. Hanging like a clouded orb, the Earth looked down on us. Blue and green....it was magnificent.
She seemed to read my mind. "I've always wanted to see the Earth from the Moon. They say it's the most beautiful planet in the system."
"I don't know", I found myself admitting. "Neptune could contend for the position." Due in no small part to their princess.
Her smile brightened. "You've looked at Neptune?" I nodded. "I've seen Uranus through my father's telescope", she confessed. "It's...."
"It's very dull."
"Well, I wasn't going to say that", she giggled. "Besides, you can't really tell from a telescope. Perhaps someday I can visit and see it close up."
My throat was dry. "That would be...I don't know if that would be a good....", I managed to say.
"I see you two have met." Pluto's voice interrupted from across the balcony. She approached us.
"Yes, Uranus has just graciously invited me to visit her planet someday", Neptune told the older girl, a mischevious glint in her blue eyes.
I had to laugh.
Pluto's smile was genuine. "I had a feeling you two would get along." She held out her hand. "Now, come on. Queen Serenity and the Princess are getting ready to enter."
***************
The rest of the evening....well, I can't remember much about it. I could tell you exactly who Neptune talked to, who she danced with, what she said, how deep she bowed when Queen Serenity finally appeared with the Princess, how many times she touched her hair. But other than that, I draw a blank. I'm sure I must have talked to people, maybe even danced with an ambassador or two. But I couldn't say for sure.
The ball continued on late into the night, but the opportunity to talk to Neptune alone did not come up again, search for one though I did. Everyone wanted to talk to her, to be around her; I couldn't blame them. She was like the legendary Siren...calling to journey-worn sailors with a sweet song that filled their minds and hearts. If I followed, as I wanted to, would I be dashed up onto the rocks?
I was sipping a crystal goblet of wine and contemplating this when I noticed that the ballroom was beginning to thin out. Heady with an evening of spirits and dancing and royalty, the guests had begun to retreat to their transports, or to their rooms if they were lucky enough to have been invited to stay in the Palace. My eyes scanned the courtyard, searching for a familiar face.
"Jupiter!", I called to the lovely brunette girl. She was standing several yards away, partially hidden by a crystal pillar of the staircase, talking to a tall, uniformed man with long, auburn hair. I recognized the symbol of the Court of Earth amung the medals on his breast.
She turned her head and waved me over. Handing my goblet to a passing servant, I picked up the hem of my skirt and joined the couple. "Uranus...I'd like you to meet the most illustrious of the illustrious Generals of Earth, Nephrite." Her words weren't exactly slurred, but they held a happy glow that only alcohol could create. "Nephrite, this is the Princess of Uranus."
The man bowed his head and reached for my hand, kissing the back of it much in the same manner as his Prince had the day before. "Truly, it's my pleasure, Princess."
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. What was it with the men of Earth? I looked at Jupiter. "Has everyone already gone to bed?"
Her eyes never left Nephrite's handsome face. "No...Mars invited everyone back to her room. They're probably all there..."
"All right." The wine must have taken ahold of me; I concealed a grin behind my hand. "Are you two coming?"
Nephrite smiled at me, baring even, white teeth. "Eventually", he replied, with a completely straight face.
My grin fell. I blinked, unbelievingly, before turning and beginning the long hike up the crystal stairs to our wing of the Palace. I thought about going back to make sure Jupiter was all right, but then thought better of it. She was a big girl, a warrior at that. Certainly she could take care of herself.
The guard at the ivory doors had been dismissed...or was simply off enjoying the party I knew the servants must be having in their quarters. The Inner Senshi's feline guardians, who's names I had learned were Luna and Artemis, were also missing. I shook my head, amused. It was promising to be one hell of a night.
The walk to Mars' room was short and I could hear the sounds of the party as I stepped into the hallway. I knocked on her door and it wasn't long before she answered.
"Uranus!", she cried happily. "Come in...please!" She shut the door behind me. "We were just about to send someone to get you."
I looked around the room. Mercury and Venus were standing in the far corner, deep in what was apparently a very amusing conversation with two men in uniforms identical to Nephrite's. More of the "illustrious" Generals of Earth, I presumed. A fourth man in the same uniform sat on the bed, his eyes following Mars' every move. Serenity and Endymion lay on the wine-colored love seat; Serenity's back rested against Endymion's chest and his arms wound round her tiny body, protectively. Pluto kept a close eye on them from the next chair over. She had taken her hair down and was playing with a long, green strand as she talked to the royal couple.
But Neptune was nowhere in sight.
"Quite a party", I commented.
She led me over to the bed. "Uranus....I'd like you to meet the most handsome of the handsome Generals of Earth, Jaedite."
I burst out laughing. Had the girls rehearsed this? "I'm sorry." I stifled myself. "Nice to meet you, General Jaedite."
