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At the evening briefing the Queen received a mysterious parcel. A gift box with a note "from admirer". Er? she wondered. Beryl wasn't spoiled with attention of men. While Jadeite was reading out his report. She scanned the gift with the sphere. No bombs were detected inside, either material or magical. That was a surprise! She pulled the red ribbon off the box, peeped inside - and gasped. For on a velvet cushion there was a garland of burnished steel in the form of a dragon with spread wings, neatly inlaid with rubies and morions. The female nature prevailed.
"Everyone's free, general Zoisite stays... Jadeite, you can finish the report at home, in front of a mirror, and now get lost"
Zoisite feigned surprise. His plot seemed to work out... or to be uncovered.
"Zoi-chan, I know you always have a mirror with you. You'll make a fine pier glass. Come closer. I don't bite today.
"Er... closer? But your staff gets in the way.
"No, it doesn't already". And she shoved it to the side of the throne, out of her sight. "Now hold it a bit higher! Now to the left! OK, stop! Wow, sugoi! What do you think? Just don't move"
"Grand, your majesty". Luckily she couldn't see his smirk from behind the small hand-held mirror, and was too engrossed to notice a slight gesture of his free hand.
"Sure". Beryl decided to choose a queenly face expression most fitting (in her opinion) to that piece of art.

Zoisite had hard time stifling laughter. He hadn't seen such grimaces since Beryl's coronation. But in half an hour he got anxious. His plan turned out too well. The last stage of competition among men was about to begin, and he didn't yet tune in the right frequency.
Some thought interrupted another masterpiece of royal mimics, and the woman ordered the general to clear out.
Left alone finally she rushed to close all doors, portals and hatches. With that present she had nearly missed- She retrieved a cushion and the staff from under the throne, made herself comfortable, waved a hand over the crystal.
Nothing. One more gesture gave no result again. She rubbed the sphere, knocked on it with nails - still no effect. Moreover, the symbol of her power sounded and felt different. Maybe dust penetrated the microcircuits... Beryl screwed the sphere off the staff. At its bottom her fingers encountered something strange. Three holes, one opposed to the two others. A bowling ball, to be more precise.

At first the Queen intended to beat all her records in screech volume. But for the first time in the last two thousand years common sense won. What would happen if the underlings saw her without her main weapon? And Metallia wouldn't be happy at the loss of government property.
Suddenly she took liking to thinking logically. Beryl strained her mind, recollected all the events of the day and understood.
"ZOISITE"
Zoisite didn't understand anything. By his expectations, Beryl should have been ravishing in vanity and showing off her present for a couple more days. The palantir was already transmitting the first flight finishing warmup, and the first skater taking ice... and here she was! Zoi teleported-
right into the royal claws.
"Zoi-chan, darling, give me back my ball, quickly", she purred, "OR I'LL RETURN YA TO KUNZITE IN FRAGMENTS"
He obeyed.
"You may live now. And just you dare to skip the morning briefing tomorrow.
"Y-your M-majesty, how did you guess"
"Conversation is over, bye-bye! O Metallia, the first flight should start already"
"What!" the Fire Lord couldn't believe his ears. "You too"
"Goodness, the tuning is not screwed. What 'I too'? I seee. You too, right? Then I can understand you, and still I won't let you come near my crystal. Yet I can deliver you from all sufferings. I know one way to extinguish any interest to watching TV in work time..." She waved her hand over the sphere, an energy splash flickered in the air. She narrowed her eyes viciously at Zoisite.. Alas, the murderous effect was lost: the insolent demon was securely screened by a tall, broad-chested and quite opaque Kunzite. Grave resolution rang in the voice of the chief general.
"It is not a good idea, Your Majesty.
"What are you hinting at, Kun-kun?" Beryl sweatdropped. "I know that Eternal Sleep is out of question in the case of you two. I just meant that the only people who have no time for watching ice shows are the participants. Thereby I command: general Zoisite to take part in the World Championship (ways and methods at his discretion). And I will enjoy the show. If you succeed in taking any prize I will forgive you this incident. If you bring gold I will arrange a personal cable video channel for you. Everyone dismissed. Shoot, will ya get lost, finally!"

to be continued...