CHAPTER 2
The bizarre turquoise-colored stallions that pulled the coach began to trot along, then before long broke into a fierce gallop. Looking out the windows, everything melted together as a dark blue blur as evening fell. The coach rumbled and shook as the horses' speed began to surpass that of even light itself and soon the carriage stopped trembling as they lifted from the ground and flew smoothly and gracefully through space. The view from the window was no longer navy but now pitch black. Before long they glided to the ground and pulled up in front of a castle more grand and magnificent that anyone could ever imagine. They had arrived; this was the Moon Palace.
Michiru felt as though her heart had stopped as well as the carriage; even though she had been to the Moon Palace countless times before it had never seemed as intimidating as this. All the lights in the palace glowed with an ethereal light, and innumerable armored guards stood before the pure gold castle gates. Michiru shook as she was helped out of the carriage. The world seemed to tilt as she stood on the solid ground once more.
She grabbed onto the closest thing to her, the footman's shoulder, to steady herself. The footman gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay?" he inquired.
"Yes, yes, quite okay," she reassured him, a bit out of breath. Embarrassed, she released his shoulder and smoothed out her dress. She nodded at him as a signal of gratitude, and headed up to the gate of the palace.
The guard by the gate bowed curtly and let her pass through. She stared at the marble staircase in front of her and took a deep breath. Fancily dressed strangers proceeded up the stairs without giving Michiru a second glance.
She began as gracefully as possible up the stairs, holding onto the banister for extra support. The golden railing was cold to the touch and Michiru quickly drew her hand away, and began trying to rub some warmth back into it. Suddenly someone bumped into her from behind and she almost fell down, but luckily steadied herself. She whirled around to confront her "attacker" but then gasped when she saw who it was.
She found herself face-to-face with a tall young man in his 30s, with light brown hair slicked back on his head. If Michiru hadn't known who he was she would have probably blushed at his good looks, but instead she started backing away from him with a fake smile pasted on her face. "H-hi, Larry," she stuttered, advancing backwards up the staircase. "I didn't know you would be here! What a... pleasant surprise!"
The man named Larry had been her boyfriend a few years before and they had been together a year when he started cheating and lying to Michiru. Michiru's parents had been very upset when they broke up because Larry came from a very wealthy, high-ranked family and would have made the perfect husband for Michiru. Larry was the first and only boyfriend Michiru had ever had, and since he had caused her so much heartbreak Michiru vowed never to make herself endure it all over again, and therefore never to love another man.
Larry smiled a wide jack-o-lantern type grin when he recognized her. "Michi!" he cried.
"Eep!" Michiru yelped when he said her name, causing her to trip and fall down. Larry pulled her up and embraced her. "My, you've grown," he said into her ear.
Michiru was getting very uncomfortable being so close to someone she hated so much. She didn't like the way Larry was sweet-talking to her either, as if he was trying to make her fall for him again. Nice try buddy, but I'm finished with you, she thought to herself as she tried to pull away from him. "Larry... let... go!" she whispered fiercely.
Despite her efforts, Larry's arms only tightened around her waist. Michiru was quite aware of the stares received from passerbys, but Larry didn't seem to care at all. As she wriggled uncomfortably in his grasp, Larry scanned the area surrounding them. "Let's find somewhere a bit more private, eh?" he suggested. Michiru was starting to get very panicky. Why her, why now?
Suddenly, though, a voice shouted. "THERE you are!" the voice cried, and the Neptune Princess became aware of a tall, sandy-haired man approaching them. "There you are!" the man repeated. "I've been looking all over the place for you!" He dashed up the stairs towards a very confused Michiru. She'd never seen this man in her life.
Larry, startled, let go of Michiru's waist at once. The blond man reached them eventually; taking Michiru by the hand and, flashing a quick, dazzling grin at Larry, led Michiru up the rest of the stairs to the entrance, quickly.