The man with golden-blond hair smiled at me strangely. "The pleasure is mine, Princess Uranus." Mars sat next to him and discreetly intwined her fingers with his.
"Have you met the generals already, Uranus?", she asked.
"Not all of them", I replied truthfully.
She craned her neck around to see the four people in the far corner. "Well, the tall man with the really white-blond hair...that's Kunzite." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Hands off though...he belongs to Venus."
True enough, as I looked over at the others, I saw the general slip a hand around Venus' tiny waist. I held my own hands up to signal my lack of interest.
"And next to Mercury is Zoisite", she continued. She looked around. "I guess Jupiter is still downstairs with Nephrite...."
I cleared my throat. "Um..yeah...I think I saw them down there." There was a pause. "So...everyone's accounted for....Saturn's asleep?"
Mars nodded. "And Neptune went for a swim in the pool. Said she had to clear her mind or something like that."
My heart leapt into my throat at hearing her name. "Oh?", I replied, striving to sound as uninterested in the Princess of Neptune as I was in the Earth's generals.
"Actually, I think she was hoping for some company", Pluto announced as she came up behind me. I wondered what a person had to do to keep from being snuck up on in this palace? Still, I was grateful for the little tidbit of information. Pluto looked at me with her unique colored eyes.
I stared back at those eyes, expecting to find disapproval or disdain in their scarlet centers, but all I saw was understanding and encouragement. My cheeks were flushed, but I was too elated, or intoxicated, to feign disinterest any longer. Was my desire, as I had decided it must be, for Neptune any more scandalous than what could be going on downstairs between a General of Earth and the Princess of Jupiter? Or what was going on underneath Serenity's silver-white ballgown while Pluto's back was turned?
It wasn't. And my mind was made up before I even realized it. "If you'll all excuse me." I lowered my head.
I could feel Pluto watching me leave in bemused silence. "Goodnight, Uranus", she called out just as I stepped into the hallway.
************
My new-found sense of determination was nearly lost when I remembered, halfway back to my room, that I couldn't swim.
"What am I doing?", I asked myself outloud. My voice bounced off the molded walls. Here I was, preparing to put myself, the non-swimmer that I was, alone in a pool with the most attractive woman in the solar system who, in all likelihood, wanted nothing more than my friendship. "I must be crazy."
I had no plan, no thought beyond seeing her again, talking to her, hearing her voice....watching her. When I told her this story much later, she laughed at me, wondering how I could have been so obtuse as not to have sensed her mutual desire from the very start. At that time though, my mind was in a quandry. Should I go? Should I not? Should I wait for a signal from her or rush ahead on my own?
It was a defining moment for me. Risk had always been my friend in the past, something I craved even more than a lover's touch. Not that the two people I had been with in my life had even come close to inciting in me the feelings I had been overcome with simply by looking at Neptune. But then, what had I expected from the guardian of a distant star just passing through Uranus for a week and the son of a palace courtier? They had been flings, something to break up the monotony of life on my planet. Hasty, lustful, satisifying enough, but both having left something to be desired.
That wasn't what I wanted from the Sea Princess. Of course I was physically attracted to her; what man, or woman for that matter, in their right mind wouldn't have been? She was beautiful. But while her beauty was her siren call, it wasn't what made me want to sail my ship to her rock. Forgive me my metaphors; they are the only way I can even begin to describe what happened to me that night.
What made me want to answer the siren's call was much more than her face or her body. I couldn't explain it at the time, and I find that I can't explain it now, especially when I have so little time left, but she understood me. She, whom I had only known for a matter of...minutes, really, understood me more than anyone in my life ever had. More than my parents, more than my siblings, more than the other Senshi. It was as though she could just look at me and with that one glance, see inside my soul.
At one time, I might have considered the idea of someone having this power to have been intrusive. But not Neptune. More than anything else, I wanted her to know me. I wanted to know her. I wanted her to take away the lonliness.
I wanted her love me.
I don't know how the people of your time and society feel about such matters as this, but in mine, they weren't even an issue. Of course, in the past, long before the current Serenity took the throne, there were repercussions for what were called "indecent, perverse dalliances". But by the time Serenity was coronated, society no longer placed such hateful limitations on love. They may not have liked for a princess to wear pants, but if she chose to give her heart to another princess, it was completely acceptable. Love was love. Is love. We should embrace it any way it comes to us and smile upon it in any way it comes to others. To do otherwise, to hate people for loving, that is the only true perversion. I hope it is the same in your time.
But I stray from my story, and trust me, I have no time to waste. Forgetting for a moment that I could not swim, I left our wing, hoping to track down at least one servant who could point me in the general direction of the pool. I was lucky enough to spot a pair of scullery maids after only a few minutes. In between much giggling, they gave me the directions I needed.
