Disclaimer: I do not own or have any title, interest or right in either
Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. This fanfiction is not being used for
commercial purposes. I own all other rights (to the extent legally
permissible) in connection with this writing.
* * * * *
The opulent looking carriage was an uncomfortable ride for its young occupant. The five horses pulled the carriage over the rugged path leading towards the castle built atop the hill. The carriage and its entourage of twenty armed horsemen had been traveling for the past week from the Kingdom of Aphrodiaea.
The occupant was a slim, young blond woman with warm, blue eyes. She sighed as she gazed upon Castle Mensis, the capital of the Kingdom of Luminaea. Her beautifully long, golden hair was tied neatly by a red ribbon made of silk. She toyed idly with the sleeves of her dress.
Princess Aino Minako realized that she and her father's Kingdom of Aphrodiaea would both be held hostage upon her arrival at the Castle Mensis. The Kingdom of Luminaea regularly required at least one princess from each of the weaker neighboring kingdoms, collectively known as the Alliance Kingdoms, to be resident at the capital. This was a tradition that had been continuing for many generations.
Her residence in the Castle Mensis as a political hostage, along with princesses from the other Alliance Kingdoms, would assure that the Alliance Kingdoms would continue to serve and support the powerful Kingdom of Luminaea.
But her presence also served another purpose. Each royal family in the Alliance Kingdoms carried magic in their blood. Well, at least each of the women in those royal families carried and manifested the magical powers that came with their blood. Pursuant to a five hundred year old treaty, the eldest princess of each Alliance Kingdom would serve as a guardian to the children of the King of Luminaea. The vastly superior military power of the Kingdom of Luminaea enforced this treaty with the threat of the sword. As a result, the loyalty of the princess guardians was secured by the fact that their own kingdom would be crushed by the Kingdom of Luminaea if they failed to protect the children of the King of Luminaea.
Minako had been trained since her early childhood to appreciate the vital duty and heavy burden that was to be placed upon her. In order to assure the survival of her father's kingdom, she would have to protect the bloodline of the King of Luminaea at all costs. She certainly resented her responsibility, but she never once ever contemplated shirking her duty to her father and to her people.
The young princess closed her eyes and prepared for her arrival.
* * * * *
"Here comes another princess!" remarked a handsome young man with a chestnut braid. The youthful expression on his face seemed to be in stark contrast with the full, heavy plate armor that he had donned. Both his armor and the stallion he was sitting on were midnight black.
"I still cannot believe you convinced me to come and watch this nonsense, Maxwell," grumbled his companion with a tightly bound pony-tail. Although both of the young men were only eighteen years of age, the young man with a pony-tail looked much older due to the severe frown that seemed to be etched into his otherwise noble face. He also wore a full set of plate armor, but his armor was a fiery blue green.
"Call me 'Duo'," said the braided youth in a light voice. "Wufei, why can't you call me by my first name? 'Duo' is much easier on the tongue than 'Maxwell'."
"Because you're a baka," Chang Wufei replied simply.
"We need to work on our friendship," Duo told his companion in a mild voice.
The two young men were both mounted on their steeds near the entrance of the central keep of the castle. Duo had managed to pester Wufei into taking a break from their jousting training to come watch the arrival of the newest princess from the Allied Kingdoms.
A luxurious looking carriage had just entered through the courtyard and was slowly easing in front of the doors to the central keep. A score of armed horsemen somberly surrounded the carriage. Once the carriage made a full stop, one of the horsemen dismounted and quickly went to open the doors to the carriage. He respectfully helped out a slender figure out of the carriage.
"She's beautiful!" Duo breathed in awe. He seemed dazzled by the long, blond hair that fell down to her back. He was also mesmerized by her brilliant blue eyes and gorgeous features.
"Hmph," Wufei grunted without much credibility. Although he would not admit it, even to himself, the princess before him was absolutely stunning.
The tall horseman and the princess were greeted by the chamberlain and several other more important members of the court, and were quickly escorted into the halls.
"Let's go back to jousting practice, Maxwell," Wufei said in a weary voice. "I think we've had enough fun for today."
Duo grinned at his companion.
"You can never have too much fun in one day!" Duo stated in a voice that was far too cheerful for Wufei's taste. The glimmer in Duo's eyes only confirmed Wufei's suspicion that the braided baka was already hatching some scheme.
"If you're planning to do anything foolish, do it far away from me," Wufei warned his friend. "Otherwise, that cherished braid of yours might get separated from your head."
"Me? Do anything foolish?" Duo asked, hardly even making an effort to feign innocence.
"C'mon," Wufei grunted and spurred his steed back towards the training grounds.
Duo cast one look back at the central keep, and followed his friend.
* * * * *
Minako was being led down a large hallway with a tall, arching ceiling. The young princess was accompanied by the captain of her father's guards, Saijou Adonis. For some odd reason, she felt as if the young captain was staring at her as they walked together down the stone hallway. But every time she would glance his way, the tall captain would quickly turn away. The chamberlain of Castle Mensis, Umino Gurio, was a short, odd looking man with a rather stiff walk. He was accompanied by two other members of the court who did not reveal their names. Chamberlain Umino was leading the small group purposefully through the labyrinthine halls of the central keep.
