"Ah, is Your Grace expected to lead armies? In battle?"asked Malwina, after Ceres told her and Fayruza.
Ceres frowned in thought.
"My father is a shittenou."Ceres answered. "My mother is a senshi. Both of my parents are soldiers."
"Yes, but I mean, armies, as in wars…"
"Non-planetary wars. A military war, civil wars."
"Yes. Only men fight those types of wars. Women prefer peace to wars. That's why only women can possess sailor crystals! Senshi are to bring and keep peace. That's why only women can reign. Men are too weak in so many different ways."
"Some women have, though."she said proudly. "I could, too. Maron of Kinsei did. You sound so Martian, so Vestian."
She picked up one of her dolls. She might be out of the nursery, but she still loved her dolls. Many of them represented figures in history. Since she was so fond of them, her history tutor would use them to teach history.
"Maybe we can take Maron to view, too. She is also one of Mama and Papa's favorite senshi.
"But who was Maron of whatever. I've never heard of her."asked Fayruza.
"Kinsei is one of both of my parents most admired Princesses and Senshi of Venus. A great warrior. Very early in the days of the Empire of the Moon. She was a great granddaughter of Aphrodite. There was a civil war here, you know. And Maron led the royal army herself. She didn't just lead the armies, too. She designed the fuku costumes today's senshi wear. Her mother died when she was still young. One of her uncles wanted the throne for his daughter. It was his faction against hers. There was a prophecy that Venus would be destroyed by an evil man, and would be restored by a soldier. Just like you, everyone thought it would be a man. They took it to mean they would have to find a strong husband for her, but that was against the law. Aphrodite herself had forbidden it. You see, she needed no husband. She raised and led the armies to fight against her uncle and cousin herself."
"And what happened to the uncle and the cousin?"asked Fayruza.
"The uncle actually went mad. The cousin was kept under close surveillance, as part of Maron's own household. She held an honorable position. You see, Maron did not want her put away, like Selene II's forty nine sisters in the Crystal Tower. She wanted it to be known where she was, and did not want another mystery like that one."
Fayruza nodded. She knew about the Princesses in the Tower.
"It only re-enforces the fact that princesses should have only one daughter, and the crown can only pass through the female line. Once that is gone, then it goes to the closest female relative. We can take the doll to view the portrait!"
"We will be viewing, too?"asked Malwina.
"Yes!"
Malwina looked excited.
"To view Magellan! How grand!"
"Launcekrona said we have to wait, though. Mama and Papa are supposed to be at a ribbon cutting ceremony."
A little parody to Jeanne of Arc, with the name and prophecy and the fact that a woman led armies. She's one of my favorite figures in history.
One of my favorite manga is Phantom Thief Jeanne. So, who Ceres is referring to, Maron, which is Phantom Thief Jeanne's name, and Kinsei, which is a name for Venus. Maron of Kinsei, Jeanne of Arc. They don't have a section here for that manga here, otherwise, I'd write for her, too. Especially with Phantom Thief Sinbad. I've never watched the anime, because I've never found it.
Ceres isn't the only royal with a penchant for dolls and dollhouses, either. Queen Victoria also collected dolls. A total of 132. Queen Mary, also had a dollhouse complete with miniature jewels, paintings, even the books. You could actually pull them out and open them. Read them, possibly, if you had a magnifying glass.