Warning: Contents may explode! (just kidding) I do not own any of these characters, blah, blah, blah. With the exception of Malachite, who is currently munching on Milano cookies and watching Buffy.

Me: Malachite, dear, don't you wanna sit over here with me? (drooling over bare chest)

Malachite: Shhh! Never interrupt Buffy!

Me: (sigh)

Mina studied herself in the mirror. Her hair had been taken down and now flowed down her back in loose curls. Rejecting her signature color orange, Usagi had her in a gown of peach that brought out her creamy skin. It was strapless and the back was nothing but a criss cross of strings holding it together all the way down to the bottom of her back. It fit tightly across her top, and flared out into a full skirt at her hips. There were layers of peach satin bunched up, with small lavendar flowers with light green leaves decorating the skirt.

"Serena, are you sure this is me?"

"I think you look beautiful. I think that Malachite will defenitely notice," Serena added with a smirk on her face.

"Huh?" Mina asked startled, looking down at her friend.

"Oh come on. The way you two fight, there's obviously an attraction there."

"How about not," Mina stated matter-of-factly, looking back in the mirror, pleased at the way her clevage looked in the dress.

"I've seen the way you two look at each other."

"That man doesn't have an emotion in his body, let alone an attraction. Why would I ever be attracted to a man like that?"

"Are you telling me that you don't find him attractive?"

Mina thought to herself. She pictured the stand-offish General. His long white hair, his piercing blue eyes, those full lips, and that body-Damn that body! Such an emotionless bastard shouldn't be allowed to look so gorgeous.

"I knew it! You DO like him!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Just because he's a good looking man doesn't mean I'm attracted to him." Even as Mina said it, she began to question her true feelings for him. Maybe there was something-NO! He's an unresponsive drone. Who could ever be attracted to that, no matter how sexy he was?

Mina used a side entrance to get into the ballroom, bumping into King Endymion and General Malachite by the door.

"Whoa, who are you?" Endymion asked as he saw Mina.

"I beleive I am your wife's latest fashion project."

Endymion laughed. "That makes sense. Otherwise you'd be here in your uniform," the King chuckled. "So, Malachite, how shocked are you to see Miss Mina out of her uniform?"

"You look beautiful tonight, m'lady," he said in his usual monotone, yet silky voice.

"If you thought so you'd actually express real emotion instead of saying the polite thing," Mina said as she opened the door and entered the ballroom. She slammed the door behind her, causing several guests to jump.

It looked as if all the delegates were already there. Only the King and Queen were left to be announced.

She walked around to make sure that everything was secure when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Mina turned around to see a young man with short black hair looking at her. He was incredibly handsome in his black tux, his bright green eyes standing out.

"Forgive me m'lady, but I was hoping you would honor me with a dance," he said as he extended his hand.

Mina felt a blush creep into her cheeks as she accepted his hand and he led her to the dance floor. The heat only intensified when she noticed the people that were watching her.

As they approached the dance floor, a soft tune began playing. The young man grabbed her around the waist with one hand and pulled her close to him. They slowly began to dance, Mina not being able to pull her gaze away from his. She felt mesmerized, hardly even knowing there was music playing until it stopped.

"I am Prince Marron," he said as he bent down and kissed her hand. "I thought I had seen beauty until now."

Malachite watched Mina as she made her way onto the dance floor with a strange man. He sensed a certain feeling in his stomach that he didn't like when he saw the glow on her face. He could have sworn he was jealous. He chided himself. Mina was just like every other woman. A wanton that only existed for the purposed of a man. Still, knowing he felt possessivenes over her took him by surprise.

Just then, the trumpets sounded to announce the King and Queen. As everyone moved off the dance floor, Mina turned to find Prince Marron gone. She moved off the dance floor and found herself standing beside General Malachite. Before she could say anything to him, Ami, Rei, and Lita came running up to her.

"Who was that guy?" Rei demanded.

