Chapter One
Zoisite slipped into King Oberon's sitting room as quietly as he could. Prince Endymion, having refused to return to his own bedchambers until he knew his father's condition had stabilized, had fallen asleep in an oversized velvet armchair in front of the fire, a knitted blanket placed over him. Not wanting to disturb his slumber, Zoisite joined Kunzite, the current guard on duty, on the couch.
"Any word from the doctor yet?" he asked in a low voice.
Kunzite shook his head. "Dr. Caduceus has been running tests all night, but he hasn't found anything conclusive yet. His Highness finally passed out about an hour ago out of pure exhaustion."
Taking note of the dark circles underneath Kunzite's eyes, Zoisite frowned. "He's not the only one who's tired," he said, taking away the half-drunk cup of coffee in Kunzite's hands. "It's been a long night. You should try to get some rest, too. We still have a few hours before we're supposed to leave for the Moon." If they were still going. With King Oberon currently out of commission, everything was up in the air in regards to talk of an alliance between the Golden Kingdom and Silver Millennium. "I can watch over the prince."
"Maybe you're right." Blinking, Kunzite pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can barely see straight."
But just as he stood to leave, Dr Caduceus entered the sitting room from King Oberon's bedchambers. "How is he?" Kunzite asked.
Zoisite's question wasn't far behind. "Have you been able to determine why the king collapsed last night?"
"I'd prefer to speak with Prince Endymion first," the doctor said, pushing his spectacles up his nose. "Has the prince returned to his rooms?"
"Zach." Kunzite jerked his head toward the fireplace.
Zoisite walked over to the armchair and lightly shook Endymion's shoulder. "Dimi, wake up," he said, using the prince's affectionate nickname from childhood. "The doctor wants to talk to you."
Endymion stirred awake, the blanket falling from around his shoulders to his lap. "What?" he mumbled as he rubbed the corner of his eye, his mind still in a fog.
"Dr. Caduceus would like –"
At the mention of the doctor's name, Endymion tossed the blanket aside and sprung to his feet. "How is my father?" he demanded to know. "Has something happened? Is he going to be okay?"
"His Majesty is currently resting, sire," Dr. Caduceus said. "His condition has improved from last night."
Endymion's shoulders slackened, visibly relieved. "Praise Terra," he muttered to himself. "Do you know what happened? Is he sick? Was he poisoned?"
"I've performed a multitude of tests on King Oberon. None have indicated anything out of the ordinary. There's no evidence of foul play or underlying disease. In my professional opinion, your father is merely suffering from a severe case of exhaustion, brought on from overwork. After a few days of bed rest, he should be back on his feet."
Zoisite scoffed, finding that hard to believe. "Exhaustion?" Far be it for him to doubt the medical expertise of the king's longtime physician, widely regarded as the best doctor on Earth, but King Oberon had shown no signs of physical weakness until he had suddenly collapsed the night before after drinking a single glass of wine. That simply wasn't normal for a man who had been in seemingly good health. "Are you certain that's all it is, doctor?"
Beside him, Kunzite reached for his wrist. "Zacharias..." he lightly scolded.
Endymion ignored them both. "I'd like to see him," he said to Dr. Caduceus.
"Well, your father did ask to speak with you..." the doctor said, although he seemed reluctant to give permission. "A brief visit should be fine, I suppose. Afterwards, though, I would like for him to get some sleep and focus on regaining his strength. He's still quite weak."
"A few minutes will be sufficient," Kunzite said, speaking for the prince. "Thank you, Dr. Caduceus."
The doctor bowed and excused himself, leaving the suite to check on his other patients in the palace infirmary. Once he was gone, Endymion opened the door to his father's bedchambers and motioned for Zoisite and Kunzite to follow him.
As a man who had always seemed larger than life to Zoisite, the sight of King Oberon laying in the center of his majestic bed, his pale skin a stark contrast against the crimson color of his linens, took him off-guard. Dr. Caduceus said the king's condition had improved from last night, but he saw little sign of that.
"Endymion...?" King Oberon croaked, slowly turning his head to the side when he heard them enter.
"Father!" Endymion rushed over to his bedside. "I'm here."
Zoisite and Kunzite stayed back, bowing, as decorum dictated.
The king struggled to sit up, Endymion grabbing a spare pillow and placing it behind his shoulders to help prop him up.
"How are you feeling?" Endymion asked, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. "You gave us quite a fright last night, but Dr. Caduceus says you're going to be fine."
"Yes, I've been working too much as of late, apparently," King Oberon said, letting out a feeble chuckle. "He's forbidden me from traveling to the Moon for the summit."
Endymion took his bedridden father's hand in his. "The most important thing is your health. Don't worry about the summit; we can postpone it until you're well again."
King Oberon shook his head. "You must go in my place."