Eventually, Minako and the others were brought into a large chamber. At the far end of the chamber was a large desk elevated on marble platform. A studious looking middle aged man was busily writing on an unfurled scroll. Two women were seated on either side. On the man's right, was an attractive woman of comparable age, quietly reading a small book. On the other side, was a slender, blond girl with an innocent face. Her long, blond hair was arranged into two unusual looking buns at the top of either side of her head. She was looking somewhat nervous and perhaps even embarrassed.
Chamberlain Umino and the other two attendants kneeled on the floor.
"Your majesty, the Princess Minako of the Kingdom Aphrodiaea has arrived and is now in your presence," Chamberlain Umino announced in a somewhat strained voice.
Upon hearing his words, Minako quickly knelt down upon the ground. Adonis also fell swiftly to his knees. It took a moment for Minako to fully register the import of Chamberlain Umino's words. Was the studious middle aged man sitting at the desk truly King Tsukino Kenji of the Kingdom of Luminaea? She had been expecting a more imposing, or at least somewhat more commanding, man to be the King of Luminaea. But the man before her hardly seemed majestic by any measure of the imagination.
The man stopped from scribbling on the scroll and looked at Chamberlain Umino.
"I see, Umino," King Tsukino Kenji noted absently. "Let me finish this up. In the meantime, could you summon the other princesses? I believe now that Princess Minako has arrived, we have all the princesses from the Allied Kingdom present."
King Tsukino Kenji returned to working feverishly on the scroll.
Chamberlain Umino picked himself up and hurried out of the chambers, pulling Captain Adonis along with him. Minako could feel the young man's stare as he was lead away.
Minako realized that she was still kneeling on the floor by herself. But she also realized that court etiquette forbade her from standing up or otherwise moving away from the middle of chamber, where she was kneeling. She also realized that she could not utter a word until King Tsukino Kenji had requested for her to speak.
Minako decided to take the time to observe the others in the room. She suspected that the woman with the dark hair was probably Queen Tsukino Ikuko. Then that would mean that...the nervous girl sitting at the other end would be...the Princess Tsukino Usagi?! Minako's eyes studied the young woman who was the only living child of the King and Queen of Luminaea. This was the girl that the Princess Minako was forced to protect at any cost?
Princess Tsukino Usagi was hardly impressive. The young girl was sitting awkwardly and would occasionally slip down in the chair involuntarily. Her figure was scrawny and she seemed to be uncomfortable. Nevertheless, when Princess Minako looked at Princess Tsukino Usagi's eyes...she saw a deep innocence and purity. Minako shook her head to clear herself of those thoughts.
No! Minako thought angrily to herself. These were the people that compelled Minako and her father's kingdom to serve them through force. This girl could not be so innocent! It must be a ploy! Minako felt somewhat better after she convinced herself that Princess Tsukino Usagi was not what she seemed.
Time seemed to pass very slowly, until she heard loud footsteps behind her. She could make it Chamberlain Umino's distinct walk amongst the others.
"Your Majesty," Chamberlain Umino addressed his lord, "I have brought the ladies per your request. Princess Mizuno Ami of the Kingdom of Hermaea..."
Out of the corner of Minako's eyes, she saw a short girl with amazing blue hair step forward and kneel upon the ground.
"...the Princess Hino Rei of the Kingdom Aresaea..."
A raven-haired beauty stepped forward and elegantly kneeled on the ground as well.
"...and the Princess Kino Makoto of the Kingdom Zeuea..."
A tall brunette with intense eyes stepped forward and kneeled between Princess Mizuno Ami and Princess Hino Rei.
"...and Princess Tomoe Hotaru of the Kingdom Kronea!" Chamberlain Umino concluded.
A frail, looking girl with short, midnight black hair carefully kneeled down between Minako and Princess Hino Rei.
After the formal introductions were made, King Tsukino Kenji raised his face and looked at the young women assembled before him.
"Welcome, your highnesses," he spoke in a casual voice. "I hope you will enjoy your stay here at Castle Mensis. I am King Tsukino Kenji. To my right, is my wife, Queen Ikuko. To my left, my daughter Princess Usagi. Chamberlain Umino has already made arrangements for your living quarters and attendants. I am sure all your highnesses are aware of the treaty agreements between our respective kingdoms, and your personal obligations to protect Princess Usagi. But I don't think there will be any real occasion for you to use your powers. This castle is well protected by its knights and soldiers. So I hope you will enjoy your stay. In your honor, we will be holding a banquet tonight. The local lords and ladies have been invited to greet you. Please rest until then. You all may take your leave now."
As Minako stood up to leave, she glanced at Princess Usagi. The young girl seemed embarrassed by her father's reminder that the princesses of the Alliance Kingdoms were to serve and protect her. But Minako quickly dismissed the observation and hurried after Chamberlain Umino and the other princesses.
