She swung around a corner in the moon palace and felt her hair pulls her head as it flew around her and landed over her shoulder. "Ami-Chan! It's time to go!" the woman dressed in baby blue was sitting at the piano. Minako had followed the sound through the pearl castle to find her and now that she had,
"I'm coming." She swept her long gown over the bench and stood. Both gay girls took hands and made their way giggling down the hallway. They passed windows of a setting sun. It had shades of pink and purple and tiny flickering stars decorating the sky. They stopped at one to watch the party brewing below. The trinket festival was getting its final touches before people were allowed to enter. The party was always held outside on the moon palace grounds. Every one in the kingdom was invited to come.
Little silver plates of ham rolls or muffins, champagne glasses with tiny colored bows tired around each goblet, fluffy creams in pastries of all sizes bustled about moving in a fluid dance. The girls stood in awe and loved all the excitement, plans, and decorations. Musicians of dozens of stringed violins and harps and horns. Drums and flutes tuned and hummed. White ribbons with stands of pearls hung from every corner. In the center was huge wall of masks for each guest. Feathers had been strung up against the walls and all of the fountains had been turned on. There were tiny lights fluttering all around and the fire of Mars had lighted candles so they would burn all night long. It seemed so magical with the earth in the background, huge and beautiful. It was a warm summer evening and servants dressed in white were chanting and quickly setting out flowers of every kind.
A touch on her arms and Minako turned to see that Mako and Rei had joined them at the window. Minako pressed her cheek to Mercury's and sighed an excited breath of air.
"It's all so beautiful! Tonight will be so much fun!"
"Girls! You must see!" Serenity had appeared behind them. She was peering out of another window behind them. The five gathered around where she had pointed and began to chat excitedly as they saw what she was talking about. Boats and carriages of all shapes and sizes were arriving. Elegant coachmen opened doors for thousands of women dressed in flamboyant gowns and men, (both single and with dates Mako noticed,) dressed in charming suits and uniforms. Among the arriving guests there was a sole black carriage with six strong black horses. Out of it stepped the fine prince of the Earth and his four guardians and generals. Each dressed more magnificently than the next with small symbols of the earth on each uniform. One stared up at the dome of the castle and let out a breath of fine warm air. The air of the moon tasted sweet against the bitter taste of the carriage. The warm night reminded him of home. First he would lodge his master and then find a place near by him to sleep. Kunzite was nervous about simply walking into this affair for tonight may be all's end.
* * * * * * * *
One by one the princess were expected to mingle into the crowd so as not to create a riot at the sudden appearance of high royalty. The trinket festival had always been a party of masks so most people couldn't find out that you were. But as mercury explained, if the five princesses of the galaxy came in arm-in-arm, anyone could tell whom they were. And so the plan was decided to come in one at a time and then gather together as the party began to and confuse people. It was always known that the princesses always attending this event but often they were never found out before the end.
The princess of Jupiter wanted to join the people first. The had a green veil that reach around the back of her hair pining back her brown curls she had almost let wholly down. The princess never just left it down but tonight she had a long thin clip pin it back at the nape of her neck. The edges of the veil were tied to the sides of a small mask. It covered her eyes, forehead, and nose with sequins of a greens and purples n a peacock design. Her dress was and elaborate design decorated for dancing. It had small bells at her waist and a fine purple lining at the top making her as a summer blossom would.
Next to enter the part down the marble steps was the princess of Mars. Usually the princess of mercury would go down but tonight she felt particularly shy about the crowd slowly filling the huge park. So the princess of Mars gladly took her place to keep her at ease. She wore a gown of an unusual color tonight. It was summery golden red that wrapped around her slim figure. A large red rose had been pinned up into her hair, which was pulled back into an elegant bun. Her mask was tied back with a string of red. It had small eyeholes and a slim lining to it. Its small pearls tied to it glimmered in the fire's embrace. It really showed off the sheer red lip-gloss on her delicate mouth. As she slipped into he crowd, her purple highlights shimmered and was gone.
