Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.
Thank you to those who reviewed, ocianne and angel. They are much appreciated, I feel happy that people are reading it!
Ocianne- what is canon Silver Millennium ending form?
Chapter Twelve
'Welcome ladies and gentleman and thank you for gathering. We are here to honor and present the Princess Serena of the Moon Kingdom and her Royal Court.' Declared Queen Gaia to much applause.
The Ball was in full swing. The main hall was decorated beautifully, the food was simply divine and the music was so catchy that the dance floor never lacked willing participants.
The princesses were no exception. They had rejoiced at the Princes return and had whipped them off to the dance floor. They were all having a smashing time. The only downfall was there was no privacy whatsoever, they could not talk and thus could not ask questions that were weighing rather heavily on some of the Princesses' minds.
Serena and Endymion were waltzing together for the umpteenth time when a maid interrupted them.
'Beg pardon milord but Lord Andrew and Lord Seiya are waiting for you in the garden by the fountain.'
Andrew and Seiya had grown up with the Prince and Generals; they had been pages when the Princes had been squires. The seven were the best of mates, they went everywhere together. Two years ago Andrew and Seiya had been sent to train as Commanders of Outposts as they were not Princes but sons of minor Lords. Since it had been awhile, the Prince immediately went to find the Generals and they went to see the two young men.
The Princesses took a break from dancing when their dance partners disappeared. They gathered on a balcony overlooking a forest of trees.
'So what do you know of Andrew and Seiya?' asked Lita of Ami curious.
'I have asked around and apparently they were childhood friends.' Informed Ami. 'Apparently they idolized the Prince and the Generals for their ...womanizing ways.'
Mina nodded distractedly. She still hadn't had a chance to ask Malachite about yesterday but he was attentive tonight. He had even smiled upon meeting her.
Raye searched the gardens below. She needed to ask Jadeite what he meant, what he was going to say. She turned to face the girls and opened her mouth to speak....
'Want to go find the boys?' 'Shall we search for the Generals' Serena and Raye looked at each other and burst into giggles.
Ami agreed instantly. Zoicite still hadn't said anything about the bookmark and she was curious as to whether or not he had found it yet.
Lita fidgeted. She had felt like a coward when she had realized that all the other girls cept Rena had admitted their love one way or another and she still had not told Nephrite anything.
she thought.
Serena was very eager to go. Endy was going to show her the silver roses tonight and she did not want him to forget. She was planning to tell him there. she thought dreamily. She giggled nervously and led the girls down into the gardens after receiving directions from a maid and permission from the Queen to leave.
@~@~@~@~@
The men had been chatting nonstop for a while now, almost like a bunch of girls, it had been two years since they had last met face to face. Andrew was tall and quite cute, he had a sunny disposition quite like Mina and a look about him that suggests that he absolutely doesn't know how good- looking he was. He was entertaining them with tales of the women he met in the middle of a snowstorm, which had the Generals in fits of laughter. Even Malachite was chuckling.
Seiya on the other hand was a bit more calm and collected than his colleague. However he was also quite handsome and you could tell that he took pride in his appearance. (a/n I have never watched the anime or read all the manga so I actually don't know who Seiya is except in other fanfics. I apologize if I portray him totally wrong.)
'Enough of us,' interrupted Seiya, 'what about you lot? Don't think I didn't notice the fine ladies you were dancing with.'
'We are not deaf either, the whole place is abuzz with gossip on you lot.' Added Andrew.
'What else is new?' said Nephrite arrogantly as he flicked his hair grinning.
'You know,' drawled Seiya stroking his chin as if he had a beard and looking quite wise, 'if I am not mistaken I would say all of you are utterly and hopelessly smitten. What do you think?' he asked leaning towards Andrew.
'I would say that you are absolutely correct and that I am appalled and shocked and also intrigued at what sort of females could have all of them so besotted.'
'I'm disappointed in you,' reprimanded Seiya, shaking his head at Jadeite to which Jadeite grinned foolishly, 'who has tamed the great womanizer that had all the girls in tears last time I saw?'
'Who had melted your heart of stone? Tell me! And how?' asked Andrew poking Malachite repeatedly.
'You know,' Seiya whispered loudly to Andrew conspiratorially, 'Maybe they are witches and have cast some sort of spell on them. The men I knew and admired could not have been reduced to infatuated boys so easily.'
Darien bristled. 'Infatuated boy? I think not!' he huffed.
'That's right! They are smitten with us!'
'Head over heels in fact!'