* * * * *
"Hey, the banquet is tonight!" Duo exclaimed cheerfully, tapping a finger on the shoulders of a young man with unkempt brown hair.
There was no response to Duo's statement.
"Hey, Heero, did you hear me?" Duo asked the other youth.
Yui Heero glanced up from sharpening his blade of his two handed sword. The two young men were the only ones present in the barracks reserved for the royal knights. Heero's winter blue eyes stared at the other young man.
"We are his Majesty's knights, we do not have time to play at a banquet," Heero told him.
"All those of noble blood have been invited. As knights, we are all descendants of nobility. It would be rude if we didn't show up. Besides, we still have to eat!" Duo argued.
"First, no one will notice if we do not attend. Second, we can eat at the mess hall like we do every night," Heero responded coolly. "If you have so much free time, you should spend it working on your swordsmanship. It's getting sloppy."
Duo crossed his arms and glared at him. "Excuse me for not being in love with my sword like Wufei!"
Heero returned to sharpening his weapon.
"Speaking of the sword-loving maniac, where is he?" Duo asked.
"He's out practicing his sword forms on the training grounds. Wufei should be back soon," Heero responded quietly.
"I'll never understand why I bother even hanging around you two guys!" Duo sighed in exasperation. "None of the other knights are as boring as you guys. I wonder why I don't spend more time with the others?"
"I don't think the other knights have forgiven you for taking all their money in that card game the first night you arrived here."
"Oh yeah, right," Duo grinned sheepishly. Heero and Wufei were the only two knights that had refused to participate in that infamous card game. Once Duo had taken all the money on the table, it was clear that the other knights were on less than friendly terms with the braided youth. Duo's association with Heero and Wufei seemed to be more of an accident or an odd twist of fate.
The door to the barracks opened up and Wufei quietly slipped in. The young man still wore a serious expression on his face, but it was always somewhat more relaxed after he had spent time practicing with his sword.
"Come on, guys, let's go to the banquet!" Duo urged his friends. "The other knights are already there! They're probably eating right now!"
"Those banquets are for foolish weaklings," Wufei responded harshly. "We do not need to attend such useless functions. Our sole duty is to protect the kingdom and we should not let frivolous things distract us."
Duo frowned. The young man dropped himself onto his bed. He pulled up his legs and sat cross-legged. It was obvious that the wheels were turning in his head, and the other two young men did their best to ignore the braided youth. After a few moments of deliberation, a small smile crossed Duo's face.
"The new princesses will be there!" he offered in an excited voice.
There was no response from either of his companions.
Hmmm, Duo thought. He would have to use different tactics.
"You know, our instructor, Lord Milliardo, is still wondering exactly what happened to those two practice dummies at the end of the training ground. If he ever found out who destroyed them, I'm sure he'd be really, really pissed..."
Duo looked at his friends from the corner of his eyes. Both of the other young men had stopped whatever they were doing and were glaring at him acidly. Duo decided, either recklessly or foolishly, to ignore those stares.
"...and I'm sure he'd punish those two guilty individuals with chores and other menial duties. That would prevent those two poor souls from spending time improving their skills with the swords or other weapons!" Duo finished smugly.
"Kuso! That's blackmail, Maxwell!" Wufei hissed angrily.
Heero continued to glare at Duo. After a few moments, he wearily realized that Duo was not going to give up. Heero had to grudgingly admit that sometimes Duo could be more stubborn than either Wufei or himself.
Heero stood up and looked at Wufei.
"Come on, let us don more suitable attire and go to the banquet," he told Wufei.
Duo whooped happily and slapped his friends on their backs.
* * * * *
The enormous banquet hall was filled with activity. Nobles and ladies were chatting amiably while servants hurriedly rushed from table to table. Several entertainers were wandering around to amuse the guests. The smell of roasted meat and game birds was mixed with the taste of freshly baked bread. The massive table at one end of the hall was heavily laden with all manner of meats, vegetables, bread and drink. King Tsukino Kenji, his family and a few close members of the court were sitting at the massive table.
Minako was sitting bored at a nearby table with the other princesses. Sitting to Minako's left was Princess Kino Makoto. The tall, lean princess was dressed in a flattering forest green dress that flowed quite elegantly when she moved. On the other side of Princess Kino Makoto was the beautiful, raven haired Princess Hino Rei. The dark haired princess was wearing a long, simple scarlet dress that hugged her body. Most of the nearby men seemed to be ogling this lovely princess. On Minako's right, Princess Mizuno Ami was wearing a very conservative turquoise evening gown and was chatting quietly with Princess Tomoe Hotaru. The small, frail looking Princess Tomoe Hotaru was dressed in a severe-looking gown of dark purple. Minako glanced at her own gold colored dress and noticed that she had dropped some food on it.
"Just my luck," she muttered. She dabbed her somewhat used napkin in a cup of water, and tried to at least make the food stain less noticeable.
Princess Kino Makoto paused from her conversation with Princess Hino Rei. The brunette looked over at Minako and smiled warmly.