The ballroom was now empty; my heeled shoes clicked loudly against the crystal stairs. Most of the lights had been put out by the servants; only a few remained lit, providing a strange sort of illumination to the immense room. From one dark corner, I heard giggling and whispering.
"Shh...hear someone?...don't want....get caught." I could barely make out the words.
The response, however, I understood clearly. "I don't want you thinking about anyone but me right now." There was a rustling of silk and the unmistakable sound of heavy breathing. "God, you feel good, Jupiter...."
Pressing my lips together to keep from having my own breath heard, I reached down and removed my shoes. Silently, I made my way across the ballroom and into the safety of another hallway.
The night had grown cold and even the torches that lined the walls weren't able to remove the chill away from the long, quiet hallway I was walking down. But as soon as I stepped into the pool area, I was surrounded by warm air.
She was floating on her back in the water. Her hair spread around her head like a halo; her body was clad in a mint green bathing shift. To put it delicately, it left little to the imagination. Neptune's eyes were closed and I found myself wondering what she was thinking of as she enjoyed her element.
As quietly as possible, I set my shoes onto a chaise lounge chair along with my crown and approached the edge of the pool. I stood there for a moment, enjoying merely looking at her. She was exquisite...flawless. I swallowed heavily.
"Are you going to stand there all night or are you going to join me?" Her voice bounced off the walls of the room, but her eyes remained closed.
I blinked and searched for a reply. "I...I don't have any bathing clothes" was what I came up with.
The corners of her lips turned up. "Since when does one need bathing clothes to go for a swim?" When I failed to reply, due to the fact that my tongue was completely knotted, she opened her eyes. "Forgive me, Uranus. I don't always think before I speak."
"Oh no...no", I found myself saying. "It's...quite alright. I just....I can't..."
Neptune righted her body, but bent her knees so that just what was above the tops of her shoulders were above the surface. Water dripped from the ends of her hair. "You can't what? Swim?"
I turned around so I wouldn't have to answer. She had hit upon the truth. Water was a scarce commodity on my planet; what little existed was used for washing, cooking, bathing, drinking....certainly not for recreation.
"I'm sorry, Uranus", she apologized. I turned back to see her giving me a look of sympathy. "I suppose I take it for granted that everyone must know how to just because I was born in the sea." She stood up in the waist deep water and pushed her way over to the side of the pool. "Would you like me to teach you?"
I looked down at her, finding only sincerity in her blue eyes. "You...you really want to teach me to swim?"
"Well, how else am I going to get you into the pool?"
"I don't know..", I hesitated. "I'm not afraid of the water...I just....I don't know..."
Neptune thought for a moment. "All right then. If you won't come in..." Gracefully, she pulled herself out of the pool and stood up in front of me. Her shift clung to every curve of her body. It took all my willpower to keep my eyes at the same level as hers. "I'll have to get out", she finished.
I couldn't help but smile. "You can't possibly want to talk to me that much."
"I could have talked to you from there. But I couldn't be close to you." The water that pooled around her feet touched my bare toes.
"And..." Unconciously, I stepped towards the siren. "You want to be close to me?"
She nodded and took her own step forward. As her chin tilted up, I could feel her warm breath against my mouth. "I want to be close to you", she said, her voice low and private.
"Why?", I whispered. I wet my lips in expectation of things to come.
"Because..." Her cool hands touched my forearms. "I have to be close in order to do this...." My eyes closed. But instead of lips pressed against my own, I suddenly felt the sensation of moving through space...heading straight for the water.
Realizing what was about to happen, my arms lifted from my sides and clasped onto Neptune's. As I felt my feet leave the crystal tiles, I pulled with all my might. If I was going down, I wasn't going alone. Together, we hit the water.
Warm wetness surrounded me. My mouth opened in shock but quickly closed when pool water flooded into it. The yards of material around my legs made it difficult to move, but somehow my feet found the bottom of the pool and I broke the surface.
Neptune was already standing when I opened my eyes. Her arms held her sides as she laughed. "I'm sorry, Uranus", she managed to say. "I couldn't help myself....and you said you weren't afraid of water, so...." She bit her lip. "You're not mad, are you?" I shook my head and coughed. "Good...you're not hurt then, right?"
"Only my pride", I muttered. With one hand, I pushed my wet bangs back and shook out my arms. Water-logged navy blue silk spread out around my body. "I didn't really like this dress anyway."
She swam over to me. "You should take it off. It's only going to get in the way."
I raised one eyebrow. Two could play at this game... "Who says there will be anything going on for it to get in the way of?"
Her face suddenly became serious. "I know I'm not the only one in this pool who feels this way...about us."
We stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Finally, I made the next move. Pushing forward through the water, covering what little distance lay between us, I slid one hand around to the small of her back. Before my brain could catch up, I kissed her.
