chapter 3- ransom
She awoke. Her eyes opened slowly and the light was almost as painful as the throbbing in the back of her head. From the overhead lights and stark white scenery she might have guessed that she was in sick bay on one of the Moon Kingdom's royal cruisers, but she had been traveling by shuttle for the short trip to the Earth.
"Ah you're awake," a voice said. An unfamiliar female face hovered over her.
"Ye-yes," Minako replied slowly. She sat up cautiously and her mind swam in search any recollection of what had happened. "Where-"
"Are you?" the woman finished her question. "In the Central Kingdom of Earth. The capital city, Rias. Your ship crashed not far from here. You took quite a blow to the head and have been out cold ever since we found you."
She had to admit the last thing she remembered was the ship losing control. She'd dived under something, a counter? A bed? She couldn't recall what. Nor could she recall anything after. "My friends?" she asked. They were nowhere in sight.
"On their way to the great hall to dine with his majesty," the woman said. She was middle-aged, probably close in age to Queen Serenity, though unlike the queen, she showed it. Pleasantly she ambled away from Minako and returned moments later carrying a deep purple gown, constructed of the heaviest fabric the princess of Venus had ever seen. "You're to join them, if you feel you can."
"My head hurts," Minako said.
"Well, I'll give you something for the pain and be on your way."
She helped Minako into the gown, lacing the bodice securely up her back and straightening out the mass of skirts. She surveyed her thoroughly, commenting that the dress just didn't seem quite right without petticoats, but it would have to do. She then lead her through a series of narrow torch-lit hallways that seemed to have come from a different world than the decidedly modern infirmary, pausing every so often to make sure her charge was keeping up with her and still on her feet. As they walked, Minako heard the faint sound of voices engaged in conversation becoming clearer and clearer. Just as she caught glimpse of what must be the door to the great hall, for it was partially ajar and she could just make out the shapes of people seated at a long table, the serving woman stopped short.
"Now careful what you eat at dinner. You may be starving after not eating all these hours, but there's no telling if you'll be able to keep much down. Try drinking a little first."
"I will," Minako said obediently. She made her way to the open door and entered regally, hoping the pills the woman had given her would soon quell her still raging headache
It was a curious site indeed. It was in some ways like dining in the Moon Kingdom, with who, Minako assumed, must be all of the court gathered in the great hall at several tables, eating their fill. But in the Lunar Palace, everyone had individual chairs, silver flatware and crystal wine glasses, and every course was served individually. Here it seemed a free for all, with everyone at the lower tables seated on wooden benches, grabbing at anything and everything they wanted, drinking out of rudimentary steel mugs.
Only the people seated at the table on the dais at the front of the hall were privileged enough to each have their own chair at the table and it was there that she spotted her comrades. They were all in gowns that looked as heavy and impractical as the one she wore. She made her way towards them, catching a glimpse of Rei's relieved expression as she approached.
"Minako," Rei breathed, smiling at her friend. "You're well." Minako could sense the Martian princess fighting the impulse to rush and embrace her leader, but neither girl was about to give up refined courtly appearances.
"Yes," Minako agreed, though the pain in her head was still enough to make her nauseous. "To whom do I my thanks for the hospitality I have been shown in my injured state?"
"It was nothing lady," the tall, silver haired man seated at the center of the table said. "Really, there is no need for any thanks."
"Your majesty, I presume," Minako began, curtseying. "I thank you for the kindness you have shown to me and to my comrades."
"Not at all," the king said, rising, "for it was my own comrades who rescued you and yours from your peril in the forest." He indicated the empty seat beside him. "Do sit and join us. Allow your friends to enlighten you on what has transpired since you lost consciousness."
She graciously accepted the seat beside the king and, amidst pauses for forkfuls of food and sips of wine and water, listened as her comrades, assisted every so often by one of the other young gentleman seated at the table, explained everything that had happened over the last six or so hours. Minako could hardly imagine what must have gone through her friends' heads as they faced the alien creature in the woods, nor could she even begin to picture it, despite their most gruesomely detailed descriptions.
"Truly, they are harmless, so long as you don't disturb their habitat," the king, whom Minako had discovered was called Kunzite, said. "Unfortunately during the early stages of colonization we had no choice but to cut down some of their trees to clear way for the cities and for materials to build them. But this was all long before our time. Now we are mostly able to avoid them."
"It all sounds fascinating," Minako said, though she was not sure she meant it. She couldn't tell if it was just the wine, but she found herself very attracted to the broad shouldered, silver-haired man seated to her left. If he'd suggested the creatures were boring and not worth talking about, she would have agreed.
"If you like," he said, looking her squarely in the eyes, "I could show you the bestiary. We've kept a record of every type of dinosaur we've encountered thus far and recorded all the data on them that we can gather. Perhaps tomorrow?"
She hesitated and could feel herself blushing fiercely. "Why, yes," she finally replied, silently rejoicing in the thought of spending more time with the king.