The next to step out was Ami. Her baby blue fabric was light and flowed over a white under dress. A white flower was set on her hip and the blue ribbons that held it on her shoulder made her look frail like a china doll. She had pale shoulders only slightly blushed with her blue hairs. Some of its fine strands had been touched with light that shimmered like the mercury stars. It had all been put back with a headband on baby's breath-one of her favorite flowers and quite common on Mercury. Her slippers were of white and her toes were almost bare. Minako couldn't help but notice her small feet from under he light summer dress as she trickled down the steps of the patio entrance.
Finally it was Minako's turn. She had been shifting from one leg to the other watching from the window high above the party as the sun got lower and lower. By the time she had stepped out into the cool night air, it was almost a purple and pink dusk. Only a yellow shine spot could be seen in the distance and the stars above were brighter and clearer then ever. Her dress for the event had not been difficult to choose. She had had the outfit made for her months ago. As yellow was her signature color, she thought it only right to have it be so. But she could not stand the thought of it being heavy on her. So the gown she wore tonight was made of a light material. Its sleeves were short and round like little balls around her shoulders. Her body was embraced with the dawn yellow with small sparkles of butterfly dust that would glimmer when the earth was at it's brightest. Her hair was tied in two braids that looped up back into the sides of her hair. Each side had a yellow ribbon tied to the top. Her mask was white with a small feathers sprouting from around the outside. To Top it all off, lace gloves that reached only to her wrists adorned her small hands. She felt very elegant but was mostly bubbling with excitement.
She had hoped for day that she would meet a handsome young man or at least help her friends to some. From what she could see there were many gentle men who seemed to have the same idea in mind. Some were flirting with women in the corner, others were choosing masks from the center of the party, and others had been taking food from passing trays and had been staring with manly wonder at some of the more graceful women.
That night Minako had been asked to dance several times by many gentle men with nothing much to say except to comment on her beauty, the evening, or the number of couples. This did not impress the princess very much. After about an hour she met up with her dear friends by the almost empty mask rack. The only person absent from the group was Mako. She had apparently found a boy she liked right off the bat. He had spotted her had filled her dance card with his pseudonym. They gathered together. The short blue princess had some interesting news indeed.
She beckoned them to come close and so they did. Their heads come with in inches as they listen to her sweet voice replay the news. "The generals have come!"
"They have? But how I didn't hear of them." Rei said so in a hurried and excited mood. She had had a nice evening as well but she would not tell much of it.
Mercury continued, "They came in the same way we did! The moon royalty invited them but this year they have also have brought the prince king and queen of Earth. As well as the four kings." She clapped excitedly and bent her knees hopping like a child. Mars took her hand excitedly and they seemed to know what glory this was
Minako could not help wanting to being apart of the loop of what seemed to be a wonderful secret.
"Oh Minako!" Mars started, "The four kings are the guardians of the Earth's prince. They assist the directions of all parts of the Earth, four corners. What is so exciting is that they are so important in the earth's history. Very famous." Mars crossed her arms in front of her matter-of-factly. "They are called The Stone Generals."
"Really! Generals huh? Kind of like knights in shining armor! How exciting! Historic yeah? Well how old are they?" Minako chatted about them for a little while quickly learning all their history from Mercury and Mars. Soon the dove-like princess dressed in off-white joined them adding a most unique piece to the conversation.
"They are here to discuss Earth affairs. And they will be staying for at least 2 weeks. The earth Royalty and they are staying in one of the Moon palace wings! Can you believe it?!" She jumped in her childish ways.
"Then count me in for staying another two weeks too!" Minako laughed heartily and clapped her hands together in sheer excitement of something she did not know. This little sound made many people turn to notice the gaggle of girls resulting in two men finally resolved to ask two of the masked women to dance interrupting them. And so a whirl of blue Mercury and Mars's red hair were swept away into the floating crowd. Venus took Serenity's hand and they pushed their way through the crowd to find a clearer place to talk.