It wasn't a long kiss, just enough time to memorize the taste of her lips. I pulled away first. Her eyes were closed; her neck craned upwards, hoping for more, but I backed up, out of reach.
"Goodnight Neptune", I said. Gathering my soggy skirts, I pulled myself up out of the pool.
Her eyes flew open. At first, I was afraid I might have taken the game too far. But her face relaxed into a cool grin. "We can at least walk back together, Uranus."
I thought it over before holding out my hand to help her out of the water. "We'll have to be quiet. We wouldn't want to disturb anyone on our way back."
She twisted her hair into a rope, squeezing water from it. "Who could possibly still be up and around at this hour?"
"Oh..." I reached for my crown. "You'd be surprised."
**********
The orchaestra Queen Serenity had sent for from Earth was already playing when I stepped out of my room. I could actually hear it and the sounds of guests arriving and laughing from our wing. Taking a calming breath, I lifted the hem of my gown's skirt awkwardly and made my way to the center of the palace. There seemed to be servants everywhere, dressed in formal clothing...very different from the plain clothes I was used to them wearing. They all nodded at me as I passed, but not a single one stared. I felt a small amount of satisfaction. I blended.
When I reached the balcony that overlooked the courtyard ballroom, I stopped for a moment. The crystal staircase, as well as the balcony handrails, were lined with hundreds of tiny, twinkling lights. Men and women from all over the solar system filled the courtyard, dressed in every color of the spectrum. I felt safe on the balcony, just watching. Detached.
Someone touched my bare shoulder. I spun around and saw Pluto before me. She looked even more lovely than she had for the past two days. Her dress was the same design as mine, except in her color of dark, almost black blood red. Her dark green hair was pulled back from her face, braids of it wound round her crown. Around her neck was a string of onyx and diamonds. I put a hand to the jewels at my own throat, sapphires and diamonds. "Pluto...don't sneak up on me like that!"
"I'm sorry", she apologized. "I saw you standing there and thought perhaps we could walk down together."
Surprise wearing off, I nodded. "Of course. Um...thank you. I really wasn't looking forward to going alone."
"I got that impression. Don't worry, Uranus. I have a feeling tonight will be...very special for you."
With that cryptic thought, Pluto and I made our way around the balcony to the edge of the magnifcent staircase. "Here goes", I muttered, adjusting my own crown. I prayed it would stay in place for the whole dance. I had little hair with which to secure it.
It felt as though all eyes in the ballroom were on us. In reality, probably only a few courtiers noticed us entering, but for those few seconds it took to reach ground level, I felt like the most conspicous person on the Moon.
Before we even reached the final crystal step, the Inner Senshi were upon us. Venus grabbed my hands excitedly. "Oh Uranus!! You look beautiful!!"
I knew it wasn't true, but it was nice to hear anyways. They were the ones who truly looked beautiful. Mercury in bright blue and sapphires, Jupiter in forest green and emeralds, Venus in yellow-orange and topaz and finally, Mars in apple red and rubies. They were like a rainbow. A very loud, jewel-bedecked and crowned, slightly tipsy rainbow.
I forced a smile. "Where is everyone else?"
Jupiter replied, "Serenity and the Queen are going to enter together a little later on. The ambassadors from Cirus have Endymion and the generals cornered talking about their alliance with Earth or some such thing. And Saturn....well...she was here a minute ago."
"I'm right here." The child approached us from behind. I had the brief thought of putting a bell on her, but dismissed it quickly. To my slight surprise, she slipped her hand into mine. "I like your dress", she whispered to me.
"I like yours." And it was the truth. Her regal purple gown wasn't strapless like her fellow senshi, it had short, puffed sleeves instead, but still had a high waist and full skirt. Diamonds and amythest lay around her throat and her tiny crown couldn't have looked better against the ink of her hair.
Mars looked around. "We're just missing one person."
As if on cue, the maestro ended the waltz that had been playing. "Ladies and gentlemen", he addressed the Queen's guests. "Her Majesty, Queen of the Moon Kingdom, Sovreign of the Silver Millenium has asked one of our Kingdom's youngest violinists to play for you tonight. Please...join me in welcoming the lovely and talented Princess of the Outer Planet of Neptune."
The guests broke in a smattering of applause. I must have joined in the movement, but I can honestly say I can't remember conciously bringing my hands together.
The world had stopped. I chuckle even now as my pen writes that sentence, but it was true. Everything came to a crashing halt when I saw her for the first time.
Her dress was just the same as all of ours, but somehow the blue-green color was the loveliest. Her necklace was made of the finest aquamarines and diamonds, but somehow it sparkled just a little bit more than anyone else's. Her crown of diamonds, identical to the one on my own head, sat perfectly in the waves of turquoise colored hair that spilled down to the creamy white skin of her shoulders and back.