'She wants me and she was so persistent that I didn't have the heart to deny her.'
'We do after all have a reputation to uphold.'
Andrew nodded sarcastically at Seiya. 'Denial' he whispered loudly.
Darien found his pride stung. These two men had after all followed him and had in their way idolized him for his flirtatious ways. They had as a group had so much fun bragging and boasting about the women they had been with and things they had done and part of the fun was that these two were so gullible. Now however they did not believe him and he was itching to feel superior once more. He could tell that his Generals were also annoyed at these two insolent brats.
'In actual fact, it was one of our bets.' Said Zoicite nonchalantly examining his nails.
The five Princes 'bets' were infamous back then. They had made up these bets to liven up the game. They five would bet on almost everything. The first to get a girl to cook him breakfast herself, to get a girl to sing in public, pose for nude portraits, wear outrageous fake hair, dress like a clown, burp, and other ridiculous things. And that was not all, sometimes all five would dote on the one girl showering her with attention until she would finally chose a Prince (the winner) then the game would be over. Or they would all play pranks on the one girl and the first to make her cry would win. And every time they would bet a single gold coin, worth practically nothing to these Princes who had lands and estates. On questioning explanations for absurd behaviors it was always the same excuse, 'for a bet.'
Andrew's eyes widened. He and Seiya were never part of these bets as they were deemed unworthy an opponent. He and Seiya had found the bets very amusing and regarded them with awe at what they could make the girls do.
'I remember the time you made the Duchess Penelope crow like a rooster at her eighteenth birthday party.' Said Andrew amused.
'Or the time you made Lady Molina wear lettuce on her head for a whole day!'
'Or that maid who wore her clothes inside out and walked backwards for an hour! I remember she tripped and fell into a vat of dye! She had greenish skin for a week.'
'What was it this time?' asked Seiya eagerly.
'Well,' drawled Malachite casually, 'it was the first to get a profession of love from one of the princesses.'
'They are from the Moon Kingdom,' added Jadeite. 'You should see-'
'I won this round.' Interrupted Zoicite smugly. 'I received this from the Princess Ami two days ago.' He reached into his chest pocket and withdrew a small blue card.
Ami gasped.
It was a rectangular in shape and had simple sketches of the Sabres in play on them.
'What is so special about that?' inquired Nephrite.
Zoicite turned it over and with a slight twinge of guilt, which he pushed away, he read, 'Zoi, I love you, Ami.'
'Sorry mate,' interrupted Darien. 'It has to be a spoken one, it doesn't count.'
Zoi stamped his foot in frustration. 'At least you got something.' Said Darien, 'She hasn't said anything to be yet so I'm out. Neph?'
'She told me she loved me.' he said simply. Zoicite frowned. 'That easily? Out of the blue she had the courage to admit that?'
'Well,' Nephrite looked down in embarrassment. 'She actually told Nathan.'
'That doesn't count either. She has to say it to your face. Your out.'
'But it was to my face!' protested Nephrite.
'But she didn't know that.' Pointed out Darien. Nephrite reluctantly agreed. Lita frowned in puzzlement.
'She told me today.' Inserted Malachite coolly. He hesitated. Darien gave him a look.
Malachite sighed. 'Well, she actually said 'like like'.'
'Huh?' asked Nephrite confused.
'She said 'I like you as in like like.' Explained Malachite as if it sounded perfectly normal. 'Which is the same as love in womanish double talk.'
Darien shook his head and Malachite knew, it had been a long shot anyways.
They all glanced at the positively beaming Jadeite.
'You?' asked Zoi skeptically.
Jadeite nodded still beaming.
'She used the word love?'
Another nod.
'To your face?'
Another nod.
They all sighed. Darien shrugged. 'I guess you win then.' He admitted.
Jadeite leaped up into the air. 'I win! I win!' he sang and began his victory dance.
The others each flicked a gold coin at him, which he deftly caught whilst dancing. Zoi sighed. 'He is going to be unbearable now.' Every time that Jed won he would rub it in everyone's face until the next round started.
Seiya pounded Jed on the back. 'Congrats! And here I thought you were losing your touch!' 'Quit poking me!' he said aside to Andrew.
'Ah! No one can defeat Jadeite charmer of women.' He said arrogantly, breathing onto his fingers and rubbing his should with them. Nephrite rolled his eyes, 'I have won just as many times as you have!' 'I think more,' drawled Malachite.
'One of these days I am going to outmaneuver you all.' Boasted Seiya. 'Stop it!' he said annoyed at Andrew.