"What? Surely, you don't –"
"This meeting with the Lunarians is too important. We cannot risk offending them by cancelling at the last moment."
"But, Father –"
"I will hear no argument on this," the king said in a stronger voice, cutting off Endymion's protest. "You know how vital this is, how –" He stopped to catch his breath. "I might be bedridden for now, but I am still your king. You must go."
"I – I don't feel right about leaving you like this."
"I'm going to be fine, my so–" King Oberon broke off into a weak cough, shaking his head when Zoisite moved to pour him a glass of water from the carafe on his nightstand. It was several more labored breaths before he could continue. "You heard Dr. Caduceus. All I need is rest. There's no need for you to stay at my bedside. I have others happy to care for me, and they'll do more than simply fret and defy."
"But I don't know if I can do this without you," Endymion said, bringing the king's hand to his chest. "I'm not ready."
King Oberon pulled his hand out of Endymion's grasp, reaching up to cup his son's cheek. Even that simple movement seemed to require an extraordinary amount of the king's strength. "Endymion, one day you will be king," he reminded him, his voice low and raspy. "It is time for you to shoulder some responsibility as crown prince. I trust you to do what is right for the kingdom."
Endymion looked ready to protest yet again, but in the end, his shoulders dropped in defeat. "Yes, Father. I understand," he said, bringing King Oberon's hand back down to rest on his stomach. "I will do my best, for you and the people of Earth." He leaned forward, pressing his lips against his father's forehead and whispering some private words of affection before rising back to his feet.
Inhaling a deep breath, he turned to address his guard. "Come, we must be going. Queen Serenity is expecting us."
With a sweep of his golden cape, Endymion exited the room, passing by a returning Dr. Caduceus on the way out the door. The doctor moved aside and bowed, Zoisite and Kunzite following after the prince.
"How far along with preparations are we?" Endymion asked as they made their way down the corridor.
"Almost everything was set before the king –" Zoisite stopped, seeing the prince's face. "Give the order, and it will not take long to resume the previous arrangements," he said. "We can still keep to the agreed upon schedule."
"Good. It's best not to keep the queen waiting. We'll meet at –" Endymion reached for his vest pocket, coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hallway.
"Your Highness?"
"My watch," he said, continuing to pat his clothes in increasing panic. "It's missing! I know I had it with me…"
"Then it must be in the king's suite," Kunzite said, placing a hand on Endymion's shoulder. "You were watching it practically half the night. It must have gotten loose somehow and fallen on the floor." He glanced over at Zoisite. "Zach, go back and check around the chair where he was sleeping. I'll escort His Highness back to his room and have the preparations resumed."
Zoisite failed to see the urgency in finding a lost pocket watch when Endymion owned several others he could use as a replacement, but he did as he was told, bowing and turning back toward the king's suite.
He didn't bother knocking, knowing that King Oberon and Dr. Caduceus were in the king's bedchambers. He quietly entered the sitting room and walked straight over to the hearth, kneeling beside the armchair where Endymion had slept. As Kunzite suspected, the pocket watch had fallen to the floor, Zoisite spotting a glimmer of gold underneath the chair. His hand wrapped around the watch, surprised that the metal casing was not round like most watches, and pulled it out, holding it up to take a better look at it.
Zoisite had never seen that particular watch before. The heavy gold casing was molded in an unusual shape that reminded him of a six pointed star, and there was no cover for the face, which had been vibrantly painted with a celestial motif. It appeared to not only tell the time, but also keep track of the phases of the moon, an unusual feature for an Earthian watch.
A gift from Queen Serenity, perhaps? That could explain why Endymion had been so alarmed to find it missing... Zoisite slipped it into his pocket and started to stand when he heard voices coming from the king's bedchamber.
The proper thing to do was to ignore the voices and leave. If caught eavesdropping on the king's private conversation, he would almost certainly face a court martial – if not worse – yet Zoisite's curiosity got the best of him.
As quietly as possible, he walked over to the grand double doors leading to King Oberon's bedchamber. The sound of Dr. Caduceus's deep bass voice became more audible as he neared, filtered through a small crack left between the improperly closed doors. Zoisite turned his back to the doors, standing as close to the crack as he dared. In the unlikely event that someone else entered the sitting room, it would look as if he was simply standing guard, a common enough sight around the palace.
"– not found a cause. As I told you earlier, every test I've run has come back negative. There were no signs of poison in either your blood or the wine, yet this exhaustion of yours is unnatural. In all my years of practicing medicine, I've never –"
The king interrupted, although his voice was so weak that Zoisite couldn't hear him no matter how hard he strained his ears. The only word he comprehended was Endymion's name.
"I only did as you ordered, Your Majesty," the doctor said. "Although if you ask me, I – Forgive me. I forgot my place."
"No," King Oberon said, his voice slightly stronger than before. "No, I've put you...position. You have...well, Pantaleon. ...must protect...–on and the ..."