"Here," Princess Kino Makoto said quietly, discreetly offering Minako a pale green handkerchief.
Minako was momentarily shocked. But she quickly took the handkerchief.
"Thank you," Minako said gratefully. She put away the used napkin and began dabbing at the stain with the proffered green handkerchief. Amazingly, the handkerchief seemed to absorb most of the food stain until it was almost no longer visible. Minako's eyes widened in amazement.
Princess Kino Makoto grinned. "My specially treated cloth. That happens to me all the time too, Princess Aino Minako!"
Minako laughed lightly. "Thank you. Please, call me Minako."
"And call me Makoto," the other princess responded warmly. "Have you had a chance to talk with Princess Hino Rei?"
Minako flashed a smile at the raven haired princess.
Princess Hino Rei studied Minako for a moment. But a slow, genuine smile slowly came to her face.
After another hour had passed, all of the princesses had dispensed with formalities and were addressing each other on a first name basis. It was getting later in the evening and tables were getting cleared. A large open space in the middle of the banquet hall was also being cleared, signaling that the time for dancing and merriment had come.
Minako did not feel as if she had any merriment or dance left in her. She was quite tired from her travels and the food she had eaten was making her slightly drowsy. She simply wanted to crawl into her bed to sleep. Unfortunately, protocol required her to stay for a bit longer and perhaps even participate in a dance or two.
Makoto, however, seemed somewhat enthused about the prospect of dancing. In fact, she was the only princess at the table who seemed excited about it. Although the casual observer would not have noticed, she was carefully scanning the room for attractive young men she could 'accidentally' make eye contact with. Rei was deliberately making an effort not to make any eye contact with any of them men gazing at her. Ami and Hotaru were meekly looking down and continuing their conversation. Minako had resigned herself to toying with the sleeves of her dress. It was a habit she had recently picked up.
"Minako!" Makoto whispered quietly. "Some handsome young man is staring at you!"
Minako glanced at Makoto, who was discreetly gesturing in a certain direction.
Very casually, Minako glanced over her to her right at the direction that Makoto had pointed out. A tall, attractive young man dressed in black was smiling at her. He had bright lavender eyes and a long, chestnut colored braid. He was standing with two other young men, who were looking decidedly unhappy about their presence at the banquet.
Then Minako realized that she had made incidental eye contact with the braided young man. Apparently, that was all the motivation he needed. The young man walked lightly over to the table and stood before Minako.
"Good evening," he greeted her in a warm, resonant voice. He flourished her with a bow. As he came up from his bow, he swept her hand up and brushed it lightly with his lips. "I am Sir Duo, a knight in the service of his royal majesty. May I have this dance, my lovely angel?"
If the young man had not been so handsome, Minako would have either choked or burst out laughing at his introduction. Instead, she was staring at him in shock. After Minako failed to respond to the young man's request, Makoto gave the blond woman a quick shove.
Minako stumbled out of the chair and was pulled up by the young knight. He stared at her with a slight hint of mischief. "Shall we dance?"
Before she could answer, he pulled her to the dance floor.
Makoto smiled happily as her new-found friend was dancing with one of the more attractive young men present at the banquet. But after a moment, she turned to study the braided youth's companions.
One of the young men, with unkempt brown hair, was casually leaning his side against the wall. He was dressed in a dark green tunic and long, black trousers. His piercing blue eyes were alert and scanning the room.
The other young man wore his black hair in a tight pony-tail. He was leaning with his back fully against the wall. The young man wore a serious expression and had closed eyes. It seemed as if he was meditating or contemplating some matter that had no relation to the banquet.
Strange fellows, Makoto thought absently. Her gaze returned to the dance floor.
On the dance floor, Minako was surprised that the young knight was an incredibly good dancer. He was guiding her easily through the mass of bodies crowding the dance area. His movements were crisp, clean and easy to follow. His lead was confident, yet extremely comfortable. But Minako was still too tired and too much in shock to formulate any firm opinion about the young man dancing with her.
"I presume that you must be one of the princesses sent here to protect our little Princess Usagi," Duo stated in a casual voice. He looked intently into her eyes for some reaction.
Minako turned her head slightly so he could not gaze too deeply into her eyes.
"Yes, I am Princess Aino Minako," she replied in a prim voice. "I come from the Kingdom of Aphrodiaea."
Duo spun her around lightly and then brought her in close.
"You are quite beautiful, Minako-chan," he told her in a low voice.
Minako was shocked. The young knight had casually disregarded all etiquette and was using her first name without permission. Minako was not entirely sure how she was supposed to respond to this flagrant disregard of protocol.
After a moment, she recovered. She stared at him coolly. "You should know your place, Sir Duo!"
Duo spun her around again, and this time brought her in even closer. His left arm pressed her slim figure against his own. She had never been this close to a man before and was becoming slightly alarmed.
"Of course," he told her with a disingenuous smile on his face. He murmured, "Please forgive me."
With that, he gave her one last twirl and vanished among the sea of arms and bodies.