'Hey, you win some, you lose some.' Said Darien indifferently.
'So what do you really think of the Moon Princess?' questioned Seiya, 'I hear she has a beautiful voice that could charm birds from the trees.'
'And such a loving and gentle nature that she would not deem to hurt any other living being, right?' said Andrew quickly.
'She is a graceful dancer too and very beautiful so I hear,' continued Seiya, 'what do you say?' he asked Darien.
Darien had bristled at hearing all of Seiya's compliments, it made him feel protective of the Princess like Seiya was going to steal her away or something.
'She is all of those things,' he admitted. 'But she is also a klutz and a bit of a bubblehead. She cries at the smallest things too. She is a bit of a crybaby really.' He said coolly.
Malachite snorted. 'If you want bubblehead-edness, you can't get much further than the Princess Mina. I have never met such an annoying person. She chatters nonstop like a broken record or something. I am surprised that all her friends aren't deaf or at least wear earmuffs.' He joked.
Not to be outdone, Nephrite joined in. 'At least she is feminine. Princess Lita could pass for a man with the right clothes. She is as athletic as I am, working with the horses and other animals. The only feminine thing about her is her skill with cooking however that is also dangerous, she could kill a man with one of her concoctions.' He jested remembering the 'soup' she had given him.
'My princess doesn't need food or weapons to kill,' joined Jadeite. 'Her looks could do that for her. Never have I met such a hellcat, she has the shortest temper. A wrong step and you could set off an explosion.'
The six men look at Zoicite expectantly. He made a sound of disdain. 'At least they have some sort of charm. Princess Ami is exceptionally smart but of seduction? She has no clue. Ever try to flirt with a brick wall before? It was like that. No sense of playfulness from her.'
Through this whole time Andrew had been incessantly poking Seiya. 'They do have some good qualities don't they?' he asked. The men all agreed but before they could elaborate Seiya exploded.
'What the hell do you want?' he shouted at Andrew. Andrew lifted a finger and innocently pointed to the shadows to the right of them.
Behind some flower bushes, five glowering Princesses could be seen.
'Oh.' Said Seiya.
The Princes had followed his gaze and now they gulped in nervousness. the thought raced through all of their minds.
'Prince Endymion,' came a clear cold lilting voice. 'I came to ask your company to view the infamous silver roses however after second thoughts, your company is not wished at all and undoubtedly never will be ever again.' Serena's voice quavered on the last two words but did not break.
As one the five girls turned and walked off, the other Princesses not sparing a second glance at the Generals.
The seven men were speechless. All felt horribly guilty. 'Well don't just stand there! Go after them!' burst Seiya making shooing motions with his hands. 'Even I could see that the infatuation was not one sided.' Observed Andrew.
The five men looked at each other before hurrying after the path that the girls took.
~@~@~@~@~
The girls had walked swiftly not caring where they were going. Tears were forming in Serena's eyes but she quickly blinked them back. The words 'crybaby' and 'klutz' kept running through her mind.
And she was not the only one. Raye was also keeping her tears in check. She stifled a sniffle and heard a noise. It was a branch cracking.
'They are following us.' She hissed.
'I cannot face him right now.' Gasped Ami.
The girls broke into a run.
---@@@
The boys had quickly found the path the girls were on and knew where it led. 'I know a shortcut,' said Malachite taking a sharp turn. The others rapidly followed.
---@@@
When the sound of pursuit ceased the girls had slowed back to a walk. When they reached a clearing, Serena had collapsed tiredly. 'Let us stop,' she whispered.
The girls froze where they were, each of them slightly trembling, hurt and angry with what they overheard. Raye went to comfort Serena. She didn't say anything just stroked her back. Serena buried her head in Raye's shoulder letting her tears escape.
As if receiving permission, Raye's own tears began to fall.
'We don't need them,' said Lita angrily. 'They are scum.'
'Don't waste your tears on them, they are not worth it.' said Mina seemingly oblivious to her own.
Ami was leaning against a tree, clenching and unclenching her fists.
'Let us go back to the Moon,' declared Raye but before they could move, five men stepped out from behind several trees.
The girls stepped closer together. 'Stay away from us.' Was the general message.
Zoicite stepped forward. Ami was always the reasonable one.
'Ami? Let me explain,' he said as he approached her, 'you see, what you just witnessed was male pride and ego-'
He did not get to finish as Ami had drew back her arm and swung at him. She punched his jaw and the poor unsuspecting General fell backwards and landed on his rump.
Silence ensued.