"Sire, you must preserve your strength. Please, do not strain yourself by talking so much. Here, I'll get you a glass of water."
Zoisite's brow furrowed, his supicions confirmed. So the king wasn't simply suffering from exhaustion. It sounded like Dr. Caduceus still believed King Oberon may have been poisoned, although the tests showed no signs of it. Was that even possible? He knew of no poison that didn't leave at least a trace behind. As toxicology was one of Dr. Caduceus's specialties, it was unlikely he missed anything while running the tests on the king's blood and the glass of wine he had drunk right before his collapse.
The wine...
It had been a gift from Queen Serenity, an extremely rare bottle of a Plutonian red sent in celebration of Earth's invitation to finally join the Silver Millennium alliance. He found it hard to believe that the queen would have anything to do with a possible poisoning, but he couldn't rule out the idea.
Not wanting to further risk getting caught, he snuck out of the room and headed back to Prince Endymion's bedchambers. The prince was alone, surprising Zoisite when he answered the door himself.
"Did you find the watch?" Endymion asked as Zoisite entered the room, taking a moment to look out into the hall before closing the door behind him.
"Yes, it was underneath the chair, as Kunzite suspected." Zoisite pulled out the watch in question, handing it over to the prince, who sighed in relief. "Where is he, by the way?"
Endymion stuffed the watch in his pocket. "I sent him off to try to get some rest before we left. It wouldn't do for him to pass out when we meet the queen."
Zoisite frowned, thinking the same of Endymion. He had changed into fresh clothes and neatly combed his hair, yet the yawn he discreetly hid behind his hand betrayed his fatigue. "Your Highness, will you allow me to be frank?"
"What is it, Zach?" The prince settled in his chair and took a sip of coffee, motioning for Zoisite to help himself. "And how many times do I have to remind you that you needn't be so formal with me when it's only the two of us? We are cousins, after all."
"Second cousins, technically." His mother Xanthippe had been the late Queen Aurelia's favorite cousin. Sitting down in the other chair, Zoisite refused his offer of coffee and got straight to the point. "Endymion, I think it would be prudent to postpone the trip to the Moon."
Endymion sighed. "You heard my father. He's insistent that I attend the summit. I cannot refuse."
"But what if King Oberon's condition is more serious than Dr. Caduceus led us to believe? When I –" Zoisite cut himself off. If he told Endymion what he had overheard, he would have to admit to eavesdropping on the king. He didn't believe Endymion would turn him in, but it was too much of a risk to take. "The circumstances surrounding your father's sudden illness are suspect," he amended. "I believe it warrants further investigation."
"But Dr. Caduceus said there was no evidence of foul play. Are you suggesting he lied?"
"Perhaps not intentionally, but he could be wrong."
"He's the most well-regarded, educated physician on Earth," Endymion reminded him. "I trust his judgment. I have no reason to believe otherwise."
"Doctors make mistakes, Dimi. And no matter how intelligent Dr. Caduceus may be, he doesn't know everything. If the king was poisoned by a toxin not found on Earth, then –"
"Are you saying you suspect the Lunarians?" Endymion stood up from his chair, shaking his head. "Do you realize how you sound? We have wanted this alliance for a long time. It will open up so many opportunities for the people of the Golden Kingdom, yet you're talking like one of those xenophobic rebels who insist that joining Silver Millennium will lead to the end of Terran civilization."
"I have nothing personal against the Lunarians – you know that – but you must admit the timing –"
"Lord Zoisite, I appreciate your concern, but I will not disobey my father's orders solely based on some wild conspiracy theory of yours," Endymion said. "We leave for the Moon in two hours. I suggest you take that time to rid your mind of such notions. I do not want anything to threaten our relationship with Silver Millennium."
Zoisite inhaled a deep breath. He had suspected it would be difficult to convince Endymion to defy his father's orders, although he had hoped... Well, even he had to admit it did sound like a "wild conspiracy theory", one that he would have found hard to believe as well if their positions had been reversed.
"Yes, Your Highness," he finally said, realizing there was no point in continuing their argument without more solid proof. Endymion had already made up his mind.
He rose to his feet, placing his right palm over his heart, and bowed to the prince before leaving.
The Moon Palace was aflutter with activity.
The ruler of Earth's Golden Kingdom, King Oberon, and his son, Endymion, were due to arrive in a matter of hours for their first official visit – an event that was certain to be of great historical significance. After all, it had been many generations since an Earthian royal set foot on the Moon. Barred from joining Silver Millennium due to the planet's lack of a proper guardian, the news that a Sailor Crystal had finally awakened in the body of the Golden Kingdom's crown prince had sent shockwaves throughout the galaxy. It was a moment many had been waiting for in great anticipation, for if all went well with the summit, all nine planets of the solar system would at last be united under the Moon's rule.