* * * * *
[Please review to let me know if there is an audience for this story. Thank you.]
* * * * *
The opulent looking carriage was an uncomfortable ride for its young occupant. The five horses pulled the carriage over the rugged path leading towards the castle built atop the hill. The carriage and its entourage of twenty armed horsemen had been traveling for the past week from the Kingdom of Aphrodiaea.
The occupant was a slim, young blond woman with warm, blue eyes. She sighed as she gazed upon Castle Mensis, the capital of the Kingdom of Luminaea. Her beautifully long, golden hair was tied neatly by a red ribbon made of silk. She toyed idly with the sleeves of her dress.
Princess Aino Minako realized that she and her father's Kingdom of Aphrodiaea would both be held hostage upon her arrival at the Castle Mensis. The Kingdom of Luminaea regularly required at least one princess from each of the weaker neighboring kingdoms, collectively known as the Alliance Kingdoms, to be resident at the capital. This was a tradition that had been continuing for many generations.
Her residence in the Castle Mensis as a political hostage, along with princesses from the other Alliance Kingdoms, would assure that the Alliance Kingdoms would continue to serve and support the powerful Kingdom of Luminaea.
But her presence also served another purpose. Each royal family in the Alliance Kingdoms carried magic in their blood. Well, at least each of the women in those royal families carried and manifested the magical powers that came with their blood. Pursuant to a five hundred year old treaty, the eldest princess of each Alliance Kingdom would serve as a guardian to the children of the King of Luminaea. The vastly superior military power of the Kingdom of Luminaea enforced this treaty with the threat of the sword. As a result, the loyalty of the princess guardians was secured by the fact that their own kingdom would be crushed by the Kingdom of Luminaea if they failed to protect the children of the King of Luminaea.
Minako had been trained since her early childhood to appreciate the vital duty and heavy burden that was to be placed upon her. In order to assure the survival of her father's kingdom, she would have to protect the bloodline of the King of Luminaea at all costs. She certainly resented her responsibility, but she never once ever contemplated shirking her duty to her father and to her people.
The young princess closed her eyes and prepared for her arrival.
* * * * *
"Here comes another princess!" remarked a handsome young man with a chestnut braid. The youthful expression on his face seemed to be in stark contrast with the full, heavy plate armor that he had donned. Both his armor and the stallion he was sitting on were midnight black.
"I still cannot believe you convinced me to come and watch this nonsense, Maxwell," grumbled his companion with a tightly bound pony-tail. Although both of the young men were only eighteen years of age, the young man with a pony-tail looked much older due to the severe frown that seemed to be etched into his otherwise noble face. He also wore a full set of plate armor, but his armor was a fiery blue green.
"Call me 'Duo'," said the braided youth in a light voice. "Wufei, why can't you call me by my first name? 'Duo' is much easier on the tongue than 'Maxwell'."
"Because you're a baka," Chang Wufei replied simply.
"We need to work on our friendship," Duo told his companion in a mild voice.
The two young men were both mounted on their steeds near the entrance of the central keep of the castle. Duo had managed to pester Wufei into taking a break from their jousting training to come watch the arrival of the newest princess from the Allied Kingdoms.
A luxurious looking carriage had just entered through the courtyard and was slowly easing in front of the doors to the central keep. A score of armed horsemen somberly surrounded the carriage. Once the carriage made a full stop, one of the horsemen dismounted and quickly went to open the doors to the carriage. He respectfully helped out a slender figure out of the carriage.
"She's beautiful!" Duo breathed in awe. He seemed dazzled by the long, blond hair that fell down to her back. He was also mesmerized by her brilliant blue eyes and gorgeous features.
"Hmph," Wufei grunted without much credibility. Although he would not admit it, even to himself, the princess before him was absolutely stunning.
The tall horseman and the princess were greeted by the chamberlain and several other more important members of the court, and were quickly escorted into the halls.
"Let's go back to jousting practice, Maxwell," Wufei said in a weary voice. "I think we've had enough fun for today."
Duo grinned at his companion.
"You can never have too much fun in one day!" Duo stated in a voice that was far too cheerful for Wufei's taste. The glimmer in Duo's eyes only confirmed Wufei's suspicion that the braided baka was already hatching some scheme.
"If you're planning to do anything foolish, do it far away from me," Wufei warned his friend. "Otherwise, that cherished braid of yours might get separated from your head."
"Me? Do anything foolish?" Duo asked, hardly even making an effort to feign innocence.
"C'mon," Wufei grunted and spurred his steed back towards the training grounds.
Duo cast one look back at the central keep, and followed his friend.
* * * * *
Minako was being led down a large hallway with a tall, arching ceiling. The young princess was accompanied by the captain of her father's guards, Saijou Adonis. For some odd reason, she felt as if the young captain was staring at her as they walked together down the stone hallway. But every time she would glance his way, the tall captain would quickly turn away. The chamberlain of Castle Mensis, Umino Gurio, was a short, odd looking man with a rather stiff walk. He was accompanied by two other members of the court who did not reveal their names. Chamberlain Umino was leading the small group purposefully through the labyrinthine halls of the central keep.