Even the girls blinked in shock. Small petite Ami had just KO'd a General. Lita quietly applauded.
Zoi groaned and swung his head back up to face her. But before he could speak she hissed, 'How dare you? That was meant for your eyes only not for public viewing! How dare you humiliate and belittle me so? Stay away from me.' She turned her back on him.
(a/n What happens next is all happening at the same time.)
Jadeite moved towards Raye but then thought better of it, staying out of punching range. She marched up to him and drew back her fist. Jadeite lifted his head slightly. He knew it was coming and he deserved it. He closed his eyes in preparation.
When nothing happened, he opened his eyes. To his dismay, Raye was in tears. They silently coursed down her face and she unashamedly did not wipe them away.
'You are not worth it!' she spat as she lowered her hand. 'Wait! I..... ' but it was too late, she had left with Ami.
Malachite shifted uncomfortably. He knew he should confront and comfort her but he wasn't sure how. He approached fully expecting her to be in tears and he was mostly right. He could see tear stains on her cheeks as he gazed at her. He could also see that she had frantically brushed them away.
They gazed at each other, locked in their stares. The tension was building till Mina could not stand it anymore. She smiled.
Malachite blinked. She was smiling. Her usual everyday smile. However it did not reach her eyes. She walked up to him.
'General Malachite, fancy seeing you here. It is a lovely evening is it not? Then again it is rather late. Good night.' And without another word she left.
Malachite saw in that instant how much he and Mina were alike. He hid behind his cold expression showing no emotion as it was a weakness. Mina was exactly the same except that she hid her feelings behind her mask of happiness. He perceived how much stronger she was for it took much more effect to be continually happy than to be indifferent.
'Do you know Nathan?' asked Lita suspiciously.
Nephrite sighed. 'In truth, I am Nathan.' When met with silence he continued. 'It is my job to patrol the city dressed inconspicuously. That way I can hear the rumors and gossip that is being said about the Royal family. I am a spy of sorts.'
Lita was quickly reviewing all the things she said to 'Nathan' in all the times she met him and her faced burned with embarrassment. 'I admitted it to you!' she said hotly.
'What?' asked Nephrite confused. 'I said all those things about you not knowing it was about you!' Lita could have died.
Nephrite glanced at the red faced princess and could not help a chuckle. 'How else was I to know that you thought I was such a handsome, adorable, strong, athletic specimen of the male race? Did I miss out any qualities?'
Lita's face was on fire. 'Arrogant and egotistical bastard.' She barked.
'And you fell for me all the same,' he said arrogantly with a smirk. The second it left his mouth he knew it was the wrong thing to say.
Lita slapped him and stalked off.
'Don't cry little one,' said Darien gently reaching down to brush away a tear. Serena drew back before he could make contact.
'I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing me cry,' she said angrily wiping away the tears.
'Never,' said Darien. 'I-'
'The engagement is off.' She cut in coldly. 'Do not approach me again.'
'You just need time to calm down.' Said Darien desperately. 'You will feel better in the morning. What do you think of the silver rose?'
For that was where they were. Unbeknownst to her she had made it to the right place. Silver roses bloomed everywhere and sparkled like tiny jewels.
To her eyes they seemed dull and lifeless. 'I will feel better once I am on the Moon once more. The rose is beautiful yes, but to what purpose?'
She did wait for a reply instead she rounded on the four Generals who were deep in thought.
'You should be ashamed of yourselves!' she reprimanded. 'I am disgusted!' The Generals took a step backwards. Even more shocking that Princess Ami in a temper was the Princess Serena. A real temper. She was like an adorable kitten that would play and get hurt and cry and occasionally scratch but when backed into a corner it was all hisses and lethal claws. Terrifying enough to scare away bigger and stronger beasts. 'You break their hearts, I will break you faces,' she threatened and no one doubted that she meant it.
With a majestic swirl she fled regally away.
Darien watched her go with sorrow and a keen sense of loss, which surprised him. He had to win her back and it wasn't just for the peace treaty, it was also for himself.
@~@~@~@~@
Raye slowly strolled the empty hallways. She sighed and took a sharp turn into an alcove, which led to a balcony. She sighed once more and gazed out at the sea of twinkling stars and the bright orb of the moon.
'What does it mean then?' she said aloud questioning. She paused as if awaiting the moon to reply.
'Was it a lie all along?' A tear formed in the corner of her eye.
'He had a purpose and he achieved it, and once more I was made a fool.' The lone tear slowly found the curve of her cheek and bit by bit descended to her chin before falling with a small plop onto a pink nose.