While eating lunch in the gardens with Princess Zenobia of Jupiter, Hermione studied her notes on the Terran king and prince one last time, trying to memorize as much as possible before their arrival. It had been difficult to find much information on Earth's royal family. Contact between the Moon and Earth had been severely limited up to that point, so she had to rely mostly on second-hand accounts of those few who had been granted permission to visit the blue planet.
According to her reports, King Oberon had not been born into the nobility. He grew up poor in a tiny village near Mount Parnassus, the second son of a shepherd and a seamstress. At the time, Earth was under the rule of a tyrant king by the name of Midas. A war broke out when Oberon was in his early twenties. Though he had been following in his father's footsteps as a shepherd, he decided to join the revolution to help liberate Earth's citizens from King Midas's tyranny, playing a key role in overthrowing the evil king's rule. Tales of his heroics during the final siege quickly spread throughout the land, rallying the people to nominate him as their new king. Oberon, though resistant to the idea at first, eventually accepted the crown and married his childhood sweetheart, Aurelia, soon after.
"Did you know that King Oberon named the Golden Kingdom after his wife?" Hermione asked, pausing to take a bite of one of Zenobia's delicious finger sandwiches before continuing to scan her notes. "Her name was Aurelia, which means 'golden' in one of Earth's languages."
"Hmm, sounds like he's quite the romantic guy," Zenobia said, pouring some more tea into each of their porcelain cups. "He's a widower now, though, isn't he?"
"Yes. Queen Aurelia was killed about three years ago in an assassination plot."
"She was murdered?" Zenobia shuddered. "How awful. I've heard Earthians can be quite violent..."
"Earth's history is filled with war and bloodshed," Hermione admitted, "although it seems things were relatively peaceful for a time after King Oberon took the throne, at least until Prince Endymion was born and it was discovered that he possessed a Sailor Crystal."
Zenobia took a sip of tea and sighed. "I wonder what the Earthian prince is like..."
"You mean, you wonder if he's handsome?" Hermione gently teased, knowing her friend well.
Indeed, Zenobia's cheeks turned a pale shade of pink. "It's not an unreasonable thing to wonder about," she said. "Not that it matters. If Earth joins the alliance, we'll be forbidden from marrying the crown prince."
True enough. Unlike Zenobia, though, Hermione had little interest in such matters. "I haven't been able to discover much at all about Prince Endymion," she said with a slight frown, turning her attention back to her notes. "I believe he was kept sheltered from the public for most of his life in order to ward off kidnapping and assassination attempts. Not even his powers as a Sailor Guardian are known. The only information I managed to find out about him is that he is roughly twenty years old in Earth years, and that he is almost always accompanied by at least one of his personal guard, four young, but decorated, generals in the Terran Army. I assume they will also be joining the king and prince on this trip."
"Oh? Young generals?"
Before Zenobia could ask for more information about the prince's guard, however, Bellona walked over, already transformed as Sailor Mars. Her red heels clacked against the cobblestone walkway.
"There you two are," she said, sounding faintly annoyed – admittedly, not an uncommon occurrence for Bellona. "The Earth delegation is due to arrive at any moment."
"Oh, no, I didn't realize it was already so late!" Hermione said, dabbing her mouth with a napkin as she stood and silently berating herself for not paying attention to the time. She was normally much more punctual.
"Ishtar has already taken Princess Serenity to the teleportation chamber. We're to meet them there." Bellona frowned, taking in their appearances. Hermione and Zenobia were both dressed in elegant silk gowns, as was customary when they were not on active duty. "You two need to transform. The queen requests that we greet the Earthians as Sailor Guardians, rather than royal princesses."
Hermione and Zenobia brought out their wands and called out their magical incantations, the power of their respective planets washing over them. Their dresses faded away behind a fantastic display of light, quickly replaced by their guardian uniforms. Once transformed, they followed Bellona to the transformation chamber.
The transformation chamber was located in a far, out-of-the-way area of the palace grounds, a protective measure should an enemy manage to commandeer control of another planet's teleportation pad and try to infiltrate the Moon Palace. It was always heavily guarded, the three of them bowed to in reverence by the Lunarian soldiers on patrol as they made their way inside.
As Bellona said, Ishtar and Princess Serenity had already arrived, along with Queen Serenity, the all-powerful ruler of Silver Millennium. They bowed respectfully to the queen, then took their places, lined up beside the Venusian princess.
It wasn't long before the teleportation pad in the center of the room came to life, glowing a bright, almost-blinding white. When the light finally disappeared, it revealed the figures of five young men, one member of the delegation conspicuously missing.
If the absence of King Oberon surprised her, the queen did not show it.
