Chapter Thirteen

That night was the longest night Venus felt she had ever experienced. She wanted to get to Earth and start uncovering the details of this threat. And see him. She had tried to convince herself that this rush to get there was solely to keep the peace and do her duty, but she knew deep down that her rush to get back was her desire to see that man. Now that they'd spoken about the disaster that would have been their first date, she wanted to be around him.

When dawn broke, she met with the soldiers she had gathered in a open meadow just behind the palace where they had often trained. The dew still clung the tall grass and felt cold against her bare legs. They all stared intently at her, wondering what their Princess had called upon them to do. This part was not hard for her. This, she did well. Her tone was unfaltering, and she stood tall in front of the armor clad men before her.

"Venesians, my brothers, the time has come for you to offer your strength and wisdom in aide of the Earth against an unknown enemy." There was some slight whispering. "I know that this may come as a shock. We all thought it was not a serious matter. But evidence proves that to be wrong. We are going to go, and do what we do best. So," she paused to look over the entire group, "I have selected you, the best of the best, to come to my aide. For I can not do this alone. Are you with me?" She said it again, louder. "Are you with me?!" The men roared and Venus nodded. "Alright then. Let us be off."

For the matter of transporting her men, Selene had altered her barrier to allow travel from the Earth to its sister planet. So in one giant, brilliant flash, Venus transported the whole battalion to Earth. They arrived outside a stone palace in the middle of a desert. Outside the walls of the structure and the surrounding city, there was blistering hot sand for miles. Inside, was a small oasis. Pools of the clearest water, palm trees and other exotic plants, luxurious draperies hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't long before they were greeted by a pair of messengers. They informed Venus that she and her troops would need to walk to the back of the palace to meet with Lord Kunzite's strategists.

The building did not look like it had been that big, but once they began to walk around, it seemed to grow ten fold. She led her troops around to the back, as directed, and delivered them to a man wearing a turban and long robe, who seemed shocked that she had arrived with them.

"M'lady," the man said somewhat nervously as he bowed.

Venus nodded her head and asked the man to show her to who was in charge. She motioned for a smaller group of her soldiers to follow her, and they met with Kunzite's strategists while the rest were shown to their temporary quarters. It wasn't long before servants came to escort her to her room, or offer her refreshments, or any other silly thing that most dignitaries would gladly and graciously accept. Venus, however, really did not care for the formalities at this point. She was here as a warrior, not as royalty, and wanted to take care of the matter at hand directly, and not through word of messengers. After the fourth interrupted her, she asked them not to come back for a few hours, which seemed to confuse the poor boy quite a bit.

The group talked for hours. They were shown maps and other data. Venus soon realized that this was a bit more of an issue than she had been originally told.

"We're going to have to go through this entire region," she stated while pointing at a map. "It's-" she was cut off by someone, a servant she assumed, clearing their throat behind her. She sighed. "Honestly-"

"I didn't send them to annoy. But, honestly, you should come now. There is no reason for you, the heir of Venus, to be down here any longer."

Venus smirked, even though her heart was racing. "If you say so." She handed a stack of papers to the man next to her, mentioned something how she'd be back to discuss the situation later, and joined Kunzite at the doorway.

The two walked through the rear of the palace into the main structure. "I was going to send that poor lad back to get you, but I realized that you'd probably usher him away again." He chuckled. "Why is it that you'd rather be down there? They will be fine without you."

"I did not come here with the intention of abandoning them so I could could sit and drink wine all day. Sorry if that causes confusion."

"Ah, I see. Sorry if I have offended then." He opened a door leading into a lavishly decorated hallway. It was quite obvious to Venus that they'd entered the actual living area now. The hall they had just came from was dark and bare, this hall was bright and covered in the finest tapestries and filled with the most exotic plants. "Dinner will be ready shortly. Would you like to freshen up first?"

"I did not bring any gowns."

Kunzite shook his head slightly. "No matter. I have that taken care of."

He showed her to her room down near the end of the hall. It was more than she'd expected. There was a four-post king size bed, covered in some of the finest linen she'd ever seen. A view into the courtyard, which was quite the oasis—filled with palm trees outlining a pool of cool, blue water. There were two lavish couches, a large vanity in the corner, and an ornate armoire in the other. The room was littered with vases filled with the most beautiful flowers.

Kunzite waited a moment after he had opened the door for her to speak. "Something wrong?"

Venus stumbled on her words for a moment. "Uh, I uh, no. No, it's fine. It is a gorgeous room. A pity I won't be in it long." She walked in, looking around, and made it to the small leather chest that she had packed full of her things.

"Oh no, no." He walked behind her and closed the chest as she began to open it. "I told you, I have something for you to wear." He smiled and walked to the armoire. Inside, was an assortment of gowns and more casual dresses. "Please, wear something from here. I insist. There will be plenty of time for you to don the warrior clothing. Tonight, let us just relax."