Thank you to those who reviewed, ocianne and angel. They are much appreciated, I feel happy that people are reading it!
Ocianne- what is canon Silver Millennium ending form?
Chapter Twelve
'Welcome ladies and gentleman and thank you for gathering. We are here to honor and present the Princess Serena of the Moon Kingdom and her Royal Court.' Declared Queen Gaia to much applause.
The Ball was in full swing. The main hall was decorated beautifully, the food was simply divine and the music was so catchy that the dance floor never lacked willing participants.
The princesses were no exception. They had rejoiced at the Princes return and had whipped them off to the dance floor. They were all having a smashing time. The only downfall was there was no privacy whatsoever, they could not talk and thus could not ask questions that were weighing rather heavily on some of the Princesses' minds.
Serena and Endymion were waltzing together for the umpteenth time when a maid interrupted them.
'Beg pardon milord but Lord Andrew and Lord Seiya are waiting for you in the garden by the fountain.'
Andrew and Seiya had grown up with the Prince and Generals; they had been pages when the Princes had been squires. The seven were the best of mates, they went everywhere together. Two years ago Andrew and Seiya had been sent to train as Commanders of Outposts as they were not Princes but sons of minor Lords. Since it had been awhile, the Prince immediately went to find the Generals and they went to see the two young men.
The Princesses took a break from dancing when their dance partners disappeared. They gathered on a balcony overlooking a forest of trees.
'So what do you know of Andrew and Seiya?' asked Lita of Ami curious.
'I have asked around and apparently they were childhood friends.' Informed Ami. 'Apparently they idolized the Prince and the Generals for their ...womanizing ways.'
Mina nodded distractedly. She still hadn't had a chance to ask Malachite about yesterday but he was attentive tonight. He had even smiled upon meeting her.
Raye searched the gardens below. She needed to ask Jadeite what he meant, what he was going to say. She turned to face the girls and opened her mouth to speak....
'Want to go find the boys?' 'Shall we search for the Generals' Serena and Raye looked at each other and burst into giggles.
Ami agreed instantly. Zoicite still hadn't said anything about the bookmark and she was curious as to whether or not he had found it yet.
Lita fidgeted. She had felt like a coward when she had realized that all the other girls cept Rena had admitted their love one way or another and she still had not told Nephrite anything.
she thought.
Serena was very eager to go. Endy was going to show her the silver roses tonight and she did not want him to forget. She was planning to tell him there. she thought dreamily. She giggled nervously and led the girls down into the gardens after receiving directions from a maid and permission from the Queen to leave.
@~@~@~@~@
The men had been chatting nonstop for a while now, almost like a bunch of girls, it had been two years since they had last met face to face. Andrew was tall and quite cute, he had a sunny disposition quite like Mina and a look about him that suggests that he absolutely doesn't know how good- looking he was. He was entertaining them with tales of the women he met in the middle of a snowstorm, which had the Generals in fits of laughter. Even Malachite was chuckling.
Seiya on the other hand was a bit more calm and collected than his colleague. However he was also quite handsome and you could tell that he took pride in his appearance. (a/n I have never watched the anime or read all the manga so I actually don't know who Seiya is except in other fanfics. I apologize if I portray him totally wrong.)
'Enough of us,' interrupted Seiya, 'what about you lot? Don't think I didn't notice the fine ladies you were dancing with.'
'We are not deaf either, the whole place is abuzz with gossip on you lot.' Added Andrew.
'What else is new?' said Nephrite arrogantly as he flicked his hair grinning.
'You know,' drawled Seiya stroking his chin as if he had a beard and looking quite wise, 'if I am not mistaken I would say all of you are utterly and hopelessly smitten. What do you think?' he asked leaning towards Andrew.
'I would say that you are absolutely correct and that I am appalled and shocked and also intrigued at what sort of females could have all of them so besotted.'
'I'm disappointed in you,' reprimanded Seiya, shaking his head at Jadeite to which Jadeite grinned foolishly, 'who has tamed the great womanizer that had all the girls in tears last time I saw?'
'Who had melted your heart of stone? Tell me! And how?' asked Andrew poking Malachite repeatedly.
'You know,' Seiya whispered loudly to Andrew conspiratorially, 'Maybe they are witches and have cast some sort of spell on them. The men I knew and admired could not have been reduced to infatuated boys so easily.'
Darien bristled. 'Infatuated boy? I think not!' he huffed.
'That's right! They are smitten with us!'
'Head over heels in fact!'
'She wants me and she was so persistent that I didn't have the heart to deny her.'