Neptune curtsied to the Queen's guests and lifted her violin, settling it between her shoulder and her chin. A second passed and she began to play. I had never heard a more beautiful melody in all my life. And I have never heard a lovelier one since.
I felt Saturn come up to my side; her small body pressed against my leg. But I couldn't tear my eyes off of Neptune.
"She's wonderful, isn't she?", Saturn whispered.
In surprise, I looked down at the small girl. "She...um...plays very well."
Mars approached my other side. "Does she look like the model of a Sea Princess or what? Although I half expected her to have a fish tail."
I looked back at Neptune. Her eyes were closed; her face serene. She was lost in the music. I wanted to be lost with her. "I hope you're not too disappointed that she doesn't", I replied, flatly.
I heard Jupiter laugh over my right shoulder. "She's just jealous."
"Me? Never!" Mars paused. "But I will say this...she gives new meaning to the words 'perfect hair and skin'."
Venus giggled. "Sounds like jealousy to me."
Somehow, I managed to tune them all out. My focus was entirely on Neptune as she continued to play. I don't believe I even blinked.
Sadly, the piece she played had to end. After a huge round of applause from the guests, Neptune curtsied again and handed her violin to a servant. Gathering her skirts, she eased her way into the crowd and began to make her way over to us.
I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to meet her...she was the only person I had seen since I arrived on the Moon who I actually wanted to meet. But...it scared me.
"Excuse me. I'm thirsty." The excuse was flimsy, even to my own ears. The other princesses looked at me strangely. I managed a weak smile before turning and walking away. Behind me, I could hear Venus' voice greeting Neptune.
Pushing through the crowd of diplomats and courtiers, I eventually reached the front entrance of the Palace. There was a great marble balcony overlooking the large reflection pools that lined the path leading to the Palace. Columns ran around the balcony, providing plenty of shadowed spaces one could easily hide in. I stepped into one and leaned against the stone railing. I could feel the coolness of the marble through the flimsy silk of my gown.
I must have stood there looking out on the reflection pools for a long time. I would have stayed out for the rest of the evening if I hadn't felt a slight tap on my shoulder. Whipping my body around, I came face to face with the Princess of Neptune.
"Oh!", she breathed, putting a hand to her chest. "You scared me!"
I struggled to catch my breath, the shortness of which I couldn't entirely attribute to surprise. "*I* scared *you*?"
Neptune laughed, a soft watery sound. "My apologies. Jupiter said she saw you come out here."
"You followed me?"
She blinked deep marine blue eyes. "Is that all right?"
For perhaps the second time in my life, my cheeks turned pink. "Yes...um...it's all right with me." I cleared my throat.
There was a pause. "I'm Neptune", she said, unnecessarily.
I hesitated. "Uranus."
"It's nice to meet you at last."
I nodded my head. "We...um...were afraid you wouldn't make it in time for the...um...the..." I searched for the word.
"The ball?", she supplied, the corners of her shimmery pink lips turned up.
"Yes..the ball."
She threw her head back slightly and laughed again. "A princess missing the opportunity to get dressed up and dance? Not likely."
I paled. "How did you know that I...?"
"How did I know that you what?"
It was my turn to blink. "That I thought that...um...never mind. Never mind." My head was foggy; I couldn't think straight. "Anyways...you look good...um...dressed up."
Neptune blushed. "So do you. But...can I ask you something?"
"All right."
She stepped closer; her perfume surrounded me with a light sea spray aroma. "Is this what you normally wear?"
I stared down at the girl. "What?"
"I'm sorry, Uranus. I hope I haven't offended you. It's just that...." She hesitated. "Your dress...it doesn't seem like your style. And I know I can't really say that", she quickly added. "We only met two minutes ago. It's just a feeling I'm getting."
Slowly, I shook my head. "You haven't offended me, Neptune. You're right...I'm not used to dressing up." I turned again and looked back out on the reflection pools. "No one's ever...." My voice trailed.
She came around to my right side. Shoulder to shoulder, we leaned against the stone railing. "They should have. It's blazingly obvious."
My head snapped to the right. "What's blazingly obvious?", I demanded.
"That you're special, Uranus", she replied, quietly.
Unsure of how to respond to that, I glanced up at the sky. Hanging like a clouded orb, the Earth looked down on us. Blue and green....it was magnificent.
She seemed to read my mind. "I've always wanted to see the Earth from the Moon. They say it's the most beautiful planet in the system."
"I don't know", I found myself admitting. "Neptune could contend for the position." Due in no small part to their princess.
Her smile brightened. "You've looked at Neptune?" I nodded. "I've seen Uranus through my father's telescope", she confessed. "It's...."
"It's very dull."
"Well, I wasn't going to say that", she giggled. "Besides, you can't really tell from a telescope. Perhaps someday I can visit and see it close up."
My throat was dry. "That would be...I don't know if that would be a good....", I managed to say.
