Ami/Quatre
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Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, is highly inhabited by ice and water. The ice is not cold on the planet, but it is the ground you walk on in Mercury. They say you can see the most rare flowers frozen in time underneath that ice. There are vast amounts of clear, warm water around Mercury. The Mercurian Palace lies in the north pole of Mercury, on top of a large foundation of ice. The palace is made out of ice itself, and was carved into a palace by early ancestors. The Palace is decorated with streaming ribbons hanging from the ceiling, and possibly has the largest library in the solar system. The kingdom is about the size of China. The princess of Mercury was Ami Mizuno, the most intelligent of the nine princesses.
Among the kingdom, many loved to swim in the vast oceans, including the princess. Mercury had a sister planet, it's name is Neptune, the second water-based planet. But Mercury had always been more of ice and mist. The two kingdoms were closely related, and so were the people. Many from Neptune came to Mercury and vice versa.
Ami, Mercury's princess, spent alot of her time studying the universe in the Library. She knew of the many mysteries of the galaxy, yet, she did not know any of the mysteries of her own planet, such as the flowers frozen in time below their feet. She had always dreamed of reading books about those flowers, or see them in real life, but alas, most of them were tainted blue and stuck in the frozen ice.
Sighing, she stood on the ladder against the bookcase, her long light blue dress still touching the ground. There were only few books that told of these rare flowers.
"Hey Ami!" A familiar voice called out, it was a soldier of her kingdom. "Yes?" She asked, looking down at him. He smiled, "Ami, how about you and I go out for a swim?" He asked, obviously trying to court her.
"...I'm busy. I'm terribly sorry." She looked back at her books. "Aw, c'mon, just you and me.. what could be worse?" Ami sighed.
"This is the fifth time this week you've tried to ask me out. No, I say. I am a busy princess with things to read. I have no time to 'date'." She opened a thick book.
He sighed, "But Ami, don't you ever get lonely?"
She shook her head, "I have friends."
A long silence passed. "You're not gonna leave here, are you?" The young man asked. She shrugged, "Depends." She was reading the thick book on the ladder. "You're hopeless." He said, leaning on the bookcase. "I don't see what's so special about these books anyway."
Long silence again.
"Ami! Please!" He pleaded.
She quickly jumped from the ladder, running her fingers through her hair, "I said NO. Maybe you should start reading books on how to accept rejection. I'll certainly have respect for you after that."
"But Ami, I-" He started towards her, pinning her to a wall, "You don't know.. how much.. I really want.."
Ami was ready to blast at him with her water spells, but a figure stepped into the scene, "Excuse me, what are you doing?" Another young man asked, his hair was platinum blonde, his eyes a teal color, much like the planet Neptune.
The knight snapped at the young man, "EXCUSE ME! We're having a moment here. Please excuse us."
Ami quickly slipped out of his arms. "We were not." She glared at the knight.
"I'm sorry, but i'll have to ask you to leave. Your army is leaving for Jupiter right now." The blonde one said. The knight snickered and left, "Ami, you'll be mine. ALL mine."
She rolled her eyes, "Whatever." She sighed. "Thank you."
"No problem. You are Princess Ami, no?" He asked, politely.
She nodded, "That I am. Who might you be?"
He bowed, one knee on the ground, "My name is Quatre, I am the prince of Neptune, younger brother of Michiru Kaioh. Nice to meet you, princess."
She was surprised at how gentleman-like he was. "Well it is a pleasure. Same to you, prince."
He got up, "What were you reading of, if I may ask."
"Not at all, I was reading on Mercury's frozen vegetation that lies beneath our feet." She said, leaning against the wall. "I'd like to see one in real life someday, not just blue and frozen."
He smiled, "Ah yes, they're not usually blue, are they? They are a yellow-pinkish color." Ami's eyes went wide, "Y-you know?"
"Of course. I'm guessing we have read the same book on them." He smiled, "I'd like to see one too."
"Yes. they are gorgeous." She sighed, "It seems like no one else studies about them. Only few books were ever written about them."
"They are very pretty.. but right now that's proved wrong in my eyes."
"huh?" Ami blushed, "Why.. that's a very charming thing to say." She knew exactly what he had meant.
He smiled, "I must be on my way now, there are duties I must attend to. It was nice meeting you, Princess." He kissed her hand, and left.
She found herself sitting there for a while, thinking.
--
The next day, Ami found herself staring at Venus and Earth, sitting down on palace steps that lead into the vast shallow ocean of eight feet. Many small fishes had lived in these warm waters, which were nipping at Ami's bare feet in the water. She thought about how Quatre was quite interested in the flowers like she was. Nobody ever took interest in them.
Quatre had also returned to the palace that day, to see Ami this time. He found her staring.
"Very pretty planet, right?" He said, taking a seat next to her. She jumped, "O-oh.. Prince Quatre.."
"No need to be startled. Please, Call me Quatre." He had a large bag sitting next to him.
"O-oh.. then you must call me Ami." She blushed, "What brings you here..?" He smiled, "Nothing really. I came back to see you."
Silence.
"Oh, i'm sorry, that was awkward." He said, blushing. He coughed.
She shook her head, "No, no.. i'm sorry. I make alot of things awkward."
He grinned, "You probably do that to be alluring, don't you?"
"No, no!" She blushed.
"You're doing it again."
"What?"
"You're alluring."
She smiled, "Quatre, you're flattering me too much."
"You deserve it." He looked away from her, and couldn't help but smile. "I have something for you." She was surprised, 'He got something for me..?'
He pulled out a variety of Mercurian flowers from the large bag, all in different shades of pink, orange, and yellow. She gasped, "Those are...!" He nodded, "They are."
She took some of them in her hand, and stared at their glow, "Where did you...?" He grinned, "I have my ways. After all, the only exist on Mercury's southernmost pole."
Ami fell silent, "..."
"I read about these flowers too. I am one of few that know where to find them, though, it's a rigorous area, the pole.."
Ami was shocked he'd go as far as risking his life down in the intense heat of the Mercury southpole.
"They are all for you." He put the bag down inbetween them.
She blushed even more, "I-i don't know what to say.. Thank you."
"No need. Meeting you is enough thanks for me." She couldn't help but smile.
"But you know, you are the most beautiful of all those flowers." He looked away and blushed, "Ami Mizuno."
She took his hand and clasped them, "And you are most charming of all the princes, Quatre." The space between their lips began to get smaller..