'We do after all have a reputation to uphold.'
Andrew nodded sarcastically at Seiya. 'Denial' he whispered loudly.
Darien found his pride stung. These two men had after all followed him and had in their way idolized him for his flirtatious ways. They had as a group had so much fun bragging and boasting about the women they had been with and things they had done and part of the fun was that these two were so gullible. Now however they did not believe him and he was itching to feel superior once more. He could tell that his Generals were also annoyed at these two insolent brats.
'In actual fact, it was one of our bets.' Said Zoicite nonchalantly examining his nails.
The five Princes 'bets' were infamous back then. They had made up these bets to liven up the game. They five would bet on almost everything. The first to get a girl to cook him breakfast herself, to get a girl to sing in public, pose for nude portraits, wear outrageous fake hair, dress like a clown, burp, and other ridiculous things. And that was not all, sometimes all five would dote on the one girl showering her with attention until she would finally chose a Prince (the winner) then the game would be over. Or they would all play pranks on the one girl and the first to make her cry would win. And every time they would bet a single gold coin, worth practically nothing to these Princes who had lands and estates. On questioning explanations for absurd behaviors it was always the same excuse, 'for a bet.'
Andrew's eyes widened. He and Seiya were never part of these bets as they were deemed unworthy an opponent. He and Seiya had found the bets very amusing and regarded them with awe at what they could make the girls do.
'I remember the time you made the Duchess Penelope crow like a rooster at her eighteenth birthday party.' Said Andrew amused.
'Or the time you made Lady Molina wear lettuce on her head for a whole day!'
'Or that maid who wore her clothes inside out and walked backwards for an hour! I remember she tripped and fell into a vat of dye! She had greenish skin for a week.'
'What was it this time?' asked Seiya eagerly.
'Well,' drawled Malachite casually, 'it was the first to get a profession of love from one of the princesses.'
'They are from the Moon Kingdom,' added Jadeite. 'You should see-'
'I won this round.' Interrupted Zoicite smugly. 'I received this from the Princess Ami two days ago.' He reached into his chest pocket and withdrew a small blue card.
Ami gasped.
It was a rectangular in shape and had simple sketches of the Sabres in play on them.
'What is so special about that?' inquired Nephrite.
Zoicite turned it over and with a slight twinge of guilt, which he pushed away, he read, 'Zoi, I love you, Ami.'
'Sorry mate,' interrupted Darien. 'It has to be a spoken one, it doesn't count.'
Zoi stamped his foot in frustration. 'At least you got something.' Said Darien, 'She hasn't said anything to be yet so I'm out. Neph?'
'She told me she loved me.' he said simply. Zoicite frowned. 'That easily? Out of the blue she had the courage to admit that?'
'Well,' Nephrite looked down in embarrassment. 'She actually told Nathan.'
'That doesn't count either. She has to say it to your face. Your out.'
'But it was to my face!' protested Nephrite.
'But she didn't know that.' Pointed out Darien. Nephrite reluctantly agreed. Lita frowned in puzzlement.
'She told me today.' Inserted Malachite coolly. He hesitated. Darien gave him a look.
Malachite sighed. 'Well, she actually said 'like like'.'
'Huh?' asked Nephrite confused.
'She said 'I like you as in like like.' Explained Malachite as if it sounded perfectly normal. 'Which is the same as love in womanish double talk.'
Darien shook his head and Malachite knew, it had been a long shot anyways.
They all glanced at the positively beaming Jadeite.
'You?' asked Zoi skeptically.
Jadeite nodded still beaming.
'She used the word love?'
Another nod.
'To your face?'
Another nod.
They all sighed. Darien shrugged. 'I guess you win then.' He admitted.
Jadeite leaped up into the air. 'I win! I win!' he sang and began his victory dance.
The others each flicked a gold coin at him, which he deftly caught whilst dancing. Zoi sighed. 'He is going to be unbearable now.' Every time that Jed won he would rub it in everyone's face until the next round started.
Seiya pounded Jed on the back. 'Congrats! And here I thought you were losing your touch!' 'Quit poking me!' he said aside to Andrew.
'Ah! No one can defeat Jadeite charmer of women.' He said arrogantly, breathing onto his fingers and rubbing his should with them. Nephrite rolled his eyes, 'I have won just as many times as you have!' 'I think more,' drawled Malachite.
'One of these days I am going to outmaneuver you all.' Boasted Seiya. 'Stop it!' he said annoyed at Andrew.
