Part 7: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Weary

Good luck guys!

It was an entire day and half before they saw one another again. Minako kept mainly with her friends and guards in the main part of the Palace. She had seen the other three generals in time. One each more handsome and charming as the next. Each seemed to have something pleasant and unique about each. Each was charming in his own way.

She soon discovered that the charming gentleman she had danced with was General Zoicite of the North. He had long fine dirty blond hair and a wit that's cracked with youth. He was funny, gregarious, and a flirt. His brilliance however really showed up when he was in the same room with the princess of Mercury. Minako enjoyed his constant high sprits and laughing smile.

The next general she met was Nephrite of the South. His hair was also long and wavy. He seemed to be the general with all the ideas because his head was always full of dreams and fun ideas. He was great astrologer and a fine musician. His broad shoulders and kind gestures were different from his friend Kunzite. One was serious and harsh, the other lofty with his head in the stars.

The final General Minako met was Jedite. He was to Minako, the closest thing to a knight in shinning armor that she had ever imagined. He had short blond hair that swayed in the wind and his face was youthful and brave. His eyes seemed to sparkle with stars. He was also quite adept at making one feel perfectly at home. He would listen with the most sincere of looks when you talked and talked when one needed answers. He was smart and fierce in his convictions. It reminded Minako much of Rei.

As for the head General, (Minako could not believe that her's was the leader of them all. Minako blushed with pink embarrassment) the two avoided each other quite successfully. The only time they ever saw one another was at dinners. The long wooden table was set with many places to seat all of the princess, the councilors and guests of the moon palace. So there was quite a chance that the two would never have to see one another. Even if they sat close they would have to find one another over the tall white candles, mounds of glittering food and chattering people laughing at eloquent jokes and funny tales of joy that was so abundant.

However, one particular day it was more difficult to avoid one another than it had been.

For example she had been looking for the General Zoicite to ask him a question. She had inquired a servant of his whereabouts but the poor maid simply gave a timid point to the drawing room. Minako walked over in that direction and looking down at the book in her hand she pushed open the door. Just before she entered she could hear faint scratching noises of a pen against parchment. So she pushed through exclaiming,

"General could you tell me how the word is pronounced? I tried on my own but I'm afraid I'm just no good at this." She smiled a lovely smile and lifted her head to the person. But it was not Zoicite who stood in alarm. It was not Nephrite who bowed so keenly or Jedite whose eyes filled once with fear and then returned to their solid state. Of all the people I could run into. Her face fell in surprise too. After a moment of thick silence between them he raised a hand that was knotted with muscles out to her.

"May I see the word?" His voice was soft and fierce at the same time. It was still as much like a sword as she could remember. But she pulled back a little bit.

"I'm sorry I was ah-looking for General ahem Zoicite…sir." His face made a frown and he spoke again dropping his hand slightly.

"I'm sorry I don't think-"

"Oh no! It's alright I'll find him myself." And with that, she swept form the room with a flourish of light blue waves in her wake.

Later that same day Minako was sitting in the library awaiting the return of the Princess of Mercury. She had curled her legs under her when the white general Kunzite entered the room. He seemed very focused on the floor at that moment and seemed to not pay any notice to her at all. After some minutes of staring and fingering trough the books she wondered if he had seen her at all.

She tried desperately not to move because if he hadn't seen her, if she made her presence clear, not only might he be embarrassed but also he might believe she wished to talk with him. But he made no move to show that he had seen her and after a few more minutes searching he roughly pulled a book off the shelf and with restrained determination (and anger, Minako noticed) abruptly left the room. Not two seconds had he been gone than Ami entered the room again. Minako let out a sigh of relief and beamed at her friend. Ami seemed a little bewildered by her friend's sigh of relief but said nothing.

The sky was turning a light pink color as dusk approached. Minako was walking into the moon gardens when she turned a corner and spotted him kneeling on the floor tending for or looking at (Minako couldn't tell from where she stood) something at the foot of a bush. She turned directions and went back the way she came. She walked for a while long smelling everything as it passed, her heart speed slowing down with each step and soon forgot all about their near encounter. She was pleasantly pleased with herself when she turned a corner and came within five feet of him.

He was staring at the ground with determination as if willing it to burst forth milk. Though she knew it would be futile, she turned to run away again when the first step back she took make a loud cracking noise from a stick she had broken in two. She winced for a moment but hid the expression when Kunzite glanced up at her only lightly surprised. He bowed in the customary way and she in hers. Words were going to have to be exchanged.

"Good evening General Kunzite." She hoped that he would let her go her own way but he stopped her and asked if she were turning in.

"No. I was going to walk a while longer."

"Then might we take a turn together?" He waved his hand motioning to the vast greens around her. She could not refuse a simple request and so they began their very uncomfortable walk.