"I see you two have met." Pluto's voice interrupted from across the balcony. She approached us.
"Yes, Uranus has just graciously invited me to visit her planet someday", Neptune told the older girl, a mischevious glint in her blue eyes.
I had to laugh.
Pluto's smile was genuine. "I had a feeling you two would get along." She held out her hand. "Now, come on. Queen Serenity and the Princess are getting ready to enter."
***************
The rest of the evening....well, I can't remember much about it. I could tell you exactly who Neptune talked to, who she danced with, what she said, how deep she bowed when Queen Serenity finally appeared with the Princess, how many times she touched her hair. But other than that, I draw a blank. I'm sure I must have talked to people, maybe even danced with an ambassador or two. But I couldn't say for sure.
The ball continued on late into the night, but the opportunity to talk to Neptune alone did not come up again, search for one though I did. Everyone wanted to talk to her, to be around her; I couldn't blame them. She was like the legendary Siren...calling to journey-worn sailors with a sweet song that filled their minds and hearts. If I followed, as I wanted to, would I be dashed up onto the rocks?
I was sipping a crystal goblet of wine and contemplating this when I noticed that the ballroom was beginning to thin out. Heady with an evening of spirits and dancing and royalty, the guests had begun to retreat to their transports, or to their rooms if they were lucky enough to have been invited to stay in the Palace. My eyes scanned the courtyard, searching for a familiar face.
"Jupiter!", I called to the lovely brunette girl. She was standing several yards away, partially hidden by a crystal pillar of the staircase, talking to a tall, uniformed man with long, auburn hair. I recognized the symbol of the Court of Earth amung the medals on his breast.
She turned her head and waved me over. Handing my goblet to a passing servant, I picked up the hem of my skirt and joined the couple. "Uranus...I'd like you to meet the most illustrious of the illustrious Generals of Earth, Nephrite." Her words weren't exactly slurred, but they held a happy glow that only alcohol could create. "Nephrite, this is the Princess of Uranus."
The man bowed his head and reached for my hand, kissing the back of it much in the same manner as his Prince had the day before. "Truly, it's my pleasure, Princess."
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. What was it with the men of Earth? I looked at Jupiter. "Has everyone already gone to bed?"
Her eyes never left Nephrite's handsome face. "No...Mars invited everyone back to her room. They're probably all there..."
"All right." The wine must have taken ahold of me; I concealed a grin behind my hand. "Are you two coming?"
Nephrite smiled at me, baring even, white teeth. "Eventually", he replied, with a completely straight face.
My grin fell. I blinked, unbelievingly, before turning and beginning the long hike up the crystal stairs to our wing of the Palace. I thought about going back to make sure Jupiter was all right, but then thought better of it. She was a big girl, a warrior at that. Certainly she could take care of herself.
The guard at the ivory doors had been dismissed...or was simply off enjoying the party I knew the servants must be having in their quarters. The Inner Senshi's feline guardians, who's names I had learned were Luna and Artemis, were also missing. I shook my head, amused. It was promising to be one hell of a night.
The walk to Mars' room was short and I could hear the sounds of the party as I stepped into the hallway. I knocked on her door and it wasn't long before she answered.
"Uranus!", she cried happily. "Come in...please!" She shut the door behind me. "We were just about to send someone to get you."
I looked around the room. Mercury and Venus were standing in the far corner, deep in what was apparently a very amusing conversation with two men in uniforms identical to Nephrite's. More of the "illustrious" Generals of Earth, I presumed. A fourth man in the same uniform sat on the bed, his eyes following Mars' every move. Serenity and Endymion lay on the wine-colored love seat; Serenity's back rested against Endymion's chest and his arms wound round her tiny body, protectively. Pluto kept a close eye on them from the next chair over. She had taken her hair down and was playing with a long, green strand as she talked to the royal couple.
But Neptune was nowhere in sight.
"Quite a party", I commented.
She led me over to the bed. "Uranus....I'd like you to meet the most handsome of the handsome Generals of Earth, Jaedite."
I burst out laughing. Had the girls rehearsed this? "I'm sorry." I stifled myself. "Nice to meet you, General Jaedite."
The man with golden-blond hair smiled at me strangely. "The pleasure is mine, Princess Uranus." Mars sat next to him and discreetly intwined her fingers with his.
"Have you met the generals already, Uranus?", she asked.
"Not all of them", I replied truthfully.
She craned her neck around to see the four people in the far corner. "Well, the tall man with the really white-blond hair...that's Kunzite." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Hands off though...he belongs to Venus."
True enough, as I looked over at the others, I saw the general slip a hand around Venus' tiny waist. I held my own hands up to signal my lack of interest.
"And next to Mercury is Zoisite", she continued. She looked around. "I guess Jupiter is still downstairs with Nephrite...."