Eventually, Minako and the others were brought into a large chamber. At the far end of the chamber was a large desk elevated on marble platform. A studious looking middle aged man was busily writing on an unfurled scroll. Two women were seated on either side. On the man's right, was an attractive woman of comparable age, quietly reading a small book. On the other side, was a slender, blond girl with an innocent face. Her long, blond hair was arranged into two unusual looking buns at the top of either side of her head. She was looking somewhat nervous and perhaps even embarrassed.
Chamberlain Umino and the other two attendants kneeled on the floor.
"Your majesty, the Princess Minako of the Kingdom Aphrodiaea has arrived and is now in your presence," Chamberlain Umino announced in a somewhat strained voice.
Upon hearing his words, Minako quickly knelt down upon the ground. Adonis also fell swiftly to his knees. It took a moment for Minako to fully register the import of Chamberlain Umino's words. Was the studious middle aged man sitting at the desk truly King Tsukino Kenji of the Kingdom of Luminaea? She had been expecting a more imposing, or at least somewhat more commanding, man to be the King of Luminaea. But the man before her hardly seemed majestic by any measure of the imagination.
The man stopped from scribbling on the scroll and looked at Chamberlain Umino.
"I see, Umino," King Tsukino Kenji noted absently. "Let me finish this up. In the meantime, could you summon the other princesses? I believe now that Princess Minako has arrived, we have all the princesses from the Allied Kingdom present."
King Tsukino Kenji returned to working feverishly on the scroll.
Chamberlain Umino picked himself up and hurried out of the chambers, pulling Captain Adonis along with him. Minako could feel the young man's stare as he was lead away.
Minako realized that she was still kneeling on the floor by herself. But she also realized that court etiquette forbade her from standing up or otherwise moving away from the middle of chamber, where she was kneeling. She also realized that she could not utter a word until King Tsukino Kenji had requested for her to speak.
Minako decided to take the time to observe the others in the room. She suspected that the woman with the dark hair was probably Queen Tsukino Ikuko. Then that would mean that...the nervous girl sitting at the other end would be...the Princess Tsukino Usagi?! Minako's eyes studied the young woman who was the only living child of the King and Queen of Luminaea. This was the girl that the Princess Minako was forced to protect at any cost?
Princess Tsukino Usagi was hardly impressive. The young girl was sitting awkwardly and would occasionally slip down in the chair involuntarily. Her figure was scrawny and she seemed to be uncomfortable. Nevertheless, when Princess Minako looked at Princess Tsukino Usagi's eyes...she saw a deep innocence and purity. Minako shook her head to clear herself of those thoughts.
No! Minako thought angrily to herself. These were the people that compelled Minako and her father's kingdom to serve them through force. This girl could not be so innocent! It must be a ploy! Minako felt somewhat better after she convinced herself that Princess Tsukino Usagi was not what she seemed.
Time seemed to pass very slowly, until she heard loud footsteps behind her. She could make it Chamberlain Umino's distinct walk amongst the others.
"Your Majesty," Chamberlain Umino addressed his lord, "I have brought the ladies per your request. Princess Mizuno Ami of the Kingdom of Hermaea..."
Out of the corner of Minako's eyes, she saw a short girl with amazing blue hair step forward and kneel upon the ground.
"...the Princess Hino Rei of the Kingdom Aresaea..."
A raven-haired beauty stepped forward and elegantly kneeled on the ground as well.
"...and the Princess Kino Makoto of the Kingdom Zeuea..."
A tall brunette with intense eyes stepped forward and kneeled between Princess Mizuno Ami and Princess Hino Rei.
"...and Princess Tomoe Hotaru of the Kingdom Kronea!" Chamberlain Umino concluded.
A frail, looking girl with short, midnight black hair carefully kneeled down between Minako and Princess Hino Rei.
After the formal introductions were made, King Tsukino Kenji raised his face and looked at the young women assembled before him.
"Welcome, your highnesses," he spoke in a casual voice. "I hope you will enjoy your stay here at Castle Mensis. I am King Tsukino Kenji. To my right, is my wife, Queen Ikuko. To my left, my daughter Princess Usagi. Chamberlain Umino has already made arrangements for your living quarters and attendants. I am sure all your highnesses are aware of the treaty agreements between our respective kingdoms, and your personal obligations to protect Princess Usagi. But I don't think there will be any real occasion for you to use your powers. This castle is well protected by its knights and soldiers. So I hope you will enjoy your stay. In your honor, we will be holding a banquet tonight. The local lords and ladies have been invited to greet you. Please rest until then. You all may take your leave now."
As Minako stood up to leave, she glanced at Princess Usagi. The young girl seemed embarrassed by her father's reminder that the princesses of the Alliance Kingdoms were to serve and protect her. But Minako quickly dismissed the observation and hurried after Chamberlain Umino and the other princesses.