Everything in the world seemed so interesting suddenly. The rock, that flower, the sky, as long as it wasn't the tall man whose gaze was still so unwavering on the ground in front of them. Minako dared a look at him from under her eyelashes.

'Well' She breathed internally, 'His eyes are so fine.'

His hands were clasped desperately under his cloak behind him. His mind was racing about what to say and how to say it. She had said nothing to him in the library and he had tried to say something then. But his mind kept going back to her obvious want of escape from him in the drawing room that day. The fear in her lovely eyes was something he loathed. He hated it more than his determination to keep quiet about his secrets. He would rather she not look at him with such a cold stare of misunderstanding than to see him for what he was. He simply knew it must be done. Being so far away had made his will against her weak.

"Princess Venus" he began. She looked up at him with wide blue eyes. He felt his usually vigilant courage loosen under her stare.

"You want to know why I was on your planet that night." He would look at the space in front of him as if it were mildly interesting.

"I would." Her voice lacked the shimmer it usually gave. He focused instead on her smell of violets after rain.

"I suppose you should know."

"You suppose?"

"I have no malice after the planet of Venus."

"Have you after any other planet?" He knew she thought of the Moon.

"No."

"Then why do you not plan to come to Venus under proper allowance?"

"I must apologize"

"Why were you on my planet?"

He was silent in contemplation on how to answer her just question.

"General Kunzite this doesn't reflect well on Earth."

"I need hardly tell you I meant not to be caught."

Minako was quiet. She thought of why then had he shown his face to her in the Earthlight? Her heart fluttered unwillingly and she was softened.

"Please." Her voice was soft. His head snapped to face the woman beside him. She had stopped walking and was now staring at her feet. Her hands were gripped at her sides. This was the first time he had looked right at her. She was wearing a light blue gown that gathered across her collarbones. Even in this perfect state, she was powerful and strong. She was a diplomat and a leader of millions of people. Now she asked one simple question of him honestly like a person. Kunzite could feel his heart stop a moment as all sound around stopped momentarily to hear her.

"Why were you spying on Venus? Tell me truth and we will see what comes of it." She looked up at him with the determination of a lion. Her golden eyes flashed and bore up into him. But he would not move. He stared back at her and then told her.

"I promise you I would have told you at some point. The Earth is scared of Venus and it's surrounding planets. We needed to find out how hostile your planet was. Times are growing vitally short on earth and we don't know how long we have left before our people strike back."

He shifted uncomfortably. "We didn't have time to become friends or set a meeting with the so called 'opponent' Venus. Your people would not give us sufficient information even if we had. In essence my lady, the leaders of Earth had to give facts to the potential rebels. Not vague impressions of the inner planet's good intentions. We needed proof."

He almost pleased when he said, "And believe me Noble Princess, we found nothing to disadvantage you or your people. It would be most problematic if you let this information out. I beg of you most humbly to keep your silence on this matter. Earth would be grateful and…I would be grateful." There was a pause as he let the information sink into her. She simply stared at him with wide eyes. They narrowed and her chest moved slowly up and down. He could see ideas and problems whirling around her mind.

Finally she gave a sign to him that it was acceptable. It was nothing that she did. In fact nothing about her physical appearance moved. But the tone in her corn eyes softened with many emotions. None of which were anger or confusion. He spoke again putting it all into perspective.

"I'm sorry…Princess." And with that he bowed once again and left her side. He thought she would be scared or glad or even angry but she was not. She stood at attention and watched him go back into the castle.

Inside he felt like running. His heart was beating so fast he felt that he had run for miles and he did not want to stop. His face was cold and emotionless. But his insides trembled with the fact that he; General Kunzite, had asked a personal favor of a legendary princess. He was usually the one commanding attention. But this was not a demand. It was a request. There was no reason for her to keep this promise to him except to keep his face. He went on solitary but felt eternal thankfulness for her concern.

He still had a mask of indifference for her at dinner. Tonight she sat near her princess as happy and playful as ever. The two girls laughed and cast glances down the table to their other regal friends paying no attention at all to the White general watching them with light curiosity. His Earth Prince was also joining in the night's happy atmosphere with jokes and merry bursts of joy. Kunzite noticed the prince's particular affection toward the Moon princess and focused the rest of the night on this entertaining fact.

Near the end of dinner however when the plates were being taken away, he saw the princess of Venus look right at him holding him steady with her light and happy gaze. Behind the joy and laughter for the Moon princess, she smiled a look of trust. Her eyes blinked once at him and then she turned back to the on-coming desert. Kunzite felt his lips move to smile in return but held back the obvious impulse.

Hey guys hope you liked it! I have a few more chaps written but I need to have other edit them to make sure they are bearable. ^^;;

This time, your assignment is to tell me what you think should happen to the other princesses. (Ami, Rei, and Mako)

I love love you guys!

Vbabe