Once they made it to the castle's ballroom; a large, expensively furnished area where a crowd of equally expensively dressed people mingled and danced; the "mystery man" as Michiru had been calling this stranger inside her mind, dropped her hand at last. She looked at him quizzically and he said simply, "Looked like you needed a bit of help back there." The Neptune Princess sighed, "You can say that again."
"Who was that guy anyway?" the stranger asked. Michiru shook her head.
"Oh... that's Larry."
It was obvious that the tall blond had been hoping for a more elaborated response, put he didn't press the issue any further.
"I'm Haruka. Prince of Uranus," Haruka introduced himself with a grin.
"And I'm Princess Michiru, of Neptune," Michiru replied, "Nice to meet you."
All at once the orchestra broke into a waltz. "Would you like to dance?" the Prince asked his companion, that brilliant grin still on his face.
"Certainly." Now this was an offer that Michiru couldn't pass up.
The Prince led her into the dance. Michiru looked up shyly and her gaze met with Haruka's. Michiru blushed and looked away. The Prince of Uranus was so charming and handsome! Michiru felt her heart flutter just thinking about him...
Suddenly Michiru froze. Haruka felt his companion tense up and gazed at her questioningly. Michiru forced a smile on her face for politeness' sake to show Haruka that everything was okay. Although, inside, everything was far from okay. Michiru had just remembered the promise she had made to herself after breaking up with Larry... that she'd never love another man again. She had given Larry her heart and he had smashed it into a million pieces. Michiru wouldn't let that happen to her again... it had caused her too much pain.
When the dance ended and another one started up, Haruka asked her once again to dance. But Michiru shook her head.
"No thanks. It was nice meeting you." Michiru smiled and turned to walk away.
"But- wait-" Haruka protested. But the lovely Neptunian Princess had already disappeared into the crowd. Haruka sighed deeply and ran his hand through his hair, confused. How had everything suddenly gone so wrong? Wait, Haruka thought. Could she possibly suspect...? No, it was impossible. Impossible to tell that the handsome Uranus Prince was actually a woman...
.::..::..::.
Oooh! Suspense! ;) Leave some reviews for me...
The bizarre turquoise-colored stallions that pulled the coach began to trot along, then before long broke into a fierce gallop. Looking out the windows, everything melted together as a dark blue blur as evening fell. The coach rumbled and shook as the horses' speed began to surpass that of even light itself and soon the carriage stopped trembling as they lifted from the ground and flew smoothly and gracefully through space. The view from the window was no longer navy but now pitch black. Before long they glided to the ground and pulled up in front of a castle more grand and magnificent that anyone could ever imagine. They had arrived; this was the Moon Palace.
Michiru felt as though her heart had stopped as well as the carriage; even though she had been to the Moon Palace countless times before it had never seemed as intimidating as this. All the lights in the palace glowed with an ethereal light, and innumerable armored guards stood before the pure gold castle gates. Michiru shook as she was helped out of the carriage. The world seemed to tilt as she stood on the solid ground once more.
She grabbed onto the closest thing to her, the footman's shoulder, to steady herself. The footman gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay?" he inquired.
"Yes, yes, quite okay," she reassured him, a bit out of breath. Embarrassed, she released his shoulder and smoothed out her dress. She nodded at him as a signal of gratitude, and headed up to the gate of the palace.
The guard by the gate bowed curtly and let her pass through. She stared at the marble staircase in front of her and took a deep breath. Fancily dressed strangers proceeded up the stairs without giving Michiru a second glance.
She began as gracefully as possible up the stairs, holding onto the banister for extra support. The golden railing was cold to the touch and Michiru quickly drew her hand away, and began trying to rub some warmth back into it. Suddenly someone bumped into her from behind and she almost fell down, but luckily steadied herself. She whirled around to confront her "attacker" but then gasped when she saw who it was.
She found herself face-to-face with a tall young man in his 30s, with light brown hair slicked back on his head. If Michiru hadn't known who he was she would have probably blushed at his good looks, but instead she started backing away from him with a fake smile pasted on her face. "H-hi, Larry," she stuttered, advancing backwards up the staircase. "I didn't know you would be here! What a... pleasant surprise!"