"Prince Marron," Ami supplied.

"He was so dreamy," Lita added.

"Where did he go?" Rei asked. "I wanna dance with him."

"I-I don't know. After the trumpets blew I looked away and he was gone."

"How romantic," Lita cooed.

"Yeah," Mina said softly. "I wonder where he went," she added to herself. Suddenly, she looked up to see Malachite standing where he could hear her conversation. For some reason she couldn't quite place, that bothered her more than her missing Prince. Before she could walk over to Malachite, King Endymion and Queen Selenity were announced.

The King and Queen came down the stairs and everyone watched them dance. After the dance, they dispersed into the crowd, and the room filled with voices again. Seizing her chance, Mina went over to the General.

"General Malachite, may I have a word with you?"

"Not satisfied with my work?"

"No, no," said Mina smiling. "You did an excellent job, but that's not what I wish to speak to you about."

"If you're not here to criticize me, then what are you here for?" Malachite didn't mean to be so rude, but the feelings she had so recently stirred up inside of him bothered him.

"You don't have to be rude," she said, getting upset. Mina realized that she really had no right to be upset, she calmed down. She did always criticize him. "I wanted to apologize to you for being, well...a bitch."

Malachite raised his eyebrows in response.

"And to make up for it, I was wondering if you would like to dance."

"You're asking me to dance?"

"Yes, as a truce." Still seeing eyebrows raised, she knew it sounded ridiculous. "What? Don't you dance?" Mina asked with a warm smile.

"I suppose I could be persuaded," Malachite said as he extended his arm to her with a smile. He couldn't beleive how easily he had broken. All it took was one smile from her and here he was, about to dance.

Mina took his arm, supressing the blush that was dying to creep into her cheeks. This was the first time that she had seen him smile and it had a warming effect on his entire face.

Malachite led her out onto the floor. He put his hand around her waist, pulling her body close. Malachite looked down into the light blue eyes of his dance partner. His heart began to race and other body parts started to respond as he felt her contours pressed against him. She was truly a magnificent creature.

Mina's breath caught in her throat as Malachite pulled her close and their bodies pressed against each other. She could feel his body pressing hard against hers, responding to hers. She smiled to herself, noticing the affect she had on him. She looked up into his icey blue eyes, swallowing hard. She never realized how attracted she was to the unemotional General until now.

Without realizing it, Malachite pressed Mina closer into him, her body pressed flat against his. She was causing a reaction in him that he had never felt before. He had experienced lust before, but this was something else. The song ended, but Malachite didn't want to let her go. As another song started, he found himself enraptured with this golden-haired beauty.

Chills went down Mina's spine as Malachite's hand moved on the bare skin of her lower back. His touch made her heart beat faster.

Malachite reached up and moved a stray curl out of Mina's face, brushing her cheek with the back of his hand. "You really do look beautiful tonight, m'lady," he said softly.

"So, I look beautiful tonight. Tomorrow I'll be back to my plain old self."

"You always look beautiful."

"Thank you for being polite, but there's no need-"

"Mina," he interrupted, lifting her chin up. "You always look beautiful to me."

"Mistress Mina!"

Mina looked around to see one of her security assistants calling to her. Hating the young officer, she excused herself from Malachite's grasp. "This had better be good," she said to the poor security guard, trying to supress the blush she knew had crept into her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but one of the delegates had a little too much to drink. He won't stop harassing the outside personnel."

Mina sighed. There was always one at every party. This one proved to be no different. As Mina approached, the delegate, who was an older man, flung himself, pawing at her for balance.

"I think it's time to take you back to your room," she said, trying to keep from punching the lights out of the man.

"Only if you come with me, pretty little thing," he stumbled.

"Not even if you gave me a galaxy." Mina turned to the 4 guards standing inside the doorway. "Find out who this man is and escort him back to his room." As they grabbed him and turned to leave, she added," And make sure he doesn't come out."

"Yes ma'am."