"Oh it's a boring book really," Nephrite, the man with dark auburn hair seated on Minako's right declared. "Much more interesting to see them up-close and personal."
"Do you not keep electronic records?" Ami, ever the scientist, asked.
"We save our electronic resources for medicinal purposes." It was the blonde called Zoisite, clearly the youngest of the four men at the king's table who spoke.
"So you're technology is limited then?" Ami continued to pry.
"Well, yes, in a sense," Zoisite said. "That is to say, it could be. We are very conservative with it, in the case that it should become less available. We do have a central computer system, linked to the Golden Kingdom. Technicians there receive our paper records and enter them into the electronic database there. It is accessible from the central computer in each of the four surface kingdoms, but we must request access and synchronize with the Golden Kingdom's mainframe."
"So basically you're saying that the Golden Kingdom hordes all of the technology for itself?" Makoto asked brashly.
"Mako!" Ami scolded.
Minako laughed. How like Mako to say what the rest of us are clearly thinking. The wine was going straight to her head, which was quite a relief actually, as it was successfully curing her headache. But she was starting to feel a little loose-lipped herself.
"Your majesty," she said, "may I be blunt? Can we go to the Golden Kingdom? It sounds to me like that is the only place on Earth where we could ever dream of getting our ship fixed and returning to the Moon. Unless you're going to fix it all up with stone tools and torch fire up here." She wished she was flirting, but even slightly intoxicated duty still came first.
"In such a hurry to leave are you?" Kunzite asked, once again locking eyes with her. He laughed and her heart somersaulted at the pleasant ring of it. "Of course you shall go to the Golden Kingdom. I suspect his majesty King Aethilus shall be glad to see his cousin." He indicated the still somewhat battered looking Rei. "It is my understanding that you wished to go there even before your ship rather ungracefully landed."
"Well yes," Minako agreed, though she suddenly couldn't remember why. Everything seemed to be hazy. Maybe the blow to her head had affected her more than she originally thought.
"We are on summer progress," Kunzite declared. "We were all en route to the Golden Kingdom anyway. We are due to leave tomorrow."
"Summer progress?" one of the girls asked, but Minako could not make out who. Ami maybe?
"Yes," one of the men said. "It is when we all leave our duties at the Golden Kingdom for the summer months and spend weeks in our own kingdoms. The King and Prince spend a short time with each of us. And in the end of summer we all convene here and return to the Golden Kingdom."
"Th-this is summer?" an appalled voice exclaimed, and Minako was sure it was Makoto.
"Yes. The Earth is getting colder every year."
"Hah."
"Y-you're all kings then? Of your own…places…on Earth?"
"Princes. Only Kunzite had inherited his throne."
"Oh."
"H-how…lovely."
Minako could no longer see straight. She closed her eyes and all was black again.
. . .
She awoke fearing the worst, that the blow to head her head had done serious damage and she would never be able to remain conscious for more than a few hours. Or maybe the painkillers she took had a bad reaction with the alcohol. Maybe she'd caused more damage by mixing the two. But then she noticed that she was not lying on a bed in the infirmary. Indeed, she was not on a bed at all, but rather a floor, as she guessed from the cool, firm pressure against her cheek.
Have I only just fainted? she wondered.
She opened her eyes to see a line of flat, cold stone stretched out below her cheek. The line was interrupted however by another human form lying in a heap of skirts and billowing sleeves. It was Makoto. Minako jerked upright and looked around to find Rei, lying practically on top of her and Ami not far off.
What's going on? she wondered, uneasily surveying her surroundings. They were in a dim, dingy little room, lit only by torchlight. There was a tiny crack of a window right where the back wall met the ceiling, and through it Minako could see the hint of starlight in the night sky. It was the front wall of the place that unnerved her, for it was no wall at all. It was a row of narrow, close set, metal bars.
"Hello?" Minako called, trying hard to keep her rising panic out of her tone. When no one answered, she cried out again, "Hello?"
Rei stirred beside her and Minako grasped her shoulder and shook her insistently to wake her. "Rei, Rei wake up!" she cried.
"Wha…what's happened?" Rei asked groggily. She sat up slowly and took in her surroundings. "Where are we?"
"Imprisoned obviously," Minako replied curtly.
"I can see that," Rei agreed. "But where? And by whom?"
"I don't know," Minako admitted. She hung her head despairingly. "All I remember is being at dinner, and suddenly everything started going fuzzy."
"The same as me," Rei agreed, her tone more perplexed than distressed. "I just thought I was getting a little drunk."
"Me too," Minako said. Suddenly cold, she drew her knees into her chest and hugged them close to her. She had only one thought. "You don't think…"
"That we were drugged and taken prisoner?" Rei asked, voicing her friend's unspoken fear. "No. I mean we couldn't have. I know things have not been so cordial between the Earth and Moon in the past, but we have not had direct contact with them in nearly sixteen years. They've no reason to call us enemy. And I am the king's cousin! Surely he must not think that my father or his descendants have no love for their family."