"Prince Endymion, thank you for coming," Queen Serenity said once the Earthian prince made his way down the teleportation platform. It was easy to tell who he was, as the other four were garbed in formal military attire in contrast to his royal armor. "We welcome you and your guard to the Moon Palace and hope you will find your visit most satisfactory."
"It is an honor to accept your invitation, Your Majesty." The young prince – Hermione remembered from her notes that he was only a couple of Earth years older than their princess – bowed and kissed the hand Queen Serenity held out to him, as was proper decorum. "My father sends his regrets that he was unable to attend this historic summit due to poor health, but he has given me full authority to act on his behalf."
"King Oberon places much trust in you," the queen said, smiling. "I send my well wishes that your father will recover soon, but in the meantime, I look forward to working with you to come to an agreement that will suit both our kingdoms' needs and wishes."
"As do I, Your Majesty."
Turning gracefully, Queen Serenity motioned for her daughter to come forward. The younger Serenity did not possess the same natural grace of her mother, but years of etiquette training under Princess Bellona's tutelage had done wonders in improving her overall carriage and bearing. Hermione suspected she was the only one who noticed Serenity's slight wobble when she took her place at the queen's side, the uncomfortable glass heels she had been forced to wear a continued hindrance.
"May I present my daughter and heir to the kingdom of Silver Millennium, Princess Serenity?"
Serenity gathered the iridescent skirts of her gown in her hands and dropped to a curtsy in front of the prince. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."
"N-No, the pleasure is mine," Endymion said. He again bowed and kissed her hand, a faint pink blush coloring Serenity's fair cheeks.
"I would also like to introduce you to Princess Serenity's guard," the queen continued. "Their leader, Sailor Venus, Princess Ishtar of Venus."
Ishtar, widely considered the most beautiful and desirable woman in the kingdom, stepped forward, earning admiring glances from every man present. She, however, only seemed to have eyes for the man with snow-white hair, her gaze lingering far longer on his face than any of the others before she curtsied. "Welcome to the kingdom of Silver Millennium," she said. "I hope you enjoy your stay."
Princess Zenobia of Jupiter and Princess Bellona of Mars followed suit as the queen introduced them in turn, leaving Hermione as the final Sailor Guardian to be presented. "And lastly, Princess Hermione of Mercury, Sailor Mercury," Queen Serenity said. "I assure you, there is no greater mind in all Silver Millennium than hers."
"You honor me with your praise, Your Majesty." As the others before her, Hermione stepped forward and curtsied to the gathered Earth delegates, feeling silly doing so in her short uniform. "Welcome. Should you require any assistance during your stay, please do not hesitate to ask. I will do anything I can to help."
As she straightened her posture, Hermione noticed one of Prince Endymion's guard staring at her – a man so handsome that it seemed more appropriate to refer to him as beautiful instead, his delicate facial features and long, reddish-blond hair almost putting even the beauty of Ishtar to shame. Momentarily startled by the attention – it was rare for her to attract much notice when in the company of the other princesses – she blinked twice before regaining her composure, stepping back to join the rest of the guardians.
Afterwards, it was Endymion's turn to present his own guard. The one who had stared at Hermione earlier was the last to be introduced, coming forward and bowing gallantly at the waist as the prince said, "And, finally, General Zacharias Zoisite, commander of the European troops."
"At your service," Zoisite said.
He again locked eyes with Hermione as he rose, staring at her for a long moment before rejoining the other generals.
Hermione brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, uncharacteristically flustered. She didn't understand his apparent fascination with her.
So distracted by Zoisite's behavior, Hermione only caught the end of Queen Serenity's invitation to the delegation from Earth to attend the welcome ball being held in their honor.
"— tonight in the ballroom," the queen said, arms outstretched. "Until then, please feel free to rest. Teleportation is a quick mode of travel, but I know it can leave one feeling exhausted, especially if you are unaccustomed to it."
Endymion bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty. We appreciate it."
With that, the queen ordered the few chosen trustworthy servants to show their guests to their bedchambers, everyone else dismissed.
One thing could be said about the ruler of Silver Millennium – she threw one hell of a welcome party.
From his spot leaning against a marble pillar, Zoisite sipped wine from a crystal goblet, his eyes taking in the scene before him. Masked dancers in elaborate costumes swept across the ballroom, and a small orchestra played music he had never heard before, beautiful melodies filling the air. Everyone was smiling and laughing, appearing to be in high spirits. Even Prince Endymion was putting on a show of enjoying himself, dancing with the crown princess of Silver Millennium as if he hadn't a care in the world.
Zoisite frowned as he watched Endymion spin Serenity around, catching her in his arms when she stumbled out of it. He understood how important the alliance was to the Golden Kingdom, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that coming to the Moon was a mistake. If anything happened to King Oberon while they were gone, Endymion would never forgive himself.