* * * * *
"Hey, the banquet is tonight!" Duo exclaimed cheerfully, tapping a finger on the shoulders of a young man with unkempt brown hair.
There was no response to Duo's statement.
"Hey, Heero, did you hear me?" Duo asked the other youth.
Yui Heero glanced up from sharpening his blade of his two handed sword. The two young men were the only ones present in the barracks reserved for the royal knights. Heero's winter blue eyes stared at the other young man.
"We are his Majesty's knights, we do not have time to play at a banquet," Heero told him.
"All those of noble blood have been invited. As knights, we are all descendants of nobility. It would be rude if we didn't show up. Besides, we still have to eat!" Duo argued.
"First, no one will notice if we do not attend. Second, we can eat at the mess hall like we do every night," Heero responded coolly. "If you have so much free time, you should spend it working on your swordsmanship. It's getting sloppy."
Duo crossed his arms and glared at him. "Excuse me for not being in love with my sword like Wufei!"
Heero returned to sharpening his weapon.
"Speaking of the sword-loving maniac, where is he?" Duo asked.
"He's out practicing his sword forms on the training grounds. Wufei should be back soon," Heero responded quietly.
"I'll never understand why I bother even hanging around you two guys!" Duo sighed in exasperation. "None of the other knights are as boring as you guys. I wonder why I don't spend more time with the others?"
"I don't think the other knights have forgiven you for taking all their money in that card game the first night you arrived here."
"Oh yeah, right," Duo grinned sheepishly. Heero and Wufei were the only two knights that had refused to participate in that infamous card game. Once Duo had taken all the money on the table, it was clear that the other knights were on less than friendly terms with the braided youth. Duo's association with Heero and Wufei seemed to be more of an accident or an odd twist of fate.
The door to the barracks opened up and Wufei quietly slipped in. The young man still wore a serious expression on his face, but it was always somewhat more relaxed after he had spent time practicing with his sword.
"Come on, guys, let's go to the banquet!" Duo urged his friends. "The other knights are already there! They're probably eating right now!"
"Those banquets are for foolish weaklings," Wufei responded harshly. "We do not need to attend such useless functions. Our sole duty is to protect the kingdom and we should not let frivolous things distract us."
Duo frowned. The young man dropped himself onto his bed. He pulled up his legs and sat cross-legged. It was obvious that the wheels were turning in his head, and the other two young men did their best to ignore the braided youth. After a few moments of deliberation, a small smile crossed Duo's face.
"The new princesses will be there!" he offered in an excited voice.
There was no response from either of his companions.
Hmmm, Duo thought. He would have to use different tactics.
"You know, our instructor, Lord Milliardo, is still wondering exactly what happened to those two practice dummies at the end of the training ground. If he ever found out who destroyed them, I'm sure he'd be really, really pissed..."
Duo looked at his friends from the corner of his eyes. Both of the other young men had stopped whatever they were doing and were glaring at him acidly. Duo decided, either recklessly or foolishly, to ignore those stares.
"...and I'm sure he'd punish those two guilty individuals with chores and other menial duties. That would prevent those two poor souls from spending time improving their skills with the swords or other weapons!" Duo finished smugly.
"Kuso! That's blackmail, Maxwell!" Wufei hissed angrily.
Heero continued to glare at Duo. After a few moments, he wearily realized that Duo was not going to give up. Heero had to grudgingly admit that sometimes Duo could be more stubborn than either Wufei or himself.
Heero stood up and looked at Wufei.
"Come on, let us don more suitable attire and go to the banquet," he told Wufei.
Duo whooped happily and slapped his friends on their backs.
* * * * *
The enormous banquet hall was filled with activity. Nobles and ladies were chatting amiably while servants hurriedly rushed from table to table. Several entertainers were wandering around to amuse the guests. The smell of roasted meat and game birds was mixed with the taste of freshly baked bread. The massive table at one end of the hall was heavily laden with all manner of meats, vegetables, bread and drink. King Tsukino Kenji, his family and a few close members of the court were sitting at the massive table.
Minako was sitting bored at a nearby table with the other princesses. Sitting to Minako's left was Princess Kino Makoto. The tall, lean princess was dressed in a flattering forest green dress that flowed quite elegantly when she moved. On the other side of Princess Kino Makoto was the beautiful, raven haired Princess Hino Rei. The dark haired princess was wearing a long, simple scarlet dress that hugged her body. Most of the nearby men seemed to be ogling this lovely princess. On Minako's right, Princess Mizuno Ami was wearing a very conservative turquoise evening gown and was chatting quietly with Princess Tomoe Hotaru. The small, frail looking Princess Tomoe Hotaru was dressed in a severe-looking gown of dark purple. Minako glanced at her own gold colored dress and noticed that she had dropped some food on it.
"Just my luck," she muttered. She dabbed her somewhat used napkin in a cup of water, and tried to at least make the food stain less noticeable.
Princess Kino Makoto paused from her conversation with Princess Hino Rei. The brunette looked over at Minako and smiled warmly.
"Here," Princess Kino Makoto said quietly, discreetly offering Minako a pale green handkerchief.
