Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine.
Author's Note: For once, I am note-less. Read and review.
Chapter 3: Attractions
Appalling. Rei thought looking out of the corner of her eye at Jadeite. She was frustrated with how sudden the attraction hit her, and she could tell he felt the same. She telepathed her need to escape the room to her princess and receiving permission to leave, quickly stood up, curtsied and walked calmly out of the room. She waved to Lita as she passed and when she was around the corner, she picked up her skirt and ran down the hall, through the Great Hall and out to the terrace. She found her favorite bench and huddled on it.
Irritating. Jadeite glared at Rei through his blond bangs, his azure eyes staring into her amethyst eyes. This attraction was unexpected, making him unable to be the usual jokester he was. He tried to return his attention to the meeting at hand, listening to the Prince tease the Moon Princess about her unusual hairstyle, and he rolled his eyes. Prince Endymion was usually smoother with ladies. This one must have hit him in the gut with her moonlit glowing beauty. He felt calmer as long as he focused on his Prince but noticed Rei leaving the room. He stood to follow, but met Kunzite's glare and silent order and sat back down.
Serena was having the same thoughts about Endymion, but unlike her friend, she could not simply get up and leave. She was the princes. She had to build her strength against him and his insults. His insinuating looks were bad enough, but his smirks were enough to make her grind her back teeth together in annoyance. He was devious. And attractive. Deviously attractive.
She suppressed a growl, and glanced back through the contractual notes. She passed them to Ami, who glanced through them as well, and Ami let everyone know when the contracts would be ready to sign, witnessed, and when the Friendship Ball would be.
With the meeting over, Serena stood to go, and when she stood, the men stood. She walked out of the room and as they watched her go, Enydmion made the move to follow her. Kunzite grabbed his arm and shook his head, tilting his head to indicate Ami, watching with wide eyes.
Ami blinked her blue eyes, and said, "Is there anything you would like me to include in the contract?"
"Is this alliance contract standard? Can I add a condition? One that would affect the people of most planets?"
"What would be the condition?"
"I want to court the princess, but somehow, I do not think that Serena would accept my suit."
Kunzite and Jadeite started in surprised. The prince had never been like this. Every woman thrust in front of the prince had been quickly turned away, even the ones with great beauty, wealth, and political power. Never had he even suggested he was ready for a courtship. And now, their ruler wanted to court the moon princess, a ruler in her own right who had her own kingdom to rule, and protect…. Kunzite and Jadeite opened their mouths to speak and were instantly silenced with a look from their prince.
Ami started shaking her head as soon as he finished speaking, and she said, "No, the queen promised her years ago that she would choose her suitors, and when it came to marry, her husband. She is not to be a part of any alliance contract or business deal. Serena wants to marry for love and her mother has promised her she could."
"How do I make her fall in love with me?" Endymion asked, his voice falling to a whisper. He shook his head, standing up, bowing to Ami, and leaving her with his protectorates who were speechless, but not motionless, following in his wake.
Ami sat still, starring at the documents and notes in front of her. She huffed, and quickly gathered the papers into a stack. She looked at her communicator, asking the small computer on her wrist, "Where is Princess Serena?" The computer beeped and showed a hologram of the young woman once more disguised as a commoner, walking in the villages down below. Ami sighed, and walked out of the meeting room, heading out towards the library. Queen Serenity had allowed Ami to use the library as her office, and it was also her sanctuary. The floor to ceiling bookshelves, spanning most of the four walls, soothed her. There were sofas, chaises, and chairs to relax in, but her favorite spot was the window seat overlooking the moon's gardens. She had created a workspace within that nook, and she was looking forward to completing the latest of the Silver Alliance contracts.
She stepped into the library and was strolling to that window seat when she noticed a shadow eclipsing what was usually the brightest part of the day. She gasped. It was the fourth Protectorate. Zoicite.
Zoicite looked up at the sound of the door opening and spied Ami walking into the library. He heard her gasp as she spotted him in the window seat and he straightened his glasses and set down the book he was reading. He stood up and bowed, as his mother and the court had trained him to do and he watched Ami curtsy.
"What are you reading, my lord Protectorate?"
"History of the Moon Kingdom, Your Highness," he said, "I wanted to know more about the monarchy of the Moon Kingdom, and the work force on the moon."
"Oh. I came in to finish the contracts. You can stay and finish reading, my lord.."
He smiled and leaned back into the window seat, "Thank you, Your Highness."
"Please, call me Ami. On the moon, we don't use formalities often among us guardians."
"Then you must call me by my name as well. Endymion rarely uses formalities himself."
Ami shared a smile with Zoicite, and agreed, then said, "Please, enjoy your book."
The silence in the library fell to comfortable proportions, with the occasional scritch- scritch from a pen writing across parchment, and Ami could hear the page flip from across the room every minute or so.
Ami glanced up at the remaining natural light faded, and took note of the time, "It's almost time for dinner, Zoicite. Would you like to escort me to the table?"
"Yes," Zoicite said, "although, I should be asking you to show me the way, since I've only been in the dining room once."
Ami smiled kindly, and said, "I'll rephrase. Shall I show you the way to the dining room from this room?"
He offered his arm for her, and she led him out of the library.
Author's Note: I'm having a little bit of writer's block on this one. Going to try to write more, but for now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Read, review, follow, favorite. Thanks.