I cleared my throat. "Um..yeah...I think I saw them down there." There was a pause. "So...everyone's accounted for....Saturn's asleep?"
Mars nodded. "And Neptune went for a swim in the pool. Said she had to clear her mind or something like that."
My heart leapt into my throat at hearing her name. "Oh?", I replied, striving to sound as uninterested in the Princess of Neptune as I was in the Earth's generals.
"Actually, I think she was hoping for some company", Pluto announced as she came up behind me. I wondered what a person had to do to keep from being snuck up on in this palace? Still, I was grateful for the little tidbit of information. Pluto looked at me with her unique colored eyes.
I stared back at those eyes, expecting to find disapproval or disdain in their scarlet centers, but all I saw was understanding and encouragement. My cheeks were flushed, but I was too elated, or intoxicated, to feign disinterest any longer. Was my desire, as I had decided it must be, for Neptune any more scandalous than what could be going on downstairs between a General of Earth and the Princess of Jupiter? Or what was going on underneath Serenity's silver-white ballgown while Pluto's back was turned?
It wasn't. And my mind was made up before I even realized it. "If you'll all excuse me." I lowered my head.
I could feel Pluto watching me leave in bemused silence. "Goodnight, Uranus", she called out just as I stepped into the hallway.
************
My new-found sense of determination was nearly lost when I remembered, halfway back to my room, that I couldn't swim.
"What am I doing?", I asked myself outloud. My voice bounced off the molded walls. Here I was, preparing to put myself, the non-swimmer that I was, alone in a pool with the most attractive woman in the solar system who, in all likelihood, wanted nothing more than my friendship. "I must be crazy."
I had no plan, no thought beyond seeing her again, talking to her, hearing her voice....watching her. When I told her this story much later, she laughed at me, wondering how I could have been so obtuse as not to have sensed her mutual desire from the very start. At that time though, my mind was in a quandry. Should I go? Should I not? Should I wait for a signal from her or rush ahead on my own?
It was a defining moment for me. Risk had always been my friend in the past, something I craved even more than a lover's touch. Not that the two people I had been with in my life had even come close to inciting in me the feelings I had been overcome with simply by looking at Neptune. But then, what had I expected from the guardian of a distant star just passing through Uranus for a week and the son of a palace courtier? They had been flings, something to break up the monotony of life on my planet. Hasty, lustful, satisifying enough, but both having left something to be desired.
That wasn't what I wanted from the Sea Princess. Of course I was physically attracted to her; what man, or woman for that matter, in their right mind wouldn't have been? She was beautiful. But while her beauty was her siren call, it wasn't what made me want to sail my ship to her rock. Forgive me my metaphors; they are the only way I can even begin to describe what happened to me that night.
What made me want to answer the siren's call was much more than her face or her body. I couldn't explain it at the time, and I find that I can't explain it now, especially when I have so little time left, but she understood me. She, whom I had only known for a matter of...minutes, really, understood me more than anyone in my life ever had. More than my parents, more than my siblings, more than the other Senshi. It was as though she could just look at me and with that one glance, see inside my soul.
At one time, I might have considered the idea of someone having this power to have been intrusive. But not Neptune. More than anything else, I wanted her to know me. I wanted to know her. I wanted her to take away the lonliness.
I wanted her love me.
I don't know how the people of your time and society feel about such matters as this, but in mine, they weren't even an issue. Of course, in the past, long before the current Serenity took the throne, there were repercussions for what were called "indecent, perverse dalliances". But by the time Serenity was coronated, society no longer placed such hateful limitations on love. They may not have liked for a princess to wear pants, but if she chose to give her heart to another princess, it was completely acceptable. Love was love. Is love. We should embrace it any way it comes to us and smile upon it in any way it comes to others. To do otherwise, to hate people for loving, that is the only true perversion. I hope it is the same in your time.
But I stray from my story, and trust me, I have no time to waste. Forgetting for a moment that I could not swim, I left our wing, hoping to track down at least one servant who could point me in the general direction of the pool. I was lucky enough to spot a pair of scullery maids after only a few minutes. In between much giggling, they gave me the directions I needed.
The ballroom was now empty; my heeled shoes clicked loudly against the crystal stairs. Most of the lights had been put out by the servants; only a few remained lit, providing a strange sort of illumination to the immense room. From one dark corner, I heard giggling and whispering.
"Shh...hear someone?...don't want....get caught." I could barely make out the words.
The response, however, I understood clearly. "I don't want you thinking about anyone but me right now." There was a rustling of silk and the unmistakable sound of heavy breathing. "God, you feel good, Jupiter...."
Pressing my lips together to keep from having my own breath heard, I reached down and removed my shoes. Silently, I made my way across the ballroom and into the safety of another hallway.
