Chapter Sixteen

The days passed, and it was finally the day that everyone had been waiting for. Today was the day of the Lunar Ball. The day when they celebrated the Moon and the power that the Ginzuishou bestowed on them. And to celebrate the peace that it had granted them for generations. It was a lavish spectacle, with the best of everything, from food, to music, to decorations, and to dance. Which meant much planning and preparation, all of which, Venus and her guardians had a hand in. Venus focused primarily on the security for the evening. Normally, it wasn't quite such a task, but with the situation on Earth, she felt a bit uneasy, and found herself going over things again and again, to make sure that they had every angle and possible outcome covered, and would be prepared for anything.

While the others were finishing getting ready, Venus met with the Queen just before she was about to lift the travel restriction.

"Are you certain you don't want me to go down there myself?"

Selene looked over at her lovingly. "No, my dear. I have confidence that things will go as planned. We sent instructions. They will be followed."

Venus nodded, but the concern was still on her face.

"Venus. Please." Selene placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Go get ready. This will be fine. You have done more than enough. It's time for you to enjoy yourself. You deserve it." She paused. "Now, go."

A smile crept up on her face. "Alright. But, please alert me of anything out of the ordinary."

"Go."

With that, Venus bowed graciously and left the room to go get ready. Artemis had taken care of everything for her, and her outfit for the evening was waiting for her in her room, along with some chambermaids to assist getting it on. She was nearly ready when an abrupt knock on her door interrupted her. Her heart pounded for a moment just before she answered it. It was a messenger from the guard she'd left in charge for the night. There had been an attempt to breech security as the guests from the Moon arrived. A fiery haired woman snuck into the teleportation chamber as they left. She was caught peering at the Earth's prince, who had snuck off to meet up with the Moon's princess before the ball started. However, she had been apprehended without incident, and escorted back to the Earth for questioning. Venus was furious that they'd taken the woman back without her getting to interrogate her first, but he was merely the messenger, and there was no reason to take it out on him. She would figure out who she could yell at later. She sighed and thanked the messenger before sending him off.

The evening took off without delay—no guest was made aware of the incident, and this kept the facade of it all going. The ball started, and dignitaries were introduced as they entered the room. People clapped and the dancing began. When Venus had been announced, she scanned the room for her lover, and gracefully made her way to him after politely saying hello to guests along the way. She didn't want to bring to light their relationship at this point, so when she reached him she merely bowed and allowed him to place a kiss on her hand.

"You look stunning."

She smiled. "Thank you. Though, I feel like this dress might be cutting off my circulation." They both chuckled a moment, and she motioned for him to follow her out onto the balcony. Once there, and she was sure no one could hear her, she began to express her concern. "Mind telling me what happened?"

"You mean the uninvited guest?"

She smirked. "No, I mean why your corsage doesn't match my gown." She paused. "Of course!"

Kunzite shook his head. "It was nothing."

"No, it was something. Why did that woman follow the Prince? Serenity was with him. What if something had happened? And why is she back on Earth? Shouldn't I get a say in that?"

"Slow down," he rested a hand on her shoulder to calm her. "That woman has been showing up at the castle for several months now, trying to contact the Prince. I did not know at first, but she used to be a lady of the court. She was dismissed for some reason. She has an unhealthy obsession with Endymoin."

Venus frowned. "All the more reason for me to worry. If she is after him, Serenity is in her way. She is a threat.."

"Point made."

"I want to be there when you interrogate."

"Who said I will be doing it?"

Venus raised a brow. "If it involves your prince, I am sure that you will be a part of the process."

He stood there silent for a minute and then nodded in defeat. "Fine."

She smiled softly at him. "Thank you."

Kunzite wrapped his arms around her and held tight for a few moments before letting go. "Only if you keep your promise."

"Promise?"

He now raised a brow. "So quick to forget, are we? You promised to allow me to enjoy your company tonight." He held a finger to her lips so she couldn't protest. "It has been taken care of. There is nothing to do right now. The prince and princess are fine. They didn't even know she was there. I caught her and took care of it. All that is left to do tonight is enjoy the celebration."

Without realizing it, she stomped her foot in protest, much like a child would. "Fine. But the moment this is over, I'll be on my way to Earth."

The rest of the ball went on without an incident. As promised, Venus only stepped away once or twice to check on things. Kunzite honestly didn't expect any less from her. He had found over the past several weeks that she was restless when idle and seemed to always need to have something to do. And if there was a task that needed to be handled, she couldn't help but take care of it. All things, he thought, that suited her position as head of Serenity's guard well.

As he had promised, once the ball was over and guests were gathering to leave, he met up with Venus so she could come with him. It didn't seem to bother her how late it was, even though he suggested a night's rest might be a good thing. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn't going to budge. She had already gained permission from the Queen, and was waiting for him outside in the garden.

"A private flight back to the castle?"

She chuckled. "Of course."

"I see you're dressed for the part," he said as he gestured at her fuku.

"Big, fluffy yellow dresses aren't intimidating. Besides, I told you, it was cutting off my circulation."

Kunzite sighed a little. She really did plan on doing this immediately. He had hoped that he could convince her to spend the night, then do things in the morning. "I suppose we should get going then."