'Hey, you win some, you lose some.' Said Darien indifferently.
'So what do you really think of the Moon Princess?' questioned Seiya, 'I hear she has a beautiful voice that could charm birds from the trees.'
'And such a loving and gentle nature that she would not deem to hurt any other living being, right?' said Andrew quickly.
'She is a graceful dancer too and very beautiful so I hear,' continued Seiya, 'what do you say?' he asked Darien.
Darien had bristled at hearing all of Seiya's compliments, it made him feel protective of the Princess like Seiya was going to steal her away or something.
'She is all of those things,' he admitted. 'But she is also a klutz and a bit of a bubblehead. She cries at the smallest things too. She is a bit of a crybaby really.' He said coolly.
Malachite snorted. 'If you want bubblehead-edness, you can't get much further than the Princess Mina. I have never met such an annoying person. She chatters nonstop like a broken record or something. I am surprised that all her friends aren't deaf or at least wear earmuffs.' He joked.
Not to be outdone, Nephrite joined in. 'At least she is feminine. Princess Lita could pass for a man with the right clothes. She is as athletic as I am, working with the horses and other animals. The only feminine thing about her is her skill with cooking however that is also dangerous, she could kill a man with one of her concoctions.' He jested remembering the 'soup' she had given him.
'My princess doesn't need food or weapons to kill,' joined Jadeite. 'Her looks could do that for her. Never have I met such a hellcat, she has the shortest temper. A wrong step and you could set off an explosion.'
The six men look at Zoicite expectantly. He made a sound of disdain. 'At least they have some sort of charm. Princess Ami is exceptionally smart but of seduction? She has no clue. Ever try to flirt with a brick wall before? It was like that. No sense of playfulness from her.'
Through this whole time Andrew had been incessantly poking Seiya. 'They do have some good qualities don't they?' he asked. The men all agreed but before they could elaborate Seiya exploded.
'What the hell do you want?' he shouted at Andrew. Andrew lifted a finger and innocently pointed to the shadows to the right of them.
Behind some flower bushes, five glowering Princesses could be seen.
'Oh.' Said Seiya.
The Princes had followed his gaze and now they gulped in nervousness. the thought raced through all of their minds.
'Prince Endymion,' came a clear cold lilting voice. 'I came to ask your company to view the infamous silver roses however after second thoughts, your company is not wished at all and undoubtedly never will be ever again.' Serena's voice quavered on the last two words but did not break.
As one the five girls turned and walked off, the other Princesses not sparing a second glance at the Generals.
The seven men were speechless. All felt horribly guilty. 'Well don't just stand there! Go after them!' burst Seiya making shooing motions with his hands. 'Even I could see that the infatuation was not one sided.' Observed Andrew.
The five men looked at each other before hurrying after the path that the girls took.
~@~@~@~@~
The girls had walked swiftly not caring where they were going. Tears were forming in Serena's eyes but she quickly blinked them back. The words 'crybaby' and 'klutz' kept running through her mind.
And she was not the only one. Raye was also keeping her tears in check. She stifled a sniffle and heard a noise. It was a branch cracking.
'They are following us.' She hissed.
'I cannot face him right now.' Gasped Ami.
The girls broke into a run.
---@@@
The boys had quickly found the path the girls were on and knew where it led. 'I know a shortcut,' said Malachite taking a sharp turn. The others rapidly followed.
---@@@
When the sound of pursuit ceased the girls had slowed back to a walk. When they reached a clearing, Serena had collapsed tiredly. 'Let us stop,' she whispered.
The girls froze where they were, each of them slightly trembling, hurt and angry with what they overheard. Raye went to comfort Serena. She didn't say anything just stroked her back. Serena buried her head in Raye's shoulder letting her tears escape.
As if receiving permission, Raye's own tears began to fall.
'We don't need them,' said Lita angrily. 'They are scum.'
'Don't waste your tears on them, they are not worth it.' said Mina seemingly oblivious to her own.
Ami was leaning against a tree, clenching and unclenching her fists.
'Let us go back to the Moon,' declared Raye but before they could move, five men stepped out from behind several trees.
The girls stepped closer together. 'Stay away from us.' Was the general message.
Zoicite stepped forward. Ami was always the reasonable one.
'Ami? Let me explain,' he said as he approached her, 'you see, what you just witnessed was male pride and ego-'
He did not get to finish as Ami had drew back her arm and swung at him. She punched his jaw and the poor unsuspecting General fell backwards and landed on his rump.
Silence ensued.