Minako was momentarily shocked. But she quickly took the handkerchief.
"Thank you," Minako said gratefully. She put away the used napkin and began dabbing at the stain with the proffered green handkerchief. Amazingly, the handkerchief seemed to absorb most of the food stain until it was almost no longer visible. Minako's eyes widened in amazement.
Princess Kino Makoto grinned. "My specially treated cloth. That happens to me all the time too, Princess Aino Minako!"
Minako laughed lightly. "Thank you. Please, call me Minako."
"And call me Makoto," the other princess responded warmly. "Have you had a chance to talk with Princess Hino Rei?"
Minako flashed a smile at the raven haired princess.
Princess Hino Rei studied Minako for a moment. But a slow, genuine smile slowly came to her face.
After another hour had passed, all of the princesses had dispensed with formalities and were addressing each other on a first name basis. It was getting later in the evening and tables were getting cleared. A large open space in the middle of the banquet hall was also being cleared, signaling that the time for dancing and merriment had come.
Minako did not feel as if she had any merriment or dance left in her. She was quite tired from her travels and the food she had eaten was making her slightly drowsy. She simply wanted to crawl into her bed to sleep. Unfortunately, protocol required her to stay for a bit longer and perhaps even participate in a dance or two.
Makoto, however, seemed somewhat enthused about the prospect of dancing. In fact, she was the only princess at the table who seemed excited about it. Although the casual observer would not have noticed, she was carefully scanning the room for attractive young men she could 'accidentally' make eye contact with. Rei was deliberately making an effort not to make any eye contact with any of them men gazing at her. Ami and Hotaru were meekly looking down and continuing their conversation. Minako had resigned herself to toying with the sleeves of her dress. It was a habit she had recently picked up.
"Minako!" Makoto whispered quietly. "Some handsome young man is staring at you!"
Minako glanced at Makoto, who was discreetly gesturing in a certain direction.
Very casually, Minako glanced over her to her right at the direction that Makoto had pointed out. A tall, attractive young man dressed in black was smiling at her. He had bright lavender eyes and a long, chestnut colored braid. He was standing with two other young men, who were looking decidedly unhappy about their presence at the banquet.
Then Minako realized that she had made incidental eye contact with the braided young man. Apparently, that was all the motivation he needed. The young man walked lightly over to the table and stood before Minako.
"Good evening," he greeted her in a warm, resonant voice. He flourished her with a bow. As he came up from his bow, he swept her hand up and brushed it lightly with his lips. "I am Sir Duo, a knight in the service of his royal majesty. May I have this dance, my lovely angel?"
If the young man had not been so handsome, Minako would have either choked or burst out laughing at his introduction. Instead, she was staring at him in shock. After Minako failed to respond to the young man's request, Makoto gave the blond woman a quick shove.
Minako stumbled out of the chair and was pulled up by the young knight. He stared at her with a slight hint of mischief. "Shall we dance?"
Before she could answer, he pulled her to the dance floor.
Makoto smiled happily as her new-found friend was dancing with one of the more attractive young men present at the banquet. But after a moment, she turned to study the braided youth's companions.
One of the young men, with unkempt brown hair, was casually leaning his side against the wall. He was dressed in a dark green tunic and long, black trousers. His piercing blue eyes were alert and scanning the room.
The other young man wore his black hair in a tight pony-tail. He was leaning with his back fully against the wall. The young man wore a serious expression and had closed eyes. It seemed as if he was meditating or contemplating some matter that had no relation to the banquet.
Strange fellows, Makoto thought absently. Her gaze returned to the dance floor.
On the dance floor, Minako was surprised that the young knight was an incredibly good dancer. He was guiding her easily through the mass of bodies crowding the dance area. His movements were crisp, clean and easy to follow. His lead was confident, yet extremely comfortable. But Minako was still too tired and too much in shock to formulate any firm opinion about the young man dancing with her.
"I presume that you must be one of the princesses sent here to protect our little Princess Usagi," Duo stated in a casual voice. He looked intently into her eyes for some reaction.
Minako turned her head slightly so he could not gaze too deeply into her eyes.
"Yes, I am Princess Aino Minako," she replied in a prim voice. "I come from the Kingdom of Aphrodiaea."
Duo spun her around lightly and then brought her in close.
"You are quite beautiful, Minako-chan," he told her in a low voice.
Minako was shocked. The young knight had casually disregarded all etiquette and was using her first name without permission. Minako was not entirely sure how she was supposed to respond to this flagrant disregard of protocol.
After a moment, she recovered. She stared at him coolly. "You should know your place, Sir Duo!"
Duo spun her around again, and this time brought her in even closer. His left arm pressed her slim figure against his own. She had never been this close to a man before and was becoming slightly alarmed.
"Of course," he told her with a disingenuous smile on his face. He murmured, "Please forgive me."
With that, he gave her one last twirl and vanished among the sea of arms and bodies.
* * * * *
[Please review to let me know if there is an audience for this story. Thank you.]