The night had grown cold and even the torches that lined the walls weren't able to remove the chill away from the long, quiet hallway I was walking down. But as soon as I stepped into the pool area, I was surrounded by warm air.
She was floating on her back in the water. Her hair spread around her head like a halo; her body was clad in a mint green bathing shift. To put it delicately, it left little to the imagination. Neptune's eyes were closed and I found myself wondering what she was thinking of as she enjoyed her element.
As quietly as possible, I set my shoes onto a chaise lounge chair along with my crown and approached the edge of the pool. I stood there for a moment, enjoying merely looking at her. She was exquisite...flawless. I swallowed heavily.
"Are you going to stand there all night or are you going to join me?" Her voice bounced off the walls of the room, but her eyes remained closed.
I blinked and searched for a reply. "I...I don't have any bathing clothes" was what I came up with.
The corners of her lips turned up. "Since when does one need bathing clothes to go for a swim?" When I failed to reply, due to the fact that my tongue was completely knotted, she opened her eyes. "Forgive me, Uranus. I don't always think before I speak."
"Oh no...no", I found myself saying. "It's...quite alright. I just....I can't..."
Neptune righted her body, but bent her knees so that just what was above the tops of her shoulders were above the surface. Water dripped from the ends of her hair. "You can't what? Swim?"
I turned around so I wouldn't have to answer. She had hit upon the truth. Water was a scarce commodity on my planet; what little existed was used for washing, cooking, bathing, drinking....certainly not for recreation.
"I'm sorry, Uranus", she apologized. I turned back to see her giving me a look of sympathy. "I suppose I take it for granted that everyone must know how to just because I was born in the sea." She stood up in the waist deep water and pushed her way over to the side of the pool. "Would you like me to teach you?"
I looked down at her, finding only sincerity in her blue eyes. "You...you really want to teach me to swim?"
"Well, how else am I going to get you into the pool?"
"I don't know..", I hesitated. "I'm not afraid of the water...I just....I don't know..."
Neptune thought for a moment. "All right then. If you won't come in..." Gracefully, she pulled herself out of the pool and stood up in front of me. Her shift clung to every curve of her body. It took all my willpower to keep my eyes at the same level as hers. "I'll have to get out", she finished.
I couldn't help but smile. "You can't possibly want to talk to me that much."
"I could have talked to you from there. But I couldn't be close to you." The water that pooled around her feet touched my bare toes.
"And..." Unconciously, I stepped towards the siren. "You want to be close to me?"
She nodded and took her own step forward. As her chin tilted up, I could feel her warm breath against my mouth. "I want to be close to you", she said, her voice low and private.
"Why?", I whispered. I wet my lips in expectation of things to come.
"Because..." Her cool hands touched my forearms. "I have to be close in order to do this...." My eyes closed. But instead of lips pressed against my own, I suddenly felt the sensation of moving through space...heading straight for the water.
Realizing what was about to happen, my arms lifted from my sides and clasped onto Neptune's. As I felt my feet leave the crystal tiles, I pulled with all my might. If I was going down, I wasn't going alone. Together, we hit the water.
Warm wetness surrounded me. My mouth opened in shock but quickly closed when pool water flooded into it. The yards of material around my legs made it difficult to move, but somehow my feet found the bottom of the pool and I broke the surface.
Neptune was already standing when I opened my eyes. Her arms held her sides as she laughed. "I'm sorry, Uranus", she managed to say. "I couldn't help myself....and you said you weren't afraid of water, so...." She bit her lip. "You're not mad, are you?" I shook my head and coughed. "Good...you're not hurt then, right?"
"Only my pride", I muttered. With one hand, I pushed my wet bangs back and shook out my arms. Water-logged navy blue silk spread out around my body. "I didn't really like this dress anyway."
She swam over to me. "You should take it off. It's only going to get in the way."
I raised one eyebrow. Two could play at this game... "Who says there will be anything going on for it to get in the way of?"
Her face suddenly became serious. "I know I'm not the only one in this pool who feels this way...about us."
We stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Finally, I made the next move. Pushing forward through the water, covering what little distance lay between us, I slid one hand around to the small of her back. Before my brain could catch up, I kissed her.
It wasn't a long kiss, just enough time to memorize the taste of her lips. I pulled away first. Her eyes were closed; her neck craned upwards, hoping for more, but I backed up, out of reach.
"Goodnight Neptune", I said. Gathering my soggy skirts, I pulled myself up out of the pool.
Her eyes flew open. At first, I was afraid I might have taken the game too far. But her face relaxed into a cool grin. "We can at least walk back together, Uranus."
I thought it over before holding out my hand to help her out of the water. "We'll have to be quiet. We wouldn't want to disturb anyone on our way back."
She twisted her hair into a rope, squeezing water from it. "Who could possibly still be up and around at this hour?"
"Oh..." I reached for my crown. "You'd be surprised."
**********