Even the girls blinked in shock. Small petite Ami had just KO'd a General. Lita quietly applauded.
Zoi groaned and swung his head back up to face her. But before he could speak she hissed, 'How dare you? That was meant for your eyes only not for public viewing! How dare you humiliate and belittle me so? Stay away from me.' She turned her back on him.
(a/n What happens next is all happening at the same time.)
Jadeite moved towards Raye but then thought better of it, staying out of punching range. She marched up to him and drew back her fist. Jadeite lifted his head slightly. He knew it was coming and he deserved it. He closed his eyes in preparation.
When nothing happened, he opened his eyes. To his dismay, Raye was in tears. They silently coursed down her face and she unashamedly did not wipe them away.
'You are not worth it!' she spat as she lowered her hand. 'Wait! I..... ' but it was too late, she had left with Ami.
Malachite shifted uncomfortably. He knew he should confront and comfort her but he wasn't sure how. He approached fully expecting her to be in tears and he was mostly right. He could see tear stains on her cheeks as he gazed at her. He could also see that she had frantically brushed them away.
They gazed at each other, locked in their stares. The tension was building till Mina could not stand it anymore. She smiled.
Malachite blinked. She was smiling. Her usual everyday smile. However it did not reach her eyes. She walked up to him.
'General Malachite, fancy seeing you here. It is a lovely evening is it not? Then again it is rather late. Good night.' And without another word she left.
Malachite saw in that instant how much he and Mina were alike. He hid behind his cold expression showing no emotion as it was a weakness. Mina was exactly the same except that she hid her feelings behind her mask of happiness. He perceived how much stronger she was for it took much more effect to be continually happy than to be indifferent.
'Do you know Nathan?' asked Lita suspiciously.
Nephrite sighed. 'In truth, I am Nathan.' When met with silence he continued. 'It is my job to patrol the city dressed inconspicuously. That way I can hear the rumors and gossip that is being said about the Royal family. I am a spy of sorts.'
Lita was quickly reviewing all the things she said to 'Nathan' in all the times she met him and her faced burned with embarrassment. 'I admitted it to you!' she said hotly.
'What?' asked Nephrite confused. 'I said all those things about you not knowing it was about you!' Lita could have died.
Nephrite glanced at the red faced princess and could not help a chuckle. 'How else was I to know that you thought I was such a handsome, adorable, strong, athletic specimen of the male race? Did I miss out any qualities?'
Lita's face was on fire. 'Arrogant and egotistical bastard.' She barked.
'And you fell for me all the same,' he said arrogantly with a smirk. The second it left his mouth he knew it was the wrong thing to say.
Lita slapped him and stalked off.
'Don't cry little one,' said Darien gently reaching down to brush away a tear. Serena drew back before he could make contact.
'I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing me cry,' she said angrily wiping away the tears.
'Never,' said Darien. 'I-'
'The engagement is off.' She cut in coldly. 'Do not approach me again.'
'You just need time to calm down.' Said Darien desperately. 'You will feel better in the morning. What do you think of the silver rose?'
For that was where they were. Unbeknownst to her she had made it to the right place. Silver roses bloomed everywhere and sparkled like tiny jewels.
To her eyes they seemed dull and lifeless. 'I will feel better once I am on the Moon once more. The rose is beautiful yes, but to what purpose?'
She did wait for a reply instead she rounded on the four Generals who were deep in thought.
'You should be ashamed of yourselves!' she reprimanded. 'I am disgusted!' The Generals took a step backwards. Even more shocking that Princess Ami in a temper was the Princess Serena. A real temper. She was like an adorable kitten that would play and get hurt and cry and occasionally scratch but when backed into a corner it was all hisses and lethal claws. Terrifying enough to scare away bigger and stronger beasts. 'You break their hearts, I will break you faces,' she threatened and no one doubted that she meant it.
With a majestic swirl she fled regally away.
Darien watched her go with sorrow and a keen sense of loss, which surprised him. He had to win her back and it wasn't just for the peace treaty, it was also for himself.
@~@~@~@~@
Raye slowly strolled the empty hallways. She sighed and took a sharp turn into an alcove, which led to a balcony. She sighed once more and gazed out at the sea of twinkling stars and the bright orb of the moon.
'What does it mean then?' she said aloud questioning. She paused as if awaiting the moon to reply.
'Was it a lie all along?' A tear formed in the corner of her eye.
'He had a purpose and he achieved it, and once more I was made a fool.' The lone tear slowly found the curve of her cheek and bit by bit descended to her chin before falling with a small plop onto a pink nose.