He glanced over at Queen Serenity, sitting upon her crystalline throne on the dais at the far end of the ballroom. With her beatific smile and pure white dress accented with delicate iridescent wings upon her back, she appeared more an angel than a cold-blooded murderess, but looks could certainly be deceiving.
"Why aren't you dancing?" Kunzite asked, coming up beside him. "It's a party. Normally, you would be mingling with the other guests, flirting and charming your way into somebody's bed." On occasion, that bed happened to be Kunzite's.
Zoisite shrugged, taking another sip of his wine. "Not much in the mood tonight," he said. "Although, if you're offering..."
"Lord Kunzite, there you are."
Zoisite withdrew the hand he had been about to use to rub Kunzite's arm, turning his attention to the woman who had joined them. Of all the elaborate and flamboyant costumes on display, Princess Ishtar's gown was by far the most scandalous, made mostly of a shimmering sheer fabric. Only strategic patches of gold-threaded embroidery managed to keep her modesty intact. A sequined red mask covered the top half of her face, matching the bow tied to the end of her blonde braid, and she wore stacks of gold necklaces and bangle bracelets around her neck and wrists.
"Good evening, Your Highness," Zoisite said, bowing to the Venusian princess. "That costume becomes you."
Ishtar smiled, linking her arm through Kunzite's. "Thank you, Lord...Zoisite, I believe? Khalil has told me so much about you," she said.
Khalil? Zoisite arched an eyebrow. They were already on close enough terms for her to feel comfortable using Kunzite's personal name?
Kunzite brought a fist to his mouth, lightly clearing his throat. "Did you finish your business with the ambassador, Your Highness?" he asked Ishtar.
"Yes, it was only a minor issue. I believe everything is settled now." She pressed herself against his arm, looking up at Kunzite with a coquettish smile. "Another dance, my lord?"
"As you wish. Just one moment."
Gently releasing himself from Ishtar's grasp, he turned to Zoisite and moved close enough that his mouth was right next to Zoisite's ear. "Try to enjoy yourself at least a little, or pretend if you must," he whispered. "This masquerade is being held in our honor. We mustn't seem ungrateful."
Zoisite sighed. "Fine. I'll try."
"Good. And I am offering, if you're interested."
Surprised, Zoisite glanced over Kunzite's shoulder at Ishtar. "Wouldn't you rather spend the night with her?"
"I think you need me more tonight."
"You think highly of yourself," he said, although Kunzite wasn't necessarily wrong. It had been a while... He sighed. "Midnight. My room."
"I'll be there." Turning back around, Kunzite offered his arm to Ishtar. "I believe I owe you a dance, Your Highness?"
"Indeed, you do."
Zoisite watched the two of them until they disappeared into the throng of whirling dancers, then began circulating around the ballroom, chatting with some of the other guests. On the outside, he was his usual witty and charming self, keeping Kunzite's advice in mind, but he paid close attention whenever he heard the Golden Kingdom mentioned in conversation, judging if anyone seemed displeased by the notion of Earth joining the alliance. Even if Queen Serenity was innocent of any assassination plot against King Oberon, the possibility remained that one of the other planets might have had something to do with it.
He also kept a watchful eye on Endymion. Technically, Jadeite was the guard on duty, but he seemed more interested in flirting with a thoroughly unimpressed Princess Bellona than doing his job. Zoisite might have felt sorrier for him if the Martian princess's chastity wasn't so well-known, even to those on Earth.
"Hey, I think it's clear by now she's not interested, Jadeite," Zoisite said, pulling him aside at one point. "Why don't you stop making a fool of yourself and pay a little more attention to the prince?"
Jadeite arched an eyebrow. "You're one to talk," he said. "You're the one who's always shirking your duties whenever you think you can get away with it. Besides, it's a party. Do you seriously expect there to be an assassination attempt in front of this many witnesses?"
It was unlikely, true, but with most of the guests' faces hidden behind masks, it would also be easier to obscure their identity if someone did try to take out Prince Endymion. They couldn't be too careful. "Just...do your job."
"Fine." Jadeite sighed. "It looks like I've lost my chance, anyway."
Bellona had taken the opportunity while they were talking to join Nephrite and Zenobia over by the refreshment table, the three of them chatting amicably as they snacked on Lunarian delicacies. Dejected, Jadeite hung his head, Zoisite squeezing his shoulder in comfort.
"Better luck next time, okay?"
Leaving Jadeite behind, Zoisite continued his rounds of the ballroom, though he wasn't having much luck in coming across any useful information. By all accounts, everyone seemed pleased with the idea of Earth potentially joining Silver Millennium.
What he needed was somebody closer to the queen, someone who was a part of her inner circle, not the minor nobles and ambassadors he had mostly spoken to thus far, who only parroted what they had been told.