Minako wasn't so sure and was not about to pretend that Rei's words had assuaged her fear.
The sound of footsteps clanging faintly against stone drew her attention to the hint of hallway she could see through the prison bars. The sound grew louder and louder, and the stark scenery became more evident thanks to, Minako realized, a burning torchlight that cast a faint orange glow on the barren, goldish hued stones. In expectant horror she found herself confronted by four familiar, regal faces, no longer so jovial and welcoming as they had been at dinner.
"So you're awake," Jadeite, the older of the two blondes remarked.
"Some powers of observation," Rei said. She had probably meant it to be a spiteful retort, but her tone conveyed only shock.
"Confused Mars?" Nephrite asked jeeringly.
"I'm-" she began.
"King Aethilus's cousin," Jadeite said, finishing her sentence. "Yes, we know."
"But I don't understand," Rei persisted.
"I'm not so sure about that Sailor Mars," Zoisite said.
"What do you mean?" Minako demanded. "Are you suggesting that we've done something that would give you some reason to kidnap us?"
"Perhaps," Kunzite replied.
"Wha- what's going on?" a groggy female voice asked. It was Ami, half-way between lying down and sitting up, propped up on her elbows, blue eyes squinting at the torchlight.
"I'm afraid you've been taken prisoner Sailor Mercury," Kunzite said gently. Minako thought he sounded almost soothing, as if he were someone not responsible for their imprisonment but rather a friend, genuinely disappointed at their situation.
"For what reason?" she asked, now much more alert.
"Why indeed. What do you think?" Nephrite asked.
"We already told you, we have no idea!" Minako cried. "So why don't you jut tell us and get on with it."
Kunzite laughed softly. It was that same laugh Minako had liked so much at dinner, that closed-lipped amused laugh; it now mocked her. "Impatient, aren't we Minako?"
He locked eyes with her again and beneath her growing rage she still felt somehow entranced by his gaze. "Yes," she said finally, looking away. "What is it that you want of us?" She hated that she could not look back to him as she asked it.
"Want? From you?" he asked. "Nothing in particular."
"Then what's going on?" Rei demanded, finding a shred of her usual feistiness.
"Your cousin, our Lord, the Crown Prince of Earth has gone missing," Kunzite replied sternly.
"Endymion? Missing?" Rei asked incredulously. "When?"
"Just yesterday," the silver haired king answered. "We heard the news of it several hours before we discovered you all lost in the forest."
Without thinking Minako said, "You can't possibly think that we've anything to do with it."
"Perhaps not directly," Kunzite said coolly. "But I'll be damned if your arrival isn't somehow related to this."
"You don't understand," Minako protested. "We've come to offer our aid in furthering the colonization of the Earth! We were to attempt to establish open communications between the Earth and Moon Kingdoms!"
"Oh naïve little Moon creatures," Nephrite mused. "Always so eager to trust the intentions of their beloved rulers. How do you that you have not merely been sent as a distraction? Or as pawns in the Moon Kingdom's plan to conquer the Earth?"
Makoto had groggily come to her senses not long after Ami and, now very much awake exclaimed. "We are guardians of the Princess! There are none, save her very closest advisors, closer in the Queen's confidence than we! We protect her daughter, her only heir!"
"And I suppose that's why she sent just the four of you and not her real diplomats who are hired and trained for this type of work?" Nephrite retorted.
"We represent the four planets in closest proximity to Moon who show her their allegiance," Minako said coolly. "Do not forget that we are more than servants of the Princess, we too are princesses of our own planets and is diplomacy not a component of courtly upbringing?"
Kunzite smirked. "A very major one," he mused. "And don't worry princess. We have not forgotten your very exalted status. Indeed, it makes you all the more valuable to us. For you see, if the Moon Kingdom is waging a war against Earth, we may be able to persuade your father kingdoms to join us in exchange for your freedom."
Minako was speechless. How could I be so careless? I should not have accepted their hospitality so openly. I have left both my Princess and my own kingdom vulnerable.
"But you don't even know if the Moon does have designs upon the Earth," Ami protested weakly.
"Exactly," Kunzite agreed. "So we shall hold you captive until we discover what has become of Prince Endymion and use you to bribe Queen Serenity into revealing whether or not the Moon Kingdom has anything to do with it.
Now get some rest. We've a long journey to make tomorrow and none of you are any use to us if you're sick and feeble," he commanded.
"What do you mean?" Rei asked. "Where are you taking us?"
"To the Golden Kingdom, naturally," Kunzite replied. "We are on summer progress after all, and what safer place to stash our most valuable commodity than within the walls of the most impenetrable fortress on the Earth?"
Notes:
-Yes, "Rias" is a city in the SNES game Sailor Moon: Another Story. And it is a city of all men and I KNOW there are women in my Rias. Just wait.
-I obviously meant the the late CRETACEOUS era in the notes of the last chapter. I realized I don't think I've ever spelled the word and I have been pronouncing it wrong all along. I seem to fancy that there was era where the world was populated by shellfish XD