The man named Larry had been her boyfriend a few years before and they had been together a year when he started cheating and lying to Michiru. Michiru's parents had been very upset when they broke up because Larry came from a very wealthy, high-ranked family and would have made the perfect husband for Michiru. Larry was the first and only boyfriend Michiru had ever had, and since he had caused her so much heartbreak Michiru vowed never to make herself endure it all over again, and therefore never to love another man.
Larry smiled a wide jack-o-lantern type grin when he recognized her. "Michi!" he cried.
"Eep!" Michiru yelped when he said her name, causing her to trip and fall down. Larry pulled her up and embraced her. "My, you've grown," he said into her ear.
Michiru was getting very uncomfortable being so close to someone she hated so much. She didn't like the way Larry was sweet-talking to her either, as if he was trying to make her fall for him again. Nice try buddy, but I'm finished with you, she thought to herself as she tried to pull away from him. "Larry... let... go!" she whispered fiercely.
Despite her efforts, Larry's arms only tightened around her waist. Michiru was quite aware of the stares received from passerbys, but Larry didn't seem to care at all. As she wriggled uncomfortably in his grasp, Larry scanned the area surrounding them. "Let's find somewhere a bit more private, eh?" he suggested. Michiru was starting to get very panicky. Why her, why now?
Suddenly, though, a voice shouted. "THERE you are!" the voice cried, and the Neptune Princess became aware of a tall, sandy-haired man approaching them. "There you are!" the man repeated. "I've been looking all over the place for you!" He dashed up the stairs towards a very confused Michiru. She'd never seen this man in her life.
Larry, startled, let go of Michiru's waist at once. The blond man reached them eventually; taking Michiru by the hand and, flashing a quick, dazzling grin at Larry, led Michiru up the rest of the stairs to the entrance, quickly.
Once they made it to the castle's ballroom; a large, expensively furnished area where a crowd of equally expensively dressed people mingled and danced; the "mystery man" as Michiru had been calling this stranger inside her mind, dropped her hand at last. She looked at him quizzically and he said simply, "Looked like you needed a bit of help back there." The Neptune Princess sighed, "You can say that again."
"Who was that guy anyway?" the stranger asked. Michiru shook her head.
"Oh... that's Larry."
It was obvious that the tall blond had been hoping for a more elaborated response, put he didn't press the issue any further.
"I'm Haruka. Prince of Uranus," Haruka introduced himself with a grin.
"And I'm Princess Michiru, of Neptune," Michiru replied, "Nice to meet you."
All at once the orchestra broke into a waltz. "Would you like to dance?" the Prince asked his companion, that brilliant grin still on his face.
"Certainly." Now this was an offer that Michiru couldn't pass up.
The Prince led her into the dance. Michiru looked up shyly and her gaze met with Haruka's. Michiru blushed and looked away. The Prince of Uranus was so charming and handsome! Michiru felt her heart flutter just thinking about him...
Suddenly Michiru froze. Haruka felt his companion tense up and gazed at her questioningly. Michiru forced a smile on her face for politeness' sake to show Haruka that everything was okay. Although, inside, everything was far from okay. Michiru had just remembered the promise she had made to herself after breaking up with Larry... that she'd never love another man again. She had given Larry her heart and he had smashed it into a million pieces. Michiru wouldn't let that happen to her again... it had caused her too much pain.
When the dance ended and another one started up, Haruka asked her once again to dance. But Michiru shook her head.
"No thanks. It was nice meeting you." Michiru smiled and turned to walk away.
"But- wait-" Haruka protested. But the lovely Neptunian Princess had already disappeared into the crowd. Haruka sighed deeply and ran his hand through his hair, confused. How had everything suddenly gone so wrong? Wait, Haruka thought. Could she possibly suspect...? No, it was impossible. Impossible to tell that the handsome Uranus Prince was actually a woman...
.::..::..::.
Oooh! Suspense! ;) Leave some reviews for me...