He briefly thought of seducing Ishtar for intel, but he sensed her seduction skills were on par with his own. He doubted he would be able to pull anything over on her. Bellona was out, for obvious reasons. Perhaps Zenobia would do? An ambassador from one of Jupiter's moons had mentioned she was an expert when it came to interplanetary plant life, information that could prove helpful in identifying what made King Oberon so ill. She wasn't really his usual type, to be honest, but he supposed she was pretty enough.
Zoisite started to make his way over to the refreshment table to join Zenobia's group when he saw a woman in blue out of the corner of his eye. She wore a gorgeous gown reminiscent of waves, the satiny fabric hugging her soft curves until hitting her mid-thigh, where it then fanned out into tiers of various blue tones. Though her face was hidden behind a sparkly sapphire-and-pearl-encrusted mask, the distinctive hue of her hair gave her identity away.
Princess Hermione of Mercury.
He thought she had skipped out on the party. Zoisite had briefly searched for her when he first arrived at the masquerade, but there had been no sign of her anywhere, disappointing him. Though they had only met briefly, something about the Mercurian princess had intrigued him from the moment he first laid eyes on her.
The same feeling returned, even stronger than before. He involuntarily sucked in a breath, staring at her from afar. She was standing off by herself, watching everybody else dance with a soft smile on her lips. Zoisite suspected, like Jadeite, she was the one on guard duty for the night, tasked with keeping an eye on Princess , her gaze soon found his, Hermione smiling and nodding in acknowledgement before tucking a strand of her blue hair behind her ear.
As a waiter passed him by, Zoisite plucked another goblet of wine from his tray and walked over to her, changing his mind about Zenobia. Hermione seemed a more promising mark. Not only was she considered a genius, an expert in a variety of subjects, including the medical field, Queen Serenity obviously thought very highly of her, considering the glowing introduction she had given Hermione.
The fact that he found her incredibly attractive didn't hurt either...
"Good evening, Princess Hermione," he said upon approaching her, bowing his head in deference to her title. "Care for a drink?"
"Oh...thank you, Lord Zoisite." She graciously took the goblet he offered her, Zoisite impressed – and pleased – that she had recognized him behind his own green and gold harlequin-print mask. "I was just thinking my throat was getting a little parched," she said. "How are you enjoying the party so far?"
"Queen Serenity has certainly done her best to make us feel welcome," he said, choosing the most diplomatic answer. "This may be the grandest masquerade I've ever attended."
"Her Majesty wanted tonight to be a celebration. We've all been greatly looking forward to the day when Earth would be invited to join Silver Millennium."
"To new alliances, then." Zoisite held out his goblet for a toast. "May the Golden Kingdom and Silver Millennium prosper for many years to come."
Hermione smiled, clinking her goblet against his and reciting what he recognized from his linguistic lessons as a young boy was a Curian toast before taking a sip. "The people of Earth must be excited about the possible alliance."
He shrugged, taking a sip of his own drink before replying. "It depends on who you ask. Most are. Some aren't."
"Oh?" Her eyes widened in slight surprise. "Is that so?"
"We are an individualistic people. As such, it's only natural that we will have differing opinions on most things," he said. "I'm certain it must be the same for you Lunarians. After all, you are not of a hive mind, to my knowledge. There must be some who have expressed displeasure or have some reservations about Earth joining Silver Millennium."
Hermione didn't answer right away, most likely carefully considering her choice of words. "Well, yes, I suppose there have been some minor concerns mentioned here and there," she said, twirling the stem of her goblet between her fingers, "but nothing of huge importance. Overall, I would say public opinion is quite positive."
"That's good to hear," he said, wondering how far he could push things before Hermione became too wary of his motives. Surely she would expect at least a follow-up question after saying something like that? Dropping the subject could be just as suspicious as a full interrogation. "Out of curiosity, though... What kind of 'minor concerns' are there?"
Laughing, she again tucked a strand of her blue hair behind her ear. "Oh, it's really rather silly. Like I said, it's nothing important."
"If it's nothing important, then there's no harm in confiding in me, right?" He moved a little closer to her – near enough to invite the spilling of secrets, yet keeping a respectable distance as not to make her uncomfortable. "This will be Prince Endymion's first time sitting in on a negotiation without his father's presence to guide him. It would be nice if he knew of any possible issues beforehand in order to prepare himself."
"Well... It's about your prince, actually," she admitted, lowering her voice. "It's...surprising that he's male."
"Most princes are, in my experience," Zoisite lightly teased.
Though Hermione's face was half-covered by her mask, he detected a faint blush peeking through, coloring the apples of her cheeks. "I meant to say, it is surprising that a man is a carrier of a Sailor Crystal," she corrected herself.
"Is that a cause of some controversy?" Zoisite was aware that some Earthians doubted the legitimacy of the Golden Crystal as a true Sailor Crystal. Prominent belief was that only females could possess such powerful starseeds, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if some Lunarians had suspicions along the same lines.
She took a moment to consider his question, sipping her wine. "I wouldn't say 'controversial', as such. More like, it's a curiosity? As far as anyone is aware, there has never been a male Sailor Guardian before. People are naturally interested."
He arched an eyebrow. "Including yourself?"
"Yes, of course. I look forward to training and working with him in the future."
Zoisite hummed, finishing off his drink. The fact that Endymion's sex drew so much interest from the Lunarians was slightly intriguing, but didn't provide much of a motive as to why one of them might want to murder King Oberon. It made more sense to target Endymion himself if someone had a problem with the idea of a male Sailor Guardian. Still, he mentally made note of everything Hermione had told him in the event it turned out to be of some relevance after all.
Not wanting to arouse Hermione's suspicions any further, Zoisite decided it best to put off more questioning until later. He took her half-drunk goblet, setting both hers and his empty one on a nearby table, and extended his hand to her, palm side up, his other arm behind his back. "May I have this dance, Your Highness?"
Hermione stared down at his offered hand for a long moment before smiling and placing her palm against his. "Yes, of course, my lord."
Her skin was not as smooth as he would customarily expect of a noblewoman, her slender fingers baring the tell-tale callouses of a writer – or a devoted student, perhaps. Zoisite grasped her hand more firmly and drew her closer toward him, placing his other hand against the small of her back.
The orchestra began playing a new composition as they began to dance.
Zoisite's earlier observations had proved fruitful in one area, at least: he'd gotten the basics of Lunarian dancing down. Hermione followed his lead, smooth and light on her feet, like a fairy frolicking on air, and for the first time that night, he began to genuinely enjoy himself, forgetting for the moment about his worries and concerns.
This is more the life I should have led, Zoisite found himself thinking. He was not cut out for life on the battlefield, covered in dirt and blood, haunted by death...
"You are an excellent dancer, my lord," Hermione said, breaking Zoisite away from his melancholic thoughts. "I'm impressed you picked up on the steps so quickly."
Zoisite smiled, switching back to his seducer mode. "It's easy to dance well when you have a beautiful woman in your arms," he said, pulling her even closer against his body.
Hermione blushed, yet she made no attempt to push him away despite the fact they were dancing far closer than the other couples around them. "Why do I have the feeling you've said those words many times before?" she asked.
"Even if I have, that doesn't make them any less true." Mirroring the other couples around them, he released her into a spin, her multi-toned blue skirt fluttering around her calves before he pulled her back into hold. "Speaking of beautiful," he continued, "the Moon Palace is as magnificent as rumor claimed. I've heard the palace library, in particular, is very impressive. I must admit, it was one of the things I was most looking forward to seeing when it was announced we were visiting the Moon for this summit. Is it open to visitors?"
Hermione's eyes lit up behind her mask at the mention of the library. "Yes, the main library is open to the public, although certain archives have restricted access," she said. "Are you a bibliophile?"
"You could say that, yes." He sighed. "Not that I have much time to read nowadays..." When he was younger, he used to spend hours at the library, reading every book he could get his hands on. Now, it was a bloody sword he most often found in his hand, continuing the Zoisite family legacy.
"I know what you mean. I wish I had more time for reading myself," she said. "If you'd like, I would be happy to give you a tour of the library tomorrow morning."
"That would be wonderful, if it's not too much of an imposition." If he was able to get access to the library, he might be able to do some research and find some clues about King Oberon's condition.
"N-No, not at all. My morning is free until ten, when I begin my daily lessons with Princess Serenity. Shall I meet you after breakfast?"
"Yes, thank you, that would be great. I appreciate the offer, Your Highness."
By that time, the music came to an end. A part of him was reluctant to stop, but Hermione pulled away, glancing at someone or something over his shoulder. "Thank you for the dance, Lord Zoisite," she said, "but I'm afraid I must be going. It's time for the princess to retire to her bedchambers for the night. The queen does not like for her to stay up too late."
"Of course, I understand." He had hoped to have a little more time with her, but at least he had procured the invitation to the library. That was enough for the moment. Bowing, he brought the hand he still held to his mouth, eyes locked on hers as he brushed his lips against the back of her palm. "It was a pleasure. Until we meet again, Your Highness."
Smiling, she dipped into a small curtsy. "Yes, I look forward to it, Lord Zoisite. Good night."
DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" doesn't belong to me.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed the start of the story! This fic was written for the Senshi x Shitennou Mini Bang 2020 and will feature a piece of beautiful artwork from the talented Rae/covenmouse, to be revealed in Chapter Six, which you'll be able to see on the AO3 version of the fic. Chapter Two will be posted tomorrow!
Thank you to my fantastic beta, Kanadka, and also to Charlie and Nelwyn, who helped me out a lot with this chapter in particular when I was freaking out about how terrible it was and wanted to drop the story altogether. I really appreciate it!